Tarn Taran, February 27
The district administration has announced a compensation of Rs two lakh to the next of the kin of Surjit Singh, a 70-year-old farmer of Chheena Bidhi Chand village who died of heart failure when he was coming to take part in a dharna at BDPO office in Gandiwind.

The Kisan Sangharsh Committee staged a dharna keeping the farmer’s body at the office of the BDPO till mid night. The KSC lifted the dharna when the Deputy Commissioner assured the farmers of compensation.

The KSC had demanded a compensation of Rs five lakh, a government job for the next of the kin of the deceased besides waiving off the loan of the farmer.

Nawanshahr, February 27
Local residents, especially shopkeepers running their business establishments along the Jalandhar-Nawanshahr-Chandigarh highway, observed a bandh and blocked traffic at Chandigarh Chowk here today for more than two hours.

They were protesting against the proposed demolition of the buildings, allegedly constructed by encroaching upon the government land, to facilitate the implementation of the project of widening of the Ropar-Phagwara highway to ensure better road infrastructure.

The Sangharsh Committee, comprising local leaders submitted a memorandum to the SDM, Neeraj Gupta, for onward submission to the state government and lifted the dharna after threatening the government of intensifying the stir if the proposed demolition drive was not withdrawn by March 7. — OC

Hoshiarpur, February 27
A case of suspected swine flu has been reported in the local Civil Hospital here today. Senior medical officer of the Civil Hospital Dr Anil Mohindra said Raj Kumari (25), wife of Jasbir Singh of Sarhala Kalan village, was admitted in the hospital with symptoms of H1N1.

She has been kept in an isolated ward.

Her preliminary investigations were being done to ascertain whether she was suffering from H1N1 virus.