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PUNJAB

Amritsar
Syndicate sacks official: The Syndicate meeting of Guru Nanak Dev University on Tuesday sacked Varinder Pal Sharma, finance and development officer, on the basis of an inquiry report submitted by former Additional Sessions Judge. This was confirmed by Rajindermohan Singh Chhina, member, Syndicate, while talking to The Tribune here today. In an another important decision the Syndicate has given one-year extension to Dr Daljit Singh on deputation as principal Khalsa College, Amritsar.

Refresher course: The Academic Staff College of Guru Nanak Dev University, in collaboration with the Punjab School of Economics, will organise a 3-week refresher course in economics from June 7 to 27, while a four-week general orientation course will be from June 12 to July 9. Stating this, Dr H.S. Bhatia, director, Academic Staff College, said interested teachers could apply immediately for the courses on the prescribed form available from the office of the college/university and website www.gndu.ac.in, along with a bank draft of Rs 500 in favour of registrar, Guru Nanak Dev University, and payable at Amritsar on account of registration fee (non-refundable).

Bassi Pathana
Criticised: Kirpal Singh Sethi, member of the District Consumer Protection Council and president of the Karamchari Consumer Forum, Bassi Pathana, in a press release issued here on Tuesday, strongly criticised the Union government for proposing to increase the oil and cooking gas prices, which would benefit the oil companies worth Rs 57,000 crore. He said crores of consumers would be affected if the prices of cooking gas cylinders were increased to Rs 450 as purposed. He said welfare of the people should be the prime concern of the government. Essential commodities should be provided on subsidised rates, he added.

Fatehgarh Sahib
Lineman killed: A lineman of the PSEB, Preetpal Singh (45), died while repairing a fault at Vijrabad village. The body was sent for a postmortem at the Civil Hospital here today. Later, the body was handed over to his family.

PATHANKOT
Booked for snatching ballots: The Dinanagar police on Tuesday registered a case against Vinod Kumar of Bhalla Pindi under Sections 121,122,353,186 and 506, IPC, for snatching ballot papers at a polling booth in the village, Dinanagar block, on Monday. A complaint for snatching and running away with ballot papers had been lodged by presiding officer Raghubir Singh against the culprit immediately after the incident was occurred.

SAD men gherao police station: The SAD on Tuesday laid a siege to the Wadala Bangar police station in Kalanaur block protesting police inaction against workers of a rival group who allegedly removed the turban of Jagdish Singh, president of the Wadala Bangar gurdwara. They alleged that the workers of the rival group beat up SAD workers during the Panchayat elections yesterday during which the turban of Jagdish fell on the ground.

Patiala
Lauded: The National Theatre Arts Society (NTAS), Patiala, have lauded the meritorious services of Ram Parshad Seth as president of the Sanatan Dharam Kumar Sabha, Patiala, particularly his noble gesture of presenting Rs 25 lakh to the sabha while handing over the presidential charge to unanimously elected president Bal Krishan Singla. Sabha’s general secretary O.P. Kapoor and secretary J. Roy Mangla stated that the sabha, which was founded by Dasoundhi Ram Bir Ji and Seth Chiranji Lal Navyug, is running 15 educational and public welfare institutions, including Aggarsain Hospital, Apahaj Ashram and two cremation grounds.

SangruR
17 booked for violence: With regard to opening fire in the air, damaging several vehicles and pelting stones on the police in protest against not doing the counting of votes again for SUS Nagar Jagatpura Panchayat (Sunam), the Sunam police has registered a case against 17 persons, including Hardev Singh, son of a prominent leader from Sunam, and Karam Singh, a former sarpanch.

CHANDIGARH

Panchkula
Inaugurated: A three-week refresher course in commerce was inaugurated by K.K. Khandelwal, additional principal secretary to Haryana Chief Minister and director, public relations and cultural affairs department, at Government College, Sector 1, Panchkula. Haryana was celebrating this year as ‘Education Year’ aiming at changing the mentality of the teachers so that they could give quality education to the students in the state, said Khandelwal. He said there was also need to change the minds of the students. In his welcome address, principal of the college R.C. Goyal highlighted activities and achievements of the college.

Raided: Chemist shops in Ramgarh, Barwala, Raipur Rani and Ambala came under the scanner of the health authorities on Tuesday. Acting on specific complaints against certain unscrupulous chemists selling prohibitive drugs, eight teams of the state drug controller raided about 15 chemist shops and certain samples and seized records of the shops. State drug controller R.M. Sharma, while confirming the raids said certain sedatives were also seized at Ambala.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

HAMIRPUR
Youth killed in accident: A youth was killed in an accident near Tal on Monday night. Sanjeev Kumar of Daron village was riding a motorcycle (HP 74-0164) when a truck (HP 11-1031) coming from the opposite side hit him. He died on the spot. Truck driver Sunil Kumar has been booked for rash driving.

Memo on price rise: The Hamirpur district committee of the CPM has expressed concern on the rising prices of essential commodities by submitting a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the deputy commissioner. State secretariat member of the party Kashmir Singh Thakur said in a press note that the party had demanded concrete steps by the state government and the Centre to control prices.

Assurance to forest rangers: The additional chief secretary (forests) has assured the HP Forest Rangers Welfare Association to apprise the forest minister of their demands. General secretary of the association S.S. Kashyap said the assurance was given to them at a meeting to discuss the problems being faced by them.

SOLAN
Office attacked: As many as 24 armed miscreants on Monday attacked the Parwanoo office of local canter union and severally injured driver Deepak while injuring few others. The miscreants armed with hockey sticks, rods, sticks and sharp edged weapons ransacked entire furniture around 4.30 pm. According to SDPO Ramesh Pathania all chairs, tables, glasses and other office furniture was ransacked. The police rushed to the spot but the miscreants who had come in four vehicles from Kalka and Pinjore had fled by then. The police has registered a case and it was learnt that they had come to take over the control of the union which lay with the Congress presently.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

JAMMU
VDC member’s son fires in air: The son of a village defence committee member fired in the air from his father’s rifle in Udhampur district on Tuesday, triggering panic in the area. Tufail (17) took out his father’s 303 rifle and fired three-four rounds in the air, official sources said. Panic soon gripped the area, as people feared a militant attack had taken place. The police and security forces rushed to the village and detained the youth.

Youth held for rape: A youth had been arrested on Tuesday for allegedly raping a minor in Akhnoor border belt of the district, the police said. One Nikhil Kumar allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl when she was on her way to her home in Godha Brahamana village in the district, they said. The victim reported the matter to her parents, who then informed the police. A case under Section 376, IPC, has been registered and the accused has been arrested.

Snowfall in Pirpanchal ranges: Snowfall lashed Pirpanchal ranges of the state thereby lowering the temperature in Rajouri-Poonch areas. Snowfall of four feet was recorded in Pirpanchal ranges in Poonch district thereby creating cold conditions in Rajouri-Poonch border belt on Monday night, Met officials said. “This is also an area of concern as fresh snowfall has occurred during May," they said. Work on Mughal Road connecting Poonch with Kashmir valley through Pirpanchal ranges has been stopped in view of the snowfall.

SRINAGAR
JOC killed, 7 jawans hurt: A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was killed and seven soldiers were wounded in a road accident in north Kashmir on Tuesday. Two JCO officers and six soldiers of the 8 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JKLI) were injured when a vehicle in which they were travelling met with an accident at Faskin Top in north Kashmir. The injured were admitted to the hospital where one JCO later died, the sources added.

2 commit suicide: Two persons committed suicide in the Kashmir valley on Monday night. One Manzoor Ahmad Sofi of Nambla in Uri left for Baramulla after consuming some poisonous substance and fell down in an unconscious state. However, he was shifted to a hospital where he was declared dead. Manzoor Ahmad Khan (19) also consumed poison in his Sonabrari house in the south Kashmir district of Anantnag. He was rushed to hospital where he was declared brought dead.