R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

AMLOH
DECISION FLAYED: The decision of the Punjab Government to hand over six departments to the panchayats was flayed by Mr Karamjeet Singh Bhugrana in a press note here on Saturday. He said the employees would oppose the decision of the government. Six organisations of the employees had joined together to form a front to fight against the decision and aware the people of its drawbacks. The front would stage a dharna at Fatehgarh Sahib on October 30 against the decision of the government.

AMRITSAR
A CLARIFICATION : In the news items, ‘‘No registration of dogs for 25 years’’, which appeared in these columns in the edition dated October 18, the statement of the Addl Commissioner of the MC may be read as : “Mr Kirpal Singh, Addl Commissioner, said the “negligence” was unearthed during the monitoring process of the anti-rabies campaign undertaken jointly by the MC and the society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.’’ The error is regretted.

LOK ADALAT: As many as 66 cases of the total 118 taken up were settled and over Rs 8 lakh distributed as salary and compensation to workers at a lok adalat organised at the labour court here on Friday. The lok adalat was presided over by Ms Harpreet Kaur Jeewan, Addl District and Sessions Judge. 

LUDHIANA
SPORTS DAY: A colourful sports day of the GRD Academy’s junior wing concluded here on Saturday. Col Shakti Sharma, Commandant, Baddowal station, was the chief guest. There were 44 events, which included balloon race, banana race, potato race, sock and shoe race besides the regular athletics events. Shefali of Class V was declared best athlete among girls, while Jaskawal of the same class was declared best athlete among boys.

AWARDED: Deepak Kumar Ansal, an undergraduate student of the College of Agricultural Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has won the best B.Tech Project state award in mechanical engineering and allied branches in Punjab by the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE). He won the award for his project “Economics of bottlegourd-okra-green peas sequence for round-the-year utilisation of trickle irrigation system” completed under the guidance of Dr J.K. Chawla from the Department of Soil and Water Irrigation. Deepak received the award recently during the sixth annual convention of the ISTE students’ chapters held at Jawahar Lal Technical University, Hyderabad. The award consists of a cash prize, a medal and a citation.

CONTESTS: To promote book reading among the students of Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, BRS Nagar, various activities like writing a book review, extempore contests, story narration and inter-class quizzes were held in primary as well as secondary sections on Saturday. The tiny tots were taught about how to go through books, imbibe new words into vocabulary, etc.

AWARENESS RALLY: An awareness rally was organised by the students of Darshan Academy, Bhamian Kalan, to generate awareness about the air and sound pollution caused due to crackers. The students marched in two lines holding placards and posters in their hands. They raised slogans against the use of crackers. They also held a signature campaign.

SAPLING PLANTATION: The Lions Club, Ludhiana, organised a sapling plantation campaign at Sacred Heart Convent Senior Secondary School, Sarabha Nagar, on Friday. Saplings of Asoka were planted by the school Principal, Sister Helima, members, staff and children. Dr Ashok Puri, Mr K.S. Attri and Mr Keshav Ram, all members of the club, were present.

FUN TRIP: Children of Love Dale Montessori enjoyed a fun trip to Hardy’s World on Saturday. Kids enjoyed various rides and were given a light refreshment. Ms Pritima Behl, Principal, said the trip was part of the school’s education-cum-entertainment curriculum.

Mandi Gobindgarh
Training camp: Under the guidance of the Joint Organising Commissioner (scouts and guides), a “Treetia Sopan” training camp for scouts and guides was organised from Monday to Friday at Government Secondary School Jallah near here. As many as 94 scouts from various schools of the district participated. The campers completed the syllabus from “Parvesh to Treetia Sopan” and passed the badges successfully, according to a press note here on Saturday. Mr Bharat Bhushan, District Social Welfare Officer, was the chief guest of the concluding function. A cultural programme was presented by the scouts and guides.

HARYANA

FATEHABAD
SEMINAR: Stress was laid on the sowing of pulses and oilseeds during a seminar on rabi crops here on Friday. The seminar was organised by the Agriculture Department under its Micro Management Mode Scheme. Ms Swatantra Bala Chowdhary, local MLA, was the chief guest. Ms Kailo Devi, chairperson of the zila parishad, Ms Krishana Poonia, president of the women wing of the district INLD, Mr Partap Singh Poonia, SDO, Agriculture, and agriculture scientists were present on the occasion.

EXHIBITION: The Deputy Commissioner, Dr R.B. Langyan, inaugurated an exhibition organised by the Khadi Village Industrial Board in the Tau Devi Lal Complex here on Saturday.

KURUKSHETRA
PROHIBITORY ORDERS: The District Magistrate, Mr Abhilaksh Likhi, on Friday promulgated prohibitory orders under Section 142 of the Explosion Act, 1884, banning the sale and storage of crackers in thickly populated areas in the district.

SIRSA
STIR THREAT: The Haryana Roadways Employees Union, at a meeting held in the Sirsa depot workshop here on Friday, charged the District Transport Officer with hobnobbing with co-operative transport societies. It threatened to launch an agitation if private buses, plying illegally, were not checked. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

HAMIRPUR
MEETING: The Hamirpur district administration will launch an anti-encroachment drive in the town from November 3. This was stated by Mr Devesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Hamirpur, while presiding over a meeting of the people of the town at an “open house” session.

KANGRA
HELD FOR GAMBLING: The police arrested three persons from Kholi village and two from Kandror village under the Gambling Act and recovered Rs 5,790 from them during raids conducted on the villages on Thursday. This was stated by Kangra district police chief S. Zahoor H. Zaidi on Friday.

SUNDERNAGAR
OFFICE-BEARERS: The following have been elected office-bearers of the Bar Association, Sundernagar: president — Mr Balbir Sen; vice-president — Mr Vikrant Thakur; general secretary — Mr Ram Krishan; joint secretary — Mr Pankaj Guleria; treasurer — Mr Prem Singh; and librarian — Mr Rajesh Prasher.

ELECTED: Mr Roshan Lal Sharma has been elected president of the Mandi district unit of the Ministerial Staff Association, HPPWD, while Mr Umesh Kumar has been elected general secretary of the association. 

SHIMLA
BOOK RELEASED: Mrs Asha Kumari, Education Minister, released a book titled “Management and Organisational Behaviour”, authored by Prof Rajinder Sharma, Dean-cum-Director, College Development Council, Himachal Pradesh University, here on Friday. She said in today’s global world, with the coming up of multinational organisations, management had come to occupy a significant role.

ANNUAL FUNCTION: Mr V.S. Kokje, Governor, has appreciated the role of private educational institutions in providing better education to the people and has said that the aim of education should be to inculcate the spirit of nationalism in students. Presiding over the annual prize distribution function of Himalayan International School, Charabra, near here, he said an educated person was comparatively more sensitive in understanding society and the needs of others.