R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
STRIKE: A one-day strike was observed here by the non-teaching staff of the local DAV College against the non-implementation of their demands by the state government. Mr Rajeev Sharma, and Mr Saurabh Kataria, president and general secretary, respectively, of the college unit, said two-hour strike would be observed next 10 days in the college. A one-day strike would be organised on March 21, they added.

NABBED: The district police has nabbed Sadhu Ram and Malim Mian, residents of Motigari district in Bihar, for allegedly possessing about 3 kg of charas worth Rs 34 lakh in international market. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered.

HELD: The local immigration authorities nabbed four persons, including a woman, when they were trying to go United Kingdom on fake visa and passport. The accused were Balbir Singh and Tejinder Chahal of Nawanshahr and Nirmal Singh and his sister-in-law. Mr Manjit Singh, Immigration Officer, said during checking their passport and visa were found fake. A case has been registered.

RALLY: Kisan Sangharash Committee along with other farmer organisations here on Friday threatened to organise a protest rally on March 15 at Chandigarh in protest against the privatisation of the Punjab State Electricity Board. This was announced at a conference here at Guru Nanak Bhavan on Friday. Farmer leaders criticised the state government for its indifferent attitude towards their demands.

Hoshiarpur
ARRESTED: The police has arrested Santosh Mukhia, alias Bhaia, a resident of Dera Deep Singh in Paldi village. It seized 1 kg of charas from his possession. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered.

Nawanshahr
SEIZED: The police seized 27 boxes containing 324 bottles of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) from a vehicle at Chandigarh Chowk here on Friday. The driver of the vehicle, Daljit Singh, son of Sucha Singh, was arrested in this connection.

ELECTED: Mr H.S. Longia defeated the former president Mr Mehnga Singh Banwait by three votes in the election for the post of president of the local District Bar Association held here on Thursday. Mr Pawan Sharma defeated Mr Kuljit Singh Dhindsa by a margin of 51 votes for the post of vice-president. Mr Dhiraj Sehajpal and Ms Sukhwinder Kaur were elected unopposed to the post of secretary and treasurer, respectively. Mr Jaswant Singh Naurd and Mr Yudhvir Bajaj were unanimously elected executive members. Mr S.K. Sareen was the returning officer.

MEETING: Mr Harjit Inder Singh Grewal, Deputy Commissioner, while presiding over the meeting of District Planning and Development here on Thursday asked the officials of the different departments to make proper use of amounts released to them for various development and welfare schemes. He directed them to submit the utilisation certificate by March 25.

Phagwara
SUICIDE: Jaswinder Singh (45) of Sangatpur village committed suicide by hanging himself in his house here on Thursday. It is said poverty was the cause of extreme step. The body was handed over to family after a post-mortem examination.

Tarn Taran
RECOVERED: The police here on Thursday recovered 1 kg of opium from Pargat Singh of Kang village at a naka. In another incident, the police nabbed Deepak Kumar of Chauk Bhan Singh locality and recovered 50 injections of Morphine.

HARYANA

Kaithal
ANNUAL DAY: The seventh annual day function of the Haryana College of Technology and Management (HCTM), Kaithal, was held here on Thursday. Mr A. K. Chawla, Vice-Chancellor, Kurukshetra University, was the chief guest. The chief guest gave away prizes to the winners of cultural items.

Rewari
PROGRAMME: With the joint sponsorship provided by the Union Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Resources and the Haryana State Renewal Energy Department, an integrated rural energy programme has been launched in the 10 villages of the district.

ELECTROCUTED: A woman, Kamlesh Devi (42) wife of Suresh Kumar, was electrocuted to death when she incidentally touched a live wire while working in a field at Guraora village, about 25 km from here, on Thursday. It is stated that the wire had got snapped by winds which lashed here on Wednesday night.

Sonepat
SHOT AT: Mr Joginder (40), a resident of Samalkha, was shot at by two motor cycle borne youths on the Sonepat-Gohana road near Mehlana Chowk here on Friday. He was taken to the local Civil Hospital for first-aid from there he was referred to the PGIMS Rohtak for treatment. One of the alleged assailants was identified as Rajesh of Jatwara Mohalla. KILLED: One person was killed and three others were injured, including a woman, in an accident on National Highway No. 1 near Behalgarh Chowk, about 10 km from here, on Friday. The injured were Surinder of Badh Malik village, Pawan of Asararpur village and Ms Phoolwati of 20th mile stone village.

THEFT: Thieves are reported to have broken the locks of the rooms of two rickshaw-pullers, Ranjeet Paswan and Bindi Paswan both from Bihar, in the Jiwan Nagar Colony area here on Friday night and taken away cash of Rs 10,500 and other valuables from them.

PROTEST: Shopkeepers of the Choti Masjid Shiv Mandir area here on Saturday held a demonstration here on Saturday to protest against their alleged harassment by the police.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Nalagarh
SEIZED: The Nalagarh police has seized 9 kg of poppy husk and 1.2 kg of opium from a man on Friday. During a raid on the house of Gurcharan Singh at Maganpura village near Saini Mazra on Nalagarh-Ropar road, the police seized the narcotics. The estimated value of seized narcotics was around Rs 1.50 lakh. Gurcharan Singh from Makauri Kalan village in Ropar district had earlier been booked under the NDPS Act last month. A case under Sections 15, 18, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered.