Abohar
Kumbh Mela special trains: The North Western Railway (NWR) has decided to run Kumbh Mela special trains from Ajmer to Haridwar, chief PRO Lalit Bohra informed recently. The 02361 Ajmer-Haridwar Kumbh Mela special would be available from April 11-14 and later from April 25-28. The 02351 Haridwar-Ajmer Mela special would be available from April 12 to 15 and then April 26 to 29.

Free eye check-up camp: Nearly 400 patients were examined, 43 cataract operations performed and 28 of them were provided lenses during the three-day free eye check-up and surgeries camp that was concluded on Wednesday by Sarojani Naidu Health Welfare Society in the Civil Hospital at Khuikhera, Dr Shrwan Juneja president of the NGO informed. Former minister Radha Krishan and legislator Surjit Jiyani complimented the organisers for noble task.

TSU workers flay state govt: The circle committee of the Technical Service Union (TSU) during an emergency meeting here on Wednesday strongly criticised the Punjab Chief Minister for giving a green signal to the unbundling of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB). President Balwinder Singh, vice-president, Piyara Lal and secretary Om Parkash warned that unbundling would result in indefinite strike by the technical workers as well as non-technical staff.

Batala
2 arrested with stolen goods: The police has arrested two persons and recovered a stolen motorcycle, one LPG cylinder and one colour TV set from their possession.Talking to mediapersons here today, SHO Balwinder Singh of the Civil Lines police station stated that the arrested persons had been identified as Malkit Singh of Bhagowal village and Sahbi Basarpura village. The police has registered a case under sections 411 and 379, IPC, against the arrested persons.

Bathinda
Woman on fast-unto-death: Malkiat Kaur, wife of Sadha Singh, sat on fast-unto-death here on Wednesday in protest against non-acceptance of demands by the district administration of the displaced residents of Mehna Basti. Meanwhile, the protest being staged here by the displaced residents entered its third day on Wednesday. The protesters are demanding adequate compensation and plots for constructing houses. On the occasion, the protesters were addressed by the founder of the General Samaj Party Suresh Goyal and others.

Students hold protest: Students, led by the Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa), held a protest rally at the ITI campus here on Wednesday against lathi-charge by the police on the protesting students at Moga, registration of case against 11 students and arrest of nine students. Union leaders Sarbjit Singh and Sumit said the demand of the students to revive pass facility in all the buses was genuine. They also demanded release of the arrested students and cancellation of the case registered against them.

SBoP annual credit plan: Deputy Commissioner Gurkirat Kirpal Singh on Tuesday released annual credit plan worth Rs 3,525 crore, prepared by the State Bank of Patiala, lead bank, Bathinda, for this district for the year 2010-11. In the annual credit plan, an amount of Rs 2,121 crore has been earmarked for the agriculture sector and Rs 463 crore for the industrial sector.

Jalandhar
Old-age pension to be freezed: The district administration has decided to freeze old-age pension of those beneficiaries who have been found non-existent after an inquiry conducted by the administration in rural areas. Deputy Commissioner Ajit Singh Pannu stated this at a meeting of the Social Security Department. Pannu revealed that 4,037 beneficiaries were found non-existent across the district and an amount of Rs 1.40 crore approximately was transferred to the accounts of these beneficiaries in the last two years. He said the department had already recovered an amount of  Rs 80 lakh.

Ludhiana
Course: STEPS, the school programmes division of TCY, has launched its course module at four new centres of BetterThink in Ludhiana. Now STEPS will be available at BetterThink centres at Civil Lines, Jamalpur, Model Town and CMC centres, apart from the Sarabha Nagar centre.

Phagwara
No affidavit needed for deed registration: While implementing the recommendations of the Punjab State Governance Reforms Commission, the Punjab Government has instructed all officials concerned of the Revenue Department to stop the ongoing procedure of the compulsory attachment of an affidavit during sale or purchase of any land, said Phagwara SDM Amarjit Pal here today. He said no Registration Officer would seek any type of affidavit while registering any deed, only self-declaration would now be sufficient.

4 hurt in attack: Four occupants of a Maruti car were attacked and wounded by some unknown car-borne assailants near Saprod on the national highways between Phagwara and Chiherru this evening. Injured Varun Verma, Maruti car owner who was driving the car, his young wife Navita, six-month-old daughter Ishta and friend Munish were admitted to the local Civil Hospital. Varun told mediapersons in the hospital that he along with his family and a friend was coming from Lovely Professional University, Chiherru, when the assailants, who chased their car, attacked them with hockey sticks and other weapons. The car was badly damaged. A case has been registered.

Phillaur
6 booked for cheating, attacking: The police has registered a case under sections 308, 323, 420, 353, 148, 149, 120B of the IPC against six persons on the charges of interfering in police duties, attacking police employees and cheating the people. The police has arrested one of the accused identified as Kaka of Uchi Ghati village near Phillaur, while the other five are still at large. On the other hand some persons belonging to other groups alleged that they only stopped a police employee from eve-teasing a woman, but police started harassing them.

Sriganganagar/Abohar
Online railway complaint: The North Western Railway has introduced a system of recording complaints through SMS. Chief PRO Lalit Bohra said that for the purpose a dedicated mobile number 9001812000 has been provided. Passengers and other railway users may send their complaints and suggestions on this number which would be acknowledged promptly, he said.