R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Bathinda
Adieu: Juniors bid an emotional adieu to the outgoing XII class students at a function held in the Good Shepherd Public School in Sriganganagar on Friday. The campus was given bridal look. Principal RK Wadhwa said, “School days are the best days in a person’s life provided you follow the instructions of the teachers.”

Balachaur
Balachaur normal: Normalcy returned to this township on Tuesday with the police arresting Shingara Rama from Kanganpur village. He was remanded in judicial custody till February 28. Shingara Ram, a Class IV employee with a bank, had allegedly tried to get some “objectionable” poster printed at a local press. He was confronted by Jaspal Singh, an employee with the press. The issue had turned into a caste conflict.

Batala
2 youths attacked:Two youths, Pritpal Singh of Dashmesh Nagar and his friend Dilpreet Singh of Dharampura Colony, were attacked by six to seven unidentified persons with sharp-edged weapons near Khajuri Gate here yesterday. A case has been registered under Sections 323 and 324 of the IPC. 

Chandigarh
Better ties with Pak welcome, says Capt: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday welcomed the improvement in trade ties between India and Pakistan. He said these were in the mutual interests of both the countries. He said while the country in general would stand to benefit with improved trade ties with the neighbouring nation, Punjab would benefit the most due to its proximity with with Pakistan. 

Info Commissioners sworn in: Punjab Chief Information Commissioner Ramesh Inder Singh on Tuesday administered the oath of office to four State Information Commissioners at Punjab Bhavan here. Those sworn in are senior journalist Surinder Awasthi, advocate Harinderpal Singh Mann and retired officers Narinderjit Singh and Ravinder Singh Nagi. The government had appointed them on December 23. However, they could not be administered the oath of office due to the imposition of poll code. 

Harike
2 poachers arrested in Harike: Two poachers were arrested on Tuesday by the wildlife officials and carcass of six migratory birds seized from their possession. Divisional Forest Officer Daljit Singh said the poachers had killed these birds by administering some poisonous substance to them. A case under the Wildlife Act has been registered against the two for killing the birds that include Grey Leg Geese, Gadval Shovler and Common Teal. 

Ludhiana
Efforts lauded: Appreciating the gesture of Roop Singh Roopa, former president of PAU Employees’ Union, in sponsoring the institutional membership of PAU farm magazine, “Changi Kheti”, for village libraries at Selbrah, Dayalpura Mirza, Bhai Roopa and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sports Club, PAU Vice-Chancellor, Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, said non-resident Indians should connect their native villagers with farm literature by establishing rural libraries. He said the farmers could get the need-based guidance for progressive agriculture through reading farm literature. 

Patiala
Jitendra clinchesTT title:Jitendra Kishore won the table tennis title in the above 60 category for the fourth time in the fourth edition of Masters Table Tennis Championship that concluded here today. Kishore defeated Ravi Dhawan from Amritsar to clinch the tile. In the women’s category, Dr Suman beat Manju Kaushik to bag the title. 

HARYANA

Chandigarh
2 IAS officers shifted:The government has transferred two IAS and one HCS officers. The services of Rajni Sekhri Sibal, Director-General, Haryana Institute of Public Administration, Gurgaon, have been placed at the disposal of the Centre for appointment as Joint Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries . RS Kharb, awaiting posting orders, will be the new Chief Administrator, Housing Board. Mukesh Kumar, Estate Officer, HUDA-II, Gurgaon, has been posted as SDM, Barwala, relieving Amardeep Jain, HCS.

DEHRADUN

Kumaon Briefs

Alva to inspect prisons: Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva would soon be undertaking an inspection of prisons across the state. The top brass in the districts has been asked by the government to get those prisoners identified who are old and sick and have applied to get their sentences waived or reduced. Women prisoners with children are to be identified as well. The District Magistrates have been asked to get the identification done on priority so that the exact position can be analysed with regard to the prisoners.

Truck driver accused of molestation:A case of an attempted molestation of a girl has come to light from the Balighat area of Bageshwar. It is learnt that a truck driver along with his two accomplices had allegedly gone on to abduct a girl, who had gone to distribute medicines in the Tuped area. The victim is a social activist. Sources say that while the three were trying to physically abuse her, she started screaming. Alarmed, the accused threw her out of the running truck. She was noticed by a group of schoolchildren. They reported the matter to the elders who in turn informed the Baijnath police about the incident. The truck driver, identified as 32-year-old Navin Singh, has been nabbed by the police and further investigations are on.

Woman commits suicide: A woman resident of the Charayal Suyal area of Haldwani ended her life by hanging herself from a ceiling fan. The deceased has been identified as 24- year-old Kiran. Wife of an Air Force officer, Maninder Singh, Kiran had been staying with her in-laws while her husband is posted at Pathankot. She was alone at the house when she resorted to the extreme measure. She had used her scarf to hang herself. The police could not find any suicide note near her body. The police investigations are on in the matter.

Man falls from running train: One person was killed after he fell from a running train in the Kashipur area of Udham Singh Nagar district. 54-year-old Ved Prakash was a Railway employee. He was a resident of Baheri Roshanpur. His body was found from Mohall Shivnagar. The police investigations are on in the matter, which is being assumed an accident.

Woman killed in accident: A woman was killed when a motorcycle and a truck collided with each other on the Rudrapur-Gadarpur road. Anita was riding a motorcycle along with her husband Pravin Kumar Khurana and her nephew when the vehicle met with a head-on collision with a tanker. She died while being treated at a hospital. She was a resident of Punjabi Colony in the Bilaspur area of Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh. The driver of the tanker fled the spot after the accident. The police efforts to nab him are on.

(Compiled by Rajeev Khanna)