R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
SADHBHAVNA WEEK: Various local schools participated in the five-day “sadbhavana” week organised by Manav Public School here. The students took part in a declamation contest, poetry recitation, essay writing and calligraphy.

WORKSHOP: The Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (Amritsar chapter) in collaboration with the Department of Food Science and Technology, Guru Nanak Dev University, will hold a one-day workshop on national and international food regulations on November 11 in the university premises. A University press note issued here on Friday said Dr SR Gupta, Additional Director-General of Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, Government of India, and Dr DS Chadha, Adviser (Technical), Confederation of Indian Industries, New Delhi, will speak on food safety laws in India.

SYLLABUS: Guru Nanak Dev University has released the syllabus for M.Tech computer science and engineering (5-year integrated course), semester I and II for the session 2002-03 and the syllabus for gemology and jewellery design (vocational subject) of BA (I).

HOSHIARPUR
EMPLOYEES’ THREAT: Members of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office Employees Association here has condemned the proposed retrenchment of 4,700 employees selected by the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board during the SAD-BJP regime. At their meeting here on Friday, their president, Mr Jatinder Kumar Singh, warned the state not to retrench these employees without any solid reason, falling which their association would start an agitation.

CONDEMNATION: Mr Balwant Singh Khera and Mr Raj Kumar Nidder, senior leaders of the Janata Dal, Punjab, have condemned the decision of Punjab to abolish the Primary Directorate and create a new structure for the Education Department. In a joint press note on Friday, they said to make primary education compulsory, as per the Constitution, after a lot of discussion and debate the Primary Directorate had been joined and should not be dismantled.

KAPURTHALA
ILLICIT LIQUOR: The police has arrested Mohinder Singh, Jaswant Singh, both of Khukrain village, Sukhdev Singh and Kabul Singh of Ghug Bet on the charge of possessing illicit liquor, lahan and working stills, according to Mr R.N. Dhoke, SSP. In a press note, Mr Dhoke stated that the police had seized two working stills and 10680 ml illicit liquor from them.

SEMINAR: The District Legal Services Authority will organise a seminar on the District Courts complex on November 9 on free legal aid, according to Mr Gurdev Singh, District and Sessions Judge. Four lok adalats will be held to decide cases pertaining to matrimonial disputes, accident claims and bank loans.

KHAMANO
ARRESTED: The police has arrested certain SAD activists to protect untoward incidents in the November 12 SGPC poll. Those arrested include Mr Kashmira Singh, President Youth Akali Dal.

MOURNED: The local journalist association has mourned the death of Mrs Mohinder Kaur, wife of Senior Akali leader, Mr Kirpal Singh Khirnian. Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon also paid his tribute to Mohinder Kaur.

LUDHIANA
YOGA CAMP: In a step towards holistic Health Management, a three-day yoga shivir camp, organised by Hero DMC Heart Institute concluded here. According to a press release, Swami Ram Dev, a yoga expert from Divya Yoga Mandir, Hardwar, taught the practicalities of pranic healing followed by demonstration by Acharya Karamvir and Dr S.S. Rawat.

SCIENTISTS' VISIT: A team of senior scientists from Australia’s CSIRO Land and Water Griffith Laboratory visited Ludhiana based National Agro Industries, a house of agriculture implements. The delegation was given information about the National Zero Till Seed Drills. According to a press release; Principal Research Engineer John Blackwell, Senior Research Scientist. Irrigated Agriculture Dr Liz Humphereys and Senior Technical Officer David Smith were on the visit of Punjab Agricultural University.

MAGGI QUIZ CONTEST: An Inter-school Maggi quiz contest was held in Kundan Vidya Mandir, Civil Lines, here on Friday in their school auditorium. Fourteen team from various schools participated in the contest. It was conducted by Mrs Bharti from the Nestle Groups, Chandigarh. Mrs Neena Khanna, the Principal, KVM was the guest of honour. The host team comprising of Vibhushit Kaul VI-A and Jasnoor Basra V-E won the contest. DAV Public team was the runners up.

TALENT SEARCH: A talent search contest which was organised on Saturday at Kundan Vidya Mandir, (city branch). The results of the Senior Humanities Forum are: Tagore House 1, Nehru House 2 and Gandhi House 3. Sheeba Soin of Tagore House and Anish Bhatia of Nehru House were adjudged best comperes of the show. The results of the junior humanities forum all Nehru House 1, Gandhi House 2, Tagore House 3.

PRIZES: BCA IV and BCA II semester students of the Gujranwala Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology have once again bagged top positions in the results declared by Punjab Technical University: BCA IV - Perry — first; Supriya Jain - second, Balreet Sandhu - third, BCA II - Megha Jain - IV.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
CONTEST: Vardhman Spinning and General Mills has started ‘Aao Bune Knitting Contest’ in high and senior secondary schools. Under this scheme 29 schools of Fatehgath Sahib zone were covered from October 3 to October 24 according to Mr Naresh Goswami Director Zoom Media Vision (P) Limited in a press release here on Friday now a zonal activity of the Fatehgarh Sahib Zone will be organised at Aam Khas Bagh Fatehgarh Sahib on November 12. As many as 435 students from 29 schools selected from inter school competitions of the district will participate in the competition. Out of the five categories 10 students from each category will be selected who will compete in the state level competition.

PHILLAUR
INJURED: Joga Singh was seriously injured when Parminder Singh and Barjinder Singh opened fire upon him near a dhabha in Bilga village in the subdivision on Friday. A dispute over property is stated to be the cause of the firing, police sources said. A case has been registered. Both the accused have been arrested.

HARYANA

AMBALA
PROGRAMME: A regional orientation programme for teachers at Darshan Academy was held here on Saturday. Teachers from different Darshan Academies located at Kalka, Kaithal, Hisar, Dasuya, Delhi and Ambala participated in the programme. The workshop covered pre-primary play-way methods. Participants were taught to use different learning styles for teaching various subjects and emphasis was given on teaching for multi-sensory learning, a release said. 

JIND
KILLED BY NEIGHBOUR: Two brothers, Gian Singh and Nishan Singh, were murdered allegedly by their neighbours at Chappar village in Safidon subdivision of this district, according to reports received here on Friday. Gian Singh and Nishan Singh were attacked with swords and sharp-edged weapons by their neighbours. Throwing rubbish in the street was said to be the cause of the dispute.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

KULU
TELEPHONE NUMBERS: The STCA, Kulu, of the Telecommunications Department will have digit 2 as prefix before all telephone numbers with effect from November 11 in the areas where the STD code is 1902. This was stated by OP Minhas, Telecom District Manager (TDM), here on Friday. He said the telephone numbers of the Banjar area of this district with STD code 1903 would have digit 2 as prefix with effect from November 15. The tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti, including the Pangi valley of the Chamba district would be given this prefix on November 17, he added.

PALAMPUR
STUDENT PROTEST: Students of Shaheed Vikram Batra Government Degree College, Paraur, on Friday took out a procession here, demanding shifting of the college from Paraur to Palampur. The students alleged that basic facilities and infrastructure like furniture did not exist at Paraur and students were not prepared to sit on the ground.