R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
SEMINARS: Guru Nanak Dev University will organise a two-day national seminar titled Babar Banii on the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev. The seminar will start from March 29. Another seminar on “Contemporary Hindi Literature of Punjab” under the aegis of the university’s Hindi Department would be held on March 12.

MASS COPYING: Ms Laxmi Kanta Chawla, vice-president of the state unit of the BJP, has alleged that mass copying was going on in schools in Class X and XII examinations of the Punjab School Education Board being held here. In a press note issued here on Wednesday she alleged that honest superintendents and flying squad members were being beaten up by those using unfair means.

EXPELLED: The United Garib Janta Party expelled its state president Baldev Singh Matharu on Wednesday for his alleged anti-party activities. This was stated by Dr Lakhwinder Singh, president, and Dr Balraj Singh Sahni, general secretary of the party.

IT CONFERENCE: DAV College, Amritsar, will hold a two-day national conference on IT: Pathway for Transformation of Society from March 13 on the college premises. Mr M.M. Pant, an expert in IT, will deliver the keynote address at the plenary session.

Batala
OFFICE-BEARERS: Mr Raghubir Singh Sandhu has been elected the president of the local Bar Association. The other elected members are as following: vice-president — Mr Gurinder Parmar; general secretary — Mr Sharanjit Singh Khehra; joint secretary — Mr Paramjit Kataria; and finance secretary — Mr Paramjit Singh Cheema.

Hoshiarpur
BANNED: Mr Kirandeep Singh Bhullar, District Magistrate, has banned the entry of general public around 100 square metres of all the examination centres of 10 and 12th classes in the district one hour prior to the starting and one hour after the completion of examinations. This order will remain in force till April 6, 2004.

Jalandhar
TRAFFIC AWARENESS: The district police on Wednesday launched a “Traffic Awareness Week” by holding a seminar at Red Cross Bhavan here. The
IG (Jalandhar zone), Mr S.K. Sharma, addressed the gathering.

Khanna
Meeting: The SAD organised a meeting under the chairmanship of Jathedar Daya Singh, President, District Akali Dal Ludhiana at Gurdwara Kalgidhar on Thursday. The meeting was organised to chalk out the programme for the rally to be held on March 27. The meeting would be addressed by former MP Satwinder Kaur Dhaliwal.

LUDHIANA
Eye camp: A free eye camp was held at the village of Nidhan Wala, district of Moga, at which 520 patients were examined and given medicines by a team of doctors. As many as 101 patients were selected for free cataract surgery. A team of doctors lead by Dr Sarbjit Singh of Dr Shamsher Singh Eye Hospital, Khanna, examined the patients and will perform surgeries free of cost. Funds for the camp were raised by NRI Ranjit Singh Sidhu of the UK in memory of his grandparents.

Medical camp: The State Bank of India, Link Road, celebrated Apna Diwas on its 31st Anniversary here on Tuesday. A free medical camp was organised by bank employees on this occasion. The camp was organised in the bank premises where free medicines were provided. State Bank of India Chief Manager R.K. Malik inaugurated the camp, while Dr R.K. Aggarwal, general physician, and Dr Manjit Singh, eye specialist supervised the camp.

Samrala
Farmers camp: A block-level farmers training camp was organised at the local agricultural office under the chairmanship of Dr Satnam Singh Swach, Agricultural Officer. More than 100 farmers took part in the camp. The camp gave information about crop diversification and insect-pest management of kharif crops.

Promoted: Dr Gurcharan Singh, Agricultural Development Officer, in the office of Agricultural Office, Samrala, has been promoted and transferred as Block Officer, Pakhowal.

Appointed: Mr S.P. Kalra, president of the BJP Samrala city, has been appointed district media in charge of the Khanna police district, according to Dr Hans Raj Sood, president of the BJP unit of Khanna police district. Mr Rajbir Singh Mangat has been appointed president of the BJP unit, Samrala City.

HARYANA

Fatehabad
CONVOCATION: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Mehtab Singh Sehrawat, has asked students to set their targets early and work hard to achieve these. He was delivering the convocation address at Government College, Bhattu Kalan, in the district on Wednesday. The college Principal, Mr V.K. Sharma, conferred degrees on graduates while the Deputy Commissioner gave away prizes to students.

Karnal
LS POLL: The District Magistrate of Karnal, Mr R.S. Doon, has urged parties to maintain peace and create an environment of mutual understanding to ensure a fair and peaceful Lok Sabha poll. He was addressing a meeting of local representatives of parties here on Wednesday.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
BABA BALAKNATH MELA: All arrangements have been finalised by the district administration for the one-month-long Baba Balaknath fair, which begins at Shah Talai, about 70 km from here, on March 13. Deputy Commissioner Subhashis Panda said the mela area had been divided into nine sectors and three barriers would be put up to maintain regular flow of traffic to keep a check on anti-social elements and provide security to lakhs of devotees.

SHRAMDAN SHIVIR: A five-day shramdan shivir, organised by the Nehru Yuva Kendra for inculcating dignity of labour and spirit of social service among youth, concluded at Deoth, about 25 km from here, on Tuesday. District youth coordinator Somdutt Zard said 35 youths from four yuvak mandals participated in the shramdan.

Kangra
ONE KILLED: A 38-year woman was killed in an accident at Paror on the Pathankot-Mandi highway. She was crushed under a truck, which was trying to overtake a tempo, the police said here on Wednesday. The police said the woman, Pinky, was going on a scooter with her husband Sansar Chand when their vehicle slipped and she fell on the road and was crushed under the truck. The victim was a resident of Chaboo Biajnath village. A case under Sections 279 and 304 A of the IPC has been registered.