R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BATHINDA
ELECTED: Mr M.P. Jain has been unanimously elected as president of the Bathinda Sarafa Association. At the election meeting, Raja Karan Singh of Maharaja Jewellers consented to give 200 sq yards of land at Kamla Nehru Nagar to the association.

KAPURTHALA
PROTEST: Workers of the CPI (ML), the Kirti Kissan Union and the Pendu Mazdoor Union held a rally here on Monday in protest against the withdrawal of subsidised essential goods to workers and to press the government for the acceptance of the demands of farm labourers. They also submitted a memorandum to the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.S. Bains.

MOGA
DEAD: The mortal remains of veteran Akali leader and former SGPC member Bhajan Singh, who died on Saturday, were consigned to the flames at his native village, Chucharchak, in the district on Sunday. Punjab Education Minister Tota Singh, local MLA Bhag Singh Malha, SGPC member Gurdev Singh and other Akali leaders were present at the cremation.

NAWANSHAHR
PROGRAMME: The Budh Dharam Prachar Samiti and the Field Publicity Department of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting jointly organised a programme at Ambedkar Model School here on Sunday. Mr Ashok Kumar Diwan, Joint Director, Regional Directorate, Field Publicity Office, Chandigarh, presided over the function. A declamation contest was also organised on the occasion.

SEMINAR: The Kendriya Punjab Rang Manch Sabha organised a seminar on the works of Punjabi playwright Dr Devinder Kumar at the local JSFH Khalsa High School, on Sunday. Dr Satish Kumar Verma, Reader, Punjabi Department, Punjabi University, Patiala, presided over the seminar.

PATHANKOT
PROGRAMME: Mr Mohan Lal, Minister of Higher Education, inaugurated an all-India mushaira at Government Girls Senior Secondary School here on Saturday. Mr Gopal Dass Neeraj (Aligarh), Dr Bashir Badar (Bhopal), Mr Rahat Indori (Mumbai) and Mr Sheen Kaaf Nizaam (Jodhpur) were present among others in the programme.

CHANDIGARH

PRIVATISATION: The CITCO Workers Union, at its executive committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Mr Brij Mohan, President, here on Monday, condemned the move of the Chandigarh Administration to privatise the Hotel Shivalikview. According to a press note, the hotel is a profit-making establishment of CITCO. If privatisation is allowed, the workers would lose their source of livelihood, it feared. The press note warned that if the administration did not withdraw the move, the union would launch an agitation.

SOCIETY: The Chandigarh Vayu Barti Cooperative House Building Society has urged the Chandigarh Administration to grant one more month to cooperative societies that have to deposit the first instalment of land by May 31. The society said since the cost of land had been enhanced, it was difficult for members to deposit the sum in such a short span. The society has also called the increase in land price as unjust.

CHHAT BIR
TEACHERS' TRAINING: As many as 75 teachers from various schools of Patiala district participated in a teachers’ training workshop organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature-India, Chandigarh Chapter, here on Sunday. In a press statement, Dr Sangeeta Jund, Education Officer, said the workshop on the topic “Solid Waste Disposal and Environment” was organised under the National Environment Awareness Campaign (NEAC), 1999-2000, of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Punjab. Lectures were also delivered by Dr Surinder Kumar from Ministry of Environment and Forest, Ms Balwinder Kaur and others.

PATIALA
BLOOD DONATION: The Rotary Club, Patiala, Mid-town and S.S. Jain Mahaveer Sangh, Patiala, organised a blood donation-cum-grouping camp here on Monday. Mr H.S. Sidhu, Senior Superintendent of Police, inaugurated the camp in which 53 persons donated blood. Mr S.C. Jain, a prominent blood donor and social worker, made the arrangements for the camp.

TRAINING CAMP: The District Red Cross St. John’s Ambulance organised first-aid and health awareness training camps for officers and workers of Escorts Mahle, Bahadurgarh, and Diesel Component Works, Patiala. Red Cross instructors Gurdeep Singh, Kamaljit Singh Khanna and K.R. Verma imparted training in causes and first-aid for stoppage of respiration, failure of heart and other heart diseases, practical training regarding artificial respiration C.P.R. management of fracture limbs and spine and transportation.

ACADEMIC SESSION: From the academic session starting in July, 2000, Punjabi University will introduce the new subject of dance at the post-graduate level. Giving this information, Dr Kuldip Singh Dhir, Dean, Academic Affairs, said that the new subject would be introduced in the recently created Faculty of Art and Culture. The admission to the new subject is open and the last date for submission of applications is June 14.

CULTURE: With the advent of Punjabi TV channels, Punjab and Punjabiat has got a big boost but there still was a lot of room for improvement, said comedian Japsal Bhatti at a function held in his honour by the Punjabi Vikas Manch here on Monday. Former member of Parliament Charanjit Singh Walia said that Mr Bhatti with his various activities around the globe had helped the Sikh community immensity.

CREAMY LAYER: A memorandum against the reservation policies of the government was handed over to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr J.S. Bir, here on Monday by the Punjab State General Category Welfare Federation. Mr Amrik Singh, President of the local unit of the federation, alleged that due to the wrong reservation polices adopted by the government, it was only the creamy layer of society which was benefiting the most. He urged that jobs in government departments and admissions in professional colleges should be based on merit.

HARYANA

SIRSA
ONE CONVICTED: In a murder case the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr Virender Singh Chaudhary, acquitted five persons and sentenced one person to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 500. According to information, Mal Singh, Surender, Jagtar, Balvinder Singh, Guro Bai and Amro, wife of Hukum Singh of Dhani Satnam Singh village, who was murdered in a dispute, were facing trial. After seven years of trial the Judge found only Jagtar Singh guilty and sentenced him.

DIRECTED: Two persons of Alikan village were directed by the local court to pay a monthly allowance to their mother. According to information, Dev Kaur had filed a petition in the court demanding a monthly allowance from her two sons — Parkash and Saminder. Both the sons she claimed earned more than Rs 2 lakh per annum. The court ordered Parkash and Saminder to give her Rs 400 each as monthly living allowance.

SONEPAT
SUICIDE: Vinod Kumar, an employee of the Haryana Sheet Glass Factory, committed suicide by consuming poison in his house at Biswan Meel Colony, 20 km from here, on Saturday. According to the police, the victim belonged to U.P. The cause of the suicide is not known.

CASES SOLVED: As many as 926 cases were settled in a Lok Adalat held by the District Legal Services Authority here on Saturday. Mr S.K. Sardana, District Sessions Judge, presided over the adalat. According to official sources, Mr Sudhir Rajpal, Deputy Commissioner, also held an adalat and solved 100 cases on the spot.

WATER CRISIS: The district units of the Janvadi Mahila Samiti and the CITU on Sunday expressed concern over the water crisis in the Old DC road area and threatened to organise a ‘matka phor’ demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Friday in case the problem was not solved.

ONE HELD: The police has arrested Sajjan Singh of Dewru village on the charge of looting a woman at Sikka Colony on Thursday. According to the police, the culprit had taken away a mobile phone and a cash of Rs 5,000 after throwing spices in the eyes of the woman.

CASE REGISTERED: The Kharkhauda police has registered a dowry harassment case against Rishipal and three members of his family on a complaint of Mr Om Parkash, father of Ravita. He alleged that they harassed his daughter for not bringing sufficient dowry at the time of her marriage with Rishipal.

YAMUNANAGAR
DONATED: Mr Ram Kumar Chaudhry , Managing Director, Yamunanagar Central Cooperative Bank Limited, here, has presented a cheque for Rs 25,750 to the Deputy Commissioner for the drought relief fund.