The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, April 7, 2003, 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

AHMEDGARH
BOOKS RELEASED: The local unit of the Tarksheel Society organised a function at Lachholeadi village which was presided over by Mr Ashok Sharma, state president of the society. Three books "Dudh da mull", "Suneha", "Sume Da Sach" written by NRI writer Harchand Bagri were released on the occasion.

PRIZES DISTRIBUTED: The annual function of Gurshakti Public School, Nathowal, was presided over by Mr Krishna Nand and Mr Balbir Singh gave away prizes to outstanding students. Mr Rajneesh Sharma Gudoo, president, municipal council, and former OSD to Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal presided over annual functions at Islamia High School and Dayanand Adarsh Vidyalaya High School. Mr Munir Mohammad, manager, Islamia High School, gave away prizes to meritorious students of the school.

AMRITSAR
BOOK RELEASED: Dr G.D. Sharma, head of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration ( NIEPA) released a book entitled ‘Indian Response to Drama’ edited by Dr S.K. Bhatia, Professor English, Guru Nanak Dev University, at a special function held at Guru Nanak Bhavan Auditorium on Friday.

URGED: The Patron of the Punjab State Pensioner’s Confederation ( PSPC), Mr Avtar Singh Afat has urged all pensioners to transfer their account from Treasury Offices to banks. This he said, would save them from harassment and delay in getting pension.

BATHINDA
KISAN CAMP: The government had set a target of sowing other crops on 2.5 hectares where paddy was sown last year in the coming kharif season. Mr Kulwant Singh Billing, Joint Director, Agriculture Department Punjab, stated this here on Saturday. He said land brought out from the paddy crop would be utilised to grow maize, cotton, basmati, oilseeds, sugarcane, cereals etc. He was addressing a training camp for farmers.

STATEMENT: India should have a clear cut policy on whether the US attack on a Iraq, is justified or not. This was stated by Mr Dev Raj Sharma, a native of the city who is now a Mayor of London Borough of Red Bridge, here on Friday.

GURDASPUR
DONATED: Mr Ashwani Kumar, MP, on Saturday donated a new van to the Red Cross Drug De-Addiction-cum-Rehabilitation Centre here. Mr K.A.P. Sinha, Deputy Commissioner, and Dr J.P. Jaslota, Project Director, were present.

KAPURTHALA
INTRODUCED: The Punjab Government has introduced contract farming in the state to change the wheat and paddy crop sowing pattern. Addressing a district-level farmer’s training camp organised here on Saturday by the Agricultural Department, Rana Gurjit Singh, MLA, said under the scheme 28,000 acres of land had been brought under diversification.

LUDHIANA
SEMINAR HELD: A seminar on the role of education was held at Sacred Heart Convent School, Sarabha Nagar here, in which parents as well as teachers participated. The Principal of the school, Sister Helima, presided over the seminar. Students of the school presented a programme on the occasion.

SP BEREAVED: Bibi Ajit Kaur, mother of Mr Gurdial Singh, SP(Traffic), Ludhiana, passed away in her native village Dhaliwal Kalan in Jalandhar district on Saturday following cardiac arrest. She was 60.

NAWANSHAHR
MEETING: The Punjab unit of the BJP will hold its meeting at Balachaur on April 12. The meeting will be attended by its state executive body, MLAs, presidents and secretaries of the district units of the BJP informed Ms Varinder Kaur Thandi, president of the district unit of the BJP in a press release here on Saturday.

NOMINATED: Ms Varinder Kaur Thandi and Mr Surinder Kumar Abbi, presidents of the district and mandal units respective of the BJP have been nominated members of the district level Vigilance & Monitoring Committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Rural Development.

PATIALA
ELECTED: Mr J.S. Bhullar was elected president of the Urban Estate (Phase-II) Welfare Association at a meeting held here on Sunday. The other office-bearers elected are: vice president — Mr Swaraj Singh Sehgal; general secretary — Mr Surseh Goyal; joint secretary — Mr J.S Jassal; and finance secretary — Mr Bhupinder Singh.

DEMAND: The Patiala Senior Citizens and Child Welfare Forum has urged the government to waive the surcharge levied on telephone calls to senior citizens. Mr H.S Sethi, president of the forum, said the government while imposing the surcharge had followed the pattern as applicable in foreign countries. He cited the example of Indian Railways that had exempted senior citizens up to 30 per cent of the total fare, which Mr Sethi termed as a ‘positive step’.

SAMRALA
RESENTMENT: The non-availability of non-judicial papers (from Rs 50 to Rs 500) at the local Courts for the past more than 15 days has caused inconvenience to litigants. BKU leader Mewa Singh Sihala, Akali leader Jion Singh Dhindsa and social worker Kuldeep Khullar have asked the Punjab Government to instruct all treasury officers in the state to issue the papers.

TARN TARAN
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local subdivision unit of the Indian Medical Association: president — Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal; vice-president — Dr Kuldeep Singh Kochhar; general secretary — Dr Gurjeet Singh Dhaliwal; joint secretary — Dr Harbinder Singh; organising secretary — Dr Inderjit Singh; publicity secretary — Dr Dinesh Gupta and finance secretary — Haripal Kaur Dhaliwal.

KILLED: Vinod Kumar Gupta, a commission agent, was killed when his motor cycle was hit by a jeep at Goindwal bypass here on Friday. A case under Sections 304A and 427 of the IPC has been registered.

ZIRAKPUR
MEDICAL CAMP: Various patients were examined at a free medical check-up camp organised in the main market of Bartana here on Sunday. A team of doctors headed by Dr A.S. Toor, Medical Officer (retd), examined the patients and distributed medicines free of cost. Laboratory tests and ECG were also done at the spot.

CHANDIGARH

SEMINAR: Career Launcher India Ltd. organised a seminar on “Career after school” at Bal Bhavan in Sector 23 on Sunday in which about 650 students and their parents were briefed about various career options available. Addressing the participants Mr Prashant Arya, Regional Manager, North, Career Launcher, said rather opting for careers which were in vogue, one should go for something that suits one’s personality. Dr Itishree Mishra, a career counsellor from Delhi, answered queries put up by participants about career options available after Class XII.

WORKSHOP: A workshop was organised by the Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited, (REIL) Jaipur, at Timber Trail, Parwanoo, on Sunday on the theme of “Thechnical Aspects of Automation Process at Milk Cooperative Societies and Dairy Milk Plants.” The programme was inaugurated by Dr B.M. Mahajan, MD, Punjab State Co-operative Federation Limited, Chandigarh.

PANCHKULA
POLIO DROPS: As many as 56,529 children were administered polio drops in various parts of the district on the Sub National Immunisation round Day on Sunday. Other than the Civil Surgeon, Mr B.S. Chaudhary, other officers of the administration, including Deputy Commissioner, Ms Satwanti Ahlawat, went about various places in the district to oversee the immunisation.

HARYANA

AMBALA
ONE KILLED: A pedestrian was killed on the Ambala-Chandigarh road near Ambala city on Saturday evening. The deceased has been identified as Ram Saran, a resident of Himachal Pradesh. He was crossing the road when a Tata Sumo hit him. The police has registered a case against the driver.

PULSE POLIO: The oral polio drop campaign was organised in Ambala district on Sunday in which 1.19 lakh children (below 5) were given polio drops. According to the Civil Surgeon, Dr S.L. Kaushik, as many as 600 teams were engaged to accomplish this work. The District Immunisation Officer, Dr P.S. Ahuja, said that door-to-door campaign would be conducted on April 7 and 8.

FATEHABAD
AWARDED: Manohar Memorial College has been awarded B grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Committee ( NAAC). This was revealed by the college principal, Dr K.K. Arora. The grade of the college is the best in the district and considering the fact that the college imparts education up to graduation level only and that too sans science subjects, the grade is reflective of good performance by the college, according to Dr Arora.

CONCERNED: The All Haryana Power Corporation Workers Union, affiliated to the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, on Saturday expressed concern over the proposed plan of the Central Government to place a bill regarding the privatisation of power nigams in Parliament on Monday. A meeting of the union was held here on Saturday. Mr Mohan Lal Grover, president of the district unit , presided over the meeting.