R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

KHANNA
POWER CUT: According to the Power Controller, PSEB, Patiala, the board has decided to impose compulsory weekly off days for industrial units. In Khanna circle, comprising Khanna, Amloh, Bhadson, Sirhind, Doraha, Bassi Pathana and Payal divisions, Wednesday will be the compulsory weekly off day. In Mandi Gobindgarh divisions of the Khanna circle, different days have been fixed for different substations. According to information, the units other than arc furnaces will remain closed from 8 a.m. on the day of weekly off to 8 a.m. next day, while arc furnaces will remain closed from 10 p.m. a day before the weekly off to 10 p.m. on the day of weekly off.

LUDHIANA
SEWING SCHOOL: A free sewing school for needy girls was opened at Guru Nanak Dev Nagar, Haibowal Kalan, by the Shri Durga Sewak Sangh here on Monday. Mr Jagdish Sharma, chief adviser to the sangh, said the sangh had been organising marriages of poor girls and helping in treatment of poor patients. The purpose of the sewing school was to make poor girls and women independent earners, he added.

CELEBRATIONS: The Vishwakarma Foundation International and the management of Gurdwara Anand Darbar would jointly celebrate the birth anniversary of Maharaja Jassa Singh Ramgarhia at Janak Puri on Saturday and Sunday, according to a press note issued here on Tuesday. A programme regarding the role of the Ramgarhia sect in the development of the country would be chalked out in the two-day programme.

IDOLS’ INSTALLATION: The Akhil Bharatiya Ayyappa Sewa Sangham will hold a three-day function from Wednesday to Friday in connection with the installation of various idols at the Shri Mahaganpati Mandir, Sector-32, on the Chandigarh road. The main attractions of the programme will be Shri Mahaganpati Pooja, Bhagwati Pooja, shobha yatra, Sudarshan havan, Maha Sudarshan havan, Mrityanjya havan, Shrimat Hanumant havan and Amrit bhojan.

FAREWELL PARTY: The PWD (Public Health) Punjab Employees Union organised a farewell party on the eve of retirement of Mr Soma Ram, secretary, and Mr Jasvir Singh, junior engineer. Mr Ranjit Singh Chauhan, president of the union, in a press note on Tuesday said Mr Sunder Lal Mehta, Punjab INTUC vice-president and secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (Labour and Employment Cell), was the chief guest on the occasion. Mr D.K. Bansal and Mr Gurdip Singh presented mementoes to Soma Ram and Jasvir Singh.

NAWANSHAHR
SENTENCED: Mr Bhupinder Singh Sidhu, Additional District and Sessions Judge, sentenced Joga Ram, clerk of the office of SDM, Balachaur, to a rigorous imprisonment for four years and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 for accepting a bribe of Rs 1,500 from Nirmal Singh of Khotram village for supplying certified copies of the sale deed while he was posted Registration Clerk at Tehsil Office, Banga, under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

PATIALA
WITHDRAWN: In view of the comfortable power supply position due to the prevailing weather conditions coupled with availability of extra power from central sector generating stations, the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has decided to withdraw staggered weekly off days for all types of industrial units of the state. These weekly off days were earlier imposed on May 1. According to a press note of the board, all hydro- power plants of the board were generating normal power and the three thermal plants at Lehra Mohabbat, Ropar and Bathinda had sufficient coal stocks.

PHAGWARA
FRAUD: A farmer of Malikpur village was on Monday booked on charges of impersonation and fraud. The farmer had prepared fake documents of his land for pledging them to a bank. He even put the signature of the patwari concerned but erred in writing the name, which led to the detection of the fraud.

SAMRALA
STRIKE: Members of the local Bar Association observed full day strike here on Tuesday in protest against the corruption in the appointment of judicial officers as reported in the newspapers. The Bar also decided to give a state-wide strike call for May 6 in which all the Bar associations of Punjab would participate, said Mr Anil Gupta, president of the local Bar.

OCTROI ISSUE: The decision to start octroi in Punjab has been welcomed by all sections of people here. Mr Kuldeep Khullar, a social worker of Samrala and Mr Amar Nath Tagra, counsellor of Samrala, said here on Tuesday that it would help in taking up various development works. They demanded that ‘thekedari system’ should not be adopted in future. They also urged employees of the nagar councils to discharge their duties honestly and efficiently.

ZIRAKPUR
MISSING: Chandan (15), a student of class IX in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Air Force High Ground, Zirakpur, has been missing since April 27. Havildar S.V. Singh, father of the boy, said Chandan had gone to school but had not come back. He is wearing white coloured pant and shirt. Any information about him may be given at 638894.

HARYANA

AMBALA
VEGETABLE FARMING: To encourage farmers to plant fruits, vegetables, etc. the Horticulture Department planted fruit-bearing plants in 215 hectares, last year resulting in the production of 16,754 tonnes. During this period, vegetables were planted in 10,930 hectares, which led to the production of 1.10 lakh tonnes. To encourage vegetable farming, a plan ‘Nutrition Garden’ has been prepared under which mini-kits are being issued to poor farmers.

DHARNA: The Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh will organise a dharna at Ambala, Rohtak, Gurgaon and Hisar on Tuesday. The press secretary of the mahasangh, Mr Devi Prashad Bhatt, said here on Monday that employees of different government offices would participate in it. Senior leaders of the organisation will also be present on the occasion, he added.

HISAR
FELICITATED: Mr Naseem Ahmed, Financial Commissioner, Agriculture, Haryana, was on Monday felicitated by Haryana Agricultural University on his appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. Mr Vinay Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of HAU, said Mr Ahmed had made great contribution to the development of agriculture in Haryana. Dr J.B. Chowdhry, former HAU VC, was also present.

SHAHABAD
SUGARCANE CRUSHED: The Shahabad corporative Sugar Mill has crushed 54.83 lakh quintals of sugarcane and manufactured 5.53 lakh quintals of sugar up to April 28 during the current crushing season which started on November 20. This information was given here on Tuesday by the managing director of the mill, Mr R.C. Bidhan.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
STIR WARNING: The Chamera Oustees Association has warned that it would resort to an agitation if the Chamera Oustees Rehabilitation Committee did not finalise the grant of financial package to them soon. Mr Mohinder Kumar, president of the association, said the government had constituted committees at state and district levels. He said though more than three years had elapsed, nothing concrete had been done.

ALLEGATION: The expulsion of the Public Works Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh Thakur, from the ministry by Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal had led to the rout of the BJP in the recent elections to the Municipal Corporation, Shimla, alleged Mr Shadi Lal Sharma, district in charge of the Him Loktantric Morcha, here on Tuesday.