R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Gurdaspur
Pahra becomes acting chief of DCC: Senior Congress leader Gurmeet Singh Pahra has been appointed acting president of the Gurdaspur District Congress Committee. The president of the committee is former minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who is contesting elections from Dera Baba Nanak. Pahra was felicitated by MP Partap Singh Bajwa at a function held at Qadian today. Election observer of the AICC Khazan Singh was also present. 

Hoshiarpur
Two die in mishap: Darshan Singh and his wife Seema Rani died on the spot when a bus (PBO-7O-6227) hit their car (PBO-09M-0918) near Parolian village on Monday. Talwara police has registered a case under Section 304A, 279, 427 of the IPC against Madan Singh son of Gurdev Singh of Ram Nangal. 

Newborn found abandoned: A newborn girl was found in the fields at Lambra village on Monday. According to the police Yusuf Ali noticed the crying child in the fields. He informed the Mahilpur police who picked it up and got it admitted to the local Civil Hospital. It is said that some unmarried mother might have threw the baby in the fields. Police has registered a case under Section 317 of the IPC.

Jalandhar
Quiz contest held: The Bharat Vikas Parishad organised a national-level quiz competition, “Bharat Ko Jaano”, at Haridwar on January 7 and 8. Utkarsh and Muskan Garg of Class VII of Swami Sant Dass Public School, Phagwara, competed with 42 teams from all over India in the junior group and got second position in the quiz contest.

Visit to NGO: Students of Guru Amar Dass Public School visited Unique Home, an NGO, here on Tuesday. Maninder Kaur, Vice-Principal of the school, along with teachers Sukhbir Kaur, Inderjeet Kaur and Harleen Kaur and students of the school’s primary wing visited the NGO and distributed eatables and other items among the children there. Living in hygienic and homely conditions, the children of the NGO, were enjoyed interacting with the school students.

Blood donation: A blood donation camp was held at the Apeejay Institute of Management in association with NGO Pahal and the Civil hospital on Tuesday. Students and faculty members donated 100 units of blood.

Entrepreneurship: A day-long seminar on entrepreneurship was organised by the Entrepreneurship Cell of the DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology in collaboration with Punjab Technical University and TIE. Resource person, Deepinder Malhotra, managing partner, Pinnacle Legal LLP, spoke at length on mergers, acquisitions, private equities, share schemes and much more.

HARYANA

Fatehabad
Man gets life term for killing wife: Additional district and sessions judge AK Singh Panwar today sentenced Janak Raj of Bahbalpur village to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 for killing his wife by setting her on fire at Bahbalpur village in this district. The convict is alleged to have sprinkled kerosene and set his wife, Babli, on fire after a minor dispute on April 17, 2010.

DEHRADUN

DEHRADUN
Painting, quiz contests: To increase the awareness of energy conservation among the students, painting, quiz and essay competitions were organised by the ONGC Technical Services at Doon Valley Public School, Garhi Cantt, Dehradun, on tuesday. The theme of all competitions was “Save Fuel Yaani Save Money”. More than 150 students participated in competitions . The winners will be awarded prizes in February. —

Students participate in a competition during the Oil and Gas Conservation Fortnight at Doon Valley School in Dehradun on Tuesday. 

Shopkeepers visit MDDA office: Disgruntled shopkeepers, who opposed giving two metres of the remaining portion of their dismantled shops from Chakrata Road, went to meet Vice-Chairman and secretary of the Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) yesterday. Though they had an appointment, they had to return disappointed as no official was present in the MDDA office. The shopkeepers left a memorandum of demands there. 

Kumaon Briefs

Resentment over filth in Navin mandi areas
Farmers and functionaries are irked over the filth and squalor that prevails in the Navin mandi areas. In the absence of a proper sanitation mechanism, rotten vegetables and tomatoes, of which there is a glut, are being dumped into irrigation canals which have led to their choking and the filth spilling over onto the roads. The recent spell of rain has made the matter worse as there is a stench emanating from these rotten vegetables. The residents of the adjoining areas have threatened to launch an agitation if the dumping of rotten vehicles into the irrigation canals is not stopped immediately.

Probe into leopard trapping case
The Forest Department authorities have ordered a probe into the instance of a leopard being trapped in a barbed fence in the Gagar area. A case has also been registered and the Divisional Forest Officer, Mukteshwar, has been asked to probe the incident. The leopard had been found trapped in a barbed fence in the Ramgarh area on January 15. It was rescued and sent to a zoo in Nainital for treatment.

Two youths run over by dumper
Two youths travelling on a motorcycle were run over by a dumper in the Sitarganj area of Udham Singh Nagar district. The deceased have been identified as Kustkim Ahmed (20) and Jalees Ahmed(18) of Sirauli Kalan village. The accident took place at Amriya crossroads on Kitcha Road. The dumper hit them from behind. The driver of the dumper fled the spot after the accident. Investigations are on in the matter.

One held with 18 bottles of liquor
The police in the Lohaghat area of Champawat district have arrested one person and seized 18 bottles of country-made liquor from his possession. It is learnt that Bhupoal Singh Adhikari of Raingaon was arrested from Pithoragarh while he was waiting for a vehicle to take him home. He has been booked under various provisions of the Excise Act. The purpose for which he was carrying the bottles is yet to be ascertained.

(Compiled by Rajeev Khanna)