R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
DOCS ‘HARASSED’: Members of the Junior Doctors Association (JDA) who launched an agitation against the state government for the non payments of arrears of DA to the postgraduates on Tuesday alleged harassment by the authorities with suspension and not allowing them to appear in the examinations.

CONDEMNED: Members of the AITUC decried attacks on migrant labourers in the state and in Assam. AITUC and Textile Mazdoor Union members criticised statements of the Dal Khalsa that the migrant labourers from Bihar and Orissa were a strategy of the BJP and the NDA government to reduce the Sikh population to minority in the state. Criticising the NDA and the Congress party AITUC leadership stated that they had not tackled the problem of employment.

Kapurthala
RESIGNATION SOUGHT: Mr Sukhpal Singh Khaira, former general secretary of the PPCC and Chairman of the Punjab State Traffic Regulatory Authority, has asked Mr Parkash Singh Badal, former Chief Minister, to resign as president of SAD following the presentation of a challan against him in a court. He said this while talking to newspersons here on Tuesday.

KHANNA
DISCOURSES: Lakhs of devotees gathered at the Military Camping Ground on Wednesday to attend a function organised by Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa (Haryana) run by Sant Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh Ji. More than 20,000 took ‘nam dan from Sant Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh Ji. Devotees from all over Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pardesh reached the venue to listen to the discourses of Sant Ji. The function continued for more than four hours.

RALLY HELD: A rally to create awareness against pollution was organised by Green Grove Public School Mohan Pur, 8 km from here, on Tuesday. The rally started from Khalsa Petrol Station and was flagged off by Mr Ajmer Singh Ramana SP(H). Slogans such as Save Ozone, Save Earth, Drinking water is lifeline — preserve it and grow more trees were displayed by students. A sapling was also planted by Mr Ramana at the police headquarters.

Nawanshahr
CHANNEL: Siti Cable Network here launched the telecast of a local ‘Hungama Nawanshahr’ here on Tuesday. Mr Lalit Mohan Pathak, president, Municipal Council inaugurated it. The programme aimes at highlighting the development activities and problems of the residents.

Pathankot
PUNJABI CULTURE: Seminar on Punjabi language, literature and Punjabi Culture was organised at Shanti Devi Arya Mahila College at Dinanagar, 25 km from here on Tuesday. Dr K.S. Kasel, noted writer talked of the rich-heritage of Punjabi language and culture which was spreading roots abroad. Dr Kasel warned the students against the influence of western culture on the Punjabi culture via electronic media which was harmful to Punjabi culture.

WASTE TREATMENT : A workshop on bio-medical treatment of waste and disposal plant was organised here on Tuesday. The workshop discussed challenges to the environment from chemicals released from the factories. Mr Malwinder Singh, Member Punjab Pollution Board was the chief guest.

Phagwara
FOGMEN: With the onset of winter the Railways have geared up to meet the problems accompanying fog. Fogmen have been deployed in the entire Ferozepore division of Northern Railway. They will burst crackers for giving signals said Mr Hukam Chand Punia, Divisional Railway Manager, Ferozepore division, here on Tuesday.

THEFT: Rupees 1 lakh were taken away from M/s Somi Nath Meat Shop at the T-point bend on the local Phagwara-Banga road here on Tuesday. According to the owner, a person had come to the shop to buy meat. He said when he went inside to get meat and returned he found that the man had gone and taken the cash from the box.

SAMRALA
CELEBRATED: Id-ul-fitter was celebrated with great pomp and show in the local masjid near the BDO office here on Wednesday. The local SDM, Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi, the local DSP, Samrala, Mr Jasvir Singh, the local MLA, Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon, and member, SGPC, Jathedar Kirpal Singh Kheernian, congratulated the general public of Samrala subdivision and appealed to them to follow in the footsteps of prophet Mohamed .

BEST ACTRESS: Ms Kamaljeet Kaur of Malwa College, Bondli-Samrala, was declared the best actress at the Youth Festival of Punjab University at AS College for Women, Khanna, on Tuesday, according to Dr Parminder Singh Benipal, Principal of Malwa College Bondli-Samrala, here Wednesday. Seven colleges and 53 actors participated in the competition. The team of Malwa College stayed “Chirrian” written by Dr Atamjeet Singh.

HONOUR: Well-known Punjabi litterateur Lal Singh Dill will be honoured by the Sahit Sabha, Behrampur Bet on December 7 and the SDM, Ropar, Mr Daljeet Singh, will be the chief guest at the function, according to Dr Gulzar Mohamad Goria of Samrala, a writer. On this occasion, a kavi darbar will also be held.

HARYANA

Jind
Inquiry: The Vigilance Department, Haryana, has started an inquiry into the irregularities in the construction of certain roads by the local Municipal Council. Residents, including some members of the council, alleged that the roads were not constructed according to the specifications and substandard material was used in its construction. The Vigilance team inspected the roads and took samples of the material used in the construction.

Yamunanagar
TYRES STOLEN: Tyres worth lakhs were stolen from V.V. Enterprises at Industrial Area here on Tuesday. Baliram, the chowkidar of the company, was patrolling the premises when the thieves overpowered him and locked him in a room.

KILLED: Hariram (50) of Haripur Jattan was killed when his bicycle was hit by a car on Batali road near here. The police has lodged an F.I.R. against the car driver under various sections of the IPC. The car has been impounded.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Kulu
REVENUE OFFICERS: the following have been elected office-bearers of the Kulu district unit of the Himachal pradesh Rajsav Adhikari Sangh (HP Revenue Officers Federation): president — Mr Bhola Dutt Prasher; senior vice-president — Mr Ashwani Sood; vice-president - Mr Prakash Chand Slakata; joint secretary — Mr Gokul Chand; finance secretary — Mr Bhola Ram Sharma; organising secretary — Mr Devender Chandel; prachar secretary — Mr ravinder Sharma.

POLL ROLLS: Mr R.D. Nazim, District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner here said on Tuesday that the revision of the electoral rolls would be completed by January 1, 2004., and additions, corrections and deletions could be done before December 18.

Shimla
PROBE: The state unit of the BJP has demanded that the case concerning the alleged recruitment scam in the Himachal Pradesh Subordinate Services Selec-tion Board should be entrusted to the CBI to ensure a fair inquiry. Mr Randhir Sharma, spokes-person of the party, alleged that the state investigating agencies were functioning under the pressure of the government and certain revelations made by Mr S.M. Katwal, former chairman of the board, made this obvious. He said Mr Katwal had alleged that the investigating agencies had been pressurising him to name Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, a former Chief Minister, in the scam.