R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
MEDICAL CAMP: A medical camp for diseases of the eye, nose, throat and teeth was held at Bibi Dhanwant Kaur Dharamshala by the Shri Durgiana Committee in association with the Nari Shakti Jagran Samiti here on Saturday.

FP OPERATIONS: As many as 65 vasectomies were performed on Saturday. This was stated by Dr H.S. Gill, Civil Surgeon.

NSUI RESOLVE: National Students Union of India president Aman Prashar said on Saturday that the union would expose anti-education polices of the BJP Government at the Centre in the Lok Sabha elections.

LEFT PARTIES’ RALLY: Five Left parties will support the rally of the Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Committee on March 26 at Jallianwala Bagh to protest against the decision of the Central Government to deny martyrdom status to 26 persons of Kuke-Namdharis and of Komagatamaru, 222 ghadrites who went to jail in the freedom struggle. The parties are the CPI, CPM, CPI (ML), MCPI and New Democracy.

Faridkot
DISABILITY DAY: A state-level function was organised by the district Red Cross Society here on Sunday on the eve of World Disability Day. Benefits on a par with Dalits were demanded for the disabled persons. A survey to identify the handicapped in the country was also sought. Direct recruitment for the handicapped in private and public sector was also demanded. Pension of Rs 1000 also sought for the disabled.

Fatehgarh Sahib
CREDIT CARDS: Banks in the district have issued credit cards to 36,458 eligible farmers, so that they may utilise money to boost their produce. All those remaining farmers, who fulfilled the conditions as per the guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India, would also be issued credit cards up to March 31, said Mr S.K. Ahluwalia, Deputy Commissioner, while presiding over the meeting of the District Consultative Committee here on Monday. He called upon the farming community to get the benefit of the government-sponsored schemes and get credit cards to fulfil their monetary requirements. Later presiding over the meeting of districts standing committee of banks at Bachat Bhavan, Mr J.S. Brar, ADC(D), directed all banks to sanction loans on a priority basis to the weaker sections of society under various government sponsored schemes. 

Hoshiarpur
ROBBERS KILL WOMAN: Young Navjot Kaur was killed in her house at Mahilpur on Saturday and gold ornaments and cash were also stolen. Balwant Kaur, mother of Navjot, said the assailants took away one gold chain, two rings, one bangle and Rs 10,000 in cash.

Kapurthala
NOMINATED: Mr Jagdish Kataria, president of the district unit of the Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray), was nominated spokeman of the Punjab Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) on Sunday.

Mandi Gobindgarh
INAUGURATED: Mr Narinder Sharma, Inspector-General of Police (Crime) Punjab, inaugurated a mobile phone care centre in the town on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sharma said the people of the town and surrounding areas would be able to get computerised repair of their cell-phones. Mr P.C. Singla, who was given the Yuvak Rattan award of Tera Panth Jain Samaj, accompanied him.

Nawanshahr
FARMERS’ CAMP: The Agriculture Department of Punjab organised a ‘farmers’ training camp-cum-seminar on kharif and oil-seed crops here at Bazid Palace on Saturday. The farmers were told to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and prepare vermin-compost manure to increase fertility of soil and to check environment pollution.

APPOINTED: Mr Ashwani Kumar Sharma has been appointed president of the district unit of Trade and Industry Cell (Bharatiya Janata Party) by Mr Sat Pal Gosain, state president of the cell.

SCHOOL FUNCTION: Bhagwan Mahavir Public School, Banga, 12 km from here, organised an “Abhinandan” on its annual day on Sunday. Students who had excelled in studies and sports were given prizes.

Pathankot
FARMERS’ CAMP: The Horticulture Department, Punjab, organised a camp at Gunora near Dunera to educate farmers on agro-based avocation. The farmers were told to grow vegetables in the summer season. Quality seed of vegetables was also distributed among the farmers.

Tarn Taran
WOMAN BOOKED: Ms Gurmeet Kaur of Aladinpur village, 4 km from here, has been booked under Section 306 of the IPC, for compelling a youth to commit suicide at her village on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Balwinder Singh of Teja Kalan village in Gurdaspur district. A case was registered on the complaint of Mr Sawinder Singh, brother of the deceased.

HARYANA

Ambala
HOLIDAY DEMANDED: A delegation of the Ambala Citizen Council led by its general secretary, Mr Ajay Jain, met the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr B.K. Roy, on Monday and demanded that Mahavir Jayanti on April 3 should be declared a holiday in the subordinates courts of Haryana and Punjab. The delegation comprised Dr N.C. Jain, senior vice-president of the Haryana Chamber and Commerce and Industry, Mr Narender Jain, president, Digambar Jain Sabha, Ambala Cantt, and two senior advocates Mr Adeesh Kumar Jain and Mr Ajay Jain. 

PENSION DENIED: Three teachers of Jai Ram Dass Girls High School, Ambala City, have not got their pension and gratuity benefits even after retirment. One of the teachers Prem Lata Manocha, who retired from this school on October 31, 2003, did not get anything so far. In a letter addressed to the Director, Secondary Education, Haryana, she had complained that even after her repeated requests the school management had not forwarded her pension and gratuity case to the DEO, Ambala depriving her off all retirement benefits. The DEO had also sent a letter to the school authorities in this regard and directed to send the papers of the teacher concerned within a week. On the other hand, the Manager of the school management committee, Mr K.K. Diwan, said the Education Department had imposed Section 5 of the teacher Protection Act on the school and now all disputes related to teachers would be settled by the Education Department. The management was not responsible for the delay of pension of Mrs Manocha, he added.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local unit of the Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha. President — Anil Gupta; vice-presidents — Arun Kumar, Rakesh Sharma and Vivek Sablok; general secretary — Shiv Kumar Chadda; secretary — Lalit Maheswari, Dinesh Verma. Gaurav Takkar; organising secretary — Anuj Sharma; cashier — Ravi Jain and press secretary — Manoj Banga.

Hisar
SUICIDE: A married woman committed suicide here on Sunday. According to the police, Baby (22), a resident of the Shiv Colony here, consumed insecticides in her house. She was admitted to a private hospital where she died on Sunday afternoon.

Kaithal
NEW COUNCILLOR: Mr Babu Ram Saini was elected councillor from ward No. 27 of the Municipal Council here on Sunday. He polled 1041 votes. The election was necessitated as Mr Pala Ram, previous Councillor from this ward was unseated because he had three children.

NAVEEN JINDAL PLAYS TRUANT: Mr Naveen Jindal, an aspirant for Congress ticket from Kurukshetra, who, was to address Congress workers at Congress Bhavan here did not turn up on Sunday.