R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BATHINDA
SSP MEETS TEACHERS: As part of a campaign against menace of drugs, Mr Ishwar Singh, SSP, on Wednesday met principals, headmasters and headmistresses of various schools of the district. The meeting was convened for seeking the cooperation of the teachers and school heads against the use of narcotics by schoolchildren.

HOSHIARPUR
RALLY: Municipal employees staged a rally in front of the Municipal Council office here on Wednesday in protest against the government's failure to release the compensation money in lieu of octroi for March 2002, on account of which employees have not been paid salary for the last month. Mr Kulwant Singh Soni, general secretary, Punjab Nagar Palika Karamchari Sanghthan, in a press note issued here on Wednesday said the sangthan had served a notice to the state government to release the compensation money up to April 17.

ARRESTED: Mrs Gurpreet Deo, SSP, in a press note issued here on Tuesday said the police had arrested Gurmit Singh, alias Laddi, of Bassi Gaud Khan village and recovered Rs 70,000 in cash and a Maruti car from him. She said Gurmit Singh along with his three accomplices Jagjit, alias Jaggi, Randip Singh, alias Ghuggu, and Naresh Kumar, alias Monu, looted Rs 1,26,500 from Mr Satya Pal Aggarwal near the local railway station on March 22.

JALANDHAR
SOCIETY DIVIDEND: The Sarai Khas Multipurpose Agriculture Co-operative Society has earned a gross profit of Rs 19.25 lakh during the last financial year and of this Rs 2.02 lakh has been distributed among 1,342 members as dividend. This was stated by society president Gurmail Singh in a press note issued here on Wednesday.

KAPURTHALA
COMPLAINTS REDRESSED: As many as 19 complaints were redressed at a meeting of the District Public Grievances Redressal Committee, held here on Wednesday, under the chairmanship of Mr Rakesh Kumar Verma, Deputy Commissioner.

SENTENCED: Mr Jagroop Singh Mahal, Additional Sessions Judge, on Wednesday convicted Moti Lal Yadav, a sweets seller of Jaggi market, under Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act on the charge of stocking LPG cylinders unauthorisedly and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment of two years and fined Rs 2000. Thirteen cylinders of Bharat Gas Company were reportedly seized from his possession during a raid conducted by officials of the District Food and Civil Supplies Department and the police.

MOGA
2 KILLED: Two persons were killed in a head-on collision between a car and a tractor-trailer on the Moga-Ferozepore road, 15 km from here, on Wednesday. The car was reportedly on its way to Chandigarh while the tractor-trailer was coming from the Ferozepore side when the mishap occurred. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.

BAN ON POSTERS: The District Magistrate, Mr G. Romesh Kumar, has ordered the owners of the local cinema houses not to display obscene posters in the private places.

NAWANSHAHR
TRI-CYCLES DISTRIBUTED: The Ek Noor Swa-Sevi Sanstha organised a function at Surapur village, about 10 km from here, on Wednesday and distributed tri cycles and sewing machines among 15 handicapped persons and widows. Baba Gurbhachan Singh (Pathlawawale) inaugurated the function. Mr Baldev Nayyar, District Chairman ( Environment), Lions Club district 321-D, was the chief guest.

PATIALA
DELEGATION: A delegation of the Federation of Arhtiya Association of Punjab met State Agriculture Minister, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Food and Finance Minister Lal Singh on Thursday to apprise them of problems faced by them. General secretary Swaran Singh, criticised the directive of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) which states that the commission on wheat purchase will be paid by the farmers instead of procurement agencies. He urged Mrs Bhattal to take up the matter with the Chief Minister and the Central food minister. Mrs Bhattal assured the delegation that the circular would be mended.

NEW PARTY: A party, Punjab Pradesh Lok Ekta Manch, was floated here on Thursday. Mr Daljit Singh was appointed as its chairman and Mr Darshan Singh as the state chief.

DECISION: The National Federation of Telecom Employees at a meeting held on Thursday decided to join the token strike called by public sector employees on April 16. The employees are protesting against the outright sale and disinvestment of public sector units (PSUs), downsizing, retrenchment and closure of sick PSUs and heavy taxes imposed on the working class. The circle executive committee of the federation also demanded that proper staff be recruited to give efficient service to customers and value-added services be provided by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

COLONIES’ WELFARE: The Patiala Colonies Welfare Federation will hold a meeting on April 14 at the Sikh Academy of Religion, Dhillon Marg, here to discuss the issue of municipal corporation elections and other matters related to the welfare of colonies in the city. The general secretary of the federation, Mr Tarlok Singh, has requested the presidents and general secretaries of different associations to attend the meeting.

AMBULANCE: The Deputy Commissioner of Patiala, Mr Tejveer Singh, and chairman of the District Red Cross Society handed over the ambulance donated by the State Red Cross Society to Saket Hospital here on Thursday. A delegation of the society from America was briefed about the achievements of the District Red Cross Society. The Deputy Commissioner said 32 polio affected children had been operated upon by an Italian doctor. Technically superior medial equipment would be imported from Italy shortly, he added.

PHAGWARA
SUSPENDED: The SDM-cum-Administrator of the local Nagar Council, Mr Amarjit Paul, suspended a municipal sevadar Swaraj Kumar for misbehaving with the people, an official press note said on Tuesday.

TARN TARAN
KILLED: Naranjan Singh (35) of Tarn Taran was killed when his bicycle was hit by a jeep on the Jandiala road here on Tuesday. A case has been registered against the driver of the jeep under Sections 279, 304 of the IPC.

ZIRAKPUR
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Shalimar Enclave Welfare Association, Zirakpur: president — Mr S.S. Arora, vice-president — Mr S.P.S. Chahal, general secretary — Mr Gurcharan Singh, joint secretary — Mr Ashwani Kumar and treasurer — Mr Hari Dyal. 

HARYANA

KAITHAL
CONTACT PROGRAMME: The Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) launched a mass contact programme in rural areas of the district and Mr Jatinder Singh Kaka, general secretary of the party, and other workers addressed meetings at Sirta, Manas , Dillonwali, Guhna, Padla, Baba Ladana villages on Monday.

YAMUNANAGAR
DHARNA HELD: Members of the Uttariya Railway Mazood Union, Jagadhri, staged a dharna and sat on a fast at the railway workshop here on Wednesday. Mr Dewan Chand Arora, secretary of the union, said no government had adopted such harsh policies against employees as the present government which was trying to stop the only privilege of railway passes to the workers. He added recruitment had nearly stopped.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

FOUR HELD: Four persons suspected to have murdered Ranjit Singh (40) of Pandoga village, 10 km from here, were arrested on Monday. According to report of the post-mortem examination, no injury marks were found on the body. Following a complaint lodged by Premjit Singh, brother of the deceased, the deceased’s wife Balbir Kaur, brother-in-law Bhupinder Singh, Satwinder Singh and Gurbax Singh, relatives, have been arrested under Sections 302 and 120B of the IPC.