R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Abohar
CONFERENCE: The 30th annual conference of the National Integrated Medical Association will be held at DAV auditorium here on Sunday. Dr Subhash Nagpal, president, said Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Medical, Technical Education and Research, Mr Ramesh Chander Dogra, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Department, will be the chief guest. He said as many as 300 delegates from different parts of Punjab were likely to participate.

Amritsar
TWO BOOKED: The police have booked Amninderpal Singh and Kulbir Kaur of the Mohini Park area here for defrauding Satinderpar Kaur of New Partap Nagar of Rs 3.25 lakh. In a complaint, she alleged that she had given Rs 3.25 lakh to the accused, employees of the same bank, to deposit it in the bank. She alleged that the accused did not deposit the money. She added that when she came to know about it, the accused gave her cheques, which were dishonoured.

NSUI PANEL: The national executive committee of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) has formed a four-member state co-ordination committee for the programmes to be held in various districts and educational institutes of the state. Its members are Jaspreet Singh of Ludhiana, Gautam Majitha of Amritsar, Sandeep Singh Sonu of Moga and Abhishek Sharma of Patiala.

PROTEST: The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) has chalked out a plan to intensify their ongoing protest against the state government to get implemented their long pending demands. Professor H.S. Walia, vice-president, said here on Thursday that they would hold three periods strike on Saturday and Tuesday. There would be a strike in all colleges affiliated to Guru Nanak Dev University on February 11 and state executive members of the PCCTU would court arrest on February 16 at Chandigarh, he added.

Ludhiana
UNIT OPENED: Mr Harwant Singh, General Manager, Punjab National Bank, Punjab zone, laid the foundation stone of Rajgarh Aromatic Oils, a processing unit for distillation of aromatic oils from rose, matricaria, nagarmotha and tulsi at Rajgarh near Raikot on Thursday. A kissan goshthi was also organised. The goshti was attended by more than 500 farmers of adjoining villages. Dr Baldev Singh, Agriculture Officer, State Department of Agriculture, Punjab, Dr Harmail Singh, Assistant Director, Horticulture and Floriculture, Mr R.K. Sharma, Senior Regional Manager, Mr Anil Sama, Chief Manager, Mr Waryam Singh, Senior Manager, Hi-Tech Agriculture Branch, and others were also present.

Pathankot
ARRESTED: The local police on Tuesday arrested owners a LPG agency, Romesh Chander and Mahraj Krishen Singh, for allegedly overcharging from their customers. Mr Sukhdev Singh, District Food and Supply Controller, said they were overcharging Rs 8 per cylinder. A case has been registered.

Phillaur
MURDERED: A truck driver, Harbans Singh (45), was allegedly murdered in the wee hours on Thursday by six unidentified assailants near Kutebewal village on National Highway between the Goraya and Phillaur. Sahib Singh, cleaner of the truck, said a TATA sumo driver asked them to stop the truck. While stopping, they attacked the truck driver with iron rods. The driver of the truck succumbed to his injuries. The body of the deceased sent to the local Civil Hospital for a post-mortem examination. A case has been registered.

SUICIDE: One married woman, Jasbir Kaur, reportedly committed suicide by consuming poison after minor quarrel with her husband, Charanjit, at Phallphota village here on Thursday night. Her husband also tried to commit suicide by jumping before a running train, but sustained injuries. He was admitted in a hospital. Her body has been sent for a post-mortem examination.

SAMRALA
CAMP: An assessment camp for disabled children was organised at GGSS School here on Friday. The camp was inaugurated by the Principal, Mr Bachittar Singh Barn and was organised by the Education Department in collaboration with Almico. A team of doctors deputed by the CMO, examined the children. at a distribution camp soon. More than 120 children were examined. 

MEETING: A joint meeting of the Malwa Sabhiacharak Club, Bondli and Punjabi Lekhak Manch members was held at the Civil Rest House here on Friday under the presidentship of Mr Darshan Singh, president of the Bondli club. It was held to condole the death of Master Balbir Prince, son of Narinder Marku.

NO STRIKE: There is no strike of Tehsildars/Naib Tehsildars in Punjab and the work of all tehsils is going on smoothly, according to Mr Parminder Singh Kular, Naib Tehsildar here on Thursday. Mr Kular said the strike was to start from February 1 in protest against the “false” case registered against Naib Tehsildar Sucha Singh of Mohali but it was postponed, as talks were on with the high officers to resolve the issue.

CHANDIGARH

CLARIFICATION: The team from Bhawan Vidyalaya, Panchkula, won the Verka Genius Challenge quiz contest, held at Tagore Theatreon Thursday. The team comprising Maitreya Dimri and Anchit Sood were leading all through the quiz and won a music system set each, the first prize in the contest. It was inadvertently mentioned in Thursday’s report that the team belonged to Bhawan Vidyalaya, Sector 27. 

HARYANA

Sonepat
SUICIDE: Luxmi, a 16-year-old girl, reportedly committed suicide by taking some poisonous substance in her house at Khewra village, about 13 km from here, on Thursday night. The body of deceased has been sent for a post-mortem examination.

KILLED: A youth, Manish (18), was killed when his motor cycle was hit by a truck on the Sonepat-Gohana road near Mohana village, about 19 km from here, on Friday. Driver of the truck fled. The body of the victim has been sent for a post-mortem examination. A case has been registered.

RUN OVER: An unidentified man was run over and killed by a train near Sandal Kalan railway station here on Friday. The body of deceased has been sent for a post-mortem examination.

HELD: The police on Thursday arrested two persons, including a woman on the charge of the violation of the Excise Act. It recovered 23 bottles of country made liquor from their possession. A case has been registered. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
ARRESTED: The police has arrested a mahant, Kewal Puri of Markandeya Shrine of Jukhala area, for allegedly writing a note on the notice board of the shrine that entry of "Dalits" are banned. A case under Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Act has been registered.

Nurpur
WARNED: Mr B.R. Rahi, chairman, Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education, conducted surprise checking of private public schools in Indora area here on Thursday. Mr Rahi said a number of public schools were found committing irregularities and violating norms set by the board. He said stern action would be taken action erring managements of schools.

Shimla
CERTIFICATION: The Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam, a joint venture of the Centre and the state government, has joined the august club of ISO 9001:2000 certified organisations in the power sector. The company has been awarded for DET NORSKE VERITAS (DNV) in recognition of its efforts in maintaining Quality Management Systems. The Norway based DNV has been accredited by the National Accreditation Board of Certification Bodies, India, for the award of such certification in power sector.

Solan
BODY FOUND: The body of a 24-year-old youth, Virender Kumar, was found hanging from a tree below Shoolini Temple here on Thursday. The youth was a resident of Matfaili village, Nankhari tehsil in Shimla district. He was missing from the past two or three days. A case has been registered.