R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
SAINIK BOARD: The Sainik Welfare Board will organise a free recruitment training course from January 5 , 2004, for children of former Army men, SCs and poor children. The Deputy Director, Welfare Board, Lieut-Col M.P. Singh, said this course of a 42-day duration would train the children for joining the armed forces.

COURT ORDER: The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Kishore Kumar, has issued summons to the Managing-Director of Compaq Computers India along with Mr Jatinder Jain, Ms Mamta Jain and Rajat Mehra, partners of the local dealer Kochar Infotech Private Limited, to appear in his court on January 20, 2004. The complainant, Chetan Majithia, had filed a complaint under Sections 418, 420 and 34 of the IPC against the accused for supplying defective computers after taking the entire payment.

AWARDED: Dr T.A.V. Murti, Director, Library Networking, University Grant-Commission, was awarded Punjab National Library Award while Ms Sangeeta Kaul, Network Manager, Delnet, and Dr Dines K. Gupta of Kota Open University were awarded Young Women Librarian and Young Librarian Award on the fourth annual programme of Satinder Kaur Ramdev Memorial Trust for Advancement of Librarianship (SATKAL) Trust at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) here on Tuesday.

PENSIONERS' DAY: The Punjab State Pensioners and Senior Citizen Welfare Association will celebrate December 21 as pensioners' day at Government Girls Senior Secondary School here. Mr Raminder Singh, Deputy Commissioner, will preside.

TRAINING FOR SCs: Light and heavy vehicle training will be imparted to enable the Scheduled Caste (SC) and unemployed persons in getting employment. About Rs 2.10 lakh will be spent on the training, Mr Baljit Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner, (Development), said on Tuesday.

Hoshiarpur
DROWNED: Gurmail Singh of Hariana drowned in Kandi Canal on Tuesday. He was going on a cycle at Bassi Kale Khan bridge, his cycle skidded and he fell into the canal.

Ropar
COOP DEPT: The Cooperative Department has allowed six multipurpose cooperative societies of the district located in Dobeta, Nangal, Dher, Lodhimajra and Ratangarh to start diesel petrol stations in their respective areas, the Deputy Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Mr Harminder Singh Dhindsa, said here on Tuesday. Mr Dhindsa said the move had been initiated to improve the income of the cooperative societies that were self-reliant.

Samrala
ANIMAL WELFARE: An animal welfare camp and a farmers’ awareness camp will be organised at Mehdoodan village (Focal Point), 9 km from here, on December 19 by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. It will be inaugurated by Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon, MLA, Samrala, according to the Senior Veterinary Officer, Samrala, Dr Amarjit Singh. Experts from the department will treat animals and deliver lectures regarding various diseases. The animals will be treated free of cost. Medicines will also be given free of cost.

AKALIS RELEASED: The SDM, Samrala, Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi, has released all Akali leaders and workers arrested at the time of the arrest of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal a few days ago. Jathedar Kirpal Singh kheernian honoured these leaders with siropas.

Tarn Taran
FARMER SHOT AT: Mr Ranjodh Singh, a farmer of Jodh Singh Wala was shot at on Tuesday night by three persons of the same village. A case under Sections 308 and 34, IPC, and the Arms Act was registered against the accused, identified as Dogar Singh and his two sons Balwinder Singh and Davinder Singh. A land dispute is said to be the cause of the incident.

HARYANA

Fatehabad
sentenced: The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr R.K. Sondhi, on Tuesday sentenced a poppy husk trafficker to 10 years’ imprisonment and fined him Rs 1 lakh. The convict will have to serve a further imprisonment of two years in case he fails to pay the fine.

Kaithal
SHORTAGE: The Cheeka police has registered cases against three employees of Confed following detection of shortage in wheat stocked in the corporation godown at Cheeka. According to preliminary estimates, the value of the misappropriated 2022 bags of wheat is more than Rs 10 lakh. Those who have been booked are Ram Dhari salesman, Chandi Ram chowkidar and Sahi Ram storekeeper.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Dharamsala
bribery: Rameshwar Dass, Naib Tehsildar, working as Reader to the Divisional Commissioner, Kangra, was caught red-handed on Monday evening while accepting a bribe of Rs 5000 from a Una resident.

Kulu
held with charas: Charas weighing 8.8 kg was recovered from the possession of Om Chand, son of Jeet Ram, a resident of Palgi village of Bajaura, 15 km from here, on Tuesday. The Superintendent of Police said the accused had brought the charas from Gadsa and boarded an HRTC bus at Bhuntar, which was on its way to Dharamsala from Manali. The contraband was concealed in polythene bags.