R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
PETROL STATION GHERAOED: A number of workers of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) headed by Mr Baldev Singh Sarsa gheraoed Randhawa Filling Station at Dera Baba Nanak road for at least three hours there on Sunday protesting against “adulterated petrol” supplied by the station. The protest was withdrawn when officials of the Food and Civil Supplies sealed station.

BARNALA
HEART CHECK UP CAMP: The Umeed Khanna Foundation organised a free heart check up camp at the local S.D. College on Sunday where more than persons suffering from heart ailments, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity were examined by a team from Escorts, New Delhi. The camp was inaugurated by Col Rupinder Singh Brar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Umeed Khanna Foundation.

HOSHIARPUR
PLANTING TREES: In a bid to recover the fast loosing green cover, ‘Suhawani’, a newly founded NGO, launched a novel programme of planting two trees free of cost, next to each tubewell in the district. Mr T.K.A. Nair, Chairman Public Enterprises Board, planted the first tree near the tubewell of the Boothgarh village gurdawara, inaugurating the programme. He said the tree remained man’s best friend, starting from his birth to death. The NGO’s secretary, Mr Khushwant Singh, said the programme envisaged sensitising the farming community on environment-related issues.

PATIALA
EXHIBITION: The Sanatan Dharam Kumar Sabha Yadvendra Puran Bal Niketan organised an exhibition-cum-sale of handicrafts at the headquarters of the State Bank of Patiala here on Monday. The Managing Director of the bank, Mr A.K. Das, inaugurated the exhibition. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Manager, Community Services Banking, Mr M.S. Jaggi, said a computer laboratories had been established by the bank for the inmates of Bal Niketan and students of Shakuntla Devi School.

Meeting: A meeting of the general house of the Punjab Pensioners Welfare Association was held under the presidentship of Mr B.S. Gautam at the mini secretariat here on Monday. Mr M.S. Cheema was nominated to the post of chairman of the association. More than 100 pensioners participated in the meeting.

PHAGWARA
SCHOOL FUNCTION: Mr Sudhakar Verma, Chief Commissioner, Income Tax, on Saturday night told the media at the local Victoria International Public School that seven lakh PAN cards had been issued in Ludhiana IT range but the number was not sufficient. He was the chief guest at the school’s annual prize distribution function. He claimed that the IT growth rate in country was eight to nine per cent. Later, Mr Verma, Mr S.C. Gupta, Income Tax Commissioner, and Mr S.K. Sahdev, chairman, Victoria International Public School, gave away prizes to meritorious students.

HELD FOR FRAUD: The police had registered a case of fraud, forgery and criminal breach of trust against Mr Vinod Kumar Sharma of the local Guru Nanakpura and an employee at the District Treasury office, Kapurthala, for duping Ms Naseem of GT Road of Rs 2.75 lakh. He has been booked on the orders of the SSP Kapurthala it is learnt he took the many from the woman on the promise of settling her Dubai-based husband Mohammed Ilyas in Italy.

FREE RATION: The Azad Hind Seva Sangh and the panchayat of Mauli village on Sunday distributed free ration among 40 needy families. The ration will last for a month. Punjab Social Welfare Minister Joginder Singh Mann presided over the function.

SANGRUR
SHED FOR REHRIS: Mr Arvind Khanna, local MLA on Sunday inaugurated a shed constructed for the Rehri Union at the Kaula Park Market here. He also inaugurated a blood donation camp organised by the local Hindu Jagran Manch at Panchayat Bhawan. Twentyone units of blood were collected at the camp.

SBI SCHEME: Mr A.K. Das, Managing-Director, State Bank of Patiala (SBP), launched the SBI Life “Sudarshan Scheme” for customers of Malwa Gramin Bank and the general public at a function here on Saturday. Mr G.S. Multani, Chairman, Malwa Gramin Bank, presided over the function. Mr P.K. Bansal, Assistant General Manager of the bank was also present.

HARYANA

AMBALA
ELECTED: Sanjay Bhojgi of Ambala has been elected state president of the Haryana Medical and Sales Representatives Union. The election was held during the first state conference at Karnal. Anil Sharma and Hitesh Bharadwaj were elected members of the state working committee.

CRITICISED: The vice-president of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Shakti Sena, Swami Virendernand Giri, has criticised the BJP, the VHP, the Bajrang Dal and the Shiv Sena for misguiding the people on Ayodhya temple issue. In a statement issued here on Monday, Swami Giri said the recent show of the VHP at Ayodhya had flopped and it could not fulfil its commitment. He expressed concern at the failure on the part of the BJP in not banning cow slaughter during its four years of tenure in the Centre. He blamed the VHP for encouraging communal tension in the country.

Medical camp: A medical check-up camp organised by the NSS unit of MDSD Girls, College, Ambala City, was held at Rani Das Majri on Monday. The camp was organised in association with the Rotaract Club. Dr Deepak Gupta examined patients and created awareness about the spread of fever. The patients were given medicines free of cost.

Pak flag burnt: The Anti-terrorist Front of India burnt the Pakistan flag on the Ambala-Chandigarh road, near Baldevnagar, here on Monday in protest against the terrorist attack on the residence of the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir recently. The Chairman of the front, Mr Viresh Shandilaya, demanded that President’s rule should be imposed on the state.

Judicial remand: The former CEO of the Punjab Wakf Board, Syed Shahid Ali, and the secretary of a cooperative bank of Gurgaon district, Mohammad Asgar, who were arrested by Ambala police in Avedna case were produced in the court of the Judicial Magistrate, Ms Seema Singhal, here today. The judge remanded them in judicial custody for 14 days. They had earlier been remanded in police custody for four days.

FATEHABAD
Laurels for college: Students of the local Manohar Memorial College brought home a number of prizes in the Zonal Youth Festival of Chowdhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa. The Festival was organised at Sirsa from October 14 to October 16. The college principal Dr. K. K. Arora told mediapersons on Sunday that the college teams bagged the first prize in the Haryanvi group song, group song (General), qawwali, solo dance mono-acting and Haryanvi folk instrument. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

UNA
SEMINAR: The Una Press Club on Sunday organised a seminar for media persons which was presided over by Mr Vijay Sehgal, former Editor, Dainik Tribune, Chandigarh. Delivering the keynote address, Mr Sehgal said a reporter must keep in mind that the news is based on facts. He was talking on the subject “Qualitative reporting and quality for ideal journalism.”

BILASPUR
WORLD FOOD DAY: World Food Day was celebrated under the aegis of Agriculture and Horticulture Departments at Nichali Bhated, 20 km from here on Sunday. An advanced farmers’ training camp was also organised which was attended by more than 250 farmers from various panchayats. Chief guest Congress MLA Tilak Raj Sharma distributed black gram seed among the farmers.