EDUCATION

PU Youth Festival Zone B concludes
From Our Correspondent

KHANNA, Nov 10 — On the concluding day of the Panjab University Youth Festival Ludhiana Zone B, Arya College, Ludhiana, bagged the first position in Shabad Gayan competition. Kamla Lotia, SD College, Ludhiana, stood second and AS College for Women stood third.

In group song contest, AS College for Women got the first position, GGN Khalsa College, Ludhiana, stood second and Kamla Lotia SD College, Ludhiana, got third position .

In war singing , AS College for Women, Khanna, bagged first prize, GGN Khalsa College, Ludhiana, stood second while Arya College, Ludhiana, bagged third position.

Signature campaign by lecturers
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 10 — A group of 15 teachers of Master Tara Singh Memorial College launched a signature campaign for getting support for their demands from the teachers of other colleges here today.

The teachers demand that extension be given to Ms Gursharan Kaur, lecturer in the college, from their management like the way their Principal, Ms Kuldip Kaur, has obtained. The teachers also demand that keeping uniformity in rules, the staff of all colleges be given extension as per the decision of the PU Senate.

The group has obtained signatures of over 150 teachers of Arya College for Boys, GGN Khalsa College, Kamla Lohtia SD College and Arya College for Girls. Ms Kuldeep Kaur, staff secretary, said today being a half day, they could not move to many colleges. She said the campaign would be continued on Monday.

Fancy dress contest organised
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 10 — A fancy dress competition for the kids of nursery, LKG and UKG was held at Guru Harkrishan Public School, Dugri Road, here today.

For UKG, Charanpreet who mimicked Mrs Manmohan Bedi, school director, was declared first, followed by Gursharan Singh and Parneet. Simarnjeet was declared fourth, while Amritpal stood fifth. Consolation prize was given to Anmoljeet.

For LKG, Dilraj who acted like Bhagat Singh clinched the first prize, while Navraj, Charanpreet, Sukhwant and Sukhraj were declared second, third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Meghna got consolation prize.

Among nursery class students, Amandeep who acted like a maid was declared first, Simranpreet stood second and Amndeep was third. Fourth prize went to Luvpreet and fifth prize went to Raj Kumar. Bijay got the consolation prize.

The judges on the occasion were Paramjit Chhabra, Gursharan Bains, Jaswinder, Amarpreet, Maninder and Harpreet, all teachers in the school. The director, Ms Manmohan K. Bedi, appreciated the efforts of the kids and Mrs Upinder, headmistress, gave away prizes to the students.

GPF grant received by PAU
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 10 — In a press release here, Mr S. K. Bhatia, Comptroller, Punjab Agricultural University, has informed that a grant of Rs 20 crore has been received from the Punjab Government on account of the GPF/CPF contributions of the employees and it has been credited to the GPF/CPF account of the university. He said the entire backlog of the GPF/CPF contributions to the university account up to September, 2000 had been cleared.

Net services for library
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 10 — The Panjab University Extension Library will soon be computersied and will have Internet services. This was announced by Dr N.K. Pathak, Vice-Chancellor of the university, in an advisory committee meeting here today. The furniture of the library would be repaired and renovation would also begin soon. More computers would also be introduced in the library for the students of Panjab University. 

COURTS

Transport firm told to pay relief
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 10 — In an ex-parte judgement, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Nav Bharat Goods Carrier, Transport Nagar, here to pay Rs 23,440 along with interest of 18 per cent per annum from April 1999 till the date of payment to M/s C. R. Aulak and Sons Ltd. for not delivering his consignment to an Una- based company.

The complainants told the forum that they had hired the services of the transport company in December 1998 to supply a consignment of sewing machines worth Rs 23,440 .Documents were sent through a bank but they were not retired from the bank and the complainant received back the documents. The complainant said that he served a notice to the transporter but he did not get any reply.

The complainant demanded compensation for the loss of Rs 23,440 suffered by him along with interest and damages.

The transport company and the Una-based company did not contest the claim. Upholding the documentary evidence provided by the complainant, the forum decided the case in his favour. It directed the transport company to pay the amount. The forum, however, did not find any reason to fine the Una- based company as it was not a case of deficiency in service.

DoT to pay for deficient service
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 10 — The act of the local Telephone department of providing a telephone connection to an applicant, after he complained of the non-release of the connection for two years, could not save it from paying a compensation to the complainant for the delayed service.

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Department of Telecommunications through its General Manager here to pay a compensation of Rs 5000 for a two year delay in providing a telephone connection to the complainant Vipan Kumar, a resident of Salem Tabri here.

According to a copy of the orders received here today, the consumer had applied for a telephone connection in November 1997. The advice note for installing a telephone at his place was issued in February 1998 but the telephone was not provided. In the complaint filed in April 2000 in the forum the complainant claimed that he had visited the telephone office several times but he could not get the telephone connection.

On one such visit, he went to the SDE phones who told him he had not received the advice note. He then went to the Commercial Officer who told him that the advice note had been sent to the SDE. The complainant then approached the higher authorities but nothing was done.

In a later visit to the office, the SDE concerned told him that the telephone could not be provided as his address was not traceable. He even met the installation team but still the telephone connection was not provided.

The Telecom Department in its reply said that the complaint was infructuous as the complainant had been provided with telephone no. 749656. It also denied that the complainant had met the telephone officials as claimed in his complaint. It demanded the dismissal of the complaint.

The forum noted the installation of the telephone connection on June 7, 2000 , two months after the consumer approached the forum for the redress of his grievance . It said that when the advice note was issued by the Telecom Department it was their duty to provide the telephone but as the department provided the telephone connection only after the complaint was filed it was a clear case of deficiency of service.

CULTURE

Cultural programme
From Our Correspondent

KHANNA, Nov 10 — On the eve of Gurpurab, a cultural programme was organised by the Software Technology Group International Ltd. at Satkar Palace.

The function started with a shabad followed by modelling by STG students. Mr Sukhwinder Singh Gill and Mr Pawandeep Singh Malhans were the chief guests. The function was inaugurated by Mr Gurcharan Singh Libra and presided over by Mr Paramjit Singh (KW Cycle Ludhiana).

Surinder Shinda honoured
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 10 — Pakistani singer Shaukat Ali, Ludhiana-based Surinder Shinda and Canada-based Hazara Singh Ramta have been awarded with the ‘Millennium Award’ at an impressive function held at California, recently for their outstanding performance in the field of Punjabi folk singing.

During the function, Shinda was also given a memento, an appreciation letter and a shawl. Shinda, in a press statement revealed that ‘Geet Sangeet Radio’ had been broadcasting 24 hour programmes in regional languages like Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati and English. The programme was quite popular in the USA and was compered by renowned Punjabi artiste Asha Sharma.