R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

ABOHAR
CONCERN: Activists of the beopar mandal have expressed concern over the incident in which a local goldsmith and two others were reportedly looted at gunpoint on Sunday.

KILLED: Rani Gupta was killed and three others injured when their car met with an accident while they were returning home after attending a marriage at Muktsar on Sunday. The injured were admitted to a private hospital here.

AMRITSAR
SYMPOSIUM HELD: An AIDS symposium was held here on Monday during the ongoing AIDS week at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital by the Skin and STD Department, Dr Ravi Saini said. Mr Saini said a high incidence of HIV cases had been reported in the defence force. Mr Saini said present day statistics indicate a growing trend of the disease among touring businessmen, defence personnel and teenagers.

WORKSHOP HELD: An Indo-German practical training workshop on linkage analysis of human genetic disorders began on Monday at the Centre for Genetic Disorders at Guru Nanak Dev University, here. It was jointly organised by Dr Jai Rup Singh and Dr Franz Rueschendorf under a collaborative programme with the Institute of Human Genetics, Humboldt University, Berlin, Institute for Medical Biometrics, Informatics and Epidemiology, University of Bonn, and Gene Mapping Centre and Molecular Genetics, Max Delbrueck Centre, Germany.

DHURI
NOTIFICATION WELCOMED: Dr Pritpal Singh Grewal and Dr A.S. Mann, president and general secretary, respectively, of the Punjab Civil Homoeopathic Medical Officers Association in a press note issued here on Sunday, welcomed the notification issued by the Punjab Government revising the grades of Ayurvedic, Unani and Homoeopathic Medical Officers. They thanked the Punjab Government for accepting the long standing demands of the association. The association further demanded that full parity be given to the Homoeopathic Medical officers of Punjab with that of Allopathic doctors on the pattern of the Central Government.

DORAHA
annual function: The annual function of Arya Putri Senior Secondary School was held on Monday which was inaugurated by Dr Gurdip Singh Sidhu of Sidhu Hospital, Doraha. The prize distribution ceremony was performed by Mr Satyanand Munjal, Chairman, Hero Cycle Company, and Dr Rajwant Singh Pandher, according to the Principal, Mr Rajesh Angrish. 

GRANT: The annual function of Government High School, Begowal, was held on Sunday. The function was inaugurated by Dr Jagtar Singh, DPI, Schools, Punjab. The guest of honour were Mr Rajwinder Singh, a former sarpanch, and Mr Sarabjeet Singh. The Principal, Mr Gurnam Singh Dhillon, on his part gave the excellent result of Class X that was 93 per cent in the terminal examination, while it was 60 per cent in the board examination. At the same time Dr Jagtar Singh announced a grant of Rs 35 lakh for the construction of the building of the school. 

GURDASPUR
COMPUTERISED: Mr R.K. Gupta, Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Gurdaspur division, talking to newsmen here on Tuesday, said the saving bank operations at the counter of local Head Post Office have been computerised to provide efficient and speedy service to the depositors. The department is shortly launching a drive to extend benefits of Rural Postal Life Insurance Scheme in rural areas, he said.

HOSHIARPUR
BIFURCATION SUPPORTED: Mr R.P. Dhir, former vice-chairman of the Bar Council, Punjab and Haryana, in a press note issued here on Monday, supported the demand of Lawyers in Haryana for bifurcation of Punjab and Haryana High Court. The bifurcation would increase the efficiency in both the courts, he added.

LUDHIANA
lecture: Prof N.S. Tasneem, a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award for 1999 for his Punjabi Novel, Gawache Arth, delivered a lecture on “New trends in Punjabi novel” at Government College for Boys on Monday. He traced the development of the Punjabi novel during the past 50 years and pointed out that the change from traditional novel to psychological novel had been smooth but the Punjabi reader had taken time to appreciate the stream of consciousness novel. The lecture was in the series of lectures to be delivered during the golden jubilee year of the postgraduate department of Punjabi in the college. 

programme: To bring an awareness of mother and child care, the Ludhiana Sakharta Samiti has recently organised a programme at Jamalpur. Students of Government High School, Mundian Kalan, presented a play highlighting the various necessary measures to be taken by the expecting mothers. Dr Jaspreet Kaur, Medical Officer, Jamalpur, highlighted the importance of administrating polio drops to the kids below five years. A similar programme will also be organised on Thursday at Bhatiya Bet, Hajuri Bang and Kutebwal Kadian, according to Mr Darshan Singh, BDO, Ludhiana. 

MALERKOTLA
RAIDED: In a special campaign, eight teams from the Education Department led by Mr Jagtar Singh Khatra, Director Public Instructions (Secondary Schools) Punjab, Chandigarh raided about 45 schools in Sangrur, Ludhiana and Patiala districts during a week-long operation. Mr Khatra said during these raids 10 masters and two headmasters were found absent from their duties. He warned that a disciplinary action will be taken against the erring staff.

CAMP HELD: A yoga education camp was held at the local Ramji Dass Jain College for Women here on Tuesday. A lecture was delivered by Dr Satish Kapoor on the importance of yoga for the all-round development of the students. Ms Shashi Jindal, secretary of the college managing committee, presided over the function.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Inner Wheel Club: president — Ms Sunita Garg, secretary — Ms Dheeraj Kapoor, joint secretary — Ms Sunita Jain and treasurer — Ms Firdosh Amzad.

NAWANSHAHR
GANG BUSTED: Mr Ishwar Singh, SSP, in press note issued here on Monday, claimed to have busted an interstate gang of narcotics smugglers by arresting two persons Dharminder Singh alias Goga and Maddi during a naka at nearby Balachaur village on Sunday. Thirty bags of poppy husk, costing around Rs 4.5 lakh, alongwith the bags of groundnut were seized. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against.

TWO HELD: Two unauthorised travel agents Rajinder Singh and Vijay Kumar, residents of the local Kayian Mohalla, have been arrested for duping Puran Singh, resident of Sangh Dhesian, Jalandhar, of Rs 30,000 on the pretext of sending him abroad, the SSP said in a press note issued here on Monday.

SEMINAR ORGANISED: The local Bhai Ghanaiya Seva Society organised a seminar at Government High School, Balachaur, about 5 km from here on Monday to create an awareness about the menace of drug abuse among people, especially students. Mr Ishwar Singh, SSP, presided over the seminar. A declamation contest was also organised.

SAHNEWAL
Hans to be honoured: Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans will be honoured at Kohara village, near Sahnewal, on Wednesday by the Baba Farid Foundation International, Ludhiana. A cultural programme will also be organised. 

Sports meet: The annual sports meet of Katani Kalan village will be held between December 8 and 10 in memory of martyr Prem Singh. This was disclosed in a joint press note issued by Mr Manjit Singh, sarpanch, Katani Kalan, and Mr Sukhminder Singh Lali, president, People's Welfare Association. The main events of the meet will be kabaddi, athletics, volleyball, shooting and rope-pulling. Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, and Mr Jagdish Singh Garcha, Technical Education Minister, are expected to grace the occasion. 

SAMRALA
THANKED: Mr Bhupinder Singh Benipal, organising secretary of the PPCC, thanked Ms Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday for getting Capt Amarinder Singh elected as Punjab Pradesh Congress President. Talking to mediapersons, he said the Congress in Punjab was united and was working for the coming Vidhan Sabha election. He said the rumours of any sort of dissatisfaction in the party was nothing but a political gimmick by the Shiromani Akali Dal. 

HAILED: A large number of Akali workers and office-bearers participated in a function here on Tuesday and passed a resolution to thank Mr Parkash Singh Badal, President of SAD (B) for getting Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, elected as President of the SGPC. The resolution said Mr Talwandi was suitable to lead the SGPC. 

Membership drive: A membership drive has been started by the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) throughout the state, with December 31 as the deadline to complete it, according to Mr Balbir Singh Rajewal, national general secretary of the BKU. Talking to mediapersons on Tuesday, Mr Rajewal said the village-level committee would be constituted by December 31 and block elections would be completed by January 7, 2001. There would be elections to the district units by January 15. The date for state-level election would be announced shortly. 

ELECTED: Mr Raghbir Singh was elected sarpanch of Manpur village in an election held here on Sunday. Mr Raghbir Singh won the election by a margin of 272 votes.

SWEETS DISTRIBUTED: Sweets were distributed here on Monday by Jathedar Bhawanjeet Singh, District Vice-President of the SAD, on the success of Jathedar Jagdev Singh Talwandi as President of the SGPC.

sangrur
Gamblers held: The district police has arrested six persons from different places under Sections 13A, 3 and 67 of the Gambling Act and has recovered Rs 1.50 lakh from them. Mr Jatinder Singh Aulakh, local SSP, said on Tuesday Mange Ram and David Masih, of Uklana Mandi in Haryana, Jagdish Lal and Ram Kumar of Sunam, Tersem Lal, of Sangrur and Sampat Rai of Dhuri had been arrested. The SSP said Mange Ram was the leader and the others had been working for him.

CHANDIGARH

launched: A new portal for the younger generation, www.4youthbay.com, was launched here on Tuesday. Mr Bhupinder Singh, CEO of the portal, claims that the portal has more than 30 sections with 750 pages. He claims that for the first time a Chandigarh based portal has managed strategic tie-ups for the content development with some of the major international Internet companies. Some of the unique features of the website include opportunity of getting free personalised e-mail service, 20 MG of free web space with personalised name, e-cards and a free classified section. But all this is for the registered users of the site. The free online courses section give the opportunity to the youngsters to upgrade their knowledge in computers as the site claims to have more than 200 online IT related tutorials. 

HARYANA

pulse polio centres: To administer polio vaccines to nearly 1.41 lakh children in the district on December 10, 576 pulse polio centres are going to be set up. The Deputy Commissioner of Ambala, Mr D.D. Gautam, said that polio drops will be administered to children in the age group up to five years on December 10 as part of a nation-wide campaign to eradicate polio, a release said. Mr Gautam said there will be 128 centres in urban areas and 418 in the rural areas. Besides that, in rural areas there will be 20 mobile centres while in the urban areas there will be 10 mobile centres which will cover railway stations, bus stands and children of those who frequently shift places. The polio drops will be stored in three Civil Hospitals, three community health centres, 15 primary health centres and the mobile teams will ensure that the polio drops are available at all the pulse polio centres. 

BHIWANI
SUICIDE ATTEMPT: A housewife of Vikas Nagar here attempted to commit suicide by consuming a poisonous substance here on Sunday. Shiela (30), wife of Rai Singh, was admitted to the Civil Hospital in a serious condition. In another incident, Manphool Singh (15) of Bhangarh village attempted to commit suicide by consuming a pesticide.

INJURED: Two persons, including a woman, were injured in a clash that took place due to a land dispute at Nathuwas village on Sunday. Kuldeep Singh, one of the injured, said the court had recently given a verdict in his favour on this piece of land and he had been preparing for a construction here. But he alleged that Naresh, Narender, Joginder and Sanjay attacked him on Sunday when he was going to his fields.

INAUGURATED: Mr B.D. Gupt, Rajya Sabha, MP, inaugurated two sheds for cows at Patram Gate Gaushala. The cow sheds have been constructed with the aid of Rs 10 lakh which was provided by Mr Gupt from his MP fund. The president of Guaraksha Sangharsh Samiti Acharya, Mr Baldev of Gurukul Kalwa, presided over the function.

HISAR
BOOKED: The district police on Sunday booked six persons including a former sarpanch of nearby Talwandi Badshahpur village for stealing irrigation water. Mr Ajay Garg, Sub-Divisional officer, Irrigation Department, had lodged an FIR with the sadar police station against Siya Ram, a former sarpanch, and Daleep Singh, Shish Pal, Thandu Ram, Nar Singh and Daleep Singh of nearby Chaudhariwas village.

ELECTED: Mr Shamsher Singh Gill has been elected district President of the Haryana State Teachers Association. He said other office-bearers and executive members would be nominated soon.

ROHTAK
ELECTED: Mr Girish Chand Gupta was elected chairman of the Vaish Education Society while Mr Ram Chet Tayal and Mr Jiwan Ram Goyal were elected president of the working committee and chairman, respectively, of the governing body in an election held here on Monday.

SIRSA
ARRESTED: Sangeeta Bhatia and Amrit Pal Bhatia, residents of Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi, were arrested on a complaint lodged by Dalwinder of Ottu village in Sirsa district, police sources said here on Monday. The two had exhorted Rs 40 lakh from Dalwinder Singh, Malkeet Singh of Rania, Charanjeet and Harnek of Gobindpura and Mono Pal of Ellenabad by promising to send them abroad. A case has been registered against them.

SONEPAT
CASE REGISTERED: The Murthal registered a case against a constable on Tuesday for stealing a service revolver of an ASI posted in Qumashpur village in the district. The suspect is reportedly absconding.

APPOINTED: The Haryana Government has appointed Mr Rajinder Singh Dahiya as the new District Education Officer, Sonepat, in place of Ms Prem Kuleri, who retired on November 30. Mr Dahiya had been working as District Primary Education Officer at the district headquarters.

WARNED: Mr A.S. Chawla, SP, on Tuesday warned his subordinate officials against leaking crime incidents to mediapersons. He said those found guilty would be placed under suspension.

ADOPTED: The Nav Jagriti Manch on Tuesday decided to adopt five families of Akbarpur Barota village living below poverty line. According to a press note issued here, office-bearers of the manch would provide assistance to such families.

ATTACKED: Mr Balbir Singh, a retired Air Force employee, was allegedly attacked by his son Mahesh Kumar in his house at Fatehpur village, about 10 km from here, on Monday. The victim had reportedly sustained multiple injuries caused by iron rod. He was taken to the local Civil Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. A case of murder has been registered against Mahesg who is still at large.

BEATEN UP: A lawyer was allegedly beaten up by a former sarpanch of Rai village at the judicial complex here on Monday. Members of the District Bar Association reportedly called on the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police and demanded the registration of a criminal case. The former sarpanch, however, alleged that the lawyers had gheraoed and thrashed him in the Bar room.

ATTACKED: Five youths allegedly attacked a shopkeeper on the Gohana road here on Tuesday. Two persons sustained injuries and were hospitalised. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

KANGRA
COMMUNITY POLICING: The DIG Police, Northern Range, Mr K.C. Saidyal, launched a community policing scheme in the Kangra police station area here on Monday in order to weed out crime from the society by bringing the common man close to the police.

NURPUR
ARRESTED: Madzadar Mohammad (26), a citizen of Algeria, was arrested at Jassur, near here, on Monday under the Foreign Act for selling imported goods. He had a tourist visa with validity up to November 12. He admitted that he had visited Manali and some other tourist spots of Himachal Pradesh.

shimla
banned: Mr P.C. Katoch, District Magistrate, Shimla, has banned the sale, service and storage of liquor in vends, hotels, restaurants and clubs or other such establishments in the district from December 12 to 17 and December 19 and 20, in view of the ensuing panchayat and municipal elections. The District Magistrate has also prohibited carrying of firearms in the district.