The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, December 25, 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

FARIDKOT
CHEQUES DISTRIBUTED: Mr A.Venu Prasad, Deputy Commissioner, distributed cheques for Rs 5 lakh to 103 beneficiaries under the “shagun scheme” at a function organised by the District Social Welfare Department here on Saturday. He said 900 more persons would be brought under the scheme before the end of the current financial year.

MURDER CASE: The police has claimed that it has solved the murder case of Mahant Darshan Singh Baba Rodeshah Dargah, who was killed by certain persons on the Faridkot-Kotkapura road, by arresting Gurmeet Singh of Ajit Gill village in this connection. This was stated by Dr Arun Kumar Araon, SSP, here on Saturday.

ESTABLISHMENT DAY: The District Congress Committee will organise a function here on Thursday to celebrate the anniversary of the establishment day of the party. Many state leaders, including Mr Hans Raj Sharma, Mr Avtar Singh Brar, Mr Upinder Sharma, Mr Balmukand Sharma, all former ministers, will participate.

HOSHIARPUR
CASE REGISTERED: On the complaint of Mr Gurdev Singh of Behram Sharishta village the police registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC against Kulwant Singh, his brother-in-law , on Friday. In his complaint Gurdev Singh alleged that Kulwant Singh , who had developed illicit relations with other women, severely beat up his sister Paramjit Kaur on December 20 when she objected to his illicit relations. She was admitted to the Mukerian Civil Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

SUICIDE : Karnail Singh of Kahri village committed suicide by allegedly consuming poison here on Friday. He was taken to the local Civil Hospital where he was declared dead.

KHARAR
DEMANDED: Some local traders who are occupying the shops that are owned by the Municipal Committee of Kharar have demanded that the Punjab Government should fix the selling price of these shops at the reasonable rate. In a press note issued here on Sunday, they said the price of this space was Rs 22,500 per square yard, which was a high price. They have urged the Punjab Government to review its decision.

LUDHIANA
CELEBRATED: Christmas was celebrated in the Sutlej Club. Mrs Bubble Sandhu cut the cake. According to Mr A.S. Chawla, General Secretary of the club, Santa Claus kept entertaining the children by distributing gifts and balloons. Children danced to the various tunes of jingle bells and Christmas carols. The club was tastefully decorated with stars, Christmas trees, balloons and bells.

FAIR HELD: The Lakshmi Ladies Club held a children fair on Saturday to celebrate Christmas on the club premises. The unique feature about the event was that more than 25 games and eatables stalls had been put up by children. A talent competition for the children was organised in which they performed dances, songs, jokes and mono acting. Santa Claus distributed sweets and balloons among the children. The entry to the fair was free for children and members.

MANSA
DHARNA THREAT: A meeting of the municipal council employees union was held here on Friday in which Mr Charanjit Singh Khalsa, president of the union, threatened to stage a dharna for an indefinite period from December 26 in front of the office of the council in protest against the non- implementation of their demands.

MOGA
DEVELOPMENT WORKS: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Kanwalbir Singh Sidhu, while addressing a meeting of the District Development Committee held here on Saturday said the committee had decided to complete all development works in the district within the stipulated period fixed by the Chief Minister.

NAWANSHAHR
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Ganna Sangharsh Committee constituted by the Punjab Kisan Sabha: president — Mr Nazar Singh Saidpur; vice-presidents — Mr Tarsem Singh Jasowal, Mr Gurmej Singh Mandali, Mr Gurmail Singh Nahal and Mr Sewa Singh Sahota; secretary — Mr Baldev Singh Pota; and assistant secretaries — Mr Gurchetan Singh Wadala, Mr Kulwant Singh Sandhu and Mr Ajit Singh.

ARRESTED: Mr Ishwar Singh, SSP, in a press note issued here on Saturday said the police had arrested a proclaimed offender Gurjit Singh of Bhela village.

MEETING: Mr D.K. Moonga, Member Secretary of the Punjab Legal Services Authority, presided over a meeting of judicial officers and bank officers at the judicial complex here on Saturday. He said to settle the bank cases amicably bank lok adalats would be organised at Nawanshahr, Balachaur and Garhshankar on January 6.

QUIZ COMPETITION: An-inter college quiz competition was organised by Amardeep Singh Shergil Memorial College, Mukandpur, as part of the annual Amardeep Yadgari Mela on its premises on Friday. Guru Nanak College, Nakodar, Kamala Nehru Girls College, Phagwara, and Sikh National College, Banga, won the first, second and third positions, respectively.

BLOOD DONATION: The local Blood Donors Council organised a blood donation camp at the BDC complex on Saturday. Mr Ishwar Singh, SSP, inaugurated it. Several policemen also donated blood.

FUNCTION: The local Doaba Arya Senior Secondary School organised an annual prize distribution function on Saturday. The District Education Officer, Mr Santokh Singh Ranu, presided. The Deputy Commissioner, Dr Roshan Sunkaria, was the chief guest and gave away prizes to students.

PATIALA
FUNCTION HELD: Ram Kali Devi Deaf and Dumb School held its annual function here on Sunday. The function was a joint effort of children of ten other schools in the city. The function comprised Gidha and Bhangra, painting exhibition and an effort to enable the physically challenged to deliver speeches on the stage. “The idea is to bring such children on the stage and instil confidence in them for further participations”, said Mr. Asutosh Kumar Bajpai, Principal of the school. According Ms Sukhdarshan, mother of Navjot Singh, a disabled child, “My son wants to learn computers and communicate with people but society does not accept such children. If they are given the opportunity and practise they can do wonders. Such functions also enable them to learn a lot and further improve upon themselves.” According to Ms Babita, mother of nine-year-old Jyoti, “Education is a must for such children to make them aware of their surroundings. It has been found while talking to various parents that disabilities are caused primarily because of serious diseases such as typhoid and pneumonia. It could also be a transmission from mother’s illness to the child during childhood.”

FARMERS' RALLY: A farmers’ rally will be held at Samana on January 11 where Mr Jagmeet Brar, whip of Congress MPs from Punjab, will be honoured. This was stated by Mr Harinder Pal Singh Mann, former president of the District Congress Committee (Rural), at a press conference on Sunday. Mr Mann said the rally was being organised by the All-India Congress Committee (AICC). He said various points relating to the plight of the farmers would be raised at the rally.

AWARDED: Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar, Officer on Special Duty to the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, was honoured with the S. Jasdev Singh Sandhu Memorial Award by the Punjab Yuvak Manch at the Senate Hall of the Punjabi University on Sunday. Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, Vice-Chancellor, in his presidential address, said Punjabi University was the only university to be named after the language of a state. Mr Tarlochan Singh Dhandli, chairman of the Punjab Yuvak Manch, highlighted various activities and projects being undertaken by the manch for the development of Punjabi culture.

PHAGWARA
TRAINING CAMP: A three-day gurmat training camp began at Guru Nanak College here on Saturday. It is being organised by the student wing of the Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle. It was inaugurated by Mr Jagat Singh Palahi, president, College Management Committee.

CONSTITUTED: A ‘‘Sadbhavak and Samvicharak’’ team has been constituted here to beautify and make green the central berms and chowks on the GT Road within the local municipal limits. NGOs, industrialists and representatives of various official bodies, including the municipal council, have been included in the team. This was stated by Mr Pritam Singh, SDO, in a press note issued here on Saturday.

ROPAR
CONCLUDED: A three-day workshop on the changing role of the technical line manager concluded at the Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant (GGSSTP) here on Friday. It was attended by 25 Superintendent Engineers and Deputy Chief Engineers of the PSEB. Mr Pran Nath, former Director Personnel, NTPC, and Mrs Santwana Chaudhary from the IIM, Calcutta, gave lectures on modern techniques of management.

SAHNEWAL
PRABHAT PHERIS: Prabhat pheris on the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, to be concluded on December 31, commenced at Gurdwara Reru Sahib, Nandpur, near, here on Saturday. Bhai Ajmer Singh, head granthi of the gurdwara, said that nagar kirtan would be organised on January 1. On January 2 ragis, saints and other religious personalities would gather in the gurdwara to celebrate the occasion.

SAMRALA
DONATED: The local sports club president, Mr Zora Singh Mangat, donated Rs 35,000 to the Government Primary School and the Civil Hospital to commemorate the memory of Mr Kapoor Singh Mangat. On this occasion, rich tributes were paid to Mr Kapoor Singh by the former ministers, Mr Tej Parkash Singh and Mr Avtar Singh Brar. The local MLA, Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon and many other prominents persons of the area attended the bhog ceremony.

RECOVERED: Thirty bags of wheat have been recovered by the local police. According to police, the wheat was stolen by the watchmen of PUNSUP, Samrala and they were planning to sell it to a commission agent. Both the watchmen, Sher Singh and Harnek Singh, are absconding. The police has registered a case.

TARN TARAN
SEIZED: The sadar police arrested Amar Singh, alias Kabuttar, of Jamarai village and seized 15 kg of poppy husk from his possession at a police check post here on Friday. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered.

CHANDIGARH

CHECK-UP CAMP: More than 100 senior citizens were examined at a free medical check- up camp organised by citizens Association at Sector 21 here on Sunday. The camp was inaugurated by Dr Amar Singh Bhatia, a senior citizen and former founder president of the association. The doctors from different fields rendered voluntary services for this camp. Free E.C.G tests were also done. The association will organise another medical camp on January, 10, 2001, for senior citizens with the help of Senior Citizens Home, Sector 43.

NSS CAMP: Under the theme ‘Youth for Healthy Society’, a 10-day NSS camp started at the Government Postgraduate College, Sector 46, on Sunday. The camp was inaugurated by Major DP Singh, Principal. He asked the volunteers to channelise their energies to develop a society free from social evils. Mr Hans Raj, programme officer, NSS, welcomed the chief guest and detailed out the projects to be undertaken during the camps . Mr Bikam Rana, NSS programme officer, told the volunteers that NSS aimed at development of personality through community services.

CONTEST: Seventy students from different colleges participated in an on-the-spot poem-writing contest conducted by the Chandigarh Sahitya Akadami at Chandigarh Carnival, Sector 10, on Sunday. The chief guest was Mr Himmat Singh Gill. Prof Rajnish Watters, Prof Bhupinder Singh, Mr RD Sharma and Mr Madhav Kaushik attended the function.

GAIETY MARKED: Strong reunions marked 20 years of the establishment of St John’s Old Boys Association which celebrated the annual winter ball on Saturday. The occasion was also taken to honour the pass-outs of the Class of 1975. There were two dance floors, one in the hall and the other in the open. An even manager was hired for the job. Display of fireworks was an added attraction.

SEMINAR: Liberalisation and modernisation have reduced the world to a global village which makes it impossible for us to remain aloof from the developments in other parts,” said Dr V. Seshan, Professor of Management and Coordinator, International Management Studies, at Pepperdine University, California, in a seminar on global trends in strategic management, organised by the Institute of Tourism and Future Management Trends (ITFT) here on Sunday. He said the tourism industry should give special thrust to customer care.

HARYANA

AMBALA
STONE LAID: Ms Aruna Oswal, wife of the Chairman of Oswal Chemical and Fertilisers Ltd, laid the foundation stone of the PKR Jain Institute of Technology at Naseerpur village near here on Sunday. The president of S.S. Jain Sabha, Karol Bagh, New Delhi, Mr Sushil Kumar Jain; the Chairman of the Prestige Group of India, Mr Nem Nath Jain; the local Member of Parliament, Mr Rattan Lal Kataria; and the Social Welfare Minister of the State, Mr Rasal Singh, were also present on the occasion. The President of the PKR Jain Institutions Management Committee, Mr Bharat Bhushan Jain, said the construction of the institute would be over by 2002.

NSS CAMP: The 10-day social-service camp of the NSS wing of SD College, Ambala Cantt, began at Balmiki Basti at Ambala Cantt on Sunday. The President of the Sewa Samiti, Ambala Cantt, Mr M.P. Gupta, inaugurated the camp. The Principal of the college, Dr Desh Bandhu, said the students would make a park in this colony, besides introducing a sanitation drive there.

BODY FOUND: The body of an unidentified person was found on the GT Road near Ambala Cantt today. The police suspects that a vehicle might have hit him. The police has registered a case on the complaint of Roshan Lal who runs a tea shop on the GT Road near the place where the body was found.

FATEHABAD
ARRESTED: The police arrested a proclaimed offender, Baru Ram of Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, who had been evading arrest for the past 11 years. About 1 kg of opium was seized from him.

AWARDED: The District Health Officer, Dr B.S.Beniwal, has been given Bharat Jyoti Award for his services in the implementation of national health programmes. The award instituted by the India International Friendship Society was presented to him by the Union Minister of State for Urban Development, Mr Bandra Dattarey, in New Delhi on Friday.

KAITHAL
SALARY NOT PAID: A delegation of the local unit of the Government Teachers Association called on the District Development Panchayat officer, Mr O.P.Sharma, here on Saturday and brought to his notice the non-payment of salaries to the staff deployed on the panchayat election duties.

NARAINGARH
LIQUOR SEIZED: The Naraingarh police has seized 500 pouches of country liquor. According to the SP of Ambala, Mr K.K. Mishra, the police received an information that some persons were transporting liquor illegally in a car. As soon as these persons saw the police, they ran away, leaving their car behind. The pouches were found inside the car.

REWARI
UNION ELECTIONS: Mr Ajay Chautala, MP and president of the youth wing of the INLD, has said he will see to it that the elections to the students unions of universities and colleges in Haryana are held during the next academic session. He made this announcement at a convention organised by the Haryana Chhatra Kalyan Sangh here on Friday.

SONEPAT
JANATA DARBAR: As many as 49 complaints were received by Dr Sultan Singh, SDO (C) at a janata darbar held at Panchayat Bhavan here on Friday. The complaints pertained to the poor condition of roads, drainage and sewerage system, erratic power supply, non-approval of building plans, illegal occupation of panchayat land, shortage of drinking water and non-payment of old-age pension.

KILLED: Two persons were seriously injured when a car rammed into a group of persons playing cards in the Kumahran Gate area here on Friday. The injured were taken to the local Civil Hospital where one of them succumbed to his injuries. The driver who was caught and beaten up by the people reportedly fell unconscious and was admitted to a hospital. A case has been registered.

JUDICIAL COURT: The Haryana Government has proposed to set up a judicial court at Ganaur, a subdivisional town in the district, following the persistent demand of the people. According to official sources, a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, accompanied by Mr S.K. Sardana, District Sessions Judge, and Mr Sudhir Rajpal, Deputy Commissioner, visited Ganaur and inspected the site for the court.

MEMORANDUM: Mr Raj Singh Antil, vice-president of the All-Haryana PWD Mechanical Karamchari Union, on Saturday sent a memorandum to the Chief Minister urging him to order a probe into the preparation of bogus muster-rolls and the misuse of government vehicles by certain officials of the Rai Water Service Division.

KILLED: A woman was run over by a train and killed when she was crossing the railway track between Sonepat and Rathdhanna railway stations, about 6 km from here, on Friday.

SUICIDE ATTEMPT: A married woman, Suman, allegedly tried to commit suicide by hanging herself in her house at Murthal, about 8 km from here, on Friday. She was admitted to the local Civil Hospital where her condition was stated to be serious. A family quarrel is said to be the reason behind the suicide attempt.

YAMUNANAGAR
HOMES FOR OLD: Mr Chander Singh, Commissioner, Ambala division, while laying the foundation stone of an old-age home at Bahadurpur village, about 10 km from here, on Friday said the government had decided to construct homes for the old in all villages of Haryana.