R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
Function held: A prize-distribution function was held at S.R. Government College here on Sunday. Mr Mohan Lal, Minister for Higher Education, Punjab, presided. A cultural programme was presented by students of the college.

BARNALA
Honoured: Bhan Singh Bhaura, MP, Balbir Singh Ghunas, MLA, and Ram Murat Singh Verma, a writer, were honoured for their contributions to Punjabi literature at a function organised by the Kendri Lekhak Sabha, Malwa Sirjana kendra and Likhari Sabha at Government High School here on Sunday.

Medical camp: The Rotaract Club here organised a free heart check-up medical camp at the local Government High School on Sunday.

DHURI
Crushed to death: Baljit Kaur of Sangla village was crushed to death by a bus near Sant Nirankari Bhavan on the outskirts of the town on Saturday. The accident occurred when the victim along with her brother-in-law Sajjan Singh were returning to the village on a scooter after attending a marriage.

FEROZEPORE
Awarded: Veteran journalist and social worker of the district Satyapal Baghi was given the "Man of the Millennium" award by Editor of the Hind Samachar Group of Publications Vijay Chopra on Sunday.

JALANDHAR
Run over: Sohan Lal, a middle-aged man, was run over and killed by a train near pillar No. 16 on the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur rail section on Saturday, the police said. In another incident, Gurmail Chand, was killed and Shingara Singh of Chak Jhandu village injured when their vehicle overturned after it was hit by a truck near Raipur Ballan on the Jalandhar-Pathankot national highway on Saturday.

Arrested: Sohan Singh of Mustapur, a proclaimed offender, was arrested by the Kartapur police on Saturday. A case under Section 323 and 324, IPC, has been registered.

LUDHIANA
Case registered: A case under Section 336 and 34, IPC, has been registered in connection with to the abduction of a 14-year-old girl on Saturday from the Model Town extension area. According to the victim's mother, the girl was allegedly abducted from outside her house.

MALERKOTLA
Workshop: The Indian Council for Environment Education, Chandigarh, organised a workshop on environment at the local DAV Senior Secondary Public School on Sunday. Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi, SDO (C), presided.

Gang busted: The police has busted a gang of thieves by arresting Nazir Mohammad and Mohammad Naseer. Articles like TV, stereos and radios were seized from them. A case has been registered.

MOGA
Water problem: Residents of Bambihabahi village in the district complained on Monday that there was an acute shortage of drinking water for the past several months. They said the water reservoir at the village had some mechanical fault and the department concerned had done nothing in this connection.

PATIALA
Honesty prevails: Honesty still prevails. Manjot Kaur, a student with Cal-C Computer Centre, Chotti Baradari, here lost her purse containing cash and important paper on Monday morning, but she was relieved to receive it back in the evening. She said that the purse had fallen on a road. Miss Harvinder Kaur, an employee with Amar Traders in Dharampura Bazar here found the purse and contacted her on the telephone number in the purse.

CHANDIGARH

Tripura Week: The local unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) held a rally to celebrate Tripura week here on Monday. Speakers at the rally demanded barbed wire fencing along the Tripura-Bangladesh border, initiative to arrange for the return of the extremists to normal life, besides ending backwardness of Tripura. The speakers also explained the negative role of the CIA and ISI agencies in extending full support to the extremist outfits and organisations. The Chandigarh unit of the CPI(M) urged the Union Government to accept the demands of the Tripura Government.

JAC delegation: A representation of the Joint Action Committee, General Hospital and allied dispensaries, met the local member of Parliament, Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, under the chairmanship of Mr Surinder Singh with regard to their demand of grant of patient care allowance to classes C and D employees. In a release here on Monday, the General Secretary, Mr Ramesh Chand, claimed that Mr Bansal assured them that their demand for the allowance would be discussed in Parliament. He urged the Chandigarh Administration to accept their genuine demand.

Dev Samaj: The Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36, celebrated Mat Pita Santan Divas here on Sunday. An exhibition of craft items was organised by students on the occasion. Mr Kamal Chaudhary, former MP and President of DAV institution, Hoshiarpur, was the chief guest. Parents of the students were the guests of honour. Mr Chaudhary expressed his displeasure with the erosion in human values and increase in old-age homes and appreciated the idea of celebrating Mat Pita Santan Divas.

Teachers' protest: The university teachers of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh will wear black badges and hold dharnas and protest rallies on March 14 if the governments of the respective states do not release the payment of arrears by March 10, and decided to send a memorandum to the HRD Minister, Dr M.M. Joshi, in this regard. This was resolved at a meeting of the north zone council of the All-India Federation of University Teachers Association (AIFUTA) at Panjab University, a press release said.

PANCHKULA
Office-bearers: The following have been elected office-bearers of the House Owner Welfare Association: Chairman — Mr J.S. Sangari; President — Mr C.L. Salwan; Senior Vice-Presidents — Mr M.S. Kaushal and Mr T.K. Chhiba; Vice-Presidents — Mr K.L. Suri, Mr H.L. Gulati and Mr K.K. Makkar; General Secretary — Mr Chander Shekher; Finance Secretary — Mr D.P. Chatrath; Joint Secretary — Mr R.R. Vats; Assistant Finance Secretary — Mr Jagdish Sharma; Organising Secretary — Mr B.M. Sharma; and Publicity Secretary — Mr M.M. Khanna.

SAS NAGAR
School site: The residents of Phase XI, who have been protesting against the allotment of a school site to an educational institution, have cited the noise pollution norms of the Union Ministry of Environment which do not permit allowing commercial institutions near residential areas.

HARYANA

SONEPAT
Kidnapped man returns: Mr Shamlal Gupta, a cloth merchant, who was allegedly kidnapped by some car-borne miscreants on Friday, reached his house in Sector 15 here on Sunday. Mr Gupta was kidnapped while he was returning home on his moped. A case has been registered.

Check-up camp: The local Manav Sewa Trust held a kidney check-up camp here on Saturday. Mr T.C. Alakh, president of the trust, said here on Sunday that the trust incurred an expenditure of more than Rs 500 per patient.

Prohibitory orders: The District Magistrate, Mr Sudhir Rajpal, on Monday enforced prohibitory orders under Section 144, CrPC, banning the movement of all types of vehicles for election purposes in all six Assembly constituencies of the district. The order would remain in force till polling is over.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

MANDI
Music programme: Sangeet Sandhya, a programme organised by the Kailash Sanskriti and Kala Peeth, was held at the conference hall of Vallabh Mahavidyalaya on Saturday. Mr S. Roy, Divisional Commissioner, was the chief guest.

Mishap: One person was killed and three others were injured when their Maruti car fell into a 400-feet gorge near Gahaur village, 12 km from here, on the Rewalsar-Mandi road on Sunday. They were coming to Mandi after attending a religious function.

SHIMLA
Five killed: Five persons were killed and another was injured when a Maruti van rolled into a gorge at Dohra Danga, near Shalaghat, on the Shimla-Mani road, 30 km from here, on Saturday. The van was on its way to Mandi.