BARNALA
PROTEST DAY: Activists of the Private Colleges Non-Teaching Employees Union, Punjab and Chandigarh, observed a protest day here on Saturday by wearing black badges here. This was stated by Mr Raj Kumar Singla, general secretary of the union, in a press note.

BATHINDA
STONE LAID: Mr Chiranji Lal Garg, Punjab Minister for Science and Technology, laid the foundation stone of Punjab Police Pensioners Bhavan here on Saturday. Mr Harchand Singh, chairman of the Punjab Police Pensioners’ Association, spoke on the occasion.

OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Non-Teaching Employees Union of the local DAV College: president — Mr Amarjit Khullar; vice-president — Mr Ram Saroop; treasurer — Mr Nasib Singh; secretary — Mr Baldev Krishan Sharma; and joint secretaries — Mr Roshan Lal and Mr Sardari Lal.

CONDEMNED: The district unit of the All-India Federation for Democratic Rights has condemned the lathi charge on farmers at Maiserkhana village in the district. This was stated by Mr Bagga Singh, president of the federation, in a press note here on Saturday.

JANATA DAL(SECULAR): Mr Varinder Kumar was elected vice-president of the local branch of Janata Dal (Secular) at a meeting of the district unit of the Dal here on Friday.

DORAHA
OCTROI POST AUCTION: A sum of Rs 2.01crore was raised from the auction of Doraha octroi post, which was held in the presence of Dr Karamjit Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Local Bodies, and officials of the Nagar Council. Mr Rishi Raj and his group were given the contract of collecting octroi for a year. The total amount raised from the auction last year was Rs 1.48 crore.

FEROZEPORE
INSTRUCTED: Through an order under Section 144, Mr S.R. Ladhar, Deputy Commissioner, is instructed all house owners to provide a list of tenants and other persons residing within their premises to the police stations of their respective areas.

RALLY HELD: The Plant Doctors Services Association held a rally in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner here on Sunday to press the government for the acceptance of their demands. The demands include cancellation of the notification through which pay scales and status of agriculture technologists has been “lowered”.

POPPY HUSK SEIZED: The police has seized 35 kg of poppy husk and arrested Gurdev Singh in this connection. This was stated by Mr HS Sidhu, SSP. A case has been registered under the NDPS Act.

JAGRAON
BOOKED FOR NUISANCE: The police has arrested Iqbal Singh, Jagtar Singh, and Manpreet Singh of Jagraon for creating nuisance at a public place under the influence of liquor. They were got medically examined and booked under Sections 34, 5 and 61 of the Police Act.

SHUN NARCOTICS: At a public meeting held at Chowkiman police post, Mr Jasdev Singh, DSP, asked the youth to stay away from narcotic drugs and help the police in the detection of the anti-social elements who supplied drugs to the youth. He also warned the chemists not to sell any medicine or intoxicant without prescription. Sarpanches of the various villages participated in the meeting.

CHILD MISSING: Mr Suraj Bhan of Ravidaspura Mohalla has lodged a report at the local police station that his son, Sandeep Kumar (13), alias Bholu, a student of class VII at Waryam Singh Memorial Adarsh Nursery School, was missing. He had reportedly left for school but did not return home.

KHARAR
UNION: Sarpanches of the Kharar block in a meeting called by the Panchayat Union, Kharar, here on Saturday decided to fight unitedly against official high handedness against any sarpanch in the future. According to a press release, the sarpanches discussed the various problems being faced by them in the government offices and police stations.

SANGAT DARSHAN: A sangat darshan programme will be organised on August 1 in Tewar village of Kharar tehsil. According to Mr Mohinder Singh Hundal, sarpanch of the village, Mr G.S. Grewal, Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, would hear grievances of residents of about 12 nearby villages.

MISSING: Inder Singh a student of class X and a resident of Chappar village Chirri near here has been reportedly missing since July 23. According to Mr Gurdev Singh, father of the boy, the boy had gone to school and did not return home.

PRIZE DISTRIBUTION: Ms Lakhwinder Kaur Garcha, general secretary of the PPCC distributed prizes to the winners of ‘Kabaddi Tournament’ organised by the Sports Club and Gram Panchayat of Sacrulapur village, on Friday. She appreciated the organisers and announced a grant of Rs 10,000 to the club.

MEETING: Mr Prem Singh president of the Kharar unit of SAD, presided over the meeting of party workers of ward number 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Kharar municipal committee Mundi Kharar village on Friday.

MALERKOTLA
SCHOOL UPGRADED: Mr Gobind Singh Khanjla, Cabinet Minister, Punjab, has announced a grant of Rs 2 crore for the development of Sherpur, which is his constituency. This was stated by him on the occasion of upgradation of primary school in Vajidpur Badeshe village. he distributed 11 cheques for Rs 5,100 each among SC families.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
URGED: Dr Harbans Lal, MLA, Sirhind, and Mr Sadhu Singh Dharamset, former state minister, in a joint statement issued here on Saturday stated that the district administration had failed to safeguard the life and property of people. They added that due to its failure to arrest anti-social elements, who continued with their activities of killing and looting, people of the district were feeling insecure. Besides demanding immediate arrest of the culprits, they also demanded evaluation of loss caused to the paddy crop due to rains and compensation to the farmers. They threatened to stage a dharna in front of the district complex at Fatehgarh Sahib, and burn an effigy of the Punjab Government if no action was taken before August 5.

KILLING CONDEMNED: Mr Dalip Singh Pandhi, former state minister, in a press note issued here on Saturday, condemned the killing of Phoolan Devi, MP, in the security zone of Delhi. He said the government should immediately arrest the remaining accused and restore confidence among people.

MOGA
DEMANDED: A farmers’ deputation from Bhekha village in the district said here on Saturday that thieves stole tubewell motors and sold them to ‘kabarias’. They demanded that the motors should be recovered as they had no money to buy new ones.

POWER CUTS: Frustrated over frequent power cuts businessmen and traders have decided to launch an agitation in front of the PSEB office here soon. This was stated by Mr Kalwant Singh, an industrialist, here on Saturday.

SAHNEWAL
SAD OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been appointed office-bearers of the circle unit of Shiromani Akali Dal: president — Mr Jagroop Singh; senior vice-presidents — Mr Charan Singh Chaunta, Mr Jagjit Singh Tibba, Mr Karamjit Singh Thabewal and Mr Surjit Singh Hara; vice-presidents — Mr Sukhdev Singh Koom Khurd, Mr Gurman Singh, Mr Baldev Singh Dharaur, Mr Sherjang Singh Dharaur and Mr Teerath Singh Koom Kalan; general secretaries — Mr Karamjit Singh Bhairomunna, Mr Malkiat Singh Jandiali, Mr Ranjit Singh Mangali, Mr Balwinder Singh Bhamma Kalan and Mr Nirpal Singh Kohara; cashier — Mr Manjit Singh Khumait; press secretary — Mr Ajmer Singh; and secretaries — Mr Sarwan Singh Kot, Mr Jagtar Singh Rajool, Mr Daljinder Singh Sahni, Mr Manjit Singh, Mr Gurdial Singh Katani and Mr Jagtar Singh Sahnewal.

DISTRIBUTED: Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, distributed cheques to sarpanches of some villages near Sahnewal. According to Mr Karamjit Singh Bhairomunna, cheques worth Rs 1 lakh were given to Mr Balbir Singh and Mr Sher Singh, the sarpanches of Bhairomunna and Laton Joga villages, respectively. Besides, a cheque worth Rs 75,000 was presented to Ms Ramesh Rani, sarpanch of Heeran village, he added. Mr Santa Singh Umaidpuri, chairman of the Market Committee of Sahnewal, Mr Jagroop Singh and Mr Jagtar Singh were also present on the occasion.

SAMRALA
DEMOLITION STAYED: Mr Ravinder Kumar, Civil Judge, ordered a stay on the demolition of the old Courts Complex, here on Saturday. It was stated by Mr M. G. Prasher, vice-president of the local Bar Association. He added that demolition of the complex had also been stopped due to a stay order by the Civil Court, Samrala. A civil suit was filed by the Samrala Bar Association against PUDA in the court of Mr Ravinder Kumar, on Friday.

DEMANDED: A deputation of the local Guru Nanak Taxi Union met the SDM Mr S. S. Brar, on Saturday and demanded the shifting & taxi-owners not having permits, to some other taxi-stand. The president and general secretary of the union, Mr Mohan Singh and Mr Amandeep Singh Kaku, respectively, said only eight taxi-owners of the town had the permits, while more than 60 persons were plying their cars without permit as taxis. It was causing loss to the Punjab government, they added. Mr Brar directed the police authorities to take immediate action against the defaulters.

TARN TARAN
TEACHERS’ WORKSHOP: A two-day workshop-cum-refresher course for teachers of the local cluster of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public Schools concluded here on Thursday. It was attended by more than 100 teachers of different cluster schools. Mr G.S. Gill, principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jalandhar, inaugurated the workshop and Mr Gurinder Singh, member in charge, presided over it.

PENSIONERS MEET: The Punjab State Pensioners and Senior Citizens Welfare Association organised a subdivision level conference here on Thursday in which their problems were discussed. Mr Rattan Singh, patron, Mr Sardool Singh, chairman, and other office bearers of the association addressed the conference. They demanded implementation of their accepted demands.

‘FIGHT AGAINST EVILS’: Mr Gurwinder Chabal, president, Nav-Chetna Manch, Chabal, in a press statement issued here on Friday has taken serious note of the prevailing menace of drug addiction among the youths and called upon the awakened youths to come forward against it. He also demanded from the authorities to make arrangements of the drainage and elimination of the stray dogs in the villages.

ARRESTED: Mr S.K. Kalia, SP (detective), in a press note issued here on Friday said the Verowal police station has recovered a threewheeler (PB-02 Z-9810) which was snatched by some unidentified persons on July 15 from the area and arrested three thieves responsible for the incident. The accused have been identified as Davinder Singh, Amarjit Singh, alias Tota, and Tarsem Singh, alias Sema, all residents of Guru ki Wadali village. A case under Sections 382, 307 and 325 of the IPC has already been registered.

DISTRIBUTED: An amount of Rs 1.30 crore was distributed at a function here on Saturday as compensation among 1,450 farmers whose paddy was procured by government agencies at less rate. The function was presided over by Mr Tarlochan Singh Tur. Mr Surinder Singh Kairon, former MP and Mr Gurinderpal Singh Sahota, SDM, were also present.

ELECTED: Mr Parmdip Singh, sarpanch of the Sarhali panchayat and director of the local Cooperative Sugar Mills, was elected chairman of the board of directors of the sugar mills here on Saturday.

LECTURE: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) organsied a Comrade Bhag Singh Sajjan Memorial Lecture at the CPM office in Sector 20 here on Sunday. It was the first lecture in a series of lectures to be organised. Delivering the lecture, Mr Mangeet Ram Pasta, central committee member of the party, spoke about Mr Sajjan’s participation in the freedom movement and his role in the communist movement. The memorial lecture was presided over by Mr R.P. Manchanda, a veteran trade union leader, and Prof. Dharam Vir, a scientist. Among others who addressed the gathering, included district secretary of the local unit, Mr Inderjit Singh Grewal, CPI leader Mr H.S. Gambhir, and leader of Janta Dal (Secular), Mr Rajinder Kashyap.

MEETING: A meeting of the executive body of the Shirdi Sai Samaj was held at the premises of the temple under the presidentship of Mr Vijay Kumar, here on Saturday. It was unanimously decided at the meeting to contribute for the development of temple and other welfare activities for the poor.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Uttarakhand Yuva Manch: President — Mr Gurmeet Singh; Vice-President — Mr Anil Gusain; General Secretary — Mr Rattan Ashwal; Joint Secretary — Mr Anil Semwal; and Treasurer — Mr N.S. Rauthan.

SAPLING PLANTATION: The Rotary Club, Panchkula, organised a sapling plantation day on Sunday. A press note issued by the club stated the 100 fruit-bearing and ornamental saplings were planted in the industrial area Phase I. The Assistant Governor, Mr T.S. Anand, launched the drive. He planted a few saplings on the Rotary House premises in Sector 12-A. Others members of the club also planted saplings.

CONFERENCE: The All India MES Civilian Engineers Association would discuss the shortcomings in the functioning of the MES in view of rapid changes in technological field and dependence on age-old system and provisions, resulting in the failure to provide an efficient service. The discussion would be a part of a two-day bi-annual regional conference of the association to be inaugurated by the Chief Engineer, Western Command, Maj-Gen Mr Madhav Arren on Monday. The conference would also deliberate upon the problems faced by the civilian engineers. Among the prominent issues to be raised was the non-availability of opportunity for promotion to the engineers, a press note stated.