ABOHAR
WORKERS EXAMINED: Nearly 525 workers from different factories here were examined and treated by a team of doctors at a health awareness camp organised by the Department of Factories along with the Health Department. This was stated by Mr Sukhminder Singh, Assistant Director (Factories), here on Thursday.

AMRITSAR
ELECTED: A governing council meeting of the Indian Academy of Fine Art elected Ms Gitika Kalha, Commissioner, Jalandhar division, as honorary chairperson of the academy. This was stated by Mr Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, general secretary of the academy, here on Thursday.

BARNALA
MEDICAL CAMP: A medical camp was organised for the members of the Trident Group at Dhaula Complex. Mr N.S. Walia, SDM, inaugurated the camp. The camp was organised by the Directorate of Factories.

DORAHA
ENCROACHMENTS REMOVED: The encroachments made by meat-shop owners under the fly-over here, were finally removed by the Municipal Council on Thursday. The long pending demand of the Nigam Ghat Committee and residents of the area to remove the meatshops from under the fly-over because of a cremation ground nearby, had now assumed serious proportions with the threat given by them that they would stage a dharna to protest against Municipal Council, if the shops were not removed before January 26. The shops were thus removed a day before the ultimatum in the presence of executive officer V.K. Mehta and sanitary inspector Vishnu Dutt.

MEETING HELD: The state level executive meeting of the PCCTU was held at Guru Nanak National College, Doraha, on Friday. According to a press note released by Prof Kuldeep Singh, President, District Council, Ludhiana, the planned protest march to be performed at Giddarbaha in Badal’s constituency, has been deferred still further. The final decision for the same would depend upon the response to be shown by Mr Mohan Lal, Education Minister, on February 4 at Extension Library, Ludhiana, regarding the implementation of the pension-cum-gratuity scheme by the government. This meeting of the office-bearers included Mr K.B.S. Sodhi, president, and Mr Charanjit Chawla, general secretary, of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union.

DSP BEREAVED: Ms Manjit Kaur, mother of Mr Balraj Singh Sidhu, DSP Payal, died of heart attack on Friday. She was 65. The cremation was largely attended. The bhog and antim ardas will be performed at Pandori Sidhwan near Tarn Taran, Amritsar, on January 28.

GURDASPUR
RECOVERED: Jail authorities recovered a large number of capsules and a working mobile phone from Manjinder Singh, an undertrial, when he reported back after a leave. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused.

HOSHIARPUR
SUICIDES: Rekha Rani (19), daughter of Mr Sewa Singh of Dadiana Khurd village, allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a well on Tuesday while her parents were away . Her parents returned in the evening and found the girl missing. Later, her body was found in a village well. Ashok Kumar ( 23), son of Mr Jagan Nath of Pirthipur village, also allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison on Wednesday at Talwara.

LEPROSY SOCIETY: The District Leprosy Society has detected and provided treatment to 378 leprosy patients during the past five years. The society is also looking after the two leper colonies in Hoshiarpur and Dasuya, which have 69 and 46 inmates, respectively. This was stated by Dr Pawan Kalia, District Leprosy Officer, here on Thursday.

BLOOD DONATION: The 12th Punjab Battalion of the NCC, in collaboration with the local branch of the Indian Medical Association, organised a blood donation camp of NCC cadets here on Friday in connection with the Republic Day celebrations. Col Nasib Singh, Commanding Officer of the Battalion, said 25 units of blood were collected from the cadets.

KHARAR
DISTRIBUTED: Mr Mohinder Singh Hundal, sarpanch of Tewar village distributed Rs 50,000 among members of the Milk Producers Cooperative Society, at a function held in the village on Saturday. Mr Harmesh Singh, president of the society, presided over the function.

LUDHIANA
SELECTED: Dr Faqir Chand Shukla, a renowned writer and professor of food technology at Punjab Agricultural University, has been selected for the prestigious Shiromani Punjabi Lekhak Award by the Languages Department, Punjab, for his contribution in the field of science. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a medal, a shawl and a memento. Dr Shukla had recently been awarded with the Millennium Award by the World Hindi Conference for his contribution in Hindi literature. Dr Shukla has written 21 books in Hindi and Punjabi on foods and nutrition, short stories, plays and children’s literature.

INAUGURATED: A free TB clinic with X-ray unit and medicine distribution centre was inaugurated at Nishkam Sewa Hospital, near Jhar Sahib Gurdwara here on Saturday. The clinic and the medicine distribution centre is a joint venture of Aasha and the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab. Nishkam has various projects like home for the aged, eye and dental hospitals, dispensaries, school for street children in slums, school for mentally retarded children and adult education for working women. The chief guest on the occasion was Ms Mohinder Kaur Josh, State Health Minister, and Dr (Ms) Rajinder Kaur, Civil Surgeon presided over the function. Dr O.P.s. Kande, President, IMA Punjab, Dr S.K. Sareen, president IDA Punjab, and Dr Pawan Vashisht, president, NIMA, Punjab, were the other guests of honour.

R-DAY FUNCTION: The district unit of Bhartiya Janata Party organised more than a dozen functions all over the city to mark Republic Day, which was observed as Constitution Review Day, and the Rajya Sabha member, Lala Lajpat Rai, unfurled the national flag. Speaking at these functions, Lala Lajpat Rai focussed on the achievements of the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab, while at the same time, calling upon the government to formulate more and more welfare schemes for the poor and the weaker sections.

TRIBUTES PAID: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has condoled the death of a large number of people due to earthquake in Gujrat and has appealed to the people to make maximum contribution for relief and rehabilitation of the victims. A meeting of the district unit of the party presided over by Mr Harbans Lal Sethi, observed to minutes silence to pay homage to those, who had lost their lives and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

ORGANISED: The District Youth Congress (DYC) organised Republic Day functions in Kushta Ashram, Karimpura, Islam Ganj, Basti Jodhewal, Sekhewal Road, Tibba Road and Miller Ganj and the DYC President, Mr Parminder Mehta, unfurled the tricolor. Addressing the functions, Mr Mehta stressed the need to inculcate nationalism and patriotism among the youth. To achieve this objective, the school curriculum should be suitably modified to include the biographies of great patriots and martyrs. He asked the youth, more than 18 years of age, who had been granted the right to vote, to apprise themselves fully with the democratic system and the Indian Constitution.

URGED: The residents of New Shimla Puri and Shimla Puri localities in the city have urged the Municipal Corporation to provide basic amenities like metalled roads, sewerage, storm water drainage and pavement of streets in these localities. The Yuvak Sewawan Club of the area has submitted a memorandum to the MC Commissioner, demanding carpeting of road along the canal, passing through these areas, construction of a bridge over Sidhwan Canal to connect Mohalla Ishwar Nagar with Kwality Road, providing sewerage in Hari Krishan Nagar and Preet Nagar and pavement of streets in these localities. This information was given by Mr Shamsher Singh, general secretary of the club.

HONOURED: Mr Piara Singh and Mr Om Parkash, both sub-inspectors at the Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, have been awarded President’s Police medal for their meritorius services rendered by them in the police department on the occasion of the Republic Day function held at New Delhi on Friday.

ROAD SHOW: A three-day road show is being organised at New Senior Secondary School, Sarabha Nagar, by the Hyundai. Interactive games and contests are being organised and prizes will be distributed on Sunday when the show will conclude, informed Mr Asheem Suri, CEO, Godawari Motors.

SOOD MELA: The local Sood Sabha will hold its 39th annual Sood mela at Sood Bhavan, Sector 44-A, here on February 4. According to a press note, Sood families from all over the country as well as from abroad are expected to attend the mela.

MEETING HELD: A meeting of the families of mentally challenged patients was organised by the Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, here on Saturday. Prof B.S. Chawan, head, Psychiatry Department, informed that 30 families attended the meeting. He said a website was being planned for the parents and guardians of the patients regarding the illness, treatment facilities, crisis intervention, side effects and misconceptions.

PARTICIPATED: Nearly 200 students of the Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36, and Dev Samaj Junior Model School, Sector 21, participated in a rally organised by the SPCA, in collaboration with the Dev Samaj College of Education, here on Saturday. The rally was flagged off by the Joint Secretary, Finance, UT, Mr K.A.P. Sinha from the Dev Samaj Bhavan which culminated at Sector 17. Mr Sinha commended the efforts of the college in promoting awareness among citizens about their duties towards the animals. 

REGIONAL WORKSHOP: A four-day regional workshop on “Youth ambassadors for positive living” will be organised by the Commonwealth Youth Programme, Chandigarh, from Sunday. The workshop is aimed at developing an action plan to co-opt young people to undertake peer education for promotion of positive living. Delegates form seven countries of the commonwealth are expected to participate. It is to be inaugurated by Ms Nancy Spence, Gender and Youth Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, London. 

KHALSA BLOCK: Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26, will celebrate its founders day on February 1. The Khalsa Tercentenary Arts Block will be inaugurated on the occasion by Baba Sarbjit Singh Bedi, President, Gurmat Sidhant Pracharak Sant Samaj. Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, MP, and president, Educational Society, will honour prominent Sikh personalities.

MEETING: The Gynae and Fertility Research Centre and IVF Clinic will organise a scientific meeting on “Assisted reproductive technology and infertility management” on Sunday. Nearly 250 delegates are expected to participate which will be inaugurated by a former PGI’s Director, Prof I.C. Pathak. According to the organising secretary, Dr Umesh Jindal, besides eminent faculty members from India, two senior embryologists from the USA namely Dr B.S Minhas and Mr Vincent Williams will address delegates. Meanwhile, ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) for management of male infertility was inaugurated during the pre-conference at the PN Chuttani Memorial Hall, Sector 35-B, here on Saturday.

SAS NAGAR
URGED: The local Anti-Encroachment Committee has urged PUDA to direct the Municipal Councillors of the local civic body to remove encroachments before other residents of the town were directed the follow.

CULTURAL PROGRAMME: The local Nachda Punjab Sabhyacharak Club will organise a cultural programme at Tagore Theatre Wednesday. Mr Varinder Sharma and Mr Charanjeet Singh, chairman and president, respectively, of the club said Mr Gurbax Shoki, a folk singer, Mr Bhupinder Singh, an owner of an evening Punjabi daily, and Mrs Satwant Kaur Sandhu, a Punjab minister, would be honoured on the occasion.

WORKSHOP: A two-day workshop on “Quality Requirement for export of drugs and pharmaceutical” will be held at National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) here from Monday. The workshop is being organised by the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Cell of the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. Mr N.V. Kaul, Secretary and Ms Veenu Gupta, Deputy Secretary, respectively, in the Union Ministry will make a presentation on “current status of exports of pharmaceutical from India”. A spokesman of the NIPER said the purpose of the workshop was to take stock of the problems with respect to exports from India to other parts of the world which had registered a decrease in the past few years. The issue of quality of drugs and the pharmaceutical preparations would be evaluated critically. Around 40 participants from the industry and of regulatory authorities are expected to participate.

AMBALA
CONVENTION: The Rationalist Society, Haryana, will hold a convention at the Railway Auditorium, Ambala Cantonment, railway station, on Sunday. Mr Gurmeet Singh, regional secretary, said nearly 200 members of the society are expected to participate. The elections to the state executive will also take place in the meeting.

TEACHERS' UNION: The state executive of the Haryana College Teachers Union will held at Vaish College, Rohtak, on Sunday instead of Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, a release issued by the general secretary, Dr Sudarshan Gasso, said.