R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMRITSAR
HQ VISIT: The Deputy Director-General, NCC, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, Brig D.S. Dhillon, on Monday visited group headquarters here for the annual inspection. He also visited Khalsa College where NCC cadets exhibited their models.

FARIDKOT
SC/BC STAFF RALLY: The All-India Gazetted and Non-Gazetted SC/BC Employees Welfare Federation will hold a national-level rally at New Delhi on November 24 to press the Centre for reservation for both categories in the Judiciary, Army, private sector and inclusion of the amendment to Article 85 in the Constitution. This was stated by Mr Krishan Lal, president of the district unit of the federation, here on Tuesday.

CONDEMNED: Mr S.K. Gupta, senior Congress leader and former president of the local DCC and Mr Satish Bagi, press secretary, have criticised the press statement of the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, made against the Central Election Commissioner in connection with the elections in Gujarat. The leaders appreciated the action of the CEC in postponing the poll after reviewing the situation there.

KHANNA
BODY FOUND: The body of a migrant labourer tied in a gunny bag was found near octroi post at the Samrala road here on Monday. A case under Sections 302 and 34, IPC, has been registered.

LUDHIANA
DEMAND: The local unit of the youth wing of the SAD has demanded appointment of Mr Gurdeep Singh Leel as the president of the city unit in view of his contribution to the party and his ability to raise the morale of the workers. Former youth leaders and workers echoed these sentiments at a meeting here on Monday. They appealed to the SAD president to consider this suggestion so as to boost the morale of grassroots workers in the district.

LAUNCHED: Dhara has launched a new refined cooking oil. Dharna Fit’n fine. This will be available in 1 litre pouch and 5 litre jerry can at a price of Rs 43 and Rs 220, respectively. The newly launched product has all benefits of soya oil, like rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acids i.e. Linoleic acids (omega-3), which is good at minimising heart and blood pressure related abnormalities .

FUNCTION: The Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle and the Central Students Council of Guru Gobind Singh College, Jamalpur, arranged a special function to welcome freshers to the college. The function was presided over by the president of the Management Council, Mr Baljinder Singh. The programme started with the rendering of shabad ‘Deh shiva var mohe hai’. Mr Surjit Singh, zonal secretary, Ludhiana zone, strike about of various activities undertaken by the study circle. Names of the working committee members of the college unit were announced on the occasion.

GURMAT EXAM: An examination on religious studies (Gurmat) was held in the Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle. Students of various schools participated in the examination. It was divided into two sections, one comprising students of Classes VI to VIII and the other of Classes IX to plus two. Students who secured the first, second and the third positions were given Rs 500, Rs 400 and Rs 300, respectively, along with books and mementoes

CONTEST: The Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Gujjarkhan Campus, organised a talent search and Ms Fresher Contest here on Monday. Thirty-seven students participated in contest. The students were attired in Indian, Punjabi and Western dresses. Swarpreet was awarded the title of Miss Beautiful Smile, Sonal was given the title of Miss Apparel and Gurleen was selected Miss Confident. Voila was chosen second runner-up and Roseleen was the first runner-up. Nazi was given the title of Miss Fresher. A colourful cultural function was also presented on the occasion. Students excelling in extracurricular activities were given prizes.

SEMINAR: Doctors of Ear Nose Throat (ENT) and Head Neck Surgeons (HNS) organised a seminar on the impact of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) on medical practitioners here recently. Dr Vineet Gulhati, joint secretary of the association, said in a press note that a senior advocate and former District Bar Association president, Mr Hemant Kalia, apprised the doctors about various clauses of the Act. Doctors and executive members of the association, including Dr Somnath Gupta, Dr V.A.K. Pathak, Dr Narinder Verma, Dr Vineet Gulhati and Dr Munish Munjal were of the view that most of the complaints were instigated by their fellowmen and doctors should develop a feeling of brotherhood amongst them. More than 40 ENT specialists from the city and surrounding areas like Khanna, Machhiwara, Banga and Phagwara etc, attended the seminar.

ASSOCIATION FORMED: Beauticians and hairdressers of Ludhiana formed the Ludhiana Beauty Parlour Association here on Monday. According to a press note, Mr Shiv Kumar of Shape-Up Beauty Parlour was elected president of the association, while Ms Indra Ahluwalia of Grace was elected vice-president. Ms Ahluwalia emphasised the need to maintain standard at beauty parlours. She said if poor services were provided to the clients by some beauty parlours, all parlours should not be blamed for it.

MACHHIWARA
ACTION DEMANDED: After getting no response to the notices served on encroachers in the town, the Nagar Panchayat, Machhiwara, has sought police action to remove encroachments. According to information, the local Executive Officer, Mr Tejinder Singh had complained to the DSP, Samrala, Mr Gurtejinder Singh Aulakh, to register a case against the encroachers under the Punjab Municipal Act. Land measuring four kanal and 15 marla has been encroached upon by the people of the town.

PHONE NUMBERS: Telephone numbers of the Machhiwara telephone exchange and its adjoining rural exchanges would be changed from Wednesday noon, said DET, Samrala, Mr Mohinder Singh. With this change, the existing five-digit numbers would be prefixed with digit 2. For example 50260 would be dialled as 250260. Telephone numbers of the adjoining exchanges Panjgrain, Hambowal, Sherpur, Powat, Dhanoor and Poonian could also be dialled by prefixing digit 2.

TARN TARAN
ARRESTED: The police has arrested two more members of a gang that used to cheat people and seized a large number of rubber stamps. Vimal Mahajan of Nawan Bazar and Iqbal Singh of Chabal village were remanded in police custody. 

HARYANA

AMBALA
CELEBRATIONS: A scintillating performance was delivered by students of Chaman Vatika School, Ambala City, at a function held to mark Founder’s Day on Monday. A group dance competition was held in which the students presented a panoramic and continous dance tradition of India. Students of four houses participated in the junior and senior category. A folk dance was performed, which represented the spirit of patriotism of Indian soldiers and the prayers of the womenfolk for the soldiers. 

CONTEST: A number of event were held on Tuesday on the second day of talent search competition being organised at Government College, Ambala Cantonment. A quiz competition was held which was coordinated by Prof Gurdev Singh Dev. The winning team comprised Kamaldeep, Pradeep, Neeraj and Prince and the runners-up team comprised Roshan Lal, Krishan Kumar, Bishan Singh and Rajbir Singh. In painting, Pradeep was first and Jaswinder Singh was second. In mono-acting, Samrat was first while Girish was second. In mimicry, Iqbal Mohammad was first.

SAPLINGS PLANTED: The Loins Club, Ambala City Supreme, planted 100 saplings in Maharaj Agarsan Public School at Sonda village on Tuesday. The president of the club, Mr Virender Nagpal, the regional chairman, Mr Ved Verma, the secretary, Mr Rajnish Dutta, were, present among others. The director of the club, Mr Chaman Lal Gupta, while addressing the members said the club had also decided to organise a medical camp shortly.

EXHIBITION: An exhibition on rails arrived at the Ambala Cantonment railway station on Tuesday. The Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Mr B.K. Sonawane, said the exhibition, which had been set up within a train, would be on display till August 23. He said the history of the Indian Railways and the latest achievements are on display. Also a variety of information on the Railways has been put up. The train has been parked at platform No. 1 of the Ambala Cantonment railway station and there is no entry fee for the exhibition.

BHIWANI
RAJIV REMEMBERED: Rich tributes were paid to Rajiv Gandhi at a meeting held at Tilak Bhawan here today. Meetings were also organised at Loharu, Siwani, Behal and Charkhi Dadri. In Siwani, a party office was inaugurated by district Congress president, Dr Vasudev Sharma. He said it was Rajiv Gandhi who filed new zeal among the youth of the country by raising slogan ‘Mera Bharat Mahan’.

FATEHABAD
MEETING: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr R.B. Langyan, called a meeting of various procurement agencies here on Tuesday. The local SDM, Mr Yogesh Bhardwaj, the SDM, Ratia, Mr S.B. Lohia, the SDM, Tohana, Mr Satbir Singh Saini, the DFSC, Mr I.D. Khan, district managers of procurement agencies and secretaries of district market committees participated in the meeting. Mr Langyan asked the agencies to make all arrangements for the paddy procurement.