R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
Akal Takht, SGPC hail Italian court’s verdict on kirpan: Akal Takht and the SGPC have hailed the verdict of an Italian court, allowing baptised Sikhs to wear the ‘kirpan’ at public places. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh appealed to the Sikhs in other countries to fight for their religious rights in a similar fashion. “They should build their argument on the basis of the Italian court’s judgment so that they too are allowed to wear their religious symbols,” he said. The SGPC chief praised the International Sikh Federation chief in Italy for fighting the case.

Barnala
6 get life term for murder:A local court awarded life imprisonment to six persons and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each for murdering a labourer. Two persons were acquitted. The victim, Harjit Singh (30), was killed in a clash at Kalal Majra village (near Mehal Kalan) in 2009. Those convicted are Sewak Singh, Tarsem Singh, Harbans Singh, Devinder Singh, Kulwant Singh and Prem Singh.

Chandigarh
Govt renames two cities: The state government on Thursday issued notifications renaming the holy cities of Chamkaur Sahib in Roopnagar and Machhiwara in Ludhiana as Sri Chamkaur Sahib and Machhiwara Sahib. An official spokesman said the government had taken the decision as a tribute to the martyrdom of Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, sons of Guru Gobind Singh.

Dasuya
Land dispute: 3 hurt in firing:Three persons were hurt when around 40 people stormed Sehrak village and started firing indiscriminately. The injured were taken to the Civil Hospital. Davinder Kumar said his family owned 8 acres of land in the village, but a resident of Chhanniyan village was trying to grab it. His brother Ramesh Kumar, Rajiv Kumar and Pankaj received bullet injuries.

Tarn Taran
Farmers' arrest flayed:Activists of the Kisan Sangharsh Committee (KSC), Punjab, burnt an effigy of the state government in protest against the arrest of 34 farmers of Pandori Ran Singh village. They were arrested on Wednesday for opposing the move of the power corporation to shift electricity meters out of their premises. Satnam Singh Pannu, state president, KSC, said they would launch an agitation if the farmers were not released.

HARYANA

Panipat
Youth caught with smack: The district policetoday arrested a man with 4.5 gm smack at the Khatik Basti Mor. The accused, Karnail, has been booked under Section 21 of the NDPS Act at the Chandni Bagh police station.

Fatehabad
Computer operator held for graft: A State Vigilance Bureau team today arrested a computer operator of Tehsil Office at Bhattu Kalan while receiving a bribe of Rs 2,000. Inspector Bhupender Sharma said a case had been registered against Mahinder Kumar. A farmer, Rakesh, had lodged a complaint with the SVB that Mahinder had demanded Rs 2,000 as bribe for issuing him a copy of mutation of his land.

Chandigarh
Bus service for girl students:Minister of State for Transport Karan Dev Kamboj has ordered the introduction of four buses of Haryana Roadways on different routes. He said a special bus service would be introduced between Karnal and Kunjpura only for girl students.

Recruitment of teachers soon:Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said the Haryana Staff Selection Commission would soon start recruitment of teachers on a large scale. He said the government would take Swami Ramdev’s help in promoting Sanskrit and yoga.

43 lakh tonne paddy arrives:More than 43.45 lakh tonne of paddy have arrived in the state mandis so far. A spokesperson of the Haryana Food and Supplies Department said of this, over 29.64 lakh tonne had been bought by government procurement agencies.

Karnal
CM named Trust member:The Panchnad Samarak Trust on Wednesday nominated Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar as its trustee. Swami Ramanand Achayra Hansdev, chief patron of the trust, and patron Swami Dharamdev said the trust would organise a function at Panipat on November 28 to felicitate Khattar.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Principal Rajender Pathyarch with his award. Photo Jai Kumar

Mandi
Principal gets award:Rajender Singh Pathyarch, Principal, Government Senior Secondary School (Girls), was conferred with the Rashtriya Vidhya Award. The award was given by the Economic Growth Society for India during a function in Delhi. The award was given for his extraordinary contribution to the field of education.

Nurpur
Man nabbed with charas:The Indora police on Wednesday nabbed an alleged drug peddler of Pathankot (Punjab). The police had set up a naka at Tibbi, near Kathagarh, following a tip-off. The drug peddler, identified as Balbir alias Beera of Andoyee village in Pathankot, came on a motorcycle (PB-06 M-4886) and on seeing the police party fled the spot leaving behind his motorcycle and a bag. The police searched the motorcycle and the bag and recovered four packets containing 800 gm poppy husk.

Shimla
Relief to fire-hit families:Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday provided 240 bed sheets and blankets and over two dozen mattresses and quilts to members of eight families whose houses were gutted at Dhara village in Dodra-Kwar. He announced to provide adequate financial assistance to them for reconstructing their houses.

DEHRADUN

BSNL workers hold protest: BSNL non-executive workers staged a dharna at the Rajpur office of the department today. Led by Rajesh Bhatt, officiating president of the BSNL Non Executive Employees Union, the workers sought restoration of LTC, leave encashment, medical allowance and quota in higher posts.

Seminar-cum-workshop:A two-day seminar-cum-workshop will be organised by the Life Sciences division of Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Technology and Science on Friday. The topic of the seminar-cum-workshop will be “Current & Future Scenario of Plant Tissue Culture, Genomics and Bioinformatics”. Principal, Life Sciences division, Dr Manoj Gahlot, said the basic objective of the seminar-cum-workshop will be to train students over theoretical and practical application methods of plant tissue culture, genomics and bioinformatics.