R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BARNALA
POWER SUPPLY: Three thousand villages in Punjab will be given 24-hour power supply during the current financial year. This was stated by Mr Sikander Singh Maluka , Power Minister, while talking to newsmen at the PWD Rest House, here on Saturday. Earlier, Mr Maluka inaugurated a power grid at Dhaula village, about 15 km from here.

CROPS DESTROYED: Wheat crop as well as wheat husk spread in about four acres of land belonging to four farmers, Dalip Singh, Gurmail Singh, Ajaib Singh and Mukhtiar Singh of Deepgarh village, about 35 km from here was completely reduced to ashes on Saturday. The fire reportedly broke out due to shortcircuit in the wheat husk machine.

BATHINDA
OFFICE- BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Muktsar District Basketball Association: president — Mr Sajjan Singh Cheema; senior vice-president — Mr Harbans Singh Saini; vice-presidents — Mr Sivraj Singh and Mr Asa Singh; secretary — Mr S. Subramanian; and joint-secretaries — Mr Kulwinder Singh and Mr Charanjeet Singh.

FARIDKOT
CONFERENCE: The Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine will organise a conference at the local Government Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital on April 20. Experts from various parts of the country will deliver their lectures. According to Dr J.S.Dalal, Head of the Forensic Department of the Medical College, will speak on DNA.

FATEHGARH SAHIB
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Shri Brahman Sabha, Sirhind; president — Mr R.N. Sharma; vice-president — Mr Sanjay Angrish; general secretary — Mr Varinder Rattan; and treasurer — Mr Surinder Sharma. 

JALALABAD
ROAD MISHAP: Krishna Rani, 45, wife of Mr Om Parkash, was killed on the spot while two others Happy Dhamija and Pawan Kumar, were injured when a truck hit the scooter on which they were travelling, 8 km from here, on the Ferozepore road. The injured have been admitted to the local Civil Hospital. They were going to Jalalabad from Panje ke Uttar village. The truck has been impounded and a case registered against the driver.

KAPURTHALA
4 ARRESTED: The district police claims to have achieved a breakthrough in the theft that took place in the house of the erstwhile rulers of this princely state situated on the Kanjli rivulet, on 23 January with the arrest of four persons. The thieves had reportedly stolen three antique swords and a German made helmet. Mr Iqbal Singh, SSP, said Yashmin Singh, a goldsmith of Sultanpur Lodhi had purchased a sword and a helmet for Rs 1,000. When police raided the goldsmith’s house they were assaulted by his father, mother and wife. Four of them were later taken into custody and a case was registered against them.

BOY CRUSHED: Sahiba, 7 of Bijja village was crushed to death by a speeding car on the Kapurthala-Subhanpur road on Saturday. According to the police, Sahiba was returning to his village after attending the Baisakhi mela when a car hit him while he was crossing the road. The car driver got the boy admitted to the local Civil Hospital where Sahiba succumbed to his injuries. The police has registered a case against Hardev Singh, driver of the car, who is absconding.

KHANNA
MISSING: Mr Ravindre Ravat is running from pillar to post in search of his 11-year-old son, Kanehiya, who is missing since March 28 last. Mr Ravat told this reporter that his eldest son, Kanehiya, was working at a cycle shop as worker. On March 28 he sent him to Moti Nagar to purchase some goods for tea shop and he was given Rs 200. But he never returned. He and his friends searched him in city and also at his relatives but in vain. He lodged an FIR at the Khanna city police station.

LUDHIANA
CELEBRATED: The Bharti Teletech, Humbran, celebrated its 14th annual day here on Sunday. A cultural programme was organised by its employees and their kids on the occasion. Awards were distributed among employees for their services. The best manager prize was bagged by Mr Ashwani Kachroo, the best executive award went to Mr Rajesh Gupta, the best supervisor prize was clinched by Mr Jasmail Singh and the best worker award went to Mr Mohan Lal Kalsi. Besides, the local unit of the Bharti Teletech bagged the running trophy of managing director’s total quality management award consecutively for the second year for implementing best practices in three telephone manufacturing units at Ludhiana, Gurgaon and Goa.

RE-ELECTED: Professor K.B.S. Sodhi, senior English lecturer at GGN Khalsa College, will be re-elected the president of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union at the 52nd annual session of the union on May 6. Since no other nomination for the union chief was received at the general secretary’s office, Professor Sodhi would be elected unopposed. The three other university area secretaries to be elected unopposed include Professor Sukhpal Singh for Panjab University, Professor Parkash Singh for Guru Nanak Dev University and Professor Aminderpal Singh for Punjabi University. Professor Gurnam Singh Kahlon from Amritsar, Professor J.S. Randhawa from Jalandhar and Professor Balbir Singh from Patiala will be elected for the offices of the vice-president, general secretary and finance secretary, respectively.

BJP’s CRITICISM: Mr. Tandon expressed his unhappiness over the relentless campaign against the MC top brass by the district unit of the BJP, headed by Mr Harbans Lal Sethi over several issues like the elevated road project, the tendering process in the MC and the Budha Nullah project. When his attention was drawn towards the fact that the BJP, a constituent of the ruling coalition in the MC, was virtually acting like an opposition party and has been targeting the Mayor, belonging to the Shiromani Akali Dal, as well as the senior MC officials, contrary to his (Mr Tandon’s) claim that the SAD and the BJP were acting in unison at all levels, the minister remarked that the party might have a different opinion on certain ongoing works.

CULTURAL FETE: A cultural fete was organised in memory of Subedar Kartar Singh Dhaliwal at Choudhary Majam Puri village in Nabha district on Sunday. Raja Narinder Singh, Civil Aviation Minister, who inaugurated the mela, granted Rs 25,000 for the activities of the club and also gave Rs 50,000 for the maintenance of the school buildings.

CHANDIGARH

WRITERS' MEET: A famous Punjabi story writer Taran Gujral said writers should do their best to enlighten the masses through their writings. She was speaking at a meeting of the Punjabi Lekhak Sabha at Punjab Kala Bhavan here on Sunday. Prem Gorkhi and Dr Varinder Kaur Pannu read their stories in Punjabi and Urdu, respectively, while Dr Gurminder Sidhu, Sudarshan Walia and Baldev Dhaliwal recited their poems and gazals. Noted Punjabi writer N.S. Rattan also spoke on the occasion.

HARYANA

JIND
SEMINAR: The local branch of the Indian Medical Association and the Indian Medical Association Academy of Medical Specialities (Haryana Chapter) jointly organised a seminar on “oncology” at the local Bulbul Tourist Complex on Saturday. Dr Rajiv Aggarwal, Surgical Oncologist, presided over the seminar. Dr D.S. Jaspal, state president of the Haryana unit of the association, was the chief guest.

RAPE BID FOILED: An attempt to rape a housewife was foiled at Jagsi village, about 40 km from here, on Saturday. According to a report reaching here, the housewife was alone when the man entered the house and tried to rape her. When she raised an alarm the man escaped. A case has been registered.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

AWARENESS CAMP: The local Zonal Hospital has launched a family health awareness campaign in the district and decided to organise 280 camps. This was stated by the district AIDS programme officer, Dr M.K. Pathak, here on Sunday. He said the camps would be organised from April 16 to April 30.