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| Thursday, March 15, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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AMRITSAR BATALA GURDASPUR HOSHIARPUR LAHAN SEIZED: The Tanda police raided the Mand area along the Beas on Monday and seized a working still along with 75 kg of lahan from Lakhwinder Singh of Ghandhari Chowk village and Jarnail Singh of Rara village. They were arrested under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act, Mr Sanjeev Kalra, SSP, Hoshiarpur, said here on Tuesday. He said the city police, Hoshiarpur, also seized 15 bottles of country-made foreign liquor at Pahari Katra from Pardeep Kumar of the local Mohalla Garhi Gate on Monday and arrested him. NRI SABHA: The third annual convention of the District NRIs Sabha was held here on Tuesday. Mrs Gitika Kalah, Commissioner, Jalandhar division-cum-chairman, Punjab NRIs Sabha, was the chief guest. Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, Mr Ajwinder Singh, president District NRIs Sabha, and Mr Romesh Singh and Mr Nirjan Singh, president and senior vice-president, respectively, of the Punjab NRIs Sabha, also addressed the convention. JALANDHAR KHARAR ROTARY CLUB: Mr Justice Surinder Singh, famous jurist, will speak on silencing the mind at the Rotary Club, Kharar on March 16 at 7.15 p.m. in Civil Rest House, according to a press note issued by Mr J.P. Dhiman, former president of the club. CONFERENCE: Region II of district 321-F of Lions Clubs International is holding its regional conference on March 18 at Royal Palace, Kharar, in this conference thirteen clubs of the region, along with four additional clubs of Region III were expected to participate in it. Dr N.K. Grover, district governor, would be the chief guest. LUDHIANA FAREWELL: Final year students of BA, B.Com, BBA, BCA and MA from Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women were given farewell on Wednesday. Second year students from different streams presented various song and dance items. Nearly 40 students participated in the modelling in which Kamalpreet of B.Com III was crowned Miss Outgoing, while Jaspreet of BCA III bagged the first runners-up title and Gagandeep of BA III was chosen as second runners-up. Rajbeer and Harpreet compered the programme. Ms Rajinder Kaur Gill, Principal, wished the students good luck. FREE EYE CAMP: A free eye camp will be held at Ghalauti village on Saturday by the panchayat of the village. Eye patients will be examined and operated upon by Dr Ramesh, Medical Director, Eye Bank, Mansuran. An exhibition will be organised for the villagers. Free medicines and spectacles will be given to needy patients. Dr Ramesh said a similar camp would be held at Dhalian village on March 20. CONFERENCE REVIEW: The conference review of the District Lions 321 F (11th region) was held at Lions Bhavan on Wednesday in which all office bearers and members of the Lions Club took part. The working members were appreciated and congratulated for their efforts. Mr N.K.Grover, District Governor (Lions Club), was the chief guest. among others who present on the occasion were Mr Charanjit Singh, Mr Rajiv Lochan, Mr Prem Grover, Mr K.S. Sohal, Mr Kuljit Sethi and Mr S.P.S. Shahpiuri. MEDICAL CHECKUP: Mrs Lakhwinder Kaur, wife of Mr Kuldip Singh, SSP, Ludhiana, inaugurated a health check-up camp for police personnel at the Police Lines, here on Wednesday. Also present on the occasion were Mr Kuldeep Singh, Dr Baldev Singh, SMO, Police Lines, Dr R.K. Gupta, M.D., Punjab Clinical Lab, other senior gazetted police officers, SHOs and 350 police personnel drawn from various units. The camp would be completed in three phases. NAWANSHAHR SEMINAR: Amardeep Singh Shergill Memorial College, Mukandpur, about 20 km from here, organised a seminar — Budget 2001-2002 — an analysis — on Tuesday. Dr S.S. Johal, a former Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, was the main speaker. He praised the Union Budget by terming it development-oriented and a positive step towards the second round of economic reforms in India. PATIALA HISTORY CONFERENCE: Punjabi University will organise the 33rd session of the Punjab History Conference at the Senate Hall of the University campus from March 16 to March 18 here. Prof G.S.L. Levra, Vice-Chancellor, Kota Open University, Rajasthan, would be the general president of the session. Dr Param Bakhshish Singh, Head of the Department of Punjab Historical Studies, said that the theme of the conference would be North-West Frontier and Punjab. WALKOUT: A two-hour walkout was staged by the All India (Northern Zone) Insurance Employees Association, LIC, to express sympathy with the General Insurance Corporation (GIC) employees, against the introduction of the privatisation bill of the GIC in the Parliament. It was resolved that the employees would continue their struggle against the government’s anti-national and anti-employee moves. OFFICE-BEARERS: Mr Shingara Singh Akali has been elected as the president of the Punjab State Freedom Fighters Organisation in a meeting held here on Wednesday. The other members elected unanimously are; senior vice-president; Mr Harbajan Singh; vice-president; Mr Kapoor Singh; Mr Lakshman Sing and Mr Inder Singh; general secretary; Mr Avnash Chander Shastri and cashier; Ms Krishna. WESTERN COMMAND GOC: Western Command General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Lt General Surjit Singh, said the central government was looking into the issue of streamlining the pension and medical facility benefits of the ex-servicemen so that they did not face any problem in this regard. The General, who was on his first visit to the Patiala, Nabha and Sangrur military stations after taking over his present office, was received at the Army Aviation Club by the General Officer, Lt Gen Kapil Vij and Major General Aditya Singh. The Army Commander inspected a Guard of Honour. He also visited the Army Institute of Law and interacted with the ex-servicemen of the region during his visit. CULTURAL PROGRAMME : A cultural programme dhammal was organised by the Organisation of Punjabi University Students (OPUS) at the Guru Teg Bahadur Hall of Punjabi University here today. Inaugurating the function, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, Vice-Chancellor, said that the cultural activities were a part of the University academic calendar. Sardool Sikander, Mika Singh and Satwinder Bitty entertained the students during the function. NOMINATED: Dr Swaraj Singh, an NRI surgeon and litterateur has been nominated as the cultural co-ordinator of National Theatre Arts Society (NTAS) for North America which contributes towards the cause of Punjabi Theatre and literary activities in India and abroad. Presenting NTAS “Punjab Gaurab” Award of Honour to Dr Swaraj, Mr Pran Sabharwal, Director, NTAS, lauded his worldwide efforts for bringing consciousness regarding Eastern spirituality and highlighting the western cultural invasion through articles and books. Dr Swaraj, who is also the Chairman of Washington State Network for Human Rights, said that NTAS could play a vital role in disseminating truth and promoting universal brotherhood by organising theatre workshops in foreign countries. ELECTED: Mr Rajiv Garg has been elected as the president of the Bharat Vikas Parishad during the general elections. The other members elected unanimously are: vice-presidents; Mr B.N. Khosla and Mr M.K. Paul; treasurer; Mr Mahesh Chand Verma; co-ordinator; Mr Daksh Khanna and secretary; Mr K.K. Sachdeva. PHILLAUR ROPAR WOOD SEIZED: The Sadar police has seized two trucks carrying khair wood allegedly cut from jungles of Himachal Pradesh. The SSP, Mr Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, said the trucks were stopped for checking on a tip-off. The illegally cut khair wood, worth about Rs 6 lakh, was seized from both trucks. The occupants of the trucks were booked under Sections 379 and 411 of the IPC. SAMRALA FEDERATION'S PLEA: In a joint statement issued here on Wednesday, Mr Ranbir Dhillon and Mr Bihari Lal Saddi of the Subordinate Services Federation has asked the Punjab Government to implement the decision of the CWP No 1653I of 1998 in the case of Mr Harrinderpal Singh, a former Director. The government vide its letter on July 21, 1998, has allowed its pensioners to get 40 per cent of the basic pension as commuted pension but while calculating the amount of commutation pension multiple of 12 was used instead of 15 which resulted in loss to retired teachers of Punjab. WORKSHOP: A workshop was organised for teachers here on Wednesday for streamlining the syllabi and curricula of Class VI to X. Nearly 150 teachers and experts from five districts participated. Mr Satwant Singh Johal, Joint Secretary, Punjab, and the DPI (Schools), Mr Jagtar Singh, were present on the occasion.  |
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FATEHABAD HISAR TOUR: A 15-member team of senior defence officers from different countries undergoing training at the National Defence Academy, Dehra Dun, visited Haryana Agricultural University here on Tuesday. The team included officers from Bangladesh, Tanzania, Vietnam and India. The team is on a four-day study tour of Haryana. JHAJJAR KAITHAL LIQUOR SEIZED: The district police seized 3,203 kg of lahan in February. The district police chief, Mr A.S. Chawla, told mediapersons on Tuesday that besides this 1,050 liquor pouches and 459 bottles of illicit liquor were also seized during this period. Two country-made pistols and 986 kg of poppy husk were also seized and cases under the NDPS Act were registered against the suspects, he added. KURUKSHETRA NARNAUL PANIPAT SONEPAT DEMONSTRATION: A large number of safai workers held a demonstration on Tuesday in front of the office of the local municipal council in support of their demands. They also held a rally and threatened that if their demands were not accepted immediately, they would have no alternative but to stop the sanitation work in the city. BODY FOUND: The body of an unidentified youth was found by the police from a field at Kheri Mahajat village, about 10 km from here, on Tuesday. The police believes it to be a case of murder as the body bore multiple knife injuries. MURDER CASE: With the arrest of two armed youths, the Ganaur police on Wednesday claimed to have solved the case of alleged murder of Mr Lalinder Singh Dhindsa, an industrialist of Rohini (Delhi) whose body was found in Bhanwar village under the Ganaur police station in the district on February 7 last. The SP, Mr Paramjit Singh Ahlawat, told mediapersons that those arrested were Shiv Kumar, alias Mintoo, of Gohana and Rajesh of Khewra village in the
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KUMARHATTI KASAULI KULU MANALI NURPUR STIR CALLED OFF: The Kisan Vikas Sabha, which has been agitating since February 14 for lifting the ban on the export of Khair wood, on Monday called off its stir following a decision of the state government to lift the ban. Mr Ajaib Singh, president of the sabha, in a statement on Tuesday, welcomed the decision.
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A polythene ‘invasion’ of Shimla POLYTHENE bags and cups made of plastic have for the past couple of years wreaked havoc on Shimla. As a result, public hygiene is in a shambles. Tonnes of these non-biodegradable polythene bags are littered all over the “queen of hills,” besides hundreds of thousands of plastic containers are being dumped down the slopes. And, the latest addition to this menace is empty mineral water bottles with a wide range of brands carried by tourists. The milk pouches supplied by state-owned plants, too, are contributing their bit to deepen the crisis. No wonder, most of the nullahs, roadside drains, sewers and gutters remain choked with filth which causes slimy water to gush on to the streets and alleys, giving off a pungent, nauseating stench. The Ridge and the fashionable Mall are the worst affected areas of late as a majority of tourists and locals stroll at these places. Shopkeepers on the Mall have aggravated the situation by encroaching on the drains in front of their business premises — usurping the very existence of roadside drains. This deplorable act on their part has left no room whatsoever for cleaning the drains as no broom or stick can be inserted into these cemented drains from any angle. It is obvious that all kinds of non-biodegradable waste remain stuck inside these drains, inviting the outbreak of epidemics any time. Furthermore, the scenario becomes extremely abysmal in the event of two, three or more holidays falling in a row. The situation goes out of hand as piles of these polythene and plastic waste block the movement of pedestrian traffic and sometimes people even have to change the routes to reach their destinations (see picture). Monkeys, stray dogs and animals can be seen rummaging and feasting on the waste thrown at various locations earmarked for being lifted by the Shimla Municipal Corporation dumpers. The enlightened citizens here are of the view that the SMC should make alternative arrangements in case of two or more consecutive holidays, at least to empty the dumpers. But nobody in the SMC or in the state government is seized of this grave problem. The Minister of State for Horticulture, Mr Narendra Bhagta, who is also the local MLA, appears to be ignorant about this menace. The ban on coloured polythene bags nearly three years back had made no difference at all. Environmentalists also firmly hold that in the alarmingly changing weather cycle, being attributed largely to the global warming, is not the sole reason but the accumulation of polythene and plastic waste have been major factors locally, thus compounding the ecological imbalance. This has led to the town receiving less snow and rain over the past few years, according to Mr Ramesh Joshi, a well-known photographer. He says that a public debate should be conducted to consider imposing a blanket ban on certain non-biodegradable products within corporation limits after taking all sections of society into confidence . He also advises use of jute and cotton bags as, he feels, this would go a long way in improving cleanliness in the city. A multi-splendoured personality Widely known as a cult figure in Punjab administrative circles, Mr Robin Gupta, Commissioner of Patiala division, is a multi-faceted personality. He is a prolific writer of poetry and prose, a connoisseur of art, a columnist, and, to cap it all, an orator par excellence. The poems he has penned are so penetrating that these stir even the layman. The literary compositions evoke admiration for their unique style of presentation. Many of his poems have found prominent place in the columns of leading newspapers and magazines of the region. In the following verse excerpted from his ‘Hazrat Baba Sher Shah Wali”, an anthology of poems, Robin drives home the point saying that those who live by their humble means, never sway in the whirlwind of worldly allurements. The ribbons and medals Of this ephemeral world Do not possess me. No riches of this world Hold any allurement for me... Mr Gupta, though born and brought up in Bengal considers Punjab as his “karambhumi’’. He draws no distinction between the two states; for these have many things in common. Rural Punjab inhabited by the large-hearted brethren and its clean, green environment have greatly inspired his poetry. His love for this land is reflected in his compositions. A probationer of the 1974 IAS batch, Mr Gupta is known for his probity and the uncanny knack of handling even a subtle situation, be it at home or office. He has created a record as Commissioner, when he disposed of 50-odd revenue cases in just one month pending for more than half a decade. This has made him a benevolent bureaucrat and a ‘‘messiah’’ of the poor. Robin’s day at his official residence starts with the ceremonial hoisting of the tricolour, followed by the ‘salaami’ by the guards posted there. The day ends with the retreat ceremony in the same fashion. Dr (Mrs) Karnail Kaur, who runs her own medical practice at Tarn Taran, has been awarded Doctor of the Millennium Award-2000 by the Association of Medical Sciences at a function organised in New Delhi recently. About 40 doctors and paramedical staff were honoured at the function. Four doctors from Punjab were also honoured. Dr Karnail Kaur, after serving five years in the PCMS, set up her own dispensary as she preferred to provide modern medical services to the people of this border and backward area. Dr Moti Lal Anand Vaishanavi, president, and Dr B.Kumar, secretary, of the association, conferred the award on her in recognition for outstanding services in this field. Dr Karnail Kaur is committed to providing free medical services to the poor and needy of this area. Contributed by Som Kirti Kuthiala, Ramesh Dhiman and Gurbaxpuri. |
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