The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Sunday, July 15, 2001,
Chandigarh, India

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R E G I O N A L B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BARNALA
FOUNDATION STONE: Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister, laid the foundation stone of a park and library, dedicated to the memory of Brig Balwinder Singh Shergill, at Deangarh village, about 15 km from here, on Saturday. Mr Mittal also inaugurated a medical check-up camp at the village.

ARRESTED: The district police has arrested an alleged extortionist, Pargat Singh, and two persons — Mangat Ram and Shiv Kumar — for selling duplicate audio and video cassettes. Cases have been registered.

BOOKS BANNED: According to a press note issued by the local Public Relations Department here on Friday, the Punjab Government has banned a book titled “Satguru Nanak Dev Ji (Sampuran Jeevan) and Mukti Marg” written by Satnam Singh, advocate. Following perusal of the book by the Governor, Punjab, certain objectionable references pertaining to Lord Christ were found and hence it was decided to ban this book. As per the directive of the District Magistrate, a booklet titled “Taaruf” had also been banned, the note said.

BATHINDA
‘ANTI-LARVAE’ DRIVE: The United Welfare Society on Saturday started an “anti-larvae” campaign in the city to curb the growth of mosquitoes. The campaign which has been started with the help of the Health Department will undertake the task of spraying of insecticides in the colonies where rain water gets collected.

FEROZEPORE
SBI MEETING: The local branches of the State Bank of India organised Customer Service Programme and Rice Shellers Meeting here on Friday in which Mr D.S. Bengali, DGM of the bank addressed the gathering and listened to the problems and grievances of the customers. Mr Ashutosh Sharma, AGM of the bank, highlighted the various customer-friendly schemes being introduced by the bank. At least 35 industrialists participated in the meeting.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been unanimously elected office-bearers of the Indian Medical Association, local chapter, for the year 2001-02, president — Dr V.P. Rangbulla; secretary — Dr Sukhdev Raj; treasurer — Dr Rohit Singhal; vice-presidents — Dr P.S. Sauna, Dr B.B. Sharma and Dr Kulwant Singh; joint secretary — Dr Harsh Bhola; state representatives — Dr Kamal Baghi and Dr Viresh Sood.

POPULATION DAY: The local chapter of the Indian Medical Association held a function at the Railway Club to commemorate World Population Day, in which doctors from all over the district participated. Dr R.L. Taneja, District Family Planning Officer, delivered the keynote address.

PENSIONERS DEMAND: The Punjab Pensioners Association held a general body meeting here in which it was resolved that the state government should be apprised of the difficulties being faced by the pensioners due to inordinate delay in the acceptance of their demands, which included old-age allowance at the age of 65 instead of 70. The association alleged that the Finance Minister had accepted its demands during the state convention in April but nothing had been done after that. The pensioners decided to start statewide protests from August if their demands were not met.

SUPPORT EXTENDED: A meeting of the Punjab Employees Sangharsh Committee was held at Civil Hospital under the chairmanship of Mr Vasdev Gill in which paramedical and health staff from block and tehsil levels participated. According to Mr Alvin Bhatti, convener, it decided to extend support to the nationwide strike of state and Central government employees on July 25 and organise a protest rally in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner on July 18 to call upon the government to accept their long-pending demands.

KHAMANO
MEETING: A meeting of the Akali Dal (A) was held at Gurdwara Sahib Khamano Mele Wali here under the chairmanship of Mr Mohinder Singh Maneli, circle president. Those WHO addressed the gathering, flayed the SAD-BJP alliance for not fulfilling the promises, the alliance had made before coming to power. They alleged that important issues concerning the state, including the release of Sikh youths languishing in jails, inter-state distribution of water, transfer of Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas, Anandpur Sahib resolution, had been forgotten by the Badal government. Sangat darshan programmes were a mere eye-wash, and no one got justice from them, they said, adding that there was unrest among almost all sections of the society, including ETT unemployed teachers, RMP doctors, nurses, etc. MAN HELD: Nahar Singh, a resident of Gaggarwal village, near here, was arrested on Friday by Khamano police. A team from the Agriculture Department, Fatehgarh Sahib, had earlier raided his fertiliser shop at Sanghol, near here, on October 10, 2000, and taken samples from di-ammonium phosphate bags kept by him. He was found to have allegedly cheated farmers by selling Narmada Phos in DAP bags. The Agriculture Department wrote about it to the police, which, after consulting District Attorney (legal), booked him on June 27, under Section 7, Essential Commodities Act.

LUDHIANA
ROTARY PRESIDENT: At a well attended function of the Rotary Club Central at Hotel Grewalz, the new president Mr Sanjay Mongia and his team for the year 2001-2002 was installed at an awards function on Friday. Mr Harinder Singh, district governor for 2001-2002 was the chief guest on the occasion. The Rotarian governor of the Rotary Ludhiana Central R.I. Distt 3070 was installed amidst lot of cheering.

MEDICAL CAMP: The management of Dargah Gos Pir, Payal, and the Atri Times Eyes Research Foundation will organise a medical check-up camp at Dargah Gos Pir, Payal, on Sunday. The camp will be inaugurated by Mr Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal. The patients will be examined by Dr B.S. Gill, Dr Vikesh, Dr Arwinder Singh for various ear, nose, throat and eye problems.

TOPPER: Ms Rajwinder Kaur has topped the nursing entrance test for admission in Diploma Course-2001. The test was conducted by the School of Nursing, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. According to Ms Archna Sood, vice-principal and head, School of Nursing, 245 candidates from all over the state had appeared in the test.

DENTAL CAMP: Bhai Ghanaya Ji Sewa Sanstha, Haibowal Khurd, will organise a free dental check-up camp at Gurdwara Sahib, Baranhara village. Mr Shamsher Singh Pamal, president of the sanstha, in a statement said Dr Jasbir Singh Kharbanda, Dr Manmeet Singh and Dr Sukhmit Singh Kharbanda would examine the patients on this occasion. Medicines free of cost will be provided to the needy patients. The camp will be inaugurated by Mr Hoshiar Singh, sarpanch, Ayali Khurd.

FLAYED: Members of the district unit of Talmel Committee of the Para Medical and Health Employees, Punjab have decided to hold a meeting regarding the implementation of their demands, on Monday at the Civil Surgeon’s office. Mr Amarjit Singh, convener of the district unit of committee, in a press statement on Saturday alleged that the authorities were ignoring the genuine demands of employees. The convener said: “The department was not providing uniforms to the employees. They did not purchase disinfectant sprays and pumps under the anti-larva scheme. Besides, the authorities did not update the statements of general provident fund of the employees and promotion of various employees was also due”.

CIRCLE PRESIDENT: Mr Boota Singh, acting president of the District unit (urban) of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, has nominated Mr Gurminder Singh Dicky as President of Jatha Chawni Mohalla Circle.

YOUTH WELFARE CLUB: The Youth Welfare Club would organise a “sanman samaroh” at New Shiv Puri (ward no. 66), here on Sunday, to honour several eminent citizens, who had made valuable contribution towards the development of the city. According to Mr Varun Kapoor, president, Mr Deepak Puri, vice-president and Mr Amit Jain, general secretary of the club, the city Mayor, Mr Apinder Singh Grewal, Commissioner of Municipal Corporation, Dr S.S. Sandhu, and Mr Sat Pal Puri, Councillor (ward no. 66), would be among those who would be honoured at the function.

DEVELOPMENT WORK: As a follow-up to the development grants allocated to Alamgir village, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sandhu, along with senior officers of several departments, visited the village and discussed the works to be undertaken in the village. Mr Kulwant Singh, sarpanch of the village, said work for widening and strengthening the Guru Gobind Singh Marg up to Jassowal village, at a cost of Rs 12 lakh, had been commenced. A Rs 15-lakh drainage scheme had been finalised for the village and bridge on the distributary on the main road to the village would be strengthened at an expenditure of Rs 2 lakh. Work on boundary wall along the three cremation grounds at a cost of Rs 2 lakh and replacement of ceilings of the school building and the village dharamshala would also be undertaken.

RJD RALLY: The president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and former Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav would visit Ludhiana on July 29 to address a party rally at the Grain Market, Near Jalandhar bypass. He would be accompanied by other senior party functionaries, including the vice-president of the RJD, Mr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. According to Mr Rakesh Verma, Chairman of the RJD Traders Cell, Punjab, and Mr Vijay Mahajan, president, youth wing of the party, the Ludhiana rally would be the first step of the RJD leadership to intensify its fight for the rights of the poor and dalit community and to consolidate the organisation in Punjab to prepare for the forth coming Assembly poll. Mr Vijay Singh Yadav, MP and in charge of Punjab affairs, Mr Ashok Singh, president of the youth wing of the RJD and the party general secretary, Mr Kanti Singh, would also attend the rally, they added.

MOGA
TRAINING CAMPS: Deputy Commissioner Kanwal Bir Singh Sidhu, while addressing rural meetings in villages of this district on Friday, said the government will organise farmers’ training camps. These camps would help farmers get training in crops sown by them. He said if the farmers did not refrain from sowing paddy, they would not be able to sow other crops as it would create an acute shortage of water and the groundwater level would go down.

UPGRADE TREASURY: Members of the Punjab Government Pensioner’s Association at its meeting held here on Saturday under the chairmanship of Mr Hardev Singh demanded the upgradation of the district treasury in view of Moga becoming a district headquarters. It said that although the government had earlier assured that the treasury would be upgraded, nothing had been done in this regard. It further demanded that a waiting room and a shed for the convenience of the pensioners be built in front of the treasury to save them from rain and sun.

PATIALA
SCIENCE EXHIBITION: A Regional-level Science Exhibition was held at K.V. Number 1, Patiala have on Saturday. The exhibition was inaugurated by Ms M.L. Saxena, Assistant Commissioner, KVs, Chandigarh region, accompanied by Mr C.L. Chutani, education officer and Mr H.S. Puri, Principal, KV No 1. The other dignitaries present on the occasion included Lieut-Col Surender Kumar, chairman nominee, and Principals of local KVs and other schools. 150 models based on five sub-themes were put on display, out of which three models of each sub-theme were selected for National-level Science Exhibition of KVs to be held in Guwahati August this year.

PHAGWARA
MURDERED: A 60-year-old man was found murdered in a room of Poonam Hotel here on Friday. It was learnt that a youth and an old man, clad in kurta pyjama, booked the room at 1 p.m. They entered their names in the hotel register as Raj Kumar and Amar Singh from Amritsar. When a sweeper went to clean the room at 3.45 p.m., he found Amar Singh murdered with a sharp-edged weapon. The police is investigating.

PHILLAUR
SUICIDE: Baljinder Kaur, mother of two girls, allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison at Kang Jagir village on Friday. The brother of the deceased alleged that she was abused by her in-laws for not having a son and not bringing adequate dowry. The Goraya police has registered a case against her husband Makhan Singh.

SAS NAGAR
COMPETITIONS: The local Environment Protection Society will organise essay writing and painting competitions for students of various schools here on July 28 at Government Senior Secondary School, Phase 3BI. Students from about 12 schools are expected to participate in the competitions, according to Mr S.R. Chaudhuri, president of the society. Winners will be awarded.

PLANTATION: About 250 saplings were planted at Polytechnic College, Khuni Majra, by members of the Lions Club, District 321 F, Region IV, on Saturday, the president of the local unit of the club, Mr H.S. Midha, said.

HARYANA

AMBALA
FIRE AT FILLING STATION: A petrol filling machine at a filling station on the GT road near Baldev Nagar caught fire on Saturday morning. The fire broke out when petrol was being filled into a scooter. The scooter was also damaged due to the fire. Mr Radhey Shyam, the scooterist, said the incident took place at 9.40 a.m. He said a tractor-trolley carrying sand was passing by and this sand was used to extinguish the fire. Fire extinguishers were also used by the employees. The fire reportedly continued for about 20 minutes. No one was injured. TNS

KURUKSHETRA
NEWSPAPER LAUNCHED: After releasing the first issue of Krishi Desh, a Hindi monthly newspaper on agriculture at Panchayat Bhavan here on Friday, the Haryana Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Kumar Arora, called upon the farmers to adopt the crop rotation system. He said it would help the farmers to attain scientific agricultural knowledge, full of latest farming techniques. The Krishi Desh editor, Mr Hans Raj Kalra, said the newspaper was launched with the mission to make the farming community aware of the latest technologies.

SONEPAT
IMPROVE STANDARD: The Commissioner-cum-Director of Higher Education, Ms Anuradha Gupta, has stressed the need for improving the standard of education in government colleges of the state. She was addressing members of the staff at Government College, Gohana, on Friday. She announced that any lecturer found indulging in private tuitions would be dealt with sternly. Earlier, she laid the foundation stone of the arts faculty block and planted a sapling on the premises of the college.

COMPLAINTS: As many as 117 complaints were received at an open darbar held by Mr S.N. Roy, Deputy Commissioner, at Kharkhauda town, 19 km from here, on Friday. According to official sources, most of the complaints related to non-supply of subsidised ration under the PDS system to the people living below poverty line, erratic power and water supply and illegal occupation of panchayat land.

ROBBED: Mr Rajbir Singh, a security officer of a Kundli-based industrial unit, was robbed of Rs 10,000 by two unidentified armed youths near the police post in Sector 14 here on Friday. According to a report, the incident occurred when the security officer was on his way to the residence of the Managing Director of the unit for distribution of salary among the security guards. The police has launched a hunt to apprehend the culprits.

MEMORANDUM: As many as 24 members of the Sonepat Block Samiti submitted a memorandum to Dr Sultan Singh, SDM, on Friday, demanding immediate convening of the meeting of the samiti for discussion on no-confidence motion. The members alleged that the Deputy Commissioner had refused to accept the memorandum from them.

ROHTAK
POLICE HELP LINE: A Police Help Line Service for the district was launched on Friday. A police spokesman said a Tata Sumo had been provided at the Police Control Room which would be available for 24 hours. The vehicle was fitted with a wireless set, first-aid box and other equipment to deal with any untoward incident. He informed that a policewoman was also deputed to deal with the women offenders. This service could be obtained by dialling 100.

WELCOMED: Capt Shamsher Singh Malik, state president, Lok Janshakti Party, has welcomed the appointment of Ms Manju Jangra of Bhiwani as state president, Women Cell, of the party. The appointment was made by Ms Latika Sharma, national president, Women Cell, LJP.