MOGA
WHEAT PROCUREMENT: The district authorities have made adequate arrangements for the procurement of wheat which is likely to start arriving from the first week of April. The Deputy Commissioner, Moga, Mr Kanalbir Singh Sidhu, said on Thursday that 87 wheat procurement centres had been set up in this district for this purpose.

PATIALA
HAILED: Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, former MP and general secretary of the SHSAD, hailed the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to quash the notification on the Anandgarh project. In a press note Mr Chandumajra said that the various types of taxes accumulated by the state government were being misused by the ruling SAD-BJP combine. He said that after the judgement, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, the Punjab Chief Minister, had no right to continue in office and should immediately put in his papers.

ROPAR
SHAGUN SCHEME: The Punjab Government has provided Rs 1.95 crore as grant to the Scheduled Caste girls of the district through the ‘shagun scheme’. The Deputy Commissioner Mr G.S. Grewal, said the scheme was launched in 1997-98, 3834 persons had been given financial aid through this scheme.

LOANS GIVEN: Under various schemes launched by the Punjab Government various banks had given loans worth Rs 182 crore to the farmers and the unemployed youth of the district till December. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr G.S. Grewal, giving this information said the total target for providing loans in the current financial year was Rs 263 crore.

‘IN PCO’ LAUNCHED: The first intelligent network (IN) public call office was inaugurated by the Telecom District Manager, Ropar, Mr J.S. Sahota, at a medical store here on Thursday. After the inauguration he told newsmen that these PCOs had been launched for the subscribers who had availed of the prepaid card facility of the BSNL.

PURCHASE CENTRES: As per the direction of the Punjab Government, 43 purchase centres for wheat procurement will start operating in Ropar from April 1 according to Deputy Commissioner Mr G.S. Grewal. Mr Grewal said all agencies had been allocated quota and mandis from where they would procure the produce.

SANGRUR
CREDIT PLAN: Mr B.S. Shergill, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), Sangrur, launched the annual credit plan for Sangrur district for 2001-2002 here on Tuesday. The plan has been prepared by the State Bank of Patiala, Sangrur.

PROGRAMME ON TEHELKA: Tara Punjabi will telecast a special programme on the Tehelka expose at 9 pm on Friday, according to a press note issued by the channel here on Thursday. The programme aims to find out how the entire Tehelka expose was planned and executed. It will feature exclusive interviews with members of the Tehelka team, including Tarun Tejpal and Anirudh Bahal. The repeat telecast of the programme will be on Sunday at 9 pm.

CRASH COURSE: The local branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (NIRC), started an eight-day crash course for CA students at GGDSD College, Sector 32, from Thursday. The faculty of the Board of Studies of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, New Delhi are taking the classes. This was stated by Mr Baldev K. Garg, chairman of the local branch of the Institute. 

CONDEMNED: In a meeting of the Christian Front, Punjab, Chandigarh, the Front condemned the recent burning of his holy Bible and the Kuran in some parts of the country by anti-social elements. Lawrence Malik, president of the local unit of the Front, made an appeal to the Minority Commission of India, for an impartial enquiry into the matter, so as to safeguard the rights of minorities. Niyammat Masih, spokesman of the Front, demanded a high-level enquiry and punishment to persons responsible for the act. 

ELECTED: The following have been elected office bearers of the Foothpath Cycle Workers Union: president — Mr Megh Raj; general secretary — Mr Amarjit Singh; vice-president — Mr Vijay Kumar; cashier — Mr John, office secretary — Mr Shish Pal; propaganda secretary — Mr Vinay Kumar and joint secretary — Mr Harvinder. 

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Maharashtra Mandal for the year 2001-2001: president — Mr M.S. Mahadeokar; vice-president — Mr Jayant Narayanpethkar; secretary — Mr Rajendra Belokar; treasurer — Mr Krishna Rao Chrwatkar; joint secretary — Mr Hemraj Nandanwar and joint treasurer — Mr Krupal Deshmukh. 

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Residents Welfare Organisation, Sector 38-A and B: president — Amrit Lal Mahajan; vice-president — Surjit Singh Bakshi; general secretary — D.V. Prasad; finance secretary — Vinod Kumar Gupta; joint secretary — Rajinder Bassi and auditor — P C Mehra.

PANCHKULA
FUNCTION: Contributing its mite towards promotion of Haryanavi culture, the Ghoomer academy will organise a cultural programme at Yavanika in Sector 5 on Friday. 

AMBALA
ELECTIONS: Elections of Main Sadar Bazar Traders Association were held here on Thursday. The new office-bearers are: chairman — Mr Keshav Jain; president — Mr Prem Bajaj; senior vice-president — Ms Suman Jain; vice-president — Mr Sanjay Verma; convener — Mr Ajay Gulati; secretary — Mr Vinay Malik; additional secretary — Mr Rakesh Gupta; organising secretary — Mr Surendra Kumar and treasurer, Mr Vinod Gupta. 

FLAYED: Haryana College Teacher’s Union has condemned the circular issued by Kurukshetra University for the closure of Class XI and XII in the colleges with immediate effect. According to Dr Sudarshan Gasso, general secretary of HCTU, there is a feeling of resentment among students, teachers and parents, specially in the rural areas where the facilities of higher education in schools are practically non-existent. “It is the denial of opportunities to students who wish to pursue their studies, specially in the rural areas,” a note said. The union has urged the Vice-Chancellor of KU, Mr R.S. Chaudhary to immediately withdraw this circular and sought the intervention of Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, in this regard.

NEW POWER METERS: Uttari Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam is replacing single phase electricity meters with modern electronic meters. The Deputy Commissioner of Ambala, Mr D.D. Gautam, said that in Model Town, Ambala City subdivision, 4,800 electronic meters had already been installed. In subdivision 2 of Ambala Cantt, 1,350 old meters had been replaced by new meters. The new electronic meters are being installed free of cost, a note said. Mr Gautam has sought the cooperation of the people in replacing of the old meters with the new meters. He also said that the people must inform the Nigam regarding theft of power.

MC MEETING: The allegations against Municipal Council Ambala Sadar employees, by the Municipal Councillor during the budget meeting had a swift reaction. In a meeting held in the Municipal Council on Thursday evening under the presidentship of Mr Jai Bhagwan, the employees, through a unanimous resolution decided that from then onwards “all files must come through proper channel.” Mr Jai Bhagwan said that Municipal Councillors will no longer have any authority to “deal directly with files.” They also decided that if any Municipal Council employee broke this resolution, he would be penalised and even boycotted. 

KALKA
CAMP: The 17th free eye check-up camp, organised by the local Civil Hospital Welfare Society, concluded here on Wednesday. This camp was inaugurated by Tehsildar M.L. Madia. Mr Sandeep Singh, the SDM, was the chief guest. On the first day of the camp, 422 persons were examined, out of which eye operations for 52 persons were conducted by ex-PGI eye specialist, Dr Ashok Gupta. On the concluding day, 75 more people were examined for eye ailments, and were given free medicines by the Society. Rs 1100 was also given by the SDM to the Society.

SONEPAT
POWER THEFT: Officials of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) conducted a raid on a flour mill in the area of fruit and vegetable market here on Wednesday and detected a case of power theft.

DEMONSTRATION: Residents of Kabirpur village staged a demonstration in front of the office of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) here on Wednesday in support of their demands. According to a report, they submitted a memorandum listing the demands of the village to the ADC for action.

BILASPUR
PROMOTION QUOTA: The Himachal Pradesh State Agriculture Extension Officers Association has demanded that their old promotion quota system be restored and all vacant posts be filled through promotion at the earliest. The president of the district unit , Mr Anil Chadha, and general secretary, Mr Som Kumar Sharma, said here on Wednesday that the association had urged the Chief Minister to provide them pay-scales on the Punjab pattern.

SENTENCED: The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr D.K. Sharma, has sentenced a shopkeeper, Prakash Chand, of Chandpur area near here to six month imprisonment and fined him Rs 2,000 for selling adulterated “rewaries”.

CONDEMNED: The Himachal State AITUC has condemned Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal-led government for its failure to implement its election manifesto which had promised the regularisation of services of all employees and labourers with five-year of service and increase the minimum daily wage to Rs 100, state AITUC secretary, Mr Bhagat Singh Verma, while addressing mediapersons here on Wednesday said.

KULU
INCOME TAX: The Income Tax Office and the State Bank of India, will remain open till 5 pm on March 31 to let people file income tax returns and deposit tax. This was stated by Mr N.R. Kapoor, Income Tax Officer, in a press note here on Wednesday.

NURPUR
DHARNA: The indefinite dharna of daily wagers of the Shah Nehar Irrigation Project in Jawali subdivision entered its third day on Wednesday. The workers under the banner of Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh have been agitating since March 15.