FATEHGARH SAHIB
GRANT GIVEN: Village panchayats should take people in confidence while launching cleanliness, removal of encroachments and anti-social evil campaigns in the rural areas, said Mr S.K. Ahluwalia, Deputy Commissioner, while addressing a public gathering at Panjoli Kalan village on Tuesday. He announced a grant of Rs 25,000 to provide a water cooler in the local Government Senior Secondary School. He also inaugurated a village “phirni” constructed at a cost of Rs 2 lakh. Mr Karnail Singh Panjoli, president Youth Akali Dal, Baba Daljit Singh Shikago Wale, and Mr Harminder Singh Harji, Chairman Land Mortgage Bank, also addressed the gathering.

KHARAR
DECISION OPPOSED: The All India Lawyers Union has opposed the proposed formation of Judicial Commission in India by the Union Government since it had not proposed to appoint any lawyer and jurist as members of the commission. While addressing mediapersons here on Tuesday, Mr K.R. Joshi, secretary of the union, and Mr Tara Singh Chahal, member, Punjab State Council, said a nationwide struggle would be started by the union against the proposal. They appealed to all Bar Associations of Punjab and Haryana to raise the issue strongly in the respective states. They said the issue would be raised during the national conference of the union to be held in Jalandhar in April next year.

FREE CAMP: Chandigarh Medical Clinic in association with Astra Zeneca will organise a free camp for hypertension and heart diseases at Chandigarh Road, Mundi Kharar (Kharar) on Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm.

FUNCTION: A function will be organised to honour Mr Rajbir Singh Padiala, who has been recently appointed junior vice-president of SAD, at Sainian Dee Dharamshala on Friday at 4 pm.

MOGA
COMPLAINED : A large number of gas consumers on Tuesday complained that certain gas agencies in the city were supplying underweight gas cylinders. They alleged that they had complained to the authorities concerned but no action had been taken.

PATIALA
HONOURED: Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor Swaran Singh Boparai on Tuesday honoured four NSS volunteers who won state-level prizes in the recently concluded Rajiv Gandhi Essay Writing Competition. The prize winners — Poonampreet Kaur, Kuldip Kumar, Nasrsi Singh and Raj Kumar — were also honoured by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on October 3 at Punjab Bhavan, Chandigarh.

TEACHERS’ RALLY: The local Modi College unit of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union held a rally in the college premises to press for the acceptance and implementation of their demands here on Tuesday. Their prominent demands are grant of 15 per cent of basic pay as house rent allowance to government-aided non-government colleges of Patiala, continuance of 95 per cent grant, retiral benefits, release of all pending arrears of teachers, raise in CDF per cent as per Central Government’s and Provident Funds Commissioner’s recommendations. The union said in other B2 class cities of Punjab — Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar — employees of government aided non-government colleges were getting 15 per cent of the basic pay as house rent allowance.

CAMPAIGN: The Punjab Mulazam Sangarsh Committee has decided to launch a mobilisation campaign in all districts of the state by organising district-level rallies and demonstrations from October 21. The demonstrations will be followed by flag marches in the districts. The state committee would meet on December 6 to finalise the detailed programme. State convener Charanjit Singh Walia said the districts level meetings would be held before Saturday. It was further decided to set up joint block-level committees to fight the ongoing joint employees struggle.

GOLD JEWELLERY FESTIVAL: The Gold Jewellers Association of Mani Majra on Monday said the gold jewellery festival, which began on Sunday, would end on November 9 and the draw of lots would be held on November 11. Mr Ashish Duggal, a member of the association, said it was for the first time such an event was being held on the lines of Dubai gold festival. 

ELECTED: Professor of Histopathology Dr Kusum Joshi has been elected president of the Faculty Association of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, while Dr Aditya Aggarwal of Orthopaedic Surgery Department has been elected treasurer. The other office-bearers are: vice-president — Dr D. Behra, general secretary — Dr Sanjeev Handa, joint secretary — Dr Baljinder Singh. The six executive committee members elected are: Dr K.D. Gill, Dr Ashok Gupta, Dr B.D. Radotra, Dr V. Jha, Dr Virendra Arya and Dr Adarsh Kohli.

DE-ADDICTION CAMP: Patients suffering from alcohol, opium and other forms of addictions were examined during a de-addiction camp held at Dadu Majra here on Tuesday. The camp, part of the Mental Health Week celebrations, was held by the Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. According to Professor and Head of the Department, Dr B.S. Chavan, treatment would be followed up on weekly basis by the community mental health team every Tuesday at Dadu Majra. A panel discussion was held with the families of patients unwilling to seek treatment for addiction.

WORKSHOP: Describing malaria as a "major health problem" in the country, delegates attending a workshop organised by the PGI's Department of Parasitology asserted that certain new techniques for detection of malarial parasite had been developed during the past 10 years. The techniques, though sensitive, were costly and not available at the peripheral hospitals. Addressing a gathering, delegates said malaria was still a major health problem in India. In fact, plasmodium falciparum infection, causing severe and potentially fatal malaria in form of cerebral malaria, was on an increase in most parts of the country.