The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

NEWS AND VIEWS

PUNJAB

HARYANA

JAMMU & KASHMIR

HIMACHAL

REGIONAL BRIEFS

NATION

OPINIONS

MAILBAG

BUSINESS

SPORTS

WORLD

SPECIAL COVERAGE

CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI

R E G I O N A L B R I E F S

Regional potpourri

Laughter no challenge
Healthy bond

PUNJAB

ABOHAR
Students honoured: Lok Sabha member Nihal Chand honoured students who did well in academics and co-curricular activities during the outgoing session at the annual festival of the SGN Khalsa Senior Secondary School in Sriganganagar on Saturday. MLA O.P. Mohindera and SDM Arvind Saraswat complimented the school management for inculcating values among the students besides achieving good results. Principal Gurjit Singh Gill welcomed the guests. Rajesh Saraswat conducted the programme.

AMRITSAR
7 proclaimed offenders held: In a crackdown, the district police nabbed seven proclaimed offenders in a single day, some of them evading arrest for the past seven years. Those arrested include Sucha Singh of Bhalla Colony, Chheharta, Balwant Singh and Pargat Singh of Chabba, Heera Singh of Satnam Nagar, Iqbal Singh and his brother Rashpal Singh of Deep Singh Colony and Mangal Singh of Kapatgarh, Chheharta. Surjit Singh Mattu, SP (D), said the arrested persons were nabbed under the drive launched by the district police chief. Sucha Singh was arrested after seven years. He was declared PO in 2001 under the Excise Act.

2 snatchers held: The police, on Saturday, nabbed two snatchers Pawan Kumar of Bhadar Kali area and Mandeep Singh of Labour colony when they were on the run after snatching a purse. The police recovered one motorcycle without number, Rs 1,000 cash and a purse from them.

Barnala
Drug seized: Police seized a large number of drugs and cough syrup of a company worth lakhs. A police party headed by CIA in-charge Sanjeev Goyal conducted a raid at Leela Medical Agency situated near bus stand road, Barnala. The raid was conducted in the presence of drug inspector Manjinder Singh Dhillon. The police seized large chunk of capsules, tablets and syrups used as drugs. Sanjeev Goyal said that many medicines, which were seized, had been prohibited to be sold in open market without prior permission. A case in this regard would be registered soon after taking proper legal opinion.

BASSI PATHANA
Eye camp: Bharat Vikas Parishad Bassi Pathana unit organised an eye check up-cum-operation camp on Sunday. Deputy commissioner Ashok Singla inaugurated the camp while youth Akali Dal leader Gurwinder Singh Bhatti presided over the function. More than 450 patients were examined by a team of specialists while 72 were operated upon.

BATHINDA
Medical camp: The Dost Welfare Society held a medical cum TB awareness camp at Shri Narayan Bal Vidya Mandir School, Janta Nagar, on Sunday. Around 130 patients availed of free treatment and medicines. Eight suspected TB patients were referred to the TB hospital, Bathinda.

Health camp: The Sewa Bharti, Bathinda, organised a free medical camp at RK Public School. Around 300 patients were diagnosed and free medicines were also dispersed, a press note from the aforementioned organisation claimed. Dr Subhash Aggarwal, Kamal Garg and Dr Akshay Kumar inagurated the camp.

Fazilka
Woman killed in mishap: A woman was killed while another sustained injuries in a road accident here on Sunday. According to the details available, Chhinder Kaur (45) and Joginder Kaur (50), both residents of Anandpur, were hit by a speeding car on Shivpuri road. Both were rushed to the civil hospital. While Chhinder Kaur succumbed to her injuries, Joginder Kaur was referred to the Faridkot Medical College.

Ferozepur
Mehndi workshop: A ‘mehndi’ workshop was organised by the cosmetology department of DAV College for Women here on Saturday. The workshop was conducted by Anil Malhotra, head of the department. All students and staff members joined the workshop. The principal of the college, Mohinder Sangita, presided over the function and inaugurated the workshop.

Hoshiarpur
Man electrocuted: Jagtar Singh of Tanoli village was electrocuted in GNA mill here on Saturday. Meanwhile, the body has been sent for the post-mortem to the civil hospital.

Exam orders: Keeping annual examinations of classes VIII, X and XII in mind, Hoshiarpur district magistrate N K Wadhawan has banned assembling of two or more persons in and around the examination centres of the district. The order was passed on Saturday and will remain in force till March 31.

Moga
Two booked: Nihal Singhwala police station has registered a case against two persons for illegally possessing a pistol and live cartridges here on Sunday. A case under the Arms Act was filed against the accused, identified as Sukhwinder Singh and Bhag Singh, residents of Bilaspur village. A pistol and four live cartridges were recovered from their possession.

PATIALA
Seminar: A seminar on judicial accountability was organised by Panchnad Study Centre at Khalsa College on Saturday. Veteran journalist Shyam Khosla was the chief guest and Dr Ram Murti Goel, ex-pro vice-chancellor of Punjabi University, presided over the seminar. Professor and head of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur national integration chair Dr Baltej Singh Mann presented the keynote address.

PHAGWARA
Scribe killed in accident: A local journalist was killed when the motorcycle he was riding crashed into a Chandigarh-bound state transport bus near the octroi post on the Phagwara-Chandigarh road here on Sunday morning. Rana Singh Atkar worked for a number of vernacular dailies. He was on the way to his office when the accident took place. The police has registered a case against the bus driver and impounded the bus.

Firing case: The police here nabbed three persons in a firing case. The accused have been identified as Malkiat, Surinder and Kulwinder. An FIR under sections 336, 160 and 341 was registered against them at Rawalpindi police station. According to police sources, two armed parties attacked each other here on Friday night.

SANGRUR
Farmer injured: A farmer Hakam Singh (35) of Shahpur road, Longowal, about 20 km from here, sustained bullet injuries on Sunday. He has been admitted to the local Civil Hospital. Local DSP Pritpal Singh Thind said four persons in a car came to the house of Hakam Singh and opened fire on him with a pistol, due to which he sustained injuries on his body.The cause of this attack could not be known so far. The Longowal police had registered a case against four unknown persons under Sections 307, 148 and 149, IPC, and Sections 25/54 and 59, Arms Act.

Techfest-2008 ends: Three-day Techfest-2008 of the Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET), Longowal, concluded at the SLIET campus on Saturday evening. Former minister Gobind Singh Longowal was the chief guest at the closing ceremony. Thousands of participants from SLIET and other engineering colleges participated in different cultural, technical, model exhibition and literary events.

3 POs arrested: The Bhawanigarh police arrested three proclaimed offenders (POs), namely Baldev Singh, Amandeep Singh and Mehakdeep Singh her on Sunday. They were POs in a case registered against them under Sections 420, 170 and 120-B, IPC, on June 26, 2007, at Bhawanigarh police station.

Health camp: The Rotary Club, Mansa Greater, organised a heart check-up camp at Gaushala Bhawan on Sunday, a press note informed. Dr Rakesh Jindal, Dr Manish Luthra and Dr Sunil Kaushal checked around 300 patients. The camp was inaugurated by SSP Mansa M.F. Farooqui.

CHANDIGARH

PANCHKULA
150 examined: A total of 150 patients were examined at a free eye check up camp held at Prachin Mahakali Shiv Mandir, Sector 20, on Sunday. Deputy commissioner Rajinder Kataria inaugurated the camp which was conducted by a team of doctors, including Dr S.P.S. Grewal, Dr G.S. Brar, Dr Shuchi Goel, and Dr Navpreet from Grewal Institute, Chandigarh. Dr S.K. Punia, coordinator of the camp and president of Panchkula Nagrik Parishad, said the patients who required surgery would be operated upon free of cost at Grewal Eye Institute.

HARYANA

CHANDIGARH
Farmers to thank Sonia, PM: Farmers of Haryana will assemble in Delhi on March 9 to express their gratitude towards the All-India Congress Party president and UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for providing a package of Rs 60,000 crore to the farmers of the country in shape of waiving off loans. Haryana chief parliamentary secretary Dharam Vir said this here on Saturday.

‘Rs 175 cr spent on poor’: The Haryana rural development department has spent funds amounting to Rs 175.14 crore so far for the welfare of below poverty line families and creation of community assets infrastructure in the villages of the state. Financial commissioner and principal secretary, rural development, Urvashi Gulati said this during a video conference with all additional deputy commissioners to ensure the utilisation of funds and to achieve the laid down targets in each district under the rural development programme.

FATEHABAD
‘Shramdaan shivir’: Navyug Nirman, an NGO floated by Anjali, daughter of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, will organise a mega “Shramdaan shivir” at five different venues in Fatehabad district on March 5. The Hooda government will complete three years in office on that day. Kunal Bhadoo, son-in-law of the chief minister, who is also the convener of the NGO, informed mediapersons on Saturday that volunteers of the NGO would offer physical labour for the cleaning and upkeep of waterworks at Bhattu Kalan, repair of the Banawali road at Bighar village and beautification and cleanliness of parks in Fatehabad.

JHAJJAR
3 students killed: Three students died when the motorcycle they were riding on was hit by an unidentified vehicle near Gangtan village on the Jhajjar-Sampla road on Saturday. According to information, the teenaged youths were returning to their homes in Bahrana village after appearing in the senior secondary examination in Sampla town. The deceased have been identified as Amit, son of Dayanand, Ravinder, son of Ramphal, and Amit, son of Ranbir.

KURUKSHETRA
Construction of upper storeys: At least 158 small shopkeepers, drawn from HUDA Sectors 3, 5, 7 and 13 here, under the banner of the Shopkeepers’ Welfare Association, Urban Estate Market, Kurukshetra, in a jointly signed statement on Saturday have demanded the permission to construct upper storeys on their booths for providing storage facility. President of the association Subhash Goel said although the association had already brought this to the notice of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and MP Naveen Jindal, but to no avail.

REWARI
Samman samaroh: Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Virender Jain and his wife Kumud Jain were accorded reverential honours at a “Samman samaroh” jointly held by the Jain Samaj and Jain Public School on the school premises here on Saturday. Irrigation and PWD minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, Justice Pritam Pal, Justice T.P.S. Mann and Justice Nirmal Yadav of the Punjab and Haryana High Court were also honoured.

YAMUNANAGAR
Lok adalat: As many as 59 cases were settled during a lok adalat, which was organised by the District Legal Services Authority at district courts, Jagadhri, here on Saturday. Kanchan Mahi, chief judicial magistrate-cum-secretary of the authority, said matrimonial disputes, civil, summary cases, petty criminal cases and cases under Section 138 of the negotiable instrument were settled during the adalat. A fine of Rs 11,450 was recovered on the spot. A total of 132 cases were put before the adalat.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
Office-bearers: The following have been elected as the office-bearers of the district unit of the Ministerial Staff Karamchari Sangh of the state Animal Husbandry Department unanimously. President - Mohd Parvez, vice-president - Ashiq Mohd, general secretary - Baldev Chand Sharma, joint secretary - Chattar Singh, press secretary - Abhay Raj Singh, finance secretary - Anita Devi, chief adviser - Pawan Kumar, besides block secretary Bharmour - Sarwan Kumar, block secretary Pangi - Tulsi Ram and block secretary Chamba - Tek Chand.

KUMARHATTI
Labourer electrocuted: A labourer was electrocuted at Peerthan near Nalagarh on Sunday. Butthan Pandit, who hailed from Bihar, was engaged in the work to design the marble tiles with an electric instrument. Incidentally, he came into contact with a live wire. The police is investigating the matter.

Shimla
NIRC award for CAs: Rakesh Kaushal, chairman of the Himachal Pradesh branch of the Northern India Regional Council (NIRC) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, has shared the award for commendable performance in 2007-08 with Kuldeep Singh Sra, Chairman of the Bathinda branch of the NIRC.

Ex-servicemen rally: The Army Training Command will organise an ex-servicemen rally of Bilaspur district on March 11. The rally will be held at the local Loohanu stadium from 10 am onwards and will be presided over by Lt General J.K. Mohanty, general officer commanding, Army Training Command. A spokesperson of the command said another rally will be held at Hamirpur on March 12.

Regional potpourri
Laughter no challenge

Nadira Raj Babbar (right) and Hisar-based Dr Shamim Sharma (second from right) at the release of her new compilation of Haryanavi jokes during the recently concluded book fair in Delhi.

A Hindi writer based at Hisar, Dr Shamim Sharma, has published her second compilation of Haryanavi jokes called “Chaupal ke Chaale.”

Her earlier collection, “Chaupal ke Makhaul,” had gone on to become a bestseller and the publisher Vaani Prakashan had to bring out a revised edition within months.

The success of the compilations has prompted the publishers to engage Dr Sharma for three more compilations. One would be devoted exclusively to the comic streak of Haryana Roadways staff and the other, to children.

Dr Shamim’s tryst with Haryanavi humour began in the mid-90s when she brought out a fortnightly called “Thari Maari Chaupal” as part of the Hisar Saaksharta Samiti’s efforts to promote literacy among women. The fortnightly carried a column on Haryanavi jokes. It proved very popular and she was flooded with demands for publishing a compilation.

She says humour is in the blood of every Haryanavi. However, she is intolerant about cheap and concocted anecdotes being passed off as Haryanavi humour these days. “A real Haryanavi joke carries subtle humour and no double entendre. Humour in Haryana is not limited to the educated, perhaps illiterate farmers and rural women have a greater sense of humour than their urban counterparts,” she feels.She also writes on current social and women’s issues, including a weekly column in Dainik Tribune. Besides her views on some burning issue, the column also carries a Haryanavi joke.

Healthy bond

Surinder Singh Chhinda

Having organised over 200 eye camps in various villages of Punjab over the past 10 years to benefit around 60,000 persons suffering from optical ailments; Surinder Singh Chhinda, an NRI hailing from Ahmedgarh, has now decided to do his bit for needy students and the marriages of poor girls.

Eye camps have become an annual pilgrimage for Chhinda who has been coming to Punjab regularly for a decade. Every year, he organises about two dozen camps at various villages in the Bet and Kandi areas of the state. Tallewal, Gehran, Mehal Kalan, Sangrur, Sansarpur, Nangal Magha, Wandala, Patara (Rama Mandi), Dhulkot (Moga) Sekhwan and Kapure villages are among the other places where the camps are organised. Intra ocular lenses are planted besides medicines and spectacles being provided free of cost.

Contrary to the trend, Chhinda is against publicising the helplessness of the beneficiaries of such social projects. “Publicity of such projects should be limited to inspiring other organisations to come forward for the service of society. But the helplessness of the poor and downtrodden should never be played up,” he feels.

He says a part of the funds for the camps are contributed by his fellow NRIs. “Though I contribute funds for 10 camps from my own pocket, the rest is contributed by my fellows NRIs. But we never make an appeal for contributions,” Chhinda says, adding an amount ranging between Rs 12 and 15 lakh was spent every year. Schoolchildren are among his regular contributors. “Some children, including my own child, have been contributing from their pocket money. They have kept special piggy banks to save money for the noble cause,” informs the NRI philanthropist.

Contributed by Raman Mohan and Mahesh Sharma