R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Jalandhar
BJP SC Morcha: The Vice President of the BJP National Scheduled Caste Morcha, and former minister, Chaudhary Swarna Ram, Wednesday flayed the government’s decision to wave off 200 units of electricity consumed by only those Dalit families, who have 300-watt meters installed. This was not in keeping with the state government’s promise given to the Dalit community providing relaxation from expensive electricity bills, he alleged. Addressing media persons, he also condemned the government for not even issuing the notification of the 85th Amendment despite its claim that the amendment had been implemented in the state. He also demanded that the birth anniversary of the architect of the Indian Constitution Dr BR Ambedkar be declared a gazetted holiday. He rued the fact that out of the 29 Assembly seats, 26 elected MLAs belonging to the Dalit community were from the Congress and out of these 9 were also ministers but had failed to get the demands of the community fulfilled.

Kapurthala
Protest: Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) activists protested against the alleged illegal “encroachment” of the prime land of the Shalimar Bagh by a shopkeeper here Wednesday. A large number of Shiv Sena activists today assembled at the site of encroachment, where the illegal construction was being carried out for the last three days, but the Municipal Council’s staff had already demolished the walls raised by the encroacher. The activists raised slogans against Municipal Council president, Mr Sudesh Kumar Aggarwal. The Sena activists on Monday had threatened to launch an agitation against the illegal construction, said Mr Jagdish Kataria, District President Shiv Sena. “The municipal authorities had illegally allowed the encroacher to extend the boundary wall of his shop towards the garden situated on back of the shop,” alleged Mr Kataria. Meanwhile, Mr Aggarwal told media persons that he ordered to remove all the illegal construction on the mentioned site as soon as he came to know about it on Tuesday evening.

Constable held: The local police has arrested constable Jasvir Singh posted at Begowal police station for wrong verification of a local resident to help him in obtaining the passport on a fake identity. According to Mr Rajiv Ahir, SSP, Kapurthala, the constable helped Devinder Singh Shera, also an accused in a case of assault on a 65-year-old NRI, in obtaining a passport in the name of Shamsher Singh by wrongly verifying his antecedents.

Phagwara
Fog signal posts: The railway authorities have set up “Fog Signals Posts” near all railway stations for smooth running of the trains during foggy season. Stating this, the railway sources told this correspondent here Wednesday that railway employees would give green clearance signals to coming train drivers by bursting crackers on railway lines during foggy season.

Elected: Dr Sameer Kaura, Asst Professor, Dayanand Hospital, Ludhiana, and renowned Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon of Phagwara, was unanimously elected as president of Indian Dental Association Phagwara branch for 2006 at a meeting held here on Wednesday. Dr Sameer took over the charge from Dr B.M. Ahuja and announced his new executive committee, which included Dr Amarjeet Singh Riar as Secretary, Dr Harjinder Singh as Joint Secretary, Dr Ajai Paul Singh Janjua as Treasurer, and Dr Avninder Sangha and Dr Rajwinder Kaur as Vice-presidents.

woollens donated: Around 122 woollen pullovers were distributed among the needy school students here on Wednesday. Around 71 sweaters were sponsored by NRI Surinder Kumar Dhunna. These were distributed to students of Government Primary School, Chachoki village, by SDM Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal. In another function, 51 sweaters and gersies were distributed by Sarb Naujawan Sabha to students of EGS Center, Bhullarai village. SDM Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal and Sabha President Suresh Malhan gave these away to the students.

Link road: Under the initiative of metalling link roads connecting religious places for the convenience of devotees, local MLA and Chairman, Punjab Agro and Foods Corporation, Mr Joginder Singh Mann and Sant Niranjan Das, Head, Dera Sachkhand, Ballan, Wednesday laid the foundation stone of 1.22 km link road between Mehtan village and Nawin Abaddi. The construction of the link road would cost Rs 10.93 lakh. A press release issued on Wednesday said Sant Niranjan Das earlier laid the foundation stone of Rs 35 lakh project of new building of Gurdwara Sri Ravi Das. Mr Mann declared at the function that Punjab government had sanctioned 15 km new link roads for Phagwara assembly constituency area.

Samrala
Meeting: The general body meeting of the Brahamin Sabha, Samrala, was held here on Wednesday under the presidentship of Mr Ram Avtar Shukla, according to Mr Pawan Kaushal, general secretary of the sabha. Talking to the mediapersons, at the local civil rest house, Mr Kaushal said the amended version of the Constitution of the sabha was read out by two senior members of the sabha, Mr R.K. Kaushal and Mr M.G. Prasher which was approved by the general house.

Charge taken: Dr Harminder Singh, on Wednesday took over as Senior Medical Officer of the Civil Hospital, in place of Dr J.P. Singh who has gone to Mukatsar as civil Surgeon.

HARYANA

KAITHAL
Relief ordered: The District Consumer Redressal Forum here has directed the LIC to pay Rs 75,000 to the widow of an employee who had purchased an insurance policy and later died. The forum also directed the insurance company to pay 12 per cent interest to the widow of the deceased till payment of the full amount from the date of filing of the case. The case belonged to Ashok Kumar of Bhagal village who had insured himself for amount of Rs 75,000. He died on January 24, 2000. His wife Bala Devi filed a claim case before the LIC for the realisation of insured amount.

Sanitation: The court of District and Sessions Judge, Mr H.S. Bhangoo, here directed the local civic body to take immediate steps to improve the sanitary conditions in the district court premises and deploy at least four safai karamcharis to maintain sanitation. The court issued the directions while disposing of an application filed under Section 22-C (1) of the Legal Services Authority Act 1987 on behalf of the district bar association by its president Mr Nafe Singh Berwal.

Arrested: The Sadar police on Monday arrested a youth Sandeep in connection with the alleged murder of Jasvinder, alias Jassu of Jiwan Vihar Colony on the Sonepat-Dewru road on December 2 last.

SONEPAT
Body recovered: Murthal police recovered decomposed body of an unidentified person from fields at Bhigan village about 10 km from here on Monday. The body has been sent for a postmortem examination. Police believe it to be a case of murder. A case has been registered.

YAMUNANAGAR
Body found: The body of 18 year-old Jyoti of Prithvi Nagar of Jagadhri, who was to be married off next month, was found lying along a railway track near Jagadhri Workshop here on Tuesday. As per sources in the Government Railway Police (GRP), the girl had committed suicide.