R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BATHINDA
APPOINTMENT: The Punjab Science and Technology Minister, Mr Chiranji Lal Garg, said here on Saturday that it was the prerogative of the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to appoint chairman of improvement trusts and boards. This was stated by him after presiding over the prize distribution function of Moti Ram Kanya Mahavidayala.

HOSHIARPUR
CRITICISED: Mr Charanjit Singh Channi, MP, has criticised municipal authorities here for wasting public money on the beautification of the city. Talking to newspersons here on Saturday he said almost all roads in the city need immediate repair. These were damaged during the construction of ducts by telecom contractors for laying underground cables. The Telecom Department had already deposited more than Rs 48 lakh in lieu of this, he added.

KHARAR
ASSOCIATION: Following have been elected office-bearers of the Cloth Merchants Association: President — Mr Naresh Singla; Vice-Presidents — Mr Radhey Shiam Sharma and Mr Gurmeet Singh; Secretary — Mr Vijay Kumar Bazaz; and Treasurer — Mr Chander Mohan Khurana.

LUDHIANA
SAFETY RULES: The local orthopaedic association has called for a change in the wheat thresher design and strict implementation of farm safety rules in order to reduce the amputation of hands and arms of farm labourers. In a statement issued here on Saturday, Dr Ravinder Singh Sidhu, General Secretary of the Association, said that labourers engaged in harvesting with the help of threshers loose their hands or arms during the harvesting season beginning in April each year.

LECTURE: The 13th public health lecture on ‘‘epilepsy’’ was organised here on Friday at Dumra auditorium by the health education cell of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMC&H). Dr Satish Jain, a neurologist from AIIMS delivered lecture on the causes, symptoms and treatment of epilepsy. He said about four million Indians were suffering from the disease, yet no effort had been made by the government to control it. Dr Rajoo Singh Chinna, Convener, Health Education Cell, DMC and H, Dr Balraj, Vice-President, Managing Society of DMC&H and Dr G.S. Wander, Medical Superintendent, were present on the occasion.

PENSIONS: Mr Arun Goel, Deputy Commissioner, in a press note issued here on Saturday said nearly Rs 12 crore had been disbursed as old-age and widow pensions and assistance to the dependent children and the handicapped in the district for the year 1999-2000. He said the financial assistance from September 1999 to February 2000 had been sent to 22,800 old age pensioners, 2906 widow pensioners, 1,600 dependent children and 1,899 handicapped beneficiaries through the banks.

CENSUS: The Government School Teachers Union has criticised the appointment of teachers for doing census duty as it will adversely affect the teaching work and studies. In a press note issued here on Saturday, Mr Charan Singh Sarabha, General Secretary of the union, said that majority of staff of the local government senior secondary, primary and high schools had been deputed for census work to be carried on from May 3 to 22 and February 2001.

MOGA
PATROLLING: Traders and farmers of Ferozepore and Moga districts on Saturday urged the police to patrol the link roads connecting Moga, Fatehgarh, Panjtoor and other town, including Zira.

DESTROYED: Standing wheat crop in more than 43 acres was destroyed in a devastating fire which broke out in three different villages of Baghapurana in Moga district, causing heavy financial losses to farmers on Friday, a fire brigade spokesman said on Saturday.

MUKTSAR
CANCELLED: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr B.S. Sudan, on Saturday cancelled the licence of five commission agents of this district allegedly for under-weighment of the procured wheat by different government agencies. In a press note issued here, Mr Sudan said licences of commission agents belonging to Muktsar, Malout and Gidderbaha town were cancelled when it was found that they were cheating the government procurement agencies while filling the procured wheat in the bags.

TARN TARAN
APPOINTMENT LETTERS: Dr Jatinder Mohan Singh, President and Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal, General Secretary of the Panjab Civil Medical Services and Eye Surgeons’ Association in a press note released here on Saturday have urged the Punjab Government and authorities of the research and medical education to release appointment letters to the candidates selected in July, 1999 for the post of senior lecturers of medical colleges in Punjab.

CHANDIGARH

MASS MARRIAGE: The go bananas kids club celebrated Easter on Sunday by organising a workshop on egg-painting in Sector 18. Forty young members of the club painted empty egg shells into fancy little puppets and coloured these with fluorescent multi-coloured layers.

ELECTED: Mr K.N. Prasad of Chandigarh has been elected President of the Indian Association of Forensic Document Examiners. Dr Atul K. Singla and Dr Inderjit Singh, both of Patiala, have been elected Secretary and Treasurer, respectively.

ORGANISED: The All-India Crime Prevention Society on Sunday organised a Janta Darbar at Maloya village to educate the general public about public-police interface to check crime rate. Mr Navjit Singh Brar, Chairman of the society, and Mr Bhagwan Dass Bector, DSP, were among those who addressed the gathering.

ANNIVERSARY: Shri Yog Vedant Seva Samiti will organise a special programme at Bapu Asa Ram Ashram at Seonk village on Tuesday to mark the 59th birth anniversary celebrations of Bapu Asa Ram. Asa Ramayan path, a procession and community kitchen will be the main attractions of the programme.

CONGREGATION: Shri Sidh Data Satsang Seva Samiti will organise a three-day spiritual congregation at the Sector 20 Math Mandir from Friday. Hari Naam sankirtan and divine satsang will be conducted by Shri Ramaanujacharya Swami Sudarshana Charya of Shri Sidh Data Ashram, Faridabad.

INTERFACE: Dr Sagar Preet Hooda, ASP, presided over a public-police interface held at Janata Colony on Sunday. More than 150 civilians, mostly colony dwellers, turned up for the programme. The representatives of the public highlighted some of the common problems faced by them.

ECG INSTALLED: A 12-channel ECG machine was installed on Sunday at the charitable diagnostic centre being run by Bharat Vikas Parishad at Sector 24 Indira Holiday Home. The details and the speed with which the report will be made available to the patient will enable him to start his treatment at the earliest.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Citco Workers Union: president — Mr Brij Mohan; vice-presidents — Mr Tara Singh, Mr Baldev Raj and Mr Dinesh Tiwari; general secretary — Mr Sanjay Kumar; joint secretaries — Mr K.P.S. Gill and Mr K.F. Thomas; propaganda secretaries — Mr Sant Lal, Mr Shankar Singh and Mr Lal Singh; and cashiers — Mr S.S. Mann and Mr Vinod Sharma.

ACTION SOUGHT: The Bhartiya Valmiki Dharam Samaj on Sunday urged the local MP, Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, to get a criminal case registered against all those who were responsible for getting a Balmiki temple in Hallo Majra demolished.

SAMMELAN: The local unit of the Backward and Minority Samaj Employees Federation will organise a Savidhan Bachao sammelan at Guru Ravi Dass Bhavan, Sector 30, on April 30, where Mr Darshan Lal Jethumajra, a senior BSP leader of Punjab, will be the chief guest.

MEETING: A meeting of the Nagar Kirtan Talmel Committee was held on Friday, where it was decided that a nagar kirtan procession to mark the martyrdom day of Guru Arjun Dev would be taken out on June 6.

PANCHKULA
DISPENSARY: A charitable mobile dispensary, sponsored by the Bharat Vikas Parishad, was inaugurated on Sunday. The President of the organisation, Mr V.K. Bansal, said the dispensary would cover villages in the vicinity of the township.

HARYANA

SIRSA
MONITOR QUALITY: Mr Amit Jha, Deputy Commissioner, directed the officials of the Agriculture Department to strictly monitor the quality of pesticides and fertilisers. He was speaking at the monthly district grievance committee meeting, held at the local Patwar Bhavan here on Friday. As many as 14 complaints were taken up out of which six were disposed off on the spot.

SONEPAT
POWER PROBLEM: The disruption in power supply to the local industries for the past three weeks has brought the entire industrial activity to a standstill. Production in most of the units has touched the lowest ebb. Due to unscheduled cuts in power supply production ran into disarray apart from throwing thousands of employees out of job abruptly. Repeated request have fallen on deaf ears. Meanwhile, Mr S.K. Singal, president of the GT Road Industrial Association, has criticised the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) in Sonepat operation circle and alleged that the authorities had failed to ensure regular power supply to the industries in the area.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
TEACHERS’ FATE: The Himachal Pradesh Prathmik Anubandh Adhyapak Sangh has lodged a protest against the indifferent attitude of the state government towards their demands. Expressing regret over the fate of the JBT teachers working on a contract basis, a spokesman of the Sangh said there were more than 4,000 such teachers, working in primary schools throughout the state for over five years. They were neither being regularised nor given the revised pay scales of JBT teachers.

JAWALAMUKHI
DEAD: A 21-year-old labourer Vijay died here on Saturday after he fell into the well. Vijay, a resident of Barmer in Rajasthan, was standing on the edge of the well when he slipped fell into it and died.

KANGRA
FOTEDAR’S VISIT: Former Union Health Minister M.L. Fotedar on Saturday visited Chamunda and Bajjreshwari temples in this district to pay obeisance before the Goddess Chamunda and Bajjreshwari. Accompanied by Mr Anil Ball a close confidant of Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Mr Fotedar reached Chamunda on Saturday. He was received by the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary and MLA for Nagrota Bagwan, Mr G.S. Bali. He also accompanied him to the Bajjreshwari temple.

KULU
SWAROJGAR YOJANA: Swaran Jayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana programme was launched by the Deputy Commissioner at Hathithan, 11 km from here, on Friday. He distributed cheques to self help groups of Hathithan and Dianthala for carrying out knitting and handloom works. They were given Rs 10,000 each as revolving fund.

MANDI
TRIBUTES PAID: At a ceremony held at 239 Transit Camp Pandoh, near here, on Friday, the martyrs of 1948, 1962, 1965, 1971 and Kargil operation Vijay of 1999 were paid tributes. Badges of sacrifice and certificates of honour were presented to the kin of martyrs belonging to Mandi and Kulu districts. As many as 128 war widows and dependants were present at the function. Lt Col Manmohan Massey, Commanding Officer, 2 HP Battalion NCC Mandi, presented the badges and certificates.

SHIMLA
INAUGURATED: The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, on Saturday inaugurated a primary health centre at Kufri which had been set up by the PHD Rural Development Foundation and PHD family Welfare Foundation. The PHC would cater to the needs of more than 50,000 inhabitants of Kufri who otherwise did not have easy access to medical care. The Ambassador of Japan, Mr Hiroshi Hirabayashi, was also present on the occasion.