R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
Poppy husk haul: The police seized 28 quintals of poppy husk smuggled from Rajasthan by professionals here on Monday. DSP Narenderpal Singh Waring told newsmen that the CIA staff, led by SI Gamdoor Singh, laid a naka near an orchard outside Bazidpur Bhoma village. A truck (WB-03-3295) coming from Sangria town of Rajasthan was intercepted as there had been confidential reports that the vehicle had been used for smuggling contraband thrice earlier. During search 80 bags of poppy husk weighing 35 kg each were seized. The police has arrested Gurdev Singh of Barnala, driver-cum-owner of the truck, along with Manjit Singh and Daljit Singh of Malookpura village, near Moga.

INAUGURATED: A Homeopathic dispensary, sewing school and coaching centre was inaugurated by Mr Amarjit Bathla in the Bhagwanpura locality here on Sunday. The complex, donated by Mr Hem Raj Bathla, will be run by the local branch of the Bharat Vikas Parishad. Mr Praveen Chawla, Mr Narender Goyal, Mr Sandeep Watts, Mr Subhash Baghla and others thanked the Bathla family for donating immovable property and cash to run the multipurpose activities for those living below the poverty line.

ARREST CONDEMNED: The Vishav Hindu Parishad at a meeting held at Getta Mandir here on Monday condemned the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Governments for “falsely” implicating and harassing the Jagatguru Shankracharya and his associates. Representatives of the allied outfits were also present.

Amritsar
OBSERVED: The National AIDS Control organisation, the Health and Family Welfare Department in collaboration with the Nehru Yuva Kendra observed the AIDS Control Divas here on Sunday. A large number of people and youths participated. Mr Raj Kumar, Parliamentary Secretary, School Education, speaking on the occasion, stressed the need for sex education to children to check the spread of AIDS. Mr Rajkumar along with special guests from Pakistan, including Mr Abdul Hameed Choudhry and Choudhry Arshad Aulakh and Mr T.S. Raja, youth coordinator, Nehru Yuva Kendra, flagged off a rally that passed through various bazaars of the city.

Batala
DIRECTION: Mr Parneet Bhardawaj, SDM, Batala and Mr Ram Singh, chief of Batala police district said on Monday that instructions had been given to all licence holders, who sell sulphuric acid, nitric acid and hydro chloric acid etc. to people, to maintain a record register. The step had been taken due to five acid throwing incidents within two months. Those found guilty of selling acids without registering the name and address of the buyers would be punished, they added.

Bathinda
DIABETES CAMP: As many as 500 persons were examined at a free heart and diabetes camp, held at S.D. Sabha Senior School here on Tuesday. Mr Vivek Sindhwani, Public Relations Officer of the local club (City), said ECGs and X-rays were conducted free of the cost at the camp organised by the club. Besides blood sugar was also tested free of cost. The camp was inaugurated by Mr Rajinder Bansal. Dr Bishav Mohan and Dr Navin Mittal of the DMC, Ludhiana, treated the patients. Dr Mittal stressed the need for a disciplined diet for good health. The district governor of the club, Mr Jaswant Rai Garg, also visited the camp. — OC

HARYANA

Fatehabad
TRIBUTES PAID: Congress workers paid floral tributes to Baba Bhim Rao Ambedkar on his 48th death anniversary here on Monday. The workers, led by Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee Secretary Atam Parkash Mehta, garlanded the statue of Dr Ambedkar at Ambedkar Park.

Sonepat
DHARNA: Activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Bajrang Dal and other Hindu organisations held a dharna at Gita Bhavan Chowk here on Monday. They were protesting against the arrest of Kanchi Shankaracharya. Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Arya Samaj leader, led the dharna. He demanded a CBI probe into the murder case and immediate release of the Shankaracharya.

5 INJURED: Four persons were injured when the car in which they were travelling rammed into a truck near Kundli village, about 25 km from here, on Sunday. Ram Mehar, Rakesh and Raju, all residents of Model Town, Panipat, and Ramesh of Samalkha were injured when the car driver Ramesh lost control over the vehicle and it hit the truck. A boy, Sonu, was injured when he was hit by a motor cycle while crossing the G.T. Road on Sunday.

REMANDED: All five persons, including three women, who had been arrested from a brothel were produced before Judicial Magistrate Rakesh Singh here on Monday. He remanded them in 14-day judicial custody.

THEFT: Thieves broke into a house at Pipli village, about 25 km from here, on Sunday and decamped with Rs 85,000 and gold jewellery besides other valuables worth Rs 90,000. The owner of the house has lodged an FIR with the Kharkhauda police.

ASSAULTED: Four miscreants assaulted a barber with knives and sharp-edged weapons outside his shop at Ashok Nagar here on Sunday. The barber, Anil Kumar, sustained injuries and was hospitalised.

RALLY: The Jogi Maha Sabha will hold a rally here on December 12. Leaders of the body will announce the decision on contesting Assembly poll in the state.

CONSTITUTED: The Mahrshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak, has constituted a committee to give suggestions for bringing changes in the syllabus and methods of studies to make the education job-oriented. This was stated by Dr R.S. Dhankhar, Vice-Chancellor of the university, while addressing the annual prize-distribution function of the local Tika Ram Girls College on Sunday.