R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
SELECTED: Twelve students of Genius International School here have been selected for national scholarships for their superb performance in Matric examinations in March last year. A total of 25 students from this school had appeared in the examinations. They were honoured by the managing committee.

Faridkot
SUSPENDED: Mr Kuldip Singh Chameli, chairman, Zila Parishad, Faridkot, has suspended Mr Bhupinder Singh, superintendent of the institution, for allegedly committing irregularities in the recent past in the Zila Parishad. The erring official has been sent to the block samiti, Kotkapura, till further orders, he said. 

Hoshiarpur
CAMP: A three-day sports fair and medical check-up camp concluded at Kotla Naudh Singh village on Monday. More than 1100 patients suffering from various diseases were checked up by a team of doctors during the camp jointly organised by the Health Department and the village welfare committee. Medicines were also given free of cost. Mr Romesh Chander Dogra, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Punjab, presided over the concluding function and gave away the prizes.

CASE: On a complaint of Arvind Kumar, son of Kartar Singh of Shahpur Kandi, the Hajipur police has registered a case under Section 306, 34 of the IPC against Gurnam Singh, Tirath Kaur, wife of Jagdish Singh and Kulwinder Kaur wife of Karnail Singh of Nangal Bihala, for allegedly torturing and compelling Arvind’s sister, Neelam Kaur, to commit suicide.

Khanna
CHEQUE PRESENTED: A cheque for Rs 1.40 lakh was presented to Mr Joginder Sharma, president of A.S. School Trust and president of BSB Welfare Society, by Mr Buvneshwar Sharma, state manager, Punjab, Helpage India, at A.S. School here on Tuesday. Mr Bhuvneshwar Sharma, while addressing the gathering, said the Helpage India is running programmes to help senior citizens of the nation with the donations given by the public. 

LUDHIANA
EYE CAMP: The 46th free eye check-up camp will be organised at Civil Dispensary in Salem Tabri here on Sunday. Eye specialists from Dr B.L. Kapur Memorial Hospital will examine patients. Sponsored by Congress councillor Madan Lal Bagga, the camp will be inaugurated by Mr K.L. Goyal, Commissioner, Employees Provident Fund Organisation. 

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of Rishi Nagar (F-Block) Welfare Association: Patron — Mr Balkar Singh Sandhu (councillor); chairman — Mr S.K. Thaman ; president — Mr Sandeep Aggarwal; vice-president — Mr Rakesh Gupta and Mr Narinder Bhalla; general secretary — Mr H.K. Aneja; organising secretary — Mr Raman Gogna; cashier — Mr Vinod Gupta; and members of the executive committee — Mr Amrik Singh Kang, Mr Ashok Jain, Mr Vipin Bhalla, Mr Vipan K. Kad and Mr Sunil Aggarwal.

SEMINAR: Gujranwala Guru Nanak Khalsa College, here will organise a two-day UGC-sponsored national seminar on “Humanistic concerns in Indian English fiction,” on March 30 and 31. About hundred delegates from various universities and colleges of the country are expected to attend. Thirty research papers will be presented on various facets of Indian English novel. Prof K.B. Razdan from the University of Jammu will deliver the inaugural address while Dr Nibir K. Ghosh from Agra will present the keynote address, Dr T.S Anand, Head, Postgraduate Department of English and Director of the seminar, told mediapersons.

Samrala
MEETING: A meeting of unemployed persons was held at the local employment office in which 20 persons took part. Mr J.L. Duggal (EO) and other officials from banks and industries department addressed the participants and inspired them to start their own ventures instead of waiting for government services, which are rare. 

Tarn Taran
DUPED: Ajmer Singh alias Raju, a jeweller of Fatehabad, duped his customer by giving him fake jewellery. A case under Section 420 of the IPC has been registered against him. Police sources said the case had been registered on a complaint of Varinderjit Singh of Khanchhapri village.

BOOKED: Des Raj and Sakattar Singh, both of Wadala Colony, Jalandhar, have been booked for defrauding Karnail Singh of Mamnagar, Jalandhar, with Rs 2.50 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad. The police said a case had been registered by the Sarhali police under Section 420.

CHANDIGARH

ELECTED: In the election to the Panjab University Stenographers’ Association (PUSTA) held today for the year 2005, Shri J.R. Dhiman, P.A. to Controller of Examinations was unanimously elected Chairman consecutively for the seventh term along with other office bearers and executive members. 

Panchkula
SCRUTINY: The scrutiny of forms for the Kalka Municipal Committee elections was done on Tuesday. The forms of one candidate, Mr Ghanshayam Das were rejected as he had four children. With this, there are 84 candidates in fray for the elections to the local body, which comprises of 17 wards.

NOTICE: A local court has issued a notice to the Manager of Panchkula Golf Club for April 1, on a petition filed by 43 labourers who were discharged of their duties last week. The peitioners had pleaded that they were working in the club for seven months and that they were asked to leave a few days ago. They have pleaded that the club authorities be directed not to employ other persons as their replacement.

LAUNCHED: Keeping in view the increasing demand from allottees of Urban Development Authorities and members of housing societies, the State Bank of Patiala has launched a SBOP Reality Scheme at Kalka. This loan scheme gives a benefit of purchasing a plot of land first and construction of house later, informed bank manager, Mr S C Dhall.

PVGV DEMAND: Peoples Voice Gods Voice, a people’s action group has requested the Director, Urban Development, to issue clear instructions to Municipal Council, Panchkula, about the recovery to be made from various contractors. An inquiry conducted by the department had found that recovery worth lakhs of rupees was to be effected from the sanitation contractor, but the MC had still cleared his bills.

Memorandum: Members of Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Dr Mannohan Singh, through the Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula. They have demanded that the right to work should be included in the Fundamental Rights of an individual, and the 100 days Employment Guarantee Bill be implemented fast. They have also demanded that the ban on recruitments by various state governments be lifted. 

HARYANA

Jagadhri
BURNT: Two coaches of Delhi division of the Railways were destroyed in a fire at the railway workshop here on Monday. No loss of life was reported. The coaches were being repaired when the caught fire. The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained but sources said sparks from a wielding stick seemed to have led to it.

Panipat
SENTENCED: Three persons, Chander Kanta, Nand Kishore and Ashok Kumar, have been sentenced to one day’s imprisonment and fined Rs 500 each as samples of different eatables being sold by them failed. This was stated by the Panipat Deputy Commissioner, Mr Mehtab Singh, here on Monday. As many as nine samples of eatables from different parts of the district had been taken by the Health Department during the last month and three of them failed the test. The samples related to mustard oil, mineral water and pickles.

MISSING: Three children of Mahavir Colony have been missing since Monday. They are Luxmi (8), her brother Ginni (5) and their sister Aasha (3). Ramesh, uncle of the children, said they were playing in the colony on Sunday, but did not return home.

Sonepat
TWO ARRESTED: The Rai police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested two persons for interrogation in the murder case of Attar Singh, a former Station House Officer (SHO), at Bad Khalsa village in this district. The police has also interrogated Suraj Parkash, a son of the deceased, and his in-laws’ family members in this connection.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Kangra
SANATORIUM: Consequent to the shifting of the administrative and financial control of the TB Sanatorium, Tanda, to Dr R.P. Government Medical College, Kangra it was decided on Monday that the sanatorium would continue to function with specialists from the Chest and TB Department of the medical college. This was disclosed by Dr M.L. Sharma, Principal of Dr R.P. Government Medical College, at a meeting with the Medical Superintendent of the sanatorium and his staff on Monday.

Mandi
CAMP: The State Forest Department and the HP State Land Use Board held a soil resources awareness camp for farmers and government departments here on Monday to evolve a sound soil conservation and land use policy that would benefit farmers and other users in the state. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ali Raza Rizvi, inaugurated the camp.