HOSHIARPUR
Telephone subscribers: Resentment prevails among telephone subscribers here against the alleged "overbilling" in the past two months. Mr Kuldip Kumar Nanda, General Secretary of the District Congress Committee in a press note said the "overbilling" has started after the installation of the new telephone exchange at Parbhat Chowk. He urged the General Manager of the Telecom District, Hoshiarpur, to look into the matter.

KAPURTHALA
Gurmat sangeet academy: Bibi Jagir Kaur, President of the SGPC, has announced that to propagate the Sikh religion, the SGPC will set up a gurmat sangeet academy here. A sum of Rs 20 lakh will be spent on the project. Presiding over the concluding day of the two-day ‘bal mela’ at the local Shalimar garden on Friday, she stressed the need for paying more attention towards the overall development of children. She urged parents to give religious education to their children.

Sainik schools: The Education Minister, Mr Tota Singh, has lauded the role of sainik schools in the country for producing efficient officers for the Army and administration. Addressing the annual day function of the local Sainik School of Friday, Mr Tota Singh said the government would soon release Rs 50 lakh for the development of the school.

Science city: The district administration has received Rs 5 crore for the construction of a science city on the Kapurthala-Jalandhar road. This was stated by Mr Raghbir Singh, Transport Minister, on Thursday while presiding over a 'bal mela' here in the Shalimar garden.

LUDHIANA
Paper on obesity: Mr Sunil Jethi presented a paper on "Management of obesity by electro muscle stimulation" during the Seventh World Congress on Clinical Nutrition held in New Delhi last month. Mr Jethi, who runs an aesthetic centre here, had observed that 10 to 40 per cent of adults and 5 to 20 per cent of children were affected by obesity.

Declamation contest: A district-level declamation contest was organised by the Department of Extension Education for Rural Students at Government Senior Secondary School, Dakha , recently. Mr B.R.Malhotra, Assistant General Manager of the State Bank of India, was the chief guest. Eighteen students from more than 10 schools participated in the contest.

Open darbar: As many as 19 complaints relating to inadequate and erratic supply of drinking water, electricity, non-payment of pension, poor drainage and sewerage and land disputes were disposed of by Mr Sudhir Rajpal, Deputy Commissioner, at the one-day open darbar organised in the Panchayat Bhavan here on Friday.

Octroi employees: Octroi employees of the local municipal council on Friday threatened to launch an agitation if the authorities failed to pay them salary and arrears on time. A large number of employees assembled on the premises of the municipal council and raised slogans in support of their demands. They dispersed when the secretary of the council assured them that they would be paid their salary and the arrears on time.

PHAGWARA
NCC cadets: NCC cadets of the local Guru Nanak College bagged the first position in the drill competition conducted during the 12 day NCC combined annual TRG camp, which concluded here on Friday. Map reading, firing, drill, social and cultural activities marked the function which was attended by 550 cadets of both junior and senior divisions, including girls.

PHILLAUR
Killed: Sham Singh of Atti village was killed on the spot while Malkiat Singh of Muthadda Kalan village was injured, when a truck hit them while they were standing on the G T Road, near here, to board a bus for Goraya. The truck driver escaped, leaving behind the overturned truck.

SAMRALA
Appointed: Mr Sant Parkash Kalra has been appointed secretary of the Samrala block of the BJP, according to Mr Pawan Kumar Gupta, president of the block.

Elected: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Parents Teachers Association of Government Model High School, Sector 38: President — Mr Rajinder Singh Rana; General Secretary — Mr Kamlesh Singh Patpatia; Auditor — Mr Megh Raj Sharma.

SIRSA
Case registered: A case under Sections 306 and 34 of the IPC has been registered at the Kalanwali police station against Kulwant, alias Nikka for allegedly harassing and forcing his wife to commit suicide. In a complaint filed with the police, Mr Gurbachan Singh, father-in-law of Nikka, said his daughter was harassed and victimised by his son-in-law. He alleged that his daughter was forced to commit suicide on October 29. Meanwhile, the Station House Officer has reportedly been placed under suspension as he had allegedly refused to register a case against the accused.

Sentenced: The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr C.B. Jaglan, awarded 10 years' imprisonment to Billa Singh of Taruwana village under the NDPS Act here on Friday and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on him. The judgement was given in a case relating to the seizure of nine bags of poppy husk from Billa Singh on April 18, 1996.

Congress leader's demand: A former Haryana minister and senior leader of the Congress, Mr Jagdish Nehra, visited more than a dozen villages here on Saturday and addressed several meetings. He alleged that shortage of power supply had adversely affected normal life in the district. He also alleged that farmers were not being given support price for their produce, including cotton and paddy. He demanded that proper arrangements should be made for providing adequate power supply to the people.

Defective streetlights: Residents of Maharaja Agarsain Colony, here, have alleged that streetlights in most parts of the city are out of order. They have alleged that despite repeated complaints to the authorities concerned, no action has been taken so far. They have threatened to launch an agitation in case their demand is not met.

Injured: A truck driver, Lila Ram of Mandi Dabwali, his helper, Om Parkash, and a Canter driver, Roshan Lal, were seriously injured in a head-on collision between the truck and the Canter near Dingmaur in the district on Friday.

Suicide attempt: Amit Kumar of Madhosinghana village consumed poison on Friday. He was admitted to the local Civil Hospital. He was reportedly denied permission to marry his girl friend which led to the suicide bid.

SONEPAT
Patrol duty: The District Magistrate Mr Sudhir Rajpal, on Friday enforced the Punjab village and Small Towns Patrol Act, making it obligatory for all able bodied adult male inhabitants of all villages in the district to perform patrol duty round-the-clock and ensure the safety of railway stations, railway bridges, railway lines, passing trains, telephone lines, bridges, culverts, waterworks, canals and power transmission lines, in their respective villages. According to official sources, the orders would continue till November 20 next.