R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
UNION’S CHARGE: The PWD Field and Workshop Workers Union has alleged delay in the grant of monthly salary of employees. They demanded the regularisation of all contract labourers, ban on privatisation, and promotion channel for the supervisory staff to JE rank. This was informed by Mr Sukhdev Singh, general secretary of the union.

STAMPS: An acute shortage of revenue stamps as well as post office stationery has led to harassment to the public which is being forced to purchase these from private operators at exorbitant rates.

BATHINDA
APPOINTED: Mr Parambans Singh of Faridkot has been appointed vice-president of the All-India Youth Wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal, according to a press note issued by Mr Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, president of the party.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Multi-Purpose Health Employees Union of the PHC sangat: president — Mr Harjeet Singh; vice-president — Mr Ram Singh, secretary — Ms Harbans Kaur, vice-secretary — Mr Jeetu Ram; and Treasurer — Ms Paramjeet Kaur.

CRITICISED: The Sikh Dharmi Fauji Association has termed the proposed SAD “jail bharo” agitation as a step towards the revival of terrorism in the state. This was stated by Mr Amrik Singh, chairman of the association, in a press note issued here on Tuesday.

EMPLOYMENT SCHEME: Mr Anurag Verma, Deputy Commissioner, said here on Tuesday that under a new government scheme villages youth would be given training for starting allied agricultural occupations. He was presiding over a meeting of the Agriculture Production Committee. He said arrangements would also be made to help rural youths to get loans from banks in this regard.

KAPURTHALA
ARRESTED: The police has arrested Bagga Singh of Bootan village and Sucha Singh of Booh village on a charge of possessing poppy husk. Fifteen kilogram of poppy husk was recovered from them. The police has registered a case under the provisions of the NDPC Act.

LUDHIANA
PNB COIN MELA: In accordance with the directions of the Reserve Bank of India, a coin distribution mela was organised by Punjab National Bank in the city. Coins of different denominations worth Rs 5 lakh were distributed among members of the public. Mr A.K. Loomba, Senior Regional manager, Ludhiana region, presided over the function. Speaking at the occasion, Mr Loomba said the PNB branches were extending the facility of exchanging soiled and mutilated currency notes into new currency to their customers. Prominent among others present at the function were Mr S.K. Garg, Senior Manager, PNB, Mr Mohinder Aggarwal, General Secretary, Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, Mr Sunil Maria, Mr P.N. Kundra and Mr Dalip Singh. 

JAGRAN ORGANISED: The Golden Eagle Club had organised a ‘jagran’ in Jodhewal Basti recently. Eighty needy students were given stationery and 10 widows were presented woollen shawls, according to Mr P.S. Basren, club president.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following were elected office-bearers of the Employees Federation of Punjab State Electricity Board, Focal Point Division : president — Mr Tarlochan Singh; vice-president — Mr Sant Ram; general secretary — Mr Gulzar Mohammed; cashier — Mr Mangal Singh; propaganda secretary — Mr Ranjit Singh and adviser — Mr Rajesh Thukral.

ANTAKSHRI CONTEST: K.L.S.D. College participated in inter-college ‘antakshri’ competition held recently at Arihant Spinning Mills, Malerkotla. The college team comprising Shalini, Tulika Renu and Sheetal bagged the third position in the competition. 

DEMANDED: Meeting of the Northern Motion Picture Producer Artist Association was held at Calibre Plaza on Tuesday. Addressing the meeting its president, Mr J. Thakur, said it was essential to stop the beauty contests and functions held in the name of film industry as they were misleading the people. These contests were not conducted by any registered organisation. For this, the Indian Motion Picture Production Association, Mumbai, and the Western Indian Film Producers Association, Mumbai, had given a green light to the Northern Motion Picture Producer Artist Association to curb such unauthorised contests.

PROGRAMME: In an endeavour to inculcate the reading habits among children, a two-day parent orientation programme was organised from October 28 to October 29 at BCM Model Arya Senior Secondary School. Addressing the parents, Mr Sarabjit Singh and Mr Dinesh Kapila said the children were unable to judge between right and wrong. The school had organised a book fair for the students under the aegis of Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd. The charts of the children who received prizes in the creative writing contest held on the World Literacy Day were also displayed in the school’s auditorium. The function was inaugurated by Ms Ish Garg.

MALERKOTLA
CASH LOOTED: Some miscreants looted Rs 90,000 from two farmers at village Khanpur, near here, on Monday. According to information received here, Buta Singh and Gurcharan Singh of Jabbomajra village were returning to their village after withdrawing Rs 90,000 from the State Bank of Patiala. When they reached at Khanpur village the miscreants looted the cash from them at pistol point.

DENTAL CAMP: Under an intensive dental health care programme of the Punjab Health Department, Dr Mohammad Shabbir, CMO (dental), Civil Hospital, here organised a dental check-up camp at Government Senior Secondary School, Lasoi, near here, on Monday. According to Mr Munish Jindal, in charge of the camp, 550 students were examined without charge.

NAWANSHAHR
TEACHERS’ SALARIES: Mr Kulbir Singh, president of the Teachers’ Union (Operation Blackboard) in a press note issued here on Monday has urged the state government to immediately release requisite sanction so that teachers working in the government schools under the operation Blackboard Scheme could get their salaries before Divali.

ELECTED: Mr Jaspal Singh Musapur, Mr Gian Singh Baharh Mazara and Mr Sucha Singh Mallpur have been unanimously elected chairman, vice-chairman and managing director, respectively, of the Board of Directors of the local Nawanshahr Central Cooperative Bank.

“ABHIYAN”: Mr Rajbir Singh, Assistant Director, Sarv Sikhiya Abhiyan, under the “Jan Sampark Abhiyan” launched by the state government with a view to taking stock of the progress of the Sarv Sikhiya Abhiyan and ensuring community participation for making the programme a mass movement, conducted sudden inspections in various schools of the district. He took stock of the grants disbursed, school planning and gradation during inspection and issued directions to school heads for implementing the scheme properly.

PHAGWARA
FOUND MURDERED: An unidentified person between 30 and 40 years of age, was allegedly found murdered near Pandori Jattan village on Monday. The police recovered the body from a village drain, it was learnt on Tuesday. The body bore many injury marks inflicted by a sharp-edged weapon. A case has been registered.

SAMRALA
DIVALI BONUS: The executive committee of the Punjab Land Mortgage Banks Employees Union has urged the Punjab Government to fulfil the genuine demands of the employees otherwise the Punjab State Cooperative Banks Employees Union and Punjab State Cooperative Agricultural Development Banks employees will start its agitation. The president of the union, Mr Gurdev Singh, the vice-president, Mr Romesh Chander, and the chief organiser, Mr Baljinder Singh Sodhi, said this while talking to mediapersons on Tuesday. The union leaders have urged the Punjab Government and the Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Punjab to withdraw its decision to deduct employees salaries and give bonus/gratia before Divali.

BANDH CALL: There was no response to a call given by the Kisan Unions for a Punjab bandh on Tuesday here. All vehicles on all national highways and link roads were running smoothly.

HARYANA

KURUKSHETRA
ASSOCIATION: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Haryana Library Association: president — Mr R.D. Mehla; senior vice-president — Mr Mahanand Malik, vice-president — Mrs Savitra Verma; general secretary — Mr Manoj Kumar Joshi; and joint secretary — Mr J.S. Rana; and treasurer — Mr Om Pal.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
VOTERS' LISTS: The District Electoral Office-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Mr Chamel Singh, has said draft voters’ lists have been revised and will be kept in the offices of the SDM, the Tehsildar, the Naib-Tehsildar and respective polling booths for inspection and submission of any objections and deletions and additions of any names from November 7 to November 30 for all four Assembly constituencies of the district.