R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
Sikh jatha leaves for Bangladesh: Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh on Monday flagged off a 217-member Sikh jatha for Bangladesh where it will take part in the celebrations to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. The organisers claimed that this was the biggest ever Sikh jatha headed to Bangladesh as 100 more members would join it from Bihar and Jharkhand.

SGPC panel screens Punjabi movie: A five-member SGPC committee on Monday watched Punjabi film, ‘Sadda Haq’. The SGPC had formed a panel after the film’s producer Nidhi Sidhu approached the Sikh body following objections by the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC). SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said he was yet to receive a report from the panel, but the panel members had told him that there was nothing objectionable in the film and the censor board was “unnecessarily raising objections”.

SGPC panel members watch Punjabi film ‘Sadda Haq’ in Amritsar on Monday. A Tribune photo

Chandigarh
Hike in DA for govt staff, pensioners: The Punjab Government on Monday announced to hike by 12 per cent the dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees and pensioners who have been getting their salary and pension on the basis of unrevised scales. Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa said the rate of DA had been enhanced from 139 to 151 per cent of unrevised basic pay with effect from July 1 this year.

Phagwara
Villager held with heroin: The police arrested Harjinder Singh of Sunnrra Khurad village and recovered 5 gm of heroin from him today.

Sangrur
Villagers protest encroachment: Residents of Ram Nagar Chhanna village in Dhuri tehsil on Monday started their indefinite dharna at the District Administrative Complex here to demand removal of encroachment from a street in the village. Led by Balwant Singh, the villagers alleged that a family from the village had encroached upon a part of the street. He claimed that the local administration had failed to remove the encroachment despite the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Dhuri SDM Rajesh Tripathi said the party possessing the land had moved the High Court seeking relief against the order.

Tarn Taran
Two injured in firing over land dispute: Two persons were injured in a firing incident over a land dispute at Booh Hathar village, 35 km from here, on Sunday. Among the injured are Sardool Singh and his sister-in-law. The police has registered a case against six persons, including brothers Kikkar Singh, Suba Singh and Mukhtiar Singh and Ajmer Singh, Kulwinder Singh and Jasbir Kaur. Sardool received bullet injuries on his leg.

Mother-son duo booked for cheating: The police has booked Harwinder Kaur and her son Bobby, residents of local Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, for allegedly cheating their relative. In his complaint, Ravel Singh alleged that the mother-son duo defrauded him of Rs 2.40 lakh on the pretext of recruiting his son in the CRPF.

CHANDIGARH

Chandigarh
Man shot at: One person was injured after unidentified youths, who were in a Scorpio SUV, opened fire at the occupants of a Mahindra Logan car at the Sector 22/23 lights at 10.30 pm on Monday. The windowpanes of the car were smashed and the accused fled the scene. Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred following a collision between two cars. The injured were rushed to a hospital.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Udhampur
Employment fair at Ghordi from Dec 6:The Department of Labour and Employment will hold a three-day employment fair at Ghordi in Udhampur district from December 6. Departments of agriculture, fisheries, animal and sheep husbandry, rural development, floriculture and horticulture will put up stalls to inform people about various employment schemes.