R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
INAUGURATED: A children-cum-nature park for the families of soldiers, who are posted in the militancy-affected areas, was inaugurated by Ms Sudha Samantaray, president, Army Wives Welfare Association at Amritsar cantonment on Thursday. The park is built on 2 acres of land and has a meandering pathway leading to various rides and swings set-up for children.

INTRODUCED: Guru Nanak Dev University has introduced three new courses of electronics and TV maintenance and servicing, fabric painting and printing and computer education at its adult continuing education centre, Preet Nagar near Lopoke. Admission and registration to the courses will be held from August 16 to August 31 at Preet Nagar.

BARNALA
STRIKE CALL: The Joint Students' Front has given a call for a strike in colleges of Punjab on September 3 to press the state government to implement its decision regarding rollback in fee hike. Disclosing this here on Thursday Mr Harbans Sonu, Punjab state executive member of the Punjab Radical Students Union, regretted that the Punjab Government had so far not implemented its decision.

FUNCTION HELD: Mr P. Ram, Principal Secretary, Forest Department, Punjab, on Wednesday inaugurated a vanmahotsav function at Government Senior Secondary School (Boys) Dhanaula, by planting a sapling on the school premises.

FEROZEPORE
WORKSHOP HELD: A special workshop was organised by Dr Madan Kataria, president, World Laughter Club, in the police lines here. Dr Kataria, who hails from this town, accompanied by his wife Dr Madhuri Kataria and a team from Switzerland comprising Mr Thomas and Mr Alfred later went to the Central Jail and held a laughing session with the prisoners.

LUDHIANA
VEDIC WEEK: Arya Samaj, Model Town, will celebrate Vedic week in Arya Samaj Model Town satsang hall from August 16 to August 20. Acharya Ramanand Ji will deliver a lecture on the importance of vedas. Everyday from 7 am to 9 am the yajna will be performed while from 8 pm to 10 pm discourses will be held. 

SEMINAR: A two-day seminar will be organised at Punjabi Bhavan on August 16 and 17 by Punjabi Sahitya Akademy. The general secretary of the Punjabi Sahitya Akademy, Mr Ravinder Bhattal, said the key note address would be delivered by Dr Tejwant Singh Gill and function would be presided by Dr Satinder Singh Noor on August 16.

DENTAL HEALTH MELA: Christian Dental College has decided to launch a special oral health campaign by organising a special dental health mela from September 9 to 13. In addition to the educational and promotional aspects of the dental health through rallies, on-the-spot poster competition, healthy teeth competition, oral health exhibition, oral hygiene demonstrations, special clinics on diet and nutrition, free dental check-ups and free dental treatment will be provided to all people during the dental health week. 

TERRITORIAL ARMY: A recruitment rally for soldiers (general duty) in the Territorial Army will be held at the camping ground, near Jagraon bridge, here from August 21 to 23. The recruitment will be open to candidates from Punjab on August 21, from Himachal Pradesh on August 22 and from Jammu and Kashmir on August 23 . Those who have passed matric and are within the age group of 18 to 42 years will be eligible for screening. The candidates should bring along original certificates of matriculation along with mark-sheets, proof of residence, character certificate and six copies of passport-size photographs. 

PUDA AUCTION: The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) raised an amount of Rs 1.33 crore against the targeted amount of Rs 1.18 crore from auction of residential plots in Dugri Road, Phase I and II, here on Wednesday. According to Mr S.K. Sharma, Estate Officer, 22 residential plots between 150 and 500 sq yds in size, were put on auction. A one kanal plot was sold for Rs 26.50 lakh against the reserve price of Rs 24.50, three plots of 400 sq yds each fetched Rs 17.25 lakh to Rs 18 lakh and 150 sq yds plots went for as high as Rs 12.30 lakh against a reserve price of Rs 6.21 lakh. 

RECRUITMENT RALLY: For selection of soldier (general duty), soldier (clerk) and soldier (technical) a recruitment rally for candidates from Ropar, Patiala, Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib districts would be held at Nabha from August 22 to 31. Only Sikh (Mazhabi and Ramdasia) candidates from the aforesaid districts should report the venue at 6 am on August 22. According to Col B.S. Bisht, Director Recruitment, the candidates should have cleared matric examination with 45 per cent aggregate in the age group of 16 to 21 years for soldier (GD) and Class XII (intermediate) in the age group of 16 to 23 years for soldier (clerk) and soldier (technical). 

TARN TARAN
ELECTROCUTED: Bhajan Singh, a daily-wage earner, was electrocuted at Jodhpur village on Thursday. The police has registered a case under Section 174 of the Cr PC.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
RELAY FAST: The relay fast by members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) entered the 16th day on Thursday and Pawan Kumar Sharma and Naveen Dhiman observed fast on the premises of Government Postgraduate College here.

SAPLINGS PLANTED: A large number of youths, women and villagers participated in a Vanamahotsava function organised by the Yuvak Mandal and the Mahila Mandal at Tared near here. Mandal president Bhag Singh said here on Thursday that in collaboration with Divisional Forest Officer they had planted more than 500 saplings of various varieties in the area.

CHAMBA
CHARAS SEIZED: The police has seized 6.3 kg of charas from Amar Singh, a resident of Khargota village in Chamba district. Giving this information on Thursday, Mr Ajay Yadav, SP, Chamba, said a case had been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act.

MANDI
PROJECTS: Mr Sat Mahajan, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, said here on Thursday that 70 new watershed projects costing over Rs 200 crore had been sanctioned for Himachal Pradesh. Addressing a new conference at Circut House Mr Mahajan said these projects would go a long way in improving ecology, conserving land and recharging the ground water sources.