R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Income Tax Bar Association: patron — Mr Puran Singh, president — Mr Ranjit Singh Makhni, vice-president — Mr M.S. Anand, secretary — Mr Lakhwinder Singh Bhatia and joint-secretary — Mr Brij Sharma.

DHURI
SEMINAR: A seminar was organised on Saturday at Arya Senior Secondary School to create awareness about the purpose of Lok Adalats and free legal services. It was presided over by the District and Sessions Judge-cum-Chairman, Free Legal Aid Services, Mr R.M. Gupta. He said 3,036 cases had been settled through Lok Adalats and 789 applicants provided with free legal aid.

HOSHIARPUR
ELECTED: In an organisational elections held here on Saturday, Mr Shiv Kumar Sud has been unanimously elected President of the local unit, (urban) of the BJP, whereas Mr Jagtar Singh has been elected President of the local unit (rural) of the BJP.

FOUNDATION STONE: A sum of Rs 1 crore has been earmarked to widen 11 km-long Ajowal-Mehangrowal road. This was stated by Mr Tikshan Sud, Minister for Excise and Taxation Punjab, while addressing a gathering at Samcha village, 6 km from here, on Saturday. More than 24 villages located in Kandi area of this district would benefit from it. He also inaugurated a newly constructed link road and announced a grant of Rs 50,000 for the development of the village. Earlier, Mr Sud, had also inaugurated newly constructed rooms at Government High School, Adahwal.

PATIALA
CAR STOLEN: A white Maruti car (HR-06-A-5655) owned by Mr Mukesh Gupta was stolen from near Garden Resort hotel here on Friday. A case under Section 379 of the IPC has been registered at Civil Lines Police Station.

ZIRAKPUR
HELD WITH PISTOL: The police has arrested, Shankar Kumar, alias Fauji, for possessing a country-made pistol of .315 bore along with five cartridges. The police has also recovered a car which he was using after fixing a fictitious registration number on it. The accused, a resident of Murnadabad district in West Bengal, was arrested at a naka on the Zirakpur-Panchkula road near Dhakauli village along with the pistol and a car (HR-01-0541) which he had allegedly stolen from Ambala.

CHANDIGARH

AIR POLLUTION: Occupants of hundreds of HIG houses in Sector 38 (West) are being forced to live under conditions of air pollution being caused by burning of garbage in the vicinity of houses. Complaints of suffocation due to poor quality of air have also been received from the area.

10-DAY COURSE: The International Organisation of Prajapita Brahamkumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya is organising a 10-day stress management course based on western scientific techniques and moral values at the Rajyoga Bhavan, Sector 33-A here from May 1.

200 EXAMINED: As many as 200 patients were examined during a free eye and dental health care camp, organised at Sood Bhavan, Sector 44-A, on Sunday organised by the Sood Sabha. The patients were provided free consultation and medicines by Dr Neeraj Sood and Dr Sachin Sood.

196 SCREENED: As many as 196 persons were screened for ENT problems during a free medical check-up camp, organised at Hallo Majra village on Sunday The camp was organised by Department of Community Medicine, GMCH-32, in collaboration with the State Bank of India, Medical Institute Branch. In another camp, organised by the Sector 37 branch of State Bank Of India, 40 patients were examined for ear, nose and throat problems. DR M.L Jaiswal examined the patients. Free medicines were also distributed by M/s National Trading Agencies.

WORKSHOP: Mr A.D. Nagpal, National Secretary, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, has been invited to participate in the Regional Workshop on Fiscal and Monetary issues, and IFI's (International Financial Institutions) policies in South Asia from May 5 to 8 at Colombo, Sri Lanka. The workshop is being organised by ICFTU-APRO (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions - Asia Pacific Regional Organisation). He will present a paper on fiscal and monetary issues.

AWARD: The city based Sardar Mehar Singh Rawel Memorial Charitable Society on Sunday announced the institution an award for best journalist in Punjabi and a fellowship for best researcher. Prof Harnam Singh Shan, formerly from Panjab University, said the awardee will get Rs 15,000 and a citation. The society also announced the institution of a fellowship with a monthly assistance of Rs 750 to students doing doctorates on Sikh religion, history, philosophy, sociology or literature from any Indian university. Mehar Singh was a well known writer, thinker and journalist.

VACCINATED: The local chapter of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals organised a mass anti-rabies vaccination and deworming camp at Palsora village here where 33 dogs were vaccinated and 37 other canines were dewormed. Besides, 10 other animals were treated for various ailments.

SAS NAGAR
PLEA: A deputation of the Anti-Encroachment Committee on Saturday met the Principal Secretary, Local Government, seeking that no person should be allowed to contest the forthcoming municipal council elections without giving an undertaken that he had not encroached upon public land. A no-objection certificate from PUDA could also be made mandatory, said committee President Narinder Singh Minhas.