R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
INDO-FRENCH EXCHANGE: Dr Gurjeet Singh, Professor of Law, Guru Nanak Dev University, will visit Paris under the Indo-French Social Scientists Exchange Programme-2005. He will do research on an Asian regional arrangement for protection of human rights on the lines of the European human rights system.

RESULTS: All students of the BBK DAV for Women passed the plus II (commerce) examination conducted by the Punjab School Education Board held in March 2005.

SWISS FUNDS: The Rotary Club of Switzerland will fund a light and sound project at Bhavan’s SL Public School. This was stated by the school Chairman, Mr Avinash Mahindru, in a press note.

Batala
SCHOOL FUNCTION: The prize distribution function of Des Raj Senior Secondary Public School, Dera Baba Nanak Road, here was held on Wednesday. Navjot Singh Sidhu MP, was the chief guest.

Hoshiarpur
DEAD: Mr Davinder Kumar Sharma, Ticket Collector of Northern Railways, resident of Salem Tawri, Ludhiana, died on the spot when he suddenly slipped from a footrest of the moving Shalimar Express at 1.30 a.m. at the Mukerian railway station on Wednesday.

VAT GAINS: There has been 34 per cent increase in sales tax revenue in April 2005 after the introduction of VAT in Hoshiarpur district. Sales tax of Rs 7.83 crore has been made during this month as against Rs 5.85 crore during the corresponding period last year. This was announced by Ms Neelam Chaudhry, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, here on Wednesday.

HUSBAND ARRESTED: A young wife on Wednesday registered a case under Sections 420, 494 and 496, IPC, with the Tanda police against her husband for getting himself remarried without divorcing her. Kavita Malhotra, daughter of Mr Dev Raj, a resident of Ward No. 8, complained that her husband, Parveen Kumar, son of Mr Ram Kishan, got himself remarried with Ms Balwinder Kaur, alias Bindu, daughter of Mr Santa Singh of Tanda, without divorcing her. The police has arrested Parveen Kumar in this connection.

Nawanshahr
COURT INSPECTION: Mr Justice K.S. Garewal, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, inspected the courts at Balachaur and Nawanshahr in the district on Wednesday. Mr Justice Garewal also saw the video conferencing room in the office of the Deputy Commissioner and talked to Mr Kanwaljit Singh of the NIC, Chandigarh.

Pathankot
EXTORTIONISTS HELD: The police arrested two extortionists for allegedly collecting money from truckers forcibly under the banner of the truck union. The arrested persons have been identified as Mukesh and Anil, both local residents. A case under Section 384 of the IPC has been registered against them. The police has seized a receipt book from their possession and the amount allegedly collected from the truckers.

Phagwara
EYE CAMP: The Rotary Club Chachoki and the Vishawkarma Dhiman Sabha held a free eye check-up camp. The local SDM, Mr Pritam Singh, inaugurated the camp. Dr Bhavna Garg did the check-up.

CHEQUES GIVEN: The Punjab Agro and Foods Corporation, Chairman, Mr Joginder Singh Mann, distributed cheques worth Rs 6 lakh to panchayats for development of villages Bhularai and Amrik Nagri, on Wednesday.

THREE INJURED: Three members of a family, including a four-year-old sick child, were injured when their Tata Sumo overturned near the Vishawkarma temple on the Phagwara-Banga road on Wednesday.

HARYANA

Bhiwani
PROBE SOUGHT: Seeking action against a former Sarpanch of Mittathal village for encroaching upon the panchayat land, the panchayat submitted a memorandum to the SP. Sarpanch Jaiveer has alleged the memorandum that former Sarpanch Dhup Singh got a resolution passed between 1974 and 1986 transferring 10 acres in his name.

Panipat
KHULA DARBAR: As many as 110 complaints concerning different departments came up in the Khula Darbar held at Bal Bhavan here, on Wednesday. Most complaints elated to power and water.

Rewari
GANG BUSTED: Rohit, a resident of Bhajan Ka Bagh here, and Pramod Kumar, a resident of Hari Nagar near here — both members of a gang of chain-snatchers — have been arrested. The police has also recovered three gold chains.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
TRANSPARENCY IN GOVT: The Himachal Government has authorised the Divisional Commissioner at Mandi, Mr K.G.B. Subramanyam, to appoint an inquiry officer for investigating complaints against any officer or employee in the division including Balaspur district. The Assistant Commis-sioner to the Deputy Commissioner said here on Wednesday the government had issued these instructions to bring about transparency in the administration and ensure responsibility among government employees and district officers.

LAWYERS’ STIR: A large number of the District Bar Association observed black day and boycotted all courts and other judicial and official work besides taking out a procession here on Wednesday. They were opposing profession tax and the manifold increase in court fees. They warned if the government did not call the state action committee for talks to solve these matters advocates throughout the state would intensify their agitation and start a gherao of MLAs, ministers and the Chief Minister.

Sundernagar
PRESS CLUB POLL: The following were elected office-bearers of the Mandi Press Club: President — Mr Hem Kant Kattyan; vice-president — Mr Khem Chand; general secretary — Mr Birbal Sharma; and treasurer — Mr Murari Sharam.