R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
APPEAL: Ms Ratna, chairperson, Punjab State Social Welfare Board, has appealed to contribute to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for tsunami victims. She donated her one month’s salary.

VIRASAT DIVAS: The Aalmi Punjabi Virasat Foundation will celebrate Punjabi Virasat Divas on February 5. Mr Shivdev Singh, general secretary, said the members would meet at Jallianwala Bagh from there they would proceed in procession.

SCAN CENTRE: Dr H.S. Sidhu, Civil Surgeon, has written to the Medical Council, Chandigarh, to derecognise Satyam Ultra Sound Scan Centre in the Putlighar area. Dr Sidhu said the department was also contemplating an appeal in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for increasing the quantum of punishment against the erring persons of the scan centre.

Jagraon
MEDICAL CAMP: A free medical and eye check-up camp will be organised by the Ramgarhia Welfare Council in collaboration with the Lions Club, Jagraon, on Sunday. Dr Amlok and Dr Nirotam Diwan, eye specialists, Dr Gurpreet Kalsi, heart and chest specialist, Dr Krishan Singh, SMO, and other doctors will examine the patients and provide free medicines to them.

Ludhiana
NSS Camp: Dr Amarpreet Singh Deol and Dr Rohi Deol of the Guru Nanak Charitable Trust, Mullanpur, delivered a talk to the teachers at the on-going 10-day NSS camps at GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar. Dr A.S. Deol highlighted damaging effects of drugs on the youth. Dr Rohi educated girl volunteers about various health problems and hygiene. More than 200 volunteers attended the programme.

Mandi Ahmedgarh
Accused: The panchayat of Chhappar village has accused the Headmaster of Government High School of the village of misappropriating school funds. Mr Ajaib Singh, sarpanch, along with his associates, had urged the authorities to investigate into the functioning of the school. The Headmaster, Mr Darshan Singh, has on the hand denied the charges and maintained that the funds had been utilised according to the norms prescribed by the Education Department.

Nawanshahr
DEMANDED: The Punjab Kishan Sabha organised a dharna in front of the local Doaba Cooperative Sugar Mills and blocked traffic on the Banga road in support of their demands here on Thursday. Mr Darshan Singh Mattoo, state vice-president, demanded that the state government should take steps to get the arrears of payment of sugarcane growers along with 14 per cent interest, minimum support price for sugarcane should be Rs 135 per quintal and loans of the farmers should be waived off keeping in view of the plight of farmers.

APPEAL: The Deputy Commissioner has appealed to the all sections of the society to come forward and donate to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the victims of tsunami. He was presiding over a meeting here on Thursday. He said the employees of the state government and semi-government would donate one day’s salary for the cause.

CAMP: The local branch of Bharat Overseas Bank in collaboration with the Blood Donors Council organised a blood grouping camp at Adarsh Bal Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School on Wednesday. Mr J.P. Arora, branch manager, said that blood groups of 50 persons were tested. Mr Lalit Mohan Malik, president, municipal council, inaugurated the camp.

Patiala
Relief Fund: Members of the Triveni Sahitya Parishad here on Friday expressed grief over the loss of lives in tsunami tragedy in South Indian and other parts of South Asia and decided to send relief to the affected families. Meanwhile, a meeting of the executive committee of the Rajindra Gymkhana and Mahindra Club was held to mourn the death of tsunami victims. Brig D.S. Grewal, station commander, said the management had donated Rs 1 lakh to chairman of the local Improvement Trust K.K. Sharma for their relief.

Displeasure: The Punjab Schedule Castes Welfare Society (PSCWS) held meeting here on Friday. President of the society Paramjeet Singh Sondh said the members expressed their anguish at the response of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to the 85th Amendment to the Constitution, which deals with reservation in promotion for Schedule Caste employees of Punjab. Mr Sondh said the Chief Minister had deleted the holiday in memory of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Kabir Jayanti from the list of gazetted holidays, which was unjust on the part of the CM.

Get-together: The local branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) organised a New Year special family get-together at Grand Park, Bhupindra Road, here on Friday. Mr Vijay Gupta, chairman, said prizes for punctuality, best dress and best dancer were awarded among participants.

Phagwara
SNATCHED: Two motor cycle-borne youths snatched the purse of a lady doctor, Pritpal Kaur, on the G.T. Road—Hargobindnagar crossing here on Thursday night. The purse contained Rs 20,000, a cellphone and important documents. She was returning home along with her daughter on a rickshaw.

Phillaur
SEIZED: The police arrested Bakshish of Ludhiana, Darshan of Nawanshahr and Sandip of Rahon and seized 140 kg of poppy husk from their possession near Lassarra village here on Wednesday night.

ROPAR
Flyover: The traffic chaos on the National Highway-21 passing through Kurali town will be solved with the completion of the flyover project. The government is spending Rs 25 crore on the project which will likely to be completed in 2006, informed the Deputy Commissioner, Ms Seema Jain, here on Friday.

Disaster aid: A number of residents of the district have came forward to help the victims of tsunami disaster Bharat Bhushan of Morinda contributed Rs 1 lakh, employees of Ranbaxy, Mohali, also gave Rs 1 lakh to the Chief Minister tsunami relief fund, said the Deputy Commissioner here on Friday. Women employees of the NFL, Nangal, also contributed Rs 21,000 to rehabilitate the victims of disaster. She said residents can help the victims by contributing a small amount of Rs 10 through the Red Cross Society.

DEAD: Gunner Amritpal Singh (22) of the 171 Field Regiment was cremated with full military honour at his village, Pandori Gola, 6 km from here, on Thursday. He was feeling uneasiness at high altitude of Machhal (Kupwara). However, he died on the way to hospital.

CHANDIGARH

DONATION: The staff members of State Bank of Patiala, Baddi, have donated one day’s salary amounting to Rs 6500 to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund Tsunami victims.

HARYANA

Sonepat
URGED: The district unit of the Haryana Adhyapak Sangh has urged the administration not to depute mahila karamcharis on election duties because they have to face numerous problems while discharging their duties in the villages.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
CRITICISED: The Himachal Pradesh State Highly Qualified Teachers Association has criticised the Punjab Government’s decision to reduce the payscales and salaries of highly qualified teachers. Mr Ranvir Singh Dhillon, secretary of the National Employees Coordination Committee, said they would oppose its enactment. On the other hand, it would also affect the teachers of Himachal Pradesh who are covered under the payscales of the Punjab pattern.

Sundernagar
CONVICTED: The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr Sureshwar Thakur, has convicted Jasvinder Singh, a resident of Khaneshwar tehsil of Haryana, for possessing 1.6 kg of charas and sentenced him to imprisonment for 10 years and fined Rs 1 lakh.