CHANDIGARH

AWARDED: Dr Sanjay Suri, assistant professor of orthodontics at the University of Toronto, has been awarded the prestigious diplomate of the Indian Board of Orthodontics. According to information received here, he was also awarded the Dr Prem Prakash Memorial Award for the best-treated case submitted to the Indian Board of Orthodontics at the recently-concluded 42nd Indian Orthodontics Conference at Nagpur. A former assistant professor at the PGI here, Dr Suri is an alumnus of St John's School and DAV College.

Mohali
Injured succumbs: Anita, the 23-year-old resident of Palsora who was injured in an accident here on Monday, succumbed to her injuries today. She died at the PGI, where she was admitted following the accident. Anita was hit by a Honda City car in Phase 1.

HARYANA

CHANDIGARH
Employment fair: Under the aegis of the Haryana Social Justice and Empowerment Department, a Chennai-based outfit called Ability Foundation will organise an employment fair for the physically challenged in Delhi next month. A state government spokesman said the physically challenged with a minimum of 40 per cent disability and having a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or any professional qualifications, would be eligible to participate.

Professional guidance week: A professional guidance week will be observed by all employment exchanges in Haryana, including university employment guidance centres, from January 21 to 25. Krishan Kumar, director, Employment Department, said the objectives of observing the week were to provide vocational guidance and help students of schools and colleges in choosing their professions. He said experts on various topics would provide guidance. An exhibition would also be put up to highlight various job avenues.

GURGAON
Residential parks: DLF has initiated its pilot project, community development programme, by adopting the first residential park, located at Gurgaon M-13, DLF Phase II, to make it greener. DLF and Citifinancial have jointly taken up the project. K. Swarup, senior executive director, DLF, said the programme was a step towards their commitment to the residents of Gurgaon. Sandeep Soni, managing director, Citifinancial India, said in this age of globalisation, every citizen should wake up to the urgent need of conserving the environment.

ROHTAK
Check bonded labour: DC: Deputy commissioner R.S.Doon has directed officials of the Labour Department to hold regular inspections to wipe out illegal practice of bonded labour in the district. Addressing a meeting at Vikas Sadan here on Friday, Doon asked the officials to visit brick-kilns and construction sites and check whether bonded labour existed. He also directed the officials to set up makeshift schools for the children of migrant labourers. The Education Department officials informed him that schools had been started and studies would begin from January 21.

SONEPAT
Police driver killed: Dilbag, driver with the Sonepat police, died on the spot when his jeep turned turtle near a juice factory on the Rathdhana road on Friday. A case has been registered. According to information, Dilbag was returning to Sonepat when an animal suddenly came in front of the jeep. While trying to save it, jeep went out of control. A passer by took Dilbag to a hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead. According to another report, body of Havildar Vinod Kumar of the Sonepat police was found under suspicious circumstances behind a veterinary hospital in Lakhanmajra in Rohtak district. Cause of death has not yet been ascertained.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
1 dies in accident: Narender, an employee of private construction company ITD at Koldam, was killed when a speeding truck (HP-11A-7745) hit his car head on at Kallar on National Highway No. 21 on Saturday night. He belonged to New Delhi. His colleague, Maheshwari, who was also travelling in the car, was seriously injured in the accident. They were taken to the district hospital here, but Narender was declared brought dead, while Maheshwari was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. A case has been registered.

National youth week: The national youth week celebrations organised by the district Nehru Yuva Kendra in the district concluded with a seminar on AIDS control at Nyayee Salrli near here on Saturday evening. The function was presided over by district youth coordinator Som Datt Zard. District AIDS control officer Savita Mehta was the chief guest. The dignitaries urged the youth to fight social evils. A declamation contest was organised on “Swami Vivekananda - ideal of youth”. Lakhanpal of Nyayi Sarli stood first, Ramesh Chand of Mandi Manwa stood second, while Nandlal Thakur of Kothipura came third. A large number of villagers, members of youth clubs, mahila mandals and yuva mandals participated in the function.

NSS camp: Professor K.S. Dhir, former state convener of the NSS, presided over the concluding function of the 10-day special NSS camp at government postgraduate college here. He urged the youths to make it a habit to adopt social service as a way of life. Chief guest N.K. Sharma, a social worker, urged students to avoid fast food. Programme officer Surender Sharma said 114 NSS campers, including girls, cleaned and beatified the college premises and constructed a village path in Balh-Bhulana apart from spreading awareness among villagers regarding evils of dowry, female foetus, AIDS and polio.

KUMARHATTI
Thieves nabbed: The police nabbed two thieves at Barotiwala on Saturday night. Om Vir and Naveen were arrested when they entered a mobile shop after unlocking its shutters around 11 pm. Both hailed from Ambala. A salesman of a nearby liquor shop had noticed them. He informed the police. A case has been registered.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

JAMMU
Landmine found: BSF troops recovered a landmine near the Indo-Pak border in Kathua district on Sunday. On a tip-off by a local that a mine was lying in fields near the border in Mithi Char village, the troops recovered and defused the mine.

3 held with charas: Three persons were arrested for allegedly selling charas in the city on Sunday. On a complaint that some “sadhus” were selling narcotics, the police raided a place and arrested the trio identified as Shiv Baba, Dev Giri and Chander Puri and recovered charas from them, official sources said. Meanwhile, a youth was arrested by the police for giving fake currency with a face value of Rs 20,000 to a money-lender in Jammu district.

SRINAGAR
Fruit cultivation in Bandipora: An area of 6,230 hectares has been brought under fruit cultivation in Bandipora district, taking fruit production in the area to 53,227 metric tonnes. The fruit production includes 2,410 metric tonnes of dry fruits. Giving details of various schemes, officials said of the technology mission said 250 hectares of additional land had been brought under orchards in Gurez, Bandipora, Aloosa, Hajin and Sumbal blocks of the district. Under development of horticulture in dry land and hilly areas, 34 hectares of land had been covered under the scheme, they said.

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

Not a rosy picture

WINTER WEAR: The plants in the garden at Bathinda have been covered by a thick layer of fly ash being emitted from the nearby thermal plant. — Tribune photo BY Kulbir Beera

The rose garden at Bathinda has gradually started becoming a victim of the fly ash being emitted by the thermal power station.

A thick coat of the ash that virtually rains there has covered the rose plants. An attendant of the garden says that some plants have been unable to survive because of the ash.

The rose garden, maintained by the Bathinda Municipal Corporation, was set up in 1979 over an area of about 18 acres.

Over the years, as many as 35 varieties of roses have been planted in the garden.

The fountain and other water bodies in the complex also wear a dismal look as a thick layer of ash has coated them too.

Around 3000 persons visit the rose garden every morning, particularly during summer. It is a popular meeting point for college girls and boys during noon.

But the way things are, all this ash may dash their plans for a rendezvous.

In defence of research

Mayank Bansal

Even while thousands of unemployed youths complain about a lack of job opportunities in this era of cut-throat competition, there is no dearth of jobs for some talented and hard-working ones.

This is the case of Rohtak-based Mayank Bansal, who has been selected for two Class-I jobs with the Union Ministry of Defence—one of a scientist and the other of a flying pilot — soon after completing his engineering degree.

An alumnus of Model School, Rohtak, and the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, Mayank is at present undergoing training as Scientist ‘B’ with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Girinagar, Pune.

Simultaneously, this mechanical engineering graduate been selected as a flying pilot with the Indian Air Force.

“Mayank is the only student from Haryana to have been selected for the prestigious DRDO job this year,” claims his proud father and veteran journalist Pawan Bansal.

Though making a choice between the DRDO and the Air Force job was a tough job, Mayank chose the former as he felt inspired by former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to do his bit for research in defence technology. “Moreover, my mechanical engineering background will help me exploit my true potential at the DRDO,” he maintains.

Contributed by S.P. Sharma and Sunit Dhawan