The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, February 19, 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

AHMEDGARH
MONUMENT TO BE ERECTED: The SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar has said that a monument will be constructed at the Ghallughara site at Kup Rohira where 35,000 Sikhs laid down their lives while fighting against Ahmedshah Abdali. According to him, another monument will be created at Kakra village, the birth place of Diwan Todar Mall. Referring to controversies about Sikh history, he said a board would be constituted within one week which would decide on baseless inclusions in history books. He alleged that some historians had written according to the wishes of their rulers and had distorted the facts.

AMRITSAR
MEDICAL CAMP: People from 27 villages around Dhanoy Kalan on the Indo-Pak border underwent medical check-up and treatment at a camp organised by the Army authorities here on Sunday. A compensation of Rs 20,000 each to victims of accidental mine blast was also distributed by Major-Gen Ashok Kapoor, GOC, Panther Division. Medicines were provided to patients free of cost. The Army is also conducting a week-long capsule for arms training for young volunteers of the border villages.

BARNALA
MARRIAGES: Under the patronage of Mahant Piara Singh, chief of Dera Baba Gandha Singh and the Lions Club Harmony, Barnala, marriages of three poor girls hailing from Thikriwala, Kattu and Ramgarh villages were solemnised at the Dera Baba Gandha Singh complex on Sunday. Dr Sandeep Kumar, project chairman of the club, said it offered the girls all necessity items.

LUDHIANA
CAR LAUNCHED: Fiat India Private Limited launched its new car, Palio Sport, in the city market here on Monday. Car is priced at Rs 4.18 lakh (ex-showroom price in Ludhiana).

YOUTH FESTIVAL: The Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle, Ludhiana Zone, will organise a youth festival in Ramgarhia Girls College, Millerganj, on Friday. There will be competitions in Gurbani-gayan, lectures, poems and paintings. Students from about 20 colleges are expected to participate in the festival. Giani Bhagat Singh, pardhan, Ramgarhia Education Trust, and member of the SGPC, Principal Ram Singh, chief organiser, Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle, and other eminent personalities will be present at the function.

MALERKOTLA
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Bharat Vikas Parishad, Amargarh branch: president — Mr Sarjeevan Babla; vice-president — Mr Krishan Kumar; secretary — Mr Harsh Singla; and treasurer — Mr Sarjeevan Kumar.

NABHA
CAMP: A free medical check-up camp was held on Sunday at Chhintawala village, 17 km from here. The camp was inaugurated by Mr Y.K. Kirvani, AGM, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Patiala. More than 450 patients were examined by a team of doctors. Medicines were also provided free of cost.

PATIALA
CRITICISED: The suspended secretary of Punjabi University Teachers Association (PUTA), Dr N.S. Atri, on Monday criticised the actions of Dr D.S. Dhillon, president of PUTA, in reference to the statements made by the latter in which he criticised the District Congress Committee chief, Mr Ved Prakash Gupta, for commenting on Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia. Dr Atri’s faction has asked him to refrain from making comments directed towards public servants.

BIRTH ANNIVERSARY: Former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s 78th birth anniversary was celebrated at the Congress’s office at Choti Baradari here on Monday. Among those present were his son and daughter besides several leaders of the party, including Ms Parneet Kaur, Congress MP.

FREE MEDICAL CAMP: As many as 500 patients were examined at a free medical camp organised by Santokh Nursing Home, Sector 38 here on Sunday. The nursing home celebrated its 11th founders day. Doctors from all specialities were available for consultation and free sugar and haemoglobin tests were also conducted on many patients. Subsidised Hepatitis B vaccination was also provided.

TARN TARAN
THREE BOOKED: A widow, Jagiro, her son Pappu and son-in-law Jinder Singh have been booked under Sections 302 and 34, IPC, for murdering Angrej Singh (20), a resident of Sohal village. The police sources said on Sunday that Angrej Singh had illicit relations with Jagiro. Jinder Singh and Pappu called him to their house on the pretext of some urgent work and murdered him. The body was recovered on Saturday.

CHANDIGARH

EYE CAMP: More than 500 children were given eyes ailment remedies at a free eye check-up camp organised by the Lions Club Nightingale at Government High School in Sector 7 on Monday. A team of doctors from Indo American Eye Care Centre Suhana, checked the eyes of the students and medicines were also given to the students.

TEAM VISITS SCHOOL: A team of Belleville Primary School teachers from England visited Shivalik Public School, Sector 41 B on Monday. They interacted with teachers and students of the school.

CONDOLENCE MEETING: A meeting of journalists to mourn the demise of Mr Swatantra Sheel, a member of the press fraternity of Chandigarh, will be held at 10.30 a.m. on the premises of the Chandigarh Press Club on Tuesday.

NSS CAMP: A ten-day NSS camp on “Personality development of students through community service” concluded at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23 here on Monday. Activities like cleanliness and aesthetic development of the school and its surroundings, developing the dignity of labour, awareness health drive hygiene, population, pollution, drug abuse and fatal diseases like AIDS were discussed during the camp.

PANCHKULA
LAMENTED: The Residents Welfare Association, Sector 12, has lamented the Haryana Urban Development Authority’s failure to clean the parks used for private functions, after these are over. Mr Rakesh Aggarwal, general secretary of the association, said though the authority charged the residents for using the park, these were not cleaned for days together and could not be used by residents.

URGED: The Citizen’s Welfare Association has urged upon HUDA to open the T-junctions on the road leading to the township through the Housing Board light point for entry in Sector 15 in order to ease the traffic on B-roads. In a statement to the press, Mr S.K. Nayyar , president and Mr Ravinder Rawal, secretary general, said the HUDA should also widen the B-roads on priority to reduce the number of accidents. They have also urged that the land in front of Housing Board Colony got vacated of encroachments recently, be levelled up to required plinth level.

CM VISITS GURDWARA: The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, on Monday visited Nadha Sahib gurdwara to pay his obeisance . He was accompanied by his wife, Ms Surinder Kaur Badal. The CM reached here at 10.25 am and was in the gurdwara for about 15 minutes.

AWARDED: Mr Madan Jit Singh Arora, general secretary of the Senior Auditor Officers/ Auditor Officers Association , Punjab and Chandigarh, has been awarded fellowship management research programme. His fellowship is for specialising in advertising and public relations. The fellowship has been awarded by Management Studies Promotion Institute, New Delhi.

SAS NAGAR
RESIDENTS IRKED: Residents of Sector 66, SAS Nagar, have been facing inconvenience due to dumping of garbage of area in the sector by the administration. Stench emanating from the sewerage treatment plant, a nullah and industrial waste has made the life of residents miserable. Frequent complaints in this regard have been submitted to the administration but to no avail, according to Mr A.D. Mahi, adviser, Residents Welfare Association. The secretary of the society, Mr Jagdev Singh, has demanded that garbage bins be installed in the sector.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

NURPUR
STONE LAID: Mr Ramesh Dhawala, Irrigation-cum-Public Health Minister, while laying the foundation stone of the valley bridge at Mand Sanor in the Gangath Assembly constituency on Sunday, said the state government had given top priority to drinking water and irrigation facilities in the state. He claimed that drinking water and irrigation schemes had been sanctioned for every gram panchayat of the state. He said he bridge would be completed before the rainy season.

SPURIOUS DRUGS: Medicines available in the town were spurious and substandard and the Health Department had failed to take any action in this regard, alleged patients here on Monday. They also alleged that officials of the Health Department were hand in glove with the local chemists.

PAONTA SAHIB
LIQUOR SEIZED: The police has seized 25 bottles of illicit liquor from Ashok Kumar of Bangala Colony here. A case has been registered under the Excise Act.

PARWANOO
HEALTH CAMP: A family healthy awareness camp was organised here by the Anand Welfare Centre, a non-government organisation, in association with the Department of Health and Family Welfare. Around 350 persons from different factories and villages took part in the workshop.