|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Unsafe temples of learning
Ludhiana, April 11
Among the other schools operating from unsafe buildings are Government Primary School, Field Ganj, two laboratories and a classroom of the science block of Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Government School, Bharat Nagar Chowk, a government school near the Railway Colony and another one on Gill Road here. Students and teachers say they are helpless. They maintain that despite repeated requests, nothing has been done either to shift the schools to safe buildings or to renovate these. "The state government may be showing interest in implementing the Right to Education Act in Punjab, but if the school buildings are any indication, then only God seems to be the caretaker of the students, who are forced to sit in unsafe buildings. Students conduct experiments in rickety labs having broken windowpanes and tilted roofs. It is full of risk," said Tejinder Singh (name changed), a teacher.
Another teacher at a government primary school said students had to brave the elements in the absence of a roof. "We will cover the building with a tarpaulin in a day or two as it has become too hot, but students may feel suffocated because of that. It is a pathetic state of affairs," said a teacher.The teacher said they had apprised the authorities of the dilapidated condition of the buildings, but nothing had been done so far. Director General of Secondary Education KS Pannu said funds were being given to schools for renovating unsafe buildings. Sohan Singh Sahota, an SDO associated with the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, said they had identified at least 12 schools in the district which had unsafe buildings. "Grants have already been given to them for renovation. The remaining schools will be given grants in the current financial year as soon as possible," said Sahota.
|
|
Compulsory retirement for officer
Ludhiana, April 11 According to official orders issued by Principal Secretary, Local Government, Punjab, JS Sandhu today, all these officials have been indicted for their failure to safeguard the interests of the LIT in a court case relating to the allotment of a plot to city resident Gurdev Singh Saimbhi from the discretionary quota of the government in 1994. According to the findings of an inquiry conducted by a retired IAS official on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the officials dealing with the case failed to properly pursue the matter in the court, which led to strictures being passed against the Trust and the Local Government Department, Punjab. While Azad has been sent on compulsory retirement, three other retired officials, RL Beri, Subhash Soni and Vijay Kumar Sharma, will lose 5 per cent of their monthly pension for one year. Harinder Singh, posted as EO in the Bathinda Improvement Trust, has been reverted to the post of Superintendent and posted at Nabha. Similarly, Inderjit Singh, a clerk in the LIT, will lose the annual increment for two years while Dyal Chand Garg, a retired EO, Kuldip Kaur, EO of the Malerkotla Improvement Trust, Paramjit Singh, EO of the Ropar Improvement Trust and Rajesh Kumar, Law Officer, Local Government Department, who was dealing with this case, have been censured for dereliction of duty.
|
|
MC drivers call off strike
Ludhiana, April 11 Darshan Lal, employed on a contract basis by the MC, had served as a garbage truck driver for more than 17 years. He was relieved from his job 18 months ago after his truck was involved in a couple of accidents, killing two children. Afflicted with cancer, he died yesterday, leaving behind four daughters and a son. "Darshan, who was rendered jobless, had fallen sick and could not get himself treated due to lack of resources and the apathy of the civic body," the protesting drivers alleged while sitting on a dharna outside the Zone A office of the MC. Family members of the deceased also joined the protest and kept Darshan's body at the protest site. They charged the MC administration with meting out a raw deal to the deceased, alleging that two other drivers, who were also involved in fatal accidents, were reinstated, but Darshan was not given justice. With the drivers refusing to join duty, a demolition drive proposed to be carried out by the MC in the Textile Colony and the Industrial Area (A) for removing encroachments, had to be put off while senior MC officials had to use private vehicles to reach their offices. During several rounds of talks with the striking drivers and Darshan's family members throughout the day, MC officials promised that an eligible family member of the deceased would be employed "on a contract basis with wages as per the DC rate", but the protesters stuck to their demand for a permanent job. MC officials' plea to cremate the body and sort out the matter later was not accepted by the drivers. After intervention by a few councillors, including Parminder Mehta, and trade union leader Hans Raj Gagat, the Mayor assured Darshan's family members that in the next general house meeting, a resolution would be adopted and a permanent job given to Darshan's eldest daughter after getting an approval from the state government.
|
|
2 robbers in police net; mobiles recovered
Ludhiana, April 11 The accused have been identified as Harpreet Singh, a resident of the Mangat Colony, Kuhara Road, in Machiwara town, and Amandeep Singh, a resident of Guru Nanak Nagar in Gill village (adjoining the city). Amandeep Singh Brar, SHO of the Sadar police station, said the accused had been robbing people for the past six months by using a clamp. Describing the modus operandi of the accused, the SHO said they used to accost people and threaten them with a clamp. The accused used to keep the clamp on the neck of the victim and ask them to hand over their belongings. They had targeted Mohammad Jalil, a resident of Malerkotla, near Dolon Khurd on April 9. "We have recovered eight stolen mobile phones, Rs 1,000, a clamp and an iron rod. We have arrested the duo after registering an FIR under Sections 382, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code against them," he said.
|
|
Theft at factory unit
Ludhiana, April 11 According to Jaskirat Singh, a resident of GTB Nagar and owner of the factory unit, the thieves struck on Tuesday, when the unit was closed on account of a holiday. Thieves entered the factory by breaking open the locks of the main gate and decamped with 130 kg of raw iron, a computer and an LCD.
|
Biscuits served in mid-day meal
Ludhiana, April 11 While a majority of the students in the government schools were served "karhi-chawal" today, at certain schools, students were served only small packets of glucose biscuits. Parveen Kumar, a senior teacher at Government High School, Brahampuri, said around 105 students attended the school today and they were given small packets of biscuits as mid-day meal. "When the in charge told the delivery boy that it was not a proper meal, the latter replied that whatever was given to him, he distributed among the students," said Parveen Kumar. "At the primary wing too, only biscuits were served to the students. Biscuits are not a proper meal," he said. In view of the increasing complaints about the poor quality of mid-day meal being served to students, the district administration had constituted several teams, which would visit the kitchen daily to check the quality of food. But, how could these teams check if the food they are sampling is made for all the children or not? "Of course, we can taste and check the quality of food by visiting the kitchen daily. But, we don't know whether food will be served to all the students? We cannot keep a tab on the quantity of food," said Karamjit Kaur, a teacher. "The meal is never sent according to the menu, which includes chapatis, dal and vegetable," said the teacher. The contractor, Sanjay Dhawan, said: "He had prepared sufficient food, but certain schools demanded more than their requirement. Owing to the extra demand, we ran short of food and distributed biscuits in certain schools. Biscuits cost more than the daily meal."
|
|
School students celebrate Baisakhi
Ludhiana, April 11 Teachers taught the children about the festival & how wheat was extracted. They danced to the latest Punjabi songs and enjoyed a lot, besides sweets and biscuits were distributed. Children had a wonderful outing and real fun. — TNS
|
|
Reward announced for info on wanted criminal
Ludhiana, April 11 The police fears Jatinder's escape might lead to a rise in highway robberies. Jatinder, who was nabbed last year, was behind sensational robberies, including the Rs 44-lakh Bonn Bread robbery and the Rs 29-lakh Kitty Bread robbery. The police has also announced a reward of Rs 10,000 for any information about criminal Jatinder's whereabouts. Fond on robbing luxurious cars, Jatinder, who is facing more than 36 criminal cases, including murder, robberies and dacoity, was suspected to be hiding in Amritsar, Uttar Pradesh or Kolkata, where his wife lives. The incident took place near the Ludhiana Central Jail on March 6 when Jatinder Singh, Head Constable (HC) Sanjiv Kumar along with another cop alight from a Toyota Innova and were going towards the jail. It was learnt that the chain of his handcuffs was tied to Sanjiv Kumar's belt. Eyewitness said Jatinder was handcuffed. Suddenly, a Toyota Innova stopped near Jatinder. On seeing the vehicle, Jatinder tired to break his handcuffs and a scuffle ensued. During the scuffle, Sanjiv's belt got torn and Jatinder got feed. Both the policemen were placed under suspension for dereliction of duty. Jatinder is stated to be among the most wanted criminals and the police is suspecting that he might form a gang again and start committing highway robberies. He was nabbed by the Taran Taran police in February 2012. In a communique from the office of the Commissioner of Police, the senior officer has appealed to the residents to contact at 0161-2414933,98158-00251,78370-18510 and 98158-00135 if they have any information about Jatinder.
|
|
Stamps on ancient temples released
Two temples have been featured on the postage stamps released in the denomination of Rs 5 and Rs 20 by the department. One stamp focuses on the Arasavalli Temple, the Sun temple of the 7th century AD in Andhra Pradesh. This temple speaks volumes about the architectural expertise of the Vishwakarma sculptors of Odisha. Believed to have been built by Devendra, the ruler of Kalinga, the unique design of the temples ensures that twice a year in March and September, the sun's rays touch the feet of the deity, the Sun God. It is a "Panchayatana" temple with Aditya in the centre and Ganeshs, Shiva, Parvati and Vishnu in the four corners. The other stamp features the Srikurmam temple situated in Srikakulam. It is the only temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu in the avatar of Srikurmam, the tortoise. The temple is believed to have been built before the 2nd century AD. Famous for its 200 granite pillars that have inscriptions in the Devnagri script, the 41 panels of mural paintings on the walls of the temple depict various mythological events. Architecture in India had evolved to high levels in ancient times, and some of the old temples are a great specimen of that architecture, says a city-based architect.
|
|
Holiday planner told to refund fee, pay compensation
Ludhiana, April 11 According to Dr Rajinder Chawla, professor of biochemistry in Christian Medical College here, and his wife Dr Neena Chawla, they bought the membership of the club after a company representative offered them a lucrative free holiday package to Dubai apart from time shared holidays for a period of 10 years. Dr Chawla averred in the complaint that once the membership fee was paid and a proper contract in this respect was signed in June 2011, their ordeal started when a request was made to the company to arrange for the promised trip to Dubai in the first week of September. "The request was denied on the basis of unavailability of booking at hotels in Dubai. The same thing had happened to their requests made for the elusive Dubai trip till January 2012," he added. Frustrated with the attitude of the company, Dr Chawla asked the company, through a letter dated January 15, 2012, for the cancellation of their membership and refund of the membership fee, and followed up the matter with many more letters and e-mails. "To our dismay, the company never responded to any of our letters. Not only this, the officials of the company stopped receiving my phone call and never answered the e-mails," Dr Chawla alleged in his complaint. In its orders, the forum observed that the counsel for the company had made the plea that the membership was non-refundable, and further that accommodation in the hotels was subject to availability. Ruling that the company is not only deficient in services, but has also resorted to unfair trade practices, the forum further recorded: "We are of the opinion that there is no use of membership of the club if the services committed are not to be provided accordingly. It seems that the modus operandi of the opposite party (Country Vacations) is only to have wrongful gains." Allowing the complaint, the forum directed the respondent company to make a refund of Rs 99,000 along with interest at the rate of 10 per cent from the date of deposit till realisation, and further pay a compensation of Rs 10,000 to Dr Chawla for causing harassment and thrusting litigation. The company has been directed to comply with the orders within 45 days of receipt of its copy.
|
|
Secy issues guidelines to Health Dept
Ludhiana, April 11 The Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana, Dr Subhash Batta, said: "We have also discussed our problems with the Principal Secretary. We face a shortage of manpower. Last year, we were asked to depute breed checkers but it was too late. Moreover, the breed checkers were given very less wages. They were paid around Rs 130 per day. We faced a lot of problem in arranging breed checkers. I requested the Principal Secretary to give us permission to depute breed checkers at the earliest and to give them minimum wages. She said she would look into the matter." — TNS
|
|
Govt sets up advisory board
Ludhiana, April 11 The Principle Secretary of Punjab will be its chairman while the Director of Industries will be its vice-chairman. The Director, MSME, will be the convenor of the board. This board will ensure coordination between different agencies responsible for the development of micro, small and medium enterprises in the state and will also advise on all issues related to the functioning of various promotional autonomous bodies under the control of the MSME development organisation.
|
|
Ludhiana, April 11 District Immunisation Officer Sanjeev Hans said: "Today, our volunteers visited 1,28,703 houses. They administered pulse polio drops to 37,654 children on doorstep. As many as 15,708 children were vaccinated outside houses. While 5,771 children were vaccinated in the houses with mark "X". Supervisors vaccinated 1,070 children while mobile teams administered drops to 2,954 children.'' - TNS
|
|
Pakistani suits a hit with Ludhiana women
Ludhiana, April 11
"Pakistani suits are top sellers among not only the city elite but also the other sections. Cuts of these suits are very good and one tends to look younger and smarter in them. Although these suits are paired with pants, the city women prefer them either with 'churidaars' or 'salwars'," said Sonu Nilibar from a store on the Mall Road. The sharara suit and the Karachi-style salwar are in style. These suits, with heavy zardosi work, which is the trademark of Paksitani designers, are a hit in the city. Nelofer, a Pakistani designer, who was recently in the city to take part in a lifestyle exhibition, said: "Ludhiana is a potential market for both traditional and innovative designs. Women here does not mind spending extra bucks to get something unique and exclusive". On Pakistani suits, most of the weaving is done by hand and thus these products are comparatively more expensive, she added. "Pakistani suits have a different aura. Teamed up with pants, they make you look younger and elegant. Be it a formal or informal occasion, I prefer wearing Pakistani style suits. During the summer season, my wardrobe boasts of a collection from across the border," added Tanya, a city resident.
|
|
Power hike uncalled for: CICU
Ludhiana, April 11 "With all these taxes and duties in place, it is beyond imagination how the industry in Punjab will survive and compete in the national and international market. All the policies framed by the PSPCL are anti-industry and the industrialists of Punjab are being supplied power at exorbitant rates compared to all other northern states. One cannot hope that any new industry will come up in the state due to repeated hikes in the power tariff and the imposition of various taxes and duties every now and then. I have requested the PSPCL should lay more emphasis on reducing the transmission and distribution losses, transit loss of coal and checking power theft than raising the power tariff every year," said Avtar Singh. He said this power tariff hike was uncalled for and would have a negative impact on the industry as the cost of production would go up and leave the industry uncompetitive.
|
|
Crop diversification need of the hour: VC
Ludhiana April 11 "According to my opinion, Rs 500 crore in union budget-2013 is sufficient for the diversification. The farmers of Punjab have made a setup for wheat and rice cultivation. Government has to shift the subsidy from paddy to pulses to encourage the farmers," added Dhillon. A joint meeting of the Punjab Agricultural University Kisan Committee and Fruits and Vegetables Producers' Committee was held here today. The progressive farmers from various parts of the Punjab state participated in the meet, wherein all their farm queries were responded by the subject-matter specialists of the University. The representatives of the State Departments of Agriculture and Horticulture; Punjab Mandi Board; and Markfed were also present on this occasion. During the meeting, Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon impressed upon the farmers to make judicious use of pesticides, weedicides, and fertilisers for the conservation of natural resources. While highlighting the importance of horticulture, he said that fruits and vegetables held a great scope in terms of crop diversification, income generation and nutritional security. Dr Dhillon also emphasised on exporting the wheat crop. He urged the farmers to shun the practice of paddy straw burning as the university had recommended many suitable technologies for straw management such as happy seeder and baler. Kulwant Singh Ahluwalia, Member, Board of Management, PAU, observed that along with increasing food production, focus on quality improvement was also essential for successful marketing. Advising the farmers to keep abreast of new farm innovations, he urged them to adopt latest Agri-technologies to reduce costs of farm inputs, improve quality and boost farm productivity. The progressive farmers sought information on different aspects of agriculture, including marketing of farm produce, crop diversification, inter-cropping techniques, agro-processing, protected cultivation of vegetables, paddy straw management, use of agri-machinery, insect-pests and disease management of various crops, availability of seeds, and training programmes. Besides, they deliberated on the cultivation of wheat, maize, paddy, basmati, sugarcane, and horticultural crops.
|
|
Development top priority, says PWD Minister
Sahnewal, April 11 Speaking on this occasion, Dhillon said that the people of the area were demanding since long the widening of the existing road from 10 feet to 18 feet. "The project has been finally approved by the government", he shared. He said that roads with heavy rush had been identified and would be widened shortly." These include Ropar-Navanshahar-Banga-Phagwara road, Ladhowal bypass of Ludhiana, Kapurthla-Ropar-Phillaur road, Tanda-Shri Hargobindpur Sahib road, Nidampur-Lehra road along Ghaggar Branch, Manpur head works to Barnala Raikot road, Manpur head works to Jagraon Raikot road, Rayia to Khara road," he added. He said that Punjab Government had initiated a plan to construct railway over bridges and flyovers on railway lines and intersections where ever there was a heavy rush of traffic. Dhillon shared that during his recent visit to states, the Punjabis living there were all praise for the development-friendly approach of the Punjab Government. He said that NRIs now feel right time to invest in Punjab as they felt that Akali Government was here to stay for the next at least 25 years. Among others present were Santa Singh Umedpuri, Chairman, SS Board, Punjab, Ajmer Singh, Harinder Singh Lakhowal, Chairman Sugar Mill Bhudewal, Dharamjit Singh Gill, Chairman, DCU Ludhiana, Baba Jagroop Singh, Chairman Market Committee Sahnewal, Sharanjit Singh Garcha, Bhag Singh Mangarh, both Zila Prishad members and Vijay Saini, president, Shopkeepers' Association Kohara.
|
|
Ambulance 108 largely ferries expectant women
Ludhiana, April 11 Data reveals that these ambulances provided its services in 53,052 cases from January 2012 till date, out of which 21,371 cases were pre and post-delivery cases. Giving details, Jagdeep Singh, in charge, Ambulance 108, Ludhiana, said, "The ambulances accommodated 12,040 pregnant women by ferrying them from their home to hospital. Meanwhile, in 9,331 cases ambulances ferried women from hospital to homes after delivery. From day one of its start, 106 women delivered babies aboard these ambulances while they were being taken to hospital in the district. Meanwhile, 736 such cases were reported state-wide." "The service proved particularly helpful in rural areas. We received a majority of the calls from villages during the night. Well-off people also prefer the service in the case of pregnancy as our vans are well-equipped and able to tackle any emergency case," said Jagdeep. "In the past 15 months, these ambulances served accident victims in 10,342 cases. It has been learnt that the toll of accidental deaths decreased with the emergence of the service. Earlier, the passersby used to avoid calling the police, but now they call the Ambulance 108 services without hesitation. We do not enquire much about the caller. So, it takes an accident victim to hospital on time," he added. The service was launched in the city on July 2, 2011 in Ludhiana. It has served the public in 21,339 cases of other medical emergencies in the last 15 months.
|
|
Teacher beats up student
Ludhiana, April 11 A teacher of Government Primary School at Gobind Nagar allegedly beat a class II student for not being able to learn and recite a maths table of 2, when the teacher asked him to recite a day before. The maths teacher hit him with a stick on his arm and the stomach, alleged Amandeep Kaur, mother of the child. "How would students learn if the teachers themselves start beating up children so ruthlessly," rued Amandeep. The councillor of the area Gurpreet Singh Gogi said that the parents of the child had come to him and the child was severely beaten up. When contacted Ranjit Singh Malhi, District Education Officer (Primary) he said he had not yet received any complaint, and an appropriate action would be taken after an enquiry, he said.
|
|
|
Maths practical exam
Ludhiana, April 11 The practical exams of class X got over by April 2 and the teachers in other districts, including Bathinda, Ferozpur have already been given the payment for conducting examination but here, the board officials maintain that the process will get underway by April 15. Talking to The Tribune, Satvinder Singh said that teachers were to be given Rs 3 per student for the practical exam and the District Education Department had already sent the lists of teachers to the board officials here. "But the Board officials seem to be dilly-dallying in disbursing the payment and the reason best known to them, while our counterparts in other districts have already claimed the payments", rued Singh. Meanwhile, Gurbir Singh, an office-bearer of the Maths Teachers' Association here said that it was unfortunate that board was not making the payment to teachers. "We have performed our duty for which the payment should be made, then why not in time?", asked Gurbir Singh. Ironically when contacted Anil Sharma, manager Punjab School Education Board, he said that he was unaware about the issue and was on long leave for 2-3 months.
|
|
|
138 arrested in two months
Ludhiana, April 11 Sidhu claimed most of the criminals of the area have been sent behind the bars. “We have arrested 51 drug smugglers in 45 cases of drug smuggling in last two months and recovered 30 kg of poppy husk, 1 kg of opium, 1.5 kg of narcotics powder, 16 gm of heroin, 13,660 tablets, 3,258 capsules, 109 bottles of drugs, 135 boxes of illicit liquor from the possession of the drug smugglers”, he claimed. “We have also arrested 18 POs and arrested 49 people for illegal gambling and recovered Rs 1.84 lakh cash from them in 45 cases of gambling”, he said. —TNS
|
|
|
Two more courses added
Ludhiana: The GHG Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Gurusar Sadhar, a premier institute of pharmaceutical education and research has been granted for two more postgraduate courses by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for. The courses will commence from 2013 session. In addition to already running M Pharma, Pharmaceutical Chemistry there will be M Pharm (Pharmacology) and M Pharm (Pharmacognosy), each course will have an intake of 18 students. It may be mentioned that GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar, has already been given the award of the Best Performing Institution of the Year-2012, by the International Achievers Conference. The award was received by Dr VK Kapoor, professor and principal of the collage during the third International Achievers Summit, Bangkok, Thailand. Annual fest Shilp Master-2013, annual fest of the RIMT College of Architecture, Mandi Gobindgarh, began on April 10 on the institutional premises. The students of the college represented the four groups named Romans, Aryans, Greeks and Egyptians participating in the events related to mural design, panel design,quiz, paper presentation, debate on architectural related topics, sketching, face painting, product design, press design, clay modelling. Chess tournament RIMT Institutes organised the Chess Tournament-2013 for the hostellers. while speaking at the function, physical education and sports director, Harinder Singh Chatha said that 30 students participated in the competition. Proving his mettle Subodh Kumar, BTech ME 2nd Semester bagged the first prize, Ujwal Chawla, BTech ME 4th Semester stood second and Sahil Mittal, BTech CSE 4th semester stood third. The title of chess grandmaster was awarded to Vishal Bansal, BTech CSE 6th Semester. The RIMT director, Dr Harsh Sadawarti, attended the prize distribution ceremony as the chief guest and distributed the trophies among the winners. Students bring laurels Keeping up the tradition of delivering the marvellous results, the students of MBE I and MBE III semester of the Management Department of Guru Nanak Girls College, have once again proved their excellence in the Panjab University semester examinations. In MBE I, Maninder Kaur stood first in the university and first in the college by securing 74.66 per cent marks. Ishmeet Kaur bagged second position in the University and second position in the college by securing 74.50 per cent marks. Harpreet Kaur, Ravneet Kaur, Gurpreet Kaur stood fifth, seventh and eighth in the university by securing 70.00 per cent, 69.50 per cent and 69.33 per cent respectively. While the tenth position in the University examination is shared by Imrat Kaur and Tanu Vij by securing 69.00 per cent marks. In MBE III, Akanksha Gandhi stood first in the university and first in the college and by securing 74.38 per cent marks. Pawandeep Kaur Jassal stood second in the university and second in the college by securing 72.61 per cent marks. Manisha Jain and Neha Sharma bagged sixth and seventh position in the university and third, fourth position in the college respectively by securing 70.94 per cent and 70.77 per cent marks. The stupendous results are a result of untiring efforts made by the students and their mentors. The principal of the college, Dr Charanjit Mahal and President Gurbir Singh congratulated one and all for this glorious success. GGSKC girls secure 100% result in Punjabi Samrala: The students of Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College for Women, Jhar Shaib, showed 100 per cent pass result in first and third semester of MA Punjabi exams conducted by Panjab University, Chandigarh. Mandeep Kaur of MA Punjabi first semester bagged the first position in college by securing 67.2 per cent marks, Varinder Kaur bagged the second position by securing 67 per cent marks whereas Rajveer Kaur and Jagdeep Kaur securing third position with 64 per cent marks. Jaspreet kaur student of first semester earned 82 per cent marks in a paper 'Sahit Sidhant vich sanatani Kav Shashtra ate Punjabi Criticism' and made a new record in college. In semester III of MA Punjabi, Sukhdeep Kaur bagged the first position in college by securing 64 per cent marks, whereas Manpreet Kaur and Gurinder remained on second and third position respectively. The college principal, Dr Paramjeet Kaur Tiwana extended her good wishes to the students and congratulated the staff, the students and their parents. — Tribune Reporters
|
|
|
pau notes
Ludhiana: The students from African countries, enrolled in various postgraduate programmes of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), participated in the Africa Conclave, held in Ludhiana. The event, organised by the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU), aimed at strengthening the bilateral relations between India and African countries. The Ambassadors, Secretaries, Counsellors from the Embassies and office of High Commissioners of Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Kenya, Niger, Rawanda, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Namibia in India, participated in this conclave. The dignitaries urged the participants to explore the scope of collaborations in trade, higher education, and development of farm sector in the African countries. Speaking on this occasion, Dr Gursharan Singh, Dean, Postgraduate Studies, highlighted the vital role, played by PAU, in bringing green revolution in the country. He said that the PAU was one of the most preferred institutions for the foreign students for pursuing higher education in various disciplines of agricultural sciences. The count of the foreign students in the PAU was showing an upward trend every year, he further said. Dr Singh added at present 21 students from African countries namely Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan, Liberia, Tanzania, Kenya, and Rawanda were studying in this University. Dr Singh shared the probable areas of collaboration for the development of agri-sector through capacity building of professionals and being knowledge partner of the African countries. The students interacted with the local industrialists, educationists and the representatives of the African countries. Dr Vishal Bector, Advisor, Foreign Students, and Dr Sandeep Kapur, Director, School of Business Studies, PAU, also attended the conclave.
Need for better
networking discussed "Biotechnology is immensely useful in providing technology solution to prevailing and emerging constraints in agriculture," stated the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Director of Research, Dr S S Gosal, while interacting with the biotechnology experts from the various other universities of Punjab, today. The discussion had a focus on identifying the strengths of various universities in the field of biotechnology along with the mutually beneficial areas and developing a network mechanism. This was necessary as the biotechnology infrastructure and the costs of running involved huge capital, said Dr Gosal. He further added that in network mode, the benefits of the existing facilities could be shared by all participating institutes. We could serve the nation better through a collective networking, he emphasised. Giving an overview as to how biotechnology could find application, he highlighted the areas such as developing crop resilience to climate change, dealing with biotic and a biotic stresses in plants and animals, natural resources management, food processing, bio-fortified crops for human health etc. The PAU Vice-Chancellor Dr B.S. Dhillon had already taken up the matter with the other Vice-Chancellors. Realising the tremendous potential of biotechnology in increasing agriculture productivity, improving human and animal health and providing safe and clean environment, there was an urgent need to strengthen research and education in the field of biotechnology, said Dr Dhillon. DNA fingerprinting & patenting, development and testing of GM crops, food-biotechnology, bioinformatics which needed attention, through networking, he added. Dr SS Randhawa, Director of Research, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University (GADVASU), highlighted the areas requiring bio-technology research focus. — TNS
|
|
Ludhiana Scan
Ophthalmologist awarded Dr Rajinder Singh runs an NGO, Sahaita, which provides free education and other facilities to the destitute and impoverished children. It provides medical health care facilities to the needy. He is also actively associated with NGOs working in the field of children welfare and prevention of blindness. Union Minister condemns power tariff hike Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari has lashed out at the Punjab Government for increasing the power tariff for the seventh time in the last six years without generating even a single unit of extra electricity. He said the power tariff in Punjab during the last six years of the Akali rule had gone up by about 80 per cent. The minister asked the government how it thought it morally right to increase the tariff in such proportion when it was not able to provide even regular power supply to the people. “Every summer the people have to sweat out in scorching heat without power and still the government has no scruples to increase the tariff”, he said. All set for
unique rally With just three days left for the unique car drive, "BMR - blind man rally 2013", which will be held in the city on April 14 by the local chapter of the Round Table India, the women members of the organising team were seen promoting the event with zeal. The visibly excited men and women of the organising group were seen moving across the city carrying the rally posters. "How often does one get a chance to participate in such a unique event in a city like Ludhiana," asked Bhavika Gupta. Another member of the group, Bindiya Ailawadi said this event would provide an opportunity for the Ludhianvis to contribute towards the noble cause undertaken by the Round Table India and at the same time have a lot of fun by participating in a car rally. Also, it will help us display the work done by our organisation for the under privileged children. Foundation day celebrated The Bharatiya Yog Sansthan celebrated its foundation day here on Thursday. The importance of yoga was discussed during the function. Vikram Samwat was also celebrated by the students of Bharatiya Vidya Mandir. A "shobha yatra" was also taken out by school students. — TNS |
Thieves decamp with electronic goods
Ludhiana, April 11 Nephew of Cong leader booked for fraud The city police has booked the nephew of a Congress Leader KK Bawa and his accomplice for committing a fraud of Rs 5 lakh on the pretext of selling a land. The accused has been identified as Amandeep Bawa, resident of Krishna Nagar. He was arrested by Sarabha Nagar police, while his accomplice Varinder Singh a resident of Jhande village is still at large. The case was registered on the complaint of Gaurav Gambhir, a resident of Madhopuri area. He stated to the police hat the accused duo had sold him a 788 sq yd plot for Rs 16.63 lakh. But after receiving the payment the accused did not formulated the registry on Gaurav's name. Later the accused returned Rs 5.63 and formulated a registry of another plot located in Baddowal area on the name of Gaurav Gambhir. Later Gaurav learnt that the plot sold to him was previously sold to someone else. However, the accused returned Rs 6 lakh during the investigation conducted by Economic Offences Wing, but they did not pay back the remaining amount of Rs 5 lakh. Boy crushed to death A four year old boy was crushed to death by an overspeeding car at Jeevan Nagar near RK Road here today. The victim has been identified as Mohan (4). He was standing out of the house when a car came from behind and ran him over. He died on the spot. The police registered the complaint and started the investigation. One booked for kidnapping, raping a minor A 21-year-old man who allegedly kidnapped a 14-year-old girl on the pretext of marriage. The duo, residents of Love Kush Colony in Sector 40, was missing since April 8. Today the police received a tip-off that the accused, identified as Ravi Kumar, along with the girl was trying to catch a train from Dhandari area and fleeing to Uttar Pradesh. The police team nabbed the duo following which a medical examination of the girl was conducted. The reports proved that the girl was raped. The accused was then booked for rape under Section 376 of the IPC and for kidnapping a minor. Prisoner nabbed with coupons, cash The alert jail guard nabbed a murder accused and recovered Rs 9,000 cash and jail canteen coupons worth Rs 35,000. The accused identified as Beant Kumar, a resident of Sahnewal, who lodged in jail for murder, was nabbed during a surprise checking conducted by the orders of jail superintendent. They are currently probing as how Beant managed to procure coupons of such a huge amount. It is learnt that he was operating as a money lender in jail. Sources said that ADGP Prisons had sought a detail report in this matter. Jail Superintendent SP, Khanna, said that matter had been brought to the notice of police and probe has been launched. In the meantime Division No 7 police had launched a parallel probe in the matter. Car stolen There seem to be no stopping of vehicle lifting cases. In the latest incident Satinder, a resident of SKS Nagar became the victim of vehicle lifters. According to Satinder he parked the car at the main market of Sarabha Nagar and went for shopping. But when he returned back he was shocked to find his car missing. He brought the matter to the notice of the police. the police has registered a case against unidentified persons and started investigation. Inmates booked for sneaking mobile into jail The menace of sneaking mobile phones in jail is on the rise, in the latest incident seven inmate of jail were caught for trying to sneak mobile phone in jail. The accused have been identifed as Garibu, Ranjit Singh, Akbar, Deepak, Pardeep, Kishan and Sudhir. During a surprise check, jail staff found the mobiles from the possession of the accused. The accused have been booked under Section 52- A (1) of the Prisons Act. Vehicle thief nabbed The Division No 4 police has nabbed a vehicle lifter, here yesterday. The accused has been identified as Amritpal a resident of village Barangarh. Amritpal was nabbed from Kailash Chowk during a police checkpoint. He was riding a bike with a fake registered number. On spotting the police he tried to flee the scene, police found his activities suspicious and nabbed him. During the questioning, he soon cracked that he had stolen the bike. A case under Section 379, 472, 411 of the IPC against the accused. Cab driver nabbed for stealing car Stealing his own company's car and then lodging FIR against the unidentified thieves proved costly for three Delhi residents, after the trio along was arrested while they were travelling in same stolen car at Rajguru Nagar in the city here. Accused have been identified as Vijay Kumar, resident of Inder Palm colony in New Delhi, Ashok Kumar, resident of Gitanjli Park, West Sagarpur in South-West Delhi and their accomplice Sukhbir Singh alias Shinda, resident of New Delhi, who is still at large. The In charge Narcotics Cell, Ludhiana, Harbans Singh, while divulging the details, said that a police party nabbed the accused from a check point in Rajguru Nagar. The police team intercepted the car and when the documents were checked, the number plate of the car was found to be fake. During the investigations, it was revealed by the accused that Vijay had been an employee with a cab company in the national capital. In February 2013, company's car, which was being driven by Vijay, went missing from outside Vijay's house. Vijay lodged an FIR against unidentified thieves under section 379 of IPC. — TNS
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Ludhiana, April 11
