PHAGWARA
HINDI DIVAS: The Industrial Area branch of the Central Bank of India on Saturday observed Hindi Divas at which bank employees pledged to undertake work of at least one customer in Hindi. While educationist Harbhajan Singh Hayer was the chief guest at the function, exporters Ashwani Kohli and Romesh Kaura were the guests of honour. Senior Manager V.K. Kapoor administered the pledge to the bank staff.

PHILLAUR
KILLED: Hira Lal of Banian Mohalla here died while his servant was wounded when the roof caved in during rain on Saturday night. The servant has been admitted to the Civil Hospital.

TEMPLE LOOTED: Robbers struck at two temples at Rurrka Khurad and Malha villages in Phillaur sub-division on Saturday. They decamped with a sum of Rs 10,000, one gold chain, gold ring, and 500 gm of silver ornaments from the Rurrka Khurad temple and a cash of Rs 1200 and some valuables from the Basiala temple in Malha village.

TARN TARAN
SEIZED: The Sadar police seized more than 300 intoxicant tablets and capsules from Paramjit Kumar of lalpur village here on Saturday. A case under Sections 22, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered.

MASS MARRIAGE: The Citizen Council solemnised mass marriage of 17 poor girls here on Sunday. Mr Harmit Singh Sandhu, local MLA, Mr Jatinder Kumar Sood, president of the local Municipal Council, Mr Gurmeet Singh Rajput, Prof Gurwinder Singh Mamnanke, Congress leader, and a few other prominent people blessed the newly-wed couples. Dr Sukhdev Singh Lauhke, president of the council, said the council had solemnised 205 marriages during the past 10 years.

RALLY: The local unit of the Shiv Sena organised a rally against drugs here on Sunday in which a large number of youths of the town participated. Mr Harmit Singh Sandhu, MLA, and Mr Jatinder Kumar Sood, president of the local Municipal Council, addressed the gathering.

NEEDY STUDENTS: As many as 50 needy students of Government Senior Secondary School, Khadoor Sahib, were given uniforms and shoes at a function held here on Saturday. Mr Narinder Bhargav, local SSP, presided. Mr Rajinder Kumar, school principal, thanked the donors for their help and announced that students would be given cardigans too. Mr Narinder Singh, the village sarpanch, also assured help to the students.

TALK: Personality Development Institute, Sector 17, organised a talk on “How to think big” in which five speakers shared their wisdom with the participants here on Sunday. The speakers included Dr Subhash Sharma, Ms Nisha Bhatia, Mr Vikram Khanna, Mr Vidya Sagar and Mr Ravi Mann. They stressed the need for positive thinking and learning from failures in life.

CAMP: Over 350 patients attended a free camp for prostrate diseases and kidney stones, organised by the Kidney and Urostone Centre in association with Allengers, here on Sunday. Eminent urologists Dr (Col) V.K. Kapoor, Dr Anshuman V. Kapoor and Dr Hemant Hardikar examined the patients. The examination of the patient, urine test, ultrasound, X-ray screening and uro flow test were conducted free of cost. The camp was inaugurated by the first patient who arrived for treatment in the morning. 

INAUGURATION DEFERRED: The inauguration of Commonwealth Youth Programme Technology empowerment Centre on Wheels (CYPTEC on Wheels – Mobile ICT Training Centre), which was to take place on Monday will now take place on Tuesday at 11 am at Government High School, Sarangpur Village, Chandigarh. According to an official announcement here on Sunday, Lt-Gen J.F.R Jacob (retd), the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT Chandigarh, will inaugurate the centre.

CHECK-UP CAMP: A free heart diseases check-up camp was organised by the Ambala Junior Chamber of Industry at Rukhami Devi Memorial Hall at Ambala Cantt, in association with Mukat Hospital and Heart Institute. Over 200 patients were examined by Dr Puneet Verma, a Senior Interventional Cardiologist. The Medical Director, Dr Ravi Inder Singh, announced a discount for patients who required further special investigations. Mukat Hospital will organise free camps in different parts of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh every month. 

PANCHKULA
CONSTRUCTION WORK: The second phase of construction work on Rotary Vocational Training Centre here began on Sunday under the leadership of Mr Mohinder Nandwani, president of the club. This phase, to be completed within four months, will be used to run a Rotary Diagnostic Centre, to meet the needs of the community and will run on a no-profit-no-loss basis. Vocational training in nursing will also start here for poor girls to make them self dependent. This phase of the centre is estimated to cost around Rs 7 lakh. 

BLOOD DONATION CAMP: A blood donation camp was organised by the Sri Sathya Sai Sewa Organisation at DC Model School here on Sunday. The camp was organised in association with the Department of Transfusion Medicine, PGI, Chandigarh. As many as 217 units of blood was collected in the camp.

HINDI FORTNIGHT: A Hindi fortnight was organised at the ITBP, Bhanu, from September 2 to 15. During this fortnight, competitions in poetry recitation, cartoon making, poster-making, noting and drafting, essay writing, painting and declamations were organised.

FRESHERS’ PARTY: Kanika Jain won Miss Charming crown, while Charu was selected Miss Fresher during the freshers party of the SAS Institute of Information Technology, SAS Nagar held here on Saturday night. Inder Sukhraj Singh was chosen Mr Fresher. 

AMBALA
ALLEGATION: The president of the INLD youth wing, Mr Ajay Chautala, on Sunday alleged that the HVP chief, Mr Bansi Lal, had been creating confusion among unemployed youth by making false promises to provide unemployment allowance if he came to power. He said the youth should not be mislead by the promises. After addressing a workers’ meeting of the youth workers here, he said the INLD youth wing had suggested the state government to launch a new employment scheme, ‘Rojgar aapke dwar’, to provide jobs and self-employment to the unemployed youth in the state. 

HISAR
MEMORANDUM: Dr Dalel Singh, president of the State Agricultural Universities Teachers’ Associations Federation, has sent a memorandum to Mr Ajit Singh, Union Agricultural Minister, demanding changes in the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission. Dr Dalel Singh said there was resentment among teachers for delay in removing discrepancies in the pay scales and release of the pending arrears of the revised pay scales.

SHIMLA
NOMINATED: Mr Rohit Thakur, a grandson of the former Chief Minister, Mr Ram Lal, has been nominated member of the Pradesh Congress Committee. Mr Onkar Sharma of Saantokhgarh has also been nominated to the PCC, according to a press release of the party.

CONSTITUTED: The Himachal Government has constituted a state-level Environmental Impact Assessment and Monitoring Committee for examining and recommending cases for environmental clearance and monitoring of environmental safeguards as laid down by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Principal Secretary (ST and E) will be the chairman of the committee. Other members of the committee will be secretary PWD, Secretary Industries, Secretary I &PH, Secretary TCP, Secretary ULB, Secretary Forests, Secretary Power, Secretary Tourism, Secretary Revenue, Secretary Agriculture, Secretary Horticulture , Secretary Fisheries, Member Secretary SEP&PCB and member secretary SCST&E. Additional Secretary (S&T) will be Member Secretary of the committee.

DYFI CRIES FOUL: The district unit of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) has condemned ‘‘cultural policing’’ by the Bajrang Dal. The organisers of ‘‘Talent In Spirit’’ were recently forced to cancel their show due to threats from Bajrang Dal activists. The DYFI criticised the district administration for allowing ‘‘Talibanisation’’ of the cultural environment. It decided to organise a cultural function on September 30 and October 1 under the banner of Challengers Youth Club.

GOVT FLAYED: Mr Gopal Das Verma, president of the National Federation of State Government Employees, has criticised the state government for removing the foundation stones of buildings laid six years ago. He cited the example of the NGO Bhavan whose foundation stone was laid in 1997, but the Deputy Commissioner had laid the foundation stone again at government’s ‘‘behest’’.

MAHILA CONGRESS: Mrs Chandresh Kumari, president of the All-India Mahila Congress, has said she will contest the forthcoming Assembly elections from the Dharamsala constituency. She said her opponents were spreading rumours about her contesting from the Thural Assembly segment as it was a safe seat. The Mahila Congress chief said she had been a Lok Sabha member, a Rajya Sabha member and an MLA and would not shy away from contesting the Dharamsala Assembly seat.