R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
GND varsity girls top: Girls of School of Social Sciences (Honors School) of Guru Nanak Dev University have got top positions in first, third and fifth semesters, the result of which was declared here on Tuesday. The girls bagged first fifteen positions in semester-I and first thirteen positions in semester-III. Ratika Pahwa with 80 per cent marks topped in semester-V while Simrat Sarkaria with 84 per cent marks and Rukmani Riar with 83 per cent marks in semester III and I, respectively.

Judicial stamp: The Durgiana temple management committee headed by Mr Surinder Arjun on Tuesday got a judicial stamp on the its authority. In a press note Mr Arjun said the management had got a boost due to the HC ruling in which the authority of the management under him was upheld and the questions about ‘authorisation’ to sell temple property were dismissed.

Barnala
1 killed in mishap
One person Haqam Singh was killed in an accident on Tuesday. Haqam Singh was on his way home when suddenly a truck (PB-13 C, 9636) hit him from behind. He died on the spot. Truck driver Mehar Singh escaped. A case has been registered.

Kerosene seized: The local police has seized 1760 litre kerosene from Vishal Kumar. On a tip-off that Dashmesh Kumar, Vishal Kumar and Birbal Dass were smuggling kerosene, the police raided the premises of Vishal Kumar and seized 1760 litre kerosene from them. Vishal Kumar was arrested while Dashmesh and Birbal Dass escaped. A case has been registered.

Hoshiarpur
Body found: Body of Surinder Singh, alias Chhinda (60), resident of Manon village, was found in his fields at Mehlandwali on Tuesday. Marks of sharp-edged weapons were found on the neck. A young boy had come to his residence on Tuesday evening and said that some persons, interested in purchasing his farm, wanted to see it. Surinder Singh accompanied the boy and did not return. His body was later found. A case has been registered.

Scholarships: While reviewing the social security schemes, Mr D.K. Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, said here on Tuesday that the Government of India had decided to provide scholarships of Rs 10 million to the handicapped girls from the rural areas. Handicapped girls studying in schools, colleges or training institutes should contact his office with head of their respective institutions.

Jalandhar
recitation: A poetry recitation competition was organised by Tagore English Literary Society at Government Arts and Sports College here on Wednesday. Eighteen students participated in the competition. Reetika, Meenakshi and Manpreet Kaur of BA bagged the first, second and third positions, respectively.

Cancer helpline: Patel Hospital Pvt Ltd, a cancer and superspeciality hospital, started a cancer helpline on Wednesday. Dr S.K. Sharma, Managing Director, said the patients and attendants could call up on cancer helpline mobile number 9357304100 for any queries related to the disease. He said the experts in the field would answer the queries on the number available for 24 hours.

Kapurthala
Special camp: A special camp to ventilate the grievances of passport applicants would be organised on December 28 at District Passport Cell at Suvidha Centre, Kapurthala to mark National Consumer Week declared by Ministry of External Affairs. Ms Bhawna Garg, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala stated this in a press release on Wednesday. An officer from Passport Office, Jalandhar would be present to sort out the problems on the spot, Ms Garg added.

Spending: A total of Rs 177.39 lakh would be spent under the Nutrition Scheme for the children and pregnant women in the Kapurthala district during the current financial year, out of which Rs 44 .35 lakh had already been released, Ms Gurkanwal Kaur, Minister for Social Securities, Children and Women Welfare said in a meeting of District Planning and Development Board, here on Wednesday. The minister said the state government had cleared Rs 310.32 lakh for various development projects in the district. Under the schemes sponsored by the Centre, Rs 22.62 lakh for the old age pension and Rs 8.20 lakh for the family benefit schemes have been received, the minister said.

Vedanti criticised: Accusing the Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti of being biased, Mr Sukhpal Singh Khaira, President, Punjab Progressive Farmers Association and the Congress leader alleged that the Jathedar was playing into the hands of Akali Dal (Badal). While talking to media persons here today, Mr Khaira said Jathedar Vedanti never asked the SAD supremo Parkash Singh Badal to appear before the Akal Takht even though the SAD president had been flouting the directives of the Takht.

Nawanshahr
51 donate blood: The local Railway Station Chowk Shopkeepers Association, in collaboration with the Blood Donors council, organised a voluntary blood donation camp here on Tuesday. Mr Arun Pal Singh, SSP, inaugurated the camp. Fiftyone units of blood were collected, said Mr Pushap Raj Kalia, founder secretary of the council.

Phagwara
Suicide: A 24-year-old married woman, Reshma, allegedly committed suicide by setting herself ablaze at nearby Khati village. According to sources, the woman, who was working in a pipe factory, was mentally upset. The police has send the body to the Civil Hospital here for a post-mortem.

Three held: The police claims to have busted a gang of timber thieves and arrested three of its members. The stolen timber worth thousand of rupees were also recovered from their possession. It was learnt on Wednesday that those arrested have been identified as Fakir Singh and Kuldip Singh, both from Chaunta village in Ludhiana district and Jaspal Singh alias Jassa of Dehlon road, Malerkotla. They were arrested at a police naka in Chachoki village on GT road. They were coming in Tata-407 after stealing timber from a timber stall of  Malerkotla for selling it at Hoshiarpur. Sadar police has registered a case under sections 379 (theft) and 411(dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the IPC against those arrested.