R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BARNALA
Health Club inaugurated :The Superintendent of Police, Mr Surinder Pal Singh Parmar, on Sunday inaugurated Jasdhol Health Club on Dhanaula road. According to Mr Surinder Singh Jasdhol, the health club is equipped with 33 exercise machines and a steam bath would be added soon. Captain Gurmail Singh Rurka (Retd) a celebrated kabaddi-player, will impart instructions at the club.

NAWANSHAHR
Ring road inaugurated: Chaudhary Santokh Singh, MLA from Phillaur, distributed cheques amounting to Rs 15.68 lakh among 12 panchayats for carrying out development work, at a function held at Jhingera village on Sunday. Four sarpanches — Mr Mohan Lal of Herian village, Ms Jasbir Kaur of Phanweran village, Mr Mohinder Singh of Mirpur Lakha village and Mr Paramjit Singh of Lallo Mazara village — who have joined the Congress, were also welcomed into the party fold. The MLA inaugurated the ring road at Mallo Mazara village.

PATHANKOT
Priest arrested: The police has arrested Mr Ram Narayan Bhandari, a priest of the Balmiki temple, for attempting to rape an eight-year-old girl. The girl was, reportedly, playing near the temple. The priest allegedly took the girl inside the temple and tried to rape her. Another girl, who was passingby, reported the matter to victim’s parents. They, along with other residents of the colony, rescued the girl. 

PHAGWARA
Mass marriage: The Sarab Naujawan Sabha, Phagwara, on Sunday conducted the marriage ceremony of 10 poor girls at a function near Khera road railway barrier. A Bhagwati jagran was organised.

CHANDIGARH

Seminar: The State Bank of India, Panjab University branch on Monday made its core banking i.e. online banking operational. Mr Parmod Kumar, Chief Manager briefed the customers about its benefits. Later the SBI PU and PGI branches organised a customer care get together. Mr O.P. Poonia, Assistant General Manager, PGI branch, inaugurated a Seminar on SBI Mutual Fund Magnum Multicap Fund And Customer Relation Programme”. More than 100 persons participated.

Lecture: Mr Kanwar Sandhu, Resident Editor, Hindustan Times, will deliver a special lecture on “My vision for the Panjab University” on Thursday, at English Auditorium, Panjab University Campus. The lecture will be followed by question-answer session. The lecture has been organised under the Distinguished Lecture Series instituted by Panjab University.

Rally: Employees of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector-26, SGGS College of Pharmacy and SGGS Collegiate of Public School, SGGS college (woman), on Monday held a protest rally on the campus of SGGS College at the main gate. They were protesting against illegal deductions from their salary by the management. Mr Raj Kumar and Mr Dilbagh Singh, president and general secretary, respectively of the non teaching employees union addressed the rally. The employees would also hold a mass dharna on Thursday. 

Delegation: A delegation of the Senior Citizens Welfare Association, Modern Housing Complex, Mani Majra, has met the Kurukshetra University Vice-Chancellor, Dr R.P. Hooda. Led by the association president, Mr Amrit Dhingra, the delegation held discussions with the Vice-Chancellor and other senior functionaries of the university and decided to prepare a blueprint for senior citizens to lead a happy life.

PANCHKULA
Dental camp: A dental awareness camp was organised by Colgate at DAV Senior Secondary Public School, Sector 8, on Monday. Students were told about correct method of brushing teeth and oral care through a cartoon film. An essay-writing competition was also organised for students of Classes VI to X. 

Competition: An inter-school art competition for juniors was organised at Bhavan Vidyalaya, Amravati Enclave. The event was sponsored by Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance. The prize winners is as follows:- category I- Meera, Manuj Kumar and Jatin, Category 2- Prakashdeep, Rohit Kumar and Ayushi category 3:- Ricky Sharma, Jivtesh and Gurjan.

HARYANA

JHAJJAR
Man shot  dead: Chet Ram, a resident of Goyala Kalan village, was shot dead by some youths on Sunday. He was returning home from his fields when the youths fired at him killing him on the spot. The murder is being attributed to a land dispute. No arrest has been made so  far.

SONEPAT
Students engage maths teacher: Students of Government High School, Jataula village, have set an example by engaging a mathematics teacher at their own expenses in the wake of non-posting of a mathematics teacher in the school by the Education Department for the past one year. The students have collected funds for giving emoluments to the teacher concerned every month so that they could get through the subject in the examination. 

Gaushala manager sacked: A meeting of the panchayat of 12 villages, organised at Khanda village, about 15 km from here, on Monday held four persons, including the manager of the Gaushala of Bhatgaon, guilty of embezzling Rs 74,000 of the Gaushala and imposed a fine on them. The panchayat also decided to remove Mr Sunil from the post of manager of the Gaushala and directed him to refund Rs 74,000 collected by him through bogus receipts and pay a fine of Rs 5,100 separately. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DHARAMSALA
Woman ends life: A 25-year-old woman, Sushma Devi, hung herself to death on Friday. Her brother, Mr Amar Chand, has alleged that she was forced to end her life due to domestic violence and harassment by her husband, Mr Pradeep Kumar. A case has been registered. 

NURPUR
Resignation sought: The former Chairperson of State Women’s Commission, Ms Malvika Pathania, in a statement here on Sunday demanded the resignation of the Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Ms Viplov Thakur, from the post of the Chairperson of the State Women’s Commission (SWC). She asserted that aggrieved women having affiliation with parties other than Congress were hesitant to file their complaints with the SWC. The local unit of BJP Mahila Morcha has submitted a memorandum to the Governor demanding immediate removal of Ms Thakur as Chairperson of the SWC.

Office-bearers: The following have been elected office-bearers of the state body of the Multipurpose Health Workers Association: president — Mr Shiv Kumar Kapoor; senior vice-president — Mr Hem Singh Thakur, vice-presidents — Mr Kiran Thakur, Mr Tirath Ram and Ms Geeta Thakur; general secretary — Mr Augustine Sebastian; joint secretary — Mr Ramesh Chandel; press secretary — Mr Deepak Sehgal; and Cashier — Mr Sanjeev Katna.

SHIMLA
Stir threat by citizens’ forum: The Citizens’ Rights Protection Forum on Sunday warned that it would not allow the state electricity board to perpetrate ‘fraud’ on the 16 lakh power consumers of the state and said it would fight for their cause up to the Supreme Court. Mr Desh Bandhu Sood, president of the forum, has alleged that the state electricity board is getting the benefit of increase in power tariff but is not fulfilling its obligations in accordance with the directions of the state electricity regulatory commission. He said the forum would launch a movement against the government and board if the interest of consumers were not protected.