R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Punjab Day celebrated@@Abohar: The students enthralled the gathering by presenting folk songs, traditional songs, poems and skit during the Punjab Day celebrations at Abohar Polytechnic College here, informed principal OP Bhadoo. Chairman Sanjeev Middha was the chief guest on the occasion. — OC @@@@Financial aid for students@@Abohar: The Shashi Ahuja Charitable Trust has provided financial assistance worth Rs 1,58,500 to 84 financially weak students of Gopi Chand Arya Mahila College here, principal Dr Neelam Arun Mittu informed recently. The trust formed by Rajnish Ahuja, alumni of the local DAV campus, had decided to help such students to enable them carry higher education. — OC@@@@Ramandeep clinches tiltle @@Bathinda: The students of Dasmesh Girls College of Education ( Badal) won the overall championship of the Panjab University Athletics Meet Division ‘C’. They have won nine gold medals, one silver and one bronze in athletics. Amritpal Kaur bagged a gold medal in high jump, Gurbrinder Kaur in discus throw and shotput, Ramandeep in javlin throw and long jump and Shapinder, Ramandeep, Sukhpreet, Ripneet in relay race. Ramandeep Kaur was also declared best athlete by winning three gold medals. Principal Dr SS Sangha congratulated Sukhdeep Kaur, physical education teacher, other staff members and students.Notably, the college students have also won prizes in the inter-zonal level youth and heritage festival held at Guru Nanak National College (Doraha). Navjot Kaur was adjudged the best dancer. — TNS@@@@R’sthan to host youth fest@@Sriganganagar: Rajasthan would host the 16th ‘National Youth Festival’ next year. It would be organised in Udaipur from January 12-16, a sources in the youth affairs department informed. The festival would be focused on the theme ‘Sabse Pahle Bharat’. Over 5,000 contestants from all 35 states of the country would participate in the festival. The main function would be organised in MB stadium (Udaipur). Artists of national repute are expected to participate in the cultural evenings to be held from January 13-15 during the five-day festival. The state government had assured the Union Minister for Youth Affairs Dr MS Gill that the arrangements for the festival were in full swing. “We are confident that the festival would be unique and memorable according to the traditions of hospitality of the state,” CM Ashok Gehlot reportedly assured Dr Gill. — OC

Ludhiana
Distributed: Sushil Kumar Raju Thapar, a Congress councillor from ward No. 29, and Harmohinder Singh, Raikot MLA, distributed blankets, sweets, and cash among sanitary workers, gardeners, sewerage men and other staff of the corporation on the eve of Diwali.

Mandi Ahmedgarh
Animal fair: The two-day district-level animal fair will commence at Rayeean village on the Kohara-Machhiwara road on November 9. This fair will cater to the needs of people residing in localities falling under all subdivisions of Ludhiana district. The competition will be among 50 categories of at least 2,000 animals. Besides bearing the transportation expenses of the animals, the department will be presenting attractive prizes to owners of victorious animals. Minister for animal husbandry Gulzar Singh Ranike will inaugurate the fair and Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, chairman, Punjab Agro Corporation, will preside over it.

Phagwara
One hurt in mystery firing: Taxi driver Harjot Singh sustained serious bullet injuries on his mouth near Khalwara village on Thursday night. He was taken to a Ludhiana hospital in serious condition. SHO Sadar Ravinder Singh said the incident was still a mystery. Harjot of Pharala village and his two other friends had gone to a restaurant to have drinks and were returning to the village. The cause of fire could not be ascertained yet as the injured was unfit for the statement, said the SHO. On hearing the news of firing, a police party rushed to the spot and found an Indigo car parked abandoned. The police has impounded the car and investigating the matter.

Tarn Taran
Petrol pump looted: Four armed persons looted the Sri Guru Arjun Dev filling station, Balachak, 18 km from here last night and decamped with the rifle of the security guard and cash worth Rs 18,000. Balkar Singh, the security guard of the pump, in his statement to the police, said four armed persons came to the pump in a car at midnight and forcibly took his rifle and then took an amount of Rs 12,000 from him. They then decamped with Rs 6,000 from Pooran Singh, the salesman of the pump, who was sleeping in a room. In another incident, miscreants made a failed bid to break the ATM machine installed outside the State Bank of Patiala, Chabal, 20 km from here, last night. The armed persons fired in the air to threaten the employees of the pump. The city police registered a case under sections 382 and 336 of the IPC and 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. In another incident, the branch manager of the State Bank of Patiala, Chabal, in his statement to the Chabal police, said miscreants made a failed bid to break the ATM machine of the bank. The miscreants could cause no harm to the machine. A case under section 457, 380, 427, 511, IPC has been registered.

2 nabbed with fake currency: Gajjan Singh of Gandiwind Saran village and Lakhwinder Singh of Padhri Lavven village (Lopoke) have been nabbed by the city police for possessing fake Indian currency worth Rs 50,000. A case under sections 489 A, 489 B and 489 C of the IPC have been registered against the accused, said police sources here today. Sources said the accused were arrested from a naka point installed at the local Chabal bypass.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Jammu
Pak Rangers, BSF exchange sweets: BSF troops and Pakistan Rangers today exchanged sweets and Divali greetings along the LoC at the Ballard border out post in Ramgarh sub-sector of Samba district. Official sources said the BSF team, led by Commanding Officer OP Upadhaya and Pakistani Rangers, represented by Lt-Col Zulfikar Ali and Lt Col Shahid Raza met at the out post and exchanged sweets and Divali greetings.

Two drug peddlers held: The Katra police busted a gang of narcotics smugglers and arrested two persons here today. An official handout here said a police team seized 10 kg of charas from two persons near Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in the Karkyal area.Those arrested have been identified as Feroz Ahmad Hazam and Bilal Ahmad, both residents of Maltipura in Anantnag.