HOSHIARPUR
Conference: A border district cluster conference, which concluded at Lajwanti Tourist Complex here on Tuesday suggested that to reduce the infant and maternal mortality rates, special care should be taken to make the sub-centres self-sufficient by providing the required equipment and staff.

JALANDHAR
Agitation: The state executive committee of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) has launched an agitation in protest against the non-implementation of decisions made by the Punjab government in meetings held with the union on August 25. The committee has urged the government to fulfil the assurances, failing which partial strikes would be observed in colleges and a dharna in front of the office of the DPI (Colleges), Punjab, in November.

LUDHIANA
Elected: Ferozepore District Judge M M Bhalla and Ludhiana Senior Sub-Judge B.K. Mehta have been elected President and General Secretary, respectively, of the Punjab Judicial Officers Association. The elections were held here on Monday under the chairmanship of Mr M.M. Aggarwal. Additional District Judges Jagrup Singh and Inderjit Kaushik have been elected Vice-Presidents, while Mr Ranjit Jain, Mr B S Sandhu and Mr Sangeet Pal Singh have been elected Joint Secretary, Cashier and Auditor, respectively.
Invitro technique: The sex of an embryo produced through the invitro technique can be manipulated. The technology will go a long way in establishing embryo banks where frozen embryos of known sex can be stored. Consequently a superior germplasm can be propagated for the development of animals with better productivity. This was stated by Dr H.P.S. Kochher, a veterinary scientist with the PAU.

NAWANSHAHR
Arrested: Under a special drive launched against anti-social elements, the Rahon police has arrested three persons — Kuldip Singh, Mehar Dass and Som Nath, residents of Kahlon village — and recovered a Hero Honda motor cycle from them. The vehicle was stolen by them from near the municipal committee office here a few days ago. This was stated by Mr R.P Meena, SSP, in a press note issued here on Tuesday. The local police has also seized nine bags of poppy husk during a raid at the nearby Langroya village. Balbiro, Deesa, Gurmeet and Mohinder, who were allegedly selling the poppy husk, have absconded. A case under the NDPS Act had been registered against them.

PATIALA
Inquiry demanded: The Government College Teachers Association, Punjab, has urged the state government to conduct an inquiry into the withholding of the salary of five employees of Government College, Nayal Patran, near Samana town in the district. Dr P.S. Bhatti, President of the association, said a delegation of teachers had met the Principal and complained about the ‘unacademic’ atmosphere prevailing in the college due to a tussle between the Principal, the staff and students.

PHAGWARA
Quackery: The state unit of the Indian Medical Association on Tuesday threatened that it would resort to legal measures in case the state government went ahead with its move to legalise quackery and regularise unauthorised private health clinics on the pretext of recruiting health volunteers.

TARN TARAN
Eye camp: As many as 1,500 patients were examined at a free eye camp organised on Monday at the Community Health Centre, Naushehra Pannuan. The camp was organised by an NRI, Baba Hardayal Singh, in collaboration with the state Health Department. About 200 patients were diagnosed for eye operations. Medicines were distributed free of cost to the patients.

PANIPAT
Robbed: Satya Prakash, a hawker, was robbed of Rs 700 at gun-point by three miscreants on the Assandh road on Monday. It is learnt that two hawkers and a rickshawpuller were also looted at the same spot a few days ago. Local residents have demanded police patrolling during night at this place.
Survey: An INLD leader, Mr Bal Ram Jogi, has demanded a fresh survey of the families living below the poverty line in a number of villages in the Samalkha area so that poor families could be included in the poverty list. Mr Jogi has alleged that during an earlier survey, many well-to-do families were included in the list and poor families were left out. The residents of Atta and other villages have already informed the Deputy Commissioner about it.

ROHTAK
Manhandled: Mr Om Prakash, a meter reader of Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN), was allegedly beaten up while on duty by a consumer at Mungan Village, near here, on Tuesday. According to an FIR lodged by the SDO, HVPN, Bhalaut village, the consumer, Balbir, son of Chandgi Ram, rebuked and manhandled the meter reader while the latter was taking a reading of his power meter. The Sampla police has registered a case under Sections 332 & 353 and 186 of the IPC.
Strike: Students of a few polytechnic institutes here and at Jhajjar observed a strike on Tuesday in protest against a fee-hike by these institutes. It is learnt that students of C.R. Polytechnic and Vaish Polytechnic here and the Polytechnic at Jhajjar boycotted their classes to register their protest on the issue.

SONEPAT
Negotiations fail: Negotiations between Mr Upkar Singh, Superintending Engineer, Public Health, and the representatives of the All-India PWD Mechanical Karamchari Union on the demands of the agitating PWD employees failed on Tuesday. According to some union leaders, the SE had proposed to constitute a committee which would discuss the demands of the agitating employees and send its recommendations to him for implementation. But the representatives of the union did not agree to the suggestion and resolved to continue their agitation.

SHAHABAD
Swarankar Sangh: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Swarankar Sangh: President — Mr Sushil Verma; Vice-Presidents — Mr Harjit Singh Chauhan and Mr Manjit Singh Laadi; Secretary — Mr Sudama Dass Maain; Joint Secretary — Mr Bhupinder Singh; and Treasurer — Mr Harjit Singh Bhola.
Rice Millers Association: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Rice Millers and Dealers Association: Chairman — Mr Subhash Guliani; President — Mr Mohinder Prakash Kansal; Vice-Presidents — Mr Naveen Kumar and Mr Virender Dawar; Secretary — Mr Gurvinder Singh Kalra; and Treasurer — Mr Virender Singhal.
Elected: The following have been unanimously elected office-bearers of the local Aggarwal Sabha: President — Dr Narendra Bansal; Secretary — Mr Vijay Bhushan Gupta; and Treasurer — Mr Satish Gupta.