Chandigarh
Scholarship scheme launch on August 1: The Punjab Government will launch Dr Hargobind Khurana scholarship on August 1 for meritorious students of government and Adarsh schools who secured 80 per cent or above in matriculation examination, an official press release said here on Monday. As many as 3,362 students would get the scholarship. Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka said the government would spend Rs 15 crore on this scheme in two years. Each student would receive Rs 2,500 per month. 

Markfed to launch packaged water: Markfed has decided to enter the packaged drinking water market with launch of a new product under the Sohna brand. KS Sra, Managing Director, said the unit of packaged drinking water was likely to commence at Chuharwali village in Jalandhar by January 2014. He said the decision was taken after Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal approved a proposal submitted by the federation in this regard. 

Hoshiarpur
Rs 2,700 crore for renovation of canals: The Punjab Government will spend Rs 2,700 crore for the renovation of canals and their cleanliness to maintain groundwater level and its safety. This was stated by Sohan Singh Thandal Chief Parliamentary Secretary here today. He said Rs 1,500 crore for Sarhand Feeder, Rs 250 crore for Kandi Canal and Rs 211 crore for Bist Doab canal renovation and cleanliness were being spent. As many as 400 deep tube wells were being installed in the state for irrigation purpose of which 280 in Kandi area. Construction work on the Shahpur Kandi Project was going on a war footing which was likely to be completed within 5 years. With the completion of this project two power houses would also be made operational. The entire project would be completed in three phases during the stipulated period. 

Man killed in road mishap: Charan Dass, a resident of Dhat, died on the spot, while his son Sohan Singh and granddaughter Sukhpreet Kaur were injured when a jeep hit their scooter near Nanda Chaur Sunday evening. Both injured were admitted in a private hospital. The police has registered a case. 

Moga
4 booked for killing woman: A 70-year old Dalit woman was allegedly murdered by four youths at Bilaspur village in Nihalsinghwala sub-division of the district on Sunday night. Station House Officer Swaran Singh said preliminary investigations revealed Amandeep and his three friends were passing through a locality in a car. They had a tiff with some people sitting on the street due to a power cut. Amandeep later took out a stick from his car and hit the woman, Harman Kaur, on her head. The victim succumbed to her injuries at the Nihalsinghwala Civil Hospital. All the four youths had been booked, the SHO added.

Patiala
KS Jattana appointed Punjab Forests OSD: The Punjab Government has appointed former Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Karamjit Singh Jattana as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Forests, Punjab. The appointment is aimed at giving impetus to the Green Punjab Mission. Jattana has been instrumental in taking up plantation drives in several parts of the state. Jattana had retired a few years ago as DFO in Patiala. Jattana said his focus would be to ensure that forest cover in state could be rapidly increased. 

Sangrur
Rs 281 crore  disbursed in state: Punjab has become the first state in the country to disburse Rs 7,281 crore to more than 14 lakh beneficiaries across the state. Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa said through the online system, Sangrur district had disbursed payments worth Rs 180.62 crore to 72,469 beneficiaries in the first quarter of this financial year. He said the Integrated Financial Management System had been monitoring online payments since its inception on April 1, and Punjab had become the first state in the country to start this programme. 

Panel: Teach girls self-defence: The Punjab State Women Commission will ask the State Education Department to include chapters on self-defence in senior secondary school. Paramjit Kaur Landran, chairperson of the commission, said it would help girls tackle incidents of domestic violence. Paramjit said the commission would launch awareness campaigns on women's rights in schools and colleges. The commission would also sensitise panchayats to tackle crimes against women in villages. She said this year, the commission had received 807 cases related to domestic violence, dowry and sexual harassment.