R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMLOH
SHO TRANSFERRED: Inspector Balbir Singh Randhawa (SHO) has been transferred to the police lines, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Inspector Taran Rattan has assumed the charge as the SHO, Amloh.

AMRITSAR
AMNESTY FOR BHULLAR: Urging presidential amnesty for Prof Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar, who was awarded death sentence for triggering the car bomb blast in front of the residence of Maninderjit Singh Bitta, president, Anti-Terrorist Front, Mr Surinder Gharyala, chairman, Khalra Mission Committee, has urged in a letter to the Chief Minister to consider his case sympathetically.

BATALA
ENCROACHMENTS: Residents held a meeting here on Thursday under the presidentship of Mr V.M. Goel, President, Lions Club Smile, Batala, and urged the authorities to remove encroachments as early as possible. They also urged the Chief Minister that fees and other funds charged from students should be fixed.

JALANDHAR
ENERGY CONSERVATION: Hundreds of children of Army personnel pledged to conserve water, electricity, paper and to even segregate waste of their households at the Vajra Sanik Institute at Jalandhar Cantonment here on Thursday. This idea was mooted by the Army Wives Welfare Association chief, Ms. Vijalakshmi Nagaraj. She participated in the exercise undertaken by students of Kendriya Vidayala and Army School attending the ongoing summer workshop.

INSPECTOR ARRESTED: The Vigilance Bureau has arrested a meter Inspector of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2,000 from a consumer. According to Vigilance Bureau sources, Balwant Rai of Dhina village near here complained that Achar Singh, a meter Inspector of the PSEB, found the connected load of his house higher than the sanctioned one. In order to drop penalty, the Inspector settled on Rs 2000. He called Achar Singh to collect the money on Thursday and also informed the Vigilance Bureau about it. The meter Inspector was caught in the act. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered.

2 CIVIC EMPLOYEES DIE: Two Municipal Corporation employees were killed and two others suffered a severe breathing problem while cleaning up the sewerage near the Sodal Mandir here on Thursday afternoon. One of the deceased has been identified as Rakesh Kumar of the Modal House locality. The other deceased sewer cleaner was a temporary employee. It was his first day on duty. The employees are supposed to wear air-filter mask while entering the sewer.

LUDHIANA
SANKRANTI: Sankranti will be celebrated on Saturday at various places in the city. A satsang will be held from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm at Shri Ved Mandir at Daresi grounds under the supervision of Shri Dandi Swami Nigam Bodh Tirath ji Maharaj. Another satsang will be held at Shri Siddh Peeth, Civil Lines, from 12.30 to 3.30 pm. A langar will be held at Shri Dandi Swami Tapovan. Mahasadhvai Sunita Maharaj will recite Sankranti ‘katha’ at Jain Sthanak, Shiv Puri, at 9 am on Saturday, according to Mr Mulakh Raj Jain, general secretary, S.S.Jain Sabha, Shiv Puri. Tap Churamani Shubh Maharaj, Mahasadhvi Surindera Maharaj and Mahasadhvi Rabbha ji Maharaj would accompany Sunita Maharaj on the occasion, he added. Sankranti katha would also be held at Jain Sthanak, Rupa Mistry street, at 8 am, said Mr Prem Chand Jain, general secretary, S.S.Jain Biradari, Rupa Mistry Street.

MALERKOTLA
VILLAGERS DEMAND POWER: A large number of residents of Himtana Lacchabadi village demonstrated at the Punjab State Electricity Board office here on Thursday to protest against the irregular supply of power to their village. They said that due to low voltage and irregular supply, paddy replantation as well as the student’s studies were suffering. Ms Jaswant Kaur, Sarpanch, said the residents deposited fee for the 24-hour supply of power vide receipt number 32, March 28, 2001, but the action in this regard was still awaited. The PSEB inaction had affected 5,000 persons of the area.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
LAWYERS’ DEMAND: The Tax Bar Association of Fatehgarh Sahib Districts (head office at Mandi Gobindgarh) in a meeting chaired by its president, Mr Jatinderpal Singh, decided to submit a memorandum to the Excise and Taxation Minister, Punjab, and the Financial Commissioner (Taxation), to stop implementation of the proposed amended draft notification dated May 10. The amendment was against the provisions of Section 14 of the Central Sales Tax (CST) Act, stated Mr Ashwini Abrol, secretary of the association, in a press note here on Friday. According to another decision taken in the meeting, a separate memorandum was sent to the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, New Delhi, in which it was urged that new section 269-T, which required payment of any loan more than 20000 through an account payee cheque or draft, be suitably amended.

NAWANSHAHR
OPPOSED: Mr Sukhwinder Singh Sekhon and Mr Rakesh Nayyar, president and vice-president, respectively, of the state unit of the Democratic Youth Federation of India said here on Wednesday that it had decided to oppose the “anti-youth and anti-employment” policies of the Amarinder government.

SAMRALA
TRIBUTES: Tributes were paid to Sri Guru Arjun Dev in all local gurdwaras here on Friday. Sweetened water was served to general public. The SDM, Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi, the DSP, Mr J.S. Aulakh, and local MLA, Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon, have appealed the public to follow the footsteps of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji. 

RALLY: The PSEB Technical Services Employees Union held a rally in front of city subdivision here on Friday. Employees of Ropar subdivisions participated in the rally. About 33 delegates, who participated in the rally, resolved unanimously that Mr Sher Singh, Mr Jasvir Singh, Mr Narinder Mavi, Mr Krishan Singh Dogra of the Morinda division have not abided by the rules and had betrayed the union and thus their membership be cancelled. The next meeting would be held on Saturday at Ropar, said Mr Surjit Vishad, spokesman of the union.

CHANDIGARH

STUDENTS EXCEL: Six students of Manav Mangal School, Sector 11, here have cleared the All-India Children’s Excellence Research Examination-2001 conducted by the Children’s Education and Excellence Promotion Trust of India, held in November last year. They are: Anmol Sharma, Subia Sehar, Shinu Goyal, Swati Gupta, Vipul Nirwani and Neha Aggarwal.

HARYANA

AMBALA
WATER ACCUMULATION: Former president of the Rotary Club of Ambala, Capt (retd) Baldev Singh, said on Friday that the district administration must ensure that water accumulation does not take place in Kasturba Colony and the surrounding areas. Capt (retd) Baldev Singh said water accumulated in Kasturba Colony after a brief shower on Friday. “When monsoon arrives, the whole area will be inundated with water,” he said.

HOBBY CLASSES: SMV Public School, Ambala City is holding hobby classes during the summer vacation. There have been 182 enrolments for the hobby classes. A function will be held on Saturday which will include western dance, bharatnatyam, painting exhibition, musical instruments, kathak and drama.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DHARAMSALA
THIEVES ARRESTED: The Palampur police has arrested Vijay Kumar, a resident of Ghuggar Tanda, and Goldy, alias Vikram, of Ram Chowk in connection with an alleged attempt to steal cables from the Telecommunications Department store at Andretta, about 13 km from here. Giving details, the SDPO, Palampur, Mr Gurmeet Singh, said that on the night of June 10, the suspects tried to take advantage of bad weather and loaded articles from the store. The vehicle developed a snag and some villagers also woke up. The suspects ran away abandoning the vehicle which was impounded.

MANDI
MILK PRODUCERS’ PROTEST: Angry milk producers held a demonstration on Thursday in front of the Chakkar Dairy Plant near here to protest against the non-payment of milk supplied by them to the Milk Supply Federation through the milk producers co-operative societies for the past over two months. Representatives of milk producers societies of Tandi, Saroa, Kandhi, and Bulali told newspersons that a sum of Rs 50 lakh was to be paid to the milk producers. The Manager of the Plant, Mr R.K. Chauhan, assured the agitated farmers that their outstanding dues would be declared within a week.

NURPUR
DENTAL SEATS: Himachal Pradesh University has yet to fill “merit” as well as “payment” seats for Dental Colleges at Baddi and Sundernagar. Sixty seats of both these colleges have to be filled in which 30 seats are to be sponsored by the university on the basis of the existing PMT merit list. The remaining are payment seats.