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SAD to file PIL against Lovely University Bill
Akali Dal plans legal action against ORG-MARG
Sewerage plant to check pollution in Kali Bein
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Suwidha Centre in Phagwara
Biotech workshop at Lyallpur College
‘Virahi Kand’ a herbal Viagra?
Exporters demand VAT notification
Cold wave claims two lives
Mystery continues over boy’s disappearance
Mazdoor Union flays govt
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SAD to file PIL against Lovely University Bill
Jalandhar, December 27 Talking to media persons here today, Mr Bhunder criticised the Bill for its provision that would make the Governor a mere visitor in the university and for including only one nominee of the government. He termed such provisions as “against the public interest”. Taking a serious note of the lapses, the SAD would take the legal recourse and file the PIL soon, he said, adding that those in the government had also criticised the Bill. The SAD was not against the formation of a university or an academic institution as per the merits of the case, but would oppose the Lovely University Bill, he said. It may be recalled that earlier the Akhil Bharti Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had announced that it would file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to oppose the passing of the Lovely Professional University Bill 2005. The ABVP had condemned the government for allowing the process of formation of a private university by Lovely Institutes. Among the provisions that had come in for criticism were that the university would be handled by the Lovely International Trust, which belongs to a business house. That there could be “no check” on the functioning of the university was another criticism. The “blanket approval for courses” given to the university was also criticised. Another provision of the Bill that came in for criticism was that it allowed the university to prescribe any fee structure. Meanwhile, today during the press conference, the political issue of the formation of the third front of Akalis also came up. On this issue, Mr Bhunder said that there was no such possibility as the people attempting to form the third front were merely opportunistic and they indulged in switching parties. |
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Akali Dal plans legal action against ORG-MARG
Jalandhar, December 27 The party has also demanded that the survey agency be “blacklisted” and the officials behind the survey be “arrested”. The survey report had wrongly referred to various MPs as MLAs, the SAD’s secretary and press secretary, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, alleged. He also accused the Dubai-based company ORG and MARG, which had conducted the survey, of having “vested interests” in promoting Captain Amarinder Singh’s government. “The party has decided to take a legal recourse. The SAD will also write to the Election Commission of India to take a stern action against the gross misdeeds of the company,” Dr Cheema said. The party spokesman alleged that the agency had no roots in the region and did not know anything about the culture or even the political set up of the state. Accusing ORG-MARG agency of “not knowing” even about the MPs and MLAs from various constituencies, he alleged that the survey had reported MP (Jalandhar) Rana Gurjit Singh as the MLA from Kapurthala, MP (Amritsar) Avinash Rai Khanna as the MLA from Garh Shankar, and MP Rattan Singh Ajnala as the MLA from Ajnala constituency. “The agency does not know that all three had been elected to Parliament in the May 2004 general elections,” Mr Cheema alleged. He alleged that the contents of the surveys were false, fabricated and politically motivated and that business interests had played a role in the survey. “The old list of MLAs had been provided to the company on the directions of the Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh,” Mr Cheema alleged. The survey agency had given the state government the desired results without even verifying the names of the MLAs, he further alleged. |
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Sewerage plant to check pollution in Kali Bein
Kapurthala, December 27 The trials at the plant have started and would continue till February-end before Enviro Control, a Surat-based company, takes over the plant for nine months to test all its functions. The company has also been given the contract for installing the plant. Set up in the area of 16.76 acres at a cost of Rs 6.07 crore with Rs 5.83 crore spent on the machinery itself, the plant, at its full capacity, would be able to treat 25-billion litres of water per day.
The plant would also produce Methane gas to run a 110 KV generating set. The gas would be sufficient to meet 70 per cent of the required fuel demand of the dual-fuel system generator that is set to run the seven water-lifting pumps of the plant, while the remaining 30 per cent of the fuel for the purpose would be supplemented by diesel. Three submersible pumps of 25 HP and four horizontal pumps, two each with the power of 50 HP and 30 HP, would be used to lift the water from the main pumping stations to throw it in the in-let chamber. Two main pumping stations have been built to collect sewage water from the town — one from the Markfed area and other from the town area, including Model Town. During the three-month trial period, the water lifting plant would be checked, while during the nine months testing period, Enviro Control would bring the plant to its optimum use with gas production, water treatment and transportation of clean water to Kali Bein. Famous environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal had already started a crusade against the agencies, including the Nagar Panchayat and the village panchayats, responsible for polluting the Kali Bein. Recently, a Public Interest Litigation in this regard was admitted for hearing by Punjab and Haryana High Court. “After the treatment of sewerage at the plant, the water drained from here can be used for irrigation,” Mr Raj Kumar Mittal, Executive Officer, said. “This water can be diverted to the Rice Research Centre in Punjab Agricultural University situated near the plant,” he added. “During the second phase of the construction of the sewerage treatment plant to bridge over one kilometre long drain to the fields adjoining the town, a pipeline would also be laid,” officials at the Punjab Sewerage Board said. |
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Suwidha Centre in Phagwara
Phagwara, December 27 The centre has six counters manned by six employees for providing 18 services to the public. Mr Kumar said the centre would be computerised within a week. Its trial run was done today. Adequate seating and drinking water arrangements were being also made for the applicants, he added. Services to be provided at the centre include providing computerised driving licenses, registration of vehicles, revenue copies, applications for small-saving agencies, identity cards and bus passes for the physically-challenged. Applications for counter-signing of NRI documents, copies of orders and judgments, affidavits for licenses and surety bonds services would also be provided here. During the programme, Mr Mann said the Suwidha centres were a practical step in Punjab government’s commitment to provide clean, efficient and transparent administration. The SDM, Mr Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, and the ASP, Mr Sukhchain Singh Gill, were also present on the occasion. |
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Biotech workshop at Lyallpur College
Jalandhar, December 27 The workshop that started on December 25 was inaugurated by Mr Goverdhan Sharma, Director, Jalandhar Doordarshan, while Dr Prabhjeeet Singh, Head, Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, was the chief guest. “This is an attempt to arm young students with various biotechnology techniques so that these concepts and techniques can be applied in their respective fields,” a press release issued here said. During the last decades, there have been many developments in biotechnology, especially in the recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology. These developments have had major impact on plant and animal biotechnology. “If we have new measures against cancer, AIDS and other diseases, the credit goes to biotechnology. Biotechnology is not only important in curing these diseases but also very important for controlling air pollution,” Dr Arun Dev Sharma, the workshop coordinator, stated in the release. The participants in the workshop would be exposed to the basic biotechnological techniques in rDNA technology, the release said. “This intense one-week workshop is focused on different techniques used in the molecular manipulation of DNA and RNA. Primarily aimed at students who are new to the subject, or require a quick updating, the workshop will cover both practical and theoretical aspects,” Dr Arun said. |
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‘Virahi Kand’ a herbal Viagra?
Jalandhar, December 27 If this is not enough, the medicinal formulation made from the herb was described as “Shukral” and “Vajikaran”—a property which improves the quality of human semen in Ayurvedic books. “The resemblance of the fruit to a part of the human organ is nothing short of the eighth wonder of the world,” Dr Raj Kumar Sharma, Principal of Dayanand Ayurvedic College, the oldest Ayurvedic college in north India, said. “The shape and medicinal properties of the herb give a mystic message of mother nature that there are hidden treasures in lap of nature,” explained the principal. “The medicine, if made from the plant, is aphrodisiac,” Dr Raj Kumar said. He said he found the herb while trekking in the lower Himalayas. He had then grew one of these on the college premises. “I have learnt that the scientists at the Palampur Agricultural University have subjected the herb to chemical examination. The medicine from the plant can safely be used as a cost effective “Herbal Viagra”, if more research is done on it,” he said. He said the ayurvedic name of the herb “Virahi Kand” has been derived from two roots—“Virahi” and “Kand”. In Sanskrit, “Virahi’ means pig and “Kand” means an underground tuber. |
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Exporters demand VAT notification
Phagwara/Jalandhar, December 27 Thanking Punjab CM, Captain Amarinder Singh, the ministerial members of the state-level VAT Committee, top brass of Excise and Taxation Department for it, Mr A.K. Kohli, senior vice-president, Punjab Chamber of Small Exporters, and Mr Gursharan Singh, president, Federation of Jalandhar Industrial and Traders’ Association, demanded immediate notification in this regard for giving relief to trade and industry with retrospective effect from April 2005. The exporters also demanded export parity with the rest of the country. They said it was imperative to create export points in the region. |
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Cold wave claims two lives
Jalandhar, December 27 Another death has been reported from Kotla village. A sixteen-year-old boy, who has still not been identified, died of cold. The police has confirmed this. According to the police, the boy belonged to some other state. |
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Mystery continues over boy’s disappearance
Phagwara, December 27 The boy’s father, Surinder Singh, has alleged that his son had been kidnapped and lodged a complaint with the Satnampura police station in this connection. He told this correspondent tonight that one person had been rounded up today by the police for questioning. |
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Mazdoor Union flays govt
Jalandhar, December 27 The union told media persons that the government had “failed” to make use of budgetary allocations for the welfare schemes for the poorer sections. |
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