R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
TRAINING PROGRAMME: Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) organised a two-day training programme for KRIBHCO salesmen of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. Experts from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, delivered the lectures on salesmanship, communication and the balanced use of fertilisers etc. The training programme was inaugurated by Mr R.S. Bawa, Registrar, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.

BODY FOUND: The body of a 25-year-old unidentified man was found in the Sultanwind area, near the Focal Point, on Friday morning. No external injury marks were found on the body, according to SP (City) Amit Prasad. The post-mortem report is awaited.

BATHINDA
DEAD: Ms Daleep Kaur (80), mother of Mr Makhan Singh, MLA, died here on Saturday after a brief illness. She is survived by her husband, three sons and five daughters.

HOSHIARPUR
RAID: A spokesman of the state Health Department said here on Saturday that a team of Drug Inspectors under the supervision of Mr A.R. Salwan, State Drugs Controller, Punjab, raided chemist shops in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Ropar districts and on the periphery of Chandigarh. He said the sale of intoxicating drugs without prescription was punishable under the NDPS Act and the Health Department was planning to cancel the licences of those who were contravening the drug rules.

JALANDHAR
FOUND DEAD: Nirmal Singh (36), a resident of the local Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, was found dead near a liquor shop at Maqsoodan on Saturday afternoon. According to the post-mortem report, the deceased had consumed excessive quantity of liquor which had led to his death.

KHAMANO
INADEQUATE WIDTH OF ROAD: The width of the Khamano-Fatehgarh Sahib road from Ludhiana village to Bassi-Pathana is inadequate. A large number of people has to go daily to Fatehgarh Sahib because courts and district administrative offices are situated there. Moreover, people of this area also go to Fatehgarh Sahib to visit historical gurdwaras and Roza Sharif. Despite elevation of Fatehgarh Sahib to district status the width of this road is same as that was before. Apart from this, there are ditches all around on this road and the crossing of two heavy vehicles is a risky matter. Muddy water of some villages is also standing on this road on some places. People of this area have appealed to the district administration to take steps to widen the width of this road as early as possible.

KHANNA
ORDERED: The Northern Railway Administration has ordered to close the Samrala road railway crossing gate till May 29 in order to repair the railway track. People diverted their vehicles along Rahon village to reach Ludhiana road railway crossing gate. But the connecting road is not fit for vehicular traffic as there are many pits on the road. The people had demanded that the road connecting these two gates repaired at the earliest. 

INAUGURATED: Bhagat Hansraj of Gohana inaugurated the new building of Ram Sharnam Ashram on the Amloh road here. A large number of devotees were present on the occasion. Bhagat Hansraj delivered a religious discourse on this occasion. 

CAMP: The Ludhiana Sewa Singh Unit, Khanna, had organised a camp near Gurdwara Kalghidhar on the GT road in order to highlight the fee structure to be charged from the students of the aided schools. The organisers told that if any school does not accept the fees, as approved by the Punjab Government, the same can be sent through money order. Mr Nitu Jindal, President of the sangh, and others organised this camp. 

PHONE DISCONNECTED: Municipal councillor of Khanna Vijay Sharma had lodged a complaint with DE (Telephones), Khanna, that his telephone has been disconnected by the department despite he had paid the bill. He alleged that he had received a call on May 4 from the TRA Department that bill of month of January was not paid. He said that he paid the bill on May 8 and showed receipt to the department. He alleged that his telephone was disconnected on May 22 with mala fide intentions. He threatened to take legal action if his connection is not restored.

LUDHIANA
PROTEST: To protest against the registration of a Rs 20 lakh scam case against a former Congress Chief Minister Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Youth Congress activists led by the district unit president, Mr Parminder Mehta, took out a march from Chhawni Mohalla here on Sunday. Addressing the processionists, Mr Mehta warned the state government that if it tried to arrest Ms Bhattal the Youth Congress would start a ‘Jail-bharo’ movement in the state.

CRITICISED: Mr Rakesh Sidhu, Chairman of the District Youth Congress, Urban Ludhiana (Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Cell), has criticised the government for registering a case against the former Chief Minister and a senior Congress leader, Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. In a statement here today, Mr Sidhu alleged that the case was politically motivated and registered with a purpose to tarnish the image of Ms Bhattal.

PENSIONERS’ PLEA: The Punjab Government Pensioners’ Association, at a meeting here on Sunday, with Mr R.N. Sehgal, sought an early release of notification regarding old age allowance at the age of 65 and 75. The meeting observed that the Punjab Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, had made an announcement to this effect at the state-level pensioners’ convention at Fatehgarh Sahib on April 25 last at which Ms Satwant Kaur Sandhu, Punjab Minister for Pensioners’ Welfare , was also present. The meeting, was of the view that the delay in the issuance of the notification had dismayed the pensioners. 

OLD-AGE PENSION: In the special old-age pension camps, which were organised at Sahbana and Chaunta villages of Koomkalan constituency area, more than 800 applicants submitted pension forms on Friday and Saturday respectively. As many as 185 needy persons were given sanction letters at these camps by Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha. These camps were organised by Mr Kuldeep Singh, SDM (East). Giving the account of social welfare schemes being run by the state government, Mr Atwal said that SAD-BJP government was the first state government throughout India who started attractive schemes including shagun scheme, old-age pensions and an aid of Rs 4500 to new born female child of Dalit families. He claimed that Mr Parkash Singh Badal had kept all the promises which were made during the assembly elections. At Chaunta village, Mr Atwal also laid the foundation stone of recently upgraded government senior secondary school. He said that state government was committed to improve education in the state. On this occasion, Mr Santa Singh Umedpuri, Chairman, Market Committee, Sahnewal were also present. 

MARTYRDOM DAY: The Martyrdom Day of the fifth Guru, Guru Arjun Dev Ji, was observed here by all the communities with religious fervour at Gurdwara Charan Kanwal Sahib on Saturday. Thousands of devotees thronged there and paid their homage to the Guru in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. In rural and sub-urban areas of Machhiwara, the devotees organised chhabeels of cold sweet water and langers. 

CHEQUES DISTRIBUTED: The Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, distributed the profit cheques to milk producers at Gehlewal village on Saturday. A total of Rs 2,16,311 was disbursed among the members of the Milk Producers’ Cooperative Society, Gehlewal. In his brief address, Mr Atwal lauded the working of the society and laid stress on adoption of dairy industry. Mr Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, Director of Milkfed and Markfed, Punjab, who was the special guest at the function, informed about the cooperative movement. Mr Hazoor Singh , Managing Director, Verka Milk Plant, Ludhiana, while giving technical information regarding milk preservation said we would have to minimise bacteria in our milk and to minimise the bacteria a new technology, TIFAC worth Rs 77 lakh was set up at Ludhiana milk plant, he added. He assured to raise the capacity of milk chilling centre at Machhiwara at the earliest possible. 

TARN TARAN
REVOLVER RECOVERED: Dr S.K. Kalia, Superintendent of Police(D), said here on Saturday that the police had recovered a revolver of .315 bore from Balihar Singh of Kazi Kot village. A case under Sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act has been registered , he said.

CHANDIGARH

PANCHKULA
ASSOCIATION’S PLEA: A demand for installation of traffic lights at the various rotaries in view of the rising number of vehicles in the city has been put before the district administration by the Citizens Welfare Association. The president of the association, Mr S.K. Nayar, in a letter to the Deputy Commissioner and the HUDA Administrator, said that increasing traffic had led to a rise in number of fatal and non-fatal accidents. The traffic at peak hours at the rotaries was a major bottleneck which could be tackled by installation of traffic lights and streamlining the flow and avoiding accidents. The association has urged HUDA and the administration to replace existing rotaries with traffic lights.

HARYANA

YAMUNANAGAR
TWO DEAD: Two men died in a road accident on the Bilaspur-Chachrauli road on Saturday night when the motorcycle they were riding collided with a tractor. Of the two, Vijay Chander died on the spot and Dharamvir succumbed to his injuries at the Civil Hospital, Jagadhri. The police has registered a case against the absconding tractor driver. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

PALAMPUR
ADVISORY COMMITTEE: The Technical Advisory Committee, appointed by Vivekanand Medical Education and Research Trust which is going to construct a 500-bedded super-speciality hospital and medical college at Holta, Palampur, will visit the area on Wednesday to advise the trust on how to undertake the construction. According to trust sources, the three-member committee will be headed by Dr A.K. Dave, Director, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

SHIMLA
BURIED ALIVE: A Bihari labourer was buried alive and another seriously injured when a mound of earth caved at New Shimla, near here today police sources said. The deceased was identified as Jomahir. The injured was admitted to the Indira Gandhi Hospital here.