R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AHMEDGARH
ROAD SAFETY CAMP: A road safety camp was organised by Chetna Club at Jain Senior Secondary School, Kup Kalan, on Friday. Ms Razia Sultana, MLA, was the chief guest and Mr Ravinder Singh, District Transport Officer, Sangrur, presided over the function. The camp was attended by a large number of students, drivers, teachers and representatives of social organisations. Learner driving licences were issued to 450 persons on the spot.

BATHINDA
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected the office-bearers of the Dashmesh Sports Club at Joga Nand village: president — Mr Jasvir Singh; senior vice-president — Mr Yadwinder Singh Bhullar, vice-president — Mr Dharampal Singh Sidhu; general secretary — Mr Jeet Singh Bhullar; joint secretary — Mr Harbans Singh Dhillon; press secretary — Mr Sukhraj Singh and treasurer Mr Gurtej Singh Patvari.

APPOINTED: Mr Rajinder Mittal has been appointed state vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. This was stated in a letter sent to Mr Mittal by morcha leadership.

CONDEMNED: The Punjab Kisan Sabha has condemned the forcible attachment of property of defaulting farmers by the banks with the help of the police. This was stated by Mr Jagjit Singh Joga, a member of the state committee of the sabha and district secretary of the CPI, here on Saturday.

FARIDKOT
MEETING HELD: A meeting of the Nagar Council, Kot Kapura, chaired by Mr Davinder Singh, SDM, was held here on Saturday. Various decisions to check the encroachment problem were taken at the meeting.

HOSHIARPUR
WATER SUPPLY: The Punjab Government is preparing special water supply schemes of Rs 817 crore with the help of World Bank for providing safe drinking water to the people of the state. This was stated by Mr Romesh Chander Dogra, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Punjab, after laying the foundation stone of the water supply scheme at Alera, village 88 km from here, in Talwara block of the district on Saturday.

KHANNA
APPOINTED: Mr Mohinder Paul Jassal local municipal councillor, has been appointed president of the Ludhiana district unit of the Scheduled Caste Morcha of the BJP, according to a press note of the Punjab unit of the morcha. Mr Dharam Pal, general secretary of the Punjab unit of the morcha, has sent a letter to Mr Jassal in this regard. Local BJP leaders have welcomed the appointment of Mr Jassal.

KHARAR
LAWYER DEAD: Sukhdev Kaushal, a prominent lawyer and former president of the Kharar Bar Association died here on Saturday night. His cremation was attended by a large number of advocates and prominent persons of the area on Sunday.

LUDHIANA
LOHRI CELEBRATED: The Welfare Society of J-Block, Sarabha Nagar, celebrated Lohri on Saturday night. Mr Nahar Singh Gill, Mayor, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, and Mr Prem Mittal, Senior Deputy Mayor, were the chief guests. The function was presided over by Ms Amrit Varsha Rampal, councillor of the area. A bonfire was lit. Children of the area participated in fancy dress competition, bhangra and gidha dances etc.

GK TEST: The local unit of the ABVP will conduct a GK test on January 19. The ABVP has been conducting state-level GK test for schoolchildren of Punjab and Chandigarh for the past three days. There are two groups, Group-A consists of 8th, 9th and 10th classes and Group-B consists of 10+1 and 10+2 classes. Cash prizes will be given to the winners.

CARDIAC CAMP: Hero DMC Heart Institute will hold a month-long cardiac camp in the hospital. The camp will start from January 14, according to Mr Narinder Singh, its Chief Operating Officer. The charges of angiography and other diagnostic tests have been reduced.

PATHANKOT
MARTYRDOM DAY: To commemorate the seventh martyrdom anniversary of Lt Gurdeep Singh Salaria, the Shaheed Sainik Parivar organised a shraddhanjali samaroh at Taragarh village, near here, on Saturday. Mr Ashok Sharma, MLA, Pathankot, MR Rumal Chand, MLA, Narote Mehra, Brig J.C. Jaswal, Lt-Col Sagar Singh Salaria, (father of martyr) and Mrs Shama Anand, President of Shaheed Sainik Parivar, paid tributes to the martyr.

PATIALA
INAUGURATION: Eminent surgeons came together to inaugurate the new wing of the Patiala Eye Hospital and Lasik Laser Centre here on Sunday. Prominent city heart surgeons including the former Medical College Professor, Dr Manmohan Singh, and Dr Sudhir Verma, besides Dr J.S. Bahiya, administrator, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Mr M.S. Narang, and senior police officer Paramjit Singh Grewal were present at the inauguration of the new wing of the hospital.

PHILLAUR
ANNOUNCED: Springing a surprise on the eve of Lohri, Punjab Social Welfare and Social Justice Minister Santokh Singh suddenly reached Shahpur village near here on Sunday. He greeted the villagers on Lohri festival and gave “shagun” to 21 newly born girls and shawls to their mothers. The minister announced that state government would observe 2003 as Women’s Year.

SANGRUR
AWARDED: Dr Surinder Singla, secretary of the Punjab unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), has been awarded fellowship of the IMA Academy of Medical Specialities for his dedicated services in the field of tuberculosis (TB) and chest diseases. Dr Singla is currently posted at the local Civil Hospital as in charge of the District TB clinic.

HARYANA

AMBALA
SMACK SEIZED: The Railway police has seized 100 gm of smack from the possession of a passenger last evening. According to the police, the passenger, Lalit Kumar, was nabbed on Platform No. 7, Ambala Cantonment Railway Station. Lalit belongs to Delhi. The police registered a case against him under the NDPS Act.

‘NISHKASAN DIVAS’: The local unit of the Panun Kashmir observed “Nishkasan Divas” here on Sunday. A general body meeting was held under the leadership of Mr N.N. Kaul. “Nishkasan Divas” is held by Kashmiri community as they were forced to leave Kashmir Valley in January, 1999, according to a press note. A resolution was passed in which the community wanted resettlement of Kashmiri Hindus in the Valley. Mr J.L. Koul, area coordinator, was directed by the general body to pursue the pending cases, including registration, relief and identity cards.

CREMATION: Former MLA Bhagwan Das Sehgal, who died on Saturday night, was cremated here on Sunday. Among others, the MP, Mr Ratan Lal Kataria, MLAs, Mr Anil Vij and Ms Veena Chibber, former minister, Mr Nirmal Singh, former MLA, Mr Brij Anand, MC president, Mr Pandit Shankar Dass, Cong Ambala Cantt president, Mr Ashok Jain, Dr Bharat Bhushan Jatwad and Mr Nirmal Vij were present. Mr Sehgal was elected as MLA in 1968 on a Jan Sangh ticket. He had been member of the Cantonment Board besides heading the Haryana Subzi Fruit Commission Agents Association.

MEETING: The president of the Haryana Roadways Karamchari Union, Mr Baldev Singh, addressed a meeting of the local unit here on Sunday. The matter of dispute between the two groups of Ambala depot was also taken up at the meeting. While addressing the members of the union, he said since the scuffle did not take place on the depot premises, the decision of the other union to stage a dharna against it was wrong.