R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
LOK ADALAT: Cases relating to road accidents, family disputes, and civil and minor criminal disputes will be resolved at a lok adalat to be held on Friday here. The lok adalat would be held under the supervision of the District and Sessions Judge, Mr M.R. Batra.

HOSHIARPUR
CONVENTION: The Kandi Vikas Forum in its convention held at Dulriwal on Monday urged the state government to explore the potential of medical and herbal plants that are available in the forest areas of kandi of this district. Mr Jai Chand, sarpanch and senior vice-president of the forum, said the medicinal and herbal plants should be identified for preparing various medicines.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Non-Teaching Employees Union of DAV College, Hoshiarpur patron Mr Kishan Lal; president — Mr Raj Kumar Bhalla; vice-president — Mr Shiv Kumar Sharma; secretary — Mr Ashok Kumar Sharma; joint secretary — Mrs Meena Mehta; and treasurer — Mr Ashwani Kumar.

JALANDHAR
LAW COLLEGE: Lovely Institute of Law, region’s first private law college, was formally opened here on Tuesday. According to Mr Ashok Mittal, director of the institute, it is affiliated with Guru Nanak Dev University with an intake of 80 students each for LLB five-year integrated course after class XII and LLB three-year degree course after graduation. The last date for submitting forms for entrance exams to be conducted by Punjabi University would be Sunday.

DERBY STUDENTS: A group of 15 young students from Derby in the UK, which is currently on a 21-day tour of India under the International Youth Exchange Programme, visited Oxford Hospital here on Tuesday. During their stay students were imparted knowledge about heart diseases and heart care facilities available in India by a team of experts. Students, including four of the Indian origin, who were led by Mr I.S. Dhami, Assistant Director, Punjab Youth Services, also interacted with mediapersons and shared their experiences in India since their arrival here.

LUDHIANA
MINJAR MELA: The Art and Cultural Youth Services Club participated in just concluded international Minjar Mela-2003 held at Chamba in Himachal Pradesh. The team was led by Mr Jaspreet Singh Romi and Ms Paramjit Kaur. They accompanied the team of the Youth Club as team in charge in the cultural programme. The students performed bhangra and Malwai Giddha, while jindua and giddha was presented by the club. The programme was shown live on a local channel. The audience appreciated the programme put up by the Youth Club. 

PCCTU DEMANDS: The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) has been struggling for its long pending demands since long. But the government has turned a deaf ear to the teachers’ demands which include the release of 95 per cent grant, to bring the unaided posts and unaided colleges under the cover of 95 per cent grant-in-aid scheme, pay-parity to DPE’s and librarians, HRA to the teachers working in rural areas and pension and gratuity. Owing to the government’s indifferent attitude to the demands of the college teachers, the PCCTU feels constrained to resort to the path of agitation. In compliance with the decision of the central executive of the PCCTU, the teachers of the private colleges in the Ludhiana district will assemble in front of the Mini Secretariat at 11.30 A M on Friday to hold a rally to lodge their protest. 

MEDICAL CAMP: A free eye medical camp is being organised by the Malwa Youth Welfare Club with the help of Gram Panchayat, Heran, 5 km from here, on August 27 and the camp will be inaugurated by Mr Amrik Singh Heran, member, Block Samiti, according to the club president. A team of doctors under the supervision of Dr J.P. Singh, SMO, Samrala, Dr J.M. Singh, SMO, Eye Mobile Team, Ludhiana, and Dr VP Soni, MS, eye specialist and intraocular-lens surgeon. 

INAUGURATED: A dental ward was inaugurated at Baba Namdev Charitable home by a senior dental surgeon of the city, Dr T.P. Singh on Wednesday. The inauguration was held under the chairmanship of president Narinderjit Singh. Mr Prem Singh, president of gurdwara, Harnam Nagar was chief guest on the occasion. Addressing the gathering, Mr Narinderjit Singh said this ward had been established to make dental care affordable to the poor. The facilities being provided by this dental unit are ultra sonic scanner, X-Ray, root canal treatment, cosmetic filling, smile designing, braces for children and other dental related problems. All these facilities are being provided to the patients on no profit, no loss basis by the hospital which is run under Baba Namdev Charitable Trust. Those present on this occasion were Mr Rajinder Singh Wasir, Mr Prem Singh, Dr Harbhajan Singh Arora, Dr Manish Goel, Dr Jasbir Bawa, Mr Hari Singh Sawadi, Mr Kuldeep Singh and others. 

WATER COOLER: Punjab National Bank, Zonal Office, Ludhiana installed a water-cooler at general bus stand, Ludhiana on Wednesday. It was inaugurated by Mr Rahul Bhandari, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana. In his inaugural address, Mr Bhandari expressed his happiness and appreciated the efforts of the PNB in installing water cooler at General Bus Stand, Ludhiana. Mr V.K. Gupta, Deputy General Manager, Punjab National Bank, Zonal Office, Ludhiana, in his welcome address, stated that the bank was organising and participating in social activities like blood donation camps, medical check up camps and cancer detective camps in Punjab Zone from time to time. Mr A.P.S. Sarkaria, General Manager, Punjab Roadways, Ludhiana, and other senior officers of bank and Punjab Roadways were also present on the occasion. 

MANSA
PATWARI KILLED: Gurdarshan Singh, a revenue patwari posted in the district, died on Tuesday in an accident near Mansa Khurd village. In another incident, 78-year-old Harnek Singh drowned in the Bhakra branch at Makhewala village on Tuesday.

BANNED: Mr Raj Kamal Choudhary, District Magistrate, has banned the use of word “Press” on vehicles. Accredited print media journalists are authorised to put such labels on the vehicles provided these are duly signed by the District Public Relations Officer. The order will remain in force until October 17.

CARS RECOVERED : A police party of Ludhiana checked the records of the car bazaar here on Wednesday and found that a Maruti car and an Indica car sold through the car bazaar had been stolen from New Delhi. The police has recovered both cars and is in search for more such cars.

NAWANSHAHR
EXCURSION: As many as 54 students, including 28 girls, of Government Senior Secondary School were taken on an excursion to Khatkar Kalan, the native village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on Tuesday. Students visited the museum and ancestral house of the martyr.

CONDEMNED: The General Categories Welfare Federation, Punjab, at a meeting held here on Tuesday condemned the assault on Dr Janmeet Singh, Principal of DAV College, Hoshiarpur, and staff members by Mr Kamal Chaudhary, former MP, and his associates on the college campus. The federation sought stern action.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Brahmachari Hari Ram Shiv Mandir Committee: president — Mr Sham Sunder Sharda; secretary — Mr Ramesh Gautam; and treasurer — Mr Kapil Bassi.

PATIALA
PRTC CONFERENCE: The Annual Conference of the PRTC wing of Punjab Transport Workers Union was inaugurated by the State General Secretary of CITU, Mr Chander Shekhar at Parwana Bhavan here on Tuesday. Mr Tarsem Jodhan, former MLA said there was also need for an integrated transport policy. The State General Secretary of transport union, Mr Bikkar Singh demanded regularisation of services of daily wage workers. 

PHAGWARA
LIQUOR SEIZED: The police has seized 264 bottles of whisky from a Tata Sumo near the Paper Chowk here, according to a press note here on Tuesday. The occupants of the vehicle, however, fled. The vehicle has been impounded and a case under the Excise Act has been registered.

TARN TARAN
CRPF MAN KILLED: CRPF Head Constable Ram Singh died on the spot and five others were seriously injured when a vehicle of the 89 Battalion overturned at Thathia Mahanta village under Sarhali police station on Monday. The injured were admitted to the civil hospitals at Sarhali and Tarn Taran.

CHANDIGARH

ABVP CAMPAIGN: On the second day of the “save campus campaign” launched by the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, a signature campaign was launched on Tuesday to take up the problems being faced by students of the Law Department. As many as 159 students signed the memorandum. A delegation of the ABVP met Prof K.N. Pathak, Vice-Chancellor. Their demands include timely declaration of semester results and placement cell.

HARYANA

AMBALA
CAREER GUIDANCE: A seminar on “Careers in IT” was organised by the career guidance cell of MDSD Girls College in the city on Wednesday. The seminar was held in collaboration with the NIIT. Speakers said a career was different from a job and they also differentiated between information technology and IT-enabled services. 

MOVE ON MARTYR: The district administration is planning to name a road after martyr Major Yogesh Gupta. An official said they had not yet decided on the road. A resolution in this regard would be passed in the municipal council, if the road was within the municipal limits, otherwise it would be passed by the panchayat concerned. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr D.D. Gautam and Superintendent of Police, Mr Hardeep Singh Doon, paid a visit to the residence of martyr’s kin at Defence Colony on Wednesday. 

PROVIDENCE: A man who intended to commit suicide had miraculous escape after a train crossed over him in the city on Tuesday. Rickshaw-puller Suresh Kumar laid own between the rail tracks to commit suicide near Agarsain Chowk. The driver of the Ganganagar Express applied the break but the train crossed over him. Later, he was pulled out from the rail track. 

KALKA
REPORTER CREMATED: Surinder Mehra, a Hindi Dainik reporter, who was killed in an accident on Sunday was cremated here on Tuesday. Mehra was residing in Upper Mohalla of the town and was a Hindi Dainik Reporter from Parwanoo. He leaves behind his wife and two children. His funeral was largely attended. 

RAID: The police conducted here a raid on a video shop and at the residence of the owner of the shop on Tuesday. At least 680 pirated CDs were taken into possession.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
OPIUM SEIZED: The police on Tuesday seized 4 kg of opium and over Rs 2 lakh from the possession of Jagat Singh of Majari village. The accused has been arrested.

DHARAMSALA
DRIVER ARRESTED: The driver of the HRTC bus, Mr Jeet Singh, has been arrested for allegedly hitting Mr Som Dutt, resident of Dhanotu, and injuring him while he was walking on the road. In another incident, Rajesh Kumar of Khaniara was injured when he was hit by a Maruti van.

SHIMLA
ALLEGATION: Mr Madan Lal, Chairman of the Theog Panchayat Samiti, has alleged gross irregularities in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna and urged the government to prepare a new master plan on the basis of the 2001 Census. In a letter to the Chief Minister, he has pointed out that under the scheme villages with a population of 250 or more were to be connected by motorable roads by 2007. However, the PWD, instead of constructing new roads for such villages was metalling or improving the condition of the existing ones.