The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Wednesday, February 13, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
MAN INJURED: Harpal Singh of the Ajnala road was seriously injured when five persons opened fire at a marriage function here on Monday. According to an FIR lodged at B-division police station, Harjit Singh of Iban Kalan village said the accused Ranbir Singh, Rajan, Satish, Shinda and Lali started fighting with him over a minor issue. Later, Rajan took out his revolver and fired five shots at him. Although he managed to escape, yet his companion Harpal Singh got seriously when he was hit by a bullet in his arm. Ranbir Singh has been arrested and a case registered against him.

SMACK SEIZED: In separate incidents, the police seized 28 gram of smack and apprehended Jasbir Singh of Khuale village, Gurdev Singh of Nangli and Sabdil Singh of Mahita. Cases have been registered at the respective police stations. Meanwhile, the Majitha police has seized 35 litres of illicit liquor and arrested Darshan Singh and another person in the case.

HOSHIARPUR
DELEGATION: Mr Balwant Singh Khera, chairman of the Malta Boat Tragedy Probe Mission, in a press note here on Monday said a three-member delegation comprising Mr Harbhajan Singh, Amrit Pal Singh and Dinesh Chander will leave for Rome on Monday to create awareness about human trafficking.

ORDERED: Keeping in view the Assembly elections, Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, District Magistrate, has ordered all firearms licence holders to deposit their weapons at the nearest police stations or authorised gun houses by obtaining proper receipt from the authority concerned within 36 hours. These firearms will be returned to them a week after the declaration of results. The order will not be applicable to Army personnel, para-military forces and police personnel in uniform on duty.

LUDHIANA
PPCC APPOINTMENT: Mr Subhash Kharbanda has been nominated special invitee of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) by its president Captain Amarinder Singh.

APPOINTED: Mr Devinder Singh Babbu, president, Punjab Youth Congress, has appointed Mr Akshay Bhanot as general secretary of state unit of the party. Mr Bhanot was district chairman of the Urban Development Cell of the India Youth Congress. The appointment has been made with the approval of Mr K. Jagat Singh, general secretary of IYC.

PHAGWARA
TWO KILLED: Two women were killed and 10 others injured, three of them seriously, when the three-wheeler tempo in which they were travelling collided with a military vehicle on Monday on the Phagwara-Banga road near Mehli village, 4 km from here. One of the deceased has been identified as Soma Rani (45) of Boparai village. The other has not been identified yet.

SAMRALA
CONDOLENCE MEETING: A condolence meeting to mourn the death of Mrs Karnail Kaur, mother of Mr Jagtar Singh Khattra, DPI (Schools), Punjab, was held here today on the premises of Government Senior Secondary School. The meeting was organised by the Government School Lecturer Union and was presided over by Principal Swaran Singh. The participants paid tributes to the departed soul. Those present on the occasion included Mr Mehma Singh Kang, convener Adhyapak Chetna Manch, Dr Gulzar Mohammad Goria, general secretary of Punjabi Lekhak Manch, Prof Pannu Hamdardvir Nausheharvi, Mr Surjeet Vishad and many teachers of various schools.

CHANDIGARH

11 ARRESTED: The Chandigarh Police on Monday arrested 11 persons for reportedly assaulting a 50-year-old woman in Mauli Jagran. According to sources in the Police Department, the victim was attacked for her alleged proximity with a neighbour which was being objected to by the ‘pradhan’ of the locality. The accused reportedly broke open the door of her house and damaged a television set, a motor cycle and some other household goods, besides cutting the telephone cable. The police has registered a case on the charges of trespass, assault and rioting under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

VISIT: Ms Lyndy Hyam, Chief Executive Officer, IDP Education, Australia, will visit the city on Wednesday. During her stay in the city, she will be accompanied by the Country Director (India), IDP Education, Australia, Mr Henry Ledlie. An interactive session with the CEO of the company will be held with an aim of sharing experiences and explore opportunities in global education.

TALK: A talk on ‘Future of healthcare depends upon research’ will be organised at Lecture Theatre 1 of the PGIMER on Thursday. The talk will be delivered by Prof V. I. Mathan, Former Director of Christian Medical College, Vellore. He is presently a senior consultant to the National AIDS Control Organisation. Meanwhile, a workshop on the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) will be organised by the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, on Saturday from 2 pm to 6 pm. The director, LRS Institute of TB and All Diseases, New Delhi, Prof V. K. Arora, will be the programme director.

PFA NEWSLETTER: The People for Animals will launch the Second PFA Clinic Newsletter on Wednesday on its premises. According to Ms Ruchi Verma, IO, PFA Library and Research Centre, ARV vaccine will be given for Rs 40 only and 50 per cent rebate will be allowed on corona vaccine. Besides free consultation and check-up, a special discount on pet sterilisation will be given. The PFA will also organise a free first-aid training class for interested pet owners.

GATE MEETING: The Municipal Corporation Road Workers Union on Tuesday organised a gate meeting in Sectors 28-29 road store to mobilise workers for participation in the February 26 rally by the Coordination Committee of MC Employees and Workers. Union leaders criticised the Central Government for not heeding to their demands of deputation status to UT employees who had been transferred to the MC, arrears to daily wager, regularisation of work charged and daily workers and filling of vacant posts, among other things.

LAND ACQUISITION AWARD: The UT Land Acquisition Officer (LAO), Mr Gyanesh Bharti, will announce the award for acquisition of 226 acre of land to villagers of Kajheri, Badheri and Palsora on Thursday at 9.30 a.m. in his office in the Estate Office, Sector 17. About Rs 46 crore will be distributed to farmers whose land has been acquired for development of Phase III Sectors in the city.

SAS NAGAR
QUIZ: Biz-quiz Unlimited-2002, was organised by the Gian Jyoti Institute of Management here on Tuesday. As many as 18 teams from different institutes took part in the event. Each team comprised three participants. Mr Narinder Singh, project officer-cum-administrator, Fortis Health Care, gave away the prizes to the winners.

HARYANA

BHIWANI
LOK ADALAT: A Lok Adalat will be held at the local judicial complex in Mini-Secretariat on March 23. This was disclosed by District and Sessions Judge N.S. Ahlawat here on Tuesday.

HISAR
SYMPOSIUM: The Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Haryana Agricultural University, will host a three-day symposium on new opportunities and challenges for improving crop productivity through biotechnology from Wednesday. Dr V.K. Chowdhury, organising secretary of the symposium, said on Monday over 100 scientists from all over the country working on biotechnology and allied sciences were expected to participate in it. He said the deliberations would focus on identification of biotechniques with potential for crop improvement.

KALKA
RECORD: Mr Gurdish Bhalla, an agent of Life Insurance Corporation, has achieved a record in issuing life insurance policies worth Rs 1,43,31,000 till January. This was stated here on Tuesday by the branch manager, LIC, Mr B.K. Sharma. He said Mr Bhalla had also been able to collect about Rs 13 lakh as first premium for policies.

YAMUNANAGAR
DIED: Y.P.S. Rathore, lecturer of Mukund Lal National College here died at AIIMS, Delhi on Monday. Mr Rathore, who was Sanskrit lecturer and in charge of NCC of the college, had been ailing for the past few months. He was cremated here on Monday.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
LOKTANTRIK MORCHA: The Himachal Pradesh unit of the CPI has stated that it has nothing to do with the Him Loktantrik Morcha led by Lok Janshakti Party leader Mohinder Singh. The formation of the Morcha was announced by Mr Mohinder Singh at Shimla a few days ago. Addressing mediapersons at Circuit House here on Monday, CPI state secretary Bhagat Singh Verma rebutted the claim of Mr Mohinder Singh.

KOL DAM OUSTEES: A largely attended general house meeting of the oustees of Kol Dam, under the aegis of the Kol Dam Joint Oustees Welfare Committee from all four affected districts of Bilaspur, Mandi, Shimla and Solan, at Kasol near the dam site, about 35 km from here, on Sunday criticised the government that it had no rehabilitation policy for the oustees of such dams. It said the government had been signing agreements with the implementation agencies without caring for the interests of the oustees.

CHAMBA
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local unit of the Himachal Pensioners Welfare Association: president — Mr A.P. Bagalwan; vice-president — Mrs Man Dei; general secretary — Mr P.C. Oberoy; and finance secretary — Mr Kul Prakash Gupta.

HAMIRPUR
LIFE THREAT: Mr Dhian Chand Sharma, convener of the Nadaunta Bachao Manch, alleged at a press conference here on Monday that his life and that of his family were under threat from BJP MLA Baldev Sharma and Hamirpur district police chief. He demanded that the SP should be immediately transferred from here.

EXCISE POLICY: There is resentment among people of the district over the new liquor policy of the state government. Mr Kuldip Singh Pathania, a former Congress MLA, said on Tuesday that the government should try to move towards complete prohibition in the state. Comrade Mukesh Kumar, the district secretary of the CPI, said the present excise policy would create law and order problem.

MANDI
CHARAS SEIZED: Mr J.R. Thakur, SP, said on Monday charas weighing 3.85 kg was seized from Dev Raj, alias Raju (18), of Pattan village of the Gada Gusani valley of Kulu district on Monday at Aut during a routine checking.

NURPUR
FOUNDATION STONE: Mr Rakesh Pathania, local MLA and Chairman of the state Tourism Development Corporation, while laying the foundation stone of the Suliali-Chakki bridge on Monday announced that the state government had decided to start degree college here in the coming academic session. He said the college was sanctioned by the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, in October last year.

PAONTA SAHIB
LIQUOR SEIZED: As many as 40 bottles of illicit liquor were seized from Prem Singh of Khara village and seven bottles from Ishwar Chand Majra. A case has been registered under the Excise Act.