AMRITSAR
PLANNING BOARD MEET: Chawdhary Jagjit Singh, Minister for Local Bodies, reviewed the amount of Rs 46 crore released to various departments for development last year at a meeting of the District Planning Development Board held here on Monday. Mr Ashwani Sekhri, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, vice-chairman of the board, also attended the meeting.

EXTENSION: The Shiromani Akali Dal ( Amritsar) has appealed to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to give extension to Punjab Governor Lt Gen JFR Jacob. In a press note here on Monday party stated that the Governor had always held secular values and respected for human rights.

EXEMPT TEA FROM TAX: The Amritsar Tea Traders Association general secretary, Mr Madhukar Talwar, has said many daily use items like branded bread, edible oils, gur, besan and hosiery goods had been brought into the low taxation slab. However, tea had been put in the 12.5 per cent slab which was discriminatory.

BATALA
THREE DRUG PEDDLERS HELD: The Batala police claims to have arrested three persons for selling psychotropic drugs in Batala and Quadian here on Monday. On checking an Ambassador car three accused identified as Baldish Singh of Civil Lines, Kamal of Shangari Nagar and Rajwinder Singh, alias Raju of Partap Nagar, all from Qadian, were apprehended. Capsules and syrup of psychotropic substances was also seized. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered.

BATHINDA
ACCIDENT: Naik Kameshwar Rai, 35, who was posted here, was killed in a road accident near the military area. The deceased, was driving his scooter. He took a sharp turn and was hit by a car (CHR-24F 4279) and killed on the spot. The car driver took to his heels. A case under Section 304-A of the IPC has been registered against the unidentified driver and the car has been impounded.

HOSHIARPUR
CONFERENCE: Members of the Kandi Vikas Forum at its conference held at Panvan village have demanded promotion for all MA, B.Ed teachers to lecturers and recruitment of teaching staff for elementary system of education to fill the vacant posts. Residents of Sajna, Panvan, Sagran, Thuker, bangalipur, Jalota villages participated.

JALANDHAR
BAN ON TRANSFER DECRIED: The government Teachers Union, Punjab, has criticised the state government for banning transfers of teacher for one year. Mr Sucha Singh Khatra, general secretary of the union, in a press note issued here on Monday said the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, had unilateraly taken the decision to impose a ban on transfers.

NAWANSHAHR
PSEB STAFF DHARNA: Hundreds of PSEB employees from Nawanshahr, Goraya, Banga, Garshankar, Balachaur, Phillaur, Aur, Jadla, Rahon, Rurka Kalan and Behram on a call given by six PSEB employees organisations, staged a dharna here in front of the PSEB circle office on Monday to protest against the transfer policy. The employees also passed a resolution condemning the Power Bill-2003.

PATHANKOT
MC CHIEF: Mr Sharvan Kumar assumed the office of president of the local civic body on Monday. Mr Radhunath Sahai Puri, Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister, besides the councillors and prominent citizens were present.

COURT FEE: Mrs Manjit Kaur Sandhu, a senior Congress councillor, here has urged the state government to withdraw the hike in court stamp rates on applications for old age pension and assistance for the handicapped.

PATIALA
SHOBHA YATRA: Hundreds of persons, including schoolchildren, on Monday participated in a sobha yatra organised to mark the “Avtaran Divas” of Asaram Bupuji that went through the major bazars in the city. The “jyoti parchand” was done by the city Mayor, Mr Vishnu Sharma. Shopkeepers and devotees welcomed the yatra with sweets, fruits and soft drinks.

PHAGWARA
CHEQUES DISTRIBUTED: Mrs Baljinder Kaur Mann, wife of Mr Joginder Singh Mann, Punjab Social Welfare Minister, Monday distributed cheques worth Rs 8.30 lakh to 17 dependents of safai employees for starting their own vocations. An official press note stated that the amount was given by the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation, Chandigarh.

MEETING: A general body meeting of the Shivalik Environ Co-op House Building Society, Saketri, will be held on Sunday at Satluj Public School, Sector 4, Panchkula. The president will discuss the progress made by the committee on issues like membership, land status, legal cases and society accounts.

LECTURE: In order to create awareness about diabetes and hypertension, a lecture was organised for the employees of the Audit and Accounts Employees Welfare and Health Society, on Tuesday. More than 700 employees attended the lecture by Dr Ram Singh and Dr Lokesh Garg from the Medicine Department of Government Medical College and Hospital. The general secretary of the society, Mr R.S. Heer, informed that free medical check-up camp for these diseases would be organised for the benefit of the employees of the society. The Accountant General (A and E), Punjab, Mr Nand Lal, was the chief guest on the occasion.