R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

FATEHGARH SAHIB
STUDENTS’ VISIT: Students of Mata Gujri College belonging to the Department of Functional English visited All India Radio and had an interaction with Mr S.V. Kapil, Director, about the functioning of the radio station. Director also briefed the students about the background and history of radio in India. The students were highly inquisitive about the system of broadcasting and they were given live display of  recording  at the radio station and after that the students visited Doordarshan, Jalandhar, to get the first-hand information about the working and telecast of Doordarshan programmes.

LUDHIANA
GRANT: Mr Rakesh Pandey, Minister of State for Printing and Stationery, has released a grant of Rs 51,000 from his discretionary funds to the Himachal Prantiya Sabha. The cheque for this amount was presented to functionaries of the sabha by Mr Kewal Bhardwaj on behalf of the minister. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Pawan Sharma, its president, expressed his gratitude to the minister for his support to the people of Himachal Pradesh origin settled in the city.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Urban Estate Phase II (West) Dhandari Kalan Residents Welfare Society: chairman — Mr Dalbir Singh Panesar; president — Mr Satnam Singh Khera; senior vice-president — Mr Tarsem Lal Gupta; vice-president — Mr Gurmeet Singh; secretary — Mr Ujagar Singh; joint secretary — Mr Lakha Singh; treasurer — Mr Malak Singh; assistant secretary — Mr J.K. Nayyar; legal adviser — Mr Phumman Singh; and senior adviser — Mr G.S. Kang.

WARNING: The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ajmer Singh, has warned the residents living within 1,000 m of the Baddowal Field Ammunition Depot against raising any type of construction in violation of status quo orders of the Supreme Court, failing which strict action would be taken against them. Addressing a review meeting of Army, police and revenue officials, he asked the respective panchayats of Ayali, Bains, Baddowal, Baba Nand Singh Nagar and Jhande villages to make sure that no new construction was raised within the restricted area.

DECISION CONDEMNED: The General Secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, on Friday condemned the state government’s move to hand over the Public Health and Education Department to the panchayats. Mr Chandumajra said that the state government’s decision to hand over these two important departments to the panchayats was “anti-people and anti-employee”. He added that rights without resources had no significance. He further stated that panchayats could not run these departments with the existing funds.

CHANDIGARH

UNION'S PLEA: The PGI Employees Union has urged the Registrar of Trade Unions to issue the necessary directions for conducting the union elections in a "legal and constitutional manner". The executive body members, too, have been requested to prepare a list of the registered members and voters.

AIDS AWARENESS: About 30 dwellers of Colony No 5 were sensitised about blood safety and need to promote blood donation during a training programme on AIDS awareness at Karuna Sadan in Sector 11 which concluded on Friday. During the three-day comprehensive training programme, the volunteers were given information about HIV/AIDS at the global, national and local levels. They were also informed about sexually transmitted diseases, reproductive tract infections and their relation with HIV/AIDS.

CAMP FOR WOMEN: About 40 women, participating in a camp at Dhanas for pregnant and lactating mothers, were informed about precautions required to be taken. Free medicines were distributed among the participants. The camp was organised by the Indian Council of Social Welfare's Chandigarh chapter. The Council's honorary general secretary, Ms Sharestha Mehta, informed the participants about the different facilities available to the villagers and the need for organising such camps.

GENERAL BODY MEETING: The Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Mrs Madhavi Kataria, has ordered that the general body meeting of the Blood Donors Cooperative House Building Society will be held before February 5. The meeting has been called after a section of members alleged high-handedness at the hands of the management committee. The main problems of the aggrieved members are about unauthorised replacement of members.

PANCHKULA
UHBVN CENTRES: The cash collection centres of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) will remain open on January 17, 24 and 31 despite holidays on these days. A spokesman of the UHBVN said that the decision had been taken on a persistent demand of the consumers. He further said this would also help in preventing heavy rush at the cash collection centres.

HARYANA

AMBALA
FUNCTION: The Lions Club Ambala Central held a function at Panchayat Bhavan on Thursday night. District Governor Anil Seth was the chief guest, while Mr J.P. Singh was the guest of honour. A number of Lion Club members from Delhi, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh participated in the function. Charter president Gurmohan Kapoor said that the club was established more than two decades back. Club president Ved Arora read out the annual report.

Hisar
SURPRISE CHECK: More than a dozen government employees of various departments here were found absent during a surprise check by City Magistrate on Thursday. A team of local officials headed by the local City Magistrate, Mr Y.C. Bhardwaj, made a surprise visit to various government departments in the local mini secretariat building. They raided the Deputy Commissioner’s office, District Welfare Officer’s office, Labour office and District Statistical Officer’s office and found 18 employees absent from their duties. They also asked department heads of these offices to take strict action against these employees.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Mandi
five injured: Five persons were injured when the vehicle they were travelling in fell into a khud at Naulakha near Sundernagar on the Chandigarh-Mandi road on Wednesday evening. The injured have been admitted to a Sundernagar hospital. Two of the injured are in a critical condition.