R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

ABOHAR
FOUNDER’S DAY: Canara Bank celebrated Founder’s Day at the Maujgarh branch in the subdivision on Tuesday. The function was inaugurated by Mr Shashikant Galhotra, former president, Abohar Bar Association.

BAIL GRANTED: Malkiat Kaur, sarpanch, and Balwant Rai Godara and Preet Mohinder Singh Jakhar, all residents of Killanwali, near here, were granted anticipatory bail by Mr Zora Singh, Additional District Sessions Judge, on Tuesday. They had been booked by the Khuian Sarwar police in a case relating to the alleged rape of a minor daughter of a farm worker.

AMRITSAR
YOUTH FESTIVAL: Mr Narinderjit Singh, Deputy Commissioner, inaugurated a four-day Guru Nanak Dev University Final Youth Festival at Dashmesh Auditorium on Wednesday. More than 1000 students from various colleges in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala and Nawanshaher districts are participating.

DHURI
POSTAL EMPLOYEES: The seventh circle conference of the National Union of Postal Employees, Class-III (Punjab circle), will be held at Malwa Khalsa Senior Secondary School from November 25 to 27. Mr Gobind Singh Kanjla, Social Security Minister, Punjab, will inaugurate the opening session.

FEROZEPORE
CAREER GUIDANCE: A Career Guidance camp was organised by Punjab National Bank on the DCM complex premises here in which bureaucrats, bank officials and educationists guided students on various careers and their scopes.

GARHSHANKAR
NRI CELL: The NRI cell of Punjab National Bank, Mahilpur, was inaugurated on Thursday by its Senior Regional Manager H.L. Arora. Addressing the NRIs, Mr Arora said the branch would be fully computerised and daily foreign currency rates would be made available to the account holders.

BIRTH ANNIVERSARY: Students of SGGS Khalsa College, Mahilpur, celebrated Guru Nanak Dev’s birth anniversary on Thursday. Gursharan Singh and his party enacted two one-act plays “Nawan Zamana” and “Main Eh Nahin Hon Devaan Gee”, based on the Guru’s teachings.

KILLED: Ramesh Kumar, a shopkeeper was crushed to death by a truck outside his shop on Banga Road, 40 km from here.

HOSHIARPUR
SAMATA PARTY: The following have been elected office-bearers of the state unit of the Samata Party: president — Mr Inderjit Singh Saini; secretary-general — Mr Vijay Kaushal; and general secretary — Mr Gurbachan Singh Kasoorwala.

TORTURED: On a complaint lodged by Mr Manohar Lal of Sheikhan Mohalla here, the police on Wednesday registered a case under Sections 498A and 506 of the IPC against Satish Kumar, his father Pritam Dass, brother Ashvani Kumar, cousin Manjit Kaur, uncle Dev Raj and aunt Baksho Devi for allegedly his torturing daughter for bringing insufficient dowry.

ASSAULTED: Three scooterists assaulted Mr Paramjit Singh a constable of Shahbu Deen village on Wednesday and took away his scooter (PBO 7H-9807). A case has been registered.

TRAINING CAMP: A block-level farmers’ training camp was organised at Focal Point, Kangmahi, on Wednesday by the Agriculture Department in which more than 300 farmers participated.

LUDHIANA 
LECTURE ON HEALTH: The Health Education Cell of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital will organise the 19th public health lecture on ‘Prevention of heart attack’ at the Dumra Auditorium on Saturday at 7 p.m. The lecture will be delivered by Prof K.K. Talwar of the Department of Cardiology, AIIMS, New Delhi. 

BEAUTY CONTEST: The Sabhyacharak Sath, Punjab, will organise ‘Vishav Punjaban’ contest at Punjabi Bhavan on Saturday. More than 15 contestants will take part in the contest. Mr S.S. Dhindsa, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, will be the chief guest and Mr S.K. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, will inaugurate the event. Folk singer Amarnoori will be honoured with ‘Malka-E-Tarannum’ award. 

CHARGE TAKEN: Mr. D.S. Chawla, newly elected president of united cycle and parts manufacturers association, formally took charge on Wednesday, announced that the office of the association would be shortly equipped with the latest technology and the new products required by the overseas buyers would be made available for members. He also announced a permanent sub-committee for the bicycle complex to be consituted shortly. A delegation would also be taken to the foreign trade fairs. 

RELEASED: A new cassette of Maheshi Manak, a nephew of Kuldeep Manak, was released in Artists’ Office by S.P. Traffic, Sukhdev Singh Bhatti. The cassette is titled “Paali, Paali Kahain Gabroo”. The function was attended by artistes and Mr Ravinder Deewana, president of the Punjabi Cultural Society. At the end of the function, Maheshi Manak entertained the guests with the rendering of the title song of his cassette. 

CONGURATULATED: A delegation of Youth Congress activists and Punjab Pradesh Congress Minorities Cell called on the All India Congress Committee President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi to congratulate her on reelection as AICC president with a massive majority. The chairman of PPCC Minorities Cell Mr Dilber Mohammed and senior Youth Congress leader Mr Amarjit Singh Tikka, who led the delegation, expressed confidence that a bright future for the party awaited under the leadership of Mrs Gandhi. 

DEMANDED: The Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) has decided to submit a memorandum to the state government to highlight the genuine demands of the brick-kiln workers. Speaking at an emergency meeting of Brick-kiln Mazdoor Union here on thursday, the Intuc state president, Mr Balwant Rai Kapoor, observed that labour laws were being flouted with impunity by brick kiln owners, while the Labour Department was watching the situation like a mute spectator. Speakers at the meeting reiterated the pending demands of brick-kiln workers, which included scrupulous implementation of labour laws, Bonus Act and Minimum Wages Act, payment of wages to workers during strike observed by owners, payment of compensation for damage to bricks during rainy season and improvement in working conditions, which were pathetic to say the least. 

FUNCTION: The Namdhari Darbar will organise a function at Namdhari Smarak, near Jail Road here on November 26 to mark the martyrdom day of Giani Ratan Singh and Sant Ratan Singh, who were hanged by the then British government, outside the Central Jail in the city in 1871. Giving details, Mr. Dalip Singh Namdhari, secretary, Namdhari Darbar informed that the Punjab Finance Minister Captain Kanwaljit Singh, Punjab Assembly Speaker Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, Deputy Speaker Mr Sat Pal Gosain, Congress MP Mr Gurcharan Singh Ghalib, among others, will attend the function and pay tributes to the martyrs. 

ALUMNUS BEREAVED: The joint meeting committee of the governing council, Principals, staff and the students of Guru Hargobind Khalsa Colleges of Education and Pharmacy, Gurusar Sadhar, on Wednesday mourned the sad demise of Mr Dalbar Singh Dhillon, a distinguished alumnus and sportsperson. 

MACHHIWARA
CELEBRATED: Primary Cooperative Agricultural Development Bank Ltd, Machhiwara, celebrated cooperative day on Wednesday at Lubangarh village. Farmers and members of the bank from the nearby villages attended the meeting. The manager, Mr Bhupinder Sharma, highlighted the concessions and speedy steps taken for making the loaning process easier such as deletion of society certificates, L.A. opinion and payment of loans directly to the borrower. He also stressed upon various diversified schemes and especially the loans under the non-farming sector, so that the new generation could draw the benefits. The chairman of the bank Jathedar Chanan Singh asked the farmers to adopt new technology and scientific measures with the assistance of the bank. 

CAMP ORGANISED: A one-day training camp regarding the use of herbicides was organised at community centre, Koomkalan village by the Herbicides Resistance Action Committee and the India Crop Protection Association (Mumbai) in association with PAU Ludhiana and Agriculture Department Punjab. More than 1150 farmers, farm employees and representatives from various companies participated the camp. Dr (Mrs) Robin Bolinder and Dr Andrew Miller from Kornail University, USA, and agricultural expert from PAU, Ludhiana, Dr Lal Singh Brar delivered their lectures. The main aim of the camp was to inform about the application of the herbicides for more yield. Farmers were also told about the selection of spray pumps and methods of spraying of herbicides. They were also told about various technical aspects about the sprayers like flat fan nozzle, multiple nozzle boom, pressure regulator and speed of sprayers. 

MALERKOTLA
PENSION CAMP: Mr Gobind Singh Kanjhla, Minister for Social Security, Punjab, while addressing a pension camp on Wednesday at Rurki Kalan village, 10 km from here, said Rs 167 crore would be distributed among pensioners during the current financial year. He said the Punjab Government would spend Rs 45 crore for the welfare of women and children during the current financial year and 12 anganwari centres would be opened in each block of the state soon.

MOGA
CHALLANED: The District Transport Officer challaned a number of two-wheeler owners here on Tuesday for violating traffic rules.

INFLATED BILLS: Power consumers of this town have complained that they have received inflated bills during the current month. They told mediapersons here on Wednesday that those who had been receiving bills amounting to Rs 800 to Rs 1000, received bills amounting to Rs 2000 to Rs 3000. They demanded an inquiry into the matter.

NAWANSHAHR
CENSUS MEETING: A meeting, under the chairmanship of Mr Gupal Singh Bhatti, officiating Deputy Commissioner, was held here on Wednesday in which master trainees, supervisors and other officials, connected with the census work, were given training by Mr Major Ram and Mr Mohinder Pal, both Assistant Deputy Directors, Census, Punjab.

AGENT ARRESTED: Mr Ishwar Singh, SSP, in a press note issued here on Wednesday, said the police had arrested Binder Jyoti of Rahon on a complaint lodged by Mr Gurdip Singh of the same town in which he had alleged that she had taken Rs 70,000 from him for sending him to Dubai.

MEDICAL CAMP: The Guru Nanak Mission Medical and Educational Trust organised a free medical check-up camp at Saila Khurd village , about 20 km from here, on Tuesday. As many as 1225 patients were examined and 50 eye operations were performed.

PATIALA
ELECTED: Mr Sukhwinder Singh was unanimously elected President of the Patiala Mini Truck Operators Union at a general body meeting of the union held here on Thursday. The other office-bearers are Mr Kirpal Singh (Cashier), and Mr Baldev Singh (Adda in charge).

PHILLAUR
COURSE: A two-day specialised course on “Attitudinal and Behavioural change” for NGOs from various districts was inaugurated on Tuesday by Dr D.J. Singh, Deputy Director (SS), Punjab Police Academy Phillour. Nearly 30 non- gazetted police officers are participating.

SAMRALA
EMERGENCY MEETING: At an emergency meeting of the local BJP block on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Mr Pawan Gupta, its president, condemned the attitude of the Nagar Council, Samrala authorities, who had increased the water rates per tap to Rs 90 while at Machhiwara, the rate of per water tap was Rs 50 only. Mr Pawan Gupta said, the increase was made by the Nagar Council without taking the Municipal Councillors into confidence. On account of the increase of water rates, people are disconnecting their connections, he added. The senior vice president, Mr Anil Gupta, said if the rates per tap are not reduced till December 31, they would hold protest against the Nagar Council authorities and they had brought this fact to the notice of Jathedar Kirpal Singh Khirnian, a member of the SGPC who had assured that he would take up the matter with the local SDM. 

ELECTED: The following have been elected members of elementary education improvement plan committee of Government Girls Primary School, Samrala, as per directions of the Education Department; Mr Tej Singh, Ex-Municipal Councillor, secretary Raksha Devi being school head, Mr Gajeshwar Singh Kang as donator, Mr Jagat Ram as serviceman, Mirpal Singh, Labh Singh as members of the PTA while Mr Amar Nath Tagra, has been elected chairman. 

CHANDIGARH

SAS NAGAR
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Anand Lamp Employees Union: President — Mr Kesar Singh Jandpur; Vice-President — Mr Kuldeep Rana and Mr Sudeshwar Giri; General Secratary — Mr Dharam Machhli; and Joint Secrataries — Mr Satrughan Balodi and Mr Raj Pal.  

HARYANA

YAMUNANAGAR
ELECTROCUTED: An employee of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam was electrocuted while doing maintenance work on an electric pole. According to an information Duni Chand, assistant lineman, was repairing GO switch at a power house near here on Wednesday when he was electrocuted.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
PENSIONERS’ ASSOCIATION: The All-Himachal Pensioners’ Welfare Association had urged all organisations of pensioners in the state to gather at one platform and under one banner, so that their long-pending demands were accepted by the government at the earliest. They demanded that the government should set up a state level-joint consultative committee on the pattern of the state NGOs’ Federation and also provide the district-level grievances cell with representatives from the pensioners’ associations.