BATHINDA
FOUNDATION: The Divine Eye Research Foundation (DREF)
in a press note issued here has said that children should play Holi with
natural and non-chemical colours. Mr Rakesh, president, DREF said
instead of chemical l colours. Mr Rakesh, president, DREF, said instead
of chemical colours, which caused damage to skin, eyes and hair,
children should play with natural colours like mehndi, indigo, and
pomgrenate.
GURDASPUR
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Post and Telegram Welfare Committee: president — Mr Amarjit Singh Walia; secretary — Mr Lekh Raj; and cashier — Mr Booti Ram.
FATEHGARH SAHIB
IT RAIDS: A team of the IT Department, headed by Mr Ravinder Mehta, today conducted survey raids on the premises of Bholla Sweets and Chajju Ram Sirhind. The raids started at 9 a.m. and continued till 11 p.m. The surveyor said the owner of Bholla Sweets surrendered Rs 12 lakh, while the owner of New Fashion Shoppe surrendered Rs 8 lakh. Earlier the department also surveyed the premises of M/s S.S. Enterprises here and the firm surrendered Rs 20 lakh. More such survey raids are expected on new constructions and big business houses.
PRIZES
GIVEN: Mr Parkash Singh Badal, former Chief Minister of Punjab, will give away the prizes on march 23 to the winners of Punjab state Senior Football Championship to be held at the ITI grounds, Bassi Pathana from Wednesday to
Sunday. According to Mr Rajesh PAl Singh Lalli and Mr Amarjit Singh Kohli, patron and
secretary, respectively, Mr Amarjit Singh Chawla, member PPSC, will inaugurate it.
LUDHIANA
YOGA CAMPS: The Sant Ram Malhotra Service Society organised two yoga camps at Lions Bhavan and Dr B.L. Kapoor Memorial Hospital, respectively, in which 100 people took part. The aim to hold the camp at the hospital was to train nursing staff in yoga to get better results. Yogacharya Sriniwas Jhaver from Mumbai imparted training to the participants. Dr T.S. Cheema, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said the hospital would organise such camps in future also. Mr Kundan Lal Malhotra, secretary of the hospital, presented a shawl to Mr
Jhaver.
MEETING: The Ludhiana Welfare Society held a meeting here on Tuesday in which it demanded an immediate checking of all sewerage pipes in the city by the Municipal Corporation. Mr Manjit Singh Matharoo, president of the society, said several low lying colonies were the facing problem of choking of sewerage. These included Sant Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Prem Nagar falling in Ward No. 47, road opposite Gurdwara Mai Nand Kaur, Hira Singh Road, Bakhtawar Park falling in Ward No. 48 and Gurdev Nagar in Wrad No. 41.
SEMINAR: The Ludhiana Motor Parts Manufacturers Association here on Tuesday organised a seminar on VAT highlighting its several deficiencies. Industrialists, while condemning the clauses of draft on VAT-Punjab to be applied from April 1, demanded its deferment for at least one year to understand it completely. Mr Jagat Singh, president of the association, advised the members to pay their taxes honestly and suggested that the government must study VAT system in neighbouring states before implementing it. Industrialists also objected to the penalty clauses in the system. They said the penalty of Rs 10,000 was too heavy for the entrepreneurs. They said the traders would be left on the mercy of the officials as they would now need to get the permission of the commissioner to maintain their computerised accounts.
DE-ADDICTION: Three more alcohol addicts left the Aas Kiran De-addiction Centre after being cured completely on Tuesday. The addicts were treated by Dr Meharwant Singh and Dr Vidushi Mann. Besides medicine, meditation and counselling were provided to them. The patients were taught to involve themselves in fruitful activities such as gardening and games. They were also given educative lectures by Principal Hari Singh. At a function to honour them, Dr C.K. Singh Director, wished them a happy
life.
EFFORTS LAUDED: Liquor contractors in the city have lauded the efforts of the Commissioner Excise and Taxation, Mr Suresh Kumar, for ensuring transparency at an auction that was held here. Mr Mann Singh Garcha, a close aide of the former Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, said the auction was “well organised”. Contractors, particularly those owing allegiance to the Garcha group, had feared of being marginalised at the auction. They had even held a demonstration in this regard. Mr K.L. Chhabra and Mr Vinod Dewan, both contractors, said the attitude of the officials was very positive.
KASHMIRI
BHAVAN: The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, has ordered the identification of a piece of land measuring two kanal for the construction of a Kashmiri Bhavan here, a demand of the Kashmiri Pandit Sabha. Disclosing this here on Tuesday, the Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Industries, Mr Ramman Mattoo, said the Punjab Chief Minister had instructed the Chief Secretary Punjab on the issue in his presence. He expressed his gratitude to the CM for the decision. Mr Mattoo who was here on a two-day visit held an interaction with the Kashmiri community. The president of the local Kashmiri Sabha, Dr M.K. Mam, hoped that the government would keep its promise. Several Kashmiri leaders were present at the meeting.
RESIDENTS
SORE: Residents of the Urban Estate, Dugri Phase II, are sore over poor living conditions in the area since the handing over of the maintenance of civic amenities to the local municipal corporation by PUDA. According to them, roads and lanes are in a poor condition, there is no provision for rainwater drainage, sewerage is choked at places, lighting arrangements are inadequate and parks are lying in a state of neglect.
EXHIBITION: The three-day exhibition of the Pinnacle Institute of Design Technology — ‘Paridhan Shilpa’ — concluded with a dance party on Sunday. It was attended by students of the institute, colleges and schools.
EXCISE
DUTY: In the last year Budget cycle and cycle parts were brought under the excise net but later it was withdrawn with effect from April 27,2002, resulting in evasion of duty for the period separating the two
decisions. The government has now withdrawn the duty for that period.
THALASSEMIA
CAMP: Christian Medical College and Hospital will organise a thalassemia screening camp on the hospital premises on Wednesday. According to a press note, the tests would be carried out free of
cost.
AWARDED: Tamanrit Sidhu, a student of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has been awarded Sir Dorabji Tata Prize in Biochemistry for being best professional MBBS student for 2002. She got the award from the President of India, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on March 8 at AIIMS.She did her schooling from Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School,
Ludhiana.
HONOURED: Several families of eye donors were honoured at Gurdwara Satranj Sar, Basian village recently. They were honoured by Punarjot Eye Bank, Mansuran. Among those honoured were Ms Inderjit Kaur, Mr Gulzar Singh, Mr Teja Singh, Mr Balwant Singh, Mr Darshan Singh, Mr Paramjit Kaur, Mr Jangir Singh and Ms Lakhwinder Kaur. Eye donation pledge cards were also filled on the
occasion.
MANDI GOBINDGARH
FAREWELL: Mr Achhra Singh Lapran, chief of the state unit of the SC/BC Employees
Federation, Punjab, was given a farewell party by the federation on his retirement from government service here on
Tuesday. Mr Lapran retired as centre headmaster from Naraingarh, Amloh block, on February 28 after putting in 29 years of service in the Education
Department. Meanwhile, Mr Gurdeep Chand Ghali was elected the acting president of the federation.
MEETING: Under the officers and employees interaction programme of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) a joint meeting was convened here on Monday, which was chaired by the Superintending
Engineer, Khanna, which was attended by PSEB and revenue employees. Mr T.S.Sandhu and
HRD, Patiala, Revenue Department, and Mr G.D.Sharma, PSEB, participated in the discussion.
NAWANSHAHR
ELECTED: Rajesh Verma and Mr Dilbagh Singh Bhagi have been elected president and secretary, respectively, of the Rotary Club, Banga.
INAUGURATED: Dr D.P.S. Sandhu, Director, Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, inaugurated the neurosurgery and complete trauma unit along with the mobile trauma unit and extra shock wave corporeal
lithotripsy unit at a Hospital here on Monday. Dr Jaswinder Singh of the hospital said the centre would have liaison with the traffic first aid posts set by the police in the district to provide timely help to the victims of road accidents.
CAMP: Mr Baldev Nayyar, district chairman, Lions Club District 321-D, organised a diabetes awareness-cum-check-up camp at Phagwara on Monday. Unit at a hospital here on Monday. As many as 150 persons were examined and given medicines free of cost by Mr Baldev Nayyar.
PATIALA
LUCKY DRAW: Mr Bhag Singh, GMT, BSNL, Patiala, gave away an ITC card worth Rs 5250 to the winner of a lucky draw at the SSA level to Mr Rajinder Kumar of Nabha on Tuesday. The lucky draw was held for telephone subscribers who had no outstanding dues. The winner of the draw at the circle level was Mr Gajender Singh of Chandigarh, who won a motor cycle.
MEDICAL CAMP: The Inner Wheel Club, Patiala Midtown, organised a medical check-up camp at Kalyan village on Sunday. About 350 patients, including 150 children, were examined. Medicines worth Rs 6,000 were distributed. Mr Ajaib Singh
Mukhmailpura, former minister, inaugurated the camp.
SYSTEM LAUNCHED: An online provident fund information system was launched at the Diesel Component Works here on Tuesday. Mr Ashoka
Baijal, chief administrative officer, launched the computerised service on the workshop
premises.
SAMRALA
SIKH FOUNDATION: The president of World Sikh Foundation, Mr Jaswant Singh Mann, said that unity among Akali ranks should be based on principles, while talking to mediapersons here on Tuesday at the Civil Rest house. He said spirit and essence of Akali ethos and polity had already eroded and had created opportunism resulting into dynastic politics promoting sons, kith and kin to take precedence over dedicated and devout workers of the Akali Dal. The foundation would bring a White paper on the status of the Sikhs as a nation and minority in India. A committee had already been set up.
