The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Sunday, May 26, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
DRUG-PURCHASE POLICY SOUGHT: The Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers Association has expressed concern over the non-availability of medicines and other articles for use by poor patients after the sealing of drug stores at three government medical colleges/hospitals here. Dr B.S. Dhillon, general secretary of the association, has sought a drug-purchase policy and immediate submission of the fact-finding report by the committee formed to look into the alleged irregularities in the purchase of medical goods.

CAPSULES SEIZED: Under the drive launched against drugs by the district police 42,000 habit-forming capsules were seized from Pardeep Kumar and Arun Kumar here on Friday. Mr Narinderpal Singh, SSP, stated that the accused were coming from Ludhiana after purchasing the capsules. Both were arrested near the railway station.

REFRESHER COURSE: A 21-day refresher course for Punjabi teachers of colleges and university got commenced at Guru Nanak Dev University here on Friday. Dr B.S. Ghuman, Dean, Academic Affairs of the University, inaugurated the course.

PANCHAYAT POLL: The District Congress Committee (rural) president, Mr Inderjit Singh Basarke, in a press note on Friday invited applications for the coming panchayat elections. The persons who want to contest elections on Congress ticket are required to submit their letters by Monday.

HOSHIARPUR
HAILSTORM: A duststorm lashed Hoshiarpur and its surrounding areas followed by rain and hail causing a considerable fall in temperature on Saturday evening. People heaved a sigh of relief from the continuous scorching sun.

KHANNA
EXAM RESULT: All students of Radha Vatika Senior Secondary School Khanna have secured first class in the plus two exams conducted by the CBSE. According to Mr D.R. Jalota, Principal of the school, Meghar Khosla stood first by securing 87 per cent marks. Priyanka, Chaman and Ritika Agnihotri got second position in the school by scoring 79.2 per cent marks each. Gurpreet Kaur secured the third position. In commerce stream, Jagmeet Kaur stood first, while Tarnjit Kaur and Nitin Vashisht secured second and third position.

LUDHIANA
FUNCTION: The district Valmiki Sabha, Safai Mazoor Federation, Safai Labour Union, Municipal Workers Union and Punjab Local Bodies Employees Union held a function on the Municipal Corporation premises here on Friday. Newly elected BSP councillors, Babu Hans Raj, Ms Kashmir Kaur and Mr Ram Kishan Yadav, were presented siropas. Among the special invitees were Mr D.P. Khosla, vice-president, state unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Mr M.P. Singh, Maj Pritpal Singh, Mr Charanjit Singh and Mr Balwinder Bitta. Addressing the gathering various leaders highlighted the plight of Dalit colonies in the city and asked them to work for the development of these colonies.

SEMINAR: The Austech Institute of Management and Technology organised a seminar on Australian Education in India in a local hotel here on Saturday. The seminar highlighted the career options available to the students after Class XII and graduation. Addressing the students, the CEO of the Austech Group, Lieut-Col H.I.S. Virk, and the director of the institute, Dr Y.S. Walia, spoke about the need of computer education, management skills.

MALERKOTLA
SUICIDE: Avtar Singh (25), a farmer of Shergarh Cheema village, committed suicide by allegedly consuming poison on Friday. A case has been registered.

PATIALA
PROMOTIONS DEMANDED: The Meter Inspector and Meter Reader Union of Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) today asked the PSEB authorities to open promotional avenues for diploma-holding linemen and meter readers on Friday. The president of the union claimed that it has been mentioned in the technical services booklet that diploma holders with a three-year experience are qualified for promotion to the next highest post.

INSPECTION: A team of health officials led by the civil surgeon, Dr Inderjit Kaur Walia and comprising Assistant Health Officer, Dr Daljit Singh, ICDS medical officer, Dr Inderjit Singh, District Health Office, Dr Sampuran Singh inspected rehris and shops selling fruits and vegetables in different parts of the city including at the railway station, outer area, thikriwala chowk and urban estate on Friday.

WORK BOYCOTTED: Advocates of the District Court boycotted work on Friday in support of a call given by the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association. The local Bar Association President Balbir Singh Billing said a complete strike had been organised in the district courts to express solidarity with the High Court Bar Association which has called for a thorough inquiry into the alleged involvement of judges of the High Court in th Punjab Public Service scam. Mr Billing said the Association had also decided to closely interact with the High Court Bar Association on the matter and that it was ready to launch an agitation in case the points raised by the advocate fraternity were not taken up seriously by the judiciary.

COLLISION: Capsule of a gas tanker containing LPG got detached from the truck and collided with a school building early this morning at the circular road, Nabha. No major damage was caused to the building. The SDM and manager of the local LPG plant reached the spot after the incident.

CHANDIGARH

DATE EXTENDED: The Chandigarh Administration today extended the last date for inviting tenders for participating in the upcoming Information Technology (IT) park in Kishangarh till June 3. Originally the tenders submitted by various companies were to be opened on Friday.

ID GREETINGS: Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob, (retd.), Governor of Punjab, called upon people to follow the path of truth, equality and compassion as shown by Prophet Mohammad on Friday. Congratulating people on the eve of Milad-Ul-Nabi, the birthday of Prophet Mohammad, the Governor said that his message of universal brotherhood and love was more relevant now than ever before.

ONLINE BOOK: An online book of general studies has been made available to candidates preparing for civil services. The book has been launched by AEMCCA Software Technologies, Chandigarh (www.aemcca.com), for IAS study group, a Sector 24-based academy being run by Mr Praveen Bansal. Mr Gaurav Walia, Chief Executive Officer and chief programmer of the company, said the book was downloadable from Internet also. The book can be visited at “www.abhinav.com”.

HONOURED: The parent-teacher association and staff of GHS, Sector 39, honoured Mr Bahadur Singh, Headmaster, at a function here on Friday following his appointment at the DEO office. He was honoured for his services towards the development of the school and for student welfare activities.

INAUGURATED: Khaitan India Limited has opened its branch office in Chandigarh. According to Mr Ajay K. Bansal, area sales manger, Khaitan has the widest range of fans, air-circulators, exhaust fans, cooler kits and mono-block pumps. He said the motive behind opening this branch office was to provide better after-sale services to the customers in this region.

PANCHKULA
SIREN SOUNDED: As a fallout of the heightened tension along the Indo-Pak border, the district administration checked the civil defence mechanism by sounding the air raid siren on Friday. The siren was sounded twice — at 9 a.m. and later at 5 p.m.

CAMP: The Surya Foundation, along with the Haryana AIDS Control Society organised an AIDS awareness camp for migrant population in Sector 20 on Friday. A free RTI/STD camp was held and a choreography for creating awareness was also presented here. As many as 115 migrants attended the camp and 76 persons were examined here.

HARYANA

AMBALA
AWARDED: Chief General Manager Telecom Haryana Circle, Mr Gurmukh Jethwani, honoured award-winning telecom personnel on Friday. Mr Ram Karan, telecom mechanic of Jind SSA bagged the Bharat Sanchar Doot Award, Jind SSA bagged the best telecom district award of the country and Ambala CTO bagged the best CTO award in the gazetted category in the country. Circle level awards of Vishisht Sanchar Seva Padak were given to Mr M.K. Singh. TDM Jind, Mr Jaswant Singh, AO Jind and Ms Krishna Verma, JTO Rohtak. Four officials of Haryana telecom circle were awarded Bharat Sanchar Shree Award.

CALCIUM TESTING: Sarwal Hospital, Ambala City, will organise a bone calcium testing camp on May 26. According to the Director of the hospital, Dr Ashok Sarwal, a team of senior doctors will provide free consultation at the camp. The testing of calcium will be conducted through computerised machines.

BLOOD DONATION CAMP: The Social Welfare Society, Ambala Cantonment, organised a blood donation camp on Saturday at which 30 persons donated their blood. The president of the society, Mr Pran Nath, said there was acute shortage of blood in the Ambala blood bank. The Deputy Commissioner had also appealed to social organisations recently to hold blood donation camps to meet the shortage of blood. The secretary of the Red Cross Society, Ambala, Ms Alka Gahai, was also present on the occasion.

CAMP HELD: DAV Public School, Ambala City, has organised a character-building camp at the school which will continue till June 3. The Principal Ms Reena Nagrath, said besides religious education, yoga and other physical exercises would be explained to students. Dr Dev Raj Gupta inaugurated the camp on Saturday.

HISAR
SPRAY PUMPS: The Deputy Commissioner, Ms Deepti Umashanker, said on Saturday that the Agriculture Department would provide spray pumps to cotton growers in the district. She said the department would also provide 50 per cent subsidy to farmers on the pumps.