R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

CHANDIGARH

Website launched
As part of the ongoing wave of encouraging youth to vote, a new website, www.votechandigarh.com, was launched by Ajay Jagga, a former columnist, yesterday. The details of all contesting candidates will be put up on the website so that people can analyse the profile of candidates before voting.

HARYANA

Gurgaon
Election duty: The Election Commission has appointed DC, Gurgaon (West), Rakesh Arya as Nodal Officer for the process of filing of nomination papers in the Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency. The nomination papers would be filed from April 11-18 and the scrutiny would take place on April 20, while the candidates could withdraw their candidature up to April 22. The Returning Officer of the Gurgaon parliamentary constituency-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon, Deepti Umashankar said the notification for the elections would be issued on April 11. She said names of left- out voters were being added to the list and the discrepancies in Electoral Photo Identity Cards were also being removed and for this application would be received in the District Election Office till April 8.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
Rejoined: Dila Ram Dhiman, a former chairman of zila parishad here, has rejoined the Congress on Saturday. Dhiman said this in a statement issued to the mediapersons here. Dhiman said he had resigned from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) several months ago and he now had decided to rejoin his parent party in presence of Congress state president Kaul Singh Thakur at Shimla, who welcomed his home coming.

CHAMBA
Exhibition: The popular Prabal Pramanik’s Academy of Arts is going to launch a set of 18 reproductions from pastel works by Prabal Pramanik, in a portfolio titled “An artist’s view of Chamba” at a function, which will be organised at the local Bhuri Singh Museum on Sunday. This attractive and colourful portfolio will focus on various aspects of Chamba town and will be a rare collectors’ delight. On the occasion, the movie titled ‘an Artist’s view of Chamba’ will be screened.

Soil health cards: Over 9,000 soil health cards have been issued to farmers in Chamba district under the flagship campaign called, “apni mitti pehchano” launched by the state government with a view to paving the way for cultivating right crop in their fields thereby yielding bumper production. These cards were issued after the successful analysis of soil samples. Disclosing this here on Saturday, district soil-testing officer RL Chauhan said 9,546 soil samples collected recently from the length and breadth of the district, including the tribal mountainous zones of Bharmour and Pangi, had been tested in the laboratory.

Saplings planted: In addition to its basic job of fire-fighting works, the fire brigade of Chamba has set a unique tradition of planting at least 35 saplings each month and in this series its officials has so far planted about 2,000 saplings of different species. According to district fire officer BS Mahal, the plantation work had been carried out by its officials at Rajnagar, Chameenu, Sahoo, Saroo, Batalwan and near the crematorium of Chamba. Besides, saplings were also planted in the precincts of 1,000-year-old Suhi Temple and the police lines.

DALHOUSIE
Miss Tibet contest: Miss Tibet Pageant-2009 will be held from June 5 to 7. The finale will be held on June 7 at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, Dharamsala. Ever since the inception of the pageant, being brainchild of Lobsang Wangyal, in 2002, it used to be held in the month of October every year. Lobsang said holding the beauty contest in the month of June would provide opportunity for several college-going Tibetan girls and weather too would be pleasant in the month.

KANGRA
Resentment expressed: The prominent leaders, cutting across the party lines, of Other Backward Classes, Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribe on Friday expressed a strong resentment against Transport Minister Kishen Kapoor for allegedly passing remarks against the OBC community and threatened to gherao him in the near future if he fails to desist from passing such remarks. Bishen Dass Choudhary, a senior advocate and state-level OBC leader, who presided over the meeting of the OBC, SC and ST committee held here on Friday, said the minister hadn’t contributed for the development of the OBC community.

PALAMPUR
Protest held: Hundreds of residents of Rajpur village protested against the opening of liquor vend in their village by the HP Excise Department. A meeting was held at Rajpur chowk, in which all villagers participated. Later, a deputation of the villagers, headed by panchayat pardhan Surinder Sood and Mahila Mandal president Krishana Devi, called on local SDM Ratten Gautam and submitted a memorandum requesting him to withdraw the notification issued by the state government for the opening of a liquor vend.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Jammu
Lakhanpur SHO suspended: SSP, Kathua, Gareeb Dass has suspended Lakhanpur SHO Ajay Kumar Sharma. Official sources said Sharma’s suspension came in the wake of increase in the smuggling of bovine animals. Yesterday, irate villagers had burnt a Kashmir-bound truck after unloading 11 animals at Magarkhad near Lakhanpur. This was the third incident in less than a month.

Notice to SKIMS director: The Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Mohammad Akbar Lone, has issued a notice to the director, SKIMS, Soura, to personally appear before him in his chamber here at noon on April 15. This follows a privilege motion moved by MLA, Lolab, Abdul Haq Khan before the Speaker, wherein the MLA has alleged that he had been humiliated by the director, SKIMS, while discussing a public matter.

Amit is SP national secy: The Samajwadi Party (SP) has appointed Amit Khajuria of Katra as its National Secretary of the Yuvajan Sabha and in charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Punjab. According to the statement issued here on Friday, he has been given the responsibility of the party affairs. Expressing gratitude, Amit Khajuria reiterated the commitment of the SP to help the downtrodden and work for the development of the nation.

Press conference: The Panun Kashmir, an organisation of the Kashmir Pandits, is holding its third World Kashmiri Press Conference (WKPC) at Jammu on April 11-12. Some 1,800 Kashmir Pandit delegates from various countries and many from other states of the country will come to consolidate the voices of the Kashmiri Pandit community. This conference will prepare a road map for the resettlement of Kashmir Pandits.

Book released: Noted writer Dr Nikhat Nazar’s book ‘Qahar Neelay Asman Ka’ based on Urdu short stories was released by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages at K L Saigal Hall here on Saturday. Chairman of the J&K Public Service Commission Mohd Shafi Pandit was the chief guest. Various writers, poets, intellectuals and Jammu University teachers were present on the occasion.

Rajouri
Election meeting: The district election officer, Poonch, convened a meeting of assistant returning officers (AROs) of three Assembly segments of the district and various political representatives on Saturday to ensure strict observance of the model code of conduct. Speaking on the occasion, the officer exhorted all fellow officer concerned to strictly adhere to the code of conduct. He said before holding any public rally, permission should be sought from him or the ARO concerned.

Udhampur
Poetic meet organised: A multilingual poetic meet has been organised on the Bhaderwah campus of Jammu University. The meet was organised in collaboration with PG College, Bhaderwah. Aqbal Bazm-e-Adab was also held. Rector, Bhaderwah campus, Irshad Ahmad Hamal was the chief guest. Renowned poets of Doda district, students, facility of the Bhaderwah Campus, officials from the police and local administration attended the function.