R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Samples of milk collected: A team of the district health officials on Monday collected four samples of milk and milk products from the Moonak area. Civil surgeon Dalip Kumar said the team found 35 packets of dry milk from a halwai’s premises at Moonak where he had been preparing “khoya” by mixing dry milk in the milk. He said the team had taken the samples of milk and “khoya” and also informed the police about it. 

CHANDIGARH

Programme: Adviser to the UT administrator Pradip Mehra was the chief guest at the concluding function of the computer hardware and software certification programme held under the aegis of the Madrasa Eizah-ul-Uloom Mujaddadi. Mehra said such training programmes provided opportunity to students for developing skills which would help them to get employment in future. Mehra gave away certificates to the successful candidates. 

HARYANA

CHANDIGARH
Haj panel’s advice to pilgrims: The Haryana State Haj Committee has advised Haj pilgrims to write their full names, addresses and cover numbers on each item of their luggage. They should also mention the total number of items of their luggage, said S.K. Joshi, special secretary, home-II and chief executive officer, Haryana State Haj Committee, here on Monday. He said it had been noticed that the luggage of most of the pilgrims went missing in Saudi Arabia during the Haj. “If the luggage bears the names, addresses and cover numbers of the pilgrims, it would be easy for the concerned officials to identify the real owner of the luggage,” he said. He said that the Haj pilgrims were also advised to deposit their second instalment of foreign exchange. 

New deputy commissioner: The Haryana government has transferred Amit Kumar Agarwal, HUDA administrator, Faridabad as deputy commsissioner of Yamunanagar district. Agarwal would replace Mohammed Shayin, an official release said on Monday. 

KURUKSHETRA
Four arrested: The district police arrested a person under the Narcotic Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and four persons under the Gambling Act here on Monday. A police spokesperson said the person who had been arrested under the NDPS Act, had been identified as Daljeet Singh, a resident of Sujra village while four persons, who had been arrested under the Gambling Act, had been identified as Ram Prakash, Rajender Kumar, Gulshan Kumar and Kasturi Lal, all residents of New Colony, Kurukshetra. The police recovered 24 kg of poppy husk and gambling amount of Rs 2,800 from their possession. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
Declamation contest: Sushila Kumari of Mahila Mandal, Dehra, was declared first and Arpit Kumar of Yuva Mandal, Hatwad, second in declamation contest organised by the district Nehru Yuva Kendra at Hatwad in connection with life, teachings and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. District youth coordinator SomDutt Zard said here on Monday that Abhishek Rattan and Aman Kumar both of Yuva Mandal, Khubban Dipper, were declared first and second respectively in the spot painting competition. Him Public School, Hatwad, was first and Saraswati Vidya Mandir, Hatwad, was second in folk dances while Manisha of Mahila Mandal, Sonkhar, was first and Ashish of Yuva Mandal, Sonkhar, was second in solo song. Panchayat president Surekha Devi distributed prizes to the winners. 

CHAMBA
PWD beldar dies: A beldar of the state Public Works Department (PWD) succumbed to his injuries at the Regional Hospital, Chamba, when he was being brought to the hospital from the incident site Patti Nala in Bharmour region of the district where his feet slipped down from the steep hillslope and injured seriously. The beldar identified as Prakash Chand was coming to his home in the evening after completing his daily duty; the sources informed here on Monday. 

HAMIRPUR
Block presidents: State president of Himachal Pradesh Congress committee Kaul Singh Thakur has changed two block presidents of Congress in Hamirpur district. Kuldeep Dogra has been appointed block president of Sujanpur block Congress committee in place of Chamel Singh while Ram Chand Pathania has been appointed block Congress president of Bhoranj block replacing Wattan Singh. Confirming these appointments district Congress president Sunil Sharma Bittoo told The Tribune that “both Sujanpur and Bhoranj block Congress presidents have been replaced since they had completed their term”. 

Missing boy found: The police have recovered a missing boy, Kanav Sharma, from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh on Monday morning. A resident of Phagwara village in Hamirpur district, Kanav, who was undertaking BCA course in Lovely Institute, Hamirpur, had gone missing at 11 am on Saturday. The police is investigating the circumstances in which the boy was taken to Moradabad. 

SHIMLA
Scouts call on Rau: Scouters of the Scouts and Guides Organisation, New Delhi, led by national commissioner Raj K.P. Sinha called on Governor Prabha Rau at the Raj Bhawan, here on Monday. Leader of opposition Vidya Stokes, who is also the state chief commissioner of the Scouts and Guides for Himachal Pradesh was also present on the occasion. The visit to the state was part of the programme to strengthen the feeling of national integration among the youth and promote scouts and guides activities in the state. 

Byelection notification: The State Election Commission has notified the election programme for the conduct of byelection to fill the vacant seats of Ward No. 6 of Nagar Panchayat Jubbal and Ward No. 4 of Nagar Panchayat Sunni in Shimla and Ward No. 6 of Nagar Panchayat Gagret in Una. Nomination papers could be filed from October 15 to 17 and scrutiny will take place on October 1. The last date for withdrawal is October 20 and polling if necessary will take place on November 5. Counting of votes will be undertaken immediately and the entire process will be completed by November 7.