R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Banur
Seminar: A seminar on public private partnership projects was organised at Aryans Business School wherein Dr Manoj Anand, a professor at Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, shared his experiences with students. Dr Manoj enlightened the students about needs, challenges, role and importance of public private partnership.

Bathinda
Office-bearers elected: Ruldu Singh was elected as the president of MES Workers’ Union, Bathinda, for the second time on Saturday here. The following were elected as other office-bearers of the union: Billu Singh – senior vice-president, Jasbir Singh – secretary, Gurmej Singh – senior joint secretary, Gulshan Singh – press secretary and Swaran Singh – cashier.

Spectacles distributed: The Bathinda Vikas Manch organised an eye check-up and spectacles distribution camp for the benefit of inmates of the Central Jail here. President of the Manch Rakesh Narula said spectacles were distributed free of cost among about 100 jail inmates on the occasion. Eyes of many inmates were also checked.

Mind management camp: Activists of the Brahmakumari Ishwariya Vishvidyalya are organising a camp on tension and mind management at the Indira Palace, Kotkapura, from April 25 to May 6. In a press release, the activists stated that Brahmakumari Poonam, a member of the Brahmakumari academy, Mount Abu, would conduct the programmes.

Fee hike condemned: Activists of the Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa) have condemned the decision of the state government to effect 10 per cent hike in the tuition fee of degree and diploma courses in all government engineering and polytechnic colleges from the next session. Issuing a press release, union president Pavel Kusa urged students to come on a common platform to protest against this ‘anti-student’ decision.

Dera Bassi
Grant: Congress leader Deepinder Singh Dhillon on Tuesday provided a grant of Rs 5 lakh from MP quota of Parneet Kaur to the government college, Dera Bassi, for its development. The grant would be used for the construction of a computer laboratory in the college.

Man dies at tehsil complex: A man died at the tehsil complex here on Tuesday. He had gone to the office of the naib tehsildar to get a will registered in the name of his sons. According to sources, Prem Singh, a resident of Aganpur, was suffering from cancer. Naib tehsildar Varinder Dhoot said Prem Singh was in serious condition when he came to his office. He said the will would be registered as the victim had given his statement before death.

Jalandhar
Rare brain surgery: Dr Pankaj Trivedi of Jalandhar has conducted a rare surgery on 20-day-old baby who was suffering from a disease called hydrocephalus due to accumulation of water in one part of the brain. Trivedi claimed the operation may be the first of its kind in Punjab as other doctors would prefer surgery only when the baby is 6 months old.

SC panel member: Former minister and Scheduled Castes Commission member Dalip Singh Pandhi today visited Nari Niketan and Boparai village and met the family of a rape victim in the village. After meeting the family, he said the commission was seriously following the case.

Seminar: The Doaba Homoeopathic Study Circle has organised a seminar on the occasion of 225th birthday of Samuel Hahnemann who is regarded as the father of homoeopathy. Nearly 150 delegates across the state and students from homoeopathic colleges took part in the seminar. A quiz on the scientific aspect and history of homoeopathy was also organised.

Power tariff hike: The Punjab Kisan Sabha and the Pendu Mazdoor Union have flayed the Badal government for increasing power tariff. Sabha general secretary Lehembar Singh Taggar and union president Tarsem Peter urged Punjabis to lauanch an agitation against the steep hike in power tariff and unbundling of the PSEB. Taggar said a state-level meeting would be held on April 30 to chalk out a programme of agitation against withdrawal of subsidised power to peasants.

Kapurthala
Body found: The body of a teenager was found floating in the Kali Bein in Kanjali here today. According to the police, passersby noticed the body and informed the police. The deceased was identified as Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Mohalla Jattpur, who reportedly was an addict.

Patiala
Biker held with opium: The police arrested a man for possessing 2 kg opium here on Tuesday. A police team led by CIA in-charge Jassa Singh was on patrol near the Patiala-Balbera road when it stopped a motorcyclist and seized 2 kg opium from him. The accused, Balkar Singh, a resident of Haryana, confessed to purchasing opium for Rs 40,000 per kg from Madhya Pradesh and smuggling it into Punjab. The accused used to sell the opium in villages near Samana for Rs 65,000 per kg.

PHILLAUR
3 robbers nabbed: The Bilga police has busted an inter-state gang of robbers and arrested three of its members, identified as Kulbir Singh and Jaspal Singh of Perewal village and Hukam Singh of Nandpur village, on Sunday. Phillaur DSP Kamaljit Singh Dhillon told that two .12 bore country made pistols and four live cartridges were recovered from their possession. The DSP said the gang members were planning to strike somewhere in Phillaur.

Protest: Tension prevailed in nearby Partap Pura village when a religious poster was allegedly found torn on Sunday. Several protesters belonging to Balmiki community raised slogans and demanded immediate arrest of culprits. SHO Jamshed Harjinder Singh rushed to the spot to pacify them and assured justice.

Snatching: Two unidentified motorcyclists struck in nearby Barrapind and snatched Rs 5,400 and a mobile phone from Roji, a resident of Shankar village, on Sunday. The robbers sped away after snatching the goods.

CHANDIGARH

Mourned: The Punjab Governor and UT administrator Shivraj V Patil has expressed grief over the untimely demise of Rajasthan Governor Prabha Rau, who breathed her last on Monday. Describing her as an able administrator, seasoned politician and a good human being, Patil said her contribution for national would be remembered.

Test: The India Commerce Association will organise an “All-India commerce and management talent search examination” for commerce and management graduates. The test will be conducted to help them find the right job in the industry at several cities, including Chandigarh, on June 6. Application forms can be downloaded from website icaindia.info.

Nominated: Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee secretary Rajeev Kathuria has been nominated as a ward member of the Municipal Committee, Chandigarh, for ward No 16 (Sectors 20 and 33).

Mohali
Poor results: Despite a student-teacher ratio of 12:1, the performance of Balongi High School has been dismal. Officials in the education department pointed out that since 10 years, the pass percentage of the students in Classes VIII and X had touched as low as 20 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively.

Probe into copyright violation: The SSP has marked an inquiry into the complaint of a Phase-XI singer, Vikram, who had sought the registration of a case under the Copyright Act against two persons — Makhan Singh and Bhupinder Singh Tubsy, both residents of the UK — for stealing a song from his album “No Parking”. In his complaint, the singer had alleged that his song “Lak Patla” had been lifted as such and added to their new CD “Sir Te Chatti”.

800 stones removed from bladder: Doctors at Cheema Medical Complex operated upon a 90-year-old patient, Ajmer Singh, and removed 800 stones that had occupied the patient’s urinary bladder. Dr Ajawant Cheema said after several unsuccessful attempts to secure a urinary outlet of the patient, Dr Harsh Kumar and Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia successfully undertook the life-saving supra pubic cystostomy. The patient is recovering from surgery.

Tercentenary celebrations: Commemorating the tercentenary of the conquering of Sirhind and establishment of Khalsa Empire by Baba Banda Singh Bahadur in 1710, the Shatabdi Purab Committee, SAS Nagar, will organise a series of functions till May 16. The events include “gurmat samagams”, victory procession and a light-and-sound show. Hardeep Singh, SGPC member and committee convener, said a commemorative coin would be issued by the committee and distributed among families of the town.

HARYANA

CHANDIGARH
Cong meeting today: The Haryana Congress has convened an urgent meeting here on April 28 to discuss the party’s strategy for the forthcoming municipal and panchayat elections in the state. According to party spokesman Ved Prakash Vidrohi, the meeting will also discuss the current political situation in the state. It will be addressed by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Pinjore
Annual day: Students and teachers of Kendriya Vidyalaya Group Centre, CRPF, Pinjore, on Tuesday celebrated the annual day function with enthusiasm. Principal, Dr Sandhya Sharma, read out the annual report and highlighted achievements of the school. Chief guest E Nirmala Raj gave away the prizes to the students.

REWARI
Merchant looted: Some motorcycle-borne armed miscreants looted Rs 9,000 at gunpoint from a local merchant, Subhash Chand, proprietor of Subhash Genral Store here, on the Garhi Bolni road here on Monday. Sources said when Subhash was returning home, the miscreants intercepted his scooter and looted the money from him. A robbery case has been registered.

SONEPAT
Sale of ripen fruits banned: As a precautionary measure against the danger of outbreak of diseases like gastroenteritis, cholera and typhoid in the district, District Magistrate Ajit Joshi has prohibited the sale of ripen fruits, ice-candy and uncertified water. In the orders issued under the Epidemic Disease Act, all medical officers, food, health and sanitary inspectors, block extension educators, district family planning officer, district school medical committees and executive magistrates can inspect any shop, market etc. to examine the quality of food and drinks.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
15 shops gutted: At least 15 shops were gutted in a fire in the main market at the tourist resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla district. The police said fire broke out in the shop of Haji Abdul Rehman Bhat, which engulfed the whole market. No loss of life or injury was reported. Troops of High Altitude Warfare School rescued the civilians and extinguished the fire.