Obscene programmes: In an order issued by the Additional District Magistrate the cable operators in the district have been directed not to relay obscene movies and other such programmes. Necessary legal action will be initiated against the cable operators found violating the order. The SSP, all SDMs and the DPRO have been empowered to check the programmes.

HOSHIARPUR
Arrested: The police arrested Balwinder Singh, Principal of Women Welfare College, Vasant Bihar, Hoshiarpur, for producing false evidences to prove himself innocent in a case registered against him by his brother. In his complaint Baljit Singh had alleged that Balwinder Singh had hit his scooter with his vehicle on May 30.

Surrendered: Three persons, Chanan Singh, Ranjit Singh alias Rana and Lakhbir Singh, alias Lakha, wanted in a murder case, surrendered in the court and were later arrested by Hajipur police. Mr R.P. Mittal, SSP, said in a press note issued here on Friday that the accused had murdered Balbir Singh of the Behbowal Chhanian village on May 28 and were absconding since then.

JALALABAD
Records sealed: The revenue record of 45 striking revenue patwaris has been sealed. Giving details the SDM, Mr Vimal Setia said tehsildar Ranjit Kanwar had sealed the "baste" (record) of the 45 striking patwaries of Jalalabad subdivision on Friday and the work of these patwaries had been handed over to their kanungos concerned.

LUDHIANA
Old-age pension: The District Planning and Development Board has released amount for the payment of old-age pension till December 1998 and the pensions would be paid by the banks by June 30. This was announced by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Goel, at a sangat darshan programme held at Dhamot, about 35 km from here.

PHILLAUR
Drowned: Three boys, Vicky, Manga and Kamal, of nearby Hakaimpu village drowned in Satluj river near Jhandi Peer Muslim religious place on Friday. The three had come to pay obeisance at the shrine and were drowned while taking a holy dip in the river. The bodies of two boys had not been recovered.

ROPAR
SPCA projects: The district Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) on Saturday sent two projects regarding the population control of stray dogs and the rehabilitation of stray animals to the Animal Welfare Board of India. Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, seeking aid of about Rs 41.76 lakh for the projects. Both these projects were approved at a meeting of the SPCA a few days ago.

SANGRUR
Small savings: The district got second position in the state for small savings collections during the last financial year. Mr Anirudh Tewari, Deputy Commissioner, said here on Friday that the district had collected Rs 115 crore against the given target of Rs 67 crore registering an increase of over 70 per cent. The Deputy Commissioner thanked the people of the district for their cooperation in the achievement.

Summer workshop: A two-week summer workshop organised by Ajit Karam Singh International Public School, Sector 41, within the school premises, for children below the age of 14 years, is under way. Almost 200 children participating in this workshop are being imparted training in arts, crafts, bhangra, English speaking and personality development. For those not interested in these activities, other physical activities like tennis, badminton and basketball are also being organised. The workshop is open to children of all schools.

Protest: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP) held a protest dharna in Sector 37 claiming that the police was not acting properly in registering a case regarding the death of a young woman following childbirth. Mr Rajiv Yadav, Joint Secretary of the local unit of the ABVP, said that the protest was to point out how the woman died due to excessive bleeding after giving birth to a child on May 29.

KHARAR
Meeting: A meeting of the Ropar District Ex-Servicemen League Punjab and Haryana was held at Kurali on Friday to pay homage to the soldiers of the Army and Air Force who laid down their lives fighting the enemy in the Kargil sector. This was said in a press note issued here on Saturday by Col Didar Singh, President of the League. The league requested the state governments to sanction liberal ex-gratia grants on the pattern of the Bihar Government for the families of those killed and wounded in action.

Rotary Club: The local Rotary Club will organise a musical nite here in Arya Kanya Vidyalaya on June 19. Mr J.P. Dhiman, President, and Mr Harpreet Singh Rekhi, Secretary of the club said noted qawali singer of Delhi Baby Naaz would perform at the nite.

Villagers' problem: Residents of the nearby Jhanjherri village are facing a lot of difficulty for the past about two months as the Punjab State Electricity Board has failed to replace a defective transformer in the village, despite repeated requests. Members of the Naujwan Sabha of the village said here of Friday that they had met senior officers of the board many times but nothing had happened.

PANCHKULA
Welfare association: The House Owners Welfare Association of Sector 4 has urged the Administrator of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) to provide the copy of the Punjab and Haryana High Court order regarding the removal of fences and hedges in the township before launching any drive in this regard. Mr B.L. Tandon, Senior Vice-President of the association, said that no such orders regarding the removal of fences and hedges had been given by the High Court.

SIRSA
Murdered: Darshan Singh (35), a farmer of Dabwali village in the district, was 'murdered' and his wife Mrs Manjeet Kaur (30) was injured seriously with sharp-edged weapons by his father and brother on Thursday. A land dispute in the family had led to the assault on the deceased and his wife when they had gone to their fields to inspect their crop. The police has registered a criminal case under Section 302/ 34 of the IPC against the accused.

Body found: The police recovered the decomposed body of Gurvinder Singh, a driver from Tarn Taran, from a canal near Ramnagria village on Friday. According to the police three persons — Harmeet Singh, Gurvinder Jeet Singh and Lakhvinder Singh — had hired a Tata Sumo on May 31 from Jitander Bhatia of Tarn Taran. Later, the accused snatched the vehicle from the driver and murdered him with sharp-edged weapons near Ratia town.

Office-bearers: The following were elected office-bearers of the Lions Club, Sirsa (Central), on Friday: president — Mr Krishan Mehta; senior vice-president — Mr Anil Gabba; vice-president — Mr Radhey Shyam Ganda and Padam Jain; general secretary — Mr Madan Sethi; joint-secretary — Mr Darshan Chawla; and treasurer — Mr Hardeep Sarkaria.

Sentenced: Mrs Nirmal Yadav, District and Sessions Judge, sentenced Ram Chander, a resident of Jagdambe Colony here, his father mother, sister, brother and sister-in-law to seven years imprisonment in a dowry death case here on Thursday and also imposed a fine of Rs 200 each on the accused. A criminal case under Section 304-B/34 of the IPC was registered against all seven accused on a complaint by Vaisakhiram in June 1992, in which it was alleged that his sister, Sunita was harassed, and tortured by the accused for bringing insufficient dowry and was later burnt to death by them.

SONEPAT
Power breakdown: The city and its suburbs remained without power supply for about 4 hours following a major breakdown on Friday night. The breakdown occurred around 3.35 a.m and the supply was restored around 7.30 a.m on Saturday.

Body recovered: The police has recovered the body of a six-year-old boy Jatinder from a field at Bayyanpur village, about 3 km from here. According to the police, the boy was tortured before being killed as several parts of the body were missing. The boy was allegedly kidnapped by some persons five days ago. Old enmity is stated to be the cause of the murder.

Theft: Thieves took away 28 bags of gram from the shop of Mr Purshotam Dass Aggarwal at Gohana town, 35 km from here, on Thursday, after breaking into the shop.

YAMUNANAGAR
Fire: Fire broke out in a bhahhar grass stock here on Thursday, resulting in a loss of Rs 40 lakh. Mr K.C Sharma, Manager, Raw Material Ballarpur Industry, said here on Friday that the fire broke out around 9 p.m at Hundawla farm near Jagadhri. Three fire tenders from Municipal Council, Yamunanagar and one from Ballarpur Industry were used to douse the flames.

Ban: Mr Rajiv Sharma, District Magistrate, has directed the local cable operators to stop the telecast of PTV channel. He said the order was in compliance with a state government and Home Ministry directive.

Rotary Club: Mr J.C. Mehta has been elected the president of Rotary Club, Yamunanagar (West). He was installed by the District Governor, Rotarian Dr G.K. Thakral, on Thursday night. Mr Pankaj Malik has been elected the secretary of the club.

Rooms for schools: The district administration here would take up the construction of three rooms each at 133 primary schools in the district, under the supervision of Block Development Officers. Addressing a district-level meeting of officers here on Friday, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ramesh Kapil, said a panchayat education committee would be formed soon to ensure proper progress and quality of these constructions.

HAMIRPUR
Ex-servicemen: Members of the HP Re-Employed Ex-Servicemen Officers Association have decided to donate one-day salary to the Chief Minister's Sainik Welfare fund. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the association held here on Friday under the chairmanship of Col Panjab Singh, Director of Sainik Welfare Himachal Pradesh.

KANGRA
Resigned: A state council member of the CPI and district spokesman of the party have resigned from the primary membership of party in protest against the non-action of the party high command against the party workers who had been violating the party principles. In separate letters to the secretary of the district committee of the CPI here, they alleged that no action had been taken against the party members who were working against the interests of the CPI and principles of Marxism

KULU
Postponed: The President of the Ministerial Staff Association, Mr Prem Sagar Sharma, has said that the ministerial staff of the Forest Department has postponed their proposed strike till June 30.

Veterinary services: The government of Himachal Pradesh has made a Rs 20.77 crore comprehensive plan to provide veterinary services in the state this year. This was stated by Mr Karan Singh, Minister of State for Primary Education on Thursday at Thela village, about 28 km from here, at the inauguration of a veterinary dispensary.

SHIMLA
Award: Ajay Sharma (11), a resident of Theog, about 32 km from here, has been selected by the Shimla-based All-India Artists Association for its "People's National Award", for 1998. The award is being given to Ajay for setting a world record in 1995 by doing 1765 squates in 35 minutes, a feat for which his name has found a place in the Limca Book of Records, 1997.