R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

FATEHGARH SAHIB
FLOOD-PRONE AREAS: Mr B.S. Sudan, Deputy Commissioner, on Saturday visited the flood-prone areas of the district and inspected the flood control measures initiated by the authorities concerned. Talking to mediapersons at Biro Majri, he said the Bassi Pathana drainage, Sirhind choe, Chuni canal and the Patto and Pawala drains were being desilted and a comprehensive plan of Rs 25 lakh had been made for preventing floods.

HOSHIARPUR
PNB PROGRAMME: A customer relation programme by Punjab National Bank, Hoshiarpur, was organised here on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, Mr D.S. Bedi, Regional Manager, said of the 50 branches of the bank in the region, computerisation of 14 would be carried out shortly. He said the deposits of the bank had grown up to the tune of Rs 1018.17 crore. Mr Bedi redressed some grievances of the customers on the spot.

ROCK GARDEN: Mr A. A. Siddiqui, Additional Director-General of Police and Director, Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, inaugurated the Rock Garden at Golf Club at the Police Recruits Training Centre, Jahan Khelan, 8 km from here, on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Siddiqui emphasised the need for new parks and the plantation of trees in view of the increasing pollution.

KHANNA
‘SATTA’ OPERATORS: The local police arrested two “satta” operators from two places on Saturday. The police has registered cases against Sat Pal of Lalheri Road and Raju Narain Sahny of Model Town, Samrala Road, Khanna. Some “satta” slips and cash were seized from them.

NAWANSHAHR
FOUNDATION STONE: The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, on Saturday laid the foundation stone of an office of a market committee to be constructed at a cost of Rs 52 lakh at Banga, about 13 km from here. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Badal said the government had chalked out a plan under which a sum of Rs 90 crore was being spent on providing modern facilities at 179 procurement centres, he said.

NOTICE ISSUED: As many as 10 Municipal Councillors had on Friday served a notice under the Municipal Act, 1911, to its President through the Executive Officer. They called for an immediate meeting of councillors to bring in no confidence motion against Mr Chamkaur Singh Thandi, President of the local Municipal Council. These councillors are Ms Bimal Kaur, Dr Harmesh Kumar Puri, Dr Sartaj Singh Mangewalia, Ms Jinderjit Kaur, Mr Sohan Lal, Ms Manjit Kaur, Mr Rajinder Chopra, Mr Jagdish Bali, Ms Kusum Khosla and Mr Satpal.

NRI KENDRAS: Mr B.K. Srivastava, Commissioner, Jalandhar, on Friday inaugurated NRI kendras at Langheriaur and Chakdana villages in the district. He said that the NRI Sabha (Punjab) had planned to set up 100 such kendras in the state. As many as 19 kendras would be set up in the district alone.

PATIALA
FINANCIAL AID: The Punjab Government on Sunday gave Rs 20,000 to Mrs Savitri Devi, whose husband, Ram Chand, was killed with an encounter with the ‘Kala Kachcha’ gang at Lachkani village, near here, a few days ago. The financial aid was handed over to Mrs Savitri Devi by Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, OSD to the Punjab Chief Minister, at Lachkani village. Mr Badungar said that a government job would also be given go the widow.

PLEA TO ABOLISH POSTS: The PSEB Substation Staff Techincal Union has urged the PSEB Chairman, Mr G.S. Sohal, to abolish 400 posts of the substation operator in the board. In a press note of the association, general secretary Harjit Singh Sethi has said that if these posts, which were vacant, were not abolished, there would be a great financial drain on the board. He added that even the promotional avenues of those substation assistants, who had nearly 22 years of service, would eventually be blocked.

TARN TARAN
RAPE ATTEMPT: Gurmeet Singh of Kot Siwian village under the Chabal police station was booked under Sections 376, 511 and 506 of the IPC for allegedly attempting to rape a teenaged girl of the same village.

IN-LAWS BOOKED: The local police has registered a case under Sections 304B and 34 of the IPC against Hardeep Singh, husband of Kashmir Kaur (25) who was burnt to death on Friday at the local Fatehchack Colony. Kashmir Kaur’s father-in-law, Jaimal Singh, and mother-in-law, Narinder Kaur, have also been booked. The case was registered on a complaint of Kashmir Kaur’s father who alleged that his daughter’s in-laws were demanding more dowry and burnt her.

CHANDIGARH

CYCLIST KILLED: A cyclist and resident of Buterla village, Mukesh, was injured when he was knocked down by a truck of the ITBP (CHW 6403) near the roundabout of Sector 22 and 35 around midnight on Saturday. According to sources, he was rushed to Government Medical College Hospital, Sector 32, where he later died. The police has impounded the vehicle and arrested the driver. Later, the driver was released on bail, the sources added.

SAS NAGAR
BLOOD DONATION CAMP: As many as 351 units of blood were donated at a camp organised by the Sant Nirankari Mandal to pay homage to Baba Gurbachan Singh. The camp was inaugurated by Kesho Ram Nandwanji, Zonal in charge of the Chandigarh unit of the mandal. Mr R.L. Suri local in charge of the mandal, said it was the second camps in the series of 123 such camp planned by the mandal. A team of doctors from the PGI, Chandigarh, conducted the camp. He said as part of the blood donation movement, the mandal had contributed 1 lakh units of blood since 1987. During the blood donation camp held last year as many as 363 units of blood were collected. —TNS

HARYANA

FATEHABAD
DE-ADDICTION CENTRE: The district will have its own drug de-addiction centre soon. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anil Malik, will inaugurate the centre here on June 26. The centre, according to the Civil Surgeon, Dr Balbir Singh Beniwal, will have on its rolls three counsellors who would help the drug addicts fight the menace. The centre will also have a doctor and nursing staff and will be run by the District Red Cross with financial assistance from by the Centre.

HEALTH CAMPS: Women in large numbers have been attending the family health awareness camps being organised by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) at various places in the district. The camps are being organised under a special drive launched by NACO with the support of the state Health Department. The Civil Surgeon, Dr B.S. Beniwal, said 18 camps had been organised in the district. The camps had been organised in all 16 primary health centres and two general hospitals. Besides, two mobile camps had also been set up to go to remote areas.

PANIPAT
PANIPAT ZILA PARISHAD: Mr Ranbir Singh Ghanghas of Bhand village and Ms Sona Devi of Lohari village, both of the Indian National Lok Dal, were elected unanimously as President and Vice-President, respectively, of the Panipat Zila Parishad in the poll held at Bal Bhavan on Friday. Later, a meeting of INLD workers was addressed by Mr Satbir Singh Kadiyan, Speaker, Haryana Assembly, at a hotel.

REWARI
MAN COMMITS SUICIDE: A young man, Harish Bathla, committed suicide reportedly by consuming poison in a local hotel on Saturday. His body was taken to the local Civil Hospital for a post-mortem.

SONEPAT
GAMBLERS HELD: Eleven persons have been arrested on the charge of “satta” gambling under the garb of lotteries following raids conducted by the city police. The SSP, Mr K.P. Singh, told mediapersons here on Sunday that those arrested were Rajoo, Ashok, Charanjit, alias Baby of Mohalla Kot, Darshan Lal of Jiwan Nagar, Mohan Lal of Krishanpura, Dharamvir of Sikka Colony, Lachhman Dass of Gohana, Rajinder of Ashok Vihar, Siri Bhagwan of Sudama Nagar, Raju of Sonepat and Sumandar of Subzi Mandi. A case has been registered.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
SCHOOL FOR DISABLED: Chetna, a social organisation, started a school named Rehabilitation and Research Institute for the handicapped children at Red Cross Bhavan here on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, the general secretary of Chetna, Dr Malika Nadda, said two trained teachers had been appointed in the school which would admit mentally retarded and disabled children.

SUNDERNAGAR
LOK ADALAT: A Lok Adalat was held here on Saturday which was presided over by Mr D.S. Khenal, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sundernagar. Of the 76 cases taken up 26 were settled by way of compromise.