R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
DEMONSTRATION: Employees of the General Insurance Company (GIC) under the banner of the All India Insurance Employees Association (AIIEA) staged a demonstration during lunch in front of the office of the United India Insurance Company in protest against a senior official of the company. They demanded the immediate transfer of the official.

HONOURED: Dr Harmohinder Singh Bedi, senior professor of Hindi, Guru Nanak Dev University, will be honoured with ‘Dr Chander Shekhar Award’ by the Punjab Hindi Sahitya Akademy’ on September 21 at Nawanshahar for his contribution to Hindi literature. Dr Bedi has already been honoured with Sahitya Shiromani by the Uttar Pradesh Government.

WELCOME PARTY: Guru Nanak Dev University will organise a cultural programme ‘Swagat-2003’ to welcome freshers on Friday. The programme is being arranged by the campus cultural committee of the university in collaboration with office of the Dean Students’ Welfare. 

LUDHIANA
YOGA CAMP: A pranayam, yoga and acupressure-cum-healing camp is being organised by Arya Samaj, Model Town, at Arya Samaj Temple here. The camp will conclude on September 28. The timings of the camp are from 6 pm to 7.30 pm everyday. Acharaya Arun Kumar from Rishi Kalap Ashram, Niranjanpur (Dehra Dun), is conducting the camp. Patients are being treated for various ailments like hypertension, heart problems, diabetes, arthritis and stomach ailments.

HEALING CAMP: The Sarb Rog Ka Aukhad Nam Mission Trust, Ludhiana, is organising a five-day healing camp at Janj Ghar, Model Town. The camp will conclude on Sunday. Free treatment is being provided to the patients. Mr Balwant Singh, one of the trustees, said in the past 16 years, thousands of patients suffering from diseases like thyroid cancer, stomach cancer, kidney failure and genetic disorders had been treated at these camp.

DENTAL CAMP: Little Angel Nursery School, near Jalandhar bypass, conducted a free dental, check-up camp for students on Wednesday. Dr Sumeet Singh Sodhi, dental surgeon, explained the importance of oral health to children.

NABHA
TEACHERS’ FUNCTION: More than 400 teachers of the Nabha block participated in a function organised by Punjab Pradesh Teachers Union at Government High School Fathehpur, 5 km from here. The president of the union, Mr Devinder Pal Sharma, while addressing the teachers said the union would adopt peaceful means to solve the long-pending demands of teachers.

PATHANKOT
SUMMONED: Mr Ranjit Singh, Judicial Magistrate First Class, here has summoned three members of Ms Renu Bajwa’s in-laws family under Sections 406, 498A of the IPC. The victim had complained that she was being tortured for bringing inadequate dowry.

SEIZED: The police claims to have seized 36 bottles of whisky of various brands from an Army naik. The arrested has been identified Karan Singh. A case under Section 61/1/14 of the Punjab Excise Act has been registered.

PHAGWARA
INTERFACE: the Citizens Rights Forum, Phagwara, held an interface with Punjab Social Welfare Minister Joginder Singh Mann, a press release said on Wednesday. Forum office-bearers highlighted several public problems. The minister assured to take up the issue with the departments concerned. He gave a grant of Rs 1 lakh to the blood bank.

MINISTER’S VISIT: The Punjab Local Bodies Minister, Ch Jagjit Singh, on Wednesday visited Shri Guru Ravi Das College, Shri Guru Ravi Das ITI and Mata Kalsi Public School. The minister inspected the on-going projects in these institutions and directed the authorities to provide more facilities to the students.

SAMRALA
MEETING: The local Brahamin Sabha held its meeting here on Thursday under the presidentship of Mr Behari Lal Saddi. Mr Devi Dayal Shastri was the chief guest. It was decided to request the Punjab Government to declare the Brahamins as a minority community. On this occasion, three Brahamin students were given financial aid.

HARYANA

KAITHAL
ANNOUNCED: Mr Karamvir Saini, convener Backward Classes Welfare Morcha, announced here on Wednesday that a maha sammelan of the Backward Classes would be held at Jind on September 28 to discuss the problems being faced by the backward classes all over Haryana.

YAMUNANAGAR
INAUGURATED: Mr S.S. Bhandari, Senior Regional Manager, Punjab National Bank, Chandigarh region, inaugurated ATM at Model Town, Yamunanagar branch of the bank on Wednesday. Mr Bhandari informed that this was the first ATM of Punjab National Bank in Yamunanagar district.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
HAILED: The Himachal Pradesh State Judicial Officers Association general secretary, and the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr S.L. Sharma, here on Wednesday appreciated the state government’s decision to open seven more “fast track courts” in Himachal Pradesh but expressed resentment that these seven courts would be set up in a phased manner.

MANDI
CLAIMED: Thakur Kaul Singh, Parliamentary and IPH Minister, on Wednesday claimed that Himachal Pradesh was poised to attain number one position in literacy in the country. Addressing a literacy rally organised under the aegis Himachal Gyan Vigyan Samiti at the Seri manch here to flag of “Kala Jatha 2003”, he said the national literacy rate at present was 65 per cent while Himachal had achieved literacy rate of 80 per cent. The jatha would visit 44 blocks of the state to promote peace, national integrity and self reliance, he said.

UNA
BLAMED: The Congress which came to power defeating the BJP during the last Vidhan Sabha elections has failed to keep its poll promises. This was stated by Mr Jai Kishan Sharma, state BJP president here on Wednesday.