Amritsar
SGPC hails Alberta Govt's ‘kirpan’ move: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has hailed the Alberta Government's move to allow baptised Sikhs to enter court premises wearing 'kirpan' even though the policy required certain conditions to be met. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, in a statement, said it was a good sign that the governments of other countries were recognising the separate identity of Sikhs and were making necessary amendments in their laws. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has also hailed the move.
Fatehgarh
Sahib
JEs threaten to launch agitation:
Junior Engineers (JEs) working in various government departments have threatened to launch an agitation if the state government failed to arrest a senior officer for allegedly harassing one of their colleagues who committed suicide recently. A meeting of the JEs of various departments, including Public Works Department, Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Town Planning, Canal and Irrigation and Panchayati Raj, was held here on Monday. Panchayati Raj JE Harbhajan Singh had taken the extreme step in Jalandhar.
Ludhiana/Bathinda
Faridkot patient dies of swine flu: Bharpur Singh of Faridkot who had tested positive for swine flu died at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. Three swine flu cases have been confirmed in Bathinda district as well. One of the patients is a resident of Barnala who had come to Bhucho to attend a wedding. “The patient showed swine flu symptoms following which he was admitted to the hospital. He was later tested positive for swine flu,” said Civil Surgeon Ajay Sahni. Two more swine flu patients are reported in the district.
Phagwara
Peddler held: The police has arrested a drug peddler, identified as Jaswant Singh, alias
Jassa, resident of nearby Lakhpur village, and recovered 150 gm of intoxicant powder from his
possession. Jaswant was arrested at a naka in the Rawalpindi area, said the police.
Sangrur
767 examined at medical camp: A free medical check-up camp was organised at Bhalwan village, near Dhuri, on Sunday. As many as 767 patients were examined for various ailments, including blood pressure, sugar, paralysis, arthritis, joint pain, eyes and heart diseases. Medicines were given free of cost. Various laboratory tests were also done without charging any fee from the patients. Dhuri MLA Arvind Khanna supervised the camp.
Pen-down strike by clerical staff: Responding to the call by the Punjab Health Department Subordinate Offices Clerical Association, over 100 employees of the Health Department observed pen-down strike on Monday. Association's district president Surinder Sharma said the stir would continue till January 30. Their main demands are promotions of clerks and senior assistants, creation of clerical-cadre posts in newly carved out districts and filling of 60 direct posts of senior assistant and statistical assistant through promotion.
