AMRITSAR
WORKSHOP: A three-day national-level workshop-cum-seminar on "creative minds in art" began at DAV College of Education for Women here on Wednesday. Deputy Commissioner S.S. Puri inaugurated the seminar. This was informed by Principal of the college, Dr Aruna Anand.

BOOK FAIR: Publishers displayed books on various subjects at a book fair held at Shazada Nand College for Girls here on Wednesday. Mr D.P. Gupta, Assistant Commissioner, MC, inaugurated the exhibition.

PLAY STAGED: The newly formed Creator's Society staged a play "death of a Salesman", written by Arthur Miller at Dashmesh Auditorium of Guru Nanak Dev University here on Wednesday. APPOINTED: Mr Narinder Kumar Tennu has been appointed secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Youth Congress by Mr Devinder Singh Babbu, President of the PPYC. This was stated in an official press note of the committee issued here on Thursday.

LAB INAUGURATED: A mushroom spawn laboratory was inaugurated at Guru Nanak Dev University by the Vice-Chancellor, Dr S.P. Singh, here on Wednesday. The Department of Botanical Sciences has developed a spawn production facility for mushroom cultivation for potential entrepreneurs and as vocational arena for students. The laboratory will also be able to supply sufficient quantity of mushroom seed for distribution to farmers of the area in the next season besides imparting training to them in mushroom cultivation.

FEROZEPORE
BAN ON POLYTHENE: In compliance with the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the District Magistrate has prohibited the manufacture and use of polythene bags made of plastic having thickness less than 20 microns. The dealers of the polythene bags have been told to register their firms with the Punjab Pollution Control Board within 10 days.

BAIL DENIED: Senior Akali leader and member of the Cantonment Board, Mr Joginder Singh Jindu, who was arrested on February 18 has been denied bail by the local court here on Thursday. Mr Jindu is in judicial custody till March 4.

HOSHIARPUR
POISONED: Sunil Dutt of the local Mohalla Hari Nagar reportedly killed his children, Kabita and Nitan, on Tuesday by poisoning them. He later committed suicide by consuming poison. His body was found in the Bajwara area.

CASE REGISTERED: A case has been registered under Sections 419 and 511 of the IPC against Amarjit Singh of Dihana village for getting transferred Gian Chand, a tubewell operator in the village, by posing himself as PA to Mr Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Irrigation Minister, Punjab. The complaint was lodged by the Executive Engineer, Punjab State Tubewell Corporation. According to the FIR, Amarjit Singh had instructed the PSTC authorities here in December to affect the transfer.

CHEATING CASES: Two cases of cheating by certain travel agents were reported in the city and the Dasuya police stations of the district on Wednesday. In a complaint, Mr Surjit Ram of Salempur village alleged that Deep Kumar, a travel agent of the local Mohalla Katcha Toba, took a large sum from him to send him to Italy. But he failed to do so and did not return the money. In another complaint at Dasuya police station, Kuldip Singh of Alampur village alleged that travel agent Sukhjit Singh took Rs 3 lakh from him to sent him abroad.

HEALING CAMP: Two spiritual healers one Norway, will organise a healing camp on the eve of the death anniversary of Sant Bawa Singh Sri Dev Sahib at Darbar Sri Satguru Roop Dev ji, Meghowal village on February 26 and 27 Dr Bjorg Neverdal from Norway and Dr K.D.S. Kalsi from India are both members of the National Federation of Spiritual Healer (UK) recognised by the World Health Organisation.

LUDHIANA
PRIZE DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION: Students of Government Senior Secondary School, Dhamot village, received prizes at an annual function held recently. Students recited ‘shabads’ on the occasion. A cultural programme was also organised. Hardeep Kaur sang folk song, ‘Ma mein mudd nahin peke aona’. Tejinder Singh sang ‘Sun pardesi veera’, while Jaswinder Kaur sang ‘Chan kithan guzari aayi’. Programme concluded with a giddha item presented by senior girls. Principal Harnek Singh appreciated efforts of the students. 

WORKSHOP: A two-day workshop on ‘Drug de-addiction’ organised by the Aas Kiran De-addiction Centre, a wing of the Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle, concluded here on Thursday. Several social workers and members of de-addiction centres of Punjab participated in the workshop. Addressing the gathering, Prof Sarabjeet Singh, project director, spoke on the art of counselling and skill of communicating with addicts. Dr Deepinder Singh, medical officer of the centre, gave a talk on AIDS. 

MANDI GOBINDGARH
FUNCTION: Aaftab, a cultural function, was organised at the Punjab Institute of Management and Technology (PIMT) here. About 20 events were organised on the occasion in which about 150 students participated. The events included ad-mad show, quiz, just a minute, talent search, poem recitation, skit, choreography, collage making, modelling, antakshari and flower arrangement. Mr Vikas Partap, Deputy Commissioner, inaugurated the function, while Mr Satya Prakash, president of the Gobindgarh Educational and Social Welfare Trust, presided over. Dr O.P. Sahni, director of the institute, also spoke on the occasion. 

MAN COMMITS SUICIDE: In a strange incident a man reportedly committed suicide as his mother had stolen the dowry goods that he had purchased for the marriage of his sister. According to sources, the marriage of Darshan’s sister, Babby, had been fixed with a Mandi Gobindgarh based boy. Darshan worked hard to arrange dowry goods for the marriage. But these items were reportedly stolen by his mother, Sunita Rani. When Darshan came to know about it he asked his mother about it. She admitted that she had stolen the goods, but refused to return them. Perturbed over it, Darshan put oil on his body and set himself onfire. He was rushed to the PGI, Chandigarh, where he succumbed to his injuries. According to sources, the police has arrested Sunita Rani. 

EFFIGY BURNT: The District Fatehgarh Sahib unit of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) burnt the effigy of General Pervez Musharraf near main chowk at Mandi Gobindgarh. Mr Jagmeet Singh Bawa, state president of the front, said Pakistan is abetting terrorism in India, but the Indian Government was not doing its best to curb terrorism. He advised the government to change its policies and give befitting reply to Pakistan. Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, MP, Mr Suresh Pandey, president of the Fatehgarh Sahib unit of the front, and Mr Jagmohan Singh Bittu also expressed their views. 

MANSA
SHOW-CAUSE NOTICE ISSUED: Mr Kirpal Singh Makha, president, DCC, on Thursday issued show-cause notices to Mr Gurdeep Singh Joian, Mr Harbans Singh Khipal, both members, PPCC; Mr Ajit Singh Atwal, former member, PPCC; Mr Muni Lal, general secretary, DCC; Ms Urmila Mandhali, general secretary, District Mahila Congress; Mr Janak Raj, secretary, DCC; Mr Kulwant Rai Singla, vice-president, Municipal Council; Bareta, Mr Ratan Lal Goyal, Budhlada block president, Mr Rakesh Kumar Deepa, president, Youth Congress, Budhlada; Ms Tripta Rishi, municipal councillor, Budhlada; and others for anti-party activities. The action has been taken on the complaint of Mr Hardev Arshi, CPI candidate from the Budhlada Assembly constituency.

SAMRALA
STRIKE: Strike by the members of the local Bar Association entered the fourth day on Thursday. They are demanding the construction of a new judicial complex in the Tehsil Complex, according to Mr Anil Gupta, president of the association. Mr Gupta said the old judicial complex area had already been taken over by the PUDA authorities and that a court had been functioning in the Tehsil compounds since long. For the convenience of litigants, clients and lawyers, construction of a new judicial complex had become necessary, he said. He added the strike would continue so long as the administration did not take a final decision on the issue.

SANGRUR
MATERNITY BENEFIT: A sum of Rs 18,000 was distributed among 36 pregnant women, belonging to the below poverty line families, at a camp at Ahmedgarh near Malerkotla by Dr S.N. Tiwari, Civil Surgeon here on Wednesday. Each woman was given Rs 500 each. Dr Tiwari said the health authorities had received an amount of Rs 2 lakh under the national maternity benefits scheme which would be distributed by the end of March.