AMRITSAR
Candlelight protest rally held: A candlelight rally was organised here on Wednesday by members of the Gazetted Executive Officers Association to protest against the indifferent attitude of the Central Board of Excise and Customs and Ministry of Commerce towards stagnation and pay anomaly. 

All set for pulse polio drive: The Health Department is gearing up for the pulse polio campaign being started on January 6 all over the country. Dr Lehmbar Singh, civil surgeon, in a press statement issued here on Wednesday said there were 1,399 vaccination booths in the district, out of which 687 would cover rural areas and 712 in urban areas. 

BARNALA
Farmer commits suicide: A debt-ridden farmer committed suicide at Thullewal village, about 15 km from here, on Sunday. The deceased Chamkaur Singh (28), son of Harnek Singh, is survived by his wife and two children, both below the age of seven years. Chamkaur was facing financial difficulties and inhaled some poisonous liquor in his fields. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital, but died on the way. After post-mortem, his body was handed over to the family. A case has been registered. 

Theft: Thieves broke into the office of a Punjabi daily on Tuesday night and decamped with two imported cameras and about Rs 15,000 in cash. 

Batala
Batala SSP hurt: SSP R.N. Dhoke was injured in an accident when he was returning home in Kerala. His right thigh bone was fractured in the accident, according to SP (Hq) Paramdeep Singh Teja. The car in which Dhoke was travelling went out of order leading to the accident. The SSP is recuperating at a nursing home in Kerala, according to the SP. The SSP had gone to his home in Kerala a few days back. 

BATHINDA
Fake currency recovered: The Bhagta Bhai police on Wednesday arrested Gurmeet Singh of Baraj village and recovered fake currency amounting Rs 9,700 from his possession. Another accused, Manish Kumar of Bhagta Bhai, managed to escape. Police sources said, on the basis of suspicion, the accused were intercepted and during checking, the fake currency was recovered. A case under sections 489-A, B, C, D and 420 and 34 of the IPC has been registered in this connection at the Dialpura Bhai Ka police station.

Lohri celebrations: The Bathinda Vikas Manch is organising Lohri celebrations for newly-born baby girls. In view of low sex ratio in the region and cases of female foeticide, the celebration of the birth of girls in this manner assumes significance. A press note received claimed that now both the central and the state governments were providing financial help, at the time of birth, for the education of girls. The workers of the Bathinda Vikas Manch are contacting parents of the girls for the celebration. 

Seminar held: To mark the 19th Traffic Awareness Week on Wednesday, a seminar and medical check-up camp for eyes  was organised at the  Truck Union premises in Bathinda. Traffic police officials imparted knowledge about traffic rules at the seminar. Suraksha Helper, an organisation organised a free eye check-up camp for members of the truck union on the occasion. The Traffic Awareness Week that began on January 1 will be observed till  January 8. 

Jail inmates: New Year’s eve was celebrated in Bathinda jail premises where senior regional mamnager of the Punjab National Bank was the chief guest. Woollens were distributed among the inmates as a goodwill gesture.

Blood donation: A blood donation camp was organised to mark the New Year at the Paras Ram Nagar chowk.  As many as 30 people, including women, voluntarily donated blood at the camp. The camp was organised by the Hanuman Seva Samiti  in collaboration with the  Naujawan Welfare Society.

Hurt in mishap: A couple on a scooter were seriously injured when they were knocked down by a speeding car just after they had left a petrol pump after refilling on the Bathinda-Goniana road. The injured, identified as Santosh Kumar, 40, and Meena Kumari, 36, of street number 10, Deep Singh Nagar, were admitted to the civil hospital in Bathinda.

Passed away: Shri Guru Ravidas Parivar Bhalai Sangathan president Sohan Lal Khichi’s mother Sarbati Devi, 76, has passed away. A two-minute silence was observed in her memory  by office-bearers of the  Sangathan and the West Bathinda Welfare Organisation. 

CHANDIGARH
Coonar for Austrian meet: Joint Director, Medical Education and Research, Punjab, P.P.S. Coonar has been invited by the Government of Austria to attend the Fifth International Symposium of the Austrian Proteomics Platform at Innsbruck from January 20. The symposium will deal with newer trends in bioinformatics. Dr Coonar is an expert in public health and health management. 

Faridkot
Robbery: Nearly five unidentified assailants decamped with 80 gm gold jewellery at gunpoint from a goldsmiths’ residence-cum-workshop at Ramganj locality here on Tuesday night. A case has been registered. 

Medical camp: As many as 45 patients received free medical aid at the 10th homoeopathy medical camp organised by the local chapter of the Lions Club in the memory of late R.C. Monga at village Dhudi near here on Wednesday.

Appointed: Pawan Monga, Sanjeev Monga and Madan Mukhija were appointed as the president, secretary and the treasurer respectively of the local Lions Club at a 
ceremony held here on Wednesday. 

FATEHGARH SAHIB
Road safety week: The district transport department organised two functions on Tuesday to mark the commencement of the 19th road safety week. District transport officer Tarlochan Singh Sahota inaugurated the functions held at national highway number 1 and Gurdwara Joyti Swarup. The DTO said the department would hold traffic awareness, free pollution checking and eye-check up camps and would provide reflectors to vehicles. 

IGNOU convocation: The 19th convocation of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has been scheduled for February 16. M. Hamid Ansari, vice-president of India, will be the chief guest. The university has invited eligible students to attend the convocation by filling up the registration form online which is available on the homepage of university's website www.ignou.ac.in. The students who wish to attend the convocation in person must send the printout of this form latest by January 15 to the registrar, SRED, IGNOU, New Delhi. 

LALRU
Run over by train: Ram Lal (24) died when he was hit by a train engine near Lehli village on Wednesday. His body was found near the tracks in the afternoon and the railway police was informed. The victim was a resident of Bihar and was working at Nahar Factory in Lehli. According to the GRP in charge, the victim was going to the factory when he was hit by the train engine while crossing the tracks. 

Mansa
Criticised: The Communist Party of India has criticised the new electoral process for the panchayats announced by the state government. 

Nawanshahr
Transport taxes: District transport officer R.L. Jassal in a press release issued here on Wednesday said the state government had provided a golden opportunity to transporters to clear their pending dues under the Punjab Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1924. They can pay their arrears in four monthly instalments. During this period no penalty would be charged, said the DTO.

Eye camp:The district traffic police organised an eye check-up camp in connection with the road safety week currently under way here at the truck union on Wednesday. SP (HQ) Jagtar Singh Kainth inaugurated the camp in which Dr NP Sharma examined the eyes of at least 100 truck drivers.

Flag marches: A meeting of the district unit of anti-privatisation coordination committee was held on Wednesday to chalk out programme of “flag marches” in various villages and towns of the district.

PATHANKOT
30 held in various cases: In a special drive launched by the police, 30 persons were arrested in various cases here on Wednesday. Lok Nath Angra, SSP, said the arrested persons included Pardeep, Naresh Kumar, Bachni, Arjan Dass, Kaushalaya Devi, Mevi Masih, Ashim Gupta, Dharam Pal, Sakuntala, Rattni, Chaman Lal, Sunil Kumar, Raj Kumar, Paramjit, Gurmesi, Sanda, Kishno, Surinder Kumar, Gurnam, Surta Singh, Kashmira, Raj Kumar, Sham Lal, Sonu and Jograj.