R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

KAPURTHALA
PROTEST MARCH: Workers of the Hindu Shiv Sena on Monday took out a march in the town to protest against the rising prices of essential commodities, unemployment, and corruption in government offices. They also organised a rally at the district courts complex. Later they presented a memorandum to Mr S.S. Bains, Additional Deputy Commissioner.

LUDHIANA
ANNUAL MEETING: The Northern Railway Pensioners Welfare Association held its annual general meeting at the railway institute here on Sunday. Mr Amarjit Singh Bhatia, senior vice-president, SAD and an SGPC member was the chief guest. Members of the association alleged that the attitude of the Railways and the Finance Ministry was not sympathetic towards their demands.

PHILLAUR
SUICIDE: Pawan Kumar (44) committed suicide by allegedly consuming poison at Ramgarh village on Sunday. A case has been registered and the body sent for a post-mortem examination.

DESTROYED: Wheat crop cultivated in 15.5 acres were destroyed in a fire that broke out due spark emanating from high tension wires at Raipur Raian village on Thursday.

TARN TARAN
CRUSHED: Sheetu, a 14-year-old boy of Dhotian village, was crushed to death by a truck on Saturday. A case has been registered.

CHANDIGARH

SEMINAR: A three-day seminar on “Near contemporary and later perspective on the Khalsa, organised by Panjab University and the Institute of Punjab Studies at the ICSSR auditorium of the university, began here on Monday. It was inaugurated by Captain Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, Punjab. In all 28 speakers are participating in the seminar. Six speakers Dr Kharak Singh, Dr Gurnam Kaur, Prof Nirbhai Singh, Prof H.S. Shan, Prof Gurtej Singh and Prof J.S. Grewal spoke on rahitnama of Chaupa Singh, gurbilas of Bhai Sukhna and Guru Kian Sakhian.

INCENTIVES GIVEN: The Haryana Government is giving various incentives to farmers in the State to help them sow more cash crops like sunflower so as to increase their income. The Deputy Commissioner of Ambala, Mr Ram Niwas, said that 680 mini-kits of hybrid sunflower seeds were distributed free of cost among farmers in the district to give boost to sunflower cultivation during 1999-2000. Fertilisers and pesticides were also made available to the farmers at 50 per cent subsidy for demonstration plots.

HARYANA

AMBALA
CEC URGED: A former District Bar Association President, Mr O.P. Malik, in a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Dr M.S. Gill, has urged him to reconsider the proposal debarring a candidate from contesting elections against whom a charge has been framed in a criminal case in court. Mr Malik said that until and unless a person is convicted by court, he is presumed to be innocent. He said that politicians get their opponents involved in criminal cases so as to get them debarred from contesting against them, but it is observed that such false cases result in acquittal.

KAITHAL
RUN OVER: Chander Bhan of Guliana village on the Kaithal-Jind road was killed when he was run over by a truck on Saturday. According to information, the truck driver lost the control of the vehicle. Suman (12) and another woman Chanderpati were also injured in the accident. A case has been registered.

COMPLAINT LODGED: On a complaint lodged by the mother of Manjit Kaur (20), who died here on Saturday at Amargarh Colony, a case has been registered under Sections 406, 498 and 304-B; IPC, against Rajinder Singh, husband of Manjit Kaur, his father Swaran Singh and his mother Gurneet Kaur.

SIRSA
PROCUREMENT CENTRES: After heavy loss due to fire in different procurement centres of the district the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Amit Jha, has directed the SDMs to personally inspect the procurement centres and ensure the lifting of wheat within stipulated time. He said this here on Saturday after reviewing the arrangements. He disclosed that agencies had been allotted purchase centres, anaj mandis and godowns and bags for packing 5 lakh ton of wheat have also already been arranged.

INJURED: Aka Ram was injured when he tried to save a man from five persons who attacked him with sharp edged weapons, according to information received here on Saturday. He was admitted to the Civil Hospital. In another incident Sandeep, a 10-year-old boy, was injured when the jeep in which he was travelling overturned while trying to save a two-wheeler. The boy has been referred to Rohtak Medical College.

SONEPAT
ATTACKED: Mr Prabhu Dayal, a shopkeeper, sustained serious injuries when he was attacked with a knife and robbed of Rs 7,700 by four armed miscreants at Ganaur town, 20 km from here on Sunday. According to preliminary reports, the incident occurred near the subzi mandi around 8.15 p.m. when the shopkeeper was returning home.

DEMANDS’ CHARTER: A deputation of the striking teachers of the local CRZ Senior Secondary School called on the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala in Delhi on Sunday and submitted a charter of demands to him. Mr Chautala assured them that he would look into the matter sympathetically.

ARRESTED: The Ganaur police arrested Gopal and Narinder of Atayal village on Sunday and recovered stolen property worth several thousands of rupees from them.

MEMORANDUM: Mr Kabool Singh of Bhatgaon village sent a memorandum to the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, on Monday demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the murderous assault on his two sons in the village. He alleged that the police were pressurising him to compromise with the assailants.

STRIKE CALL: Mr Ishwar Singh, a leader of the Democratic Youth Organisation, announced here on Monday that the workers affiliated to the organisation would join the proposed strike on May 11 on a call given by some Left parties in protest against the price rise.

2 DEAD: A family quarrel led to the death of an eight-year-old girl by poisoning at Jakhauli village, 20 km from here, on Saturday. According to a report, a 30-year-old housewife, Munesh, fed up by alleged atrocities of her husband Rajpal, gave poisonous substance to her daughter and then swallowed it herself. The daughter died on the spot but Munesh was taken to a Delhi hospital where her condition is stated to be serious. The Rai police has registered a case. The body of the girl has been sent for the post-mortem examination.

ARRESTED: The city police has arrested Raju, a resident of Kalan Mohalla, on a charge of gambling under the garb of selling lottery tickets in the lottery bazar near Tarana cinema house here, on Saturday. A case has been registered against the culprit.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
PROBE DEMANDED: The HP State Employees Confederation has urged the government to order judicial or CBI inquiry into suspicious death of Mr Chhote Lal Verma, a PA of the Deputy Commissioner, here while he was sleeping alone in his government quarters at Changar Sector some two and half years ago. This was stated here on Saturday by the Confederation State Chief Advisor, Mr Ram Singh.

PROTEST: As many as 300 Youth Congress activists led by the State President, Mr Sukhvinder Singh, staged a dharna on the national highway here, on Saturday. They were protesting against anti-youth and anti-poor policies of the government.

KULU
BODY FOUND: The body of a woman, allegedly murdered, was found at the funeral ground at Manikaran on Saturday. A one-and-a-half-year-old child, who had some injuries, was found near the body, which has been sent for a post-mortem examination. A case under Section 302, IPC, has been registered.

NAHAN
ARRESTED: The Renuka police has arrested four persons and seized a truck carrying 49 bags of “bhang” leaves at a naka near Dadahu. This was stated by Mr Satinder Pal Singh, Superintendent of Police, Sirmour, on Saturday. A case has been registered.

SUNDERNAGAR
OUT OF ORDER: Four telephone exchanges at Suki Bain, Baadu, Kamand Devi in Gohar subdivision have been out of order for the past three days. Residents of the subdivision have appealed to the Telecommunication Minister to look into the matter.

UNA
GOVERNOR’S VISIT: Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri, Governor of Himachal Pradesh, on Friday visited Dera Baba Rudru, a religious place where 1008 Brahmins are busy performing pooja for world peace and Narayani Mahayagya is being conducted. He also visited Sadashiv Bhuvneshwar Mahadev Mandir at Talmera village, 32 km from here.