R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

HOSHIARPUR
DHARNA: Residents of Kandhala Jattan, Ganipur, Badana, Jhaj, Ghore Baha, Nainowal Vaid, Sikri and Khadala Sainian villages staged a dharna at Adda Saran, about 25 km from here, on the Hoshiarpur-Tanda road in protest against the irregular power supply from Bulhowal and Tanda feeders of the board. They also disrupted vehicular traffic from 10.30 am to 12.45 pm. Later following an assurance from the PSEB authorities, they lifted the road blockade.

FATAL BURNS: Raj Rani, wife of Ashok Kumar of Bhatha Colony, Mukerian, succumbed to her burn injuries at Civil Hospital Mukerian on Sunday. In her dying declaration before the Judicial Magistrate-I, Dasuya, she said her clothes caught fire when she was boiling milk on a stove in her house.

DROWNED: Fauja Singh of Rajpur village was drowned on Sunday in the Beas river while he was collecting fodder on the bank of the river. His body was recovered from the river near Kule Mand village.

ELECTROCUTED: Karnail Singh was electrocuted in his field at Miani village on Sunday. He had gone to his tubewell to start the electric motor.

JALANDHAR
PSEB WORKERS’ DEMAND: The Electricity Employees Federation of India decided to extend support to the Punjab electricity workers at its executive committee meeting here on Sunday. By another resolution it decried the move to trifurcate the PSEB.

LUDHIANA
LAUNCHED: Connect has launched CDMA-based prepaid mobile service in Punjab. The subscribers will get value-added services like caller line identification, call wait and call forward absolutely free of cost. The users will also get recharge reminders and will be able to carry forward unused balance calling value with every recharge, according to Mr Jayant Keswani, General Manager, Connect.

NEW PREMISES: Bhai Gurdas Institute of Computer Education, which is under the management of Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha (E-Block), Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, has been shifted to a new premises. The inauguration of the newly constructed building on the gurdwara premises was held on Sunday. Bhog of Akhand Path was followed by the recital of shabads by the Raagi jatha of Bibi Varinder Kaur. The function was attended, among others, by the president and other members of the managing committee, the Director of the institute and the staff.

EYE CAMP: A free eye check-up camp was organised at Karamveer Hospital under the supervision of Dr Dinesh Kumar Sharma on Sunday. Diabetes and blood pressure patients were examined and ECG tests were conducted. Free medicines were distributed among more than 300 patients.

NAWANSHAHR
SALARIES NOT PAID: Resentment prevails among teachers and employees of government schools in the district as they have not received their salaries for June, thanks to the “confusion” regarding the drawing and disbursement powers granted by the office of the Accountant-General, Punjab vide letter no. DC-9/DDO Powers/2003-04/403-420 dated June 23 and endorsed by the local District Education Officer on June 27. The local Treasury Officer, Mr S.N. Makker, refused to entertain the bills presented by the principals and headmasters of the schools on the plea that the DDO powers granted by the letter were meant for the principals of government inservice training centres instead of school principals and headmasters as these had been issued in continuation to letter no. DC-9/2003-04/141-153 dated April 22, 2003.

PHAGWARA
DUPED: The police has booked a travel agent, Balbir Singh of Virk village for duping two youths Amritpal of Nangal Colony and Amarjit Singh of Nangal Sadana village of Rs 3.65 lakh on the pretext of sending them abroad, it was learnt on Monday.

BOOKED: Baljinder Singh of Chand Nagar, Delhi, who worked as a courier agent, was drugged and robbed of his bag and the parcel, meant for delivery at Nawanshahr, by the taxi driver he had hired somewhere between Ludhiana and Phagwara last week. He was thrown out from the taxi near Khangura village on the Phagwara bypass. He was discharged from the hospital on Sunday. The police has registered a case against the taxi driver.

SAMRALA
MEETING HELD: The local unit of Public Health Employees Union held a meeting here on Monday under the presidentship of Mr Harpreet Singh Grewal. The members of the unit criticised the policy of the government for not regularising the daily-wage earners who were working for the past more than 16 years. They also criticised the government for not implementing the demands which had already been accepted. The members also decided to stage a dharna at Chandigarh on Friday.

DEAD: Mr Gurmel Kaur mother of Mr Avtar Singh Ghulal, vice-president, District Congress Committee, died here on Monday due to a heart attack. Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi, SDM, Samrala, Mr Kirpal Singh Khirnian, member SGPC, Mrs Gurmeet Kaur, chairperson, Panchayat Samiti, Mr Jasvir Singh Jassi, president Nagar Council Samrala, Youth Congress leader Rajesh Kumar Bittu, Mr Bakhshish Singh Vickey attended the funeral. 

HARYANA

AMBALA
VISIT: The Students of 10 schools will be given information about classical dance and music by noted danseuse Nandita Devi. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr DD Gautam, in a press note said the school students will be informed about the rich culture heritage of the country. He said Nandita Devi was from Manipur and had learnt dance and music under well known gurus.

MOVE OPPOSED: A former organising secretary of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Om Prakash Malik, on Monday opposed the formation of the Municipal Corporation of Ambala. Mr Malik said the decision was against the wishes of the people. “ Municipal councillors of Ambala City and Ambala Cantt at their respective council meetings, have passed resolutions against the decision. The district Congress Committee (Urban), Ambala Cantt, has also opposed this move on the ground that Ambala City and Ambala Sadar are two separate towns,” he said.

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE: The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee is going to start its membership drive soon. The deputy spokesperson of the HPCC, Dr Pradeep Chauhan, said they were aiming to make 10 lakh new members which would be ten per cent more than the last year’s figure. He said the HPCC president, Mr Bhajan Lal, had directed the state office-bearers, district presidents, block presidents and other office-bearers to begin work in this direction. Dr Chauhan said active members would have to deposit Rs 100 in the party fund.

SBOP FUNCTION: The bank staff focus on providing additional value to customers and increasing business in personal finance, said Mr A.K. Dass, Managing Director of the State Bank of Patiala, here on Sunday while talking to officials of the personal banking branch in Sector 8. He said the bank had achieved a landmark by over 1700 ATMs. This would reduce the work load and the surplus staff would be adjusted in marketing division to promote personal finance products, he added.

KASHMIRI MIGRANTS: Registration forms for Kashmiri migrants, who have not been able to register themselves so far, would be available here from July 10 to 11.All those migrants living in Chandigarh, SAS Nagar and Panchkula, who for some reason or the other have not been able to register themselves with their respective administrations so far, can now do so by filling a form,” Kashmiri Sahayak Sabha president B.L. Sadhu said here on Monday. He said the forms would be available in the Sabha’s office in Sector 24.

PINJORE
HEALTH CAMP: A free eye check-up camp was organised here on Saturday by the 152nd Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Pinjore, in association with the Guru Granth Sahib Seva Samiti, Chandigarh. The camp was inaugurated by Mr Adhir Sharma, ADIG, CRPF. Mr Harjeet Singh Sabbharwal of the seva samiti presented a siropa. More than 300 persons were examined during the camp. Free medicines were also provided.

1 DEAD: A youth of the railway colony, Kalka, Nikhil, who was injured seriously on Friday, succumbed to his injuries on Sunday in the PGI, in the Chandigarh. According to the police, Nikhil had sustained injuries in a road mishap on the National Highway No. 22. When. the two-wheeler he was riding pillion was hit by a motor-cycle. The police has registered a case under Sections 279,337, and 304-A of the IPC.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

HAMIRPUR
ROTARY INSTALLATION: Dr Vinod Sharma and Mr Pankaj Lakhanpal have been installed president and secretary, respectively, of the Rotary Club, at the Hotel Hamir here. Mrs Veena Misra, District Governor, Rotary district 3070, performed the ceremony. Mrs Praveen Sharma and Mrs Naina Lakhanpal were also installed president and secretary of the Inner Wheel Club here. Mrs Adarsh Sood, chairperson of the Inner Wheel (district 307) performed the ceremony. The clubs also organised a medical camp at the police lines here on Sunday.

KANGRA
OFFICE-BEARERS: The followings have been elected office-bearers of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Employees Union (Ranital unit): President — Mr Prakash Chand; Vice President — Mr Tarseem Lal; Secretary — Mr Sanjay Kumar; and treasurer — Mr Om Prakash.

KULU
BLOOD DONATION: Sant Nirankari Mission here, organised a blood donation camp at Gandhi Nagar, here on Sunday. Mr R.D. Nazim, Deputy Commissioner, here, inaugurated the camp. The Chairman of the Blood Bank Society, Mrs Krishan Lal, donated Rs 500 for fruits and milk to the donors.