Abohar
Bomb hoax: The police declared it as a bomb hoax on Monday after it received frequent phone calls from some persons who noticed an unclaimed box lying on the Abohar-Fazilka (NH 10) within the municipal boundary in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the rehriwalas and shopkeepers near the busy road dashed to safer places. Vehicular traffic was also suspended. The police finally found that someone had placed an empty cardboard box in the middle of the road, close to a petrol filling station, and a wire too was attached to it.

Barnala
Students’ protest: Punjab Radical students Union (PRSU) has criticised the Punjabi University alleged attitude of putting up ‘unnecessary financial burden’ on the students during the examination period. In a press communiqué issued here today, union leader Navkiran alleged that the Punjabi University has asked its colleges to charge Rs 115 per student as a fund before issuing the roll numbers to the concerned students for final examinations. When student met principal of the S.D. College to lodge their protest, he said that directions had been issued by the university authorities. Navkiran , PRSU leader told that  the university authorities are collecting the unnecessary charges of Rs 115 which has nothing to do with the students. In this way, university would be able to collect lakh from the colleges under its jurisdiction. During the exams days, it was a harassment to students to pay for unnecessary things. He said the students union will protest against this decision.

Bathinda
Honoured: Principal, Mata Sahib Kaur Girls College, Talwandi Sabo has been conferred the “National Achievement Award’ for her outstanding contribution in the field of education. This award was presented to her at the national Seminar organized by IEDRA on Globalisation of Indian Industries & World Peace held on February 11.

Book release: R.K.Uppal, Head of Department of Economics of DAV College Malout will present his research paper on “Privatisation of Indian banks- A new path for bright future” at the international conference to be held on April 5 and 6 in Iqra University, Islamabad. Uppal’s recently written book, “Managing transformation with information technology— challenges and opportunities” will also be released at the conference.

Annual Day: Annual function of Gurukul College was held at the collage campus on Sunday. In this function, students who have excelled in college exams were awarded. On the occasion, Sant Sarupa Nand, chairman of the college, Jaswant Singh Brar, president, Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal, managing director, Sukhpal Singh Pali, SP (D) Mansa besides many others were present.

Interaction: Literary Circle, Malout organised a face-to-face interaction with poet Dr J S Anand at Edward Ganj DAV School, Malout on Sunday.

CHANDIGARH
Transfers ordered: The Punjab government on Monday appointed Sarwan Singh Channy as principal secretary, Industries and Commerce, while shifting A.R. Talwar as principal secretary, Defence Services Welfare. Tejinder Kaur is the new principal secretary, Technical Education and Industrial Training.

Fazilka
17 injured in mishap: Nearly 17 passengers, including seven women, of a mini bus sustained injuries when the bus turned turtle on Fazilka-Ferozepur road here on Monday morning. The bus was going from Aahal Bodla village to Fazilka through a link road and suddenly its rear tyre burst. Upon this the driver of the bus lost control and it skidded on the road side. The injured were immediately rushed to local civil hospital. One of the injured, Gurjant Singh who suffered multiple fractures has been referred to PGI, Chandigarh.

HOSHIARPUR
Minimum wages: Workers of industry, brick-kiln, FCI, forest, road, transport departments, unorganised sectors, anganwari and helpers etc held a rally at the Shaheed Udham Singh Park here on Friday. Punjab CITU president Vijay Misra and general secretary Raghu Nath Singh condemned the former Congress and present SAD-BJP governments.

Protest against director: As per the decision of the state body, all inspectors of the Food and Civil Supply Department, Punjab, in the district have proceeded to earned leave up to April 30 from Monday to protest against the director of the department for not accepting their long-pending demands.

Truck operators’ protest: In a meeting held here on Monday truck operators of the district have decided not to load and carry wheat during the ensuing procurement season of wheat in protest against the government for its anti-truck operators policy.

MALERKOTLA
Students’ charge: Parents of students and some girl students of Government Senior Secondary School, Bhogiwal, near here, on Monday demonstrated outside the school against the in charge principal and staff of the school. The parents alleged that the in charge principal, with the help of the staff, gave help through slips to his daughter who was sitting in the class X exam. They demanded the cancellation of the exam.

PATIALA
Programme: During a programme organised by AIR, Jalandhar, in Punjabi University on on Sunday, Punjabi singer Balkar Sidhu, folk singer Saravjit and ghazal singer Radhika Chopra enthralled the audience on the occasion of Basant Utsav-08. The second volume of CDs of Akashvani sangeet album of Ustad Amir Khan was also released.

Paper presented: City-based Ravinder Singh Joshi, lecturer in mechanical engineering department, RIMT, Mandi Gobindgarh, presented a research paper in Las Vegas. The paper is titled ‘Set up Planning and Operation Sequencing using Neutral Network about Genetic Algorithm’.

SANGRUR
Farmers’ awareness camp: A local NGO, Asha Di Kiran Foundation, and the Sangrur Agriculture Technology and Management Agency (ATMA) organised a homeopathy and farmers’ awareness camp at Banbhori village, near Dhuri, on Saturday. it was inaugurating Dhuri SDM Deep Prabha.