R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

ABOHAR
PSEB staff hold rally: Responding to a call by the State Sangharsh Samiti, employees of the Punjab State Electricity Board held a rally at Khuiyansarwer, 13 km from here, on the National Highway to express anguish over the contract system in the board. Mr Kushal Chand and Mr Jagan Nath, president and secretary of the samiti, said the board management had conspired to end security of service of employees. There were plans to sell the PSEB, they said. Conventions have been planned on March 18 to decide future course of action.

Protest march planned: The Sarv Bharat Naujwan Sabha and the All-India Students' Federation have decided to hold a protest march at 75 different places in Punjab on the eve of the 75th martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on March 23. Dr Saravjeet Singh Banwali, Mr Harpreet Singh Tahliwala and Mr Sajjan Kumar Chawarianwali, senior activists of the organisations, said effigies of the Punjab Chief Minister and Ms Sonia Gandhi would be burnt during the protest march.

Amritsar
Dharna by health employees: A large number of para-medical employees of the Health Department organised a dharna and burnt an effigy of the Punjab Government in front of the office of the Civil Surgeon here on Tuesday protesting against handing over of health centres to zila parishads.

Cyclist dies in road mishap: Narinder Singh, a resident of Dhelawal, was crushed to death when a truck carrying devotees turned turtle. Many devotees were also injured in the incident. Narinder Singh was going to Rayya while the truck was returning from Anandpur Sahib. He died on the spot. 

Hoshiarpur
Irrigation schemes: Mr Romesh Chander Dogra, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Punjab, inaugurated a perennial flow scheme at Hardoneknama village, and lift irrigation schemes at Talwara, Bhambotar, Bhavnaur and Ramgarh of Dasuya and Talwara blocks in this district on Wednesday. Speaking on this occasion, Mr Dogra said the perennial flow scheme had been initiated at a cost of Rs 7.15 lakh and would provide irrigation facilities to 200 acres benefitting 180 farmers of Hardoneknama. Two mini power houses were also being constructed under this scheme.

Cheating case registered: On a complaint by Mr Jaswinder Singh, Branch Manager of Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dasuya, the police has registered a case under Sections 420, 465, 468, 470, 471 and 120-B of the IPC against Ms Sushil Kumari, wife of Mr Sudarshan Kumar, a local resident, Mr Jaswinder Raj, Assistant Branch Manager, Mr Ranjit Singh, bank officer, Mr Balwinder Kumar, cashier, Mr Gurbachan Singh, token clerk, all employees of OBC, Mr Kulwinder Singh of Bhagowal and Ms Gurmeet Kaur, wife of Mr Bhagwan Dass of Begpur for fraudulently withdrawing Rs 2.43 lakh from an account in the bank. 

Jalandhar
Two killed: Two women, both residents of Kalniyan village, were killed in a road accident near the Muddan village here on Friday. The incident occurred after a jeep rammed into a scooter and a motorcycle killing Surjit Kaur and Harvinder Kaur. Two others, Balwinder Kaur and her son, were injured in the accident. They are residents of Muddan village. The driver of the jeep was absconding, the police said.

Dalit rally: Dalit Dasta Virodhi Andolan held a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Friday demanding that Dalit labourers working in brick kilns be brought under the Factory Act, 1948, Minimum Wages Act, 1948, International Migrant Labour Law, 1979, Employees Provident Fund, 1952, Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, Contract Labour Act, 1970, Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, and the Mines Act, 1952.

Physicians’ meet: Medical experts from across the country would attend a conference being organised by Physicians’ Forum, Jalandhar, on March 18 and 19. Mr Dhiraj Bhatia, the organising secretary, said this on Friday. He added that the conference would be preceded by a workshop on “Ultrasound in General Practice” on Saturday.

Kapurthala
Man killed: A 60-year-old resident of Miani Bhagu Purian village was killed in a road accident in Begowal near here on Friday. The police said Darshan Singh was going towards his village on his bicycle when a Tavera car hit him. The driver took the victim to the hospital, but fled after the doctors declared the victim brought dead.

Abduction: The Bholath police on Friday booked two persons on charges of abducting a minor girl from Habibwal village near here on Wednesday night. According to the police, one Jaswinder Kaur, a resident of Habibwal village, lodged a complaint that one Dr Sushil, a resident of the same village and one Avtar Singh, a resident of Chogawaan village, had abducted her 17-year old daughter.

Nabha
Cop cremated: Head Constable Karamjit Singh, who died after being hit by an unidentified vehicle while returning home on Monday night, was cremated on Tuesday with police honours in his native village, Boaran, 2 km from here.

Phagwara
One held: Acting on a tip-off, the local police on Thursday arrested a person for allegedly selling pirated and duplicate cassettes ion Mehli Gate locality here. According to ASP Sukhchain Singh, a team, headed by the City police station SHO, raided a shop in Mehli Gate area and seized 165 pirated and duplicate cassettes and arrested the shopowner, Vikramjit Singh alias Bablu.

Sukha case: An official of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC), Mr S.S. Chawla, on Thursday visited Phagwara to enquire into the incident in which Jalandhar Zila Parishad member, Sukhwinder Singh Sukha, was thrashed publicly by the police. Sukha had complained to PSHRC on the issue.

Phillaur 
Dispensaries under ZP: In a significant decison, the Punjab Government has decided to reduce the number of health institutions from 1310 to 1193 and dispensaries would be brought under zila parishads. All health subcentres under these dispensaries would function under the Health Department.The state government has also decided to maintain control over all 117 urban dispensaries.

Three killed in train accidents: Three persons, including one woman, were run over by three different trains in three separate rail mishaps near here in the past 48 hours. One old woman, Kartar Kaur (85) was run over by a train when she was crossing the railway tracks near Bhattian between Goraya and Phillaur, while another middle-aged man, Ali, was killed under a train near here. In the third incident, one unidentified person was crushed under another train near Ladhowal railway station. 

Goods destroyed in fire: Valuables, including colour TV sets, refrigerators, DVDs, washing machine and ceiling fans were reduced to ashes in a fire due to a short circuit at the residence of a villager, Mr Parminder Singh, at Nagar village in Phillaur subdivison on Wednesday night. Noormahal MLA Gurwinder Singh Atwal visited the house on Thursday. Parminder Singh told newsmen that PSEB employees were giving a power connection to a village tubewell and the 11 kv live cables were running across the roof of his house. The board authorities had assured him that power would not be supplied until the cables were hung higher than his roof.

SANGRUR 
Eye camp: As many as 41 patients were operated upon at a three-day eye check- up and operation camp organised in the memory of Bhagwan Singh Mansahia at Gurthali village a couple of days ago. As many as 200 patients were examined for various ailments. Medicines and spectacles were also given free of cost. 

Office-bearers: The following have been elected office-bearers of the district unit of the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India: president - Dr VK Ahuja; treasurer - Dr RC Jain; executive members - Dr Bhushan K Garg, Dr Sanjay Bansal, Dr Renu Singla and Dr DP Singla. 

Medical reps' body: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Punjab Medical Representatives' Association: president – Mr Parminder Singh Sharma; vice-presidents – Mr Satbir Singh, Mr Naveen Rangbulla and Mr Vickey Gumbhar; general secretary - Mr GS Chadha; treasurer - Mr Rajesh Kapoor. 

HARYANA

Karnal
73 shopkeepers challaned: As many as 73 shopkeepers were challaned in the district for not closing their shops on Sunday flouting provisions of the Shops Act.District Labour Officer Balbir Singh said that 37 shops were challaned in Karnal, 16 in Kunjpura, 14 in Indri, five in Gharuanda and one in Nilokheri during the raids conducted on Sunday.