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CHANDIGARH |
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Office-bearers: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Chandigarh Area MES Workers Union: president—Mr Ravi Kant Sharma; general secretary— Mr Puran Chand; secretary—Mr Gian Chand Karbal; treasurer—Mr Jagpal Singh; senior vice-president—Mr Amarjit Singh; office secretary—Mr Suresh Mohan Sharma; and senior joint secretary—Mr Ram
Dass. Elected: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Industries Association of Chandigarh: president—Mr Nitin K Peshawaria; vice-president—Mr Madhu Sudan Vij; secretary—Mr Pawan Aggarwal; joint secretary—Mr Amrit Lal Mahajan; and treasurer—Mr Arun
Mahajan.
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HARYANA |
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HISAR
One killed in accident: One person was killed and three injured when a Haryana Roadways bus and an oil tanker collided near Hansi, on the Hisar-New Delhi national highway, on Sunday. According to the police, the bus was on its way from New Delhi to Hanumangarh. The victim has been identified as Satbir Singh of Bhaini village, near Meham.KAITHAL
DC reviews flood measures: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr R.K. Kataria, visited various areas of the town on Saturday to review flood control measures. Mr Ashok Garg, SDM, and Mr Romesh Chopra, XEN, Public Health, accompanied him, among others. The Deputy Commissioner directed the municipal officials to improve sanitation and clear the choked drains.
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REGIONAL
POTPOURRI |
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Seeds of cooperation
A Chinese delegation visits a farm in Sanaura village, near Jalandhar, to study the potential of growing jatropha. |
After South America, India too is making progress in the cultivation of jatropha. The seeds of the jatropha extract bio-diesel, which is renewable, economical, non-toxic, biodegradable and non-polluting. To study the bio-diesel potential in terms of commercial viability of “energy plantations” as well as to explore avenues of cooperation between the two countries, a Chinese delegation of five scientists headed by Dr Peng Daiping, Deputy Director-General, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, recently visited several areas of Punjab, including Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, and the Dhillon farm in Sanaura village, near Jalandhar, and Rajasthan. They were invited by the ICFA (Indo-China Friendship Association). Dr R.K. Kohli of Panjab University, Chandigarh, and Prabhat Garg of Ozone Energy Solutions, which is taking up the plantation of jatropha, informed the delegation about its potential in degraded land and low-rainfall areas. The delegation has decided to plant the jatropha and other similar plants on a large scale in the barren areas of China to boost alternative fuel. This effort’s not going waste The Rotary Club, Nawanshahr, has been taking steps to provide better sanitation facilities in the town. The Rotarians, under the leadership of Varinder Ummat and Vinod Arora, president, and secretary, respectively, of the club, have mobilised donations for installing 50 dustbins in different mohallas and at various spots in the bazaars. The slogan, ‘Apne farzan nu pehchano, shahar nu saf rakhan vich sehyog diyo (Know thy duties and extend cooperation in keeping the city neat and clean), has been inscribed on these dustbins. The effort is aimed at motivating the people to put garbage in the dustbins instead of throwing it here and there, giving an ugly look to the town as well as creating health hazards for the residents. Besides, as many as five cycle rickshaws have also been pressed into service to gather the garbage dumped in dustbins. The Rotary Club has also renovated the lavatories, lying in a state of neglect, at the local Baradari Garden and set up a water cooler there. The garden has recently been given a facelift and for this purpose donations worth Rs 50,000 were mobilised from the local philanthropists. Spirituality on the slopes
A hillside yoga camp in progress at a village along the Shimla-Narkanda road. |
Matiana, located about 50 km beyond Shimla, has the appearance of a sleepy little place on the bustling Shimla-Rampur Bushahr highway. But, the early-morning somnolence of this village was recently broken by something soothing as compared to the usual noise of the screeching vehicles passing by. It woke up to the sounds of laughter therapy, thunderous clapping and spiritual discourses at a camp that was conducted by an associate of Swami Ramdev. The wake-up calls of the twittering birds were drowned by his booming voice on the microphone, urging the residents to wake up to the benefits of yoga, ayurveda and healthy living. The villagers who were not attending the camp devised their own way to practise the art of living, albeit on the fringe. For, in a side show of sorts, they could be seen doing pranayama or other asanas on the hillside rooftops or verandahs, following the swami’s instructions from a distance. Certainly, the ‘art of living’ school has pupils who believe in distance learning. —
Contributed by Vishal Gulati, Parmod Bharti and Chetna Keer Banerjee
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