R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
JAIL SENTENCE: Two partners of a local firm of commission agents have been sentenced to somple imprisonment of six months with Rs 5,000 as fine each. In default of payment of fine, they shall have to further undergo simple imprisonment of three months. The order was passed by the president of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Mr Amarjit Singh Katari, and members, Mr S.K. Gupta and Mrs Parveenjit Kaur, under Section 25/27 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, for non-compliance of orders of the forum dated May 29, 2001.

Jalandhar
GATE RALLY: PSEB employees on Friday held a gate rally at Maqsoodan in protest against the move of the state government to privatise the power sector. They raised anti-government slogans and alleged that the Congress government was pursuing anti-employee and anti-people policies. They said trifurcation of the board would lead to a hike in power tariff and burden consumers.

Kapurthala
OPERATIONS: As many as 30 operations were performed in a camp organised at Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital, Rail Coach Factory, Hussainpur, on Friday. A team of doctors from the local Civil Hospital performed family planning operations. Mrs Anjum Sirajudin, president of the RCF Women Welfare Organisation, gave away gifts to employees who underwent operations.

LUDHIANA
‘RATH YATRA’: A rath yatra was held here on Friday afternoon in connection with the installation of an idol of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Ramashram at Shiv Mandir, Gaughat, on Sunday by the Shankaracharya Sewak Sangh on the occasion of the seventh death anniversary of the great saint, according to Mr. Surinder Bansal, chairman of the sangh. The ‘yatra’, which started from Gaudhala Road passed through Sanglan Wala Shivala, Nikka Mal Chowk, Chauri Sarak and other areas before culminating at Shiv Mandir, Gaughat.

PROGRAMME: A Continuing Medical Education (CME) Programme "Transfusion Services-An Overview" was organised by the Department of Pathology and Blood Bank Services at Christian Medical College here on Friday. The chief guest for the programme was Dr Graeme Woodfield from New Zealand, an eminent doctor in the field of transfusion medicine.

PHARMACY: The Punjab Ayurvedic Pharmacist Union president, Mr Narinderpal Singh Sidhu, in a statement issued here on Saturday said the diploma in pharmacy (Ayurveda) that had been discontinued for many years, now has been started again by the Punjab Government at Desh Bhagat College, Mandi Gobindgarh. Mr Sidhu urged the state government to start the diploma at Government Ayurveda College, Patiala, at the earliest so that poor people may be benefited.

CHANDIGARH

PANCHKULA
Medical camp: As many as 200 persons were examined at a medical camp for blood pressure and blood sugar, held at Town Park (Yavnika), Sector 5, here on Saturday. It was organised by Shree Krishan Kripa Sewa Samiti in collaboration with Bharat Vikas Parishad, Chandigarh.

APPOINTED: Mr Balbir Singhhas been appointed President of the District Congress Minorities Cell and Mr Dharminder Singh General Secretary of the local BCC.

HARYANA

Kurukshetra
HERITAGE TOURISM: The Department of Tourism, Kurukshetra University, in collaboration with the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and Haryana Tourism, will organise a seminar on “Heritage tourism: discourse on Gita and marketing a new destination — Kurukshetra” in the university senate hall on December 1, said the chairperson of the Tourism Department of the university, Dr Manjula Chaudhary, on Saturday.

SEMINAR: Globalisation can help solve Indian economic problems, including poverty and unemployment. Observing this while speaking at a seminar held at Bhagwan Parsu Ram College here on Saturday, an economist, Dr M.M. Goel, who teaches at Kurukshetra University, said it was certain that India would emerge as a world leader on the basis of the spiritual strength of its citizens. The Head of the Economics Department of the college, Dr Nand Kishore, and the Principal, Mr Sudhir Kaushik, also spoke.

Yamunanagar
FINE IMPOSED: The Yamunanagar District Consumer Forum has imposed a fine of Rs 500 upon the Telecom Department on a complaint of Mr G.D. Gupta, a resident of Mangatpura Jagadhri, for not supplying details of STD calls to him along with telephone bills, despite a written request by him.

DIVERSIFICATION: Diversification of crops is the need of the hour, said Mr K.S. Bhoria, Commissioner-cum-Principal Secretary, Agriculture, at a farmers’ programme organised at Radaur, 20 km from here, on Friday. Mr Vijayender Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Dr V.P. Ahlawant, Director, Horticulture, Dr D.S. Dahiya, Dr C.B. Singh, Dr M.S. Joon, Dr B.R. Kamboj, Dr Hanuman Yadav, all scientists from Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Dr B.S. Sanrawat, District Horticulture Officer, and more than 700 farmers from all over the state were present on the occasion.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
ORDER ON TRAFFIC: The Deputy commissioner-cum-District Magistrate has issued a notification under Section 115 of the HP Motor Vehicles Act to control traffic in the main market area here. As per the notification, no four-wheeler will be allowed between Saheed Kumari Champa Park and Gurdwara Chowk without written permission from the Additional Deputy Commissioner or the Subdivisional Magistrate. Besides, all vehicles have been banned into this market area from 9.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 4.40 p.m. during winter months and from 7.30 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. during summer months.

Kangra
SUICIDE: A 26-year-old youth, Suresh, committed suicide by consuming poison in his house at Choti Halard village, near here, on Thursday following a family feud, the police said on Friday. A case has been registered.

Kulu
5 ARRESTED: Five persons have been arrested along with 4.7 kg of charas. In a press note issued here on Friday, Mr A.P. Singh, Superintendent of Police, said Ram Dayal of Shaleen village, near Manali, was arrested with 3.8 kg of charas at the Bajaura barrier. In another case, four persons — Rakesh Kumar, Munish Kumar, Baber Ali and Kamaljeet, all residents of Mohi in Hamirpur district, who were carrying 900 gm of charas in their car, were arrested near Ghargar Pul on Thursday.

Shimla
THEFT: Thieves broke into a shop on the Mall here and decamped with cash and garments worth about Rs 1.50 lakh on Friday night. The burglars entered the Lal and Sons shop near the lift after breaking a window and took away cash from three counters, besides jackets and other readymade garments.