The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

NEWS AND VIEWS

PUNJAB

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R E G I O N A L B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
Bodies found: Two bodies were found in the neighbouring Sriganganagar region on Wednesday, sources said. According to information available, the body of a farm worker, Mainpal Sonu (20) of village Lakhasar, was recovered by digging the floor bed of a room in the fields of one Mani Ram. The body of Mukesh (14), son of Mam Ra, was found in waterlogged fields near village Jakhranwali on Wednesday, the police confirmed. His parents said that Mukesh, a resident of village Chak 4STB had on Monday evening gone to get a battery repaired in village Jakhranwali on a bicycle but did not return. The bicycle was also found near the body. Preliminary investigation indicated he was strangled to death, sources added.

Injured: Four persons, including Brahmakumari Rani Behan, in charge of the Suratgarh Rajyoga Centre, sustained injuries when the jeep in which they were travelling reportedly collided with an Army vehicle on Wednesday night on the outskirts of Suratgarh in Sriganganagar region, sources said.

Amritsar
CII open session: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organised an interactive session with Isher Judge Ahluwalia, the consultant to formulate new industrial policy by the Punjab government, here on Wednesday wherein representatives from most sectors of the industry participated. Earlier, Gunbir Singh, chairman, CII, Amritsar zonal council, shared views on the current scenario in the state with regard to the exodus of capital to neighbouring hill states, industrial sickness and the need to encourage border districts by setting up industrial parks.

BATHINDA
Fire incident: Two workers at a hotel, Sweet Milan, Virender and Joginder, were injured in a fire incident that took place reportedly due to gas leakage in the kitchen of the hotel, here this morning. The owner of the hotel, Jagdish Grover, said the injured were trying to ignite the gas burner when the mishap took place. The pipe of the cylinder was leaking but the injured could not detect the smell. Hearing the cries of the injured, other workers ran towards the kitchen, disconnected the gas supply and doused the flames. At that very moment, they were rushed to the Civil Hospital for treatment. Police said an investigation has been initiated but the injured were not in the condition of giving any statement.

Blood donation: A blood donation camp was organised by members of Committee Maqbara Baba Nikka Sheikh in collaboration with United Welfare Society, here on Thursday.

Fazilka
Killed: One Kamaljit Singh (28) of village Chimnewala here was crushed to death by a tractor-trailer carrying fire sticks of cotton near local grain market on Wednesday night. A case has been registered against tractor-trailer driver, Lekh Raj of village Salemshah.

Malerkotla
Senior School Officers Assn: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Senior School Officers Association: president - Joginder Singh Aulakh; general secretary - Darshan Singh; senior vice-president - Hukam Singh; and finance secretary - Roshan Lal Sood.

Mansa
Detained: The Punjab Police has detained the workers of SAD (Amritsar) in order to make the Fateh March of the party unsuccessful. Gursewak Singh Jawaharke said the step was intended to oblige the BJP.

Condolence: The CPI (ML) Liberation expressed a deep condolence over the death of Baljinder Rishi ex-president of the Students Federation of India (SFI).

PATHANKOT
Man kills father: A man was allegedly murdered by his son here on Thursday. According to the police, Kuldip Raj (48) of Ram Nagar locality here had a dispute with his son Samir Kumar on Wednesday. The latter attacked his father with an iron rod, killing him on the spot. A case had been registered.

PATIALA
Celebrated: Parkash Utsav of Guru Nanak Dev was celebrated at Akal Academy Balbhera, on Thursday. On the occasion, 11 ‘akhand paths’ were organised by the principal, staff and students of the school. Chief guest Dr Brijpal Singh, secretary general of Sikh Religion and Culture, along with Ram Singh Khullar, director, Akal Academies, and Jaivinder Singh, principal, Akal Academy, Reeth Kheri, were also present.

SANGRUR
Krishi Vigyan Kendra meeting: A meeting of the scientific advisory committee of Punjab Agricultural University, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Kheri (Sangrur) was held on Thursday under the chairmanship of additional director of extension education, PAU, Satpal Mehra at Kheri village, about 7 km from here. The meeting was held for planning, reviewing and evaluating the annual action plan for 2008-09 to be undertaken by the kendra. The meeting was attended among others by deputy director (training), KVK, Kheri, Jagdish Grover, ADC (D) Harnek Singh and representatives of the line departments and progressive farmers.

BHUNDER BHAINI (SANGRUR)
State tourism policy soon: The Punjab government will announce its tourism policy for the state soon. An indication to this effect was given by tourism and cultural affairs and jails minister Hira Singh Gabria after laying the foundation stone of a rest house of the block panchayat samiti, Andana, at Bhunder Bhaini village, about 3 km from Moonak on Thursday. He also gave away cheques of honorarium for three months worth Rs 1,800 each to the sarpanches of 72 villages of Moonak and Lehra blocks at a function organised at Moonak.

CHANDIGARH

MOHALI
Booked for fraud: The Chandigarh police booked Jagdipak Singh of Sector 71, Mohali, on the charges of cheating and forgery for purchasing a vehicle on fake documents. Rajesh Sharma, general manager, Hind Motors, Phase I, Industrial Area, lodged a complaint alleging that Jagdipak had duped the company by purchasing a Tata Safari by submitting forged documents on October 9. He had given wrong address and a fake draft to the company. A case of cheating and forgery under various sections of the IPC has been registered.

Distributed: Tarlochan Singh Mann, a local social worker and divisional president of the Lambardar Union of Punjab distributed sweaters to 200 students of Government Elementary School, Balongi. School head teacher Gurdeep Kaur said Mann had earlier donated furniture to the school.

PANCHKULA
Theft attempt: A vigilant watchman foiled an theft attempt at a shop in Sector 7 o Thursday. According to police, some burglars broke into a general store running in shop number 90 early morning and started collecting things to load in a three-wheeler. However, watchman of the market Budh Singh noticed them and immediately informed the police as also the owner of shop Krishan Gupta, a resident of Sector 4. However, the thieves fled the spot before the police could reach the spot.

ZIRAKPUR
Seized: Officers of the excise department recovered 40 cases of Indian made foreign liqour being smuggled in a Santro car from Chandigarh to Rajpura. The excise officials said the car was asked to stop at a naka in Zirakpur. However, the driver fled after stopping the vehicle. A case has been registered. The car belongs to a Rajpura resident, said excise officials.

HARYANA

CHANDIGARH
Tax rates rationalised: The Haryana government has rationalised the tax rates on dhabawalas, tandoorwalas, lohawalas, papad, ‘hawan samagri’, candles, desi ghee, processed meat, poultry, fish, wood, timber and industrial tools. Haryana finance, excise and taxation minister Birender Singh said this here on Thursday after presiding over the fifth meeting of the State Level Consultative Committee.

Youth festival: The department of sports and youth affairs, Haryana, is organising the 14th Haryana State Youth Festival at War Heroes Memorial Stadium, Ambala Cantt, from December 17 to 19. Minister of state for sports and youth affairs, tourism and forests departments Kiran Choudhry will inaugurate the festival.

Milk plant’s capacity: Haryana Dairy Development Cooperative Federation Limited will spend a sum of Rs 6 crore for augmenting the existing capacity of milk plant at Sirsa. Managing director of the federation Dhanpat Singh on Thursday said the existing milk procurement capacity of the plant was 1 lakh litres of milk per day and it would increase to two lakh after the augmentation.

REWARI
3 booked for causing death: The police has booked Jagdish and Satish of Khol village and Manjeet Singh of Dahina village for causing the death of mechanic Nawal Singh Sharma (35) by negligence at Khol village on Tuesday. The father of the deceased alleged that his son was lowered into a tubewell by the trio to bring out its burnt electric motor. He fell into the tubewell after the supporting rope snapped owing to the rash and negligent conduct of the accused.

SIRSA
Power theft: A team of vigilance officials of the electricity department from Hisar on Tuesday conducted raids at the office of naib tehsildar in Rania town here after detecting a case of power theft. The official fined the department and also lodged a complaint.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Jammu
Winter break: The government has ordered closure of all government and private higher secondary-level educational institutions of Kashmir valley and winter zone of Jammu division from December 17, 2007, to February 17, 2008, for winter break. However, according to the government orders the process of admission of the students to the higher classes will continue during the vacation period.

Short story meet: Adbi Kunj Jammu and Kashmir, a multilingual literary organisation, has organised a special short story meet at its literary centre in Jammu. The meet which was presided over by Santosh Shah Nandan, a well- known Kashmiri poetess, was attended by a large number of writers, poets and others having interest in creative literary activities. At the outset rich tributes were paid to late Prof Bal Krishen Shastri on his 10th death anniversary, Shastri had authored 20 books.

Srinagar
Cold claims first victim: What may be the first death caused by the ongoing spin-chilling winters, an unidentified man was found critically ill who later died at Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical Hospital. The police said he was a beggar but refused to conform if he died of cold. "We have not got any confirmation from doctors so far," the police said.

Hand grenade destroyed: The Border Security Force averted a potential attack on Thursday when road-opening parties of force detected a live hand grenade hidden in fields in Bandipura. They have destroyed the grenade. The police has registered a case and questioned the locals.

4 hurt in road mishaps: Four persons, two seriously, were injured in different road accidents across the valley. In the first incident, two children along with the driver was injured when their Maruti car hit an electrical pole near Harwan. In another case, a Maruti car hit a woman pedestrian in Khojabag, Baramulla.

Udhampur
Special course for police: Director-General of Police (DGP) Kuldeep Khuda on Thursday inaugurated special course for IPS and senior police officers of the country at the Sher-e-Kashmir Police Academy, Udhampur. Senior police officers from all over the country will participate in this vertical interaction course on "tactical preparedness to counter terrorism" being introduced by the academy.