R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

ARRESTED: The Khuyiansarwer police has arrested Vinod Kumar, a resident of Killianwali village under the NDPS Act, for possessing 5 gm of smack, official sources said on Friday. He was remanded in judicial custody.

AMRITSAR
DONATION: The Spring Dale Education Trust on Friday joined hands with Citizen Forum Vidya Mandir, a school for children of drug victims in the Maqboolpura locality here. The trust has decided to donate Rs 4,000 every month to the school and deputed two teachers to streamline the teaching and improving the quality of education in the school. Ms Manveen Sandhu, president of the trust, said it would also provide stationery and uniform to the students of the school.

OCB EXCHANGE: The Department of Telecommunications earned a profit of Rs 106 crore till January 31 as compared to Rs 105 crore in the corresponding period of last year. This was informed by Mr G.S. Dharia, General Manager, Department of Telcommunication, at a press conference here on Friday. Mr Dharia said the department had installed an OCB exchange for providing improved facilities to its customers.

BATALA
FREE EYE CAMP: The Sukhmani Sahib Sewa Society, Batala, organised a free eye camp at Maharaja Jassa Singh Ramgarhia Public Hall here. About 1500 persons were examined by a team of doctors and 130 patients were operated upon on Saturday. Medicines fee of cost were also provided by the society, said Advocate Rajinder Singh, president, Sukhmani Sahib Sewa Society. Earlier, the camp was inaugurated by Mr Parneet Bhardwaj, SDM, Batala, on Friday.

FATEHGARH SAHIB
HONOURED: Sarv Dharam Society, Sirhind, at a function held here today conferred “Pride of Punjab” award on Mr. S.K Ahluwalia, Deputy Commissioner, for organising Shaheedi Jor Mela in true religious spirit by imposing ban on gambling, dancing stalls, wine shops, swings, circuses and other items of amusement.

FAZILKA
MEETING: Dr Mohinder Kumar Rinwa, MLA, Fazilka, and Parliamentary Secretary, Punjab, accompanied by Mr R.K. Bains, Chief Engineer (West Zone), and M.S. Walia, Superintending Engineer, Punjab State Electricity Board, on Sunday held deliberations here to ensure uninterrupted power supply to Fazilka town and surrounding rural areas. While talking to mediapersons, Mr Bains said Rs 7.60 crore would be spent to improve power supply in Fazilka under Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programmes (APDRP) of the Union Government.

LOAN FAIR: The State Bank of India branch organised a loan fair here on Sunday. Seven nearby branches of the bank disbursed loans of Rs 11.31 crore at the fair. Mr L.C. Hans, Assistant General Manager, disbursed the cheques to the beneficiaries.

HOSHIARPUR
TRAVEL AGENT HELD: The Garhshanker police has arrested a travel agent Balbir Lal Chaudhry, alias Balbir Pal, of Panchkula under Sections 406 and 420 of the IPC. In a complaint against Balbir Pal, Kuldip Singh alleged that the travel agent took Rs 7 lakh from him for sending his sister Sarabjit Kaur abroad on January 5, 1998. But he did not send her abroad. After his persistent demand he returned back Rs 1.50 lakh in three instalments, but threatens on demanding the remaining amount.

IN-LAWS BOOKED: On the complaint of Ramdeep Kaur, daughter of Darshan Singh of Taggar Badala, the Hariana police has registered a case under Sections 498A and 406 of the IPC against her husband Hardip Singh, mother-in-law Gurmeet Kaur, father-in-law Piara Singh and relative Amarjit Singh of Bejowal of Jalandhar district on Friday. In her complaint she alleged that she was married with Hardip Singh on June 2, 2002. Soon after her marriage, her in-laws started demanding more dowry from her parents. When they did not fulfil their demand they beat her and throw her out from the house, she added.

NABHA
POLICE-PUBLIC MEET: A six-member committee is constituted under the chairmanship of Nabha DSP S.S. Boparai, to look into the matters pertaining to women in distress. Other members of the committee are Nabha SHO Bindu Bala, advocate Kiranjit Kaur Brar, social worker, Sarupa Singla, MC Saroj Rani and a gynaecologist Dr Renu Sharda. Patiala SSP A.S. Rai announced the committee at a function organised to improve police-public relations at Galwanti village 9 kms from here. He also handed over the keys of an ambulance to the in charge of the Galwati police station and heard the grievances of the people.

PATHANKOT
DRIVE: The Punjab Transport Department has realised Rs 1.50 crore during the last nine months following a special drive launched against the plying of trucks and passenger buses without valid documents in Jalandhar division. Mr G.S. Ghuman, secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Jalandhar, said the amount was realised after the vehicles were impounded and imposed heavy penalties during the period from April, 2003, to January this year.

PATIALA
NAGAR KIRTAN: Old editions of Guru Granth Sahib were taken for a ritual ‘sanskar’ to Gurdwara Angeth Sahib here on Sunday. A nagar kirtan and langar were also organised for devotees.

NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY: The Punjab College of Education organised a science model competition to mark the occasion of National Science Day here on Saturday. Mrs Amrit Aujla, Principal, Budha Dal Public School, was the chief guest on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Agyajit Singh Director-Principal of the college, urged the students to inculcate the scientific attitude.

INAUGURATED: Mr N.S Despande, Deputy General Manager, State Bank of Patiala, inaugurated ATM facility at a rural centre at Dehar (Lalru) here on Sunday. On the occasion, a loan mela was also organised by the bank. Mr K.S Sandhu AGM, distributed kisan cards and kisan gold cards worth 1.8 crore to the farmers.

TARN TARAN
BLOOD DONATION CAMP: Seventy five units of blood was donated at a blood donation camp on Saturday organised by PAHAL, a youth organisation, at Khadoor Sahib on the occasion of death anniversary of five sants of karsewa wale. Baba Sewa Singh, head of karsewa sect, Khadoor Sahib, while addressing the sangat called them to cooperate in the 500th birth celebrations of the second Sikh guru, Guru Angeddev.

HARYANA

AMBALA
INAUGURATED: Medicon 2004 was inaugurated here on Sunday by Mr Tarsem Garg, chairman, MM Group of Institutions Trust Mr Garg donated Rs 1 lakh for the IMA House to be constructed in the city. Dr Ravi Garg, chairman of the conference, said its theme was epidemic of ischaemic heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. Dr U.P. Singh, Dr Murlidharan, Dr Rajiv Gupta, Dr A.S. Bawa and Dr Kanya Mukhopadiya spoke on various topics. Dr D.S. Jaspal, patron, IMA, Haryana, Dr Avinash Sharma, Civil Surgeon, Ambala, and Dr Rattan Kumar, president, IMA city unit, also spoke on the occasion.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
HIGHWAY REOPENS: The Dalhousie-Khajjar highway has been reopened and the vehicular traffic resumed after two months blockade of this highway due to heavy snowfall. As a result tourists have started making a beeline to view snow on the both sides of the highway and the snowy silver shining Pir Panjal ranges adjoining Chamba district.

OFFICE BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the district unit of the Himachal Pradesh Nurses Association: president—Ms Chanchal Bhardwaj; senior vice presidents — Ms Indu Chona, and Ms Tripta Sharma; vice-presidents — Ms Vijay Gupta and Urmil Thakur; general secretary — Ms Rano Katoh; organising secretary— Ms Jayawanti Thakur; finance secretary— Ms Champa Thakur; press secretaries— Ms Krishna Chona, Praveen Sheikh, and chief adviser—Ms Kamlesh Kaushal.

MANDI
SENTENCED: Mr V.K. Ahuja, District and Sessions Judge, on Saturday sentenced Tek Chand of Pulgran (Kulu) under Section 20 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act to undergo rigorous imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. In the event of default of payment, the convicted persons would further undergo imprisonment for four years. The accused had been apprehended by the Aut police possessing 500 gram of charas on January 5 last year.

NAHAN
PUBLIC MEETING: The Speaker of the HP Vidhan Sabha, Mr G.R. Musafir, while addressing a public meeting at Sarsu in Pachhad area of Sirmaur district, on Saturday said people participation cooperation could be ensured with greater transparency and larger content of quality in works of development. Talking of development of the area, Mr Musafir said there was immense potential for tourism in Sarsu. This area would be developed from eco-tourism angle with the assistance and cooperation of scientists from Horticulture & Forestry University.

NURPUR
REINSTATED: Jaram Singh, pradhan of the gram panchayat, Kamnala, in Nurpur development block who had been suspended on September 17 last year by the district panchayat officer (DPO), Kangra, was reinstated on Saturday by the Director Panchayati Raj. He was suspended on the charge of withdrawing Rs 4,000 from a bank in connivance with panchayat secretary without any resolution. Commenting on the reinstatement of the panchayat pradhan, Mr Rakesh Pathania, a former local MLA said the allegations against the pradhan were politically motivated and he was framed in a false case.

TRAINING CAMP: The Department of Horticulture on Saturday organised a fruit growers training camp at Jonta near here under the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), a Central Government-sponsored project. As many as 50 fruit growers and farmers took part who were told about diseases of mango fruit.