R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
HONOURED: Prof Jai Rup Singh, coordinator for genetic disorders, Guru Nanak Dev University, and Chairman of the Indian Genetic Alliance, is the first Indian scientist to be elected as member of the Board of Directors, World Alliance of Organisations for the Prevention of Birth Defects (WAOPBD). He said the WAOPBD works in close association with the World Health Organisation and other world bodies and governments of various countries.

DERA BASSI
MVI TO VISIT MUBARIKPUR: The Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI), Patiala, will visit the subdivision to issue driving licences to the applicants after a giving them a test at Mubarikpur rest house on Friday at 11 a.m.

FEROZEPORE
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Ferozepore Cantonment Yuvak Sewawas Youth Club: Chairman — Mr Iqbal Singh Chhabra; president — Mr Gurpreet Singh Dhillon; vice-president Mr Harpal Singh; general secretary Mr Satwinder Singh Farmah; and treasurer Mr Manmohan Kumar.

SENSITIVE VILLAGES; As many as 15 villages, including Ruknewala, Burj Mohammed, Suleman, Kamalwala and Gatta Badhshah in the district, have been identified as sensitive by the administration. The construction of bundhs and spurs at these places is going on a war footing to check floods. According to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Kulbir Singh Sidhu, the Punjab Government has sanctioned Rs 2 crore to protect the district from floods.

BUS FEE: The Deputy Commissioner, through a special order, has directed that a fee of Rs 15 will be charged for every private bus parked inside bus stands in the district. For those buses which enter the bus stands for picking up and dropping passengers, Rs 5 will be charged. Besides, Rs 5 per day will be charged for taxis, cars, jeeps and three-wheelers parked inside the bus stands.

GURDASPUR
ANTI-FLOOD STEPS: All preparations to meets the threat of floods rain have been finalised. Mr B.Vikram, Deputy Commissioner, told newsmen here on Wednesday said that seven spots along the Ravi and five along the Beas had been identified as sensitive. These included Rosse, Kamalpur, Chontra, Thakurpur, Nikka Post, Narot Spur and Jainpur along the Ravi and Ramala, Chechian, Fattu Barkat, Noon Barkat and Bahadurpur Rajoa along the Beas. Subdivisional level flood control rooms had been opened at Dhar, Pathankot, Batala and Dera Baba Nanak.

PHAGWARA
POWER FAILURE: Residents in most parts of the town remained without power for about eight hours from 12.30 p.m. on Wednesday. Mr Ajit Singh, Senior Xen, attributed the power breakdown to a damaged power protection device, the CT.

NRI CENTRE: The Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, Mr U.K. Singh, on Wednesday inaugurated an NRI centre at Ranipur village. It is the fifth NRI kendra in Phagwara subdivision. Palahi, Mauli, Panshta and Sapror villages already have these centres.

PHILLAUR
COURSE BEGINS: A three-day course on “Gender sensitisation” for COs and NGOs of the Punjab Police and Central Industrial Security Force began at Punjab Police Academy here on Wednesday. Mr Amarjot Singh Sidhu, Joint Director (Legal Studies)-cum-Course Director, Punjab Police Academy, welcomed the chief guest and participants. Mr Ranjit Lal, Deputy Director (Admn), and other senior officers of the academy were also present.

TARN TARAN
EFFIGY BURNT: The employees of the local municipal council under the banner of the Municipal Lower Grade Employees Union (INTUC) on Wednesday burnt the effigy of the local BJP leader Anil Joshi, staged a dharna and organised a protest march demanding his arrest for allegedly misbehaving with council employees who were removing encroachments in the town on Monday. The employees launched an indefinite stir on Tuesday. On the other hand, Joshi has accused the council employees of harassing shopkeepers in the name of removing encroachments.

CHANDIGARH

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Indian Association of Radiological Technologists (IART): President — Mr Sampat Kumar Dhawan; Vice-President — Mr Surjit Singh; General Secretary — Mr S.C. Bansal; and Treasurer — Mr Hardip Singh.

PROPERTY CONSULTANTS' ASSOCIATION: Mr Tirlok Singh has been elected President of the Property Consultants Association (Chandigarh-SAS Nagar-Panchkula) unanimously, according to a press note.

INTUC DELEGATION: A delegation of the Indian National Trade Union Congress met the Adviser, Ms Vineeta Rai, on Thursday and urged her to expedite the process of the construction of pucca booths for the shopkeepers, who had deposited the requisite amount with the Chandigarh Housing Board.

SAS NAGAR
ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATIONS: Rangoli competitions, poetry contest, dance and group songs marked the annual day celebrations of the local Industrial Training Institute (ITI) here on Tuesday. As many as 60 students of the institute participated in the cultural events. A performance of giddha won applause from the audience. The winners of various contests are mehndi and rangoli — Puja; poetry — Sandeep; dance — Monika and Simarpreet; song — Seema and Sangeeta; one-minute competition — Jyoti and Jasbir.

HARYANA

AMBALA
DEVELOPMENT WORK: The Shivalik Development Board will spent Rs 4 crore on various development works. It was stated by the Commissioner, Ambala range, Mr Chander Singh, in a meeting of the board on Thursday. Of this, Rs 80 lakh would be spent on watershed management, Rs 30 lakh on plantation of saplings in Morni area and Rs 150 lakh on construction of bridges and roads in the Shivalik area, besides Rs 50 lakh on the construction of primary health centres at Kot (Panchkula) and Patrehri (Ambala).

COMPUTER FACILITY: The new Subdivisional Magistrate of Ambala, Mr S.S. Saini, has extended the driving licence and registration paper through computer facility for five days a week. The timing will now be strictly between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The superintendent in the Deputy Commissioner office, Mr Satnam Singh Chawla, has been made the registering officer for Amarnath yatra.

FATEHABAD
CHEATS ARRESTED: The police on Wednesday arrested two persons for allegedly cheating the people of Jakhal in this district by promising them that they could double their money by magic. The police has also seized nine bundles of notes from their possession. These bundles had Rs 100 notes on both sides of the bundle but plain paper in the middle. The accused are Ram Singh and Raj Kumar, residents of Kasampur and Shakarpur, respectively.

MURDERED: A family feud over property led to the murder of Malkiat Singh at Burj village in this district on Wednesday. According to a complaint lodged by Jagtar Singh of the same village, Avtar Singh and Surinder Singh, both brothers and residents of Burj village, Gurmit and Sukhdev, both brothers and residents of Nathwan village, and Bhola and Amarjeet Singh, both residents of Chuno village, allegedly killed their brother-in-law, Malkiat Singh, after an altercation over family property. The police has registered a case under Sections 148, 149, 324 and 302 of the IPC and Sections 25, 27 and 59 of the Arms Act.

JHAJJAR
WATER SHORTAGE: The residents of Bahadurgarh town are facing an acute shortage of water and power since the beginning of this summer. The residents of Dayanand Nagar, Shastri Nagar and Jatwara mohalla on the Najafgarh Road have complained that water is being supplied here only thrice a week. The public health officials, however, claimed that they are providing water for three hours at a stretch daily so that people can store it. He blamed unavailability of electricity on irregular and untimely supply of water.

JIND
KILLED: Zile Singh, a resident of Pega village in this district, was killed on Tuesday following a dispute between two groups in the village Zile Singh was seriously injured after he was attacked by his rival group with a sharp-edged weapon. A case has been registered and two persons have been arrested in this connection.

ROHTAK
HONOURED: The District Lions Club has honoured 10 youths who successfully completed about 2000-km-long “Sindhu darshan motor cycle rally” from Rohtak to Leh (in Jammu and Kashmir). At a function held here on Tuesday, the club presented mementoes to the participants of the rally. The Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Mr H.S. Malik, was the chief guest.

SIRSA
FINE IMPOSED: The District Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum had directed the Branch Manager of Punjab National Bank, Mandi Dabwali, to return the principal amount of Rs 9,000 with interest to the complainant, Mr Subhash Kumar. It has also imposed a fine of Rs 250 on him for the harassment of the complainant. Subhash Kumar had complained that only Rs 2300 out of the Rs 9000 given by him to the bank’s representative, Ved Parkash Arora, had been deposited in his bank account (MD-4457).

THREE BOOKED: Three persons were booked for poisoning a married woman for dowry in the district. According to information received on Wednesday, Krishan of Sadulshaher, married to Madan Lal of Ellenabad, has been admitted to the local Civil Hospital after poisoning. In a complaint, the father of the victim alleged that Krishan was physically tortured by her-in-laws for dowry and they later poisoned her.

ASSAULTED; Joginder Singh, a labourer, was allegedly attacked by four persons, including Bittu, Nohri and Roshan, after a quarrel, according to information received on Wednesday. The police is investigating the case.