AGRICULTURE

Seminar on FMD
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 18
The College of Veterinary Sciences, Punjab Agricultural University, will organise a seminar on the foot and mouth disease here on April 30. A communique of the varsity issued here yesterday said that the seminar topic was selected keeping in view the importance of this disease not only in the country but all over the world.

Experts of national repute will deliver lectures and discuss the problems of the state veterinary department. The seminar will be coordinated by Dr M.S. Oberoi, Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, and the stress will be on the creation of FMD free zones in the state.

The experts of national repute like Dr R.Venkatramanan, Project Coordinator, AICRP on FMD, IVRI, Mukteswar, and Dr S.K. Kalra from CCSHAU, Hisar, are likely to participate in the deliberations. Dr K.S. Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, will be the chief guest.

EDUCATION

‘Give top priority to primary education’
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 18
The Directorate of Extension Education and Training, a wing of the Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle, organised a seminar on ‘Basis of sound school education’ at its centre here today.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Hari Singh, retired Principal, Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, said that primary education should be given top priority and efforts must be made by the Punjab Government to ensure adequate infrastructure in schools. Science laboratory, computer centre and library facility must be made introduced in all schools of the state, he said.

Professor Hari Singh emphasised that all vacant posts for teacher, lecturer, headmasters and principal must be filled in government schools so that teaching work and administrative functions go in a normal way. He said that new ways of managing schools be devised and lesson plans must be followed so that the syllabus is completed in classes at the proper time and students get sufficient time to revise the subjects.

Comparing the amount spent on education from the total budget of the state, Professor Hari Singh said that while Kerala Government was spending 26.8 per cent on education and West Bengal Government had allocated 23.9 per cent for the purpose, Punjab Government had allocated just 11.04 per cent on education. He said that literacy rate of the state could be improved only if the amount spent on education would be increased by the state government.

Professor Hari Singh also pointed out that special classes on moral education and career counselling must be held regularly in schools. He said that psycho-counsellors also must be appointed in schools so that all psychological problems of school students could be solved.

Addressing on the occasion, Ms Paramjit Kaur from Guru Hargobind College of Education, Gurusar Sudhar, said that some school managing bodies need to be re-constituted. She said that appointment of members of such bodies must be approved by the Director of Public Instructions (schools), Circle Education Officer, District Education Officer and Block Education Officers on the basis of education and experience.

Ms Paramjit Kaur emphasised that some malpractices like copying in examination and production of fake degrees need to be checked. She said that even though the state government had stepped up its control in examination, more checks were required.

Ms Jasbir Kaur, Circle Education Officer, Nabha, was the chief guest. Principal Ram Singh, Chief Organiser of the organisation, was also present on the occasion. 

B.Com students seek grace marks
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 18
Students of B.Com first year taking examination conducted by Panjab University have sought grace marks for accountancy paper held last evening.

The students said there was a printing mistake in a question on redemption of reference shares which carried 18 marks. They pointed out that there was a comma within an amount written in the question and some of the students read it as a full stop, which changed its complete sense. 

COURTS

Company ordered to repair refrigerator
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 18
The District Consumer Disputes and Redressal Forum has directed Godrej GE Appliances Limited to remove all the defects in a refrigerator purchased by Mr R.D. Gupta and make it fully functional free of cost.

According to the compliant, Mr R.D. Gupta had purchased a Godrej refrigerator 390 litres for Rs 20,275 from Maini Electronics, Ludhiana, an authoriseds dealer of the company. The complainant stated before the forum that he had opted for an optional contract for services for four years after the expiry of the warranty and he had paid Rs 175 for that on July 5, 1994.

The consumer stated that he was told at the time of purchase that the company had recently started manufacturing 390-litre model and the same was of excellent quality. He was assured that in case of any defect the company would remove that, he added. The complainant stated that after some time, he noticed that there was no cooling in it and the defect was immediately brought to the notice of the dealer. Despite repairing the refrigerator by the representative of the dealer, after some time the same defect occurred again, he added.

Mr Gupta disclosed that the defect was not removed to his satisfaction despite making a number of complaints. The consumer alleged that he had also written a letter to the company regarding the problem, but the defect was not removed.

The consumer disclosed that the 390-litre refrigerators were having a manufacturing defect and in some cases some models had reportedly been taken back on the complaints of consumer. He further disclosed that the company had even stopped the production of this model. The consumer demanded that the company is either directed to replace the defective refrigerator or refund the amount along with interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum. He further demanded a compensation of Rs 10,000 on account of inconvenience suffered by him along with Rs 5,000 as cost of litigation.

The company admitted the purchase of the refrigerator. The respondent stated before the forum that its representative attended to the first complaint on October 27, 1994, and it was found by the technician that there was a problem of electric shocks in the refrigerator which was due to faulty earthing and the same was removed. On March 8, 1995, the complainant had reported about less cooling which was due to low pressure. Therefore, the compressor was replaced, the respondent added.

The respondent stated that on August 9, 1995, the complainant had reported the same problem, the refrigerator was chocked and hence flushed and gas refilled. The opposite party disclosed that after two months, the compressor dome was found overheated and the compressor capillary tube was replaced. After that no complaint was received during 1997-1998. The complainant maintained that on June 8, 1999, a mechanic of the company along with a technician came and found that the refrigerator was working properly.

The company pleaded that whenever the complainant faced any problem in the refrigerator, the same was removed. The company denied that there was a manufacturing defect in the product.

The forum observed that the consumer was using the refrigerator for the past six years. The forum further stated that the warranty period and optional contract of service period had also expired, even then the company offered to repair the refrigerator in order to keep good reputation in the market. The forum held that the complainant had used the refrigerator for quite a long period and repairs can only be ordered to be done at this stage.