R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
Computer lab: Mr P.K. Bansal, AGM, State Bank of Patiala, inaugurated a multimedia computer lab at Oliva International School here on Monday. Mr Sanjiv Dhawan, honorary director of the school, said they were imparting computer education to students from nursery class onwards. A former Indian High Commissioner and chairman of the school, Mr Diljeet Singh Pannun, said six new classrooms would be constructed and one acre of land would be used as playground.

BATHINDA
Arms seized: Six persons have been arrested under the Arms Act during a drive launched against crime in the region, the district police said on Monday. An AK-47, three magazines, 130 cartridges, 5 kg of RDX, three hand grenades, four time pencil bombs, seven detonators, nine switches, one telescope and a frequency receiver were seized from the nabbed persons, Mr Jatinder Kumar Jain SSP, said.

Nirankari mission: Mr Gobind Singh, general secretary, Sant Nirankari Mission has said the main aim of the mission was to create a casteless society. Addressing a gathering here on Monday, he pointed out that materialism had increased peoples problem. Only those who have faith in God and follow the path shown by him could get rid of the tension.

Compensation: All India Peoples Resistance Forum has urged the Punjab Government to give Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the kin of those killed in the police firing at Jethuke village on January 31. Mr Balwant Mehraj, member, of the forum’s state committee, in a press note issued here on Tuesday said guilty officials should be punished and matter be probed by the sitting judge of the High Court.

FARIDKOT
Higher education: The Punjab Government will spend a sum of Rs 95 crore in next financial year to promote higher education. Out of the total amount 80 per cent of the expenses will be incurred by the UGC. It had already sanctioned Rs 50 crore and the remaining work was under process. According to Mr Mohan Lal, Minister for Higher Education, 35 new job oriented courses will be introduced in different government and its aided colleges during the forthcoming academic session.

ROPAR
Seminar: A seminar on cancer awareness and a clinic was organised at Ambedkar Bhavan by the local Rotary Club, Prof. S.K. Bhatia, secretary of the club, said here on Monday that a doctors' team from the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, Rohini, New Delhi, attended the seminar and examined the patients, free of cost.

Kala parishad: Dr Tejwant Mann, general secretary, Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (Sekhon), has demanded that all those employees who were removed for no fault of their should be reinstated. He has also asked the state government to remove the present office-bearers of the parishad.

Injured: Three persons, including a child were injured when two cars were involved in a collision on the Ropar-Nangal road, 4 km from here on Sunday. According to the police, the mishap occurred when car drivers tried to save a cow.

SUNAM
Liquor seized: The police has arrested Kala Singh and Satnam Singh for carrying pouches of illicit liquor in their jeep. This was stated here on Tuesday by Mr Ravinder Pal Bhalla, SHO. A case under the Excise Act has been registered against them.

CHANDIGARH

Rs 1.11 lakh compensation awarded: Two years after a school teacher sustained injuries on her head and eye after being hit by a Chandigarh Transportation Undertaking bus, the UT Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr S.K. Goel, on Tuesday awarded her a compensation of Rs 1.11 lakh. The victim — Paramjit Kaur of Sector 45 — was admitted to the Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital with “multiple injuries”, after the bus rammed into the scooter she was riding in Industrial Area here on January 2, 1998. The judge also ordered the payment of interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum from the date of filing of the claim petition.

Homoeopathic study circle: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Chandigarh Homoeopathic Study Circle for 2000. Patron — Dr Ram Gopal Sharma; president — Dr O.P. Setia, vice-president — Dr Kulwant Singh Panesar; general secretary — Dr M.S. Bahra; secretary — Dr (Mrs) Vishesh Sareen; treasurer — Dr R.D. Soni; auditor — Dr D.R. Sethi.

Opening of polyclinic demanded: Members of the Residents Welfare Society, Sector 46, have demanded that the polyclinic and health centre should be inaugurated at the earliest for the benefit of the people residing in the southern sectors of the city. The President of the society, Mr S.P; Jand, in a letter written to the Adviser to the UT Administrator, Mrs Vineeta Rai, stated that the additional building for housing the poly-clinic health centre in Civil Dispensary-45 had been completed and an early date should be fixed for the opening ceremony.

Seminar on national integration: The College of Nursing PGI, organised a seminar on national integration in association with Department of National Service Scheme, Panjab University, here on Tuesday. Dr C.L. Narang, Director, NSS, PU, said national integration is not possible without emotional integration. He said that there were so many religions and castes in our country and to keep harmony among all these, cooperation, integration and social feeling is needed.

Training course from Feb 15: The Indian National Portage Association (INPA), accredited by the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), is launching the third batch of “certificate course of management and training for the learning disabled”. The last date for the receipt of applications for this course is February 15. The six-month correspondence course is for professionals, teachers, parents and psychologists. There are 200 seats and the admission fee is Rs 2000. — FOC

Mushroom cultivation programme: A one-day training programme for the cultivation of mushrooms was held on Monday in Bhagwasi village by the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Chandigarh, as part of income generation scheme for self-help groups. According to Dr R.K. Aggarwal, Head of the institute, the camp was part of the Integrated Wasteland Development Project, undertaken in Bhagwasi and Aganpur villages. Dr R.C. Upadhyay, senior scientist and Mr Sunil Verma, Technical Officer from the National Research Centre for Mushroom, Solan demonstrated the technique of growing mushrooms, particularly oyster (Dhingri). — FOC

HARYANA

AMBALA
Railway personnel awarded: The Divisional Railway Manager, Ambala Division, Mr Vijay Kumar, on Tuesday honoured several workers and officers of the Railway Safety Organisation in recognition of their services. According to Mr S.P. Gupta, Senior Divisional Safety Officer, Ambala Division, the awards have been instituted to promote excellent working in the organisation.

SONEPAT
Women welfare: The Haryana Government has launched several schemes for the welfare of women in the state. This was stated by Mrs Shelja Yadav, wife of the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ashok Yadav, at a seminar on "Establishment of women cell and their contribution" organised at Tikka Ram Girls College here on Monday. Girl students from several colleges participated in the function. Mrs Yadav said the state government had started a kanya daan scheme that entitled Schedule Caste girls to get Rs 5,100 from the state exchequer at the time of their marriage.

Robbery bid: Three armed youths reportedly assaulted a petrol pump treasurer and snatched a bag containing Rs 62,000 from him while he was going to deposit the money in a bank at Ganaur on Monday. The culprits were overpowered by the police and passersby at the Ganaur-Lalehri road. They have been identified as Vikas and Dharminder of Chatia village and Surinder of Dikadla village. A case has been registered.

Quiz contest: The Business Administration and Management Studies Students Association organised a quiz contest on the premises of Hindu College here on Monday. Dr Satbir Singh Goel, Principal of the college, inaugurated the contest. Three students of the college, Atul Wadhawa Annu Bhardwaj, and Gunjan Gopal, won the first prize in various categories.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DHARAMSALA
Tree felling: A local NGO, Jan Chetna, has demanded that the government should take back its order of the lifting ban on felling of green trees. Kanwar M.P. Singh NGO convenor, said the decision to lift the ban had been criticised by environmentalists, as deforestation could spell doom in the long run.

Suicide: A 43-year-old woman, Sureshta Devi, a resident of Thakurdwara, near Palampur consumed poison, and later died in the hospital. In another case, a 75-year-old, Kesari Devi, a resident of Lambagaon, near Thural, also committed suicide by consuming poison.

NURPUR
Dialogue: The Himachal Pradesh Employees Confederation has condemned the state government for not inviting its members for a dialogue. Mr Rajnish Sharma, state secretary of the confederation, said here on Tuesday that the confederation had gained from ‘jan jagran campaign’. Confederation leaders urged the state government to implement the Supreme Court orders regarding the regularisation of the services of daily wage employees.