R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BASSI PATHANA
VISIT: A team of UK-based businessmen and educationists visited Pine Grove Public School, Bassi Pathana, and had an interaction with the students and staff members of the school on Friday. The members of the team included Mr Kirpal Singh Roopari, Ms Kulwinder Kaur, Mr Marvir and Mr Satnam. The team also offered sponsorship to the students willing to pursue their studies in the UK.

Gurdaspur
AGITATION: The Government School Lecturers Union, Punjab, has threatened to launch an agitation against the move to provide 15 per cent quota to vocational masters for promotion to the posts of Principal in government senior secondary schools. In a press release issued here, Mr Harpreet Inder Singh, state president of the union, alleged that the move was an infringement on the right of about 9300 lecturers in the state. The Minister for Education, Punjab, had assured the union that only eligible degree holder vocation lecturers would be promoted.

Hoshiarpur
CENSUS: As per the directions of the Union Government, an economic census is being done in Hoshiarpur from April 1 to May 31. In this regard, the second meeting of the District Monitoring Committee was held under the chairmanship of Mr D K Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Deputy Census Commissioner, here on Thursday.

KHARAR
APPOINTED: Sub-committees will be formed at the village level to strengthen the hold of the BJP at the grass-roots level. This was stated by Mr Khushwant Rai Gige, president of the Panchayati Raj Cell of the BJP in Punjab, at a meeting held at Mundi Kharar here on Friday. He appointed Mr Ritesh Choudhry and Mr Manjit Singh Kaka president and vice-president of the Kharar unit of the Yuva Morcha respectively.

Nawanshahr
CAMP: The District Agriculture Department organised a farmers' training camp at nearby Malpur Arkan village on Thursday. A large number of farmers participated in the camp which was inaugurated by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Harjit Inder Singh Grewal.

Patiala
Awarded: Miss Bikram College — Ms Cherry and Baldeep Singh, final year students of Government Bikram College of Commerce , were awarded the title of Miss Bikram and Mr Bikram during a farewell party held for the passing out students of B Com third year by their juniors. The function, held on Thursday, saw the second year commerce students presenting a number of programmes, including a skit and dance items.

ROPAR
Recovered: The District Food and Supplies department on Friday recovered 34 gas cylinders stored unlawfully in the mess of Gujarat Ambuja Cement Factory here. A team of the officials headed by the Controller of the District Food and Supplies department, Ms Satwant Kaur, raided the Ambuja cement mess and recovered cylinders stored illegally.

Tarn Taran
DIES: Amarjit Singh(42) of Khadoor Sahib who was injured in a road incident on March 15 succumbed to his injuries at the local Civil Hospital on Thursday. The Verowal police has registered a case under Section 279, 304A against the driver of the four wheeler which hit him.

CHANDIGARH

Inaugurated: The PGI Director, Prof K.K. Talwar, expressed a need for greater synergy between NIPER and the PGI while inaugurating the intensive course of histopathology spontaneous and induced lesions at NIPER on Friday. The director offered the PGI’s support in fulfilling the common objectives of both institutions.

HARYANA

Jhajjar
KILLED: Two motorcyclists were crushed to death by a truck on the National Highway 10, near the Modern Industrial Estate, Bahadurgarh, on Thursday. Panipat

INJURED: A Haryana Roadways driver received injuries in a clash with taxi drivers on the Sanauli road here on Wednesday. A Panipat-bound Haryana Roadways bus hit a taxi on the Sanauli road. Following this, the driver of the bus, Om Parkash, was beaten up by several taxi drivers. The police was investigating.

Rewari
SPECIAL TRAINS: The rail authorities have introduced two special trains for the Khatu Shyamji Maharaj fair. The trains will run from Rewari to Reengus on March 21 and 22 and from Reengus to Rewari on March 22 and 23. On March 21 and 22 the passenger train 4719-A will leave Rewari for Reengus at 7.45 pm while the passenger train 163-A will proceed to Reengus at 4.30 pm. Similarly, on its return journey, the train 4720-A will depart from Reengus at 2 am while the second train 164-A will leave Reengus at 10.30 on March 22 and 23.

Arrested: The police has arrested seven persons on a charge of robbing a truck driver of Rs 2400 on the Rewari-Jhajjar road on Thursday. The truck driver was identified as Suresh Kumar while the arrested are Pratap Singh, Pintoo, Rajroop, Sunita, Pooja, Ramesh Kumari and Om Bai, residents of Najafgarh in Delhi. A case has been registered against them.

Sonepat
SHOT AT: Mr Anil Jain, owner of a petrol station, was shot at and wounded by a criminal, Manoj, on National Highway No. 1 near Larsauli village, about 15 km from here, on Thursday night. The alleged assailant, however, escaped. The police has registered a case.