EDUCATION

Prize distribution for students or principals?
By Deepkamal Kaur

LUDHIANA, March 4 — It was difficult to make out whether the function was held to give away prizes to the school students or to oblige principals of various private educational academies, a pundit ji, the area councillor and a couple of lawyers. But if the number of mementoes, with ‘‘chief guest’’ inscribed on these, given out to them is compared with the number of prizes given to the students, the latter seems to be the case.

The occasion was the annual prize distribution of Lal Chand Bhatia High School, Bank Colony, Haibowal Kalan, here today. More than 35 private academy-owners had been invited for honouring them at the function. Interestingly, after giving away mementoes to all of them, the school principal saw that he was still left with three momentoes and, therefore probably, enquired from the audience, ‘‘Koi vi Principal kissi wi school da reh gaya hove, taan aa ke inaam lai jave. (If any school Principal has not received a prize yet, he or she may come forward and get it)’’

Soon after the honouring ceremony was over, came the turn of speeches. The councillor, pundit ji, lawyers, principals — all were invited for ‘‘a couple of words ’’ on the occasion. But it took the speakers more than two hours to utter these ‘‘couple of words’’, making it a difficult time for the students who had grown fidgety by that time.

The speeches over, the academy principals were asked to donate money ‘voluntarily’ so that meritorious students of the school could be encouraged to study by offering them some cash incentives. When the names of the principals, along with the amount given out by them, was announced, several others joined in so that the name of their school could also be announced over the microphone.

All this show of ‘solidarity’ took so long that little time was left for the at least 20 cultural items prepared by the students. Even the prizes had not been distributed among the students till 2 p.m.

The cultural items included those which have been repeatedly staged during the past five years. Interestingly, the protagonist of a comedy, ‘Jab se hui hai shaadi’, earlier a student, is now a teacher in the school.

Besides, the function seemed to be a free-for-all. Not only the students and parents, but even the youth of the locality were seen enjoying the dance items presented by the students.

COURTS

Notice to govt on contractor’s arrest
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, March 4 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice to the government on a petition filed by Mr Rakesh Bansal to seek the revoking of the arrest of his father Roop Lal Bansal, a liquor contractor. Roop Lal was arrested by the Excise and Taxation Officer of Ludhiana-II under the Punjab Land Revenue Act. A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta and Mr Justice N.K. Sud issued the notice to the state and officials of the Excise and Taxation Department.

The petition said the petitioner was a partner of Roop Lal and Company, wine contractors of Chet Singh Nagar Group of Ludhiana, that had bagged the contract in an open auction for Rs 9.47 crore as licence fee. Out of this amount, it had paid more than Rs 7.70 crore already.

An application was submitted to seek the copy of the order of the arrest. However, the department supplied certain documents regarding the orders passed by the High Court on February 19 following an earlier writ petition by the petitioner.

Thereafter, another writ petition was filed, challenging the detention of Roop Lal on the ground that the Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner of Ludhiana acting as the Collector of Ludhiana Division, had approved the recovery of the amount of license fee. The petition said he was not authorised to do this. Secondly, no opportunity had been granted before determining the default amount to effect the recovery.

It was also said that, though there were five partners of the company, only Roop Lal had been arrested, which was discriminatory. There were many other licencees in Ludhiana who had paid far less part of the licence fee than the petitioner, but the department had not arrested any of them.

The High Court issued notice to the department and officials for March 12.

SPORT

Throw ball body chief
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, March 4 — Mr Varinder Singh Virdi was elected the President of the Punjab Throw Ball Association for a five-year term at a meeting held in local hotel on Sunday. Mr Varandeep Singh Basra of Amritsar was elected the Senior President of the body. Mr Gurdeep Singh of Amritsar, Mr Harjit Singh of Jalandhar, Mr Pritam Singh of Nawanshahr were chosen the district chiefs of the body. Mr Mahender Singh Rahal was made its Chairman.