R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

LUDHIANA
30 papers for trends in IT: Punjab College of Technical Education will organise a national-level conference on “Trends in IT”. The conference will be organised by the Computer Science Society of the college. The society is formed by the students of BCA /MCA and MSc (IT). Nearly 30 research papers of computer science students have been received from all across India. The conference will be inaugurated by the chairman, PMET, Wg. Cdr HS Gill. Prof R Kumar, dean computer sciences will deliver the key note address.

Lok Adalat settles 99 cases:The District Legal Services Authority today settled 99 cases involving an amount of Rs 75,42,547 in the Lok Adalat held under the supervision of its chairman SP Bangarh, Sessions Judge, Ludhiana. According to a press note, the authority had constituted 10 benches to hear the litigants.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
Academy launched: The RIMT launched Microsoft IT and Oracle Academy on its campus on Saturday. RIMT-IET Principal Dr Harsh Sadawarti said there would be an in-house training for the first and second year students. This training would aim at enhancing practical skills of students, he added. Experts will deliberate on VSAT, online learning portal in labs and personalised training feedback during the training. Learning material would also be provided to students, he added.

Nakodar
Jewellery looted: Unidentified burglars struck at the house of NRI Harbhajan Kaur in Ismailpur village near Mehatpur in Nakodar sub-division. The burglars decamped with gold ornaments and Rs 8,000 cash.

Nawanshahr
Theft at petrol station: At least 12 miscreants struck at a petrol filling station in Mubarakpur on the Garhshanker Road here in broad daylight on Saturday and fled with the Rs two lakh cash. According to the workers of Om petrol station, the miscreants with covered faces and carrying swords, baseballs and iron rods ransacked the petrol filling machines, car of the petrol pump owner, attacked the workers and took away the cash from the cabin. The incident happened at about 1.30 pm.SSP Narinder Bhargav said, “The petrol pump owner, in his statement, said the incident might be a result of the petty dispute, which occurred at the station few days ago.” The police had got some important clues and had started investigations.

Phagwara
Two die: Kamleshwar, a migrant labourer from Bihar, died due to snake bite at Kishanpura village. In another incident, an unidentified man was killed after being run over by a passenger train near Chiherru Railway Station.

RAJPURA
Accident victim dies: An accident victim, who received serious injuries on Tuesday, succumbed to injuries on Saturday. The deceased, Harminder, a resident of Ram Nagar, near Abrama village, in Rajpura, was on his way to buy some medicines on a bike when he collided head on with a tractor-trailer. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital, Rajpura, with serious head injuries. A case has been registered against the tractor-trailer driver. Police is investigating.

CHANDIGARH

Office-bearers:The following have been elected office-bearers of the Residents’ Welfare Association of Modern Housing Complex, Mani Majra: president — KL Aggarwal; vice-president — RDS Sahni; secretary — Dr VP Nagpal; joint secretary — JL Garg; treasurer — AP Chopra; and press secretary — Baldev Raj.

Appointed:Veteran leader Ram Vir Bhatti was on Saturday appointed the general secretary of the state unit of the BJP, Chandigarh. His association with the party goes back to 1993.In 1996 he was appointed the cashier of the Kissan Morcha and secretary of the BJP . He has also served as the chairman of State Disciplinary committee of the BJP.

Drive to ban polythene:In order to enforce the ban on the usage of polythene in Chandigarh, a surprise raid and drive was conducted in the Sector 26, Grain Market, by the SDM (East) and IAS (P) supported by the inspectorate staff of MOH (UT) and local police. In the raid, 232 kmof polythene bags and packing material was seized from various establishments and vegetable vendors and wholesalers. During the raid, five domestic use LPG cylinders, which were being illegally used for commercial purposes were also seized from the dhabas in the market. 

MOHALI
Free blood for 10 kids: Fortis Hospital announced on Saturday that it would provide free blood to 10 underprivileged haemophiliac children. This announcement was made by Col. Harinder Singh Chehal, director, Fortis Hospital, Mohali, on the occasion of the World Haemophilia Day. “We are glad to be able to offer some assistance to the underprivileged children and help alleviate some of their sufferings,” stated Col. Chehal. Dr Kuldeep Singh, head, department of transfusion medicine, Fortis Hospital, Mohali, said: “Haemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder that prevents the blood from clotting properly. In such cases, it becomes even more important that advanced techniques are used for processing/screening of the blood to be used for transfusion.” 

Canada POL: High priority occupation list (POL) of Canada is likely to be revised by May 1. Col BS Sandhu, CMD, WWICS Group of Companies, World Wide Immigration Services, stated this in a press conference on Saturday that those occupations, which were presently enlisted in the POL, may not find place in the revised list. “If an application is filed before May 1, 2010, it would be processed as per the present list and not the revised one,” he said adding that as Canadian economic recovery gains momentum, citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism minister Jason Kenney had launched consultations with national and regional stakeholders, provinces and territories and general public to identify Canada’s new and emerging labour market needs vis-à-vis the immigration influx.

Career awareness: Sahibzada Ajit Singh Institute of Information Technology & Research, Mohali, organised a career awareness programme at the college campus on Friday for the students of Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Manakpur, Patiala. Over 50 students from the vocational courses of mechanical engineering, electronics engineering and agro business engineering attended the programme. Dr JS Dhaliwal, chairman, SAS Group, said such programmes were organised to guide the students of 10+2 and graduation level about the education facilities available to them.

PANCHKULA
Cultural fest: The second day of ‘The Malhaar 2010’, a technical, sports and cultural annual function, started with a welcome song. Bhangra was performed by the students of Pharmacy College. Solo dance was performed by the students of Swami Devi Dyal Hospital and Dental College, BPT & BTech Institutions. Group dances were performed by the students of BEd, BTech & BPT colleges. A skit was played by the students of BTech. Play was enacted by students of MCA. The day was concluded with a rock show in which various college teams gave a rocking performance.

HARYANA

CHANDIGARH
Wheat stock limit: The state government has withdrawn the stock limit for wheat, which was imposed earlier. Stating this in a statement issued here on Saturday, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said now any dealer or producer would be able to stock any quantity of wheat, but retailers, wholesalers and distribution agents would have to inform the Food and Supplies Department after every 15 days about the quantity of their wheat stock. Earlier, the state government had fixed the maximum stock limit of 1,000 quintals for wheat on January 28. However, the limit was further increased on March 25 and now completely withdrawn.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Hamirpur
Man commits suicide: A person reportedly ended his life by eating some poisonous substance this morning. The police said Ajeet Singh, a resident of Jhaniara, who was working as a superintendent at Government Senior School, Sujanpur Tihra, was mentally disturbed for some time. He was taken to the regional hospital here where he died.