BATALA
Plea to Chief Minister: A meeting of local BJP leaders was held here on Sunday under the chairmanship of Mr Varinder Verma, local municipal councillor. Members urged the Chief Minister to give a Cabinet berth to Mr Jagdish Sawhney, local MLA.

BATHINDA
Sewing machines given: The local unit of the Kenderiya Yuvak Parishad organised a function at Luxmi Palace on Sunday to distribute sewing machines among poor and needy women. Mr Anil Arya, President of the parishad, distributed sewing machines.
Government criticised: Punjab Youth Congress President Davinder Singh Babbu here on Sunday flayed the Akali-BJP coalition government for its alleged failure to provide social justice to the downtrodden and the poor. He alleged that the state administration was being run by Mr Sukhbir Badal.

GARHSHANKAR
Protest rally: The joint committee of the Para Medical and Medical Association has flayed the Punjab Government for raising the hospital fee and withdrawing the facility of free accommodation earlier given to employees working in the hospital, PHCs and dispensaries which come under the Punjab Health Corporation. In a protest rally held at Civil Hospital here on Sunday, Mr Harvilas convener of the Para-Medical Association, demanded the withdrawal of the hike in hospital fee.

GURDASPUR
Thieves held: The police on Monday arrested Dharam Pal and Happy Chadda for their alleged involvement in theft of stereos from cars. Electronics worth Rs several thousands were recovered from their possession.

KHARAR
Vaccination camp: As many as 517 persons, including children received third dose of hepatitis-B vaccination at a camp organised by the local Rotary Club in association with Civil Hospital here on Sunday. According to Mr J.P Dhiman, President of the club, the camp was inaugurated by Mr Amarjit Singh Dhindsa, SDM, and vaccination was done at subsidised rates.
Complaint: Mr Karnail Singh, Sarpanch and 50 residents of nearby Cholta Khurd village in a complaint to the Chief Minister on Monday alleged that there was very low voltage of electricity for the past many months and no action was being taken by the officers concerned in spite of repeated requests.

LUDHIANA
Seminar held: The Guru Gobind Singh Study circle organised a seminar on "How to stop youth from the lure of easy money" at Urban Estate, Dugri. Representatives of 23 organisations, academicians, doctors and industrialists of the area attended the seminar. The SSP, Mr Kuldeep Singh and the SP, City, Mr Pritpal Singh Virk, were honoured on the occasion.

PATIALA
Elected: The following have been elected office-bearers of the National Ex-Servicemen Coordination Committee here: President — Mr Amrik Singh, General Secretary — Mr Baldev Singh Kunder, Assistant General Secretary — Mr Tejinder Singh and Treasurer — Mr Pradeep Sharma.

SANGRUR
Small savings: Mr Anirudh Tewari, Deputy Commissioner, has said that Rs 115 crore were collected as small savings in the district against a target of Rs 67 crore during the last financial year, registering an increase of nearly 27 per cent.

PINJORE
Officers association: The following have been elected office-bearers of the HMT Pinjore Officers Association: President — Mr R.K. Malik; Vice-President — Mr S.S. Walia; General Secretary — Mr Sudarshan Bhardwaj; Joint Secretary — Mr L.D. Sharma; Office Secretary — Mr H.K. Sareen; Treasurer — Mr S.C. Aggarwal; Cultural Secretary — Mr Raj Karaan Ram; and Propaganda Secretary — Mr A.K. Sachdeva.

SAS NAGAR
Alleged: Mr Shingara Singh has alleged that despite repeated requests by residents, buses from Punjab to Chandigarh and vice-versa do not enter the local General Bus Stand. He said the residents have been suffering a lot as most of buses from Punjab circumvent the General Bus Stand, and the passengers were made to alight at Balongi Chowk near Milk Plant.

KAITHAL
Narrow escape: Passengers travelling in a Haryana Roadways bus had a narrow escape when the driver lost control of the vehicle while trying to save a cyclist and hit a tree near an octroi post on the Ambala road here on Sunday. Some of the passengers suffered minor injuries.

SIRSA
One arrested: The police on Sunday arrested Dev Singh, alias Deva, allegedly involved in the snatching of Rs. 1.71 lakh at gun-pint from Manhorlal a cloth dealer on April 12. The police recovered Rs 71,000 and a pistol from his possession.
Compensation sought: A deputation of villagers of Sahuwala - 2 in a charter of demands to the Deputy Commissioner, has demanded compensation for Balram, a farmer of the village whose gram crop worth Rs 1.5 lakh was damaged in his fields; when a fire broke out on Sunday. In another incident a fire broke out in fields near Lehengawala village in this district and wheat crop in about eight acres was damaged.
Liquor seized: The police seized 258 liquor pouches from Kulvinder Kaur alias Panjabo, of local Shamshabad Patti here on Sunday. The police also seized 120 pouches from Mohinder Singh of local Rania Gate and 48 bottles of liquor from Sohan Lal at local Arorvansh chowk.
Driver held: Hans Raj, a driver of Rajasthan Roadways was arrested by the Ellenabad police on Sunday on charge of negligent driving on a complaint lodged by Mr Sahib Singh of Dhaulpalia village in the district in which it has been alleged that his minor daughter was seriously injured due to his negligent driving. The police has registered a criminal case under Sections 279, 337, IPC, against the driver.
Suicide: Wariam Chand (31) of Panihari village in the district committed suicide by consuming a poisonous substance on Sunday. He was divorced a few months ago over a family dispute.
Fatal mishap: Gumail Singh (16) of Bagadi village in Punjab died in an accident near Mandi Dabwali, about 60 km from here, on Sunday. He was returning from fields of his relative on a bicycle and was hit by a jeep on the Rania-Dabwali road. The police has registered a criminal case under Section 304, IPC, against the jeep driver.
Agarwal sabha: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Shri Agarwal Sabha: President – Mr Bhagirath Gupta; Vice-President — Mr R.N Jindal; General Secretary — Mr Pawan Kumar; Secretary — Mr Bhikam Chand.
Four booked: A criminal case under Sections 323,324 and 34, IPC has been registered against Baldev Singh and his three sons – Jaswant Singh, Bhag Singh and Jage of Bhivan village in the district on the charge of assaulting Naib Singh of Thiraj village on Sunday. A dispute over irrigation water was stated to be the reason behind the attack.
One injured: Prem Kumar (45) of the local J.J Colony was seriously injured when his cycle collided with a wheat-loaded tractor-trailer at local Shiv Chowk here on Sunday. He was hospitalised and was stated to be out of danger.

SONEPAT
Open darbar: The administration will hold an open darbar on April 30 at Ganaur town in the district. Mr P.K Mahapatra, Deputy Commissioner, will hear the public grievances.
Snatched: A truck driver, Ram Pal and conductor, Pawan, allegedly snatched Rs 60,000 from Mr Partap Singh Saini, a resident of Niat village on the night of Sunday. Mr Saini was also travelling in the truck. The truck driver and Mr Saini sustained knife injuries during grappling with each other. The police has registered a case and arrested the conductor.

YAMUNANAGAR
Estate association: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Yamunanagar Industrial Estate Association: chief patron — Prof Sarwan Kumar; president — Mr Garsharan Singh Chawla; vice-president — Mr Ranbir Singh; general secretaries — Mr Lajpat Rai Garg and Mr Rajiv Aggarwal; and treasurer — Mr Satwant Singh.
Power cuts: Residents of Mandi Dabwali in a complaint to the state government have alleged that undeclared power cut have been imposed by the HVPN authorities and that the voltage is very low. They said adequate power should be supplied to this area otherwise they would launch an agitation.

HAMIRPUR
One killed: One person was killed and 23 others injured, one of them seriously, when a truck carrying them fell into a deep gorge near Lambloo village on the night of Sunday. The truck was on its way to Bassi from Lambloo. The deceased had been identified the resident of Amroh village of the district.