The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, June 17, 2002, 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

AMRITSAR
SGPC DEMANDS PROBE: Demanding a high-level inquiry into a case of land grabbing by Desa Singh of Sarawan village, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has alleged the connivance of the police in the case. In a press statement, the SGPC alleged that Desa Singh had attempted to grab land belonging to Gurdwara Budha Sahib Ji Ramdass. When the manager and other employees of the gurdwara tried to thwart the attempt, they were allegedly threatened by the SHO of the area. The SGPC has demanded action against the SHO.

VOTING RIGHTS: The Akhand Kirtani jatha has extended its support to the proposed ban on the voting rights of the Sehajdharis in the gurdwara poll. Welcoming the stand taken by Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar, SGPC President, on the issue, Mr Baldev Singh, deputy chief of the jatha, said the SGPC chief had taken a correct view of the matter.

JALANDHAR
ARTIST BEREAVED: Harbhajan Kaur, mother of Punjabi poet and artist Sukhwant Singh, died at Jalandhar on Sunday. She was 65. Her cremation at Jalandhar was largely attended.

LUDHIANA
SCOOTER LAUNCHED: A part from the authorised sale-cum-service centres, Kinetic Motor Company Limited will soon establish its authorised service centers in Punjab as well as in other states for improving the quality of after-sale services. The Regional Manager of the company, Mr Navneet Mehra, who was here last evening to launch Kinetic Nova, said: “Keeping in view the wide-range of two-wheelers of the company in the market, this decision has been taken to facilitate the consumers. Sixty-seven sale-cum-service centres in Punjab are not enough for the satisfaction of the consumers.” The price of Kinetic Nova in Punjab is Rs 35,637.

MALERKOTLA
SUICIDE: Teja Singh, a farmer of Vajidpur village committed suicide on Saturday by consuming a poisonous substance. According to the police, the cause of the suicide was not yet known. A case has been registered.

TRUCK UNIONS: The Regional Transport Authority, Patiala, has issued instructions to presidents of all truck unions operating in the region to immediately disband these unions. They have been advised to get licences as required under Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, read with rule 110 of the Punjab Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, for carrying on the business of transportation of goods.

MOGA
COP ARRESTED: Sleuths of the Vigilance Bureau arrested a munshi of Nathuwala police chowki under Baghapurana police station on the alleged charge of accepting a bribe of Rs 500. A case was registered.

SUICIDE: Ruldu Ram, a local resident who had taken a loan from a local finance company and could not repay it, allegedly committed suicide on Saturday by consuming a poisonous substance. In a note left behind by him, he said he had received threats from the finance company that he would be eliminated if he failed to repay the loan.

PATIALA
MEDICAL CAMP: The Citizens Welfare Society here organised a free medical camp on Sunday. Around 580 patients were examined and free medicines were distributed among the needy. Dr Manmohan Singh, chief cardiologist, Amar Hospital, and Dr Sukhdeep Kaur, dental surgeon, were among others who participated in the camp.

PHAGWARA
BURGLARY: In a daylight burglary on Friday, valuables worth Rs 50,000 were stolen from the Satnampura residence of a shopkeeper. Burgled items included jewellery and cash. The shopkeeper was at his shop while his family had gone to Delhi when the burglary took place. A case has been registered.

TARN TARAN
BODY FOUND: The Khalra police recovered the decomposed body of an unidentified person from the village fields on Friday. Police sources said here on Saturday that the body’s features had become undistinguishable. The police has lodged a report under Section 174, CrPC.

OPIUM SEIZED: The Bhikhiwind police has seized 1.2 kg opium from Tarlochan Singh, a resident of Gehri Mandi village falling under Jandiala Guru police station. The seizure was made at a naka point at Sandran village in the area. A case under Sections 15, 61 and 95 of the NDPS Act has been registered, the police said here on Saturday.

INJURED: Mr Sukhdev Raj, a resident of Dubli village, was shot at and injured at his native village on Friday night by three persons of the same village. Police sources said on Saturday that a case under Sections 307 and 34 of the IPC and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act had been registered. The suspects had been identified as Ajaib Singh, Heera Singh and Raj Singh. Land dispute was said to be the cause behind the incident.

HARYANA

AMBALA
CHUNMUN CLUB: Chunmun Club, a club for children which grooms talent in the field of dance, has invited applications for fresh membership. Mr A.K. Sharma, director of the club, said the parents of those girl children in the age group of 5 to 12 years must get the names registered by June 30 for final selection. The names can be registered with the Project Director, Ms Monika Sharma, at Iqbal Ganj road, Ambala Cantonment, a release said.

CLEANLINESS DRIVE: A week-long foundation celebrations of the Nationalist Congress Party culminated here on Sunday with the local unit of the party undertaking a cleanliness drive in the Mauli Jagran Complex. The drive was to symbolically oppose the Municipal Corporation’s failure to keep the city clean, the NCP President, Mr Gurbachan Singh, said while addressing the gathering. Mr Singh said condition of roads, water and electricity supply was very bad.

RECORD PROFIT: The Ambala depot of the Haryana Roadways has created a record of sorts. It posted a profit of over Rs 35 lakh in April last, the highest ever recorded by the depot in the past one decade. According to the Deputy Commissioner, Ambala, Mr D.D. Gautam, the depot achieved a receipt of Rs 12.72 per km, during this period, which is the highest so far. The depot was also above to reduce its expenditure by Rs 2.10 lakh in April. Mr Gautam said the depot provided service to over 31 lakh passengers by covering about 23 lakh km, which marked 320 km utilisation of each bus of its fleet. The depot paid Rs 88 lakh as passenger tax during this period. He said the depot has started a bus service to Deotsidha Shahtalai, a pilgimage place in Himachal Pradesh. Soon a service would be started for Rampur in the same state.

REMEMBERED: The 17th death anniversary of Professor Yashwant Rai, founder President of the All-India Safai Mazdoor Congress, was observed here on Sunday. The local unit of the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribune Cell of the Congress, the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee, SC/ST Welfare Federation, Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory jointly organised a function in the Valmiki Bhavan, Sector 24. The CTCC President, Mr B.B. Bahl, said Mr Rai, the adopted son of Lala Lajpat Rai, former MP and a former minister, had made service rules for municipal employees during his stint as a minister.

FATEHABAD
INAUGURATED: The Inspector-General of Police, Hisar, Mr John V George, inaugurated a service station at the police lines here on Saturday. The IG also inaugurated a CDS canteen at the police station and a Criminal Record Office in the mini-secretariat . He said under the modernisation programme of the police force, 50 new vehicles had been acquired by his range. Besides 50 new motor cycles would also be pressed into service shortly.