In brief

Gang of women snatchers arrested
Ambala: A gang of women snatchers was arrested while committing the crime at general bus stand,Ambala Cantonment,on Tuesday. The gang comprising three women,including a mother-daughter duo from Punjab ,was apprehended by the police when they tried to snatch a gold bangle of Sudesh Mehta,a resident of Yamunagar,with a cutter. Sudesh was boarding a bus from the bus stand with her family members when the women tried to snatch her bangle. She raised an alarm and the passengers apprehended the snatchers. The passengers informed the police,who arrested the three women. The police said that they had been receiving complaints of incidents of snatching and were in search of the gang.

School timings revised
Ambala: In an order,the district administration has changed the timings of opening and closing of government and private schools in the view of prevailing cold wave and foggy conditions in the region. All government and private primary schools will remain closed till January 10. The middle,high and senior secondary schools will open at 10 am and close at 2 pm till further orders.

Shiv Sena to hold statewide stir
MOHALI: The Shiv Sena (Hindustan) has announced to launch an agitation against the state government in Punjab. Announcing this on Tuesday,party national president Pawan Kumar Gupta said a trishul march would be taken out across the state and a group of 101 party activists would be sent to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s native Badal village in Muktsar district for sacrificing their lives.

He said the decision was taken over the failure of the SAD-BJP combine in the state to fulfil their long-pending demands,which include compensation to the terrorist-hit families in Punjab,commission to probe reasons behind terrorism,ban on slaughterhouses,legal right to keep trishuls,Backward Class status to Hindus in Punjab,no discrimination with traders’ community and ban on religion conversions. Gupta said the party had taken up the matter with the Chief Minister repeatedly but to no avail,following which they were forced to adopt the path of agitation.

‘Society must help the disabled be successful’
Panchkula: Society must come forward to encourage the disabled in their struggle for success,said Subh Ram Vashisht,controller of the Printing and Stationery department,Haryana,on Tuesday. He was addressing a gathering on the occasion of 201st birth anniversary of Louis Braille,the inventor of Braille system of writing for the blind. The event was organised by National Handicapped Welfare Council,Haryana,in Sector 12. The Louis Braille Memorial Award was given to four people involved in the welfare and rehabilitation of the disabled,including K R Sood,Secretary of the Institute for the Blind; Anand Mani,an official of Information,Public Relations and Cultural Affairs department of Haryana,as well as two visually impaired music teachers Mahabir Yadav and Dharam Pal.

New director at Fortis Hospital
MOHALI: Col Harinder Singh Chehal (retd) has been appointed the new director of Fortis Hospital in Mohali. He will replace Ashish Banerji. After 25 years of service in the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army,Col Chehal joined the Fortis Network as Head,Administration,Fortis Hospital,Noida,in April 2008. With a specialisation in Hospital Management from IIM-Ahmedabad,Col Chehal has a rich and varied experience in organisational administration,including special overseas assignments. Col Chehal completed his military training from the National Defence Academy,Khadakwasla,and Indian Military Academy,Dehradun,before which he attended Lawrence School,Sanawar.

Privatisation of vehicle registration soon: Punjab Transport minister
MOHALI: Punjab Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal on Monday said the state government was planning to hand over the work of registering new vehicles to car dealers. Addressing a function to kickstart the road safety week in Mohali,the minister said the aim was to reduce the workload at government offices. He said computerization of transport offices across the state was also underway. Lal also announced that another 600 buses will be added to the fleet of Punjab Roadways in the current year. He exhorted the residents to follow traffic rules to avoid road accidents.

Free health check-up camp held
MOHALI: Mohali Industries Association (MIA),in association with Ivy Hospital,organised a free health check-up camp at MIA Bhawan in Industrial Area Phase VII on Tuesday for employees,employers and their family members. MIA president B S Anand said such camps were being organised as part of MIA’s objectives for improving interaction between the MIA members and their family members. Special focus on female health,awareness lecture for their benefit,testing of blood sugar level,blood pressure,pain management and ECG were the main features of the camp. “Since all of us are working under great stress and have sedentary jobs,this check-up is necessary for people above the age of 30 and mandatory after the age of 40,” said Anand.

Dalit Chetna Manch announces stir against UT Administration
MOHALI: The Punjab Dalit Chetna Manch,an NGO fighting for the cause of Dalits,has announced to launch a mass public agitation against the civil and police administration for their alleged indifferent attitude towards the plight of Dalits. Manch president Shamsher Singh said the agitation would begin with a massive protest rally in Mohali on January 9 when the Dalits would gather at Dussehra Ground in Phase VIII and hold a demonstration at the District Administrative Complex in Phase I. He said the insult of Dalits in government offices,40 per cent cut on supply of pulses and wheat to Dalits,discrimination in shagun and houses for houseless people schemes,increasing trend of encroachments on village common lands to render the Dalits houseless and skyrocketing prices of essential commodities of daily use were the main issues to be highlighted in the protest. Singh said he was touring villages and towns to motivate the Dalits to participate wholeheartedly in the agitation.