The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, January 21, 2002, 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

FATEHGARH SAHIB
OIL CONSERVATION WEEK: To celebrate Oil Conservation and Environment Protection Week, special programmes would be organised in Fatehgarh Sahib district from Wednesday. This was stated by Mr Vikas Partap, Deputy Commissioner, Fatehgarh Sahib. Addressing a meeting here on Saturday, he said a cycle rally would be organised on Wednesday at 10.30 a.m. from Administrative Complex to New Service Station, Sirhind. On Saturday a kite flying competition would be held at Mata Gujri Senior Secondary School at 3 p.m. and on January 29, a painting competition would be organised at Mata Gujri Senior Secondary School. An essay competition would also be organised on the same day. Closing ceremony would be held on January 30.

KAPURTHALA
BAILS GRANTED: Mr Justice K.C. Gupta, Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge on Saturday granted bails to 55 undertrials of various courts of the district. Mr Justice Gupta along with Mr Gurdev Singh, District and Sessions Judge, Mr Jagroop Singh Mahal and Mr Zoora Singh, both Additional District and Sessions Judge, Dr Roshan Sunkaria, Deputy Commissioner, and Ms Gurpreet Deo, SSP, visited district jails and heard the grievances of the undertrials.

KHAMANO
ELECTION OFFICE: Bibi Satwinder Kaur Dhaliwal, SAD candidate from Khanna constituency, opened her election office at Kheri Noudh Singh village, near here, on Sunday. Addressing people on the occasion, she appealed them to vote in favour of SAD-BJP candidates. She said she would file her nomination on Wednesday. She added that two more offices would be opened at Isru and Iklaha. Senior party leaders, including Mr Hardip Singh Gosla, were also present on the occasion.

LUDHIANA
SUPPORT SOUGHT: Senior Congress leader and former minister Milkait Singh Beermi, who is contesting elections from the Ludhiana rural assembly seat has sought the support of people related to trade and industry. Speaking at a function organised by Aggarwal community at Aggar Nagar, he alleged the Badal government “had spelled doom” for the industry. He claimed that there was a wave in favour of the Congress and the party was set to get a thumping majority. He assured that the Congress would solve all problems faced by industrialists. The function was organised by Mr Vijay Abrol and attended, among others, by Mr Mohinder Kumar Gupta, Mr Deepak Singh, Mr Ram Kishen Gupta, Mr Rajinderpal Gupta, Mr Chaman Lal Gupta and Mr R.K. Singhania. Businessmen assured support to Mr Beermi.

DECLAMATION CONTEST: The Love Dale Club organised a declamation contest as part of Republic Day celebrations. Almost 75 children from different schools participated in the contest with full enthusiasm and spoken on different topics as good manners, simple living high thinking, aim of life etc. Miss Ashu Dewan, a Lecturer of Khalsa College, Ms Jyotika Verma, a Lecturer of Guru Nanak Polytechnic, and Mrs Sikand, Principal of Love Dale School, were the judges. Children were divided into four groups. Winners were given prizes.

MOGA
POPPY HUSK: The police has seized 15 bags of poppy husk from a vehicle at a naka, near Thraj village, under the Bagha Purana police station, in the district. Stating this here on Sunday, SSP Sharad Satya Chauhan added that the occupants of the vehicle, Darshan Singh of the same village, had been arrested.

URGED: Farmers of various villages of the district on Saturday urged the government to set up another “goshala” near the town for stray cattle which were causing traffic problems and inconvenience to the public. The present “goshala” which was situated on the Gandhi Road could accommodate only 250 cows, they added.

NAWANSHAHR
PUNJABI PLAY: Amardeep Singh Shergill Memorial College Mukandpur and the Spicmacay Society staged a Punjabi play “Dayare” directed by playwright Pran Sabharwal on the college campus, about 20 km from here, on Saturday. Dr Ranbir Singh Rana and Mr Joga Singh, were the chief guests. Gurmit Bawa, folk singer, presented a cultural programme, said Dr Surjit Singh Bhatti, principal of the college.

WORKSHOP HELD: The Regional Resource Centre, Panjab University, and the local District Literacy Society organised a three-day workshop on ‘Continuous education’ which concluded at Baradari Garden here on Sunday. Mr Gurpal Singh Bhatti, ADC (Development), inaugurated it. Dr Kuldip Puri, Director, RRC, Ms Saroj Uppal, Dr Ashwani Kumar Sharma, both Project Officers, were among others who delivered lectures at the workshop.

PHAGWARA
CENTRAL JAIL: Mr R.S. Chahlia, Additional Director General of Police (Jails), said here on Saturday that plans were afoot to shift Jalandhar Central Jail. PUDA had been asked to provide alternative site for it. A new central jail was coming up at Ropar and Rs 60 lakh more had been demanded from the government in this connection, he added.

MELA HELD: A cultural mela was organised at the local Kamla Nehru College for Women on Sunday. The SDM, Mr Amarjit Paul, inaugurated the mela. Lucky draws were also held there.

PHILLAUR
PHONES DEAD: Telephone service remained paralysed here as hundreds of telephones, including official ones, were non-functional for more than thirtysix hours. The cause of the failure of the service could not be known. No official was available for comments.

CHANDIGARH

DONATED: The Bharat Vikas Parishad on Saturday donated 100 sweaters, 120 pairs of shoes and blankets to poor students of seven city schools at its annual function here. Mr Prem Kumar Bansal was the chief guest while Mr Surinder Singh was the guest of honour at the function. The others who were present included parishad’s president, Mr Prem Goyal, general secretary, Mr Gursher Singh Bal and an NRI, Mr Chamkor Singh.

WORKSHOP: A personality development workshop for parents of the tiny tots of the Little Kingdom Nursery School, Sector 8, by the school’s Principal, Ms Neeru Kukreja, was held on the school premises here on Saturday. The workshop was aimed at making the parents oriented to the unique features of kindergarten and their role in laying strong foundation for bright future of the children. Another workshop for the parents on transcendental meditation will be held at the school soon, according to a press note by Ms Kukreja.

PANCHKULA
TRIP ORGANISED: Members of Satluj Eco Club visited Chatt Bir Zoo on Saturday as part of their club activities. The trip was organised to create awareness about habit and habitat of wild animals and about endangered species.

DHARNA: The dharna being staged by the Panchkula Joint Welfare Association Forum and local unit of the state Youth Congress continued outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Saturday. They are protesting against the hike in cable tariff, water charges and imposition of house tax. Mr Hemant Kinger, convenor, said cable operators were unjustified in deciding to disconnect the connections of subscribers who were not acceding to their demand of increasing the monthly tariff. Around 200 Congress workers participated in the dharna. They alleged that the Chautala government was meeting out a step-motherly treatment to Panchkula.

THREE HURT: Three people were injured in separate accidents at different places in the district. Rajesh Kumar and his mother Angreji Devi were hit by a truck (CHW-1075) near the Sector 7-B roundabout on Friday. Both were seriously injured and admitted to the PGI. In another accident, Mr Ghanshyam Dutt was injured when he was hit by a scooter (HR 03C-4058) near KC Cinema.

REVOLVER SEIZED: The police seized a country-made revolver from Rajinder Singh on Friday. Two live cartridges were also recovered from him.

ARRESTED: Deepak Kumar Gupta was arrested on charges of gambling at a public place and Rs 450 were recovered from him.

SEMINAR: A seminar on promotion of national unity was organised by the Ekta Prayaas Manch at Gurdwara, Sector 12, here on Sunday. Dr Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon, Department of History, Panjab University, while speaking on the occasion lambasted various political parties for playing a negative role by bringing polarisation in the society. Prof Vidhu Mohan, Department of Psychology, Panjab University, stressed on the need for inculcating the value of nation building and national integration among children. The seminar was organised keeping in view the need for promoting national unity in the face of current political developments in the country and the world, informed Mr Gurbax Singh Kahlon, a member of the manch.

YADAV SABHA: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Yadav Sabha, Chandigarh and Panchkula: president —Mr A.S. Bhagotia; senior vice-president: Mr Vijay Pal Singh; vice-president — Mr Gauri Shankar; geneal secretary — Col H.S. Yadav and cashier — Mr Jagat Narian.

SAS NAGAR
MEETING: The Punjab Private Schools Welfare Association on Sunday organised its annual congregation at a private hotel in Phase X. The meeting was to review the contribution of the non-recognised and unaided private school in the Sarv Sikhya Adhiyan. The meeting also discussed the future role of private school.

HARYANA

AMBALA
HEART CHECK-UP CAMP: The Rotary Club of Industrial Area would organise a heart check-up camp on Friday. The camp is being organised in association with the Inner wheel Club, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Escort Heart Institute Research Centre, Delhi. The president of the club, Mr Sham Manchanda, said experts from Escorts would carry out Echocardiography and ECG tests. The camp would be held at Aggarwal Dharamshala at 9.30 a.m. He said persons interested would have to deposit a registration fee of Rs 100. There would be no registration fee for poor patients.

KURUKSHETRA
SEMINAR HELD: A seminar on ‘Fight against terrorism’ was organised by the local Rotary Club and Shri Hanuman Mandir Sabha on the premises of the temple on Saturday. While addressing the seminar, the Haryana Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Kumar Arora, called upon the people to take a pledge to uproot terrorism. Kamal Chugh of Geeta Niketan Residential Senior Secondary School and Swati Tanwar of University Senior Secondary School won first prize while Swati Chauhan of Green Field Public School and Deepika of DAV Public School won second and third positions, respectively, in a competition held on the occasion.

PANIPAT
DRAWN UP: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr M.R. Anand, on Saturday said the plan to have a canal-based water supply scheme in the city had been drawn up and Halli Park would be developed as a tourist spot in collaboration with the local refinery. The administration had also proposed to shift the dairy and dyeing units out of the city, he added.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
RESENTMENT: Resentment prevails among residents of Bhattiyat subdivision of the district and its adjoining areas against the government over the breakdown of the Doordarshan relay transmitter installed near Chowari township. They are not able to view the national network programmes of the Doordarshan. Despite several complaints lodged with the authorities concerned it took days together to rectify the problem, they alleged.

HAMIRPUR
BODY FOUND: The body of an ex-serviceman, Bal Raj Sharma, who had been working on a Mumbai-based security company and missing from his house since January 3, was found in the forests in the Masyana area on Saturday. He hailed from Dagnehri village of the district. Meanwhile, the police arrested eight migrant labourers for allegedly beating up Des Raj Thakur of the local Anoo area to death. A case has been registered.

NURPUR
REMANDED: The police has arrested in-laws of Madhubala (20) whose body was found hanging from a tree in Ward No 7 on Friday. Milap Singh, husband, Kailasho Devi, mother-in-law, and Onkar Singh, brother-in-law were remanded in seven days police custody by a court here on Saturday. A case has been registered under Sections 302, 498-A and 34 of the IPC.

PALAMPUR
WATER SCARCITY: Over 12 villages in Panchrukhi subdivision of the Irrigation and Public Health Department have been without potable water for the past one week. According to reports received here, Sunagal, Molichakk, Matt and Dandhol village have not received even a drop of water for the past four days. Ambotu, Tikkar, Jamkhearm Bhuwana, Gharbasti, Deogram and Manial Patt villages are the worst affected. A statement issued by Mr Raj Kumar, president of the Rajgir Panchayats Sanghathan, said despite repeated complaints to the authorities concerned, no officer of the department bothered to visit the villages.