R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
INVITED: Dr Sukhdev Singh, Reader in the Department of English, Guru Nanak Dev University, has been invited to participate in the 32nd International systemic functional linguistics congress to be held in Sydney, in July. He will present his paper: "Grammatical metaphors, evaluated devices and packaging ideologies".

ALLEGED: The SGPC has taken a serious note of the alleged beating up and torture of Harjinder Singh and Sheshanpreet Singh, students of the local Shaheed Sikh Missionary College by the police. In a press note issued here on Monday Mr Dalmegh Singh, secretary of the SGPC, alleged that the police forcibly lifted the students following their altercation with a van driver on April 9. 

Ludhiana
CELEBRATION: Tributes were paid to singer Jagmohan Kaur, and Baisakhi was celebrated by the Punjabi Mauj ate Masti at Guru Nanak Bhavan here on Monday. Comedian K.Deep was the star attraction of the show. Prominent Punjabi singers and artists like Parminder Sandhu, Akashdeep, Balbir Boparai, Surjit Khan, Jassi Bains, Ranjit Bath, Gurkirpal Surapuri enthralled the audience.

Nabha
FORT: To assess the feasibility of conservation of the Hira Mahal fort here, a team led by Special Secretary, Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Mr Jagjit Puri and the Deputy Commissioner, Patiala, Mr Tejvir Singh visited the town on Monday. They discussed the matter with officers of various departments. The team will submit its report to the Chief Secretary, Mr Jai Singh Gill.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Senior Citizen Welfare Association: president — Mr Joginder Singh Sodhi; vice-presidents — Ms Laj Rani and Mr Jiwan Das Dhingra; general secretary — Mr Saran Singh; joint secretary — Mr Surinder Mohan; finance secretary—Mr Raghubir Saran Sharma; auditor — Mr Amar Nath Garg; legal adviser — Mr Nikka Singh and project adviser — Major R.S. Sandhu.

Pathankot
FOUNDATION STONE: Mr Jasbir Singh Dimpa, MLA, Chairman, Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, laid the foundation stone of a sewerage at Dinanagar, about 25 km from here on Sunday.

DOUBLE MURDER CASE: Even after one month of double murder in New Shastri Nagar here, the police failed to achieve any breakthrough in the case. The mutilated bodies of Sarika (42) and Mehak (14) were found on March 16. According to doctors at the local Civil Hospital, the victims were killed seven days ago when the autopsy were conducted.

Samrala
CROP BURNT: About 4 acres of wheat crop of a poor farmer, Jaspal Singh of Harion village, near here got destroyed in a fire. A BKU leader, Mr Mewa Singh Sihala, has demanded compensation from the local administration as well as the PSEB authorities for the farmer.

MEETING: A meeting of the Anti-Corruption Front has been fixed for April 16 in its office on the Machhiwara road, according to Mr Rashpal Singh, president of the front.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Punjab Pensioners Association: president — Mrs Prem Sagar Sharma; senior vice-presidents — Mr Behari Lal Saddi, Mr Narinder Singh Kang and Mr Kartar Singh Gogia; general secretary — Mr Joginder Singh Joshi; press secretary — Mr Bachan Ram, and treasurer — Mr Balbir Singh.

Sangrur
CHEQUES DISBURSED: Ms Naginder Khanna, mother of Mr Arvind Khanna, MLA, here on Monday distributed cheques worth Rs 47 lakh among the chairpersons of Village Education Development Committees and heads of 54 schools at a function held at the office of Umeed Khanna Foundation office here. The cheques were distributed for the development of schools under the Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyan.

CONCLUDED: A five-day yoga sadhna camp organised by the Dhuri unit of the Bharatiya Yoga Sansthan, New Delhi, concluded at Shanti Niketan Park, Ram Bagh, Dhuri, on Sunday. Mr Hans Raj Garg, secretary of the Dhuri unit of the sansthan, said here on Monday that about 150 persons participated in the camp.

SEMINAR: The local Scientific Awareness and Social Welfare Forum organised a seminar on "How to understand/interpret Nature/God" here on Sunday. Dr Kuldip Singh Mann, Assistant Professor, Physics, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Longowal, Dr A.S. Azad, SMO, Civil Hospital, Bhawanigarh, DR A.S. Mann, president, Scientific Awareness and Social Welfare Forum, Prof Malkeet Singh Khatra, Prof Jagdev Singh Sohi, Dr Avtar Singh, Dr J.S. Somal and Ms Sita took part.

HARYANA

Hisar
AUTHORISATION: The Haryana Government has authorised Guru Jambheshwar University to conduct the entrance examinations for the BE, BTech, MBA and MCA courses. The entrance examinations will be conducted in June, according to an official of the university.

Jhajjar
WARNED: Nogma panchayat, consisting of nine villages, has asked the District Administration to take action against the accused of violence in Nayagoan village on April 3 during the first phase of panchayat poll. The panchayat has warned that it would block the National Highway No 10, in Bahadurgarh if the accused were not arrested. The panchayat was attended by representatives of Lowa, Majra, Sarai, Desalpur, Kherka, Jharoda, Surkhpur, Bahadurgarh and Nayagaon villages. They marched to Sadar police station in Bahadurgarh to convey the message of the panchayat. The police, however, assured them that all guilty persons would be brought to book soon. Four of the accused have been arrested.

Panipat
INJURED: Two persons were hurt in a collision between a motor cycle and car on the National Highway here on Monday. The injured have been identified as Mukesh of Saudapur village and Toshaf of Kachha Camp Colony. They were admitted to Bhim Sen Sachar Hospital here and later referred to the PGI, Rohtak.