The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, March 11, 2003, 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

ABOHAR
REPOLLING: There will be repolling in Ward No. 25 here where ballot papers were reportedly damaged half an hour before the close of polling yesterday. The candidates who won the elections are: Mr Godha Singh, Ms Paramjit Kaur, Mr Lakhmir Singh, Mr Baldev Singh Kalsi, Ms Anita Wadhwa, Mr Sanjiv Chahar, Mr Mohan Lal, Ms Raj Rani Goyal, Mr Manpreet Singh Gill, Mr Ram Avtar, Ms Veer Bala Nagpal, Mr Kaushal Kumar, Mr Ganpat Ram, Ms Ram Kaur, Mr Avtar Singh Tinna, Mr Des Raj Singla, Ms Rajinder Kumari Bajaj, Mr Ashok Kumar Kayath, Mr Chiranji Lal Soni, Ms Bhuri Devi, Mr Madan Lal, Mr Manminder Singh, Ms Santosh Baghla, Mr Narender Verma, Ms Rukmani Gupta, Mr Tulsi Ram, Mr Vimal Thathai, Ms Manjit Kaur Tinna, Mr Satish Narang, Mr Anil Kumar.

AMRITSAR
EXHIBITION: Students of Miri Piri Academy here on Monday organised annual exhibition of paintings, photographs and jewellery at Thakur Singh Art Gallery. Ms Nirmal Jeet Kaur Sandhu, Principal of the academy, said the artefacts displayed in the exhibition were made by the students themselves. Mr Sajeev Sood, President of the Rotary Club, was the chief guest on the occasion. Some US Sikh students were also baptised at the academy.

BATHINDA
AIDS centre: The Bathinda Vikash Manch, an NGO, has urged the authorities to start an AIDS counselling centre in the city so that HIV positive persons could be educated to cope with the disease. The NGO also demanded that tests for detecting AIDS should be done free of cost.

MURDER: Jagdish of Arneawali village was murdered and another person, Kurdaram, injured when Netram alleged fired at them. According to a complaint field by Hari Singh, the incident was a result of an old land dispute.

DEMAND: The Bathinda Vikash Manch, an NGO, has urged the authorities to start an AIDS counselling centre in the city so that HIV positive persons could be educated to cope with the disease. The NGO also demanded that the test for detecting AIDS should be done free of cost.

JALANDHAR
KNITTING CONTEST: Over 200 women participated in the “Aao Bune — Ek Behtar Kal”, hand-knitting contest, organised jointly by the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) and the Vardhman Spinning and General Mills at the local Vajra Sainik Institute on Sunday. Addressing the participants, Ms Vijayalakshmi Nagaraj, president of AWWA, Vajra corps, said knitting was a wonderful craft which helped in developing artistic ability. Mr V.K. Goyal, Chief Executive of the mills, also addressed the participants.

KHAMANO
ALLEGED: Mr Balramjit Singh, who had lost the Ward No. 6 seat to Congress candidate, has alleged that the polling staff presiding officer tried to cancel his grandmother’s vote on the spot. After a complaint, the Tehsildar- cum- returning officer transferred the polling officer. He has also alleged that in Ward No. 5 and 6 there were fake votes. He will go to the Election Commission and demand for re-election in his ward.

KHANNA
MC CONTRACTORS: Contractors of the Municipal Council, Khanna, has threatened the authorities concerned with a fast, if their payments are not released before March 11. Ten contractors of the council have written a letter to the Executive Officer of the council alleging that the officer was making payments for all bills except bills of development works.

CHEATED: A person cheated an employee of an LIC agent of Rs 50,000 in the local LIC office on Monday. According to the information, Dharm Jit Singh, an employee of Jaswinder Singh, reached the office to deposit Rs 50,000. When he was near the gate of the office, a person asked him to clean mud from his shirt. Dharm Jit Singh put his bag near a tap and started washing the shirt. When he turned back he found his bag missing. The police has been informed.

LUDHIANA
JAIL VISITED: A group of social activists visited women cell of Tajpur Jail to observe the International Women’s Week on Monday. They distributed eatables and toys to inmates’ children. The activists, led by Ms Sonia Dhillon, said women inmates were not even aware of the women’s day. After briefing them on the significance of the day, they shared their grievances. Dr Vanie Thapar, sister Helima, Principal Sacred Heart Convent School, were also present.

LECTURE: A lecture on ‘Challenges before higher education in the 21st century’ is going to be held in G.H.G. Khalsa College, Gursur Sahar, here on Friday at 10.30 a.m. in the seminar hall of the college. Dr S.S. Johal, Vice-Chairman, Punjab State Planning Board, formerly Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University, would be the chief guest. Dr D.K. Nawial, Head, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, I.I.T., Roorki, and Dr Prithipal Sohi, from Department of Political Science, SCD Government College, Ludhiana, will deliver lectures.

LECTURE HELD: A lecture on ‘Indian marketing system’ was held at the PG Department of Commerce Section of GGN Khalsa College on Monday morning. Mr K.L. Chawla, area manager of IFFCO, was the speaker. He spoke about increased competition in the Indian market. He told students that competition among companies was enforcing them to adopt various strategies and consumer was benefiting from it. He also highlighted the importance of proportional relationship between sales and marketing cost. He was welcomed by Mr Gurdeep Singh, Principal of the college.

MANSA
BEATEN UP: Ms Sukhwant Kaur Harika, director, Khalsa Rural Dental College and Hospital, Nangal Kalan in the district allegedly beat Mr Mithu Singh Gagowal, former Sarpanch of Gagowal village in the district, with her sandals and fists in the chamber of a senior advocate here on Monday. The reason behind the incident was said to be some dispute of the college management. The managing director of the college, Mr Naginder Singh Harike, is in judicial custody since May 1, 2001, in a case of cheating, forgery and fabrication of documents.

SAMRALA
LICENCES: The ST and ST youth will be given free driving training for LTV/HTV driving licences by the Social Welfare Department under a self-employment scheme, according to Mr Paramjeet Singh, Tehsil Welfare Officer, here on Monday. The trainees will also get Rs 1,500 as stipend and training fee of Rs 1,000 by the department. Besides driving licences will be arranged by the department free of cost.

PROGRAMME: A cultural programme will be organised by the Malwa Sabhiacharak Welfare Club of Bondli village on March 15, according to Mr Kulwinder Singh Bhagwanpura. Ms Sarbjit Mangar (Gidhian Di Rani), Kabaddi Player Amarjeet Singh Kaka, Lucky, Chamkeela, Kanchan Bawa will be honoured by Mr Tej Parkash Singh Kotli, Minister of Transport and Mr Gurtej Pal Singh Bhagwanpura, an Akali leader.

PATIALA
DRAMA CONTEST: The one-act play “Bal Bhagwan” presented by the Patiala Zone and Head Office was adjudged best play at the inter-zone drama competition organised by the Central Cultural Committee of the State Bank of Patiala here on Monday. Devinder Choudhary bagged the best actor award. Shimla Verma was given the best actress award. The best child actor award was given to Chetna Bansal while the consolation prize was given to Mahima.

CAMP ORGANISED: The Lions Club, Patiala Central, in collaboration with the State Bank of Patiala, YPS branch, organised a multipurpose camp for physically challenged children and the marriage of two poor girls at the community centre at Basti Daru Kuta here on Monday. The project in charge of the Shakuntal Devi Lions Free Sewing School, Mr V.D. Shorie, apprised the chief guest, Ms Shukla Das, of the social projects initiated by the Lions International here.

TARN TARAN
CRUSHED TO DEATH: Akbar, a migrant labourer, was crushed by a bus of the local Punjab Roadways depot at Dugri village on Friday. Akbar belonged to Bihar. The police has registered a case under Sections 304, 279 of the IPC against the driver.

CHANDIGARH

MUSHAIRA: A multilingual mushaira was organised on the annual-day function of Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital, here on Monday. Young budding poets of the college mingled with the city’s renowned poets at the mushaira. Sardar Anjum presided over the function. Shams Taberzi, Gurdial Singh Aarif, Madhav Kaushik and Amarjit Amar also participated. In the Hindi section Dr D S Gupt read his poems. The students who took part in the mushaira included Shuchi, Bhavana, Priyanka, Gurpreet, Sumegha, Navneet, Pankaj and Sunita Rani.

FUNCTION: To coincide with the World Consumer Day, the Consumer Forum Chandigarh in collaboration with the Chandigarh Administration will organise a three -day function at Nehru Park, Sector 22 from March 14. A khula manch on Chandigarh Housing Board would be held on the on the opening day. On the next day an on-the-spot painting competition, khula manch on licensing and registration of vehicles and a lecture on traffic would be held. The concluding day would witness a healthy baby contest, poster-making competition and khula manch on hygiene and sanitation. Consumers will given free guidance regarding their redressal of their complaints. Khula manch on tele-communication, LPG, utility services, taxation matters and others have also planned during the function. A meeting was held on Monday about the arrangements about the function, chaired by Mr I.S Sandhu, Additional Deputy Commissioner. Others who attended the meeting included Mr Jaidev Singh, chairman of the Consumer Forum Chandigarh, Mr R.K Kaplash, vice-chairman and Mr D.S Romana, chairman, celebration committee.

PEACE MARCH: A peace march from the Panjab University campus to Sector 17 plaza was organised by the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress and Regional Tibetan Freedom Movement to mark the 44th Tibetan National Uprising Day, here on Monday. About 120 Tibetan students from various educational institutes in the city took part in the march to pay homage to those who have laid down their lives for the Tibetan cause. Participants of the rally urged intervention from international organisations, including the UN Human Rights Commission as well as the International Olympics Committee to scrutinise the human rights record of China. General secretary of the Bharat Tibet Sahyog Manch M L Bali emphasised upon the need to involve more Indians in the Tibetan freedom struggle as such a move favoured Indian security concerns.

PANCHKULA
OPERATIONS DONE: As many as 19 laproscopic operations were conducted by a team of doctors at the local centre of Family Planning Association of India in association with the Inner Wheel Club of Chandigarh on Monday. Mrs Nirmal Bhatia, president and Mrs Alka Gupta, treasurer of the club, donated a set of five utensils each to the family planning acceptors and motivators

SEMINAR: A seminar on unemployed and under-employed teachers was held at DC Model Senior Secondary School on Monday in order to prepare a databank for situations when unexpected vacancies arose. It was also decided that these teachers could volunteer their services for imparting education in classes being run for poor students in various schools. More than 100 unemployed and under-employed teachers attended this seminar.

SCHEMES FOR SCs: The district welfare department has spent a sum of Rs 26.68 lakh under various schemes for the Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes during the last three years. The Public Works Department ( Bridges and Roads) has spent Rs 7. 20 crore for various works in the district during the past three years, an official release said.