107 lakh tonnes of wheat procured in Punjab
Chandigarh: Government agencies and private millers procured more than 107.20 lakh tonnes of wheat till Wednesday in Punjab. A spokesman said out of total procurement, Government agencies procured 97.7 per cent till date whereas private traders procured 2.3 per cent of wheat. Till May 7, PUNGRAIN had procured 19.40 lakh tonnes (18.1 per cent) whereas MARKFED procured 23.73 lakh tonnes (22.1 per cent). PUNSUP procured 22.28 lakh tonnes (20.8 per cent), PSWC procured 12.10 lakh tonnes (11.3 per cent) whereas PAIC was able to procure 10.52 lakh tonnes (9.8 per cent) of wheat. Central Government agency, Food Corporation of India (FCI), had been able to procure 16.66 lakh tonnes of wheat which was 15.5 per cent of total procurement,
Himachal CM lauds Red Cross yeoman service
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday said that Red Cross was rendering yeoman service in providing relief to the poor and needy, besides providing necessary aid in case of emergency. Virbhadra Singh, while interacting with the members of HP unit of Indian Red Cross Society and HP Red Cross Hospital Welfare Section, said that all District Red Cross branches in the State were doing commendable work in providing succor to underprivileged and destitute. He stressed the need for expansion of the Red Cross activities in more efficient manner.
Czech Republic keen to help Haryana
Chandigarh: Czech Republic has evinced keen interest in mutual cooperation with Haryana in the areas of water management, power and solid waste management. Czech Republic Ambassador to India Miloslav Stasek along with seven-member business delegation called on Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday to discuss various issues of mutual interest and expressed desire to invest in Haryana. Haryana Renewable Energy Minister Harmohinder Singh Chattha, Power Minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav and Industries Minister Randeep Singh Surejewala also attended the meeting.
Culverts, causeways to be strengthened
Mohali: SAS Nagar Deputy Commissioner Tejinder Pal Singh Sidhu on Thursday directed that culverts, causeways and bridges on Ghaggar and other water streams should be strengthened before monsoon and illegal encroachments on these areas should be removed immediately. Besides, its proper cleaning should also be ensured so that stagnation of water could be avoided during rains. Sidhu also directed Drainage department officials to coordinate with SDMs of concerned sub-divisions and submit actual status report of flood prone areas in the form of videography and still photography. Directions were also issued to the Disaster Management to prepare flood management plan.
Haryana to mention UCP on pension papers
Chandigarh: Haryana Government has decided that in future, Unique Code for Payee (UCP) generated in the e-salary system would also be indicated on top-right corner of the pension papers, which are forwarded by Drawing and Disbursing Officers to Accountant General (AG), Haryana, so as to remove any difficulty faced by the retired employee at the time of release of their first pension and other pensionary benefits. A spokesman said UCP would also be indicated in all other correspondence with AG office like for release of withheld gratuity or commutation etc.
unlicenced swimming pools to be closed
Gurgaon: Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Shekhar Vidyarthi, who is also the District Sports Council chairman, has ordered to close all swimming pools in the district which are being run without a valid licence. Vidyarthi, in an order, directed all operators of swimming pools to obtain a valid licence, till then their pool will be kept closed, otherwise the pool will be sealed and legal action will be taken against the owner or operator of such pool.
Selection rally for outstanding players
Chandigarh: A selection rally would be organised for admission of outstanding hockey players, swimmers and boxers into Boys Sports Company, Madras Engineer Group (MEG) and Centre Bengaluru between May 20 and 24 at Bengaluru’s loomba Stadium. Commanding Officer of MEG and Centre Bangalore, lt Colonel Preman P said selection would remain provisional until approved by Army Headquarters or Sports Authority of India (SAI). For hockey or boxing, candidates’ age should be between 11 and 16 years as on October 31, 2014, while for swimming, age should be between nine and 13 years as on October 31, 2014. He said the candidates should have passed Class VI and should have adequate knowledge of Hindi and English.
Haryana mandis receive over 61.75 lakh MT wheat
Chandigarh: In Haryana, more than 61.75 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of wheat has so far arrived in various mandis during the current procurement season. A spokesman said the Government agencies have procured 61.73 lakh MT of wheat whereas, 1,964 MT of wheat have been purchased by traders. He further said Sirsa district was leading in the wheat arrival with 8.56 lakh MT wheat arrived in mandis, followed by Karnal with 6.45 lakh MT. He added that farmers had been asked to bring dry and properly cleaned wheat in the mandis so that they might not face any difficulty while selling their produce.
French fashion house to train students
Chandigarh: City’s prominent travel agency, American Travels and Tours Private limited, has tied up with a French fashion house providing those interested in fashion industry a lifetime opportunity. For those who have passion for new fashion trends, this travel management company has come up with a customised study tour which will help fashion designing students to get one-week exposure in world’s fashion capital Paris, which comes at an affordable fee of Rs1.5 lakh per student, all inclusive. The fee would cover all expenses, including air tickets, visa, insurance, hotel accommodation, visits to fashion houses, training workshops etc.
HCFI launches helpline for financial assistance
Amritsar: Heart Care Foundation of India, a leading national non-Governmental organisation, announced a new helpline number for Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund. A one-of-its-kind initiative under the HCFI, the fund aims at providing technical and financial assistance to over 600 patients in a year who are suffering from heart related ailments and cannot otherwise afford treatment. Patients can submit their applications to avail the fund by calling on helpline number — +91-9958771177 or by visiting the website — http://heartcarefoundationfund.heartcarefoundation.org/