R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
STRANGULATED: Rajinder Kaur, mother of two children, was allegedly strangulated by her husband Kuldip Singh of Dalip Avenue here on Monday. A case under Section 302 of the IPC has been registered at Sultanwind police station. According to police sources, Dalip Singh is an addict and used to demand money from his wife. The immediate cause of the murderous attack was that he was demanding Rs 35, 000 from her, sources said.

FREE EDUCATION: The Manav Kalyan Trust has decided to provide quality education to at least 600 children from economically weaker sections by investing Rs 50 lakh. The chairman of the trust, Mr K.R. Maheswary, while addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, said a new complex for the Manav Kalyan Vidya Mandir was under construction, which would be used for educating poor students from nearby localities and the slum areas. He said the school would also provide free uniforms, books and stationery to the students.

Bathinda
SUICIDE: Suresh Shah, a rickshawpuller, allegedly committed suicide by jumping into the water storage tank of the Public Health Department located on the Bhagu road on Monday. The police has registered a case. The body of the deceased was cremated by volunteers of Sahara Jan Seva, an NGO, after the wife of the deceased expressed her inability to do so due to poverty.

Faridkot
INAUGURATED: Under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, Deputy Commissioner Alok Shekhar inaugurated an Education Guaranttee Scheme Centre at the district juvenile jail here on Tuesday to impart education to 22 juveniles who were languishing in jail for different crimes. Speaking on the occasion, he said education was essential for them to not only change their criminal behaviour and approach to the society but also to fulfil the main aim of the Observation Home. Moreover, it would also pave the way for making them good citizens after their acquittal from the jail, he added.

Hoshiarpur
CASE REGISTERED: Following police action against unauthorised colonisers in the state, the additional administrator of the zonal office of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) has got registered a case at Dasuya police station and 9 cases at Sadar police station against several colonisers under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act 1995, here on Monday. In his complaint, the additional administrator alleged that these colonisers had constructed illegal colonies in and around Dasuya and Hoshiarpur city without getting themselves registered with PUDA.

DOWRY CASE: On a complaint of Rajni Bhatia, daughter of Ashok Kumar of Mohalla Kamalpur, the city police has registered a case under Sections 498 A and 406 of the IPC against her husband, Jagjit Kakar, father-in-law, Darshan Dayal, mother-in-law, Krishna and brother-in-law, Ranjeet of Ludhiana. In her complaint she alleged that she was harassed by her in-laws for not bringing more dowry.

Jagraon
WALLET STOLEN: The Sidhwan Bet police has registered a case under section 380 IPC on the statement by Dr Navjit Kaur medical officer, PHU, Sidhwan Bet. Her wallet was stolen from the OPD which contained a cellphone, Rs 300, Pan card and driving licence.

LUDHIANA
Shobha yatra: The Shri Sanatan Dharam Mahotsav Committee has started preparations to take out a shobha yatra on September 4 in connection with Janamashtmi. According to Mr Madan Lal Chopra and Mr Om Parkash Vig, chairman and president of the committee, respectively, devotees from Shri Dandi Swami Tapovan Ashram, Shri Shiv Mandir (Bindraban Road), Shri Durga Mata Mandir (Kundan Puri), Shri Shiv Parivar Mandir (Upkar Nagar), Shri Banke Bihari Mandir (Ghumar Mandi) and several other temples will participate in the yatra.

Talk show: Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, BRS Nagar, in association with an English daily, organised a talk show “Parents, teachers and us” to bring teenagers, teachers and parents closer to each other on Tuesday. Students of Sacred Heart (Khanna), Sacred Heart (Jagraon), BVM, Tagore International School, GMT, Sacred Heart Convent (Sarabha Nagar), CFC, Greenland School, St. Thomas School, DAV, Guru Nanak Public School, BCM Arya Senior Secondary School and the GRD Academy also participated in the talk show.

Cleanliness drive: Keeping in view the outbreak of gastroenteritis and the prevailing insanitary conditions in the city, the residents of Ward No. 38 are observing a cleanliness week. Led by the area councilor, Ms Santosh Kumari, who was instrumental in mobilising people for the cause, a number of prominent residents of the Jawahar Nagar locality swept the streets, collected garbage and disposed it in nearby containers and bins. The area residents were asked to keep their surroundings clean. Besides the councillor, Mr Raj Kumar Mehra, Mr Hans Raj Gagat, Mr Sham Lal Bhagat, Mr Ajay Dang, Mr Happy Ghai, Mr Sat Pal Arora, Mr Ashok Bhagat, Mr Hardeep Chawla, Mr Harwinder Singh Bunty, Mr Sham Lal Mehra, Mr Raj Chawla, Mr Tilak Raj Bitta and Mr Bahadur Chand were also present on the occasion.

Sainik welfare: The Bharatiya Sabka Sainik Bhalai Sangathan has deplored the government for denial of ‘one rank, one pension’ benefits and lack of employment opportunities for retired ex-servicemen. They also expressed resentment over refusal to increase medical allowance and lack of adequate reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for their wards. A meeting of the body held here on Tuesday with Subedar Major Sher Singh (retd) in the chair. He asked the government to accept their demands at the earliest.

Condemned: The Indian Local Bodies Employees Federation and the Sangharsh Committee of Municipal Employees have condemned the disciplinary action taken by the civic administration against 19 MC workers for alleged dereliction of duty. In separate statements, Mr Ram Lubhaya Bawa, general secretary of the federation, and Mr Khelar Chand Gupta, general secretary of Municipal Workers Union, have termed the action as unwarranted and illegal. Both the bodies have threatened to intensify the agitation to seek justice for the suspended and chargesheeted workers.

POSTPONED: The meeting of the PAU Bee-Keepers’ Club, scheduled to be held on September 1 at 10 a.m.at Kairon Kisan Ghar will now be held on September 2 at same time. Dr Paramjit Kaur Pander, Coordinator of the club, said September 1 had been declared holiday by the Punjab Government on the occasion of the 400 Parkash Utsav of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

PAU SABHA: The function organised by the PAU Sahit Sabha for the release of Kulwant Jagraon’s “Chetna di Mishal” has been postponed, according to Dr Joginder Singh Nirala, president of the Sabha.

Pathankot
DECIDED: To check pollution in the area, the administration has decided to set up a waste processing and disposal unit. The decision was taken at a meeting held here on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Mr Harminder Singh, SDM. The unit will be set up at the Defence Road area, sources said.

CHANDIGARH

ANTAKSHRI COMPETITION: Teams of Priyanka and Geeta and Ritika and Sheena, both from Central Club, were declared the joint winners, while the runners-up prize went to Lake Club team comprising Bable Marwah and Harmeit Pal, in the antakshri competition organised by Central Club here on Tuesday.

HARYANA

Hisar
INUNDATED: Fields in some nearby villages were inundated following a breach in the Barnala branch canal near Ghirai village of the district here on Tuesday. On being apprised of the matter by the villagers, senior officials of the Irrigation Department rushed to the scene and initiated efforts to plug the breach.

Sonepat
Theft: Thieves reportedly broke the locks of an electronic goods shop in Gaurav Market at Kharkhauda town, 19 km from here, on Tuesday night and decamped with goods worth about Rs 20,000. The stolen goods include two colour TV sets and five CD players.

GIRL DROWNED: Lalia, a two-year-old girl, was drowned in the water tank in a house at Bahalgarh village, about 10 km from here, on Wednesday. The girl was playing near the water tank when she fell into it. Her mother was working in the house.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Kulu
REMANDED: The alleged suicide of Lata Devi who died after consuming insecticides on Sunday took a new turn when the father of the deceased, Sangat Ram, registered a case of dowry victimisation and death of his daughter here on Monday. Mr A.P. Singh, Superintendent of Police said the alleged accused, Narain Singh (husband), Suncharu Devi (mother-in-law) and Soma Devi (sister-in-law), were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate who remanded them in judicial custody for two weeks.

WORKSHOP: The National Savings Institute (NSI), Chandigarh, organised a workshop called ‘Mahila Pradhan Kshetriya Bachat Yojna’ for the small savings agents here on Tuesday. The workshop was inaugurated by Additional Deputy Commissioner H R Chauhan. He said the district had been given a target of Rs 21.05 crore for 2004-05 for mopping up small savings and Rs 6.89 crore had been collected during the first four months. Mr M.K. Malhotra, Director, NSI, Chandigarh gave information about the small savings plans to the women agents. He called upon the agents to work hard and bring awareness among masses about the benefits and schemes offered under small savings so that the targets were achieved.