R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BARNALA
HEALTH CAMPS: As many as 290 health care camps were organised in Sangrur district under the family health awareness campaign by the Health Department. Dr C.P. Bansal, Civil Surgeon, Sangrur, said here on Thursday that the health awareness campaign fortnight (from June 1 to 15) evoked a positive response from the people.

FAZILKA
CASE REGISTERED: The police has registered a case under Sections 306 and 201 of the IPC regarding the alleged suicide by Jasbir Kaur (25) of Ghatainwali Jattan village in this subdivision whose body was recovered from a canal on Wednesday. According to the FIR lodged by Harbans Kaur, mother of the deceased , Jasbir Kaur committed suicide because of being tortured by her in-laws.

HOSHIARPUR
LIQUOR SHOPS: Mr Iqbal Singh, District Magistrate, Hoshiarpur, has issued orders to close all liquor shops from June 15 to 17 within the limits of the Mahilpur Nagar Panchayat and the Shamchaurasi Municipal Council where elections will be held on June 17.

MALERKOTLA
COMMITTEE: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Journalists Coordination Committee, Malerkotla subdivision: convener — Ilias Abdali; and co-convener — Madan Madhosh.

SANKIRTAN: Shri Hanuman Virat Sankirtan Samaroh will be organised by the local Shri Krishna Mandal at the Hanuman temple from June 21 to 25. Mr Raj Kumar Aggarwal, president of the mandal, said Baba Resika from Vrindavan would sing bhajans on the occasion.

LIQUOR SEIZED: The police has seized 28 bottles of illicit liquor from Jai Singh of Rajasthan. The DSP, Mr Surinder Singh Saini, said the police had also seized 10 kg of poppy husk from him. A case has been registered.

POLYTHENE BAGS: The local Citizens Welfare Council and other social organisations on Friday demanded a ban on the manufacture, storage and the use of polythene bags in the district. Mr Madan Mohan Angrish and Dr Satish Kapoor, patron and president of the council, respectively, said the use of polythene bags for packing eatables and other material was becoming a health hazard.

MOGA
THREE BOOKED: The police has registered cases under Sections 420, 565, 466, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC against Surjit Singh, Hushan Kumar and Ravinder Kumar, all residents of Moga, on charges of fraud and preparing fake documents of a firm.

SARPANCH BOOKED: The police on Wednesday registered a case against Dayal Singh, sarpanch, Sikander Singh, panch, and Mastana Singh, all residents of Amaurnaubad under the Baghapurana police station in this district, for allegedly stealing wood. The police said the stumps had been recovered while the accused were at large.

SPEED POST CENTRE: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Kanwalbir Singh Sidhu, on Wednesday inaugurated a speed post centre on the premises of the Head Post Office. The Superintendent of Post Office, Faridkot Circle, was also present on the occasion.

PATIALA
OFFICE-BEARERS: Mr Jagtar Singh was elected as president of the Punjabi University Class ‘A’ Officers Association (Non-Teaching) for the year 2000-2001, according to a press-note of the association. The other office-bearers are: vice-president — Mr Satvindervir Singh; secretary — Mr Ajit Singh Kohli; joint secretary — Mr Kuldip Singh Dhillon; treasurer — Mr Chander Mohan Bhatia; executive members — Mr Neta Ram Verma, Mr Jagat Singh, Mr Krishan Chand Kwatra, Mr Jagtar Singh, Ms Primal Kumari, Mr Gurcharan Singh Pahuja, Mr Harnek Singh, Ms Jatinder Kaur Walia, Mr Jang Singh, Mr R.P. Gulati and Mr Radha Krishan.

CRITICISED: The FCI’s decision to fix the rate of wheat at Rs 900 per quintal for sale in the open market has been criticised by the Federation of Aarthi Associations of Punjab. In a press note of the federation, Mr Bal Krishan Singla, president, flayed the government’s decision to sell C and D category wheat stocks at the rate of Rs 750 per quintal. Mr Singla said while the prevailing rate of sale of A and B category of wheat in the open market in northern India was around Rs 650 per quintal and rate of C and D category wheat was Rs 550 per quintal, the FCI must take back its decision of fixing the new rates of wheat for sale in the open market.

RAJPURA
MULTI-STOREYED PARKINGS: The Punjab Government, in an ambitious project to ease and properly regulate the flow of traffic, has planned multi-storeyed parking lots in all major cities of the state. This was stated by Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, Minister of Local Bodies, after inaugurating a road divider, built at a cost of Rs 15 lakh in Krishna Market here on Friday. Mr Tandon said that the multi-storeyed parking lots would be similar to the one constructed recently in Ludhiana, which had a capacity to park nearly 500 vehicles. He also inaugurated fountains at Shivaji park.

SAMRALA
MAGAZINE RELEASED: A fortnightly magazine — Kalam De paherydar — was released here on Thursday by Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon, MLA. Mr Dhillon highlighted the importance of the Press. The Editor of the Magazine, Mr Sukhminder Singh Pafma, also spoke on the occasion.

CHANDIGARH

BLOOD DONATION CAMP: The Thalassaemic Children Welfare Association will organise a blood donation camp in Lecture Theatre-I of PGI on Saturday to meet with shortage of blood during summer months. This will be the fourth camp in a series of six being organised by the association and will be inaugurated by the Financial Commissioner of Punjab, Mrs Gurbunder Kaur Chahal, at 9.30 am. The remaining two camps are scheduled for July 1 and July 15 at the same venue. The organisers have appealed to the voluntary donors to donate blood at the camp.

HARYANA

AMBALA
TAKKAR NOMINATED: The general secretary of the Haryana State Akali Dal, Jathedar Kartar Singh Takkar, has been nominated to the Ambala District Grievances Committee. This is a non-government position, according to a press note.

KAITHAL
PATROLLING: The District Magistrate, Dr Mahavir Singh, has issued orders regarding patrolling of railway stations, railway bridges and tracks passing through the district. According to an official press note, all able-bodied males will carry out patrols in the jurisdiction of their respective villages. The panchayats will ensure the compliance of these orders.

SONEPAT
FIRE: Goods worth lakhs were reduced to ashes in a devastating fire which broke out in K.C. Fabrics Limited at the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation complex, Kundli village, about 20 km from here, on Thursday. According to a report reaching here, the fire broke out due to a sparking in an electric machine. The fire brigade brought the fire under control within two hours.

SJP SAMMELAN: The Samajwadi Janata Party (SJP) is holding its two-day-all-India sammelan from June 28 at Kurukshetra. According to party sources, the party will discuss the present political situation of the country and announce its strategy for launching an agitation against the “anti-people and anti-farmer” policies of the Central and the state governments. SUICIDE: Dayanand (30) reportedly committed suicide by consuming insecticide tablets at his house in Patel Nagar here on Thursday.

YAMUNANAGAR
KHAIR SEIZED: The Forest Department seized 60 quintals of khair wood from the Chhachhrauli area being transported in a truck. However, the driver and the cleaner of the truck managed to escape. A case has been registered.
CHAMBA

RESIDENTS' PLEA: Residents of Churah subdivision in Chamba district have urged the government to open a degree college and a Sub-Judge court at Bhajraru, the subdivisional headquarters. They say it is a long-pending demand of this backward hill region from where the poor cannot afford to send their children to distant places for higher education.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

JAWALAMUKHI
EMPLOYEE KILLED: An employee of the Forest Department was killed on Friday at the local tool-tax barrier due to the negligence of Raman Kumar, an employee of the barrier. Devi Dayal (42), who was posted in Una, was reportedly driving his scooter when it collided head-on with a private bus after being entangled in the barrier rope which was incidentally pulled by Raman Kumar. The driver of the bus has been booked while Raman Kumar has been arrested.

KUMARHATTI
DRIVER HELD: A woman was seriously injured when a car knocked her down at Parwanoo on Thursday. The driver of the car, who fled the scene, was nabbed by the police at Dharampur, 4 km from here. The police has impounded the car and a case under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC has been registered against the driver.

WATER SHORTAGE: Barog, a tourist resort, 3 km from here, is facing an acute shortage of water these days which is having an adverse effect on the tourist inflow. Mr Ajay, a local shopkeeper, lamented that the shortage of water had reduced the number of tourists visiting the place.