The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Friday, June 27, 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

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

Wedded to Himachali culture
Prestigious assignment
Gynae surgery camp

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
NOMINATED: Prof Jai Rup Singh, coordinator, Centre for Genetic Disorders and Dean Academic Affairs of Guru Nanak Dev University, has been nominated by the Punjab Government as a member of the reconstituted governing body of the Pushpa Gujral Science City Society for a period of three years.

GURDASPUR
BODY FOUND: The body of Pinka, son of Balwinder Masih, a resident of Kotla Chahal, near Naussehra Majja Singh under Dhariwal police station, was found in the sugarcane fields of the village on Wednesday. Masih said on June 23, three youths came to their house and took his son along with them. He did not return and on Tuesday his body was recovered.

HOSHIARPUR
INJURED: Six pilgrims, including a one-year-old child and four women, were injured when the Maruti van in which they were coming from Vaishno Devi overturned near Chabewal, 10 km from here, on Wednesday. All were admitted to the local Civil Hospital. The other injured were identified as Kanti, wife of Jaspal Singh, Poonam, wife of Jagbir Singh, Jagbir Singh, son of Sarup Singh, and Indira, wife of Sanjay. All are from Gurgaon.

SEMINAR: The Health and Family Welfare Department, in association with the Chemists Association, organised a seminar on the eve of International Day against Durg Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, in the local Multipurpose Health Worker Female Training Centre of the Civil Hospital here on Wednesday. Addressing the seminar, Mr Pawan Kumar Adiya, chairman, Improvement Trust, Hoshiarpur, stressed the need to combat drug abuse on a war-footing.

LUDHIANA
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been nominated office-bearers of the local Bhagwan Parshu Ram Brahman Sabha for a period of two years: senior vice-president — Pt Dharam Pal Sharma; general secretary — Pt Sohan Lal Bhanot; vice-presidents — Ms Vinod Bhanot, Mr Nisheeth Joshi, Mr Bans Raj Sharma, Mr Laxmi Narain Sharma, Dr J.R. Kaushal and Mr Wazir Chand Sharma; organising secretary — Mr Pawan Kumar Sharma; press secretary — Mr Sham Lal Kalia; cashier — Pt Man Mohan Sharma.

FOUNDATION DAY: The Bharat Netraheen Sevak Samaj, Gill Road, will celebrate its foundation day on July 6 at their main office. According to a press note, the members would discuss various issues. Meanwhile, the members have appealed the state government to reconsider the issue of transfer of members of the samaj on deputation basis.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
ORDER FLAYED: The Class IV Government Employees Union has flayed the implementation of “anti-employee” recommendations of the Expenditure Committee, which has cut the retirement benefits causing a loss of Rs 3.2 crore to the employees on superannuation. According to the fresh order, the commuted pension for 15 years has been reduced to 12 years, similarly leave encashment of 300 days on retirement has been reduced to 120 days. Mr Hari Chand, district chief of the union, in a press note here on Thursday said the union would launch a stir if the decision was not revoked.

MATRIC RESULTS: Eighty seven students out of 90 passed in matriculation examination of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Public Secondary School here, showing an overall pass percentage of 96.5 per cent. Sixty five students secured first division. Amrit Verma secured 518 marks out of 650 and got first position in the school.

PHAGWARA
SHOP BURGLED: Valuables worth Rs 25000 were stolen from Rocky Medicos on the local Palahi road on Wednesday night. When Mr Munish Singla, owner of the medical shop, went to the shop, he discovered the theft. The police is investigating.

NABBED: The Sadar police on Wednesday booked a travel agent, Pritpal Singh of Jalandhar cantonment, for duping in complicity with his partner, Makhan Singh of Khambra village, two youths of Mona village, Lakhwinder Singh and Kashmir Singh, of Rs 2.5 lakh on the pretext of sending them to England.

SAMRALA
FUNCTION: The local tempo and truck union organised a function against drug abuse and immoral trafficking here on Thursday. While presiding over the function, Mr T.S. Sandhu, Inspector, Samrala police station, appealed the drivers to shun drugs and abstain from illicit sex. They also appealed chemists not to sell drugs without proper prescription. The function was attended by SHO Rashpal Singh, Additional SHO Gurcharan Singh, Mr Surinder Singh Dhillon, president of the truck union.

RALLIES HELD: Employees of the local PSEB offices held rallies in front of their offices against privatisation move of the PSEB here on Thursday. The rallies were addressed by the circle president, Mr Sikander Singh, and vice-president, Mr Santokh Singh Saini. They warned the PSEB authorities against the transfer policy of the board and asked them to cancel all transfer done recently.

CHARGE TAKEN: Mr Subhash Joshi took over as the Executive Officer of the local Nagar Council here on Wednesday. He replaces Mr V.K. Mehta who has been transferred to Sirhind. Mr Subhash Joshi was earlier posted at Jagraon.

SANGRUR
SEIZED: The Bhawanigarh police has arrested Sikander Ram, a resident of Bazigar Basti, Balial Kothe, near Bhawanigarh, and seized nine bags of poppy husk from him. The police has registered a case against him under Section 15 of the NDPS Act.

CHANDIGARH

ELECTED: Following were elected as the members of the newly formed Akhand Simran and Old Age Home Welfare Association. Mr Sudarshan Sharma — president; Mr Ved Parkash Mittal — vice-president; Mr Madhu Bhandari — secretary; Ms Rekha Devi — cashier; and Mr Balbir Singh, Mr Lakha Singh, Mr Ashok Behal, Mr Inderjit Singh, Ms Saroj Bala, Mr Ram Nath Dhiman, Mr Mukesh Mittal — executive members.

FUND: For providing scholarships to brilliant students, the Punjab Red Cross has decided to create a fund. The decision is significant as it will help the students of not-so-affluent families to continue with their studies despite financial hardships. According to a press release the Punjab Red Cross office will provide Rs 1 lakh. The District Education Officers will contribute Rs 6,000 each. The release added that the students will also be sent for state, national and international camps for promotion of health, service and friendship. Red Cross magazine would also be sent to all the schools in Punjab for giving details about the movement, it was added.

PROMOTIONS: The UT Administration has agreed to promote principals of senior secondary schools as well as headmasters and headmistresses of other government schools as per the ratio decided by the UT Education Department. A delegation of Government School Teachers Union had met the UT DPI (Schools), Mr D.S. Mangat, here on Thursday in this regard. The UT Administration has also agreed to promote JBT, nursery, drawing, language and PTI teachers.

INTERACTION: As a part of a beauty campaign on hair and skin care conducted by Hindustan Lever Network, beauty experts from the company interacted with the clients of Slim and Shape at Sector 35 here on Thursday. Ms Vandana Saxena, a beauty expert, spoke about the advanced skin-care range launched by the company recently that includes a three-way daily skin care regime for maintaining a healthy, clear and glowing skin. Mr Vineet Puri from the marketing section of Hindustan Lever, spoke about the new-age compensation plan of the network.

HARYANA

FATEHABAD
SEWING MACHINES: The Deputy Commissioner, Dr R.B. Langyan, has directed officials to provide sewing machines and financial aid to 12 poor women who attended an open durbar organised at Patwar Bhavan. In all over 100 complaints were received.

HISAR
MURDER: One person was shot dead by his brother at Sindhar village near here on Wednesday. According to the police, Ramesh Kumar (22), a resident of the village, was working at his fields when his cousin, Suresh, uncle Ramswaroop and their accomplice, Fauji, reached there and allegedly opened fire at him. He succumbed to his injuries in a private hospital at Barwala. There was a land dispute between them. The Barwala police has registered a case in this connection.

ELECTROCUTED: A married woman was electrocuted at Madanheri village near here on Wednesday. The deceased Mayawati had touched an electric wire at her house on Wednesday and died on the spot.

ARRESTED: The district police has arrested 10 persons in connection with various criminal cases in the district. Among those arrested by the police is a proclaimed offender (PO) who had jumped bail in 1997 and had been evading arrest since then. The police also arrested a drug trafficker at Ahrawan village in the district and recovered 5 kg of poppy husk from his possession. The police said the accused, Balwinder Singh, a resident of the village, was nabbed with the contraband. The police has registered a case under the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Act.

YAMUNANAGAR
NETWORK: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has strengthened its network to provide telephone connections within three days of their registration. Mr D.S. Tanwar, General Manager (Telecom), Yamunanagar, said here that there was no pendency in the urban areas where there were 38,000 telephone connections. Mr Tanwar stated that even in the rural areas there were 28,000 working connections.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DHARAMSALA
TENSION: There was tension in the HPTDC-run Hotel Dhauladhar on Wednesday when some local shopkeepers barged into the hotel and started raising slogans in protest against the refusal of the management to allow them to park their vehicles on the hotel premises.

EXHIBITION: The Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, Mr Prabodh Saxena, on Wednesday inaugurated an exhibition of paintings titled “Blossoms” of Ms Shadna Sangar.

HAMIRPUR
DIES: Meera Devi (31) of Sohri village of Hamirpur district was killed when she fell from a mango tree. She died on the spot.

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

Wedded to Himachali culture

Sanjeev Dixit ‘Babloo (30) is an ambassador of Himachali culture whose contribution to its enrichment through singing is worth mentioning.

Hailing from Pandtehar village under Baijnath tehsil, Sanjeev’s penchant for singing seems to have born with him. ‘‘I vividly recall how I would love crooning pahari ditties to a small pack of childhood chums at the age of 5.

“At college also I faired pretty well as for my participation in music concerts is concerned. I became the star performer of my college. Mine was the name to reckon with at various inter-college competitions in ghazal and folk-singing hosted by our college and others.

Sanjeev, whose song ‘‘Bus khari’O meri Kamlo....’’ from his superhit album ‘‘Nuth Karahaniyan’’ became very popular in the Kangra valley, has a rich repertoire of as many as 70 audio-video albums to credit, including ‘‘Indro’’, ‘‘Paindal lashqeO’ Sansaro’’, ‘‘Kadun auna chhuttiyan’’, ‘‘Uth meri gujriye’’, ‘‘Fauziye di naar’’, ‘‘Paar uttre spahian di dere’’, ‘‘Disco mere Gaddiya’’, ‘‘Ghare chukki paaniye jo jandi’’, and ‘‘Teri meri lagiyan preetan.”

Sanjeev considers himself twice lucky for having been associated with music maestroes, including Virinder Bachcha’’, Madan Shonki, Jyoti Bisht, Bulleh Shah and, of course, leading lyricists, like Surinder Paniyari and Balwant ‘Babloo’’. Sanjeev also feels proud of being associated with the top musical companies, including MCCI, Nagma, JMC, VMC, TM, Sham and, of course, T-series.

Sanjeev has been honoured for his significant contribution in the field by many associations, including the Sidh Baba Balak Nath Society, Noida and The Tribune Employees HP Helpline Co-operative Society at separate functions held from time to time.

Prestigious assignment

Dr Rajiv Kalsi, Head, Department of Zoology of the local Mukand Lal National College, Yamunanagar, has been appointed Editor of Tragopan, a prestigious research journal of the World Pheasant Association published from the U.K. Dr Kalsi will take over from Dr Start Marsden of the U.K.

Tragopan is a prestigious journal, which is being circulated in about 30 countries of the world.

Dr Ramesh Kumar, Principal, Mukand Lal National College, told this correspondent that Dr Kalsi was a keen researcher and had produced research work of international level. He has presented papers at international conferences in Pakistan (1992), Malaysia (1997), Nepal (2000) and Dhaka (2003).

Gynae surgery camp

A seminar-cum-gynae endoscopy surgery camp is being organised at Adlakha Hospital, Amritsar on June 28.

Dr Rakesh Sinha and Dr Neeta Warly, renowned gynae endoscopists from Bombay, will perform the surgery.

A record number of camps have been held at Adlakha Hospital during the last decade. The Hospital has a complete video library of the operated cases.

Contributed by Ramesh K. Dhiman, Ashwani Dutta and TNS