Amritsar
Office-bearers: Pankaj Kumar was elected the president of the Hotel Restaurant Welfare Association here today. Other officer-bearers are JS Wadhawa-senior vice-president; Harbans Singh-general secretary; Rishi Sharma-vice-president, Surinder Singh-chief patron, Charanjeet Singh Chadha and Gurjinder Singh-patrons of the association. Meanwhile, the following have been elected officer-bearers of the newly formed Tourist Guide Association of Amritsar. President: Gurinder Singh Johal; senior vice-president: Narinder Happy; general secretary: Paramjeet Singh.

Batala
100 donate blood: One hundred followers of Maharaj Darshan Dass donated blood at a camp organised at Sachkhand Nanak Dham on the Amritsar-Jalandhar bypass here today. The camp was organised under the supervision of Maharaj Tarlochan Dass, the eldest son of Maharaj Darshan Dass who sacrificed his life for Hindu-Sikh unity. A team of doctors comprising Dr Sanjeev Bhalla of the Civil Hospital, Batala, and Dr Kuldeep Singh of the Civil Hospital, Gurdaspur, conducted the camp.

Hoshiarpur
Rs 15 lakh duped  by agents: Three persons were duping of Rs 15.85 lakh by travel agents on the pretext of sending them abroad. According to the police sources, Rajan Kumar of Palli village alleged that Jagdev Singh of Chakmirpur demanded Rs 3.5 lakh for sending him to Australia for which the former paid Rs 35,000 as advance along with his passport. Talwara police has booked Jagdev Singh under Sections 406 and 420 of the IPC and Section 10 of the Immigration Act. In another case, agent Bhagwan Singh of Tanda duped Bhupinder Singh, a resident of Bains Avan, of Rs 8 lakh for sending him abroad. In third case, Beant Singh of Nangal Khunga took Rs 7.5 lakh from Gurjit Kaur, wife of Manjit Singh of Miani, for sending her to the UK. The DSP probed the matter and on his recommendations a case against Beant Singh was registered.

2 booked for abducting girl: The Mehtiana police has booked Surinder Singh and Jassi, both of Bhungarni, for allegedly abducting 17-year-old daughter of Manjit Singh. They were booked under Sections 363 and 366 A of the IPC last evening. In his complaint, Manjit Singh alleged that his daughter went to the college at Chabbewal village on November 30 and was abducted by duo in the evening.

Jalandhar
IIA Punjab gets best chapter runners-up award: The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA), Chandigarh-Punjab Chapter, got the “Best Chapter Runners-Up” award at Lucknow recently. The award was given by IIA national president Vinay Parelkar on the valedictory function at the national conference, 2010. In a press note issued here today, IIA Chandigarh-Punjab Chapter chairman Surinder Bahga stated that the award was received by national vice-president Jit Kumar Gupta and chapter office-bearer Sanjay Goel. The best chapter award was given to the Chandigarh-Punjab chapter  second time in the 92-year history of the IIA.

MALERKOTLA
2-day seminar: A two-day national seminar on historical, cultural, linguistic and literary relations between Persian and Punjabi was inaugurated at the Malerkotla Club here on Tuesday. The seminar was organised by Nawab Sher Mohd Khan Institute of Advance Studies in Urdu, Persian and Arabic of Punjabi University, Patiala, in collaboration with the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language.

Mansa
Fashion show organised: Kapsons Krome, which had opened its retail outlet in Mansa recently, organised a fashion show today. Various models from Mumbai including those who walked the ramp at Wills Fashion Week, participated in the fashion show at DD Fort (Mansa), informed Akshay Kapoor, director of the company.

NABHA
Lawyers stage protest: The Bar Association, Nabha, had a total boycott of courts on Tuesday in protest against the decision of establishment of family courts at the district level. Protesting lawyers staged a walkout and raised slogans against the “faulty” policies of the government. Led by Gian Chand Mungo, president of the association, advocates also demanded funds for their chambers as given to other bars by the state.

Brothers killed: Two brothers killed in a road accident near Saholi village on Nabha-Bhadson road on Tuesday. The incident took place when Ranjit Singh (45) and Charn Singh (55) were going to Sadarpur village on a motorcycle to attend a bhog ceremony of their relative. When they reached a petrol pump near Saholi, a speedy Safari hit the motorcycle from behind and crushed them.

Nawanshahr
One killed, 18 hurt  in mishap: Meenakshi Khanna (30) of Amritsar was killed and as many as 18 persons were injured in a bus and truck collision near Malla Sodhian village at Jalandhar - Nawanshahr-Chandigarh highway here on Tuesday. As per the available information, the bus, on the way to Chandigarh, collided with a truck going to Jalandhar. SHO Behram Purshottam Lal with the help of the villagers got the injured admitted to the nearby Guru Nanak Mission Hospital, Dhahan Kaleran.

Flag Day: The District Sainik Welfare departent organised a function to mark the Flag Day here on Tuesday. Two veterans, Balwant Singh of Naina Bet village and Jodh Singh of Kahma village were honoured on the occasion.

Phagwara
People nab snatcher: Residents of Palahi Gate nabbed an armed snatcher, identified as Gurdip Singh of Khandwal village under Chheharta police station in Amritsar, who was fleeing after snatching a camera from a photographer, Lalit Juneja, late last night. It was learnt that the photographer was closing his shop when the armed miscreant snatched his camera and ran away, but people nabbed him. The police has recovered one .315-bore country made pistol and four cartridges from his possession.

Labourer buried alive: Bihari labourer Teju Mool was buried alive under sandy soil while he was working on laying of sewer lines in the local Sukhchain Nagar this evening. Another labourer Neej Mool sustained injuries but was saved. Both the labourers were working in a 10-foot-deep ditch when sandy soil fell on them. The injured labourer was admitted in the local Civil Hospital. SDM Amarjit Paul has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Bihari labourers drugged, looted: Three Bihari labourers were found drugged and in unconscious state in the local vegetable market early this morning. It was learnt that the three labourers were drugged and robbed by some miscreants who escape with their valuables and cash, the police said.

Two injured in clash: Two persons, including former PPCC secretary Chandon Ghai, were injured in a clash that took place near Goal Chowk here this afternoon. The injured were admitted in the Civil Hospital. The police has registered a case.

SAHNEWAL
Appointed: Rajinder Kaur Bulara, former Member of Parliament, has recently been appointed as senior vice-president of Women Akali Dal of Punjab. During a press conference she said that she would try her best to meet the expectations of the party and its commitments. As an MP Bulara had been instrumental in influencing various policy decisions framed for the welfare of her state. Bulara, with non-political background, had carved a niche for herself by becoming the MP.

Tarn Taran
Sweaters, uniforms distributed: As many as 60 students of Government Elementary School, Muradpur, were given sweaters, shoes and uniforms at a function organised jointly by the Red Cross and the Sarb Shiksha Abhiyan. Deputy Commissioner Khushi Ram was the chief guest and SDM Bakhtawar Singh presided over the function. The DC announced that all the 25 special students of the school would also be given uniforms, sweaters, shoes, etc. soon.