R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
DEMONSTRATION: Employees of the local division of the Insurance Employees Union held a demonstration on Wednesday in protest against the anti-employees attitude of the Divisional Manager. Mr G.S. Walia, general secretary, Mr Sanjeev Handa, president, Mr Kishan Lal, joint secretary and Mr Vijay Mahajan,vice-president, spoke against the anti-employees policies of the management.

BATALA
SDM ASSUMES CHARGE: Mr Pardeep Sabharwal took over the charge as SDM, Batala on Wednesday in place of Mr Ajay Kumar Sinha, who transferred to Mukatsar as Additional Deputy Commissioner.

GURDASPUR
CASE REGISTERED: Balwinder Singh (34), a resident of Kharal village, 5 km from here, was killed on the spot and his wife, Bholi, was injured in a family feud at the village on Tuesday. The police has registered a case under Sections 302 and 307, IPC, against Makhan Singh, Pappu, Karnail Singh and his son.

HOSHIARPUR
TRIBUTES PAID: Martyrdom Day of Balbir Singh, a Socialist leader who was gunned down by terrorists on May 10, 1985, was observed on Wednesday at a function organised at DAV Senior Secondary School here. Later Mr Sucha Singh Langah, Minister for PWD; Mr Tota Singh, Education Minister; Mr Tikshan Sud, State Minister for Excise and Taxation; Mr Balvir Singh Miani, State Minister for Higher Medical Education, Mr Ram Parkash Dass, President, VHP, Northern India; Mr Surjit Singh Minhas, a former Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha; and Mr Kamal Chaudhary, a former MP, and many others paid tributes to him.

DHARNA: On a call given by the Punjab Pharmacists Association, pharmacists of this district staged a dharna in front of the Civil Surgeon’s office here on Wednesday in protest against the callous behaviour of the Civil Surgeon, Hoshiarpur, towards their demands. Mr Surinder Ghai, Secretary, District Pharmacists Association, alleged that the Health Department had become a den of corruption. He demanded action against the Civil Surgeon.

CASE REGISTERED: The police has registered a case against Shiv Kumar, Manager, Hoshiarpur Gas Agency, on a charge of charging extra money from a customer. Mr R.P. Mittal, SSP, said on Wednesday that there were several complaints against the agency.

MALERKOTLA
DAL PLANS DHARNA: The Adhyapak Dal, Punjab, will stage a dharna in front of the Director, Public Instructions, Primary and Secondary, Punjab, at Chandigarh on May 23 in protest against the indifferent attitude of the government towards their long-pending demands, according to Mr Sinder Paul Singh, district press secretary of the dal.

THREE KILLED: Mohammad Shakoor (30), Mohammad Naasar (14) and Sardar Ali (28), residents of Raikot Phatak, the Saraud road and Madina Basati, respectively, were killed on Wednesday in a collision between a tempo and a truck at Campa Cola Chowk on the Malerkota-Ludhiana road.

CHANDIGARH

TECHNICAL TRIAL RANGES: To commemorate the National Technology Day, the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) opened its technical trial ranges at Ramgarh, near here, for the public. Various high technological capabilities and state-of-the-art technology used in the field of advance armament research were demonstrated on the occasion. TBRL Officiating Director, Dr S.K. Vasudeva, emphasised the role of TBRL during the last decade in the field of design, development and evaluation of armaments.

DISPENSARIES: Mr S.P. Jand, President of the Residents Welfare Society, has urged the UT Finance-cum-Health Secretary, Mr Rakesh Singh, to open more ayurvedic and homoepathic dispensaries in Chandigarh. He has urged the Health Secretary to get buildings constructed for the Sector 46 and 33 government ayurvedic dispensaries, since these are presently functioning from government quarters. Mr Jand had earlier brought the matter to the notice of the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, when he had visited the Sector 45 polyclinic for its inauguration.

DISPENSARY ISSUE IN LS: The local MP, Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, on Wednesday took up the matter of delay in the opening of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) dispensary in the city in the Lok Sabha. He pointed out that at present 25,000 Central Government employees and 10,000 pensioners reside in Chandigarh and adjoining towns. The retirees have been making this demand for the past two decades. Its establishment will result in savings on account of expenditure incurred on medical reimbursement. Mr Bansal emphasised that it is also a social obligation of the state towards the senior citizens.

GATE RALLY: The joint action committee of the Sector 16 General Hospital held a gate meeting on Wednesday in support of their demands such as hike in prices, privatisation of various government departments and grant of patient-care allowance. The union of Class IV employees working in the hospital and dispensaries has already submitted a memorandum listing its demands.

PANCHKULA
BALMIKI-HARIJAN RELATIONS: Striving to build bridges between Balmikis and Harijans would be a priority with the newly appointed member of the Rajya Sabha, Mr Fakir Chand Maulana. He said laying stress on re-establishing political and social relations between the two communities would be the thrust of his efforts. He said this while addressing a press conference at the house of the General Secretary of the Indian National Lok Dal, Mr Pradeep Chaudhary, on Thursday.

MOBILE VAN: The Panchkula chapter of the People for Animals was inaugurated by flagging off a mobile van for stray animals in the township in Sector 1 here on Wednesday. Mr K.P. Singh, a social worker, has been made in charge of the chapter. He said the mobile van would cater to animals which need immediate medical assistance.

HARYANA

AMBALA
CAMPAIGN:: The Haryana AIDS Control Society has planned to raise the awareness level of people on sexually transmitted diseases, reproductive diseases and AIDS in rural as well as slum areas of the state. The campaign will be launched on June 1.

SONEPAT
ELECTION: The Haryana Government has ordered the holding of on election for the post of the Chairman of the Sonepat Municipal Council on May 12. It was officially stated here on Thursday. However, the election of the Chairman of the Rai Panchayat Samiti will be held on May 14.

DONATED: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sudhir Rajpal, flagged off five trucks of fodder for the drought-hit Rajasthan from here on Wednesday. According to official sources, residents of Moi Majri, Sitawali, Juan, Mahra, Chitana, Pinana, Basodi, Palra, Kurar, and Hassanpur villages have donated it voluntarily on an appeal made by the Haryana Chief Minister.

CAMPAIGN: The Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, which recently launched a campaign to recover the pending bills, has so far recovered more than Rs 1 crore. The nigam has extended the date for depositing the bills till May 15. All collection centres of the nigam will work on May 14, according to Mr S.K. Honda, Superintending Engineer, UHBVN.

DEMANDED: Residents of the industrial area and mandi area on Thursday demanded transfer of the SDO, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, and an inquiry into the complaints about frequent power breakdowns and low voltage. They also alleged that the official concerned was indifferent to their complaints.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

PARWANOO
CITU STRIKE: The one-day all-India strike called by the CITU along with other trade union organisations ended here on Thursday. Activists of the CITU Trade Union collected in front of the ESI Hospital here in the morning and shouted slogans against the government for “anti-worker and anti-common people” policy. Kuldeep Singh, Member, state level committee of the CITU of HP criticised the government for the recent price hike of essential commodities. He added that the recent power tariff hike had hit the common people of the state very badly.