R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Singing contest:Yaadgar-e-Rafi Society, Chandigarh, will hold the first round of singing competition for Best Singer Award-2009 on May 10, 2009 at Punjab Kala Bhawan, Sector 16, Chandigarh, at 8.00 am for junior and senior in male and female categories. Male participants will sing Mohd Rafi songs and the female Lata or Asha. The awards will be given away by a film personality at the society’s annual function in December. For any information please contact B.D. Sharma on mobile 9814731112. 

Jalandhar
2 robbers nabbed: The police nabbed two persons Ashok Kumar of Lasuri Mohalla at Basti Danishmanda and Anup Singh of New Guru Nanak Colony at Maqsoodan, in connection with some robberies and vehicle-lifting incidents. A stolen motorcycle was recovered  from them. They confessed their involvement in several other  criminal cases. 

Ludhiana
Papa CJ to perform on May 2: The Ludhiana Sanskriti Samagam will organise a stand-up comedy show,“Papa CJ Uncensored”, at Guru Nanak Bhawan on May 2. Papa CJ is an international comedian. He is known worldwide as the country’s great comedy exponent. He represented India on Last Comic Standing on NBC in 2008. From thousand of comedians who took part in the show, he was ranked one of the top 10 comedians of the world. 

2 held with 470 gm opium: The Model Town police arrested two drug peddlers and seized 470 gm opium from their possession  here today. According to Model Town SHO Beant Kumar, the accused were arrested after their bag was frisked at a police check point near Model Town. The accused have been identified as Rmail Kumar and Satte, both residents of Hisar, Haryana.

MOGA
Sterilisation of stray dogs: The district administration on Friday selected 30 villages from across the district in the first phase for sterilisation of stray dogs and also constituted teams of veterinary officials for doing this job. In a meeting of village panchayats, NGOs, officials of the district administration and Animal Husbandry Department held here, District Magistrate of Moga Satwant Singh Johal expressed concern over incidents of attacks by stray dogs on children. As part of the Animal Birth Control Programme, the process of sterilisation of stray dogs will begin from next week. 

SANGRUR
Vehicles exempted: Giving importance to the implementation of the revised national tuberculosis control programme (RNTCP), the EC has exempted vehicles, being used in the implementation of the RNTCP, from election duty during the current LS elections. In a letter, written to the Directorate General of Health Service, Central TB Division, New Delhi, in response to the directorate’s letter, an under secretary of the EC has stated the commission has decided that the vehicles, to be used in the RNTCP, may not be requisitioned for the election duty. A copy of this letter has also been sent to the Chief Electoral Officers of all states and union territories for necessary action. 

Pay arrears, coop society told: In two separate cases, the local District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, including president MD Sharma and member Harvinder Sharma, has directed Sunam Co-operative Marketing Processing Society Limited, Sunam, to pay arrears of salary and amount of the gratuity to a retired manager Surinder Pal and a retired accountant Harkrishan Singh of the society within 60 days of communication. Both had filed complaints with the forum against non-payment of arrears of salary and amount of the gratuity to them. 

CHANDIGARH

Statistics workshop: The postgraduate department of commerce and business economics of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College will organise a two-day workshop on statistical analysis and interpretation research on May 9 and 10. Golaka C Nath, senior vice-president Clearing Corporation of India (CCI), will be the main resource person. All the major institutes of the North zone have been invited to participate.

Fire in Sector 37: A minor fire broke out at house number 3,367 on the top floor of Sector 37D here this morning. According to fire officials, “One fire tender was pressed into service and the fire was brought under control in five minutes of the incident.” No major lose was reported, and only the curtains of the house had got burnt in the incident.

Cricket trials on May 18: The Chandigarh Cricket Association, affiliated to Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), will conduct trials to select Chandigarh team, which will participate in Katoch Shield cricket tournament organised by the PCA from May 18. The trials will be conducted at Guru Nanak Public School, Sector 36, on April 28 at 3 pm. The players residing or studying in Chandigarh are eligible for the trails. 

Panchkula
Immolation bid: A couple was admitted with burn injuries to General Hospital allegedly after the wife attempted to commit suicide following a quarrel between the two. The victims were identified as Arjun and Geeta, resident of Majri chowk. According to Arjun, his wife Geeta put herself on fire after a quarrel with him and in order to douse the flames, he also got injured.

St Xavier’s retain ICSE trophy Tribune News Service: St Xavier’s School, Panchkula, won the ICSE Inter-School Volleyball Tournament for the third consecutive time by defeating Tender Heart School, Chandigarh, by three sets to nil in the finals played today. St Xavier’s completed a hat-trick with the help Rahul Sharma, Chirag Arora and Harmanjot Singh. After this victory St. Xavier’s has been allowed to keep the ICSE Volleyball Trophy permanently.

HARYANA

Ambala
Blood donation camp:An entrepreneur of Ambala City Satish Chabra observed the death anniversary of his mother by organising a blood donation camp in Neel Kanth temple here today. Besides 102 donors, 13 members of the Chabra family donated blood in the camp. Rajender Garg donated blood for the 140th time, while Shri Krishan Saini did this noble work for the 102nd time. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Bilaspur
DV Singh is election observer: The Election Commission of India has appointed DV Singh as election observer for the four Assembly segments of Bilaspur district here and his phone numbers would be 01978-221990 and 9459132008. This was said by District Returning Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner JS Rana here today. He said any body could contact him on these phone numbers regarding any matter in connection with election or any suggestions or complaints, etc

Shimla
ECI gives approval: The Election Commission has given the go ahead to the Health Department’s proposal for inviting expression of interest for Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Response (Ambulance) service in the state under public-private partnership. Disclosing this here today, the Chief Electoral Officer, Anil Khachi said the professionally managed emergency medical response and transportation service with a fleet of ambulances was intended to provide timely help to the victims of emergencies. 

JAMMU & KASHMIR

JAMMU
Body found: An unidentified body was found from Indira Chowk here on Saturday. Official reports said a body of an unidentified man aged around 45 years was found from Indira Chowk. The body was later shifted to Government Medical College for identification and autopsy. 

Labourer commits suicide: A labourer allegedly committed suicide by consuming some toxic substance at his residence in Preet Nagar of the Digiana area here on Saturday. Official reports said Bajrangi of Bihar, presently putting up at Preet Nagar in Digiana, allegedly consumed some toxic substance. He was rushed to Government Medical College where doctors declared him as brought dead. 

4 hurt in road mishaps: Four persons were injured in different road accidents in Jammu on Saturday. Official reports said a truck (JK02V-8947) skidded off the road and plunged into Bisleri Nallah, near Nachlana, on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. The driver of the truck, Rakesh Kumar of Ramnagar in Udhampur, and conductor were injured in the mishap. They were later shifted to the hospital. Two persons sustained minor injuries in two separate mishaps in the Jammu city and on its outskirts. They too have been hospitalised. 

DEHRADUN