R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar/Sriganganagar
Comedians enthral all: The Great Indian Laughter Challenge stars Pratap Singh Faujdaar (Punjab) and Mahavir Guddu (Haryana) entertained those who had thronged the Peelibanga, native village of comedian Khayali Saharan recently. Krishan Kumar Ashu, a writer from Sriganganagar and Rajasthani literate Ram Swarup Kisan from Parleeka were honoured with Chaudhary Daulat Ram Sahitya award. The awards were presented by sarpanch Bahadur Ram Saharan. Manav Chaudhary (7), not only joined his father Khayali Saharan in enthralling the huge gathering but also trounced the latter in comedy.

Comedian Khayali Saharan (second from left) honours writer and poet Krishan Kumar during a show in village Peelibanga. A Tribune photograph

TSU workers to stage dharna: The Technical Services Union (TSU) has decided to join the farmers and trade unions in staging a dharna outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner at Muktsar on Monday to protest against privatisation of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB). Circle level conference would be held on May 19 at Gidderbaha, home segment of the state finance minister. On June 7, rally and demonstration in Moga has also been planned.

Bar Assn office-bearers: Narinder Kumar Garg, RS Phore, Rakesh Bhateja and Surinder Singh have taken over as president, secretary, joint secretary and cashier of the Abohar Bar Association, former president Sukhpal Singh Sidhu informed recently.

Cheques distributed: The heads of 64 BPL families were handed over cheques worth Rs 35,000 each to construct houses by Balluana MLA Gurtej Singh Ghuriana during the brief functions held at village Dutaranwali and Seetogunno recently. Punjab Mandi Board director Sanjeev Godara was also present. Ghuriana said free electricity meters had so far been provided to 4,000 Dalit families in the Balluana segment. 

KHARAR
HR summit: Punjab Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Medical Education and Research Tikshan Sood called for complete change of education system in order to build a society ready to face challenges in present times. Speaking at the Human Resource Summit organised by Rayat-Bahra group in association with Punjab Infotech, Sood said the system was designed to produce babus rather than to impart life skills. Sood also released an inaugural issue of Edge, house journal of the Rayat-Bahra Group of Institutes. The day-long summit on human resource for knowledge industry brought together leaders from industry, academia and government.

Phillaur
Motorcyclist killed: One motorcyclist Lal Chand was killed on the spot after being hit by a speeding jeep near Phillaur on Sunday. A case was registered zeep impounded. The body was sent to Phillaur Civil Hospital for the post-mortem examination.

CHANDIGARH

Celebrated: Aavahan, a city-based NGO celebrated its second anniversary with the children of Alternative Innovative Education (AIE) centres of Sarv-Shiksha Abhiyaan allotted to the NGO under the Partnership Initiative Programme of Chandigarh administration at Government High School, Sector 35. Volunteers organised an interactive session with the children to enhance their communication skills. Children were trained and encouraged to come forward and introduce themselves. A drawing workshop was also organised. Meera Sharma, president of the NGO, said more such activities would be organised soon.

PANCHKULA
340 donate blood: A blood donation camp was organised by Sant Nirankari Mandal at Sant Nirankari Satsang Bhawan, Sector 9, here on Sunday in which about 340 persons donated blood. A team of doctors and medical workers from the PGI, Chandigarh conducted the camp. Chief guest on the occasion Pawan Kumar Bansal, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources, said people should follow the teachings of Nirankari Baba Hardev Singh Ji. He said people should come forward to contribute for society and the nation.

3 held in suicide case: The police has arrested three persons in connection with the suicide committed by a driver Ramesh (30) at Nada village on Saturday. Those arrested have been identified as Surinder Kaur, deceased’s wife, Hansraj and Savitri Devi, brother-in-law and mother-in-law, respectively. However, the fourth accused Ram Singh, brother-in-law managed to flee. The police has registered the case under Section 306 of the IPC at the Chandimandir Police Station. According to the police, Surinder Kaur had an argument with her husband two days ago. It was found that Surinder used to torture her husband mentally and physically. He said yesterday morning she had called her mother and brothers and started beating them mercilessly. However, Ramesh managed to escape from the house and during the chase, he jumped into the well to save his life.

HARYANA

BHIWANI
Illegal mining: District Magistrate Ramesh Verma has promulgated Section 144 in the district to stop illegal mining and asked the SDMs of Dadri, Loharu and Tosham subdivisions to take legal steps in this regard. The administration had received reports of illegal mining by some anti-social elements whereas the High Court has already banned the mining works from February 28 till further orders. He said the teams had been asked to seize and impound Pockland machines they found running in the crushing zone or mining areas during raids and take legal action against the accused. 

NH-65 to be repaired: Bhiwani-Mahendragarh MP Shruti Choudhry said in view of the prevailing difficulties being faced by commuters at National Highway 65, she had apprised to Central Surface Transport Minister Kamalnath of the dilapidated condition of the road and had demanded repair of the road. Chaudhary said the ministry had passed the estimate of Rs 394.79 lakh to lay upper layer on the road and to repair the 213 to 231 km part falling in Haryana. The layer would be laid again from 212 to 230.5 km and it would be strengthened. 

CHANDIGARH
Power for dhanis: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said on Saturday that the state government had decided to provide electricity to every un-electrified dhani inhabited by more than 10 persons. There are 7,258 such dhanis in the state. The Chief Minister said the state government had decided to provide electricity to these dhanis from the rural domestic feeders instead of agriculture feeders at a cost of Rs 113 crore. With these dhanis being connected to rural domestic feeders, their residents would get power for 10 to 12 hours a day. The decision meets a long-standing demand of those living in dhanis.

Quota for women in panchayat poll: As many as 14,256 posts of panch, 1,322 posts of sarpanch, 617 posts of members of panchayat samiti and 84 posts of zila parishad member have been reserved for women in the panchayat elections scheduled to be held on June 6 and 12.The maximum number of posts of sarpanch reserved for women were from Bhiwani district. As many as 157 women sarpanches would represent the Panchayati Raj Institutions from the district.Similarly, 139 women sarpanches would be elected from Ambala, 36 from Faridabad, 80 from Fatehabad, 82 from Jhajjar, 101 from Jind, 87 from Kaithal, 126 from Kurukshetra, 121 from Mahendragarh, 94 from Mewat, 82 from Palwal, 110 from Sirsa and 109 from Sonepat

KARNAL
4 held while playing satta: The city police on Friday busted a cricket betting racket operating from a vacant flat near Namaste Chowk during Twenty-20 semifinal match between Australia and Pakistan and nabbed four persons. A police team led by Sub-Inspector Roshan Lal raided the premises and arrested Sanjay, Sanjeev, Kuldeep and Devinder Singh. The police recovered a car, a colour TV, 50 mobile phones, 10 mobile chargers, a Dish TV setup box, system board, two line boards, two calculators and cash amounting Rs 50,000. A case under the Gambling Act has been registered. 

KAITHAL
Gang of thieves busted: The crime branch of the district police has busted a gang of thieves and recovered electric wires and parts worth Rs 5.51 lakh stolen from as many as 26 transformers. Two vehicles used by the accused were also seized. The police has arrested accused Mohinder Singh of Narar village and Subhash of Pabnawa with the stolen material. Two scrap dealers were also arrested, who used to purchase stolen goods from the accused. All accused had been sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court. 

REWARI
1 killed in fire: Malkhan Singh, who received severe burn injuries in a fire incident, succumbed to his injuries at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital on Saturday. Six others, who were injured in the incident, have been battling for their lives in Delhi. All seven persons were burnt in a fire that broke out when a mini-gas cylinder of a burning lamp burst at Jhabua village, near Bawal, on Friday night. The injured include Zile Singh, his cousin Kapoor Singh, sweetmeat maker Davender Singh and his three co-workers, all residents of Agra district of Uttar Pradesh.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Jammu
Students demand  conveyance, block road: A large number of students of Reasi on Saturday protested against the failure of the authorities to arrange conveyance for them during school hours. Fed up with the repeated promises of the authorities concerned, the students joined by some villagers blocked the Jammu-Pouni road, near Talwara, and shouted slogans against the government. After getting information about the blockade, senior police officers rushed to the spot and pacified the students. The police officers assured the students that some buses would be deputed especially on this road for students from Monday.

Srinagar
Kokernag-Innshen bus service begins: Minister for Roads and Building GM Saroori on Saturday flagged off the first-ever bus service from Kokernag to Innshen. Speaking on the occasion, Saroori said this road would bring the people of Kishtwar and Anantnag close and also pave the way for ensuring timely supply of essentials to the residents of Innshen at reasonable rates. He said an amount of Rs 4.50 crore had been spent on the road so far and efforts would be made to keep the road open round the year. The minister said the people of Innshen were without bus facility even after 63 years of independence of the country.