R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

JALANDHAR
SANCTIONED: The Local Bodies Department has given its nod to various beautification and development projects worth Rs 2.16 crore to be carried out in Jalandhar. This was stated by the Punjab Local Bodies Minister, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, after laying the foundation stone of the beautification work of Dr B.R. Ambedkar Chowk here on Wednesday.

KHAMANO
ADDA FEE: The local nagar panchayat will collect the adda fee from government and private buses, mini buses and tempos as per the notification of the Punjab Government No 419/27-05-02, 7.12 vide Punjab Motor Vehicle Act, 1940. Mr Rajesh Khokhar (EO) and Mr Dharampaul President said this would increase the revenue of Nagar panchayat and development work could begin. 

OFFICE-BEARERS: The election for the office-bearers of Punjab Police Pensioners Welfare Association Unit Khanna was held on Wednesday and the members elected unanimously are: Mr Malwinder Singh Manjalian; chairman; Krishan Kumar Dhand; general secretary; Malkit Singh Khattra; cashier and Jarnail Singh Kotan; vice-chairman. 

KHARAR
DEMAND: Residents of Halalpur (Kharar) are demanding that a ramp should be built in two parts from Halalpur village to Shiv Traders factory so that rainy water and sewerage water do not enter the village. The plan to install drainage system on the newly built road from Halalpur to Jakar Majra will endanger fields at the village, they say. Sewerage water, if enters the fields, will damage the crops.

COMPLAINT: Kaka Singh, uncle of Devinder Singh, a resident of nearby Hasanpur village whose wife Kulbir Kaur died on June 2 due to “negligence” of employees of the Punjab State Electricity Board, in a complaint to the Punjab Human Rights Commission, has demanded that an enquiry should be conducted into the matter and interm relief given to the heirs of Kulbir Kaur. He has written that Kulbir Kaur and Devinder Singh were returning home on a motor cycle when an electricity pole fell upon them at the Kharar bus stand. It happened while the PSEB employees were replacing a damaged poll. He has alleged that the road was not closed for traffic.

LUDHIANA
RELIEF TO STUDENTS: The Bhagwati Jagran Party has decided to distribute relief in the form of free books and uniforms among students every month, according to a spokesperson of the party. He said poor and needy students could contact Pandit Bajrang Bali Mishra at the Satyanarayan Mandir in New Deep Nagar. 

MELA CONCLUDES: The 14th three-day ‘mela’ dedicated to Sayyad Ali Baba Mast held in the Lajpat Rai market concluded here on Wednesday. A large number of faqirs and saints participated in the event and several ‘qawwals’ and hymn-singers sang the praises of Mast Baba. Several faqirs and saints were also honoured on the occasion. 

IDOL INSTALLED: An idol of Satguru Jeewanmukt ji Maharaj was installed amid chanting of vedic hymns at Shri Prem Mandir in Tilak Nagar here on Wednesday. The mantras were recited by Pandit Vijay Sharma, Pandit Ashok Shastri , Pandit Ramesh Bhardwaj and Pandit Yash Pall. Later, a havan was performed under the supervision of the temple head, Satguru Sheel Maharaj. Several bhajan parties also presented hymns. 

LIQUOR VENDS CLOSED: The District Magistrate, Mr Anurag Agarwal, has ordered the closure of all country and foreign liquor vends and ahatas (drinking places) in the district on June 9 when polling will take place for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections and June 10 when counting of votes will be taken up. 

PLEA: The Punjab Colonisers and Property Dealers Association has pleaded for simplification of PUDA laws dealing with property development and an end to harassment of the property dealers by PUDA authorities. A deputation of the association, headed by its president, Mr Kultar Singh Jogi, met the Punjab Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Mr Raghu Nath Sahai Puri, at Sujanpur to take up with him the issue of registration of criminal cases against colonisers and property dealers. The members of association also suggested to the minister that a state-level seminar of PUDA laws be organised in the near future to evolve a consensus on desirable amendments. 

EXPELLED: The Lok Jan Shakti Party, Punjab has removed the party secretary general Mr Avtar Singh Bagga from his post, prior to an inquiry by the disciplinary committee on allegations of anti-party activities, collecting funds in a questionable manner and misbehaving with party colleagues. According to party general secretary and state spokesperson, Mr Kartar Singh Patna, the decision had been taken with the approval of party chief and former Union Minister Mr Ram Vilas Paswan and a personal visit to the state by National Secretary and in charge of Punjab affairs, Mr Sita Ram Akela. 

RALLY: An anti-malaria rally was organised by the Health Department here on Tuesday. It was flagged off by Dr Ajit Singh Chawla, District Epidemiologist, from the Civil Surgeon’s office and passed through Fountain Chowk, Haibowal Kalan, Haibowal Khurd, Guru Nanakpura, Kundan Puri, Chawani Mohalla, Sabzi Mandi and Salem Tabri. 

MALERKOTLA
SUICIDE: Sher Singh, a resident of Gajjanmajra village, committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree on Wednesday. According to police sources, the cause behind the suicide is not yet known. A case under Section 174 of the IPC has been registered.

BLOOD DONATION: The local Rotary Club organised a blood donation camp at the College road here on Wednesday. According to the secretary of the club, Mr Raj Kumar Jindal, in this camp, 50 persons donated blood. Dr Mohd Shabbir, CMO Dental, Mr Ved Parkash Jindal, Director, Rotary Club, Malerkotla, presided over.

MANSA
DOWRY CASE: The police here has arrested Kamaljit Singh and his uncle Pritam Singh, residents of Ludhiana, in connection with a dowry case registered under various sections of the IPC on the complaint of Kuldeep Kaur, wife of Kamaljit Singh and Kamaljit’s mother Shashi Kanta, his aunt Amarjit Kaur, his cousin Gursewak Singh, his sister-in-law Rajni, his sister Sarabjit Kaur, his brother-in-law Krishan Singh and his second wife Pooja have also been booked.

MOGA
PADDY PLANTATION: Paddy plantation in this region has been affected due to the absence of labourers who come to the state from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for harvesting and cultivation. As a result, local labourers have raised their daily wages to Rs 700 per hectare certain farmers, while talking to the Tribune on Sunday, said due to the non-availability of labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, they were forced to meet the demands of the local labourers.

SPECIAL DRIVE: The district police has launched a special drive to arrest travel agents who were cheating people on the pretext of sending them abroad, according to Senior Superintendent of police Virender Kumar here on Wednesday.

POPPY HUSK SEIZED: The local city police seized 200 kg of poppy husk from the possession of Gurmeet Singh, a resident of Fatehgarh Sabhra village in Ferozepore district on Wednesday at a naka in the area. A case under Sections 15, 61, 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered.

CHANDIGARH

AWARENESS CAMP: An eight-day awareness camp was started at the RCH Centre in Dhanas village on Thursday by the Chandigarh Chapter of the Indian Council of Social Welfare and the Chandigarh Social Welfare Advisory Board. Twentyfive women beneficiaries from Dhanas were briefed on loan facilities provided by the Chandigarh Child and Women Development Corporation to the handicapped, low income group and SC’s. A free medical camp was also organised for the pregnant and lactating women at the Reproductive and Child Health Centre.

HARYANA

AMBALA
BODIES FOUND: The government railway police has found two bodies from two different places. One body was found from the down line between Ambala City and the Shambhu railway station. the deceased is said to be about 41 years old. Another body was found from the up line between Ambala City and Ambala Cantonment on Tuesday. The deceased is said to be a teenager.

PAK CRITICISED: Mr Ravi Pahuja, chairman of the Tripuri Yuva Manch criticised Pakistan for abetting cross-border terrorism on Thursday. Mr Pahuja, while hailing Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s stand at Almaty, said Pakistan had been creating trouble in the valley and it should immediately stop it. He said de-escalation at the border would be possible only when Pakistan stopped infiltration.

APPEAL TO CM: The Haryana Sangharsh Samiti convener, Mr Om Prakash Malik, urged the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to have a dialogue with the BKU state president, Mr Ghasi Ram Nain, on Thursday. Mr Malik said a dialogue would bring an end to the farmers’ agitation which had paralysed the administration. He said Mr Chautala should accept the justified demands of the farmers and free all arrested BKU leaders.

APPOINTED: Mr Rajiv Masih has been appointed the organising secretary of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Seva Dal.

MEETING: A special meeting was held under the presidentship of Deputy Commissioner D.D. Gautam on Thursday to deliberate upon the preparedness to tackle any eventuality. Officials from different organisations, including Army, Power, IOC, Telecom, PWD, Home Guard and Civil Defence, participated in the meeting. Rehearsals for blackout are likely to take place soon.

YAMUNANAGAR
DEMONSTRATION: The employees of the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh will demonstrate on June 23 in front of the house of the Prime Minister, New Delhi, in protest against the “anti-employee policies” of the central government and the state government. The information was given in a press note issued by Mr Mohan Lal Bhardwaj, district president of the sangh.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

NAHAN
KHULA DARBAR: As many as 15 out of 51 cases were resolved on the spot at a “khula darbar” held here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sarabh Negi. Rest of the cases were sent to different departments for early disposal.