R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
Managing committee: The following have been elected office-bearers of the managing committee of the local branch of the Northern India Regional Council for Chartered Accountants: chairman — Mr Vipul Arora; vice-chairman — Mr H.S. Goolry; secretary — Mr Davinder Singh; and treasurer — Mr Jasbir Singh.

Rotary Club: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Rotary Club: presidents — Mr K.G. Sapra and Mr Sanjeev Sud; vice-presidents — Mr I.S. Kataria and Mr Mahesh Sagar; secretary — Mr I.S. Parmar; joint secretary — Mr Yash Pal Mahajan; and treasurer — Mr C.L. Malhotra.

BARNALA
Gang busted: The local police has busted an inter-state gang of smugglers by arresting all its members who used to smuggle poppy husk from Uttar Pradesh and sell it in the town and surrounding areas. Nearly 43 kg of poppy husk was seized from them. In another case 0.5 kg of opium had been seized from a local resident, Vakil Chand. A case has been registered.

Traffic safety: The district police and the local Lions Club organised a traffic safety week which concluded here on Monday. During the week 10 pollution check-up camps were organised where 800 vehicles were issued pollution certificates.

FARIDABAD
Woman burnt: A case has been registered under Sections 498-A, 307 and 34, IPC, against four women for allegedly burning a newly married women, Sushila, at Baisla Colony in old Faridabad on Tuesday by pouring kerosene on her. The victim received 60 per cent burns and her condition was stated to be serious.

FEROZEPORE
Rally held: The Ferozepore District Class IV Government Employees Union held a rally here on Tuesday in support of their demands. The union leaders alleged that the daily-wage workers had not been paid their salaries for the past three months.

GURDASPUR
Inaugurated: Mr Nirmal Singh Kahlon, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat, inaugurated the office of the development block at Dorangla on Monday. The block has been restored after more than 15 years.

HOSHIARPUR
Bar Associations: Members of the Bar Associations of Hoshiarpur, Dasuya and Garhshankar observed a complete strike on Tuesday in protest against the proposed merger of Garhshankar subdivision with Nawanshahr district. In a press note, Mr R.P. Dhir, President of the district Bar Association, here said a meeting of all political parties, social organisations, MLAs, members of the SGPC, etc of the district would be held on January 17 at the zila parishad hall.

JALANDHAR
Thefts: Two vehicles have reportedly been stolen from different parts of the city since Monday. According to the police, Rachpal Singh of Preet Nagar and Mrs Harbhajan Kaur of Guru Gobind Singh locality complained that their Maruti car and van, respectively, were stolen from their houses. Two cases have been registered.

Body found: The police on Tuesday found the body of a migrant labourer from Lambran village near here. The exact cause of death could not be ascertained. The police suspects that the deceased died because of cold. A post-mortem examination was conducted at the local Civil Hospital.

KHANNA
Gold biscuits seized: The Khanna police arrested Surjit Singh from the local bus stand and seized 24 gold biscuits worth Rs 12 lakh. A case has been registered under Sections 411, 413 and 414, IPC.

KOTKAPURA
Illegal arms factory: The Faridkot police has unearthed a factory in which illegal arms were being manufactured for the past two years. Dr Arun Oran, SSP, in a press note issued here said Pal Chand, alias Pali, of the town was indulging in the manufacturing of illegal arms in a factory located in his house. A case has been registered.

LUDHIANA
Truck recovered: The police has recovered a stolen truck with the registration number HP-38-7559 from Bhattian village. The truck, owned by Prem Singh, had been stolen on January 3.

Association: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Junior Telecommunication Officers Association: district president — Mr Lachchman Das; vice-presidents — Mr Balvinder Singh and Mr Sukhminder Singh; district secretary — Mr Sanjeev Kumar; and treasurer — Mr Deepak Kumar.

PATIALA
Office-bearers: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Senior Citizens Welfare Society, Urban Estate: president — Dr A.C. Arora; vice-president — Mr Mann Singh Mann; general secretary — Mr D.S. Uppal; and finance secretary — Dr Mohinder Singh.

SANGRUR
Arrested: The police has busted a gang of cheats involved in the selling of fake gold biscuits. Jarnail Singh, Nachattar Singh and Dal Singh have been arrested in this connection. A case has been registered under Sections 420 and 487, IPC.

Liquor seized: The Malerkotla police has arrested Jagjit Singh of Malerkotla and seized 24 bottles of country-made liquor from him. In another case, Gajjan Singh of Dhuri village was arrested and 15 bottles of country-made liquor seized from him. Cases under the Excise Act have been registered.

CHANDIGARH

Dharna: Representatives of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union, the Federation of Principals and Management (Private Colleges) and non-teaching forums in private colleges organised a dharna on Wednesday for pension scheme, enhanced retirement age and regular grants to colleges.

KHARAR
Meeting: The meeting and general election of the general body of the All-India Human Rights Watch will be held at Friends Enclave, near Grewal Hospital, on Sunday, according to a press note.

SAS NAGAR
Complained: Entrepreneurs in Industrial Estate Phase V have complained to the Public Health Department about the choked sewerage system in the area.

Observed: The local Shastri Model School observed the death anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri on Tuesday by performing havan and shanti path.

HARYANA

JIND
Strike: The sanitation staff of the local municipal council at a meeting held here on Tuesday decided to strike work in protest against the non-payment of salaries to the sanitation staff. Later, they took out a march in the town to press their demands. They also submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner in this regard.

Mishap: One person was killed and 10 others injured when the jeep in which they were travelling overturned on the Jind-Barwala road near Intal Khurd village in the district on Tuesday. According to a report received here, the injured included five school teachers who were going to the school in the jeep. The condition of two injured teachers was stated to be serious. Rash driving was stated to be the reason of the mishap.

PANIPAT
Inquiry directed: The National Women Commission has directed the Superintendent of Police here to inquire into the complaints of Vidya Devi of the local Java Colony and submit a report to it within 15 days. Vidya Devi had lodged a complaint with the commission that there was a danger to her life and property from her neighbourer, who had allegedly attempted to abduct her daughter.

Injured: Six persons were injured in a clash at Naultha village on Tuesday. Two of them were stated to be in a serious condition. An old enmity was stated to be the reason behind the clash.

Salaries not paid: Fire brigade employees of the local municipal council have not been paid their salaries for the past two months. Shortage of funds is stated to be the cause of the delay.

HVPN men hurt: Six employees of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) were injured on Tuesday when a roadways bus hit a 132 kv power pole, which they were repairing. Two of them were seriously injured. The police has taken the bus and its driver in custody.

Marriage of girls: The Social Welfare Department has provided the sanctioned amount of Rs 5,100 each for the wedding of seven girls under the scheme initiated by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala.

SONEPAT
Demonstration: Members of the joint action committee of the HUDA Karamchari Union held a demonstration in front of the HUDA office here on Wednesday to protest against the non-acceptance of their demands. A rally was also held where the speakers threatened to strike work.

Open darbar: An open darbar was held at Ganaur, 16 km from here, on Tuesday. Ms Anita Yadav, SDM, presided.

1 killed: One person was killed and two injured when a canter collided with a jeep near Hullaheri village on Tuesday. According to the police, the victim had not been identified so far. In another incident, a young housewife, Suman, was killed and two others injured, including her husband, when a roadways bus hit them on GT Road near Pio Munyari.

Body found: The Rai police recovered the body of a woman on the premises of a closed factory at the HSIDC complex in Kundli village on Tuesday. According to the police, that the woman was allegedly murdered after a gangrape. A case has been registered.

Suicide attempt: A youth made an attempt to commit suicide by taking poison in his house at Kher Dahiya village, 25 km from here, on Tuesday.