R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
CELEBRATED: The 15 Infantry Division ordnance unit celebrated the 230th anniversary of the Army Ordnance Corps in the cantonment area here on Friday. A cultural programme was organised on the occasion. Lt-Col S.P. Malik, Commanding Officer gave a cheque for Rs 1,000 on the behalf of Maj- Gen S.C. Sharma to Mr Harpal Singh who won the first position in Mahabali Body Building Championship and a cheque for Rs 500 for his achievement.

INVITED: Dr Jai Rup Singh, Coordinator, Centre for Genetic Disorders and Professor of Human Genetics, Guru Nanak Dev University, has been invited by the World Life Sciences Forum to participate in the Biovision 2005 being held from April 11 at Lyon (France). As many as 20 Nobel laureates will participate.

FAST: Residents of Bhatta Arjan Nagar, near Railway station, Chheharta, went on a fast on Saturday against the construction of a wall by the railway authorities, blocking their passage.

Batala
INAUGURATED: Under the plan initiated by the Education Department, Punjab, to provide computer education in government schools, a computer department was inaugurated at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Dharampura, by Ms Janak Rani, MLA, and Mr Ashwani Sekhri, former minister, here on Saturday. Mr Ikwinder Kaur, Principal of the school, said five computer teachers had already been appointed.

Hoshiarpur
ARRESTED: The Mahilpur police has arrested Gejo, wife of Mohinder Singh, under Sections 21, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act and seized 35 gm of smack from her on Friday, according to police sources here on Saturday.

DUPED: A case of duping has been reported by Ms Nirmal Kaur of Kalewal Lallian village at the Garhshankar police station on Friday. She alleged in her complaint that Rajinder Kumar of Samundra took Rs 6 lakh in 2003 for sending her son Gurmail Singh to England. He neither sent the boy nor returned the money. The police has registered a case under Section 420 of the IPC.

Nawanshahr
MUSICAL NIGHT: The Sufi Foundation organised a musical night at the auditorium of Shivalik Public School here on Friday to strengthen the Indo-Pak friendship and communal harmony by preserving and promoting Sufi philosophy. Mr A. A. Siddiqui, president, Sufi Foundation and former DGP, Punjab, was the chief guest. Renowned Pakistani ghazal singer Sharafat Ali Khan and his disciple Moinuddin Khan mesmerised the audience.

PROTEST: Employees of the local ITI submitted a memorandum to Mr Balwinder Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner, in protest against the proposed privatisation of the ITIs and the recent fee hike by the government. They demanded the withdrawal of the fee hike and filling of the vacant posts of instructors.

Phillaur
CAUGHT: A team of Vigilance Bureau headed by Mr Jagdish Mittal, DSP, caught Shiv Narayan, Patwari, while taking a bribe of Rs 1,000 from Buta Ram, a resident of Gannapind village, here on Friday.

HARYANA

Panipat
E-mail: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Mehtab Singh, said here on Saturday that if teachers had any grievances they might e-mail their complaints at ‘dsegrievance@hry.nic.in’ and‘grievancedeopnp@hry.nic.in’.

Rewari
BODY FOUND: The Rohrai police found a half-burnt body of an unidentified youth on the outskirts of Palhawa village, 22 km from here, on Wednesday. It is stated that after killing the youth, his body had been burnt and thrown there by unidentified culprits. The body was cremated after a post-mortem here on Friday. A case has been registered.

ORDERS: As a precautionary measure against the spread of cholera, hepatitis and diarrhoea during the summer season, the District Magistrate, Mr Mahender Kumar, has issued an order to ban the sale of rotten and overripe fruits in the district. Besides, it has also made been mandatory for vendors and shopkeepers to keep eatables covered. Stern action will be taken against shopkeepers found guilty of violating the orders.

Sonepat
COUPLE INJURED: A couple was seriously injured when a bicycle on which they were going to Narela (Delhi) was hit by a car on the G.T. Road near Kundli village, about 25 km from here, on Saturday. The injured couple was identified as Ram Mehar and his wife Kamlesh of Pio Munayari village. Both of them were immediately hospitalised and stated to be out of danger. A case has been registered.

BURN INJURIES: Satyawan (34) sustained burn injuries when the pipe of a cooking gas cylinder burst in his house at Mahra village, about 15 km from here, on Saturday. According to a report, the injured man was rushed to the local Civil Hospital where he was given first aid and referred to the PGIMS at Rohtak for further treatment.

ARRESTED: Karambir, a jeep driver of Sector 15, has been arrested by the police on the charge of rash and negligent driving and causing damage to the car of the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Balbir Singh Malik, on Thursday night. A case has also been registered against the driver.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Chamba
CAUGHT: A junior engineer of the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department was caught by the police while accepting a bribe of Rs 1,000 from a transporter, Mr Suraj Verma, here on Thursday. Mr Verma wanted to get a ‘road clearance certificate’ from the junior engineer.

Dharamsala
CONCLUDED: A 10-day adventure and village tourism training programme organised by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghathan concluded here on Friday. The aim of the training was to enable youths to develop a sense of entrepreneurship. Mr Nirmal Singh Suman, ADC, said tourism as an industry had been developing and it would generate employment.

Kangra
SEMINAR: A seminar on ‘Child and mother healthcare’ was held at Dr R.P. Government Medical College here on Thursday. The seminar was organised on the occasion of the World Health Day. Dr Suresh Sankian, principal of the college, said 1,400 women die of everyday due to complications during pregnancy and at the time of childbirth.

Nurpur
DEMANDED: The Himachal Road Transport Corporation Employees Federation has demanded stern action against miscreants who recently attacked crew members of an HRTC bus at Hamirpur. Mr Rajnesh Sharma, state president of the federation, alleged that private bus operators were flouting timetables of buses and attacking employees of the HRTC.

Shimla
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local branch of the Northern India Regional Council of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India: chairman—Mr Anil K. Sood; vice-chairman—Mr L.R. Rastogi; secretary—Mr Rakesh Kaushal and treasurer—Mr Homi Chatterjee.

APPEAL DISMISSED: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Shankar Thapa who was convicted and sentenced for 10 years rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh for possessing 3 kg of charas.

COMMITTEE: The Himachal Pradesh High Court here on Friday constituted a two-member committee and sought a report on the issue of granting permission to the private colleges for vocational training in the state. Mr Narinder Chauhan, Excise and Taxation Commissioner and Mr J.R. Katwal, Additional Secretary of Education, will be the members of the committee.

BUILDING: A new building for housing the Institute of Management Studies at the Himachal Pradesh University will be constructed at a cost of Rs 3.32 crore. Prof. L.R. Verma, Vice-Chancellor, said here on Friday that the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, would lay the foundation stone of the building on April 30.

Sundernagar
CONSUMER FORUM: The Consumer Forum, Mandi, has directed Pardeep Gupta to refund Rs 6,000 the excess amount charged by him along with Rs 1,000 as compensation to Mr J.C. Kaushal and his wife, Bimla Kaushal. Mr Kaushal had filed a petition before the forum that Pardeep had charged Rs 30,000 instead of Rs 24,000 for a tour. However, Pardeep refused to pay him the excess amount.