R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
THEFT: A theft took place in the house of Mr Satbir Singh, an employee of the SGPC, at the Darbar Sahib residential complex, New Tehsilpura, on Wednesday. The thieves took away cash, electronic gadgets and gold ornaments worth about Rs 1.50 lakh.

FATEHGARH SAHIB
RALLY PLANNED: Widows of Kargil martyrs will be honoured on March 26 at a rally of ex-servicemen to be organised by the district administration and 43 Armed Brigade at Mata Gujri College here. Brigadier J.M. Singh, CDR, 43 Armed Brigade and Brigadier K.S. Kohlan, Director, Sainik Welfare Punjab, said a medical camp would also be held.

GURDASPPUR
GANG BUSTED: The police has busted a gang involved in removing gold after cleaning ornaments. According to Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, the police on Wednesday arrested Dau Paswan and Mukesh, both residents of Gopal Pur, Sham Kumar, a resident of Tulsipur and Mohammad Ballu, a resident of Narainpur all in Bhagalpur district in Bihar, in this regard.

HOSHIARPUR
DM’s ORDER: Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, District Magistrate, has extended the enforcement of Section 144 CrPC in the district up to May 20. He has banned the assembly of five or more than five persons, shouting of slogans and carrying of sharp-edged weapons and fire arms in public places. The District Magistrate has also banned the use of military colour uniforms and military colour jeep, and motor cycles by the civilians in the district.

KHANNA
ARRESTED: The Khanna police claims to have arrested two persons, Vikaramjit alias Vikky and Jaswinder Singh alias Sonu, under Section 380 of the IPC. According to SSP Khanna. Mr R. L. Bhagat, the two indulged in many thefts of money from the golaks (cash boxes) of various gurdwaras of the nearby villages.

KHARAR
THUNDERSTORM: Many television and refrigerators were reportedly damaged and an electricity supply line destroyed when thunderstorm struck a nearby village, Dawn Majra, on Wednesday. In a complaint to the SDM, Kharar, residents of the village have written that walls of many houses were damaged and cracks could be seen in them. Electric meters were also damaged in many houses and power supply was cut off. They demanded that meters should be provided free of cost.

LUDHIANA
MEETING: A meeting under the chairmanship of the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, was held here on Wednesday to sort out difficulties being faced by the public in obtaining power connections for their industrial/commercial units from the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB). The Commissioner directed all concerned officers to immediately take necessary steps to identify residential zones so that public might not face any difficulty in getting power connections from PSEB.

MALERKOTLA
LITERARY PROGRAMME: The Postgraduate Department of Government College, Malerkotla organised a literary programme on Wednesday. Dr Mohd Iqbal, Head of the Department, presided over the function. A paper reading contest was also held by the Bazm-e-Adab. A competition on self-composed poetry recitation and a debate on, ‘decline of moral values and responsibilities of youth,’ was also organised by Bazm-e-Adab.

ARRESTED: The Malerkotla Police has arrested Rup Singh, a resident of Khurd, Kadhu Shah Ali, Nazir Khan and Beeru Mohd Heer of Malerkotla for allegedly possessing nearly 200 kg of poppy husk. A case under Section 15-61-85 of the NDPC Act has been registered against them, according to the DSP, Mr Surinder Singh Saini.

MOGA
FATAL MISHAP: The driver of a Jeep who was injured in a collision between his jeep and mini bus near Chrik village in the district on Saturday succumbed to his injuries at a Ludhiana hospital bringing the total number of deaths in the mishap to five.The Jeep which was carrying members of a marriage party had reportedly collided with a mini bus.

PATIALA
PRINCIPAL APPOINTED: Prof M.M. Singh has been appointed regular Principal of the Government Mohindra College here. He was earlier holding the same post in officiating capacity.

PHILLAUR
SPURIOUS DRUGS: Punjab Health Minister Baldev Chawala told mediapersons here on Thursday that drug inspectors would be held responsible if anybody was found indulging in the manufacture and sale of spurious drugs. The minister said that government would reward those persons who will provide information about spurious drugs.

SANGRUR
MEDICAL CAMP: A free heart diseases check-up camp will be held on March 26 in the premises of the civil hospital here. The camp is being organised by the Indian Medical Association. Dr Surinder Singla, general secretary of the IMA said doctors from Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, Delhi will examine patients.

CHANDIGARH

MEDICAL CONFERENCE: The third annual conference of the Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine, north zone chapter, will be held from March 25 to 26 in the PGI. It will be inaugurated by PGI Director Dr S.K. Sharma. Topics like research priorities in reproductive and child health, HIV/AIDS scenario and its changes, Phase-II of National AIDS control programme etc will be discussed.

LAWYER'S RALLY: Advocates practising in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, besides the District Courts, are scheduled to attend the all-India rally “against government attitude” in Delhi on Friday. The District Court Bar Association has requested the “members interested in participating in the rally to gather in front of the Bar Office” early on Friday morning.

HINDI TRANSLATION OF PLAY: The troupe “Theatre de Poche” of Alliance Francaise, Delhi, will give a Hindi translation of the play, ‘The Empire Builders’ from 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on March 25 at Le Cafe’ Noir, Alliance Francaise, Sector 36. The play by French playwright Boris Vian shows how progress has changed us and our environment.

10TH RANK FOR STUDENT: Manu Oberoi, a student of class VIII of St. Xaviers Senior Secondary School, Panchkula, secured 10th rank in Group ‘B’ of students’ Talent Promotion Examination-1999, conducted by the Children’s Welfare Trust of India, Mangalore.

NAYA GAON
PANEL VISITS VILLAGES: The office-bearers of the Pind Bachao Joint Action Committee on Thursday visited the 38 villages which are proposed to be acquired by the Punjab Government for the creation of Anandgarh city. According to a press note, a deputation of the committee will meet the Prime Minister, Mr Harkishan Singh Surjit of the CPM, Mr Kansi Ram of the BSP and other leaders to plead their case against Anandgarh being built by uprooting two lakh residents of the area.

SAS NAGAR
OFFICE BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Industrial Training Employees Union, Punjab: President — Mr Gurdev Singh Nagra; Vice-President — Mr Santokh Singh; General Secretary — Mr Bhupinder Singh; Secretary — Mr Navjot Singh and Cashier — Mr Joginder Singh Kohli.

CHAIN SNATCHED: An unidentified turbaned youth snatched a gold chain and purse from a woman who was standing outside her home in Phase X here on Tuesday night. According to the information available, the youth fled on a scooter after snatching the items. The police control room was immediately informed by the husband of the woman Mr Yogesh.

HARYANA

AMBALA
JEWELLER LOOTED: A miscreant on Wednesday night snatched a bag of a jeweller that contained cash and some gold ornaments. According to police report, the jeweller Darshan Jain was returning to his residence after closing his shop. On the way, near Pipli Bazar, one person suddenly snatched his bag and fled. Another person, who was on a motor cycle, was accompanying him. The police has registered a case.

HISAR
WORKSHOP: A state-level workshop on kharif crops was organised at CCS Haryana Agricultural University here on Wednesday. Mr Vinay Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, addressed the farm scientists and officers of the Department of Agriculture. He also released a bulletin on “Sprinkler Irrigation” authored by two senior professors of agricultural engineering Dr M. C. Agarwal and Dr R. K. Malik.

KARNAL
ELECTED: Mr I. D. Swami, Union Minister for State for Home Affairs, was elected President of the Murti shri Durga Bhawani ( Hetuwali) Trust for another term of three years at a meeting held here on Wednesday. He was unanimously elected President for the third time. The meeting was presided over by Mr K. G. Dutt of The Tribune Group of Newspapers. The other officer-bearers elected were Mr Rati Ram Sharma ( Vice-President), Mr Shiv Charan Sharma (Secretary), and Mr Jagmohan Sharma ( Treasurer ).

REWARI
THEFT: Three armed youths looted at pistol point a sum of about Rs 8,000 from Harsh Filling Station, situated on the Rewari-Delhi road, about 4 km from here, on Wednesday. According to information given by Mr J. P. Purohit, a former President of the Rewari district Congress Committee, the armed youths shut both salesmen Dhaniram and Rakesh inside the room. After that they took away the amount and sped away on the scooter of the salesman Dhaniram.

SONEPAT
WATER SUPPLY: The Public Health Department has undertaken work on the Rs 4.10 crore canal-based drinking water supply scheme for providing adequate quantity of potable water to residents of 12 wards of the western side of the town. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sudhir Rajpal told mediapersons here on Thursday that this was one of the nine projects sanctioned by the Tenth Finance Commission for different towns of Haryana at a cost of Rs 29 crore . Arrested: The Sadar police has arrested seven persons in connection with an incident of shooting and pelting of stones that took place between two rival groups at Tharu Uldepur village, about 5 km from here, on Wednesday. The SSP, Mr K. P. Singh, told mediapersons on Wednesday that the police had also seized a gun which was allegedly used in the firing to scare away the people of the rival group. However, none was hurt in the firing incident.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
INTUC MEETING: A meeting of the district unit of INTUC was held here on Thursday. Members said that they would launch a stir if the order of the government which was received here on February 17 was not implemented and services of daily-wagers were not regularised.

HAMIRPUR
CLASSES BOYCOTTED: Students of the local government polytechnic boycotted their classes for the second day on Thursday to press for the acceptance of their demands. Mr Shakti Singh Jaswal, vice-president of the Students Welfare Association said the decision of separate system of examinations and courses for the students of Sundernagar institute and other polytechnics was wrong.

NURPUR
CRPF CENTRE: The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Vice-Chairman and local MLA, Mr Rakesh Pathania, has said that the Centre had cleared the proposed CRPF group centre at Kopra on the periphery of the town and the Central Public Works Department had earmarked Rs 20 crore for this purpose.