R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
MARCH: Workers of the Dehati Majdoor Sabha held a protest march on Monday in support of their demands at Baba Bakala, about 50 km from here. A memorandum was presented to the SDM regarding the demands which included the restoration of the shagun scheme, the supply of essential commodities through the PDS and others.

COMMITTEE: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Sri Guru Ram Dass Birthday Celebration Committee: president — Mr Charanjit Singh Chadda; patron — Mr Mohinder Singh; and Additional Secretary — Mr Sukdev Singh Sandhanwalia.

HONOURED: Renowned playback singer and ghazal maestro Manhar Udas and lyricist Dev Kohli will be honoured at the 23rd death anniversary of famous playback singer late Mohammad Rafi at the annual function organised by the Mohammad Rafi Memorial Society on August 31. Mr Tarlochan Singh, president of the society in a press note issued here on Monday, said that others who would be honoured on the occasion included Punjabi singer Sawinder Bugga, Punjabi female singer, Dolly Singh, compere Satinder Bitti and pop singer Ashu.

GURDASPUR
FOUNDATION: Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, PWD (B&R) Minister, laid the foundation stones of link roads from Ghumman Kalan to Dera Numberdar and Ghumman Kalan to Dhindsa at Ghumman Kalan on Monday.

ARRESTED: The district police on Monday arrested seven persons for indulging in the sale of illicit liquor and lahan. According to Mr RPS Brar, SSP, the accused were identified as Hardeep Singh, a resident of Deeda Sansian, Mesha Masih, a resident of Kotli Sainian, Pali and Morh Masih, residents of Roraanwali, Jaswant Singh alias Jassi, a resident of Bhaini Khaddar, Swarn Singh, a resident of Bidhipur and Paramjit Kaur, alias Pamma a resident of Chhanni Bela in Himachal Pradesh. As many as 19 bottles of whisky, 33750 ml of illicit liquor and 170 kg of lahan were recovered from their possession.

HOSHIARPUR
SAMPLES: Dr S.K. Sharma, District Health Officer, Hoshiarpur, said on Monday that as many as 24 samples of milk, 4 of fruits and 2 of vegetables had been sent to the Public Analyst of the Punjab Government at Chandigarh for tests. He said during checking it was found that majority of dairy owners were adulterating skimmed powder in milk. This was part of the campaign of the District Health Department, to check the sale of synthetic milk and use of calcium carbide. 

JAGRAON
APPEAL: Col Bhag Singh Tihara, president of the Indian Ex-Services League Punjab and Chandigarh, has appealed to the Army Adviser to Chief Minister, Punjab, to clarify whether the tax has been imposed on CSD canteen with his consent, if not, in that event sought his resignation from the committee. He appealed to the Armymen to participate in a rally against the increase in tax on CSD items before the office of Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, on Friday and demanded the withdrawal of the increase by September 1.

JALANDHAR
VANMAHOTSAVA: “Pahal”, an NGO, on Monday organised vanamahotsava on the DAV College playgrounds here where participants planted 500 saplings during the function.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of Government Homoeopathic Medical Officers’ Association, Punjab: president — Dr Amarjit Singh Rai; general secretary — Dr D.S. Khurmi; adviser — Dr M.S. Gujral; senior vice-president — Dr Manjit Singh; vice-president — Dr Ashwini Sharma; joint secretary — Dr Nirmal Singh; press secretary — Dr Rajiv Jindia, organising secretary — Dr Paramjit Singh; finance secretary — Dr Kiran Choudhary; propaganda secretary — Dr Dalbir Singh.

ARRESTED: The police has arrested two persons and seized 52 cases of liquor and 500 gm of opium from their possession. The two are Surat Singh Surat of Arjun Nagar and Gurwinder Singh of Amrik Nagar. A case has been registered. Meanwhile, the Nakodar police has arrested six persons from a brickkiln at Littran village while they were allegedly planning to commit a robbery.

LUDHIANA
CELEBRATED: Students of Ek Prayaas, an institute for children with special needs, Green Enclave, celebrated Janmashtmi on the school campus here on Tuesday. It was a divine sight to see so many children dressed up as Radha and Krishna. Members of the management, Ms Radhika Jaitwani (secretary), Ms Maninder Kaur (joint secretary), parents and volunteers were also present on the occasion. Students and members of the staff performed puja and sang devotional songs. Children presented dance on the song ‘itni shakti hamein dena data’. Principal N. Mannan distributed the sweets to the students and thanked the parents, volunteers and members of the management.

MEGA SHOW: Inside Outside Mega Show 2003-2004 will be organised by Business India Exhibitions, one of the successful divisions of the Business India Group of Publications on August 21 at Amusement Park, South City, Ferozpore Road. The event has been presented annually in various locations since 1988, for the past five years in Chandigarh and for the third year running in Ludhiana. Ms Mohini Kewalramani, General Manager, Corporate Communications, in a press statement said the event was the most prestigious show for the interior design, furniture and furnishings, buildings and construction industries.

SEMINAR: “Homoeopathy is the science of the future’, said Dr S.C. Ahuja, Principal of the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, in his remarks during a seminar on ‘Revolutionary homoeopathy’ organised at the Lord Mahavira Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday. He asked the delegates to read about the science, understand it and be proud of it. Earlier, Dr Yogesh Sehgal, a leading practitioner from New Delhi and a promoter of Sehgal System of Revolutionary Homoeopathy, said mental symptoms were the windows to highly versatile and vicious world of mind. Other doctors who shared their views during seminar were Dr Vinod Singla, Dr Rakesh Verma (Jalandhar), Dr Kapoor, Dr Nidhi.

SAPLINGS PLANTED: The Bairagi Mahamandal, Punjab, would plant five lakh saplings all over the state in response to an appeal made by the Punjab Chief Minister. Captain Amarinder Singh during a state-level function organised by the Department of Forests here on Monday. Stating this, Mr Krishan Kumar Bawa, state president of the body, said functionaries of the mahamandal in all the 117 Assembly segments in Punjab were being issued directions to launch plantation campaigns in their respective areas. He said a drive against drug addiction had already been launched with an educational campaign in Amritsar on July 25. 

DHARNA: Workers of a local unit on Monday staged a dharna in front of the labour department office to protest against the denial of wages for last three months. The workers said they had made a number of representations to the owners and even the labour department. They said they were left with no option they had to resort to dharna. President of the Moulder and Steel Workers Union, Mr Vijay Narayan, said they would continue the protest till their salaries were not paid.

OBC PROFIT ZOOMS: Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) has reported a jump of 25 per cent in profit as per the US GAAP (United States generally accepted accounting principals) as compared to the profit computed as per the Indian accounting standards. The net profit for the financial year 2002-03 has shot up to Rs 572 crore as compared to Rs 457 crore computed as per the Indian accounting standards. 

PENSIONERS’ MEET: A meeting of the representatives of Central, railways and state pensioners’ associations and ex-servicemen was held at Pensioners’ Bhavan, Mini Secretariat, here on Monday. Mr Samir Kant Saran, Deputy General Manager, State Bank of India, Zonal Office, Punjab, was the chief guest. Problems and difficulties being faced by the Punjab government pensioners were presented by Mr B.R. Kaushal, state president, Punjab State Pensioners’ Confederation, and those of ex-servicemen were highlighted by Brig Bhag Singh Tihara. Mr H.K. Sood, President, Indian Railway Retired Employees Federation, spoke on problems being faced by its members.

HUMAN RIGHTS WING: Justice Ranganath Misra, MP and chairman of the Human Rights Department of the All-India Congress Committee, has reconstituted the Punjab unit of the Human Rights Wing with Mr Malkiat Singh Birmi, Minister of State for Jails and Urban Development as its president. Other office bearers are: vice-president — Mr Tej Parkash Singh Baath; secretary — Mr Manish Sehgal; and organising secretary — Mr Ramnik Mongia.

BEREAVED: Chander Kanta, mother-in-law of Deputy Mayor, Ms Sushil Gupta, and widow of Mr Om Parkash Gupta, former MLA, passed away after a brief illness here on Tuesday. She was cremated at the Gaushala road cremation ground in the evening. People from all walks of life attended the cremation and paid homage to the deceased. Mr Balraj Bhasin, president of the SDP Sabha, was also present on the occasion.

YOUNG WELFARE SOCIETY: The Young Welfare Society, Mangat, organised a vanamahotsava to mark the commencement of a plantation campaign under which 1,100 saplings would be planted in the village. Mr Bhagwant Singh Dhaliwal, vice-president of the Youth Wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal, was the chief guest of the function. He was called upon the people to take up tree plantation in a big way in order to improve environment and combat increasing pollution. Mr Kuldip Singh Gill, president of the society, Mr Gurmeet Singh Pappu, Mr Harpal Singh, Mr Ved Parkash, Mr Charan Das, Mr Jagtar Singh Gill, Mr Santokh Singh, Mr Manjit Singh, Mr Teja Singh Mangat, Mr Baljinder Kumar, Mr Yadwinder Singh Sattowal and Mr Charanjit Singh Dhaliwal also attended the function. 

MANDI AHMEDGARH
SANT SAMMELAN: A sant sammelan will be held at Dera Harisar, Kila Raipur, on Saturday. Swami Sandhya Giri, in charge of the dera, said religious leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan would participate in the sammelan. Dr Rekha Janjhie, a PU Professor, would be the coordinator.

MEETING: A meeting of the Dhanak Welfare Society was held at Hargobindpur village. Mr Manohar Lal, vice-president of the society, said Mr Faqir Chand Ninania and Mr Manohar Lal Morwal were elected president and secretary, respectively. Mr Rupinder Kumar Solea was elected cashier, while Mr Raj Kumar, Mr Prem Raj, Mr Mahavir, Mr Vijay Kumar, Mr Amrit Lal and Mr Ram Krishan were elected executive members.

PHAGWARA
MIGRANT NABBED: Manoj Kumar Singh of Uttar Pradesh was arrested and 10 bottles of liquor recovered from him at the local railway station on Monday. He was sent to judicial lock-up for 14 days.

SAMRALA
MISHAP: A car and scooter collided near Malwa College Bondli, 3 km from here, one Gurdial Kaur of Bondli village died on the spot while his son Balbir Singh, who was driving scooter, received serious injuries here on Tuesday. Car driver Harjasdev Singh was also injured.

POLL: The election of the President of the Rice Millers Association of, Ludhiana, will be held on August 22 at Maharaja Palace, Samrala, according to Mr Tejinder Singh Rajewal, here on Tuesday. Mr Rajewal appealed to the millers to attend this meeting so that the election could be completed.

TARN TARAN
ABSENT: Block Development and Panchayat Officer, Gandiwing, Rasal Singh, three J.Es Kanwal Gurinder Singh, Mohinder Pal and Surinder Kumar and Dewinder Kaur, chief sewaka, and Rattan Singh employees of the BDPO office, were found absent during checking by Mr Bakhtawar Singh Shergill, SDM, on Monday. Jagtar Singh, a teacher-cum-clerk, was also found absent. 

HARYANA

FATEHABAD
WORK STATION: The Hartron work station, a computer education centre situated in the local Palika Market, organised a function on the completion of four years of its inception. Mr Inderjit Singh Monga, Director, said the centre had been providing quality education in computers for the past four years. He said the centre had also been giving computer education in schools and colleges. Besides this, it had been giving computer training to government employees. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
ASSOCIATION: The HP State Pensioners Welfare Association has unanimously decided to remove its former state president, Mr S.K. Paul (Shimla), from the primary membership for his alleged anti-association activities. A meeting of the state executive of the association presided over by the state president, Mr Desh Raj Sharma, also decided to hold its first-ever state-level conference on Pensioners’ Day on December 17 at Solan.

CHAMBA
SUBSTATION: The Chamba Welfare Association has urged the state government to undertake the construction of a 132 kv substation at Karian near Chamba to end the shortage of power and low voltage problems being faced by consumers in this region. In a memorandum submitted to the state government, Mr Yog Raj Sehgal, secretary of the association , disclosed that a piece of land measuring about 20 bighas was purchased by the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) at Karian more than a decade ago, but no construction work had been stated so far.

DALHOUSIE
FORUM: The following have been elected office-bearers of the district unit of the Himachal Journalists Forum: president — Mr Surender Bhavani; senior vice- president — Mr Shamsher Mahajan; vice-presidents — Mr Vyas Dev Tandon and Mr Manjeet Minhas; general secretary — Mr Tilak Azad; secretary — Mr Krishan Hastu; joint secretary — Mr Tajdeen Khan; organising secretary — Mr Ashish Dhawan; press secretary — Mr Ravi Mahajan; chief adviser — Mr Shyam Mahajan; and patron — Mr Subhash Mahajan.

MANDI
HOUSE TAX: At an emergency meeting held here on Monday, the Mandi Hoteliers Association described the levy of house tax on hotels as “exorbitant and impracticable”. Briefing newspersons, the president of the association, Mr Munish Sood, lamented that in many cases, hotels had been asked to pay tax twice their net income and it was virtually impossible to implement it. He said Mandi was not a tourist place, but only a transit station.