R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Batala
SEIZED: The local police has seized intoxicants from Ravi Kumar, alias Rinku, son of Om Parkash, a resident of Dara Salam Mohalla. The police has registered a case. In another incident, the police recovered 74 pirated cassettes, 2,070 stickers of cassettes from Raju Malhotra, son of Mr Ghanaiya Lal, a resident of Ram Nagar, here on Tuesday. A case has been registered.

DERA BASSI
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Parwati Enclave Residents Welfare Society, Bartana: Mr B.R. Sharma - president, Mr B.S. Aujla - vice president, Mr G.D. Beanker — general secretary, Mr Ravinder Singh Verma — joint secretary, and Mr Kunwar Singh Rawat — cashier.

Hoshiarpur
DESTROYED: Articles worth Rs 50,000 were destroyed in a fire that broke out in the dera of Alamgir Gujjar here on Monday night. Alamgir and members of his family were rescued by persons of the surrounding area. The cause of fire could not be ascertained.

Ludhiana
NSS Camp: A 10-day NSS camp is being organised at Government College for Women, Ludhiana. It started with a rally on Wednesday. At least 100 volunteers took out a rally carrying banners. The girls raised their voice against ‘dowry’ demanded by grooms and its families. The students also decried female foeticide. Programme officers Prof Gurjinder Kaur and Prof Preet Daman are in charge of this NSS Camp.

Parents’ day-out: Firsteps Play School celebrated Parents Day Out here on Wednesday. It was a day out in school for the parents with their children. There were several fun-filled activities and games to bring out the child in each one of them. It was an interactive event, full of entertainment.

RETIREMENT: After putting in 30 years of service, Mr Jagdev Singh, mathematics teacher and in charge of Elementary wing of Government Senior Secondary Model School, Punjab Agricultural University will retire on December 31. Mr Jagdev Singh has been honoured by former Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal who conferred the title of Punjab de Heera on him.

Malerkotla
LOANS DISTRIBUTED: The Dhuri branch of State Bank of Patiala distributed loans worth Rs 3 crore among 175 persons under different schemes of the bank at a function organised here on Tuesday. Mr C.S. Kang, Deputy General Manager (Patiala zone), presided over the function.

Pathankot
CONDEMNED: Mr Suresh Seth, municipal councillor, has condemned the move of the civic body to privatise the octroi collection system from January 1 in the town. He alleged that the president of the council had not informed the House in the connection. Mr Surinder Mahajan, president of the local unit of the Punjab Beopar Mandal, and Mr Yog Raj Sharma, district president of the Shiv Sena, also opposed the move.

Patiala
Office-bearers: Mr Sarwan Singh has been elected president of the Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Association (Punjab). Other office-bearers are: Mr Gurjant Singh — Adviser, Mr Sawan Pal Singh — Vice President, General Secretary — Mr Pradeep Singh, Assistant Secretary — Mr Sikandar Singh Dharamsot, and Press Secretary — Mr Balwinder Singh Bhopal and Finance Secretary — Manoj Kumar.

PPS principal: Mr I. L. Syal joined the Punjab Public School, Nabha, as Principal here on Wednesday. The International Institution of Education and Management awarded him the ‘Jewel of India’ award in 2003. He has the distinction of heading four All-India Trekking expeditions to Pindari, Kafni, Sundar Donga and Milan Glaciers in Kumaon Hills.

Annual function: Paradise International School celebrated its annual prize distribution function here on Wednesday. Ms Parminder Kaur, Principal, said students presented a cultural bonanza. Mr N.S. Dhillon, DIG (Vigilance), Punjab, distributed the prizes.

Road safety: The Progressive Youth Forum, an NGO, will be organising a road safety programme in this district in collaboration with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The programme will be inaugurated on January 3 by Mr Amit Talwar, DTO, Seona.

Mourned: Mr Swarn Singh Boparai, Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, and the faculty on Wednesday mourned the death of the former Director (Youth Welfare), Mr Daljit Singh, who had served the university for nearly 30 years.

Appeal: Mr Surjit Singh Rakhra, MLA, Samana, and Mr B. S. Balluana, president of the World Sikh Intellectual Council, in the statement here on Wednesday expressed sympathies with the victims of tsunami. They appealed to all social and religious organisations to donate for the victims.

ROPAR
Camp for farmers: The Punjab and Sind Bank on Wednesday organised a farmers awareness camp about various schemes for their upliftment at Anandpur Sahib. Bank officials explained the farmers about various schemes such as farm mechanisation, dairy, kisan credit card, and rural housing and education loans. “The bank has taken initiative to implement the schemes for the agriculture sector at the ground level with this objective we have organised an awareness camp “ said Zonal Manager of the Punjab and Sind Bank, Mr H.P Singh, here.

Forward block gesture: The All-India Forward Bloc (AIFB) will contribute Rs 20 lakh for the victim of “tsunami”, said the general secretary of the AIFB, Mr Debabratta Biswas, here on Tuesday after attending the meeting with other state members of the party.

CHANDIGARH

EYE CAMP: An eye camp was organised in the premises of Excel Callnet, — call centre in Chandigarh on Tuesday to test eye sight of the employees and contact lense free of cost were also provided to them.

HARYANA

Bhiwani
SEIZED: The local CIA branch seized 5 kg of charas from the house of Vijay, son of Bhup Singh, a resident of Badesra village, on Monday night. A case has been registered.

Sonepat
ATTEMPT FOILED: The police foiled an attempt by miscreants to rob passers-by near the waterworks at Tihar Malik village, about 20 km from here, on Tuesday night. Wazir of Jagsi village, Devi Lal of Sitawali village and Phool Kumar of Anchara Kalan village in Jind district were arrested in this connection. A country-made pistol and iron rods were seized from their possession. A case has been registered.

THEFT: Thieves allegedly burgled a shop situated on the Sonepat-Gohana road, near Panchayat Bhavan, and decamped with goods worth several thousands of rupees here on Tuesday night.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
AUDITORIUM: The Old Students Association of the local Government Postgraduate College has decided to construct an auditorium on the college campus. This was stated by Dr J.N. Mishra, president of the association, here on Monday. He said photographs and resume of old students of the college would be displayed who had attained distinction positions in their fields. It would also be beneficial to the college students and the management.

SAAKH YOJNA: The Additional District Magistrate said here on Tuesday that on the pattern on of Bilaspur District Lead Bank the district unit of NABARD would also start a "saakh yojna". He said it would cover planting, construction of stores, dairy farming, fishing and silk production. A sum of Rs 40.46 crore would be spent on agriculture and allied areas.

Kulu
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the BSNL Employees Union: president — Mr Bhagat Ram; vice-president — Ms Archna Kumari; branch secretary — Mr Tara Chand; joint branch secretary — Mr Joginder Mehta; treasurer — Mr Roop Chand; assistant treasurer — Mr Sita Ram; and auditor — Mr Ram Thakur.