R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
CLINICAL MEDICINE: The 10th national conference of Indian Academy of Clinical Medicine will be hosted for the first time in Punjab. The organising secretary of the conference, Dr Narotam Bhalla, told newsmen here on Wednesday. Over 450 eminent doctors from India and abroad would be participating in the three-day annual meet to be held at Sri Guru Ram Dass Institute of Medical Sciences and Research.

GRATUITY WITHHELD: Mr Antar Singh who retired as SDO, Public Works Department on Wednesday alleged that the chief engineer, Punjab, B&R, Patiala had withheld his gratuity amounting to over Rs 2 lakh in violation of the settled law. In a letter, the copies of which have been sent to the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh and Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, Minister, PWD, B&R, the association president has urged the CM to take necessary action against the officials concerned.

BATALA
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Lions Club (Greater), Batala for 2002-2003: president — Mr M.S. Sidhu; vice-presidents — Mr Narinderpal Singh and Paramjit Singh Osahan; secretary — Mr Rakesh Sharma; joint secretary — Mr Naval Aggarwal and treasurer — Mr Narinder Mahant.

GURDASPUR
SNATCHED: Ashok Kumar, a shopkeeper, was injured and Rs 7,80,309 in cash and a cheque worth Rs 97,877 was snatched by the two scooter-borne youth at gun point on Thursday from Mr Mahinder Pal, Assistant Administrative Officer, and Mr Tirath Ram, peon, both officials of the LIC. Ashok Kumar grappled with the accused and got injured in the process. A case has been registered in this regard.

HOSHIARPUR
STRIKE: Arts and crafts students of the local Government Industrial School, Hoshiarpur, who have been observing strike for the past so many days presented a charter of demands to the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, on Thursday. They were demanding two years’ internship instead of three years and for not fixing the mandatory 55 per cent marks for seeking admission in art and craft course. They are also against reducing the age for admission from 42 to 32 years.

LUDHIANA
KATHA CONCLUDES: The recitation of Shri Ramcharit Manas, which had been started by Shri Banke Bihari Sewa Parivar at several places in the city in connection with the Navratras, came to a conclusion at Ram Dham Mandir in Sandeep Nagar on Wednesday. Among the devotees present on the occasion were Mr Ashok Gupta, Mr Vijay Abrol, Mr Ashok Singla, Mr. Surinder Garg, Mr Varinder Sharma, Mr Rajiv Duggal, Mr Narinder Sareen and Mr Basant Kumar. Jagmohan Thakur, a known katha-vachak, recited the story of Ramcharit Manas.

SHOBHA YATRA: The Bharatiya Valmiki Dharam Samaj would take out a massive shobha yatra on October 20 in connection with the birthday of Lord Valmiki. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the BVDS which was chaired by Mr Vijay Danav. The shobha yatra would start from Daresi Grounds and culminate in Basti Jodhewal via Partap Bazar, Chaura Bazar and Ghaas Mandi. Among others who attended the meeting were Mr Lakshman Dravid, Mr Yash Pall and Mr Mohanvir Chauhan. Meanwhile, according to Mr Raj Kumar Hans, a similar shobha yatra would be taken out at Phillaur on Saturday in which cabinet minister Santokh Singh Chaudhery would also take part.

HONOURED: The management of Sankat Mochan Hanuman Mandir on Wednesday honoured those devotees who contributed their services to the Senior Citizen Home being run by the temple management and made donations to the fund for marrying off poor girls. Among the honoured were Mr Sham Lal Gupta, Mr Naval Kishore Kamboj, Mr Rajnish Ahuja, Mr Ashwini Sharma, Mr Suraj Bhan Jain, Mr Rajesh Sharma, Mr Jaspal Jassi, Mr Virender Goyal and Mr Pawan Malhotra.

MAHAYAJNA: Mahamandleshwar Swami Ved Bharti ji would preside over Shri Ramcharit Manas Maas Prayan Yajna which is being held by the Shri Mandir Committee, Punjab, from October 20 to 24, according to Mr Prem Chand Gupta. The yajna would start with the recitation of Ramayana at Shri Durga Mata Mandir near the Jagraon bridge and Swami Ved Bharti ji would deliver her discourse on Ramcharit Manas every day from 7 am to 10 am. A bhandara would be held on the concluding day, added Mr Gupta.

WORKSHOP: The Guru Angad Dev Sewa Society, Ludhiana, is organising a one-day orientation workshop for voluntary organisations of Ludhiana, Ropar and Sangrur districts on October 22, 2002, at Guru Angad Dev Charitable Hospital, Chandigarh road, Ludhiana. This workshop is being organised in association with CAPART, a semi-autonomous organisation of the Ministry of Rural Development. Mr Jai Singh Gill, Director General, CAPART, will grace the occasion. This information was given by Dr A.S. Nagpal, president of the society.

KIDS’ PARLIAMENT: The Guru Angad Dev Sewa Society will organise Children’s Parliament at Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, BRS Nagar, Ludhiana, on October 23. Children from 10 schools of Ludhiana will participate in this parliament which will be a unique experiment by children to debate issues confronting Indian democracy. Mr K.K. Bhatnagar, Principal Secretary (School Education), Punjab, will be the chief guest and Mr Rahul Bhandari, Additional Chief Administration, PUDA, Ludhiana, will be the guest of honour.

MEETING: Mr Gurmit Singh, SDM, Jagraon, convened a bonded labour vigilance committee meeting in his office on Thursday in which various members of the committee participated. During the proceedings, the SDM apprised the members to be vigilant and not to allow any bonded labour to work at any place. If they notice any such case they should bring into the notice of the higher authorities to get them relief immediately and also instructed the Labour Inspector to carry monthly checking for the same.

NAWANSHAHR
MID-DAY MEAL SCHEME: Mr Ashok Kumar Gupta, Deputy Commissioner, and Mr Parkash Singh, MLA, launched the mid-day meal scheme for 43 schools at Government Primary School, Karyam, 5 km from here, on Thursday. Mr K.C. Kapoor, District Education Officer, presided over the function. Mr Lalit Mohan Pathak, PPCC member, Mr Manoranjan Kalia, general secretary, Punjab Youth Congress, Mr Surinder Pal Angra, Mr Balbir Singh Khanpuri, Ms Santosh Kumari, all BDPOs, Mr Sat Pal, Sarpanch, spoke on the occasion.

CHEQUES DISTRIBUTED: Mr Parkash Singh, local MLA, distributed cheques worth Rs 35,000 each in 44 villages of this Assembly segment for constructing toilets in Government Primary Schools under “Sarv Shikhiya Abhiyan”, at a function organised by the District Education Department at Government Senior Secondary School, Kahma, 8 km from here, on Thursday. Mr Satvir Singh, District Youth Congress, Mr Chaman Singh, block Congress President, Mr Lalit Mohan Pathak, PPCC member, Mr Manoranjan Kalia, general secretary, Punjab Youth Congress, Mr Gian Chand, Principal, and Mr Balbir Singh Khanpuri, BPEO (Sarv Shikhiya Abhiyan), addressed the gathering.

SAMRALA
SEMINAR: A seminar on ‘Corruption and the common man’ in the memory of Tarlok Singh will be held in his native village Kotala on October 20 at 11 am, according to Mr Mehma Singh Kang, Member, Tarlok Yaadgiri Committee, here on Thursday. Noted Punjabi writer Prof Hamdardvir Nausheharvi will read a paper on the topic while Mr Balbir Singh Rajewal, general secretary of the BKU, Commandant Rashpal Singh, Prof. Baldeep, Mr Bharat Parkash and many other literary persons will participate in the discussion, Mr Kang added. 

HIMACHAL

DHARAMSALA
NURSES PROTEST: Nurses working in the Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical Hospital, here have protested against the failure of the hospital authorities in detailing adequate para-medical staff to look after indoor patients. In a letter sent to the Chief Minister, the Health Minister and the Medical Council of India, the nurses have alleged that due to heavy increase in the referred patients, the number of indoor patients had gone up. In the maternity ward three to four patients were accommodate on a single bed.

NURPUR
JUSTICE SOUGHT: Pawan Kumar, a Dalit student of Hatku village of Fatehpur tehsil, who passed his matriculation examination in March, 1999, from Government Senior Secondary School, Badhpur, by securing 62 per cent marks has filed a suit against the Secretary of the HP Board of School Education, Dharamsala, the Director, Education Department, and the Principal, Government Senior Secondary School, Badhpur, for their failure to release Rs 10,000 under the AMCY.