The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, December 28, 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

AHMEDGARH
MEETING: Mr Gurmail Singh Chandhar, state president of the SCBC Teachers Union, said the union would announce its action plan to press for its long pending demands and implementation of the 85th constitutional amendment at a joint delegate session of the union and the coordination committee in Ludhiana on Sunday. He was addressing office-bearers of the union here on Thursday. He also criticised the indifferent attitude of government towards their demands.

AMRITSAR
REVENUE STAMPS: Members of the Public Welfare Association are sore over the reported shortage of revenue stamps in the city which is causing harassment and inconvenience to people. They have demanded that the Punjab Government should take immediate steps to ensure the supply of revenue stamps. This was informed in a press release issued here by Mr Lajpatrai Thakral, general secretary of the association, on Thursday.

FARIDKOT
DRUG ABUSE: Mr A. Venu Prasad, Deputy Commissioner, on Thursday directed heads of various departments to check the consumption of intoxicants by employees during office hours. In a circular, he said reports had been received that many staff members were consuming opium or other drugs at the workplace.

GURDASPUR
ARRESTED: The police has arrested Vishwa Mitter, a resident of Pathankot and Raj Kumar, a truck driver of Madan Industries Corporation, Ludhiana, for stealing pig iron. Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, said on Thursday that 35 pieces of stolen iron were recovered from the accused. A case under Sections 379/411 of the IPC has been registered.

HOSHIARPUR
MAN KILLED: An old man was crushed to death at the bus stop here on Friday. According to the police, the bus ran over him while it was being reversed.

LUDHIANA
TREE PLANTATION: The Lions Club Ludhiana Virat has undertaken a tree plantation drive with the active participation of educational institutions and welfare committees of residents. Stating this at a meeting, president of the club, Mr Amrit Lal Aggarwal, said that among other projects, the club had adopted a rural school and organised a contest for schoolchildren. He said the club would also hold an eye operation camp, along with free medical and dental health check-up camps, for poor and needy persons.

MALAYALEE CONFEDERATION: Different Malayalee associations have formed the confederation of Ludhiana Malayalee associations. About one lakh Keralites, residing in various parts of the city and working with various government, semi-government, private organisations and hospitals, have welcomed this step. They assembled for a formal launching of the confederation and Christmas-cum-New Year celebration on Sunday at Ewing Christian Senior Secondary School, near Christian Medical College.

SANKIRTAN: The Dharam Parchar Committee is holding a jagran, Harinam sankirtan and a discourse session in connection with New Year at Shri Durga Mata Mandir, near the Jagraon bridge on Thursday, said Mr Krishan Chand Gupta, secretary of the organising committee. Among those who attended a meeting of the committee in this connection on Thursday included Mr Balbir Gupta, Mr Varinder Mittal, Mr Jagdish Sharma, Mr Bal Krishan Sharma, Mr Manjit, Mr Prem Gupta and Mr Ashwini Gupta.

MOGA
WATER LEVEL: Mr G. Romesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, on Friday called upon farmers to diversify into cultivation of crops like sugarcane so that the subsoil water level did not fall further.

STUDENTS' PROTEST: Schoolchildren on Friday protested against frequent power breakdowns in the town, which had caused great inconvenience to them. They demanded uninterrupted power supply so that their studies were not hampered.

COMPLAINT: Residents of some localities on Friday complained of the supply of contaminated water. They said the water contained impurities.

NAWANSHAHR
THIRD PLACE: Guru Nanak College of Nursing, Dhahan-Kaleran (Nawanshahr) team, comprising Poonam Ahuja, Amandeep Kaur Saini, Ravneet Kaur and Sukhjeet Kaur, secured third position in model-making at the 20th national SNA biennial conference held in Ernakulam in Kerala recently. The model was on (Staff Nurses Association).

PHAGWARA
BLANKETS DONATED: The Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Committee and the local unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha donated 78 blankets to patients of Civil Hospital here. This was stated on Thursday by Mr Arun Khosla, committee’s chairman and morcha’s state vice-president.

SEIZED: The police has seized 30 kg of poppy husk from two persons. It is learnt that following a tip off, the police raided the house of Malkiat Singh at Lakhpur village and nabbed two youths and seized 30 kg of poppy husk. They have been identified as Malkiat Singh of Lakhpur village and Madan, alias Maddi of Palahi village.

TARN TARAN
DISTRIBUTED: Inmates of lepers hospital here were given blankets on Christmas Day. Mr Danial B Das, coordinator, socio-economic development programme, distributed the blankets.

CHANDIGARH

DISCUSSION: Local BJP leaders here on Thursday briefly discussed the issue of prospects of the party in the January 1 Mayoral election with the BJP National general secretary, Mr Arun Jaitley. The discussion on the issue was held at the railway station where local leaders Satyapal Jain and Yashpal Mahajan, along with others, had gone to receive the national leader. Mr Jaitley was on his way to attend a political function in Punjab.

ALBUM RELEASED: Upcoming Punjabi singer Sharon released her debut album “Aa Sahniya” at Press Club in Sector 27 here on Friday. The album has eight songs capturing various moods. The music has been directed by Jaswant Kittu. The ceremony was attended by Mr S.S. Thind, managing Director of M4U, Mr Shamsher Singh and Mr Anup Kumar, Director of ACN channel.

DSOI POLL: Elections to select office-bearers of the Defence Services Officers Institute, Sector 36, for the next term are scheduled to be held on December 29. These are eight posts for which polls would be held. These are vice-chairman, three executive members and four members for sub-committees on bar and catering, discipline, housing, sports and entertainment. The contestants for the vice-chairman’s post include the present incumbent, Brig M.S. Dullat (retd), Brig Satjit Singh (retd) and Col J S Sandhu. The post of the chairman is an ex-offcio post and the Major General Artillery at Headquarters Western Command holds the post during the term of his office. About 2,500 members are expected to cast their vote through a secret ballot and results will be declared after the club’s annual general body meeting.

PANCHKULA
PROBE COMMITTEE: The Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) has set up a committee headed by the Superintending Engineer, Mr S.S. Gakhar, to probe into the fire at Ramgarh-Madanpur power substation that completely destroyed a 100 MVA transformer. The fire broke out on December 24 causing a loss of over Rs 2 crore. The committee members have been asked to submit their report within 15 days, said sources in the Nigam on Thursday.

SEMINAR: As part of Operation Sadbhawna launched by the Haryana police all over the state, the district police today organised a seminar against female foeticide in Azad Colony. The seminar was presided over by Additional Superintendent of Police, Bharti Arora and Ms. Vidya Maini, Ms. Bala Pathak, Sub-Inspector Babu Ram, in charge Crime Against Women Cell etc participated. Over 300 women had attended the seminar and they were informed about their legal rights.