The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Thursday, November 7, 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

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

Kaithal HCTM upgraded
Himachal’s ‘Shaktimaan’
Gifts for handicapped

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
THREE KILLED: Sukhdev Singh and Nirmal Singh, both residents of Jalandhar, were critically injured on Tuesday when a truck hit their motorcycle near Muchhala village in Majitha police district. The two died on their way to the hospital. In another incident, Jarnail Singh of Boge Kalan village was crushed to death when a jeep collided with a bus on the Gumtala road.

GURDASPUR
DUES SOUGHT: Mr Gurdeep Singh Najowal, president of the district unit of the Akali Dal (Amritsar), in a press note issued on Tuesday said the government had not made arrangements for the payment of dues to farmers from sugar mills.

HOSHIARPUR
DATES CHANGED: Mr Kirandeep Singh Bhullar, Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer, Hoshiarpur, said the Election Commission had changed the date for the publication of the special revision of voter lists. He said the draft publication would be done on November 25 to December 10. The disposal of claims and objections, preparation and printing of supplements of additions, deletion and correction lists would be done on February 10, 2003. The final publication of the rolls would be done on February 17, 2003.

JALANDHAR
BODY FOUND: The body of a migrant labourer, Mohammad Haid, was found lying in a field at Mirawag Araian village under Shahkot police station on Monday. A case has been registered under Section 302 of the IPC.

SEMINAR: A seminar on the functioning of the Press Council of India was held at the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication of Guru Nanak Dev University here on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion Dr Kamlesh Singh Duggal, Head of the Department, said there was a need to give truth to the council to make it effective.

KHANNA
APTECH FUNCTION: A function was organised by Aptech Computer Education Centre here in connection with Divali celebrations. More than 150 students and guests participated in the function. A quiz programme was also organised on the occasion, which was won by the team comprising Harpreet Jassowal, Bhupinder Singh, Gurpreet Kaur and Sarbjit Kaur. Mr Bhupinder Singh and Raman Toor won the Mr Aptech and Miss Aptech Award, respectively. The chief guest of the function was Mr Mandeep Singh.

LUDHIANA
SANYAS DIVAS: A function was organised at Shri Anant Prem Ashram in Indira Nagar on Tuesday to celebrate the 39th annual sanyas-divas of Sant Prem Darshnanand. Besides Sant Prem Sewanand Muktanand, who presented bhajans, several saints attended the function.

SHOBHA YATRA: All preparation for the shobha yatra being taken out from Sidhpeeth in the Civil Lines on Thursday have been completed according to a spokesman of Shri Atul Krishan Goswami Maharaj Sewa Sansthan. The spokesman said the shobha yatra was being taken out in connection with the Shri Chaitanya Charitamrat Navanh Prayan Katha Gyan Yajna, which begins Thursday at Tagore Bhavan.

PENSION CENTRE: To extend the benefit of the widow relief fund being provided by the Ludhiana Young Welfare Society, New Cycle Market, the society is opening its second centre on the Kali Sarak on November 1, according to Mr Rajneesh Prabhakar, president of the society. The centre would enlist more widows for the Harmilap Vidhwa Pension Scheme which is being run by the society.

BHANDARA: The Ludhiana Sewa Sangh held its 32nd annual Annkoot bhandara at Hindu Puttri Pathshala in Rupa Mistry street here on Tuesday. Before the inauguration of the bhandara, a puja ceremony, was held at Sanglan Wala Shivala by the sangh members.

‘PATH’ CONCLUDES: The weekly recitation of Sunder Kand by members of the Marwari Mitter Sangh concluded in Shiv Puri on Tuesday. Among those who recited the holy scripture and participated in the ‘aarti’ were Mr Surinder Raj Purohit, Mr Prahlad Prajapat, Mr Subhash Sethia, Mr Kamal Lohia, Mr Sanjay Mehnot, Mr Dalip Raj Purohoit, Mr Krishan Lal Parik and Mr Surinder Taank.

NOMINATED: Mr Tarsem Lal Sharma from Ahmedgarh, has been nominated Sangrur district co-ordinator member of the Punjab Police State Apex Committee NGO’s Projects by Mr D.R. Bhatti, ADGP, Punjab.

NABHA
DELEGATION: Mr Deedar Singh Khatra, senior vice-president of the Punjab State Agriculture Cooperative Council Employees Union, said a delegation of the union had met the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, regarding the conversion of cooperative councils into mini-banks on the pattern of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Mr Khatra said the scheme would help the farmers and labourers in getting loans at the village level.

CHANDIGARH

COLLEGES REOPEN: Fun times in city colleges are practically over and it’s time for serious study after a gap of over a month. While the students reluctantly take to their books, the tension of the approaching December examinations is almost palpable. Though attendance was thin in classes after the colleges re-opened after the Divali break, all students would be in their classes and glued to their books by weekend, a principal said.

IT FEST: The IT Department of GGDSD College, Sector 32, is organising a two-day “Phoenix IT Fest 2002” from Thursday on the college premises. The various competitions include an on-the-spot logic testing and application programme, a debate on IT related topics, quiz, skits and dumb sharads. Also, non-competitive events at the fest include a big byte workshop and a panel discussion.

CHARGE ASSUMED: Mr T.R Gautam, Director (Finance), Headquarters Office, ESI Corporation, New Delhi, has assumed the charge of Regional Director, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation at Regional Office, Chandigarh, for the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh with effect from October 31,2002.

SAS NAGAR
MEDICAL CAMP: A two-day cancer check-up camp for women will be organised at Fortis Heart Institute from Thursday. This camp is a part of the Fortis aim to promote good health among women above the age of 35 years. During the camp, women can avail of 50 per cent discount on personal health check-up, mammography and pap smear diagnostic tests.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

KULU
GOVT URGED: A.N. Vidyarthi, a member of the All-India Congress Committee, has urged the government to continue bus services to Lahaul and Spiti district beyond November 13, the official date of closing the Rohtang Pass. Mr Vidyarthi said agricultural produce of the tribal district was still being transported.

SHIMLA
ASSURANCE: Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal on Wednesday assured a deputation of the HRTC Drivers and Conductors Association that its demands would be considered sympathetically and asked that the corporation management to look into these.

KILLED: Two persons have died in two different road accidents here. Krishan Kumar (22) was seriously injured when his motorcycle was hit by a Maruti car while he was going to Kail village from Jagadhri here on Tuesday. He succumbed to his injuries on way to the PGI, Chandigarh. In another accident truck driver Shivlochan was killed when he lost control over the vehicle and hit trees near the Jorian Border.

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

Kaithal HCTM upgraded

Kaithal district got its first engineering college — Haryana College of Technology and Management (HCTM) — five years ago.

The college, which has well-equipped laboratories, was certified ISO 9001:2001 institute recently. The International Certification Services (Asia) Private Limited has decided to re-certify the ISO version from ISO-9002:1994 to its latest upgraded version ISO-9001:2000 as a sequel to the upgradation of facilities at the college.

Mr G. K. Sethi, MD of the college, said the HCTM was established in July, 1998, by Dr Puran Chand Dharmarth Trust. The college is approved by the AICTE, Ministry of HRD, Government of India, and the Directorate of Technical Education, Government of Haryana, and is affiliated to Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra. The HCTM offers four-year B.Tech courses in information technology, computer science and engineering, electronics and communication engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics engineering. Besides, diploma holders securing 60 per cent or more marks are eligible for admission under the lateral entry scheme to the third semester in B.E. (second) year in any branch of engineering.

The college has three hostels — one for girls and two for boys. The library contains more than 10,000 books, 43 journals and periodicals and a good collection of audio-visual material. The library is fully computerised using software of international repute. There is a book bank for needy students.

All computer labs are equipped with computers of latest configurations, standardised hardware and licensed software, ISDN/Internet facility round-the-clock.

Mr Sethi said the admission to various branches of engineering was through an entrance test. As many as 95 per cent of the total seats are filled by the state government on the basis of merit in the CEET Examination.

As many as 50 per cent of the total seats are free and 45 per cent are payment seats in all branches of engineering. Seats up to the extent of 5 per cent of the total intake are reserved for NRI/NRI-sponsored candidates in each branch.

Himachal’s ‘Shaktimaan’

Mr Harsh Gupta, is nicknamed in Himachal Pradesh as “Shaktimaan”. His stints in the Union Ministry of Steel, Mines and Defence Production was like a colourful rainbow.

His contributions towards the development of Himachal Pradesh, specially the hydel power sector, is so remarkable that the chief minister of a big southern state and north-east state wanted to requisition this Shaktimaan. But his reply adds: “At no cost can I leave Himachal Pradesh because there is a magic in the fragrance of its mud and its air, Moreover, the sky looks more blue in Himachal. So how can I leave this state of gods and deities?”

As Additional Chief Secretary, Power, and Chairman, HPSEB, he initiated the power sector, reforms package and incorporated the same in 2001, leading to the signing of the power policy MoU with the Ministry of Power. He was also a major catalyst that accelerated the hydro-power development programme having a total of 10,000 mw potential.

The proof for his earning the econium of Shaktimaan is that two days back he retired as Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh and Chief Minister P. K. Dhumal, while chairing the last Cabinet meeting, gave a rare standing ovation and applaud to Mr Harsh Gupta by re-appointing him as Special Adviser-Development and Reforms, HP — a rare honour given to a Chief Secretary in Himachal Pradesh.

Gifts for handicapped

While the festival of lights spelt darkness for some as they played with crackers, Mr R.P. Devgan, Principal, YPS, Patiala, and Ms Jyotsana and Ms Surat, teachers, YPS, Mohali, together with a group of students from their respective schools turned the yearly festival to bring the sunshine of hope and cheer for handicapped children of Roshni Home, Rajpura, setting a noble tradition. Both schools brought plenty of presents for their less privileged brothers and sisters. Ms Jyotsana and her school served lunch to all Roshni children last year and this year as well.

Special Divali gifts and study scholarships were presented to all children by Mr R.P. Devgan, Principal, YPS, Patiala, Mr G.K. Chowdhari, former Rotary President, Rajpura, Dr S.B. Mittal, FCCP, and Fr Zacharias, parish priest, St Thomas Church, Rajpura.

— Contributed by Satish Seth, Ravi Bali and TNS