R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
QUOTA IN TEACHING: The issue of reservation in teaching posts was under UGC consideration, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the Punjab Government, by Dr SP Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, said while presiding over a function organised by Bharat Ratna Dr BR Ambedkar Society to commemorate his 112th birth anniversary here on Friday. Dr Harish Puri, noted scholar, and Dr Satinder Singh, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, also spoke.

PAYMENT SCHEME: As many as 143 consumers deposited bills on the first day of the ‘advance payment of energy bills’ scheme here on Friday. The scheme for domestic, commercial and agriculture consumers was launched by Mr KS Kang, Member, Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB).

UNDERTRIAL IN HOSPITAL: Two prisoners in the high-security Central Jail here, Narinder Singh and Heera Singh, who consumed poison on Friday were rushed to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. The undertrial were lodged in the jail for murder charges.

HELD FOR FRAUD: The district police, Majitha, has booked Paramjit Singh, a resident of Mohalke village and an employee of the Cooperative Society, Mohalke, for embezzling the society stock on a complaint by the Assistant Registrar of the society.

BATHINDA
SEMINAR: The Horticulture Department will organise the seventh state-level seminar-cum-exhibition on grapes cultivation on June 1 and 2 in the city. Dr Mahinder Kumar Rinwa, Minister of State for Horticulture and Environment, will preside over the function.

JUDICIAL COMPLEX: Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi and Mr Justice J.S. Kher of the Punjab and Haryana High Court will inaugurate the judicial complex at Mansa on Sunday, according to Mr Lakhbir Singh, District and Sessions Judge of Bathinda and Mansa districts.

HOSHIARPUR
AGENT HELD: On a complaint by Mastan Singh of Kotla, the Tanda police has registered a case under Sections 406, 420 and 120-B, IPC, against travel agent Balbir Singh of Baring village in Jalandhar district. According to the complaint, Balbir Singh duped Mastan Singh of Rs 4.5 lakh on the plea of sending his son abroad.

LUDHIANA
BCM SCHOOL: BCM school has inaugurated a high-tech computer staff room for its teachers to improve their teaching skills. The President of the Managing Committee, Mr Satyanandji Munjal, inaugurated the staff room. The Principal, Mrs Paramjit Kar said: “It’s my dream come true, when I will see my teachers working on computers making assignment, lesson plans, projects and using multimedia programme. 

MANSA
IN-LAWS BOOKED: Ms Karamjit Kaur of Joga village in this district was allegedly murdered on Friday by her-in-laws for dowry. The police has registered a case against her husband, Gurpal Singh, her father-in-law, Gurdev Singh, and her mother-in-law, Karamjit Kaur. The victim, a daughter of Mr Karnail Singh of Chak Ram Singh Wala village in Bathinda district, was married in March 1996. Her parents alleged that her in-laws were maltreating her for want of dowry.

TWO INJURED: Bishan Singh and Ram Singh of the railway police were injured when they tried to arrest wheat thieves at the Budhlada platform.

FLAYED: Mr Hans Raj Sharma, president of the district unit of the Privately-Managed Government- Aided School Teachers and Other Employees Association, in a press statement here on Saturday criticised the state government for its proposed move to stop pension of the employees of the grant-in-aided schools.

PATIALA
BAR MEETING: An executive body meeting of the Bar Association was held here where it was decided to approach the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to fill the post of the presiding officer of the labour court which had been lying vacant for the past six months. Work in the labour court was suffering and both workers and the management were facing hardship due to the non-clearance of pending cases. 

APPOINTED: Mr Partapinder Singh Phoolka has been appointed general secretary of the BJP ex-servicemen cell, according to a communication received from Mr Avinash Jaiswal, general secretary, (organisation) of the BJP, Punjab. 

ELECTED: Mr Ajmer Singh, a scholar, has been elected Director of Punjabi Hath Likhit Akademi. He said about 65 per cent of important documents related to the history and culture of Punjab were in the form of manuscripts and needed to be converted into books. 

AWARDED: The fifth and sixth Indian Reserve Battalions (IRB) have jointly been awarded the Battalion “Standard”, according to a press note by the IGP (IRB), Mr P.M. Das. The “Standard” had been awarded after evaluating the annual performance of all IRB battalions in the state.

SAMRALA
POSTS: About 6,000 posts of Primary Teacher in Punjab will immediately be filled after getting an approval of the Education Minister and the Chief Minister. This was stated by Dr Jagtar Singh Khatra, DPI (Elementary), Punjab, here on Saturday. Talking to mediapersons in Shahi Palace, Dr Jagtar Singh Khattra said under the new Elementary Directorate Scheme, 2320 primary schools had been merged with middle schools in Punjab. In a reply to a question he told Ludhiana Tribune that action would be taken against the absentee teachers who were caught by the Vigilance Department . Earlier , Dr Jagtar Singh Khattra disbursed Rs 30,000 as scholarships among 35 brilliant students . Others who spoke on the occasion were the farmers' leader, Mr Balbir Singh Rajewal, the Principal, Malwa College, Bondli, Samrala, Dr Parminder Singh, the DEO, Dr Bachittar Singh Barn, and the Principal, Mr Swaran Singh Barn. 

EXCELLENT RESULTS: Chopra Public Senior Secondary School, Machhiwara, has excelled in the middle standard examination held in March, 2003. Jasbir Kaur secured 742 marks out of 800 and stood first in Machhiwara block and Richpreet Kaur obtained 740 and stood second in the block. This was stated by Mr Suresh Chopra, Director of the school, on Saturday. 

CHANDIGARH

SCHOOL FUNCTION: A cultural function was organised by Dikshant International School, Industrial Area Phase-II, here on Saturday. A press note issued by the school said Bhopali Raag by Manisha Manchanda left an impression over the audience. Apart from bhangra, tiny tots of the school recited poems. Ms S.N. Upadhyaya, Vice-Principal of the Scindia School, Gwalior, was the chief guest.

HARYANA

AMBALA
GRACE MARKS SOUGHT: Correspondence students of MSc (computer science) have sought grace marks in the (object oriented analysis and design paper) held on Saturday. The students said the notes of the paper were delivered to them by post on Saturday itself and two questions of 40 marks were from these notes. Moreover, 50 per cent of the questions were out of syllabus, they claimed. 

URGED: The District Bar Association in a letter to the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, has demanded the construction of chambers for lawyers before the inauguration of a judicial complex at Ambala city. The copy of the letter was also sent to the Chief Minister of Haryana. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

WORKSHOP: A workshop was organised by the Kandi Project here on Friday on the cultivation of herbal plants. Dr D.R. Nag, Director of the Herbal Centre of Joginder Nagar (HP) was chief guest. 

SHIMLA
YOUTH CONGRESS: My Sanjay Chauhan, spokesperson of the State Youth Congress, said on Friday that unwarranted statements by certain sections in the Youth Congress would not be tolerated. The Youth Congress leader said Mr Sham Sunder Negi, Mr Raj Kumar Nittu and Mr Sanjay Chauhan had been appointed coordinators for the Kinnaur poll; Mr Manoj Pathania, Mr Sunil Baloria and Mr Lokesh Tandon for the Bharmaur and Mr Gautam Thakur, Mr Hari Chand Sharma and Mr Sunil Bitta for the Lahaul-Spiti elections.