The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, May 11, 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
MERIT LIST: Shally of Hansraj Vidyalaya, Jalandhar, has topped the merit list and Sumit Mahajan of DAV College here has stood second by getting 465 and 469 marks, respectively, in the B.Com-I examination conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University in April this year. Sumedha Julka of BBK DAV College here and Ritu Mahajan of Hansraj Mahila Vidyalaya, Jalandhar, have been placed third with 455 marks, according to a press statement.

INFORMATION CENTRE: Guru Nanak Dev University has established an admission information centre for admission-seekers to various courses available at the university, according to a press statement.

ADMISSION SCHEDULE: Guru Nanak Dev University has released the admission schedule for admission to various courses for the academic year 2002-03. The normal admissions to various courses at the teaching departments of the university and its regional centres at Jalandhar and Gurdaspur will be made till June 30. The university has also released the admission schedule for admission to the B.Ed and M.Ed courses. The normal admissions to the B.Ed and M.Ed courses will be from August 8 to 19 and from August 10 to 23, respectively.

BATALA
MANGAL PANDEY REMEMBERED: Schoolchildren of various local schools took out a large procession on Friday to remember the contribution of Mangal Pandey, a hero of the freedom movement, who took part in the revolt (Gadar) of 1857. The procession started from the Community Hall and passed through Khajuri Gate, Cinema Road, Circular Road City Road, Nehru Gate, Chakri Bazar, Gurudwara Kand Sahib area, Bara Bazar and ended at Dainik Prarthana Sabha, Kali Temple.

BATHINDA
AIDED SCHOOLS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Recognised Aided School Teachers Union of Mahatma Hans Raj Senior Secondary School: patron — Dr Vinod Devgan; president — Mr K.C. Gupta; vice-president — Ms Narjinder Kaur, staff secretary — Mr Ashok Kumar; and treasurer — Mr Deepak Kumar.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Para Medical Health Employees Association: president — Mr Harbans Singh Sidhu; senior vice-president — Balwinder Sodhi; secretary — Mr Jagjit Singh; and treasurer — Mr Meshoor Singh.

DEAD: Bhai Shivinder Singh Jhoomba, Chemical Engineer and close aide of Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Amarinder Singh, died here on Thursday after prolonged illness. He was 71. He is survived by two daughters and a son. His funeral was largely attended.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of Engineering College Technical Employees Association of the local G.Z.S. College of Engineering and Technology: president — Mr Manjeet Singh; general secretary — Mr Naib Singh; and treasurer — Mr Rajesh Kumar Arora.

GOVT URGED: The DAV College unit of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union while welcoming the decision of the Punjab Government to ban the private tuitions, urged it to implement the UGC recommendations of the state government.

FARIDKOT
BEOPAR MANDAL: The Punjab Beopar Mandal has called a meeting of the executive members at the local Sangam Hotel for May 12 in connection with the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court pertaining to octroi collection in the state. This was stated by Mr Madan Lal Kapoor, state president of the mandal, here on Friday.

SCHOOL TIMINGS: Mr A. Venu Prasad, Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Magistrate, on Friday ordered change in the timings of all government and private schools of the district from May 11. According to orders the institutions will open at 7.30 am and close at 12.30 pm.

KAPURTHALA
THREE BOOKED: The Deputy Commissioner on Thursday ordered the registration of three FIRs against Iqbal Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Amrik Singh of Malikpur village in Phagwara subdivision for defrauding Oriental Bank of Commerce, Panchata, Phagwara by forging fake revenue papers for obtaining a loan of Rs 13 lakh. The fraud had been detected following a complaint by the lambardar of the village.

LUDHIANA
ANNUAL DAY: Nearly 65 students of Orient Vidya Mandir, Tibba Road, received prizes of academic performance on the occasion of the annual day of the school on Thursday. Students presented a variety of dance, music and drama items, according to Mr Vikram Sharma, director of the school.

RALLY: The Punjab Agricultural University Employees Union organised a rally in front of the Thapar hall for the implementation of its pending demands. Mr D.P. Maur, president of the union, said that the Punjab government was not abiding by the decision of the Supreme Court regarding the revision of pay scales of senior associate employees, incentive increments, G-4 scale for tractor drivers and special allowances. Besides, several decisions of the board of management were not being implemented, he added.

ELECTED: Mr Lachhman Singh has been elected president of the Drivers and Class IV Workers Union, Excise and Taxation Department, Ludhiana, according to a press note issued here on Friday. Other office bearers of the union are: senior vice-president — Mr Sukhdev Singh; vice-president — Mr Sardara Singh; General Secretary — Mr Jagir Singh Jassowal; Secretary — Mr Sanjiv Kumar; propaganda secretary — Mr Surbir Singh; chief advisor — Mr Kuldip Singh Kaul; head cashier — Mr Najar Singh and cashiers — Mr Harjit Singh and Mr Gurmel Singh.

SAMMELAN: The 15th annual Shri Harinam Sankirtan Sammelan, organised by the Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Sankirtan Mandal, got under way at the Shri Sanatan Dharam Mandir, New Model Town, here on Friday. During the four-day sammelan, Shrimad Bhakti Vallabh Tirath Goswami ji Maharaj would deliver discourse everyday from 8 pm. to 12.30 pm. On Saturday, a nagar kirtan would be held at 4.30 pm, said a spokesman of the mandal.

RAAS LILA: Three-day raas lila got off to a devotional start at the Shri Durga Mata Mandir, Hazoori Road, here on Thursday. The programme is being held in connection with the foundation day of the temple. A 22-members team of raas lila performers from Vrindavan , led by Chaitanya Swaroop Bhardwaj, will enthrall Krishna devotees by depicting love between the Lord and gopis.

MALERKOTLA
KILLED: Gurcharan Singh, son of Sadhu Singh of Poheer village, was killed in a road accident near Ahmedgarh on Thursday. Gurcharan was going to Jagera village when his bicycle collided with a car. He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead.

PHILLAUR
INJURED: Two motorcycle-borne armed miscreants shot at and injured Mr Hari Krishan (40) at Gumtali village under Bilga police station on Friday. SHO Satinder Kumar said Mr Hari Krishan received bullet injuries on his back and arms. He was sent to DMC Hospital at Ludhiana. The police has registered a case under the Arms Act.

CHANDIGARH

BLOOD DONATION CAMP: The Art of Living foundation International is organising a blood donation camp on Monday at SCO 127, Sector 9. The camp is being organised on the occasion of birth anniversary of H.H. Ravi Shankar. In evening there will be a bhajan satsang at Vaishno Mata Mandir, Phase IIIB-1, SAS Nagar.

TRAFFIC PARK: The children of The Little Kingdom, Sector 8, visited the traffic park on Friday. Tiny tots got acquainted with the basic safety rules, Zebra crossing and traffic lights on the roads. The little ones also rode their tricycles in the traffic park. Tiny tots were also shown cartoon strips depicting the importance of obeying the traffic rules and regulations. The traffic in charge asserted that it is must for the children to get familiar with the rules of road safety.

SABHA: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Shri Sanatan Dharma Sabha, Sector 32-D: president — Mr Lekh Raj Sharma; senior vice-president — Mr Ashwani Khanna; vice-president — Mr S.P. Sharma; general secretary — Mr Pawan Kumar Gupta; joint secretary — Mr M.L. Sailly; organising secretary — Mr S.L. Singla; finance secretary — Mr R.L. Sachdeva; and chief patron — Mr Chhottu Ram Sharma.

PANCHKULA
AUCTION: The Sri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board has decided to auction its 10 acres of land in Bhainsa Tibba village for a period of two years , with effect from April 2, 2002 to March 31, 2004. This land will be used for agricultural purposes. The auction will take place in the Board office on May 15.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST ADULTERATED FOOD: With a view to prevent water-borne diseases , the administration has launched a campaign by checking water, ice, adulterated food and beverage items in the district. A team of doctors headed by the District Health Officer, Dr B.D. Chugh, and the District Food Inspector has been entrusted the job of collecting samples from the shop. It is learnt that as of date, this team has collected samples of water in Morni, Pinjore, Kalka, Raipur Rani, Hangola, Kaloni villages and Fire Station, Sector 5, tubewell of Public Health in Sector 2 , Mini Secretariat and power colony. Two ice samples were also collected from Sector 9 rehri market and from main market, Sector 9, which were coming from Barwala and Chandigarh. These samples had been sent for checking in the laboratory. Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner, Ms Jyoti Arora, has directed all hotels and dhaba owners to keep cleanliness. They have been advised not to use raw ice.

POWER STATIONS: The Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam has further augmented its transmission and distribution system by constructing two sub-stations , increasing capacity of two existing substations and erecting a 23 km long transmission line during the past one month with an overall investment of Rs 7. 16 crore. The construction of one 132 KV substation at Kariwal and another of 33 KV level at Keharwala in Sirsa has been completed, while 30 new sub-stations of 220 KV, 132 KV and 66 KV are under construction.

CAMP: A blood donation camp was organised on Friday by the State Bank of India at the Staff Training Centre. The camp was inaugurated by Maj-Gen B. Sadananda, Commandant, Western Command Hospital, Chandi Mandir. Over 40 probationary officers on training and staff members donated blood for Command Hospital.

SAS NAGAR
ROADS: The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) has decided to widen the 30-foot wide roads in the township. A senior official of PUDA said it had been found that there was traffic congestion on the sector roads. It has been decided that the 12-foot metalled portion of the roads would be increased to 16 feet.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

KANGRA
THREE KILLED: Three persons were killed and five injured, three of them seriously, in three road accidents in the subdivision, the police said here on Thursday. Two women were killed on the spot and two men in a Santro were seriously injured when it dashed against a tree at Ranital, 17 km from here. Nirmal Kumar, 23, was killed on the spot when he was hit by a private bus at Ambala. Two persons were injured when their vehicle collided with a minibus at Dharamshala Road.

NURPUR
RESENTMENT: Resentment prevails among commuters over a caution order enforced by the Railway authorities about two years ago on the Pathankot-Jogindernagar rail track between Guler and Harsar stations. Mr Mani Ram, president of the Kangra Valley Railway Commuters Association, on Friday alleged that the authorities had not undertaken any routine inspection of the rail track which was in a poor condition for the past few years.

SUPPORTED: Mr Karan Oberoi, Director, Himfed and president of the Nurpur Block Congress Committee, in a statement issued here on Friday, supported the cause of the striking secretaries of the Himachal Pradesh cooperative societies. He alleged that the state government had been ignoring the interests of the secretaries who were demanding an increase in the margin of profit in the sale of foodgrains from 1 per cent to 5 per cent.

SHIMLA
BLOOD SHORTAGE: The Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital here is facing an acute shortage of “O-negative” and “B-negative” blood groups. In an appeal, the Deputy Medical Superintendent, Dr Hardayal Chauhan, has urged donors to contact the blood bank of the hospital.

TREKKING EXPEDITION: Over 1000 girls from all over the country will trek 90 km in the hills of Chhota Bhangal and Jogindernagar under the all-India NCC girls trekking expedition, commencing on May 15. The cadets, drawn from 12 states, will arrive at the base camp at Jogindernagar in batches of 125 and trek 8 to 12 km per day. They will also visit the herbarium of Ayurveda Department, Bassi powerhouse and other places of interest.

WEBSITE LAUNCHED: Mr P.K. Dhumal, the Chief Minister, launched the official website of the State Board of School Education here on Thursday. Students would be able to download application forms. The results of all classes would also be available on the site, besides a list of examination centres, affiliated educational institutions and datesheets.