R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AHMEDGARH
GOODS GUTTED: Fuel and goods worth Rs 3.5 lakh, lying in the compound of an oil mill here, were reportedly destroyed in a fire on Saturday evening. The fire broke out when a chimney of the mill fell down due to storm. Fire engines from Sangrur and Ludhiana were called, but the fire could not be brought under controlled before morning. According to Mr Jagdish Verma, manager of the mill, the loss was estimated to be around Rs 3.5 lakhs.

AMRITSAR
INAUGURATED: Ms Pankaj Mittal, Joint Secretary, UGC, on Saturday inaugurated the Guru Nanak Dev University campus networking system. Ms Mittal at a meeting with the faculty acquainted the university authorities with different schemes of the UGC under the tenth plan. Dr S.P. Singh, Vice-Chancellor, and other senior faculty members and officers were present on this occasion.

CONG MEETING: A meeting of the Congress was held at Circuit House here on Sunday. Thirty six councillors, including two independents, four MLAs and other party office-bearers, including Mr Surinder Arjun, Mr Yoginder Dhingra, attended the meeting. The meeting was presided over by Chawdhary Jagjit Singh, Minister for Local Bodies. The meeting passed a resolution to leave the choice of mayor and deputy mayor to Capt Amarinder Singh. Mr R.L. Bhatia, MP, was conspicuous by his absence.

BATALA
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Bharatiya Vikas Parishad (BVP), Batala, for 2002-2003: president — Prof K.N. Sharma; senior vice-president — Mr K.C. Sachar; vice-presidents — Mr Naresh Sanan and Mr Ashok Aggarwal; general secretary — Mr Ravinder Handa; joint secretaries — Mr Jatinder Malhotra, Mr Jagdish Trehan and Mr Subash Goel and treasurer — Mr Rajinder Rathore.

BATHINDA
20 BUSES CHALLANED: After government hospitals, government schools, tuition centres now the Vigilance Bureau officials has started raids to check malpractices for private bus operators. Mr Baljinder Singh Grewal, SP, Vigilance Bureau, Bathinda range in press note here on Saturday said that four teams of the Bureau with help from Transport Department officials checked 151 buses and impounded 27 of these. Buses were found to be plied without route permits, registration certificates, pollution under control certificates and insurance certificates etc. Mr Grewal said that the District Transport Officer (DTO), Faridkot imposed fine of Rs 5,000 on eight of the 27 impounded buses. Twenty buses were challaned.

KHAMANO
EVE-TEASER HELD: The police nabbed a person on the charge of trying to molest a girl at a bus stop here on Sunday. According to eyewitnesses, the accused, a resident of Amargarh village, was beaten up by the public. Senior citizens have demanded a strong action against the accused.

MEETING: A meeting of the Congress officials was held in the local community centre to decided party candidate for the Block Samiti elections to be held on June 9. According to sources, out of the 15 zones, five are reserved for women, four for the Scheduled Caste candidates and six for the general category candidates. Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon, MLA of the Congress, said their party would win the majority of seats.

KHARAR
REMANDED: Ms Preeti Sahni, Judicial Magistrate, Kharar on Monday remanded Baldev Singh, Chief Engineer, Rural Development and Panchayat Department Punjab in Judicial custody till June 3. The accused was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Department in connection with the JCB Machines scam.

LUDHIANA
VACCINATION CAMP: Over 500 patients were vaccinated against hepatitis-B at a camp organised at Deepak Hospital here on Sunday. People were also told about the symptoms and causes of hepatitis-B. Dr Rajan Issac, Medical Superintendent, said over 10 per cent of the Indian population was afflicted with hepatitis-B and the disease spread by way of blood transfusions, sexual contact and infected needles. He said it was the fourth major killer disease. Free vaccination camps were organised in the hospital every fourth Sunday of the month, he said.

FREE EDUCATION: The management of Green Land Senior Secondary School has decided to give free education to students of class XI (all streams) who have scored 90 per cent marks or above in Class X examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education. The management has also decided to give scholarship of Rs 2,000 per month to such meritorious students. Giving this information, Mr Rajesh Rudhra, chairman, said the scheme had been started to help the poor students continue their education without bothering to arrange for the fee.

CELEBRATIONS: Rabindra-Nazrul Jayanti was celebrated by Bangiya Samsad at Samsad Bhavan, Parkash Nagar, on Sunday evening with enthusiasm. The function was attended by a large number of Bengalis of Ludhiana. Poets, Rabindra Nath Tagore and Nazurl, were remembered by members of the community. Rich tributes were paid to them through songs, dance drama and recitation of the poets’ works. A large number of people participated in the cultural programme. The president of the Bangiya Samsad, spoke about the contribution of the poets in promoting cultural heritage and communal harmony. He advised Bengalis of Ludhiana to follow the poets’ ideals.

MACHHIWARA
CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED: The nagar Panchayat, Machhiwara, has launched a cleanliness and anti-encroachment campaign in the town. Mr Tejinder Singh, who took over as the Executive officer a few days ago, launched the campaign on Monday. He has requested the people not to use Tulu pumps so that no one feels disappointed with water-supply system. Daily octroi collected has also increased by nearly Rs 6,000 due to vigil intensification against octroi evaders.

NOMINATIONS: No nomination was filed for the Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections on the first day for filing papers in the Block Machhiwara. This information was given by Mr Hari Lal, ARO, Machhiwara block. According to the BDPO, Machhiwara, Mr Rana Partap Singh, the block has been divided into 15 zones of Block Samiti, including zone 1 — Chakli Adal (general), zone 2 — Sainsowal Kanal (general), zone 3 — Panjgrian (general), zone 4 — Manewal (female), zone 5 — sherpur Bet (general), zone 6 — Machhiwara Kham (SC), zone 7 — Hiyatpura (SC), zone 8 — Behlolpur (general), zone 9 — Ratipur (SC), zone 10 — Kakrala Kalan (general), zone 11 — Bondli (general), zone 12 — Gehlewal (female), zone 13 — Bharthla (female), zone 14 — Takhran (SC female), and zone 15 — Barma (female).

MANSA
20 HOUSES GUTTED: Twenty houses were completely gutted and eight partially damaged in a fire which broke out at Gorakhnath village in the district on Saturday night. A cow perished in the fire.

PROSTITUTION: The local police has arrested two women on a charge of indulging into prostitution. Mr Shiv Kumar Verma, Superintendent of Police (Headquarters), Mansa, disclosed this.

SCHOOL CONTROL: The District Education Officer (DEO) has taken over the control of the local Khalsa High School being run by a group led by Mr Balwinder Singh Bhunder, SAD MLA, on a complaint by a group led by Mr Baldev Singh Khiala, former MLA, that there have been irregularities in the appointment of teachers. The DEO has summoned the record pertaining to the appointment of teachers.

MOGA
NINE ARRESTED: The Moga police has registered cases against nine persons under the Excise Act following the seizure of contraband during the past 24 hours. Stating this here on Sunday Senior Superintendent of Police Mogvirinder Kumar said that those arrested include Teja Singh of Bukkanwal village, Dhona Singh of Kot Isa Khan village, Jeet Singh of Daulewal village.

PATIALA
DELAY IN EXAM: Parents of plus two (Medical ) students met the Chief Minister, Capt, Amarinder Singh on Monday, and brought to his knowledge the delay in holding PMT examination for admission to MBBS course at various medical colleges in Punjab. They said almost all medical colleges in the country had completed the admission process while Baba Farid University had not announced the date yet.

Books released: Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh released two books titled “Studies in Punjab Sculpture and “Jahangir as connoisseur of Mughal Art” written by Dr Sanjeev P. Srivastava and Prof, R.P. Srivastava, respectively, at New Moti Bagh Palace here on Monday.

PHAGWARA
SUICIDE: Sucha singh, 20, on Sunday hung himself with a wire from an overhead girder at his Prempura residence here.

KAPILA’S SUGGESTIONS: India should take control of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) and the wage a decisive war against Pakistan in order to get rid of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. The June 9 poll of Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads should be postponed. These suggestions were made Mr Balvir Chand Kapila, vice president, BJP, Punjab on Sunday before newsmen here.

TARN TARAN
POPPY HUSK: The Goindwal Sahib police has seized 10.650 kg of poppy husk from Balkar Singh and 7.25 kg from Kashmir Singh, a resident of Brahampura village.

HARYANA

AMBALA
JAIN SABHA POLL: Mr Narendra Jain has been elected president of the Digamber Jain Sabha. The returning officer, Mr Sant Kumar Jain, administered oath to Mr Narendra Jain at Digamber Jain Mandir.

ENCROACHMENT: Residents of Jivan Nagar, Ambala City, have expressed resentment over encroachment on a municipal park of their locality. Mr R.P. Gupta said despite repeated requests to the officials concerned no action had been initiated. He said gates of two houses open in the municipal park and children were also being discouraged to play there

INJURED: The president of the Haryana unit of the All-India Anti- Terrorist Front, Mr Viresh Shandilaya was injured in a road accident at Ambala cantonment on Sunday. Some of the office-bearers of the front also sustained minor injuries. The accident occurred when the car in which they were travelling hit a divider on the Ambala-Jagadhri road. Mr Shandilys alleged that there was no lighting arrangement on the road.

AGITATION PUT OFF: The Ambala Sadar unit of the Nagar Palika Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, has deferred its agitation plan following assurance by the Executive Officer, Municipal Council. A notice was given by the Sangh on May 24 for an agitation over allotting cleanliness work to a contractors in Mahesh Nagar area. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

KULU
EXPLOSIVES: Emulsion-based explosives being used in various hydel power projects in Kulu and Mandi districts have proved fatal for users. These explosives are not approved for underground blasting. The labour working underground has become a victim of carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide. Unlike explosives with pungent warning smell, these explosives don’t warn the labourers, opine labourers.

NURPUR
ACCIDENT: Pritam Singh of Bhgrwan village died on the spot when the car by which he was travelling collided head-on with a truck near Rehan on Saturday. Driver of the car was injured. A case has been registered.

Liquor seized: The local police on Saturday seized 22 pouches of illicit liquor from a PCO at Hatli Jawalan near here. The PCO holder was arrested.

HOSPITAL SANS x-ray: The X-ray plant of the local sub-divisional Civil Hospital has been out of order for the past one month. X-ray cases are being referred to Community Health Care Centre, Gangath and Zonal Hospital Dharamsala for X-ray examinations.