The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

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PUNJAB

Bathinda
Anganwari workers stage protest: Under the banner of the Anganwari Mulazam Union, Punjab (CITU), Anganwari workers held a protest outside the Mini-secretariat here on Tuesday. Led by president of the union Usha Rani, they protested against non-implementation of their demands, which the state government has already accepted. Bathinda tehsildar Avtar Singh received a memorandum to forward it to the authorities concerned.

Chandigarh
Frisking of Indian envoy flayed: The Shiromani Akali Dal MP from Bathinda, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, today called upon the Centre to undertake a diplomatic initiative to put a decisive end to cases of assaults on Sikh symbols in several parts of the world. She was reacting to the incident involving Indian diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri, who was asked to remove his turban during an airport ‘pat-down’ search in the US. She described the incident as “an outrage not just against Sikh religious sentiments but against all civilised norms of conduct”.

Jalandhar
Pensioners Day: The All-India Central Government Pensioners Association would celebrate Pensioner’s Day on December 17. Scores of pensioners of central and state governments would participate in the celebrations. Secretary General of the association, V.K. Jolly said that the pensioners would pay respects to the judiciary for a landmark judgment, which was delivered 28 years by the Supreme Court.

PTU seminar: A two-day seminar on ‘Integrating human values in technical education’ organised by the Punjab Technical University concluded on the campus of Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology here. Principal Secretary Technical Education Suresh Kumar stressed on the purity of thoughts and conduct in real life. He endorsed the inclusion of the subject as a part of the curriculum from the next session. Addressing the gathering, Dr Rajeev Sangal from International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, said that their experiment on inclusion of a human values course had proven to be a great success as it helped the students differentiate between values and superficial life. He also stressed that it had helped the students adopt a more rational, universal and humanistic approach.

2.5ºC at Adampur: Adampur remained the coldest in the plains with the maximum of 2.5º C followed by Amritsar and Bathinda, which recorded a low of 5.5º C. The mercury is on a constant decline in the region with extreme cold conditions in the morning and evening hours. Chandigarh remained at a low of 5.6º C while Pathankot recorded a low temperature of 6.2º C. In the upper reaches, Jammu recorded a minimum of 8.4º C. Mercury dipped at Udampur and recorded a low of 3.7º C. While Srinagar saw a freezing low temperature of minus 3.5º C bringing a normal life to a halt.

Moharram: The Muslim National Front, Punjab, would organise a grand procession in the city on December 17 to observe Moharram held in the memory of the sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain. Front president Syed Yaqub Hussain Naqvi would lead a procession while the main function would be held at Dargah Baba Qadri, Nakodar chowk in the city.

Dharminder lifts World Bodybuilding trophy: Gym instructor of Lovely Professional University, Dharminder Singh, has brought laurels by being declared as the World Champion-2010 in the World Fitness and Bodybuilding Championship-2010 held in Republic of Slovakia. Competitors from 92 countries from across the world participated in the event. He grabbed a gold medal in weight category 95 kg fighting against 42 strong rivals.

Ludhiana
CITU dharna on Dec 19:The Center of Indian Trade Union (CITU) will hold a rally and later organise a march in the city in protest against the “anti-labour” policies of the government on December 19. Jatinder Pal Singh, district president, CITU, said the government promised to transform the state into California but things were totally different here. “Workers here are given meager salaries, while in neighboring states workers got higher wages,” he said.

Phagwara
Best price market: All 11 cooperative societies of the subdivision would soon be connected with best price market to facilitate the farmers to fulfill their agricultural needs on wholesale prices, said SDM Amarjit Paul while addressing a Subdivisional Level Advisory Committee meeting held here today. He said Agro Service Centres were being run by all the cooperative societies. The SDM said loans worth Rs 76.62 lakh had been provided to 330 women under Mai Bhago Istri Sashktikaran Scheme in the subdivision.

DSP issues instructions for marriage palaces: Phagwara DSP Sandeep Sharma has instructed marriage palace owners to take all necessary preventive measures to prevent any mishap. In a meeting with marriage palace owners held here, DSP Sharma instructed the marriage palace owners to make adequate arrangements of parking of vehicles to prevent any mishap and to install CCTV cameras in their palaces for the security measures. The DSP also advised them not to allow anybody to use weapon in their premises.

‘Punjab Bandh’: The newly formed Dalit Organisations Coordination Committee, Punjab, has given a call for “Punjab Bandh” on December 17 in protest against the excesses committed on Dalits in Dhilwan recently. Committee member Ashok Kultham told mediapersons after the first meeting of the committee here on Tuesday. He claimed that the bandh would be observed peacefully.

Purse snatched: Motorcycle-borne miscreants snatched a purse, containing cash and valuables, from a schoolteacher, Ramandeep, in Mohalla Guru Nanak Pura in Goraya in Phillaur subdivision on Tuesday. The victim raised an alarm, but the robbers fled away. A case has been registered.

Sweet shop burgled: A sweet shop was burgled at nearby Panchhat village on Monday night. According to reports received here on Tuesday, burglars entered Saini Sweet Shop and decamped with valuables goods. The Rawalpindi police has registered a case.

Robbers’ gang busted: The police busted a gang of robbers and arrested four members, identified as Shama of Dakoha, Harpreet of Nangal Shama, Rajinder Kumar of Talhan and Satnam Singh of New Paragpur under Section 382 of the IPC today. All the robbers were wanted in dozens of robbery cases, committed in different towns of various districts. The police has recovered looted gold ornaments and few mobile phones.

Phillaur
One booked: The police booked Kaaji of nearby Bhodey village in Jalandhar for producing illicit liquor today. DSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said the accused managed to escape by jumping in the Sutlej and swam over to the other side of the river on seeing the police party. The police seized quintal of lahan, meant to prepare liquor, from the site. A case under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act has been registered.

HARYANA

Chandigarh
Energy conservation award: Haryana has bagged the first position in in the “best states” category for excellent performance in energy conservation programmes for the year 2010. Haryana is the only state to have bagged the National Award for Energy Conservation for three consecutive years. The award was received by Additional Director, Renewable Energy Department and HAREDA, BS Yadav, from Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde at the National Energy Conservation Day function at New Delhi today. Various steps taken by the Department of Renewable Energy and HAREDA has resulted in the saving of 165 MW of electricity during the year 2009-10. The Haryana government had announced a five-year energy conservation action plan in December, 2007, with the target of achieving energy savings of 500 MW by the year 2012. So far, the energy savings quantified by HAREDA from 2007-08 to 2009-10 stand at 383 MW.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Dharamsala
Minor girl dies: A minor girl, Seema Devi, died when a Tata Sumo hit her at Dhaliara Khadd in Dehra this morning. As per information, Nathu Ram of the Udalhwa sub-division, Shra Basti, Bhinga (UP), who was at present staying at Dhaliara Khadd stated at the police station Dehra that the vehicle hit the girl, as a result she died on the spot. A case has been registered.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Jammu
All-India Inter-University Fencing Championship starts: Governor NN Vohra declared open the All India Inter-University Fencing Championship for Men and Women at the Gymnasium Hall of Jammu University here on Tuesday. In all, teams from 35 universities from across the country are participating in this three-day sports event as against 18 teams last year. The Governor honoured the players of Jammu University, who had won the overall championship at the All-India Inter-University Fencing Championship held at Punjab University, Chandigarh, last year.

Three found unconscious at rly station: Three persons, all residents of Bihar and presently working at Sopore in Kashmir, were found lying unconscious at the Jammu Tawi Railway Station here on Tuesday. The police said some persons might have given them some intoxicants mixed with some eatables, which they consumed and fell unconscious. They were taken to the GMCH by some passersby.

Srinagar
Global Peace team meets Lt-Gen Hasnain: A peace mission of Gandhi Parikrama for Global Peace met Chinar Corps Commander Lt-Gen SA Hasnain on Tuesday and expressed its earnest desire for peace in Kashmir. The 25-member delegation comprising eight Kashmir residents and others from all over India, inspired by the Gandhian, Nirmala Deshpande, came with a message of tolerance, acceptance, secularism and peace. The Corps Commander stressed on peace and non-violence as the essence of development. The recent incidents in the Valley were minor aberrations. “Kashmir is undoubtedly, the crown of India,” Lt-Gen Hasnain said.