R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Youth arrested: The police has arrested Deepak Kumar, son of Bakshi Ram, resident of local Mohalla Ramgarh while he was trying to commit suicide by jumping before a train at the local railway station on Saturday. The police has registered a case under Section 309 of the IPC.

Jalandhar
Recruitment rally: The Territorial Army, Punjab, would organise a recruitment rally for general duty soldiers and tradesmen from February 14 to 16 at 150 Infantry Battalion, Parade Ground, Delhi Cantonment. For candidates belonging to Punjab and Chandigarh, the recruitment will be held on February 16.

Vacant posts: The Diploma Engineers’ Association has expressed resentment over the fact that the junior engineers employed with the Punjab Irrigation Department were not being promoted to the senior rank of Sub Divisional Engineers (SDEs). The spokesperson of the association has alleged that there were 169 posts of SDEs lying vacant, but promotions were not being granted.

Protest: The Pendu Mazdoor Union is continuing its protest against what it claims is government’s indifference to the plight of Dalit and landless villagers, who “are not in a position to pay electricity bills accruing to them”. The union’s district president, Tarsem Peter, in a press release issued here on Saturday, said the poverty-affected villagers in Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr districts would continue to burn the electricity bills to press the government to waive off the dues.

Rally: The Punjab Subordinate Services Federation will hold a rally on February 23 in the city to press for their demands. The vice-chairman, All India State Government Employees’ Federation, Mr Sukhdev Singh Bari, said the demands included the filling of all vacant posts in all departments on a regular basis, interim relief, formation of the 5th Pay Commission, increase in medical allowance, regularisation of daily and anganwari workers and bonus on the pattern of the Central government.

One held: Satnam Singh, a resident of Amrik Nagar here, was arrested when he was allegedly trying to sell poppy husk. Three sacks of poppy husk were recovered from his possession, the police said. A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 15, 61, 85 of the NDPS Act.

Thief arrested: The police has arrested Harnek Singh, a resident of Nakodar, on the charges of stealing four-wheelers. He was arrested at a naka laid by the police in Mithapur area here.

Nawanshahr
Painting competition: A pot painting competition was organised at the K.C. College of Education, with a view to exploring the imaginative and creative talent of the students. Reetu Seehra, Manpreet, preeti, Nisha Verma, Lovely, Jaideep, Ramroop, Sita, Rupinder, Karamji, Navneet, Vikas, Poonam Bajaj, Ramanpreet, Sandip and Baljit excelled in the competition, informed Dr M.P. Bhasin, Director.

Demand: Dr Jaspal Singh Randhawa, general secretary, Association of Non-Government College Principals (GND varsity), Amritsar area, in a representation to the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, and the Deputy Chief Minister, Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, has draw their attention towards the demands of the staff of the privately managed government-aided colleges. Dr Randhawa urged them to lift ban on recruitment against the aided posts, to implement pension and gratuity schemes and to allocate adequate budget for ensuring 95 per cent grant-in-aid, the government-aided colleges.

Pathankot
Prize distribution: Former Union Minister and Gurdaspur MP on Saturday distributed prizes among meritorious students at an impressive function organised by the management of Rama Chopra S.D. Kanya Mahavidyalya here. He also promised financial help for the construction of college toilets.

Phagwara
One hurt: A former District Attorney, Mr R.L. Kohli, sustained serious injuries when a scooterist hit him from behind while he was taking an evening walk in Hargobind Nagar locality here on Sunday. He was admitted to a private hospital.

PO held: The Rawalpindi police on Saturday arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) Avtar Singh, a resident of Jagjitpur village. Disclosing this here, the Phagwara ASP, Mr Sukhchain Singh Gill, said that Avtar Singh was wanted in a case registered against him under Sections 15/61/85 of the NDPS Act on June 20 last year. 

HARYANA

Hisar
Lok Adalat: The first rural Lok Adalat of the district will be organised on the premises of Government Girls Senior Secondary School at Mangali Aklan village on February 25. Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel of the Punjab and Haryana High Court will preside.

Invoked: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar Gupta, has invoked Article 144 in a radius of 200 metre from all examination centres in the district. The orders have been issued and will remain in force till April 8. Book stalls and Xerox shops in the given radius will remain closed. 

SONEPAT
1 dies in mishap: One person was killed and 12 were seriously injured when a jeep carrying them collided with a truck on the Sonepat-Rohtak road near Rohat village, about 5 km from here, today. The deceased has been identified as Ranjit of Khanda village.