The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Wednesday, March 27, 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

AMRITSAR
FAKE PASSPORT: Paramjit Singh of Hallecha village in Jalandhar district was arrested by immigration officials at Rajasansi Airport on Sunday for using counterfeit passport. He had been using the passport of Sunil Sachdeva of Brazil to go to England. A case has been registered under Sections 419, 420, 468, and 471 of the IPC and the Passports Act.

CHARGE TAKEN: Mr Jasbir Singh Bir took over as the new Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation here on Monday in place of Mr B.R. Banga who has been nominated Director, Local Self Bodies, Punjab. Earlier, Mr Bir was the Deputy Commissioner, Patiala.

MEETING HELD: The Janata Dal (united) will contest all seats in elections of all four corporations in the state. This was decided at a meeting of the party which was presided over by the state president of the party, Mr Jaspal Singh Kapoor. The meeting invited all its ward presidents to make a list of suitable contestants. The information was given by Mr J.S. Saluja, district president of the party, here on Monday.

BATHINDA
DHARNA HELD: The activists of the suburban subdivision unit of the Technical Services Union (TSU) of the Punjab State Electricity Board staged a dharna on Monday and raised slogans against an official of the board for allegedly using derogatory language against junior employees and customers. The information was given here by Mr Jagjit Singh, president of the unit, in a press note issued here.

BHARAT GAS: The Bharat Petroleum Corporation organised Bharat Gas Holi mela at the local Government Girls Senior Secondary School on Sunday. Mr P.K. Ramanathan, territory manager (LPG) of the corporation, in a press note issued here on Monday said about 250 consumers participated in Safety Quiz Competition.

BLOOD DONATION CAMPS: Blood donation camps were organised at many places in the district on Sunday in the memory of martyrs. Mr Arup Raha, Station Commander, Air Force Station, Bhisiana, near here, inaugurated a camp organised in the memory of Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, who was killed during the Kargil conflict. A medical camp was also organised.

GURDASPUR
WHEAT PROCUREMENT: All arrangements to start the procurement of wheat from April 1 have been finalised in the district. According to Mr K.A.P. Sinha, Deputy Commissioner, as many as 113 centres have been opened in this connection.

KAPURTHALA
MURDERED: Karamjit Singh (35), a farmer of Dhapai village, was found murdered in the fields of the village on Monday. The body bore sharp-edged injury marks on the throat. A case has been registered. The body was brought to the Civil Hospital here for a post-mortem examination.

LUDHIANA
MUHARRAM PROCESSION: A Tazia procession comprising thousands of Muslims was taken out here on Monday from Basti Jodhewal. The procession passed through Kabir Nagar, New Subhash Nagar, Shakti Nagar, Tibba Road, Tajpur Road, Guru Arjun Dev Nagar, Samrala Chowk, Moti Nagar and Cancer Hospital Chowk before dispersing at the Sherpur Dargah. Elaborate security arrangements for the procession had been made.

SHOP GUTTED: A hosiery shop at Plahi Bazar, which had been closed down sometime ago, was gutted on Monday. Someone set fire to a heap of garbage in front of the shop. As a result, shop furniture was destroyed.

CATTLE EXAMINED: The Punjab State Veterinary Officers Association and the Animal Owners Education Cell organised a free cattle welfare camp at Haibowala Dairy Complex, here on Tuesday. Medicines and injections were provided free of cost by the Animal Husbandry Department and a private pharmaceutical companies, Vee Enterprises and Indobiocare. As many as 316 cattle were examined.

NAWANSHAHR
BUSES SOUGHT: Mrs Pritam Pal Kaur, former Sarpanch of Khatkar village, Kalan in a press statement here on Monday urged the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to issue instructions to the Transport Department to ensure stoppage of roadways buses at the village.

DHARNA HELD: The local Municipal Subordinate Employees Union staged a dharna here on Monday in front of the office of the Municipal Council to press the government to release the salaries of octroi staff, informed Mr Major Singh, president of the union.

DERELICTION OF DUTY: Mr Jang Baharu Rana and Mr Parkash Chand, Sarpanch and a former member of panchayat of Mujjafarpur village, in a press statement here on Monday accused the staff of the Primary Health Centre in the village of dereliction of duty. They alleged that the members of the staff had left the centre unlocked on Friday. Mr Hans Raj and Mr Parkash Chand, former Sarpanch and panchayat member, respectively, locked the office and kept the keys with them. They have demanded action against the errant employees.

COMBINE HARVESTERS: Mr Ashok Gupta, DC in a order issued here on Monday has prohibited the harvesting of wheat by combine harvesters at night to avoid accidents. This was stated in an official press note issued here.

SAMRALA
ANIMAL WELFARE CAMP: An animal welfare camp was held at Papraudi village, 3 km from here on Tuesday, in which 327 animals were treated free of cost by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Punjab. This camp was organised by the Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, Ludhiana, Dr H.P.S. Gill, Senior Veterinary Officer, Dr Amarjeet Singh, Veterinary Officer Nagra, Dr Gagandeep and Veterinary Officer, Hedon, Dr Balwinder Singh.

MONEY NOT RECEIVED: A money order for Rs 2,500 was sent by a labourer, Naginder, of Jhakraudi village, 2 km from here on February 12, 2002 to Ms Sardha Desi of Maraul village, district Muzzaffarwal (Bihar) vide receipt No 56 at the post office Bhagwanpura. In a complaint made to the post master Samrala today, Naginder said the recipient had not received the money order till date. The complainant demanded immediate action.

SCHOOL AFFILIATED: Chopra Model School, Machhiwara, has been affiliated to the Punjab School Education Board, SAS Nagar, according to Mr Suresh Chopra, Managing Director of the school here on Tuesday.

CHANDIGARH

APPOINTED: Mr Ramchander has been appointed organising secretary of the Chandigarh Pradesh Congress Seva Dal. This information was given here today by Mr Manmohan Singh, Chandigarh in charge of the organisation.

OSTEOPOROSIS DETECTION CAMP: As many as 166 patients were screened for osteoporosis at a osteoporosis detection camp held today at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. The camp was organised by the Department of Orthopaedics, GMCH. According to Dr Raj Bahadur, Head of the Department of Orthopaedics, the patients’ age ranged from 28 to 89 years and included 127 females. He told the osteoporosis is a disease of modern era of increased life expectancy and the sedantry life style. He said its treatment could be possible by taking the use of Vitamin D, Calcium and other related drugs. The next free detection camp will be held on April 1.

SADBHAVANA RALLY: The Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee here took out a peace march through Sectors 18, 19, 28 and 29. It was the third in the series of Sadbhavna rallies. The march, being accompanied by Moulvis and Hindu priests, was started from the Sector-18 Church with the Christian priest giving the rally its blessings. Placards and banners appealing for maintaining communal harmony and national integration were being carried by the marchers led by the CTCC President, Mr. B. B. Bahl.

AWARDED: Mr Arun Grover, MD, Amartex Industries Limited, has been awarded Management Excellence Award for his achievement in textile industry. The award was formally presented by the Management and Industrial Development Institute at a ceremony held at Jalandhar on Tuesday. Mr Tej Prakash Singh, Transport Minister, Punjab, was the chief guest on the occasion.