R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BARNALA
POLICE REMAND: Rakesh Gupta, Judicial Magistrate, Barnala, has remanded Raj Kumar Garg in police custody up to July 9. The Judicial Magistrate ordered police remand of Raj Kumar Garg ( in a case registered against him at Mahal Kalan Police Station under Section 406 of the IPC) when his bail application came up for hearing here on Friday. Raj Kumar Garg had allegedly duped several residents of the city of crores of rupees.

BATALA
STONE LAID: The Finance Minister of Punjab, Mr Kanwaljit Singh, visited Batala on Friday and laid the foundation stone of Hansli Bridge at Smadh Road. The total width of the bridge will be enhanced by 27 feet and three spans will be constructed at a distance of 9 feet each. Earlier, while addressing a public meeting held near main bus stand Mr Kanwaljit Singh announced that the Punjab Government would distribute Rs 96 lakh to the local Municipal Council for the development of the city.

FAZILKA
WATER THEFT: Sadar police, Fazilka has registered an FIR against 7 persons of Mullianwali village of this subdivision on a charge of theft of canal water. The police has also seized pipes from them which were being used for draining water from the Dhippanwali minor. According to police sources the suspects had had an altercation with Mr Surinderpal Singh, Junior Engineer of Canal Department, when he tried to stop them from drawing water illegally from the canal. The police has registered a case under Section 353, 186 ( interference in duty of government official), 430 (theft of canal water) and Sections 431, 379, 148-140, IPC.

SEIZED: Sadar police nabbed Gulshan Kumar a resident of Fazilka town, during a patrol in Sania village. The police recovered 5 kg of poppy husk from him. He had allegedly smuggled the poppy husk from Rajasthan for sale here, and in nearby villages. The police has registered a case under the NDPS Act.

MISSING: Bhagirath Ram ( 38), a resident of Chaurianwali village, 8 km from here, has been missing for the past two days. According to his son Surjeet Kumar, his father, an employee at a country wine vend in Tahliwala Bodla village had not returned from work on July 5. Instead three employees of the wine vend and two constables had come to their home in the evening and enquired about Bhagirath. They claimed that he had been sent to Arniwala village for some work and they had given him Rs 400.

FEROZEPORE
RECOVERED: The district police has claimed to have seized 141 bags of Markfed wheat which were stolen from a rice mill at Zira in the district on the night intervening July 1 and 2. According to the SSP, Mr Gurcharan Singh Pherurai, the stolen wheat bags were recovered from the possession of Sukhdev Singh, alias Ragi, Balwinder Singh, alias Billa, Jagrup Singh, alias Rupa, and Jagsir Singh, alias Seera, all residents of Talwandi Bhai village.

HOSHIARPUR
CONDEMNED: The local unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has condemned derogatory statements made against Dr Gursharan Singh, president of Ludhiana branch of the IMA, for his attitude towards the malpractices being indulged in by some of his colleagues. In a signed press note issued here on Friday, Dr S.K. Narad, president and Dr Balvinder Singh Ahuja, secretary, IMA ( Hoshiarpur branch), said Dr Gursharan Singh had taken a commendable initiative by asking some of those "commercial houses", opened in the names of hospitals to shun the unethical practice of giving misleading advertisements to the innocent public. They urged Dr O.P.S. Kande, president IMA (Punjab), to keep up this reform movement among the medical fraternity.

DECISION HAILED: Mr Jagjit Singh Bohan, president, Mr Davinder Singh and Mr Harmeet Singh, senior vice-presidents of the Sikh Students Federation ( (Hoshiarpur unit), in a joint press note issued here on Friday welcomed the committee constituted by the government to punish those responsible for 1984 anti-Sikh riots. They urged the Centre and Punjab Government to consult the riot-hit while punishing the culprits.

JALANDHAR
ARRESTED: The district police has arrested one person for allegedly murdering a resident of Amritsar about 10 years ago. One .12 bore country-made revolver with two live cartridges, a magazine and 40 live cartridges of AK-47 rifle were also recovered from the possession of Sunil Kumar, originally hailing from Gopalpura village in Majitha police district. Mr Gurdev Yadav, SSP, said during the investigation the suspect confessed of having stabbed Kala, a resident of Vijay Nagar locality in Amritsar in 1989.

MALERKOTLA
VACCINATION: As many as 500 children have been given diphtheria and tetanus injections under the children’s health programme run by the Punjab Health Department. Mohammed Yussaf, SMO of the local civil hospital, said all schoolchildren of the area in the age-group five to 16 will be vaccinated up to July 31.

JAIN SABHA: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local S.S. Jain Sabha (regd): president — Mr Rattan Lal Jain; vice-president — Mr Bachan Lal Oswal; general secretary — Mr Sudershan Jain; Joint Secretary — Mr Parmod Jain; and cashier — Mr Jaswant Rai Jain.

MOGA
SDO HELD: An SDO of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) was held on Thursday for accepting a gratification from the owner of a fish farm at Himmatpura village for sanctioning a motor connection. Sohan Lal Prashar was arrested on the complaint of Baljit Singh, who had applied for the motor connection at his fish farm almost three months ago. Although the time limit for sanctioning a motor connection to the fish farms, is one month, the SDO had delayed it for three months and had allegedly forced the applicant to shell out money.

NAWANSHAHR
ORGANISED: Mr Pritam Singh Johal, SDM, Nawanshahr, and Mr Hardev Singh Kahma, a renowned social worker and SAD leader, inaugurated a three-day personality development camp on Friday. The camp is being organised by the Bharat Vikas Parishad, Banga, at Swami Roopchand Jain Model High School at Banga, about 13 km from here. The camp aims at inculcating moral values in the students. Eminent scholars educationists and intellectuals have been invited to deliver lectures on various topics.

PHAGWARA
NRI BOOKED: The local police on Friday registered a case of cheating under Section 420, IPC, against an already-married NRI for fraudulently marrying a girl. Kulwant Singh Sohal, a USA- based man, had married Harvinder Kaur (20). However, a few weeks after the marriage, Mohinder Kaur, mother of the girl, came to know that Sohal was already married to Gurbax Kaur of Partapura village. The NRI, however, claims that he has got a divorce from his first wife.

ROPAR
MINOR RAPED: A 10-year-old girl of Bhalian village was allegedly raped by two boys of the same village on Thursday. The victim has been admitted to Ropar Civil Hospital with internal injuries. Her condition is stated to be out of danger, though she is still unconscious. A case under Sections 376 and 506/34 of the IPC has been registered against the suspects.

TARN TARAN
ELECTED: Ms Surinder Kaur Dalake, wife of late Dilbag Singh Dalake, former Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha, has been elected president of the managing committee of the local SGAD Khalsa Senior Secondary School. She will succeed her husband who expired on June 30.

CASE REGISTERED : A police party of the local district police headed by Mr Kanwaljit Singh Dhillon, SP (operation), conducted raids at certain places on Thursday and apprehended 19 persons. They have been booked under the Gambling Act. Cases under Sections 13 A 3/767, 3/67 of the Gambling Act have been registered in the local city police station.

CHANDIGARH

DELEGATION: A delegation of the local unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party led by its President, Mr Mata Ram Dhiman, met the Adviser to the Administrator, Ms Vineeta Rai, and submitted to her a memorandum containing various demands. The delegation demanded representation to the BSP in various sub-committees of the Administration, implementation of the reservation policy in recruitment, simplification of the procedure for the grant of SC and BC certificates, issuance of ration cards, extension of lal dora limit and a better bus service to the UT villages and colonies. The delegation also conveyed its concern over the increased incidence of electrocution, poor sanitation and water scarcity in the UT villages and colonies.

HONOUR: Mr Deep Ram Bhatia, a city photographer, will get honorary degree of Associateship of the India International Photographic Council for his achievements in the field of pictorial photography. The degree will be conferred at a special function in Delhi on August 19, the World Photography Day.

FACILITIES: The local unit of the Chandigarh Nationalist Congress Party led by its President, Mr Gurbachan Singh, has urged the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation to extend all civic amenities to Burail, Attawa, Buterla and Badheri, which have been included in the municipal limits.

WON: The folk dance team of St Stephen’s School, Sector 45-B, has won the third place at the Llangollen International Dance Festival in Wales. The team represented India in the under-16 category of the festival in which 56 countries participated. This is for the first time that India has been placed in the top three.

HARYANA

AMBALA
INSURANCE COVER: The insurance cover for members of the Haryana Union of Journalists (HUJ) has been increased to Rs 2.5 lakh. Addressing a state-level meeting of the HUJ here on Saturday, the President of the HUJ, Mr Ashwini Dutta, said “The premium for the insurance cover will now be paid by the union,” he said. “We have appealed to the Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to consider our proposal for free bus travel for journalists at the block level,” he said. “We have also requested that the accreditations should be reviewed so that more journalists can get these. By October-end, we hope to complete our drive to set up units at the district level. We are also going to organise workshops at the division level,” he said. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mr D.S. Sarhadi of Punjabi Tribune.

KURUKSHETRA
ORIENTATION COURSE: Dr M.M.Goel, senior Reader and former Chairman of the Department of Journalism, Kurukshetra University, while addressing the teachers attending a four-week orientation course being organised by the Academic Staff College on university campus here on Thursday said spiritual bankruptcy and commercialisation of education had hit the education system and the teacher-student relationship in the country.

COMPUTERISATION : Regional Engineering College Kurukshetra branch of the State Bank of India has been computerised fully from July 3, according to the Branch Manager, Mr R.B. Sehgal. The working hours at the branch have also been extended up to 4 pm daily on normal days and 1 p.m. on Saturdays to provide better banking services to the customers, said Mr Sehgal.

ROHTAK
VETERINARY HOSPITAL: The state government has promised to spend Rs 5 crore for opening new veterinary hospitals, upgrading veterinary dispensaries and developing semen banks into breeding centres in the state. Mr Abhay Singh Chautala, son of Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and the MLA from Rori Assembly segment, said this at Bahadurgarh, about 40 km from here, on Friday. Earlier, he laid the foundation stone of a veterinary hospital here, which will be constructed at a cost of Rs 16 lakh.

ELECTED: Mr Narayana Prasad Goyal and Mr Jagmohan Mittal were unanimously elected on Friday as president and convener, respectively, of the Haryana Traders’ Association. At a meeting of the trading community, held here on Friday under the chairmanship of Mr Mittal, a resolution was passed to convert the Haryana Foodgrains Dealers’ Association into the Haryana Traders’ Association.

CASES SOLVED: The district police has claimed to have solved two cases of robbery, 13 of snatching, 19 of theft and has recovered stolen goods worth Rs 12,34,740 during the past month. Stating this here on Friday, the SSP, Mr P.K. Agrawal said as many as 77 cases had been registered under the Excise Act. Thirteen cases were registered under the Arms Act and two under the NDPS Act during June, he added.

ROBBERIES: Cash and valuables worth about Rs 1 lakh were looted and a car was stolen in separate incidents in the past 48 hours in the district. According to reports, cash and valuables were stolen by robbers from the house of a bank employee in Housing Board Colony in broad daylight.

SONEPAT
CLASH: Two students were injured in a clash which took place between two rival groups outside a cinema house near the general bus stand here on Friday. Both injured students were immediately hospitalised. A new film was exhibited in this cinema house and there was a scramble for getting the tickets. This led to a quarrel between some students. The police is investigating into the case but no arrest has so far been made in this connection.

HURT: Six persons were injured when a group of persons assaulted another group at Rai village, about 15 km from here, on Friday. Drinking of liquor in front of a house was said to be the main cause of the attack. All injured persons have been hospitalised.

HIGHWAY BLOCKED: Agitated against the unscheduled and unannounced power-cuts, failures, erratic power supply and low voltage, a large number of residents, including women, of Rai and Asawarpur villages, blocked the National Highway No. 1 and shouted slogans against the state government as well as the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam on Friday. The SDO (C), Mr Sultan Singh, and the DSP (Headquarters), Mr Hardeep Singh Doon, arrived on the spot and pacified the irate residents.

SEALED: Officials of the Haryana Pollution Control Board sealed two leather factories situated on the G.T. Road, near Rai village of this district, on Friday. According to official sources, this step has been taken to check pollution and prevent effluents of these factories from being diverted to the Yamuna.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

SOLAN
CONVICTED: The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr P.S. Rana, convicted Hari Ram, a teacher of Government Primary School, Kanwawali in Nalagarh tehsil for raping an 11-year-old student of his school here on Friday. The accused was sentenced to simple life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20,000 was also imposed on him and in case of default he would have to undergo a further sentence of one year. The judge also convicted the teacher under Section 506, IPC, for criminally intimidating the victim.

SUNDERNAGAR
RAISING DAY: The Bhakra Beas Management Board authorities celebrated its raising day at Pandoh Dam site, about 40 km from here, on Friday. Mr S.K. Duggal Member, (Irrigation) BBMB, was the chief guest on the occasion. He paid homage to the workers who had laid down their lives during the construction work of this project. Other officials, including the Chief Engineer of BBMB, Mr D.P. Goel paid homage at a monument built in the memory of 212 persons who had lost their lives at Pandoh Dam.