R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

ABOHAR
ARRESTED: Vickey Ramgarhia, a mechanic of Chunawadh, was arrested on Tuesday and a case registered under Section 307 of the IPC and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act for assaulting Rajinder Singh, a taxi driver of the town, following a minor dispute over a repair bill on Sunday. The information was given by Sriganganagar district police on Wednesday.

AMRITSAR
TARAKSHEEL SOCIETY: The local chapter of the Taraksheel Society of India has decided to launch a campaign to eradicate superstitions and supernatural beliefs prevailing in the society. In a press note issued on Tuesday, Mr Megh Raj Ralla, district president of the society, said a meeting of the society would be convened to organise its cadres to carry out the campaign.

SCIENTISTS’ UNION: The following have been elected as office-bearers of the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (AFST): president — Dr Narpinder Singh; vice-president — Mr Navdeep Singh; secretary — Dr Dalbir Singh Sogi; and joint secretary — Dr Sukhbir Singh.

GURDASPUR
WOMAN, DAUGHTER DEAD: Paramjit Kaur of Chak Dhariwal in Pathankot subdivision and her daughter, Manpreet Kaur, died and her another daughter, Navneet (3), is struggling for life in Civil Hospital, Pathankot, after Paramjit consumed celphos tablets and forced her daughters to do so on Monday.

JALANDHAR
ELECTORAL ROLLS: The Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Electoral Officer, Mr K.Siva Prasad, said on Tuesday that the revision work of electoral rolls on the basis of January 1, 2003 as qualifying date would be undertaken from July 15 to August 14. He said this while presiding over a meeting of Returning Officers of the district at the district administrative complex here.

MOGA
WARNED: Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Punjab, on Thursday warned farmers of the district to check the seeds of their crops before sowing as a huge quantity of seeds sold in this district had been found spurious. This was stated by the former president of the state unit of the BKU, Mr Kuldip Singh Sandhu, and general secretary of the present state unit of the union, Mr Bhupinder Singh Mahesari.

MONTHLY PENSIONS: Several aged and neglected persons of the district on Thursday complained that they had not received their monthly pensions so far sanctioned several years ago although they had been visiting the office of the Social Welfare Department for this purpose regularly. They alleged that these pensions were given only to these who had administrative and political approach.

PATIALA
B.SC AND B.COM RESULTS: The results of B.Sc and B.Com (third year) examination conducted by Punjabi University, Patiala, will be declared on June 24. This was stated in a press note released by the Controller of Examination, Punjabi University, Mr Paramjit Singh Khaira.

BLOOD DONATION CAMP: Rajindra hospital in collaboration with the Patiala Social Welfare Society organsied a blood donation camp at Rajindra hospital here on Thursday. Several students and technicians of the Rajindra Medical College and National Institute of Sports (NIS) donated blood. In charge of the blood bank at Rajindra hospital, Dr Kulbir Kaur Walia, said in wake of less donor turnout in recent days, the hospital’s blood bank had issued an appeal to social organisations to organise such camps.

SAHNEWAL
BHANDARA: An annual bhandara of Baba Shahdin of Malerkotla, popularly known as Karnian wale, was organised here on Thursday. Religions sermons and hymns were chanted on the occasion. The bhandara is organised after every six months and the baba who lives in Malerkotla, visits the place on every Thursday and Sunday.

HARYANA

AMBALA
ONE DEAD: An unidentified man, who had been hit by a train, was admitted to the Civil Hospital, Ambala city, by the Government Railway Police. The injured was later referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, where he breathed his last. Government Railway Police personnel are trying to find out the identity of the man who is said to be about 56-year-old and has a well-built body.

KAITHAL
VOTER CARDS: The photo identity cards in the Kaithal Assembly constituency will be prepared between June 21 and 30 and all those voters whose names have been included in the voters’ list but have failed to get the cards made can avail themselves of this opportunity. The District Electoral Officer, Mr Anurag Aggarwal, said here on Tuesday.

PINJORE
ELECTED: The elections of the Gharwal Sabha of Pinjore were held here and elected the members of the executive committee. Surinder Singh Aswal was elected president of the sabha, Shanti Prasad Garola — general secretary; Vijay Kumar Sharma — vice-president; Jagdish Singh Negi — secretary; Purna Nand — treasurer; Pritam Singh Rawat and Tota Singh Bishat were made press secretaries.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
ELECTED: Ms Bimladevi of Dhulatar village has been elected member of the Block Development Committee (Panchayat Samiti) ward no 9 from the gram panchayat areas of Hawaan, Kuhmajhwaad, Saruin and chalehali in the byelections held there on a vacancy. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Chamelsingh, said here on Wednesday in a notification that following had been elected members of the gram panchayats in the byelections held in district here — Mr Nandlal, Balhbhulana village, Chandpur Panchayat ward No 8; Ms Champadevi, Dhartatoh, Panchayat Dhartatoh, ward no 4; Ms Binadevi, Ladda, Panchayat Ladda, ward no 4; Roshan Lal, naingujran, Panchayat Rohin, ward no 7; Mr jaichand, Kothi, Panchayat Kosarian, ward no 5; and Bhagatram, Behna Brahmina, Panchayat Behna Brahamina, ward no 4.

DHARAMSALA
MAN KILLED: A man was killed after he was crushed under a train on Tuesday. The accident occurred near Mohatali railway station on the Pathankot-Jogindernagar section. The deceased has been identified as Bindu of Bhojpur village under Indora police station. The railway police has registered a case. The body was handed over to his relatives after a post-mortem examination.

HAMIRPUR
HAPHAZARD CONSTRUCTION: The town is fast becoming a slum due to haphazard and unplanned growth of buildings and failure to comply with the instructions laid down by the local civic body and the HP Town and Country Planning Department. Nearly 50 buildings come up in the town every year but most of them are without the approval of the authorities concerned. Nearly 600 cases of unauthorised construction have been filed by the local civic body and the Town and Country Planning Department. The haphazard construction has depleted the green cover in the town.

KULU
FAIR INAUGURATED: An eight-day-long Gram Shree Mela was inaugurated by Mr Chander Sen Thakur, Vice-Chairman of the HPMC and an MLA, at Dhalpur maidan here on Wednesday. As many as 50 units of different states are participating in the fair which is being sponsored by Kapat. Mr R.D. Nazim, Deputy Commissioner, presided over the function.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the executive body of the local District Bar Association: president — Mr Naresh Sood; vice-president — Mr Dharmender Sharma; secretary — Mr Rakesh Acharya; and treasurer — Mr Jai Kishan Thakur.

BUILDING INAUGURATED: Construction of new roads and bridges have not only linked far-flung areas to the mainstream but also provided avenues for economic development. This was stated by Mr maheshwar Singh, Member Parliament, while inaugurating primary school and community bhavan buildings at Chansari village, 6 km from here, on Wednesday.

KUMARHATTI
OVERCHARGING: Resentment prevails among the residents of Dagshai, near here, over the alleged failure of the district administration authorities to check the gas agency owners from overcharging them for LPG cylinders. The residents alleged that they were being forced to pay nearly Rs 10 extra for a cylinder. 

NURPUR
PROMOTIONS: The Himachal Pradesh Council of Diploma Engineer Association, Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department, is sore over the failure of the state government in giving promotions to diploma holders for the posts of executive engineers in the department. Mr Subash Tyagi, state president of the association, in a statement here on Wednesday alleged that although 30 per cent quota had been earmarked for diploma holders for their promotions as executive engineers but only four out of 21 engineers had been given promotions throughout the state. A memorandum was also submitted to the Chief Minister in this regard.

SUICIDE: Babita, a 12-year-old girl reportedly committed suicide by consuming sulphos tablets in her house at nagabari village, near here, on Wednesday. According to the police, the girl had been playing with her brother when after a quarrel with him, she allegedly committed suicide. The parents of the deceased were away when the incident took place.

ARRESTED: Des Raj of Rod village has been arrested and a case registered against him under Section 326 of the IPC for chopping the thumb of his nephew, Vikram, with a sickle following a family dispute. The victim was rushed to CMC Ludhiana.