R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
INAUGURATED: Prof Darbari Lal, Deputy Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, on Sunday inaugurated a dental chair for the benefit of dental patients on the premises of the Ganesh Dass Chadha Rotary Centre at Khuh Bombaywala. He also visited the various computer centres run by the Rotary Club.

PPSC SCAM: CPI leader Satya Pal Dang has said that while those who got jobs with the help of money during the tenure of former PPSC Chairman Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu must be shown the door, those who made it on merit must not be penalised. He added that those who have paid the money should be asked to reveal its source.

BATHINDA
PATWARI BOOKED: The Vigilance Bureau has arrested Jalaur Singh, a revenue patwari, posted at Mehma Sawai for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 6,000 for mutation of land. This was stated by Mr Baljinder Singh Grewal, SP (Vigilance), in a press note on Monday.

FARIDKOT
VOTERS’ LIST: The process of revision of the voters’ lists in Faridkot district began on Monday. The work would be completed by August 14 and the first list published on October 16, said Mr A. Venu Prasad, Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer. The final list would be released on January 6 after reviewing the claims and objections of the voters, he said.

MANSA
SEIZED: The police has seized 3.2 kg of “sulfa” from Mohinder Singh Sharma and his brother Shiv Kumar Sharma, both residents of Mansa. A case under Sections 20, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered. According to a press note issued here on Monday, the accused used to bring “sulfa” from Himachal Pradesh and sell it to youths in the area.

MOGA
TRANSFERRED: Major Singh Dhillon on Sunday took over as SSP here in place of Virender Kumar, who has been transferred to Gurdaspur. He is the eighth SSP since Moga was declared a district head quarter.

URGED: Various local organisations along with parents of school-going children on Monday in an application to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr G. Romesh Kumar, urged to ban the use of loudspeakers in religious places between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. as these disturbed students.

PATIALA
INAUGURATED: The Punjabi University Pro Vice-Chancellor, Dr R.N. Pal, inaugurated the single window scheme of the State Bank of Patiala at its university branch here on Monday. Dr Pal applauded the services being provided by the branch and said the scheme would go a long way in further improving the customer services at the branch. The function was attended by the Registrar, Dr K.S. Sidhu, and the Assistant General Manager of the bank, Mr J.S. Mann.

FELLOWSHIP: Dr Munish Puri, Lecturer, Department of Biotechnology, Punjabi University, has been awarded the BOYSCAST fellowship by the Ministry of Science and Technology to pursue advanced research in the area of protein biotechnology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, for a period of one year. Dr Puri will be engaged in advanced research at the Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, MIT.

ROBBERS NABBED: The CIA, Patiala has nabbed a five-member gang of robbers operating in the city and around. The SSP, Mr Paramraj Singh Umaranangal, said the robbers had confessed to have committed a number of robberies. According to the police, the gang was also planning to commit a robbery in Devigarh soon. Two country-made pistols and three knives were confiscated from the gang. The five members of the gang were Vinay kumar, Johnny, Davinder Singh, Susheel and Mani.

CAMP: A one-day camp on ‘Traffic awareness and saving accident victims’ was organised at a school in Tripri here on Monday jointly by the District Red Cross and the police authorities. Addressing the students, Mr Bhajan Singh (ASI) spoke about the significance of traffic rules, indicators and a safe speed limit in order to avoid accidents.

MEMORANDUM: Members of the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (TIET) Employees Association have appealed to the Chief Minister to restart 95 per cent grant to TIET. They stated stoppage of the grant would affect the reservation quota resulting in admission of lesser number of students from Punjab, particularly Patiala. A memorandum was submitted to the CM after a decision for the same was taken at a meeting held here on Monday.

FIRE: A fire broke out in a branch of Gramin Udyog Bank on Sunday. The local fire brigade had to break a window to control the blaze which was reportedly caused by a spark.

CHANDIGARH

HONOURED: Former President of the Rotaract Club, Mr Smisha Samra, was presented with Rotaractor of the year award for "Rotaract District 3080" at Paonta Sahib. According to president Sumit Mittal, the club has bagged as many as 10 awards, including awards for community service.

HARYANA

AMBALA
APPOINTED: Haryana Pradesh Mahila Congress president Anita Yadav appointed state secretary Shashi Saini as Prabhari of Ambala unit on Monday. She also appointed state general secretary Gurmeet Kaur as Prabhari of Panchkula unit. President of Ambala Mahila Congress Committee Satya Bharati while welcoming the appointments said this would strengthen the party.

GOLD CHAINS STOLEN: Six gold chains were stolen from a jeweller’s shop in Sarafa Bazar, Ambala Cantonment on Monday. The incident took place when four persons including a woman and a child arrived at a jeweller’s shop in Sarafa Bazar in Ambala Sadar. They wanted to see gold chains. The jeweller showed them a variety of gold chains. They left without buying anything. Later, the jeweller realised that at least six gold chains were missing. He raised a hue and cry but the persons could not be traced. 

COURT ORDER: A city court has ordered the registration and investigation of a case against three power officials. The complainant, Ms Kiran Kochhar, a resident of Ambala Cantonment, has alleged that the accused persons, in the year 2000, had under threats of raid taken Rs 5,000 from one of their employee. On complaints to higher officials, the money was returned. She claimed that on March 23, 2002, the three officials visited the office of her husband and started checking the electricity meter. Later, she alleged that they demanded Rs 1 lakh.

MEETING: A meeting of the Indian National Lok Dal backward class district unit was presided over by Mr Laxman Dhiman. Among others, Ms Saroj Gauri, general secretary, and Mr Amarjit Singh participated at the meeting. The participants deliberated upon how to improve the backward classes, a release said.

KAITHAL
CAMP ORGANISED: A free polio operations and disabled helping camp was organised by the Kaithal branch of the Bharat Vikas Parishad at Om Prabha Senior Model School on Sunday. As many as 300 patients were examined at the camp. These patients will be operated upon on July 21. The cost of operations and medicines will be borne by Bharat Vikas Parishad and artificial limbs will be distributed on August 11.

LANGAR: The local branch of Barfani Seva Mandal will organise a free langar at Chandanwari in Kashmir from July 20 to August 22. Mr Satnarayan Goel secretary of the organisation, said on Sunday that a fleet of 12 trucks carrying ration and other material for the langar will leave from Ambkeshwar Mahadev Mandir here on Monday.

AUTHORISED: The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has been authorised to strictly implement the laws made by the Centre to check cruelty towards animals. This was stated by Mr Ranbir Parashar, president, district SPCA, here on Saturday. Mr Parashar said at a meeting held here recently, it was decided to set up an animal home here for the care and treatment of injured and sick animals.

DISTRIBUTED: A function was organised by the Social Welfare Department here on Saturday. The Health Minister, Dr M.L. Ranga, distributed 91 sewing machines among girls belonging to Scheduled Castes. He also gave cheques worth Rs 10,000 each to widows for the marriage of their daughters. Mr Amar Singh Dhandey, MLA, Guhla, and the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Aggarwal, also spoke. Earlier, Mr Ranga while presiding over a grievances committee meeting disposed of 10 complaints and gave cheques worth Rs 50,000 each to the next of kin of the four labourers who lost their lives while digging a well near here recently.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

MANDI
BODY FOUND: The body of a police constable, posted at the local Police Lines, was found in the Suketi khud on Monday. Mystery shrounds the death of the constable, who had been missing from duty since July 9, as it had not yet been ascertained whether it was a case of murder, suicide or death due to excessive drinking.