Dera Bassi
Media centre opened: A media centre was inaugurated here on Tuesday by chairman of the Sukhmani Group of Institutes Prof. Avtar Singh inaugurated centre as chief guest while Dera Bassi Industries Association chairman Kewal Garg presided over the function. Those present on this occasion also included officials of Mohali Press Club, District Mohali Press Club, political parties, social clubs and administration.

FATEHGARH SAHIB
Project: The SAD(A) has stated that the union government should go ahead with the Sethu Samudram project, keeping in view that it would have a far-reaching consequence on the nation's economy. In a statement here on Tuesday, Iqbal Singh Tiwana, political and media adviser of the party, said the BJP was trying to take political mileage out of it. 

Hoshiarpur
Travel agents : Two separate cases have been registered against four travel agents, including a woman, in the district on Tuesday. According to the police sources, Sukhwinder Kaur, her husband Manjit Singh, both of local Mohalla Adarsh Nagar, Gurdial Singh of BDA Colony, Tilak Nagar, New Delhi, and Paramjit Singh of Langeri (Mahilpur) have been booked for duping some persons of Rs 10.90 lakh in the name of sending them to foreign countries. 

Woman held : The Garhshankar police has arrested Jasbir Kaur of Denowal Khurd village and seized 20 gram of smack from her. According to the police sources, she was booked under the NDPS Act.

JALANDHAR
Congress appointments: Local DCC general secretary Shiv Khanna and DCC (Urban) vice-president Kewal Krishan, in a joint statement issued here on Tuesday, thanked Sonia Gandhi for appointing Rahul Gandhi as AICC general secretary. They also hailed the appointment of Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and,Mohinder Singh Kaypee as president and working president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, respectively. The DCC leaders said these appointments would help strengthen the Congress. 

Muktsar
Two acquitted: Additional sessions judge Jaspal Singh Bhatia on Wednesday acquitted two persons in an opium smuggling case for lack of evidence, after their arrest six years back. The acquited persons hailing from Hari ke Kalan village are Jalandhar Singh and Tarlochan Singh. The duo had been arrested at a naka for reportedly carryig 4 kg of opium.

Malerkotla
Youth killed: Rajwinder Singh (21) of Ratolan village, near here, was killed in an accident near his village on Tuesday. According to information, Rajwinder Singh was going to his house on his motor cycle when his two-wheeler skidded and he died on the spot. A case has been registered.

NAWANSHAHR
New DEO joins : Piara Singh took over the charge of district education officer (DEO) here on Tuesday. Earlier, he was posted as principal, In Service Training Centre, Ropar. He called upon the teachers to concentrate more on teaching to ensure qualitative improvement in the functioning of schools. 

Bar chief : Daulat Singh Chabbrewal has been elected president 
of the Balachaur Bar Association.

Phagwara
Appointed: Secretary, health, K.B.S. Sidhu, has been appointed as the state drugs licensing authority under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, 1945. According to a notification issued by principal secretary Vijay Kain on Wednesday,a three-member committee comprising Rameshwar Dayal, district ayurvedic and unani officer, Ludhiana, Daljit Kaur, DAUO, Ropar, and Inderjit DAUO, Gurdaspur, will assist Sidhu. 

Foundation day: The NSS wing of the Kamla Nehru College for Women celebrated its foundation day. Poster making and slogan-writing competitions were organised on the themes of blood donation and literacy. Victorious students were felicitated. A quiz on AIDS was held. Rajni Arora from the psychology department delivered a lecture on “Learning disability”. 

Samrala
Talent hunt: National College for women, Machhiwara, organised a competition to explore the hidden talent of students here on Tuesday.Competitions were organised in fine-art categories like crochet, embroidery, rangoli, mehandi as well as creative writing and singing. Principal Parminder Singh Benipal praised staff members for making the programme a successBirth centenary: A meeting was organised at SDM Sukhdev Singh Mahal office to commemorate the birth centenary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Secretary of the nagar council Devinder Singh Grewal, secretaries of the local market committee and Machhiwara, including the heads of various schools also participated. Grewal said all arrangements had been made and the function would start from SDM’s office. It would pass through the roads of the city and conclude at the SDM’s court on September 28.

Sangrur
Dharnas: State president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) Joginder Singh Ugrahan on Tuesday announced that farmers would stage dharnas on October 18 in front of the offices of the deputy commissioners throughout the state. These would be in protest against the non-implementation of an agreement between the government and the farmer unions. 

HAMIRPUR
Anti-drugs programme: DC R. Selvam on Wednesday spoke about the ill-effects of drugs in the anti-drugs programme organised by the district public relations office said drugs were the cause of many social evils. He said a person who took drugs was physically and mentally weak. He exhorted the students not to take drugs. He also gave away prizes to the winners in competitions organised by the department. Kiran from government senior secondary school, Tohni Devi, won the first prize in the declamation contest, while Asha from Hamirpur and Parul from Nadaun won the second and third prize, respectively. 

Camp: A month-long Panch- Karma camp began at Hamirpur on Monday. A team of doctors and masseurs have been invited from Kerala for the camp which is being organised by the Ayurvedic department and Baba Balak Nath trust Deoth-sidh. A nominal fee of Rs 100 is being charged as registration fee and IRDP persons are exempted from this fee. Indoor facility to admit patients is also being provided in the Pancha- Karma camp. 

NURPUR
Suicide: Chaman Lal (33) a resident of Talara village of this subdivision allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday by consuming some poisonous substance. According to police sources, the deceased was a clerk in the PWD circle office at Nurpur. He was suffering from depression and jaundice. 

NAHAN
Life term: Sirmaur District and Sessions Judge K.L. Sharma on Tuesday convicted Parat Singh, a resident of Hoshiarpura in Jind district of Haryana, under Section 302 of the IPC for killing his wife. He sentenced him to life imprisonment besides imposing a fine of Rs 25,000. Parat Singh married Bimla Devi in 1982. She could not bear any issue and was set on fire by her husband at Durga colony in Paonta town on May 5, 2004. 

SHIMLA
Courtesy call: General-Officer-in-Commanding, Army Training Command (ARTRAC), Lieut-Gen M.L. Naidu called on Governor V.S. Kokje, along with his wife, at Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. It was a courtesy call. Lady Governor Leela Kokje was also present during the meeting.