BATHINDA
APPOINTED: Mr Balwinder Singh Gill, a resident here has been appointed president, Youth Congress, city unit by Mr Devinder Singh Babbu, President, Punjab Youth Congress according to a press note here on Sunday.

ELECTED: Mr K. L. Phutela and Dr K.K. Bajaj have been elected president and secretary, respectively, of the local Rotary Club.

FATEHGARH SAHIB
TREE PLANTATION: A tree plantation drive was launched at the Government Girls College, Mandi Gobindgarh, here on Monday. Mr S.K. Ahluwalia of the Forest Department presided over the function. He said 7,000 ornamental and shadow trees would be planted on the college campus and the Forest Department would look after the trees. Mr Jasmail Singh, Divisional Forest Officer, Mr Amarjit Singh Sahi, SDM Amloh, and Mr J.K. Sharma, EO, MC Mandi Gobindgarh, also addressed.

GURDASPUR
INAUGURATED: Mr Ashwani Kumar, MP, on Sunday inaugurated a waiting room for ex-servicemen to be built in the premises of the District Sainik Welfare Office. Addressing a rally of ex-serviceman, held on the occasion, Lt-Gen Kanwaljit Singh (retd) demanded finances for holding recruitment in training courses by the district Sainik Board for the wards of the ex-servicemen to enable them to join defence forces.

JAGRAON
BLOOD DONATION: Lok Sewa Society distributed free sewing machine to the needy woman in Dharamshala Mandi Temple where they also held a blood donation camp in which 55 people donated the blood. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gurmit Singh, SDM, called the blood donation as to be best donation to the mankind.

RALLY: The Pendu Mazdoor Union organised a rally in front of the office of the SDM against Shamsher Singh Dangian and his henchmen who are alleged to have exercised excesses due on the Dalits of Dangia village for not voting his brother Jagdishar Singh in the panchayat poll. Addressing the rally, state secretary Tarsem Peter, Sukhdev Singh Manuke, Madan Singh blamed the Congress government for such like excesses as the same is being done under the said government.

JALANDHAR
DHARNA: Perturbed over the failure of the state government to accept their long pending demands, three farmer’s organisations have decided to hold a four-day protest dharna in front of the residence of the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, at Chandigarh from September 1. This was decided during a joint meeting attended by representatives of Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta), Kisan Sangharsh Committee and Punjab Kisan Sabha here on Sunday.

LUDHIANA
ENVIRONMENT WEEK: The slogan of growing more and more trees to combat the increasing pollution was emphasised and conveyed to the students of Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, BRS Nagar, in a real educative and entertaining manner during the environment week that concluded on Sunday. Children wrote provoking slogans, recited poems and planted saplings in the school campus. The tiny tots of primary school dressed up like flowers and trees emanating the message for growing trees and avoiding cutting and felling of this gifts of nature. Father Davis and Sister Jais Maria planted saplings. The week concluded with a food festival, the day also coinciding with Friendship Day where the children of primary school enjoyed and shared different delicacies and tied bands of each others wrists strengthening the intents of universal brotherhood.

MEETING: A meeting of the AAGMIT Sahit Sabha of the Hindi Department, GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar, was held in the department on Monday. At the meeting, the members decided to publish a Hindi research journal, ‘AAGMIT’, every year. Dr Rajinder Singh, head of the department, was appointed the Chief Editor of the journal. Dr Asha Aneja of the SDP College for Women, Ludhiana, Dr Brahmved Sharma of DAV College, Malout; Prof Amarjit Singh of Government College, Hoshiarpur, Dr Kiran Chhabra of DAV College, Amritsar; Dr Nina Sharma of Government College, Muktsar, and Dr Poonam Talwar of Patiala will be the other members of the editorial board.

SHOW FOR KIDS: Ludhiana City Jaycees, Jayceerette Wing, organised an eight-hour Tom and Jerry programme for children in the age group of six to 14 years at Hardy’s World on Sunday. According to chairperson of the JCRT Kiranjit Kataria and secretary of the Ludhiana city Jaycees Manvinder Kataria, 63 children attended the programme. There were five sessions. Kids were told about ancient games, health and hygiene, culture, “Mathe Magic” etc. They also enjoyed joyrides.

MANDI AHMEDGARH
CELEBRATED: Teej was celebrated with fervour at local Sanatan Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School. The celebrations were marked with songs and dance items related with folk culture, which mesmerised the audience. Cheeku and Sandeep Kaur were declared best Panjabi and Panjabin, respectively. Girl students of Class XI presented an item depicting traditional activities including making handfans, grinding, embroidery and spinning. Folk song “Maheea” was sung by Laddi and party. The Bhangra team of the school presented “Malwaee giddha” and Amanpreet Kaur spoke about Teej festival. Ms Priyanka Sharma, Principal, appreciated the role of teachers in rejuvenating essence of tradition at the function. Mr Data Ram Sharma gave away the prizes.

NAWANSHAHR
MEMO GIVEN: A deputation of the district unit of Be-Rojgar Elementary Teachers Union, Punjab led by its president, Mr Bikramjit Singh Rahon, submitted a memorandum to the local MLA, Mr Parkash Singh, urging him to press upon the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to drop the proposed move of the state government to recruit teachers on contract basis through the village panchayats.

DISPENSARY: Acharya Chetnanand, present master of the Bhuriwale sect, inaugurated a charitable dispensary at Sant Bhuriwale Mandir, Tapparin Khurd, about 20 km from here, on Sunday. A team of doctors would visit the dispensary to examine the patients. Medicines free of cost would be given to the needy informed Mr Tirath Ram, manager, in a press release.

NABHA
ELECTED: The following have been elected members of the All-India Mianwali District Association ( Nabha branch): president — Mr Jaspal Juneja; secretary — Mr Surinder Mohan and cashier — Mr T.R. Jetwani.

PATIALA
RELAY FAST: The Punjab PWD (B&R) Employees Co-ordination Committee on Monday started a relay fast in protest against the state government’s decision to shift the office of Chief Engineer to the newly constructed Mini Secretariat. The agitating employees also organised a protest march towards the old city. Around 100 employees took part in the march and raised anti-government slogans. The employees said they would further intensify the strike if the government failed to resolve the issue.

PROTEST MARCH: Doctors of the local Government Medical College and Government Dental College on Monday organised a protest march towards the residence of the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, demanding the restoration of non-practicing allowance (NPA) to doctors in the state. They were stopped from proceeding to the Chief Minister’s residence and instead held a rally near the YPS chowk. The state president of the PCMS Association, Dr Hardeep Singh, said the association would intensify the struggle if the government failed to concede to their demand. The doctors also announced to organise a state-level dharna in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

LAUNCHED: Punjab National Bank on Monday launched an advanced technology initiative of connecting its branch office with around 200 branches across the country through its centralised banking solution. Speaking on the occasion, the General Manager Punjab Zone, Mr U.S. Bhargawa, said facilities like fund transfer, account enquiry, Internet banking and business transactions would be available from any of its outlets. The Director Local Bodies Patiala, Mr Ashwani Sharma, was the chief guest.

ELECTED: Mr Surjit Mehta and Mr V.P. Dogra have been elected president and general secretary of the Punjab Chemists Association.

BHAGWATI JAGRAN: The Naujawan Sabha Patiala organised a Bhagwati Jagran at Baba Jiwan Singh Basti here on Monday. The PRTC Chairman, Mr Ved Parkash Gupta, and the Mayor, Mr Vishnu Sharma, were the chief guests at the function.

ELECTED: Mr Jatinder Singh Attri, a senior leader of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, has been elected member of the management of the co-operative society.

PROTEST: Members of the Indian Ex-services League Punjab and Chandigarh have decided to wear black arm bands throughout the state on August 15 in protest against the state government decision to increase tax on CSD items. The district unit would also submit a memorandum to the state government if the decision was not rolled back.

SAMRALA
MEETING: At a meeting of the Anti-Corruption Front, Samrala, held under the chairmanship of commandant Rashpal Singh (retd), it was unanimously passed that the finding of the inquiry report regarding the alleged charges of harassment of a woman lecturer of Malwa College, Bondli, against officiating Principal are false. The committee comprising of Commandant Rashpal Singh, Major Harchand Singh and Mr Mehma Singh Kang had made a detailed investigation into the charges. The committee unanimously reached the conclusion that the charges levelled against Dr Parminder Singh, officiating Principal, were totally baseless, false and motivated.

DAMAGE TO BRIDGES: A team of BJP leaders on Monday said the damage to bridges and causeways in the city had been caused as stone or concrete pitching around them had not been done. This was stated by BJP president Yashpal Mahajan, Raghuvir Lal Arora, councillors Kamla Sharma and Rajesh Gupta after visiting the sites where damage had been caused. They expressed concern that the mandatory stone or concrete pitching had not been done at crucial points.

NOMINATED: Dr Madhukar Arya, Dr Ms Ramnik Sharma and Mr Ram Lal have been nominated presidents of the Intellectual, NGO and Labour cells of the BJP, respectively. They have been asked to nominated other members of their cells within one week.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the executive committee of the Sector 22 Welfare Society: Mr K.S. Khaira (president); Mr Guljeet Singh (vice-president); Mr D.N. Gulati (general secretary); Mr O.P. Kakar (secretary); and Mr Pal Singh (treasurer).

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION: An alumni association of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, Association of Thirtyfive Model Alumni, was formed here on Monday. This is the first government school of the city to have an alumni association. The association will provide a platform for constructive interaction between former students and the school by means of meetings, contests, seminars, debates, etc.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Shiv Mandir Committee, Sector 29-B, Chandigarh: president — Mr Dharam Pal Sharma; general secretary — Mr Roopesh Kumar; propaganda secretary — Mr Ram Pal; legal adviser-cum-press secretary — Mr Surinder Sharma; auditor — Mr Harbans Lal; and treasurer — Mr S.K. Bhatia.

SAS NAGAR
APPOINTED: Fortis Heart Institute and Multi-Speciality Hospital on Monday announced the appointment of Dr Virender Sarwal as consultant, Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery. Earlier, Dr Sarwal was with Malhotra Heart Institute and Medical Research Centre, New Delhi. The doctor has performed over 1,400 independent surgeries. 

DEMANDED: Chemists have demanded an immediate stop to unwarranted interference by the police in their trade, since it was not the competent authority to check chemist shops as per the provisions of the Drugs Act, according to the general secretary of the Ropar District Chemists Association. In a press note issued on Monday, the association further demanded that representatives of chemist associations should be present during raids by drug inspectors.