R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

• Devotees throng Ma Dharawali
• No takers for shops in Dhar subdivision

PUNJAB

KAPURTHALA
BANKERS' WORKSHOP: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rakesh Verma, on Monday inaugurated a three-day workshop for primary lending institutions under the District Rural Industries Project (DRIP) under the aegis of Nabard. Bank managers from various banks in the district are participating in the workshop being conducted by the faculty from Bankers' Training Institute in Lucknow.

LUDHIANA
WORKSHOP: The DD Jain Institute of Computer Sciences, Kidwai Nagar, Ludhiana is organising a free workshop of computer classes for ‘O’ -level, ‘A’ -level and for fashion designing on August 7 and 8. This free workshop is for all city residents.

AWARDED: Prerna Kendra International, an NGO being run by Dr Ranjit Kaur, held a ceremony in the Gurdwara at Jamalpur on Tuesday to distribute certificates to the students. These students had completed a course in stitching. The certificates were distributed by the chief guest of the function, Mr Avtar Singh Makkar, president, Shiromani Akali Dal, Ludhiana. Dr Satbir Singh, secretary of kendra, read out the annual report and told the audience about the different programmes being run for the welfare of the society by the kendra.

MANSA
BKU DEMAND: The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) on Wednesday warned the state government to keep a check on the stray cattle before October 31, failing which the "union would catch the cattle and force these to enter the offices of the Deputy Commissioners of the state". Mr Joginder Singh Ugrahan, general secretary of the state unit of the BKU, said in the Malwa belt of the state, the number of stray cattle had increased to more than two lakh.

GAS CYLINDERS STOLEN: As many as 159 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders have been reportedly stolen from the godown of the Mansa Police Cooperative and Government Employees Cooperative Thrift and Credit Society Limited Mansa. The society was formed mainly by the police employees of the district. A case has been registered.

NAWANSHAHR
CHARGE TAKEN: Ms Sudesh Handa took over charge of District Education Officer (Secondary and Elementary Education) on Tuesday.

KAVI DARBAR: The Punjab Sahitya Sabha organised a Sawan Kavi Darbar at Doaba Arya Senior Secondary School here on Tuesday. Dr Surjit Singh Bhatti, Principal, Amardeep Singh Shergill Memorial College, Mukandpur, and a renowned Punjabi author, presided over the function.

CHEQUES GIVEN: Lt-Col Gurjit Singh, District Sainik Welfare Officer, distributed cheques of Rs 2 lakh each to family members of martyrs Paramjit Singh and Yuvraj Singh.

JAIN SATHANAK: The local S.S. Jain Sabha organised a religious function at Jain Sathanak here on Monday to mark the 104th birth anniversary of Jain Acharya Samrat Anand Rishiji. As many as 104 persons recited Samayiks.

EX-SERVICEMEN'S PLEA: Capt Darshan Singh Majhoor (retd), vice-president of the district unit of the Ex-Servicemen Cell, has urged the government to withdraw the sales tax imposed on CSD items.

PATIALA
CELEBRATIONS: Blossoms School here celebrated Saavan by organising various competitions here on Wednesday. The various items of competition included rangoli, mehndi, thali decoration and rakhi making. Jannat Thukral from the junior wing was adjudged as Teej queen. Himanshi Dhaniya and Rahul Garg bagged first position in thali decoration and rangoli competition, respectively. A tree plantation week was also observed by the school.

PHAGWARA
DEAD: Surinder Kumar (30) of Kakowal village in Garhshankar tehsil, who was rushed to a Ludhiana hospital in a critical condition, succumbed to his injuries on Monday, it was learnt on Tuesday. His brother Rajinder Kumar had also been injured. Both were coming in a jeep when it lost control and ran into the roundabout of Mehli-Mehtan byepass on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road.

ROPAR
DECISION FLAYED: Ex-servicemen of the state have flayed the decision of the Punjab Government to impose sales tax on the CSD items, including the liquor. In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, Ms Seema Jain, the president of the Indian Ex-Services League Punjab and Chandigarh, Capt Dharampal (retd), alleged that it was for the first time that such an anti ex-servicemen decision had been taken by any state.

SAMRALA
CONDEMNED: At a meeting of the Ex-Servicemen Association, Sarmala, held under the chairmanship of Major Harchand Singh Neelon, condemned the decision taken by the Punjab Government for imposing 50 per cent sales tax on utility articles of Canteen Stores Department, according to vice-chairman and the spokesman of the association, Capt Makhan Singh Sohi, here on Wednesday. Capt Makhan Singh demanded to withdraw the sales tax immediately.

CHANDIGARH

LECTURE: The Audit and Accounts Employees Welfare and Health Care Society today organised a lecture on heart diseases by a team of doctors led by Dr S.S. Lehal, Read, Department of Medicine, Government Medical college and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh. Mr R.S. Heer, general secretary of the society said more than 1000 employees of the office attended the lecture. Mr Y.P. Satyawadi, Principal Accountant General (Audit), Punjab, was the chief guest. Mr Nand Lal, Accountant General, (A&E), Punjab, Chandigarh, presided over the function.

HARYANA

AMBALA
GIRL KILLED: A student of class II of Government Senior Secondary School, Adhoya, was killed in a road accident early Tuesday. Payal (8) was standing outside the school when a Jeep hit her, killing her on the spot. The police has registered a case against the Jeep driver.

LOK ADALAT: A Lok Adalat will be organised in Ambala on August 9. A Haryana State Legal Services Authority spokesman said cases pertaining to death and injuries due to road accidents as well as civil suits and appeals, bank loan cases would be taken up for settlement. He said the Lok Adalat would be inaugurated by the Executive Chairman of the Haryana State Legal Services Authority, Mr Justice V.K. Bali.

LECTURE: A lecture on artificial intelligence was conducted by the Computer Science Society of SA Jain (PG) College, Ambala City. The Principal, Dr C.L. Singla, inaugurated the lecture and added that students should learn the concepts of computer science. Dr Rakesh Kumar of Kurukshetra University delivered the lecture on artificial intelligence. 

FATEHABAD
PANCHAYAT POLL: Five members of various village panchayats of the district have been elected un-opposed for the August 10 bypoll for the panchayati raj institutions. The Deputy Commissioner, Dr R.B. Langyan told mediapersons here on Tuesday that Mr Gulab Singh, a backward class member from Boswal, Ms Gulab Kaur from Talwara village, Mr Mohinder Kumar from Jakhal Mandi, Mr Balwant Singh from Ganda village and Mr Hoshiar Singh from Gorakhpur had been elected unopposed.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
SENTENCED: Ms Jyotsna Sumat Dadhwal, Judicial Magistrate (First Class), on Tuesday sentenced Sohan Singh of Tahariyan Majari village to six months’ rigorous imprisonment and additional fine of Rs 50,000 under Section 61 of the Punjab Excise Act. The judge ordered that in case of default of payment of the fine Sohan Singh would have to undergo additional three months’ rigorous imprisonment.

CHAMBA
CRITICISED: The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) Employees’ Union has lambasted the Students Federation of India (SFI) for criticising the Transport Minister, Mr G.S. Bali, for the recent hike in bus fare.

KUMARHATTI
PLANTATION DRIVE: Members of the Chewa panchayat on Tuesday planted 2000 saplings in Chewa High School. The saplings of cedar and oak were planted on a piece of forest land and selected by the Forest Department for plantation. Schoolchildren from Dagshai, Chewa and Kainthari took part in the drive.

SHIMLA
COURTESY CALL: Lt-Gen J.J. Singh, GOC-Artrac Command, Shimla, called on the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, on Tuesday. It was described as a courtesy call.

URGED: The state Revenue Officers’ Association has urged the government to increase the quota of revenue officers for promotion to the state administrative services from 22 per cent to 35 per cent. The representatives of the association who met the Revenue Minister, Mr B.B. Butail, here on Tuesday, expressed resentment over the irrational policy of the government to earmark promotion quota to HAS for officers of as many as 14 departments at the cost of officers of the Revenue Department.

PROBE SOUGHT: The State Paryatan Vikas Nigam Karamchari Sangh has demanded a special audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India into the affairs of Hotel Holiday Home, besides a vigilance inquiry into the charges of corruption against the hotel management. In a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, the sangh also demanded a separate inquiry against senior officers who had accumulated assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

SOLAN
ARRESTED: The police on Tuesday arrested five middle- aged men and two girls, who were found roaming under mysterious circumstances in a van near HRTC workshop here. The girls who hail from Jalandhar later revealed that they were going to Shimla and they had been paid Rs 6000 to accompany the men.

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

Devotees throng Ma Dharawali

Amongst the lesser known pilgrim centres dotting Himachal Pradesh, the shrine of Ma Dharawali at Tiamal village under Jaswan-Kotla tehsil of Kangra district, is worth mentioning.

Nestling atop a towering hill, with the dazzling Dhauladhar ranges offering an ambient backdrop, Ma Dharawali is 1 km and 10 km, respectively, from the shrines of Ma Sheetla and Ma Chintpurni. Overlooking the Chanaur Thakurdwara (5 km), the temple is flanked by the Beas which meanders through hill and dale, a little distance away.

According to temple ‘pujari’ Rajesh Prashar, the temple of Ma Dharawali dates back to more than a century. The legend has it that shepherds from the sleepy Tiamal village used to graze their cattle in the sprawling jungle skirting the spot where the temple stands now. One sultry Sunday afternoon, a shepherd tending the herds fainted due to unbearable thirst. Since the village was farway, water could not be arranged. At that juncture, a little ‘kanya’ in red robes appeared. She directed the thirsty shepherd to go to a particular spot (where now the temple stands) which was laden with thickets and thorns. She said, “Go and pull out the stone that lay half buried over there”. No sooner did he pull out the stone, fresh water gushed out. He quenched his thirst and quickly turned around to express his gratitude to the ‘kanya’. But, to his utter amazement, she had vanished. Taking it as a miracle, he placed the stone at its original place and started offering his daily prayers at the ‘pindi’ (stone idol), which later came to be known as Ma Dharawali.

Hundreds of local and other devotees, drawn from distant corners throng Ma Dharawali along with their newlyweds to seek Her blessings. They also bring the goddess’s share from their new crops which is an age-old ritual. ‘Bhandaras’ are held here five times a year which witness a big draw of devotees.

A jeepable ‘kutcha’ road leads to the shrine from Tiamal village and the credit for this endeavour goes to Congress MP Vikram Singh and Ms Viplove Thakur, a former minister, who had got sanctioned a grant of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000, respectively, from the state government. The government would do well by metalling this link road. Another problem that dogs the shrine is the non-availability of drinking water here. Even though a water pipe was laid there more than a year ago, water supply remains a distant dream. Streetlight, too, is needed.

The temple pujari revealed that a proposal to have a spacious hall for ‘kirtan’ on the premises is on the anvil, which would be done in a phased manner.

No takers for shops in Dhar subdivision

There are no takers for the shopping complex constructed in Dhar block to provide self-employment to youths of the semi-hilly and kandi areas of the subdivision.

The Rs 20 lakh complex was designed by the former Akali-BJP government following which 10 shops were constructed to be allotted to the youths to enable them to start their business.

The entire complex wears a deserted look as no one has come forward to occupy the shops the fearing that it would be a losing proposition because of the geographical conditions of the semi-hilly subdivision.

Mr Surjit Singh, a resident of Dhar, said there were no prospects for any kind of trade or business in the area. People live in scattered areas stretched into miles with isolated houses and they depend mostly on agriculture or horticulture to earn their livelihood. As the residents have limited sources of income they cannot opt to start any type of new venture to supplement their income.

Contributed by Ramesh K. Dhiman and Bharat Bhushan Dogra