R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar

Four armed youths rob shopkeeper of Rs 45,000: Close on the heels of a robbery, in which an employee of a cloth trader was shot dead in the Khilchian area, another looting incident has come to the fore in which a shopkeeper was robbed by armed youths in Ajnala. The victim, Ashwani Kumar Mehta, a resident of Navi Abadi, Ajnala, told the police that the four youths were armed with sharp-edged weapons and took away Rs 45,000 from his locker. Mehta runs a paint and plywood shop at Chamiari Road in Ajnala. He told the police that around 2 pm, the robbers who were in their mid- 20s, barged into the shop and attacked him and his father, Yashpal Mehta. He said his cousin, Pawan Kumar, also reached the place after listening to the quarrel. Later, two more youths entered the shop and broke the lockers before taking away the amount. Ashwani, his father, Yashpal, and cousin, Pawan, sustained injuries in the incident. Sohan Singh, DSP, Ajnala, said the Ajnala police had registered a case under Sections 382, 323 and 34, IPC, in this regard.

Bathinda

Farmers seek subsidy on wheat variety: Demanding subsidy on the recently introduced wheat variety-HD-2967, farmers have accused the state government of planning a show of extravagance during the inaugural function of World Kabaddi Cup. Farmers alleged that the state government claimed financial inadequacy when it came to solving their problems but paid a huge sum to Bollywood actors for performing at the event. The HD 2967 variety of wheat was introduced in Punjab on a trial basis and is likely to occupy more than 80 per cent area of the state. This variety is approved by the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) and is also recommended by the PAU, Ludhiana. Despite claims of providing seeds of this variety at the subsidised price of Rs 810 for every bag of 40 kg, farmers are now forced to purchase the same for Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 per 40 kg bag.

Mid-day meal cooks meet Education Minister

Members of the Democratic Mid-day Meal Cook Front, Punjab, discussed their demands with Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka at the office of the Block Development Programme Officer (BDPO) on Wednesday. The minister was presented with a memorandum of demands. The Education Minister assured them that the scheme would not be handed to contractors in other districts of the state. He also stated that the matter of ending the contract system would be taken up during a meeting with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He stated that the state government could do little since the scheme was being run by the Central Government.

Chandigarh
Harinder Sidhu is Housefed MD: Housefed Managing Director Harinder Singh Sidhu has been elected president of the Punjab Cooperative Officers Association while Assistant Registrar Bhupinder Singh Walia has become the general secretary of the association.

Fatehgarh Sahib
National lok adalat on November 23: A national lok adalat would be organised at the district court complex on November 23. District and Sessions Judge Kuldeep Singh said lok adalats would be held in all judicial and executive courts in which hearing would be held in cases related to criminal compoundable cases, matrimonial/family cases, labour disputes, land acquisition cases and others. He appealed the people to file application with the Chief Judicial Magistrate if their cases were pending in any court. 

Patiala
SDM reader held accepting bribe: The Vigilance Bureau on Wednesday arrested a reader attached with the Patran SDM for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 in lieu of settling a girdawri related case of complainant Gurjeet Singh, a local resident. Bureau officials said Surinder Kumar allegedly demanded Rs 20,000 and the deal was struck at Rs 10,000 and when the complainant went to deliver the money, the accused was arrested with the bribe money. A case has been registered.

Cong against sale of govt land: District Youth Congress president (Urban) Karan Gaur has urged the state government to desist from selling Veer Haqiqat Rai ground, which is the largest in Patiala, for generating venue. Gaur said selling government land was not a permanent solution to the financial woes. The Punjab Infrastructure Development Board has asked the Patiala Development Authority to auction it. The land is expected to be sold for Rs 100 crore. 

Jalandhar

Admn gears up to make district smoke-free: The district administration has given final touches to an integrated plan to make the district smoke-free from Christmas (December 25) this year by spreading awareness about the ill effects of smoking. It has been decided to launch a multimedia programme during the awareness fortnight from December 1. Deputy Commissioner Varun Roojam said it had been decided to seek the cooperation of NGOs, educational institutions, religious bodies and others to make the campaign a success. As a part of this campaign, educational institutions would work out awareness programmes, including skits, talk shows and other programmes, for students. Educative banners and hoardings would be displayed throughout the district and punitive action would be taken against tobacco vends selling cigarettes without displaying the mandatory warnings. Roojam claimed that instructions have been issued for intensifying the challaning of people smoking in public places. Issuing instructions to all hotels, restaurant and clubs to create smoke-free zones, the DC instructed the health department authorities to ensure the compliance of his orders.