Criticised
The president of the DCC, Mr Jugal Kishore Sharma, in a press note issued here on Saturday condemned the hike in octroi on electronic items, medicines, chemicals and cotton yarn. He said the Congress would stage a dharna to oppose the proposed hike.

Award
Mr Sharwan Kumar Verma, an Urdu poet and story writer was presented the "Puran Singh Hunnar Simrti Award" here on Sunday by the Sahit Vichar Kendra.

BATHINDA

Population control
Mr Sikander Singh Maluka, Punjab Minister of State for Irrigation, addressing a gathering in Gill Kalan village on Sunday said that increase in population would lead to problems in future. He said the development of state would be possible only by controlling population growth. He also announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh for the repair of the dharamshala for the Scheduled Castes in the village.

BARNALA

Focal points
Mr Jai Singh Gill, Financial Commissioner, Rural Development and Panchayat, Punjab, said that all focal points on which the work was in progress would be completed by March 1999. Addressing a gathering in Kattu village, near here on Saturday evening, he said that the state government had allocated funds for the completion of focal points. He said small trade and industrial centres would be opened at the focal points and the unemployed youth given an opportunity to start their vocation there under the self-employment scheme.

FARIDKOT

Youth rally
The All-India Youth and Student Federations of Punjab will jointly organise a state-level rally at Moga on September 28 to press the state government to create more job opportunities for the unemployed youth. They will also stress the need to grant an unemployment allowance of at least Rs 1600 per month.

Medical college head
Dr Sudarshan Kaur Sandhu has taken over as principal of the local Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital.

FATEHGARH SAHIB

Camp
A three-day non-scalpel vasectomy camp will be held at Civil Hospital here from September 23 to 25. Surgeon Dr H.C. Dass, will perform the operations using the latest technique involving minimal pain and bleeding. It also has lesser chances of complications.

JALANDHAR

Medico consultants
The Medico Consultants’ Association organised o one-day function to highlight advancements in various disciplines of medicine. Over 300 delegates from Punjab and the neighbouring states attended the function.

MALERKOTLA

Eye camp
As many as 1000 patients were examined and 85 operations performed by Dr M.S. Bhatia at a free eye camp organised by the local Lions Club here on Saturday. Medicines were given to the patients free of cost.

PHILLAUR

Urged
The president of the All-India Hindu Shiv Sena, Mr Surinder Kumar Billa, has urged the AICC president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, to meet the families of the victims of terrorist attacks during her Punjab visit next month. He also put forth a demand for reservation in all professional institutions for the kin of the terrorists’ victims.

SANGRUR

Seminar
The local branch of the Indian Medical Association, organised a seminar on Sunday to enhance public awareness about diabetes. Speaking at the seminar Dr Parinder Singh from Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, laid stress on exercise and change in eating habits for controlling diabetes.

Road mishap
A woman, Darshana (70), died on the spot and five others were injured when a Jeep in which they were travelling rammed into a tree on Sunday on Rohtak road, 4 km from here. The driver of the jeep has accelerated the speed to avoid challan by the Haryana Roadways Authority. The injured include, Rajender (35), Shyam Sunder (35), Ashok (22), Geeta (35), Nawab and Shyambir.

FARIDABAD

LPG cylinders
The police arrested Hari Singh, a delivery man of a gas agency on Saturday for supplying under weight LPG cylinders to the consumers. Stating this here on Sunday, Mr J.B. Gondia, District Food and Supply Controller, said that the arrest was made after nine cylinders each weighing two kg less were detected. Equipment for stealing gas from the cylinders was also seized from the residence of the accused.

GURGAON

Man kills brother
Ashok Kumar of Tikli village allegedly killed his younger brother, Pawan (18) in a fit of anger on Saturday. According to the police, Pawan had intervened when Ashok thrashed his wife and this led to a fight. Later Ashok stabbed Pawan with a sharp-edged weapon. The police has arrested the accused.

SIRSA

Arrested
The SSP, Mr B.S. Sandhu, said on Sunday that the Dabwali police had busted a gang of thieves. The five members of the gang, Amarjeet Singh, Naresh Kumar, Sohan and Vijay Kumar, residents of Sirsa and Pawan Kumar, a resident of Mandi Dabwali had been arrested. They had looted the house of Mr Jagdish Chand Sunar, a resident of Mandi Dabwali on September 9 in the broad day light at dagger-point. According to the police the culprits had also committed thefts in Faridabad and Ganganagar.

SONEPAT

CM’s visit
The Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, will arrive in the city on October 3 on a one-day visit to the Rohat Assembly constituency. According to official sources, Mr Bansi Lal will address a public meeting at Kharkhauda town on the same day and hear the public grievances at an open darbar there.

Bodies recovered
The railway police recovered the body of an unidentified 25-year-old youth lying on the tracks near the Hindu Girls College here on Saturday. The body was sent for a post-mortem. The police believes it to be a case of suicide. According to another report, the railway police recovered the body of a 50-year-old man near the railway crossing on the Hindu College also on Saturday.

Training camp
The Kendriya Arya Yuvak Parishad will organise a training camp from September 27 to October 4 here to promote national character of the youth. Mr Anil Garg, national president of the parishad, told mediapersons here on Sunday that participants from Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and UP will attend the camp.

Lok Adalat
A Lok Adalat was held here on Saturday. It was presided over by Mr D.S. Khenal, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate. Nearly 85 cases were listed before the two Benches out of which 15 cases were settled through mutual consent.

Police action
In a special drive launched by the police at Mandi, from September 1 to 15, about 90 cases were registered under the Excise Act and 1,61,400 mls of illicit liquor and 228 kg of lahan were seized. According to Mr Ravinder Singh Jamwal, Dy SP (Headquarters), Mandi, the police also challaned 661 vehicle drivers under the Motor Vehicle Act.