R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
TRANSFER FLAYED: A meeting of the executive committee of the Amritsar Central Cooperative Bank Employees Union has condemned the transfer of Mr Shamsher Singh, general secretary of the Dhariwal Employees Union. The meeting held here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Mr Harbans Singh Dhillon, president of the union, unanimously resolved to launch an agitation if the transfer was not cancelled. They also criticised the transfer of other employees.

BARNALA
SECTION 145 IMPOSED: In the wake of the ongoing feud between Malkit Singh Keetu, MLA here, and Bhola Singh Virk, Lok Bhalai Party leader, over the presidentship of the Truck Operators Union, Bhadur, Mr N.S. Walia, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, has imposed Section 145, CrPC, on the union’s complex.

DORAHA
FAREWELL FUNCTIONS: A series of farewell parties were arranged by the second year students for the final year students of Guru Nanak National College, Doraha. Three parties, for boys, girls and commerce students, were organised on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. In the girls wing of the college, girls of BA II bade farewell to BA III through songs, dances, modelling and farewell speeches. Ms Paramjit Kaur was declared Miss Farewell, Ms Ramandeep Kaur was Miss Smile and Navdeep Kaur and Sukhjinder Kaur were declared Miss Well-dressed. In the boys wing, boys year gave a charming farewell to their seniors. Various stage items were presented to lend colour and variety to the programme. Among commerce students, Ms Ramanjit Kaur was Miss Farewell, Mr Harman was Mr Farewell, and Mr Anoop and Miss Balpreet were Mr and Miss Well-dressed. The collaborated effort of the boys and girls of B.Com II and III rendered beauty and charm to the programme. Kshama, Anu, Rajdeep, Harpinder, Kiran, Balpreet and Savita presented various dances and songs, which became the main attraction of the show. In all these parties, Dr Ishwar Singh, president, college management committee, and Mr Jaswant Singh Gill, Principal of the college, congratulated the outgoing students.

GURDASPUR
SURGEON BOOKED: The Kalanaur police here has registered a case under Sections 376-D and 511, IPC, against a dental surgeon of the community health centre, Kalanaur. According to the FIR, the doctor had misbehaved with a patient who had come to the hospital for treatment.

DRIVE LAUNCHED: Mr K.P. Sinha, Deputy Commissioner, said here on Thursday that a special drive to check drug addiction in the district had been launched. In this regard raids on six medical stores of Batala were conducted on Wednesday.

KAPURTHALA
ORDER: Officer of the rank of assistant sub-inspector will attend to the public in the absence of station house officers in the police stations of the district. This was stated by Mr R.N. Dhoke, Senior Superintendent of Police, at a press conference here on Tuesday.

LUDHIANA
SPECIAL RAIL YATRA: The Vishwa Guru Ravidass Mission would organise a special rail yatra for devotees from all over the state to the birthplace of Guru Ravidass near Varanasi, according to Mr Shiv Ram Saroye, president of the mission. He said here on Thursday in a press release that the yatris would assemble at Guru Ravidass Bhavan at Ahata Sherjang on March 25 from where they would march on foot to reach the local railway station via chowk Division No 3 and the Chaura Bazar. The rail yatra was being organised with the active collaboration of various Guru Ravidass organisations and other social institutions of the country and a large number of saints would be participating in it, he added.

FIRE INCIDENTS: Fires, suspected to be caused by short-circuits, erupted in a hosiery and textile shop on the Hazoori road and in a cycle-parts manufacturing unit in New Janata Nagar on the Daba road here on Wednesday. According to the information, Mr Kamal Sharma who lives in a portion on the top of the shop, noticed smoke coming out of the shop’s ventilator. He raised an alarm and the fire brigade was informed which took about an hour to douse the flames spread all over the shop. The loss is being estimated. The fire in the cycle-parts’ manufacturing unit on the Daba road is reported to have erupted on Thursday afternoon following short-circuit in one of the heaters in the nickle-plating plant of the unit. Some inflammable materials and chemicals caught fire which spread quickly. The loss is being assessed.

ARMY RECRUITMENT: Recruitment rally for Army will be held at 152 Infantry Battalion (TA) Sikh Camping Ground near Jagraon Bridge on March 27 and 28. Giving this information, Major K.B. Venugopal said hundreds of youngsters were likely to appear during the recruitment drive.

IDOL INSTALLATION CEREMONY: The idol installation ceremony of Navagraha (nine constellation) will be held at Sree Ayappa Temple, Focal Point, on March 24. Giving this information, Mr P.M. Remanan, President, said foundation stone of a multi-storey community hall would also be laid by Brahmashree Kantaru Rajeevaru, chief priest of Sabarmalia Temple, Kerala. The pre-installation poojas and other rituals would commence on March 22, he said.

DEATH ANNIVERSARY: The Desh Bhagat Baba Gurmukh Singh Memorial Committee will celebrate the death anniversary of the freedom fighter and founder of Gaddar Lehar, Baba Gurmukh Singh at Lalton Khurd village. On the occasion, a play based on his freedom struggle will be presented by Gursharan Singh, TV artist. Dr Hardeep Singh will give a talk on drug de-addiction. The Tarksheel Society will present a programme on the prevalent superstitions and myths in society.

CONVOCATION: The annual convocation and prize distribution function of the Malwa Central College of Education for Women will be held on Sunday. Stating this in a press note, Dr Ravinder Kaur, Principal, said over 100 students of the college will receive degrees and prizes for achievements in academic, sports and cultural activities. Dr K.S. Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, will be the chief guest, she said.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
DEMAND: Mr Jasvir Singh Waraich, general secretary of the District Youth Congress, Fatehgarh Sahib, in a press note released here on Thursday, has urged the Chief Minister of Punjab to abolish the ban on appointments so that unemployment in the state may be brought under control. Mr Waraich hailed the decision of the transfers of officers to end the corruption in the state.

MANSA
RE-EXAMINATION SOUGHT: Plus II students of Government Senior Secondary School for Girls have sought re-examination of physics (theory) paper conducted by the Punjab School Education Board on Wednesday as the use of calculators and log tables were not allowed by Mr Jasbir Singh, Superintendent. The use of calculators and log tables had been allowed according to a note No. IV in the question paper.

MOGA
WARNED: Moga District Food and Supplies Controller Surjan Singh on Thursday warned the shopkeepers in the district of action if found indulging in adulteration and substandard sale of foodstuff. He stated this at a meeting of the consumers held in his office.

DIRECTED: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr G. Romesh Kumar, on Thursday directed the farmers of the district to refrain from burning wheat husk in their respective villages as it causes respiratory problems. He also directed the farmers to bring only dried wheat to the markets.

NAWANSHAHR
YOUTH FESTIVAL: The local BLM Girls College organised its annual youth festival here on Thursday. Ms Guriqbal Kaur, wife of Mr Parkash Singh MLA, was the chief guest and Mr Prem Bhardwaj, president, college managing committee, presided. The students presented a cultural programme.

RESPONSIVE ADMN: Dr Naresh Kumar, SSP, on Thursday said the district police with a view to providing the transparent and responsive administration would set up “people friendly window” and “economic offences wing” here. Senior police officials had been asked to remain in offices on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to hear to public grievances.

DENTAL CAMP: The Lions Club, City Smile and Charan Kanwal, Banga, jointly organised a dental check-up camp at Government Middle School, Bhootan, about 9 km from here, on Thursday. Mr Baldev Nayyar, District Chairman (Environment), inaugurated the camp. Toothpastes and brushes were given to schoolchildren free of cost.

SAMRALA
IT RAIDS: The Income Tax authorities raided Ravi Medical Hall, a whole-seller of medicines. The search was still going on. When contacted the raiding party, they refused to give any details.

HARYANA

YAMUNANAGAR
ROOF COLLAPSES: Thirteen schoolchildren, including the headmaster, were injured as the roof of their classroom collapsed on them on Wednesday at a government primary school at Bhogpur village, about 30 km from here. The headmaster, Puran Lal, was teaching the class when the mishap occurred.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

KULU
KILLED: One person was killed in an accident when a Maruti van rolled into a gorge near Bagianda village, parvati valley, in the district on Wednesday. Police sources confirmed that the deceased, Kamal Kant, was the owner of the taxi and was on his way home from Bhuntar.

SEIZED: Eight sleepers of deodar were seized by the Forest Department in the Pah Nallah valley on Wednesday from a tractor. The driver was able to escape. A case under the Indian Forest Act has been registered.

MANDI
SLEEPERS SEIZED: Forest officials impounded Maruti van near Kataula and seized 33 sleepers on Wednesday. The driver escaped under the cover of darkness abandoning the van, which was damaged after a collision with the barricade put up by the Forest Department.

NAHAN
LOANS DISTRIBUTED: At least 211 unemployed youth were given loans worth Rs 1.27 crore to start self-employment ventures in Sirmaur district during the current financial year. Rupees 1 crore were given to families living below the poverty line under the Swarn Jayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana during the same period. This was stated by the DC, Sirmaur Mr Rakesh Kaushal, while presiding over a meeting of officers of rural development banks here on Wednesday.