The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Sunday, September 15, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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R E G I O N A L B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
COMPETITION: For the preservation of folk culture of Punjab, BBK DAV College has invited applications from non-professional artists of the Amritsar zone to participate in the first zonal-level competition organised by the state government. Mr J. Kackaria, convener of the competition for the Amritsar zone. She said, five zones Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Faridkot and Patiala had been created. She said competitions for the Amritsar zone would be held from October 17 to October 19.

CENTRE SET UP: A centre for rural development with the help of Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) and Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, has been established at Guru Nanak Dev University.

HOSHIARPUR
THIKRI PEHRA: Mr Kirandeep Singh Bhullar, District Magistrate, has ordered all able-bodied persons to perform thikri pehra round the clock in their respective rural areas under the Small Town Patrol Act to protect transmission lines and transformers, railway track, government properties, wheat stores, petrol stations, bridges, banks, post offices and government offices etc. He has ordered panchayats to ensure that the thikri pehras are performed in their respective areas. The order will remain in force up to November 12, 2002.

ONE DEAD: Kuldip Singh was killed on the spot while his father Des Raj of Mansoorpur injured when a tractor hit their car near Pandori Araian village on Friday.

LIQUOR SEIZED: The police arrested Gurmail Singh of Sarhala village and seized 18,000 ml of illicit liquor on Friday. A case has been registered under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act.

BOOKED: On a complaint of Soqin Singh of Harkhowal, the police registered a case under Sections 420 and 406, IPC, against Davinder Singh, a so-called travel agent of Muto village PS Balachaur, on Friday. Soqin Singh has alleged that Devinder Singh took Rs 2 lakh from him to send him Italy. He neither sent him there nor returned his money.

PATHANKOT
DEMANDED: Mr Suresh Gupta, president of the association of Dev Nagar Colony, has urged the local authorities to provide sanitation facilities and basic amenities in the colony. He said sewage often ever flowed in streets causing inconvenience to residents. He has sought immediate repair of roads and the bridge that connects the colony with the city.

PATIALA
URGED: The Punjab Booksellers Association on Saturday alleged that the Punjab School Education Board had not taken any action against schools that were not using books prescribed by the board. In a statement here, association president J. N. Andlay urged Education Minister Khushal Behl to intervene in the matter to ensure that only those books that were prescribed by the board were used in all schools affiliated with it. He said as the state education board prescribed translated texts of the NCERT books, their use should be implemented vigorously.

PHAGWARA
DHARNA: Activists of the Northern Railway Mazdoor Union on Friday held a dharna outside the office of Station Superintendent Ashok Kumar, demanding his transfer. The dharna followed a tiff between Mr Ashok Kumar and Karamjit Singh assistant secretary of the union.

TALWANDI SABO
AKHAND PATH BHOG: Hundreds of people, including Congress workers and members of the SGPC, Zila Parishads and Block Samitis, on Saturday participated in the bhog of the Shri Akhand Path Sahib organised at Takht Damdama Sahib for better health of the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh. The Chief Minister, who underwent angioplasty recently was elected to the Vidhan Sabha from this constituency in 1985. Among others present on the occasion were Mr Ajit Singh Kanakwal, Mr Harinder Singh Jaurkian, members, PPCC, Mr Jagroop Singh Gill, organising secretary, PPCC, Mr Manwinder Singh Jhoomba, member Zila Parishad and Mr Tehal Singh Sandhu, a Congress leader.

TARN TARAN
OPIUM SEIZED: The district police has seized 4 kg of opium and arrested one person. According to Mr Narinder Bhargav, district police chief, the police on a tip-off laid a naka in the Patti area. During the naka the police stopped Nishan Singh, a resident of Sitonauabad village and recovered 4 kg of opium. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered.

HARYANA

AMBALA
BALIDAN DIVAS: Members of Panun Kashmir on Saturday observed Balidan Divas. Mr J.L. Kaul, area coordinator of Panun Kashmir, said that September 14 was observed as Balidan Divas every year throughout the country. It was observed in the memory of those who laid down their lives for the unity of the country. Some of the members of Panun Kashmir sat on fast on Saturday.

CAMP: The Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ambala, on Saturday held a training camp on potato production technology. The camp was in Gazipur as well as Bakhatua village in Naraingarh. A number of farmers were informed about the latest techniques of potato cultivation. A senior extension specialist of KVK, Dr D K Bhatnagar, stressed upon the timely planting of potato varieties. Dr Bhatnagar gave details about harvesting, handling and storage aspects of potato tubers, a release said.

DEBATE: The Interact Club under the auspices of the Rotary Club of Ambala organised a debate competition at SD Senior School. Ambala Cantonment. The competition was presided over school principal Vidya Sagar Gupta. Teams from eight schools participated in the competition. The winners were DAV Public School, Ambala Cantt while SD Girls High School. Topekhana Bazar stood second and SD High School (Boys), Topekhana Bazar stood third in the debate competition The president of Rotary Club of Ambala, Mr Naresh Bharadwaj, spoke about the different Rotary activities. The competition was held to mark the new generation month.

HARYANA VIKAS PARTY: The Haryana Vikas Party on Friday demanded that special attention needed to be paid to the railway bridges so that serious tragedies like the Rajdhani train accident does not take place in future. A two minute silence was kept for the victims of the ill-fated train at a meeting held on Friday. Among others, Mr Chandra Gupta, Mr Dinesh Vishisht, Mr Ashwani Sharma, Mr Rakesh Goel and Mr Man Singh were present.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The office-bearers of women’s wing of Sangharsh Vahini were appointed in a meeting held on Friday. The president of Sangharsh Vahini Mr Hira Lal Yadav, said that a 31 member working committee of the women’s wing had been formed. President — Neelam Sharma, senior vice-presidents — Sunila Vig, Suresh Rani Sharma, Mahindro Devi and Gauri Sharma, vice-presidents Rano Dhamija, Krishna Dhiman, Santosh Kashyap and Vijay Tejpal, general secretaries — Sarita, Ajay Walia, Raj Kohli and Ritu Sharma, secretaries — Raj Rani, Sunita Sharma, Shyam Lata Gupta and Asha Sonkar, joint secretaries — Dulari Singhania, Nargis Taneja, Shanti Devi and Kusum Yadav. Members of the working committee include Kanta Rani, Prem Wati, Tara Devi, Savitri Devi, Praksh Wati, Shalini and Vijay Masih.

FATEHABAD
FINED: In two cases, the District Consumer Forum on Friday imposed a fine totalling Rs 3,000 on the Dakshin Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (DHVPN). Mr Gurdev Singh of the local Bhuna Road had complained to the forum that the DHVPN had snapped power connection of his flour mill in May, 2001, without serving any notice to him. The forum imposed a fine of Rs 2,500 on the DHVPN and directed the authorities concerned to restore the power connection. In another case, Mr Ashok Kumar had complained that the nigam authorities slapped a bill for Rs 7,744 on him under the head ‘sundry charges’ despite no amount was pending against his name. The forum imposed a fine of Rs 500 on the DHVPN and directed it to adjust the bill amount.

SHOT AT: Krishan of Kumahrian village of this district was reportedly shot at in the village on Friday by Rohtash of the same village. They were old friends. A dispute between the sisters of the two friends was said to be the reason behind the attack.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
RALLY HELD: The state unit of the Himachal Pradesh Government, Semi-Government, Drivers and Conductors Federation has urged the Chief Minister to honour the written agreement reached with their federation and signed on July 12. Members of the federation held a rally here on Thursday.

CHAMBA
FARMERS’ TRAINING: The Parvatiya Gramin Bank here organised a one-day workshop-cum-training programme for the benefit of members of self -help groups of, off-season vegetable growers and other small and marginal farmers of about 60 villages at Arpana Centre. Gajnoi, about 15 km from here, on Thursday. About 120 women and men farmers participated in the workshop.

KUMARHATTI
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Koron-Kainthari Watershed Project Committee: chairman-Mr Paira Lal. Mr Sohan Lal, Mr Asha Ram, Mrs Sheela Devi, Mr Lalit Kumar , Mr Gopal Singh, Mr Madan Lal and Mr Sunder Lal have been elected members of the committee. Mr Ramesh Chauhan being president of Chewa panchayat has been taken on the committee as a member.

NAHAN
WORKSHOP: A nine-day workshop under ‘Rajiv Gandhi drinking water mission’ commenced here on Saturday. Thirtyfive persons from different states are participating in the workshop. Addressing the workshop, Chairman, Zila Parishad, Chander Mohan Thakur, said the objective of this pilot project in Sirmaur district was to provide potable water to every person, with the help of people. Senior consultant from the Netherlands, Francois Brikke and Deputy Director of the mission, Harish Kumar also spoke.

SCHOOLS: As many as 23 alternative primary schools are being run under the Primary Education Project in Sirmaur district, along with six other mobile schools, according to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Onkar Chand Sharma. He said objective of these schools, was to reach out to people in the areas where there was no provision of regular schools.