Relay fast

Members of the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Society will hold a relay fast on August 24 at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, to protest the implementation of One Rank, One Pension (OROP). Major Sher Singh Aulkah (Retd), General Secretary of the society said it was the fifth jattha from Ludhiana and ESM will be joining fast every week from Ludhiana until the announcement of the implementation of OROP. He said the ex-servicemen were ready for fast unto death, adding that they were waiting for the final order from Gen Satbir Singh. He said the implementation of OROP would save the government from an ugly situation in view of their declining reputation of not keeping its promise in Bihar elections.

Meeting

Different organisations met and expressed deep concern over the soaring price of essential commodities today. Office-bearers of different association said the rate of onion was skyrocketing making things difficult for the common man. The associations included Taraksheel Society; Inqalabi Kender, Punjab (Ludhiana); Democratic Rights Sabha, Punjab; Maha Sabha; Moulder and Steel Workers’ Union; Lok Ekta Sangatthan among others.

Plantation drive

Sewa Bharti, an NGO, conducted a plantation drive at the Civil Hospital. District BJP president Parveen Bansal and general secretary of the NGO Somnath Aggarwal planted saplings in the presence of Dr Palwinder Singh, SMO of Civil Hospital; state president of Sewa Bharti YK Bhushan and councillor Inder Aggarwal. Stressing the need for providing more green cover in the industrial hub, Bansal said human life was incomplete without trees and green belts worked like lungs, especially in congested and highly polluted environment.

Istri Akali Dal

Jagir Kaur, president of women wing of SAD-B appointed Nasib Kaur Dhillon as the secretary of the state unit of the party. Dhillon said she would strive to take the message of SAD-B to every nook and corner of the state and mobilise women in favour of the party.

MC workers support strike

A meeting of the executive committee of Municipal Workers’ Union pledged its support to the nationwide strike on September 2 called by Central trade unions. The functionaries of the union said both Centre and the state governments should consider this strike by employees as a token of strong resentment against the anti-people and anti-employee policies by the Modi government at the Centre and the SAD-BJP government in Punjab. — TNS