The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, August 31, 2002, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

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R E G I O N A L B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
PHYSIOTHERAPY CENTRE: A physiotherapy centre, equipped with more than 28 modern machines, for paralytic patients and those having suffered a brain stroke, spinal injuries joint disorders, will be functional here shortly. The centre set up by the Sewa Sankalp, an NGO floated by the local unit of the VHP, will be inaugurated by Mr Ashok Singal on September 3.

OFFERED: Saurabh Sharma, a student of B.Tech in Guru Nanak Dev University, has been offered position of Research Engineer at the French National Research Institute of Computers and Automation. He had undergone six-month training at the Laboratory of Information Systems Iyon in France. The Institute is one of the biggest research centres in computer science in France.

HOSHIARPUR
MEETING: A meeting of the governing body of the District Rural Development Agency and the Vigilance and Monitoring Committee was held under the chairmanship of Mr Harpreet Singh Garcha, Additional Deputy Commissioner here on Thursday. Centrally sponsored schemes were discussed at the meeting. Mr Garcha said the agency had established 208 self help groups. He said a sakharta campaign launched in the district had achieved first position in the state.

CONDEMNED: Dr Kuldip Kumar Nanda, president of the Local District Congress Committee, has condemned the alleged attack by BJP workers on the residence of Mrs Sonia Gandhi, President, AICC, at New Delhi in which Ms Ambika Soni, General Secretary, AICC, and other Congress workers were injured on Thursday. In a press note issued here on Friday Dr Nanda described the incident as a major security lapse outside the residence of the Leader of Opposition in Parliament and demanded a probe into it.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Ministerial Services Union of the local PSEB unit: president — Mr Ram Parkash Singh; senior vice-president — Mr Ram Asra, vice-president — Mr Tirath Singh, Ms Kamaljit Kaur and Ms Rajwinder Kaur; secretary — Mr Surinder Pabbi and treasurer — Ms Abha Bandana.

TRADE UNION CONGRESS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Indian National Trade Union Congress: president — Mr Dilbagh Singh Sidhu; senior vice-president — Mr Prem Paul Sharma; general secretary — Mr Tara Singh Saini; vice-president — Mr Ashok Nanda; and treasurer — Mr Shingara Singh.

PU TEACHERS BODY: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local branch of the Panjab University Teachers Association: president — Prof Damodar Jha; vice-president — Dr Rajinder Kumar Sharma; secretary — Dr Krishan Murari Sharma; joint secretary — Dr Krishna Saini; and treasurer — Dr Parbhat Singh Thakur.

LUDHIANA
DISCOURSES: A series of discourses based on the Vedas are on at Arya Samaj Mandir, Model Town. Eminent scholars like Sunita Ji Mandal, Ms Nirmal Bajaj, Mr Anil Ji Gautam are taking part in these discourses. Students of R S Model School attended a discourse by Vedic Scholar Prof Rattan Singh on Friday. During the discourse, he talked about the difference between peace, prosperity and happiness.

MEETING: A meeting of representatives of the management committees of privately-managed schools was held under the chairmanship of its president, Mr Prem Chand Gupta, at Nauria Mal Jain School here on Thursday. The representatives would meet the Finance Minister, Mr Lal Singh, and apprise him of the financial difficulties of the privately-managed schools. It was also decided to hold a meeting with Mr Khushal Behal, Minister for Education, to seek his help in sorting out their problems.

NSS CAMP: A one-day NSS camp was organised at Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women on Friday. The Principal, Dr Madanjit Sahota, inaugurated the camp. NSS programme officers Ms Kuldip Kaur Pandher and Ms Davinder Pal Kaur supervised various activities. At least 195 NSS volunteers took part in beautifying the college campus. They made flower beds, planted saplings and cleaned the classrooms. The volunteers were later provided with refreshments.

MACHHIWARA
CRITICISED: Representative of various social organisations have condemned the state and Central governments for creating confusion by declaring the Janamashtami holiday a day before the actual date of the festival. In Punjab, a half working day was observed on Wednesday whereas “nagar kirtans” were generally organised on the eve of a festival. They have asked the state and Central governments to consult pundits before releasing the list of gazetted holidays.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
DRIVE: A team of the Health Department conducted a surprise check on fruit and vegetable shops here. Over-ripe fruits and vegetables were disposed of on the spot and directions were given to keep all eatables covered. The special check was made on the instructions of the Deputy Commissioner, according to Mr Lalit Mohan Gupta, District Health Officer, in a press note here on Friday. The process will continue in other towns of the district, he added.

POOR POSTAL SERVICES: The postal authorities have failed to deliver the money order no. 384 remitted on February 25 from Mandi Gobindgarh to Mamta Nagi of Chandpur village, under Timalsain post office, Pauri Garhwal district (Uttaranchal). It was remitted by Sanjay Singh Negi of Gymkhana Club, here.

MANSA
RESENTMENT: Resentment prevails among students seeking admission to BA part-II in the local Government Nehru Memorial Postgraduate College. They alleged that the students who got compartment in BA part-I were not being admitted. Mr Harbhagwan Singh Bhikhi, state president of the All-India Students Association, in a press note issued here on Friday said there was no bar on giving admission to compartment students to BA part-II. The students would boycott the farewell party of the college Principal, he added.

MOGA
STOLEN: Resentment prevails among persons over an increase in incidents of thefts at gurdwaras in the district. According to a report received here, certain miscreants on Thursday broke into a gurdwara in Daulatpura village and took away Rs 6,000. The police has started investigation.

SKIMMED MILK: Residents of the area on Friday protested against the supply of skimmed milk by local dairies. They said the authorities concerned had failed to check the menace. They have urged the authorities to conduct raids on these dairies and take appropriate action against defaulters.

ELECTROCUTED: Two more head of cattle were electrocuted in Rajeana village in this district on Friday. Only three days ago 10 head of stray cattle were electrocuted in Samadhbhai village under the Baghapurana police station. They accidentally came in contact with hanging live wires.

NAWANSHAHR
CONG PLEA: Mr Manoranjan Kalia, general secretary, Punjab Youth Congress, and Mr Surinder Arora, treasurer of the district unit of the Congress, in a press statement issued here on Friday urged the Health Minister, Mr Ramesh Chander Dogra, to appoint a paediatrician in the local Civil Hospital.

PATHANKOT
DEFECTIVE METERS: The PSEB authorities have replaced more than 400 defective meters installed on domestic and industrial premises. Mr Madan Lal, Assistant Executive Engineer, said to check power theft, the drive launched to detect defective meters had proved a success. He said the board had planned to replace from 100 to 200 defective meters every month in this subdivision.

PATIALA
MEDICAL CAMP: The Rotary Club, Mid-Town and the State Bank of Patiala organised a free medical camp at Arya Primary School here on Thursday. Students were administered the third dose of hepatitis-B vaccination. The president of the club, Mr Rameshwar Gupta, said the club had organised four such camps in the recent past and administered the vaccine to more than 2,000 students by now.

PHAGWARA
MEMORANDUM: A deputation of the agitating teachers of the local Ramgarhia College on Friday called on the local MLA and former Punjab minister, Mr Joginder Singh Mann, and presented him a memorandum. They also submitted a memorandum to the SDM, Mr Pritam Singh. Led by Prof Joginder Singh, president, college unit of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union, the deputation members demanded payment of their six months salary, revocation of suspension of Prof P. K. Bansal and proper maintenance of the provident fund account.

CHANDIGARH

AWARDED: Mr Vikram Hans, Managing Director, Multi Overseas (I) Pvt Ltd, has been awarded the Small-Scale Entrepreneur National Award. The award was conferred on him at New Delhi on Wednesday. The company is a manufacturer of the Delta brand of inverters, solar energy devices, computer data controller systems and other electronic products.

CME ON NUTRITION: Over 400 delegates from Punjab, Haryana and UT will attend the one-day “CME-2002: Surgical Nutrition”, being organised by the Dietetics and Surgery departments of Government Medical College and Hospital, on September 1. According to the organising secretary, Ms Manju Mathur, this is the third CME being organised by the Dietetics Department. The CME will be inaugurated by the Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Prof N.K. Ganguly, at Bhargava Auditorium of the PGI.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The office-bearers of the Residents Welfare Association, Sector 32-D, are as follows: patron — Mr C.S. Cheema and Mr S.P. Wadhera; legal adviser — Mr G.S. Walia; president — Mr Gurdev Singh Ahluwalia; vice-president — Ms Uma Nayyar; general secretary — Mr Gurmail Singh; finance secretary — Mr R.S. Grewal; joint finance secretary — Mr K.L. Chopra; organising secretary — Mr R.P. Verma and auditor — Mr P.K. Jain.

DE-WORMING CAMPAIGN: About 1,000 students of government and private schools of Kajheri and Nehru Colony were administered de-worming medicines during the second phase of campaign which concluded here on Friday. The President of the Society for Social Health, Ms Kamaljeet Saini, said, ‘’The municipal corporation, with the help of NGOs, should make the medicines available to the children living in slums and colonies at regular intervals’’. The campaign was launched by the Society for Social Health in collaboration with the Swaran Jayanti Rojgar Yojna.

EXCHANGE OFFER: Tanishq, India’s leading national jeweller announced the launch of its unique impure gold to diamond exchange offer at its exclusive boutique in Sector 17 on Friday. Under the scheme the customer’s impure gold jewellery upwards of 17 carat will be valued at 22 carat by Tanishq and exchanged for certified diamond jewellery. Having availed of the offer, the customer would be entitled to a further three percent discount on the value over and above the exchange value so long as the jewellery is a diamond one. Beginning today, the scheme will continue till September 15.

QUALITY CONTROL OF DRUGS: A three-week intensive course on “Modern analytical techniques in quality control of drugs and pharmaceuticals” is being conducted by the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research at SAS Nagar from Monday. According to the Deputy Registrar, Major M.L. Sharma, the course, covering various aspects relating to quality control, is being sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme and Special Commonwealth African Assistance Plan.

ZIRAKPUR
MEETING: A meeting of the Ex-Servicemen Democratic Association was held here recently. It was presided over by the president of the association Colonel Gurnam Singh. The president said that the association had helped Mr Som Nath in getting back his land. He said that ex-defence personnel deserve better treatment after they leave the defence forces. Colonel Kulbir Singh Virk said ex-servicemen must be given good deal since they work under strenuous condition. Colonel D.J. Singh said ex-servicemen have job opportunities in security services in the industrial sector. The next meeting of the body is scheduled for September 29 at Zirakpur.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DHARAMSALA
FESTIVAL: The Friends Club Re will organise a four-week Himalayan cultural festival from December 15. Mohammad Yusuf, secretary of the club, has said the festival is being organised to mark the 14th Swami Vivekananda’s Jayanti Utsav for promoting national integration and preserving enrichment of cultural heritage of the Himalayas.

DRAMA FESTIVAL: A two-day drama festival is being organised here from September 14. Stating this, the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, Mr Prabodh Saxena, added that the festival was being organised in collaboration with the North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala. He said the New Age Youth Club, Nahan, would present one-act paly “Ahinsa Parmodharma” on the opening day.

KULU
SAMMELAN: Ms Vidya Stokes, President, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, has said that she is not an aspirant for the post of Chief Minister, but is ready to follow the party high command orders in this connection. She was talking to mediapersons after addressing a district-level ‘yuva sammelan’ at Mountaineering Institute, Manali, on Thursday. She maintained that she did not have any differences with former Chief Minister and the CLP leader.

KUMARHATTI
WATERSHED SCHEMES: Around 250 villagers of the Barog panchayat took part in a meeting at the panchayat office, near here, on Thursday. They were apprised of various plans under watershed schemes by the Solan Agriculture Officer, Mr Atar Singh. An 11-member committee, including one member each from the agriculture department and panchayat, would be formed under the self-help group and users group, he said.

NURPUR
OPPOSED: The Himalaya Bachao Samiti has taken exception to the state governments’ move to regularise encroachments around villages. Mr Kulbhushan Upmanyu, state president of the samiti, talking to mediapersons on Wednesday suggested that common land of village should be developed as ‘forest villages’ under the sanjhi van yojana.

PARWANOO
INAUGURATED: A 1000 lines remote switch unit (RSU) of the OCB was inaugurated by the Chief General Manager, HP Telecom Circle, Mr Nirmal Singh Gill, at Jabli village, about 10 km from here, on Thursday. The function was presided over by Mr Sapan Kumar Bose, General Manager, Telecom District, Solan. The function was largely attended by residents of nearby areas. Mr Gill said during 2002-2003, one lakh new telephone connections would be provided in the state. Mr Gill said 50 new telephone exchanges were being opened in Himachal Pradesh. He said long-awaited BSNL mobile was being launched shortly in a phased manner.

SUNDERNAGAR
LIQUOR SEIZED: In four raids conducted in the outskirts of the town, the police has seized 4,95,000ml of lahan and 2,5000 ml of illicit liquor. Four persons, including three women, have been arrested. Raiding parties formed by S.H.O, Brijesh Sood raided at different places on Thursday. Raj Kumar of Khatarwari, Champa Devi of Chowk, and Kaushalya Devi and Meena, both residents of Chowk village, have been arrested under Sections 61 (1) 14 of the Punjab Excise Act.