The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

CHANDIGARH

PANCHKULA
Bag missing: An NRI woman, Mona, has filed a complaint with the police that her bag containing jewellery, Indian and foreign currency, went missing from house number 1115, Sector 10, here today. The complainant was here to attend the marriage of her brother.

Mass marriage: Aggarwal Vikas and Kalyan Sangh, Panchkula, will solemnise the marriage of 21 girls belonging to poor families. Union minister of state for finance Pawan Kumar Bansal will be the chief guest on the occasion. President of the Sangh Suresh Garg said that 17 girls belong to the Hindu families and four from Muslim families.

Eye camp: More than 300 villagers were examined at a free eye check-up camp organised at Government Elementary School, Peer Meechulla, a village near Sector 20, on Sunday. The camp was conducted by a team of ophthalmologists led by Dr S.P.S. Grewal from Grewal Eye Institute.

HARYANA

KAITHAL
Servant loots Rs 50,000: A servant employed to look after kids by a local resident fled after allegedly stealing Rs 50,000 and a mobile phone from the house. In a complaint lodged with the police on Sunday, Vinay Bhalla, a resident of the Ambala road model town here, alleged that he had employed Samu, a resident of UP, about four and a half years ago to look after his kids. The incident took place on October 2 when all family members had gone to attend a function. The police has registered a case.

REWARI
Anil Rao is BJP economic cell chief: Anil Rao, member of the state executive committee of the BJP, has been nominated president of the party’s economic cell by the state BJP chief Atam Prakash Manchanda. Rao, who is a former state general secretary of the Haryana Vikas Party, joined the BJP recently.

2 held for smuggling cows: The Rampura police has arrested Jamshed and Ishaq, both residents of the Mewat region, following a manhunt launched after a van carrying some cows was found abandoned in the Jaswant Nagar area here on September 27. The cows, which were smuggled from Mahendergarh, were reportedly being taken to Mewat for butchery. The arrested men were remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

1 killed in mishap: Charan Singh (30) of Khursheed Nagar died while his brother Ramesh was seriously injured when the motorcycle they were riding on reportedly collided with a dumper on the Kosli-Dadri road near Kohard village on Saturday. The mishap occurred when the duo was going from Khursheed Nagar to Kosli. Charan Singh and Ramesh worked as conductors in cooperative society buses. To mourn Charan Singh’s death, the staff of cooperative society buses of the Kosli region kept their buses off road on Sunday. The police has registered a case against the dumper driver, who reportedly absconded after the accident.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
Annual function: RSS state pracharak Srinivas Murty while addressing the annual function of Chetna as chief guest here on Sunday said that it has brought awakening among masses towards those born as handicapped or are mentally retarded. Dr Mallika Nadda, general secretary of Chetna, said 460 persons are directly associated with this organisation and it is running successfully three Day Care Centres in Bilaspur, Ghumarwin and Jhandutta while 73 mentally retarded children were under direct supervision for education, physico therapy or professional training.

125 donate blood: Sant Nirankari Mission organised a blood donation camp at Ghumarwin near here on Sunday. Subdivisional magistrate Sumit Khimta inaugurated it. District mission in charge Chetram said 125 persons donated blood. A satsang was also held on this occasion.

Body found: The police here on Sunday recovered the body of patwari Arjun Singh Chandel (44), son of Durguram, lying in bushes near the Gobind Sagar water, near Nalyan ka Naun. Chandel belonged to Kalol in this district and was presently posted at the office of the tehsildar here in the town. The police have found a leave application, Rs 20 and some medicines from his pocket. The body was handed over to his family after post-mortem examination.

DALHOUSIE
2 killed in mishap: Two persons were killed when the Tata Sumo they were travelling in fell into the Ravi on Saturday. The body of Kuldip Kumar, a local resident, had been extricated from the river while the search for the second one was still on. A case has been registered.

KANGRA
14 poor children adopted: The alumni association of Dr RP Government Medical College at Tanda on Sunday adopted 14 poor children of migrant labourers and decided to provide them with food, clothing and education. Dr Konal Mahajan, president of the association, said the old students donated a public address system to be set up in the operation theatre and labour room of the college for the convenience of the attendants of the patients.

NURPUR
Two booked: The police on Sunday booked Anil Kumar and Ramesh of Hatli Jawalan village in this subdivision for allegedly outraging the modesty of a Dalit woman of the village by entering into her house on Saturday night when her husband was away. According to the police, the accused attacked the woman and tried to rape her. They fled when the woman raised an alarm. A case has been registered against the accused.

SUNDERNAGAR
Education quality: PWD minister Gulab Singh has said the government is committed to improve the quality education in the state. He was addressing a gathering at the inaugural function of a state-level tournament of boys (under 19) on Sunday. He said the government would spend Rs 197 crore in this year for the development of infrastructure at various educational institutions. A sum of Rs 12 crore would be spent on promoting sports in the state. MLA Roop Singh also spoke on the occasion. About 600 sportsmen from 11 districts are taking part in the four-day tournament involving competitions in football, hockey, basketball, handball and boxing.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

BARAMULLA
Educational tour for women: The Dagger Division organised an educational-cum-motivational tour for 16 women of Usha Fashion Design School (UFDS), Baramula, to New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur to enable them to imbibe the glory of rich cultural legacy of the country and its rapid strides towards modernisation. The aim of the tour is fostering brotherhood, feeling of unity and creating awareness of our nation’s multifaceted identity. GOC 19 Infantry Division, flagged off the tour on Saturday, a defence spokesman said.

SRINAGAR
Bodies of militants found: Two more bodies of suspected militants have been recovered in the upper reaches of Kangan in north Kashmir. In all 13 militants had been killed in eight-day-long encounter in the upper reaches of Bandipore district that continued from September 24 to October 1. The bodies of 11 militants had already been recovered by the police. Meanwhile, the troops of the 57 RR and the police had recovered two AK 47 rifles, four magazines in Panaar forests of Bandipore district, a defence spokesman said.

Mobile bank branch: The J&K Bank’s Mobile Bank Branch, first of its kind in the state, was flagged off by the Governor at SKICC here on Sunday. The branch will be functioning in a hi-tech mobile van fully equipped with all basic facilities of a full-fledged branch. The Governor lauded the role of the J&K Bank in rendering high-class services to people of the state even in remotest locations. He appreciated this initiative of the bank, which he said would widen the horizon of financial inclusion of those who had so far remained outside the ambit of banking.

Wildlife Week observed: Governor’s adviser H. H. Tyabji has cautioned against increasing man and wildlife conflicts describing it a matter of great concern in today's civilisation. “Wildlife habitats have largely shrunken as a result of human activities. We have to reverse the trend, restore our rich bio-diversity”, he said while addressing a function organised for observance of Wildlife Week at SKICC here on Saturday. Tyabji said the week observed each year from October 2 to 8, coincides with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Vohra hosts Eid Milan: Governor N.N. Vohra hosted an Eid Milan at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex (SKICC) lawns on the banks of Dal Lake on Saturday. It was attended by leaders of various socio-political organisations, including former Chief Ministers, Mufti Mohammed Sayed and Ghulam Nabi Azad, former legislators, intellectuals, academicians, senior Civil, Army and police officers, members of the media corps and prominent citizens.

Regional potpourri
Donating blood to celebrate Sai Baba’s birthday

The Abohar-based Shri Sathya Sai Seva Samiti celebrates, in a different way, the birth anniversary of Shri Sathya Sai Baba who says’’The hands, which serve are more sacred than the lips which worship’.

A view of blood donation organised to celebrate 83rd birth anniversary of Sathya Sai Baba

The samiti started organising ‘akhand-bhajan’ at Arorvansh Bhawan in Abohar 14 years back. After two years the samiti resolved to hold blood donation camps also. Also it decided to organise surgery camp too .

Units of donated blood have been increasing every year. This time akhand bhajan was for 83 hours as the world was celebrating Baba’s 83rd birth anniversary. A blood camp was organised to donate 83 units. The samiti has planned to organise surgery camp in November also. This will be 12th such camp and surgeons will providing services free of charge.

A samiti spokesman quoted Baba as saying ‘transformation must begin with the individual. When the individual changes, the world will change. Transformation has to take place in the minds of men. Right thoughts will lead to right actions. Bother not what happened in the past. Get immersed in the tasks of the present. Render selfless service. The delight of the individual gladdens the Divine. Do everything with the Lord's name on your lips. Develop all that is good in you and share that goodness with others’.

Devotees draw inspiration from quotations and work at such functions to serve society.

Honour for Kangra teacher

The Indian International Friendship Society (IIFS) has chosen for 'Shiksha Rattan Puraskar' noted educationist Sukhvinder Singh Gondal for his services to education.
Gondal at present principal GAV Public school Kangra was told about it by the IIFS, New Delhi, a non- government set -up . Gondal will get the award at a function in New Delhi in November.

Sukhvinder Singh Gondal

The award is in appreciation of nation -building task of Gondal in today's society where the carrier- driven parents hardly have time to spend with their children. Gondal instilled confidence, responsibility, self- respect, moral values and above all honesty in students to make them good citizens. Gondal, M.A., B.Ed, has worked in Lawrence School Sanawar in different capacities for 18 years as teacher, coach, NCC officer and dean till 1998. He won two gold, eight silver and three bronze medals in state level athletics at the university level and received Role of Honour in hockey and athletics.

He continues to work towards better education and shaping future of students in right direction .

Making children eco-concerned

Prajakta Nilkanth, wife of deputy commissioner Nawanshahr, Nilkanth Avhad, has launched a drive to mobilise schoolchildren for celebrating " safe and pollution-free Diwali", this year. Prajakta, accompanied by activists of various NGOs has started addressing teachers and housewives, to motivate them to inculcate in children respect for environment besides gaining bookish knowledge. She plans to visit schools to motivate children against the use of crackers for celebrating Diwali as use of crackers sometimes proves harmful and is great threat to environment.

Prajakta Nilkanth

"The parents, especially, the mothers should act as role models for them by ensuring judicious use of natural resources. The children should be made aware of the importance of keeping water, air and earth free from pollution " said Prajakta adding the "save environment" mission was not just associated with planting more trees but the children should be made aware not to indulge in wasteful use of small things like paper, pencil etc. as we have to cut trees for producing these articles. Thus, by inculcating the habit of judicious use of such articles in the children, we could help preserve environment, she added.

She exhorted school teachers to organise 'Eco Clubs' in schools to guide students to keep in touch with nature.

Under the drive, activities like declamation and painting competitions, tree plantation etc. in the schools have been planned. She will interact with students to make them aware of the importance of environment and motivate them to shun use of crackers. After conducting school level competitions, inter-school competitions will be organised. An awareness rally involving school students would be held in the town, said Prajakta.

Contributed by Raj Sadosh, Ashok Raina and Parmod Bharti