R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

elected: The following have been unanimously elected office-bearers of the Lecturers Union : president — Mr Harbhajan Singh Mann; chief adviser — Mr Gurdial Singh Dalal; vice-president — Mr Jarnail Singh; general secretary — Mr Bhag Singh Mangat; joint secretary — Mr Sukhdev Singh; finance secretary — Mr Amarjit Singh; and press secretary — Mr Satpal Singh Bilasi. 

FARIDKOT
CPI’s ANNIVERSARY: To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the CPI, the district unit will organise a seminar on the national policy, particularly economic affairs, under the dictates of World Bank, WTO and IMF here on December 26.

RECOMMENDED: The district administration has recommended 12 cases to the Punjab Government for a pension of Rs 300 every month. The persons recommended were detained in different jails for six months or more for participating in the Dharam Yudh Morcha launched by the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab. Nineteen cases had been recommended for ‘samman patras’, said the local Deputy Commissioner, Mr A. Venu Prasad.

FEROZEPORE
HELD FOR GRAFT: Inspector Ashok Kumar of the Cooperative Societies was held for accepting a bribe of Rs 3,800 from the secretary of the Gill village society in lieu of issuing a favourable inspection report. The Inspector was caught red-handed in Moga on the complaint of Mr Kuldip Singh.

GARHSHANKAR
BODY FOUND: The body of Gurdev Singh of Rurki Khas was found near a tubewell in the sugarcane field on Wednesday. He had been missing since Monday.

HOSHIARPUR
DEAD: Rajan (20) of Meerut, who had fallen from a tractor near Allahabad village, succumbed to injuries at the local Civil Hospital on Tuesday night. The mishap occurred when Rajan was returning to his sister after paying obeisance to Pir Nigaha.

DIED OF BURNS: Kanta Devi (27), wife of Joginder Singh of Chohal village, succumbed to burns at the local Civil Hospital here on Wednesday. Her clothes caught fire while she was preparing food on stove on December 17.

KAPURTHALA
OLD STUDENTS’ MEET: Old students of the local Sainik School celebrated the old boys’ meet on Wednesday. The Principal, Col Manohar Prasad, honoured Lieut Nachattar Singh, old student, who had been awarded the sword of honour by the President of India. The Old Students’ Association announced to fund Internet facility in the school.

KHAMANO
chairman: The Akali-BJP government has failed to appoint the chairman of the Market Committee, Khamano, even after completing three and a half years in office. The town falls in Fatehgarh Sahib district but its assembly area is Samrala in Ludhiana district. So no attention is being paid to Khamano. Some Akali leaders of the area, who were hot contenders for the post, are now fed up with the assurances of the party leadership. 

disrupted: On the fourth day on Thursday, the town remained totally cut off from the world due to disruption of telecommunication services. 

LUDHIANA
dairy training: The Dairy Development Department has organised four special training camps under the self-employment scheme in the district. The last camp was held at Jagraon, in which 88 youth were imparted intensive training on breeds of milch cattle, care of young calves, green fodder production all through the year and marketing of milk. Addressing the concluding function, Dr Devi Dass, Deputy Director, Dairy Development, advised the trainees to avail the facilities offered by the department and to set up mini or commercial dairy units with the financial assistance available under various schemes. Mr. Kuldip Singh Jassowal, Dairy Development Inspector, explained in detail the various schemes. 

examined: A hypertension and diabetes detection camp was organised at SAN Jain Senior Secondary School by Dr Mohan Lal Pathak, in association with Pfizer labs. More than 70 patients were examined by Dr Arun Thapar. Patients were given free medicines. The camp was inaugurated by the Principal, Mr Surinder Kumar Soni. 

Principal: Peace has returned to the local Master Tara Singh Memorial College with Ms Rajinder Kaur Gill, taking the charge as its officiating Principal. The college management has readvertised for the post in Thursday’s newspapers. The shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by a panel nominated by the DPI and Panjab University. College authorities hope that they will have a principal soon. The college was protesting against the extension of the service of the past principal. 

MANDI GOBINDGARH
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the association of executive officers of municipal councils at a meeting held here: president — Dr S.S. Dhaliwal; senior vice-president — Mr R.K. Mittal; vice-president — Mr L.S. Saini, general secretary — Mr P.S. Ghuman, joint secretary — Mr Tejinder Singh and cashier — Mr S.K. Jindal.

Mansa
PAY SCALES REJECTED: At a meeting held here on Thursday, the local Accounts, Audit and Administrative Services Association of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) rejected the revised pay scales announced by the PSEB. In a press note issued by the association, Mr Sarabjit Kumar Kaushal, zonal press secretary of the association, said anomalies of the pay scales of January 1, 1986 had not been improved by the management.

PHONES NON-FUNCTIONAL: Telephones in the district have been out of order for the past one month. All efforts of the department to restore services have failed.

PROTEST: Resentment prevails among the sweepers of the local municipal council against the non-payment of salary for the last month. They began a protest here on Monday and threatened to gherao the municipal council president, Mr Pawan Kumar Matti, and other officials it their salaries were not paid within a week.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local branch of the Apex International: president — Mr Bhushan Ahluwalia; senior vice-president — Mr Manoj Kumar Garg; vice-president — Mr Sanjiv Singla; secretary — Mr Kamaljit Singh Sharma and joint secretary — Mr Amrit Garg.

APPOINTED: Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta, chairman of the All India Anti-terrorism Front, has appointed Mr Balwinder Singh Kaka as the vice-president of the state unit and Mr Vijay Kumar Jain as the president of district unit of the front.

MOGA
BLACK MARKETING: Black marketing in revenue stamp papers is flourishing in the town as stamp papers costing Re 1 to Rs 5 are being sold at Rs 20 to 25 each. Litigants have urged the administration to make small denomination stamp papers available in the town.

CABLE THEFT: About 30 kg of cable connecting an electric pole with the tubewell of a farmer in Manuke village in the district has been stolen on Monday night. The matter has been reported to the police.

NAWANSHAHR
TRAVEL AGENTS BOOKED: Mr Ishwar Singh, SSP, in a press note issued here on Wednesday, said the police had registered cases against travel agent Surinder Lal of Mangoowal village for cheating Kashmiri Lal of Rs 90,000 and his brother-in-law Malkeet Ram of Rs 1 lakh whom he had sent Dubai instead of Italy. Another case against Makhan Singh of Khatkarkhurd village has been registered for defrauding Surjit Singh of Rs 4 lakh on the pretext of sending him to the USA.

POPPY HUSK SEIZED: Mr Ishwar Singh, SSP, in a press note issued here on Wednesday, said that as part of the drive launched against drug traffickers, the police raided the house of Kashmiri, alias Shiri, of Soeta village and seized 80 kg of poppy husk. Kashmiri is absconding.

PHAGWARA
BOOKED: The local police has registered a case under Section 420 of the IPC against Dinesh of Satnampura mohalla here and Parminder Singh of Panshta village for defrauding Jasbir Singh of Daroli Kalan of Rs 2,40,000. They had taken the amount from Jasbir in July, 1990 to send him abroad.

ROPAR
DIRECTORY RELEASED: The first telephone directory of the district, updated till September 30, was released on Wednesday by the Telecom District Manager, Mr J.S. Sahota. Mr Sahota said copies of the directory would be made available to the subscribers free of cost. He also presided over a telephone adalat here in which eight customer disputes were settled.

SAMRALA
Langar organised: To commemorate the first death anniversary of a social worker and industrialist, Hari Chand Machhiwara, langar was served to nearly 1,000 persons. Mr Anil Sood, president, Nagar Council, Machhiwara, distributed the langar. Mr Ishar Singh Meharban, a former minister of Punjab, also participated. 

celebrations: The local Community Centre Club will celebrate New Year’s Day on Saturday on the club premises, according to its president, Mr Sandeep Hans, SDM Samrala. 

School function: The annual function of Sacred Heart Convent School will be held on Friday. Mr Sandeep Hans, SDM, will be the chief guest. 

disputes settled: At an open darbar held at Kulewal village on Thursday, Mr S.K. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, settled more than 50 disputes. Mr Kirpal Singh Khirnian, member, SGPC, presided over the function. A financial grant of Rs 2 lakh for drains of the village was given. A grant of Rs 2.66 lakh was given for the development of Samrala. Accident victims were given a help of Rs 90,000 by Mr Kuldeep Singh, Chairman of the market committee, Samrala. Mr Joginder Singh Seh, general secretary of the SAD (Rural), told Mr Sandhu about difficulties faced by the gram panchayats of the area. Among others, Mr Kartar Singh Mehdoodan, Mr Tehal Singh Dhande, Mr Manjit Singh Daheru, Mr Raj Kumar Thapar, Mr Kuldeep Khullar, Mr Gurmeet Singh Bedi, Mr Harchand Singh were present. 

bullock-cart race: On the first day of the Malwa Sports Association meet, Mr Teja Singh Jaladiwal stood first out of the 137 bullock-carts that participated in the bullock-cart race. The winner covered the distance in 18.93 seconds, whereas Mr Pritam Singh Kaler and Mr Jaswant Singh Chehalan, stood second covering the race in 19.39 seconds. The opening ceremony was performed by Mr Sandeep Hans, SDM. Mr Sushil Kumar, DSP, Samrala, presided over the prize distribution function. 

SANGRUR
AWARDED: Dr Surinder Singla, secretary of the local branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), has been selected for IMA National President Appreciation Award for the second consecutive year. Dr Singla will be awarded a trophy and scroll on December 27 at the IMA national conference in Calcutta.

CONVENTION: A state-level convention of the Ministerial Staff Association (Excise and Taxation Department), Punjab, will be held at Moga on December 21 to discuss employees’ demands. Mr Ravinder Guddu, general secretary of the association, said Mr Tikshan Sood, Minister of State for Excise and Taxation, Punjab, would be the chief guest.

CHANDIGARH

camp organised: As many as 100 volunteers, donated blood at a blood donation camp organised at Sector 35 market on Thursday. The camp was specially organised to meet the prevailing shortage of various blood groups in GMCH-32 particularly of O positive and negative. Among the organisers were State Bank of India, Lions Club Central, Panchkula and Blood Donors Council. Mementoes and certificates were distributed among the donors. 

celebrated: The Ladies Club, Chandigarh celebrated Christmas at Gandhi Bhavan, Sector 16, here on Monday. Christmas message was given by Bishop Dr Javed Massey. Ms Edina Joseph, president of the Anglican Church Women Fellowship also delivered a message on the birth of Christ. Christmas carols were sung by the Anglican Church choir. 

Notebooks given: the members of Lions Club Rose and Lions Club Chandigarh Supreme distributed notebooks among needy students of Government Model School, Sector 45 on Thursday. 

greeting cards: The Department of Posts has come out with a range of greeting cards for Christmas and the New Year. The cards available in 34 designs can be bought from the Head Post Office, the department has offered a discount of 20 per cent on the purchase of 100 and more cards. 

demanded: The Traders Association, Sector 17 A and B, has urged the Chandigarh Administration to speed up the formation of new building bylaws. In a press note, Mr Kamaljit Singh Panchhi, president of the association, criticised the administration for not declaring the new bylaws. He also alleged that the recommendations of the Building Bylaws Committee were being ignored by the bureaucrats. Mr Panchhi further urged the Administrator to intervene in the matter and cancel the meeting of the committee scheduled to be held on Friday. 

inaugurated: A 10-day camp by the NSS volunteers of GGDSD College, Sector 26, started here on Thursday. Dr A.C. Vaid, inaugurated the camp. Speaking on the occasion he said a healthy society was not possible without the participation of youth. 

clinic set up: The Bhojia Charitable Trust for Science Research and Social Welfare has set up a Charitable Dental city clinic at Manimajra. The trust is already running a Dental College and Hospital at Budh village, Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh. 

HARYANA

FATEHABAD
ARRESTED: Baljinder, Rohtash and Sooraj Bhan of Tibbi village were arrested on Tuesday at Sithala village while they were planning a robbery. A countrymade pistol, a knife and a hockey stick were seized from their possession. Two of the gang managed to escape.

KAITHAL
DEMAND: The Ad hoc Teachers Association, Kaithal, has urged the Haryana Government to regularise the services of ad hoc teachers. Addressing a meeting here on Tuesday, the president of the state unit of the association, Mr Jawahar Lal Goel, said the future of a large number of experienced teachers would be jeopardised if the government did not regularise their services.

TRANSFER: The Haryana Government has ordered the transfer of Mr A.S. Chawla, Superintendent of police, on the complaint of some legislators of the ruling INLD. Mr Paramjit Ahlawat has been directed to take charge in his place.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
ZILA PARISHAD POLL: Apropos of the Bilaspur Zila Parishad elections, the candidate for Suinsurhaad ward, Ms Premlata, belongs to the BJP and not the Congress. Also from Chandpur ward, Subhash Thakur of the BJP, a supporter of Health Minister Jagatprakash Nadda, has been declared elected.

KULU
HONOURED: Mr Buta Singh, Additional Commissioner, Income Tax, Himachal Pradesh, here on Tuesday honoured the three best taxpayers in the district. General Insurance Company employee Gopal Singh Thakur, Dr Naveen Naru, and Rajinder Nag have been honoured. They were presented ‘‘samman patras’’ by Mr Buta Singh.

KUMARHATTI
ELECTED: The following have been elected presidents of the Rotary Club, Kasauli: Mr Pankaj Jain (for 2001-2002) and Mr V. K. Chopra (for 2002-2003).