The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Wednesday, July 17, 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
POLICING: Enlisting the measures to be taken to “improve” policing, Mr Rakesh Aggarwal, Assistant Superintendent of Police, said on Monday that from the next Monday, all SHOs and officers in-charge of police posts would be available at his office in the Old Market Committee here to redress the grievances of the public under the “Police-at-your-service” programme. The subdivisional police would organise traffic awareness and driving licence camps soon.

FAZILKA
ELECTROCUTED: Satnam Singh (40) of Retewali Bhaini village, about 15 km from here, was electrocuted when he tried to start the motor of a tubewell in his fields. As he did not return for long his brother, Narain Singh, went to see him at the tubewell, where he was found dead.

CRUSHED TO DEATH: Rajan (6) of the Dhingra Colony locality here was crushed by a truck near the railway godown on Tuesday. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital where doctor declared him dead before admission. The police has impounded the truck and arrested its driver.

MANSA
MEETING: The Progressive Advocates Association, at a meeting held here on Monday, passed a resolution welcoming the campaign launched by the Chief Minister Amarinder Singh against corruption. They demanded stern action against tehsildars and naib tehsildars who were “looting” people at the time of registration of sale deeds and sanctioning mutations.

PATHANKOT
EYE CAMP: A three-day eye camp organised by the Lions Club concluded here on Monday. It was inaugurated by Mr Puneet Goel, SDM. Mr Anil Viz, president of the club, said 70 cataract operations were performed and medicines were given to needy persons free of cost.

DEMANDED: The local Rajput Sabha has demanded that the Mamun Chowk should be named after martyr Vikrant of Chhatwal village who sacrificed his life while fighting terrorists in Srinagar.

FLAGGED OFF: Three trucks laden with food material for pilgrims of the Amarnath Yatra were flagged off by the local MLA, Mr Ashok Sharma, here on Monday. Representatives of voluntary organisations were also present on the occasion.

PATIALA
WORKSHOP: The Punjabi University's National Service Scheme (NSS) Department will organise a one-day workshop for the Principals and NSS programme officers of the affiliated colleges on July 18. Giving this information, Dr Baltej Singh Mann, Director, NSS, said Dr N.S. Rattan,VC, Punjabi University, will inaugurate the programme and the agenda will include involvement of NSS students in creating AIDS awareness, drug de-addiction, women empowerment and a clean environment.

GOVT’S DIRECTION: The Punjab Government has issued fresh instructions to the Director Health Services (DHS) to issue no objection certificate (NOC) for post-graduate courses to all PCMS doctors overruling its earlier communique through which DHS was directed not to issue NOC to doctors recruited during the tenure of PPSC Chairman Ravi Sidhu.

PPCC PRESIDENT: A deputation of Congress leaders led by Dr Satwant Singh Mohi, former MLA and convener, SC cell, of the PPCC, met senior AICC leaders including Ms Mohsina Kidwai and requested that Capt Amarinder Singh be allowed to continue as PPCC chief at least till the Lok Sabha elections as all the elections including Vidhan Sabha, Zila Parishad and municipal corporation were contested under his leadership and won with a majority.

OFFICE-BEARERS: Former basketball Olympian Prof Tarlok Singh Sandhu has been elected as the president of the Patiala District Yoga Association at a meeting held here on Tuesday. The other members are: Mr P.K Bhardwaj and Mrs Kamaljit Bajwa — senior vice-presidents — Mr N.K Jolly and Mr H.S Dakala —vice presidents; Mr Harinder Pal Sharma — general secretary; Mr Charanjit Singh —press secretary; and Mr Munni Lal Kumra and Ms Usha Bhardwaj advisers. At the meeting it was also decided to hold the Patiala Yoga Championships at the Central Public Library on August 25.

PHAGWARA
FOUND DEAD: A migrant labourer from Uttar Pradesh, Kalu Bhai (21), was found murdered in a kiosk at the sugar mill chowk on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road. He was employed with a contractor of carcasses. A case has been registered. In another case, an unidentified old person was found dead on GT Road near a petrol station.

FELL UNCONSCIOUS: Two persons fell unconscious after consuming ‘‘prasad’’ which was being distributed on the occasion of ‘‘Sankranti’’. Gurmit Singh of the Daddal mohalla fainted after consuming the ‘‘prasad’’ on the local cinema road. A teenaged girl, Anju, also fell unconscious when she consumed the ‘‘prasad’’ laced with some poisonous substance by certain miscreants at a nearby village. They have been admitted to hospitals.

SUICIDE BID: Two women reportedly tried to commit suicide here on Tuesday. Ms Rekha Rani (19) of the local Palahi Gate and Ms Rajinder Kaur (22) of Mehtan village consumed poison in a bid to end their lives. The reason behind their action could not be ascertained.

ROPAR
POLICY FORMATION: Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister, Punjab, announced on Monday that the Punjab Government would introduce a new dairy farming policy to promote the trade as an alternative to the agriculture profession. Mr Kang said the state government would make efforts to export the milk products to the Gulf countries to protect the producers’ and their own interests. He was inaugurating a month-long training camp organised by the Dairy Development Department, Punjab, under the self-employment scheme for the promotion of dairy farming at Kurali, 17 km from here on Monday.

CHANDIGARH

AWARDED: The All-India Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Allahabad, awarded honorary degree of Sahitya mahapadhya to Satya Pal Gupta, a well known writer, criti and journalist, at a function held at the Punjab Kala Bhavan, Sector 16, here on Sunday. He was former chairman of the Haryana Sahitya Academy, Chandigarh, and is recipient of many awards including the Haryana Government’s ‘Best Hindi Literature Award’. He has written several books on history, culture and literature of Punjab and Haryana.

ELECTED: Mr Jatinder Vijh has been elected as Chairman of the Chandigarh Chapter of the Public Relations Society of India for the second term at the annual general body meeting of the chapter . The office-bearers include: vice-chairman — Mr J.S. Jogi; secretary — Mr S.C. Sharma, treasurer — Mr H.S. Aulakh; joint secretary — Mr A.K. Sharma, and members of the executive committee — Mr Balwant Gurunay, Mr Pushpinder Chopra, Mr Piyush Punj, Mr Rajneesh Bhushan Sharma and Mr Vijay Kumar Garg. Ms Renuka Salwan and Mr R.K. Kaplash have been nominated to represent Chandigarh in the national council. The adviser of the chapter is Mr Charnjit Singh.

CELEBRATIONS: Birthday celebrations of twin puppets — Molly and Polly — were organised at Ajit Karam Singh International Public School in SAS Nagar. According to a press release, the aim behind the function was to make the children aware about the concept of twins. It was a special day for all the twins at the school. Cake was cut amidst birthday song and cheers.

PANCHKULA
COMPLAINT: Mr J.S. Gidda, a resident of Nawanshahr , has alleged poor maintenance of historic Yadvindra Gardens. In an open letter to Secretary, Tourism, Government of Haryana, he has said he visited the gardens on June 25 along with five other members of his family. He said water-falls were not functioning , lights were damaged and the entire place was strewn with waste.

ENCROACHERS WARNED: The Chief Administrator (CA) of HUDA, Mr N.C. Wadhwa, yesterday warned against encroachments by employees of the department. He was addressing a deputation of the HUDA Workers Union at his office. The deputation had come to meet him in order to request him to revoke the suspension of four members. All these members: Gurbacahn Singh, Raju, Bhure Lal, and another member were leading employees against the administration, when they were asked to vacate HUDA land they had encroached upon. The CA refused to relent and also denied giving them any suitable land at reserve price for constructing new houses.

SAS NAGAR
INSTALLATION CEREMONY: Charter night and installation ceremony of Star Status Lions Club, Chandigarh, was held at the SAS Nagar Club, Sector 65. New team for this year was installed by immediate past District Governor 321-F, Mr D.K. Sood . During the function, head of the department , teams of blood bank and Department of Ophthalmology, GMCH, in Sector 32 were honoured. The members of the club were also honoured. The new members include president — Mr Sunil Kapoor; secretary — Mr Daljit Arora; joint secretary — Mr Surinder Singh; treasurer — Mr Anuj Kalsa; and public relation officer — Mr Ranjan Seth.

COMPLAINT: The General Manager of the Punjab Anand Lamp Industries has in a letter to the Director Public Health, Punjab complained that medical bills of their employees are not being accepted by the ESI Dispensary, Phase II, here. The letter states that the Senior Medical Officer of the dispensary, Dr Jatinder Mohan, is refusing to accept these bills despite the instructions given by the Director Health Services.

HARYANA

AMBALA
MEETING: The Federation of Welfare societies/associations, Mahesh Nagar area, held a meeting under the chairmanship of Mr Shiv Dayal Gupta. While welcoming the involvement of resident welfare associations in zonal and ward committees of the local bodies, the federation flayed the new taxes and user charges on services. “It will add unnecessary bureaucratic hiccups for the citizens by making it mandatory to seek the NOC from municipalities to have power water or sewerage connection,” secretary general of the federation N.D. Arora said. He said the federation has appreciated the steps initiated by the Deputy Commissioner, Ambala to check pig menace in Ambala Sadar and particularly in Mahesh Nagar colonies.

BHIWANI
INDUCTED: The following have been inducted office-bearers of the District Congress Committee (Urban): vice-presidents — Mr Mahesh, Mr Om Prakash and Mr Raj Kumar; general secretaries — Ms Binnu Tanwar, Mr Sant Lal, Dr Narender Kundu, Mr Santosh Chhokar and Ms Murti Devi; secretaries — Mr Sandeep Mehta, Ms Sunita Rai, Mr Ram Kishan Gupta, Mr Gajanand Gaud and Mr Dharmbir Dabla; joint secretaries — Mr Om Prakash Khalifa, Mr Brijlal, Mr Ashok Malhotra, Mr Sudarshan Sharma and Mr Hari Prakash; and treasurer — Mr Aditya.

ONE HELD: The police has arrested a person for allegedly forcing his wife and two daughters to consume poison at Fulpura village. The relatives of the deceased, Urmila, alleged that the family had been forced to commit suicide due to Mr Roshan Lal, husband of the victim. Their son Monu was away when the incident took place.

CONSUMES POISON: Savita, a resident of Sanjarwas village, reportedly consumed a poisonous substance on Monday. She has been admitted to the civil hospital in a serious condition.

INAUGURATED: The Commissioner Hisar (range), Mr R.R. Jowel, will inaugurate a passport cell at the mini-Secretariat on July 17. The new cell would enable people to get their passports from there. Mr Jowel will also review the progress of development works in the district, the Deputy Commissioner Mr Harpal Singh said here on Monday.

KAITHAL
PROJECT: Farmers can earn more through the diversification of crops and can be financially sound by growing vegetables and pulses rather than growing conventional crops of wheat and paddy. The government was taking effective steps to ensure the profitable sale of unconventional crops. This was stated by Mr H.C. Sisodia, Commissioner and Secretary, Agriculture, Haryana, while laying the foundation stone for a project of the underground water drainage system under an Indo-Dutch Haryana operation pilot project at Kheri Lamba village of the Kalayat Block on Monday.

KURUKSHETRA
MEETING HELD: A meeting of the district unit of the Rashtriya Samajwadi Party was held under the chairmanship of its president, Mr Om Prakash Sharma, here on Tuesday. It urged upon the government to name the road leading to Sector 2 of Industrial Area after late Manmohan Singhal, former president, Haryana Chamber of Commerce. The meeting criticised the government for the shortage of potable water and electricity as well as deteriorating law and order situation in the state. A resolution to this effect was passed at the meeting.

YAMUNANAGAR
CASE REGISTERED: A newly married woman has been allegedly strangulated to death. According to information received here on Monday, Kiran of Kotra village in Yamunanagar district was married to Baldev of Dyalgarh village, near here, about a year ago. Following a complaint lodged by Kiran’s brother, the police has registered a case against her husband, mother-in-law and father-in-law.

KILLED: One person died and another was injured seriously when their motor cycle rammed into a tree by the roadside. According to information, Satish Kumar’s motor cycle, dashed against the tree in Tibbi Riyani village near here. Satish Kumar was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries.