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PUNJAB

Bathinda
Sangat Darshan: MP from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday held ‘Sangat Darshan’ in Gill Khurd, Daulatpura, Ramanvas, Khokhar and Sooch villages of this district and heard problems and grievances of the villagers. She also distributed grants of Rs 25 lakh for development works in the villages.

Woman jatha to leave Takht Damdama Sahib on Sunday: A group of 61 women will depart from Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, for Salabatpura on May 16 to get the edict of Sri Akal Takht Sahib in connection with the Dera Sacha Sauda implemented. Malkiat Kaur Jagaram Tirath, a leader of SAD (Panch Pardhani) women wing, said in this group the widows of Sikhs who sacrificed their lives to get the edict implemented would also participate.

Privatisation of education in govt schools protested: People will not allow the government to privatise education in government schools at any cost. This decision was taken at a joint meeting of the parents of the children, studying in six schools of this district, farmers, labourers and political parties. The meeting asked the district administration to find a solution to the problem by holding talks with the agitators. District secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) Jagjit Singh Joga and others were present at the meeting.

Sirhind Fateh Divas: A function was organised to celebrate the Sirhind Fateh Divas at Sudesh-Vatika Senior Secondary School, Bhagiwander in Talwandi Sabo sub-division today. The teachers and students of the school participated in the function with enthusiasm. Students spoke on the life and contribution of great Sikh General Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. Chairman Vinod Khurana and Principal of the school Hardev Kaur Sidhu also spoke on the occasion.

Drive to distribute ‘Tulsi’ plants: The Bathinda Vikas Manch has launched a drive to distribute “Tulsi” (Basil) plants among the residents in the city. President of the Manch Rakesh Narula said that a large number of “Tulsi” plants would be distributed this year. Narula also appealed to the people to donate old spectacles for depositing the same in the “Spectacles bank” being run by the Manch.

Hoshiarpur
Liquor seized: Acting on a tip-off, the Mahilpur police intercepted a Mahindra pick-up jeep (PB-10BN-9513) at a naka near the bus stand at about 1.30 am today and seized 200 cases of country liquor from it. The liquor was being carried without any permit. The police arrested occupants of the jeep, Parshotam Lal, Parveen Kumar, both of Karimpur village, and Ramesh Kumar, son of Som Nath of Pojewal, under sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act.

Ludhiana
Memorial to Banda Bahadur: A memorial will be constructed at Chapparchiri in the memory of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. It will have fateh-e-minar, museum, and an open-air theatre, Hira Singh Gabria, tourism minister, said.

Phagwara
SAD (Mann) leaders rounded up: The police today rounded up two leaders of the SAD (Mann) --- its national executive member Jathedar Rajinder Singh Fauji and local president Resham Singh Pappi --- to prevent them from proceeding for Fathegarh Sahib to protest against BJP President Nitin Gadkari. Both the leaders were freed in the evening.

Dhillon is Phagwara SP: DSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh has been transferred from Phagwara to Phillaur as Phagwara subdivision has been upgraded with SP Kamaljit Singh Dhillon being appointed as SP, Phagwara. The orders to this effect were issued late last night.Meanwhile, DSP CM security Daljit Singh has been appointed DSP (Detective) at Firozepore, Kapurthala DSP Sukhdev Singh as ACP, Jalandhar. DSP Kulwant Singh, working as ACP, Jalandhar, has been transferred to Kapurthala as DSP.

Phillaur
Congress for White Paper: Congress leaders Santokh Singh and Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary have urged the Punjab government to issue a White Paper on its first three years in saddle. They alleged that the state had become a transit and delivery centre for drugs being smuggled from Afghanistan and Pakistan. They claimed that Punjab accounted for 20 per cent of the heroin recovered in the country.

Raikot
45 villages get Rs 21 lakh: In a move to upgrade the rural infrastructure and provide basic amenities to those residing in these areas, Jagjit Singh Talwandi, former chairman, Punjab Small-Scale Industries and local civic body chief Amandeep Singh Gill, besides others dispersed Rs 21.75 lakh grant for the development of 45 villages falling in this block. According to sources, the grants will be used for constructing new roads, submersible pumps and sewage line, besides, maintaining the old ones.

Zirakpur
Drugs seized: In a raid conducted by the health department on a number of medical stores here, intoxicating drugs were found from a store at Baltana Road here. The drugs were taken into possession by the department and legal proceedings against the accused shopkeeper were initiated. Drugs inspector Ramandeep Kaur said the inspecting team found 14 types of intoxicants, including banned cough syrup Fancydrill, Corex, Prexione and others worth Rs 4,300 from Ajay Medical Store in Zirakpur.

CHANDIGARH

MOHALI
Books distributed: Dr Dalbir Singh Dhillon, chairman of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), on Thursday stated that over 2 crore books had been distributed under the Sarv Shikhsha Abhiyan. The books have been distributed to over 20,000 schools of 224 educational blocks.

Panchkula
Clothes distributed: Volunteers of the Service with Smile Club and Shradha project of Hansraj Public School distributed clothes and other material to victims of the Mansa Devi Complex fire incident on Friday. Principal Jaya Bhardwaj said social concerns were of utmost importance for their school. School also runs special classes for the economically weaker students as a policy, she added.

HARYANA

Ambala
2 held for bootlegging: The Shehzadpur police on Friday arrested two Sonepat-based inter-state liquor smugglers and impounded a truck in which they were carrying 940 bottles of Indian made foreign liquor. The accused were smuggling the liquor from Chandigarh to Sonepat, police sources said. The police intercepted the truck at Patrehri village following a tip-off and arrested Satish and Parmod, both residents of Sonepat. During search, the police seized 940 cartons of whisky from the truck. Meanwhile, a report has been sent to the excise department.

BHIWANI
Inaugurated: Ranjeev Singh Dalal, DGP, inaugurated a two-storeyed building of local Civil Lines police station here on Thursday. Anant Kumar Dhul, IG, Hisar range, presided over the function.