R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BATHINDA
URGED: The local Vigilant Citizen Forum has urged the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Verma, to use fogging machine, dust squeezer and ensure adequate water supply to the city. The forum also urged Mr Verma to minimise the cases of malaria and general fever mosquito repellent machines should be used on alternate days in different localities.

FATEHGARH SAHIB
WHEAT PROCUREMENT: As much as 1,40,904 MT of wheat have been procured in comparison to last year’s 21762 MT to date. This was stated by Mr Vikas Partap, Deputy Commissioner, here on Saturday. He said the arrival of wheat was on with procurement agencies active at 35 purchase centers in the district. He said payments were also being made in time. He visited various grain markets and purchase centres and talked to farmers regarding the problems if any. He expressed satisfaction over the procurement process being carried out by the agencies. He said that procurement had also been done by other agencies in the district viz the Food and Supply Department which had purchased 1,430 MT, Markfed 35,335 MT, PUNSUP 14,356 MT, Ware Housing 15,179 MT, Punjab Agro 20,550 MT, FCI 40,411 MT and Traders 142 MT.

HEALTH PROGRAMME: Dr N.S. Bawa, President, IMA unit, said here on Saturday that a resolution had been passed to give support for the National Health Programme, particularly PNDT and TB Control Programme. As the male female ratio in the district was the lowest i.e. 1000:742, which could lead to an imbalance in the society in the coming years. Dr Bawa assured full co-operation on behalf of the IMA to help implement the PNDT Act. The president Lions Club, Mr Gurmukh Singh and president, Rotary Club, Mr Harwinder Singh, also assured the government of their full support to root out the evil from society. They said that a campaign would be launched in the district to eradicate sex determination tests and female foeticide in the district. The Bhartiya Vikas Parishad and other social organisations also assured Dr Bawa of the help.

GURDASPUR
LICENCES SUSPENDED: Mr K.A.P. Sinha, Deputy Commissioner, while presiding over a meeting of the district heads of procurement agencies and related staff at Panchayat Bhavan here on Thursday, said the licences of three foodgrain dealers had been suspended. The Deputy Commissioner and Mr M.S. Multani, District Food and Supplied Controller, during sudden raids on these shops on Wednesday and Thursday found them indulging in malpractices like weighing less, lack of cleanliness and non-stencilling of bags.

HOSHIARPUR
KILLED: Lorepit Singh, 5-year-old son of Pargat Singh of Khowarpur, was crushed to death by a speeding bus of a private transport company at Dasuya on Thursday. Loreprit Singh, along with his father and mother, was standing before a marriage palace. The driver of the bus fled along with his vehicle after the accident.

SEIZED: The district excise staff, headed by Mr Randhir Singh, Excise & Taxation Officer, Hoshiarpur, raided the house of Sunil Kumar in the local committee bazar ara on Thursday night and seized 18,000 ml of rum from there. Sunil Kumar was arrested under Sections 61, 1 and 140 the Excise Act. The Garhshankar police also arrested Dharampal and seized 36,000 ml English wine from him on Thursday.

KAPURTHALA
XEN dies: Mr G.L. Jolly 55, an Executive Engineer of the PWD was found died in his official residence here on Friday. According to family sources, he was living alone in the house and had probably died of a heart attack. The body was taken to his native town, Hoshiarpur, for cremation.

SENTENCED: Additional Sessions Judge Jagroop Singh Mahal on Friday convicted Baljit Singh and Arjun Singh, residents of Mundi Maur village under Kotwali police station, under Section 376 (2) (G) of the IPC for gang raping a married woman of the same village and sentenced them to undergo 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 5,000. In default of fine the judge ordered them to undergo further imprisonment for one year.

LUDHIANA
SAD FLAYS MC: The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) has criticised the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation and the councillor of Ward 40 (Urban Estate Phase II) for their alleged negligence in carrying out developmental works in the area. According to a press note, a meeting of the party was held here under the chairmanship of Mr Balvinder Singh Bains. The participants exhorted the public to support Ms Pawanpreet Kaur, who would be the party candidate from the ward this time. Ms Pawanpreet Kaur assured that she would work hard for the uplift and development of the area and urged people to extend their support to her. Prominent among those present included women’s Wing president of the party, Bibi Jagdish Kaur Sawadi. Local leaders, including Mr Baldev Singh Sawadi and Mr Sarabjit Singh Baba. 

JUNIOR AMBASSADOR: Sakshi Kapila, Class VI student from Sacred Heart Convent Senior Secondary School, Sarabha Nagar, has been selected as junior ambassador from India to participate in the Asian Pacific Children Convention in Fukuoka, Japan. Sakshi is the only student from Punjab who has been selected for the 15-day convention scheduled to be held from July 13 on the basis of Punjabi, Haryanvi and Rajasthani dance performance and interests in painting, calligraphy and gift wrapping. Mr Vineet Ahuja, president of Ludhiana City Junior Chamber, which is a supporting organisation for the convention, said that in all eight students had been selected from India who would promote mutual understanding and friendship and nurture international awareness in children.

BOGUS VOTES: Residents of some localities adjoining Mundian Kalan village on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh Road have alleged that certain persons having vested interests were trying to get bogus votes made in areas like Mundian Khurd, Tibba Colony, Ahluwalia Colony, Grewal Colony and adjoining localities. According to residents, the boundary of Ward No. 14 in the city was extended upto Mundian Kalan village. In order to derive political benefits, functionaries of some political parties had prevailed upon the enumeration staff to make votes of the people who lived in the areas under the administrative control of panchayats. The residents have urged the District Electoral Officer to scrutinise the revised electoral rolls and ensure that names of such persons, who lived outside the municipal limits, were deleted from voters’ lists.

NOMINATION HAILED: The District Unit of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Legal Cell, under the presidentship of Mr Parshottam Dass Sharma has expressed gratitude to the Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, for appointment of Mr Shamsher Singh Shergill, chairman of PPC Legal Cell, as Senior Additional Advocate-General of Punjab.

PHAGWARA
ARRESTED: During a nakabandi, the local police arrested a scooter lifter, Raj Kumar of Shivpuri, Ludhiana, DSP Harmanbir Singh Gill stated here on Thursday. The thief was driving an unnumbered scooter at the time of his landing into the police net. On a two-day police remand, Raj Kumar has confessed to have stolen three scooters, two gas cylinders, one juicer, one CD, one deck and three rehris, which have since been recovered.

HARYANA

AMBALA
POWER THEFT CASES: At least 1,691 cases of power theft were detected during 2001-02 in the city. Deputy Commissioner Mahinder Kumar said a sum of Rs 107.03 lakh was imposed as fine on those who were found stealing power and that a sum of Rs 64.54 lakh had been recovered from them. FIRs had been registered against 37 consumers. The power officials inspected 29,923 connections last year, according to a press note. Mr Mahinder Kumar added that during the last financial year, 476 new transformers were set up and 13,548 new power connections were given.

FUNCTION: DAV Public School, Ambala City, celebrated its foundation day and the birthday of Mahatma Hansraj here on Saturday. The chairman of the local DAV Management Committee, Mr Rajinder Nath, a prominent social activist, Dr Jai Dev, regional director of DAV institutions, Dr R.K. Chauhan and president of Yuva Shakti, Mr Surender Juneja, were present on the occasion. A society, Prayas, was also constituted, which would be headed by Dr R.K. Chauhan and would provide free education to 50 students of pre-primary classes. Stationery and books were also provided to the students. The Principal, Ms Reena Nagrath, said the school would provide free transportation service to these students.

MAN INJURED: A person sustained serious injuries when Shatabdi Express hit him at a railway crossing on Friday evening. He was trying to cross the rail track while the gate was closed. The injured was admitted to a local hospital.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
SHIFTED: The struggle of women and youth leaders under the aegis of the Mahila Mandal and the Yuvak Mandal of the Chhakoh area, about 35 km from here, has succeeded in forcing the government to shift a liquor vend from the Chhakoh panchayat area when orders were passed to shift the vend from Tharughat to Ladaghat in the Soldha panchayat area. This was stated by Yuvak Mandal secretary Chander Sekhar Sharma here on Friday.

WATER SHORTAGE: Ramrattan Sharma, president, Congress unit of the Gehadwin constituency of the district, has drawn attention of the government towards an acute shortage of potable water at Behnajattan, Rishikesh, Damli, Hirapur, Samoh, Jangla, Nakhlehada, Behnabrahamina, Jhandutta, Saneehara, Badgaon Galu and Kadol in this constituency. He demanded immediate supply of potable water through tankers in these areas.