The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, July 29, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

R E G I O N A L B R I E F S

PUNJAB

ABOHAR
COLLAPSE: More than 50 students had a miraculous escape when the roof of their classroom collapsed following rain at Government Senior Secondary School at Khuikhera village on Wednesday. The residents of the village had drawn the attention of the authorities towards the poor condition of the school building but no repair work was done. The rain has damaged several houses at Chanankhera, Bhangala, Ramgarh, and Gaddandob village too. The affected persons today submitted a memorandum to the Tehsildar in this regard.

AMRITSAR
CHECK-UP CAMP: A free check-up camp is being organised here at Gurdwara Sri Kalgidhar Sahib, Ajnala, on Sunday by Bharat Vikas Parishad, Amritsar, in cooperation with Manav Seva Sanstha, for polio-affected children and other handicapped persons. Dr Rattan Singh, Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairies Development and Fisheries, will inaugurate the function.

BATHINDA
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of Swami Vivekananda Study Circle: president - Mr Dinesh Vashisht; vice presidents - Ms Raj Gupta, Mr D.L. Jindal and Dr J.S. Romana; general secretary - Mr Sandeep Parchanda; secretary - Mr Makhan Lal; organising secretary - Dr Amrit Sethi; finance secretary - Mr K.K. Garg.

BUS FARE: Bhai Ghanaiya Seva Mission has urged the authorities concerned to take necessary action against the bus owners plying buses on the Goniana Bathinda route, who were allegedly charging excessive fare from passengers. In a press note issued here on Thursday, Mr Sumandeep Singh Khalsa (Jugnu) alleged that the bus owners were charging more than Rs 6 from the passengers. where as the DTO directive was that only Rs 6 be charged for this route.

FATEHGARH SAHIB
HEALTH INSTITUTE: The Punjab government has decided to set up a model health institute at Jalandhar at a cost of Rs 216 crore, Mr Manoranjan Kalia, Minister for Medical Education and Research, said here on Thursday. He was presiding over the inaugural function of Parbhat Charitable Hospital at Mandi Gobindgarh. He said the government was committed to the cause and had already set up the Punjab Health System Corporation at a cost of Rs 421.88 crore. More than 150 hospitals of the state had been handed over to the corporation.

MALERKOTLA
ENCROACHMENTS: The Malerkotla Welfare Association has criticised the local administration for not removing encroachments on the bus-stand road. The patron of the association, Mr Arshad Dail, in a press note said the encroachers comprised mostly ‘rehriwalas’. The administration was doing nothing in this regard.

VACCINATION CAMP: Bharat Vikas Parishad organised a vaccination camp for hepatitis at Amargarh village, 5 km from here, on Thursday. As many as 500 patients were administered the vaccine. Mr Jatinder Pal, president of the parishad, said another vaccination camp would be started soon.

MOGA
CONTAMINATED WATER: The residents of the civil lines area and other localities on Wednesday complained that they had been receiving contaminated drinking water for the past few days. They alleged that the water supplied to them through the underground pipe lines was mixed with sewerage water. The water was therefore blackish in colour and also carried dust and other particles.

NAWANSHAHR
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation, Banga block: president — Mr Joga Ram; senior vice-president — Mr Dev Raj; vice presidents — Mr Ram Mittal Kohli, Mr Avtar Singh Sujjon; secretary — Mr Ramesh Lal; treasurer — Mr Shingara Ram Naura.

TARN TARAN
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Punjab Revenue Officers Association: president - Mr Iqbal Singh Sandhu; general secretary - Mr Teja Singh; vice-presidents - Mr K.K. Verma, Mr Rajinder Singh, Mr Jagdeep Singh, Mr Rachhpal Chand Sharma and Mr Karnail Singh; organising secretary - Mr Daljit Singh Chheena; treasurer - Mr Mukesh Kumar.

DEVELOPMENTAL WORKS: The local Lions Club has adopted Bakipur village for developmental works. The club in its meeting under the presidentship of Hardev Singh resolved to plant 1000 saplings here. Books and notebooks will also be given to the poor students of the Government Primary School. The club has also decided to initiate other developmental and social works in the area.

INJECTIONS: The Goindwal Sahib police has seized 16 intoxicant injections from the possession of Bahal Singh, a resident of Vain Poain village. A case under the NDSP Act has been registered.

JOINED CONG: Mr Gursharan Singh Jhamke, member block samiti, along with about 30 members of various panchayats and other persons, on Thursday jointed the Congress. Mr Sukhbinder Singh alias Sukh Sarkaria, president, District Congress Committee (rural), Amritsar, Dr Surinder Singh Shahi and other office-bearers of the party welcomed Mr Jhamke and others and said the party would organise a protest rally at Khemkaran on Friday.

HARYANA

AMBALA
KILLED: A girl was killed in a road accident near Babiyal in Ambala Cantonment on Wednesday evening. The deceased was identified as Soniya. According to a police report, Soniya was travelling in a rickshaw. A jeep hit the rickshaw near Babiyal. She sustained serious injuries and later succumbed to her injuries. The police has registered a case against the driver of the jeep.

MISSING: A 70-year-old man, Mr Bhim Sen, resident of Ambala City, has been reported missing since Wednesday. According to information, he went to a local doctor for a check-up. There was rush at the clinic. The doctor asked him to come back after an hour. Mr Bhim Sen, neither went back to the doctor, nor did he come back home. The relatives of the man have reported the matter to the police.

14 FOUND ABSENT: As many as 14 employees of different departments were found absent during a surprise check conducted by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Mohinder Kumar, on Thursday. According to an official press release, when the ADC visited the District Industry Office at Ambala Cantonment, nine employees, including a senior officer, were found absent. The ADC recommended strict action, along with the suspension of some of the employees who were found absent during office hours for the second time. In the District Marketing Office and Haryana State Small Scale Industrial Corporation, three officials were not present on duty. The ADC recommended immediate suspension of the employees found absent.

MARTYRDOM DAY: The district administration is making arrangements to mark the martyrdom day of Shaheed Udham Singh on July 31. A meeting of the coordination committee constituted for the arrangements was held on Thursday under the chairmanship of the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Mohinder Kumar, a release said. He informed that the administration had made arrangements for 100 vehicles to take people to the state-level function being organised at Shahbad Markanda. All the vehicles will assemble on July 30 at the Police Line Ground, Ambala City.

PANIPAT
OPEN DARBAR: A block-level open darbar was organised by the district administration at Bapoli, 15 km from here on Thursday. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr M.R. Anand presided. He sanctioned a grant of Rs 5 lakh for the development of Nanhera village. He also sanctioned Rs 50,000 for the completion of a Harijan chaupal at Shimal Gujran village.

SONEPAT
BURGLARY: At least six miscreants armed with pistols and other weapons made their way into a katha factory and assaulted its owner and his wife who were asleep in their house near Munyari, about 20 km from here, on Thursday. The miscreants took away Rs 6.5 lakh in cash as well as gold and silver ornaments worth several lakhs.

ONE KILLED: One person was killed when a vehicle hit his motor cycle on the GT road near Kundli village, about 25 km from here, on Thursday. According to the police, the victim was identified as Pankaj of UP. A case has been registered.

RACKET UNEARTHED: A racket involving non-recovery of lakhs of rupees as market fee from several wholesale arhtyias by officials of the Market Committee has come to light. The non-recovery has led to shortage of funds for various development schemes. Representatives of various farmers’ organisations as well as members of the Retailers Welfare Association on Friday urged the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to order a high-level probe into the scandal.

RECOVER ARREARS: The district administration on Friday issued a directive to all gram panchayats here to recover arrears of ‘Abiana’ outstanding against the farmers for the past few years. According to official sources, they were also warned that if they failed to recover the arrears their accounts would be sealed.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
HEALTH TARGETS: The Health and Rural Development Committee of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha headed by Mr Deshraj paid a visit here on Thursday and urged the officials to fulfil all targets of development works and schemes being implemented by the government. The committee also wanted the officials to go in the field and assess the damage to property and crops.

QUIZ COMPETITION: The Government Post-Graduate College was declared first, Saraswati Academy second and Senior Secondary School, Rajpura, third in a district-level quiz competition and cultural programme organised here by the District Cultural Parishad.

RADIO CENTRE: Mr Suresh Chandel, MP and former president of the state BJP, has demanded setting up of radio and study centres here. He has also demand establishment of at least four low-powered transmitters at various hilltops to enable people to watch Doordarshan.

CHAMBA
TRAINING CAMP: The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) organised a three-day beekeeping training camp here which concluded on Thursday. The camp was attended by 18 trainees who were given training on various aspects of bee-keeping and its management. According to Dr Subhash Chander Verma, course co-ordinator, the training would be useful for generating self-employment.

SHIMLA
SUICIDE: A 40-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by consuming insecticide at Butail dharamsala here. The body of the victim, identified as Sunil, a worker of Solan Brewery, was found in the dharamsala on Thursday morning.