Chandigarh
Journalist bereaved: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda expressed grief over the death of Ramesh Ahuja, father of Bureau Chief, Business Standard, Komal Amit Gera, in Panchkula on Friday. He was 65 and is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. Ahuja had retired from the Haryana Public Relations Department as Joint Director in 2002.

KAITHAL
2 company directors fined: Two directors of a pesticides/weedicide manufacturing company - Safex Chemical India Ltd - were fined Rs 25,000 each by the court of CJM Rajesh Garg here. A weedicde manufactured by the company failed in laboratory tests in 2003. A team headed by the then quality inspector, Tejvir Singh, took samples of a weedicide from a shop, Mahalakshmi Pesticides, Pundri, on December 9, 2002. The samples failed in laboratory tests in 2003. A case was registered against company directors SK Jindal and Narinder Goyal. After hearing the arguments and perusal of the evidence on record, the court ordered directors to pay the fine.

Illegal constructions: The state government has extended the time limit for regularisation of illegal constructions in 30 metre and 100 metre belts along the scheduled roads and bypasses, respectively. Stating this here on Friday, Deputy Commissioner Amneet P Kumar said the time limit had been extended up to January 4 against the earlier date of September 14, 2009. She said the decision to extend the time limit had been taken by the government to provide an opportunity to all those who could not apply for regularisation before the  earlier date.

Sirsa
Narcotics seized: A team of drugs control officers raided a residential house on the local Begu Road on Thursday and recovered huge quantities of narcotics, intoxicating and sample drugs meant for free supply to physicians. The team comprising senior drugs control officer, Hisar, Narender Ahuja, and drugs control officer, Sirsa, Rajnish Dhaliwal, also informed the matter to the police. Team members said in all 47 types of drugs, including those misused by the youths for a high, had also been recovered. Accused Mohinder Kumar, who had been storing and selling these drugs, had no license issued by the authorities. 

Jammu
Educational tour flagged off: The Commander of the Poonch Brigade flagged off an educational tour to Rajasthan for students of the frontier village of Khari Karmara village of Poonch district here on Friday. An Army spokesman said during the 11-day educational tour, as many as 22 students would get an opportunity to visit famous historical monuments.

Bharat Darshan: Students, who were send on Bharat Darshan tour by the BSF, on Friday arrived in Jammu after visiting various places of historical and cultural importance in the country. Inspector General, BSF Frontier Headquarters, Jammu, AK Surollia welcomed the children. 

Radio drama festival ends: A two-day radio drama festival organised by the Radio Kashmir Jammu (RKJ) in connection with its foundation day concluded at Abhinav Theatre here on Wednesday. Shiv Mehta’s Dogri play “Haajri”, Makhan Lal Saraf’s Kashmiri play “Aakhri Aalav” and Hindi play “Shumarilal Ka Dukhaant” written by Chatterpal were staged on the first day of the festival.

Bicycle rally flagged off: A bicycle expedition was flagged off by Air Vice-Marshal J. Chauhan, Air Officer Commanding, Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday. The expedition will cover 267 km, passing through Udhampur, Jammu, Kathua, Pathankot and Jalianwala Bagh in Amritsar. The team was led by Flying Officer Pankaj Borkar, a helicopter pilot. 

Debate on AIDS: The Bee Enn Charitable Society organised a debate on AIDS at Bee Enn College of Nursing here on Thursday. Students from different schools participated in the event.