R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

DERA BASSI
TELEPHONE NUMBERS: The subscribers catered by the local telephone exchange have been re-issued the numbers starting with 3. Earlier, they were given numbers starting with 7. After setting up of the new remote line unit in the previous C-DOT telephone exchange here, local calls to Dera Bassi from Chandigarh could be made by dialling 912 before the new number series. The exchange will accept number 911 to make calls from Dera Bassi to Chandigarh.

DHURI
EYE CAMP: A free eye operation camp was organised by the local Netra Bank Samiti on Sunday at Mangla Ashram, with the co-operation of the Pandit Karam Chand Memorial Trust. The camp was inaugurated by Mr A.R. Sharma, Chairman of the trust. About 500 patients were examined at the camp and 58 operations performed.

GARHSHANKAR
PLEA: The Congress Kisan Cell has urged the government to merge the areas around Garhshankar with Nawanshahr district as it is 13 km from here whereas Hoshiarpur is 40 km.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Garhshankar Homoeopathic Association: president- Mr Ashok Bhatia; general secretary- Dr Tarsem Lal; vice- president- Dr Kuldeep Bhatia; secretary- Dr Jasbir Kaur; and treasurer- Dr Kuldeep Singh.

NOMINATED: The district president of the Youth Congress, Mr Arun Dogra, has nominated Mr Inderjit Singh as vice-president of the Youth Congress.

GURDASPUR
SEMINAR: The Rotary Club (Midtown) and the district Health Department organised a seminar on family welfare at Dornagha on Thursday. Mr K.S. Chandi, ADC, Development, was the chief guest and Dr S.S. Sohal, Civil Surgeon, presided. A medical camp was also organised.

CHARAS SMUGGLING: Shekhar Singh and Parlad Singh, both residents of Raja ka Talab in Kangra district were arrested for smuggling charas. Nearly 4 kg of charas was recovered from them. A case has been registered under Sections 20, 61 and 85, NDPS Act.

BANNED: Mr S.K. Sandhu, Disrict Magistrate, has ordered the closure of dhabas in the district at 11 p.m. daily. The order will remain in force till April 18. By another order he banned the use of loudspeakers and pressure horns in the district till May 14 under the Noise Pollution Control Act.

KHARAR
AWARDED: Lions Club here was declared the second beat club of Region VIII and Region IX at its joint regional conference “Sangathan 2000” held on March 19 at Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh. The club got awards for family welfare projects, sight test, army welfare project etc. The club got the best club award for donations sent to Kargil martyrs. A total of 10 awards were given to the club.

LALRU
LIQUOR SEIZED: The police has arrested Mohinder Singh, a resident of Gholumajra, for allegedly smuggling 50 pouches of countrymade liquor. According to sources, the accused was arrested in a naka while he was carrying the liquor. A case under Section 61-1-14 of the Excise Act has been registered.

LUDHIANA
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Vishal Nagar Shopkeepers Welfare Association — president — Mr Mahinder Singh Mansooran; senior vice-president — Mr Pritpal Singh; vice-presidents — Mr Ram Kumar Chabbra and Dr Sikander Pal and Treasurer — Mr Aman Kapila.

MALERKOTLA
BOOK RELEASED: Mr G.K. Singh Dhaliwal, ADC, Sangrur, released a book on Punjabi criticism, ‘‘Swai Jiwani Shastar’’, written by Dr D.C. Vatish, Head of the Punjabi Department of the local Government College, at a function organised by the college.

DHARNA: Members of the parents action committee of DAV Centenary Senior Secondary School held a dharna in front of the school on Saturday in protest against the hike in school fees.

CLERK SUSPENDED: The Executive Officer of the Municipal Council,Ahmedgarh, Mr I.K. Khan, has suspended an octroi clerk, Sanjeev Sharma, for alleged misbehaviour with the Municipal President, Mr Kishori Lal Bandhan.

BUDGET PASSED: The budget for 2000-2001 of the Municipal Council, Ahmedgarh, has been passed unanimously. While talking to mediapersons, Mr Kishori Lal Bandhan, President of the council, said 49 per cent of the money would be spent on the development of the city. He said the total income from all sources would be Rs 3.35 crore.

ARRESTED: The police has arrested Teja Singh and Surjit Singh and seized 20 kg of poppy husk from them. A case under Sections 15, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against them, according to the ASP Mr Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal.

ANNUAL FUNCTION: At an annual prize distribution function of Shanti Tara College, Mr R.S. Gupta, Principal of the college, conferred degrees on 76 students. Reading the annual college report he announced that the college had started three years’ Bachelor of Computer Applications’ course from this session. Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi, SDM also addressed the convocation. The chief guest gave away prizes to about 100 students and released the college magazine ‘‘Aman’’.

MOGA
ARRESTED: The police on Monday arrested the driver of a local bus, Gurcharan Singh, following the seizure of 23 bottles of liquor from his possession. The driver had brought the liquor from Chandigarh to make profits as there is a vast difference in its price in Chandigarh and Moga.

NAWANSHAHR
DISTRIBUTED: The local Rotary and Rotract Clubs organised a function here on Monday to mark the visit of Rotary District Governor Suresh Chaudhary. The Rotary Club on the occasion distributed books and school uniforms to 14 students who have been adopted by the club.

FUNCTION HELD: The local Lions Club on Sunday organised a function here to mark the visit of District Governor L C Sharma. The club distributed 51 blankets and a sewing machine to needy persons.

PATHANKOT
EYE CAMP: The Durga Jyoti Manav Kalyan Samiti on Tuesday organised an eye camp at Khanpur with the help of Dr Sohal, SMO, Gurdaspur. More than 100 patients were operated upon and provided with free medical assistance. The function was presided over by Mr Raman Bhalla, a former Minister for Food and Supply, Punjab, along with Mr Ram Lal, MLA, Narot Jaimal Singh.

SUICIDE: Mr Rajinder Parshad of Dhadwan village, Jammu, committed suicide by consuming poison in Hotel Standard, here, where he was staying. Financial difficulties were said to be the reason for the suicide.

PHILLAUR
BODY FOUND: The body of Karnail Singh Lamberdar of Mahala village with multiple injuries was found near Khanpur village on Monday. The DSP, Phillaur, Mr Sajjan Singh Cheema, said here on Tuesday that a moped of the deceased was also found near the body.

ACCIDENT: A scooter-born pilgrim, Niraj Jain of Ludhiana, died on the spot while Sudesh Kumar sustained head injury when the scooter they were riding was hit by a tanker near Matiana village on the Ludhiana-Hoshiarpur road on Monday. They were going from Ludhiana to the Chintpurni Devi temple. The injured was admitted to a private hospital in Ludhiana.

CHANDIGARH

TRAINING PROGRAMME: A special training programme for General Managers of the District Industries Centres (DICs) of Haryana and Chandigarh started here on Tuesday. Nineteen General Managers from Haryana and one from the city are participating in the five-day programme. It is aimed at equipping them with the latest tools and techniques of self-employment schemes, especially the Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana. The programme is being conducted by the Regional Centre for Entrepreneurship Development.

SAS NAGAR
REPAIR SOUGHT: Residents of many villages have demanded repair of damaged causeway on the Kambala — Manauli road, near here. The inaction of the authorities has created resentment among the residents of the area. The causeway on the sewer nullah, near Phase XI, SAS Nagar, had collapsed in the first week of February. The PWD (B&R) authorities had made a temporary arrangement for the passage of vehicles. The kutcha diversion could only take two-wheelers.

HARYANA

AMBALA
INTERVENTION SOUGHT: Former President of the Bar Association, Mr Om Parkash Malik, on Tuesday sought the intervention of Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee to end the lawyers strike. Mr Malik said because of the strike, the working in the courts had been paralysed. He suggested that the working days of the courts should be increased by curtailing the number of holidays. He urged the Prime Minister to see that the proposed amendments in the CPC and the Advocates Act should not be implemented as it will not be a solution to the problem of delayed justice.

UCO BANK BRANCH: UCO Bank here has shifted its Ambala Cantonment branch to Rai Market, opposite Super Bazar, Ambala Cantonment. It was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner, Ambala. The Zonal Manager, Mr S.S. Bedi, said the branch will be fully computerised shortly. The branch, which remains open on Sunday, has two extension counters — one at MM Engineering College, Mullana, and other at Allenby Lines Ambala Cantonment, a release said.

SONEPAT
BODY FOUND: The Ganaur police recovered an unidentified body of a 20-year-old youth lying on the Ganaur-Garhi Jhinjhara road, about 25 km from here, on Monday. According to a report, the body bore some injuries inflicted by a sharp-edged weapon and its neck was separated from it. The police believes it to be a case of murder and a case has been registered in this connection.

THREATENED: An emergency meeting of the Maha Panchayat held at Kabirpur village, on the outskirts of this city on Monday, passed a resolution threatening an agitation if the police failed to arrest the members of the Bawaria gang, allegedly responsible for the killing of four persons, including an officer of the Haryana Financial Corporation, and looting on last Wednesday. Residents of Shadipur, Fazilpur, Raipur, Rai, Bahalgarh and Palri villages participated in it. The Maha Panchayat urged the state government to give a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the bereaved families of each victim and Rs 3 lakh to the each injured persons.

HUNGER STRIKE: Prisoners of the Sonepat district jail called off their hunger strike here on Monday on the intervention of the City Magistrate and the SDM. The prisoners had gone on strike in protest against the death of an undertrial Rampal (27) of Bajana Kalan village in this district last Saturday due to the alleged negligence of the jail authorities.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

KUMARHATTI
SIX INJURED: Six pilgrims were injured, one of them seriously, when the truck carrying them overturned at Haripur Chowk, 6 km from Barotiwala on Sunday. The truck was carrying 30-odd pilgrims. The brakes of the truck failed resulting in the accident.

SHIMLA
SPECIAL DRIVE: The Forest Department detected five illegally felled deodar trees in Char Botla forest of Chopal forest division. The officials also recovered 60 scants of converted timber valued at Rs 1,20,000 stacked along the road at Shigaltu. Investigations are on.

STUDENT CENTRE: HP Governor on Thursday laid the foundation stone of a five-storey student centre which will be built at the cost of Rs 92 lakhs in Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) here.

SANSKRIT SEMINAR: A three-day seminar on “Himalayas in Sanskrit Literature” organised by the Himachal Pradesh University, concluded here on Thursday. Presiding over the valedictory function, Prof Vishnu Kant Shastri, O.P. Governor, appreciated steps taken by the vice-chancellor, Prof S.K. Gupta, to strengthen teaching of and research in Sanskrit in the state.