The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Seized hosiery goods released
Over 50 packages returned to Tibetan traders
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — The impasse over the seizure of hosiery goods at the Railway Station here on December 5 by CBI and the enforcement staff of the Excise and Taxation department, Punjab, has been resolved with the Punjab and Haryana High Court directive to the authorities concerned to release the goods on payment of sales tax and penalty, if any, leviable under the Punjab General Sales Tax Act, 1948 ,and rules made there under.

The excise and taxation department has commenced the release of seized packages of hosiery goods in a phased manner on payment of sales tax and penalty. According to officials, more than 50 packages of hosiery goods belonging to Tibetan traders were released after they deposited cash security equivalent to the due sales tax and penalty, subject to final assessment at a later date. sources in the hosiery trade informed that a large number of manufacturers and traders, whose goods were seized, had lodged claims for the release of the goods, supported by necessary documents and these cases were being processed by the department.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in an earlier order, had asked the petitioners to approach the authorities concerned (Excise and Taxation department in this case) and secure release of the seized goods on the production of documentary evidence to prove their ownership of the goods, payment of tax and source of the purchase of goods.

On the plea made by petitioners in a follow up writ petition that they were small time vendors and the hosiery goods, booked at Railway Station, had been purchased in small quantity from different sources, the court directed that the condition of disclosure of source of purchase be relaxed in this particular case and release of goods be effected on payment of tax and penalty, if any, under the law.

A deputation of members of various hosiery associations, led by Mr Darshan Dawar had met senior officers of the department here, along with a copy of the judgement and pleaded for release of seized goods. According to Mr Dawar, the deputation was assured by the sales tax officials that the process for release of goods will start on February 1. The deputation comprised Mr Vijay Gaba, president of the All Madhopuri Association, Mr Pushp Kamal, president, the Gandhi Nagar Hosiery Association, Mr Vinod Thapar, president, Knitwear Club, Mr Radhey Sham Ahuja, Chairman, Hosiery Association, Mr Jagdish Bajaj, president, Mochpura Hosiery and Shawl Association and Mr Sat Pal Beri, Chairman, REHMA.

Talwandi flags off aid trucks for Gujarat
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president, Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi today flagged off a convoy of 15 trucks, carrying relief material worth Rs 15 lakh for the earthquake victims of Gujarat, from Gurdwara Dukhniwaran, here. Mr Pritpal Singh Pali, president of Gurdwara Dukhniwaran, is accompanying the convoy of trucks to Gujarat.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Talwandi announced that the SGPC had provided a sum of Rs 1 crore for the relief and rehabilitation of quake victims and if needed, additional funds and essential items would also be made available.

Mr S.R. Kler, Additional Deputy Commissioner lauded the gesture of the managing committee of the Gurdwara Dukhniwaran and urged other religious and social institutions to draw inspiration from the example and contribute towards mitigating the suffering of those devastated.

According to Mr Pritpal Singh, president of the Gurdwara Managing Committee, 100 cooks and another 100 sewadars accompanied the convoy of relief material, cook the food and serving ‘langar’ to the people.

Among those who had contributed in cash and kind towards the relief material collected by Gurdwara Dukhniwaran were Gurdwara Bhagat Chet Ram Society, Akal Market Shopkeepers Association, Confectionery Association Meena Bazar, Dandi Swami Mandir Committee, Mr Tejinder Singh Dang, president, Ludhiana Steel Traders Association and Gill Road Iron Market Association. Prominent among those present on the occasion were Mr. Harsurinder Pal Singh, Assistant Commissioner (General); Mr Amarjit Singh Bhatia, senior vice-president, SAD (B); Mr Kulwant Singh Dukhia, Councillor; Mr Jaspal Singh, Mr Pritam Singh Banga and Mr Baljit Singh Bindra.

Meanwhile, the total contributions received by the district administration at the special counter set up for quake relief, today went up to Rs 50 lakh with Rs 8 Lakh being contributed today itself. The LPG Distributors Association has donated Rs.4.82 lakh, followed by Calibre Plaza Bhadaur House Shopkeepers Association (Rs 1 lakh), Ghumar Mandi Shopkeepers Association (Rs 50,000), Halwai Union, Samrala (Rs 51,000), Flour Mills Association (Rs 25,000), Punjab Police Pensioners Association (Rs 20,000), SDM Office, Payal (Rs 15,000) and Tehsil Employees, Samrala (Rs 20,210).

Mr S.K. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner has said in a press note issued here today, that social, voluntary and other organisations of genuine credentials and of good reputation for social service, would only be allowed to collect relief fund and material in the district for the earthquake victims of Gujarat. He said that he had received a large number of complaints from the public regarding the mushrooming of fake associations for the collection of relief fund and material from the people in different parts and on roads of the city for the earthquake victims of Gujarat.

The Deputy Commissioner informed that any organisation engaged in social service, which wanted to mobilise donations, would have to obtain an authority letter from the concerned SDM. He warned that strict action would be taken against those persons or organisations found collecting relief fund without authority letter.

Mr Sandhu also warned that no person would be allowed to put up donation boxes on roads and other public places. He asked people to give donations either directly at the counter of District Red Cross Society as cheques/DDs and get a receipt or through the organisations authorised by the administration for this purpose, so that their contributions could reach the actual victims of the earthquake through the government of Gujarat. He further said that the Gujarat government had informed that the main items required for the victims at present were garments, tents, blankets, wheat, rice, pulses, medicines, electric generators, candles, match boxes, and utensils and appealed the people only to bring these items for the victims.

DMCH team leaves for Bhuj

Dayanand Medical College and Hospital today sent their 31 member team to Bhuj- the worst hit place by the earthquake on January 26, with aid worth Rs 10 lakh. The team includes 15 doctors, operation theatre technicians, helpers and cooks.

The team is also carrying two generators and 10 tents, which will be put up there to help the victims and their families. The best possible medical aid will be given to the sick and the injured in the form of blankets, medicines (for infections, gastro-enteritis, pain and skin diseases) and food items.

The team of doctors would set up a mobile hospital for the patients with four operation theatres with the capacity of doing 50 general and orthopaedic surgeries. The doctors will attend 400 to 500 OPD patients a day. A special arrangement of splints, plasters, implants, fixator, operation tables, anaesthesia, machines and oxygen cylinders has been made for the patients.

The team left for Halwara, from where it will be taken to Bhuj by an Air Force aeroplane. The team will stay there for about 10 days and if needed, it will extend its stay as well. The team comprised of senior consultants like Dr Ashwani Chowdhry, Dr Harpal Singh, Dr Sumeet Kathuria, Dr Shridhar Rao, Dr Amarjit Singh, Dr Sameer Gupta and Dr Arvind.

Condolence message by Punjab PWD workers

The Punjab PWD Mulajim Dal (Rural Water Supply Wing) in its emergency meeting held here has condoled the death of thousands of people in Gujarat earthquake. The meeting was presided over by the union’s state leaders, Mr Inderjit Sharma and Mr Inderjit Singh Bhatian. A two-minute silence was also observed in the memory of victims. The union asked the government to take an initiative on the behalf of workers to send relief to the earthquake victims.

Medicos team for Gujarat

SAHNEWAL: A team of 15 doctors led by Dr. Jagmohan Singh, left for Gujarat last evening to provide medical relief to the quake victims there.

The team plans to render services in the remote villages of Bhuj and Ahmedabad, where medical relief has not reached yet.

Among those who provided financial and moral support for the relief mission were Mr Avtar Singh Sandhu, convener, Sports Club; Mr Ravinder Kapila, Mr Tejinder Singh, president of the All India Anti-Corruption Association; Mr Ram Sarup, vice-chairman, Market Committee; Sahnewal, Dr Shamsher Singh Kaile, president, Nagar Council; Mr Vinod Kumar Gupta, general secretary, Durga Sewa Dal and Mr Inderjit Singh, president Dashmesh Charitable Dispensary, Doraha.

One-day pay donated

SAMRALA: The Revenue Officers Union, under the leadership of Mr Parminder Singh Toor, tehsil president, gave one day pay for the Gujarat Relief fund to Mr Hari Singh, tehsildar, Samrala, here today.

One more relief truck
From Our Correspondent

KHAMANO, Feb 2 — A truck loaded with relief goods, including 1800 blankets, was flagged off here today by the SDM, Khamano, for district headquarters, Fatehgarh Sahib, from where it will be sent alongwith other trucks to Gujarat.

A cheque of Rs 1 lakh was also presented to the SDM by prominent citizens on the occasion for the District Red Cross.

Meanwhile, a cheque for Rs 1.5 lakh was given to Mr B. S. Udan, Deputy Commissioner, Fatehgarh Sahib, by the Civil Surgeon during a sangat darshan programme at Bhutta village, near here. As many as 20 cheques for Rs 5100 each were distributed among the needy under the shagun scheme. On the demand of the village panchayat, the Deputy Commissioner also announced a grant of Rs 1,20,000 for different development works. He revealed that a total sum of Rs 20 lakh had been distributed among the needy persons under the shagun scheme in the district.

Robbers take away goods, injure four of family
From Tribune Reporters

KHANNA, Feb 2 — Four persons, including one woman, were seriously injured, when 10 armed robbers struck at the house of an industrialist here just after midnight.

Armed with pistols, revolvers, sharp-edged weapons and iron rods, the robbers suspected to be migrant labourers decamped with cash, ornaments and other precious items worth lakhs after severely beating up the persons.

The injured included Rajinder Khosla, his wife Savita, his son Vinay and a watchman Nathu Singh. They were admitted to the CMC hospital at Ludhiana today. While the man and his wife had fractures in arms and other injuries, the 18-year-old son suffered a bullet injury on the right thigh besides wounds, inflicted with some sharp- edged weapons, on his head and arms. One of his right hand finger was also amputated.

Vinay grappled with robbers for some minutes. He managed to nail down a couple of them for some- time. He took on two robbers. One of them shot him.

The robbers injured the couple with sharp-edged weapons. They left the house at 2 a.m. Neighbours heard the cries of the injured persons and came to help. They also spotted the watchman Nathu Singh lying unconscious outside the house.

According to Mr Baljinder Khosla, brother of Rajinder Khosla, the injured had bled profusely when help reached them. A staircase found outside the house suggested that the robbers had, perhaps, used it to reach the first floor where the family used to live. They broke open the doors with iron rods and forced their way in.

The local councillor, Mr Vijay Sharma, Mr Jaspal Singh Lotey, Mr Amrit Lal, Mr Vijay Diamond and Harjap Singh have appealed the police to solve the case.

Army jawan cremated
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — Lance Naik Balbir Singh, wireless operator of 166 Field Regiment, who was killed in a hand grenade attack on Army vehicle at Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir on January 29, was cremated with full military honours at his native village Pabbian, Jagraon tehsil, in this district, about 30 km from here today.

People of the area, particularly of Pabbian village, participated in the cremation. An Army contingent led the funeral procession. The pyre was lit by Mr Lal Singh, father of the martyr.

Balbir Singh is survived by his father, mother Mrs Harjinder Kaur, brother Mr Nirmal Singh, two sisters, wife Mrs Gurvinder Kaur, son Mandeep (6) and daughter Amarjit (9 months).

Mr S.K. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner, Mr Jaskaran Singh, SSP, Jagraon, Mr Jaspal Mittal, SDM, Jagraon, Col. P.C. Katoch, Commander 715 AD Brigade, Capt. Anil Kumar, Mr H.S. Randhawa, Deputy Director, Sainik Welfare Board, Mr Gurcharan Singh Grewal, General Secretary, AISSF, Mr Kanwaljit Singh Malha, Mr Baldev Krishan Telu, President, Municipal Council, Jagraon, Mr Gurcharan Singh, President, SAD (Urban), Jagraon, Mr Parshotam Lal Khalifa and many other prominent persons laid wreaths on the body of the martyr.

Earlier the body of the martyr, wrapped in the tricolour, was brought from the Army headquarters, Ludhiana, in an Army vehicle, accompanied by an Army contingent. The village people raised patriotic slogans as the martyr’s body entered the village.

He informed that all the financial benefits announced for the Kargil martyrs, including an ex-gratia grant of Rs 2 lakh, Rs 5 lakh for the construction of house or for the purchase of plot and government service for his wife would be provided to the family of the martyr. Mr Sandhu also announced to rename the Government High School of the village after Lance Naik Balbir Singh.

Resentment against hosts of Fusion
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — Students of certain outstation medical colleges participating in Fusion, the five-day carnival organised by Christian Dental College, have come up with certain allegations against the organisers.

In a written complaint filed by the representatives of the medical colleges of Sundernagar, Panchkula, Amritsar, Aligarh and Yamuna-nagar, the judges in all the events were from CDC and Christian Medical College. They alleged that the judgement for all the events was biased. The participants of these colleges also alleged that throughout the events, the CDC officers were smoking and drinking inside the campus.

The representatives also came up with the allegations that the topic for debate was disclosed to some of the teams one week in advance while others came to know about it just one day before. The students also said that local Government College for Women was competing in the event, which was not in accordance with the rules of Fusion as it was not a medical college.

Ludhiana Tribune talked to Dr J.L. Joshi, Principal, Christian Dental College, on the issue. He said that the allegations were baseless. The judges were eminent personalities from the city. They were representatives of their own fields. Dr Joshi said that no drinking or smoking was done during the events.

The letters regarding the topic of the debate were sent to all the participating colleges together. There must be some postal delay, which was not the organisers’ responsibility. Dr Joshi also said that the students of GCW and CDC were not competing in the fashion show scheduled for this evening.

CMC shines in Fusion festival
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — The host Christian Medical College stole the show in the Fusion Sports and Cultural Festival today.

Manmeet Singh of CMC, Ludhiana, clinched the first prize in literary competition in English, Hindi and Punjabi. Priya Paul of the college won the first prize in Western solo song competition.

The other results are:

Literary contest: Just a minute: English: Manmeet Singh of CMC, 1, Ramneet Kataria of GDC (Amritsar) 2, and Tina E. Jacob of CDC (Ludhiana) 3; Punjabi: Manmeet Singh of CMC (Ludhiana) 1, Inderpratap of DAV (Yamunanagar) 2, and Rakesh Singha of DAV (Yamunanagar) 3; Hindi: Manmeet Singh of CMC, 1, Majid Khan of GDC (Srinagar) 2, and Denzil R. Harrison of CDC (Ludhiana) 3; Extempore: Majid Khan of GDC (Srinagar) 1 and Jinu Kuruvilla of CDC (Ludhiana) 2.

Basketball (league matches): Winning Teams — CDC (Ludhiana) and DMC (Ludhiana).

Cricket (quarterfinals winners): GDC (Amritsar), CDC (Ludhiana), CMC (Ludhiana) and DIRDS (Faridkot).

Volleyball (quarterfinals winners): GDC (Amritsar), BRS (Panchkula) and CDC (Ludhiana).

Throw ball (quaterfinals winners): SGRDC (Amritsar); CDC (Ludhiana), and DAV (Yamunanagar).

Musical (Western solo): Priya Paul of CMC (Ludhiana) 1, Jayanth Christian of CDC (Ludhiana) 2,and Majid Khan of GDC (Srinagar) 3.

Western duet: CMC (Ludhiana) 1 and DAV (Yamunanagar) 2. Western Group: CMC (Ludhiana) 1. Indian dance (solo): CDC (Ludhiana) 1, BRS (Panchkula) 2 and HDC (Sundernagar) 3. Indian dance (duet): CDC (Ludhiana) 1, SGRDC (Amritsar) 2 and BJS (Ludhiana) 3. Indian Group dance: CDC (Ludhiana) 1, DAV (Yamunanagar) 2 and BJS (Ludhiana) 3. Western dance (solo): CMC (Ludhiana) 1, DAV (Yamunanagar) 2 and SGRDC (Amritsar) 3. Western group dance: SGRDC (Amritsar) 1, DAV (Yamunanagar) 2 and GDC (Amritsar) 3. Hindi songs (solo): CDC (Ludhiana) 1, DAV (Yamunanagar) 2 and SGRDC (Amritsar) 3. Hindi songs (duet): DAV (Yamunanagar) 1, CDC (Ludhiana) 2 and CMC (Ludhiana) 3. Group songs: CDC (Ludhiana) 1; DAV (Yamunanagar) and CMC (Ludhiana) 2 and BRS (Panchkula) 3.

100 cops found absent from duty
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — About 100 policemen were found absent from duty in the district.

Sources described it as a routine inspection, said police stations, posts and even checkposts were inspected. Show cause notices were being sent to the absentee police personnel.

COMMUNITY

Unanimous approval for calamity tax
By Vimal Sumbly and
Kamal Kishore Shankar

LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — There is general approval for the 2 per cent surcharge on income tax for the National Calamity Relief Fund, to deal with national calamities like the earthquake which struck Gujarat or the cyclone which hit most parts of the coastal parts in Orissa two years ago.

A number of people The Tribune talked to today were of the unanimous view that the surcharge for the calamity relief should not be opposed by anyone. However, at the same time there was a common concern that the funds allocated for the purpose should not be diverted and misused. The fund, they suggested, should be governed by retired judges of the Supreme Court to ensure fair play.

Mr Jeevan Dhawan, an industrialists, while welcoming the surcharge for the calamity relief feels that it should be properly maintained and regulated. He pointed out during the Bangladesh war the government had imposed a surcharge on the tax. The surcharge was never withdrawn and it was converted into various taxes like education tax. Quoting recent media reports, he said some states like Bihar had paid salary to the employees from the money collected earlier for calamities, while the Karnataka Government utilises some of the money for refurnishing VIP residences. He asserted that the people have a right as what happened to the surcharge being paid since 1971.

Dr Satish Chaudhary, a professor in the Department of Horticulture, favours the creation of a calamity fund at the state level. He says that the fund should be under the direct control of the state Governor, lest it should be misused by bureaucrats and politicians for populist measures. He suggested that the Governor can also nominate members with political anonymity to the fund for proper utilisation.

Mr Prithipal Singh, while supporting the idea, said it should not be left for the individual states. Relief should come from all the states. He pointed out a calamity cannot be tackled by an individual state.

Mr Vikas Kumar Pardesi, a businessman, was of the opinion that the calamity fund should be managed and monitored by the state Governors for the judicious use. There should be no political or bureaucratic interference in its management and utilisation. He pointed out nobody will mind paying 2 per cent extra but only as long as it is properly utilised.

Mrs Mohinderjeet Singh, a housewife, is of the view that each state should keep a separate provision for the national calamity. She pointed out calamity is always unexpected and everyone should be prepared to tackle it anytime. Hence there was an urgent need for creating a pool with sufficient funds so that it is used at the time of emergency.

Mr Pradeep Deol said the calamity fund should be managed by retired judges of the Supreme Court or High Court. He said safeguards should be taken to ensure the proper utilisation of funds so that they reach the deserving people. He pointed out there will never be dearth of support for such a fund, but the people definitely feel concerned for its proper utilisation.

Mr Gaurav Malik, a BDS student, said the Calamity Relief Fund should be independently managed and there should not be any interference. He pointed out politicians at times tend to succumb to populist demands without keeping long term interest in mind.

Shanku Batra, a student of the Khalsa College for Women, said while the government has every right to impose surcharge on tax to deal with calamities, it should not be a regular feature.

The changing complexion of the times
by N.S. Tasneem

BESIDES science and information technology, Indians have been made progress in literature. Novel, in particular, has scaled new heights at the hands of Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth and Arundhati Roy. Now, writers find no hesitation in giving expression to innermost feelings.

Half-a-century ago, reticence was the hallmark of our society. It had been grilled into the minds of the younger generation that it was better to conceal than to reveal. As a result, the younger generation longed for giving vent to its pent-up desires. Even the natural impulse of having a liking for a girl was curbed rather than allowed to have freeplay. The theme of creative works mostly was unrequited or unfulfilled love. This quest for the unattainable resulted in new forms of expression.

On my part, I consciously tried to steer clear of the much-treaded path. I distinctly remember that on a Sunday morning in October, 1959, I wrote the first chapter of my debut Urdu novel Sogwar. Under the influence of naturalists like Emile Zola, Balzac and Flaubert, I had tried to convey not only the sensibilities, but also emotions of the heroine of my novel in a stark language. This awakening of the modern woman impressed readers both in India and Pakistan. Sogwar was published in 1960, whereas my second Urdu novel Mona Lisa came in 1962. My venturing into the domain of Punjabi fiction was a later event that changed the course of my literary endeavours altogether.

My times witnessed the emergence of the newly educated class which strove hard on its part to make life purposeful. This class wanted to achieve something nearer to its heart, but failed due to weight of moral values. As a result, this class became the victim of the dichotomy of the mind. The question that always disturbed such people was, to convey or not to convey. The pros and cons of being a saint or a sinner weighed heavily on their minds. Frustration in one form or the other, resulted in the lop-sided growth of personalities.

All said and done, the last two decades or so have changed the whole complexion of our age. The steady realisation of the birth of a new world has taken possession of the minds of the people. It may not be possible for us to call it ‘The Brave New World’ but man today, does not consider himself an intruder when he sees himself as part of the universe. As far as literature and literary criticism are concerned, the world today has assumed the form of a global village. Apart from creative works, the new critical theories have deeply influenced the minds of common readers and academics all over the world. We are all living in an age of postmodernism, even though there is resistance in some minds.

In my view, the greatest achievement of our times has been the emergence of woman as a liberated being. In the process, man, who had been an age-old victim of circumstances, has also acquired new confidence. He has now found a companion in the true sense of the word. Earlier, he was in the habit of merely shedding tears on her shoulder or seeking escape from the grim realities of life in her arms. Now have found in true companions each other. This realisation, though belated, is in itself a gift of the 20th century to the 21st century.

Team visits Sarabha’s house
By Kanchan Vasdev
Tribune News Service

SARABHA (LUDHIANA), Feb 2 — The much-awaited reconstruction of the ancestral house of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha by the Punjab government in this village would begin shortly and would be completed by March 31.

This assurance was given here yesterday afternoon by a delegation of government officials led by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sandhu, the SSP, Jagraon, Mr Jaskaran Singh, and Mr S.S. Chauhan, Archaeological Engineer, department of Archaeology and Conservation ,Punjab, to Mata Bibi Jagdish Kaur, a close relative and the only living kin of the martyr, on whom the title of ‘‘mother of Punjab’’ has been bestowed by the state government.

Mr Chauhan, who had visited the site from Chandigarh, told the Ludhiana Tribune that the work of restoration would be completed by March 31 and the department had already taken up the work.

He said as per the principal of archaeology the house would not be reconstructed but would be restored. He said the walls made of small bricks and lime would be preserved and roofing would be done as per the old procedures.

He said the meenakari and carvings would be done as per the original design of the house and the use of new building materials would be very limited. He said the department would have to look for old masons as the new ones were not well versed with constructions with lime. Mr Chauhan said the old masons would take long to restore the building because of the age factor.

The issue of the construction of the house as a memorial had assumed significance in the last two months as the only living relative of the martyr had openly criticised the state government for the ill-maintenance of the two-storeyed house, which was crumbling gradually and had been damaged at several places.

Bibi Jagdish Kaur had, in fact, threatened to return her title on January 26 this year and had also announced her plans to stage a dharna outside the residence of the Chief Minister ,Mr Parkash Singh Badal, at Chandigarh in protest against the ‘government's apathy’.

She had, however, withdrawn her threat after the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S. K. Sandhu, succeeded in convincing her about the efforts being made by the state government in this direction. He had announced that soon a team of the Conservation Department would visit the site and start preparation for the construction of the house.

It was in this background that a delegation had gone to visit the ‘‘Punjab Mata’’. Mr Chauhan told that the conservation department had worked out a plan to construct the ground floor of the ruined house by March 31. the district administration would carry on the restoration work of the second storey.

Mr Sandhu said the state government was committed to the restoration work. He said the government planned to construct a befitting memorial so as to keep alive the memory of the martyr.

While reacting to the announcement, Bibi Jagdish Kaur expressed satisfaction. She said she had taken the hard decision of returning her title as the government was not bothered about the house and added that no one had come even to enquire about her well-being.

She said the pubic had also supported her cause and came out in the open at such gross neglect. She said the construction of the memorial would go a long way in encouraging the feeling of patriotism among the youths.

FLAVOUR OF THE WEEK
by Asha Ahuja

Feb 2 — The earthquake in Gujarat has sent shock waves all over India, and Ludhiana can be no exception. Ludhianvis have rallied to the aid of the victims and contributed generously to the relief fund. Doctors, medicines, food, money, all have left Ludhiana for Bhuj and Ahmedabad. Hospitals, educational institutions, the district administration, corporate houses, clubs, individuals all have come forward with generous gestures.

The Christian Dental College organised ‘Fusion’ — a cultural outlet for the students of the college. The aim was to give the students a chance to show their talent. Besides, organising games and dental camps, the students also organised a fashion show and a music competition. They staged a marvellous play ‘My Fair Lady’. The proceeds of the carnival will go to procure a van equipped with a dental chair and other equipment to treat rural patients. The old van is in a dilapidated condition, and the students and the staff have been feeling the need for a new van.

The new movie in the city is ‘Kasoor’. A low budget film, starring the popular model, Lisa Ray, and the upcoming hero Aftab Shivdasani. The promos appear promising and it may become a hit.

Much to the delight of housewives, the prices of vegetables and fruits have come down. The market is also full of fruits such as raspberries, kinnows and papayas.

School children appearing for the Punjab Board Examinations are in a frenzy. They have not yet received their roll numbers. The students appearing for CBSE Board Examinations are also working hard whereas the parents whose children have to be admitted are a worried lot. In almost every school worth its salt, for 250 available seats, there are more than 1700 to 1800 admission-seekers.

Advocate’s letter to Railway Minister
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — Keeping in view the ever-increasing population of the city and its load on the railway station, a local advocate and former MLA has made suggestions for the betterment of the railway station, particularly on the western side of the main railway line where posh colonies on both sides of the road leading to Ferozepore have mushroomed.

Mr Dewan Jagdish Chandra, a local advocate, has made some suggestions, a copy of which has been sent to the Railways Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, and other to the local Station Master. As per his claims if the suggestions were considered this would help thousands of passengers who travel through railways daily.

As per his suggestions, the verandah in which the booking window opens can be upgraded and various facilities can be provided to passengers at a very low cost.

The list of suggestions offered by him includes:

* Four benches be provided in the verandah for the waiting passengers and the people coming to receive them.

* Two more ceiling fans be provided there.

* More tube lights be installed in the verandah.

* Provision of water cooler from the month of March to October.

* A PCO be provided in the verandah

* Establishment of an inquiry counter.

BUSINESS

Kinnow processing unit to be set up near Rajpura
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — The Punjab Agriculture Minister, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, has said in order to enhance the marketing prospects of fruits in Punjab, a Kinnow processing project would be set up near Rajpura at a cost of Rs 670 crore and the processed and packed fruit juice and fruit products would be supplied to domestic and world markets.

Mr Badal was here to lay the foundation stone of Horticulture Administrative Complex at Ferozepur Road to be constructed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh. He disclosed that a big potato processing plant was being set up in the state to prepare value added products from potato. The processing unit would ensure the consumption of the potato produce in the state which of late, had turned out to be unprofitable because of a glut in potato production. He said the farmers would be educated to adopt cash crops and to bring about improvement in the quality of produce to make the agriculture a viable venture.

Earlier, Mr C. L. Bains, Financial Commissioner, Development, while addressing a seminar organised by Horticulture department at Doraha, informed that with a view to divert the farmers from prevailing wheat-paddy crop pattern, which was not sustainable, the state government was in the process of finding a profitable alternative crop combination, for which a state-level committee, had been formed. The Committee had already held some meetings and would submit its report soon, which would be forwarded to the union government to initiate further action.

Mr Bains said with the coming up of WTO agreement, the free trade of food grains and other agro-based products would adversely affect the farmers and to face the challenges posed by the agreement, we have to improve the quality of our food grains and other farm products. He said the demand of wheat and paddy had declined substantially , as other states, which were earlier deficient, had also started producing food grains to meet their requirements.

The Financial Commissioner further said the prospects of diversification in horticulture and vegetable sectors were encouraging and the farmers, who had diverted towards these crops were making reasonable profits. The state government had decided to encourage the farmers to build cold storages and Punjab Agro Exports Corporation had been assigned to arrange financial assistance and required subsidy for this purpose.

Mr Bains also stressed the need to organise more seminars where the agriculture experts should educate the farmers regarding the latest techniques and new alternative crops, which could be adopted to bring about improvement in the quality of production. He informed that at present 31,000 hectares had been brought under horticulture and 1.65 lakh hectares were under vegetables, besides 600 hectares under floriculture in the state.

On this occasion, Mr Bains distributed cheques for subsidy on farm implements to the farmers.

Addressing the function, Dr Kuldip Singh Sandhu, Director, Horticulture Punjab, said the department was making all out efforts to enhance the area under horticulture, floriculture and vegetables by educating the farmers. He said more seminars would be organised in different parts of the state in the coming days for this purpose. ‘‘The horticulture department is striving to bring about substantial improvement in the quality of fruit production in the state, so that our crop could compete in international market’’.

Among others who addressed the function were Mr Sadhu Singh Ghudani, MLA, Mr Jagtar Singh Mann, Joint Director, Horticulture and Dr Kuldip Singh, Deputy Director, Horticulture.

9 knitwear units to improve quality
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — About nine knitwear units have decided to engage Mr German Lal, an internationally renowned expert on ISO 9000 quality management systems, as a consultant to upgrade the quality of knitwear products and to cut the production costs. The project will be partially subsidised by UNIDO under its cluster development scheme, said Mr Vinod Thapar. He was speaking to mediapersons after the seminar on “Quality audits in the industry” here on Wednesday.

Earlier, Mr German Lal, former Director General of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and currently Director General of FICCI Quality Forum, said, “ISO 9000 which was applicable to all the industries, had a special relevance to the small scale industry (SSI). Since SSI firms had limited financial resources for advertising and brand building, they could use ISI 9000 to establish credentials and quality image of the firm world over.”

He cautioned the firms that SSI firms were among the most mismanaged ones and run on ad-hoc systems. In view of liberalisation of economy, they would have to maintain international standards of production.

He admitted that the entrepreneurs had many misconceptions like high costs and decline in productivity. However, the top managements should stress on quality standards.

Mr Lal disclosed that certain invisible costs such as underutilisation of plant, high inventory, costs of rework and inspection, non value adding processes, opportunity costs of lost customer involved more than 20 per cent costs. These costs needed detailed analysis and they could be easily cut down.

Suggesting an action plan, Mr Lal said, ‘‘The units should adopt preventive quality control measures instead of inspection methods. The Indian companies accept around 5 per cent rejection as a normal practice. Instead of corrective steps which involved high costs the focus should be on preventive action.”

Agreeing with Mr Lal, Mr Vinod Thapar, President of the Knitwear Club, said that there was need and scope for the improvement in quality.

Among others Mr Deepak Arora from UNIDO, Mr Ajit Lakra, Mr Brahmdutt, Mr Lalit Jain, Mr Charanjeev Singh and Mr Tarun Salwan participated in the seminar.