R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Bathinda
NEW PRINCIPAL: Dr Mohinder Singh Sidhu has taken over as Principal of Kashi College, Talwandi Sabo. Dr Sidhu had been serving the college for the past more than 23 years.

CAMP: An eye check-up camp was organised by the Mahabir Eye Care centre at a local convent school on Wednesday. Dr Ashok Sharma, an eye specialist, conducted the camp.

COMPETITION: The local office of the Punjab Pollution Control Board organised a painting competition on environment awareness here on Wednesday. Mr Didar Singh, Environmental Engineer of the board, said they were celebrating an environment awareness month from November 19. Ms Aditi of Summer Hill won the first, Mr Noorupinder Singh of St. Xavier, second and Mr Baljinder Singh of Des Raj Memorial Government School won the third prize. 

Hoshiarpur
CASE REGISTERED: A case has been registered against Balbir Chand of Nangal Khurd and Rajinder Singh Kasawal of Jalandhar on a complaint by Jagjit Kaur, wife of Prithipal Singh of Singriwala. She alleged that they compelled her husband to commit suicide.

Jagraon
Stir by mill staff: The employees of the local cooperative sugar mill are up in arms against the state government restriction on crushing of sugarcane. They have formed the Sahkari Khand Mill Bachao Action Committee and announced to start a struggle to compel the government to review its decision. They will hold a meeting in this connection on Saturday. The committee has also decided to seek cooperation from farmers and political parties.

CASH SNATCHED: Sikandar Khan, a money changer, was robbed of Rs 4.81 lakh by some miscreants. He had withdrawn money from the Ludhiana branch of Bank of Punjab and was coming to Raikot. Some unidentified persons came in a white Maruti car and attacked him with iron rods at Hari Singh Nalwa Chowk, Raikot. They snatched the bag containing money and fled. The injured has been admitted to the Civil Hospital, Sudhar. A case has been registered under Sections 392 and 34 of the IPC. No arrest has been made so far.

Nawanshahr
ARRESTED: The local CIA staff has arrested Narinder Kaur, alias Nindro, wife of Husan Lal of Langroya village, and seized 35 gm of smack from her possession. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered.

COMPUTER LABS: Mr Ajit Ram Khaitan, District Education Officer, has said under the Integrated Computer Training Project (ICTP) computer labs in 42 senior secondary and high schools are being readied for imparting computer training to students in the district from January next year.

Phagwara
KILLED: A youth, Bidhi Singh, was killed when a cow hit his car near Khurampur village on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road here on Wednesday. He was going to Bullowal village from Ludhiana.

Ropar
ORDERED: The local district administration has ordered for closing all liquor shops within a radius of 3 km in Chamkaur Sahib for three days from December 18, keeping in view of a sahidi samagam to be held here. Besides, it put a complete ban on serving liquor in restaurants and clubs during the period.

SAMRALA
Decision flayed: Mr Behari Lal Saddi, Mr Prem Sagar Sharma, Mr Ram Rattan and Mr Mehman Singh Kang, teacher leaders, have criticised the state government for issuing an ordinance nullifying the policy decision dated July 23, 1957, as regards giving pay scales to teachers as per their qualifications. They said it was disheartening to see that the ordinance came in when the Ministry of Education was headed by a person of the stature of Mr Harnam Dass Johar, who always stood for the cause of teachers and students alike. They said different unions should join hand to fight against the decision. 

CHANDIGARH

WORKSHOP ON AIDS: The Regional Centre of song and drama division, Chandigarh will hold an orientation workshop on prevention of AIDS here on Friday. The workshop is being organised in collaboration with the Punjab State AIDs Control Society. 

Panchkula
VILLAGERS MEET DC: Residents of Nanakpur village today met the Deputy Commissioner, Ms Neelam P. Kasni, and objected to scattered delimitation of wards in the village. With panchayat elections round the corner, villagers complained that other than one ward, all other wards in the village were scattered. The Deputy Commissioner ordered an inquiry and assured the villagers that proper action would be taken.

Blood donation Camps: As many as 20 blood donation camps were organised by the District Red Cross Society this year, and 1613 units of blood collected. Blood was made available to PGI, Chandigarh, GMCH, Chandigarh and General Hospital, Panchkula. Other than this, Rs 1.35 lakh was made available to poor patients and flood affected victims by the Red Cross Society.

Interaction: Dr Don Northey, Professor of Education from Simon Fraser University, Canada, along with Professor S C Gakhar, Chairman of Department of Education, Panjab University, interacted with the faculty at Chaman Lal DAV School, recently.

HARYANA

AMBALA
SCHOOL FUNCTION: PKR Jain Senior Secondary Public School , Ambala city will organize its Annual Day Celebration on December 18. According to the principal of the school, Ms Jyotsna Sachdeva the Controller, Examination of CBSC, Mr Pavnesh Kumar would be the chief guest on this occasion while Ms Usha Jain, a NRI would be the gest of honour

Hisar
GRIEVANCES: The district police chief, Mr Attar Singh Ahlawat, has said a strict action will be taken against errant policemen who found guilty of misbehaving with public. He was addressing a gathering at Balsamand village on Tuesday. Mr Ahlawat heard the grievances of the villagers falling under the police station. Some of the grievances settled on the spot. He appointed Mr Ashok Kumar, DSP, as an investigating officer for rest cases.

REMEMBERED: Members of the local District Congress Committee (Rural) remembered the late Union Home Minister, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, on his death anniversary here on Wednesday. Congress members lauded the efforts of the departed leader in unifying the 600 kingdoms into a sovereign state. Mr Dharampal Singh Sarsana, senior vice-president of the party, presided over the function.

Kaithal
KILLED: A youth was killed in a road accident when a Haryana Roadways bus hit his motor cycle near Kailram village here on Tuesday. He was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

FUND: Mr H.S. Malik, Deputy Commissioner, has said the local Municipal Council collected Rs 1,31,77,577 as taxes under various heads during the current year upto November 30.

Sirsa
THEFT: Thieves decamped with 25 tolas of gold and Rs 75,000 from a house in Aggarwal Colony here on Tuesday. The owner of the house, Mr Madan Lal Goyal, and his family members were out of station.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Kumarhatti
DEAD: One man was killed and another injured when their tanker (HP-14-1435) rolled down into a deep gorge near Sanawar on the Kalka-Shimla national highway on Tuesday night. The driver of the tanker, Subhash Rana died on the way to hospital. It is stated that rash driving was the cause of accident.

Chamba
RESIGNED: Ms Nirmala Devi, pradhan of the Luddu gram panchayat and Mr Joginder Pal Mittar, vice-president of the local unit of the BJP, along with a worker have resigned from the BJP in protest against its arbitrary policies. They joined the Congress, Mr Harsh Mahajan, Housing and Animal Husbandry Minister, said here on Wednesday.