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PUNJAB

Amritsar
Grants distributed: Gulzar Singh Ranike, Punjab Animal Husbandry, Fish Farming and Dairy Development Minister, distributed grants worth Rs 85 lakh for various development works in the Attari Assembly constituency during a sangat darshan programme here on Monday. He heard the grievances of 38 panchayats and ordered the necessary instructions to officials concerned present on the occasion. Cheques worth Rs 4.50 lakh, related to the Shagun scheme and pending since the previous government, were distributed during the programme.

Bridge inaugurated: Former Cabinet minister and president of the All-India Youth Akali Dal Bikram Singh Majithia inaugurated a bridge, constructed at a cost of Rs 1 crore, connecting Bhullar-Haans village and Chawinda Devi township here on Monday.

BATHINDA
‘VVIP road’: The ‘VVIP road’ in Bathinda district that connects the city to CM Parkash Singh Badal’s native village Badal is going to be four-laned soon. A Rs 62-crore project has been sanctioned by the Centre under the Central Road Fund Scheme 2010-11. It includes the widening of one more road of the Bathinda parliamentary constituency, that is the Barnala-Mansa-Sardulgarh-Sirsa road (101 to 119.70 km), commencing from the boundary of Barnala district to Mansa city. Issuing a statement, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal said on Monday keeping in view the demand of the local people, she was constantly pursuing these projects. “After the sanction, the state PWD have been asked to expedite these projects and complete their construction within a year,” she added.

Disability certificates issued: Differently-abled persons were issued certificates today during a special camp organised by the Social Security Department at the local Government Girls Primary School, Mall Road. A team of the doctors from the local Civil Hospital examined the disabled persons for the purpose. Assistant Civil Surgeon Dr Charanjit Garg said as many as 160 disabled persons were issued certificates at the camp.

CHANDIGARH
Sikh Environment Day: EcoSikh, an international Sikh group, that is involved in the preservation of the environment has appealed to gurdwaras and institutions across the world to celebrate March 14 as Sikh Environment Day. The EcoSikh has also launched a website for gurdwaras and Sikh institutions to register their participation internationally. March 14 has been selected, as on this day, Guru Har Rai had assumed the Guru ship of the Sikh community in 1644 AD. He is known to be a great humanitarian, who had special sensitivity towards nature preservation and animal well-being.

Dera Bassi
Medical camp:Sri Sukhmani Multispeciality Hospital, Dera Bassi, organised a free medical camp at Gurdwara Sri Guru Angad Dev Ji Patshai Duji, Anaj Mandi. A large number of patients visited the camp and were examined for various ailments. A free general check-up and health awareness talk was also delivered by experts.

Gurdaspur
Annual function: Vivekanand Blessed Senior Secondary School organised annual function on the school premises here on Sunday. The chief guest was SSP Varinder Pal Singh. Director of the school J.D Nanda was also present.

Netaji remembered: The Pt Mohan Lal S.D College for Women, in collaboration with the History Society (Gurdaspur Chapter), on Monday held a function on the college premises as part of the birth anniversary celebrations of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. College Principal Neelam Sethi exhorted the students to follow into the footsteps of the national icon. Prof Raj Kumar, president of the History Society, delivered the keynote address, while the ADC, R.P Singh, was the chief guest.

Jalandhar
Wrestling meet: A four-day international wrestling meet will be held here from February 9. Wrestlers from 17 countries will take part in the competition. Renowned wrestler Kartar said wrestling competitions in both Greco Roman style and freestyle would be held in the boys and girls’ categories.

Platinum jubilee: Devi Sahai SD Senior Secondary School, Sodal Road, celebrated its platinum jubilee on Sunday. Lieut-Governor, Puducherry, Iqbal Singh was the chief guest. President of the management committee Amrit Kumar Budhia and other members Chaman Lal Dada and Vinod Dada attended the event. Manish Bahri, Principal, read the school report highlighting the strides it had achieved in the past 75 years. Students presented a cultural show.

NABHA
Prisoner buried: The body of Nigerian prisoner Kouday, who died in the maximum security jail after suspected haemorrhage on January 17, was buried on Monday.The prisoner had died due to internal bleeding and the body was in mortuary since. The post-mortem was conducted in the presence of Nigerian Embassy officer Gabley as no one from the family came forward to claim the body.

Nawanshahr
Recruitment schedule: Under the ongoing process of recruitment of constables (male) in the Punjab Police, the eligible candidates have been issued admit cards at the ITI grounds here on Monday. Giving details, SSP Narinder Bhargav said the schedule for taking physical measurements and efficiency test had been declared. The candidates having issued admit cards from serial No 26001 to 26580 would appear on February 4, from 26581 to 27170 on February 5 and from 27171 to 27745 on February 7 at the ITI grounds. The reporting time would be 8 am.

Memorandum submitted: Activists of the Bharat Swamiman and Patanjali Yoga Peeth submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner for onward submission to the President and Prime Minister of India urging them to take immediate action to bring back the huge amount of black money deposited in foreign banks to strengthen the economy of the country so that it could be made a world power.

Cultural programme: B.L.M. Girls College organised a two-day cultural programme in the memory of college librarian Shubhchint Kaur and head of the political science department Jyoti Verma, which concluded here on Saturday. Prem Bhardwaj, general secretary, Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, inaugurated the programme and the concluding ceremony was presided over by Balbir Kaur, Director, Language Department, Punjab.

PATHANKOT
Power plant: Former state minister Raman Bhalla has welcomed Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s statement of setting up a 1,000 MW power plant here. In a press release, Bhalla said he had been urging former state CM Amarinder Singh and Gurdaspur MP Partap Bajwa to meet Shinde so that the pros and cons of setting up the plant in the vicinity of Ranjit Sagar Dam could be worked out in detail. In a separate statement, Bajwa also welcomed Shinde’s statement and said the proposed plant, if set up at Pathankot, would act as a catalyst in reviving the sagging economy of Majha in particular and the state in general.

Declamation contest: An inter-college declamation contest on drug de-addiction and HIV/AIDS was organised by Dr Sudeep Memorial Charitable Trust at RRMK Arya Mahila College here on Sunday. Punjab Science Education and Research Minister Tikshan Sood was the chief guest, while Ashwani Sharma, state president of the BJP presided over the function. Students of various colleges participated in the contest. Ashu, Raman and Rimpy got first, second and third positions, respectively, in the contest. Sood donated Rs 1 lakh to the trust.

Phagwara
Census duties: The SC/BC Employees Welfare Federation has urged the Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner to exempt the teachers of Census duties as the final exams of the students are going to be held within next two months. A deputation, led by federation president Satwant Singh Toora, met SDM Amarjeet Paul and submitted a memorandum in this regard.

Earrings snatched, store burgled: Two unidentified motorcycle-borne robbers snatched the earrings from Swaran Kaur in the New Satnampura locality on Monday. In another incident, some burglars broke into a “khad” store of Manjit & Co and decamped with Rs 40,000. The police has registered a case.

SANGRUR
One arrested: The local police has claimed to have solved the murder case of Mandeep Singh of Bhai Ki Pishore and arrested Teja Singh, a resident of the same area, in this regard. Sangrur SSP Harcharan Singh said Mandeep Singh (25) was allegedly murdered by some unidentified persons on January 27. During interrogation, the accused admitted to the crime and said he had killed Mandeep over the suspicion that he had given information to the police about his son’s alleged involvement in drug trafficking.

CHANDIGARH

Chandigarh
Nominated: Chairman of the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal and member of the Administrator’s Advisory Council Charanjiv Singh has been nominated as member of the Regional Direct Taxes Advisory Committee by the Central Board of Direct Taxes, New Delhi. The advisory committee advises the local authorities on various matters concerning taxes affecting the trading.

Human rights member: Jasjyot Singh, leader of local unit of BJP, has been nominated as member of the National Executive Committee of Human Rights Cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party by Sudhir Aggarwal, national convener.

Elected The following have been elected office-bearers of the Indian Dental Association. President: Dr Vidya Rattan; president (elect): Dr Gautam Munjal; vice-president: Dr Ramesh R Fry; Dr Gurvinder Singh Dhamija; joint secretary: Dr Sandeep Verma; treasurer: Dr Ashish Gupta and conveners: Dr Ashima Gauba and Dr Jagdeep Kaur.

Retired: Shobha Chopra, head of the history department of MCM DAV College, Chandigarh, retired today after putting in over 30 years of service. Apart from classroom teaching, Chopra headed several committees like Art Admission Committee, Discipline Committee, Reception and Hospitality Committee. She was a member of the Panjab University Undergraduate Board of Studies in History and the Faculty of Arts. She was the Dean, Students Council of the College.

PU professor dead: Prof AB Mukerji, former chairman of the department of geology, Panjab University, passed away today. He was a scholar and a researcher of international eminence.

USOL ex-head dead:M ajor Jeewan Tiwari (90), founder director of the University School of Open Learning (USOL), Panjab University, passed away after a brief illness. He was father of Prof Rupinder Tiwari, a biotechnology professor and Senate member, PU. The “kirya” ceremony will be held at Sanatan Dharam Mandir, Sector 14, on February 8 from 2 to 3 pm.

Mohali
Books given: A former senior vice-president of the Mohali municipal corporation Harman Preet Singh Prince today distributed around 1,000 primary school notebooks, basic learning charts, copies and pens among needy children at Jagatpura village. The former councillor was accompanied by the principal and office-bearers of various residents welfare associations of the town.

Sports meet at school : Vivek High School, Mohali, celebrated its third annual sports day at the Sector 46 stadium in Chandigarh. PK Singh, director of the school, took the salute as students marched past. The little ones participated in various races. A competition in tae kwon do was also held. Principal of the school Anuradha Dua proposed the vote of thanks.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Nurpur
Boy hurt in explosion: Baldev Kumar (14) of Indpur was injured when he came in contact with some explosive material in the nearby forest yesterday.According to DSP Hari Ram, a ball-shaped explosive substance exploded when the victim reportedly lifted it from the forest and started playing with it. He said the material was likely to be kept in the forest by some unidentified persons for hunting of wild animals. A case has been registered.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
Seminar on RTI Act: A seminar on the Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act was organised under the chairmanship of Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC), Shopian, MS Sood at Shopian on Monday. The function was organised by the district administration in collaboration with the Information Department. The DDC said under the Act, all officials were bound to inform the public about the day-to-day working of the government. The JK RTI Movement convener, Dr Muzafar Ahmad Bhat, threw light on the aims and objectives of the Act.

Arrangements for Eid reviewed: Arrangements for Eid-i-Milad-Un-Nabi commencing from February 3, were reviewed at a high-level meeting of officers at Hazratbal here on Monday. The Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats, Ali Mohammad Sagar, presided over the meeting. MLA, Hazratbal, Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr Asgar Samoon, IG, Kashmir, SM Sahai, vice-chairman, Muslim Wakf Board, Prof MY Qadri, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Meraj Ahmad Kakroo, DIG, Traffic, Chief Engineers and heads of department were also present.