R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

BATHINDA
HONOURED: Mr Raj Gupta, NSS Programme Officer, SSD Girls College, in a press note issued here on Monday said seven volunteers of the scheme had been honoured by the college authorities. The NSS volunteers who were honoured are Ms Varneen Brar, Ms Neha, Ms Charanjit Kaur, Ms Gurpreet, Ms Pritpal Kaur, Ms Jasleen and Ms Kamal were declared best campers.

DEGREES: The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh will give away degrees to students of Giani Zail Singh College of Engineering and Technology (GZSCET) at the third convocation of the institute to be held here on Wednesday. Dr Gurdip Singh, Principal of the institute, said here on Monday that Mr Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Technical Education Minister, of Punjab, and Dr Y.S. Rajan, Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Technical University, would also be present on the occasion.

KISAN MELA: A Kisan Mela will be held at the regional station of Punjab Agricultural University here on Wednesday, where farmers will be told about various crops of kharif.

KILLED: A youth, Abhi Dass, got killed when he accidentally fell in front of a train near the local thermal plant on Monday. Volunteers of the Sahara Jan Sewa took the body to the hospital. The body was handed over to the youth’s family after a post-mortem examination.

NCC SOUVENIR: The Group Commander, Col A.S. Gehlot, released the first souvenir of 20 Punjab Battalion NCC in the local DAV College on Monday. Lt Col Andrews, Commanding Officer of the local unit of NCC, said the ‘C’ certificate of the NCC would get them jobs and seats in various courses.

DORAHA
EXTENSION LECTURE: An extension lecture will be organised by the Postgraduate Department of Punjabi, Guru Nanak National College, here on Thursday. Releasing this information to the Press, Mr Jaswant Singh Gill, Principal of the college, and Prof Jagdev Singh Grewal, Head of the Postgraduate Department, said a lecture on “Modern Trends in Punjabi Literature” would be delivered by Dr Satish Verma of Punjabi University. Dr Guriqbal Singh of Guru Teg Bahadur College, Dakha, would give his lecture on “Jangnama Shah Mohammad,” they added.

GURDASPUR
CONVOCATION: More than 350 graduates were awarded degrees at the convocation of Government College here on Monday. The function was presided over by Mr Mahinderbir Singh, Controller of Examinations of Guru Nanak Dev University. Mr Avtar Singh Sidhu, Principal, read out the annual report of the college and Prof Pritam Singh gave away the degrees.

LUDHIANA
MEETING: The annual general body meeting of the Non-Government College Management Federation, Panjab and Chandigarh was held at Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Gujarkhan Campus, Model Town, Ludhiana, on Sunday under the chairmanship of Dr Ishwar Singh, president. The meeting discussed important issues, including the release of withheld grants of the colleges under 95 per cent grant-in-aid scheme. The general body expressed serious concern over the grave financial crisis being faced by the colleges on account of continuous phasing out of the grant-in-aid scheme by the Punjab Government. The meeting unanimously appealed to the Chief Minister, Panjab, to take immediate steps to restore 95 per cent grant-in-aid scheme in its original form in toto. The meeting also decided to consult legal experts for approaching the Punjab and Haryana High Court in connection with seeking legal remedy regarding the financial difficulties. The general body unanimously elected Dr Ishwar Singh as the president for the next term and authorised him to nominate the other office bearers of the management federation for the next term.

FAREWELL: A farewell party was given to the matric students of Shanti Niketan Adarsh Vidyalaya Benjmin Road. A colourful function was arranged which was inaugurated by school Director, Randhir Sharma. Students presented bhajans, group songs, dances and skits. In Antakshari, Malti and Richa Suneja were the winners. ‘In one-minute game’ Ayush was declared the winner.

SEMINAR: A state-level seminar was organised on non-monetary inputs to reinvigorate education in all government and adarsh schools in Punjab. Stress was laid on non-monetary inputs like social awareness of education in rural areas, computer education as an essential part to all rural area students and to make effective use of library in school and education as a part of life. The seminar was organised on Sunday in Government Senior Secondary Model School, PAU, Ludhiana, with the coordination of Dr S.S. Pawar and school Principal, (convener) Mrs Gurdeep Kaur. DPI (Primary) and Mr Jagtar S. Khatra, Deputy Director, Mr Jagjit Singh Sandhu, Mr Pritam Singh, Dr M.A. Zahir, Mr Bachittar Singh, DEO, Ludhiana, Dr D.S. Dev, Dean, College of Agriculture, Dr S.S. Randhawa, Director, SCERT, were present.

CONVENTIONS: The state working committee of the Punjab State Services Federation has decided to hold a conventions of workers in all districts for mobilising them against the “anti-employee” policies of the government in March and April. It was decided at a joint meeting of the state working committees of the Punjab State Services Federation, Punjab State Electricity Board Employees Federation, Punjab Kirti Dal and other affiliated employees and workers organisations, held under the chairmanship of Mr Charanjit Singh Walia, president and former MP.

ACTION SOUGHT: Prof Darshan Singh, former Jathedar, Akal Takht, has demanded immediate action against the Noormehlia sect in the state. In a press note issued here on Sunday, he condemned the violence that took place outside the SGPC office on February 22 between activists of the Khalsa Panchayat and SGPC workers. He said the alleged attack on the members of Khalsa Panchayat, who had gone to submit a memorandum, was unwarranted.

COMPETITION: Bharati Vidya Mandir recently organised a ‘sarvhitkari shiksha samiti’, a three-day cultural competition to mark the golden jubilee celebrations of Vidya Bharati. The school was adjudged second in folk dance, first in chaupais and dohas and third in group song.

DENTAL IMPLANTS: Faculty members at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Baba Jaswant Singh Dental Hospital, have successfully managed to revolutionise dentistry by placing the latest immediate loading dental implants “XIVE” for the first time in South-East Asia. The system is currently available in Europe. Patients here will be able to get an implant-supported denture within one day and in cases of tooth fracture the damaged tooth can be replaced within an hour. A programme in this connection commenced. Later a demonstration of the surgery was also shown to the dental experts and media. Dr Jan Kielhorn and Dr Vivianc Smith will impart advance implantology training to doctors/students as honorary visiting professors at the hospital.

ASHRAM FOR HOMELESS: Sant Baba Dalip Singhji has built an ashram for homeless, old and needy persons at Toosa village in Raikot tehsil. It provides shelter to the sick, the needy, orphans and destitute women. The ashram has a charitable hospital attached to it. The baba cures patients with faith hailing and undertakes the responsibility of the marriage of poor girls.

CHILDREN HAVE FUN: The Small Wonders Nursery School, Sangat Road, Civil Lines, recently organised fun and activity week for children to celebrate their excellent results in admission tests to schools. Another purpose was to bring out their hidden talents. Various activities were performed with the help of teachers. On the concluding day, children displayed their creative sheets with great pride. A prize distribution function was also held.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
DRIVE AGAINST DRUGS: Parja Pita Brahma Kumari, Ishwarya Vishav Vidalya, organised a function at Brahma Kumari Ashram here. Talking to the media persons here on Monday Behanji Lata said that Dr Harbans Lal, Forest Minister, Punjab, unfurled the flag in the function and flagged off the first vehicle of preachers to propagate and educate the people regarding the evil results of the drug menace among 30 villages adopted by the ashram to completely eradicate the use of drugs.

MANSA
GUEST HOUSE: The Punjab Mandi Board has decided to construct a guest house in the New Grain Market here. According to official information, the estimated cost of the project is Rs 43.04 lakh.

MUKTSAR
LOK ADALAT: A special Lok Adalat will be held here on March 22 for settling loan disputes. Mr B.S. Mehndiratta, Additional District and Sessions Judge, said in a press note issued here on Monday that cases of loan disputes between farmers and arhtiyas would be settled on the occasion.

NABHA
CAMP: The local Youth Club organised a medical check-up camp at Sakohan village, 12 km from here. A team of doctors comprising Dr Amarjit Singh Sawhney a cardiologist, Dr Parminder Kaur Sawhney, a gynaecologist, Dr Paramvir Singh, an orthopaedician, Dr Jaspreet Kaur, an ophthalmologist, and Dr Surinder Aggarwal, a chest specialist, examined more than 700 patients. Medicines were given free of cost.

PATIALA
JIGAR JALANDHARI BEREAVED: Jigar Jalandhari, a renowned Urdu poet has lost his wife Kamala Marwaha. Prominent personalities of the city, including Parliament member Preneet Kaur, Patiala Municipal Corporation Mayor Vishnu Sharma, District Congress (Urban) President Ved Prakash Gupta, State Languages Department Director Dr M L Hasija, Patiala Range Deputy Inspector-General of Police I.P.S. Sahota and theatre personality Pran Sabharwal besides others were present at the cremation. The kirya ceremony will be held on March 11.

HARYANA

AMBALA
NEW PRINCIPAL: Dr Ratna Ram Malik took over as the new Principal of Gandhi Memorial National College, Ambala Cantt on Monday. The GMN College management committee president Mr Bhupender Singh, Jauhar, and vice-president Mr Laxmi Sagar were present when Dr R.R. Malik took charge of his new assignment.

DEMONSTRATION: The Haryana Mook Badhir Kalyan Sangh, Ambala, held a demonstration in support of their demands here on Monday. In a memorandum addressed to the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, the sangh has sought reservation in jobs as well as in the HUDA plots. The sangh has also demanded more employment opportunities for the deaf and dumb.

FOUR HELD: Jiwan Singh, Surinder Kumar, Davinder Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar have been arrested under gambling act in Ambala City and a sum of Rs 20,000 was seized. In another case the police rounded up two satta operators, Kuljit and Rajesh, near the Vijay Cinema, and seized Rs 4,500.

MAN KILLED: A person was killed in a road accident on G T Road near village Maura when a jeep hit him. The deceased could not be identified. A case has been registered against the jeep driver.

SIRSA
WATER SUPPLY: Areas near Nohria Bazaar and Surat Garia Bazaar of the city have been facing water scarcity for the past 10 days. Similarly, the paucity of drinking water in the local Gandhi Colony and Subhash Basti has compelled people to meet their requirement of water with tankers. The complaints have not been redressed causing a great deal of resentment among them.