R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Jalandhar
Abduction attempt: An unidentified person reportedly made an unsuccessful bid to abduct a 10-year-old girl from near her residence in Mohalla number 27 of the Cantonment area Friday afternoon, the police said. Gurnit Kaur was standing in front of her house when an unidentified person came to her and reportedly told her that her mother had met with an accident and that she needed to accompany him to the hospital. According to the complaint lodged with the police, Gurnit got suspicious after the person made some signals to some persons sitting inside a car parked on the roadside. Gurnit said she ran towards her house and narrated the incident to her family members, who later lodged a complaint with the Cantonment police station.

Eye camp: Vajra Corps opened an eye check-up camp for ex-servicemen and families of serving soldiers residing in Punjab and adjacent districts of Himachal Pradesh at Military Hospital here on Saturday. Nearly 300 patients attended the camp being conducted in two phases: the first one meant for outpatient services with screening of cases for surgery, the second on operative and post-operative surgery from February 26 to March 2. Brig Sukumar Anand, Deputy Director, Medical Services, while addressing a gathering, said patients would be provided free OPD services, spectacles, intra-ocular lenses and medicines.

Patients share experiences: As many as 100 children and adults, between the age group of six months and 22 years and who had once suffered from cleft lip and palate disorder before undergoing corrective surgery, gathered at Pachricha Hospital and celebrated their well-being by exchanging their post-treatment experiences. All these former patients, according to Dr Puneet Pasricha, director, Pasricha Hospital, from far flung areas had been invited to the hospital on occasion of completion of 100 successful cleft surgeries under the Smile Train Project. The hospital was one of partners of the Smile Train, a New York-based global charity organisation, in India. Dr G.S. Gill, the State President of the IMA, Dr Yash Sharma, President of the IMA, Jalandhar, and Mr Surinder Mahey, the Mayor, were also present.

Kapurthala
Bar elections: In the elections of the Bar Association, Kapurthala, Mr Ashok Sabharwal, an advocate, was elected president of the association on Saturday. He defeated his rival Mr Lakhbir Singh, another advocate. Mr Sabharwal got 114 votes out of the 155 polled from a total of 170 votes. Six votes were found invalid. Mr Karanpal Singh Chadha has already been elected the secretary.

Mandi Ahmedgarh
Identification camp: An identification camp to provide artificial aids to physically challenged children in the block was organised at the Primary Health Centre at Pakhowal village, near here, on Friday. 

HARYANA

FATEHABAD
Quiz contest organised: Anil Jain and Gaurav Tiwari of Government College, Hisar, won the K. C. Mehta Memorial Inter-College Quiz competition held at the local Manohar Memorial College on Friday. Sandeep and Vinit Yadav of the Chhotu Ram College of Education, Hisar, got the second position while Sushil Kumar and Deepak Kumar from the host Manohar Memorial College, Fatehabad, was adjudged third. Dr K.K. Arora, Principal of the MM College gave away the prizes.

Post-literacy drive: The district will get Rs 1.22 crore for the implementation of the post-literacy programme. The Department of Elementary Education and Literacy, under the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development, conveyed this to Deputy Commissioner, O.P. Langayan on Thursday during a meeting of the Project Approval Committee (PAC) held in New Delhi. Mr Langayan told mediapersons on Friday that the district ranked 416th among 593 districts in the country in terms of literacy with a literacy rate of 57.98 per cent.

HISAR
Rural Lok Adalat: As many as 265 cases were disposed of at the district’s first rural Lok Adalat organised at Mangali Aklan village here on Saturday. The District and Sessions Judge, Ms Anita Chaudhary, presided. The cases settled included vehicle accidents, civil suits, bank loan and those registered under the N I Act. Chief Judicial Magistrate Alka Malik was also present on the occasion. Seven Lok Adalats have been established in Muklan village to provide justice to litigants.

Suicide: Tilak Raj of Dogran Mohalla allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his house. His body was found hanging from a ceiling fan on Saturday. Financial crunch is stated to be behind the suicide. In another case, Pawan of the Mill Gate area, who had received burn injuries while cooking, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday. Post-mortem of their bodies was conducted at the local Civil Hospital.

KAITHAL
Revenue records: All revenue records in Haryana will be computerised by March 31 and farmers will be able to get a copy of land records by paying Rs 15 only. This was stated by Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, Revenue and Irrigation Minister, Haryana, while addressing officials on his first visit to this district here on Friday. Necessary instructions had been issued to the officials concerned. Revenue patwaris had been asked to be present in patwarkhanas between 10 am and 12 so that the public did not face any difficulty.

REWARI
Tributes paid: Tributes were paid to a legendary hero, Rao Bal Krishan, at a Shradhanjali Samaroh held here to mark his 266th martyrdom anniversary observed by the Ahirwal Andolan, a voluntary organisation, on Friday. The organisation chief, Rao Bijender Singh, gave a graphic account of the historic battle of Karnal in which the commander of the Mughal army, Rao Bal Krishan, along with hundreds of his jawans, laid down their lives on February 24, 1739 while fighting against the forces of Persian invader Nadir Shah.

Medical camp held: Over 500 patients, including women and children, from various villages of Kolsi subdivision, were examined and given treatment for various ailments by doctors at a health camp organised by the Health Department and the District Red Cross Society at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Kosli, Friday. Four more camps will also be held at Dharuhera (March 4), Dahina (March 11), Nangal Teju (March 18) and Kund (March 25).

Poppy husk seized: The police has arrested Vinod Kumar of Uttar Pradesh from Jaisinghpur Khera village on the Delhi-Jaipur highway, near Bawal, on Friday and seized 9 kg of poppy husk from his possession. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered in this regard.

SONEPAT
Labourer dies: A labourer died when he was trapped under a big stone while engaged in loading it in a truck at Nathurpur village, about 15 km from here, on Saturday. According to a report, the deceasd was identified as Amit Bahadur of Nepal. He had been living at Rasoi village and employed at Nathupur village with Mr Bhagat Singh.