R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BATALA
Awareness programme: An awareness programme on “Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)” was organised on Sunday by the Department of Commerce, Baring Union Christian College, Batala. Dr R S Bawa, Registrar, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, was the chief guest. While welcoming 90 delegates, including lecturers of different colleges, representatives of the Batala Industries Association, the Chartered Accountants and students, Prof Hepesh Shepherd, Principal, Baring Union Christian College, Batala, appreciated the Department of Commerce for organising the programme.

Jalandhar
Opium seized: The district police on Monday arrested a resident of Kapurthala and seized four kg of opium from his possession. According to the police, the accused, Sukhwinder Singh, allegedly used to buy opium from Rajasthan and sell it in the region. On a tip off, the district police laid a trap and arrested him when he was waiting for a buyer near Lamba village chowk. In another incident, the district police nabbed two youths on charges of forging a stolen cheque here. Employees of UCO Bank found that the signatures on the cheque had been forged. They called up the police and got one Rahul, who had come to the bank for getting an amount of Rs 20,000 en-cashed through the cheque, arrested. Rahul’s colleague Amarjit Walia was also arrested.

Sham-e-Ghazal: The KL Saigal Memorial Trust organised “Sham-e-Ghazal” on Sunday at the KL Saigal Memorial Complex. Ghazal singer Vinod Sehgal of “Machis”, “Mirza Ghalib” fame regaled the audience with his ghazals. According to Mr S.S. Ajimal, the general secretary of the trust, efforts of the trust are on to promote quality music and keep the memory of KL Saigal alive. 

SANGRUR
TB cases on rise: The spread of TB seems to be on the rise in Sangrur district as the number of such cases has risen every year during the past three consecutive years in the district. As per the progress report of the Sangrur district’s Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) presented at a meeting of the District TB Control Society (DTCS), there has been a continuous rise in the number of TB patients, put on directly observed treatment short course (DOTS) under the RNTCP since January, 2003 in Sangrur district.