R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

REGIONAL POTPOURRI
‘Intruder’ in temple complex
THERE is a spanking new “intruder” in the compound of the famous Bhima Kali Mandir at Sarahan. Last winter, the place was serene and worshipful, but this summer it has become a new night attraction for tourists with a 60-ft-high halogen lamp floodlit tower cutting into the beautiful frame of the temple compound.

PUNJAB

FATEHGARH SAHIB
NEW DC: Mr B.S. Sudan, has taken over as the Deputy Commissioner of the district on Wednesday. Mr V.K. Janjua, outgoing Deputy Commissioner, introduced Mr Sudan to the district officers. Mr Sudan paid obeisance at Fatehgarh Sahib Gurdwara. He urged the district officials to sort out the problem of public on priority basis and warned that the corruption would not be tolerated.

FEROZEPORE
SEIZED: The District police has seized 700 kg of poppy husk. On specific information the police raided the house of one Sukhdev Singh, son of Dalip Singh Majbi, a resident of Wara Jaida village, and seized 20 bags of poppy husk (35 kg in each). Sukhdev Singh was arrested on the spot, while his accomplices Suba Singh and Tarsem Singh, a resident of Jhaggian Jalal, managed to escape. A case has been registered.

GARHSHANKAR
NOMINATED: Mr Umrao Singh, President of the State Human Rights Wing, has nominated Dr Ranjit Singh as President, Mr Sarvan Singh as General Secretary, and Mr D.L. Anand as member of the Human Rights Wing, of the district unit of the Congress.

JALANDHAR
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Noor Press Club (Nurmahal): president — Mr Surjit Singh Jandiala, vice-president — Mr Santokh Sangha; general secretary — Mr Suman Shampuri; secretary — Mr Akhtar Hussain; treasurer — Mr Rajinder Singh Bilga and legal adviser — Mr Tarsem Jandiala.

LUDHIANA
'DISMISS' FAROOQ: The National President of All-India Shiv Sena, Mr Jagdish Tangri, on Tuesday urged the Union Government to dismiss the Farooq Abdullah government and put the state under President’s rule. Addressing a public meeting here on Tuesday, Mr Tangri called for effective measures to deal with terrorists who were resorting to indiscriminate killings of Hindus and Sikhs in the valley. The growing sense of insecurity among the minorities could pose serious threat to integrity and unity of the nation, he added.

FLAYED: The Republican Party of India (RPI) has voiced its strong opposition against the formation of the Constitution review commission and termed it as anti-people and against the larger interests of the country. In other resolutions adopted by the party at the birthday celebrations of Dr B R Ambedkar here, it criticised the hike in prices of essential commodities, bid to privatise government sector and demanded implementation of the reservation policy and the Mandal Commission report.

PROTEST: A delegation of the Punjab Waste Dealers Association lead by Mr Amrit Lal Jain, President, Beopar Mandal, Punjab, will meet Mr Sudhir Mittal, Excise and Taxation Commissioner, to protest against the four per cent sales tax imposed on yarn and hosiery wastes. This was stated here on Tuesday by Mr Sunil Mehra, president of the Association. The Executive Committee of the Association had been dissolved and fresh elections would be held on May 13, he added.

MALPRACTICES: There is need to set-up a district-level vigilance committee under the over all control of the Divisional Commissioners in the state to check malpractices in the privately managed and government aided schools and colleges. Drawing the attention of the Punjab Chief Minister and the Education Minister towards exhorbitant tuition fee, donations and other charges being collected by the educational institutions, the Anti-Corruption Council of India, Indian Crime Prevention Society, Lal Bahadur Shastri Social Forum and the Ludhiana Sewa Sangh have demanded that stern action should be taken against the offenders for violating the government norms.

NANGAL
NOMINATED: Mr K.R. Singh, Manager (HRD) in National Fertilisers Limited (NFL), has been nominated to the Board of Apprenticeship Training (northern region). This Board is sponsored by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The board is responsible for the implementation of Apprentices Act, 1961, in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

PATIALA
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Small-Scale Industries Association: president — Dr Harkirat Singh, secretary — Mr Davinder Singh, treasurer — Mr Arun Rehlan and PRO — Mr D.P.S. Hazara.

PHAGWARA
GRIEVANCES: The Punjab Improvement Trust Retired Employees Association at a meeting held here, on Wednesday, sought the intervention of the Principal Secretary and the Director, Local Bodies, Punjab, for redressing their grievances, including unwarranted delay in payment of pensions and arrears. The meeting was presided over by Mr Ajit Singh Pahwa.

ARRESTED: The president of the local Truck Operators Union and two other truck operators were arrested by the police under Sections 365, 341, 342, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC for assaulting drivers and conductors of two tractor-trolley last month. They were remanded in police custody by a local court.

REINSTATE: A meeting of the Punjab Tourism Karamchari Joint Action Committee was held here on Tuesday. A deputation of the committee called on the Punjab Tourism Minister, Mr Swarna Ram, at the PWD Rest House to demand reinstatement of two employees who were suspended last week after the Minister had conducted a surprise check of a restaurant at PTDC Complex. A press note issued by Mr Surjit Saini and Mr Mangal Singh Hundal, Conveners of the committee, on Wednesday claimed that the Minister had assured to reinstate them.

CHANDIGARH

SRC DIRECTOR: Air Marshal R.S. Bedi (retd) has been elected Director of the Strategic Research Centre (SRC), a non-profit and non-government organisation. The other office-bearers are: Deputy Director — Col D.S. Cheema (retd); Secretary — Dr Rakesh Datta; and Treasurer — Dr D. Goel.

RICE PRICE: The Chandigarh Administration has refixed the price of levy rice both for the above and below poverty line consumers. The price for consumers above the poverty line will be Rs 1240.01 per quintal while for those below poverty line, it will be Rs 624.05 per quintal. This will include sales tax. The retail price would be Rs 12.44 per kg for those above the poverty line and Rs 6.28 per kg for those below the poverty line.

TALENT RESEARCH: The National Institute of Professional Techniques will organise an inter-school talent search competition on May 6 at its premises in Sector 34-A. The competitions will be open for school children of age groups between 8 and 16 years. The competitions will include essay writing, collage making, slogan writing and sketching and painting.

AUDIT STAFF: In response to a call given by the National Audit Association, members of the Haryana Civil Audit Association, all Group 'C' officials refused to draw their salary for the month of April in support of their various demands, including pay parity for senior auditors with that of Assistants of Central Secretariat.

ELECTED : Dr Sukhdev Singh has been elected President of the Chandigarh Senior Citizens Council. The other office-bearers are: Vice-President — Dr S.P. Puri; Secretary — Mr B.D. Sharma; and Finance Secretary — Mr A.S. Sodhi. — TNS

COMPUTER COURSE: The local unit of the Young Men's Christian Association will conduct the fourth batch of Computer Education for Women from the third week of May where matriculate women in the 15 to 25 years of age group shall be eligible to join. There will be 25 seats for this one-year course. Preference will be given to women from backward classes, economically vulnerable sections, orphans, semi-orphans, widowed, divorced or separated women. The project is sponsored by the Central Social Welfare Board.

GOLD ORNAMENT: Mr Bijan Abdolkarimi, a foreigner living in Sector 19 (H. No 82), said on Tuesday that his son found a piece of gold ornament during his walk at Sukhna lake on Monday. The owner can collect this piece of gold jewellery by giving its identification signs.

ELECTED: Mr Inder Lal Batra, President, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, has been elected President of the Chandigarh Wholesale Cloth Merchants Association. The other office-bearers are: Senior Vice-President — Mr Charanjiv Singh; Vice-Presidents — Mr Bhupinder Singh and Mr Gurinder Singh; General Secretary — Mr Bharat Bhushan Jain; and Finance Secretary — Mr Iqbal Singh.

HARYANA

AMBALA
OPENED: The primary wing of Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2, Ambala cantonment, on Wednesday inaugurated by Air Cmde K.S. Chima. The building has been built by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan at a cost of Rs 70 lakh for primary students. — TNS

FATEHABAD
WHEAT DESTROYED: Wheat crop on 12 acres and wheat straw and fodder in about 500 acres of land was destroyed in a fire that broke out in the fields of Hamjapur-Gurusar-Palsar and Ahrwan on Monday evening. Fire engines from Fatehabad, Rattia and Tohana took five hours to control it. According to reports, the fire started from the fields of Hamjapur and due to gusty winds on Sunday, it spread to the neighbouring fields of Gurusar, Palsar and Ahrwan.

DROWNED: Teetu, a resident of Munak in Punjab died due to drowning in the Bhakhra main canal at Tohana in this district on Tuesday. According to reports, Teetu had come to Tohana to see a film along with his friend Madan. The duo consumed liquor and then jumped into the canal. While Madan swam to safety, Teetu was drowned.

ARRESTED: A motor vehicle Inspector working in the Regional Transport Authority office, has been arrested for issuing driving licences and passing the vehicles against the forged documents. Mr Radhey Sham, president, Bar Association, Tohana, had lodged a complaint with the police against Ram Lal, a motor vehicle Inspector working in the RTA office of Hisar. The police has registered a case under Sections 420, 468, 471 and 120 of the IPC and arrested the accused.

EIGHT HELD: The police has arrested two persons for stealing a Maruti car and six others for illegal trafficking of liquor. According to reports, Ranbir and Ram Kumar, both residents of Jind, were arrested and a Maruti car (HR 23-A-2878) was seized from them. Bahadur Chand, Ashok Kumar, Sansi, Dalip Singh, Surat Singh and Surjit Singh were arrested for illegal trafficking of liquor and 80 bottles of liquor were seized from them.

KURUKSHETRA
MUSEUM: There has been an increase in the number of visitors to Shri Krishna Museum maintained by the Kurukshetra Development Board. Stating this here on Monday the Chief Executive Officer of the Kurukshetra Development Board, Mr Girish Arora, said that 1,52,230; 1,60,372 and 1,65,153 pilgrims visited the museum in 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000, respectively. The board has also proposed to install a bronze statue of Venu Gopal (Lord Krishna playing on a flute and standing in front of a cow), in the front lawns of the museum, Mr Arora added.

REWARI
SOLAR LANTERNS: Due to the persistence of the erratic power supply in rural areas of the district the demand for solar lanterns has increased in various villages of the Rewari and Jatusana blocks where an integrated energy programme was launched by the District Rural Development Agency. The Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Sumita Mishra, said 133 solar lanterns were supplied at subsidised rates to the villagers in the past one year, besides 950 others were now on the waiting list.

SIRSA
BAIL GRANTED: Dr Amar Singh Sidhu has been granted bail in the much talked about death case of Rekha at his nursing home. Rekha, a lab technician, in a local private nursing home of Dr Sidhu, had died of burn injuries on April 14. Dr Sidhu was arrested under sections 306 and 376 of the IPC. The doctor was remanded in judicial custody till May 10 by the lower court. The District and Sessions Judge has accepted his bail application.

WHEAT ARRIVAL: The district takes the lead as far as wheat arrival is concerned. According to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Amit Jha, more than 4014 lakh metric ton of wheat has so far arrived in the mandis out of which 4.13 lakh metric ton have been purchased by various government agencies. However, lifting of wheat is reported to be going on at a slow pace in Kalanwali mandi.

SONEPAT
ARRESTED: The city police, has arrested a bookseller on a charge of selling fake text-books sponsored by the Board of School Education here, on Tuesday. According to official sources, the arrest followed a surprise raid at the shop of this bookseller and recovery of fake text-books from it.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

SHIMLA
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the HP State Ayurvedic Ministerial Staff Association: president — Mr Naresh Gupta; senior vice-president — Mr Tilak Kishore; vice-presidents — mr Ram Rattan Dogra and Mr Shiv Ram Sharma and general secretary — Mr Satya Prakash.

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

‘Intruder’ in temple complex

THERE is a spanking new “intruder” in the compound of the famous Bhima Kali Mandir at Sarahan.

Last winter, the place was serene and worshipful, but this summer it has become a new night attraction for tourists with a 60-ft-high halogen lamp floodlit tower cutting into the beautiful frame of the temple compound.

This is one more example of insensitive bureaucrats taking decisions on preserving, and highlighting heritage sites in the country. It is high time that the pole is shifted outside the temple compound.

National leprosy team in Yamunanagar

A high-level team of the Union Government comprising Dr J.S. Ponniah (Chairman) and Dr C.R. Revankar and Dr A.K. Sood visited Yamunanagar to evaluate the work done under the national leprosy programme.

Dr D.R. Chugh, Yamunanagar’s Civil Surgeon, stated that the team had visited many villages and leper colonies in the twin towns of Yamunanagar and Jagadhri to verify the leprosy cases reported during the second modified leprosy campaign in February and March.

He said the team was highly impressed with the work done by the leprosy team and other medical officers and workers of the Health Department.

Dr Chugh explained the work done during the past five years. They were impressed with the training given to doctors and paramedical staff during the campaign. They were also impressed with various activities undertaken by the District Leprosy Society as a result of which 11 cases had been detected. There were banners and wall paintings in villages and towns. The team also visited the District Hospital and interacted with doctors of the Civil Hospital.

Dr Chugh said the team also met the Deputy Commissioner, and explained its findings to him.

He served even after death

Mr Sunder Lal Saraf, who kept on taking pains for the uplift of the poor in his lifetime, also served Mankind even after death. Both his eyes were donated and transplanted on two visually handicapped persons at Patiala after his death in Bathinda on March 15.

A philanthropist, Mr Saraf started his career in 1921 when he joined a private job at the salary of 50 paisa per month. Mr Saraf, who never went to school, made it a point to educate needy students as he always advocated that it was better to be unborn than be uneducated.

To provide education to needy students, he provided stipends and scholarships to hundreds of students aspiring to become professionals. He also founded the Sunder Lal Saraf Charitable Trust.

Apart from promoting education among the have-nots and deprived sections of society, Mr Saraf also arranged the marriage of poor girls of this region.

A strong believer in Jainism, Mr Saraf built a Jain temple on his own and remained president of Sri Atmanand Jain Sabha for decades.

Contributed by Gautam Kaul, Ashwani Dutta and Chander Parkash.