Ludhiana, January 10
Members of the Small Scale Industries Association and residents of various parts of the city today blocked traffic for over two hours at Pratap Chowk in protest against unscheduled power cuts being imposed in the city.

The agitating crowd alleged that the PSEB was indulging in discriminatory tactics and was supplying undisrupted power to certain areas in the city, while there were some areas where five-hour-long power cuts were being imposed on a daily basis.

They said the areas where cuts were being imposed included Pratap Nagar, Ram Nagar, Janta Nagar, Dashmesh Nagar, Muradpur, Kalsian Street (Gill Road) and Shimlapuri.

They also complained of water shortage due to unscheduled power cuts.

Industrialists said unscheduled and undeclared power cuts of four-five hours were being imposed in mixed industrial areas of the city, which was causing a great loss to the industry.

Harish Khanna, president, Small Scale Industries Association, said, "Industry is already passing through a tough phase in the wake of the prevailing global economic slowdown and the erratic power supply was only adding to the industry's woes."

He added that if the power situation in the state did not improve at the earliest, the industry would be forced to launch a statewide agitation against the board.

Residents of Vishwakarma Colony, Pratap Nagar, Ram Nagar, Janta Nagar, SAS Nagar and Dashmesh Nagar also participated in the protest. Industrial Area DSP Sandhu and SHO Pawandeep rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

Later in the day, members of the Small Scale Industries Association held a meeting of the office-bearers over power situation and submitted a memorandum to the Chief Engineer, PSEB, Ludhiana, in this regard.

Ludhiana, January 10
Coming down heavily on the District Transport Officer (DTO), the Information Commission, Punjab, has issued a 10-day show cause notice to him asking why he should not be asked to compensate for not delaying information to an applicant and why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him under Section 20 (2) of the RTI Act, 2005.

The Commission took the decision following the absence of ADTO-cum-APIO, who was asked to be present on January 6 and was also asked to bring a photograph of the office board with the list of designated staff under the Right to Information Act.

Rohit Sabharwal, a resident of Model Gram, Ludhiana, had asked the DTO to provide him the detail total number of auto-rickshaws registered with the office, the vehicles that had undergone pollution check within the last one year, number of auto-rickshaws that were challaned for running without permit, number of authorised and unauthorised auto-rickshaws in May last year.

He, however, received the information after five months and that too when he knocked at the doors of Information Commission.

He prayed to the Commission that action should be taken against the DTO for delaying the information. He also contended that the DTO office was not applicant-friendly and had not placed the board designating their authorities under the RTI Act in the office.

The Commission had asked the DTO in December to comply with the Act and put the necessary list of PIO in the office besides being present in front of the Commission on January 6 with a picture of the board.

The Commission also issued a notice to the State Transport Commissioner to issue similar directions to all PIOs under him in the state. A notice was also issued to the administrative branch to oversee the implementation of RTI Act and also to the State Information Commissioner to issue similar directions to all PIOs in the state.

Taking a strong note of APIO's absence, the Commission, which had earlier considered the plea of DTO of shortage of working staff for delay in information, has issued notice for compensation and penalty.

The will case comes up for hearing on February 11. 

Ludhiana, January 10
Continuing with its daily anti-encroachment drive, tehbazari teams of all four zones of the municipal corporation (MC) held a joint exercise in various parts of the city here today.

The first target for the drive was Sarabha Nagar, where Sacred Heart Convent School was on the hit list due to the parking of vehicles on the MC areas. The school authorities were directed to make parking space available for the staff and student vehicles in the school itself, as it had been causing traffic jams often, especially during morning and afternoon.

Ludhiana, January 10
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has ordered the release of a grant of Rs 10 crore to Punjab Agricultural University for disbursement as pension to the retirees of the university.

Informing this, Dr Manjit Singh Kang, Vice-Chancellor of the university, told The Tribune today that the university had sought Rs 15 crore. The Chief Minister had promised to release some more funds later.

The Vice-Chancellor, at a meeting with the Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh, had informed the government that the pension fund had been exhausted and there was a liability of Rs 4 crore per month on account of payment of pension. The meeting was held on November 22, 2008, at Chandigarh. At the meeting, the Punjab rural development department was asked to advance Rs 15 crore to the university and the finance department was also asked to revalidate the amount of Rs 10.5 crore, lying with the PAU for incurring expenditure during 2008-09.

The Tribune has learnt that the issue of levying cess at the rate of 50 paise per Rs 100 on agricultural produce is also pending with the state government. The November 22, 2008, meeting was of the view that the cess might be levied either on purchase or the seller. Otherwise, the state might consider the reduction of 0.5 per cent in the commission, being paid to the commission agents as the amount received by them, is increasing continuously with the increase in the MSP.

Meanwhile, the PAU authorities have also sought extension of six months from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to make the payment of pension to the retirees, in response to the orders of the court directing the university authorities to make the payment of pension. Confederation of the PAU Pensioners’ Association has filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking payment of pension on regular basis.

It is learnt that the pensioners have received the pension till December.

Khanna/Samrala, January 10
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal yesterday sought votes for his party candidates during Vikas Yatra. He also released funds for various projects in Khanna, Samrala and Payal.

He addressed people at Samrala, Payal and Khanna and sought their support for SAD-BJP candidates in the coming Lok Sabha elections. He also accused the Congress government for not initiating steps to bring development in Punjab.

He claimed that it was only his party that always work for the betterment of people and not the Congress.

He announced a grant of Rs 44 crore for the execution of various development works in Samrala constituency. Badal also announced that a sum of Rs 7 crore would be spent on the construction of a bypass at Samrala, besides a grant of Rs 10 lakh would be released for the sports stadium and upgradation of the local ITI Polytechnic College. He also handed over cheques of shaguan schemes of Rs 15,000 to 153 beneficiaries.

At Payal, Badal announced that Payal would be developed as model constituency and in this regard an integrated development plan of this constituency would be prepared on the pattern of Valtoha. He also announced a grant of Rs 76 crore for the overall development of this constituency, of which Rs 52 crore would be spent on the road infrastructure.

Besides, he also disbursed cheques worth Rs 7.22 crore for the overall development of urban and rural segment within the jurisdiction of Payal constituency. He also disbursed cheques of shagun scheme to 100 beneficiaries on the occasion.

He also handed over cheques worth Rs 36.45 crore in Khanna constituency and handed over cheques of grants amounting to Rs.4.79 crores for the development works in Khanna.

Doraha, January 10
The road construction work initiated under the Prime Minister Grahmin Sadak Yojana on the Doraha-Payal road a few months back is going on at a snail’s pace much to the chagrin of local residents and the passers-bys.

The commuters are sore over the slow progress of work on the road for the past several months. The under-construction road is now posing a threat to the daily commuters who have to tread on the stony path.

The situation has become all the more troublesome due to fog that has engulfed the area. Low visibility has made this road more dangerous for the commuters.

However, the authorities concerned seem to be least bothered about commuters’ safety. Recently, a private bus overturned on the under-construction road due to boulders lying on the way. Several passengers were injured injuries and others were put to inconvenience due to the mishap.

Two-way is not possible on the road as the heaps of stones cover a major part of the stretch.

Since the inception of the work on the road, the work has been discontinued several times due to staff shortage.

The residents of the surrounding villages, including Kaddon, Kolti, Daumjra, Payal and Doraha have demanded that the work should be completed at the earliest to avoid mishaps. The youth forum of Doraha too has urged the authorities to look into the matter and complete the work task on war footing.

Ludhiana, January 10
Prem Nath Gupta, former secretary, Managing Society, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, was cremated yesterday and a large number of people, including industrialists, traders, doctors, intellectuals and professionals, attended it. The cremation ground was full of people. Prem Nath Gupta died yesterday after a prolonged illness. He was 84.

Prem Nath Gupta who was popularly known as “PNG” and “bauji” was not only the secretary of the DMCH, but also he had made great contribution in the development of the town on the industrial front. He was the pioneer in the woollen industry and set up Supreme Woollen Mills where he started manufacturing worsted woollen cloth. He also served as the chairman of the Woollen Mills Federation of India as apex body of the woollen mills in the country.

Premnath Gupta was also the founder of the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings which he set up in 1969-70. This chamber has been on the forefront in voicing the grievances of the industrialists and traders for the past 40 years.

In 1970s, he came under the influence of Acharya Rajneesh Osho and also took over as the secretary of the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital and served the institution with all dedication and devotion for more than 20 years. He can be described as the real architect of the present DMCH which is now one of the biggest health institutions of the North.

Prem Nath Gupta along with Dr LS Chawla (as principal) and Dr SB Khurana (as Medical Superintendent and later as principal) worked as troika and took the institute to new heights. He launched the super specialities and recruited the best available super specialists because of which the institute is now known all over the country and abroad.

Prem Nath Gupta conceived and executed the present Hero DMC Heart Institute with 150 beds and which is now known as one of the best heart institutes in Northern India.

Earlier, the funeral procession started from the house of Prem Nath where wreaths were laid by Gian Chand Dhawan, Prem Gupta and Amrit Nagpal on behalf of the DMC Managing Society.

Later, a condolence meeting was held in Dumra auditorium of DMCH where rich tributes were paid to Prem Nath Gupta by Brijmohan Lal Munjal, chairman, Hero Honda group, and Emeritus President, DMCH, for his contribution to the building of the hospital.

DrDaljeet Singh, Principal, DMCH, moved the condolence resolution recalling the contribution of Prem Nath Gupta and expressing sympathy with the bereaved family.

Ludhiana, January 10
The understanding of aesthetic dentistry in India has opened up avenues for orthodontists, making the field more innovative, stated delegates at the 48th Punjab State and North India Dental Conference and North India Dental Students Conference here.

Vikas, a student from Dashmesh Dental College, Faridkot, said, "Dentistry is no more a simple job of problematic teeth, as people have started relating to aesthetics in dentistry, thereby making it more challenging for the new genre dentists.

Kirat and Jaskiramn, students of Christian Dental College Ludhiana, stated that there was a lot to be done in the field of artistic dentistry, which is gradually gaining popularity. "However, going by the need of dental care in youngsters, we both have decided to practise conservative dentistry that revolves round the problems pertaining to teeth," the duo added.

These twin conferences are being hosted by the Indian Dental Association Ludhiana Branch.

Dr JS Judge, president, Indian Dental Association, Punjab, stated that around 2000 professional and student delegates from northern states of India were attending the annual event.

Dr Rajan Jairath, organising secretary of the conference, added that a mega dental trade fair had been arranged for the benefit of the attending delegates wherein dental traders from India and abroad would showcase their latest dental materials, instruments and equipment.

Ludhiana, January 10
With Lohri on its way, colourful kites have started dotting the sky. With a wide range of kites from miniature to gigantic size available in the market, youths are having a gala time. Chinese kites have taken the market by storm. Colourful kites in the shapes of eagle, birds, human figures, fish, insects, animals, written characters, etc. can be seen zooming in the sky everyday.

The Chinese kites are giving a tough fight to the domestic kite makers. Ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 500, some of these kites are even 7-8 feet high and made up of a fine membrane of cloth," said Deepak, a kite maker. The Chinese kites are well in demand. Sparrow, dragon butterfly and eagle designs are some of the preferred designs in the market.

Shops in different city areas are ready to sell different variety of kites. A variety of “manja” (thread used to fly kites), costing from Rs 25 to Rs 200 per 1,000 feet, is also available in the market.

Colourful papers and plastic and cloth kites are also available in the market within a price range of Rs 1 to Rs 150. Satwant Singh, a shopkeeper at Jawahar Nagar camp, said as always the sale of kites was maximum during this period of the year. “Punjabis known for their festive spirit leave no festival to make it special. Lohri and Basant would be dotted with colourful kites”, he added.

Besides coloured clothe kites, waterproof plastic kites too have flooded the market. “Waterproof kites are also in demand especially near the Lohri festival. The waterproof kites help during the chilly and moist weather that surrounds during the Lohri festival,” adds another shopkeeper at Ghumar Mandi.

The popular kites available in the market include chajj, pari, tukkal, Lucknow kaat and shatranj. The kites from Jaipur and Kolkata enjoy maximum customers in the city. The string used for flying kites is prepared in the city and also brought from nearby districts. The price of the string depends on the quality and may range anything from Rs 100 to Rs 1,000.

In addition, kites are also used for decoration. The miniature forms are widely being used for decorating homes on the festival. The palm-sized kites would be donning the walls of the city residents on Lohri. “I have bought miniature form of kites to decorate my home on Lohri. They would go with the spirit of the festival”, said Mannat, a college student.

Manmeet Singh, a student, has already bought the kites for Lohri and finalised every plan for Lohri. He would be flying kites with his friends amidst foot tapping Punjabi numbers. “Flying kites is sheer fun. We all will have a gala time on Lohri,” he added with a smile. 

Ludhiana, January 10
The rapid sale of plastic thread has caused concern among bird lovers in the city.

As plastic thread has taken over the conventional cotton thread and the sale is catching up among youngsters, there is growing concern among residents that the bird might fell prey to this lethal string.

The plastic thread is considered far stronger than the conventional cotton thread which is disposable as well. The string is considered highly dangerous for human and birds as well.

In the absence of stringent law to curb the menace, the sale of this string is going unchecked.

The plastic string being sold at Rs 650 per kg by kite vendors all over the city has made the bird lovers anxious.

Already 20 such case of pigeon death has been reported in various part of the city. The thread is laces with razor-sharp glass powder enough to cause harm to human life.

Recently, two residents of Kidwai Nagar injured their hands while flying kites with the plastic thread.

Rakesh Jain, who is working as honorary welfare officer in the Animal Welfare Board India, has expressed concern over the increasing sale of plastic thread.

"This traditional merry-making proves to be a threat and even fatal for thousands of birds every year. Ludhiana is a place with the highest number of kites flown during January, which results in a reduction of bird population by 20 per cent during one month," said Jain.

Sandeep K. Jain, member of CAPE India, said kite flying was a personal decision and deeply ingrained in culture, it should not be made a killing instrument.

Spearheading a campaign against kite flying, which results in killing of 40 per cent of the bird population in Ludhiana in January every year, the local chapter of the Pakshi Seva Samati has appealed to the local residents to avoid these strings as it kills and causes life-long injuries to birds in a number of cases.

Vipan Bhatia, founder president, Pakshi Seva Samati, has requested the residents to bring the injured birds to their bird care centre. The residents can also contact on their Helpline No. 92177-00298.

Ludhiana, January 10
Known for its vivid and rich aspects, Punjabi culture has not only become a subject matter for Bollywood flicks but small screen production houses are also cashing on the same. The actors, which were earlier seen flaunting western apparels are today seen decked up with heavy suits, jewellery and loud make up.

Not only this, production houses are also spending crores of rupees for creating sets depicting Punjab’s towns. The best example in this case is the set created for the serial “Ranbir Rano” aired on Zee TV.

The whole town of Dera Bassi has come alive in the set created by spending Rs 1.5 crore. The gurdwara, railway station, traditional well, post office and a dhaba, everything that is found in any of the Punjab’s town is present at the Kamal Amrohi studios, Mumbai.

Though she has played numerous characters in the span of her career but playing Preet Behanji in Ranbir Rano remains the favourite of Achnit Kaur. “I am basically a Punjabi and always wanted to portray a typical Punjabi character. Wearing typical Punjabi suits with Patiala salwars, parandis and phulkaris make me feel special and on the sets of the serial I get a feel of the ‘Pure Punajbi’,” she adds with a broad smile.

Zee TV business head Tarun Mehra on the depiction of Punjabi culture in the serials said, “The idea of portraying Punjabis is not a new trend. The reason why we chose that culture is because the Punjabis as a race are known for their bold portrayal of emotions. So whether it is fondness for food, the passion for good life or an uninhibited depiction of love for loved ones, the Punjabis always stand apart. And we decided to bring this very relentless spirit in our story telling.”

Kunickka who was earlier seen spotting western dresses and a haircut in the much-coveted serial “Swabhimaan” is back on the small screen after a halt of three years. But this time she is seen wearing traditional Punjabi suit with heavy jewellery, sindoor on her forehead and long braid with parandi. “Punjabi culture is very rich and it has taken the film industry by storm. No movie is hit without a Punjabi number, so how can small screen be far away from its impact. The maximum numbers of serials today are made with the Punjabi culture in the background,” adds Kunickka.

The shot of any serial-based on Punjabis cannot be complete without the presence of a turbaned personality. While in Bollywood, it is Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and recently Saif Ali Khan who were seen sporting a turban, however, on the small screen we have Pankaj Berry.

When it comes to marriage, Punjabis leave no stone unturned to make it a lavish affair. It was felt during the shot of a marriage ceremony performed on the sets on another tele serial “Mayaka”. Actors dressed in their best took part in different ceremonies. Shilpa Shinde playing the lead of “Maahi” feels that her character in the serial is too jazzed up but it is the demand of audience. “The audience love to watch serials with Punjabi culture and traditions so here I am in a bright suit with heavy jewellery,” she confirms the trend.

Ludhiana, January 10
A day after four Congress leaders gunned against former party MLA, Surinder Dawar, AICC national spokesperson Manish Tewari today asserted that the party in Punjab was absolutely united and the rank and file was fully geared up to fight the parliamentary elections.

Tewari, while speaking about the state of affairs of the party in the state, said the meeting of the coordination committee of the Punjab Congress, held in New Delhi on January 5, underlined the need for unity within the ranks.

The AICC spokesperson said the overall failure of the SAD-BJP government had disillusioned people and they were waiting for the first given opportunity to teach them a lesson.

On a question about Rahul Gandhi being the Prime Ministerial candidate, Tewari said he was perfectly suited for the job.

“If Omar Abdullah can become the Chief Minister of an important state like Jammu and Kashmir at the age of 38, and Rajiv Gandhi could become the Prime Minister at the age of 40, why cannot Rahul Gandhi become the Prime Minister at this age?” Tewari said.

However, he added, the Congress would fight the forthcoming elections under the leadership of the party president, Sonia Gandhi, and the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh.

Ludhiana, January 10
Confusion prevails over the reported decision of the Punjab Education Department to introduce seven subjects in the Class X from the new academic session.

While the authorities of the Punjab School Education Board are not ready to confirm this decision, the association of the PSEB-affiliated schools (Punjab) has maintained that the government has decided to introduce seven subjects in Class X from the new academic session. The association has opposed the government’s decision on the pretext that the CBSE has only five subjects in Classes X, XI and Class XII.

According to Rajinder Sharma, president, Association of the PSEB Affiliated Schools (Punjab), seven subjects are English, maths, science, Punjabi, computer, social sciences and hindi as optional subject. It is compulsory to pass in english, maths, science, punjabi and computer whereas social science and Hindi are optional subjects.

Contrary to this, Sharma says that under the CBSE compulsory subjects are english, science, social studies, maths and hindi. One has to pass in all subjects.

He points out 20 per cent internal marks are added in the CBSE final examinations. Such a facility is not available in the Punjab School Education Board examinations. Rather the burden of seven subjects will be more on those studying in schools affiliated to the Punjab School Education Board compared to the CBSE schools.

In a memorandum to the Chief Minister, the association has pointed out that the introduction of seven subjects would add more than 50 per cent workload on the PSEB students compared to the CBSE students.

The association has further maintained that the introduction of seven subjects would lead to more failures and drop outs resulting in the fall in the literacy rate.

Sharma disclosed that other state governments except the Punjab Government were also not conducting Class V examinations. The Punjab school board was also conducting the middle (Class VIII) examinations and last year at least two lakh students failed. The conducting of the middle class examination was also against the national education policy, he added.

Sharma said they had met the education minister and other senior functionaries of the education department and had not got any satisfactory response so far. They would file a writ petition in the High Court against the government’s decision soon.

Dalbir Singh Dhillon, PSEB chairman, told The Tribune that they had yet to study the feasibility. Only after studying the feasibilities he would be able to comment on the new proposal. Official sources of the education department are of the view that teaching of Hindi is necessary in order to get the jobs in other states and computer education is also important to cope with the latest IT technologies.

Ludhiana, January 10
Tiny tots of Kiddies Paradise celebrated Lohri with great enthusiasm. Wearing traditional dresses, the kids sat around bonfire and enjoyed ‘gachak’ and ‘rewris’.

Ludhiana, January 10
A scholarship examination was conducted for Class V and VIII students of government schools today. As many as 2,244 students of Class V appeared in mathematics test, while 1,300 students of Class VIII appeared in mathematics and science subjects.

The examination was conducted by the Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan, for which 14 centres were set up in the town.

The district education department claimed that there was good response to the test and more than 80 per cent students appeared in the test.

The scheme has been launched to encourage the students to devote more time and energy to studies, particularly the mathematics and the science subjects. The state government has decided to give cash awards to the meritorious students at the district and state level. At the district level, the incentive award is worth Rs 2,100 for the topper, Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,000 for the second and third positions, respectively.

The government has also decided to appreciate the services of the teachers whose students excel in these tests.

Ludhiana, January 10
A team of health officials today booked the owners of Dhawan Medical Agency and Sumiksha Medical Agency on Pindi Street under Drug and Cosmetics Act.

The team, comprising drug inspectors from Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Taran Taran, Hoshiarpur and Moga, under the leadership of State Drug Controller Bhag Singh, conducted a surprise raid at Sumiksha Medical Agency and seized 1,30, 000 tablets, 92,000 capsules, 1,600 syrup bottles and 2,400 injections. The agency owner was running a godown without a license and did not have any sale /purchase record of 
the medicines.

Similarly, over 10,000 habit-forming tablets and capsules were seized from Dhawan Medical Agency in today's raid.

Civil surgeon, Ludhiana, Dr SP Sharma said that a case has been registered against the agency owners.

Ludhiana, January 10
Pranav Chopra, a trainee of the Ludhiana Badminton Academy (LBA), has bagged another title in the All-India Junior Ranking Tournament that concluded at Guntoor in Andhra Pradesh yesterday.

Pranav, who has already proved his mettle in more than one national-level championships, added another title in his kitty when he romped home-victor in the boys doubles’ category.

In the final, the pair of Pranav Chopra and Sai Praneet outplayed Sumit Reddy and HS Prannoy in straight sets to emerge as champions. They won the verdict 21-14 and 21-16 to stamp their superiority.

It is pertinent to mention here that this is sixth title-victory by Pranav during the last two months. The win would help Pranav Chopra and Sai Praneet to retain their berths in the Indian team.

Besides, Pranav Chopra won a bronze medal in the Youth Commonwealth Games held at Pune last year. He also helped India to win a bronze medal in the Youth World Badminton Championship held at Pune.

Another shuttler from the LBA, Anand Tiwari, teaming up with Bob Sharma reached quarter-final stage at Guntoor. However, in the quarter-final, they could not resist against the duo of Pranav Chopra and Sai Praneet, who came out triumphant 21-14, 21-12.

Jagraon, January 10
The rural sports festival of Malak village concluded with winning teams celebrating their victory.

The Sher-e-Punjab Sports and Welfare Club, Malak, conducted the three-day sports festival at the village. As many as 25 teams contested for volleyball championship, which was clinched by Chak village. Nathowal Garmi village and Daulatpura village got second and third places, respectively.

In 48 kg category kabaddi matches, 52 teams participated, out of which Fatehgarh Sebia village won the championship by defeating Cheema Jodhpur village. In 65 kg category, 32 teams participated, out of which Fatehgarh Sebia village won the championship by defeating Rauta village. In open category also, 32 teams participated and Moom village won the championship by defeating the team of Rasulpur village.

Master Mohan Lal, Transport Minister, Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, Chairman, mandikaran board, Gurcharan Singh Galib, formar MP, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Chairman, Zila Parishad, Bikram Singh Khalsa, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, and Bhag Singh Malla, Chairman, District Planning Board were among others present on the occasion.

Ludhiana, January 10
The Mata Sahib Kaur Sports Club, Jarkhar, has been reorganised. A new team of office-bearers of the club was unanimously elected at its general-body meeting held here on Friday, which was chaired by the Chairman of the club, Narinder Pal Singh Sidhu.

The new team will continue in the office for two years.

Rajdeep Singh Gill, DGP and Director, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, Bhai Ranjit Singh, Secretary, Gurdwara Sahib Kaur, Jarkhar, were elected as chief patron and patron, respectively, while Narinder Pal Singh Sidhu was re-elected the Chairman of the club.

Besides, advocate and sports promoter Harkanwal Singh and former international kabaddi player Channa Alamgir were named President of the club and the President of the tournament committee, respectively.

The names of the other office-bearers are: Sarpanch Dapinder Singh — vice-chairman; Dr Kulwant Singh Sohal — general secretary; Tejwant Singh Sidhu — secretary, Jasmail Singh Nokwal and Shingara Singh — assistant secretaries; Master Shingara Singh and Tejinder Singh Jarkhar — cashiers; Harpal Singh Lehal, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Prithipal Singh Batala, Prof Kanwaljit Singh Dudike and Jagroop Singh Jarkhar — organising committee members; Ranjit Singh Deol — senior vice- president; Maninder Singh Happy, Paramjit Singh Neetu, Tehal Singh Jarkhar and Dr Jagtar Singh Jarkhar — vice-presidents.

After the meeting, Narinder Pal Singh Sidhu and Channa Alamgir announced that this year's edition of the sports festival at Jarkhar would be conducted under the chairmanship of Punjab Cabinet Minister Hira Singh Gabria from January 20 to 23.