R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
BOOK RELEASED: A book titled “Ajit Saini — Sakshiyat Te Rachana” was released here at a local school by Mr Jaswant Singh Kanwal. Mr Kirpal Singh, a former MP, was the chief guest.

MEETING: The Hospital Welfare Committee meeting was held at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital here on Saturday under the chairmanship of Dr B.L.Goel, Principal, Medical College. Mr R.L.Bhatia, chief patron of the committee, presented a cheque for Rs 5 lakh for the purchase of an ambulance and other essential commodities. This was stated here on Sunday by Dr H.S.Gill, secretary of the committee.

DHURI
CAMP ORGANISED: The local Rotary Club organised a Hepatitis-B immunisation camp at Chaudhary Baru Mal Dharamshala here on Sunday. As many as 133 adults and 134 children were immunised at the camp. This was stated by Mr Khush Paul Gupta, president of the club.

MEETING: A meeting of the local Beopar Mandal was held under the presidentship of Mr Vijay Kumar Gupta. Its members condemned the government decision to hike sales tax licence fee to Rs 3,000 and charge Rs 2,000 every year as its renewal fee. The members also decided to organise a demonstration on March 28.

FARIDKOT
COMMITTEE FORMED: Parents of students studying at the local Dashmesh Institute of Dental Sciences formed a seven-member committee here on Saturday to take up the matter with the Dental Council of India and the Health and Family Welfare Department of the Central Government to grant recognition to the college. Due to its non-recognition 200 students who had completed their BDS courses from 1992 to 1995 faced bleak future. Neither could they get a government job nor could they go for higher studies, the parents added.

NABBED: The Kotkapura police has nabbed a gang of six robbers who had committed robberies in Moga, Jagraon, Bathinda, Faridkot and Sangrur districts during the past year. They have been identified as Mukhtiar Singh, Dharmej Singh, Satpal Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Kulwinder Singh and Balwinder Singh. A Maruti van, a motor cycle, a scooter, besides five pistols along with a large number of cartridges have been seized from them. A case has been registered against the accused.

HOSHIARPUR
TRIBUTE: Mr Natha Singh Dalam Minister for Information and Public Relations, Punjab, and Mr Sohan Singh Thandal, State Minister for Food and Supplies, Punjab, paid tributes to Phoola Singh, General in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and Giani Gurdial Singh Ajnoha, former Jathedar of Akal Takht, at a function organised at Ajnoha village, 38 km from here on Saturday. Mr Dalam announced a grant of Rs 50,000 for the construction of a hall in the memory of Phoola Singh.

ARRESTED: Mr R.P. Mittal, SSP, said here on Sunday that Kulwant Singh of Dera Baba Nanak and Pargat Singh of Sahkote had been arrested for allegedly murdering a tractor-trailer driver Babu Lal and later selling sunflower loaded on his tractor at a Batala market. Their two accomplices Kashmir Singh and Gurmir, were still at large.

FUNCTION ORGANISED: The Consumers’ Protection Day was observed here on Sunday. The function was organised by the District Food and Supplies Department. It was presided over by Mr D.D. Ternach, Additional Deputy Commissioner. Mr Pritam Singh, District Food and Supplies Controller, Mr Gurdial Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, Dr Dalip Kumar, District Health Officer, and Mr Mohinder Singh, District Public Relations Officer explained various features of the Consumers Protection Act.

LUDHIANA
ACCIDENT: A 70-year-old woman was crushed to death by a speeding Jeep while she was crossing the road here on Sunday, near Jugiana on the Ludhiana-Delhi road.

TEACHERS’ MEETING: The Punjab Government Teachers’ Association and four other associations held a meeting here on Sunday to discuss the dharna to be staged in front of the DPI (Colleges) office on March 28. This was stated here by Mr Piara Singh Dhillon, president and Mr Karam Singh Sohawa , treasurer of the association.

MALERKOTLA
PROTEST: Members of the Parents’ Association of the local DAV School held a demonstration outside the school on Sunday against the fee hike. They also burnt an effigy of the school Principal and that of the school management committee. Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi , SDM, called them for talks but failed when the committee refused to reconsider the fee hike.

OPERATIONS: As many as 41 vasectomy operations were performed on 40 women and one blind person at Amargarh, 8 km from here on Saturday. Dr Vijay Kakkar, SMO, performed the operation.

FLAYED: The local Manufacturers and Supplies Association has criticised the PSEB decision to create its own police stations. Mr Tanveer Ahmed Farooqi, president of the association, in a press note condemned the action and added that the board was already running in losses and the creation of police stations would only put a greater financial burden.

AMENITIES SOUGHT: Residents of Sant Colony have forwarded a representation to the Executive Officer of the Municipal Council to provide them with the basic amenities as there were no sewers, potable water, roads and streetlights in their locality.

NAWANSHAHR
SEMINAR: The district unit of the Democratic Teachers Front on Sunday organised a seminar on “Economic scenario of Punjab to mark the death anniversary of Suresh Kurl at JSFH Khalsa High School. Mr Sardara Singh Mahil presided over the function. He held the SAD-BJP government responsible for the deteriorating fiscal condition of the state. Mr Surinder Pal Sharma, a teacher , was honoured with the Suresh Kurl Yadgar Award.

KALYAN DIVAS: The local Shivalaya Atma Devi Ralla Mall Bhucher Trust organised its 12th Jan Kalyan Divas at Shiv Mandir here on Sunday. Mr Hardev Singh Kahma, a philanthropist, presided. The trust distributed sewing machines among nine women and text books and school uniforms among 25 students studying in different schools. Besides, 15 brilliant students of the area were also honoured. This was stated by Mr Jai Gopal, Bhucher project Chairman.

PATIALA
MEDICAL PROJECT: The Dedicated Brothers Group on Sunday launched a new project under which medicare will be provided to accident victims who are brought to the emergency ward of Rajindra Hospital.

LEPROSY PATIENTS: Forty five leprosy patients were examined on Sunday at Padam Shri Dr Khushdeva Singh Lepers Colony by Dr Jai Kishan, head of the department, T.B. Centre and Chest Diseases, and his team of doctors. The camp was organised by Anukampa Dhiman, a student of the Department of Social Work, Punjabi University. The leprosy patients will be given medicines free of cost by the Leprosy Patients Welfare Society.

5 HONOURED: The Bhai Sahib S. Gurbax Singh Memorial Trust honoured five eminent personalities for their contribution in their fields at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Mela held at Majri Akalian, 8 km from here. Those awarded included theatre couple Pran Sabharwal and Sunita Sabharwal, Journalist Bhushan Sood, lyricist Gill Surjit and folk singer Satvinder Bitty.

MEDICAL CAMP: The Lions Club Patiala Qila Mubarak organised a free heart check-up and ECG camp at SDSE Senior Secondary School, Arya Samaj on Sunday. The camp was inaugurated by Mr Ujjagar Singh, DPRO, Patiala, and Dr Manmohan Singh of the Cardiology Department of Rajindra hospital was the guest of honour. Dr Manmohan Singh of the spoke on the topic of common heart problems and their remedies.

PHAGWARA
GRANT: The Punjab Tourism Minister, Mr Swarna Ram, presented a Rs 1 lakh grant to Guru Nanak Mission Nettarheen Birdh Ashram and Sangeet Academy at the 11th annual function held at Nangal Sapror village on Sunday. The State Minister for Food and Supplies, Mr Mohan Lal, and Mr Avtar Singh Mann, convener of the ashram, also addressed the gathering.

CHANDIGARH

OFFICE BEARERS: Mr Rajinder Singh Bajwa has been elected the President of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Employees Union for the sixth time. The elections were held on March 25. Mr Bhagwan Dass Pathania was voted the Vice-President, while for the General Secretary’s post, Mr B.K. Bhatia was declared victorious. The Secretary’s post went to Mr Satinder Singh Bajwa.

EYE CHECK-UP CAMP: More than 150 patients were examined during the “four-day” Fifth Shahid Bhagat Singh Memorial Free Eye-Check-up Camp and Operations Camp”, organised by the Dadu Majra unit of the Democratic Youth Federation of India and the Guru Gobind Singh Sports Club, Dadu Majra, at Government High School, Dadu Majra. Dr K.S. Rana an eye specialist, examined the patients and recommended 15 of them for operations. The surgeries were performed on March 24.

ADVISORY PANEL: A former Professor and Head of the Department of Sociology, Punjab University, Chandigarh, Dr S.L. Sharma, currently Course Director, Institute of Correctional administration, Chandigarh, has been invited to serve on the advisory panel, constituted by the World Leisure and Recreational Association, Netherlands.

SAS NAGAR
KAR SEVA: The Chandigarh unit of the Vishav Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal organised a path and kar seva at the Pracheen Shiv Mandir, the structure of which was demolished recently by the PUDA in Sector 69 here on Sunday. Members of the religious bodies claiming that the mandir was housed in historic structure said they would meet senior functionaries of the Punjab Government to prevent PUDA from removing the temple.

ZIRAKPUR
MEDICAL CAMP: As many as 215 patients were examined at a free general medical camp organised by the Survival of Young and Adolescent Foundation at Excel Public School, Bartana, here on Monday. Teachers, students and their parents were examined for respiratory tract infections, skin diseases, malnutrition and anaemic problems. Relevant material on health, personal hygiene and on anaemia as also distributed among the students.

HARYANA

SONEPAT
ONE HELD: The Rai police on Sunday arrested Rakesh of Liwaspur village for allegedly murdering Ajit Singh of the same village on March 20. Mr K.P. Singh, SSP, said Ajit Singh along with his elder brother, Surinder, was returning from Bahalgarh when Rakesh, his brother Yogesh and their father Dharampal stopped him. Ajit Singh was allegedly stabbed to death by Rakesh in a bid to take the revenge for opposing them in the recently held gram panchayat elections.

RECOVERED: The Kharkhauda police has arrested Satish and Satyawan of Gopalpur village and recovered a stolen motor cycle from their possession. The SSP said here on Sunday that the culprits had stolen the motor cycle from Delhi.

STUDENTS FOUND: Sandeep Chahel and Rakesh Ranjan, who had allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances from Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Rai, two weeks ago, were found at Shimla and brought back here on Saturday.

POSTERS: The local police has launched a drive against the pasting of obscene posters on the walls of this city and elsewhere in the district. The SSP said here on Sunday that cinema house managements had been warned that stern action would be taken if they violated the orders.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

KULU
CHARAS SEIZED: The local police on Friday arrested Ramesh Chand, a resident of Sarvari Bazar, for allegedly possessing 760 grams of charas under the NDPC Act. This was stated by the district police chief, Mr Anurag Garg.

KUMARHATTI
ARRESTED: The police has registered a case against Braham Dutt (22), a resident of Dattiar, 20 km from here, for allegedly sodomising a 10-year-old -boy at Parwanoo. Mr Rajinder Kumar, boy’s father, in an FIR lodged with the police, stated that Braham Dutt, an electrician at his shop, had committed the crime on March 15.

SHIMLA
COMPETITION: Auckland House School won the overall trophy in the inter-school dance competition organised by the YMCA here on Sunday. Dayanand Public School got the second position. Auckland House girls also won the inter-school essay competition and bagged the first position in both senior and junior categories.