BALACHAUR
CHARGE ASSUMED: Dr S.S. Grewal has assumed the charge of Associate Director, Zonal Research Station for Kandi area of PAU Ballowal Saunkhari under Balachaur subdivision in Nawanshahr district.

BATHINDA
CAMP ORGANISED: The Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) organised a solar water pump maintenance and operation camp at Bhoj Raj school here. This was stated by Mr Suresh Goyal, Project Officer, PEDA, in a press note issued on Friday.

DORAHA
INJURED: A cyclist was injured when he was hit by a Qualis on Friday evening. According to the sources, Kala Singh of Jatana village, who is working as a labourer at an FCI godown, was going by his cycle when a Qualis(DL-5CB-3267) coming from Delhi to Ludhiana, hit him as a result of which he was badly injured. ASI Harbans Singh with the help of his first-aid team got him admitted to the Sidhu Hospital, Doraha, from where he was shifted to the DMC, Ludhiana.

FARIDKOT
SEMINAR: The Food and Civil Supplies Department, Faridkot, organised a seminar here on Friday in connection with the celebrations of the Consumer Protection Week. Presiding over the function, Mr Hussan Lal, Additional Deputy Commissioner, underlined the need for organising more such seminars to create awareness among consumers about their rights. Mr Atul Gupta, District Sales Officer and coordinator, Indian Oil Corporation, highlighted ways to check the quality and quantity of various oil products.

HOSHIARPUR
INAUGURATED: Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner, inaugurated the first Automated Teller Machine ( ATM) at the main branch of the State Bank of India ( SBI) here on Saturday. Mr K. K. Mehra, Deputy General Manager, SBI Zonal Office, Punjab, was also present on this occasion.

SOLAR TUBEWELL: The Punjab Energy Development Agency has recently installed 21 solar energy operating tubewells in various villages of Dasuya block in the district. This was stated by the Deputy Commissioner here on Saturday.

KHANNA
ARRESTED: The local police has arrested five Zypsy borne persons and seized one unlicensed wireless system from them. During investigation they were identified as Hardip Singh of Faizgarh, Rajinder Singh of Mohanpur, Pargat Singh of Mohanpur, Shinder Singh of Fatehgarh Nehoan, and Daljit Singh of Nandi Colony Khanna. They told that they were employees of an octroi contractor and used the vehicle and the wireless system to collect octroi from vehicle owners at night. The vehicle has been impounded and a case registered against them.

LUDHIANA
VACCINATION: The Pandit Chand Lal Memorial Trust would hold a Hepatitis-B vaccination camp at Shri Krishna Mandir, Model Town Extension, here on Sunday. The general secretary of the trust and camp director, Dr K.K. Rattan, informed that a noted cardiologist, Dr Arun Thapar, will inaugurate the camp and a team of doctors comprising Dr Diwakar Sharma, Dr Neelam and Dr R.K. Rattan will administer the vaccine.

NOMINATED: Dr Kuldip Singh, a consultant surgeon at DMC Hospital here, has been nominated as one of the members of the state-level advisory committee for management and handling of biomedical waste in the hospitals and nursing homes. The committee comprises, among others, principal secretaries of the local government, health and family welfare, medical education and research departments and commissioners of municipal corporation in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Patiala.

DEMANDED: The All India Dr Ambedkar Naujawan Sabha, Punjab, has flayed the indiscriminate action, including arrests and prosecution of medical practitioners of indigenous system of medicine by the district health administration. A meeting of the sabha held here under the presidentship of Mr Kashmir Singh Doaba observed that the state government was deliberately delaying a decision on the issue, under the garb of directions by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The sabha has urged the government to bring in a legislation to accord right of practice to medical practitioners, registered in other states.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Ludhiana branch of the NIRC of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India for the year 2001-2002: chairman — Mr Davinder Pal Singh; vice-chairman — Mr Hans Raj Kapoor; secretary — Mr Arvind Pal Singh; treasurer — Mr Rajnish Goyal; executive member — Mr Kuldip Sablok.

MANSA
SOUGHT: Mr Inder Singh Sra, advocate and senior leader of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, has sought the shifting of plinths built by private land owners along the boundary walls of the local Government Nehru Memorial College. These plinths have been built for storage of wheat and paddy by various government agencies.

DISTRIBUTED: Ms Raji P. Shirivastava, Deputy Commissioner, on Friday distributed 25 sewing machines to poor and needy women at Phaphra Bhalke village in the district. She announced to open a sewing and knitting training centre in the village.

ELECTED: Election of the district unit of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) was held at the local SD Kanya Mahavidyalaya. Ms Harveen Trehan was unanimously elected president of the district unit, while Mr Sunil Mehta was elected general secretary for the academic year 2001-02.

EYE CAMP: A three-day eye operation camp is being organised by the Dashmesh Sports and Welfare Club at Phaphra Bhalke village in the district. This was stated by Mr Sukhmohinder Singh, president of the club.

DEMANDED: The District Congress Committee (DCC) has demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister in view of the recent expose by tehelka.com. This was stated by Mr Ram Pal Dhalpi, president of the committee.

PHAGWARA
BUDGET PASSED: Nearly 60 per cent of the Municipal Council budget of Rs 9, 57, 000,00 would be spent on various projects. The budget was passed in council’s meeting held here on Friday.

SANGRUR
DEMANDED: The district unit of the Lal Jhanda Punjab Bhattha Mazdoor Union, at its meeting held under the presidentship of Mr Bant Singh Bhudan here on Friday, criticised the functioning of the Assistant Labour Commissioner (ALC), Sangrur. Mr Jagtar Singh Maherana, general secretary of the union, demanded the transfer of the ALC in a press note issued here.

AIDS CONTROL SEMINAR: During the one-day seminar organised by the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration, Punjab, discussions on the role of NGOs in national development with reference to AIDS were held During the discussions, representatives of 20 NGOs recommended organisation of more awareness programmes, interactive sessions, radio and TV shows besides proper distribution of the published material to spread awareness about the AIDS control.

WORLD HAEMOPHILIC DAY: The Haemophilic Welfare Society, Chandigarh, will observe World Haemophilic Day on April 18 at the government College for Boys, sector 11. According to Dr Maghar Singh, finance secretary of the society, PGI emeritus Professor, Prof J.G. Jolly, will preside over the function whereas Dr S.S. Gill, Additional Professor, Department of Orthopaedics, will be the guest of honour. Free vaccination of the second dose of hepatitis-B would be administered to the haemophilic patients. 

NOTICE: Various industry associations of city on Saturday served an ultimatum on the Chandigarh Administration to accept their demands by March 31. The convener of the action committee of the associations, Mr AL Aggarwal, demanded the ownership rights to the original allottees of the CITCO sheds. Similarly, the leasehold industrial plots and sheds should be converted into freehold on the pattern of residential property. Since the administration will be charging registration fee for conversion it would generate revenue worth crores of rupees, he added. Demanding the transfer of plots and sheds at the rate of Rs 100 per square yard as per the 1990 industrial policy, he said the refusal of the authorities to transfer the plts had put financial burden on the units and made them unviable. 

FUNCTION: The valedictory function of postgraduate certification course in video film production techniques for 2000-2001 was held at Technical Teachers Training Institute here on Friday. The function was presided over by the Principal of TTTI Dr S. Krishnamurthy. The function was attended by all heads of the departments of the institute, students and staff of ETV department.

PANCHKULA
PROTEST: The Residents welfare bodies of this township have decided to join hands and protest against the local administration and the government in failing to maintain law and order situation, besides providing them basic civic amenities. Mr RP Malhotra, president of the Panchkula Welfare Association, Sector 8, alleged that the administration had turned a cold shoulder towards their pending demands. Moreover, the administration has failed to provide them basic amenities like good roads, uninterrupted water and power supply. He said the administration had failed to remove encroachments and provide a well-stoked library and community centre for each sector. Members of different welfare associations have also decided hold a joint meet at Arya Samaj Mandir, Sector 9 on Sunday to form next action plan.

SAS NAGAR
HOUSING SCHEME: The draw of lots for the housing scheme floated in five new sectors in this town last year will be held on March 22, 26, 28 and 30. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the officials of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) here on Friday. Mr KBS Sidhu, Chief Administrator of the PUDA, said for the 125 sq yard plots, 150 sq yard and 200 sq yard category plots the draw would be held on March 22, March 26 and March 28, respectively. For the 250 sq yard and above category plots the draw would be held on March 30. A total of 14,073 applications against 3950 plots had been received by the authorities.

FUNCTION: A state-level disabled awareness function to observe the 42nd World Disabled Day is being organised in the town on Sunday. Mr Ajit Salani, organiser of the function, said the Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, Mr GS Grewal, would be the chief guest and Mr Kulwant Singh, president of the SAS Nagar civic body, would preside over the function.

POWER SUPPLY: Residents of Jagatpura village near Sector 48 have complained that due to erratic supply of power the inhabitants of the village were facing a lot of problem. Mr Gurnam Singh, a resident of the village, said the worst hit by the poor power supply are students as it was an examination time.

BILASPUR
APPOINTED: Ms Roop Rani , a Zila Parishad member from Samoh ward, has been appointed the president of the district unit of Mahila Congress here. This was stated by the state Mahila Congress president, Ms Krishna Mohini Sharma, here on Friday.

KILLED: An autorickshaw driver was crushed to death while two persons were seriously injured when the autorickshaw collided with a truck at Dholera Ground here on Thursday night. The injured have been hospitalised.