R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Batala
SOLEMNISED: Residents of Chhati Gali solemnised the marriage of two poor girls here on Saturday. Mr Jagdish Sawhney, ex-MLA, Mahant Bhole Shah and Mr Ashok Kumar Chadha, president of the Azad Hind Sewak Sangh Sabha contributed for the wedding.

LUDHIANA
RAMLILA: Lauding the ideal conduct of Lord Ram, Sita and Bharata, Mr Tarlochan Singh, Chief Engineer, PUDA, exhorted the people to follow the high principles set in the Ramayana. He was addressing the Ram Leela audience at Urban Estate, Dugri.

GK TEST: The Ludhiana Unit of the ABVP organised a state level GK test here today at BVM and other schools. Mr Sandeep Kapoor, vice-president, ABVP, Punjab, said about 1500 students from Ludhiana participated in the test. Mr Parveen Sharma, senate member of Panjab University, Chandigarh, was the chief guest and distributed the question papers to the students. Prof Rajesh Marvaha, Ludhiana unit president, said the purpose of the test was to create a competitive instinct amongst the students and also to make them aware of the events happening around them.

Phillaur
NEW TIMINGS: The Punjab Government has changed the timings of the OPD in all the civil hospitals and government dispensaries from October 16. Now, the OPD will open from 9 am to 3 pm. However, the emergency services will be available 24 hours.

CHANDIGARH

NAGAR KIRTAN: A nagar kirtan will be taken out in the city at 3 pm in connection with the Gur-Gaddi Divas of Guru Granth Sahib from Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Sector 37. It will pass by the gurdwara in Sector 23 and then through markets of Sectors 22, 21 and 20. The procession will terminate at the gurdwara in Sector 20 at 8 pm.

HARYANA

Sonepat
CONVICTED: The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Pradeep Kumar, has convicted six women under Section 144 of the Railway Act and sentenced them to pay a fine of Rs 500 each. They were selling fruit and foodstuffs without any permit on the railway platform.

DEMONSTRATION: A large number of students held a demonstration in front of the railway station here on Saturday. They were protesting against the obscene posters and films being exhibited in various cinema houses of the town.

RESENTMENT: Resentment prevails among women workers of textile mills Kundli against the reported non-payment of three months’ salary by the management. The workers have also lodged a complaint with the police in this regard.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
SANCTIONED: The British Government has sanctioned a Rs 56 crore soil conservation project for Himachal Pradesh for the construction of check-dams to control unnecessary water flowing into "khuds" and "nullahs". The aim of the project is to utilise water for irrigation and fishery. This was stated by Himachal Pradesh Forest Minister Ramlal Thakur while addressing a public meeting here on Saturday.

HAILED: Former state Finance Secretary Ramdass Thakur, district president Hardyal Singh Chandel, vice-president Dr Ashwini Dogra and district spokesman Niraj Sharma of the BJP have hailed the victory of the BJP candidate from Guler Assembly seat, Mr Harbans Rana. They said the Congress government had lost the confidence of people and the Chief Minister should resign on moral grounds.

Chamba
DEMANDED: Transporters of Bharmour have demanded filling stations at Sundla in Churah, Chowari, Sinhuta in Bhattiyat, Tunnuhatti and Goli in Dalhousie subdivision. At the moment, the transporters of these areas have to drive a distance of more than 60 km to fill the tanks of their vehicles.

Kumarhatti
DEAD: Neelam (23) of Patta village committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in her house at Masulkhana near Parwanoo, here on Saturday. She had some altercation with her husband following which she took the extreme step.

Nurpur
SEALED: The Himachal Pradesh Forest Department has sealed four houses raised on forest land in the Chogan locality. Mr Girish Hosur, Divisional Forest Officer said as many as 800 cases of encroachment had been detected, of which 450 were been challaned.

Shimla
WELFARE STAMP: Mr Ajay Kumar Sood, president of the Himachal Pradesh Bar Council, said here on Friday that it was now mandatory for lawyers in the Himachal Pradesh to affix welfare stamp of Rs 10, on a vakalatnama. The bill in this regard was passed by the state Assembly in June 2004. The bill has come into force from October 8, 2004.

SENTENCED: Bhawani Singh was sentenced to five years' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1000 in a case of attempt to murder by the Kinnaur Sessions Judge, Mr Shamsher Singh, on Friday. In case of failure to deposit the fine, he would have to undergo an additional six-months' imprisonment.

Sundernagar
SEIZED: Rajoo, a resident of Kangoo village, was arrested by the police and 600 bottles of country-made liquor were seized from his jeep here on Saturday night. Two of his accomplice escaped. A case has been registered.