R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AHMEDGARH
TEACHERS’ DEMAND: The SC/BC Teachers Union has urged the state government to promote Dalit teachers as per the 85th constitutional amendment. Mr Darshan Singh Ballowal, organising secretary of the state body, was apprehensive that the state government had reportedly decided to delay the implementation of the said amendment in case of Dalit teachers, whereas the lists for other categories were being prepared. He warned that the union would resort to agitation if the government discriminated against the Dalits.

AMRITSAR
SUSPENSION SOUGHT: Mr Harbeant Singh, secretary of the SGPC, in a letter to the Governor, Chief Secretary, Director-General of Police, Inspector-General of Police (Border), SSP, Majitha, and Deputy Commissioner demanded immediate suspension and probe against the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Baba Bakala and Station House Officer of the Beas police station who lathi charged Akali activists at Rayya on Saturday.

BATHINDA
AIR FORCE DAY: Mr Jagdish Singh Sidhu, general secretary, Ex-airmen Club, Bathinda, in a press note on Sunday said the club would celebrate Air Force Day here on October 6. He said all ex-air men from the district were welcome to attend the function. Mr Sidhu said Mr Gurdarshan Singh and Mr Gursharan Singh had been elected president and vice-president, respectively, of the club.

RELIGIOUS SAMMELAN: Mr S.P. Duggal, district parmukh, Sant Nirankari Mandal, in a press note on Sunday said the head of the Nirankari Mission, Baba Hardev Singh, would visit the city on Wednesday in connection with the ‘Maanav ekata sammelan’.

BLOOD DONATED: Mr Ramesh Mehta, president of the Aasra Welfare Society said blood donation and awareness camps would be held in every village of the district. Mr Mehta said the society had organised a blood donation and medical check up camp at Government School, Goniana Mandi, on Saturday in which 21 volunteers donated blood.

MEDICAL CAMP: A medical camp was held on directions of the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Verma. The Dost Welfare Society helped the team of doctors. The camp was held in Sanjay Nagar area of the city. Medicines were distributed free of cost to the patients.

ELECTED: Elections to the local SSD Sabha and the SSD Girls College Management Committee were held on Sunday amid tight security. According to a press note, Mr Manohar Lal Gupta was elected president of the SSD Sabha, while Dr Anil Bansal was elected president of the management committee of the college.

BARNALA
PADDY PROCUREMENT: Mr N.S. Walia, SDM-cum-Administrator of Barnala, Bhadaur, Mahal Kalan, Tapa, and Dhanaula Market Committees, said all arrangements for the smooth procurement of paddy in the region had been completed as the secretaries of the committees had been instructed to take care of water, electricity and sanitation facilities at all 91 paddy procurement centres.

FARIDKOT
PADDY CENTRES: As many as 54 centres, including three grain markets, have been set up to procure 3.66 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, a target fixed for the current season in the district. Stating this here on Monday, Mr A.Venu Prasad, Deputy Commissioner, said 33 per cent of the total produce would be purchased by the FCI while the remaining would be purchased by the four state agencies -- the Punjab Agro Industrial Corporation, Punsup, the Warehousing Corporation and the Food and Civil Supplies Department.

FAZILKA
INAUGURATED: Dr Mohinder Kumar Rinwa, a local MLA, and Parliamentary Secretary, Punjab, inaugurated a unit of the ditch channel of the drainage system Kotha Thagni village, 4 km from here on Saturday. With the completion of this 18.43-km-long channel, the drainage system of the Abohar, Fazilka, Malout and Muktsar areas has been completed. 

KAPURTHALA
TRIBUTES PAID: Members of the District Bar Association on Monday abstained from work in memory of a senior advocate, Mr Garib Singh Ghotra (48), who died in a road accident. The members observed a two-minute silence.

KHANNA
ACTION SOUGHT: Mr Karnail Singh Ikolaha, president of the All-India Berozgar Federation, has demanded action against the official due to whose negligence the national flag was hoisted upside down in South Korea. He said the national flag was hoisted at the venue of the Asian Games. In a letter written to the President, he has demanded strict action against the guilty.

KHARAR
EYE CAMP: As many 680 patients were examined and 153 patients were operated upon and given lenses after operations in a free eye operation camp organised by the Lions Club Kharar. According to a press note issued by Mr Devinder Gupta, its president, the camp was inaugurated by Mr R.K. Mehta, Vice-Distt Governor, Lions Club. A team of doctors headed by Dr K.K. Gupta, eye surgeon, conducted operations. 

PLEA: The Nagar Sudhar Sabha of Mundi Kharar village has appealed to the local Municipal Committees to install tubewells in Ward Nos 2 and 3 as residents are facing water shortage.

LUDHIANA
HINDI DIVAS: Hindi Divas was observed by students of the evening shift of Arya College here on Sunday. Dr Vedvrat, Head of the Hindi Department, said Hindi was among the most forceful languages of the world. Mukesh Thakur, Kapil Sharma, Sidarth Bakshi, students of the college, expressed their warm feelings towards Hindi language. The gathering was touched by Dr Satish’s recital of poems.

CONDEMNED: Mr Jagdev Jassowal, a former president of Mohan Singh Foundation, has condemned Super Cassettes Industries Ltd for allegedly threatening Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans. He demanded that the cassette of Shiv Kumar Batalvi’s poems recorded by Hans should be released at the earliest.

QUIZ TROPHY: The quiz team of GTBN School, Noorwala, comprising Manjeet, Charanjit, and Kamaldeep, won the trophy at State-level Gurmat Quiz Competition held at Sangrur recently. The Gurmat Seva Society had organised the quiz contest.

MARRIAGE ORGANISED: Members of Maa Bhagwati Club organised the marriage ceremony of a needy girl at Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Deep Nagar, here on Sunday. The President of the club, Mr Avinash Sikka, said Lions Club (Vishal) had provided financial aid for the purpose.

OM JAI JAGDISH: Tributes were paid to Pandit Shraddha Ram Philhori, writer of “Om Jai Jagdish Hare” on his 165th birthday by Bhagwan Parsuram Samaj at Lajwanti Public High School on Sunday. A number of prominent people remembered the writer of the aarti.

GANDHI JAYANTI: Gandhi Jayanti was observed at Lovely Angles Playway School, Neemwala Chowk (India College), on Monday. At a function to mark the occasion, tiny tots appeared in the guise of great leaders and historical figures. The function concluded with the distribution of the prizes by the school Principal, Mrs Kanchan Jain.

BOOK RELEASED: A book of essays, “Jinni Chakhyia Prem Ras,” written by Dr K.K. Minhas, was released by Mr A.S. Pooni, former Chief Secretary, Punjab, and president of the Punjabi Sahit Academy, at Punjabi Bhavan here on Sunday. Prof J.S. Bindra, N.S. Tasneem, Dr Parminder Singh and Mr K.S. Aujla were present. On this occasion, Prof Balwinderpal Singh read an introductory paper highlighting the salient features of the book.

BRANCH OPENED: A branch of Bank of Punjab Ltd was inaugurated by Mr Anurag Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana here on Monday. After the bhog of Sri Akhand Path, langar was served to those present on the occasion. Among those who participated in the function were Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi, SDM, Samrala, Mr Gurdeep Singh, SDM, Khamanon, Mr Gurcharan Singh Ghalib, MP, and Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon, MLA.

TRAINING CAMP: A farmers’ training camp on rabi crops was held at Mehdoodan village, 10 km from here, on Monday. Scientists from the Agriculture Department, Ludhiana, gave information regarding the latest farming techniques. Dr Ashok Chand, Agriculture Officer, highlighted various schemes of the department and said more stress should be laid on diversification, soil testing and adoption of new varieties.

TEACHERS HONOURED: Three college teachers were honoured by the Lions Club at the second general meeting of the club held recently at the Lions Bhavan. The teachers honoured were Prof S.P. Sabharwal, Head, Postgraduate Department of History, Arya College Prof O.P. Kharbanda, senior faculty member, Department of Economics, Arya College and Prof Gunwant Singh Dua, Head G.G.N. Khalsa College (evening shift).

WORKSHOP HELD: Bulls Eye organised a workshop on entrance to the IIMs on September 30 at Bulls Eye centre. The keynote speaker on the occasion was Mr Atul Gopal, Chairman of the Bulls Eye Group, Pune. 

ELECTED: The election of the Federation of Associations of Small Industries of India (FASII), New Delhi, was held recently. Mr Mohinder Paul Jain, chairman of Fastener Manufacturers Association of India, has been elected vice-president of the federation for two years. 

TARN TARAN
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the local city division of the Employees Federation, PSEB: patron — Mr Paramjit Singh; president — Mr Mangal Singh Tharu; senior vice-president — Mr Suwinder Singh; vice-president — Mr Paramjit Singh Tharu; secretary — Mr Dilbag Singh; and treasurer — Mr Satnam Singh.

HARYANA

AMBALA
MES OFFICER RETIRES: The All-India (MES) Barrack and Stores Cadre Association on Monday gave a warm send-off to MES officer S.C. Nijhawan, who retired after putting in 40 years of service. The president (WC) of the association, Mr J.S. Bakshi, said a number of person were present at the function.

KAITHAL
EMPLOYEES STIR: The Haryana Karamchari Joint Action Committee has decided to intensify its agitation against the oppressive and anti-employee policies of the state government and decided to hand over a memorandum to all MLAs on Wednesday and observe a strike on October 17. This information was given to mediapersons by Mr M.L. Sehgal, state general secretary, Haryana Karamchari Maha Sangh. He said the decision to intensify the agitation was taken at a meeting presided over by the state president Mr Dhara Singh, here on Sunday.