Badungar for Punjabi promotion

Amritsar: Kirpal Singh Bandugar, president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandak Committee (SGPC), has written a letter to the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister for drawing his attention towards the “step-motherly treatment meted to the Punjabi language in CBSE schools in the state”. He said such treatment to the mother tongue of Punjab was an injustice. He said teaching of Punjabi as a language should be made compulsory even in CBSE schools. He complained that few schools had even not included Punjabi as a subject for children in nursery class. Bandugar said the children of Punjab had every right and should be at liberty to learn their mother tongue. He said he had requested the government to take immediate notice of the matter and issue instructions to the schools. TNS

Artists honoured

Amritsar: An artist group from Varanasi and other northern states participated in an open art exhibition, where 110 works of art were displayed. The works include sculptures, paintings, graphic and digital art, textile designing and photography. The event was inaugurated by Dr Jasjeet Kaur Randhawa, from Department of Zoology, Khalsa College. Senior artists Baldev Gambhir honoured 49 artists for their contribution towards the art. Shurya Srivastav, Sagar Gupta, Rachna Sharma, Santosh, Pooja Kumari, Gulshan, Sanjay Kapoor, Gulshan were among the recipients of awards. TNS

NGO contributes to healthcare

Amritsar: Noted non-governmental organisation Sarbat Da Bhala Trust has decided to set up 12 medical laboratories wherein people belonging to economically weaker sections of the society can get their basic clinical tests conducted at nominal rates, said organisation’s chairman Dr SPS Oberoi while inaugurating a medical laboratory at the Amritsar Central Jail here. He also inaugurated an electric dough machine on the jail premises. Speaking to media persons, Oberoi said people could get their medical and clinical examination conducted at these laboratories by paying a meagre amount of Rs 10 while the ECG (electrocardiogram) would be conducted free of cost at these laboratories. He said the Sarbat Da Bhala Trust had established 92 dialysis units at various hospitals in the state and patients of kidney ailments could avail the facility at nominal prices or for free. He said the Trust would establish nearly 50 more dialysis units in various parts of Punjab. TNS

‘Slaughterhouses violate rules’

Amritsar: The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (SPCA) claimed that the Municipal Corporation-run slaughterhouses were violating norms while slaughtering animals. SPCA members Vineet Randhawa and Ashok Joshi said a team of the SPCA visited the slaughterhouse on Saturday and found it violating norms. They said as per the rules animals to be culled were not stamped after a medical check-up. They said the animals were not even segregated before the slaughtering process. They said butchery shops in the city were killing animals at their shops, instead of at slaughterhouse. MC Health Officer Dr Raju Chauhan said he had sought a report from the doctor concerned placed at the slaughterhouse over the matter. TNS