Regional Beat 8212; Chandigarh

Tea estatesPalampur: The Board of Tea Federation approved in principle the Setting up of model tea estates of 50 hectares each in the dis...

Tea estates
Palampur: The Board of Tea Federation approved in principle the Setting up of model tea estates of 50 hectares each in the district of Mandi, Kangra and Chamba, involving a financial outlay of Rs 345 lakh.This decision was taken at a meeting held here yesterday which was presided over by Rikhi Ram Kaundal, Minister of State for Cooperatives and chairman of the federation. Prominent among special invitees included B.B. Butail, Atma Ram and Dulo Ram, MLAs from Palampur, Rajbir and Baijnath constituencies respectively.Another important decision taken by the board was to import plucking and skiffing machines for the plants in order to boost the production of tea in the valley.

Leprosy drive
Dharamsala:The District Leprosy Society, Kangra will launch a Modified Leprosy Elimination Campaign MLEC from March 7 to 14 next, in which a survey of leprosy and skin diseases will be done. Presiding over the meeting of the, Deputy Commissioner B.K. Aggarwal highlighted the aim of this campaign and said that by the year 2,000 leprosy would be eliminated. The district has been divided into 12 units and 450 survey units has been set up. Over 900 health workers and 500 volunteers will take part in the campaign.

Arrested
Solan: The police have arrested Gurpal Singh, the owner of a dhaba on The charge of smuggling narcotics and recovered 2.5 kg poppy husk from his possession at Manpura Village under Barotiwala police station in this district yesterday.SSP M.L. Negi said that following a tip-off, a police party led by SHO Barotiwala Ashok Kumar raided the Punjabi Dhaba and seized the poppy husk concealed in the store. A case has been registered.

Fast-unto-death
Solan: The ongoing agitation of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh took a serious turn yesterday when Mela Ram, a senior leader of the Sangh sat on fast-unto- death to protest against the non-acceptance of their demands at Baddi industrial township.It may be recalled that activists of BMS, a frontal organisation of the ruling BJP had gone on a chain hunger strike on December 8 outside the E.S.I. Hospital in Baddi. They were demanding immediate payment of their E.S.I. medical claims bills.The BMS leaders had threatened that if the long-pending payment of E.S.I. medical claims bills was not made to them, they would be forced to intensify their ongoing agitation. The activists were alleging that bills worth Rs 1.75 crore were pending with the Health Department.

March
Chandigarh: A Sarab Dharam Chetna March is being organised from Jammu to Anandpur Sahib from December 18 as part of the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations.Punjab Minister of State for Industries Sucha Singh Langah said the march would terminate at Anandpur Sahib on December 20. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would receive the march on its first leg at Dhariwal in Gurdaspur district on December 18.

SBI camp
Chandigarh: A two-day recovery camp for genuine defaulting borrowers WAS organised by State Bank of India8217;s Ludhiana Main Branch, Millerganj and Civil Lines branches in Ludhiana. R C Aggarwal, General Manager Damp;PB and O P Bhardwaj, Dy General Manager, Zonal Office listened to difficulties faced by the borrowers in repaying the loans and decided on the spot, to grant certain concessions.

Gutted
Kullu: Two residential houses were gutted in a devastating fire that broke out at Shanaag Village adjacent to the Manali-Leh highway across the Beas, six km from Manali on Tuesday. Property worth lakhs was damaged. The gutted houses belonged to two residents, Chhape Ram and Kehar Singh. The cause of the fire is suspected to be storage of dry grass inside the houses.Deputy Commissioner R. D. Dhiman said the tehsildar of Manali accompanied by a team of revenue officials rushed to the site for an on-the-spot assessment of the loss. He said that directions had been issued to distribute ration and blankets among the victims. The villagers helped extinguish the fire.