R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

• ‘Peter rehras’ replace school buses

• 477 attend Fortis cardiac camp

• ‘Dispute specialist’

AMRITSAR
ANTI-ENCROACHMENT DRIVE: Kiosks and pushcarts were removed by corporation staff from the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital to the Ghala-Mala crossing here on Tuesday. The drive was undertaken under the supervision of Mr Kirpal Singh, Additional Commissioner, Municipal Corporation.

BATHINDA
DENTAL HOSPITAL: Dr D.P.S. Sandhu, Director, Health Services Punjab, inaugurated the B.P. Bansal Dental Care Hospital here on Sunday. The local Civil Surgeon, Dr S.K. Goyal, MLA, Muktsar, Mr Darshan Singh Brar and Chairman, high powered finance committee, Punjab, Mr Surinder Singla, were present. Mr Singla got his teeth examined on the occasion.

VOTER ROLLS: Mr Anurag Verma, Deputy Commissioner, in a statement issued here on Tuesday said that the correction of electoral rolls had started from Monday. Mr Verma said that the rolls were being revised on the basis of January 1, 2003 as the eligibility date. Those who had attained the age of 18 on that day would be eligible.

HOSHIARPUR
VERMICULTURE: Mr H P S Garcha, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, inaugurated a project of solid waste management through vermiculture at Jatpura village, 27 km from here, on Tuesday. Earthworms convert the biodegradable waste into organic manure within 45 days under complete aerobic conditions.

KAPURTHALA
RED CROSS HELP: Mrs Ashu Verma, chairperson, District Red Cross Society and wife of Deputy Commissioner visited Khalu village on Tuesday where more than 100 jhuggies of migrant laboures were burnt and two infants were burnt alive. Mrs Verma distributed 130 woolen blankets, 65 sets of utensils and clothes to 160 persons of 65 families.

KHARAR
ESSAY CONTEST: The youth coordinator, Nehru Yuvak Kendra, Ropar, on the occasion of Communal Harmony Day, organised an essay competition on national integration at Chakwal National Senior Secondary School, Kurali, on Monday. At least 50 students participated in the competition. According to the District Youth Coordinator, the students would be given participation certificates. 

LUDHIANA
SCHOOL FUNCTION: Lovely Lotus Nursery Play School is celebrating children’s fortnight. The celebrations started on Children’s Day. Every working day children have been going some fun filled activity like pillow race, tomato race, three-legged race, animal race, car race, bubbles ace, creative dance, jokes telling, song singing, musical chair race, match flag race etc. Children were taught two qualities of Chacha Nehru- love flowers and not to waste food. On November 30, parents would be given counselling regarding their children. Earlier too, parents were given a series of talks.

EYE CAMP: Sant Ashram at Bhaini Baringa, Sukhana village, would hold a two-day eye operation camp on November 30 and December 1, according to a press release by Sant Ravinder Singh Dhalian, head sewadar of the ashram. Dr Dhanwant Singh from Patiala and his team of doctors would examine the patients on November 30 and operations would be performed the next day. The patients must bring along a bedding and an attendant. Poor and deserving patients would also be given the bus fare in addition to free spectacles and medicines, added the sant.

ANNUAL SAMAGAM: An annual gurmat samagam would be held at Gurdwara Nanaksar at Samrala chowk from November 29 to December 1, according to Mr Kirpal Singh, a spokesman of the gurdwara managing committee. Devotees from abroad are also likely to participate in the three-day samagam which is being held under the supervision of Sant Baba Jaswant Singh. An ‘akhand path’ would be commenced on the morning of the opening day. During the samagam, free check up camps for dental and eye ailments and a general medical check-up camp would also be held.

POOJAN: A poojan ceremony involving worship of a five-headed Shiva-linga made of silver was performed at the Shiva Temple at Gaughat on Monday night after which an aarti was also held amid the chanting of hymns by Pandit Lalit Mohan Shastri. Earlier, a satsang was also held at which members of the Mahila Mandal presented devotional songs. Among the prominent personalities of the town present on the occasion were Mr. Sunil Mehra, Mr Naveen Awasthi and Mr Som Nath Malhotra.

JAGRAN: The Netaji Park Welfare Society , Haibowal Kalan, would hold its fourth Bhagwati jagran at the Mahadev temple on Saturday according to Mr Surinder Kumar, vice-president of the society. The Friends Welfare Jagran Society would hold a Bhagwati jagran on December 7 in New Kundan Puri, according to Mr. Rajinder Sharma. The poojan ceremony would be performed by Pandit Rakesh Shastri and Joginderjit Joshila and party would sing hymns in praise of the deity. The society would also hold a langar on the occasion.

PRIZE DISTRIBUTION: Prize distribution function was held in Shivalikwala Doon School on Tuesday on the school campus.Mr Yog Raj Sachdeva, Regional Officer, CBSE, Chandigarh, was the chief guest of the day. Mr Sunil Maria, President, Shivalikwala Group of Companies, presided over this function. Mr Sachdeva also inaugurated the newly constructed ‘Tagore Complex’ on premises of the school. Along with this complex, a computer lab was also inaugurated. A cultural programme with Rajasthani dance, one act plays in English, Hindi and Punjabi, rhythmic dances of tiny tots and bhangra etc were the main attraction of the function. At the end the chief guest gave away the cultural as well as academic prizes to the outstanding students. 

SPORTS DAY: Firsteps Nursery School held its sports day on Sunday. The chief guest Ms Sunil Aggarwal, wife of the DC, Ludhiana, initiated the show by returning the salute to marching students. Next was a surprisingly good gymnastic and judo show with students doing cart wheel, somersault and displayed judo tactics followed by a drill. Suggestion for running for health was not forgotten. The students raced in a variety of styles. There was a race for the parents also. The Principal, Ms Poonam Mahajan, insured the participation of all her students.

CONTEST: The XI Ludhiana Sahodaya School Declamation Contest was organised in GGN Public School, Rose Garden, Ludhiana. The function was presided over by Dr Varinder Kaur Thind, Principal, Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana. Mr R.S. Grewal, Principal of the host school, welcomed the chief guest. Thirty speakers from 15 CBSE affiliated schools participated in the contest. Ms Rashmi Grover lecturer in English, Government College for Women, Ludhiana and Mr Joginder Singh, a former Principal, GGN Khalsa College, Ludhiana, were the judges. Details of the prize winners are as under: individual prizes : Taran Khangura, KVM, Civil Lines 1, Preeti Lamba and Neha Mangla of KVM and DAV Public School 2, Mandeep Kaur of GGN Public School 3. Consolation prizes : Parneet Kaur of Sacred Heart Convent School, Sarabha Nagar 1, Manpreet Bhalla, St. Thomas Sr. Sec. School, Brown Road 2 and Varundeepo of DAV Public School BRS Nagar, 2.Overall trophy for the best team was won by KVM, Civil Lines, Ludhiana and the Runners Up Trophy wen to DAV Public School, BRS Nagar, Ludhiana.

MANSA
ASI SUSPENDED: Mr Sudhanshu Shekhar Srivastava, Senior Superintendent of Police, Mansa, has suspended ASI Hardeep Singh, alias “Sapp”, posted at Sardulgarh police station in the district following the registration of a corruption case against him and Gora Lal Bajewala, general secretary of the state unit of Nationalist Congress Party. The case was registered on the complaint of Lachhu Ram, a resident of Nohar in Hanumangarh district in Rajasthan. According to the FIR, the ASI had registered a false case against Lachhu Ram under Sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code. 

GANG OF CHEATS: The Bareta police has busted a gang of cheats. The gang used to marry off its girl members with the aim that they decamp from the in-laws with cash and gold ornaments after a few days. The police has arrested Gulzar Singh Bhikhi, Gurtej Singh of Bhunder Bhone, Sukhjinder Singh of Samaon, Samunder Singh and his wife Jasbir Kaur of Dabawali in Haryana.

NAWANSHAHR
BAL VIGHYAN CONGRESS: The Education Department organised a district-level national Bal Vighyan Congress-2002 here on Tuesday at Government Senior Secondary School. Fifteen school teams presented their projects on the topic of ‘Food system towards nutrition for all’. In the 11-14 age group Sukhjinder Mangat (Tagore Model School, Nawanshahr), Manjit Kaur (Government Senior Secondary School, Aur); Gurpreet Singh (Government Senior Secondary School (Boys), Rahon bagged the first three positions. In the age 14-17 group, Deepika (Government Senior Secondary School, Nawanshahr), Manish Bhatia (Government Senior Secondary School (Boys) Rahon, Vipin Kumar (Hindu Senior Secondary School, Banga) Bagged the first three positions. Mr Gurmail Singh Sahlon, Deputy District Education Officer distributed prizes.

SCHOOL FOUNDER DEAD: Mr Darshan Singh Atwal, founder of the local Doaba Sikh National High School, breathed his last on Tuesday. He was cremated at his native village Barwa. A number of educational institutions here remained closed as a mark of respect to the educationist.

PATHANKOT
FUNCTION: Mr Raghunath Sahai Puri, Urban Development Minister, Punjab presided over the sport day function of Smt Rama Chopra Sanatan Dharam Kanya Mahavidyalaya on Tuesday. He was welcomed by Mr Chetan Dev Chopra, life manager of the college. Dr Kavita Malhotra, Principal, Mr Sukhdev Wadhera, Patron, Mr Shyam Chadha, Senator, Guru Nanak Dev University and others. Mr Puri announced a grant of Rs 30,000 for the college.

PANCHAM SEMINAR: The Abhinaya Kala mandir here has decided to confer the pancham Samman 2002 to the Hussain brothers. ustad Ahmad Hussain and ustad Mohammad Hussain, ghazal maestroes of the North, on November 30 at the Kali Mata Mandir auditorium here. Mr Vinod Khanna, Union Minister of State for Tourism and Cultural Affairs, will present the ghazal Izaz to Gursharan Singh, an eminent theatre personality.

PATIALA
MEDICAL CAMP: Manav Chetna Manch, a social organisation, on Tuesday organised a free medical check-up camp at Government Senior Secondary School at Bhawanigarh, near here. Dr Amar Singh Azad , convener of the manch, stressed on the need to maintain hygiene and inculcate health awareness among people. More than 300 patients were examined at the camp. 

ATM INAUGURATED: Mr J.K Malhotra, Assistant General Manager and Regional Head of the Oriental Bank of Commerce(OBC), on Tuesday inaugurated the bank’s first ATM in Patiala region at Adalat Bazar here. Mr Malhotra said the bank would shortly install more ATM’s in Patiala, Sangrur and FatheHgarh Sahib. He also said latest technology would be adopted by the OBC so as to ensure a more competitive customer service and that more branches of the bank would be inter-connected shortly. 

IT INDUSTRY: “There is no recession in the IT industry as is generally perceived” said Prof Avinash Singh, Associate Director of Rai Foundation, while delivering the key-note address on ‘Career Guidance and Placement’ at Sri Guru Harkrishan College of Management and Technology here on Monday. The Chairman of the college, Mr Jagjit Singh Dardi, announced that the college would shortly introduce diplomas in mass communication and public relations. The Director of the college, Mr S.R. Sahni, advised the students to develop practical and communication skills. 

RECOMMENDED: Dr Devinder Daur, Librarian, Punjabi University, has been recommended for the N. Ratna Rao Best Woman Professional Award for 2002. The award will be presented to her at the 19th IATLIS national seminar to be held at Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, next month. This was stated in a press note of Punjabi University. 

CAMP: Employees of the State Bank of Patiala, Model Town branch, will organise a free medical check-up camp at Garg Hospital & Maternity Centre, here on December 1. Besides free consultation, medical tests, including blood sugar, blood pressure, and ECG, will also be conducted free of cost. OC

BLOOD DONATION: On the occasion of its 54th Raising Day, the NCC Unit 3, will organise a blood donation camp at Khalsa College on Thursday. Both NCC cadets and public volunteers will donate blood. OC

DECLAMATION: The Lions Club (Central), in collaboration with the State Bank of Patiala, on Tuesday organised a declamation contest at S.D.S.K. Shakuntla Senior Secondary School here. Seven teams from different schools in the city participated in the contest. Naina Aneja of Arya Girls School was adjudged first, Anamika of Bakshi Bir Girls School second while the third prize went to Ruchi of the host school. TNS

INSPECTION: Brig D.S. Dhillon, Deputy Director-General, NCC, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, on Tuesday conducted the annual administrative inspection of the NCC Group Headquarters here and visited its different units in the city. He also discussed the NCC activities being carried out in the city with Col A.S. Gahlaut, Group Commander of Patiala NCC Group. 

CHANDIGARH

SAS NAGAR
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Residents Welfare Forum, Sector 69: president — Mr Yogesh Gupta; general secretary — Ms Ravinder Kaur Gill; and executive members — Mr Charanjit Singh Brar, Mr Anokh Singh Sandhu, Capt A.S. Johar, Mr R.C. Bhatia, Mr Joginder Singh Sodhi and Mr Hardip Singh. 

HARYANA

CONTEST: SD College, Ambala Cantt, held rangoli, card making, pot decoration, salad and poster making competitions on Tuesday. As many as 200 students from 12 colleges participated in the competitions. The overall trophy was won by Hindu Girls College, Jagadhri. The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Ms Neelam Kasni, was the chief guest on the occasion. In the rangoli competition, Anurag and Smita of Hindu Girls College, Jagadhri, stood first while Nina and Navpreet of SD College, Ambala Cantt, and Jagdeep and Meena of Dev Samaj College stood second and third, respectively. Yash Walia and Neha of SD College and Poonam Rani of Arya Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Shahbad, were given special prizes. In the salad decoration contest Neeru of Indra Gandhi College, Ladwa, stood first, Deepika of Hindu Girls College, Jagadhri stood second and Sukhbir of HGC, Jagadhri, stood third. Shilpi of Dev Samaj College got special prize. In the pot decoration competition, Bharti of Dev Samaj College stood first, while Barkha of SD College, Ambala Cantt, and Sharda of Hindu Girls College, Jagadhri, stood second, respectively. Special prize was given to Yachna of HGC, Jagadhri. In the card making competition, Barkha of SD College stood first while Yachna of Hindu Girls College, Jagadhri, and Ritu of HGC, Jagadhri, stood second and third, respectively. Divya Ahuja of SD College, Ambala Cantt, got a special prize. 

ARRESTED: The police has arrested Sohan Lal, alias Kuku, who is alleged to have set a girl, Dhanwanti, on fire in Ambala Sadar a few days back. Sohan Lal is Dhanwanti’s brother-in-law and had reportedly set her on fire after she spurned his marriage proposal. Dhanwanti died in the PGI, Chandigarh, last week. 

CONDEMNED: Mr Om Prakash Malik, a former organising secretary of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, condemned the militant attack on historic Raghunath Temple in Jammu here on Tuesday. He demanded that the government should give a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to next of kin of the victims. 

SCHOOL FUNCTION: The annual day function of Shivalik Hills Public School, Ambala City, was held on Monday. Naggal MLA Jasbir Mallour was the chief guest. Students presented a cultural function, a group song and dances on the occasion. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
HEALTH CAMP: The National Thermal Power Corporation Kol Dam Project Management organised one-day free health camp for Kol Dam oustees at Harneda, 35 km from here on Monday. The Project General Manager, Mr K B Dubey said, 175 patients were examined.

KULU
YOUTH CAMP ENDS: The six-day-long youth leadership camp, organised under the agies of the District Youth Service Department of this and Mandi Districts at Agriculture Research Centre, Bajaura, about 15 km from here, concluded on Tuesday. Mr Subhash Ahluwalia, Special Secretary and Director, Youth Services and Sports, Himachal Pradesh, presiding over the function said government had formed a policy to create ample scope for self-employment among the youth.

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

‘Peter rehras’ replace school buses

Contrary to the stringent rules in respect to ‘school buses’, most of these private schools in Jalalabad are plying notorious ‘Peter Rehras’ for carrying their students to surrounding villages. About 1000 students of about 50 private schools come daily to their schools covering 2 to 10 km on this dangerous vehicle.

Popularly known as ‘Marutaa’, this local made 5 HP Peter engine-fitted four-wheeler, has taken the place of the bullockcart in the villages of this border belt. Notwithstanding the traffic risk involved, villagers prefer the vehicle over the traditional ‘tractor-trailer’ for its speed, low cost (i.e. Rs 25000 per vehicle) and much less running cost. The vehicle is sought of as a multi-utility vehicle (MUV) for the villagers, who are transporting each and everything to the town and vice versa on this device.

Though the Punjab and Haryana High Court banned its movement sometime back, but on this border belt the auto can be noticed, running everywhere from dusty roads to the grand trunk roads.

Moreover keeping in view the sensitivity involved in transportation of school children, apart from the rules of the Motor Vehicle Act, the court has issued special directions, which are as follows: the ‘school bus’ ( any vehicle carrying students from their residence to school) should get clearance-cum-fitness certificate from the appropriate transport authority; the colour of the ‘school bus’ must be yellow; the minimum qualification of the driver of such vehicle should be matric; the driver must have a heavy vehicle driving license and a minimum five-year experience of heavy vehicle driving; besides the driver the vehicle must have two other persons - an assistant and a conductor; there should be a logbook keeping the travelling and maintenance record; the conductor must maintain a register, taking daily attendance of all students while getting in and getting off, and the vehicle should carry a first aid box.

If any operator does not abide by these rules, one can understand, as there is little respect for traffic rules here. But it is strange to note that despite special directions the tiny tots are being carried on these ‘death traps’.

When contacted the principal of a private school, on the condition of anonymity, said due to the pitiable condition of government schools in villages the poor parents were forced to send their wards to private schools. To carry students on Peter Rehras was a compulsion of these schools management, as the parents cannot afford bus fares.

477 attend Fortis cardiac camp

The Fortis Heart Institute and Multi-Speciality Hospital organised a one-day free cardiac check-up camp at MSD Senior Secondary School, Hanuman Chowk, Bathinda. Keeping in line with the response received during the previous camps, more than 477 patients from Bathinda and nearby towns like Malout, Gidderbaha, Mandi Dabwali, Rampura Phul, Bhuchcho Mandi, Balluana, Goniana, Talwandi Sabo, Shergarh, Abohar, Gurusar, Muktsar, Mansa, Lambi, Badal, Jaito, Tapa, Bhikhi and Budhlada got themselves examined by the Fortis doctors.

Besides getting free consultation from expert cardiac surgeons and cardiologists, these patients also got tests like ECG, ECHO etc. done free of cost as part of the free cardiac check-up camp.

The core cardiac team of Fortis comprising some of the best medical professionals was in Bathinda to provide consultation and to attend to the needs of the patients.

Through these camps, Fortis Heart Institute & Multi-Speciality Hospital aims at spreading awareness amongst the masses about heart diseases, which today affect over 3 per cent (3 million) of the Indian population. Punjab is one area where the incidence of this disease is the highest in the country.

According to the doctors of Fortis Hospital there is an alarming increase in the incidence of heart-related ailments in our country today. The world average of the incidence of heart disease is 1.5 per cent where as in India this average doubles to 3 per cent and in Punjab it rises to an alarming high level of 6 per cent.

‘Dispute specialist’

The Subdivisional Magistrate of Solan Mr Lokinder Singh Chauhan, has become very popular, specially among the poor and the down trodden, because in Solan he has earned a new econium of “the unique dispute specialist of Solan”.

Mr Chauhan is also popular for settling major on-going temple disputes in Solan. Recently he sorted out and solved the long standing dispute of Lord Shirdi Sai Baba Temple. And again recently in the famous Subathu Hill cantonment there was a dispute between the local Guga Peer Temple Mela Committee and the 14 Gorkha Training Centre over the use of the military ground for local mela purpose. The viewpoint of the Army authorities was that there were directors from the higher authorities to stop giving the premises for civilian fairs and programmes.

The atmosphere had become tense. The ‘dispute specialist’, Mr Chauhan, SDM, Solan, was requisitioned and dispatched to Subathu by Mr Bharat Khera, Deputy Commissioner, Solan to settle the issue. And he did it again. It called for celebrations because the tense situation had cooled down and the dispute amicably settled.

Mr Durga Ram, an 89-year-old resident of Solan, said: “Today if our society has a few more such Chauhans, the world with peace around would be a paradise to live. This man deserves to be sent on deputation to Gujarat and J&K”.

Contributed by Ashok Grover, TNS and Ravi Bali.