The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Wednesday, May 15, 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

BATHINDA
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Janata Dal, Punjab: district president — Mr Abilash Mehta, district general secretary — Mr Mangal Singla, city president — Mr Gurjant Singh; president of Ward No. 7 — Ms Anjali Garg; and ward general secretary — Ms Neelam Garg.

MEDICAL CAMP: A medical camp was organised by the Bank of Punjab and the United Welfare Society at Kothe Phoolasingh village on Monday, during which patients were examined for various diseases. The camp was organised to mark the foundation day of the city branch of the bank.

SCHOOL TIMINGS: Deputy Commissioner Anurag Verma has issued an order to change the timings of the schools in district. As per the order, all primary, middle, high and senior secondary schools in the district would open at 7.30 a.m. and close at 11.30 a.m. The order would remain in force till June 30. The timings have been changed due to the continuing heat wave.

DERA BASSI
PRESS CLUB: Mr Krishan Pal Sharma was unanimously elected as president of the Dera Bassi Press Club on Tuesday. Mr Sanjeev Sharma and Mr Sarabjit Bhatti have been elected as general secretary and cashier of the club, respectively

PRIZE DISTRIBUTED: A sports meet prize distribution ceremony was held at SOS village, Rajpura, on Tuesday. The President of the SOS Children’s Villages of India, Mr J. N. Kaul, thanked all who had shown interest in the SOS mission. Farmeet of St Stephens School, Chandigarh, and Mr Taranjeet Kumar of DAV School won the first and second prize, respectively, in the junior group races, while Gurdeep Singh of DAV Public School won the first prize in balloon race and Amarpreet Singh of St Stephens School was adjudged second.

HOSHIARPUR
MINOR’S MARRIAGE: The Mahilpur police has arrested Devinder Kaur and her husband Kulbir Singh of Shahbazpur, Veena, daughter of Pala Singh of Dhurian Sarain, and Harminder Singh, son of Kuldip Singh of Rajpur Ballan, under Sections 494, 120 of the IPC and Section 4, 7-1B of the Children Marriage Act, 1979 on Monday in connection with the marriage of a minor girl Mona Kalkat with NRI Pushpinder Singh settled in the USA. Kuldip Singh, his son Pushpinder Singh, and Pal Singh, the father of the girl, are absconding.

WOMAN HELD: The police has arrested Jagir Kaur, wife of Sohan Lal of local Mohalla Ranjit Nagar under Section 21/61/85 of the NDPS Act on Monday and seized 7 gm of smack from her possession.

ARRESTED: The police on Monday arrested Satnam Singh, alias Satta of Jeera. He was wanted by the police in an accident case.

JAGRAON
LECTURES ON YOGA: The International Council of Ayurveda (ICA) held a lecture series on Yoga and Moral Education at DAV Centernary Public School beginning Sunday for imparting moral and spiritual education to students. Dr Ashok Sharma, Secretary General of ICA and a social worker, and Prof Baldev Singh of the DIET (District Institute of Education Training), addressed the students. Around 200 students of senior classes and teachers attended the lecture. In the end, Mrs Poonam Kapahi, principal of the school thanked the ICA.

KHAMANO
DEMAND: The Unemployed Teachers Front spokespersons, J.S. Thind and Jagtar Singh urged the Education Minister to make appointments of teachers, procedure for which had been interrupted on account on Assembly elections. They said on March 22, Mr Khushal Behl had given approval to the remaining posts of 3075 B.Ed teachers who were selected on December 2001 but the post were filled only in Fatehgarh Sahib district.

LUDHIANA
BHAGWAD KATHA: Swami Deen Dayalu Pande will recite Shrimad Bhagwad katha from Wednesday to Tuesday at Gauri Marketing Complex, according to Mr K.K. Garg. The katha would be held daily from 8 am to 10.30 am and from 6 pm to 8.30 pm.

IDOL INSTALLATION: A nine-day idol installation ceremony got under way at Shri Vaishno Mandir, Islam Ganj, here on Sunday. The Pooja was performed by Mr Ramesh Sachdeva, Mr Harbans Lal Bhola and Mr Ramesh Kumar. Swami Bua Ditta would also grace the occasion from Friday to Monday, according to a spokesman of the temple management.

KATHAS CONCLUDE: Shri Ram katha and Shrimad Bhagwad katha, jointly organised by the Shri Ram Darbar Samiti and the Hare Krishna Prachar Samiti, concluded at Madhopuri on Monday. Swami Ved Bharti delivered a discourse on the occasion.

FUNCTION: The Bairagi Mahamandal, Punjab, would organise a function on the 286th martyrdom day of Shaheed Banda Bahadur at Barnala on June 9, said Mr K.K.Bawa, president of the mandal. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the mandal here on Monday. Bal Kavi Bairagi, member Rajya Sabha, would be honoured on the occasion.

PILGRIMAGE: A caravan of 12 buses would leave for Baba Balak Nath Temple in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh in the morning on May 17 from the Sidh Baba Balak Nath Temple on the Dhuri Lines, according to a spokesman of the temple management. The sewa society of Shri Baba Karamnath temple at Abada Barana village in Una district, which is on the way, would organise a free lunch for the pilgrims, added the spokesman.

MALERKOTLA
JAWAN CREMATED: The body of Soldier Raghuvir Singh (22) son of Bikar Singh of Sherpur village was cremated at his native village near here with full military honours on Monday. He was posted in 18 RR Company at Jammu and Kashmir. He was married one month ago. Raghuvir Singh was killed in a militant attack at Kupwara.

MANSA
FRAUD CASE: The police has registered a case against Om Parkash Ahuja and his wife Usha Rani Ahuja of Tohana in Haryana and one Bhagwan Singh of Khanora village near Tohana under Sections 420/467/468 and 471 of the IPC on the charges of taking money from candidates desiring to get employment in the Punjab Police. This was stated by Mr Lakhwinder Singh, SP (Detective), while talking to mediapersons here on Monday.

MOGA
TIMINGS CHANGED: Keeping in view the severe heat wave continuing in the region, Deputy Commissioner G. Romesh Kumar has ordered to reschedule to school timings in the district. According to the orders issued here on Tuesday, all primary schools would open at 7.30 a.m. and close at 11.30 a.m. and the higher secondary schools would open at 7.30 a.m. and close at 12.30 p.m. These orders will be in force from May 15 to May 31.

WATER WOES: Residents of various localities here on Tuesday complained that the water being supplied by the local Municipal Council was contaminated. They alleged that the water contained dust, oil and other impurities as the water reservoirs had not been cleaned for a long time.

THREE ARRESTED: The district police has arrested Darshan Singh, Kulwinder Singh and Kimda on a tip-off given by a resident of Manuke village under Baghaprana police station in the district. Those arrested were wanted by the police in several dacoity cases. This was stated by SSP Ravinder Kumar here on Tuesday.

PATHANKOT
OBSCENE POSTERS: The police has booked the owner of the Jagat Cinema house here for allegedly displaying obscene posters in the town. According to police sources, Jasbir Singh, owner of the cinema house displayed obscene posters outside the cinema house as well as various parts of the town.

PATIALA
BOOKS FOR NEEDY: At an executive meeting of the Bharat Vikas Parishad held under the presidentship of Mr Madan Gopal, it was decided to distribute free books, copies and dresses among needy children on May 16 at Raj Kamal Palace. The press secretary of the parishad, Mr Bharat Bhushan, said 400 underprivileged students of 25 schools would be provided with books. The Deputy General Manager of the State Bank of India, Mr V. S. David, will be the chief guest.

ELECTED: Mr Narinder Singh Seghal has been elected as general secretary of the District Social Welfare Samaj. The chief co-ordinator of the samaj, Mr Mohan Lal Chug, said Mr Seghal had been actively involved in social work.

SAMRALA
PARSU RAM JAYANTI: The jayanti of Bhagwan Parsu Ram was celebrated at the Durga mandir here on Tuesday. The president of the Brahman Sabha and his associates participated in the havan and bhandra. The local SDM, Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi, the DSP Mr G.S. Aulakh, and the local MLA, Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon, appealed the participants to follow in the footsteps of Bhagwan Parsu Ram.

ONE KILLED: Mr Amrinder Singh of Dholewal village was killed on the spot on Monday evening when he slipped while trying to board a bus (no. PB-12-C 9089). The dead body was handed over to the legal heirs and the local police have impounded the bus. A case has been registered u/s 304A of the IPC

EYE OPERATION CAMP: In a camp held at Gharkhana village near here by the Gram Panchayat and the Youth Welfare Club, 25 successful eye operations were conducted and 17 patients were given free spectacles and free medicines. Langar was served by Maan Medicos according to Dr J.P. Singh and Eye Surgeon Dr Vijay Pal Soni, here on Tuesday.

ZIRAKPUR
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected officer-bearers of the Dera Bassi unit of the Human Rights Watch: Mr Narinder Sharma and Mr Ajmer Singh — patrons; Col S.S. Sandhu — president; Mr R. S. Virk and Mr Harbans Singh — senior vice-presidents; Mr Naunihal Singh Sodhi and Mr Jasmir Lal Dhiman — vice-presidents; Ms Arvinder Kaur Kang — general secretary; Mr Gafoor Mohammad — joint secretary; Mr Prem Singh — finance secretary; and Mr Sanjeev Kumar Sharma — public relations secretary.

MEETING: The general body meeting of the Zirakpur Tribune Parivar Co-operative House Building Society Limited would be held at Garhwal Bhavan in Sector 29 on May 18.

CHANDIGARH

THREAT: The Panjab University Non-Teaching Employees Federation in a press note here on Tuesday has criticised pathetic, indifferent and step-motherly attitude of the university authorities towards non-acceptance of its long-pending demands which had been accepted. Employees have threatened to go on the warpath in support of their demands.

CONTESTS: The students of Sanjivini Preparatory School, Sector 11, had a splash of a time in a makeshift pool on the school premises, here on Tuesday. Children aged between one and four years participated in water balloon bursting and filling the bucket contests among others.

CAMP: A one-day NSS camp was organised by Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, here on Tuesday. The camp was inaugurated by Ms Saroj Gupta, Principal of the school. On this occasion, two lectures were also organised. Dr Avinish Jolly spoke on AIDS awareness and urged volunteers to come forward and help create awareness on the subject. Dr Vikas Kohli, Secretary of the Indian Council for Environment Education, gave a demonstration on vermiculture project. Earlier, 80 students took part in a campus cleanliness drive. The programme was organised under the guidance of the Programme Officer, Mr Amarjit Singh Bathlana, and Mr Kushali Ram Sharma.

HONOUR: Five-year-old Askanksha Bhola, a student of Vivek High School, won the DD Gupta Memorial Gold Medal in a painting contest organised by Avantika International Search Competition, New Delhi, and won the first prize in a drawing contest by Bangiya Sanskritik Sammilani. She is a regular participant in drawing and painting competitions.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Chandigarh Chapter of the Ghoomer Academy of Arts and Culture: president — Mr B.M. Kalia; senior vice-president — Mr S.C. Vohra; vice-presidents — Mr Om Prakash Malhotra and Mr Jatinder Sharma; general secretary — Mr Vinod Jaidka; finance secretary — Mr Ramesh Sharma; joint secretaries — Ms Nisha and Mr Vishnu Verma .

RAISING DAY: The Union Minister of State for Power, Ms Jayawant Mehta, will be the chief guest at a programme organised by the Bhakra Beas Management Board to celebrate the 26th raising day of the BBMB here on Wednesday. A cultural programme comprising Bharatnatyam and a ballet by Aayam, a cultural group, will also be organised.

SMACK FOUND: The Burail Jail authorities found five small packets of smack in the possession of under-trial, Swaran Singh, here at about 7.30 pm today. According to sources, the smack weighing over one gram was found hidden in his trousers. Swaran Singh, a resident of Colony No 5 was sent to the jail today by SDM Gyanesh Bharti. The smack was found while the authorities body searched him. According to Mr D.S. Rana, Superintendent, Burail Jail, the Sector 34 Police Station was informed about the recovery. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered.

HOAX CALL: After the Sector 26 branch of Punjab and Sind Bank, it was the Fire Department which became the victim of a hoax call. At 10.08 pm today, the department received a call that a house in Sector 43 was on fire. Responding to the call, the department dispatched its two fire tenders. However, there was no such fire . After enquiries, it was found out that the call was made from an STD-PCO in Sector 44, said sources in the department.

BURNS: Suresh Kumar, 23, a resident of Ram Darbar was admitted today late evening to the GMCH, Sector 32 with serious burn injuries. He sustained burns when the kerosene stove caught fire. He was cooking when the mishap occurred.

PANCHKULA
LEADER TAKEN AWAY: The union leader of Surya Pharma, here in Industrial Area, Mr Akhilesh Kumar, was forcibly whisked away from outside the factory, where he had undertaken a fast unto death in protest against the policies of the company. On the orders of the SDM, Mr M.S. Yadav, he was taken away to the General Hospital, Sector 6.