The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Seminar on human values: PTU forgets to invite students Deepkamal Kaur/TNS Jalandhar, December 11 A two-day seminar on ‘integrating human values in technical education’, organised today by the Punjab Technical University, proved to be a futile exercise, going by the fact that there was a very thin attendance after the inaugural session this morning. Since the PTU authorities had not invited students for the seminar held on the campus of the Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT), it appeared that the university wanted to teach values only to its staff. In the list of invitees also were the directors of affiliated colleges, 13 serving and retired vice-chancellors of universities, faculty of 23 other universities and local administrative officers. After the tea break, following Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil’s address, no one was interested in listening to the other lectures. In fact, the PTU officials had to depute its staff to call people inside the conference hall, so that the plenary session could start but no one showed any interest in the seminar. Addressing the gathering, Governor Patil said, “If science is the beginning, spirituality is the apex. In fact, spirituality is a super science. Principles of spirituality are important but not the ritualistic approach. Rituals are often misinterpreted and misused.” He stressed that the understanding of science alone was dangerous to the existence if the learners did not realise the importance of human values. He further added that it was high time that universities began thinking about the whole universe. Former secretary MHRD M.K. Kaw said the biggest tragedy in the country today was that there was a mental block in the implementation of the programme. He said people who mattered believed that the human values’ programme was religious in nature. He emphasized that the most urgent need was to revamp the entire educational system to produce men and women of character. PTU Vice-Chancellor Rajneesh Arora said there was a plan to introduce the course as a compulsory subject from the next session. Others present on the occasion were Technical Education Minister Swarna Ram, environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal and Dina Nath Batra, President, Shiksha Sanskriti Uthan Nyas.
	Pingalwara Society gifts hearing power to 2 kids P.K. Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 11 It was an emotional moment for the parents of Harmandeep Kaur (6) and Jagjiwan Singh (4), two hearing impaired children, who gained their hearing ability today. Thanks to the All-India Pingalwara Society that helped the parents of the two children ensure cochlear implants (a surgically implanted electronic device which provides a sense of sound to a person who can’t hear) for their kids. Their dream turned into a reality, when the two children reacted to sounds after the electronic device worn outside the ear today was programmed and activated. The implant was done by famous ENT surgeon Dr J M Hans, assisted by Dr Jagdeepak Singh of Government Medical College here. The children, presently, couldn’t speak out the joy as they were suffering from the disability since their birth. But Dr Inderjit Kaur, president of the society, said, “The children would be provided with a team of doctors, which included audiologist Dr Charanjit Singh and speech therapist Dr Meenakshi from New Delhi and hopefully they would start speaking within six months of training.” She said a similar implant would be carried out on two more children soon. The society, during a camp, had identified as many as 85 children, who were suffering from hearing disabilities since childhood. Dr Inderjit called upon the philanthropists of the city to financially help the society for this noble cause, so that they could help restore the hearing of other children also. Ranjit Kaur, mother of Harmandeep Kaur, whose father works as a labourer, while expressing her happiness, said they came to know about Harman’s disability when she was two years old. She was treated at various medical institutions including PGI, Chandigarh, where the doctors advised her to get an implant. “Because of poor economic conditions, we could not afford to spend Rs 7 lakh for the operation,” she said while expressing gratitude to the society for helping them. Similar sentiments were echoed by Kulwinder Kaur, a resident of Jandiala and mother of Jagjiwan Singh.
	low commission rates Milk dealers mull strike on Dec 13 Amaninder Pal/TNS Jalandhar, December 11 Members of the Verka Milk Bars Welfare Association are mulling to go on one-day strike, on December 13, demanding an increase in the per litre commission on the sale of the packeted milk paid to them by the Milkfed. Besides scores of dairies and milkmen, Verka is the major supplier of milk in the city and in the peripheral localities. Over one lakh litres of milk is produced and supplied daily by the local Verka milk plant and around 70-80 per cent of this quantity is consumed in the city. The owners of such milk bars (dealers) are demanding that the per litre commission, which is presently paid at the rate of 90 paisa per litre, should be increased up to Rs 1.25 per litre. Balwant Singh, secretary of the association, said to maintain the profit rates, the local authorities of the plant increase the rates 2-3 times per year. “However, there in no increase in the per litre commission despite the fact that the running cost of our shops and bars is also increasing day by day”, said Balwant Singh. “Besides the local authorities, we have also taken up the matter with the authorities in the Head Office, Milkfed, around 3 months ago. Despite their assurances, the promises made by them yet to bear the fruits”, he added. Inderjit Singh, cashier of the association, said there are over 400 dealers in the district, who exclusively sell Verka milk at their shops, and over 200 such dealers are based in the city alone. Most of the dealers will participate in the strike, he added. General Manager, Doaba Cooperative Milk Plant, Kuldeep Singh, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. Another senior official, requesting anonymity, said the local officials have no authority to decide the commission rates. “It is in the domain of state authorities of the Markfed to revise the rates. Moreover, as per rule, the commission rates should be kept uniform in the entire state. Otherwise, if there will be a disparity in commission rates in districts, it would lead to inter-district sale of milk, which would not be in the benefit of the producers, dealers and consumers”, he added. Moreover, the Milkfed is giving the commission either at par or even more than the milk cooperatives functional in other states, he pointed out.
	Murder Case: Sohan Singh’s body lies in a morgue since Dec 7, family members take a strong stand Won’t cremate body till accused put behind bars Bipin Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 11 Family members of Sohan Singh, who was allegedly murdered on December 6, are keeping the body in a morgue since it was released on December 7, in mark of protest against police inaction. Harvinder Singh, son of the victim and a resident of Ali-Chak village, addressing mediapersons, said, “We won’t cremate him until the police arrest four accused.” The villagers have also threatened the police saying that they would block the Jalandhar-Kapurthala road adjacent the Lambra police station on Monday if the main accused in the murder were not put behind bars by Sunday. Harvinder Singh said the police was trying to shield the accused, who are politically well-connected. One accused in the case is already in the custody of the Lambra police, he added. Tejinder Singh Nijjer, general secretary of the Youth Akali Dal, Punjab, was also accompanied the aggrieved family members. Nijjar alleged that the Lambra police was playing in the hands of certain politically influenced persons. Despite having enough proof, he said, the police was sitting on the files. The police authorities, however, denied the allegations saying that a special investigation team, comprising SP (D) Pushkar Sandal, DSP Jagdeep Singh, has been investigating the case in a transparent way. The actual culprits would be behind bars soon, a senior police official said.
	Fog claims 4 lives, 9 hurt Our Correspondent Nawanshahr, December 11 As many as four persons, including a four-year-old boy, were killed and nine others injured in a road accident near Mazari village on the Garhshankar-Balachaur road here on Saturday. As per available information, the ill-fated Scorpio (HR-70A2126), which was a part of the marriage party which left from the residence of Ram Lal Cheema of Balchaur for Dasuya, met with an accident when its driver, perhaps due to fog, could not see a heavy vehicle standing along the road, consequently ramming the car into it. The four persons killed in the accident were identified as Mamta, wife of Tarsem Lal of Baharhmazara, her four-year-old son Amit, Mohinder Kaur, wife of Dev Raj of Bham village and Bindri, the car driver. Maddi, Sunaina, Komal, Renu, Preeti, Eta, Rani, Kamlesh and Mukhitiar Singh received serious injuries. The injured were brought to the Civil Hospital, Balachaur, from where they were referred to the PGI, Chandigarh and Nawanshahr. One more life lost in road mishap On Friday, Balwinder Kumar (22) of Aur village was killed on the spot while his companion Gurdip Singh (23) of Langroya village was seriously injured in a car-mini bus collision near Langroya village situated on the Nawanshahr-Chandigarh highway. Balwinder and Gurdip, who worked as mechanics at Tata Hundai workshop here, were reportedly taking trial of the car after repairing it. Bus driver and passengers also received injuries.
	Sidhu, Majithia share stage after two years Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 11 After a gap of almost two years, BJP MP from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu and MLA Bikram Singh Majithia today shared the stage while disbursing development grants at various villages in the Majitha assembly constituency here. The reconciliation between the two leaders is being seen as a major development in state politics in view of the Assembly elections in the state. Their differences had remained an open secret. Today, they jointly distributed a total of Rs 70 lakh in grants, including Rs 50 lakh alone from the MPLAD fund for various development works, during various public functions held at Ballowali, Mattewal and other villages. In a rapid changing political environment, both the leaders heaped praises on each other while Majithia himself drove Sidhu to the villages in his car. Addressing the gathering, Sidhu expressed gratitude towards Majithia for his support during the previous Lok Sabha elections. He announced the release of a grant of Rs 1.25 crore for the development of the area, out of which he disbursed cheques worth Rs 50 lakh to village panchayats on the spot. On the other hand, while expressing gratitude to Sidhu for his generosity, Majithia said the people of his constituency never marooned a political leader who was with them through their thick and thin. He said it was for the first time in the history of the Majitha assembly constituency that all the developmental works announced during the assembly elections had completed.