R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
PROTEST: Employees of the Punjab State Electricity Board here blocked traffic near subdivision number I on Wednesday to protest against the government move to unbundle the power board.

POPPY SMUGGLERS: The police nabbed Kala Singh of Moga, Teja Singh and Malkiat Singh of Matili on Wednesday on the charge of smuggling poppy husk from Rajasthan. The police recovered 53 kg of poppy husk from them.

Barnala
10 ARRESTED: The police arrested 10 persons on the charge of stealing and seized 64 bottles of illicit liquor, 80 kg of lahan, a stolen scooter, 10 kg of poppy husk from them. Three of them were identified as Inderjit Singh, Rajinder Singh and Jaspal.

ISI AGENT HELD: Maroof Ali, an ISI agent, was arrested on December 27 from near the Barnala Air Force Station Field and remanded in police custody till January 2, 2004.

SAMRALA
MEDICAL CAMP: On the fifth day of the NSS camp, volunteers of Malwa College, Bondli, Samrala, organised a free medical camp at Dayalpura village, 5 km from here, on Thursday.The camp was inaugurated by Dr Parminder Singh Benipal, Principal of the college. At least 200 patients were examined at the camp.

SPORTS MEET: The Youth Club, Ottalan, will organise a sports meet at Ottalan village on February 4, 5 and 6, according to Mr Avtar Singh Otal, spokesman for the club. Kabaddi, volleyball, cart races, horse race and dog races will be the main attraction of the meet.

ANNUAL FUNCTION: The annual prize distribution and cultural programme of Khalsa Model Senior Secondary School, Madpur, 5 km from here, will be held on January 3, Mr Bhupinder Singh Benipal, Manager of the school, said on Thursday.Mr J.S.Jassi, SDM, Samrala, will preside over the function.

MEETING: A public-police meeting was held at Ottalan village 3 km from here, on Thursday. Mr Jasveer Singh, DSP, Samrala, exhorted youth clubs to help the police in arresting anti-social elements.The new SHO, Mr Sarbjeet Singh, also sought cooperation from the people.

Jalandhar
POLL CHALLENGED: Ms Giano, who lost sarpanch’s election of Talhan village panchayat sought on Wednesday demanded the cancellation of the entire poll process due to alleged irregularities. Ms Giano, a Dalit woman and block samiti member Mangoo Ram alleged that the voters’ lists were tampered with.

Phagwara
BID TO ROB BANK: An attempt was made to break into Central Cooperative Bank at Palahi village near here on Tuesday night. The safe of the bank was found broken.

FOUNDATION STONE: Punjab Social Welfare Minister Joginder Singh Mann on Thursday laid the foundation stone of a new building of the local city club. He also announced a grant of Rs 2 lakh from his discretionary grant for the new complex. Mr Rakesh Verma Deputy Commissioner, who is also the Kapurthala president of the club, was also present on the occasion.

Pathankot
CHEMISTS HELD: A court here on Tuesday remanded two chemists in police custody till January 7, for storing and selling banned and fake oxytocin injections. The police recovered 1,24,000 oxytocin injections from the chemists shops. Vijay Kumar and Sham Lal were arrested.

MISHAP: An unidentified person was killed and four others were injured on Wednesday when the bus in which they were travelling collided with a tanker near Damtal near here. The injured Ram Sharma, Kamlesh Jain, Ramesh Aggarwal and Gurmit Singh were brought to the Civil Hospital here.

HARYANA

AMBALA
CRITICISED: Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee legal cell vice-chairman Om Prakash Malik criticised the hike in petrol and diesel prices on Wednesday. Mr Malik said the “New Year gift” of the NDA government to the countrymen has been increase in the prices of diesel and petrol. He said prices had been increased recently. “It is during the Vajpayee government that the prices of the petroluem products have increased a number of times in a year which has proved a financial burden on people,” he said. 

FRACAS AT NEW YEAR PARTY: A fracas took place at the New Year party held in Phoenix Club at Ambala Cantonment. The incident took place after the New Year had been ushered in. At about 12.15 am, a club member and an `outsider’ came to blows. Apparently, the `outsider’, who claimed to be a close confidante of an MLA, misbehaved with a woman. Thereafter, the outsider hit the club member who sustained injuries. However, it was later found that the man was not a close to any MLA. The ‘outsider’ was then handed over to the police. 

SEMINAR: The Ambala Scientific Instruments Manufacturers Association (ASIMA) organised a seminar on export benefits and overseas trade fair participation on Thursday. Mr R.K. Celly, Director (Planning & Marketing), National Small Industries Corporation Limited, New Delhi inaugurated the seminar while Dr Anil Jain presided over the seminar. Mr Celly said the NSIC was playing a pivotal role in the growth of small-scale industries. He said the cluser of scientific instruments at Ambala Cantonment have been identified and recognised by the Government of India as high growth cluster. Mr A.K. Singh, regional general manager, NSIC, said the regional office has been established in Mohali and almost all district headquarters in northern India were covered by the services.