Nominated: Dr Balram Jakhar, former Speaker Union Agriculture Minister and Chairman of the Bharat Krishak Samaj has nominated Mr Buta Singh Bajwa, member governing body of the Farmers Forum and former vice-chairman of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Kisan Cell, as executive chairman of the Bharat Krishak Samaj Punjab.

BATHINDA
One injured: A car driver was injured when his vehicle was hit by railway diesel engine on the Lehra Mohabat level crossing on the Bathinda-Barnala road on Saturday. Official sources said the engine hit the car as the crossing was not closed. The injured was admitted to a hospital.

GARHSHANKAR
No drainage: There is no proper drainage of dirty water in the Santokh Nagar mohalla, on the Nangal road here. If no proper arrangements for the drainage are made by the local Municipal Committee, there is a possibility that diseases may spread in the area.

HOSHIARPUR
Ban: Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, District Magistrate , has imposed a ban on the plying of all types of military coloured vehicles and use of military coloured uniforms by civilians throughout the district. Mr Sidhu has also banned the assembly of five or more than five persons, taking out of processions, carrying of sharp-edged weapons and fire arms in public places under Section 144 Cr PC.

JALANDHAR
Xen manhandled: Some villagers belonging to Naugal Thandol and Chairh villages led by their respective sarpanches held a demonstration at 66 KV sub-station at Rihana Jattan on Friday. They were protesting against a power cut imposed by the PSEB on rural feeders. Mr J.K. Bhatia, Xen (PSEB), was manhandled by some persons and the demonstrators also caused damage to the building and furniture of the office there. Mr Ashwani Kalra, convener of the PSEB Engineers Forum has demanded immediate arrest of culprits and has also appealed to the PSEB authorities to provide police protection at all the rural sub-stations and offices to avoid recurrence of such incidents.

KHANNA
Sangat darshan: A sangat darshan programme was held at Siar village on Saturday by the S.S.P. More than 400 persons from 20 villages participated in the programme. Mr Jagdish Singh Barcha, MLA and Mr Ragbir Singh Saharanmajra, Chairman of the Market Committee, Malavo, were among the prominent personalities who attended the function. Most of the complaints were redressed by the SSP, Mr R.L. Bhagat, immediately.

LUDHIANA
Electrocuted: An eight-year-old child, Upinder, was electrocuted here on Saturday when he tried to cross over a barbed wire near the boundary of his school. Upinder, a class III student of Government Primary School near Sunet, died on the spot. The barbed wire had been attached with an electric pole.

MALERKOTLA
Appeal: Eleven buffaloes belonging to Roshan Din, a resident of Jhamman village, 20 km from here, were drowned in Jagora canal a few days ago. The owner has appealed to the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, to grant him compensation, for the loss.

Ban on PTV: Mr Anirudh Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner, Sangrur, has imposed a ban on the telecast of PTV programmes directly or indirectly through cable operators throughout the district, under Section 19 of the Cable Television Network Act 1995. By an another order the District Magistrate has also banned the assembly of five or more persons at public places. This order will not apply to police officers and officers of the armed forces. The orders will remain in force till August 25 and 27 respectively.

NAWANSHAHR
Patwaris sacked: Dr Roshan Sunkaria, Deputy Commissioner, has sacked three striking revenue patwaris — Mr Sucha Singh, Mr Jarnail Singh and Mr Kuldip Kumar — for not joining their duties. According to an official press note released here on Saturday, as many as 124 striking revenue patwaris out of 127 had joined duty.

PATIALA
Widows welfare cell: The management of the Saryu Charitable Educational Society here has established a "Kargil War Widows Welfare Cell", to take up the cases of the widows of Kargil martyrs and to arranging their re-marriages. Mr M.R. Garg, president of the society, said in a statement here on Saturday that the young men ready to marry the widows of martyrs should send their particulars to the society at the following address: Malwa Institution of Medical Sciences, Sirhind Road, Patiala.

Seminar: A seminar on education in Cyprus was conducted on Sunday by the Study Abroad Foundation, a subsidiary of a local educational and professional consultancy company. A large number of students attended the seminar and sought clarifications on admissions and careers in Cyprus.

PANCHKULA
Rally: As many as 1,500 students of New India Public School organised a rally on Saturday, carrying banners expressing solidarity with Indian soldiers, to protest against the intrusion by militants and Pakistan Army regulars in Kashmir. Mr Kusum Gupta, Director of the school, said the teachers of the school had donated one day's salary towards Chief Minister's War Heroes Relief fund.

Encroachments: The Panchkula Consumers Forum on Sunday drew the attention of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) towards the encroachments in corridors outside shops in different markets. Mr K.D. Sharma, Vice-President of the forum, said while HUDA had launched a drive to remove hedges and fences raised by residents in front of their houses, it had done nothing to clear the corridors in markets.

Tributes paid: The Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad paid tributes to eminent poet Raghubir Prasad Saral in a programme organised at Neki Ram Sharma Library hall. Mr R.K. Agarwal, president of the parishad, presided. Mr Agarwal said Bhiwani had lost a great poet with the death of 'Saral' Dr Shiv Kant, Gyanender Singh Teewatia and Dr Shree Krishan Manjar recited poems in honour of late 'Saral'.

Effigy burnt: A number of youths burnt the effigy of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at Jui village and demonstrated against Pakistan at Badhra crossing. The protest was organised by the Yuva Vikas Mandal.

HISAR
Two killed: Two persons were killed in a head on collision between a truck and a canter near Blue Bird resort here on Saturday. According to police sources, drivers of both the vehicles were killed on the spot and were identified as Gurjant (24) and Kuldeep (21), residents of Muktsar in Punjab.

KAITHAL
Convention: A district-level convention of the Sarvdeshik Arya Yuvak Parishad concluded here on Saturday. Various speakers, including Dr A.L. Madan, Desh Bandhu Arya and others demanded free education and special monitory allowance for the child labourers. It was also demanded that moral education should be introduced in the syllabus at school and college level. The speaker also demanded drastic changes in the adult education policy, keeping in view the needs of present and future generations with special emphasis on education regarding effects of pollution, yoga and meditation.

Low voltage: Low voltage has paralysed the functioning of the district-level hospital here and there the hospital equipment, including sterlisers, X-ray machines, and deep freezers could not function properly for the past five days.

REWARI
Exercise conducted: Staff members and tank-lorry crew of various oil companies and members of the Fire Brigade took part in a disaster control mock drill conducted in the Bharat Petroleum Corporation installation complex at Kamalpur village, 4 km from here on Friday. The preparedness of the safety equipment and the various fire fighting teams was found up to the mark in the mock exercise.

SONEPAT
Water crisis: Residents of the city on Sunday threatened to stage a demonstration and gherao Mr Jaswant Singh, Public Health Minister, during his visit to the city next week, in order to protest against the continuous drinking water crisis. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting convened by the Sonepat Citizens Council and the Residents Welfare Association here on Sunday. Mr K.K. Sharma, a social activist, presided over the meeting. The residents decried inadequate and erratic water supply in the city, particularly in the old city area and the suspension of water supply in the evenings. They demanded immediate action against the officials responsible for the alleged man-made water crisis.

Traffic blocked: Residents of Khewra village blocked the inter-state road between Khewra and inter-state Yamuna bridge for at least eight hours on Saturday in protest against the erratic power supply in the area. The irate villagers assembled at 7 a.m. on the road and held up traffic till afternoon. They raised slogans against Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, and the HPCC President,Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda. A large number of women also took part in the protest and they were armed with lathis and other weapons. HVPN officials and police arrived on the scene and tried to restore the traffic but the irate people did not oblige them till the arrival of the Deputy Commissioner. Leaders of the villagers alleged that the power supply was disrupted for over 20 hours a day in the area.

HCMSA's appeal: The Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) urged the state government on Sunday to take immediate decision about the revision of non-practising allowance of HCMS doctors and increase it to 25 per cent of basic pay with effect from January 1,1996 without any further delay. The association regretted that the state government had not revised the NPA of the HCMS doctors in spite of the announcement of the Health Minister in this regard. This, it said, had caused widespread resentment among the HCMS doctors in the state. It also threatened to launch a statewide agitation if the state government failed to grant this allowance on the Central pattern to the HCMS doctors immediately.