IGNOU regional centre at Khanna
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 23
Indira Gandhi National Open University has set up its regional centre for Punjab and Chandigarh at A.S. College, Khanna. Besides, weekend classes for students of the distance education programmes would also be conducted at the new centre from this session.

Degree courses like MA, BA, BCom, BCA and MCA would be run through this centre. The centre would also offer six-month certificate courses in computers, teaching of primary school mathematics, teaching of English, tourism studies, food and nutrition, he said. Besides, diploma courses in creative writing in English and Hindi, subjects like tourism studies, management practices, finance management, human resource development and nutrition and health education would also be taught, he said. Mr U.C. Pandey, Director of the state headquarter, said the last date for submitting applications was August 31.

CONSUMER COURT 
PNB directed to pay Rs 2.7 lakh
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 23
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Punjab National Bank to refund Rs 2.7 lakh, along with interest due since the amount was lying deposited as FDR, to Mr Parshotam Lal, proprietor of M/s Puja Hosiery, Tilak Nagar.

According to the complaint, the consumer had sent a consignment which was detained by the Excise and Taxation officer (Mobile Wing), Chandigarh, on November 10, 2000. The goods were sent on November 9, 2000.

The consumer said the government department had asked for a bank guarantee for the release of the goods, as such the complainant got the bank guarantee issued from the respondent for an amount of Rs 2.7 lakh. The guarantee was given on the deposit of the said amount and its copy was given to the Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Chandigarh.

On February 23, 2001, the bank guarantee became infructuous and he applied for the release of the said amount. He alleged that despite approaching the bank officials many times, the amount was not released. He alleged that there was deficiency in services on the part of the bank.

The bank pleaded that the complaint was not maintainable as the Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mobile Wing, Punjab, had written a letter on March 21, 2001, mentioning that the guarantee could not be encashed as the Punjab and Haryana High Court had granted a stay in the case.

It was further mentioned in the letter that the court had finally disposed of the case and did not give any relief to the party and as such the bank requested the complainant to encash the bank guarantee. It further clarified that the bank had written a letter to the beneficiary, to send a copy of the order and in such circumstances the bank could not part with the money.

The respondent further stated that since the Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Chandigarh, was a necessary party to the proceedings, on March 7, 2001, the bank had written a letter to the said officer mentioning that the validity period of the bank guarantee in question had expired on February 23, 2001, and the demand had not been made by the said office within the validity period. The respondent had further requested the officer to return the original guarantee bond to the complainant.

The forum observed that the complainant furnished a bank guarantee for Rs 2.7 lakh and the beneficiary of the said guarantee was the Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Chandigarh. It was valid up to February 23, 2001. The forum further observed that the said bank guarantee was not got encashed by the beneficiary till February 23, 2001.

The forum stated that the said case was decided by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on December 12, 2000, and there were more than two months for the encashment of the bank guarantee, but the said officer failed to get the bank guarantee encashed during that period. The forum held that the bank was bound to release the amount to the complainant.

Inspector, ASI acquitted
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 23
Inspector Maninder Bedi, former CIA in charge, Ludhiana, and ASI Jaswinder Singh have been acquitted from the charges of wrongfully and illegally confining a Dalit youth, Ramesh Kumar (22), president of the Bahujan Samaj Party, ward No 64, and attempting to murder him by giving severe beatings. Most of the witnesses turned hostile, including the complainant, who lodged the FIR, which paved the way for the acquittal of Bedi and co-accused.

Delivering the verdict, Mr S.M.S. Mahal, Additional Sessions Judge, Ludhiana, held that prosecution has failed to prove the charges levelled against the accused.

Seminar and drama show held
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 23
The Rang Manch Sansthan, a confederation of the local theatre groups, organised a seminar and drama show at the Punjabi Bhavan in the memory of Harpal Tiwana, a stalwart of Punjabi theatre.

During the drama show, two plays titled ‘Kangiari’ and ‘Mitti rudan kare’ were staged. While the former written by Trilochan Singh focussed on bringing out the guilt complex of a convicted rapist, the latter written by Hansa Singh was a war cry against drug-addiction in rural Punjab and were received well and widely applauded by the audience and were intercepted by a dance of Rabia Randhawa who captivated one and all with her perfect movements.

During the seminar, Dr S.N. Sewak, Dr Satish Verma and Dr Kuldip Singh Dheer, all members of the Rang Manch Sansthan, highlighted the contribution of Harpal Tiwana towards Punjabi theatre. They paid tributes to him for his outstanding work in theatres of India and abroad. Participating in the discussion, Dr Amarjit Singh Gorki, Mr Trilochan Singh, Mr Hira Singh Randhawa, Mr Nirmal Jaura, Dr Gulzar Pandher, Dr F.C. Shukla, Mr Kulwant Jagraon and several other speakers recalled the days when Tiwana had made the Punjabi Bhavan a hub of theatrical activities on professional lines.

Ms Nirmal Rishti, a close associate of Harpal Tiwana, was the guest of honour. Dr Surjit Pattar, a renowned Punjabi poet, appreciated the efforts of the sansthan for the revival of theatrical activities in the bhavan.