BATALA
Dharna staged: Employees of the local market committee sat on a dharna on Friday to press or their demands. Mr Pargat Singh, president, Gurdaspur District Market Committee Employees Union, said they would intensify the agitation in case their demand was not met. They are demanding bonus of Rs 7,300 for each employee.

FEROZEPORE
Sangat darshan: Residents of Sursianghwala, Mudki, Sherkhan, Rattakhera and Faridewala Uttar villages apprised the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Kulbir Singh Sidhu, of their difficulties at a sangat darshan programme held at Sursinghwala village on Friday. Mr Sidhu asked the village panchayats to take steps to remove encroachments on their respective lands. He also announced a grant of Rs 21,000 for the village sports club.

GURDASPUR
Majdoor Dal: The Punjab Mazdoor Dal has demanded a share in political power against the pivotal role it played along with the Shiromani Akali Dal during the last Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections when the SAD-BJP alliance came to power. Mr Kashmir Singh Kang, president of the wing, said in a press note issued here on Friday. He demanded that the minimum wages for unskilled workers be fixed at Rs 3,500 a month and of skilled workers at Rs 7,000 a month. He also demanded setting up of a wage board for sugar mill workers on the pattern of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Fire: A handloom house located in Sadar Bazar, here, caught fire on Thursday night. Fabrics worth Rs 5 lakh were damaged. The cause of the fire was reported to be a short circuit. The fire was, however, controlled within two hours.

HOSHIARPUR
Convicted for rape: The Sessions Judge, Mr L.R Roozam, convicted Sukhwinder Singh, alias Chhinda, Paramjit Singh and Malkiat Singh, residents of Pandori Ganga Dass village under Sections 376, 506 and 342/34 of the IPC for raping Sarabjit Kaur of the same village on September 10, 1997 and sentenced them to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000.

Body found: The body of a 17-year-old girl, identified as Rekha, a resident of Palewal village was found near Birampur village on Friday. Garshanker police has registered a case under Section 302, IPC. The girl had been missing for the past three days.

Prohibitory orders: Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, District Magistrate, has ordered all house owners in the district to furnish complete information about their tenants to their respective police stations. He has further ordered the owners to procure complete information about new tenants before giving their houses to them on rent. Mr Sidhu has also prohibited the use of military colour uniforms and plying of military colour jeeps/ motor cycles and other vehicles by civilians. All these orders will remain in force till January 17, 2000.

JALANDHAR
Appointed: Mr Jatinder Singh has been appointed Vice-President of the District Congress Committee, Kapurthala, according to Ms Lakhwinder Kaur Garcha, General Secretary, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee.

KHANNA
Increase in bonus sought: Staff of the local market committee staged a dharna here on Friday on a call given by the Mandi Board Action Committee demanding an increase in the bonus. According to a press note issued by the Market Committee Employees' Union the dharna was stated under the presidentship of Mr Inderjit Singh, local president of the union.

LUDHIANA
Dental camp: A dental camp was organised at L.M Civil Hospital here from November 2 to 16 by the Lions Club. Mr N.M. Datta, president of the club, said hundreds of poor patients were given treatment free of cost and dentures were also provided to some patients.

Founder's day: Gupta Model High School celebrated Founder's Day on Friday on the occasion of the birth anniversary of its founder, late Surinder Gupta. An art and craft exhibition was organised, wherein the wares made by the students were displayed. Senior BJP leader and member of the Rajya Sabha, Lala Lajpat Rai, was the chief guest. He donated Rs 1 lakh for the Surinder Gupta Memorial Trust.

Senior Citizens Day: Staff of the State Bank of India, SBS Road, on Friday celebrated the Senior Citizens Day at Gita Vridha Ashram. They donated clothes and other daily need articles to the inmates of the ashram.

NAWANSHAHR
Installation: Mr Iqbal Singh and Mr Gurjit Singh have been installed President and Secretary, respectively, of the local Lions Club (Nawanshahr City) at an installation ceremony function held here at Preet Palace on Friday. Mr Kuldip Singh, Vice District Governor Lions District 321-D was the chief guest and Mr Ram Bhardwaj, Past District Governor performed the installation ceremony.

PATIALA
Laparoscopic treatment camp: A subsidised laparoscopic treatment camp was held at Soni Hospital, Rajpura, on Thursday in memory of Bimla Soni, mother of Dr Rajan Soni. Dr Soni said the hospital had contributed Rs 3,100 to the Orissa Relief Fund from the camp.

Office-bearers: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local Small Saving Authorised Agents Union: chief patron- Mr K.M.Servia; president — Mr Om Parkash; senior — vice-president — Mr J.K.Khosla; vice-presidents — Mr Jai Kishan Sehgal, Mrs Kiran Sharma and Mr Narinder Chhabra; and general secretary — Mr K.V.Aggarwal.

Literary programme: A literary programme was organised by the National Book Trust at Bhasha Bhavan, here , during the Punjabi Book Week ( November 14-20 ) in collaboration with the Department of Languages, Punjab. As many as 12 translated books in Punjabi were released by Dr Madan Lal Hasija, Director , Department of Languages. Dr Baldev Singh Baddan, Editor, National Book Trust, thanked the writers for making the programme successful.

PHAGWARA
Peace march: Students of the local Saint Soldier Divine Public School and its other branches took out a peace march here on Friday. The march was flagged off by the SDM, Mr Pritam Singh.

Youth festival: The three-day inter-college GND University Zonal Youth Festival (Men) of Kapurthala, Jalandhar and Nawanshahr districts began on Saturday at the local Guru Nanak College. The Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University Dr Harbhajan Singh Soch, inaugurated the youth festival. Five hundred participants from 18 colleges are taking part in the festival.

PHILLAUR
Assault: Mr Ajit Paul Singh, Assistant Station Master, Nakodar, was injured when he was attacked with sharp-edged weapons by some scooter-borne miscreants on the Nangal Ambian-Nakodar road on Thursday night. He was going to Nakodar Railway Station to perform his duty. The miscreants sped away after committing the crime. He was admitted to Nakodar Civil Hospital. A case has been registered.

SANGRUR
Raids: In order to ensure fair distribution of essential commodities, especially kerosene the officials of the Food and Supplies Department have conducted raids at the depot holders and retailers in the district. Mr Karnesh Sharma, District Food and Supplied Controller (DFSC), said the licences of 12 depot holders had been cancelled and notices had been served on another 27 depot holders and retailers on charges of various irregularities.

TARN TARAN
Body not recovered: The body of Rajwinder Kaur (25), who had allegedly committed suicide by jumping in Sri Darbar Sahib sarovar on Tuesday could not be recovered till Friday. She was allegedly depressed because of marital discord.

Died: Ajit Singh (45), a resident of Chack Mehar village, died when he accidentally fell in a well in nearby Khan-Rajada village. His body was recovered on Thursday. The deceased was mentally disturbed. A case has been registered in this connection by Goindwal Sahib police.

Distributed: Members of the Lions Club Lotus Chandigarh distributed jerseys to students belonging to economically weaker sections of society at a function held at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, on Saturday.

Exhibition: Government College for Men, Sector 11, organised a book exhibition — 'Know Your Library' — on Saturday. Dr H.R. Chopra was the chief guest.

SAS NAGAR
Condemned: Mr Jagbir Singh, a former president of the Safai Mazdoor Union of the local Municipal Council, on Saturday condemned the demolition of Maharishi Balmiki Mandir in Phase III-A by PUDA authorities.

Compromise camp: The local branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) organised a compromise camp for this district at its local branch here on Thursday to settle old cases under litigation. Stating this here on Friday, the branch Manager, Mr S.P.Bhardwaj, said Mr V.K. Dwivedi, Assistant General Manager, SBI (Region-1, Haryana) presided over the camp. As many as 32 proposals were discussed and settled on the spot.

SHAHABAD
Blood donation camp: A blood donation camp was organised at the Markanda National College here on Friday. At least 60 NSS volunteers of the college donated blood at the camp. The camp was inaugurated by the Managing Director of the Shahabad Co-operative Sugar Mill, Mr R.C. Bidhan.

SIRSA
Students protest: Students of the local Government National Post Graduate College observed a strike here on Friday in protest against the transfer of lecturers from the college. The students were demanding that the government should either cancel the transfer of these lecturers or provide lecturers for the posts rendered vacant because of these transfers. They threatened to launch an indefinite dharna and hunger strike in support of their demand if no action was taken immediately.

Sentenced: Devi Lal, an accused in a beating case of a constable, has been sentenced to 40 months' imprisonment by a court. According to information received here on Saturday, he was booked under Sections 353,332, 186, 221 and 173 of the IPC for beating Jeet Singh, who was on duty. Devi Lal has also been fined Rs 600.

SONEPAT
Robbers arrested: The Kharkhauda police arrested two persons, on Friday for their alleged involvement in robbing a motorcyclist on pistol point between Kharkhauda town and Sampla on Wednesday. The SSP said the arrested had been identified as Vinod and Manjit. The police had also recovered the snatched motorcycle, a revolver, two cartridges and a knife from the two. The police also seized two scooters, which the robbers had earlier stolen from different places.

Girl recovered: The Ganaur police claimed on Friday to have recovered a 17-year-old girl who had allegedly been missing from her elder sister's house in Purkhas village since November 12. A youth, Ram Niwas, alias Niwas, of the same village has been arrested in this connection for allegedly kidnapping and raping the girl. The SSP, Mr K.P. Singh told mediapersons here on Friday that the arrest of the youth followed an FIR lodged with the police by the girl's sister. The suspect had allegedly lured the girl with a promise to marry her.

Sentenced: The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr R.S. Vahmani, convicted a youth, Rajesh, on Thursday under Section 376 IPC on charge of rape and sentenced him to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000. He was found guilty of the rape of a 15-year-old of the same village on May 7 last year. The judge also convicted the accused under Section 342 IPC (illegal confinement) and sentenced him to one year rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000. Both the sentences will run concurrently.

Assaulted: Some unidentified youths chopped off an ear and the tongue of Ajit in Sector 14 here on Friday night. The youth, who belonged to Barwasni village, was waylaid and assaulted by the alleged assailants, who managed to escape later. The injured youth was immediately rushed to the local civil hospital and is stated to be out of danger. The city police has registered a case.

Arrested: The city police arrested two persons, identified as Pawan Kumar of Arya Nagar and Ashok Kumar of Garhi Ghasita and recovered a country-made pistol and contraband charas, respectively from their possession, on Friday. In another incident the Sadar police arrested a resident of Rohat village for possessing of 12 bottles of country-made liquor. A case under the Excise Act has been registered against the arrested person.