R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amloh
MARKETS CLOSED: The local bazars remained closed on Thursday as a token of sympathy for the sudden death of a young businessman, Yavinder Gupta, alias Rana (25), son of councillor Ramesh Kumar Gupta, a resident of Amloh. Gupta died at the DMC Ludhiana at 11 p.m. on Wednesday. His cremation on Thursday was attended largely. He is survived by his wife and one-year-old son.

DHARNA: The indefinite dharna of the Kissan Sangharsh Committee of cane-growers in front of Nahar Sugar Mill on the Khanna road here entered into the fourth day on Thursday. Those sitting in dharna were addressed by the chief of the Punjab Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta), Mr Pishora Singh, among others. Talking to mediapersons, the spokes-man for the committee, Mr Bikram Jit Singh Rauni, said a 20-member committee would continue its indefinite dharna till their demands were met.

Amritsar
RAPE: Raju and his brother, Lalli, both residents of Rasulpur Kaler village falling under Sadar police station, raped their minor cousin on February 12. However, the incident was reported to the police on Wednesday by the girl and a case registered.

INAUGURATED: A three-week refresher course on “Sustainable development of environment” started at Guru Nanak Dev University here on Wednesday. Dr Pushpinder Kaur, Dean Life Sciences, inaugurated it.

Bathinda
BODY FOUND: The body of Jasvir Kaur, a resident of Ludhiana district, was recovered on Wednesday from a distributary near Kot Shamir village of this district by volunteers of the Sahara Jan Seva, a non-governmental organisation (NGO). Another person, identified as Hari Singh, an employee of the PRTC, committed suicide after jumping from the roof of the local fort.

FATEHGARH SAHIB
Pension Scheme: With the view to strengthen Panchyati Raj institutions, the Punjab Government has decided to provide pensions to aged, widows and disabled persons through sarpanches of respective villages at their doorstep. This was informed by Dr Harbans Lal, MLA, Sirhind, while distributing cheques of pensions under social security schemes worth Rs 51 Lakh to sarpanches of 184 gram panchayats from Sirhind and Khera Blocks here today. Rs 84 lakh were provided to 84 sarpanches from the Khera block and Rs 23.49 lakh to 100 sarpanches from the Sirhind block.

Hoshiarpur
CASE REGISTERED: On a complaint of Khatiza, wife of Kala of Galera village of Chamba district, the Dasuya police has registered a case under Sections 363, 365, 366, 34 of the IPC against Sheru, Makeem, Manu of Mirapur, Lal Hussan of Raipur, Hanif of Gonspur and Sampuran for allegedly kidnapping her 16-year-old daughter Amna and 17-year-old nephew Lal Hussain.

GANG-RAPE: A case of gang-rape of a married woman of Chanthu Brahmina village has been registered in Mahilpur police station. In her complaint to the police, Devo (not her real name), alleged that on February 15 when she went to the fields at 5.15 a.m., Balwinder Kumar and Gurdeep, both of the same village, forcibly took her to the house of Des Raj where Ram Lubhaya of Banga and Bhupinder of Chanthu Brahmina were already present. They gang-raped her.

ARRESTED: The Mahilpur police has arrested Kuldip Singh, alias Deepu, of Thuana village under Section 15/61/85 of the NDPS Act and seized 33 kg of poppy husk from him. The police has also registered a case under the NDPS Act against Charn Kewal, alias Bittu, Davinder Kumar, alias Lovely and Dinesh Kumar, alias Sonu, all residents of Barian Kalan, for the alleged smuggling of poppy husk.

DEAD: Harmesh Lal died on the spot and Balbir Chand was injured when a vehicle hit their scooter on which they were going from Garhshankar to Param village, near Bajwara, on the Hoshiarpur-Chandigarh road on Tuesday. The driver fled away with his vehicle after the accident. In another accident, Kamaljit Singh Saini of Khudda died on the spot and Daljit Singh was seriously wounded when the motorcycle on which they were going rammed into a truck near Kurala village.

LUDHIANA
IDOLS INSTALLED: Idols of Lord Ganesha and Lord Laxmi Narayana were installed at Shri Raghunath Temple in Aggar Nagar with Vedic rites on Wednesday. The ‘pran-pratishtha’ ceremony was performed by Acharya Surinder Shastri and Subhash Shastri. A prayer was also solemnised on the occasion by Swami Nishtha ji Maharaj. Among others, Mr Krishan Chander Gupta, president of the Raghunath Sewa Society, Mr Sandip Gupta, Mr Rajnish Jain, Mr Sanjiv Singla and Mr Rameshwar Dass, were also present.

ANNUAL SAMMELAN: The 45th annual sammelan of the Bharat Dharam Pracharak Mandal based at Shri Ved Mandir will be held from March 14 to 20 under the supervision of Vedacharya Shri Dandi Swami Nigambodh Tirath Maharaj at Shri Ram Lila grounds in Daresi, according to a spokesman of the mandal.

GURMAT SAMAGAM: A massive gurmat samagam is being held at the Guru Nanak Simran Centre and old-age home at Ayali chowk on the Ferozepore road on February 28 and 29, according to Sant Baba Sukhbir Singh, head sewadar of the centre. On the opening day, a dastar ( turban-tying) competition will be held in which boys below 15 will be eligible to participate. On February 29, open religious dewans will be held in the afternoon after the completion of an akhand path.

PENSIONERS HAPPY: Central Government employees and pensioners are jubilant over the Union Cabinet’s decision to merge 50 per cent DA/DR with their basic pay/pension w.e.f. April 1, 2004, and raising the DA/DR from 59 per cent to 61 per cent from January this year. This was stated by Mr Yash Paul Ghai, Additional General Secretary of Government Pensioners’ Association in a press note.

CONFERENCE: The Ludhiana Orthopaedic Association will organise its fourth annual conference of the National Association of Interlocking Surgeons (NAILS) on February 28 and 29 here. A sub-speciality of orthopaedics, NAILS deals with trauma pertaining to long-bone fractures. Dr R.S.Sidhu, organising secretary of the conference, said the conference would be held in Ludhiana for the first time. More than 400 delegates from all parts of India and abroad are expected to attend the conference. New trends and surgical techniques will be discussed during the two-day conference.

EYE CAMP: Punarjot Eye Bank, Punjab, in association with the Lions Club Skipper, organised a free eye operation camp in which cornea transplantation was done free of cost. Dr Ramesh, Director of the eye bank, thanked the families of people who donated their eyes. The operation expenses were borne by the local Lions Club Skipper. Mr H.K. Ahuja, Mr A.K. Dutta, Mr D.P. Singh, Mr Dara Singh and Mr Balwinder Singh Bhattal were among these present on the occasion.

PATIALA
Inaugurated: The local MP Ms Preneet Kaur, inaugurated 66 kv grid sub station at Dharamgarh village here on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion, Ms Preneet Kaur said with the inauguration of this sub-station areas including Kutha Kheri, Lochma, Mandoli, Kohle Majra, Kabulpur, Sahal, Salempur Sekhan, Faridpur Jattan, Hassanpur, Chattar Nagar, Nogawan, Dharamgarh Loha Kheri will get a uninterrupted power supply round-the-clock. 

Phagwara
ARRESTED: The police on Wednesday arrested eight persons doing dara satta under the garb of lotteries and recovered from them Rs 8502. The arrested were identified as Akhlesh, Subhash, Rajinder Kumar, Yashpal, Ajit Kumar, Amarjit, Sandip Kumar and Madan Lal. They were arrested under Section 13-3A-67 of the Gambling Act and Section 420 of the IPC, a police press note said.

HARYANA

AMBALA
Demand: The Haryana Exporters Association on Thursday demanded that the Union Government should solve its problems. It said the erosion of profitability, appreciation of rupee, increase in rates of raw material in the market and heavy taxation was taking a toll on exporters. It stated that the government had allowed import and export to China. While Chinese manufacturers were being allowed in the Indian market, the export path for Indians was being planned.

GMN School: Students of Gandhi Memorial National (GMN) School, Ambala Cantonment, have done well in the sixth National Science Olympiad. The Principal of the school, Ms Damanjyot Virdi, said five students had secured positions out of lakhs of students who took part in the examination in December, last year.