AMRITSAR
SUSPENDED: Assistant executive engineer of the Punjab State Electricity Board (suburban sector) N.S. Bal, posted at Mal Mandi, was suspended on Friday for his alleged involvement in various irregularities. According to a spokesman of the board, the PSEB will come down heavily on the erring officers.

INVITED: Professor and Head of the Department of Cardiology, Dr Adarsh Kumar, has been invited to present papers at the International Conference on Antioxidants to be held in Frankfurt from December 1 to December 3.

PROTEST: The junior engineers and additional assistant engineers working in border zone have given a call to observe a protest week from November 27 to December 2 to protest against the attitude of the Chief Engineer, (border zone), towards the demands of JEs despite being served with a 15-day notice.

CRITICISED: The Non-Medical Teachers Association of the Punjab State Medical Colleges criticised the Punjab Government on Friday for not implementing UGC scales for non-medical teachers as recommended by the Pay Commission. Earlier, at the annual meeting of the association, Mr Rajeev Dhawan was elected president and Dr Dharam Pal secretary.

BATHINDA
CRITICISED: The Medical Practitioners Association, Punjab, has criticised the decision of the government to cancel the registrations of the RMPs and to stop their services in the state, Mr Gurcharan Singh, district president of the association, said in a press note issued here on Friday.

FARIDKOT
STRIKE: The indefinite strike by the district Bar Association in protest against the proposal of the Punjab Government to abolish all four divisions of Faridkot, Ferozepore, Jalandhar and Patiala entered its fourth day here on Friday. They also held a rally.

GARHSHANKAR
HELD: The Hoshiarpur police claim to have arrested Jagdeep Singh of Mahilpur against whom the Mahilpur police had registered a case under Sections 452, 506, 365, 325, 148 and 149 of the IPC. Later, he was declared absconder by the court.

HOSHIARPUR
DEMANDED: The Sikh Students Federation (Mehta) in its meeting held here on Friday under the presidentship of Mr Sarchand Singh demanded the introduction of job-oriented education in schools and colleges. In a press note issued here on Saturday, Mr Sishpal Singh, office-secretary of the federation, said the meeting also demanded curtailment of the annual period of academic session.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the All-India Medicos Society: Chairman — Dr Dharam Bir Kapur, vice-chairmen — Dr A.L. Anand, Dr S.K. Sarkar, Dr Ajay Mohan Sahai and Dr Sukumar Chatterjee, secretaries — Dr Ajit Narayan Deb, Dr Chinmoy Biswas, Dr (Lt Col) N. Sundravadhanan, Dr Ashok K. Gupta and Dr J.S. Dardi.

Ludhiana
condemned: The coordination committee of the Para-Medical and Health Employees Union has condemned the action of certain employees, who were lodging false complaints against activists of anti-larva health employees and threatening them with getting transferred. A meeting of the committee, presided over by Mr Balbir Singh, alleged that a supervisor of the department had misbehaved with union functionaries and further lodged several false complaints with the health authorities. The coordination committee in a memorandum submitted to the Civil Surgeon, Dr Rajinder Kaur, has cautioned the administration not to take any vindictive action against any employee failing which the employees would have to resort to an agitation. 

flayed: The NCP has criticised the functioning of the local employment exchange, charging it with various irregularities and corrupt practices. The president of the Ludhiana (East) wing, Mr Surinder Singh, and the youth wing general secretary, Mr Ashish Nanchahal, said in a joint statement that majority of those enrolled in the employment exchange were not called for years together whereas some others were given call letters through back door. The party has demanded that the working of the office should be streamlined and it should be ensured that call letters were sent to unemployed youth strictly on serial numbers of the applications. 

vaccination camp: The Ramgarhia Sewa Society will hold a free hepatitis-B vaccination camp, in association with the Rotract Club and GGN Khalsa College at free dispensary in Street No 24, Ram Nagar, on Sunday. Giving details, the camp in charge, Dr Tarlochan Singh, informed that Dr Sanjeet Singh Grewal and Dr G.S. Ubhi would perform the vaccination at subsidized rates. 

justice SOUGHT: The Medico Welfare Society, at its meeting presided over by Dr Atma Singh, has made an appeal to the state government to enlist with the Punjab Board of Ayurveda and Unani System those vaids and hakims who were registered in other states but practicing in Punjab. According to the president of the society, Dr Atma Singh, thousands of such medical practitioners were serving the poor masses in Punjab for the past many years now and it would be unjust to deprive them of their livelihood and to take affordable medical facilities out of reach of the poor people. 

camp: A free medical check up and drug de-addiction camp will be organised on November 28 in Ludhiana Acupuncture Medical College and Hospital from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is being organised to honour Mr Gian Singh Dhingra, founder, Dr Kotnis Acupuncture Hospital, on the 15th Anniversary of the hospital. Dr Rajinder Singh and Dr Ashok Gupta, will examine eye patients. Dr Narinder Monga will examine drug addicts and psychiatry patients and Dr Sunil and Dr Amrik Singh will carry out routine patients. 

Eye operation camp: Eminent eye specialists Dr. J. M. Singh and Dr. I. S. Bagga will perform eye operations at a free medical check-up and eye-operation camp being held at Gurdwara Reru Sahib, Lohara village , near here. The camp is being held by the Lal Bahadur Shastri Social Forum in collaboration with the Panjab state unit of United Nations Youth Organisation. Patients will also be given free medicines for general and brain diseases. The management of Gurdwara Reru Sahib will honour eminent social workers, doctors and advocates on the occasion, according to a press note. 

march: The local unit of the Punjab Pradesh Youth Congress will take out a march starting from Kundanpuri at 10 a.m. on Sunday to protest against the recent selective killings in Jammu and Kashmir. In a press note released here on Sunday, Mr Narinder Makkar, Vice-chairman of the party’s business cell, said an effigy of General Pervez Musharraf will be burnt at the end of the march at Chowk Ghantaghar. 

meeting: An emergency meeting of the Bhatha Mazdoor Union, Punjab, was held here yesterday which was chaired by Mr. Balwant Rai Kapoor, president, INTUC, Punjab, and attended by nearly 200 brick-kiln workers from all over the state. It was decided to submit a charter of demands to the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, regarding demands which include strict implementation of labour laws, the Factories Act, Bonus Act, Minimum Wages Act and the Employees Provident Fund Act and compensation during rainy season for the rebuilding of bricks. The workers are also demanding unemployment allowance from brick kiln owners for the period of strike observed by the Brick-kiln Owners Association. 

function organised: The N.S.S volunteers of the Government College for Girls, Sector 11, organised a cultural function to foster a spirit of patriotism among the students here on Friday. The programme officer, Mr G.S. Gill, explained various government schemes available for SC and ST categories. 20 ornamental plants were also planted. 

camp: One-week yoga sadhana camp for general public will be organised at Arya Samaj Mandir, Sector 7-B from Sunday. Timing for the camp will be from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. daily. Dr Shaveta Khugher, Ayurved Acharya, BAMS and Dr Sonica Joshi, ayurved and yoga experts, will provide guidance of Yoga asanas, pranayam, yogic relaxation and meditation for the physical, mental and spiritual development of the participants. 

Conference: More than 6000 delegates and observers from all over the country are scheduled to attend the 18th conference of the All India State Bank of Patiala Employees Federation at Central Polytechnic, Sector 26. The two-day conference will start on Sunday. On the first day procession of bankers will start from the Bank Square, Sector 17 at 9.30 a.m. and will culminate at Sector 26 Central Polytechnic, the venue of the conference. The conference will be inaugurated by Comrade Tarkeshwar Chakraborty, General Secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association. Privatisation of banks, voluntary retirement scheme and merger of associate banks with the State Bank of India are some of the issues to be discussed in the conference. 

Blood donation: The State Bank of India, Ropar branch, organised a blood-Donation camp at Government College, Ropar with coordination of the Rotary Club, Ropar. A total of 144 units of blood were donated by local dignitaries, students, staff, bankers and NSS cadets. The team of doctors was from the PGI, Chandigarh. Dr Ravi Bansal, Assistant General Manager of the bank inaugurated the camp and the Principal of Government College, Ropar was the chief guest. 

favoured: The General Secretary of the Indian National Lok Dal, Mr Pradeep Chaudhary and the District President, Mr Ravi Gopal Mehta, in a press note issued on Friday, said that the setting up of vikas samiti would hasten the development process in the rural set up. They added that the opposition was unnecessarily criticising the move of the Government. 

programme: A one-day management development programme on ‘Enhancing Personal Productivity’ was carried out at the ICSSR, Panjab University, on Friday. Mr Subash Bijlani, a Management Consultant and the President of Magnus Consultants, conducted the programme. The programme included topics such as personal leadership, time planning systems and techniques. 

CELEBRATED: Women’s Day was celebrated in Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 23, as part of National Integration Week. On this occasion lectures on women education, raising of women status, health of the girl child, saving of our cultural heritage were delivered. 

Workshop: A workshop on safe blood donation was organised by the NSS unit of SGGS College in collaboration with the Blood Bank Society, PGI in which Ms Vaneeta Sahini and Ms Niti Sarin interacted with the volunteers and spoke on various myths regarding blood donation. Principal P.S. Sangha stressed to strengthen the blood donation campaign and make it a mass movement . About 150 volunteers attended the workshop and committed themselves to be a part of the movement and motivate others. 

Youth portal: LoveChandigarh.Com, the youth portal for Chandigarh, is adding new dimensions to its customer services. According to the CEO, Akhil Verma said that with a view to make the net experience more worthwhile for their users, LoveChandigarh .Com has begun with the much awaited Fungama section. In this section users can avail an exciting gift offer. 

Seminar: Government College for Men, Sector 11, Chandigarh organised a seminar on Women’s Day as part of NSS Advisers Cell celebration of Quami Ekta Week, under the patronage of Dr S.N. Singla. The Principal of the college, Dr Maghar Singh stressed the need of giving equality and showing respect and regards to women. Dr Gian Chand Chohan, Lecturer in the Department of History, Panjab University, Chandigarh, presided over the function. 

Tournament: Punjab School Education Board will be organising 2nd All-India Inter-Education Board Employees Tournament on Wednesday and Thursday at Shivalik Public School, Phase-6, Mohali. A spokesman of the Board said that Mr Tota Singh, Education Minister of Punjab, will inaugurate the tournament in which about 200 sportsmen and officials would participate. There will be competitions in various sports including hockey, volleyball, badminton, carrom, chess and kabbadi. The state school boards of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, besides Punjab have already confirmed their participation, spokesman added. 

YAMUNANAGAR
MUTATIONS DAY: The district administration will observe November 30 as Mutations Day in the district. Mr Rajeev Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, said here on Friday that all pending mutations would be finalised at tehsil and sub-tehsil level. He said all tehsildars and naib-tehsildars had been directed to be present at their headquarters and to finalise the mutations.