R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BARNALA
SEMINAR: “Over the past three-four years, the popularity of the Punjab Human Rights Commission has increased because it has tried to safeguard the human rights”. These views were expressed by Mr A.P. Bhatnagar, Additional Director General of Police while delivering a key-note address here yesterday at a seminar entitled Human Rights Awareness organised by the World Common Front under the aegis of the World Human Rights Protection Council.

JALANDHAR
ANTI TB CAMPAIGN: An anti-TB campaign will be launched in Punjab shortly by the Health Department with the cooperation of the District Administrations. This campaign will work according to the directly observed treatment short course programme introduced by the Government of India in 430 districts of the country.

DEMANDED: The Punjab Police Services Welfare Association has demanded that officers from para-military forces who are on deputation with the Punjab Police should immediately be sent back. The association at its meeting here yesterday, said the promotion channels for the Punjab Police cadre officials had been blocked due to over stay of these officers. The association also demanded that SSPs should not be allowed to make any change in their places of postings.

ARRESTED: The district police claims to have busted a gang of robbers indulged in a Rs 8.5 lakh robbery which had taken place in Ludhiana last month. Gaurav Yadav, the accused who had been identified as Vimal Kumar, a resident of Ludhiana, Sanjay Kumar, Raj Kumar, Navdeep Singh and Sanju, all of Amritsar, who had attacked and snatched a bag containing cash and bank draft worth Rs 8.5 lakh from one Pankaj Aggarwal, an employee of a Ludhiana-based firm, were arrested while they were planning a robbery near Talwandi Abdan village on April 29.

CAMPAIGN: The Sanatan Dharam Samaj will form a “Hindu Nayaya Peeth” at Hardwar soon to strengthen the “Gau Bachao” ( cow saving) campaign. Jagadguru Shankaracharaya, who was here in connection with the Sanatan Dharam Mahasammelan at Devi Talab Mandir, said yesterday that there was a need for such organisations to save the Hindutava and their sacred places. He said Sanatan Dharam relates all Indians with nationality.

KHARAR
FOUNDATION STONE LAID: The foundation stone of “Shri Ram Bhawan” was laid on Sunday by Swami Ji Nadi Paar Kurali Wale and Mahant Ganga Puri Ji of Arunai (near Pehowa) amidst reciting of hymns and shlokas by local residents.

MALERKOTLA
INJURED: Seven persons, including a scooterist, were injured when a jeep in which they were travelling was hit by a truck coming from opposite direction near Randvan village here yesterday. All injured persons have been admitted to local Civil Hospital.

PATIALA
MOURNING: Ramesh Handa, an SDO with the Punjab State Electricity Board and a theatre artiste, died of nervous breakdown after bypass heart surgery at Escorts Hospital, New Delhi. His friends and admirers attended uthala ceremony at Gita Bhawan on Monday. The demise of Jasdev Singh Sandhu, Chairman of the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board, was also condoled.

BEST STUDENT AWARD: Vinod Sharma, of Class VIII was awarded the best student award at the annual function of Kendriya Vidyalaya number-3, Patiala cantonment, organised on the school premises on Saturday.

CHANDIGARH

OFFICE BEARERS: Mr P.K. Vasudeva of Chandigarh has been elected Circle President of the Income Tax Employees Federation North West Circle Group ‘C’, Chandigarh. Other office-bearers are: Vice-President — Mr Subash Sharma; General Secretary — Mr Srishti Bhargava; Joint Secretary — Mr K.K. Mahajan; Organising Secretary — Mr Gurdial Singh; Finance Secretary — Mr B.L. Uppal and Assistant Circle Secretaries — Mr Ashok Kumar and Mr D.S. Narwal.Questions out of syllabus.

GRACE MARKS SOUGHT: Students of MA Part II, Panjab University History Department, in a representation submitted to the Controller of Examinations, alleged on Monday that four questions in Papers III and IV social and cultural history of India (1200-1750 AD) were out of syllabus. They stated that question number II, II and IV in part- A and question number IV in part-B were not in accordance with the syllabus recommended by Panjab University. They appealed to the authorities that grace marks be given to them in the said paper. The Panjab University Campus Students’ Council President, Mr DPS Randhawa, also urged the authorities concerned to ensure that papers were set in accordance with the syllabus.

NEW TREASURY OFFICER: Mr S.L. Garg has been appointed new Treasury Officer of Chandigarh after the retirement of Mr K.C. Thakur, Mr Garg has earlier worked as District Treasury Officer at Patiala, Bathinda, Sangrur and Faridkot.

LECTURES IN ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION: The Department of Correspondence Studies, Panjab University, will conduct seven lectures in environment education for the students of B.Com I and II. According to an official release, the lectures will be organised from May 9 to 14 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

COLLEGE STAFF PLEDGE TO WORK HARD: The staff working in Government College Sector 46 took a pledge on Monday to work hard for the betterment of the institution. Presiding over the function organised to mark Labour Day, the college Principal, Major D.P. Singh (retd), called upon the staff members to work with dedication and sincerity for the upliftment of the college. Mr Ram Avtar, President of Employees Welfare Association also spoke.

MEDICAL SCHEME: Persons who obtained voluntary retirement on or after November 1, 1993, will be entitled to the pensionary benefits as per a Supreme Court ruling recently, according to a press note of the Punjab National Bank Retired Officers Association issued here. The last date of obtaining the membership of the PNB Retired Officers Contributory Medical Benefit Scheme has also been extended to June 30.

SAS NAGAR
MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS: Residents of Phase 3B2, in a resolution passed on Sunday, announced to support the candidature of Mr Surjit Singh Grewal, a social worker, for the forthcoming municipal elections. The residents would field Mr Grewal from ward 12.

HARYANA

AMBALA
POSTAL EMPLOYEES HOLD MEETING: A meeting of postal employees was held on Monday on the eve of the proposed indefinite strike from tomorrow by all postal, RMS, MMS, administrative, postal accounts and ED employees. The employees spoke about the “anti-employee” policy towards them. Among others, the demands include upgradation of entry scale of group D, entry scale of postman to be given w.e.f. 1.1.96 instead of 10.10.97, upgradation of TBOP/BCR scales in all cadres, grant of two additional increments to PO and RMS accountants and higher pay scales for stenographers, a release said.

SONEPAT
ENCROACHMENT REMOVED: Mr Dharampal, SDM, removed the illegal occupation of 112 acres of public land at Khewra village, about 15 km from here, yesterday. As many as 10 persons who had illegally occupied the land were penalised and asked to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 each. According to official sources, the land had been illegally occupied by the influential persons about 10 years ago.

CHAUTALA VISIT: Mr Ajay Chautala, MP and President of the youth wing of the Indian National Lok Dal, will be arriving here on May 3 to address a rally of party workers in connection with the mass contact campaign. According to party sources, the visit is a part of the party’s programme to strengthen the party base in the state.

PROBE DEMANDED: the Haryana Nagrik Parishad today urged the state government to order a vigilance probe into the public complaints about the issuing of fake driving licences by the officials of the licensing branch of the Sub-Divisional Officer’s (Civil) office at Gohana in this district. The Parishad has alleged that some touts are active and they are charging between Rs 700 and Rs 1,000 from the people in lieu of one driving licence.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
TOLL TAX: Some two dozen ex-servicemen transporters here have strongly criticised the hike in toll tax on Kandraur bridge near here from April 1 and demanded that the government should reconsider this decision. They said toll tax barriers should be removed and no tax at all should be charged from vehicles as was the case in Sundernagar and Mandi.DHARNA: Led by state Vice-President Parasram Parmar and district Senior Vice-President Sukhdev Bhatia, leaders of district unit of INTUC staged a three-hour dharna and held a demonstration outside the office of Executive Engineer here. They expressed their resentment against the failure of officers concerned to implement government orders regarding the payment of wages and non-regularisation of daily wagers who have completed nine years in service.

DALHOUSIE
RE-DEMARCATE AREAS: Mr Des Raj, Chairman of Chamba Zila Parishad, has requested Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal to issue directions to the authorities to re-demarcate the designated area as declared in and around Khajjiar hill resort under the Special Area Development Authority (SADA). He urged that with the re-demarcation of designated area, the village areas should be excluded from SADA.

NAHAN
CONTRIBUTION: Responding to the appeal by Mr Rakesh Kaushal, Deputy Commissioner, Sirmour, for the conservation of water, Mr Sheikh Imtiaz Ahmed alias “Bhai Jaan” contributed Rs 20,000 for pucca tank in this town. This contribution was made under the “Vikas Main jan Sahyoga” scheme. A meeting for planned development of pucca tank has been fixed on May 2 at the SDM office here.

SHIMLA
BOOK RELEASED: Mr Virbhadra Singh, leader of the opposition, here yesterday released “Patterns of destiny” a book authored by Major Vijay Mankotia, a former minister. The book captures trauma of Partition, the role of the then political leadership, through the eyes of the young boy.

Seminar concluded: A three-day national seminar on “Energy efficient buildings with solar passive concepts”, which concluded here yesterday, had recommended introduction of energy star classification of buildings in the country to encourage people to use solar passive technology in construction of houses. It also urged the government to initiate rating of computer softwares and accreditation of architects, building professionals and scientists for the purpose.

UNA
MEDICAL CAMP: The Una branch of the State Bank of India yesterday organised an ENT check up camp at the Sainik Rest House. According to Branch Manager S.C. Kaistha, this is a part of nationwide campaign.