Abohar
Medical camp: The Lions Club Mandi, Abohar, organised a medical check-up and blood donation camp at the Government Primary School in Shergarh village on Monday. About 22 persons donated blood at the camp. Club president G. S. Jassal said a team of doctors, comprising Ramesh Verma, Lal Chand Thakral and Yudhishter Kumar, and dental surgeon Kanwarjit Singh examined nearly 200 persons and gave medicines free of cost. The students were also given toothpaste packs after imparting a lesson on better dental care.

Science City: About 99 students of the local DAV College of Education were on an education tour to the Science City near Kapurthala on Sunday. By viewing three-dimensional shows, laser show, flight simulator and dome show, the visitors were amazed how science had progressed in the recent past. They gained knowledge by viewing the energy park, solar based equipments and  zoological park.

AMRITSAR
SMO nabbed for  taking bribe: The Vigilance Bureau on Monday nabbed a senior medical officer (SMO), posted at Baba Bakala, for demanding a share of Rs 10,000 from a government grant of Rs 75,000 issued to the Public Health Centre (PHC), Mehta, for its renovation. Sukhdev Singh, SSP, Vigilance, said the SMO, Dr Kuldip Passi, was caught while accepting the money from the complainant, Dr Surinderpal Singh, who is a medical officer at the same health centre.

Bathinda
Aid to farmers: Cheques worth Rs. 3.60 lakh were distributed to the farmers who were cheated by seed dealers with the help of Bhartiya Kisan Union in village Phulewala on Monday. Farmers alleged that seed dealers of Rampura Phul sold them Bt cotton seeds named 'Nav Bharat Kesri', which were not at all effective. Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) surveyed the fields of the farmers and found the seed dealers guilty.

Protest: Math teache rs’ association has decided to start district level protest against Punjab government, over non-fulfillment of their demands. A state level meeting on January 6 has been called in Ludhiana to address the issue. Members of the association gave a memorandum to the chairman, Punjab School Education Board, but no action was taken in this regard.

Appointment: In order to appoint members to his party, Suresh Kumar Goyal, national president of General Samaj Party, visited a large number of villages on Monday. He said the focus of the party is to work for the welfare of the people and the nation at large.

CHANDIGARH
Dalit rally date announced: Deputy speaker Lok Sabha Charanjit Singh Atwal convened a meeting of eminent political leaders, intellectuals and officials at the Punjab Bhawan here on Monday. About 40 important persons from across the country who met here announced that they would hold a Dalit Maha Rally in Ludhiana on January 27.

Visa application centre: Chief secretary, Punjab, R.I. Singh inaugurated the Visa Application Centre of the Italian Embassy in India at Sector 9, Chandigarh, on Monday.R.I. Singh appreciated the keen efforts of the embassy to facilitate people of Punjab to submit their visa applications in Chandigarh itself rather going a long way to Delhi or Jalandhar.

Faridkot
Homoeopathy: The Kshetriya Gramin Bank’s Dhudi branch, nearly 12 km from here, organised a free homoeopathic camp in the village on Monday. Homoeopathy practitioner Archana checked as many as 55 patients and distributed medicines free of cost.

Celebrated: The local Senior Citizens Club celebrated the Pensioner’s Day here on Monday. Mahinder Kaur Sandhu, retired principal of Barjindra College, was the chief guest on the occasion. Some eminent retired persons and Mahinder Kaur addressed the gathering and sought a 20 per cent hike in pension after the recipient attained 80 years of age.

Ajit Singh

Jalandhar
First position: Ajit Singh,Additional DIG, CSIF, stood first in post graduate diploma in forensic science, conducted by Punjabi  University, Patiala. Presently, he is chief vigilance manager, IOCL, Panipat refinery, he had from Saidowal village near Kapurthala.

KAPURTHALA
Man drowns in Kali Bein: Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Raika, drowned in Kali Bein at Kanjali picnic spot here on Sunday. According to the police, Rakesh had consumed liquor at the Kanjali picnic spot where he had gone with two of his friends.

Moga
Rly team at Chuhar Chak: A four-member team of the Indian Railways from Delhi arrived at Chuhar Chak village and railway crossing, near here, to conduct an inquiry, record circumstances and evidence leading to the catastrophic accident between the Satluj Express and the mini-bus which resulted in the death of 16 persons on December 14, here on Monday. The committee would submit its report to their higher officials to be ultimately handed over to the ministry of Railways. Bhupinder Singh, commissioner, Security, heading the delegation.

NABHA
Science congress: Priya Deb, Riya Rana, Uday Rishi, Piyush Goel and Ravneet Singh of class VIII of Our Lady Fatima School, Patiala, have been selected at a state-level Children’s Science Congress organised by the Punjab State Council of Science and Technology at Mohali. The leaders of selected groups will present a project proposal on biodiversity-nurture nature for future at the National Children’s Science Congress to be held at Baramati, Maharashtra, by December-end.

Nawanshahr
Computer centre: Deputy speaker, Lok Sabha, Charanjit Singh Atwal, laid the foundation stone of the building of a computer centre at Ambedkar Model School here on Monday. The centre will be constructed at a cost of Rs 1.65 lakh. Atwal lauded the contribution of the Ambedkar Bhawan Charitable Trust in providing education facility to the underprivileged.

Job scheme: Deputy commissioner Gurpal Singh Bhatti inaugurated an employment project at nearby Bharta Khurd village on Monday. The project is estimated to cost Rs 14.70 lakh. Speaking on the occasion, the DC said a sum of Rs 28 crore would be spent on 1261 projects under NREGA scheme in the district.

PATIALA
Pensioners Day: The Punjab Pensioners Welfare Association today celebrated Pensioners Day at Punjab Government Pensioners Home on Monday. Gurmeet Singh, SDM, was the chief guest on this occasion. He honoured the pensioners and lauded the efforts of the association. According to senior vice-president Sat Paul Rahi, this day was celebrated through out India because the Supreme Court defined, “Pension is not a bounty, but delayed compensation to the retired employees for their service to enable them in maintaining their self-respect as well as their pre-retirement standard of living”. Some saplings were also planted by the Central Lions Club on the premises of Pensioners Home.

Pending demand: The city art lovers and theatre activists met the divisional commissioner S.K. Ahluwalia in connection with their long-pending demand for building an open-air-garden theatre at Baradari Gardens as per the original approved plan, on Monday. They pleaded for providing a suitable place for regular theatre performances. They lamented that the only high-rented accommodation of the Central State Library auditorium available in the city was not conducive for performances due to lack of light and sound facilities. They were of the view that the Patiala Kala Parishad, should provide them the facility of using the mini open art theatre of the local Government Senior Secondary School, Pheel Khana. Pran Sabharwal, NTAS director informed that the commissioner assured an early action and agreed to call a meeting of the concerned authorities in this regard.

SANGRUR
Office-bearers elected: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Punjab Medical Representatives Association (PMRA), Sangrur unit: president - Manoj Sethi; vice-president- Manbir Singh; secretary- S.K. Saluja; joint secretary - D.P. Agnihotri; and cashier- Anuj Dhingra.

BGIET employee killed: Security in charge of the Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology (BGIET) Dev Singh (58) of Bhindran village was killed in a road accident near the main gate of the institute on the Sangrur-Patiala road, 11 km from here, on Monday. Dev Singh was reportedly going to the institute from his house. SHO of Sadar police station Harvinder Singh Cheema said Dev Singh had sustained serious injuries when a private bus hit his scooter and he died later.A case had been registered against the bus driver under Section 304-A, IPC.