Miri Piri Academy closes

Amritsar: Amid the Covid threat, Miri Piri Academy here has been closed and sent its students back home. Students from India and abroad study in the academy, an international boarding school. Principal Jagat Guru Singh said all students were sent back home safely. “Students have been instructed to study at least two hours a day at their homes,” he said. Before closing the school, an “akhand path” was organised. tns

FaRmers allowed to harvest mustard

Fazilka: The state government has granted permission to farmers to harvest mustard in the district in spite of curfew restrictions. District Magistrate Arvind Pal Singh Sandhu said, “The crop has already ripened. If it is not harvested now, it will be damaged and farmers have to incur losses.” Sources say mustard has been sown on nearly 6,000 hectares in the district. The District Magistrate has directed farmers to maintain distance at the time of harvesting in view of Covid spread. OC

Vardhman Group donates Rs 6 crore

Ludhiana: In order to support the Centre in its efforts to protect the country from the menace of Covid, Vardhman Group has announced a sum of Rs 5 crore for the Prime Minister’s Covid relief fund. Additionally, the group has announced a contribution of 1 crore to the Punjab Government, with Rs50 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and Rs50 lakh for procuring critical medical supplies in government hospitals. DL Sharma, managing director, Vardhman Yarns and Threads, handed over a cheque of Rs50 lakh to the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, Pradeep Aggarwal. TNS

Amid curfew, pensioners crowd banks

Abohar: When local banks opened on Monday only to facilitate Central and state government offices to carry out financial year’s transactions and load ATMs, pensioners turned out in large numbers to enquire about their pension. The pension is yet to be credited in the accounts of the beneficiaries. Meanwhile, students of Sarvhitkari Vidya Mandir here prepared posters on dos and don’ts in times of Covid and pasted them outside their houses. OC

Govt Teachers give one day’s salary

Chandigarh: The Government College Teachers Association, Punjab, has decided to donate one day’s salary of all regular teachers working in all government colleges for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to help fight the present situation arising due to the Covid outbreak, said Prof BS Tohra and Prof Jatinder Gill, president and general secretary, respectively. Meanwhile, serving and retired employees of Punjab Mandi Board and market committees also decided to contribute their one day’s salary, amounting to nearly Rs1 crore, to the fund. TNS