R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

• Honoured for taking on ultras
• Monumental neglect
• Schools in villages

PUNJAB

ABOHAR
SHOT AT: Three car-borne miscreants shot at and looted the driver of a truck on the Abohar-Sangria road on Tuesday.

BAIL: A local court on Tuesday rejected bail applications of four persons who had been arrested for allegedly getting the property of a NRI transferred in their names on the basis of a “fake will”.

BATHINDA
CONDEMNED: The SC/BC wing of the SAD has condemned the increase in bus fares in the state. Mr Tek Singh Khalsa, district president of the wing, said in a press note issued here on Wednesday people from weaker sections were facing problems after the formation of the Congress government in the state.

INAUGURATED: Mr Joginder Mohan, General Manager, Telephone District, Bathinda, on Wednesday inaugurated a computerised customer service centre at the civil station office of the BSNL here.

APPOINTED: Mr Bhola Singh Sekhu has been appointed general secretary of the SC/BC wing of the SAD, according to a press note issued by Mr Tek Singh Khalsa, district president, on Wednesday.

NOMINATED: Mr Zora Singh Mann, MP, has been nominated chairman of the vigilance and monitoring committee for Ferozepore district. Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Rural Development, in a communique said Mr Mann would also serve as vice-chairman of a similar committee in Moga district. These committees would serve as a joint forum for monitoring rural development programmes by the Centre and state governments.

VOTER LISTS: Mr Anurag Verma, Deputy Commissioner in a press note issued here on Monday said that the correction of voter lists for the panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads would start from February 10. He said as per the instructions of the State Election Commission the first publication of the lists would be done on February 10 and claims about the inclusion of wrong names or non-inclusion of genuine names would be accepted till February 24. He added that a decision about these claims would be taken on March 7 and the final publication of the corrected lists would be done on March 26.

DHURI
SEMINAR: A seminar community participation meeting on road safety was organised at the local Sukhwindra Restaurant here on Tuesday. The seminar was organised by the Pt Dhan Raj Social Welfare Society of Benra village in collaboration with the traffic police, Sangrur. Nearly 250 persons attended it.

HOSHIARPUR
ARRESTED: In continuation of its drive against anti-social elements, the district police arrested a member of an inter-district gang of robbers on Tuesday. Mrs Gurpreet Deo, SSP, stated in a press note here.

LUDHIANA
DENTAL AWARENESS CAMP: Baba Jaswant Singh Medical College and Hospital held a dental check-up camp at BCM Senior Secondary School here on Wednesday. More than 400 students were checked up Dr Sushil A. Sheikh and Dr Raman Kapur led the team of doctors. Dr Raman Kapur spoke about oral hygiene and dos and don’ts about dental problems. “Crooked tooth (malocclusion) is the most common problem in the age group of 10-15 years. This if detected in time, can be corrected. Generally, 90 per cent of children have gum problems and about 80 per cent have cavities”, stressed the doctors. Students were also told about the importance of balance diet and once-a-month dental check-up. 

RAIL SERVICES SOUGHT: Mr K.S. Budhiraja, a social worker, has urged the Railway Minister to introduce train services from Ludhiana to Chandigarh. The introduction of rail services from Ludhiana to Chandigarh and back will definitely help the people and traders, he said.

PHAGWARA
SAMMELAN: The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha will hold a two-day international yuva sammelan against terrorism at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi on February 10 and 11. This was disclosed here on Wednesday by Mr Arun Khosla, vice-president of the Punjab unit of the morcha. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will address it.

HARYANA

ARRESTED: In a raid conducted by a team of the state Vigilance Bureau, Rajender Prasad a group inspector was caught red handed while taking a bribe of Rs 400 in Kalayat near here, on Wednesday. This information was given by Mr Yogender Singh Nehra, S.P. (Vigilance), Ambala, on Wednesday.

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

Honoured for taking on ultras

Mr Rajinder Singh, newly appointed Superintendent of Police, Yamunanagar, on his nomination for the President’s Police Medal on Republic Day, said his five generations had served the Indian Army. His great grandfather Amar Singh, grandfather Moti Lal and father Randhir Singh retired from the Army as Captain. He said his five uncles fought in World War-II along with his father. He said he too wanted to join the Army, but being the only son was not allowed by his parents. So he opted for the police.

Born in 1951 in Jonodhi village of Jhajjar district, he joined the state police as Assistant Sub-Inspector in 1971 after graduating from Government College, Rohtak. In 1989, when terrorism was at its peak, terrorists had gunned down 25 innocent persons and injured 40 persons at Panipat in front of Hotel Skylark.

Mr Rajinder Singh was transferred from Faridabad and entrusted with the task of solving this case. His team after an encounter for eight hours was successful in gunning down two terrorists who had taken refuge in a gurdwara in Samana (Punjab) and captured three terrorists alive. One of the terrorists who had gone back to Sri Lanka to join the Indian Army unit was arrested from there.

On this successful operation the Haryana Government promoted him Deputy Superintendent of Police and gave a cash award of Rs 50,000 to his team. During his tenure he apprehended 42 terrorists. The Haryana Government in 1989 recommended his name for the President’s Medal.

The Haryana Government promoted him and posted him as Additional Superintendent of Police at Panipat, where he successfully apprehended the killer of Joginder Kaur, the only eye-witness, in 8 hours. The government posted him as Superintendent of Police, Bhiwani.

In Bhiwani he solved the abduction case of Sameer Narang, son of billionaire industrialist of the town in which a ransom of Rs 2 crore was demanded by his abductors. Rajinder Singh himself led the raiding party and apprehended all the seven kidnappers who were hiding in a farmhouse in Agra and recovered the child.

Mr L.K. Advani, Deputy Prime Minister, and the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, at a public meeting in Bhiwani rewarded Mr Rajinder Singh where the Chief Minister publicly announced the recommendation for the President's Medal.

Monumental neglect

The Bhatnair fort in Hanumangarh is in ruins. It is believed that its foundation was laid 1,700 years ago.

In 1804, Amar Chand Surana, a commander of Maharaja Surat Singh of Bikaner, gained control of the fort on a Tuesday, the day of Lord Rama’s prime devotee Hanuman. So the name of the city was changed to Hanumangarh.

During the rule of Maharaja Ganga Singh the fort was repaired. After Independence it was declared a protected monument. But people have made encroachments into its surroundings.

Another fort built by the Maharaja Surat Singh in the Tibbi subdivision in 1801 A.D. now houses a police station.

In Sangaria subdivision, Sir Chhotu Ram Memorial Museum houses statues in sand, rock and metal. The collection includes contributions made by Swami Keshwanand.

Statues dating back to the Gupta period have been placed in the museum. Among the precious collections is an 18th century 5-foot-high brass ‘‘Kamandal’’ (water pot).

A room houses pictures of freedom fighters, including that of Chander Shekhar Azad, and his letters. Many pieces of silverware of Punjab have also been placed here.

The museum in Rawatsar subdivision houses paintings and poems of former Prime Minister Viashwanath Partap Singh.

The museum also houses various gifts, including a pair of scales from Benazir Bhutto, given to him during his tenure.

The museum is opened only for royal visitors. Last, but not the least, is Kalibangan village in Pilibanga subdivision which has the remains of the Harrappan age (2200-1700 BC).

Schools in villages

Balag Vidya Seva Lehar Sanstha, Amritsar, here has opened eight schools in Boparai Baaz, Chhidan, Wadal Bhitewad, Manga Sarai and Nizzarpura. On two and a half acres in the Khalsa area it has made a playground. The Sanstha whitewashed all houses of Mange Sarai village. The village is now called White Mange Sarai. Mr Avtar Singh, the founder of the school, says after he lost his two sons and decided to make use of his wealth by providing education to the poor.

Contributed by Ashwani Dutta, Pankaj Shukla and Pawan Kumar