ABOHAR
CULPRIT ESCAPES: A cyclist escaped the police cordon on Wednesday leaving behind 24 kg of poppy husk packed in a bag. The bag was loaded on the bicycle. The police, however, claimed that it had identified the culprit as Manjit Singh of Bhagu village.

AHMEDGARH
MEETING: A meeting of activists of the Government Teachers Union was held at local children park on Wednesday. A meeting chaired by Vice-Chairman of the National Body of State Employees Union, Mr Sukhdev Singh Beri, condemned the government’s move to privatise and globalise education in the state. Mr Beri said this would deprive right of education to lower strata of society. Elaborating upon struggle move by union to demand cancellation of elementary board, leader told the GTU units the district would organise a protest rally in front of DEO’s office at Sangrur on January 2.

AMRITSAR
APPOINTED: The President of the Youth Congress, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, has appointed Mr Karamjit Singh Sandhu as president, Amritsar district (Rural) Youth Congress. This was informed in a press note here on Wednesday.

INAUGURATION: Mr Khushal Behl, Minister for Education, will lay the foundation stone for boy’s hostel at Guru Nanak Dev University’s regional campus at Gurdaspur. The minister will also inaugurate a newly established centre for dress designing, tailoring and cutting at the centre on Friday.

FELLOWSHIP: Dr Gurinder Kaur, lecturer, Department of Applied Physics, Guru Nanak Dev University, has been awarded fellowship by the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) under its”JSPS invitation fellowship programme for research in Japan”.

BATHINDA
LAUDED: Mr Sharat C. Mahajan, General Manager, Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, on Wednesday claimed that during 2002 the plant had reduced fuel oil consumption to an all time low of 1.54 ml per kwh and it had qualified for an award from the Central Government. Mr Mahajan claimed that the ageing and obsolete technology notwithstanding, the thermal plant was able to show better performance due to the sincere efforts and working of the engineers and other employees.

UNEMPLOYED TEACHERS: Mr Yadwinder Singh, state general secretary, Berojgar Adhiyapak Front, in a statement issued on Wednesday said the government was not accepting their genuine and just demands and the health of protesting activist of the front who were on fast was deteriorating.

DHURI
ANNUAL FUNCTION: The eighth annual prize distribution function of Dr Bakshi Tirath Singh Memorial Gurukul Convent School was held on the school premises at Janta Nagar here on Tuesday. Mr Rakesh Pandey, Minister for Printing and Stationary, Punjab, was the chief guest and Mr AS Rai, SSP, Sangrur, presided over the function. Mrs Kamlesh Bakshi, Principal, read out the annual report. Mr Pandey gave away prizes to meritorious students and announced a grant of Rs 50,000 for the school.

FATEHGARH SAHIB
AWARENESS CAMP: A two-day dairy development awareness camp at the block level was organised by the Department of Dairy Development, Punjab, at Adarsh village, Chunni Kalan, on January 7 and 8. The camp was sponsored by the State Bank of Patiala, Chunni Kalan, Mr S.K. Ghai, Assistant General Manager-II (P) SBOP, inaugurated the camp. More than 1,000 persons of Chunni Kalan and nearby villages participated in the training programme. Mr Jasbir Singh, Deputy Director, Dairy Development Department, Fatehgarh Sahib, laid emphasis on the scientific breeding, balanced feeding and clean milk production practices to bring down cost of milk production and to meet the emerging challenges of WTO.

HOSHIARPUR
FLAYED: Mr Tikshan Sud, MLA, Mr Shiv Sud and mr Jagtar Singh, both presidents urban and rural units of the district BJP, respectively, have criticised the recast of the District Development and Planning Board in which only defeated Congress candidates and their henchmen were nominated as members. In a joint press release here on Wednesday they said it was a cruel joke on democracy that Congress men, who were disowned by the electorates in the last Assembly election, had now been nominated members of the district Development and Planning Board.

LUDHIANA
NSS CAMP: As a mark of involvement in the efforts of social service, a 10-day NSS camp was inaugurated on Wednesday at the Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology, Gujarkhan Campus, Model Town, Ludhiana. The camp will be held from January 8 to 17, 2003. As many as 50 NSS volunteers are participating in the camp. The theme of the camp focuses on the ideology — ‘Youth for healthy society’. The host of activities panned during the week include visits to various social welfare institutions like old-age homes, lectures o health and nutrition , first aid, physiotherapy, stress and reiki and workshops on cooking, embroidery and personal care.

MACHHIWARA
ELECTED: Capt Ram Singh has been elected as new vice-president of the nagar panchayat, Machhiwara. This post was vacated by Ms Manjit Kumari. He has been elected unanimously for one year. The election process was completed under the observation of the SDM, Samrala, Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi. The election meeting was presided over by president of the nagar panchayat, Mr Anil Sood.

CELEBRATED: Guru Gobind Singh was celebrated in Machhiwara. Thousands of devotees thronged Gurdwara Sri Charan Kanwal Sahib here.

MANSA
AETC DEAD: Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner Yash Paul Chabha (54) died here on Wednesday due to a massive heart attack. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. He had been serving as the Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner since July 2, 2000. Mr S.K. Ahluwalia, Deputy Commissioner, expressed his condolences with the bereaved family.

MOGA
RESENTMENT: Chowkidars at certain villages in the district have expressed resentment over the non-payment of salaries for several months. They said they had not been paid the salaries for the past one year.

ROPAR
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the nangal branch of the Indian Medical Association: president — Dr R.S. Soni; senior vice-president — Dr R.S. Hyanki; vice-president — Dr M.D. Sharda; general secretary — Dr P.P. Singh; joint secretary — Dr Sangeeta Jain; and treasurer — Dr O.P. Kakkar.

TARN TARAN
RIFLE STOLEN: Three armed persons stole the .12 bore rifle of Mr Gurnak Singh, a resident of Raniwalah village falling under Sarhali police station on Wednesday. The police has registered a case under Sections 382, 457 of the IPC against Jaswant Singh, a resident of Sabhra and two others.

AWARDED: Dr Harjit Bharti, Senior Medical Officer and in charge, Civil Hospital, Patti, and his staff, have been awarded A ‘grade’ for their overall performance.

RAPISTS HELD: The Khalra police has booked two youths of Basarke village under Sections 376 and 34 of the IPC for raping a teenaged girl. Police sources said on Wednesday that the accused had been identified as Jatinder Singh and Tota Singh and been arrested.