Dharna: As many as 200 farmers staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Thursday to urge the state government to purchase their produce at the minimum support price of Rs 490 for the ordinary variety and Rs 520 for the fine variety.

LUDHIANA
Appointed: Mr Baljit Singh Lati has been appointed as the Chairman of the labour cell of the local unit of the Janata Dal (United) by Mr Jagir Singh Ganesh, President of the Janata Dal (United).

NAWANSHAHR
Medical camp: The Guru Nanak Mission Medical and Educational Trust, Dhahan Kaleran, and HelpAge India organised a free medical check-up camp at Bhagwain village in Hoshiarpur district, on Thursday. Dr Gurmail Singh, Director of the GNM Hospital inaugurated the camp.

Salaries refused: Teachers and other employees of the Middle, High and Senior Secondary Schools, could not get their salaries here on Thursday as the local treasury officer had refused to clear their salary bills. The officer said he had not received the requisite budget for salaries.

PATIALA
Appointed: Dr S.K. Verma, Reader, has been appointed as the Head of the Sports Science Department, for a period of three years, a university press note said here on Thursday.

Doctors invited: Dr A.S. Sekhon, Head, Department of Community Medicine, and Dr Manmohan Singh, Head, Department of Cardiology, have been invited to present their research papers at the 12th Asian pacific Congress of cardiology to be held at Lahore (Pakistan) from October 17 to 21.

Camp: The Amar Singh Kamboj Charitable Trust, the Bhai Ghanyaji Foundation and the Guru Arjan Kirtan Mandal, will jointly organise a free eye operation camp at Amar Ashram on Sunday. Patients will be provided medicines and spectacles free of cost.

Police condemned: The local unit of the CTYC has condemned the local police for the deteriorating law and order situation in the city in view of the recent incidents of murder and chain snatching.

Bail granted: Nine employees of PESCO were released on bail by a local court on Friday. Those who were granted bail included Mr Nirmal Singh Ghuman and Mr Gurdip Singh, President and General Secretary, respectively, of the Punjab State Board Corporations Employees Mahasangh. The employees were booked by the police on the complaint of Mr U.S. Sidhu, MD of PESCO.

Day observed: The Government College of Art observed Tree Plantation Day on the college campus here on Friday. On this occasion, 12 toppers of different streams planted a gulmohar tree each on the campus. Speaking on the occasion, Prof Prem Singh, Principal of the college, said tree plantation drive would be an annual affair in the college.

Report released: Report of a project titled 'Psycho-Social Health Profile of Elderly' in Chandigarh, conducted by the Department of Community Medicine of Government Medical College, Sector 32, was released on Friday by Mr Rakesh Singh, Finance and Health Secretary of the UT, at the inaugural function of the blood component complex here. It has been prepared by Dr H.M. Swami and Dr Vikas Bhatia of the Department of Community Medicine. It has been funded by the Department of Science and Technology of the Chandigarh Administration.

SAS NAGAR
Rally held: The Punjab School Education Board Non-teaching Karamchari Union today held a rally to welcome the decision of the government not to give extension to the outgoing Controller of Examination. As a symbolic gesture, the board employees swept the premises of the board office. The General Secretary of the union, Mr Jarnail Singh Brar, said the government had listened to the voice of the employees.

Stitching centre: Mr K.S. Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, told mediapersons on Thursday that the Harijan Kalyan Nigam would set up a stitching centre here to train girls and women belonging to the community.

Family counselling: A family counselling camp was organised recently by the Bharatiya Gramin Mahila Sangh at the panchayat ghar, Tosham, 28 km from here. About 70 women participated.

KAITHAL
Traffic blocked: Students of the local R.K.S.D. College blocked the traffic near the Pehowa chowk here on Thursday. They were demanding election to the student’s union. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner in this regard.

Sapling plantation: A sapling plantation drive was organised in RKSD College on Wednesday. The Principal of the college, Major K.K. Sirohi, inaugurated the campaign by planting saplings.

ROHTAK
Arrested: The police has arrested two youths in connection with a bank robbery at a village here recently. According to police sources, the persons have been identified as Sanjay and Nanha. Two of their accomplices have absconded.

SIRSA
Murder: Bhoop Singh of Chormar village in the district was murdered a few days back because of some old enmity. According to the police, a complaint was lodged by Pala Ram alleging Kuldeep Singh and Chhinder Singh of Sakta Khera village along with Atma Singh and Nanu Singh had killed his brother. A case has been registered under Sections 302 and 34, IPC and Section 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.

Arrested: Madan Lal, a jeep driver was arrested by the police on Wednesday on the charge of negligent driving. According to sources, his jeep had collided with a cart near Asakhera village in the district last week. The victim, Mani Ram, who was injured, later succumbed to his injuries.

Power cuts: Resentment prevails among residents here and its nearby areas against the Haryana Vidyut Parsaran Nigam authorities as they are not being supplied adequate power supply. They alleged that frequent power cuts were being imposed by the authorities without prior information.

Burn injuries: Maya Devi received burns while she was lighting a lamp at her house in J.J. Colony on Wednesday. She has been admitted to the Civil Hospital.

House tax: Retired officers here have opposed the proposal to impose house tax on the residents living at the new Bilaspur township and have urged the Chief Minister to scrap the proposal.

Voters' list: The Deputy Commissioner and District Electoral Officer, Mr Ramesh Kapil, here has ordered the revision of voters' lists for elections to panchayats here in district. He said the draft voters' lists would be published and claims and objections would be accepted between September 30 and October 6 and decided between October 7 and 11. The final lists would be published on October 26.

Plea for security: Mr Durgadass, President of the panchayat of Rani Kotla village, 35 km from here, has urged the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, to provide security to him and his family as a Congress leader of the area has allegedly been threatening him and his family members since he decided to join the BJP.

KULU
Protest against ban: The ban imposed on the distribution of timber by the Forest Department has led to resentment among residents here. A former member of the municipal committee, Mr Janak Raj Moudgil, has launched an agitation against the department, saying the facility had been withdrawn without providing any alternative means to them.

NAHAN
Inquiry ordered: The Chief Medical Officer of Sirmour, Mr V.K. Chopra, has appointed the Senior Medical Officer, Dr P.S. Bhatti, the Block Medical Officer of Sangrah to inquire into the incident that led to a demonstration against doctors of a hospital for not providing ambulance to a patient.

Eye camp: The local Hiteshi Welfare Society will organise a free eye operation camp at Sarahan Hospital on Monday in memory of late Beni Prasad, a social worker.

Staff union: The following have been elected office-bearers of the DC Office Employees Union: President — Mr Jagdish Chand Sahrotra; Senior Vice-President — Mr Inder Singh; Vice-President — Mr Sunder Singh; General Secretary — Mr Umesh Sharma; and Finance Secretary — Mr Yash Pal Singh.