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Abohar
Mahila Cong chief: Renu Verma grand daughter-in-law of late Chandi Ram Verma, veteran freedom fighter and former minister of the state in undivided Punjab, has been appointed as secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Mahila Congress, state president Ratna informed through a letter on Wednesday.

BATHINDA
Seminar held: A seminar on fashion technology was conducted on the campus of Desh Bhagat Foundation Institute of Engineering and Management in Moga. Rajinder Kaur from the institute talked about the job opportunities in the field of fashion. Anuj Gupta, management specialist from the CHAPMAN University, Los Angeles, California, graced the occasion.

Sadbhawna run: On the International Youth Day, Brahmkumaris organised a youth ‘sadbhawna’ run on Wednesday. The event saw nearly 1100 participants from schools, colleges, youth organisations and social service organisations. Upjit Singh Brar, ADC, Bathinda, inaugurated the 6-km run that began at 6:30 am. Dr Jatinder Jain, DIG, Faridkot range, was also present.

CHANDIGARH
Khanna is Secretary to Sukhbir: Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has reappointed senior bureaucrat Visvajeet Khanna his Secretary. A formal order in this regard was issued here on Tuesday.Khanna, who is also Secretary, Science and Technology, Environment and Non-Conventional Energy, besides Secretary, Civil Aviation, had earlier also served as Secretary to the Deputy CM when the latter first took charge of this office.

3 lakh toilets approved: Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday gave a go-ahead to an ambitious project of constructing three lakh toilets in over 12,000 villages of Punjab with a capital outlay of Rs 200 crore. Reviewing the working of Water Supply and Sanitation Department here, the Deputy Chief Minister directed the Secretary, Water Supply and Sanitation, to tie up the loose ends of this scheme and go for national bidding to select a company with a track record of executing mega rural projects of this dimension. He said the quality control had to be the touchstone of this project.

Hoshiarpur on tourism map: Punjab Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Hira Singh Gabria has said Rs 4.58 crore has been sanctioned to develop Hoshiarpur as a tourist destination. The work at Sadhu Ashram, tourist reception of Garhshankar and Sham Chourasi, has been allotted to contractors and will be completed by 2010. Under the Rural Tourists Scheme, work on Boothgarh village in the district has been completed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh.

Badal for stamp on Dhingra: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday urged Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology A Raja to issue a commemorative stamp in the centenary year of eminent freedom fighter Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra’s martyrdom. The Chief Minister said the state government had decided to observe a state-level Shatabdi Samaroh at Amritsar on August 17 to commemorate the centenary of Dhingra.

JALANDHAR
Bias against vets alleged: The Indo-Canadian Veterinarian Association of Canada (ICVAC) has accused the British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association (BCVMA) of discriminating against veterinarians from Punjab. President of the outfit Dr Hakam Bhullar alleged that the BCVMA had registered cases against 10 out of 100 veterinarians from Punjab on flimsy grounds to harass them. He said the BCVMA had made it compulsory for them to clear English test to practise in British Columbia. Bhullar added that they had won a case in this regard in April after seven years at a human rights court there. The ICVAC has appealed to the Centre as well as the state government to take up the issue at the highest level.

Mansa
Lawyers flay judge’s conduct: The members of the Bar Association of Sardulgarh on Wednesday held a meeting under the presidentship of the Bar president Baljit Singh Sandhu and condemned the alleged misbehaviour of the additional civil judge (Senior Division) Sham Lal with advocate Munish Kumar. All advocates of the Association had decided not to appear in the court of the above judge. They demanded that judge should improve his behaviour with advocates.

CHANDIGARH

Theft: Deepak Malhotra of Sector 46-A had filed a complaint alleging that someone had stolen his Maruti car (CH-03-Q-6909) from in front of his residence on Monday. In another incident, Harbans Singh of Sector 35 reported that his Tavera (CH-01-G-1902) was stolen from outside his residence on Sunday night. — TNS

HARYANA

BALLABGARH (FARIDABAD)
Chautala lashes out at Cong: INLD supremo and former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala on Wednesday said the INLD-BJP in Haryana was all set for the Assembly elections. Addressing party workers here, Chautala alleged that the Congress government was not following the policies for the welfare of the common man. It had been pursuing policies that catered to business houses and the rich. He alleged that all commodities related to the common man and farmers had witnessed an increase in prices.

REWARI
Residents block road: Irate residents of Sadhu Shah Nagar blocked traffic on the Rewari-Delhi road at Rao Abhey Singh Chowk here on Wednesday in protest against the erratic power supply in their colony. They said several complaints were made to the electricity officials, but to no avail. The blockade was lifted after the intervention of the senior police and electricity officials, who assured that the needful would be done expeditiously.