R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Ludhiana:
Inaugurated: Aditya Institute inaugurated a new branch at Urban Estate Market, Focal Point, here ib Friday. Dr SM Ilyas, Director, CIPHET, and scientist was the chief guest at the function. The institute provides guidance.

Shemrock school: Shemrock Kindergarten celebrated Dusehra in school premises. After prayers, teachers told students about the story of Lord Rama. Ramlila in English was presented by students as the school authorities want every student to become familiar with concepts and traditions of the religious festivals of India. An effigy of Ravana was burnt much to the delight of the students.

Lecture: Dr Rajeev Gupta, a psychiatrist, delivered a lecture on management of stress and strain in modern life organised by the Department of Physical Education of Devki Devi Jain Memorial College for Women, Ludhiana.

HRA decision hailed: ‘The Union Government decision to increase house rent allowance and city compensatory allowance for Central staff from April 1 is a welcome’ step, say pensioners. The HRA review follows the re-classification of cities on the basis of the 2001 census report.The current HRA rates had been fixed seven years ago. Since then, there has been a considerable rise in rental charges which necessitated a hike in house rent allowance.

Quiz: The final round of Inter-School Quiz organised by a vernacular daily was held at Guru Nanak Public School. GNPS School stood second in this contest.

Nawanshahr
LECTURERS: Mr Ajit Ram Khaitan, District Education Officer, in a press note here on Thursday said lecture-cum-demonstrations were organised at Baba Gola Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Banga, to create scientific awareness among students. The function was part of Scientific Awareness Year celebrations. Mr Balihar Singh Bains, district science supervisor, Mr Sarwan Chand Bhutta, co-ordinator, Dr Devinder Kumar (Sikh National College, Banga) and Mr Baldev Singh, a lecturer in Government Senior Secondary School, Nawanshahr, were among those who delivered lectures on different topics.

ORGANISED: Shivalik Public School organised an inter-house mathematics, social sciences quiz, art ans craft, potpainting and basket decoration competitions on the school premises here on Thursday. In the mathematics quiz Bhagat Singh House (Dinesh Verma, Deepansh Bhucher and Mandeep Kaur) and Udham Singh House (Lakhin Abbi, Ramnik Nagra and Neha) bagged the first position in the senior and junior group, respectively. In the social science quiz Bhagat Singh House ( Mandeep Kaur, Jatin Duggal and Arunima Guru) and Rajguru House ( Gursimran Singh, Parth Shukla and Lovleen Kaur) won the first position in the senior and junior group, respectively. 

Patiala
FOUNDATION DAY: Mehak Cultural Forum is celebrating its foundation day on October 23. Giving this information, Dr Naresh Raj, president of the Forum said renowned Ghazal singer Chandan Dass will perform on the day in the Central State Library. Punjab Cooperation Minister Jasjit Singh Randhawa will be the Chief Guest and Mr A.A. Siddique, D.G.P., Punjab Police, shall preside over the function. Dr A.S. Chhattwal, Secretary, PUDA, will be the guest of honour on this occasion.

VISIT: The students of Department of Journalism and Mass Communication of Punjabi University are visiting the Film Training Institute of India, Pune from October 15 to 23 for a seven-day workshop on Orientation course in the TV production techniques.”This workshop will be very significant for our students and will provide a platform to them so that they attain maximum exposure,” said Dr Harjinder Walia, Head of Department.

Orientation workshop: An Orientation workshop was organised for School children at Bhupinder International Public School. The aim of the workshop was to train students to face tests and interviews while taking admission to regular schools. Students from Blooming Kids and Greenfields School participated in the workshop, the Bhupindra School Head, Mr Gurmeet Singh disclosed.

HARYANA

Sonepat
ARRESTED: The Ganaur police on Thursday claimed to have arrested three of the eight accused in connection with the alleged murder of Dilbagh of Panchi Jatan village of this district committed on Sunday last.They were identified as Dariya Singh, his wife Bhooli and Sube Singh. All of them were produced before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate of Ganaur, Dr Abdul Majid, who remanded them to judicial custody for 14 days.

SUICIDE: A youth, Ranbir Singh, allegedly committed by hanging himself in his house in Subhash Nagar colony here on Thursday. The police has sent the body for post-mortem examination. It is alleged that he took the extreme step after his wife had deserted him and started living with her parents.

KILLED: Rekha, a 15-year-old girl and a resident of Akbarpur Barota village, was killed when she was run over by a train near Rathdhanna railway station, 8 km from here on Thursday.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Kumarhatti
DEMOLISHED: The Subathu Cantonment Board has started the process to demolish unauthorised constructions. Two structures were demolished at Darzi Mohalla on Thursday. Notices had already been issued under Sections 185 and 256 of the Cantonment Act, 1924.

Shimla
BOOK RELEASED: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh released a book, “Integrated Apple Orchard Management,” authored by Dr Vijay Singh Thakur and Mr Xiangming XU here on Thursday. The book is based on the analysis of transfer of technology under the project, funded by the European Commission, on sustainable production of apple in Asia and the World Bank-funded National Agricultural Technology Project. It will be a guide for the cultivation of apple under adverse hilly topographical conditions.

DELEGATION: A delegation of Lahore Press Club is likely to visit Shimla in November on the invitation of the Shimla Press Club, whose members visited Pakistan during the Indo-Pak cricket series. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh assured the newly elected governing body of the press club that the government would extend all possible help to make the stay of the visitors comfortable.

Bilaspur
HELD: The police has arrested Sansar Chand, driver of a private bus, and its conductor, Gopal Krishan, in connection with crushing to death Garjaram of Dali village here on Wednesday. Both had fled from the accident site. A case was registered under Sections 279 and 304-A of the IPC.

CONCLUDED: Rekha Kumari of Government High School, Daahad, was declared the best athlete and Government Senior Secondary School, Bilaspur, was adjudged the best school at the district-level girls schools sports tournament, which concluded at Auhar, near here, on Wednesday. Mr Tilak Raj, MLA, presided. He announced a grant of Rs 1.50 lakh for the construction of two rooms of the school and Rs 15000 for the tournament.

LAUNCHED: The Nehru Yuva Kendra launched a yuva jagrukta abhiyan throughout the district and organised a youth awakening seminar at Lethwin in collaboration with the Yuva Vikas Kendra here on Wednesday. Mr Som Dutt Zard, district youth coordinator, gave training to youths in development programmes.

URGED: The Himachal Pradesh State Milk Federation Employees Union has urged the government that all 415 posts in the federation should be continued and all vacant posts should be filled up through promotions. Mr Kishanchand, state president of the union, while presiding over a meeting resented failure of the management to look into the grievances of the employees.

Chamba
TRANSLATED: A world famed Hollywood film, "Jesus" is translated into 'Chambiyali dialect' by a local artists Ameen Sheikh Chisty. The film would be released on October 19 at Lakshmi Talkies in the town. It is for the first time that a film is translated into local language.

Dharamsala
VISIT: A group of school students from the far-flung areas of Jammu and Kashmir will visit parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Chandigarh, as part of the 'Operation Sadhbhavna' being organised by the Army. According to sources, the operation is being organised by the 22 Field Regiment at the Yol Cantonment near here.

Kangra
DEMANDED: The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) has demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged kidnapping of Ms Rani Bagiwati, president of the Mehla Nayia Manch from her residence on October 10 and decided to move the High Court against the Kangra police for not registering an FIR in the case.

Mandi
MEETING: Additional Deputy Commissioner RS Gupta while presiding over a meeting of the district Food and Civil Supply Department here on Wednesday said the government had chosen over 17,183 Antodya families who were being given rice and wheat flour and other essential commodities at subsidised prices worth Rs. 19.53 crore during July to September this year under the Antodya Ann Scheme.