The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Sunday, May 19, 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

ABOHAR
ARRESTED: Balwant Singh of Malookpura village has been arrested in connection with the murder of Jagbir Singh on April 30. The victim was allegedly fired at by some farmers of the same village while they were trying to attack his brother over a minor dispute.

BATHINDA
VIOLENCE CONDEMNED: The district unit of the Punjab Lok Morcha has condemned the communal violence in Gujarat in which innocent persons were being killed. A press note was issued here on Friday by Ms Pushap Lata, district president of the party, in this connection.

WORKSHOP ON AIDS: A workshop on AIDS was organised on Friday at the local Arya Girls Senior Secondary School. Ms Raj Gupta, chairperson of the District Aids Control Organisation, while addressing the students said the youths could play a major role in educating the people against AIDS and measures to control it.

FARIDKOT
OPTIONAL NPA: The Doctors’ Forum of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital has appealed to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to give option to the doctors to choose either private practice or non-practising allowance (NPA) during the government service. A letter signed by 48 doctors says that out of 7,000 doctors in government service, atleast 25 per cent will prefer to give up the NPA in favour of private practice.

HOSHIARPUR
RECRUITMENT: Mr HPS Garcha, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), Hoshiarpur, in a press note issued here on Friday, said a programme had been chalked out for holding rallies to select unemployed youths to provide them training for recruitment in the armed and defence forces.

CASE REGISTERED: The Sadar police here has registered a case under Sections 363 and 366 of the IPC against Rajinder Kumar, alias Vicky, his father Roop Singh mother Paul Kaur and brother Pama, residents of the local Aslamabad mohalla, on a complaint lodged by Veena Kumari, wife of Jaspal of the same area, on Friday. She had alleged that the aforesaid persons had abducted her daughter Suman Bala who had been missing from the house since April, along with Rs 10,000 cash, one gold chain and two pairs of gold earrings.

ARRESTED: Pankaj Malik of Katcha quarters here has been arrested and 250 gm of charas seized from him. A case under Sections 20, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against him.

SUCCUMBS: Pushap Raj Sharma, Assistant Registrar of the Cooperative Societies, Ropar, succumbed to his injuries at the local Civil Hospital on Thursday. He was injured when a motorcycle hit him while he was going on the Jalandhar road near his house at Officers Colony. The motorcyclist Kulwinder Singh of Saroya has been arrested and a case registered against him in this connection.

CHEATING CASE: On a complaint lodged by Jagdev Singh of Pandori Mido-Mid, the Hariana police has registered a case of cheating under Section 420 of the IPC against Manhor Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Paramjit Kaur, travel agents of Barkanjnee village, on Thursday. Jagdev Singh had alleged that the aforesaid persons had taken Rs 4.7 lakh for sending to him abroad. But they did not send him abroad not returned back the money.

LUDHIANA
BHOOMI POOJAN: The bhoomi-poojan ceremony for the construction of a massive Jain memorial near Doraha was performed on Friday at the conclusion of the 2601st Janam Kalyanak of the 24th Tiranthkar Bhagwan Mahavira of the Jain religion. According to Mr Mulakh Raj Jain, the ceremony was performed in the presence of officials from the Department of culture. Among others present on the occasion were Mr Ram Kumar Jain, President, Bhagwan Mahavira’s 2600th Janam Kalyanak Mahotsav Committee, Mr T.R. Jain, Mr Devinder Jain and Mr Subhash Jain.

BHAGWAT GYAN YAJNA: In the memory of Pandit Kamal Dass ji Brijwasi, Shrimad Bhagwat Gyan Yajna would be held at Shri Radha Krishan temple near the Jagraon bridge from May 19 to 25, according to a spokesperson of the temple management. The story of Shrimad Bhagwat would be musically rendered from 9 am to 12 noon and from 3 pm. to 6 pm. everyday, added the spokesperson.

SHOBHA YATRA: The Chhinmastika Sewa Sangh took out a shobha yatra of the holy flame brought from Jwalaji here on Friday which was jointly flagged off from the Kailash cinema chowk by Mr Harish Bedi, president, Baba Ganpati Sewa Sangh and Mr Prem Chand Gupta, President, Mandir Committee, Punjab. The yatra culminated at the Chhinmastika temple in Chander Nagar later in the evening.

DEMO CLASSES: The JD Institute of Fashion Designing gave two-day free demonstration classes to those who want to make it big in the field of fashion. Mr Vikram Munjal, the Centre Director, in a press note stated that these demo-classes which concluded here today, were conducted to make the aspirants aware of what they would be actually doing after they enrolled themselves for a particular course.

MOGA
ARRESTED: The security supervisor of Markfed, here, Dalip Singh, was arrested on Thursday the misappropriation of several lakhs of rupees of the GPF of the employees. Stating this here, the Senior Superintendent of police said a case had been registered.

CHARAS DEALER HELD: Gurdev Singh of Galoti village under Kot Isa Khan police station in the district was arrested for being in possession of 20 gm of charas. Stating this here on Thursday, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Moga, Mr Virinder Kumar, said the accused sold drugs to school children and youths. A case under Sections 21, 61 and 85 of the IPC has been registered.

NAWANSHAHR
WATER SHORTAGE: Residents of Sharda Mohalla, Gandhi Chowk, and the adjoining areas have been facing an acute shortage of drinking water for the past couple of days. The Punjab Water Supply and Severage Board attributes the problem to the breaking down of a pump. The residents have urged the authorities to send water tanks in the affected areas.

CRITICISED: The district unit of the Government Teachers Union, at a meeting held here on Tuesday, criticised the state government for empowering the Vigilance Department and village panchayats to conduct raids on schools and said only departmental inspections should be allowed. The union would hold a district-level dharna on May 20 in front of the DEO’s office here in this connection, Mr Diwan Singh, president of the union, said.

RELIEF MATERIAL: Mr Ashok Kumar Gupta, Deputy Commissioner, flagged off three trucks of relief material for the riot victims in Gujarat, here on Thursday. He lauded the contributions made by the Rotary Club the Lions Club, Shivalik Public School, Sri Ram Sharanam and the Guru Nanak Mission Trust, Dhahan Kalera.

AFFIDAVITS: Mr S.K. Sharma, Principal of the local R.K. Arya College, has said that as per the instruction of the state government, the college lecturers had been asked to submit affidavits that they were not taking private tuitions. Fifteen out of 34 lecturers had submitted their affidavits so far, he said.

PATHANKOT
CREMATED: Mortal remains of Mr Om Parkash Bhardwaj (81), former MLA and former Chairman of the Khadi Board, Punjab, who died here on Thursday after a brief illness, were consigned to flames on Friday. Among those who attend the cremation included Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, Master Mohan Lal, former ministers, Punjab, and Mr L.R. Vasudeva, Director of the FCI.

ATTACHED: In compliance with the orders passed by Mr FD Singh, Additional District Judge, Gurdaspur, the bailiff on Wednesday attached the official gypsy, office computer and Photostat machine of the Defence Estate Officer here.

LIQUOR SEIZED: Roshan Lal, Ashok Kumar and Gautam, all residents of Himachal Pradesh, were arrested on Thursday for being in possession of 144 bottles of liquor of different brands. They had been carrying these bottles in a truck. The police has impounded the truck and registered a case under the Excise Act.

SAHNEWAL
TWO BOOKED: Two persons of Pawa Khagat village have been booked by the local police under Sections 497 and 506 of the IPC on Friday. Sukhdev Kaur and Piara Singh, as alleged by Lovkesh Singh of the same village, broke into his boundrywall without his permission. The police is now after the alleged accused who are reportedly absconding.

BODY FOUND: A naked body was recovered by the Doraha police near Barmalipur Chowk on Friday. According to police sources, the body was of a middle-aged man with hair-cut and was lying unclothed near the chowk of Barmalipur. It bore no marks and appeared as if the man died due to over-drinking, the sources said. Investigation had begun under Section 174 of CRPC and the body has been sent for post-mortem.

SCOOTERIST HIT: A scooterist was hit by a truck near here on Friday. Rojdeen, son of Jamaldeen of Rauni in Payal has complained to the Sahnewal police that he was coming towards the market of Sahnewal when he was hit by a truck (No. RJI 3G-3060) and lost consciousness. He was admitted to the local hospital. The truck driver absconded and a case has been registered by the police.

SAMRALA
PROTEST MARCH: A protest march of PBOR ex-soldiers will proceed to Chandigarh on May 29 in connection with their demand of pensions not paid as per the fifth Pay Commission and Supreme Court’s recommendations, according to Mr Gurbhajan Singh, Secretary General of All India Ex-Serviceman Action Committee here on Saturday.

WEAPONS IMPOUNDED: The local police impounded 14 live cartridges with 4 rifles from a motor car in the local Civil Courts on Friday. Though all weapons were issued under due Arms license, but keeping in view the law and order situation, the weapons were impounded and the driver Prabhjit Singh of Kotla village Shamspur was taken into custody and challaned U/s 25/54/59 Arms Act, according to sources.

BAR ASSOCIATION STRIKE: In a meeting of the local Bar Association held here on Saturday under the presidentship of Mr Anil Gupta, it was unanimously decided to continue their strike till May 22. Mr Gupta, said though the PUDA authorities and the local SDM, Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi, had assured bar members of a suitable place for the construction of Bar Room in the new tehsil complex, but the bar members had decided to continue with the agitation till May 22 hoping that the authorities would provide an appropriate place for the bar room in the new tehsil complex.

HARYANA

AMBALA
RELIEF MATERIAL: The Ambala District Congress Committee (Rural) has sent two truck-loads of wheat as relief material to riot victims in Gujarat. The trucks carrying about 200 quintals wheat were flagged off from the Congress Bhavan Ambala City. Among others, Mr Brahm Pal Rana, Mr Naib Singh, Mr Harbans Singh, Mr Ashok Kumar, Mr Maghiram Sood, Mr Mukesh Gupta and Mr Joginder Singh were present.

LOANS GRANTED: The Haryana Mahila Vikas Nigam has extended assistance to 95 women to get loans from different banks for self-employment projects. The Deputy Commissioner, Ambala, Mr D.D. Gautam, said the loans amounted to Rs 25.45 lakh and a subsidy of Rs 2.54 lakh was given by the nigam. He said the nigam had been making efforts to generate awareness among women. He said women whose annual income is less than Rs 25,000 and her husband or father is not a income tax assessee, can apply for loan up to Rs 1 lakh and a 10 per cent subsidy will be granted to her.

DHARNA: The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee will stage a dharna in Chandigarh on Tuesday in protest against the communal violence in Gujarat. The general secretary of the HPCC, Mr Giyan Sihota, said here on Saturday that besides the HPCC chief, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, MLAs and district and block presidents would also participate in the dharna. He said later a memorandum would be submitted to the Governor, Haryana, demanding the suspension of the Gujarat Government. Earlier, Mr Sihota addressed a meeting of party workers at the Congress Bhavan, Ambala City. He said a state-level rally would be organised at Sonepat on June 23 in which senior leaders would take part.

FATEHABAD
NOMINATED: Mr Umed Singh of Bothan kalan village has been nominated chairman of the local market committee while Mr Amir Chowdhary has been nominated deputy chairman. For the Rattia market committee, Mr Partap Singh has been appointed chairman while Mr Raghubir Singh Gill has been appointed chairman of the Dharsul Kalan market committee. A former MLA, Mr Karam Singh Dangra, has been appointed chairman of the Tohana market committee. Mr Dalip Sai and Mr Chaman Lal have been appointed chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the Bhattu Kalan market committee.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DHARAMSALA
RELEASE PANCHEN LAMA: The National Democratic Party of Tibet (NDPI) has asked the Chinese Government to immediately release Gendhum Choekyi Nyima, the Panchen Lama of Tibet. The party on Friday said that despite regular intervention by western countries and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Chinese Government had consistently refused to allow anyone to meet him.

KULU
PROVIDENT FUND: The Regional Office of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, Shimla, organised a workshop for the benefit of the employers and the employees working in various establishments in Kulu, Mandi and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh, on Saturday at Apple Valley Resorts, Mohal, 3 km from here.

NAHAN
MEETING HELD: A meeting of officers of the rural development in Sirmaur district here was held on Saturday at Nahan which was presided over by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Onkar Chand Sharma. The Deputy Commissioner told the Block Development Officer to personally inspect the development works in rural areas. He said 407 new houses and 224 semi-pucca and kutcha houses would be made pucca this year.

WATER SOURCES: Active youth clubs, NGOs, mahila mandals, yuva mandals at village and panchayat level will be involved in the maintenance and cleaning of traditional water sources in Sirmaur district to prevent the outbreak of water-borne diseases like gastroenteritis and diarrhoea. This will also mitigate the problem of drinking water. This was stated by the Deputy Commissioner, at a meeting of officers of the Health Department, IPH, ICDS, NGOs here on Saturday.

NURPUR
SHOP GUTTED: A fire broke out at the Chogan bus stand here on Friday which engulfed a garment shop causing an estimated loss of Rs 4 lakh. The preliminary investigation revealed that the shop had been set on fire by sprinkling petrol beneath the shop’s shutter. A case has been registered in this connection.

PALAMPUR
AGITATION: The fast unto death by two students of Vikram Batra Degree College in front of the SDM office here, entered the second day on Saturday. Students have been protesting against the recent decision of the state government to shift the college from the town to Paror village.