CHANDIGARH

Chandigarh
EXCHANGE TOUR: Kulwant Singh Gill, administrator and director Education of Vishav Gurmat Roohani Mission Charitable Trust, Ratwara Sahib (Mohali), will visit University of Manitoba, Winnipeg and Red River College. The ten-day trip will begin from September 6 to16. Kulwant is invited by International Trade Inter-governmental Affairs and Trade, Manitoba, Canada. He is also likely to visit United Kingdom.

HARYANA

Ambala
Army to help flood-hit Bihar: A column of at least 100 army personnel from Ambala Cantt will be proceeding to Bihar for flood-relief work. The column is expected to be airlifted from Chandigarh within this week. The column will include personnel from all fields, including engineers and doctors. According to station commander Brig K. Majumdar, relief material, including boats and medicines, would be carried along. 

Sirsa
Old-age pensioners’ list: As many as14,950 new beneficiaries have been added to the old-age pensioners’ list in this district after the recent surveys. The authorities have already released pensions for the period April to July to these beneficiaries, according to district social welfare officer Alka Yadav. She said 64,311 beneficiaries had been getting old-age pension in the district before the last survey. Yadav said that from now on a survey would be held on a yearly basis. 

Youth fest: A meeting of the heads of the colleges affiliated to Kurukshetra University and falling under Sirsa zone was held at JCD Vidyapeeth here recently to decide the host college for the zonal youth festival of the university. Kuldip Singh Dhindsa, director-general of the vidyapeeth, presided over the meeting while Anup Lathar, director, cultural affairs, of the university, also participated. CMK National PG College was allowed to host the zonal youth festival of the university from October 21 to October 23. 

YAMUNANAGAR
Body found: The body of a 30-year-old man, Ashok, was found in Jagadhari here on Monday. Although the exact cause of his death was not ascertained, it was believed that he had died due to excessive consumption of liquor. The viscera had been sent for examination after the postmortem, said police sources. The sources further said Ashok, who hailed from Shahranpur, had been living alone  in a colony here for the past over five years. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

DHARAMSALA
Burglary bid: Some burglars tried to break into extension counter of the State Bank of Patiala in Government College, Dharamsala, on Sunday. ASP Kangra Pritam Thakur said burglars broke the windowpane of extension counter to enter the building. A case under Section 457 and 380 of the IPC has been registered against unidentified persons. 

SHIMLA
Teachers’ awards: The state-level Teacher’s Day function would be held at the Raj Bhawan here on Friday to confer the awards to the teachers for their contribution in the field of education. The Education Department spokesperson said here on Monday the award would be conferred on four teachers, Dr Shyam Singh, Bartu (Shimla), Mast Ram (Solan), Sohanlal Dogra (Kangra) and Bhim Dutt (Sirmour). The centre has selected four teachers, Hira Singh Negi (Kinnaur), Bansi Ram Suman, (Mandi), Ravinder Nath Pathak (Una) and Ramesh Sharma (Kangra), for the national teachers award for the year 2007. 

2 killed in accident: Two persons were killed when the car they were traveling in rolled down 400-ft into a deep gorge near Gharat nullah under Basantpur block. The two occupants of the car (HP-37-9944) died on the spot when the mishap took place. The car was owned by a contractor, Ishwar Dass while the other person traveling with him, Pratap Singh was a school teacher. SDM (Rural) Man Singh Verma said the families of the deceased had been given RS 10,000 as immediate relief. 

High-degree fever: With four confirmed deaths due to ‘scrub typhus’ at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), the Department of Health Services has asked doctors in the field to start treating all cases of high-grade fever immediately with doxycyclin. During the recent past, on an average 15 to 20 cases of fever were being reported at IGMC daily but with the rains receding the number has started declining. Cases of fever are also being admitted to the Deen Dyal Upadhyay hospital here. Samples of some of the patients have been sent for laboratory testing to Chandigarh. 

JAMMU & KASHMIR

SRINAGAR
3 hurt in house collapse: Three members of a family were injured in a house collapse, while another house was gutted in fire in the Kashmir valley on Monday, official sources said. They said the house of one Farooq Ahmad Badder collapsed at Nai Basti Qaimoh in Kulgam resulting in injuries to three persons. The injured were hospitalised. Meanwhile, another house was gutted in fire at Branwar in Budgam district. The cause of the fire could not be known. However, no one was injured.

Two hurt in grenade blast: Two persons, including a woman, were injured in a grenade blast in south Kashmir on Sunday. Official source said militants hurled a hand grenade at a security force patrol party at Keller in Pulwama district. However, it missed the intended target and exploded by the roadside causing injuries to two persons. The injured were hospitalised. 

Cultural body bats for DD:The Adbee Markaz Kamraz (AMK), a cultural and literary organisation, has taken strong exception to the “propaganda unleashed by some elements in Jammu demanding ban on the Doordarshan’s Kashir Channel on the frivolous allegations that it was not adhering to principals of secularism and communal harmony.” A spokesman of the AMK said it was unfortunate on part of the writers who have taken out a procession and sent a memorandum to the PM demanding ban on the channel.