EDUCATION

Students go on indefinite strike
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Sept 19 — The students of the College of Agriculture in Punjab Agricultural University here today launched an indefinite strike in support of their demands. Most of the students boycotted their classes. They also staged a demonstration.

The students are demanding filling up of the vacant posts of Agriculture Development Officer, Horticulture Development Officer and Soil Conservation Officer in the Department of Agriculture. They pointed out that about 400 posts of ADOs, 50 of HDOs and 70 of SCOs were still lying vacant.

They also demanded that agriculture should be introduced as a regular subject upto plus two level . Mr Gurbaksh Singh, one of the students, said that the posts in various constituent agencies of the Mandi Board like Punsup, Marfed and BDPO, which were earlier meant for agriculture graduates only have now been opened up for general graduates.

The students said that they had met Mr Sukhdev Singh and Dr Deep Singh Sahota regarding their grievances, but the problems had not been solved so far .They had threatened to continue the strike for an indefinite period and boycott the Kisan Mela to be held on September 21-22, if their demands were not met immediately.

However, the Dean, College of Agriculture, Dr Pal Singh Sidhu, refused to comment on the matter .

PU Senate poll
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Sept 19 — All the four principals of the Ludhiana colleges who contested in the Panjab University Senate poll have won, the counting for which was done today. These are Ms Harmeet Kaur from Ramgarhia College, Mr B. D. Budhiraja from SD Kamla Lohtia College, Mr Tarsem Walia from AS College, Khanna, and Mr Jaswant Gill from Guru Nanak College , Doraha.

Only nine principals from the total 81 affiliated colleges of the university contested for eight seats. It was only Mr A. S. Bedi from Hoshiarpur who lost the elections. The other winners are Mr A. C. Vaid from SD College, Chandigarh, Mr P.S. Sangha from Guru Gobind Singh College, Chandigarh, Ms Surinder Kaur Brar from Moga, and Mr H.R. Gandhi from Abohar. 

CULTURE

Festival begins on Oct 20
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Sept 19 — The annual Prof Mohan Singh Memorial Mela will be held on October 20 and 21 in Punjabi Bhavan here, according to Mr Pargat Singh Grewal, President of the Prof Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation.

The mela will include inter-college gidha and bhangra competitions. School children will take part in a competition based on the poetry of Prof Mohan Singh. On the same day, a kavi darbar will be organised by the Punjabi Literature and Cultural Manch of Punjab. A Punjabi play, Rabba Rabba Minh Varsa, directed by Pali Bhupinder Singh will also be staged.

On the concluding day, a dhadi and kavishri darbar will be held. After that, prominent folk singers will present songs. Mr Gurbhajan Gill said liquor would not be served during the mela. He urged the district administration to ban the sale of liquor within 5 km of the venue for two days.