R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Bathinda
Dashmesh girls shine in volleyball tourney: Players of Dasmesh Girls B.Ed College, Badal, have won the Panjab University Inter College Volleyball Championship (Women 'C' Division') for the second time in a row defeating DAV College of Education, Abohar. These competitions were held at the PU campus from February 23-24. In this competition, 12 teams participated. Principal Dr SS Sangha congratulated Sukhdeep Kaur, physical instructor and her team for the marvellous achievement.

Book released: The Department of Economics of the DAV College, Malout, held a national conference on March 5. During the function, Dr RK Uppal’s book ‘Indian banking in globalized era’ was released by the chief guest, Dr RP Singh, president, IMA. Principal Baljeet Singh Bhullar congratulated the author.

Seminar held: The two-day national seminar on the topic ‘Emerging Socio-Legal Trends in Contemporary India’ organized by the Department of Law, Punjabi University Regional Centre, Bathinda, ended yesterday. Varinder Kaushik, head of the department, said 68 papers were presented. In the concluding session, Prof. Balwinder Singh Tiwana delivered the valedictory speech.

HARYANA

KURUKSHETRA
Postal ballots for KU poll: The last date for receipt of postal ballots for the election of two members from among the members of the governing body of non-government affiliated colleges has been extended to March 17 instead of March 10, said Assistant Registrar (academic) and Returning Officer, Kurukshetra University, Shakuntla Khattar.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Srinagar
Operate evening flights: Soz: PCC president Saifuddin Soz has sought the operation of Air India flights in the evening for the benefit of passengers and traders of the Kashmir valley. “The airport in Srinagar has all facilities. Therefore, flights can be operated in the evening also,” Soz told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. He urged the Minister for Civil Aviation to accept his demand at the earliest, a spokesman for Soz said.The calibration of instrumental landing system at the Srinagar airport recently had resolved the problems relating to low visibility, Soz added.

Geelani calls for bandh: Demanding the release of political detainees and an end to the arrests of youths, the hardline APHC chairman, Syed Ali Geelani, has called for a bandh in Kashmir on Saturday. In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Geelani sought the unconditional release of over 50 political prisoners, including Ashraf Sehrai, Masarat Alam Bhat, Asiya Andrabi and advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom. He said youths were being harassed by the police and security agencies not only in the Valley but also in other parts of the country.

DEHRADUN

3 abductors arrested: The three friends, who had abducted a boy following an old dispute from outside his house at Indra Nagar last night, were arrested by the police on Wednesday. According to the police, Baba was abducted by Vikas Chauhan, an Indra Nagar resident, Lalit Rawat, a Subhash Nagar resident, and Mukul Vishnoi, a Clement Town resident, at about 9:30 pm on Tuesday.

Cash recovered from 3 thieves: The three thieves who had committed a theft of cash and jewellery worth Rs 1.20 lakh at the Jain temple, Vikasnagar, last month were caught by the police on Wednesday. The cops also recovered Rs 1 lakh worth of cash and jewellery from their possession. The three thieves have been identified as Shaukat, Ishakh and Shanawaz, all natives of Sharanpur. The police said they had also committed theft at Patelnagar and near the ISBT in the past.

Kumaon
Don’t leave HQ during House session, officials told: Officials posted in Udham Singh Nagar have been asked not leave their headquarters during the forthcoming Assembly session. The orders in this regard have been given by District Magistrate (DM) BVRC Purshottam who has warned that the officials not following the orders will face stringent action. He has stated that the officials should desist from taking leave during the period when the Assembly session is on, except in the case of an emergency. The session is scheduled to begin from March 14. The officials have been asked to be readily available at the officials seats and keep their mobile phones on round-the-clock so that any information required by topmost officials in Dehradun can be provided to them instantly.

Rs 5 lakh reward granted for developmental works: An additional fund of Rs 5 lakh has been sanctioned for carrying out developmental works at Pandri Gram Panchayat in the Sitarganj area of Udham Singh Nagar. The fund comes as a reward from DM BVRC Purshottam for exceeding the booth target fixed for the administration of polio drops to children during the recent phase of the Pulse Polio drive. The authorities succeeded in administering polio drops at the booths to 651 children against a target of 340 children, thereby recording a drop in the administration rate of 192 per cent.

Class IX student dies in road accident: A resident of Birhaini in Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh was killed when his motorcycle collided with a tractor-trolley near the Hardaspur turn in Sitarganj on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Rajprit Singh who was a student of class IX. He died while being treated at a private hospital. The efforts of the police to persuade parents from not allowing their children to ride motorcycles before they attain the age required for obtaining a driver’s licence do not seem to be yielding results. The region has a number of children driving two-wheelers without wearing helmets and at a great speed. There has been no decrease in the rate of road accidents that are reported at frequent intervals in Haldwani and some parts of Udham Singh Nagar.

Rail services in Amroha hit by Jat agitation: The rail connectivity to the region has been badly affected on account of the ongoing Jat agitation in Amroha for getting reservation benefit for the community. The trains between Delhi and Kathgodam are running late and some of them have been cancelled in the past three days causing great hardship to passengers. The passengers have had to opt for other means of transport to reach their destinations. The Railways are looking at alternate routes for plying the trains on a regular basis so that the trains are not cancelled.

Drunk baratis thrashed by villagers: In a freak incident reported from the Jaiti area of Almora, members of a marriage party, along with the would-be bridegroom, were thrashed by villagers where the marriage was to be solemnised as they were in an inebriated state and causing mayhem. It is learnt that the bride’s father refused to give away his daughter to a drunkard and the party had to return empty-handed. It is learnt that the incident took place at Naugaon Birkhum where a marriage party from Nirai village had come for marriage. The bridegroom, identified as Harish Ram, fled along with his friends to save himself from the thrashing that was meted out by family members and guests at Chanar Ram’s house. Attempts by the panchayat at reconciliation proved to be futile with the bride’s father remaining adamant on not giving away his daughter to a drunkard.

(Compiled by Rajeev Khanna)