R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Amritsar
EARMARKED: Mr Jagjit Singh, Minister for Local Government, Labour and Employment and Parliamentary Affairs, has said the state government has earmarked Rs 201.59 crore for improving the rural life of people, developing infrastructure and other related facilities in the rural sector. The minister announced this at a meeting of the District Planning and Development Board under his chairmanship held here on Monday. He sanctioned Rs 11.99 crore for executing various development works in the district.

Faridkot
BAIL GRANTED: Mrs Amandeep Kaur, wife of Mr Mantar Singh Brar, MLA, Kotkapura, has got an interim bail of Rs 20,000 in a fraud case. However, she has been restricted from going abroad. A fraud case was registered against her on the complaint of Mukhtiar Singh of Sadik, who had alleged that she got the government job by producing a fake graduation certificate.

SUICIDE: A woman along with her one-and-a-half-year-old kid committed by jumping into a canal here on Monday. She could not be rescued, while her daughter was taken out of the canal. But she also died on the way to the hospital.

Fazilka
TUMOUR REMOVED: A tumour weighing about 5 kg was removed from the abdomen of a middle-aged woman in Civil Hospital here on Monday. According to Dr D.P. Godara, Senior Medical Officer, the tumour measuring 30 cm in diameter and having a circumference of 66 cm was removed after a two-hour operation.

Hoshiarpur
LOOTED: Three motor cycle-borne youths assaulted and looted Rs 78,000 in cash and mobile cards worth Rs 80,000 from Ashok Kumar, an employee of a private firm while he was returning from Chabbewal after collecting money from subscribers near Jatpur on the Hoshiarpur-Chandigarh road. A case has been registered.

KILLED: Balbir Singh of Khanpur was allegedly killed by Puran Singh, his son Rajinder Singh and Balbir Singh Bira on Sunday. The Mukerian police has registered a case.

CONDEMNED: Mr Tikshan Sud, MLA, has condemned the lathi charge on ETT teachers while they were agitating peacefully by the police.

STRIKE: Tent house owners of Hoshiarpur observed a strike here on Monday in protest against the imposition of 10 per cent service tax on their trade by the Central Government. Mr Roshan Lal, president, Tent Owners Union, Hoshiarpur, stated that the imposition of 10 per cent service tax would adversely affect their business. He urged the Central Government to withdraw the service tax immediately to save their dying trade.

Moga
ELECTROCUTED: A farmer was electrocuted at Langeana village here on Tuesday. The incident occurred when the deceased was working in his field and he unknowingly came into contact with an electric wire passing over his land.

Phagwara
INSPECTED: Lt Col Raj Kumar, Commanding Officer, 8 Punjab, NCC, Battalian Phagwara, inspected a firing range coming up at 4/8 coy of NCC of Guru Nanak College here on Monday. He addressed NCC cadets comprising boys and girls. Henceforth, both boys and girls cadets would get joint training, including drills, firing and other activities. Addressing cadets, Colonel Raj Kumar stressed the need of imbibing discipline. Giving details of various incentives for the cadets he said various community services would be undertaken by NCC cadets.

Tarn Taran
DHARNA: Activists of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Naujawan Sabha (SBSNS) the Punjab Students Federation on Monday staged a dharna in front of the local BDPO in support of the demands of the youths and students. Addressing the gathering Mr Pargat Singh Jamarai, secretary , SBSNS and other leaders of the organisations demanded the filling of the vacant posts of teachers in government schools.

SNATCHED: An unidentified youth snatched Rs 1 lakh from a trader, Mr Ashok Kumar of Chohla Sahib on the local Railway road on Monday. According to information, Mr Ashok Kumar had withdrawn the amount from a local branch of the Bank of Baroda. While returning to his place on his motor cycle he stopped at a shop to purchase something when the youth came and took away the money.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local block unit of the Anganwari Workers Union: president — Ms Paramjit Kaur; senior vice- president — Ms Ranjit Kaur; vice-president — Ms Parminder Kaur; secretary — Ms Manjit Kaur; assistant secretary — Ms Simarjit Kaur; treasurer — Ms Jasbir Kaur and organisation secretary — Ms Gurpreet Kaur.

CHANDIGARH

Panchkula
Open Darbar: An open darbar by the district administration will be organised at the office of the Market Committee in Barwala on August 20. Deputy Commissioner, Neelam P. Kasni will hear the grievances of the people. Officers of various government departments will be present.

Independence Day: The district administration will celebrate the 58th Independence Day at the Cricket Ground here. The Education Minister, Mr Bahadur Singh, will unfurl the flag. A march past, PT show and cultural programes will be the highlights of the programme.

charity: The Piya Sharma Charitable Trust and the Sanskriti Foundation distributed old clothes and dry rations among the flood-affected residents of Rajiv Colony on Tuesday. 

HARYANA

Bhiwani
LOK ADALATS : Nearly 333 civil and criminal cases were settled at Lok Adalats held at Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Loharu and Siwani here on Monday. The Lok Adalats were organised by the District Legal Services Authority and presided over by the District and Sessions Judge, Mr R.C. Bansal.

CASES : Despite police patrolling at night a number of thefts especially of two wheelers are increasing. During the past 48 hours, reports about the theft of five motor cycles and scooters have been registered in various police stations.

APPEALED : Haryana Vikas Party general secretary Surender Singh has appealed to the party workers to start public contract programmes in their respective areas to make the ‘Jeevan Josh Raksha’ rally, to be held at Ram Lila maidan in New Delhi, on August 25 a success.

Kaithal
HONOURED : The Deputy Commissioner, Mr H.S. Malik, honoured a number of officials and employees of the district at a function here on Monday, for their outstanding contribution during the annual examinations conducted by the Haryana School Education Board.

Nilokheri
TRAINING SCHEDULE: The Haryana Institute of Rural Development (HIRD) has brought out its training schedule for the year 2004-05 to impart short term training to the rural youth in various courses to enable them to start their own ventures. The Director of the HIRD, Dr Surant Singh said the HIRD was engaged in the rural development with special emphasis on the rural folk by improving their knowledge and skills through training, seminars and workshops.

Sonepat
LOOT ATTEMPT: Two motor cycle-borne youths made an attempt to loot a trader, Mr Rajinder, at Gohana town, about 35 km from here, on Monday. According to a report, Mr Rajinder, who belonged to Panipat, had come to Gohana for collecting money from his clients. While returning to the house of a friend he was waylaid by the two youths on Baroda road, who tried to snatch his bag containing the cash. He raised the alarm but the miscreants fled after throwing spices in his eyes. The police has registered a case.

SHOT AT: A youth, Ashok, of Mahra village, was allegedly shot at and wounded by some unidentified persons on Monday. He was admitted to a hospital at Gohana town. The police is investigating the case.

ANTI-ENCROACHMENT CAMPAIGN: The Sonepat Municipal Council on Tuesday launched a special campaign for removal of encroachments on the municipal land in the city. Mr Siri Krishan Kharab, executive officer of the Municipal Council, said the officials of the council had already removed encroachments on 13 acres of municipal land in the Garhi Brahmanan area. He said steps were being taken to remove the encroachments on the land in front of the shops and houses in different parts of the town.

DHARNA: The dharna, launched by the Haryana Government PWD Mechanical Workers Union, in front of the office of the Executive Engineer, Public Health Department, here entered the 10th day on Tuesday. According to a report, the employees shouted slogans against the Executive Engineer and other officials of the department and alleged that the authorities had failed to fulfil their demands. They also announced that the dharna would continue till all the demands were accepted.