R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

MALERKOTLA
POLLUTION CENTRE: A pollution check-up centre has been opened here at Ludhiana Road to issue pollution under control certificates to vehicle owners. The transport authorities responded to public demand after it appeared in The Tribune. The local Citizen Welfare Council thanked the state government for providing this facility in the town.

MEETING HELD: A meeting of the journalists of Malerkotla was held at the local PWD rest house here on Thursday. A journalists co-ordination committee was formed to redress the hardship faced by the journalists. The following have been elected unanimously — Mr Ashok Joshi, President, local Press Club; Asghar Parihar, President, Punjab union of Journalists, Ilias Abadli, President Punjab Chandigarh Patarkar Parishad.

PATIALA
IAS COACHING: The IAS and Allied Services training centre of Punjabi University will start coaching classes for IAS (Main) examination from July 3. The last date for submission of applications for admission for the candidates who have appeared for IAS (preliminary) is June 21 and interviews will be held on June 23. Dr G.S. Bajwa, Director of the centre, said SC/ST trainees were provided with free coaching and financial assistance. Dr Bajwa added that five candidates of this centre had cleared civil services examination this year.

PHAGWARA
PROBE DEMANDED: The Telephone Subscribers Association on Friday demanded a high-level probe into the alleged use of substandard cable by the telephone department due to which telephone service here remained disrupted. Mr T.D. Chawla, Convener of the association, alleged that hundreds of telephones were out of order in the town. Complaints were not attended promptly, much to the chagrin of subscribers. In case telephone service was not improved, the association would adopt agitation path, he said.

CHANDIGARH

FUNCTION: The National Institute of Professional Techniques organised a prize distribution function in Hotel Shivalik View on Friday. Ms Shashi Gulati, Joint Secretary, Public Health, Haryana, was the chief guest. She gave away the prizes to the toppers of Classes X and XII.

STAFF UNION: The team led by Mr Vijay K Sharma has won the elections of the Employees Provident Fund Staff Union for the fifth consecutive term for two years. The following have been elected as the office-bearers: Vice-Presidents — Ms Deepa and Mr Lekh Raj Kataria; General Secretary — Mr Vijay K Sharma; Joint Secretary — Mr Anil K Sharma; and Treasurer — Mr Joginder Ram.

EXHIBITION: A fortnight long exhibition of the works of Photographic Society of Chandigarh members began at Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Hounslow in London, on Thursday. The exhibition, featuring about 25 works highlighting the tercentenary celebration of the Khalsa, is being conducted by the President of the society, Dr S.S. Bhamra. Among the artists whose works are on the display are Dr Bhamra himself, Mr Subhash Sapru and Mr Ajay Sharma. The exhibition was inaugurated by Mr Piara Singh.

PANCHKULA
AC’s DEMONSTRATION: There was, an overwhelming response from engineers, doctors, architects and NRI’s to the live demonstration of Dost Desert Air Conditioner-2000 by Mr JN Sindhwani, on Friday. “This product has been registered for patent with the Government of India and exclusive marketing rights are available. Let some industrialist take up mass production on tie-up basis,” said Mr Sindhwani.

HARYANA

AMBALA
MASS WEDDING: A mass wedding will take place in Ambala Cantonment on Sunday. The mass wedding for girls from poor families is being organised by Youth Club at Anaj Mandi. The marriage will be followed by jagran.

FATEHABAD
RECOVERED: The Haryana Vidyut Parsaran Nigam has been able to recover Rs 38.10 lakh only against arrears of Rs 1.56 crore from the four “troublesome” villages of this district, after the passage of the deadline for the deposit of power bills without surcharge. The deadline has since been extended up to June 15.

PANIPAT
CHARAS SEIZED: The local bus stand police arrested two persons with 1.8 kg of charas. According to information, Ikramuddin of Lawad police station of Meerut district was caught with 1 kg charas at bus stand in routine check. Besides this, Amar Bahadur of Nepal was also caught by the police and seized 800 gm of charas from him.

LIQUOR SEIZED: Sixty bottles of illicit liquor were seized by the police from a person from Anajmandi of Ahar village in Madloda. According to information, in a raid the police arrested Hawa Singh and seized 60 liquor bottles from him. In another case, an illicit liquor bhatti was also discovered from Kichhu Sardar of Baholi village where he was preparing countrymade liquor.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

JWALAMUKHI
CRITICISED: Mr Nardev Kanvar, Secretary of the Himachal Youth Congress, on Friday criticised state Irrigation and Public Health Minister Ramesh Chaudhary for not setting up a degree college for women here. Mr Kanwar condemned IPH Minister for betraying the people of the area by starting a Degree college with the financial assistance of temple trust.

PARWANOO
NEW DSP JOINS: Mr Sanjeev Lakhanpal joined as Deputy Superintendent of Police here on Thursday in place of Mr Kanwar Virendar Singh who left for a foreign assignment with a UNO peace force. The post was lying vacant for the past one month.