R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
REMOVAL SOUGHT: Residents of Kabir Park and Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar have demanded the removal of Mr Kirpal Singh Randhawa as Deputy Chairman of the Punjab Human Rights Organisation. At a press conference, they also appealed to the district administration to withdraw the Deputy Chairman’s security.

BATHINDA
POWER SUPPLY: The local office of the Punjab State Electricity Board, in a press note issued here on Wednesday, said due to maintenance work on the 33 KW power grid sub-station, power supply would remain suspended from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 18 to Bhagu Road, Shant Nagar, Civil Lines, Pujan Walla Mohalla, Mehna chowk, old bus stand, Guru Nanak Pura, Grain Market, Model town, Dhobiana Road and HIG/LIG and EWS flats.

CONGRESS WORKER: Jagdev Singh Jagga, a Congress worker, was killed in an accident while going to attend a rally of the party at Talwandi Sabo on Baisakhi. Mr Ripjit Singh Brar, a senior Congress leader, expressed grief over the incident and said Jagga was a dedicated worker of the party.

‘HIKE SC QUOTA’: Mr Mohinder Singh Kalyan, a former chairman of the SC/ST cell of the Congress, has said that he favours an increase in the number of seats for SCs in the state Assemblies and Parliament. Talking to mediapersons here on Tuesday, Mr Kalyan said due to an increase in the population of SCs, the reservation of seats in jobs and professional colleges should also be increased.

GURDASPUR
ARRESTED: Two men — Nishan Singh and Kasturi Lal of Hudda village under the Dhaliwal police station have been arrested on the charge of selling contraband medicines without prescription by any authorised medical officer. Besides, two men and woman have been arrested and illicit liquor has been seized from them.

HOSHIARPUR
CAMP: A free medical check-up camp was organised by the Bank of Punjab in association with the Rotary Club North, Hoshiarpur at Shiv Mandir, in Model Town here on Tuesday on the founder’s day of the bank. More than 300 persons were checked by a team of doctors led by Dr Tek Raj Bhatia and given medicines.

CONDEMNED: In a joint press note issued here on Wednesday, Mr Tikshan Sud, MLA, and Mr Jagtar Singh and Mr Shiv Sud, president of the rural and the urban cell, respectively, of the Hoshiarpur units of the Bharatiya Janata Party, condemned the Punjab Government decision to increase school fees from the coming academic session. They said this move would affect poor students.

JALANDHAR
STRIKE: To protest against the state’s move to privatise the Punjab State Electricity Board, employees of the board have decided to be on strike on May 6 and 7. In a press note issued here on Wednesday, Mr Amarjit Sodhi, convenor of the PSEB Employees Struggle Committee, said the decision had been taken at a meeting of various employees’ organisations like the PSEB Workers Federation, the Bijli Mazdoor Sangh and the Bizli Mulazam Front.

PHILLAUR
OPD TIMINGS: The Punjab Government has changed the OPD timings of all government hospitals and dispensaries in the state. Stating this, Health Department sources said here on Wednesday that now the OPD timings would be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on all working days. However, the emergency wings of the hospitals would remain open round the clock.

LUDHIANA
DEATH MOURNED: The Andhra Pradesh Governor, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, has expressed shock over the death of Mr Harjit Singh Bedi, chairman, Sardar Sobha Singh Memorial Foundation. Mr Barnala, who is currently visiting New Delhi, conveyed his heartfelt condolence through his ADC. Meanwhile, the foundation has decided to defer the function to release Sardar Sobha Singh Simiriti Granth at GN Public School scheduled to be held on Saturday in the wake of Mr Bedi’s death. Elsewhere, the Punjabi Novel Academy held a condolence meeting to mourn the death of Mr Bedi on Wednesday. The meeting observed a two-minute silence. The meeting was held under Mr Karamjit Singh Aujla. Others present were Mr Mitter Sen Meet, Mr Devinder Singh Sekhan, Mr Shah Chaman, Mr Satish Gulati, Dr Rajnish Bhadar Singh and Dr Kulwant Singh.

STATEMENT CRITICISED: The Khalsa Panchayat has condemned the statement of VHP leader Ashok Singhal regarding the dominance of Hindu religious organisations in running the country. Mr Bhupinder Singh Nimana and Mr Mangal Singh Khalsa, panches of the outfit, said it was high time that all secular organisations and individuals came forward against the designs of such outfits. The panches said such statements underlined the need for all warring Akali factions to unite.

DENTAL CAMP: A team of doctors from Baba Jaswant Singh Dental Hospital examined patients at a dental camp organised at Gurdwara Nanaksar here as part of Baisakhi celebrations on Tuesday. More than 400 persons took part in the camp. Medicines were also distributed free of cost among them.

DEVELOPMENT GRANT: The Punjab Government will submit a proposal worth Rs 2 crore for developmental works to be initiated in the town to the Central Tourism Department. This was disclosed here on Tuesday by Prof Darbari Lal, Minister of State for Education, while addressing councillors. He said the government would allot Rs 50 lakh for the development of this town. He announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh from his discretionary quota.

HARYANA

TRAINS DELAYED: Few trains on the Ambala-Ludhiana track were delayed here on Tuesday due to a demonstration by the farmers at the Rajpura station. The trains, which were delayed by about three hours, were the Ambala-Bathinda passenger train, the Howrah-Amritsar train and the Indore-Jammu Tawi train. Passengers blamed the railway authorities for the delay.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

NAHAN
PLEA TO FARMERS: Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, Speaker of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha, has called upon farmers to opt for the cooperative system to solve the marketing problems pertaining to agriculture and horticulture produce. Talking to mediapersons at the Circuit House here, Mr Musafir said in the absence of a sound marketing system, middlemen from outside the state were looting the farmers and fruit growers of the state.