R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Nawanshahr
RALLY: Activists of the Punjab Kisan Sabha, the Bharti Kishan Union (Ekta) and the Kisan Sangharsh Committee under the aegis of the Sanjha Kisan Manch organised a rally on Sunday at Khatkar Kalan village of martyr Ajit Singh and Bhagat Singh. It was dedicated to the centenary celebration of "Pagri Sambhal Jatta" movement which had launched by Sardar Ajit Singh. Leaders of various unions paid their tributes.

CAMP: The local Sanjivani Hospital organised a free medical check-up-cum-diabetes detection camp here on Sunday. As many as 100 patients were examined. Dr Anubhav Gupta gave tips for the prevention of diabetes.

MEDICAL CAMP: A free medical check-up camp for senior citizens will be organised at Jot Hospital here on Thursday. A team of specialist doctors will conduct the camp. X-ray, ultra sound and ECG would be done free of cost, according to Dr Gurvinder Singh Chhatwal.

MEETING: The Gazetted and Non-Gazetted SC/BC Employees Welfare Federation, Punjab, held its executive meeting here on Sunday under the chairmanship of its president, Mr Jasbir Singh Paul. It was decided at the meeting to gherao the Punjab Assembly during the Budget session to protest against the dilly-dallying attitude of the state government towards their long-pending demands.

CONCERN EXPRESSED: The Punjab State General Category Welfare Federation at its executive meeting held here on Sunday under the chairmanship of Mr Sham Lal Sharma. He expressed concern over the increasing misuse of the Atrocities Act in the state. The federation has decided to prepare a report of such cases for submitting to the National Human Rights Commission.

PATIALA
FAREWELL PARTY: Students of Class XII of Kendriya Vidyalaya Number One had been given a farewell party by their juniors. Traditional dances, games and gifts made it a memorable day for the outgoing students. Ms Apoorva Sharma of science stream and Javed Hazary from commerce stream had been given Miss KV and Mr KV titles.

Principal S. K. Sharma had announced cash awards of Rs 1,100 and Rs 500 for those making new records in the aggregate and independent subjects in the board examinations. 

FELICITATED: Sikh Educational and Professionals’ Forum Chairman Avtar Singh was presented with the S. R. S. Gill award yesterday at the Academy of Sikh Religion and Culture. Similarly, Mr B. S. Mangat of Lousiana state and financial expert was given the Dewan Kaura Mall award. The award was presented to them by Mr B. S. Rattan, Commissioner, Income Tax. 

Phagwara
AGENTS BOOKED: Five travel agents, including two brothers and a couple, have been booked by the police for duping a youth, Sukhwinder Singh of Satnampura of Rs 6.50 lakh on the false promise of sending him to Germany. It was learnt on Sunday that those who had been booked under various sections of the IPC and the Immigration Act were Mohan Singh, Bhajan Singh, both brothers, Raja of Malviya Nagar, New Delhi (originally belonging to Sarhal Kalan village in Punjab), Vipin Sharma and his wife, Honey.

HARYANA

AMBALA
DEMAND: Former Ambala MP Ratan Lal Kataria on Monday demanded incorporation of new rail line projects in the forthcoming Railway Budget. He suggested new rail lines from Yamuna Nagar to Chandigarh via Naraingarh; Yamuna Nagar to Patiala via Kurukshetra and Yamuna Nagar to Kaithal via Karnal. He also demanded the construction of a subway at Ambala Cantonment and overbridges at Mustafabad and Kesari railway stations.

FREE CAMP: A free artificial limb camp will be held in Ambala Cantonment on March 2 and 3. The camp is being organised by the Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayata Samiti, Jaipur. in association with Lala Durga Charan Charitable Artificial Limb Centre, Mahavir Dal Hospital. Artificial limbs and callipers will be provided free of cost at the camp. The registration will take place at Mahavir Dal Hospital.

HONOURED: Dr M.S. Sachdeva, a former Principal of Sohan Lal DAV College of Education, Ambala, was awarded the degree of D. Litt. by the International University of Contemporary Studies, Washington, the USA. Dr Sachdeva, a resident of Ambala City, has authored 20 books. He is a member of the Academic Council and Education Faculty, Kurukshetra University. He is also nominated as life member of the All-India Association for Educational Research, the Council for Teacher Education and the DAV College Managing Committee and Trust, New Delhi.

Sonepat
YOUTH KILLED: A youth Rajesh was assaulted with lathis and killed by a group of five persons at Thana Kalan village, 15 km from here, on Sunday night. The alleged assailants were identified as Ashok, Rajesh, Dharampal, Sonu and Monu, all residents of the same village. The Kharkhauda police has registered a case. ARRESTED: The Civil Lines police arrested an alleged assailant in connection with the killing of Suhas, a Class XII student, on the night of February 14. The arrested man was identified as Sunil of Dahiya Colony, Sonepat. The police also recovered motorcycle used in the killing from the possession of Sunil, who was trying to escape from Sonepat to Delhi.

POWER FAILURE: Bad Khalsa, a village in the Rai block of the district, is without power for the past three days following the burning of three transformers in the village. Irate villagers alleged that their complaints to the authorities of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) in this regard have fallen on deaf ears and they had failed to replace the burnt transformers so far.

ARRESTED: The Mohana police on Monday arrested a youth Sushil Kumar of Juan village on the charge of eve-teasing. The arrest of the youth followed a complaint of a girl against him.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
centres: The Himachal Government would open 250 new child care centres in Bilaspur district under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan and would appoint women as “shishu palikas” at Rs 500 per month honorarium. Additional District Magistrate Jagdev Singh Pathania said here on Monday that applications of Class X women between age group of 18 years to 45 years should reach office of the Child Development Project Officer at Bilaspur by March 5.

Nurpur
Protest: The local unit of the Patwar and Kanungo Association organised a silent protest rally under the chairmanship of state president Vijay Singh in front of the office of the SDM. They protested against the alleged police inaction to probe into the mysterious fire incident in the house of a patwari, Malkiat Singh at Deoli village in Una district on February 17. In this fire incident four children of the family were charred and the patwari received 70 per cent burn injuries. The association also submitted a memorandum to the state government through the local SDM demanding a high-level probe and transfer of the Una DSP.