The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

NEWS AND VIEWS

PUNJAB

HARYANA

JAMMU & KASHMIR

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

PUNJAB

Abohar
Protest: Responding to the state-wide call, local mobile dealers also kept their counters closed today to express resentment over the “excesses” being committed by the civil and police authorities. They took out a procession and finally assembled in Nehru Park. The dealers said that their role in activating the mobile cards was limited and the identity proof should be maintained by the distributors as well the mobile companies. It has also been found that the police used to charge them for selling the Chinese mobile phone sets which otherwise give them more margins in the profit. We would hold another meeting on Sunday to chalk out further course of action, a spokesman of the Abohar Mobile Dealers Association said.

Promoted: S.P. Arora, homeopathic medical officer, who had been working as in-charge of the government dispensary in Nai Abadi locality for the last 18 years has been promoted and posted as district homeopathic medical office-cum-DDO, a communication received here today said. The dispensary under his charge had been declared the best in the district in the past.

Died: Manoj Kumar (25) succumbed to his burn injuries at a hospital in Patiala today morning. He was running a grocery shop in the Nanak Nagri locality here. According to sources, Manoj was brought to the civil hospital here on Tuesday afternoon with 80 per cent burns. He was referred to Patiala but could not be saved. Married last year, Manoj had a three-month-old daughter.

AMRITSAR
Indicted medical employee continues work: Despite indictment by an inquiry committee for committing financial bungling, a junior clerk posted at the Pathology Department of Government Medical College here continues to hold the post with no punitive action against her. Nirmaljit Kaur was found guilty of misappropriation of Rs 1.44 lakh by the committee, headed by Dr Prabodh Kakkar, professor of the department. The embezzlement came to light after Ravinder Kumar Sultanwind, president, All-India Youth Association, filed a complaint to principal secretary, Medical Education and Research, principal, Medical College, besides SSPs here. Dr S. K. Kahlon, head of the department, who had detected the fraud said it was up to the higher authorities to take action.

‘Rein in travel agents’: The government should frame stringent laws against unscrupulous travel agents who were duping gullible youth. Stating this here on Monday, president of the Lok Bhalai Party Balwant Singh Ramoowalia said more than 1,800 youths, who had been duped by the travel agents in the state, had committed suicide. The DGP should set up a special team of honest officers to look into the matter.

Achievement: Punjab has won the overall trophy of 2nd Worker Sports National Championship held at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana from March 7 to 9. Punjab stood gold medals in Volleyball, Basketball and Athletics and a silver in Lawn Tennis. According to Surjit Singh, joint secretary, Punjab Workers Sports, “In Discus Throw, Sukhmandar Singh and Jalaur Singh, both of Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) stood first and third respectively. In 200m, Jalaur Singh (PSEB) stood second and Gurminder Singh stood third. In Shot Put, Parminder Singh stood first, Sukhwinder Singh (Army School) second and Sukhmandar Singh stood third.” In Long Jump, Gurwinder Singh stood second. In Athletics (women), Pavittar Kaur stood second in 100m, while Bhupinder Kaur stood second in 200m. In Shot Put, Sumanpreet Kaur stood second, in Discuss Throw, Supanpreet Kaur stood second.

CHANDIGARH
Contaminated water: Taking note of a news item that appeared in a leading English daily, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has asked the chief secretary, Punjab, for submitting a report regarding it. The news item was on contaminated water in villages around Khem Karan. The commission has stated that it is a fit case which requires examination. The news item laid stress on the untreated water that is taking toll on villagers’ health.The case has been adjourned to April 24.

Hoshiarpur
Prisoner makes suicide bid: Police on Tuesday booked an inmate of the district jail, Sat Pal Singh alias Satta, for making a suicide bid. According to the police sources, there was a quarrel between Sat Pal Singh and two other prisoners on March 7, following which the former was shifted in block no. 10 of the jail. On March 10, Sat Pal forcibly hit a steel glass against his head due to which he was wounded. He was taken to the local civil hospital and after providing treatment was sent back to the jail on March 11, the sources added.

KHANNA
Judicial officers needed: To reduce the large number of pending cases in Punjab, there is need to enhance the strength of judicial officers by at least four times. At present, there are only 240 judicial officers in the state. Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court Vijender Jain stated this while interacting with the media after presiding over a state-level seminar on female foeticide and drug de-addiction here. He said this year 41 judicial officers had been recruited and soon 23 additional district and sessions judges would be recruited.

Mansa
Demands: Mazdoor Mukti Morcha (MMM) would submit a memorandum concerning charter of demands to the deputy commissioner of Mansa on March 14. The memorandum would include demands for waiving of loans of landless labourers, fixing of minimum wages of labourers at Rs 5000 per month and for including the labourers, whose annual income is less than Rs 60,000, in BPL category. A state-level dharna would also be staged in this connection in Chandigarh on March 25. Informing this state secretary of MMM Bhagwant Singh alleged that Central and state governments were ignoring the demands and rights of landless labourers.

Free eye camp: Shri Guru Ravidas Naujawan Sabha and the District Blind Removal Society would organise a free eye operation camp at Shri Guru Ravidass Mandir, Mansa on March 14. General secretary of sabha, Ram Krishan Singh, said that deputy commissioner Surjit Singh Dhillon would inaugurate the camp and civil surgeon of Mansa, G.S. Nagi would preside over the function. Eyes expert S. Sood would examine the eyes of patients.

Nawanshahr
Vend auction: As many as 120 liqour vends, out of a total 123 in the district, were auctioned here on Wednesday under the supervision of the deputy commissioner Gurpal Singh Bhatti. A sum of Rs 39.85 crore has been fetched by the auction which is 1.65 crore more than the previous year. The remaining three liquor vends of the Nawanshahr circle will be auctioned on March 17, informed assistant excise and taxation comissioner, Gurtej Singh.

SANGRUR
Sadhu Khan buried: With the intervention of the police and civil authorities, Muslims on Tuesday buried the body of Sadhu Khan at Longowal village. Earlier, the Muslims and their supporters blocked the Barnala-Sangrur road at Badbar village for some time when they were not allowed to bury Khan at a specific place at Longowal village. The Muslims were claiming that the place was a burial ground, while the other side was claiming that it was a ‘shamlat’ (common place). Local DSP Prit Pal Singh confirmed in the evening that Khan had been buried.

CHANDIGARH

MOHALI
Recovered: The local police on Wednesday claimed to have booked three persons for smuggling smack. Almost 200 gm of smack was reportedly recovered from them. The three were coming from Chandigarh to Mohali in a black Indica when they were stopped at the leisure valley naka point here by the police. The car was searched and the drug was found on the seat, said the police. The three, however, ran away from the spot. The accused include Talwinder Singh a resident of Phase I Mohali.

HARYANA

AMBALA
Annual festival: Kidzee School, Ambala Cantt, organised its third annual festival on Wednesday at BPS Planetarium here. The function started with the welcome of the chief guest and lighting of the lamp by Bharam Pal Rana. A colourful programme was put together by tiny tots of the school, starting with a prayer. The tiny tots of playgroup Section B won the hearts of the audiences by their confident performance on the song “Bum Bum Bole”.

Tiny tots of Kidzee School present an item on the occasion of their annual day at Ambala Cantt on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Recruitment: The process of recruitment of 703 male constables in the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) of the Haryana police is continuing. Those candidates who had applied for the post of constables in Ambala district, their physical test was taken by the Additional Recruitment Centre, Kurukshetra. Due to large number of candidates, an Additional Recruitment Centre-I Ambala has been constituted.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
Charas seized: The district police have arrested Khem Raj, resident of Kohala village in Churah subdivision of Chamba district, while he was caught carrying 1.4 kg charas at Baroh checkpoint on the Chamba-Satrundi highway on Tuesday. SP Chamba R.S. Negi said on suspicion the accused was intercepted by the police on duty at Baroh checkpoint and recovered charas from his possession. The accused was arrested and a case was registered against him under the NDPS Act at the Tissa police station, he added.

HAMIRPUR
Ban on arms: DC Nandita Gupta has clamped Section 144 from March 15 to 25 in the Sujanpur area in view of Holi festival so that peace can be maintained during the festival. She has ordered ban on carrying of arms and ammunition and other explosive items by any person except the personnel deployed for the security duty during this period.

One arrested: The police has arrested a Bihari labourer on the charge of raping a migrant woman on Wednesday morning at Chamned. Police sources said Raju raped the woman near Chamned when she was on her way to Chamned khad at about 9.30 am. The woman has been taken for medical examination.

KUMARHATTI
Labourer killed: A migrant labourer was killed after his motorcycle hit a truck at Barog bypass near here on Wednesday evening. Rajesh (22) was coming toward the market, when in a bid to slow down the speed, he lost control on his motorcycle. He was rushed to Zonal Hospital, Solan where he was declared brought dead Rajesh, who hailed from Bihar, was working as a munshi with a private contractor. The truck driver, Inder, has been arrested .A case has been registered.

PM’s intervention sought: The Beopar Mandal, Kasauli, has urged the Prime Minister to cancel the CRI’s closure order. In a letter sent to Dr Manmohan Singh on Wednesday the mandal has pointed out that the change of status and stoppage of production would not only result in removal of majority of the CRI staff but would also hit the survival of about 90 per cent of the population of Kasauli. This action would not only disturb the lives of 650 employees of the CRI but also of the masses, who would be deprived to have life saving drugs manufactured here at an affordable and much cheaper prices.

NAHAN
Victory procession: After capturing Nahan BDC, the BJP leaders of Nahan Assembly constituency led by former minister Kumari Shyama Sharma took out a ‘victory procession’ in Dadahu, the centre of Dharti Dhar and Sain Dhar areas. BJP candidate Dev Darshan Sharma who hails from the Dharti Dhar defeated former chairman and Congress candidate Yashpal with the margin of one vote on Wednesday. Sharma addressed mediapersons and alleged that Congress leaders used every tactic to save their positions in the BDC. She affirmed that now the BDC would work as per the expectations of the people of the area.

NURPUR
CM’s decisions lauded: The frontal workers’ organisation of the Congress state INTUC has lauded the decisions taken by the Prem Kumar Dhumal government in its first annual budget. Rajnesh Sharma, state general secretary of the INTUC, on Wednesday said decisions of the government to generate thousands of employment opportunities and earmarking of 95 crore as grant-in-aid fund which starved the HRTC were landmark steps in interest of the state and public transport. He demanded the state government to revive the Nurpur based sick units of the state agro industries corporation HIMAGRICO and honey processing units and to ensure regular disbursement of salaries to their employees. He lamented that the employees and workers of these units had not been disbursed their salaries for the past three months.

Teachers’ association: Kangra district government teachers’ association while welcoming the notification issued by the government to release 5 per cent interim relief to the government employees has urged Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to allocate funds for releasing longstanding TA and medical reimbursement allowance. President of the association Onkar Rana here on Wednesday also demanded the upgrade of website of the state education directorate so that teachers could get updated information and statistics.

Kangra BSP meeting: The Kangra district BSP that held its emergency meeting at Kangra on Tuesday has expressed its anguish against the state party leadership for ignoring old and party loyalists in the state body of the BSP constituted few days back. District president of the BSP, Amar Singh Kaundal, in a signed statement here on Wednesday alleged that the state body of the party had been packed with personal favourites at the cost of hardcore BSP activists.

SUNDERNAGAR
Convicted: Sessions judge Mandi on Tuesday convicted Ram Parkash, resident of Karsehad, Jogindernagar, for possessing 1 kg of charas and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for two years and to pay a fine of Rs 20,000. In default of payment of the fine the convict has to undergo further imprisonment for three months. In a checking by the Aut police on 3-11-04 at Kothinala on NH-21, they saw that the accused after seeing them tried to run but was nabbed by them and contraband was recovered from his bag.