R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BATHINDA
ELECTED: The following has been elected office-bearers of Vishwas Lions Club, Kotkapura; president — Mr Ranjit Singh Kakkar; second vice-president — Mr Sandeep Ahuja; third vice-president — Mr Sat Paul Gupta; secretary — Mr Barjinder Singh; joint secretary — Mr Dharminder Singh; Mr Sanjeev Bansal; treasurer — Mr Sanjeev Bansal and public relations officer — Mr Chander Arora.

STRIKE: In a press note issued here on Tuesday, Mr Ajitpal Singh Mandar, secretary, Bar Association, Phul, said the Bar members would go on strike on April 4 against the proposed amendment in the CPC by the Government of India.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Medical Practitioners’ Association, Punjab: president — Mr Jagtar Singh Phool; senior vice-president — Dr Jaspal Bhatti; general secretary — Dr Shingara Singh Alike and treasurer — Dr Gulab Singh.

KHAMANO
OFFICE-BEARERS ELECTED: A meeting was held here under the presidentship of Mr Gurmit Singh in which office-bearers of the local Rationalist Society were elected. President — Mr Avtar Singh; Vice-President — Gagandeep; Press Secretary — Jagdev Singh; Cashier — Swaranjit; and General Secretary — Harbans Singh Manela. 

SAD OPENS OFFICE: A unit of SAD (B) has opened its office on Tuesday which was inaugurated by the SGPC member, Mr Kirpal Singh. On the occasion some party workers and local office-bearers were also present. He said that every Tuesday they will hear the problems of the needy people. 

KHANNA
LIQUOR SMUGGLER ARRESTED: The Khanna police claimed to have arrested a liquor smuggler here on Tuesday. According to Sub-Inspector Harbhajan Singh of Samrala police station raided Grain Market, Samrala, in association with the Excise Inspector, Mr Jatinderpal Singh, and recovered 102 bottles of liquor which he was selling without any permit and licence. The accused has been identified as Sita Ram who hails from Himachal Pardesh. A case has been registered under Section 61/1 and 14 of the IPC. 

LUDHIANA
HONOUR: Dr Parminder Singh, General Secretary of the Punjabi Sahitya Academy, informed that Kartar Singh Dhaliwal Award Ceremony will he held at Punjabi Bhavan on April 8 at 10.30 a.m. At this function 12 writers of years 1999 and 2000 will be honoured. He told that in this function Capt Kanwaljeet Singh, Finance Minister, Punjab, will be the the chief guest, while Mr Surjeet Singh Dhaliwal will preside the function. Dr Parminder Singh further said that the coveted literary award for the year 1999 will be given to Prof Pritam Singh and Prof Dalip Kaur Tiwana for the year 2000. 

CELEBRATIONS: The twelve-member Punjab police cultural troupe from Patiala has received accolades for bhangra they performed to mark the golden jubilee celebrations of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). The ICCR had selected only 14 troupes from different countries of the world. Only four troupes were selected one each from north, south, east, west. The Punjab police cultural troupe, Patiala, felt honoured to represent the north India with its vibrant folk dance bhangra. The bhangra team was led by ASI Harvinder Singh Bajwa, an international bhangra artist. He has represented India in more than 200 countries through the ICCR. 

MUSHAIRA: The Punjab police is organising an evening of sufi singing on Friday at 7.30 p.m. The venue will be the auditorium of the Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur. The well known sufi singers, Barkat Sidhu and Buta Mohammad, will regale the crowds. The seminar on sufi studies will be inaugurated on Saturday at 10 a.m. The keynote address will be given by Prof Nisar Ahmed Faruqui. Prof Kirpal Singh Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor will be the chief guest at the second session. Many eminent poets will participate in the mushaira to be held on Saturday, at 8.30 p.m. in the Punjab Police Academy Auditorium, Phillaur. 

HEART INSTITUTE: The Out Patient Services (OPD) of Hero DMC Heart Institute will start functioning tomorrow, according to Mr Prem Nath Gupta, Director, Hero DMC Heart Institute. General OPDs will be on Wednesdays and Thursdays and special OPDs will be on rest of the days. The institute will also provide a comprehensive cardiac check-up facility for normal people for early detection of disease, specially in the age group of 40 and above.

SUSPENSION CONDEMNED: The local chapter of the Democratic Employees Front has condemned the suspension of a physical training instructor of the Government Senior Secondary School, Lalton Kalan. A communique of the front demanded on Tuesday that the suspended teacher should be reinstated with immediate effect. Mr Gurcharan Singh Sandhu, senior vice-president of the front, alleged that the enquiries conducted by the District Education Department were biased. They said that the suspension of the teacher caused much resentment among the staff, residents, and even to the students. It may be mentioned that following the charges of misconduct by the teacher levelled by the Principal of the school in December, enquiry had been conducted by Mr Bachitar Singh, the then Deputy District Education Officer. The matter had become an issue of concern for the entire villagers who started siding either the principal or the teacher. 

SUSPENDED: The Commissioner of Municipal Corporation, Dr S. S. Sandhu, has placed under suspension a tax collector of zone — A, Mr Ramesh Chander, for remaining absent from duty without informing his superiors. He was deputed for the renewal of licenses for the year 2001 - 2002. Dr Sandhu has warned the employees of the MC to perform their duty diligently and regularly or be prepared to face strict disciplinary action.

COMMITTEE: A new eight-member adhoc committee has been constituted for the Ludhiana City (Urban) unit of the Janata Dal (Secular). According to Mr Harish Khanna, State Convener of the party, Mr Dildhiraj Singh will be new president of the city unit. The other office-bearers of the adhoc committee are: Mr Phulvir Singh Pabla — Senior Vice-President; Mr S.C.Puri and Mr Jagjit Singh — Vice-Presidents; Mr Durga Dass — General Secretary; Mr Harpal Singh Matharoo, Pandit Sagar Rayal and Mr Mandeep Kumar Chauhan — Secretaries.

MALERKOTLA
EYE CAMP: The Variam Nishkam Seva Sanstha, Amargarh, organised a free eye camp at Chonda village, about 10 km from here, on Sunday. According to the general secretary of the association, Mr Jagdev Singh Chonda, 543 patients were examined and 43 operations performed. Medicines were distributed free of cost.

PRIZE DISTRIBUTION: Ramgarhia Public School organised a prize distribution and annual day function here on Sunday. The ADC, Sangrur, Mr G.K. Singh Dhaliwal, was the chief guest. The SDM, Mr Gurlovleen Singh Sidhu, presided over the function and distributed prizes.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Aggarwal Sabha, Amargarh unit: president — Mr Yashpal Singla; general secretary — Mr Balbir Chand Singla; secretary — Mr Baldev Kumar; and treasurer — Mr Shyam Lal Singla.

MANSA
BAR ASSOCIATION: The District Bar Association has unanimously resolved to strike court work on Wednesday in response to a call given by the All-India Lawyers Union against proposed amendment of the Civil Procedure Code, according to Mr Pavinder Kumar Arora, press secretary of the Bar.

MOGA
ANNUAL FAIR: The one-day Nagahia Peer annual fair concluded at Nagahia Peer, near Langeana Nawan village here, on Monday. Lakhs of devotees from all over the state participated. People offered horses, asses and sheep, besides several hundred quintals of sweets, ‘patasas’, oil and other articles.

ACCIDENTS: Two persons were killed on the spot and three others injured in different accidents during the past 24 hours here. According to information, Sukhdev Singh of Minian village under Baghapurana Police Station in this district was killed when his scooter collided with a vehicle near Gholia Kalan village here. In another accident, Dharminder Singh, resident of Mallian Wala village in the district was killed when his scooter hit another vehicle coming from opposite direction near Phulewala Canal bridge, about 25 km from here. Bodies of both the deceased were sent for post-mortem examinations and cases registered in this connection.

NANGAL
NSS CAMP: A 10-day NSS camp held at DAV School, Surewal, by volunteers of Government Senior Secondary School was appreciated by the village panchayat. The programme officer of the NSS, Mr Vijay Kumar, said during the camp, volunteers laid ground of the school, repaired the village dispensary building and organised a medical camp in which 206 persons were treated.

VACCINATION CAMP: The Rotary Club Bhakra Nangal organised a hepatitis-B vaccination camp at the Government Senior Secondary School for Boys here on Sunday. The president of the club, Mr Darshan Singh, said 650 persons were vaccinated.

NAWANSHAHR
KIDS CONVOCATION: The Kirpal Sagar Academy, about 15 km from here, organised a unique convocation function to confer degrees on tiny tots who have become eligible for getting admission in class I to start their educational career after completing the preparatory school in the academy on Sunday. Dr Dev Ichha Shekhar, Principal, Dayanand Amarnath College of Education for Women, here presided over the function and conferred degrees on 26 students, informed Mr M. Ramachandram, Principal, in a press note issued here on Monday.

CULTURAL PROGRAMMES: The District Literacy Society, with a view to mobilising people to come forward to work for success of post-literacy campaign (currently underway in the district), is organising cultural programmes and talking out “jagho” in villages. The society, with active cooperation of village panchayats, NGOs and voluntary sakharata sevaks, has organised such programmes at nearby Mallpur Arkan, Dharamkot, Saloh Kanaun, Bhan Mazara and Barnala Kalan villages, informed Mr Didar Shetra, project coordinator of the society.

FIVE ARRESTED: On a complaint lodged by a shopkeeper here, the local police arrested five class IV employees of the Income Tax Department, Jalandhar and Phagwara, for allegedly collecting Baisakhi ‘bakhshish’ from the shopkeepers here at Kothi road and old Court road on Monday. The police recovered a sum of Rs 1500 which they had collected from the shopkeepers. A case under Section 384 of the IPC has been registered, informed Mr Baldev Singh, SHO here, on Tuesday.

PATHANKOT
IN-LAWS BOOKED: On a complaint lodged by Mrs Veena Devi, daughter of Punnu Ram of Gurah village here, Mr Harish Anand, Judicial Magistrate First Class, on Friday booked Dharam Chand, husband, Baldev Raj Bedi, father-in-law, Rajinder Kumar, brother-in-law and Janak Rani, mother-in-law, in a dowry case under Sections 406/498A/34 of the IPC. The complainant had alleged that she was harassed by her in-laws for bringing inadequate dowry.

PATIALA
SCHOOL INAUGURATED: The Western Command Chief of Staff, Lt-Gen H.R.S. Mann, inaugurated Steelmans Public School in Channo Industrial Area near here on Tuesday. Mr Jasbir Singh Dhindsa, managing director of the school, said the school was based on the United States educational pattern to give holistic education to children. He said the school believed in inculcating the best in Indian Culture and other cultures. “We will initiate exchange programs for teachers and pupils with schools abroad,” he added. The school Principal, Ms Sehaz Dhindsa, said they would enrich the child’s personality by encouraging their interest in hobbies, extra-curricular activities and games.

CESS DISTRIBUTION: The Punjab Education Minister, Mr Tota Singh, while talking to newsmen after inaugurating Bhupindra International Public School here on Tuesday, said money collected as education development cess from the sale of liquor would be distributed in the same area from which it had been collected. The inaugural function of the BIPS concluded with cultural items. Ms Roopali Philip, Principal of the school, said this was the first completely Information Technology-based school. 

OFFICE-BEARERS: Mr Nirmal Singh has been elected the president of the PSEB Draftsmen Association. The other office-bearers are secretary — Mr Surjit Thakar; vice-presidents — Mr Prem Chand and Mr Sukhwinder Singh; and cashier — Mr Harjinder Singh. 

PCCTU UNIT: Mr Karnail Singh Ghuman has been elected president of the local unit of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU). The other office-bearers are vice-president — Dr Charanjit Kaur; secretary — Prof Jaswant Singh; joint secretary — Prof Kuldip Singh; and finance secretary — Prof Ajit Singh. 

DHALIWAL SABHA: A senior Akali leader, Mr Surjit Singh Rakhra, has been elected founder president of the newly-formed Dhaliwal Sabha. the other office-bearers are vice-president — Mr Narinder Pal Singh Dhaliwal; general secretary — Mr Chitin Singh Dhaliwal; joint secretaries — Mr Jasdev Singh and Mr Surjit Singh; and treasurer — Col Manjit Singh. 

SAMRALA
EXCISE DEPT SELLING LIQUOR: As the Punjab state government has failed to auction some of the liquor vends in Ludhiana district, so the Excise Department has started selling liquor itself. A liquor vend have been opened near grain market on Chandigarh-Samrala road by the department. Here the country made liquor and english whisky is sold from the same spot though the brands are limited. 

EDUCATION BOARD’S DECISION HAILED: Mr Gurmel Singh Mann, General Secretary, General Categories Welfare Federation, Punjab, have welcomed the policy statement issued by Dr Kehar Singh, Chairman, Punjab School Education Board, regarding making physical education and drawing in middle and high schools of Punjab as compulsory subjects.

CHANDIGARH

ZIRAKPUR
RESIDENTS’ BODY: The following have been elected office-bearers of Residents Welfare Association, Bartana: president — Mr S.K. Saini; vice-president — Mr Jaswant Singh; general secretary — Mr A.K. Tandon; joint secretary — Mr Vinay Khanna; and treasurer — Mr Ram Pal Sharma.

HARYANA

AMBALA
TEMPLE BURGLED: The ornaments and crowns of Radha and Krishna were reportedly stolen from a Radha-Kishan temple at Ambala Cantt on Monday night. The thieves stole six crowns, one gold jewellery set and one silver umbrella from the temple. They also managed to break three donation boxes of the temple and took away its cash. According to the police, the priest locked the temple at around 10 p.m. When he went to open the temple the next morning, he found that the doors of the temple were already open. Later he found that the jewellery of the idols were missing. He immediately informed the office-bearers of the temple committee and the police was also informed. A case of theft has been registered in this regard. The dog squad and forensic experts were also summoned from Madhuban (Karnal). 

MEDICAL CAMP: A free medical check-up camp was organised by the Akhil Bhartuya Sewa Dal at Ambala City on Monday. Around 1,000 patients were examined and free medicines were provided to them. The chairman of the dal, Mr Ashok Kharbana, the president, Mr Ashok Sapra, the deputy chairman, Mr Ashwani Nandra, the secretary, Mr Ashwani Satija, the patron of Guru Nanak Mission, Mr Hardev Singh Gareeb, the local MLA, Ms Veena Chhibbar, and the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Mahender Kumar, were also present on the occasion. 

FATEHABAD
LIQUOR SEIZED: The police on Monday claimed to have seized large quantities of liquor and booked seven persons under the Excise Act. According to police sources, on a tip-off, a police party stopped a jeep near Ram Saran village. Upon search, 1,200 bags of country-made liquor were seized. Elsewhere in the district, 47 bottles of liquor and 40 kg of lahan were seized from different residents of Badalgarh village, 20 bottles were seized from Kartara Ram of Akanwali, 12 from Sube Singh of Pirthala village and 10 from Babli of Bhuna village.

PANIPAT
SAMMAN SAMAROH: A Samman Samaroh was organised at Jorasi village, about 35 km from here, on Sunday by the Ex-servicemen Sainik Sangathan to honour family members of Ajmer Singh who died while fighting against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir in February last year.

REWARI
INAUGURATED: The district police chief, Mr Manjit Singh Ahlawat, on Sunday inaugurated three police stations at Kasaula Chowk, Arampaura and Rohrai villages in the district. This has raised the total number of police stations to 11 in the district.

SHAHABAD
CONCLUDED: The four-day Bhagti Gian Sammelan concluded at the local Satsang Bhavan on Monday. Hundreds of devotees attended the sammelan which was presided over by Swami Sambodh Prakash, head of Shri Hari Gobind Dham, Hardwar.

SONEPAT
APPOINTED: The Haryana Government has appointed Mr R.K. Ailhawadhi as Engineer-in-Chief in the Irrigation Department of the state with immediate effect. According to official sources, Mr Ailhawadhi replaces Mr M.G. Thukral who retired on Saturday.

MOURNED: Mr Sangpriya Gautam, MP and vice-president of the BJP and Mr Chand Ram, a former MP, on Tuesday mourned the death of veteran freedom fighter Pt Ram Dhan Sharma and expressed sympathy with the bereaved members.

SANCTIONED: The Sonepat Zila Parishad has sanctioned Rs 50,000 for the development of Fatehpur village in the district. Mr Rakesh Dahiya , president of the village, told mediapersons here on Tuesday that the amount would be spent on the pavement of streets and other development works.

ARRESTED: The Ganaur police on Tuesday arrested a youth in connection with the alleged rape of a woman employed in a brick-kiln near Udesipur village of the district. According to the police, two other persons allegedly involved in this case have been absconding.

TEXT BOOKS: The Sarvjatiya Vikas Manch, Haryana has decided to distribute text books, stationery and admission fee amount among poor and destitute students of various educational institutions on April 15. Mr Surinder Kumar Sharma and Mr Balraj Ramanandi, president and general secretary, respectively, of the manch, told mediapersons here on Tuesday that a list of such students was being prepared and it would be finalised at a meeting on April 8.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Chamba Hotel and Restaurant Association: president — Mr Devinder Sharma; senior vice-president — Mr Anil Mahajan; vice-president — Mr Chander Shekhar; general secretary — Mr Rajeev Sehgal; and treasurer — Mr Narinder Thakur.

KULU
CULPRIT RELEASED: On a raid by a police party, 6,000 ml of illicit liquor was seized from a person at Badai village in Jallugran Panchayat here on Monday. However, the arrested culprit was got released and the seized booty also taken away. ASI Kanshi Ram was attacked. The culprit who manhandled the police personnel was later arrested and case registered in this connection.

MANALI
FAREWELL PARTY: Mr R.L. Sharma, Deputy General Manager, HP Tourism Development Corporation Limited (HPTDC) here, who retired from service after attaining the age of superannuation, was given a farewell party by officers and employees of the HPTDC Manali Complex here on Monday.

NAHAN
GANG BUSTED: The Sirmour police on Monday busted a gang of fish thieves, with the arrest of six members of the gang for illegally fishing in the Renuka Lake. Nearly 102 kg fish, three nets, two thermocol sheets and one Tata Sumo vehicle were seized. One person, however, managed to escape.

NURPUR
ACCIDENT: Paras Ram (40) was killed on the spot and Joginder Sharma, pillion rider, injured seriously when their scooter hit with side railing of a bridge on Rehan-Talwara highway while overtaking a bus on Monday. The injured was admitted to the Civil Hospital here after the mishap.

SUNDERNAGAR
DEVTA MELA: The five-day-long Devta Mela concluded here on Monday. Mr Roop Singh Thakur, Forest Minister, was the chief guest. The fair was inaugurated by Mr Suraj Bhan, Governor of HP, on March 29. The chief guest performed a pooja at the Mahamaya Temple here.