The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, August 21, 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

ABOHAR
RESENTMENT: Mr Sajjan Kumar Jaskhasr, President, District Congress Committee, on Saturday expressed resentment over the increasing incidents of theft and lawlessness in the town. The thefts were reportedly committed in shops located near the residences of local MLAs and the area between the office of the DSP and the old police station. Mr Jaskhasr urged the DGP to arrange night patrolling to check the increasing crime rate.

AMRITSAR
AWARDED: Mr Jagir Singh Sodhi, Deputy Commandant, SHQ, BSF, Gurdaspur, was awarded President’s Police Medal for meritorious service on the eve of Independence Day for his excellent performance during militancy in the valley and other fields of duty throughout his career.

SAPLINGS PLANTED: Punjab National Bank organised a tree plantation campaign on Saturday in collaboration with Police Public School in which saplings were planted in various parts of the city.

FLAGGED OFF: A Punjab Roadways bus was introduced from Jaj-Majitha town to Chandigarh on Saturday. The inaugural run was flagged off by the Rajya Sabha member, Mr Rajmohinder Singh Majitha. The bus leaves for Chandigarh at 2.15 p.m. daily. Mr Majitha said the Punjab Government was planning to purchase 400 new buses. CAMPAIGN: The Health Department, Punjab, will launch a special campaign in the state to eradicate typhoid. This was stated on Saturday by the Punjab Health Minister, Dr Baldev Chawla, while presiding over a function on typhoid.

FATEHGARH SAHIB
MEETING: The state unit of the Indian Medical Association at its meeting held on Saturday at the Mandi Gobindgarh Club resolved to continue its fight against quackery. The meeting was organised by Dr Manmohan Kaushal of Mandi Gobindgarh, vice-president of the association.

DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS: Mr B.S. Sudan, Deputy Commissioner, addressing a sangat darshan programme at Bharri village on Friday said Rs 5.30 crore were being spent on various development projects in the district. He said unemployed youths would be given training to start their own workshops at various focal points and they would be provided loans at low rate of interest. He distributed cheques of Rs 5 lakh for rural development to different panchayats.

FEROZEPORE
MEDICAL CAMP: The Lions Club, Ferozepore Satluj, organised a medical camp at Ferozshah, 20 km from here. The camp was inaugurated by Ms Premlata Sood, Civil Surgeon. A total of 512 patients were examined and given free medical aid at the camp.

HOSHIARPUR
EYE CAMP: The Samaj Seva Samiti organised an eye check-up camp at the Punj Pipli area of Bahadurpur here on Sunday. More than 300 persons were examined at the camp. Mr Raman Kapur, president of the samiti, said medicines were provided free of cost to the needy patients.

JALANDHAR
CENTRE OPENED: A new centre for free treatment of diabetes and other endocrine diseases like infertility and metabolic bone diseases (hormonal disorders) was opened at Guru Nanak Mission Hospital here on Saturday. The centre is headed by Dr (Brig) J.S. Saini, former president of the Diabetes Association and Endocrine Society of India.

JALALABAD
MURDERED: A former sarpanch, Sardar Balwant Singh, 72, was found murdered inside his house at Chack Sukhera Bodla village, 6 km from here, on Saturday. A case has been registered under Section 302 of the IPC.

MOGA
COMPETITION: The Punjab Education Minister, Mr Tota Singh, presided over a painting competition in which children from several schools participated. The competition was held on the premises of the municipal committee. Mr Tota Singh distributed prizes to the winners. He also planted a sapling.

ROBBERY: Unidentified persons entered the premises of Dera Baba Khushal Singh in Charik village under the Baghapurana police station in the district and broke open the cash box lying there and decamped with Rs 15,000, according to reports received here on Saturday. No arrests have been made so far.

TARN TARAN
VANMAHOTSAVA: A district-level vanmahotsava was celebrated on Saturday at Sri Guru Anged Dev College, Khadoor Sahib. It was presided over by Mr Harbhajan Singh, IFS, Circle Forest Officer, Amritsar. Mr Narinderjit Singh, Deputy Commissioner, was the chief guest. Hundreds of saplings were planted under the guidance of Baba Sewa Singh of Kar Seva Wale. Mr Tarlochan Singh Tur, MP, and Mr Ranjit Singh Chhajalwaddi, MLA, also participated in the function.

BUS YATRA: The holy Guru Manyo Granth bus yatra dedicated to the coming 400 years of Guru Granth Sahib started on Saturday under the guidance of Baba Kundan Singh of Nanaksar Kaleran Wale from Gurdwara Ramsar, Amritsar. It passed through Chabal, Sursingh, Bhikhiwind, to reach Pahuwind.

CHANDIGARH

PENSION CASES: At a function organised by the Punjab Istri Sabha in Baltana, 10 cases of old age and five of widow pension were handed over to Mr Jaspal Bhatti, advocate and President of the Youth Federation, Patiala, here on Sunday. The papers were presented to him by General Secretary of the Baltana wing of the Sabha Kulwant Sodhi. Mr Bhatti, assured Mrs Oshima Raikhy, President, Punjab Istri Sabha, Mrs Shelia Didi, social activist, and other members of the women and the senior citizens.

INAUGURATED: The inaugural Black Charger Golf Tournament was inaugurated here on Sunday by the GOC, 2 Corps, Lt-Gen G.S. Sihota, at the Kharga golf course, Ambala Cantonment. The host team, 14 (I) Armoured Brigade, were the team winners and runners-up was shared by retired officers and a civilian team. While Lt-Col Pradeep Bakshi won the individual event, Mr Manav Das was the runner up. About 100 golfers participated in the golf tournament.

CONTEST: As many as 60 children of various age groups participated in a healthy baby contest, organised at Chetanya Hospital in collaboration with Elly Lilly Pharmaceuticals. In the age group of 6 months to 1 year, Tanishq was chosen the prince the Mannat the princess. In the age group of 1 year to 3 years, Kshitij was the prince and Nishtha was the princess, and in the age group of 3 years to 5 years, Aditya and Parvaaz were chosen the prince and princess, respectively. Mrs Usha Gupta, vice-principal, MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36 gave away the prizes.

SHOWS: Problems of dowry and other related social problems in today’s world find light in a series of shows planned for rural areas of the city in the coming days. Mr Zulfiqar Khan, the director of ‘Theatre Age’, said the element of comedy had been employed to highlight serious issues. The NZCC has offered at least 10 shows of the play in rural areas of Punjab. Two shows were scheduled at Kumbhra and Sohana villages on Saturday. Lakhnor and Landran were the venues for Sunday’s shows. Raipur Kalan has been chosen as a venue for the show on Monday. Saneta, Guru Nanak Colony and Amb Sahib feature in the shows scheduled for Tuesday. SAS Nagar-Phase 11 will have one show on Wednesday, Mr Zulfiqar Khan added.

HARYANA

AMBALA
RECRUITMENT DRIVE: About 3350 candidates turned up for the police recruitment drive which started on Saturday at the Police Lines for 80 posts allotted to Ambala district. Out of these, 1450 candidates belonged to the general category, 1000 for SC/ST, 850 to BC and 55 towards of ex-servicemen, and official said. It is estimated that last time about 7000 candidates turned up for the drive for about 100 posts. Transparency is being maintained by the official at the recruitment drive and senior official can also be contacted in case of any complaints.

HISAR
SENTENCED: The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr Nawab Singh, on Friday sentenced Rajpal, a resident of Vinod Nagar, to 10 years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 in a dowry death case.

FRAUD CASE: A case of fraud has been registered against a contractor of Haryana Agricultural University, Sudhir, for withdrawing Rs 25 lakh illegally from a bank account of a firm here. The Director of M.M. Enterprises, a construction company, Mr Rajbeer Chikara, had lodged a complaint against Sudhir, a partner in the firm, for having with drawn the amount using a missing cheque book.

SONEPAT
DEMONSTRATION: Telecom employees, affiliated to the National Telecom Staff Federation, held a demonstration in support of their long-standing demands in front of the telephone exchange at Murthal, about 8 km from here, on Sunday.

ARRESTED: The Baroda police on Sunday claimed to have arrested four members of a family of Bhawar village in connection with the murder of Jaipal of the same village on August 10. A pistol and some sharp-edged weapons used in the murder, were seized from them. A dispute over the canal water distribution is said to be the main cause of the murder.

RAPE CASE: Pardeep, a youth of Bhadana village, has been arrested by the Sadar police on the charge of raping a 14-year-old girl of the same village on August 13. Mr Partap Singh, father of the girl, lodged an FIR against the suspect.

HELD: The police has arrested two youths — Javed and Jagni, residents of Meerut (UP), on the charge of smuggling liquor following the seizure of 330 bottles of English wine from their possession. A case under the Excise Act has been registered.

TRUCK RECOVERED: The Rai police has arrested two persons — Sunil of Sonepat and Ram Bhaj of Rubra village following the recovery of a stolen truck from them. The truck was stolen from outside the house of Mr Attar Singh, a resident of Panipat, on the night of August 11, the SP, Mr A.S. Chawla, said here on Sunday.