The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, May 3, 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

AMRITSAR
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following were elected office-bearers of the Income Tax Bar Association on Thursday: president — Mr Satish Bansal; vice-president — Mr Subhash Khanna; secretary — Mr Gurmeet Singh Chawla; and joint secretary — Mr Sanjay Arora.

DOCTORS’ PLEA: The Junior Doctors Association along with PG dental doctors have sought instructions from the state government on the proposed withdrawal of stipend. The state secretary of the Indian Dental Association, Dr Puneet Girdhar, and president of the Junior Doctors Association, Dr S.P.S. Bedi, in a joint statement, have expressed anguish that the proposed withdrawal of stipend during postgraduate course would jeopardise their careers as they would not be able to afford studying after graduation.

PLEA TO PAK: The president of the International Bhai Mardana Yadgari Kirtan Darbar Society, Mr Harpal Singh Bhullar, has urged the Pakistan Government to release the 24 Punjabi youths lodged in prisons there. He has written to the Prime Minister and the President of Pakistan in this connection, according to a press note.

FARIDKOT
CARDIOLOGIST: Dr Mridul Sharma, cardiologist, has expressed concern at the rise in cardiac problems in Punjab. Nearly 12 per cent of the population of the state, particularly aged between 30 and 40 years, had been affected, he said.

FAZILKA
RELIEF FOR FARMERS: An amount of Rs 2.5 crore will be distributed as relief among farmers of border villages in the subdivision where mines have been laid. According to the SDM, Rs 70,93,000 has been disbursed among 1,204 farmers and Rs 3,200 per acre will be paid in the second phase.

JALANDHAR
FIVE HELD: The district police has arrested five persons, Guggu, Sanju Kumar, Kamaljit Singh, Sonu and Mangi, and recovered stolen goods and Rs 25,000 from their possession. In a press note issued here on Thursday, the police said they had been arrested in connection with the theft at the house of Babita at Mehatpur on the night of April 26.

COMMISSION’S VIGIL: The head of the UK visa section in the British High Commission, Mr Steve Burns, said on Thursday that the commission was keeping a vigil on musical groups and sports organisations, mostly based in Punjab, which were allegedly involved in human trafficking. He was here to attend a function to mark 100 days of the Visa Facilitation Services office here.

KAPURTHALA
LAWYERS’ MEETING: A meeting of lawyers following the ideology of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar was held in connection with May Day here on Thursday. They laid wreaths on the photograph of Dr Ambedkar.

LUDHIANA
IDOL INSTALLATION: The Shree Durga Mandir Committee, Urban Estate, Dugri Road, celebrated its annual idol installation day here on Thursday. On this occasion, an allopathic dispensary was also inaugurated by Mr Nahar Singh Gill, Mayor, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana. A jagran , dedicated to Goddess Bhagwati, was inaugurated by Mr Prem Mittal, Senior Deputy Mayor. The holy flame was lit by Mr S.K. Sharma, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation. Mahant Pawan Kumar Babbi and Ashok Khushdil chanted hymns at the jagran.

GRAFFITI CONTEST: To test the literary skills as well as artistic abilities of the children, Pratibha- a graffiti contest, is being organised in six schools of the city. Preliminary rounds have been organised in Sacred Heart Convent Senior Secondary School, Kundan Vidya Mandir, Guru Nanak Public School, BCM Arya Model Senior Secondary School and Tagore Public School. The participants were told to write appropriate slogans on themes given to them. They were divided into two categories. Classes VI to VIII and Classes IX to XI. Students of DAV Public School will participate in the contest on Saturday and an inter-school contest will be organised on May 10.

HAILED: Most of the small-scale industrial units have hailed the government’s decision to defer the introduction of VAT. Representatives of various industrial associations said on Friday that the decision would provide a relief to the small-scale industry as it was not prepared to adopt the new regime. The Oil Mill Machinery Manufacturers’ Association, the United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers’ Association and the Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry have welcomed the government’s decision to defer VAT.

BANK STRIKE: Almost all banks of Jagraon observed a strike at a call given by the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation.

PATIALA
MEDICAL CAMP: The Swami Gagan Giri Birth Anniversary Celebration Committee with the cooperation of social workers will organise a medical camp on Sunday at Mandi Gobindgarh for the benefit of those having problems related to brain and nervous system. The camp will be held at Gupta Palace. Dr Satwant Sachdeva, specialist, brain-related and nervous system diseases, will examine the patients from 9 am to 1 pm. Medicines will be provided free of cost to the patients.

ANNUAL FUNCTION: English and Hindi plays, besides Oriya, Haryanvi and Bengali dances, were the highlights of the annual function of Kendriya Vidyalaya, DCW, here on Thursday. Dr Ram Parkash Bajpai, Director, CSOI, Chandigarh, was the guest of honour, while Mr Ashok Baijal, Chief Accounts Officer of the DCW, was the chief guest.

PATHANKOT
CATTLE VACCINATION: Punjab Animal husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Jagmohan Singh Kang has said the state government will vaccinate 70 lakh cattle in the state to check the spread of the foot-and-mouth disease. he was talking to mediapersons at the Madhopur canal rest house on Thursday.

ROPAR
HUTS GUTTED: Eight huts were destroyed in a fire at Nikku Nangal, near Nangal, around 3 p.m. on Friday. Though there was no casualty, all belongings of the labourers putting up in the huts were destroyed.

THREE HELD: The police has arrested three persons, Harvinder Singh alias Bhura, Ranbir Singh alias Happy and Kulbir Singh, residents of Ropar, for the murder of a school watchman, Ram Krishan, on July 15 last. This was stated in a press note issued here on Thursday.

SAMRALA
NO SALARY: Mr Harpreet Singh Grewal, Senior Vice-President of the Punjab Public Health Workers Union, told mediapersons here on Friday that the daily wage employees of the department had not been paid salaries for the past one month as a result of which they could not get their children admitted to new classes and also could not purchase wheat. Mr Grewal also said their pay had not been enhanced for the past six years. He threatened that if their salaries were not paid within a week, they would be compelled to start an agitation and the government would be responsible for it.

EMPTY WATER TANK: A sum of Rs 25 lakh was spent for supplying water to the tank of Harbanspura, Chawa and Daheru villages. But the water has failed to reach the tank. This was stated by Mr Manjit Singh Daheru, press secretary of the SAD (B), here on Friday. Mr Daheru said the motor was installed and the water tank constructed by the Water Supply Department but there was no water in the tank. Mr Daheru warned that if the water was not supplied to these villages they would be forced to start an agitation and the government would be responsible for its consequences.

TELEPHONE CARD: In a simple but impressive function in the local telephone exchange office, on Thursday, Mr S.S. Dhammi, Divisional Engineer, Telephones, handed over an Indian Telephone Card worth Rs 5,250 to a senior advocate of Samrala, Mr R.K. Kaushal, who had deposited the telephone bill, well in time, as per the new award scheme launched by the BSNL. Mr Jasvir Singh Jassi, president of the Nagar Council, Samrala, Mr Harpal Singh Dhillon, president of the Arhtya Association, Samrala, Mr Narinder Walia, Youth Congress leader, Mr K.S. Dhaliwal, president of the Bar Association, Samrala, Mr Sharma, SDO, Phones and Mr Bhinder Singh, new councillor, were present on the occasion.

CHANDIGARH

MEMORANDUM: A deputation of the Welfare Society, Milk Colony, Dhanas, under the leadership of Mr Kumer Chand, met Mr Karan Avtar Singh, Finance Secretary, UT, and handed over a memorandum here on Thursday. Their main demands include amendment to Rules of Chandigarh Milk Colony, Dhanas, Allotment of Sites Rules, 1975; transfer of plots to general power of attorney holders; consideration of cases for lease hold to free hold plots; and extension fee on maps. Members of the deputation included Mr Prem Chand Gautam, Mr K.S. Gill, Mr H. R. Gupta, Mr Amar Singh, Mr R.S. Dhindsa, Mr Bittu Sangra among others.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Morning Star Fellowship Society for 2003-04: president — Mr Shiv Sankar; vice-president — Ms Rejini Arul; general secretary — Mr Balraman; secretary — Ms Sabithri Mehr; cashier — Mr Balakrishnan; adviser — Ms Kiran Chabri; member — Ms Sashi Prabha.

AWARD: The Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF), established by the Department of Culture and Tourism, has chosen the TS Central State Library, Sector 17, for the Best Central State Library in India Award for the year 2002. The award consists of a cash incentive of Rs 1 lakh along with a citation. According to a communique sent by the Director, RRRLF, to Ms Ramola, KC State Librarian, the prize distribution ceremony will be held on May 22 in Ahmedabad.

PANCHKULA
CONTEST: Students of DAV Senior Public School, Surajpur, took part in an intra-school class-room decoration contest organised on the school premises, near here, on Friday. The students had tastefully decorated their classes with charts. Besides various multiculoured models prepared by the students were also displayed. Mr Vijay Kumar, Principal, took a round of the classrooms.

HARYANA

AMBALA
REMAND EXTENDED: The judicial remand of the BKU chief, Mr Ghansi Ram Nain, was extended till May 14 here on Friday. He was produced in the court of the Judicial Magistrate, Mr Jasbir Singh. Two senior leaders of the BKU, Mr Fateh Singh Fatua and Mr Gun Prakash, accused in the case were brought from Sonepat Jail. The Magistrate committed the case to Session Court and the next hearing of the case would take place in the Sessions Court.

RELIEF: Forty bogies containing dry fodder were flagged off by the State Minister for Social Welfare, Mr Rasal Singh, at Ambala Cantonment railway station for the drought hit area of Alwar, Rajasthan, on Friday. The fodder was collected from villages of Ambala. The Divisional Commercial Manager, Ambala Division, Mr M.S. Meena, said the railways had not charged for the transportation of fodder from the administration. The Divisional Railway Manager, Mr Keshav Chander, SP, Railways, Mr Ravi Azad, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Neelam Pardeep Kasni, and the Senior DCM of Ambala Railway Division were present on the occasion.

SHOP GUTTED: A shop located in the wholesale cloth market in Ambala City was gutted on Friday. The owner of the shop, Mr Surjit Baveja, said he got a call that his shop was on fire. The Fire Brigade Department was informed and the fire was brought under control after two hours. The cause of the fire could not be ascertained.

FATEHABAD
STATEMENT FLAYED: The district unit of the All-India Confederation of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Employees has condemned the statement of Vishva Hindu Parishad leaders, demanding the registration of criminal cases against Mr Karamvir Singh, state president of the confederation, in connection with the conversion of Dalits to Budhism. This was stated in a press note issued by Mr Suraj Bhan Rathi, president of the district unit, here on Thursday.

HISAR
SUICIDE BY YOUTH: A youth committed suicide at Dhani Garan village, near here, on Thursday. According to the police, Balwan Singh (17) of Gurana village, ended his life by jumping before a train.

DRIVER SENTENCED: A local court has sentenced a Haryana Roadways driver to one-year imprisonment for negligence driving. According to the prosecution, the bus being driven by Jai Parkash hit a motor cycle at the Gangwa Road on August 4, 2000.

YAMUNANAGAR
LUCKY DRAW: A lucky draw under the ‘Krishak Uphaar Yojna” was conducted at the Jagadhri grain market on Wednesday. The farmers were exhorted to get the ‘J form’ from grain merchants after selling their produce.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DHARAMSALA
ONE KILLED: One person was killed and two injured seriously when their motor cycle (DLB 5722) met with an accident at Dehrian village, under the Jwalamukhi police station, on Thursday. The decreased was identified as Virender Kumar.

NAHAN
FAREWELL PARTY: Mr P.L. Jain, who retired as Superintending Engineer, Irrigation and Public Helath, on Wednesday, was given a farewell party by employees of the department. He had put in 34 years of service.

THREE DEAD: An Israeli national, Omery Levy, who was seriously injured when his motor cycle collided with a bus near Charani Ghat on Wednesday, died at the PGI in Chandigarh on Thursday. In another incident, Pramod (23) of Surla village was found dead in bed on Thursday. In yet another incident, the District Treasury Officer of Sirmaur district, Krishan Kumar Chadha, who was hospitalised following complaints of chest pain, died on Wednesday.

PARWANOO
MEETING: A meeting of the local Nagar Parishad was held here on Thursday. The meeting was presided over by Ms Meenakshi Sharma, president of the Nagar Parishad. Mr Raghu Raj, MLA, also attended the meeting. The members of the parishad discussed the progress on development works being carried out in the town.

PROTEST: Members of the Mahila Madal of Gunai village, near here, blocked traffic on Gunai Road for around four hours on Friday. They were protesting against the PWD for not initiating the work on a road from their village. They alleged that the department had started the work on the road from Beja village. Later, the SHO from Kausoli police station reached the spot and persuaded the villagers to remove the blockade.