R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

ABOHAR
Held for smuggling: Vijay Pal and Gulab Singh of Azimgarh were arrested on Wednesday under the Excise Act. They allegedly smuggled pouches of liquor from Rajasthan in an LPG cylinder by removing its bottom. The suspects were intercepted while entering the town on a scooter without registration after the police received a tipoff.

Arrested: Hiralal and Sita Devi were arrested under Sections 420, IPC, for cheating Mohammad Izad and his wife, Samina Khatoon, here. DSP Gurmit Singh said on Thursday that the culprits, originally residents of Gujarat, had sold fake gold ornaments to the Muslim family. The police seized 333 gm of fake gold items from the culprits.

AMRITSAR
Function: Addressing students of DAV Senior Secondary School here at the annual prize distribution function on Wednesday, Mr Balramji Das Tandon, Minister for Local Government, said the new generation should inculcate good values of life. Dr Baldev Raj Chawla, Minister for Health, also spoke. Both ministers announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh each for the school building fund on the occasion.

FATEHGARH SAHIB
Eye camp: The Bharat Vikas Parishad, Bassi Pathana, organised a free eye check-up-cum-operation camp at Bassi Pathana in the district on Thursday. The camp was inaugurated by Ms Satwant Kaur Sandhu, Minister for Printing and Stationery. A team of doctors from the Civil Hospital examined more than 500 patients and about 100 were operated upon. According to Mr Sushil Singh, president of the parishad, medicines and spectacles were provided free of cost to poor patients.

HOSHIARPUR
New courses: Mr Charanjit Singh Channi, MP, lauded the management and staff of JCDAV College, Dasuya, for introducing the BCA and industrial chemistry courses which, he said, would benefit poor students of the Kandi area in Dasuya subdivision of the district. Mr Channi was addressing a gathering on the occasion of the annual prize distribution function of the college on Wednesday.

Inaugurated: Mr Kamal Chaudhry, a former MP, on Thursday inaugurated the Internet facility in the Department of Computer Sciences at the local DAV college. The facility will enable the students to gather latest information. A seminar was also organised on the occasion.

JALANDHAR
Banned: To curb thefts of cable TV amplifiers and telephone cables and other appliances, the district administration has banned climbing on poles at odd hours, particularly during night. In an order issued under Section 144, Cr P.C., Mr Som Parkash, District Magistrate, said a large number of complaints of thefts of such equipment has forced the administration to issue the order.

KHANNA
Suicide: A local resident, Kamlesh, wife of Rajinder Kumar, a cloth merchant, committed suicide by consuming a poisonous substance after a dispute with her daughter-in-law. She was rushed to a hospital where she was declared dead.

KHARAR
Inter-political youth festival: Mr Nirmaljit Singh Kalsi, Director, Technical and Industrial Education, Punjab, inaugurated the third inter-political youth festival for boys at Government Polytechnic, Khuni Majra, on Thursday. Addressing the gathering, he talked about the various achievements of the department.

Lawyers observe strike: Local lawyers observed a strike on Thursday on a call given by the Bar Council of India to protest against the amendments proposed by the Union Government in the Civil Procedure Code. According to a press note issued by Mr Vijay Agnihotri, Secretary of the Bar Association, Kharar, the work of the courts came to a standstill. Mr Anil Kaushal, President of the Bar, criticised the Union Government for the amendments.

LUDHIANA
Arrested: A former accountant of the Lodhi Club has been arrested on charges of misappropriation and embezzlement of funds. The former clerk, Mr Mohinder Pal Joshi, has been arrested under Section 379, 380, 406, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 477-A of the IPC, for the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for the construction of the club building.

Lecture: Prof Karam Singh, an eminent litterateur and writer, delivered a lecture on the status of traditional social and cultural values vis-a-vis the young generation at the PAU on Tuesday. The function was organised by the College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, in collaboration with the Punjab Arts Council, Punjab Sahit Akademi and the Young Writers Association of the PAU.

Book released: Dr G.S. Kalkat, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, released on Wednesday a book of poetry "Agan Katha" written by Prof Gurbhajan Gill, an eminent Punjabi writer and Editor (Punjabi) at the Communication Centre, PAU.

Condemned: The Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU) has condemned the proposal for charging entrepreneurs/traders for generating power through private generators. In a press note, Mr Inderjit Singh Pardhan, president, and Mr Avtar Singh, general secretary of CICU, said the proposal had been forwarded by the Chief Electrical Inspector to the Chairman of the PSEB. The chamber has urged the Chief Minister to intervene and stop implementation of the proposal.

Demolition flayed: The Bairagi Mahamandal, Punjab, has condemned the demolition of 25 houses near Ram Tirath Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday. It said action should be taken against the officials concerned.

MALERKOTLA
Camp: A camp to treat skin and children's diseases will be organised by the local Hindu Charitable Trust at KMRD Jain College for Women on February 27, according to Mr Yash Paul Jain. The trust will bear all expenses of poor patients.

Lok Adalat: A Lok Adalat for settlement of judicial cases and for making driving licences was held on Tuesday at Ahmedgarh and Amargarh. The SDM, Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi, said 25 licences were issued and people were urged to settle small cases at the village level.

MOGA
Killed: Kewal Singh, a resident of Sandhu Kalan in Sangrur district, lost his life when he was run over by a Jeep on the Moga-Nihalsinghwala road in the district on Wednesday. It is learnt that he was returning home after attending a marriage when the accident occurred. The police has sent the body for a post-mortem examination.

PATIALA
Demonstration: Students and the teaching departments of Punjabi University on Wednesday boycotted classes and held a demonstration outside the Vice-Chancellor's office in protest against the clash on the varsity campus on February 21. Ms Kuldeep Kaur, senior vice-president of the Punjabi University Students Association (PUSA), said the demonstration was organised with the support of PUSA and ABVP.

Eye camp: Nearly 300 persons were examined at a free eye check-up camp organised by the State Bank of Patiala at Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib on Wednesday. Mr Sadhu Singh Thind, Branch Manager, said in a press note that needy persons were provided free medicines at the camp.

Inaugurated: Mr D.S. Kalah, Commissioner, on Wednesday inaugurated Narayan Public School. He lauded the efforts made by the school in providing modern facilities. The Director of the school, Mr Avtar Singh Arora, listed the facilities available in the school. Mr Jasbir Singh Bir, Deputy Commissioner, and Mr K.S. Kang, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, also attended the function.

ROPAR
Elected: Mr Harish Chander Sethi Mohali has been elected president of the District Chemists Association. He secured 111 votes while his nearest rival, Mr Sudarshan Chaudhary Nangal, got 92 votes.

SANGRUR
Raided: Following a tip-off, excise officials raided the farm of Pritam Singh, son of Arjun Singh, a resident of Cheema village, in this district and seized 200 kg of lahan and 26430 millilitres of illicit liquor, according to an official press note released here on Wednesday. Pritam Singh has been arrested and a case registered.

TARN TARAN
Exhibition: As many as 400 science students participated in a two-day science exhibition organised at SGAD College, Khadoor Sahib, which was inaugurated on Wednesday by Mr Gurbax Singh of Mumbai. Baba Sewa Singh blessed the participants. Attractive science models were displayed by the students.

CHANDIGARH

Camp on diarrhoea: The Ranbaxy Community Healthcare Society, SAS Nagar, organised a video show and community talk on causes and treatment of diarrhoea in Ghataur village, on Thursday. A total of 140 persons participated in the camp.

Eye camp: The Punjab School Education Board employees organised an eye camp in the memory of Kartar Singh Ranu in SAS Nagar on Thursday. Ms Satwant Kaur Sandhu, a Punjab Cabinet Minister, gave away prizes.

Liquor shops: Liquor shops in the periphery of Panchkula will remain closed on Friday on account of counting of votes for Haryana Assembly. The District Magistrate of Chandigarh, Mr M. Ramsekhar, ordered that liquor vends at Mauli Jagran-I, Mani-Majra (Housing Board chowk), Mani-Majra (Kalka Road) and Manimajra (Motor Market) would remain closed.

SAS NAGAR
Medical camp: A medical camp was organised in connection with the second death anniversary of Kartar Singh Ranu on the Punjab School Education Board premises here on Thursday. Members of the Non-Teaching Employees Association held a rally. Ms Satwant Kaur Sandhu, Punjab minister, gave away prizes to children of employees for their performance in examinations. Sportspersons were also honoured.

Association chief: Mr Harish Chander Sethi has been elected President of the Ropar District Chemists Association.

HARYANA

AMBALA
Panchayat elections: Panchayat elections will take place on March 12 in Ambala district. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ram Niwas, said nomination papers for the Panchayat elections could be filed from February 26 to 28 and the nomination papers would be scrutinised on March 1. The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers was March 3, a press note said. The District Panchayat Officer, Mr Rajkumar Ravish, said there were 411 panchayats in the district. The district authorities would set up 798 booths for the elections.

CJM issue: Mr Kirti Prasad Jain, a local BJP leader on Thursday expressed surprise at the reported injustice by the Convent of Jesus and Mary when they denied admission to the granddaughter of Uttar Pradesh Governor, Mr Suraj Bhan. A press note issued by Mr Jain said Mr Bhan had denied any involvement in issuing notices regarding payment of municipal taxes or for abiding by municipal laws to the CJM. There appeared to be a deliberate attempt at creating communal tension in the region, it added.

REWARI
Arrested: The district police has arrested two youths, Manoj Yadav and Surender Yadav, in connection with the murder of a local cloth merchant, Narain Dass Wadhwa, whose body was found by the police from a canal near here on February 17. The police has also recovered a country-made pistol and some cash from the suspects' third accomplice, Naresh Yadav, who is also the prime accused in the case.

SONEPAT
Body found: The police found the decomposed body of a man, Dinoo, of Ruderpur district in UP from a room in a dharamsala in the Ganj Bazar area here on Wednesday. The police believe it to be a case of murder and has launched a hunt for his friend Narayan in this connection. It is learnt that both the deceased and Narain had took lodgings in the dharamsala on January 14. On January 18, Narain told the manager of the dharamsala that he had locked the room and they would come back. When they did not return even after a month, the police broke open the lock of the room and found Dinoo's body in a decomposed condition.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DHARAMSALA
Elected: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Himachal Ayurvedic Medical Officers Association: president — Dr Rajinder Dogra; senior vice-president — Dr R.K. Bedwa; vice-president — Dr Kuldeep Malhotra; secretary — Dr Anupam Khanna; and treasurer — Dr Pranav Dev.

HAMIRPUR
Arrested: The police has arrested Mr Jagan Nath Shukla, a senior steno working in the office of the Deputy Director of Education here on a charge of raping a widow employee in the office on Wednesday. A case under Section 376, IPC, has been registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim. In another case, two youths of Dhirar village in the district were arrested on a sodomy charge. The suspects have been identified as Ashok Kumar and Praveen. The police has registered a case under Sections 377 and 448 of the IPC, according to an official spokesman.

MANDI
Development plan: Under the backward areas development subplan, Rs 20 crore would be spent in Mandi district during the year ending March 31, 2000. Vidhan Sabha Speaker Thakur Gulab Singh said at Gumma in Jogindernagar subdivision on Tuesday that under the subplan Rs 5 crore would be spent in Darang constituency. Besides this, Rs 80 lakh would be spent on the construction of roads and another Rs 60 lakh on minor irrigation schemes in the backward Chuhar valley.

NURPUR
Mahila mandals: The Himachal Pradesh Government has mooted a new scheme for promoting mahila mandals in the state and Rs 80 lakh has been earmarked in the current year for the purpose. The Chairman of the State Women Welfare Board (SWWB) said on Tuesday that the SWWB would appoint a social worker in every police station for attending to the problems of women. She said the board was organising awareness camps to educate women about their legal rights.

SHIMLA
Decried: The state unit of the CPM has expressed concern over the failure of the authorities to restore normalcy in the interior areas of the district which had been cut off due to heavy snow. Mr Rakesh Singha, secretary of the party, has threatened that his party will launch an agitation if the authorities fail to clear the blocked roads within a week.