R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
GANG BUSTED: The police on Monday claimed to have busted a gang of vehicle thieves who used to sell spare parts of stolen vehicles to junk dealers. Dr S.K. Kalia, SP (City), said Masih of Friends Avenue, Sukhwinder Singh of Pandori Varaich, and Babba of Guru Hargobind Nagar here were arrested with two cars during a naka at Champion Factory.

PLEA TO MAYOR: Mr Brij Bedi, husband of Kiran Bedi and president of the Citizen Forum, has requested the city Mayor, Mr Sunil Datti, to allot him four sites to establish bus stops for putting hoardings on these. He said here on Monday, “As my factory has been closed due to recession and alleged wrong policies of the government, the income earned by putting hoardings would also serve students of Vidya Mandir, a school for children of drug addicts located in Maqboolpura.”

BATHINDA
FOUNDATION STONE: Mr Surinder Singla, Chairman High Powered Finance Committee, Punjab, on Wednesday said that all projects regarding infrastructure would be completed here and there would be no shortage of funds. Laying the foundation stone of the road connecting Vishal Nagar said the city would be developed in a planned manner.

HOSHIARPUR
ARRESTED: On a complaint of Mohinder Singh of Paddi Sura Singh, the police registered a case under Sections 406 and 420/34 IPC on Sunday against Vidyawati, wife of Joginder Pal, her sons Rakesh Kumar, alias Babli and Ashok Kumar and her daughter Vijay Kumari of Badowan village for taking Rs 3.5 lakh from him on the pretext of sending his son abroad. Mohinder Singh alleged that they neither sent his son abroad nor returned back the money. Rakesh Kumar has been arrested.

SATTA OPERATOR HELD: The police arrested Kumar Kanwar, an alleged Dara Satta Operator of the local Subzi Mandi, on Sunday under Sections 13-A, 3 and 67 of the Gambling Act. It also recovered Rs 1,530 from him.

STOLEN: Thieves stole a gold ring and Rs 2000 from the house of Sukhwinder Kaur at Sham Chaurasi on Sunday while she was on duty. A case has been registered in this connection.

ILLICIT LIQUOR: According to police sources here on Monday, police seized 90,540 ml of illicit liquor from Puran Singh of Sariana village on Sunday. He was carrying the liquor on his scooter. The police also arrested Saroj, wife of Banarsi Dass of Thakurdwara village, district Kangra, under Sections 61,1 and 14 of the Excise Act and seized 6,930 ml of illicit liquor. In another case 6,930 ml of illicit liquor was seized from Satnam Singh of Ahiyapur.

DISTRIBUTED: Mr Romesh Chander Dogra, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Punjab, on Sunday inaugurated a camp organised by the district Red Cross Society at Dasuya for providing artificial limbs and wheelchairs to physically challenged persons. As many as 11 tricycles, 10 wheelchairs, 13 clippers and 53 hearing-aid machines were distributed among the disabled persons. Artificial limbs were provided to 38 persons. Mr Kirandeep Singh Bhullar, Deputy Commissioner, was also present.

JALANDHAR
CARDIAC CHECK-UP CAMP: As many as 1,100 patients from here and nearby cities and townships were examined during the free one-day cardiac check-up camp organised by Mohali-based Fortis Heart and Multi-speciality Hospital at Montgomery Guru Nanak Public School here on Sunday. Besides getting free consultation from the cardiac team, the patients also availed the facility of cardiac tests like ECG, ECHO, colour dopler and TMT, according to a press note.

ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION: Tree plantation and cleanliness drives marked the weeklong environment conservation programme organised by the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) in connection with its 38th raising day which concluded at the cantonment here on Sunday. The programme was conceptualised by the AWWA president, Ms Vijya Lakshmi Nagaraj.

KHANNA
ELECTED: Mr Nirmal Singh Jassal was elected vice-president of the local Municipal Council unanimously for the second consecutive term at a meeting of the council held at MC Town Hall on Monday. It was attended by 23 members. The local SDM, Mr Manvesh Singh Sidhu, was present at the meeting. The Executive Officer said only the name of Mr Jassal was proposed at the meeting.

KHARAR
CLUB OPENED: The Lions Club, Kurali Greater, was in inaugurated by Mr Darshan Kumar Monga, District Governor 321-F and Mr T.S. Mahant, Senior Manager, Punjab National Bank, Kurali, was elected charter president of the club. Members from the Lions Club Chandigarh Supreme, Kharar Top, Morinda, Ropar and Machiwara participated. The new club was sponsored by the Lions Club. Chandigarh Supreme.

LUDHIANA
CHARITABLE TRUST: ‘Manas Foundation’, a charitable trust, has recently been founded with an aim of spreading the message of health awareness among the general public. The problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, AIDS, alcohol and drug addiction, old age health problems, tuberculosis, heart illnesses, etc. will be taken-up by the foundation. It also plans to take up important social issues for the benefit of the community. The trust also plans to provide charitable medical services to the economically weaker section of the society. According to Dr Rajeev Gupta, Trustee, the trust has started organising small meetings on health-related problems.

SURGEON INVITED: Dr Baldev Singh Aulakh, a renowned Urologist and Transplant Surgeon at the DMCH, has been invited to the World Congress of Endourology which will be held in Italy. Dr Aulakh has been requested to present his work on the latest treatment of stones in kidney and kidney pipe (ureter). During his presentation before over 800 urologists from all over the world, he will speak on his innovative technique of removal of kidney and ureteral stones by keyhole surgery. He will also demonstrate laproscopic removal of phaechromocytoma, which is a deadly tumor of adrenal gland situated above the kidney and causes marked rise in blood medicine. In his third paper, he will speak on the elaboration of laproscopic management of inter sex problem. A sexual identity can be given to the patient through surgery and hormonal therapy, he says. 

CEREMONY: An installation ceremony of president-elect B.S. Narang and the board of directors was held at Lions Bhavan, Udham Singh Nagar, here on Sunday. Artificial limbs were distributed among five persons. Lion Prof Arvind Malhotra assured the gathering that the club would undertake many more projects in the coming months for the betterment of the needy sections of society.

INVITED: The International Rice Research Institute, Philippines, China’s State Development Planning Commission, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering have invited Dr Malwinder Singh Malhi, an agriculture expert of a pesticide company, to participate in the International Rice Congress being held in Beijing from September 16 to 20. Dr Malhi, who is associated with farmers for the past many years, has been invited for delivering a lecture on ‘Direct sown rice’. The experiment has been a success at Narike village, near Malerkotla. The objective of the seminar is to address issues related to rice research, production, trade and consumption while focussing on achieving sustainable improvements in the livelihood of rice farmers and consumers. Dr Malhi has also coordinated a project on green manuring before sowing the wheat.

MANSA
KILLED: Pardeep Kumar (20) died here on Sunday when his scooter was knocked down by a goods train at an unmanned level crossing on the banks of a water distributory. According to information he was returning home after purchasing vegetables across the railway line. 

PATHANKOT
RAMA CLUB: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Rama Dramatic Club: president — Mr Mohinder Puri; chairman — Mr Sukhdev Wadhera; general secretary — Mr Romi Wadhera and treasurer — Mr Ashok Raina.

CAMP: The Rashtriya Chetna Parishad on Monday organised a camp at the local Saraswati School. Mr Vaishno Malhotra Bawa, president of the parishad, inaugurated it. According to Mr Raman Handa, secretary of the parishad, stationery and other articles were distributed among more than 200 students, free of cost.

PHAGWARA
180 KG POPPY HUSK SEIZED: The local police has seized 180 kg poppy husk and arrested four persons. This was stated by DSP Harmandir Singh Gill in a press note on Sunday. The arrested included Raju of Baldal in Jhrkhand, Shahabudin of Bihar, Sabamudin of Gwaspur Bihar and Lal Bahadur of Nepal presently residing in Kirpa Nagar here. They had been nabbed under Sections 15-61-85 of the NDPS Act, he added.

DHARNA: Teachers of the local Ramgarhia College on Monday observed a one-period token strike, according to a press note by Prof Joginder Singh and Prof Avtar Singh, president and secretary, respectively of the college unit of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union. A dharna was also staged. The teachers’ demands included payment of six-months’ salary, the revocation of the suspension of Prof P.K. Bansal and the clearance of ADA arrears.

SAMRALA
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Pars Rang Munch, Samrala: president — Mr Sarbjit Chahal; general secretary — Mr Punit Kumar; vice-president — Mr Umesh Sharma; cashier —Mr Kamal Kumar; and executive members — Mr Sandeep Tewari, Mr Surinder Singh, Mr Kuldeep Singh and Mr Vijay Balli. The club will organise a Natak Mela and Cultural Programme shortly.

WRESTLERS HONOURED: The Samrala Dangal Committee has honoured Prem Vir Saddi and Malkiat Singh (Angrez), both international wrestlers, at a function held here. Among others present on the occasion were Mr Jasbir Singh Jassi, Mr N.K. Sharma, Mr Tarlochan Singh Kang, Mr Avtar Singh Billa and Mr Gurmeet Singh.

TARN TARAN
CHAUKIDAR WORKERS UNION: The Punjab Dehati Chaukidar Workers Union has demanded a raise in the salaries of chaukidars from Rs 400 per month to that equivalent to the pay of a Class IV employees of the Punjab Government. The demand was raised at a meeting of the union held here on Sunday under the presidentship of Mr Jagjit Singh.

HARYANA

AMBALA
PERMISSION SOUGHT: The MES Workers Union sought permission from the Station Commander, Ambala Cantonment on Monday for allowing their children to travel by Army school vehicles. Mr Vineet Kumar Sharma, secretary of the MES Workers Union, Area Committee, Ambala, in a letter to the Station Commander, stated that school-going children of MES workers were not permitted to travel by the school buses run by various units. “We are ready to pay rent, in case free facilities are not permitted due to any audit objections,” the letter stated.

STOP PROSTITUTION: The Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) demanded on Monday that prostitution should be checked in Mahesh Nagar area. Mr Sukhdev Kashyap said youths were being spoiled and there was a fear of AIDS. He demanded police action in this regard.

BHIWANI
ONE KILLED IN ROAD MISHAP: A woman was killed when a Tata Sumo and a three-wheeler collided near Badesara village on Sunday. The driver escaped with his vehicle after the accident. The three-wheeler was on its way to Sisar village when the Tata Sumo rammed into it resulting in serious injuries to Santosh of Badesara village and Murti of Farmana village, who were travelling in the four-wheeler. Santosh died on the spot while others were admitted to the hospital along with Murti. A case has been registered.

SUICIDE BID: One person consumed poisonous substance at Tigrana village on Sunday. Suresh has been admitted to the Civil Hospital in a serious condition.

FATEHABAD
RESIDENTS BLOCK ROAD: Residents of Matana village in the district on Sunday blocked the Bhodia road in protest against the erratic power supply to their village. The villagers lifted the jam only after the intervention of the SDM, Mr Yogesh Bhardwaj, who promised that their problem would soon be sorted out. He asked the villagers to come to the open darbar of the DC with their complaint and it would be redressed.

KALKA
MLA VISITS HOSPITAL: Local MLA Chander Mohan visited the Civil Hospital here on Sunday and took serious note of the lack of cleanliness and other irregularities at the hospital. Congress Block president Sangat Singh Nanda and Youth Congress general secretary Vijay Bansal also accompanied the MLA . The MLA directed the SMO, Mr R.S. Chauhan, to take immediate steps to remove filth from the hospital premises and ensure regular cleaning.

GRASS REMOVED: Under the weekly campaign to remove congress grass, the Railway’s children park was selected on Sunday. Many feet high congress grass standing in the park was cleared. Besides a large number of voluntary workers, the Superintendent, Railway Station, Mr Rajinder Dutta, the Inspector of Works, Mr S.P. Singh the DMO, Railway Hospital, Dr Negi, the Chief Health Inspector, Mr Joshi the president of the Welfare Organisation, Mr Bal Ram Sharma, and secretary, Mr Om Parkash Bhatt, took part in the campaign

HIMACHAL PRADESH

TRUCK UNION: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Sirmaur Truck Operators Union: president — Mr Baljeet Singh Nagra; vice-president — Mr Jasmer Singh Bhura; general secretary — Mr Vipin Aggarwal; treasurer — Mr Vijay Kumar Dhamija; and adda in charge — Mr Sarwan Kumar.

SUNDERNAGAR
OPENED: The Institute of Insurance Surveyors and Adjusters opened a unit in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday. Mr Roop Singh Thakur, Forest Minister, was the chief guest. A function was also held which was inaugurated by the chief guest and Mr M.J. Dhruva, national president of the institute. More than 250 delegates from northern India attended the function.