R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

ABOHAR
WOMAN KILLED: Iqbal Kaur, a resident of Green Avenue, Amritsar, was killed and several others were injured when their van collided with a truck on the Abohar-Sri Ganganagar road here on Tuesday. Sources said the family had gone to Rajasthan to celebrate X-Mas holidays.

AMLOH
DHARNA: On the third day of their dharna at the bridge near Nahar Sugar Mill here, farmers reached a compromise with the mill management last evening. The dharna was staged in protest against the decision of the management to stop spot payment of Rs 70 per quintal for the sale of cane. According to the fresh compromise, the payment of Rs 80 will be made after 14 days instead of Rs 70 and the balance will be paid afterwards.

AMRITSAR
FELICITATION: Guru Nanak Dev University will honour Dr Gulzar Singh Cheema, Minister for Health, British Columbia (Canada) on his visit to the varsity on Sunday in the conference hall of the Guru Nanak Bhavan Auditorium.

PROTEST: Workers of the Public Works Department Field and Workshop Workers Union protested in front of the offices of the Superintendent Engineers of the Public Health Department and the Punjab Water Supply and Sewage Board here on Thursday, against the anti-employees policies of the government.

BATHINDA
HELD FOR GRAFT: The Vigilance Bureau on Wednesday arrested Raj Kumar, a superintendent in the office of the Executive Engineer, PSEB, Kot Kapura, for accepting a bribe of Rs 500 from an employee of the department for forwarding his case for leave under the self-employment scheme. This was stated by Mr Baljinder Singh Grewal, SP (Vigilance), in a press note here on Thursday.

DHURI
YOUTH KILLED: A youth of this town was killed in a road accident near Ghanauri village, 10 km from here, late on Wednesday evening. According to information available, the deceased Gulshan Sodhi (27) was coming to Dhuri on his motor cycle when the motor cycle skidded and fell into a deep ditch along the roadside.

DORAHA
CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED: The State Bank of Patiala has launched a deposit mobilisation campaign. “The campaign will prove to be unique in itself,” said Mr S.K. Goyal, manager, Doraha branch of the bank. Mr S.K. Goyal, along with Mr Kulwant Singh, deputy manager, said in order have greater number of accounts, the bank would contribute Rs 10 for the opening of every account from its own funds. The scheme would be available at every branch of the bank from January 1 to January 31. According to Mr Goyal, Special attention will be given to senior citizens.

GURDASPUR
ARRESTED: The police has arrested Joginder Singh of Bhikhowal under the Dhariwal police station for illegally selling drugs. He has a medical store in Adda Mallianwal and has been selling drugs to the youth without any prescription by an authorised Medical Officer.

HOSHIARPUR
DASTAK PROGRAMME: The SSP, Mrs Gurpreet Deo, on Wednesday organised a dastak programme for the redress of public complaints. All gazetted police officers and Station House Officers of the district were present.

KHAMANO
DELEGATION: A delegation of the Unemployed Teachers’ Front, Punjab, met Mr V. Sarkar, Secretary Education, Punjab, regarding their demands and urged to adjust the 47 selected teachers who had been waiting for appointment letters since last year for JBT posts. Mr Sarkar reportedly assured the delegation of early solution of the problem. Mr Gursewak Singh, president of the front, appealed to all unemployed teachers of Punjab to help B.Ed teachers who were sitting on fast unto death in front of the DPI (S) office in support of their demands.

TEACHERS’ FRONT: A delegation of the Democratic Teachers Front under the chairmanship of its district president Mr Amarjeet Singh Gill, met the DEOs (Elementary and Secondary) in connection with their demands. The DEO’s conceded some genuine demands on the spot that included releasing of GPF slips etc. This was stated by the general secretary of the front, Mr Yashpal Khamano.

KHARAR
DEMANDED: Mr Harjeet Singh, president Nagar Sudhar Sabha, Mundi Kharar village, on Thursday demanded that the alleged false votes registered in ward number 2 be deleted from the voters’ list and action be taken against the erring employees. He demanded that an inquiry into the matter be conducted.

LUDHIANA
PRAN PRATISHTHA: A pran pratishtha samaroh will be held at the newly constructed Shri Radha Kunj Bihari temple in Moti Bagh Colony on the Tibba Road from January 14 to 18, according to a spokesman of the temple management. A shobha yatra will be taken out in this connection on January 14 at 10 am from Prachin Gaushala to the temple. Mr Sham Lal Sapra, general secretary, Gaurakshini Sabha will flag off the yatra. Swami Ved Bharti will deliver a discourse on the opening day from 3 pm to 5 pm. Several prominent politicians and citizens, including Mr Rakesh Pandey, Printing and Stationery Minister, Punjab, Mr Malkit Singh Birmi, Mr Prem Mittal, Mr Rajiv Vohra and Mr Ashok Bhandari are expected to attend the function.

RELIGIOUS FUNCTION: Recitation of Ramcharit Manas was held at the Illaichigiri temple, Lalu Mal street, on Wednesday to mark the beginning of a New Year under the supervision of Pandit Surya Narayan Tiwari. Members of the Mahila Sankirtan Mandal sang hymns on the occasion. Later, a brahmbhoj and a bhandara were also held.

FAREWELL PARTY: A function was organised to bid farewell to the Principal of the Government In service Training Centre, Ludhiana, Ms Prem Kanta Brara, who retired after 38 years of service. Sardar Bachittar Singh, DEO, Ludhiana, presided over the function. Speaking on the occasion, Ms Sarabjit Kaur, senior lecturer, lauded Ms Brara’s contribution in organising seminars at the centre. Prof Kanwaljit Singh, TV news reader, also spoke on the occasion. Mander Brothers enthralled the audience with their hit number ‘Choorian’. Lecturer Usha Jain from Jagraon recited a poem on ‘International peace’. Ms Brara was honoured by Mr Bachittar Singh and other staff members of the centre.

NAWANSHAHR
AWARENESS RALLY: The district Education Department, the Health Department and a local NGO, Bhai Ghanaiya Seva Samiti, jointly organised an awareness rally at Government Secondary School, Alachaur, about 5 km from here, on Thursday to mobilise the masses for pulse-polio programme.

BLOOD CAMP: The Lions Club (Nawanshahr Gaurav), in collaboration with the Blood Donation Council organised a blood donation camp at the BDC Bhavan here on Thursday.

NSS CAMP: The local Doaba Arya Senior Secondary School organised a 10-day NSS camp here on the school premises. As many as 50 volunteers, including 15 girls took part.

MANSA
AWARENESS RALLY: To spread the message of literacy the Zila Sakharta Samiti in collaboration with the Education Department organised an awareness rally to usher in the New Year on Tuesday. Officials of the district administration, students and teachers participated in the rally.

MUKTSAR
DENTAL CAMP: A dental check-up camp was organised at Desh Bhagat Dental College and Hospital here on Thursday. A total of 345 patients were examined, according to a press note issued by the institution. Mrs Usha Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, and Mr Shiv Kumar, SSP, were present.

RAMPURAPHUL
SEMINAR: The Potato Growers Association will organise a seminar in the city on Tuesday to promote potato cultivation in the region and discuss problems faced by potato growers. This was stated by Mr Sukhdev Singh, a former Punjab minister and the convener of the association, in a press note issued on Thursday. He said discussions would be held on new developments in potato cultivation, diseases that affect the potato crop and marketing of the crop. Mr Bhagat Singh Finance Commissioner (Revenue), Punjab will preside over the function.

PATIALA
PSEB MEETING: The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) Chairman, Mr Sudhir Mittal, at a meeting with the employees on Thursday stressed that board officials must ensure that the electricity consumers in the state were being provided with high-quality service. Directing the field officers to adopt strict measures to curb power theft, Mr Mittal said there was a need for improving the internal efficiency of the board. He laid stress on expediting power reforms to revamp and strengthen power structure in the state. He also called upon the employees to extend their cooperation to provide uninterrupted power supply to the industrial and agricultural sector.

CASSETTE RELEASED: Renowned Punjabi folk singer Sukhi Brar on Thursday released a folk cassette of Gary Sandhu, “Goriya”, at a function here. Speaking on the occasion, Gary Sandhu said he had tried to invoke the folk essence of the state in his songs, some of which had been composed by him. The other lyrics are by Inda Rajkoti and Deep Chaukanwala, while the music is by Tejwant Kittu. This is Sandhu’s third cassette.

APPOINTED: Mr Gurinder Pal Singh has been appointed the vice-president of Punjab Pradesh Youth Congress.

RESEARCH PAPERS: Dr Jai Kishan, Professor and Director of State TB Demonstration-cum-Training Centre, will present four research papers at the 22nd International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases to be held at Kathmandu, Nepal, from April 9 to 12.

CELEBRATIONS: The local Rotary Club welcomed the New Year on Wednesday by organising a poetical soiree presided over by Shiromani Urdu poet Jigar Jalandhari. The function, which was held at the Academy of Sikh Religion and Culture here, saw Jalandhari start off by reciting New Year’s greetings in the form of ‘katah’ besides other choice ghazals. Prof S.C. Sharma of the Rotary Club also recited one of Jalandhari’s couplets. Mr S.S. Bindra, a radio and television artiste, rendered Jigar’s ghazals to the accompaniment of harmonium. 

PROJECT SANCTIONED: The Union Science Ministry’s Department of Science and Technology has sanctioned a major research project on “Tiger Moths of India” to Dr Jagbir Singh Kirti, Reader. Department of Zoology, Punjabi University. According to a press note here, on Thursday, The project involved a grant of Rs 18 lakh. It said larvae of Tiger Moths caused considerable losses by attacking agricultural crops like paddy, maize, sugarcane, bajra, cotton, vegetables, ornamental plants and forest trees.

HARYANA

AMBALA
SPORTS FESTIVAL: Preparations are on at War Heroes Memorial Stadium where the 28th National Women Sports Festival will be held from Jan. 8 to 11. The Director, Sports and Youth Welfare, Mr M.S. Mann on Thursday held a meeting at the stadium. He said the sports festival would be inaugurated by the Haryana Chief Minister Mr Om Prakash Chautala. He said around 15,00 participants from different parts of the country are expected to take part.

HVP MEETING: A meeting of Haryana Vikas Party was held under the presidentship of Mr Janak Singh Rana. Mr Rana criticised the Chautala government and said farmers were not getting adequate compensation. He also opposed the plan for opening of casino. The Youth president, Mr Jaspal Singh Raja, said HVP activists will submit a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner on January 15.

KILLED: A resident of Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh) was killed in a road accident last evening. The deceased was identified was Suresh. He was a sales executive in a company and had come to Ambala to meet a party. When he was crossing the G.T. Road near Ambala city, a vehicle hit him and he died on the spot. The police sent his body to the local Civil Hospital for post mortem.

INJURED: In another incident, five persons sustained injuries when a tractor trailer hit their vehicle on the G.T. Road, near Ambala city this morning. According to information, the persons, travelling in a car coming from Rajasthan, were on the way to Punjab. The police registered a case against the tractor driver.

SATTA OPERATORS HELD: The Ambala police has arrested five satta operators in the district today. The police during a special drive has arrested Ashok, Jai Ram, Gurmeet, Munna Lal and Rakesh at various places in the district and seized around Rs 3,500 from their possession. 

JIND
NSS CAMP: Addressing NSS volunteers at the concluding ceremony of a camp at Pandu-Pindara village on Tuesday, Mr M.L. Ranga, Health Minister, Haryana, advised the volunteers to make allout efforts for the eradication of social evils from the society. The 10-day camp was organised by the local Government College at Pandu Pindara village.

‘PANTH SANCHALAN’: A “panth sanchalan” programme was held here on Thursday by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) on the concluding day of “Prathamic Shiksha Varg”. The “panth sanchalan” started from the railway ground and culminated at Housing Board Colony point. Around 200 RSS workers took part.

KURUKSHETRA
DEVELOPMENT GRANT: The Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, has sanctioned a development grant of Rs 30 lakh for the Department of Earth Science, Kurukshetra University, Mr R.S. Chaudhry, Vice-Chancellor, Kurukshetra University, said.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DALHOUSIE
RECOVERED: The Dalhousie police recovered stolen property, including currency worth Rs 2.32 lakh from five members of the inter-state gang of thieves who were apprehended in different cases registered against them. In an official release issued on Wednesday, the police spokesman said these five accused were Salil Sharma, Gulzar Malik, Mohd Shafi, Rach Pal and Mohd Sharif who were wanted in various theft and burglary cases.

SUNDERNAGAR
DEMONSTRATION: The Bhakra Employees Federation, Sundernagar, has urged the Union Finance Minister not to accept the Kelkar Committee report in toto. The general secretary of the federation of the Sundernagar unit, Mr Dip Singh, has in a letter written to the Union Finance Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh made some suggestions. The members held a demonstration in front of the office of the Chief Engineer, BBMB, on Thursday along with the members of the BSL Workers Union (INTUC) to press their demands.