R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
TROPHY WON: Guru Nanak Dev University has won the north zone inter-varsity overall championship trophy by winning four trophies in music, theatre, literary and fine arts. This was stated by Mr Baljit Singh Sekhon, Director, Youth Welfare, of the varsity here on Friday.

CONFERENCE: Guru Nanak Dev University will organise a three-day international conference on 'Guru Granth Sahib: challenges and response in the new millennium' from December 9. This was stated by Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon, Head, Department of Guru Nanak Studies. He said more than 100 scholars from India and abroad will participate in the conference.

Hoshiarpur
SEIZED: The Talwara police has seized 340 gms of charas and 11 cartridges from Akhlesh Kumar son of Sukhai Parsad, a resident of Kinthal Mohalla, in Dasuya. Cases under the NDPS Act and Arms Act have been registered.

OPPOSED: The Punjab Kandi Sub Mountainous Vikas Forum has opposed the proposed re-notification of re-imposing of Section 4 of the LP Act, 1900, in 759 acres of land of Beh Chuhar village of Mukerian tehsil for another 25 years. Mr Mehnga Singh Lamba said the term of the Act was going to complete on January 30, 2005. The re-imposing of the Section 4 of the Act would debar the owners and residents of the village from their rights for another 25 years.

Jalandhar
FAKE CURRENCY: Fake currency worth Rs 4,500 was recovered from two youths on Friday. The incident occurred when two youths gave a Rs 100 note to a chaat vendor, who went to nearby liquor shop for change, where he came to know that the currency note was fake. While fleeing, the youths left the purse. The purse contained fake currency notes worth Rs 4,500 in the denomination of Rs 1000, Rs 500, Rs 100 and Rs 20. A case has been registered.

ARRESTED: The district police has arrested Suman, a resident of the Qazi mandi area, for allegedly smuggling narcotics. It recovered 50 gms of smack from her. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered.

CHANDIGARH

Mohali
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Malwa Cultural and Social Welfare Society, Chandigarh: president — Mr Ranjit Singh Mann; senior vice-president — Mr Balbir Singh Gill; vice-president — Mr Nirmal Singh Chahal; general secretary — Mr Dalbir Singh Jatana; secretary — Mr Surinder Goyal; joing secretary — Mr Labh Singh; finance secretary — Mr Harminder Singh; press secretary — Mr Charanjit Singh Sidhu; Auditors — Mr Bawa Singh Dhillon and Mr Amarjit Singh Sidhu. Conveners of three wings of the society were also declared. They are Mr Balbir Singh Bhaura, and Mr Amarjit Singh Brar (cultural wing), Mr Jagjit Singh Shargill and Mr Gurdeep Singh Brar (tour wing); Mr Harbans Singh Sidhu and Mr Vinod Goyal (blood donation camps).

School function: S. Hari Singh Memorial Convent School organised its annual function here on Thursday. The show began with a devotional song. Later students performed dances, including bhangra. Disabled inmates of Pritam Spiritual Trust camp also took part in the function. Cash scholarships were given to 18 students in memory of Brig S.N. Dutt. Dr D.S. Heera, Principal, Baba Banda Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib, was the chief guest.

MEDICAL CAMP: A medical check-up camp was organised at Nav Jyoti Model High School, Phase-II here under the National School Health Programme. Principal of the school J.S. Bedi inaugurated the camp. Doctors led by Dr Raju Dhir from civil dispensary Phase-I, oversaw the camp. Students from Nursery Class X were examined gave free consultation.

PANCHKULA
HINDI SEMINAR: A Rajbhasha seminar was organised by Punjab National Bank’s Regional Accounts office here today. The seminar was inaugurated by the Assistant General Manager of the bank, Mr P. S. Bedi. He said that Hindi should be used widely. 

Stone Laid: Director General of Police, Haryana, M. S. Malik on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a Gazetted Police Officers mess near the Police Lines, in Moginand village here this afternoon. Other than the local police officers led by Superintendent of Police, Ms Mamta Singh, ADGP and Managing Director of Haryana Police Housing Organisation, Dr John V. George, IG Mr K. Selvaraj, IG Mr B. S. Sandhu, and IG Mr M.S. Mann were also present on the occasion. 

MISHAP: Three persons were injured seriously when an autorickshaw collided with a rehri at Old Panchkula today. Ramesh Pal and his wife Taro Devi were in the autorickshaw that collided with a rehri. While Taro Devi escaped with minor injuries, Ramesh Pal, the autorickshaw driver, and the owner of the rehri, Karam Chand were injured seriously.

CHILD INJURED: A seven-year-old child, Kumud Tripathi, was injured seriously when she fell from the first floor of her house in Pinjore on Thursday night.

HARYANA

AMBALA
Loan Mela: Indian Bank, Ambala cantonment, organised a two-day loan mela. The Branch Manager, Mr B.B. Pahwa, said the loan mela concluded on Friday. He said they received good response from home loan seekers since the rate of interest was 7.25 per cent. He added that Rs 140 lakh loan was disbursed in two days.

Ekta Shakti president quits: The Ekta Shakti district president, Mr Radhey Shyam Swamy, on Thursday tendered his resignation from his post as well as the primary membership of the party.

TICKET FOR PUNJABI: The Haryana Punjabi Pratinidhi Sabha (women’s wing) president, Ms Amarjeet Kaur Sodhi said that the Congress should allocate ticket to a Punjabi in Ambala City for Assembly election. Ms Sodhi said that she had written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi in this regard and a delegation of Punjabis would meet the Congress president and request her to allot ticket to a Punjabi in Ambala city.

QUIZ CONTEST: Mathematics quiz contest was organised by the Mathematics Association of SD College (Lahore), Ambala cantonment on Saturday. ASP Y. Puran Kumar was the chief guest. The quiz contest was won by Arya Girls College, Shahbad team while DAV College, Ambala City stood second. College principal Dr Desh Bandhu, Prof Naveen Gulati, Ms Renu Gupta, Mr Praveen, Mrs Sumiti Vasudeva, Ms Anita, Ms Ritu Ahuja, Ms Ashu were also present.

SCHOOL SHINES: SA Jain Senior Model School, Ambala City has won the second prize at a state-level group song competition on Friday. School principal Dr Anima Jain said that the competition was held at Karnal. The competition was organised by Haryana Education Department. The winning team members include Bharti Miglani, Puneet Handa, Varnika Sharma, Avneet, Manpreet, Urvashi, Ashna, Ravneet and Radhika Malhotra.

Fatehabad
SELECTED: Mr Jitender Lekra, a local bank official, has been selected for Dr Ambedkar fellowship award while Mr Ramesh Joyeeya, a local lawyer, has been selected for Dr Ambedkar Distinguished Services Award-2004 by the Bhartiya Dalit Sahitya Akademi. The akademi, which was founded by the late Deputy Prime Minister Jagjivan Ram, honours individuals playing role in the uplift of the Dalits and the downtrodden.

Kaithal
BUSTED: The police has busted a gang involved in printing fake currency with the `arrest of three members. A local court sent the accused to police remand for two days for further investigation.

CAUGHT: Ram Gopal Kiloia, District Education Officer, was caught by a team of state Vigilance Bureau while taking a bribe of Rs 3,000 on Wednesday. He has been sent to judicial custody for 14 day.

GHERAO: Haryana Roadways employees will gherao the State Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Arora, on December 18 to press for their demands, including the payment of bonus. This was announced at a meeting presided over by Jogi Ram Malik here on Thursday.

JUDICIAL CUSTODY: The Judicial Magistrate, Ms Gurvinder Kaur, has sent Sunita to judicial custody. Sunita was arrested by the Kalayat police in connection with the murder of Vikas, her husband. Mr Kitab Singh, father of the deceased, had lodged a complaint that his son was kidnapped by Charan Singh and later killed. The police said Charan Singh had illicit relations with Sunita.

Panipat
BODY FOUND: A body was found from a nullah situated on the National highway near PWD rest house here on Thursday. The deceased could not be identified. Meanwhile, the body was taken to the Civil Hospital for post-mortem.

Yamunanagar
KILLED: Rakesh Kumar (22) of Pansra village was killed when his motor cycle was hit by a tractor trailer near a bridge on the Western Yamuna Canal on Thursday. The driver of the trailer fled. A case has been registered.