Regional beat

Protests

FEROZEPUR: Members of the district Bar association today observed strike in protest against the killing of 23 Kashmiri Pandits in Gandarbal near Srinagar, a couple of days ago. At a meeting held under the presidentship of S. S. Jossan, the lawyers observed two-minute silence to pay homage to the victims of the massacre. The members sent a copy of a resolution to the Union Home Minister demanding stern action against those responsible for the massacre.

LUDHIANA: The Government Primary Teachers Association, Punjab, would hold a convention in the constituency of Education Minister Tota Singh at Moga on February 8 to protest against abolition of posts of head teachers in primary schools. Stating this, the association president, Piara Singh Dhillon, announced that the teachers would support only thosecandidates in the Lok Sabha elections who are committed to the demands of the teaching community.

PATIALA: The teachers, who passed their B.Ed examinations in 1996, have expressed their resentment against the state government’s decision to cancel their appointments after they were selected on the basis of merit. The teachers, in a release issued yesterday, contested the government’s claim that their appointments had been cancelled as per the High Courts’s order. They wondered how it found them eligible at the time of issuing the appointment letters. They said that the teacher had resolved to protest against the decision of the state government and campaign against the Akali-BJP alliance candidate in the constituency of the Education Minister.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Clerk Association has condemned the recommendations of the Fourth Pay Commission. A resolution was passed in this connection at a meeting of the Association held under the leadership of Devinder Singh. The association demanded thatthe basic pay be raised to Rs 4,500 as against Rs 3,120 recommended by the Commission. The association members also expressed resentment at the recommendations of the commission in regard to pay scale, allowances and conditions of promotion.

Politics

PATIALA: Former Member of Parliament and veteran Congress leader Satpal Kapoor who joined the Shiromani Akali Dal yesterday, has criticized the Congress for allotting tickets to persons held guilty by various courts.

He cited examples of Captain Satish Sharma from Amethi, Deepa Kaul, daughter of Sheila Kaul, from Rai Baraeli and Balram Jakhar. Kapur describes the Congress act as unfortunate. He said such decisions on the part of the Congress go on to infer that the party had no respect for the judiciary.

PATIALA: The members of the Joint Action Committee, Rajindra Hospital and Medical College, has welcomed the decision of Charanjit Singh Walia, to rejoin the ranks of the Shiromani Akali Dal. According to a release issued by thegeneral secretary of the committee, Prithipal Singh Badungar, the decision taken by Walia had boosted the morale of the employees. Badungar added that Walia’s step had also been welcomed by the Panjab State Services Federation. Walia was taken back into the SAD yesterday.

KULLU: Minister of State for Horticulture Satya Prakash Thakur has refuted the claim of Bharatiya Janata Party that many families had joined BJP after deserting Congress in the Banjar assembly constituency. At a public meeting at Bhuntar, Thakur said that those families which had reportedly joined BJP had met him and strongly condemned such rumours. While addressing the gathering, the minister said that Congress was fighting the present elections with a united force of workers under the leadership of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and it would again come to rule in the state.

Functions

SHIMLA: Kinnaur district administration honoured B.P. Gupta, assistant engineer in a 1500 MW Nathpa-Jhakri Power Project at theRepublic Day function held at Rekong Peo on January 26. Gupta while working in NJPC at Bhaba Nagar had done a commendable job last year in rescuing 40 persons who were trapped in Neogalsari tunnel on July 18, 1996 where a poisonous gas had leaked. Deputy Commissioner G.S. Rathore gave a commendation certificate and a cash prize of Rs 500 to Gupta.