Amritsar
2 Punjabi books released: The Punjabi Writers Cooperative Society (PWCS) released two Punjabi books “Sakhira”, a collection of stories, and “Dharti Di Phulkari”, a collection of poems, of immigrant Punjabi writer Charanjit Singh Pannu here Saturday. Dr Bikram Singh Ghuman, society president, presided over the function. Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala, Managing Director, PWCS, said “Sakhira” portrayed various facets of the rural life of Punjab and the life in the USA. The INTACH state convener, Dr Sukhdev Singh, from the English Department of Guru Nanak Dev University, announced that Lala Dhani Ram Chatrik Award, carrying Rs 5,000 cash prize, would be given every year by INTACH to a Punjabi writer. the selection of the books would be done by the PWCS.

Abohar
Educationist remembered: Educationist ND Grover, founder principal of the DAV campus, was remembered here on Sunday. During a function held at the Seva Sadan here, Dr RK Chauhan, Regional Director, DAV Public Schools (Patna zone), threw light on the life of Grover. Prof BS Chaudhary and Baldev Raj Arora, president and secretary, respectively (Social Welfare Trust), welcomed the guests.

BATHINDA
Central varsity: The construction work of the Central University of Punjab at Ghudda, the ancestral village of the CM, will begin soon. The university authorities have signed an MoU with the Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) Limited, a Government of India enterprise, for the construction of a boundary wall of its main campus at Ghudda village. The authorities on Saturday said they had paid nearly Rs 3 crore to RITES Ltd as an advance for the construction of the boundary wall.

Guest faculty: A delegation of guest faculty lecturers recently visited the SAD’s Bathinda assembly constituency in-charge Sarup Chand Singla and apprised him of their problems. Submitting a memorandum, the lecturers lamented that the government had been treating them as daily wagers with a maximum salary of Rs 7,000 per month, which was less than the class IV employees in the colleges. They demanded their salary should be at par with the salary of the part-time lecturers (Rs 21,600 per month). Devinder Kumar, who was leading the delegation, said the government must consider their case on priority basis while appointing any regular lecturer as they had served their duties for a couple of years. Singla assured them of bringing their case to the notice of the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister at the earliest.

Annual function held: The annual function of the Goodwill Public High School was held on Sunday. The chief guest was Ashok Kumar Dhunike while the noted surgeon of Bathinda Dr Mela Ram Bansal and Chairman, Shri Anant Anath Ashram, Nathana, Krishan Kumar Bansal, were the guests of honour on the occasion. Prizes were also distributed to the students for excelling in various streams of academics and other areas.

Hoshiarpur
ITI games: Students of local Government Industrial Training Institute (girls) emerged winners in kho-kho, basketball, and kabaddi competitions in the ITI zonal games, which concluded at the ITI ground here on Friday.

Mansa
Door-to-door campaign: Activists of the District Youth Congress recently launched a door-to-door campaign, ‘Nav Inquilab Jan Sampark Muhim’, to apprise people of the party’s activities and its agenda in the coming Punjab Assembly polls. The activists distributed pamphlets at village Kaloh in Mansa district, ‘exposing’ the alleged misleading policies of the ruling SAD-BJP combine. Giving details, district president of the Youth Congress Gurpreet Singh Vicky pointed out that the campaign started from Kaloh village in the district and had got a good public response. He further informed that eight families from the village had switched their loyalty from the SAD (B) to the Congress.

NABHA
Medical camp: A medical camp was organised at a local hospital here on Sunday. Dr TP Singh, DM Cardiology, Dr Amarjit Sahwney, a specialist in medicine formerly with Escorts Hospital, New Delhi, and Dr Parwinder Kaur, gynaecologist examined 150 patients for complications related to cardiology, hypertension, diabetes and gynaecology free of cost. Medicines were also distributed free of cost.

Phagwara
Gold chain snatched: Two motorcycle-borne miscreants snatched a gold chain from Satwinder Kaur near a marriage palace at Satnampura on Saturday. The snatchers managed to flee after committing the crime. The police has registered a case.

NRI’s house burgled: A house of an NRI, Balihar Singh, was burgled at nearby Darveshpind village on Friday night. The burglars entered the house and took away gold ornaments weighing 25 tolas and Indian and foreign currency of more than Rs 1 lakh when the family members were away to Chintpurni Temple in Himachal Pradesh. The police has registered a case.