R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
ARTS EXHIBITION: The 76th All-India Exhibition of Art (zone 1) for Punjab will be held at the Indian Academy of Fine Arts here. The exhibition would be held from January 16 where select art works will be sent to Delhi for the national-level exhibition. Five cash prizes of Rs 10,000 each would be given to as many winners from the state.

LUDHIANA
VISIT: Mr Rakesh Pandey, State Minister for Printing and Stationery, visited Government High School, Salem Tabri, along with Mr Nahar Singh Gill, Mayor, recently. Mr Pandey handed over a cheque for Rs 1 lakh to the Principal, Mr Ranjit Singh, for the construction of a science lab.

PATIALA
ELECTED: A general body meeting of the Baba Ala Singh Club was held under the presidentship of Dr D.S. Bhullar and general secretary Jaspal Singh here on Wednesday. Mr Jaspal Singh Dhillon, Mr Kulwinder Singh Dhillon, Mr Amarjit Singh Cheema, Mr Amarpreet Singh Dhillon and Mr Jawarlal Singhal, were elected senior vice-president, vice-president, chief organiser, joint secretary and finance Secretary, respectively, for 2004-05. 

PRTC gets discount: Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) has got discount in the rate of purchase of diesel from Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. An official release here on Wednesday said the management had succeeded in bringing down the rates of diesel by 38 paise per litre. The release further said that PRTC covered nearly 3.2 lakhs km daily and this reduction in rate would save nearly Rs 90 lakh per annum.

Phagwara
One killed: Lohri celebrations turned sour at Madhopur village on Tuesday when a resident of the village, Gurdial Chand, was killed in an accident near Chak Hakim village. He was returning on a cycle after purchasing groundnuts and reoris for celebrations when a truck hit him.

ROPAR
Bypass project: the Punjab Government has finally cleared Rs 5 crore for the much awaited Ropar bypass project. Mr Ramesh Dutt Sharma, State Minister for Grievances and Transport, said here on Wednesday. He said that the work on the first phase of the Ropar bypass project would start soon. This would include the construction of bridge over the Sirhind canal and strengthening and widening of road adjoining it. After the construction of the bypass the heavy traffic currently passing through the town would be diverted on it. The bypass has been a long standing demand of the local residents of Ropar.

ZIRAKPUR
WELFARE SOCIETY: The following have been elected office-bearers of Gobind Vihar Residents Welfare Society, Bartana: president — Mr K.K. Mehra; vice-president — Mr Hanumant Bahuguna; general secretary — Mr V.K. Verma; and cashier — Mr K.K. Sharma.

CHANDIGARH

CHANDIGARH
CELEBRATION: The 142nd birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama in Sector 15 on Wednesday. It all started with mangalarti chanting of Sanskrit stotras, including select readings from Kathopanishad. Special puja was performed and bhajan were recited. Later havan was organised followed by a discourse by Swami Brahmeshanand.

HARYANA

AMBALA
Demand: The Haryana Exporters Association has demanded certain concessions from the Union Finance Minister. The association said that under present circumstances, the Finance Minister must consider the exporters favourably since the international market was extremely competitive. The prices of raw material were increasing it was difficult for the cottage and small scale industries to survive. The concessions should include the bank interest for export should be 5 per cent for pre-shipment credit and 5.50 per cent for post shipment credit, there should be no TDS for exporters, at least 5 per cent reduction on income tax on all slabs, excise limit for small scale industry should be Rs 5 crore and provision for income tax exemption should be provided for medical and educational expenses for two children to the income tax assessees.

Grant: Ambala Cantt MLA Anil Vij said on Wednesday that Rs 78 lakh had been released by the Haryana Government for ‘Sarkar Apke Dwar’ programme. Mr Vij said that recently people had pointed out the use of inferior material in road construction. The matter was brought to the notice of the Chief Minister, who had ordered an inquiry. After the inquiry, it was found that inferior quality material was used. Now, the government had directed the same contractors to re-lay the road at their own cost.

Hisar
POLICE CUSTODY: The Judicial Magistrate, Mr Parveen Aggarwal, on Tuesday remanded a person in police custody for four days on charges of possessing charas. A police party had recovered 6 kg of charas from one Sanjay Kumar. In another case, the police arrested Suresh Kumar of Satrod village seized 200 kg charas from his possession.

PISTOL SEIZED: The local police has seized a countrymade pistol and two live cartridges from two persons at nearby Mangali Surtia village. A police spokesman said here on Tuesday that the police had arrested Pardeep Kumar of Mangali Surtia village and Pawan Kumar of nearby Harikot village in this connection.

Jind
SENTENCED: The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Jind, Mr Virender Singh, on Monday sentenced Birender Singh of Gangana village to seven years of imprisonment on the charge of raping a woman in Gangoli village. The Judge also imposed a fine of Rs 2,500 on him. According to prosecution, the victim had gone to her field to bring fodder about two years ago where Birender Singh raped her.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Mandi
WOMAN KILLED: A woman was killed near Rani Bain on NH. 21 on Tuesday when a Maruti Van (HP-01-M-116) hit her. She died on the spot. She has been identified as Himachali (38) of Ropru village. The police impounded the vehicle and arrested the driver after registering a case under Section 304-A of the IPC.

Shimla
MAN DIES: Mr Chattar Singh, an employee of the Central Government press, died after he fell from national highway on the Shimla-Kalka rail track near tunnel No. 103 on Monday night. His body was found on the track on Tuesday.

Sundernagar
Rs 550 CR FOR BRIDGES: An amount of Rs 550 crore would be spent on the construction of different bridges in the current financial year in Himachal Pradesh, said Mr Rangila Ram Rao, Excise and Taxation Minister while addressing a gathering at Patrighat village in Sarkaghat subdivision on Monday. Mr Rao inaugurated a 5 km-long Patrighat -Jawali road in Sarkaghat subdivision on Monday which was constructed by spending an amount of Rs 18.60 lakh.