The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, October 26, 2002, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

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

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
FOUNDATION STONE: Laying the foundation stone of its 100th school here on Thursday, the chairman of the Delhi Public Society, Mr Narender Kumar, said the DPS would soon launch a distance education network through the satellite which would provide education to large sections of students throughout India.

BATHINDA
ATTEMPT TO KILL: Mr Hardeep Singh, an employee of Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant, Lehra Mohhabat, was shot at by Sham Singh of the same village on Wednesday. The injured was admitted to the local Civil Hospital. Police sources said a case under Section 307, IPC, had been registered.

POWER CONNECTIONS: Mr G.S. Dhindsa, Superintendent Engineer, (Operation Circle) said on Friday that the process of release of electricity connections to the general public had been streamlined. A time frame of 15 days had been fixed for the release of power connections from the date of acceptance of application, he added.

ANIMAL DISPENSARY: Mr Naaru Singh, sarpanch of Virk Khurd village, and other members of the panchayat in a press note issued here on Friday alleged that the animal dispensary of their village had been shifted to another village on political grounds. Appealing to the Chief Minister, Mr Amarinder Singh, they said an inquiry by the Vigilance Department should be initiated into this.

DERA BASSI
COMPETITION: A colourful mehndi competition was organised by students of Sri Sukhmani International School, on the occasion of Karva Chauth, here on Friday. A number of students participated in the competition by coming out with variety of new glittering designs from traditional to arabiac ones. Ms Kanwaljit Kaur, Director, International Polytechnic for Women, Chandigarh, who was the chief guest on the occasion, applauded the efforts and talent of the students, informed Dr G.S. Rekhi, Director of the institute. In the competition, Simriti bagged the first prize, while Raman and Kamal were adjudged second and third, respectively. Consolation prizes were also given to Kanika, Sheetu, Minu, Simriti and Jagmeet for their performances.

HOSHIARPUR
CLERK BOOKED: The Deputy Director , Animal Husbandry Department here got a case registered with the police under Sections 13(1), 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act,1980, and 409, IPC against Gurpal Singh a clerk of his office on Friday. In his complaint, the Deputy Director alleged that the clerk had misappropriated the funds of the office.

CASE REGISTERED: The police registered a case under Sections 366, 120B IPC on Thursday against Sewa Singh Rakhi Devi, Rashpal Singh, Vaishno Devi and Soona Devi of Mushpur for allegedly abducting Raj Kumari.

LUDHIANA
HEALTH CAMP: The Managing Committee of Dewan Hospital will organise the third annual charitable camp on November 17. The camp will be inaugurated by Mr Khushal Behal, Education Minister, Punjab. Dr Narottam Dewan, director of the hospital, while talking to mediapersons here on Friday said 12 operations would be conducted free of cost at the camp. Registration for the camp will be starting from October 26. The camp will continue for one month and there will be no bed charges.

MEHNDI CONTEST: New Senior Secondary School, Sarabha Nagar, organised a mehndi applying competition for the students of class IX and X. As many as 100 students took part in the competition. The following were declared winners: Puneet (X-A) first, Prerna (X-B) second, Mandeep Bawa (X-A) third and Shveta (IX) consolation prize. The winners and the participants were given certificates of participation by the Principal of the school, Mr S.C. Gupta.

ANNUAL DAY: The Lodhi Club will celebrate its annual day on October 26. Mr B.M. Mahajan, general secretary of the club said the programme would be held specially for the club members and their families. Popular singer Anamika along with comedian Raju Srivastava from Bollywood, Joshiley, Shibani Kashyap, Nitin Arora, Vandana Vadhera and scintillating Zenith Dance troupe from Delhi will be there to entertain the audience.

SEMINAR: Puranjot Eye Bank, Punjab, in association with Lions Club Skipper organised a seminar on eye donation at Mansuran village here recently. Lions Club also sponsored the cost of medicine and surgical instruments used in cornea transplantation of four patients on this occasion.

BEST PNB BRANCH: Punjab National Bank branch at Dhandra-Ludhiana has been adjudged the “Best Branch” of the region for the year 2001-2002. This was stated by A.K. Loomba, Senior Regional Manager, Ludhiana region, in a function held on the premises of the bank on Thursday. While speaking on the occasion, A.K. Loomba said, “This branch has been adjudged the Best Branch of the region on the basis of profits target achievement, housekeeping and customer services etc.” Talking about the achievements of the branch, Mr P.K. Jain, Manager said, “This award is result of hardwork and dedication of the staff members. Honouring the staff members, A.K. Loomba presented mementoes to them and congratulated for this success.”

EXHIBITION OPENS: A four-day exhibition showcasing consumer products and services opened at Welkom Palace here on Friday. Organised by the exhibition division of Showman Associates, the show includes a range of designer products, designer potteries besides latest in crockery, hardware, cosmetics, fitness equipment, beauty aids, FMCG articles, home appliances, leather goods, magnetic medicare, air conditioners, hosiery goods, car accessories, interior and exterior designs, food products, herbal products, service providers, ethnic furniture, banks, furnishings, jewellery, water purifiers, vacuum cleaners, carpets, confectionery, novelties and electronic products. The show has commenced simultaneously at Ludhiana, Amritsar and Patiala.

CELEBRATIONS: Karva Chauth was celebrated by the Roopika Ladies Club here on Friday. The club organised ‘Karva Queen Contest’ on the occasion in which members of different age group took part. Ms Meena Girhotra, president of the club, congratulated the club members and explained the importance of the festival.

MALERKOTLA
LOOTED: Some miscreants looted Rs 3 lakh from Vibhishan Kumar, a wholesaler at Ahmedgarh, near here, on Thursday. They also took away his car after injuring him. A case has been registered.

PATIALA
APPOINTED: Dr Gurnek Singh has been appointed Head of the Prof Harbans Singh Sikh Encyclopaedia Department, while Dr Jagtar Singh has been appointed Head of the Library and Information Science Department for a period of three years, according to a university press note.

ELECTED: Mr S.P. Sood has been elected as secretary of the Bharatiya Khadya Nigam Karamchari Sangh at its Triennial National Conference held at Thiruvananthapuram on October 19 and 20, according to a press note.

CELEBRATION: The Mehak Cultural Forum will celebrate its second foundation day on Saturday by organising a musical evening in Mini Tagore Theatre in which Jagjit Zirvi will regale the audience.

TARN TARAN
OFFICE-BEARERS: Mr Datar Singh and Mr Harcharan Singh have been elected president and the secretary of the Democratic Teacher’s Front, Punjab, respectively. A 34-state committee, too, has been elected, sources said in a press note issued here.

CHANDIGARH

AIDS: Nearly 50 inmates attended an AIDS awareness camp organised by the Indian Council of Social Welfare in collaboration with the State AIDS Control Society at the Burail Jail, here on Friday. Dr Rajiv Wadhera, SMO, General Hospital, gave a lecture on Transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS,” with emphasis on safe sexual behaviour. A documentary film, folk songs and a play was presented by the Mask Theatre group.

PROBE SOUGHT: A BJP delegation led by its president Yashpal Mahajan here on Friday asked the UT Administrator, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), to order a CBI inquiry into the auction of SCO 178-179 by the Municipal Corporation. The delegation comprising leader of the BJP in Municipal Corporation Kamla Sharma, councillors Gian Chand Gupta and Rajesh Gupta and BJP general secretary Purushottam Mahajan reiterated its stand after Mr Jacob reportedly refused to act on the unanimous resolution of the House demanding an inquiry.

CAMP: An eye and dental check-up camp was organised at Government College for Girls, Sector 11, here on Thursday. Around 130 students were examined at the dental camp by Dr Dhavneet Singh of Dheer Dental Clinic, while over 100 students were examined at the eye camp. The Principal of the college, Ms Usha Wahi, inaugurated the camp. The camp was organised by “Raahat”, a health awareness society of the college.

VISIT: Union Rural Development Minister Shanta Kumar will give the people of Darua village a personal hearing on the conclusion of the “Gaon Chalo Abhiyan” in the Union Territory on Saturday. The local unit of the BJP has prepared a memorandum after collecting inputs from villages during the “abhiyan.” Mr Kumar will be accompanied by All- India BJP Secretary Om Prakash Dhankar, who is also in charge of the party in Chandigarh.

STRIKE: The Federation of Union Territory Employees and Workers and Municipal Corporation here on Wednesday announced to observe a 24-hour strike on Tuesday to press for their outstanding demands. This was announced at a dharna by the federation at Matka Chowk. The dharna was later converted into a rally to present their charter of demands to the Chandigarh Administration. The gathering was addressed by leaders from individual unions of different departments of the administration and Municipal Corporation.

SAS NAGAR
SUPPORT EXTENDED: The Ex-servicemen Cell, SAS Nagar, has decided to support Mr Ashok Bector advocate, Punjab and Haryana High Court, for the forthcoming elections to the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana High Court. Students of junior classes of Sanjay Public School in Sector 70 here visited the Verka milk plant as a part of their education trip to learn about the working of the plant. The manager of the plant, Mr V.D. Kapoor, showed the children around and explained them the various processes.

HARYANA

AMBALA
ELECTED: The following have been elected office- bearers of the Ajit Nagar Welfare Association. president — Mr Ram Krishan Goel; vice-presidents Mr D.R. Bawa and Mr Divender Kanwal, secretary — Mr Hawa Singh; additional secretary — Mr Shanti Swaroop, and treasurer — Mr Vinod Mittal.

DEMONSTRATION: The HUDA Workers Union on Friday held a demonstration to press for their various demands. The union members said their demands had been lying pending for the past couple of months and claimed that no action had been taken in this regard.

FATEHABAD
UNO DAY: The Deputy Commissioner, Dr R.B.Langyaan, said on Thursday that the new generation needed to be made aware about the UNO and its objectives. He was speaking at a function organised on the UNO Day at the local Government Senior Secondary School. The District Education Officer, Mr Shri Ram Jakhar, the Deputy DEO, Mr N.C.Wadhwa, the SDEO, Ms Usha Mittal, teachers and students from various schools of the town were present.

SCIENCE FAIR: A district-level science fair was organised at the local Government Senior Secondary Girls School here on Thursday. The Deputy Commissioner, Dr R.B. Langyaan, inaugurated the fair. He said dreams that appeared to be distant 50 years ago had now been fulfilled.

KURUKSHETRA
PROHIBITED: In view of the ensuing Divali festival, the District Magistrate, Mr Abhilaksh Likhi, has prohibited the sale of explosives and crackers in Thanesar, Ladwa, Shahabad and Pehowa areas, except by valid licences issued in the area from November 1.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

HAMIRPUR
KARGIL MARTYRS: The Hamirpur District Congress Committee has decided to honour 52 families of Kargil martyrs here on October 31. All families will be presented with a shawl and a memento each, according to Dr Vinod Sharma, chairman of the organising committee of the party. Indira Gandhi Balidan Divas will also be organised that day at Hamirpur. Mrs Vidya Stokes, HP Congress chief, will chair the function.

BAN ORDERS: The District Magistrate, Ms Anuradha Thakur, has banned carrying of firearms and ammunition from October 24 to 28. The step has been taken in view of the Hamir Utsav scheduled to be held here from October 26 to 27. An official spokesman said here on Friday that the ban would not be applicable to the personnel of the Police Department, Home Guards and other paramilitary forces deployed on duty during the fair.

POWER STAFF RALLY: Hundreds of employees of the HP State Power Board held a rally here on Thursday and raised slogans in support of their demands. The rally was addressed by Chander Singh Mandyal and Karam Singh Thakur, both union leaders. They demanded an increase in their allowances, creation of new posts in the board and filling of all vacant posts on the priority basis.

SHIMLA
BOOKS RELEASED: Dr Suraj Bhan, Governor, has exhorted scholars to conduct serious research for removing distortions in ancient scriptures. He said there were many references in scriptures which were not only irrational, but derogatory too. He was speaking at Raj Bhavan here on Thursday after releasing “Maharishi Dayanand Ke Darshnik Mantvya and Mahapurushon Ke Prerak Prasang”, authored by Dr Karam Singh Arya.

APPOINTED: Mr T.R. Sharma, a 1967 batch officer of the Indian Postal Service (IPS), has been appointed member, Postal Services Board (PSB), an official note here said. Mr Sharma is at present Chief Postmaster General, Rajasthan.

BIOTECHNOLOGY PARK: The Biotechnology Department plans to construct a biotechnology park at Y. S. Parmar University. A 10-acre site has been earmarked near Kalaghat. The park is to be constructed with aid from the Central Government.

NSUI DEMAND: The National Students Union of India (NSUI) has demanded an increase in M.Phil seats in all departments. Mr Dev Kimta and Mr Vikas Shukla, NSUI general secretaries, have sought an increase of 10 seats in M.Phil course of physical education. The NSUI has also urged the Vice-Chancellor to curb the poster war on the campus.