R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
MES WORKERS: The MES Workers’ Union has resolved to seek the setting up of VIth CPC and demanded internal relief, restoration of 12 per cent interest on GPF, pay scale of Rs 5000-8000 to MCM at par with Railway pattern of 1996, implementation of arbitration award on HRA arrears from 1996 to 1997, removal of ban on recruitment, withdrawal of the defined contributory pension scheme for new recruits. These resolutions were passed at a general body meeting of the union held here recently.

ESTABLISHED: The life of Bhagat Puran Singh symbolised all that is great about the Indian way of life. This was stated by Mr V.N. Narayanan, an eminent journalist. While delivering the Bhagat Puran Singh Memorial lecture on the occasion of the establishment of the chair in his name at Guru Nanak Dev University here. Mr Narayanan said Bhagat Puran Singh brought forth the spiritual power of poverty to live a life of dignity and grace.

Hoshiarpur
ARRESTED: The police arrested Harjinder Singh, a resident of Bhagowal, on Monday under Sections 363, 366, 120 B of the IPC in connection with the abduction of a teenaged girl of Khadiala Sainian village. According to police sources, Sarwan Singh of Khadiala Sainian had lodged a complaint against Paramjit Singh, son of Piara Singh of the same village and Harjinder Singh for allegedly abducting his 16½-years-old daughter Paramjit Kaur on April 3.

Kapurthala
GRANT: The Jagatjit Palace, presently housing Sainik School, has got a sum of Rs 1.01 crore from the Ministry of Defence for structural restoration work. A matching grant of Rs 96 lakh was sanctioned by the Punjab Government for the purpose. This was stated by Col Sandeep Kumar, Principal, Sainik School, here on Monday.

Nawanshahr
EFFIGY BURNT: Activists of the SAD (Amritsar) led by its national general secretary, Dr Harjinder Singh Jakhu, burnt the effigy of Mr Parkash Singh Badal and Bibi Jagir Kaur, president of the SAD (Badal) and the SGPG, respectively, at Garhshankar Road here on Tuesday for their alleged anti-panthic attitude. Mr Jakhu, while talking to media persons accused Mr Badal of betraying the Sikhs. He alleged that the ‘anti-Panthic’ face of Mr Badal had been exposed in the book written by Mr P.C. Alexandar, former chief secretary of late Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.

ORGANISED: The District Social Welfare Department in collaboration with Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO) organised a camp for the physically challenged at Preet Palace on Tuesday. Mr Harjit Inder Singh Grewal, Deputy Commissioner, presided over the function. He said as many as 992 disabled persons had been identified in the district, who would be provided pensions, artificial limbs, tricycles, wheel chairs, hearing aids, spectacles, crutches etc upto June 30. Dr Jugal Kishore Sharma, Regional Manager, ALIMCO, said a sum of Rs 20 lakh would be spent on providing artifical limbs to as many as 2,000 children in the age group of 10-14.

BUSTED: The police in press note said a gang of burglars had been busted and four of its members — Vicky, resident of Banga, Harpreet Kumar of Bharomazara village, Gurdip Singh of Bhukhri village and Mandip Singh of Dosanjh Khurd village — had been arrested at a naka near Rahon. The police also recovered a motorcyle, a scooter, a pistol, two live cartridges, five mobile phones, 5 gram of smack and Rs 10,000 in cash from their possession.

PERMITTED: The BLM Girls College here has been granted permission to set up a NCC unit by 2nd Punjab Girls Battalion, Jalandhar. As many as 50 cadets would be imparted NCC training.

Patiala
Invited : King Mong-kuts’ University of Technology, Thonburi, has invited Dr Kirandeep Kaur, Head Department of Education, Punjabi Univer-sity, Patiala, to the 19th International Conference to be held at Kmutt, Bangkok from April 18 to 22. She will be presenting her paper on, “Learning organisation in a learning world”.

Sangrur
VET VARSITY: The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) has asked the Punjab Government to set up the proposed Guru Arjan Dev Veterinary University at Sangrur instead of Ludhiana. Talking to The Tribune on Monday, Mr Mann said setting up of the proposed veterinary university at Sangrur was need of the hour as Sangrur had neither a medical college nor an engineering college.

SYMPOSIUM: A state-level techno-cultural symposium “OPSIS-2005”, was organised at the Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology (BGIET) on the Sangrur-Patiala road on Tuesday. Mr Husan Lal, Deputy Commissioner, here, inaugurated the symposium. At least 150 students from 20 engineering colleges of the state participated.

Tarn Taran
NABBED: A team of Vigilance Bureau on Tuesday nabbed Rajinder Pal, Additional SHO of the local city police station, while accepting a bribe of Rs 4,000 from Mohinder Pal, a local resident. A case under Sections 7 and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, has been registered.

RELIEF FOR VICTIMS: An amount of Rs 9 lakh was distributed as compensation among the victims of farm tragedies at a function organised on Tuesday at Patti. As many as 450 old persons, widows and physically challenged persons were given pension books.

CHANDIGARH

Organised: Voltamp transformers which manufactures cast resin dry type transformers in collaboration with a German company, organised a product display in Sector 46 here on Wednesday. Since dry transformers are not a fire hazard, they are being installed in multiplexes, buildings, hotels and office buildings in Chandigarh, said Mr Manoj Handa, AGM of the company.

Mohali
AMBEDKAR ANNIVERSARY: Shri Guru Ravidas Naujawan Sabha, Punjab, will be organising a function in connection with 114th anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar here on Thursday. Mr K.R. Chaudhary, president of the sabha, said on Tuesday that the function would be orgnised at Guru Ravidas Bhavan in Phase VIII. He said Mr Sukhdev Singh Libra, MP, would be the chief guest.

BLOOD DONATED: As many as 181 persons donated blood at the 40 blood donation camp organised by the Baba Sheikh Farid Blood Donors Council, Mohali. The camp was inaugurated by Mr Gurmeet Singh Walia president of the Market Welfare Association.

HARYANA

Ambala
SA jain school fest: A scintillating performance was given by the students of SA Jain Senior Model School, Ambala, City on Tuesday. The function was organised to mark the culmination of the golden jubilee celebrations of the school. The programme ‘Vyatha’ was much appreciated by the audience. Mr Rajeev Jain was the chief guest on the occasion.

Fatehabad
FELICITATED: The Haryana Private Colleges Non-Teaching Employees Union on Tuesday felicitated eminent educationist Mr Subhash Sharma at Manohar Memorial College here. Mr Sharma had recently retired as Principal of Dayananad College, Hisar. Mr Sharma served as Principal of Manohar Memorial College for 10 years before he was appointed Principal of Dayananad College. A unionist to the core, Mr Sharma was president of the Haryana Privately Managed Affiliated College Principals Association.

Sonepat
BURNT: A truck loaded with packets of coconut oil was burnt to ashes on the Sonepat-Rohtak road near Sisana village police post about 25 km from here on Tuesday. According to a report, the fire was brought under control by the municipal fire-brigade of Sonepat.

ATTACKED: Baba Ram Sharan of Kurari village in UP was attacked with lathis by a youth while he was sleeping in the dera of Sita Ram Mandir in Mahmoodpur about 50 km from here on Tuesday. According to a report, residents of the village apprehended the youth and handed him over to the police. The police has registered a case and sent the body for post-mortem examination.

CAUGHT: Two youths were caught while they were fleeing after picking the pocket of Ishwar Singh, a resident of Rishi Colony, in the fruit and vegetable market, here on Wednesday. According to a report, both the youths were thrashed by the people and handed over to the police. The due had removed Rs 25,000 from the pocket of Ishwar Singh.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
NOTICE: The Himachal Pradesh State Beopar Mandal has served a ten-day notice on the Himachal Government stating that if it fails to hold talks with State Beopar Mandal within that period for removing objections and difficulties regarding VAT and allied persisting state level demands of illegal charging of market fees, highhanded challans and court cases on various excuses and corrupt practices of “inspectory raj”, the State Beopar Mandal would be forced to launch a peaceful non-cooperation movement after April 20.

Dalhousie
ELECTED: Surinder Bhardwaj, MLA, has been elected as a state delegate to the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee and Rattan Chand Thakur has been elected as president of the Rajnagar Block Congress Committee in Chamba district unopposed on Wednesday.

Kulu
ELECTED: Elections to the Kulu constituency Congress Committee were conducted at Gaur Niwas under the convenership of Mr Bhupender Thakur here on Monday. A son of the state agriculture minister was unanimously elected president. The other office-bearers are: Mr Devender Negi—senior vice-president; Mr Dharam Chand —vice-president; and Mr Yog Raj— treasurer. Mr Raj Krishan Gaur, Agriculture Minister, was elected delegate for the state body of the party whereas Mr Salda Ram, Ms Saraswati Devi, Ms Padma Devi, Mr Sali Ram, Mr Jagdish Upadhyaye and Mr Daulat Singh Thakur were elected delegates for the District Congress Committee.

Nahan
DHARNA: Workers under the banner of Mahila Janwadi Morcha and the Janwadi Naujawan Sabha along with member of the Kushtha Rogi Sangharsh Samiti staged a dharna in front of the office of the Chief Medical Officer, Sirmaur here on Monday.

Nurpur
ARRESTED: The police here on Monday conducted a raid at Dhabi village and seized four stills. Nimmo Devi, Shobha and Swarna Devi were arrested in this connection. The police destroyed about 800 kg of lahan. A case under the Excise Act has been registered.

Solan
RESENTED: The introduction of a coding system in the laboratory of the environment protection and pollution control board at Parwanoo has drawn flak with a section of employees raising a banner of protest against a senior scientific officer. The complainants alleged that samples collected from various industrial units in the state were being changed to benefit a few industrialists.