R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amloh
DHARAMSHALA: Anti-corruption drive and development works undertaken by the state government would be the Congress poll plank for the Lok Sabha elections, said Mr Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, MLA from Amloh on Monday. He was addressing the gathering at the stone-laying ceremony of a dharamshala at Bajigar Basti here. It has been constructed at a cost of Rs 2 lakh provided by Lok Sabha member Shamsher Singh Dullo out of his development fund. The government will abolish octroi after generating other way of income for the development of municipal councils, he said. Council chief Baldev Singh Aulakh, Mr B.R. Aggarwal, executive officer, and District Planning Board member Joginder Singh Naraingarh also spoke. 

Amritsar
BOOKED: The police here has booked Dilraj Singh, a prisoner in the Central Jail here for failing to return after his release on parole. Dilraj Singh of Katra Karam Singh was in jail for a rape case was freed on parole for four weeks on January 24 last. He did not surrender after that. He was jailed on August 13.

DEMANDED: The Vikas Manch has demanded the opening of a Pakistan visa centre in Amritsar. The manch president, Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala, said here on Sunday that with the improved relations with Pakistan a rush was on to visit the neighbouring country.

DERA BASSI
Office-bearers: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Northern Zone Insurance Employees Association, Branch Committee, Dera Bassi: president — Mr Tajinder Singh; vice-president — Mr Raman Kumar Gupta; general secretary — Mr Labh Singh; joint secretary — Ms Anita Miglani; and treasurer — Mr Balkar Singh. 

Hoshiarpur
GRANTS FOR SCHOOLS: Mr Romesh Chander Dogra, Health and Family Welfare Minister Punjab, at a function at Government Senior Secondary School here on Saturday said that Rs 12.43 crore had been given for school buildings under the Sarav Sikhiya Abhiyan in Hoshiarpur. Mr Dogra distributed cheques of Rs 32.64 lakh among 115 schools for this purpose. He also gave cheques of 8.60 lakh and 43 beneficiaries of Schedule Castes for construction of houses. Mr Dogra also distributed cheques of Rs 42.53 lakh and 260 schools of Garhshanker Subdivision under Sarav Sikhiya Abhiyan on Friday evening.

TWO HELD: The Mukerian police arrested Suresh Kumar of Sango Katrala and Devo wife of Devraj of Ghasitpur under Sections 61/1/14 of the Excise Act on Friday for smuggling liquor.

KHANNA
ANNUAL FETE: An annual fete and prize distribution function of Green Grove School, Mohanpur, was organised on Sunday. The function was inaugurated by the DSP, Mr Balraj Singh. Cultural items like giddha, bhangra, solo songs, solo dance, skits and fashion show were performed by the students. Rimi Brar, a student of Class VII won the first prize. Gagandeep Kaur and Sumandeep Kaur also got prizes. 

SEMINAR: A seminar-cum-workshop on water management and solid waste management is being organised at AS College here on Monday. Mr T.R. Bahia, Principal of the school, said in a press note that the workshop was being organised in association with Panjab University. Experts from the Agriculture Department will deliver their lectures on the subject. Farmers from 25 nearby villages will participate in the seminar. 

Ludhiana
SHOBHA YATRA: The Shivratri Mahotsav Committee took out a shobha yatra in connection with Shivratri from Hargobind Nagar here on Sunday. The yatra, which was led by a 10-foot high tableau of Lord Shiva, started from the Hanuman temple in Shivaji Nagar and passed through Ganesh Nagar, Janak Puri, New Hargobind Nagar It culminated at the starting point. Mr Jagmohan Sharma, president, DCC(I), Mr Sanjay Talwar, councillor, Mr Parveen Bansal and Mr Ashok bagga were among the prominent persons who took part in the yatra. A large number of school children, bhangra and gatka parties also participated. 

Bonn BreAd draw: Sixth weekly draw of the ‘Bonn Bread Jeeto Har Hafte’ was held at Bonn Nutrients in Ludhiana on Sunday and AV39780 was declared winner of the first prize. Series AS to BA with the same numbers is entitled to win the second prize. And all series ending with the last four digits will get the third prize and all series ending with the last three digits will get the third prize. 

Development Works: Congress legislator Surinder Dawar laid the foundation stone of construction of a road along the open drain from Shagun Palace in Ram Nagar to Hargobind Nagar and pavement of Tubewell Operators Colony in Ward No. 51 here on Sunday. These works would be completed at a cost of Rs 4.5 lakh. Speaking on the occasion, area councillor Sanjeev Talwar said that many more development works, including beautification of parks in Mohar Singh Nagar and Fatehganj, sinking a new tubewell in Ram Nagar, pavement of drains in Kucha No. 7 to 16 in Field Ganj, paving of streets in Sadhu Sunder Singh Nagar and Issa Nagri and widening and resurfacing of the main road from Lakshmi cinema to the CMC Hospital, would be taken in hand soon. 

Pensioners: A general meeting of the Punjab State Government Pensioners Association held here on Saturday under the presidentship of Mr Ajit Singh Arora observed that the Punjab Government had not fulfilled the promises made before the assembly elections. Mr Arora alleged that the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister had failed to get time to hear the grievances of the bodies of pensioners. He announced that in response to a call given by the state unit of the Punjab Government Pensioners Association, all the associations would participate in the rally proposed to be held at Parade Ground in Chandigarh on February 26 to impress upon the state government to accede to genuine demands of the pensioners. 

Meeting: A meeting of newly elected managing committee of the Ludhiana branch of the Northern India Regional Council of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India was held here on Sunday. Mr Ashok Bhandari was elected chairman, Mr Subhash Jain secretary, Mr Gagandeep Singh vice-chairman and Mr Arun Gupta treasurer for the term 2004-05. The executive members are Mr Kawitansh Khanna, Mr Ashok Bansal, Mr Sandeep Maini and Mr Vishal Garg. Mr Sandeep Maini was co-opted as executive member in place of Mr A.P. Singh who resigned earlier. 

Mandi Gobindgarh
Poll panels: The Amloh unit of the BJP at a meeting presided over by its chief Ram Niwas Jain at Ram Bhavan here on Sunday decided to form wardwise election committees at Amloh and Mandi Gobindgarh. The mandal chief said the Akali-BJP combine would win all 13 seats in the state as the Congress had no match to “feel good factor” brought about by the BJP in the country. Vice-president Ram Kishan Goyal, Mr Nathi Ram Goyal, Mr R.L. Puri, Mr Ram Kumar Jindal and Mr Bal Mukund also addressed the meeting. 

Stone laid: Mr O.P. Goyal, vice-president of the Amloh Mandal unit of the BJP, laid the foundation stone of a Gobindgarh College of Education building. Mr Bhadur Singh, Principal of Gobindgarh Public School, said on Monday that the Gobindgarh Educational and Social Welfare Trust was a charitable trust active in the field of education for 26 years. It has been running Gobindgarh Public School, Gobindgarh Public College and Punjab Institute of Management and Technology under the guidance of Sawarnjeet Singh Bagli. Mr R.P. Bhatia, Mr Satdev Saggar, Mr N.K. Khanna, Mr Satprakash, Mr Suresh Goyal, Principal S.L. Bhardwaj and Principal N.C. Sharma participated in the inauguration ceremony. 

COLLEGE FUNCTION: The Youth Club and NSS unit of the local BLM Girls College organised a function here on the college premises on Friday. Dr Bhagwant Kaur, Head of the Music Department, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and Mr S.M. Kant, State Liason officer, NSS, delivered special lectures. The college students who excelled in academic, sports, social and cultural activities were also honoured. 

CHANDIGARH

Party: A farewell party was arranged by Chandigarh Baptist School for Class X students here on Sunday. The programme began with prayer by Rev Hardy. Class IX students presented plays, skits, and dance items. Class X students shared their memorable experiences and thanked the juniors for arranging farewell party for them. Mementoes and gifts were presented by the Principal to Class X students. 

Election duty: Dr R.P.S. Josh, a member of the Panjab University Senate, has urged that before assigning any election duty to the college lecturers, their pay scales and seniority be kept in view. He has sent a representation to the Deputy Commissioner, Chandigarh, in this regard. A letter to this effect has been issued by the Secretariat of the Election Commission of India on a representation by a lecturer of Government College, Hoshiarpur. 

MOHALI
EMPLOYEES RELIEVED: Fifty two employees of Electronics Systems Punjab Limited (ESPL) here were relieved from service on Friday after being granted voluntary retirement. A Public Sector Unit, ESPL, is up for closure following recommendations of the Punjab Disinvestment Commission. The ESPL has a total of 303 employees, 245 of whom had applied for voluntary retirement. Out of the first set of 52 employees, 39 were from the Mohali unit while 14 were from the Delhi branch. 

DECISION HAILED: The Industrial Welfare Association Industrial Focal Point, Phase IX, has welcomed the decision of the government to allow 50 per cent floor area of industrial plots for residential purposes at Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bathinda and Hoshiarpur. Mr Prabhjot Singh Sandhu, president of the association, said it would lead to better performance by the small-scale industry. He added that the concession should also be given to units in Focal Point, Phase IX. 

PANCHKULA
Training: About 75 slum children were given training on use of language, counting, reading and writing during a 15-day literacy programme at the State Bank of India Staff Training Centre (STC) in Sector 14 here. Mr Ramesh Sethi, Assistant General Manager of the STC, was the chief guest on the valedictory function on Monday. He gave away prizes to the participants. 

ANNUAL DAY: Tiny tots of Woodlands House School, Sector 8, Panchkula, presented various colourful items to mark the annual cultural day of the school on Saturday. The function began with a prayer. It was followed by dance items, skits, poems etc. 

School Council: The following have been elected members of the school council of Blue Bird High School, Sector 16, for 2004-05: head boy — Rohit; head girl — Navita; captain(boys) — Viraj; captains (girls) — Chandita and Shipra; vice-captain (boys) — Amandeep. 

HARYANA

Yamunanagar
SEMINAR: A seminar on Entrepreneurship Awareness-cum-Development Programme was organised in Guru Gobind Singh Institute of Management and Technology (GGSITMS) here on Saturday to encourage setting up of small scale units. It was stressed that before setting up a business unit one should explore the market factors like what was in demand etc. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
DEAD: Mian Labh Singh Chandel, 85, a retired teacher and a freedom fighter, died at Nalti village on Saturday. His funeral was largely attended.

Shimla
FOREST OFFICERS: The state unit of the Indian Forest Service Association has urged the government to take steps to remove stagnation in the cadre and restore parity in promotions at various levels with the IPS cadre. In a memorandum to the Chief Minister and the Forest Minister the association pointed out that the IFS cadre had not benefited from the recommendations of the 5th Pay Commission as sufficient number of posts had not been created.

Una
SEMINAR: Fortis Heart Institute and Multi-Speciality Hospital on Saturday organised a seminar in the district. The seminar was addressed by Dr R.K. Jaswal, Consultant Interventional Cardiology, and Dr Rajesh Gulla, Consultant, Urology, Fortis Heart Institute and Multi-Speciality Hospital. Dr Jaswal discussed ‘Basic Lifestyle Management in Cardiology’ and Dr Gulla spoke on ‘Common Urological Problems’ and facilities available in the country to deal with the ailments. Over 65 leading cardiologists, physicians and urologists from Una and nearby areas attended the seminar.