R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

DERA BASSI
ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Dera Bassi Industrial Focal Point Association. Chairman Mr R.C. Bhargava; president Mr Rakesh Kumar; vice-president Mr Ashwani Soni; general secretary Mr J.S. Ghuman; and finance secretary Mr Rajesh Bansal.

Hoshiarpur
SNATCHED: Five unidentified motor cycle-borne youths snatched a bag from Dinesh Kumar, an employee of Universal Enterprises, near Bhogpur here on Friday. According to Mr Vijay Aggarwal, proprietor, the bag contained Rs 69,000 and sim cards worth Rs 68,000.

Ludhiana
Safe point centres: Hindustan Syringes and Medical Devices would set up Safe Point Centres, a centre to work for safe injection practices, in hospitals and dispensaries across the country to provide a place where safe injections can be practiced and demonstrated to those who give injections and also to recipients in different hospitals and dispensaries.

INAUGURATED: A digital photo studio was inaugurated here on Wednesday by film actress Kimi Verma. After their ventures at Jagraon, Moga, Mullanpur, Goraya, Raikot and Mumbai-the group chose

Petrol dealers: Petroleum dealers from across the state will meet here tomorrow for an increase in commission. “We are getting Rs 770 per 1000 litres, which works out to be even less than two per cent,” informed Mr Ashok Sachdeva, general secretary, Ludhiana Petroleum Dealers’ Association.

Monte Carlo: Monte Carlo, an apparel brand from Oswal Woollen Mills, has launched its Spring-Summer 2005 Collection with over 200 new designs. Highlight of this season’s collection was the ‘Frost Finish’ t-shirts.

LG: The ‘LG Good Home Show’, an exhibition of home appliances and consumer electronics by LG, concluded here on Wednesday. The exhibition, offers attractive schemes and discounts on LG products.

Bath Concepts: Bath Concepts on Wednesday inaugurated an exhibition of bathrooms and kitchen tiles here. Spanish Hispania Tiles will be launched during the five-day exhibition.

Mandi Gobindgarh
School Opened: Deputy Commissioner, Fatehgarh Sahib, S.K. Ahluwalia inaugurated Vishvakarma Public School at a function here on Tuesday. Director Jassar Steel Rolling Mills Rajinder Singh Jassar was the guest of honour. President of the Baba Vishvakarma Educational and Social Welfare Trust Bhalwinder Singh Gogi welcomed the guests. A cultural programme was presented by schoolchildren.

Nawanshahr
SHOBHA YATRA: A shobha yatra to mark the Ram Navami was taken out under the aegis of the Dharmik Utsav Committee here on Saturday. The yatra was led by Mr Harjit Inder Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Ms Gur Iqbal Kaur, wife of Mr Parkash Singh, local MLA, Mr Lalit Mohan Pathak, president, Municipal Council, Mr Surinder Khosla, president, Dharmik Utsav Committee, and Mr Parvinder Batra, convener, Shayam Shyama Sankirtan Mandal.

PRIZE WON: Mandip Kaur, a student of the local Government Senior Secondary School, has won the second prize in a state-level essay-writing competition—2005 (Punjabi language) organised by the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology. She has been awarded with a cash prize of Rs 1,000 and an appreciation certificate, according to Mr Balihar Singh Bains, District Science Supervisor.

ELECTED: The following have been elected office-bearers of the District Swimming Association: chairman— Mr M.F. Farooqui; president— Mr Anil Laroyia; and general secretary— Mr Satnam Singh.

PATIALA
OFFICE-BEARERS: Dr Jagbir Singh has been elected president of the IMA (Patiala branch) while Dr D.S. Bhullar has been elected its honorary secretary. The other office bearers are: Dr H.P.S. Sandhu, Dr Harbir Kaur Rao, Dr Amarjit Singh Grover, Dr P.C. Gupta (all vice-president); Dr O.P.S. Kande, Dr D.S. Bhullar, Dr Jagbir Singh (central council members); Dr J.K. Kansal, Dr M.S. Bal (joint secretaries); Dr Vishal Chopra-finance secretary, and Dr Varinder Verma-PRO. 

Declamation: To mark the World Earth Day, an inter-school declamation contest was organised by the Gardens and Environment Society, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB)and S.D.Kumar Sabha Dasondhi Ram Bir Ji Foundation at Atma Ram Kumar Sabha school here on Saturday. Dr Vinod Kapoor, vice principal, Dental College, Sunam, was the chief guest while Mr Malvinder Singh, member secretary, PPCB, presided over the programme. As many as 25 students from 12 schools of the city participated. 

Phillaur
NEW TIMINGS: The Punjab Government has changed the timings of outdoor patients departments in all Civil Hospitals, Civil and Ayurvedic Dispensaries. Health Department sources said all OPDs would open from 8 am to 2 pm instead of 9 am to 3 pm. from Saturday. However, the emergency services would be available for 24 hours.

Samana
DEMANDED: Justice Amar Dutt of the Punjab and Haryana High Court inspected the judicial courts here on Saturday. He also met members of the local Bar Association. Mr Kulwant Singh Dhillon, president of the association, demanded a separate judicial court complex here.

HARYANA

Ambala
Selected: Mr Vivek Bhogal, who hails from New Tagore Garden in Mahesh Nagar area, has been selected to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow. Mr Bhogal said he was happy to have been selected in the prestigious institution. “I have worked hard and I am happy that I have succeeded,” he said. Mr Bhogal has done his schooling from Army School, Ambala Cantt, and he did his BTech in Computers from Nemichand College of Engineering, Panipat.

Opined: A national programme of heart disease prevention is needed, opined cardiologist Dr Raj Kumar Sharma on Thursday night. Talking to mediapersons at the installation of Digital Cath Lab in RKM Hospital, Dr Sharma said Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) was reaching alarming proportion in the country. In CAD there was narrowing of blood vessel supplying the heart which can result in anginal symptoms, heart attacks and even death. Heart disease could be prevented if preventive measures were started early in life like change in lifestyle, improving food habits and not smoking. An early detection was of importance in planning effective therapy, he said.

Bhiwani
KILLED: An old man was killed when a motor cycle hit him at Patuwas village here on Friday. The deceased was identified as Sher Singh. He was going towards Charkhi Dadri railway station.

PROHIBITED: The Mines and Geology Department, following a court directive, has prohibited mining work at some mines falling under the Aravalli hills area till further orders. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Srikant Valgad, said notices had been issued to contractors and lease holders of the mines in this regard.

Sonepat
ELECTROCUTED: Om Parkash, assistant lineman of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, was electrocuted while working on an electricity pole at Juan village, about 16 km from here, on Saturday.

FIRE: Two tractors, two thrashing machines, a tractor-trailer and wheat worth several lakhs of rupees were damaged in a fire which broke out from sparks of thrashing machines at Rathdhanna and Bhaiowal Kalan villages during the past 24 hours.

DROWNED: A four-year-old boy, Parveen, was drowned in a pond while bathing at Siwanka village, about 45 km from here, on Saturday. According to a report, other children failed to save him. The police was investigating the matter.