Khalsa celebrations
Patiala: The Punjab Agrawal Intellectual Forum has decided to celebrate the 300th Sthapana Diwas of the Khalsa, on April 14 at Patiala. M. R. Garg, chairman of the forum, in a statement today said that the forum will organise a function at the auditorium of Punjab Language department. Dr Madan Lal Hasija, Director of the department, will preside over the function.

Excise inspectors' meeting
Patiala: The Punjab Excise Inspectors Association has called a meeting of its executive on April 10, to discuss matters concerned with the association. P. K. Mehta, General Secretary of the association, said the meeting will be held at the office premises of the Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Patiala.

Blood donation camp
Patiala: A total of 229 persons today donated blood during a special camp organised jointly by the Lions club, Patiala and Thalassaemia Children Welfare Association, Chandigarh, at the auditorium of the Diesel Component Works, Patiala. Lions club president Sukhminder Singh Dicky said eight students from Kurukshetra also donated blood at the camp.

College staff strike
Patiala: A large number of non-teaching employees working in the private colleges of the district, today observed a stay-in strike on the second day of the call given by the Private Colleges' Non-Teaching Employees Union, against the indifferent attitude of the state government to their demands.

Scribe's death mourned
Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Public Relations Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan have expressed grief over the demise of Padam Kant Tripathi, founder editor of Dainik Tribune. In his tribute, Badal recalled Tripathi's fearless spirit and independence of outlook. Describing him as a "courageous journalist", Sekhwan said he was the first Hindi news editor at Doordarshan, apart from being associated with BBC and Observer, London.

Food processing development
Chandigarh: Raghwan Parthasarthy, management consultant of the Strategic Consultant Group of the USA, today called on Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and gave a presentation on strategic frame work for development of food processing in Punjab. The 20 minute presentation depicts the study on food production, constraints in marketing of agriculture produce and suggestions to improve this sector for fetching more income to the farming community.

SAD (A) dharna outside Nabha jail
Phagwra: The Patiala district unit of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) will stage a dharna under the leadership of party president Simranjit Singh Mann, outside the high security Nabha jail, on April 10, to press for the release of fasting Sikh prisoners on the occasion of Khalsa tercentenary celebrations.