R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
EXCELLED: Students of Homeopathic Medical College here have won seven of the top ten positions in BHMC (Third) direct degree examination conducted by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences. Shikha Aggarwal bagged the first position.

Batala
URGED: Residents of Mohalla Shiv Shankar and Ohri Chowk urged the district administration to cover two manholes in their area, which have been lying uncovered for the past 15 days. The residents alleged that no action had been taken despite their repeated complaints to the Municipal Council.

Doraha
Seminar: The Punjabi Department, Guru Nanak National College, here, is organising a seminar on ‘Punjabi literature in the past three decades’ with the assistance of University Grants Commission on Saturday. The seminar shall be presided over by Dr Harbhajan Singh Deol, former Commissioner, Linguistics Minority Commission.

Faridkot
SURRENDERED: One of the partners of a finance company that duped investors of crores surrendered before the police on Wednesday. The accused, Swaran Singh Sukhanwala, has been sent to police custody for two days.

Hoshiarpur
DHARNA: Members of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union, local DAV College unit, organised a rally on the college premises on Thursday. Mr Harbans Singh, president, said the teachers held the rally in support of their demands which include restoration of 95 per cent grant. The teachers also called for strike for three days.

Jalandhar
DEMANDED: The BSP on Wednesday demanded setting up of fast-track courts for speedy disposal of cases relating to atrocities on Dalits. Mr Satish Kumar Bharti, state general secretary, alleged that the atrocities on Dalits had risen manifold during the Congress regime.

Khamano
Visited: The Deputy Commissioner, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mr S. K. Ahluwalia, visited Jatana Ucha village, near here, to take stock of the situation arisen due to the deaths of about 10 animals bitten by a rabid dog, a few days back. The Sarpanch and prominent persons of the village informed the DC about the situation after a rabid dog has bitten a number of animals and stray dogs of the village.

Meeting: Due to some incidents of abduction in various parts of Punjab, the Khamano police has taken some immediate steps to rule out any such incident in the area. DSP Khamano Mr Balwant Singh held a public meeting of MCs and prominent persons of the area at the police station, Khamano, to avert any unfortunate incident of kidnapping.

Moga
SENTENCED: Additional District and Sessions Judge Sukhdev Singh has sentenced a scrap dealer to life imprisonment on the charge of killing his wife.

DIED: An ITBP jawan, Iqbal Singh of Rania village, died after he met with an accident near Saidoke village on Wednesday. He was posted at Bathinda. 

Nabha
ARRESTED: The Sadar police on Wednesday arrested three alleged sodomites, Kulwant Singh, alias Baba Mastangiri, of Mansa, Harpal of Anupgarh (Rajasthan) and Mohammad Salim of Malda (West Bangal), from the outskirts of the Kotli village, 7 km from here. The action followed a complaint by Dilip, a 16-year-old boy, who had alleged that the accused sodomised him and his two friends.

STRIKE: Students of local Ripudaman College and the ITI observed strike on Wednesday in support of their demands, which include continuation of concessional bus passes. Student leaders, including Sukhvinder Doda, Gurpal Dhaliwal, and Harinder Gill, flayed the government for its alleged failure to check commercialisation of education.

Nawanshahr
TSUNAMI AID: Students and staff of Amardeep Singh Shergill Memorial College, Mukandpur, have contributed Rs 60,000 towards tsunami relief, said Dr Surjit Singh, Principal. Students of local R.K. Arya College have also contributed Rs 46,000 towards the fund, according to Dr Kailash Nath Bhardwaj, Principal.

Tarn Taran
KILLED: Amarjit Singh (45), a resident of Ghasitpur village, was killed when a speedy mini bus hit his motor cycle near Kang village on the Tarn Taran-Khadoor Sahib road here on Wednesday. A case has been registered 

HARYANA

Hisar
IMPOSED: Deputy Commissioner Arun Kumar Gupta has ordered the imposition of Section 144 within 500 metres of the counting centres for all six Assembly constituencies in the district. According to a press statement issued here on Wednesday.

CONTRIBUTED: Students of Jindal Modern School here have contributed Rs 1,01,000 towards the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for the tsunami victims. Mr J.Egbert, Principal, said the cheque was presented to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, at his residence in New Delhi.

Rewari
HELD: The police on Wednesday raided a hotel at Dharuhera and arrested seven persons, including two women, allegedly on the charges of immoral trafficking. The accused have been identified as Neelam Sharma and Sonu, both residents of Jharsa village near Gurgaon, Ramesh, resident of Pithoragarh district of Uttar Pradesh, Charan Singh, Suresh and Satish, all residents of Bawal, and Satish Sharma, manager of the hotel. A case has been registered.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Kangra
APPOINTED: The following have been appointed office-bearers of the Senior Citizens Forum: president - Mr Ram Sawroop Gupta; vice-president - Mr Suresh Chand Kaistha; general secretary - Mr B.L. Sharma; joint secretary - Mr Inder Singh; and cashier - Mr Rajender La Gupta.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of Sewa Bharti: president - Mr R.S. Gupta; sewa pramukh - Mr Vinod Aggrawal; senior vice-president - Mr Satyender Trehan; vice-president - Mr Pramodh Choudary, general secretary - Dr Tilak Raj Sharma; and cashier - Mr Rajesh Kumar.

Shimla
APPOINTED: Mr H.K. Sharma, Director (Civil), Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam, will be the new Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the nigam. His name was recommended for the post by the Public Enterprises Selection Board, which conducted the interviews on Tuesday. Mr Sharma will replace Mr Y.N. Apparao, who will retire on May 31.