R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
BOYCOTT: Residents of the local Kabir Park and Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar here on Thursday decided to boycott Siti cable operators. In a press note, Dr H.S. Cheema, spokesman for the citizens committee, alleged that cable operators were overcharging them.

GND VARSITY EXAM: The Guru Nanak Dev University authorities have made all arrangements for the conduct of supplementary examinations commencing from September 28 in 19 examination centres set up in the five districts of Punjab and one at New Delhi.

ENT CONGRESS: Dr Karan Sharma, Assistant Professor, Department of E.N.T, Government Medical College, here has been invited to be a panelist at the 17th World ENT Congress to be held at Cairo from September 28 to October 8, 2002.

PHYSIOTHERAPY CENTRE: The All India Women Conference has opened physiotherapy centre to be run free for senior citizens and the poor, the president of conference, Mrs Ranjit Chatha has stated in a press note.

NOMINATED: Prof Jairup Singh, co-ordinator, Centre for Genetic Disorders, Guru Nanak Dev University, has been nominated to the governing body and scientific advisory committee of the Institute of Genetics and Hospital for Genetic Diseases, Hyderabad, for a period of two years.

GRACE MARKS: The students from Amritsar who took Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar examinations under the distance education programme have sought grace marks in PGDCA and M.Sc (IT), second semester, courses. The examinees have alleged that from 25 per cent to 55 per cent question papers were out of syllabi.

BARNALA
FREE LEGAL AID: All 30 applicants have been offered free legal aid by the Free Legal Aid Services Committee since March 2002. Mr Jagnahar Singh, Additional Civil Judge-cum-Chairman, Free Legal Aid Service Committee, Barnala, said the service was available to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, children, mentally upset person, handicapped, industrial labour, a big trouble-torn person, person in custody and a person with the annual income below Rs 30,000.

BRAHMIN SABHA: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Brahmin Sabha: president — Mr S.P. Kaushal; general secretary — Mr Jai Prakash Sharma; and treasurer — Mr Raj Kumar Sharma.

BATALA
MACHINE TOOL: An awareness programme on the upgradation of machine tool industry with focus on NC/CNC machines and machine tool cluster was held on Thursday by the Institute for Machine Tools Technology, Batala, and the Council of Batala Industries Association, in collaboration with the International Centre for Advancement of Manufacturing Technology (ICAMT) - United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). Fifty delegates attended.

BATHINDA
IMPOUNDED: Mrs Gurmeet Kaur Sidhu, District Food and Supply Controller, on Thursday impounded two combine harvesters which were harvesting unriped paddy at Kothechappawala village,in the district as such a practice has been banned in the district. The combines were later handed over to the village panchayat after they gave an assurance that nobody would be allowed to do so.

RALLY: Members of the PWD Field and Workshop Workers Union on Thursday held a rally in the city to press the authorities concerned to accept their demands.

VOTING ALLOWED: A local court has allowed two members of the Sanatan Dharam Sabha who were expelled from the sabha, to cast their vote during the general election of the association even as a case regarding their expulsion is still pending in the court. Mr D S Malwai, Additional Sessions and District Judge, on Thursday said the expelled members Mr Niranjan Lal Mishra and Mr Mangat Rai Bansal should be allowed to votes.

DORAHA
ROAD MISHAP: Two persons were injured in an accident on the Railway road here on Thursday. The injured have been identified as Maghar Singh of Malipur village and Rupinder Singh of Jatana village. The accident occurred when Rupinder Singh’s scooter hit Maghar Singh, who was riding a bicycle. While Rupinder Singh received minor injuries, Maghar Singh was taken to a local hospital from where he was referred to DMC, Ludhiana. A case under Section 279 and 337 of the IPC has been registered against Rupinder Singh.

FEROZEPORE
PLEA FOR AID: A Senior leader of the state Congress, mr Gurnaib Singh Brar, has lashed out at the Union government for turning a blind eye to the farming sector. He also demanded a special package from the Central government to compensate the farmers.

HOSHIARPUR
POPPY HUSK SEIZED: The Mahilpur police has arrested Lamber Singh of Sarhala under the NDPS Act on Thursday. At least 9 kg of poppy husk was seized from his possession.

TRAVEL AGENT BOOKED: The police registered a case under Section 406, IPC, against a travel agent, Surinder Singh of Nehru Palace, New Delhi, on Thursday. According to the FIR, Surinder Singh secured Rs 18 lakh from Sarup Singh of Nangli, Lakhwant Singh of Singhpur and Ajit of Gurala on the pretext of sending them abroad.

CASE REGISTERED: The police has registered a case under Section 406, IPC, against Abinash Sharma, owner of Doaba Gun Store. In a complaint, Joga Singh has alleged that he deposited his double barreled gun in the store sometime ago but when he went to get back his weapon, he was falsely told that it has been deposited in Garshankar Police Station.

DHARNA: The district unit of the Punjab Raj Mulazam Dal, led by Mr Ajmer Singh Pathania and Mr Anup Singh, district president and general secretary of the unit, respectively, staged a dharna in front of the district court here on Thursday. Mr Tikshan Sud, Mr Des Raj Dhugga and Mr Sohan Singh Thandal, all MLAs, Mr Varinder Singh Bajwa, president district unit SAD, Mr Jatinder Singh Lali Bajwa, president, Youth Akali Dal and many others spoke.

MAN DUPED: Two unidentified persons who took a lift from Ajay Kumar of Tatehra (Himachal Pradesh) on September 22, at the Hoshiarpur by-pass added an intoxicant to his tea. They pushed him out of the car at Saini Rai village near Mukerian. The Sarpanch of the village got him treated. On September 25, the matter was reported to the police. 

KHAMANO
ROAD REPAIR SOUGHT: The condition of roads falling under Khamano subdivision is very deplorable. The Khanna-Khamano road is in a very bad condition. The road leading to Chamkaur Sahib via Mansurpur, Manela , Dhanaula and via Badesh Kalan, Halwara and road leading to Samrala via Amargarh and other villages is also in a bad state. The local residents have demanded an immediate repair of these road.

POLICE-PUBLIC MEET: A police-public meeting was held at the local police station under the chairmanship of new DSP Balwant Singh to hear the grievances of the people. Prominent persons, sarpanches, panches and members of Nagar Panchayat Khamano took part in this meeting. 

SDM-PUBLIC MEETING: Mr Gurdip Singh, SDM, will listen to the problems and grievances of the local public on every 15th of the month. If it happens to be a holiday on that day then meeting will be held on the next day. 

INAUGURATION: A branch of the Bank of Punjab will be inaugurated on September 30 on the Chandigarh-Samrala road by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Agarwal. Mr Sukhinder Singh Somal, Assistant Manager, told this correspondent that all kinds of facilities will be provided to the customers such as ATM.

ENCROACHMENTS: No encroachment will be allowed in the area in place of the local nagar panchayat. This was stated by Mr Tarsem Lal, Executive Officer and Mr Dharampal Gaur in a joint statement issued to the press. They warned that in the name of temple or gurdwaras, no illegal encroachments would be allowed.

LUDHIANA
AWARDED: Birdi Engineering Industries, a local manufacturer of bicycle carriers and stands, has been awarded ISO 9001:2000 certificate of compliance. The company received recommendations for the certification following an audit conducted by ICS (Asia) Private Limited, an international certification organisation. 

FRESHERS WELCOMED: Members of Guru Gobind Study Circle organised a function to welcome freshers of Guru Nanak Girls Khalsa College Gujarkhan campus on Thursday. Prof Gursharan of the Punjabi Department of the college gave detailed information of the activities of the Study Circle. a team of 11 new members of the college unit of Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle were elected on the occasion.

COOKERY CONTEST: The local VLCC centre organised an inter ladies club low calorie cookery contest here on Friday in which members of leading ladies clubs of the city took part. The participants had prepared more than 28 recipes Ms Reemi of Niharika Ladies Club won the first prize, second prize went to Manju Dewan of Geetanjali Club and the third prize was given to Nainy Virmani of Gayatri Club. The consolation prizes went to Anju Sudha of Niharika and Alka Gandhari of Geetanjali Ladies Club.

SAD MEETING: The monthly meeting of Ludhiana Rural segment of the SAD will be held at Gurdwara Reru Sahib in Sahnewal on Saturday. Giving this information Mr Amrik Singh Aliwal, a former MP and in charge if Ludhiana Rural segment said party leaders and workers will attend the meeting. 

GOVT FLAYED: The District Youth Congress (U) has criticised the Union Government for arresting Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and his cabinet colleagues in Delhi when they were agitating to highlight the problems of farmers. Mr Sarbjit Singh Bunty, senior vice-president, and Mr G.S. Arora, general secretary of the party, in a statement, said by interfering with the right of peaceful protest by the Congress leaders, the Union Government had throttled democratic norms. 

PSEB COMPLAINTS: PSEB has tied up with All-India Radio, Jalandhar, for replies to complaints on power supply and other matters relating to the PSEB which will be broadcast every last Saturday of the month in ‘Dehati Programme’. Only those complaints will be taken up in the program, which are received by the PSEB through All-India Radio, Jalandhar.

HONOURED: Dr K.R.S. Thind, a local Homoeopath doctor, has been honoured with the ‘Star of Excellence’ award for the year 2002-2003 at the International Conference on Homoeopathy and Contemporary Medicine, organised by the faculty of Homoeopathy, Malaysia. Dr Thind has been honoured for his contribution to the development and progress of this branch of medicine. 

CHANDIGARH

PROGRAMME: The Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology organised a career awareness and education counselling programme here on Friday regarding the courses available in the United Kingdom. A counsellor from the British Council, Delhi, held a presentation at the institute apprising the students of different courses and admission procedures. The students were also given pamphlets and books for providing guidance about education prospects and living experience in the UK. 

HARYANA

AMBALA
DEMAND: Residents of B-block Inderpuri demanded on Thursday that proper cleanliness should be carried out in their area. In a letter addressed to the Deputy Commissioner, Ambala, the residents have stated that unhygienic conditions were prevailing in the area as there was backlash from a drain flowing through their colony. They demanded the depth of the drain shold be increased in the area. 

HISAR
DEAD: Subhash (22), of Kothal village in Mohindergarh district died when he fell from a passenger train, near the Hansi railway station, on the Hisar-Rewari line on Thursday. According to the railway police, Subhash, who was coming to Hisar for recruitment in the BSF, was travelling on the roof of the train. The body was handed over to his family members after a post-mortem here in Civil Hospital on Friday.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DHARAMSALA
EX-SERVICEMEN DEMANDS: The ex-servicemen of the district have demanded 15 per cent reservation in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections. They have also asked for payment of medical allowance on the Punjab pattern. The demands was echoed by various speakers, which included Brig Yudhvir Singh, Col Rattan Singh Rajput and others who addressed a rally of ex-servicemen at Bhawarna, about 40 km from here, on Wednesday.

HAMIRPUR
CEMETERY: A Muslim family of Naroh village lost a member Thursday morning. The burial couldn’t take place in the family cemetery as a school had come up there. The villagers did not allow Nek Deen, the son of deceased to perform the last rites. At last the burial took place 2 km away from Nek Deen’s house. The family with 30 years of stay in the village, had to bury Nek Deen’s his mother at Sarkaghat in Mandi district. Mrs Anuradha Thakur, Deputy Commissioner, said that she would look into the matter.

LECTURERS: The HP School Lecturers Association has decided to move the High Court against the decision of the HP State Administrative Tribunal regarding posting of headmasters in senior secondary schools. Mr B.K. Sharma, press secretary of the state association, said this here on Thursday.

KANGRA
MURDER: Sudhir Kumar Saini, 25, vegetable vendor, was found dead in the fields, 200 metres away from his house, in Sadarpur village. His face had been defaced by a stone, the police said. A case under Section 302 of the IPC has been registered.