Ludhiana October 27
Awareness on organ donation, demonstrating the success of transplant and to inculcate a sense of self- confidence among the donors and the recipients of organs was the main objective of the 2nd SAARC Transplant Olympics which started at Guru Nanak Stadium here today.

A four-member contingent from Pakistan along with the officials, including the manager and the coach, is here to participate in the two-day event. The team from the neighboring country, sent by a pioneer institution of Pakistan,the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Karachi, would compete in track and field events.

Talking to this reporter, Karman Habib, working as incharge with a leading pharmacy house, Suleman Akhtar, manager in a farm house, Arshad Minhas, a computer engineer and Ibne Abbas, an administrative in a computer company in Karachi, in the age group 30 to 40, the recipients of kidney expressed happiness over their participation in the SAARC Meet here.

"Our arrival here was delayed because of Id and we reached Ludhiana yesterday.We could not practice at home due to Ramzan. However, the SIUT had sent us here only to strengthen the relations between two countries," they said.

Karmaan Habib and Arshad Minhas told that though they were operated upon in 1996 for kidney transplantation, yet they were leading a normal life.

Mohd Talib, coach of the visiting team, informed that three more players from Pakistan were schedulded to come here but unfortunatley they had to stay back as they were put on dialyses.

Ludhiana, October 27
Boys as well as girl students (u-19) of Green Land Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, won their respective quarter final encounters to assure themselves berths in the semi finals of the CBSE Cluster-XVI Table Tennis Tournament being held at Alpine International School here today.

In the boy’s section, Green Land School team comprising Manpreet, Sahil, Dharminder and Abhijeet recorded an emphatic 3-0 win over Spring Dale School of Amritsar and booked their place in the last four stage.

The girl’s team consisting of Amanpreet Kaur, Eeti and Reeta quelled a strong challenge from Aeypee Jay School of Jalandhar before romping home victorious 3-2 and secured a berth in the semi final.

Ludhiana, October 27
In order to facilitate tax payers and Bar members in filing income tax returns, it has been decided by the Income Tax Department authorities that the return receipt counter will remain open on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. Further, the timings for receiving returns on October 31 have been extended up to 6 pm.

Mr Ashok Juneja, president, Taxation Bar Association, said he met Mr A.P. Srivastva, Commissioner of Income Tax, in this context. To simplify the bulk filing of returns by Bar members, a special counter would be operational from October 27 to 31 at Aayakar Bhavan, Rishi Nagar. The counter would also accept return.