The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, June 20, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

R E G I O N A L B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BATALA
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Batala unit of the BJP: president -- Mr Mohan Singh Saggu; senior vice-president -- Mr Harbans Lal Mahajan; union vice-president -- Mr Kandan Kaura; general secretary -- Mr Krishen Baldev Suri; secretary -- Mr Harsh Kumar Sharma; and treasurer -- Mr Bodhraj.

GARHSHANKAR
ARRESTED: The Mahilpur police has arrested Ravi Singh and has recovered from him a bicycle stolen from Khararhh Rawal Bassi.

HOSHIARPUR
FLOOD PROTECTION WORK: Flood protection works being carried out on Beas by the Drainage subdivision Dasuya of the Hjoshiarpur Drainage Division have been effected due to the transfers of the three Sub Divisional Officers and Junior Engineers. According to the official sources, the name of the SDO has figured in the new transfer list of the state government. Similarly, two Junior Engineers of this subdivision had also been transferred twice in a month. Mr Maha Singh, Junior Engineer, has been transferred for the fourth time in a month.

BIRTH ANNIVERSARY: The 602nd birth anniversary of Kabir was celebrated here on Sunday. A function was organised at Bahadurpur which was presided over by Mr Tikshan Sud, Punjab Minister for Excise and Taxation. Mahant Raminder Dass of Dera Baba Charan Shah, Bahadurpur, also addressed the gathering.

KHARAR
IN CHARGE: The Director, Education Department (Schools), Punjab, Chandigarh, on Monday appointed District Education Officer, Ropar, the Correspondent of Arya Kanya Vidyalaya, Kharar, for the distribution of grant among the employees of the school. Different claims were being made about the Managing Committee of Arya Kanaya Vidyalaya, an aided school of Kharar. In its order dated May 6, the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Punjab, had constituted the Managing Committee of the school for one year. The sabha also ordered that the previous managing committee of the school stood dissolved. On the other hand, the other group at that time alleged that the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Punjab, had no right to interfere in the working or formation of the managing committee, and as such the action of the sabha in dissolving and formation of the new committee was ultra vires and without jurisdiction.

DISCONNECTED: The official telephone number 45853 in the office of the Tehsildar, Kharar, has been disconnected temporarily by the Telecommunication Department since last month because of non-payment of some telephone bills. According to information, the Tehsildar failed to make payment of two bills for 1999, despite repeated reminders by the department.

LUDHIANA
PPCC SECY: The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Secretary and former president of the Mullanpur Nagar Panchayat, Mr Krishan Kumar Bawa, has asked the PPCC chief, Capt Amarinder Singh, to take disciplinary action against those party functionaries who had overtly or covertly opposed the party candidates in the recent Nagar Panchayat polls. In a press note issued on Monday, Mr Bawa said the Congress had a solid base at Mullanpur but the outcome of the elections did not go in its favour only because certain opportunist party leaders, including a former member of the Rajya Sabha, who openly worked against the party candidates. He claimed that he along with former Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Dakha campaigned round-the-clock to seek votes for party candidates. He said a group of Congressmen led by a former M.P. sided with the nominees put up by joint front forged by the SHSAD led by Mr Gurcharn Singh Tohra and the Lok Bhalai Party led by former Union Minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia which adversely affected the prospects of the party in the elections.

CONTEST: The Environment Sanitation Committee of the Ludhiana Citizens’ Health Council organised an iner-school declamation contest on. “If I become the Mayor of Ludhiana I will improve it by.....” Nearly 210 students from different schools participated in it. The contestants have come out with the very pragmatic ideas and suggestions for improvement in health conditions of the city. The first position was won by Novansh, a student of DAV Public School, Ludhiana, Neha Bhardwaj bagged the second position. Mr Apinder Singh Grewal, Mayor, Municipal Corporation, gave away prizes.

PATIALA
CAMP: State Bank of Patiala organised an on-the-spot loan disbursement camp at Barnala on Monday, which was presided over by Mr V.A. Ghai, Assistant General Manager of the bank. A bank release here said special counters were set up where loans cases were processed, sanctioned and disbursed. Over 120 lakh loans, extending to over 140 persons, including women, for construction of houses, purchase of new cars and purchase of tractors, in addition to 81 kisan credit cards, were given to farmers. Around 180 persons got their names registered with the bank officials for taking loans from the various branches of the bank in Sangrur district.

PHAGWARA
TENSION DEFUSED: Tension over the issue of controversial constructions near two religious places at Hadiabad was diffused here on Sunday following intervention by the SDM, Mr Pritam Singh, the DSP, Mr Satinder Singh.

ACCIDENT: A pedestrian, Mr Bachittar Singh, was crushed to death under a car on the GT Road near Chachoki village on Saturday. The deceased belonged to Paddi Jagir village.

COPS CAUGHT: Two policemen were caught red-handed while accepting a bribe from a young man and a woman, here on Friday.

CASE REGISTERED: The local police on Friday registered a case under Section 354, IPC, against a youth of Chak Hakim village for allegedly trying to outrage modesty of a woman with whose son the youth had an altercation earlier.

HARYANA

AMBALA
RAID: A total of 31 employees of different government offices were found absent on Monday morning when the Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-President of the District Vigilance team, Mr Mohinder Kumar, raided several offices between 9.05 a.m. and 9.40 a.m. Mr Mohinder Kumar told that letters had been sent to the departments concerned to take necessary action against the absentee officials. An information to the Commissioner of Ambala had also been sent, he added.

PROTEST MARCH: The Ambala District Congress Committee took out a protest march in Ambala City on Monday against the failure of the state and union governments on various fronts. Later, a memorandum addressed to the President of India was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, Ambala. Mr Nirmal Singh, a former minister, Mr Balwant Gupta, President of the district unit, and other senior leaders of the party took part in the march. The memorandum said the people of the state had been facing water and electricity problems. The government had been imposing heavy new taxes on the citizens, while the law and order situation in the state had been deteriorating day by day, the memorandum added.

HISAR
ACCIDENT: One person was killed and 35 others were injured when a truck carrying them overturned between Adampur and Chaudhariwas village on Sunday. According to a report , Krishan (35) was carrying a band party and tent for his sister’s marriage in a truck when it dashed against a tree and overturned. While, 11 persons were admitted to the local civil hospital others were admitted to a civil hospital at Adampur.

JIND
ARRESTED: The Jind police has arrested a youth on the charge of looting 50 boxes of liquor from Mr Balwan Singh, a liquor contractor at gun point near Ponkri Kheri village in this district. Disclosing this here on Sunday, Mr Raj Pal Singh, Superintendent of Police, said that Mr Balwan Singh was waylaid and looted by two armed youths including Satpal, who stopped his jeep near Ponkri Kheri village while he was taking 50 boxes of liquor to Igrah village in his jeep. The police arrested Satpal and seized .12 bore gun and 27 boxes of liquor from him. Fakiria, an accomplice of Satpal has absconded.

ROHTAK
NINE HELD: The police on Friday arrested nine persons allegedly involved in various criminal activities including liquor smuggling and murder. They have been identified as Kamle, Jasbir, Anil, Raja, Satyawan and Rambir. A case under various Section of the IPC has been registered against the accused.

SONEPAT
KILLED: An unidentified woman was crushed to death by a vehicle on the GT Road near Rai village , about 13 km from here, on Sunday.

DHARAMSHALA: The Chhotu Ram Smarak Samiti has constructed a dharamshala in memory of Sir Chhotu Ram in the city. The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr O.P. Chautala, will inaugurate it in July.

GRANT SANCTIONED: The Haryana Government has sanctioned a grant-in-aid of Rs 31.45 lakh to the Sonepat Municipal Council on the recommendation of the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sudhir Rajpal. According to official sources, the council will spend Rs 22 lakh on the payment of salary to its staff and the rest of the amount would be spent on development works.

CLASH: Several persons sustained injuries in a clash between two rival groups at Kami village, about 5 km from here, on Sunday. One of the injured has been admitted to a local civil hospital. A case has been registered . However, no arrest has been made in this connection.

KIRTAN DARBAR: Guru Tegh Bahadur Sewak Dal is organising a “kirtan darbar” on June 24 at Gurdwara Saheb Hem Nagar of the city. Ragis and saints will take part in it.

YOUTH THRASHED: A youth, said to be a close relative of a sarpanch, was allegedly beaten up by kin of the INLD leader at Bad Khalsa village , about 15 km from here, on Sunday. According to a report , youth sustained injuries and was taken to the local civil Hospital for treatment by the police. The incident occurred when the youth driving the car lost control over it and hit a “cot” lying in the village street. The cot belonged to the relatives of an INLD leader. They became furious and roughed up the youth.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
FISHERMEN’S THREAT: The Gobind Sagar Oustees Fishermen’s Cooperative Society here has threatened to launch an agitation if the Gobind Sagar Fish Federation does not clear all arrears within a week for fish purchased by it. Society president Muneer Akhtar and general secretary Hariram said here on Sunday that mismanagement and financial irregularities had become the order of the day in the federation and certain commission agents “had become rich at the cost of poor fishermen.

NSUI WARNING: The National Students Union of India has warned the government and HP University authorities that it would be forced to launch a state-wide agitation if elections to the Central Students Association in colleges and universities were not held immediately. District president Madhusudan said here on Sunday that the NSUI would not tolerate this any longer.

CHAMBA
FUNDS ALLOCATED: The Himachal Pradesh Government has allocated Rs 50 crore for the construction of roads and buildings in the district during the current fiscal year. This was stated here on Sunday by Mr Tulsi Ram, an MLA of Bharmour tribal area, while dedicating an eight km long road from Masroond to Chaloonj in Rajnagar area of Chamba district.

KULU
TIMBER SEIZED: Two persons — Shadi Lal of Chanag village and Bansiram of Kashan village — have been arrested and a truck with 27 deodar logs has been seized, according to Mr Anurag Garg, Superintendent of Police. The district police chief said here on Sunday that 14 persons were arrested during past fortnight under the Excise Act.

SHIMLA
REGIONAL CENTRE: A composite regional centre would be set up in Himachal Pradesh to facilitate rehabilitation of disabled persons, an official spokesman said on Sunday. This centre would be established at Sundernagar in Mandi district with the coordination of the National Institute for Visually Handicapped, Dehra Dun. A sum of Rs 1.61 crore had been sanctioned to the district rehabilitation centre and corresponding blocks rehabilitation centre and panchayats.