The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, July 1, 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

BATHINDA
TOPPER HONOURED: The local branch of Punjab National Bank gave away citations to students belonging to the city who secured good positions in the entrance tests to the IIT and medical colleges during a customer-relation programme organised here on Sunday. Mr S.K. Kalra, Regional Manager, Punjab National Bank, Bathinda gave away the citations.

SEMINAR: The Fortis Heart Institute and Multispeciality Hospital, SAS Nagar, organised a seminar on cardiac care here on Sunday. This was stated in a press note of the institute. Dr Gurcharan Singh Kalra, Senior Consultant, Interventional Cardiology, Fortis Heart Institute, said Indians had the highest rate of coronary artery disease in the world despite the fact that half of them were vegetarians.

HOSHIARPUR
CASE: The Sadar police, Hoshiarpur has registered a case under Section 307, 120B of the IPC against Narinder Kumar, a resident of Gali No 17 of the local Mohalla Roop Nagar for allegedly setting his wife, Navjot Kaur, on fire on June 27.

PO HELD: The Garhshanker police has arrested a proclaimed offender, Sudesh Sharma of Parbhat in Zirakpur, who had been charged with crushing a cyclist to death.

LUDHIANA
OFFICE-BEARERS: The triennial general elections of the State Bank of India Staff Association (Chandigarh Circle) comprising more than 650 branches of the State Bank of India of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Chandigarh were held through secret ballot in the presence of observers, Mr Avinash Pabby president, Delhi Circle, and Mr B. Kalita, president Guhati Circle. Mr Kuldeep Singh, deputy general secretary in a press statement on Monday said Mr D.S. Thakur was declared elected president while Mr O.N.Bindroo was declared the general secretary along with other 66 office-bearers. This was for the first time that elections were held through secret ballot.

NAWANSHAHR
DRIVE: The Forest Department has launched a massive afforestation drive with a view to “capping the bare and barren Shivalik Hills” spread over an area extending from Ropar to Pathankot in the state by mobilising villagers, students and industrial labourers in the district. This was stated by Mr Harbhajan Singh, DFO, Garshankar, in a press note here.

PHILLAUR
KILLED: A woman, Shanti Devi, was killed on the spot while a rickshawpuller Bhajan Lal sustained injuries when a boundary wall of the Civil Hospital, Phillaur, fell on them after a thunderstorm on Sunday. According to report received by this correspondent, Balbir Ram and his wife, Shanti, were running a canteen in front of the hospital.

CHANDIGARH

AWARD: To honour Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, the Government of India, at the behest of Indian Medical Association, is celebrating July 1 as “Doctors’ Day”. Bharat Ratna winner Dr Roy was an “ingenious clinician, outstanding teacher and statesman with a vision”. According to a press release, the names of eminent medical scientists from all over the country will be announced by the Medical Council of India for Dr B.C. Roy National Awards on this day. Born on July 1, 1882 at Bankipur in Patna, Dr Roy left for his heavenly abode the same day in 1962. He was actively associated with the formation of the association in 1928 at Calcutta. Dr Roy also served as the association president for a year in 1929 and again in 1937.

ELECTED: D.S. Thakur and O.S. Bindroo were on Monday elected as president and general secretary, respectively, of the State Bank of India Staff Association, Chandigarh circle, representing 650 branches in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir. Sixtysix other office-bearers were also elected in the elections held through secret ballot at the head office in Sector 17, a union press release said.

ALLEGED: Bidders for the contract to run the canteen in Government College for Girls, Sector 11, today alleged violation of rules by the authorities concerned to favour a particular candidate. In a signed complaint submitted to the UT Home Secretary, they alleged that the tenders submitted by them were not opened in their presence as required. Instead the tenders were opened earlier and a list of comparative rates was displayed later. They further alleged that the favoured candidate was then made to list rates a little lower than those given in other tenders so that he could be awarded the canteen contract. The contractor also pointed out that the canteen contract for the 2002-03 session expired on May 31, but the old contractor is continuing to run the canteen.

SOUGHT: The Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee (CTCC) president, Mr B. B. Bahl, and a member of the committee going into the changes in the designs of houses on Monday recommended keeping action on notices served by authorities in abeyance till a final view on the issue was formed. Mr Bahl, on behalf of the CTCC, has sought appointment of an experienced architect having wide knowledge of the needs of the complete family in the present scenario. The architect appointed should obtain the design and layout of houses which are coming up in modern townships in various states. A standard design for additional accommodation in the built-up houses and flats be worked out without interfering in the layout plan of the Chandigarh township, the CTCC president said.

AMARNATH YATRA: Nearly 30 devotees from The Tribune will be leaving for the Amarnath Yatra on July1. The yatra is being organised in association with the Shiv Shankar Seva Dal, Shiv Mandir, Qilla Chowk, in Patiala. The devotees will stay there for a week. A bhandara will also be organised by the dal at Panchtarani.

HARYANA

AMBALA
HONOURED: Mr Rakesh Vaid, Investigator, Sub-Regional Office, National Sample Survey Organisation (Field Operations Division), Ambala, has been adjudged best investigator. Mr Vaid was honoured at a function held at Shimla by the Additional Director-General, Mr M. Neelakantan.

KILLED: One person was killed and three other injured in two separate road accidents in Ambala. According to information, a cyclist, Nirmal, was killed when he was hit by a Tata-407 on the GT road near Devi Nagar village. The brother of Nirmal also sustained injuries in the accident. In another accident, Vikram, another cyclist, was injured near Mahesh Nagar when he was hit by a three wheeler. The police has registered two separate cases in this regard.

YAMUNAGAR
STUDENT PROTEST: Students demonstrated on Monday in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner at Yamunanagar in protest against the increase in the price of college prospectus from Rs 100 to Rs 125. The DC said he would convey their demands to the Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University.

WORKSHOP: Mr Vijayendra Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Yamunanagar, attended the second district-level workshop organised by the Family Planning Association of India at Bilaspur, 15 km from here, on Saturday along with 250 Sarpanches, Zila Parishad members, Block Samiti members and public representatives from Sadhaura, Chhachhrauli and Bilaspur. Mr Kumar said in view of the declining sex ratio in Yamunanagar, a PNDT Act Committee had been constituted at the district level to check female foeticide and ensure proper implementation of the Act.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DHARAMSALA
INJURED: Subhash Chand and his wife, Sudesh Kumari were injured when acid was thrown on them at their house in Paisa village under Dehra subdivision on Saturday. According to a complaint lodged by Subhash Chand, the acid was thrown by Ghungar Ram and Neeru Ram residents of the village, with whom Subhash Chand had a land dispute. The police has registered a case.

KUMARHATTI
ACTION: The Dharampur panchayat has taken action against the defaulters who have failed to make payments for the rents of panchayat shops in the main market. Payments of about Rs 3.5 lakh had not been made by the tenants. While cases have been filed against certain defaulters, others have been issued notices.

PARWANOO
MEETING: A meeting was organised by Mr Surinder Verma, DSP, Parwanoo, with managers of banks and petrol pumps owners of the town under the community policing scheme. The DSP took stock of the safety measures being adopted by the banks and petrol pumps.

APPOINTED: Mr Baldev Singh Thakur of Kulu has been appointed president of the All-India Reporters Association while Mr S.S. Chauhan of Parwanoo as senior vice-president and Ms Vivek Saini as vice-president. These appointments were made by Mr Ish Kapoor, all-India president of the association.