R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

JALANDHAR
DISTRICT CREDIT PLAN: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr K. Siva Prasad, on Monday announced the district credit plan to the tune of Rs 1,006 crore for the current financial year during a joint meeting of the District Consultative and Coordination Committee of Bankers and district administration here. He said the annual credit plan had been enhanced by 20.55 per cent as compared to the last year.

LUDHIANA
CULTURAL CONTESTS: Students of the Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology, Model Town, bagged the runners-up trophy by winning 11 first prizes and three second prizes in various cultural contests held for Zone three of Punjab Technical University at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib. Giving this information, Principal A.S. Bansal said the students won first prizes in classical vocal, shabad (solo), group shabad, Indian group song, western group song, giddha, essay writing, folk song, story writing and poster making. Second prizes were bagged for skit, elocution and solo western vocal, he added. Mr Bansal said his teams had qualified for 14 events for the inter-zonal cultural festival to be held on April 8 and 9 at Jalandhar.

DR KANWAR TAKES OVER: Dr J.S. Kanwar has taken over as a new head of the Department of Horticulture of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). He has an experience of more than 35 years in horticulture and his research contributions have yielded 11 recommendations to the fruit growers of the state. Dr Kanwar has published 123 research and other papers including books and farm bulletins. His book entitled “The Litchi” has been acclaimed by the research workers as well as the fruit growers. He was nominated on the Academic Council of Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan. He was also nominated on the Research Board of Advisers of the American Biological Institute.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
INAUGURATED: The Congress government in the state has failed to make summary of financial policy public. As such it would have to face the financial crises in regard to the payment of salaries to its employees and development works in the state, said Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, former Food and Supply Minister, Punjab. Earlier, Mr Mittal presided over a function organised by Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Public Senior Secondary School, Mandi Gobindgarh. Shanker Acharya Swami Madavsharan Ji inaugurated the two branches of the school at Desmesh Colony and Iqbal Colony here. Mr Bal Mukand Aggarwal, president of the school management committee, welcomed the guests, Mr R.K. Tiwari, Principal of the school, spoke on the achievements and working of the school.

MANSA
EYE CAMP: The local Rotary Club will hold a free eye operation camp here on Saturday and Sunday. This was disclosed by Mr R.C. Goyal, president of the club. He said a team of doctors from Government Rajindra College and Hospital, Patiala, would examine the patients suffering from various eye ailments. He further said for the first time, the patients undergoing cataract operations would be provided intra ocular lenses (IOLs) free of cost.

PATHANKOT
REMANDED: Mr Karnail Singh, Judicial Magistrate, has remanded two employees of the local Market Committee and a police constable in judicial custody for allegedly collecting money at Madhopur sales tax barrier. According to the police, following a raid by the Additional Excise and Taxation Commissioner at the barrier, it was found that Satish Kumar and Akashdeep, employees of the committee, with the help of constable Sukhwinder Singh, were stopping trucks carrying vegetables and collecting money from them.

PATIALA
OFFICE-BEARERS ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Urban Estate Phase 2 Patiala Residents Welfare Association. President — Mr Harminder Singh; vice-president — Mr H.R. Singla; general secretary — Mr K.S. Bhatiwal; joint secretary — Mr B.R. Goyal; and Finance Secretary — Mr R.L. Bajaj.

STRIKE: The Food Corporation of India Employees Union, along with its affiliated unions, will hold a one-day token strike on April 16 in protest against the Central Government move towards privatisation and amendment in the Trade Union Act and the Industrial Dispute Act, according to its general secretary, Mr M.C. Tyagi.

RESIDENTS’ BODY: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Ekta Welfare Residents Society; president — Mr Balvir Singh; senior vice president — Mr K.K. Bhatnagar; vice-president — Mr Ramesh Saini, and general secretary — Mr Subhash Jawa.

PHAGWARA
MEDICAL CAMP: As many as 3000 persons were examined at a free mega medical camp organised jointly by the local Rotary Club and the Rotary Club, Aston (UK), here on Sunday, according to Mr JSS Malhotra and Mr Phinder Talatair, Presidents of the clubs, on Monday. Mr Mohan Singh Sachdeva, District Governor, Rotary District 3070, inaugurated the camp. Mr Prem Nath Gupta, Director, Hero-DMC Heart Care Institute, Ludhiana, was the guest of honour.

INVIGILATOR ASSAULTED: An invigilator was assaulted by a student on Saturday for checking copying at a local college in the ongoing university examination. According to information here on Monday, a student, who was a boxer, first misbehaved with the supervisor in the examination centre and then manhandled him after the examination.

ZIRAKPUR
INAUGURATED: Prof S.K. Sharma, Director PGI, inaugurated the new EPABX in the Advanced Paediatric Centre here on Tuesday. With the opening up of new exchange, the efficiency in the telecommunication system of the PGI would be enhanced to facilitate the working of the institute.

HARYANA

AMBALA
WHEAT PROCUREMENT: To ensure that wheat procurement is carried out smoothly in different grain markets, the Deputy Commissioner, Ambala, Mr Mahinder Kumar on Tuesday allotted duties to district officials. He said officials would visit the grain markets every day and keep in touch with different procurement agencies. The officials had also been directed to ensure that the farmers did not face any problems at the grain market according to a press note. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHAMBA
CREDIT PLAN: Various nationalised banks will disburse loans worth Rs 37.9 crore in the district during the current fiscal year. This was stated by Mr Madan Kumar, Chief Manager of the State Bank of India, while launching the district credit plan of Chamba for the current financial year. The Chief Manager of the SBI said Rs 27.51 crore had been earmarked under the priority sector which included Rs 18.16 crore for the services sector. He further said Rs 7.76 crore would be advanced to the agriculture sector.

HAMIRPUR
HIMACHAL DAY: The state level Himachal Day function will be held at Tarkwari in the district on April 15. Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, Education Minister, said this at Bhoranj village of the district, while reviewing the progress made by various government departments. He said various government departments would also set up exhibition stalls, highlighting their achievements in different sectors.

LAUNCHED: The Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Anuradha Thakur, launched a credit plan of Rs 57.22 crore on Monday for the current financial year. The plan provides Rs 17.44 crore for the agriculture sector, Rs 4.18 crore for the SSI sector and Rs 28.55 crore for the tertiary sector. Ms Thakur said the allocation of priority sector was higher by 29 per cent as compared to the previous credit plan. She further said 1,400 kisan cards were distributed among the farmers during the last fiscal year.

PALAMPUR
FOUNDATION STONE: Dr K.K. Birla, a leading industrialist and Member Parliament, laid the foundation stone of a naturopathy centre and yog sadhna kendra here on Tuesday. The project worth Rs 5 crore is being executed by the Vivekanand Medical Education and Research Trust. Later, Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Civil Supplies, who is also Chairman of the Vivekanand Medical Education and Research Trust, thanked Mr Birla for coming here to lay the foundation stone.