R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
CRITICISED: The Government Teachers Union, Punjab, has criticised the education policy of the state government. Ms Surinder Kaur, state president of the union, said here on Monday that the government was spoiling the future of poor children by not filling vacant posts of teachers and by taking non-teaching work from teachers.

Hoshiarpur
ELECTED: Dr Shiv Kumar, ex-MLA, Palampur, was elected president of the Shri Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha, Punjab, for the consecutive third term in an election held at Hariana, 18 km from here, on Sunday. More than 500 members from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh took part in the election.

Nawanshahr
MEETING: Mr Surjit Singh Soeta, secretary, Punjab Mini Bus Operators Association, said here on Monday that they had presented a memorandum to the Chief Minister, Capt. Amarinder Singh, about their problems but he had not called them till date. Now, they would hold a meeting at Saini Bhavan, Chandigarh, on December 14 to chalk out a strategy.

ANNOUNCED: Mr Harjit Inder Singh Grewal, Deputy Commissioner, while presiding over a meeting of the District Sainik Welfare Association here on Monday said a sum of Rs 20.86 lakh was being spent on the welfare of ex-servicemen in the local district. He announced that the administration had decided to sanction tubewell connections to gallantry awardees, ex-servicemen and war widows on a priority basis.

Patiala
Appointed: Mr Guninder Singh Sidhu has been appointed General Secretary of the Legal Cell of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. His appointment has been made by Mr Harpreet Singh Tinku, Chairman of the Party’s Legal Cell.

MEETING: Members of the Dedicated Brothers Group held a meeting here on Tuesday to discuss the progress being made by the group in various welfare activities. The President and founder of the group, Dr Rakesh Vermi, read out a report relating to the employment scheme launched by the group. 

Pathankot
AWARDED: Mr Dinesh Gupta, an employee of the local Municipal Council has been awarded with President's Silver Medal for his services during the Census of India-2001. The medal was conferred on him by the Governor of Punjab, Gen (Retd.) S.F. Rodrigues.

DISTRIBUTED: The local Lions Club (Greater) has distributed 120 woollen jackets to schoolchildren of the local Government High School. Mr Ashok Gupta, secretary of the club, said here on Tuesday.

Phagwara
MELA CONCLUDES: The 17th annual three-day environment mela concluded here on Sunday. A flower show and body- building and kite-flying competitions were held on the occasion. The mela was organised by the Environment Association, Phagwara, with the cooperation of voluntary bodies. Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation Chairman Joginder Singh Mann gave away the prizes to the winners. He called upon people to jointly devote at least 100 days in a year for promoion of eco-friendly environment and cleanliness of the surroundings. Free pollution check-up of vehicles was also done at the mela.

Phillaur
KILLED: Ram Saroop, an employee of the local BDO office, was killed when a vehicle hit him near the Bakapur railway crossing on Monday. A case has been registered.

Samrala
SARV SIKHYA ABHIYAN: Under the Punjab Government Education Promoting Scheme Sarv Sikhya Abhiyan, a seminar was held at Government. Senior Secondary School here on Tuesday. The function was presided over by Mr Pardeep Kapoor, District Co-ordinator, IED Cell, Ludhiana, Principal Bachittar Singh Barn and Principal Swaran Singh of Samrala. Mr Sarabjit Singh history lecturer, welcoming the teachers said the government wanted every child who could not go to school to benefit from the programme. Dr Gulzar Mohamad Goria, Mr Ajmer Singh, DPE, Mr Jatinder Kumar, Lecturer, Mr Narinder Verma and Mr Balwinder Singh, were also present on this occasion.

Sangrur
ELECTED: Mr Rakesh Jain and Mr Tapinder Singh, both junior assistants, have been elected president and secretary, respectively, of district unit of the Punjab Education Department Ministerial Staff Association (Sub-offices), Mr Mahavir Prashad Uppal, state vice-president of the association, said here on Monday.

HARYANA

Sonepat
4 HURT: Four persons were injured, one of them seriously, when a truck rammed into a tractor on the Sonepat-Meerut state road, 13 km from here, on Tuesday. The injured were identified as Jagpal, Wazir Singh, Roshan Lal and Inder Singh. All the injured were hospitalised and the condition of Roshan Lal is stated to be serious. They were going in a tractor towards Baraut in Uttar Pradesh.

DEAD: A housewife, Renu, succumbed to bullet injuries here on Tuesday. It is stated that she tried to commit suicide by shooting herself at her in-laws' house after a quarrel. She was taken to a private nursing home, but later referred to Jaipur Golden Hospital at Delhi, where she died.

RECOVERED: The Ganaur police recovered the body of a new-born near a tank at Kheri Tagga village, about 20 km from here, on Tuesday. A case has been registered.

ASSAULTED: Some drunken persons assaulted a youth, Partap, at Krewri village, about 10 km from here, on Monday night. The injured youth was admitted to the local Civil Hopital for treatment. The police has registered a case.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
DEAD: Mrs Chando Devi (85), a Praja Mandal freedom fighter, died at Balohi village under the Nanawan panchayat, near here, on Sunday night. She had suffered a paralysis stroke a few weeks ago. Her funeral was largely attended. Prominent leaders of all political parties and representatives of social organisations paid homage to her.

Kangra
NOMINATED: Mr Des Raj Sharma, Superintendent (Grade-II), has been nominated adviser to the Non-Teaching Employees Federation, Mr Chanderabh Mishra, state president of the Himachal Pradesh Non-Teaching Employees Federation, Education Department, said here on Monday.