R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
LICENCE CANCELLED: The Health Department cancelled the licence of Wonder Ultrasound Centre in Gurbax Nagar here on Monday. Discrepancies were found in the centre’s records when it was raided by a team of the department.

‘NO POLIO CASE’: Reacting to a news report about a suspected case of polio in the district, the Civil Surgeon, Dr Kawaljit Singh, has stated that reports of the tests of the stool samples of Sandeep, the suspected patient, have been found to be negative.

PLEA TO CENTRE: Welcoming the series of Indo-Pak gestures for normalcy between the two countries, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) has urged the Union Government to start a Lahore-Amritsar bus on the pattern of the Lahore-Delhi bus.

CHARGE TAKEN: Dr S.K. Bhatia, Professor of English at Guru Nanak Dev University, took charge as Director, Academic Staff College of the university, here on Monday.

FATEHGARH SAHIB
COOKING SESSION: Amrit Banaspati Company in collaboration with the Food Craft Institute, Chandigarh, organised a free cooking session at Rotary Bhavan for the women of Sirhind town on Tuesday. More than 300 women, who were selected after a draw of lots, participated in the session. Mr Chamkaur Singh, sales manager of the company, said more than 750 women had applied for attending the classes. He said the classes were arranged in two sessions. The chief chef of the Food Craft Institute gave a live demonstration of cooking.

GURDASPUR
TWO KILLED: Two persons were killed on the spot and two were injured seriously when the car in which they were travelling collided with a truck near Kotli on Monday night. The deceased have been identified as Jagdev and Subhash Rattan Pal of Kathua.

KAPURTHALA
COMPUTER TRAINING: Mr S.S. Gupta, District the Sessions Judge, said on Monday that all judicial records of judicial courts in the district would be computerised soon. He said this while inaugurating a five-day computer training programme for judicial officers here.

KHANNA
STUDENT EXCELS: Gauravpreet Singh Soni, a local resident and student of the Regional Institute of Management and Technology, Mandi Gobindgarh, has got third position in the Punjab Technical University’s BCA examination. He secured 601 marks out of 700.

POLICE DIRECTIVE: The police has directed villagers of the area to deposit their arms with the police. The step has been taken keeping in view the Panchayat elections. The police has also directed candidates, through an announcement, not to use liquor and narcotics to woe voters. In the Khanna Sadar police station area 25 double Barrelled and .315 bore guns have been deposited by the villagers so far.

LUDHIANA
WORKSHOP: Better Thinking Learning Systems is organising a month-long workshop on English speaking and writing skills. The theme of the workshop is ‘An uninterrupted power to communicate’. Ms Gurpreet Wadhera, centre manager, said the response from Class-X students was overwhelming. She said interactive and lively atmosphere helped the children gain confidence, especially in grammar. Ms Mishika Grewal, project leader, said the entire syllabus of Class X would be completed in one month.

TOPPER: Ameet Rana, a student of B.Sc-II (Medical) from Guru Nanak Girl’s College, Model Town, has bagged the first position in the examination held by Panjab University. She secured 1,177 marks out of 1400. Last year she had topped in the B.Sc-I examination. She said her aim was to become an IAS officer. Ms Charanjit K. Mahal, Principal of the college, has congratulated Ameet on her success.

PROTEST: Protesting against the fee hike introduced by the Punjab Government, the Punjab Students’ Union burnt an effigy of the government outside the Panjab University extension library on Tuesday. Mr Harpreet Jeerakh, president, said the government had made it difficult for students from lower and middle class to complete their higher education. He said as many as 2.25 lakh students were affected by the decision.

MUSHAIRA: Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission will organise a ‘mushaira’ in the memory of Dyal Pursh Sant Darshan Singh Maharaj. The secretary of the local branch of the mission, Mr Gurcharan Jalota, said the ‘mushaira’ would be held on Sunday at Nehru Siddhant Kendra. Nearly 30 Urdu poets would participate in the programme ‘Yaad-e-darshan’. Mr O.P. Munjal, Managing Director of the Hero Group, would be the chief guest.

JOR MELA: The annual ‘jor mela’ of Pir Baba Fauday Shah and Baba Salem Shah would be held on July 3 and 4 at new ‘sabzi mandi’, Salem Tabri, said Mr Raj Kumar, president of the managing committee organising the event. On the opening day, several prominent qawwals would entertain the gathering. Mr Jagmohan Sharma, new DCC president, would inaugurate the programme. The holy ‘chirag’ would be lit by Mr Madan Lal Bagga, councillor. On the concluding day, a musical programme featuring several prominent folk singers would be organised. A large number of saints would also grace the occasion, said Mr Raj Kamal in a press note issued on Tuesday.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
SCHOOL RESULTS: Kanika Goyal, a student of local GRSD Public School has not only topped Mandi Gobindgarh in Class X examination but also secured 50th position at the state level by securing 93.07 per cent marks (605 marks out of 650). Another student of this school, Sahil Jindal, was placed in the merit list. He secured 90.6 per cent marks. Over all result of the school remained 100 per cent. Seven students secured above 80 per cent marks. The Class XII result of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Public Secondary School remained 98 per cent. Out of 48 students, 47 passed, whereas 15 secured first division.

PATIALA
PSEB MEMBER: Mr Raman Bhalla took over as the administrative member of the Punjab State Electricity Board here on Tuesday. Mr Bhalla said that he would make every effort to streamline the administrative set-up of the board to bring inefficiency and to provide better services to the consumers.

FAREWELL: The Academy of Vocational Studies affiliated to the Swami Vivekananda Educational Trust, Chandigarh, gave a farewell party to students of the nursery teachers training course on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion director of the academy Vandna Gautam said that the academy had decided to provide free computer training. A cultural programme was presented by students.

HONOURED: The National Theatre Arts Society (NTAS) honoured Ms Kiranjot Kaur at its 13th annual production-oriented theatre workshop. Mrs Sunita Sabharwal, convener, NTAS Children Theatre, presented an award of Rs 501 and a merit certificate to Kiranjot for participating in NTAS Punjabi musical play “Daire”. Kiranjot has participated in almost 50 NTAS Punjabi plays staged in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

PHAGWARA
YOUTH HELD: The police nabbed a youth, Rakesh Kumar of Jalandhar, with Rs 1.2 lakh of hawala money here on Monday.

ONE KILLED: Eighty-year-old Pakhar Ram of Sapror village was crushed to death under a private bus at the local Hoshiarpur road crossing on GT road here on Monday. ELECTROCUTED: Fifty-year-old Harsharan Kaur was electrocuted when she touched a cooler at her house in Guru Nanak Mohalla here on Sunday.

SAMRALA
RESULTS: Khalsa Model Senior Secondary School, Madpur, secured 100 per cent result in Class XII and 95.5 per cent in Class X. Twenty students of the school secured first division, according to the Principal of the school.

TARN TARAN
BLOOD DONATION: Fifty youths donated blood at a camp at Mughal Chak Pannuan village, near here, on Monday. Ten sewing machines were given to the needy.

HARYANA

JIND
TRADER ROBBED: Six motor cycle-borne armed youths looted Rs 1.5 lakh from a trader at Uchana town in the district on Monday. Mr Khazan Chand was going to his shop after withdrawing money from a bank when the youths intercepted him, snatched his bag, fired shots in the air and fled.

KALKA
MEDICAL CAMP: The Nitin Memorial Blood Donors Society with the help of Senior Citizens Association of Kalka organised a free eye check-up camp on Sunday at New Guga Mari, Tagra Kali Ram, Kalka. About 200 people were examined at the camp. The doctors advised surgery for 22 patients. Dr P.Verma and Dr P.C. Saini of Haryana Lassie Laser Centre at Ambala conducted the camp. According to Sunil Duglus, president of the society, that 22 selected patients will be operated upon at the centre at Ambala.

KARNAL
MBE RESULTS: Maharaja Aggarsen College (Jagadhri) students have done well in the Master of Business Economics examination conducted by Kurukshetra University. Its students have captured eight of the top 10 positions in the university in the first semester.

SIRSA
EMPLOYEES' THREAT: The Joint Action Committee of the Haryana State Minor Irrigation and Tubewell Corporation, in a press note issued on Monday, said if the government did not stop its policies of retrenchment of employees and privatisation of the corporation it would have to pay a heavy price.

PLEA TO YOUTH: The youth should launch a campaign to eradicate social evils and only then can female foeticide be eliminated, said Deputy Commissioner D. Suresh while speaking at the closing function of the `kanya bhrun hatya padyatra' here on Monday.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DHARAMSALA
MURDER BID: The Shahpur police arrested Dalip Masih on Sunday for allegedly trying to burn his daughter-in-law. In her statement, Ms Suman Kanta said she was married to Sukh Dev about an year and a half back. On Sunday, her father-in-law tried to murder her by pouring kerosene on her. Her daughter and husband were injured while saving her.

HAMIRPUR
PROBE RESTARTED: Hamirpur additional district police chief Sunder Lal has restarted the investigation into the case of the death of Pramod Kumar, a driver of Tapre village in the district. He was killed in a brawl between Congress and BJP workers prior to the Vidhan Sabha elections in the state in February, 1998. Three persons were later arrested, but freed for want of witnesses.

KANGRA
ROAD MISHAPS: Two persons, including a six-year-old child, were injured in road accidents at Dhera and Chatroo on Monday. The police arrested Balbir Singh of Chatroo and Rajeev Sohil of Rajgarh and impounded their vehicles.

NURPUR
TEACHERS’ PLEA: The Kangra District Government Teachers’ Union urged the Chief Minister on Tuesday to fill the 236 posts of headmaster created recently in senior secondary schools. Mr Onkar Rana, district president of the union, in a press note, also demanded an amendment in recruitment and promotion rules to allow direct recruitment.

PILGRIMS ATTACKED: A tourist bus was stopped at Niazpur, near here, on Monday night. Miscreants injured three pilgrims returning to Bathinda from Chamunda Devi temple. The accused have been identified as Rakesh, Binttu and Shamboo.

PARWANOO
CAR THEFT: A Maruti Zen car was reportedly stolen from Sector 6 here on Saturday night. Chaman Lal Kaul, a resident of Block 55 Sector 6, lodged a complaint with the Parwanoo police that his car was stolen on Saturday night when it was parked in front of his residence. The police has registered the case.

SHIMLA
GIRL DIES: An 18-year old girl, admitted to Indira Gandhi Medical Hospital here after being bitten by a snake, died at the hospital on Monday night. Nisha was bitten by a poisonous snake while in sleep at her house at Satrol village in solan district on Sunday night.

WORKERS’ MEETING: Mr Ashok Purohit of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh will represent Indian workers at the regional tripartite meeting on ‘Challenges to labour migration policy and management in Asia’ in Bangkok from June 30 to July 3.