R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
POWER SHUTDOWN: Power supply will remain suspended on Monday in Katra Dullo, Katra Mohar Singh, Guru Bazar, Ganda Bazar, Patel Chowk and Sain Gali in Dhab Khatikan areas from 10 am to 4 pm.

PROTEST: Employees of the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation will hold a protest against the anti-employee policies of the state government on Wednesday near the residence of the state Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, in Patiala. Mr Satyapal Gupta, senior vice-president of the federation, said it was decided at a meeting here on Saturday.

OFFICE-BEARERS: Mr Satyapal Gupta, senior vice-president of the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation, said here on Saturday that the local unit of the federation was reconstituted. The following office-bearers are: chairman-Mr Puran Singh; president-Mr Gurnam Singh Padhri; senior vice-presidents-Mr Ram Murti and Mr Gopal Singh Hans; vice-presidents-Mr Ramdev, Mr Darshan Singh and Mr Mahinder Singh; general secretary-Mr Jaswant Rai; organising secretary-Mr Ashok Kumar; financial secretary-Mr Swarn Singh; press secretary-Mr Hardev Singh Bhakna; and assistant press secretary-Mr Dharinder Singh.

CASE REGISTERED: The police has registered a case against Harjinder Singh, who posed himself as an official of DY Patel Medical College, Kohlapur, Maharashtra. He duped Mr Satnam Singh of Rs 9 lakh on the pretext of getting his son admitted to medical college. Mr Satnam Singh said he neither got his son admitted to the college nor returned the money.

Hoshiarpur
IMMUNISATION CAMP: An immunisation camp was organised in Balbir Colony on Saturday. The District Health Officer, Dr S.K. Sharma, inaugurated the camp. Apart from it, pregnant women were vaccinated and medicines were given to them. The District Immunisation Officer, Dr Ravi Kumar, said the special immunisation drive which started on Saturday and will continue till February 14.

Jalandhar
LECTURE: The Punjab Technical University will hold 'Knowledge Reservoir Lecture Series' on the campus of Chandigarh Engineering College, Landran, near Mohali on Tuesday. Dr Satinder Dhiman, Professor of Business, Woodsbury University of USA, will deliver lecturers, according to a press note here on Saturday.

Malerkotla
IMMUNISATION DRIVE: A state-level campaign of vaccination was started by the Punjab Health Department from a local slum area dispensary on Saturday. A camp was organised in the dispensary in which about 300 children and pregnant women were immunised. The State Immunisation Officer, Dr B.K. Goyal, said the campaign will conclude on February 14.

Nawanshahr
28 LAKH DONATED: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Harjit Inder Singh Grewal, has presented a draft for Rs 28.87 lakh as contribution towards the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the rehabilitation of tsunami victims. This amount includes Rs 5 lakh donated by employees of various departments who have contributed their one-day salary, Rs 12 lakh by DSM Limited, Tonsa, and Rs 1 lakh by students and staff of Reyat College of Engineering.

Phagwara
ARRESTED: The Begowal police on Saturday arrested four persons under the Gambling Act. The arrested persons were Dharminder, alias Mintu, Mohinder Singh, Tilak Raj and Gurdev Singh. They were playing "satta" and recovered Rs 3,400 from them.

Phillaur
ELECTED: CPM supporter Kulwant Kaur was elected a panch of Dosanjh Kalan village here on Sunday. In another election, Akali supporter Avtar Singh was elected sarpanch of Chhungi Mahasingh village.

Ropar
BJP PLANS RALLIES: The BJP has decided to organise rallies in different part of the state to highlight the Punjab Government's failure to fulfil promises made to the people during the assembly elections. This was stated by state president of the BJP and member of Parliament, Mr Avinash Khanna, at a press conference here on Thursday.

CHANDIGARH

CELEBRATED: Shri Sanatan Dharm Mandir, Sector 45-C, celebrated its annual founders day on Sunday. Mr Naresh Kaushal, acting editor of Dainik Tribune, was the chief guest on the occasion. The programme was started with path and kirtan was also held on the occasion. Devotees take part in a Sankirtan on the first installation day of Sanatan Dharam Mandir in Sector 45, Chandigarh, on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

NATURE CAMP: More than 50 students including teachers from Sishu Niketan School, Sector 22, on Sunday participated in a “Nature Camp” organised at Biodiversity Park, Sector 26 by the Indian Council for Social Welfare. The camp was inaugurated by Mr Sohan Lal Vaid, Deputy Mayor of the municipal corporation. A press note of the ICSW said students were advised by the Deputy Mayor to love and preserve nature. Mr S.K.Sharma, president of the Environment Society of India, also spoke on the occasion. Students were taught about techniques of vermicomposting, water composting, lotus and lily plantations. TNS

FUNCTION: The Chandigarh Coaching Centre celebrated ‘Mat pita santan Diwas’ as part of the prize distribution function organised here on Sunday. Prof Saudamini Bambah, wife of a former Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University, Dr RP Bambah, presided over the function. Mr Baldev Singh, Secretary of the Dev Dharma Mission, spoke on multi-dimensional analysis of the problems of interpersonal relationships. He highlighted the devaluation of the parent-child relationship. TNS

PANCHKULA
OFFICE BEARERS: The following have been appointed office-bearers of the City Congress Committee: R.B. Pahuja — Secretary; B.N. Prasad — organising secretary; and Mr Sant Lal Arora — member of Executive Committee. — TNS

ELECTED: Mr Manmohan Singh has been elected as president of the Madhya Marg Traders Association of Panchkula and Mr M.L. Dhingra as its general secretary. Other office bearers are: Mr Avinash Gupta — cashier; Mr Amit Sood — organising secretary; and Mr Pawan Goyal — executive member. — TNS

HARYANA

Karnal
ANNUAL EXAMS: About 90,000 more candidates will appear in the annual middle examination to be conducted by the Haryana Board of school Education this year. The board has received application forms from over 4.61 lakh candidates representing 7,852 schools and about 25,000 private candidates during this year in the state. Admit cards will be sent to all candidates by January 31.

REVOLTED: A veteran Congress leader and former minister, Kunwar Ram Pal Singh, has revolted against the party due to alleged nepotism in the selection of candidates for the ensuing Assembly elections. He has joined the Ekta Shakti Party along with his supporters. He said the Congress leadership had no respect for old and dedicated workers.

Panipat
1 CRUSHED TO DEATH: One person was killed as he was crushed under a goods train when he was crossing a railway track at Panipat railway station on Sunday. While he could not be identified, the man was around 45 years old. The body has been sent to Bhim Sen Sachar hospital for postmortem examination.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
SENTENCED: The Additional Sessions Judge of a fast-track court, Ghumarwin , Mr R. L. Azad, has sentenced a tantrik of Nasirdeen village to 10-year rigorous imprisonment. He also fined him Rs 50,000 in a case of rape of a minor girl. If the fine is not paid, the accused will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment of one more year.

Chamba
DEMANDED: Local shopkeepers expressed resentment against the strictness of the police in enforcing rules relating to parking lots, regulation of traffic and removing of encroachment here on Friday. They blocked traffic on the local main bus stand. They demanded that proper parking lots should be earmarked to them.

Kangra
OPERATIONS CONDUCTED: The Health and Family Welfare Department has conducted numbers of sterilisation operation in the district. It has conducted 3,414 operations which are double in comparison to the last year, the Health Department sources said here on Saturday. Dr Swatantra Mahajan, District Family Welfare Planning Officer, conducted 94 sterilisation operations at Tiara Hospital near here on Saturday.

Kumarhatti
1 KILLED: A man was killed while another injured when their scooter (HP-12A-4821) collided head on with a Mahindra maxi (HR-68-3017) at Rajpura near Nalagarh on Nalagarh -Dheronwal road on Saturday. Kuldeep Kumar who was driving the scooter, died on the spot while Gurmeet Singh riding pillion, was rushed to the PGI Chandigarh. Rajan Guleria, the maxi driver was arrested. A case under Sections 279, 337 of IPC has been registered.

Nahan
SANCTIONED: Speaker Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha G.R. Musafir on Sunday at a public meeting at Maryog in Pachad area of district Sirmaur disclosed that Rs 15 lakh had been sanctioned for providing irrigation network at Maryog. A free health camp was organised at Maryog by voluntary organisations.

Shimla
CONDEMNED: The state unit of the CPM has condemned the decision of the Himachal Government to introduce contributory pension scheme. Mr Rakesh Singha, secretary of the party, said it was against the interest of employees of the state. He said it was a result of a memorandum of understanding on fiscal reforms signed by the state government with the Centre. He further said there had been no respite from policies dictated by the World Bank, IMF and other financial institutions despite the change of leadership in the state. The CPM would launch state-wide protests against the anti-party policies of the Congress, he added.

Pharmacists’ body: The Himachal Pradesh Hospital Pharmacists Association has criticised the large-scale transfers of pharmacists in the name of rationalisation. The association has urged the government to fill the 175 vacant posts of pharmacists. It pointed out that situation in institutions like the local Ripon Hospital was worse as there were only six pharmacists as against the sanctioned posts of 20 after the rationalisation exercise.

ALLEGED: Mr Randhir Sharma, a spokesperson for the BJP, here on Friday charged Virbhadra Singh government with misusing the Public Relations Department for political purposes. He said the booklet published by the department on the MoU on fiscal reforms proved this.