R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

DORAHA
CONDOLENCE MEETING: Mr R.C. Arora, Lecturer in English, working at Guru Nanak National College, Doraha, died of heart attack on Wednesday. At the condolence meeting of the staff and students held on Thursday at the college, the Principal, Mr Jaswant Singh Gill, lauded his dedicated services towards the college for the past two years. Apart from providing moral support to the bereaved members of the family, it was decided that the college staff shall offer its one-day salary and financial support from the college and the students. Dr Ishwar Singh, President, College Managing Committee, declared that free education shall be provided to the children of Mr Arora when they join this institution. Two-minute silence was observed. 

MEETING: At a meeting of the Punjabi Writer’s Association, Rampur, presided over by the patron Harcharan Mangat, it was demanded that Punjabi is to yet to rise from its step-motherly treatment meted out to it by the Punjab Government. They demanded from all political parties that they should clarify their aims and objectives of implementing Punjabi in the true sense of their term in their election manifestoes. They also demanded that the Chandigarh Administration should make extra efforts to promote Punjabi. Apart from this death of Prof Gurcharan Singh, Editor of ‘Meri Boli Mera Dharam’, was condoled. Mr Janmeja Johal, Mr Jasvir Jhajj, Mr Gurdial Dalal, Mr Surinder Rampuri, Mr Mohinder Kaidi, Mr Jagtar Buani, were among those who attended the meeting. 

HOSHIARPUR
MINOR RAPED: A 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a farm labourer, Surinder Bhaia, at Dihana village on Wednesday. According to the police, the girl had gone to the fields where she was raped by the suspect. She raised an alarm, following which her father reached the spot. The suspect, however, managed to escape. The Mahilpur police has registered a case under Section 376 of the IPC in this regard.

CASE REGISTERED: On a complaint lodged by Ms Surinder Kaur of Naraingarh, the Dasuya police on Wednesday registered a case under Section 498-A of the IPC against her husband Gurdev Singh, father-in-law Joginder Singh and mother-in-law Harbans Kaur of Nangali village. According to the police, they were allegedly torturing Ms Surinder Kaur for bringing inadequate dowry.

CAMPAIGN: At a meeting held here on Wednesday, members of the legal cell of District Congress, Hoshiarpur, decided to start an active campaign against the “corrupt and anti-people” regime of the SAD-BJP combine in the state. It was also decided that the office-bearers and members of the cell would visit the district to muster public support for the Congress and its allies for the forthcoming Assembly elections, the members said.

LUDHIANA
SEMINAR: The National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA) will organise a seminar on Arthroplasty on January 27 at Hotel Marriot, Dugri. Dr N.K.Aggarwal of the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital will be the guest speaker on this occasion. Dr Surendra Nath, Secretary, NIMA, Ludhiana, in a press statement on Thursday said joint erosion was the major disorder happening due to stress filled life-styles, obesity and major diseases like diabetes mellitis, osteoarthritis. Dr Gupta said joint replacement surgery had ushered a new ray of hope to people who were suffering from joint erosion. NIMA, Ludhiana, has been organising these seminars on monthly basis to discuss the recent advances in the field of allopathic as well as ayurvedic systems of medicine and surgery. 

WORKSHOP: The two-day workshop on “Healthcare of the elderly people” organised by the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, concluded here on Thursday. The coordinator of the workshop, Dr G.L. Avasthi, Professor and Chief, Department of Medicine, DMCH, in a press statement said over a past few years, there had been a rapid increase in the number of elderly people all over the world. In India, the “aged” population was the second largest in the world. He said that it was estimated that the proportion of elderly people in India will increase from 7.7 per cent to about 11 per cent in 2020. With this demographic change and global increase in the proportion of elderly, societies in developed and developing countries should learn to deal with a new set of health challenges. This activity was initiated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, with financial support from the World Health Organisation. 

ENROLMENT: Karuna Club, formed under the aegis of People For Animals, Ludhiana, enrolled 50 students of USPC Jain Secondary Public School as its members at a meeting held at the school on Thursday. According to a press release by the PFA, the purpose of the newly floated club was to create awareness among the student community about the need to love animals and show compassion towards them. A film titled ‘Share the world’, was also shown to the children on the occasion. Those who were present on the occasion included the school principal, Ms G.K. Itten, Mr Mohinder Pal jain, manager, Dr Sandeep Jain, president, PFA, Ludhiana, and other PFA activists. 

COOKING COMPETITION: Lakshmi Ladies Club organised a two-day cooking competition on their premises. The competition was divided into two categories-sweet and salty. Ms Ritu Dalmia, a leading chef from Delhi, provided valuable tips on cooking to the club members on the occasion. Ms Rajni Bector, organiser of the show, said over 100 entries were registered in both the categories. The members had made a variety of attractive sweet and salty dishes including cakes, puddings, caramel, pasta, chicken and rice. In the sweet dish category, all the first, second and third prizes were bagged by Ms Poonam Aggarwal for her chocolate cake and pineapple orange pudding. Ms Jyotsna Dewan won the consolation prize for the caramel basket. In the category of salty dishes, Ms Alka Kandhari won the first prize while Ms Indu Bhaskar and Ms Rajinder Kent were given the second and third prizes, respectively. Ms Jyotsna Dewan and Ms Mona Chaudhry were given the consolation prizes. The judges included chef Ritu Dalmia, Ms Rajni Bector, Ms Samira, Ms Geeta, Ms Rashmi. 

CHANDIGARH

ALMIRAHS DONATED: Canara Bank donated wooden cots and steel almirahs to the Institute for the Care of the Blind, Sector 26, Chandigarh, on Thursday. A function was arranged on the premises of the institute wherein eminent personalities of the city and inmates of the institute were present. The function was presided over by Mr K. Rangaraya, general manager of the bank’s Chandigarh circle. Students of the institute presented a cultural programme on this occasion. The chairman of the institute, Major-Gen Rajendra Nath (PVSM), and Principal, Mr K.R. Sood, spoke about activities of the institute. 

HARYANA

KAITHAL
POLIO DROPS: As many as 1,63,817 children up to five years of age were administered polio drops during the second phase of the National Polio Eradication Programme. According to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Phateh Singh Dagar, 500 booths were set up in different parts of the district and 2,087 employees participated in the programme.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

MANDI
CONFISCATED: Mr Vineet Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer, Mandi, on Thursday confiscated a van under Section 52(A) of the Indian Forest Act on Thursday. The van belonging to Thakur Dass of Takoli village was seized by the Forest Department on August 25, 2001, with 10 contraband deodar sleepers.