BATHINDA
CASE REGISTERED: The police has registered a case against Mittoo, a resident of Kandani village in Bihar, for allegedly murdering a youth, Nagin Saini, of Poda village in Bihar, and throwing his body into a canal at Charik village in the district.

MEDICAL CAMPS: A free homoeopathy camp was held here on Sunday by the Dost Welfare Society with the help of a private homoeopathic clinic of the city. About 125 patients were examined by doctors and medicines were given free of cost. Former bar president Mithu Ram Gupta inaugurated the camp. In another medical camp organised here by the Helping Hand Educational Society, aids for the physically challenged were distributed free of cost. Mr Vishwash Kumar, secretary of the society, said 30 tri-cycles, 3 wheel chairs, 40 hearing aids and 27 artificial limbs were distributed.

PROTEST: The district unit of the Unemployed Teachers’ Front has decided to celebrate the Teachers’ Day as “Black Day” in protest against the education policy of the Congress Government and will hold dharnas and rallies to press their demands. Mr Sukhdarshan Singh, district president of the front, in a press note issued here on Sunday, said at a meeting of activists it was unanimously decided to observe September 5 as “Black Day”. He alleged the government had closed all channels for unemployed B.Ed candidates.

GOVT FLAYED: Mr Kiranjit Singh Gehri, state president, Dalit Sena, in a press note issued here on Sunday, alleged that the Congress Government was formulating anti-poor policies and by withdrawing incentives from employees it had given wrong signals to the masses. Mr Gehri alleged that the pensions to the aged, widows and shagun schemes had been virtually dumped by the government and the “inspector raaj” was prevailing which had hit the trade and industry.

POST-MORTEM: The post-mortem of Labh Singh, a resident of Talwandi Sabo subdivision in the district, who was allegedly killed by his son Parma Singh on Thursday, was conducted at the Civil Hospital here on Friday. Police sources said Parma Singh was not on good terms with his father and attacked him with a log.

INTUC: Mr Pritam Singh Brar, district president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress, in a statement issued here on Saturday, said the government should stop its “anti-employee policies” immediately. Mr Brar said the decision of freezing the dearness allowance, the leave travel concession, bonus and reimbursement of medical bills should be reviewed. He alleged that the move to privatise profit-making PSUs was a retrograde step.

LECTURE: Dr D.R. Vij, former Dean, Punjabi University, Patiala, delivered a lecture, “I and my college,” at the S.S.D. Girls College here on Saturday and stressed the need for self-motivation, character building, introspection and optimism. Dr Vij, who has presented papers in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, said youth was the best period of life and the energy during this time should be channeled positively to achieve one’s goals.

MEDICAL CAMP: The Helping Hand Educational Society will organise a free camp for the physically challenged at the local DAV College on August 25. Mr Sham Lal, president of the society, in a press note issued here on Saturday, said patients who had been identified during earlier camps for being provided with various types of aids and appliances would be given the same free of cost.

BANNED: Mr Anurag Verma, District Magistrate, on Saturday passed orders, banning the use of olive green bikes, four-wheelers and dresses by civilians and directed the authorities concerned to take action against those violating the orders. The orders shall remain in force till October 20.

BARNALA
PARENT-TEACHER MEETING: KV Air Force Station, Barnala, held a parent-teacher meeting under the stewardship of Mr R.S. Bharaj, Principal, on Saturday. More than 800 parents visited the school.

FARIDKOT
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL: The Rotary International is adhered to eradicate polio from the world by 2005. This was stated by Mr Ravi Kant Gupta, Governor, 3090 district, while speaking at the first intercity conference on Rotary’s Global Quest held here on Sunday. He said the group was spending $ 1 million to remove polio every year. He announced that an international conference of the group would be held in Chicago in 2005 to sort out more ways and means for promoting more programmes.

FAZILKA
LEGAL NOTICE: Two medical officers and six paramedics of the post-partum unit of the local Civil Hospital, who have not been paid salary for December, 2001, and January and February, 2002, have served a legal notice on the Director, Health and Family Welfare, to release their salary within 10 days.

MANSA
DOWRY HARASSMENT: Ms Radha Rani, a house wife, resident of Budhlada in the district, has in an application submitted to the SSP, mansa, sought the compliance of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directions on her complaint that her husband was harassing her for dowry. The court had issued the direction on August 6, 2002.

FOUNDER DEAD: Dr Durga Dass Goyal, founder of SDKL DAV Centenary Public School, Mansa, died on Friday night following a heart attack. His funeral, which took place on Saturday, was largely attended.

RETAIL OUTLETS CLOSED: Two retail outlets of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) at Bareta and Sardulgarh, one retail outlet of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC) at Thuthianwali village and one gas agency of the Indo-Burma Petroleum Corporation Limited (IBP) at Bareta in Mansa district have been terminated by their respective corporations in consequence of the announcement of the Prime Minister to cancel allotments made after January 2002.

NAWANSHAHR
HOSPITAL OPENED: Acharaya Chetna Nandji Bhuriwale, head of the Bhuriwale sect, inaugurated Maharaj Lalji Dass Bhuriwale Charitable Hospital, constructed at cost of Rs 50 lakh, at Malewal village, about 20 km from here, on Thursday. Chaudhary Tarsem Lal, an NRI, and Chaudhary Mela Ram, an industrialist, have made major contributions for the construction of the hospital.

EX-SERVICEMEN CELL: A meeting of the district unit of the ex-servicemen cell of the PPCC was held at Punjab Mata Vidhyawati Bhavan here on Saturday. The meeting, held under the chairmanship of Lt-Col Jernail Singh (retd), decided to participate in the zonal rally of the ex-servicemen cell to be held at Red Cross Bhavan on September 2. The rally will be attended by the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh.

PROTEST MARCH: Teachers of the local R.K. Arya College held a protest march here on Saturday against the non-payment of salary for the past four months. They alleged that the behaviour of the Principal, Mr S.K. Sharma, was rude. Holding placards which read ‘‘Principal hatao, college bachao,’’ they raised slogans against the Principal and submitted a memorandum to Mr Prem Bhardwaj, president of the managing committee of the college.

LINK ROADS: The local Punjab PWD (B&R) Ministerial Services Association, The PWD Mulazam Union and The PWD Non-Gazetted Employees Union have demanded that the construction work of 60 per cent link roads and other development works falling in the district should be transferred to the circle office, PWD (B&R). The unions also urged the government link roads, including Nawanshahr-Bheen-Palli, Jhikki-Pathlawa-Sujjon, Nawanshahr-Asmanpur road via Sloh Punnumzara, Mallpur-Kariha-Kariam-Hansron; Nawanshahr-Kulam-Chuharpur, Simbli-Bakapur, Hiyatpur-Saroya, Jadla-Mirpur-Mujjafarpur, Chakdana-Mukandpur, Banga-Kataria-Cheta, Banga-Saila, Phagwara-Dosanjh-Mukandpur, Kathgarh-Rattewal-Bhaddi-Singhpur have been widened to 16 feet should be converted into plan roads and their maintenance work should also be transferred to the Circle Office, PWD (B&R), Nawanshahr. Union leaders submitted a memorandum in this regard to the local MLA, Mr Parkash Singh and the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ashok Kumar Gupta.

PHAGWARA
IN-LAWS BOOKED: The police has booked Harpreet Kaur’s husband Jaspal Singh, father-in-law Raghbir Singh and mother-in-law Jeet Kaur under Section 306 of the IPC for abetment of suicide. Harpreet (35) had committed suicide on Friday at Domeli village by consuming poison.

ROPAR
SUICIDE: Sheesh Pal (51), watchman in the district Judicial Complex here, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in a room of the complex on Saturday. The police said it had initiated proceedings under section 174 of the CrPC. The deceased is survived by wife, two daughters and a son.

SONG COMPETITION: Tagore Model School here on Sunday secured first position in the National Group Song Competition organised by the local unit of the Bharat Vikas Parishad here. Dr K.L. Passi, president of the Punjab (East) unit of the parishad and the chief guest gave away the prizes to winners. New Model High School and Shivalik Public School jointly secured the second position in the competition.

EXHIBITION: The IDP Education, Australia, is organising an exhibition on “Education in Australia” at Hotel Mountview on Monday and Tuesday, a press release said here on Sunday. More than 40 institutions from Australia will put their stalls which will provide information on more than 10,000 courses available there. Visiting professors and faculty members from Australian institutions will also be present on the occasion. On-the-spot interviews will also be organised at the venue to give correct feedback about their chances to students.

ELECTED: Mr B. D. Agnihotri, Dr Ravi Prakash and Mr H.C. Punyani were today elected president, senior vice-president and general secretary of the Pushpak Complex Residents Welfare Association, respectively. Ms Nirmal Kaur was elected vice-president, Mr Khan, secretary, Mr Asha Verma, organising secretary and Sardar Laxman Singh, finance secretary.