Bathinda
Rally against social evils: The Youth Welfare Federation (women's wing, Bathinda unit) held rallies at Shergarh and Phulomathi villages in this district against social evils like female foeticide and drugs. The rally at Shergarh was flagged off by Sarpanch Gurdeep Kaur from the Panchayti dharamshala. National Committee member Kuldeep Kaur Sidhu said social evils like female foeticide should be nipped in the bud. State Committee member Usha Sharma and Phulomathi Sarpanch Balwinder Singh also spoke on the occasion. 

Teachers’ union meet: The Punjab government aided school teachers union (Bathinda unit) today held a meeting and urged the government fulfil their various demands including payment of 15 per cent house rent allowance (HRA). The teachers also urged the government to pay their salaries on time and to re-start the pension scheme to retired teachers. Union secretary Nazar Singh Dhillon claimed that if the government did not fulfil their demands, they would stage protest.

One killed in mishap: One person died following a head- on collision between a Innova car and a truck near Baluana village on the Bathinda- Malout road. According to eye witnesses, the Innova car was badly damaged and a team of the Naujawan Welfare Society, Bathinda, extricated the body of the driver out of the mangled remains of the car. The driver has been identified as Parveen Kumar, a resident of Patel park, Abohar.

Teachers’ meet :The SC/BC Adhyapk Union, Bathinda has asked the state government to prepare the seniority list of the school lecturers in the light of 85th Amendment of the Constitution.This demand was made by the union at a meeting held under the presidentship of district president Swarnjit Singh here yesterday. 

Educational tour: The management of the West Point School, Koktapura, on Thursday organised an educational trip for the students of VI and VII standard to Delhi. The aim of the trip was to show the students historical places of the national capital. The kids visited Gurudwara Sheesh Ganj Sahib, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, India Gate, Lotus Temple and Parliament House. The students also enjoyed travelling by Metro train from Chandni Chowk to Pragati Maidan. Director of the school S. Himmat S Nakai said that the students enjoyed the trip very much.

FAZILKA
Pistols seized in Fazilka: Two pistols of .315 bore were found from a seepage drain near village Moolianwali in Fazilka sub-division late on Thursday night. As per information, military intelligence sources tipped-off police following which a joint operation was conducted in the presence of Ranjit Singh, SHO, Arniwala, under whose jurisdiction the area comes. At the time of filing the news, search operation was still on and security agencies were apprehensive that the seizure might have signalled the presence of a cache of arms hidden in the vicinity.

Hoshiarpur
Man held for murder: An aged person was killed only for Rs 100 by a person at Kakon village last evening. According to police sources, Balwinder Singh of Kakon village allegedly murdered his 85-year-old neighbour Gago Ram, son of Kirpa Ram, while the latter took out a handkerchief containing some money from his pocket. Balwinder, who was sitting near him, was under the impression that the handkerchief contained a larger amount. To snatch the money, he assaulted Gago Ram with a dagger and killed him. After murdering Gago Ram, he scaled the boundary wall of the house and escaped. Later, police reached there and somehow succeeded in arresting Balwinder Singh. A case under section 302 of the IPC has been registered in this connection. Balwinder Singh was today produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate who granted him two days in police remand.

Hoshiarpur
Fake agents: Joginder Singh, son of Gian Singh of Basoa has been duped of Rs 3.10 lakh by Lakhbir Singh and his son Gurpreet Singh of Dera Pathana (Gurdaspur), in the name of sending his son-in-law Harmit Singh and nephew Jaswinder Singh abroad. Lakhbir and his son neither sent them abroad nor returned Joginder’s money. 

MALERKOTLA
Ex-DEO fined: The State Information Commission has imposed a fine of Rs 24,250 on former Deputy District Education Officer and former District Education Officer, Sangrur, for not providing information on time to Ramesh Sharma, a retired teacher of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Dhuri. Showing a copy of orders to mediapersons here on Thursday, Ramesh said she had complained to the DEO regarding the malpractice of funds by the then person in charge of the school. Later, the DEO transferred the in charge and initiated a departmental probe into the matter. However, when she demanded a report of the probe under the RTI Act, they failed to provide information on time. 

MOGA
1 dies of suspected swine flu: Tejinder Pal Singh (30) of Moga town died of suspected swine flu on Thursday. He was under treatment at the CMC, Ludhiana. Meanwhile, two other patients, who were confirmed of swine flu, and another suspected one from this district are still under treatment. Dr Kuldip Singh, District Health Officer of Moga, said Tejinder was referred to the CMC after collecting his blood samples, but he died while under treatment. He said his reports were still awaited from the PGI, Chandigarh. “At the moment, I cannot confirm that he was suffering from swine flu”, he said.

Nawanshahr
Workshop on adult education: As per the directions of the State Education Department, the Government Senior Secondary School, Rurki Khas, organised a one-day workshop-cum-discussion on adult education. Parents of the students, panchayat members and teachers participated.