AGRICULTURE

Fire destroys trees, wheat
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 1
Wheat crop and about 225 poplar trees in over one acre were destroyed in a fire near Nurpur Khehra village yesterday.

Mr Manjit Singh, an affected farmer, said the fire had been caused due to loose power cables over his fields. He said every year, farmers lost their crop due to fires caused by sparks from these wires.

He said the fire fighters reached the spot after the damage had already been done. He has demanded compensation from the state government and the Punjab State Electricity Board for the damage.

Non-lifting of wheat angers agents
Our Correspondent

Khanna, May 1
There is resentment among commission agents of the local grain market because a contractor has not lifted the procured wheat. They say that there is a shortage of trucks for lifting the wheat, so, the contractor lifts the stock of only of those persons who pay him Rs 100 per truck as bribe.

Mr B.C. Bector, Mr Ranbir Sood and Mr Sadhuram Nanda, local commission agents, said, Punjab Agro and Markfed had not lifted the procured wheat from here. They said these agencies had given the contract for lifting the wheat to one person who had not made sufficient arrangements for it.

Fire destroys 8 acres of wheat crop
Our Correspondent

Kharar, May 1
Standing wheat crop in 8 acre of land was reduced to ashes in two villages near Kharar today before fire control engines from SAS Nagar could control the fire.

Giving this information here today, Mr Karam Chand Sood, Sub Fire Officer, SAS Nagar, said that wheat crop of Mr Sher Singh of Dusarna village in four acre near Kurali was destroyed in the fire. He said a short circuit was allegedly the cause for the fire.

Similarly wheat crop in 4 acre in Daon village on the Kharar, SAS Nagar Road, was destroyed in the fire.

EDUCATION

‘Keep pace with advances in IT sector’
Our Correspondent

Dr Bajwa asked the members of industry and the educationists to update their technology and skills because with the WTO regime in place, only those units will survive which would produce high-quality and competitive goods. Age should be no barrier for learning computers and people from all walks of life should join the IT mainstream. Punjab, which has been a pioneer of green revolution, mechanisation and medical facilities boom, should provide lead to all other states in IT sector as well.

Presiding over the function, veteran BJP leader and a member of the Rajya Sabha Lajpat Rai observed that one should not only learn to mechanically use computers but it has been adopted as a way of life. He expressed confidence that Punjabi youth, with their grit and determination, would prove second to none in promoting the IT revolution in the state.

School blowing its own trumpet
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 1
A school in the Model Town area here is giving information regarding admissions in the school via a loud-speakerwala.

The loud-speakerwala can be seen in streets of the Model Town area in the morning hours. The announcer repeats following lines many times, “Sade school vitch admissiona shuru ho gai hai, pre nursery tho lae ke daswani class thak, bachean nu padhan waste khule hawadar kamre han jinha vich bade pakhe lage hoe han, samajdhar standard de teacher da staff hai, Aj hi apne bachean nu le ke pahuchon, admisssion de akahri taareek neade hai.”

Mr Nirmal Singh, a resident of the area, disclosed that some private schools use this sales promotion method to lure people every year during the admissions.

This is the cheapest method of promoting such schools as these schools can hire a loud-speakerwala for just Rs 500, he added.

COURTS

Telecom Department penalised
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 1
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Telecom Department to pay Rs 2,000 as compensation on account of deficiency in services to Mr Surinder Mohan Sharma, a resident of Basant Vihar Colony. The forum further directed the department to pay Rs 500 as cost of litigation.

According to the complaint, Mr Sharma had applied for a telephone connection, but the connection was given to him after he had filed a complaint before the forum. The consumer stated that the telephone (652255) was installed in January, 1998 and he had withdrawn the complaint, but after that his telephone remained dead on a number of occasions. It was alleged that whenever he approached the officials concerned to remove the defect, they delayed the matter. The complainant send the telephone had been lying dead since August, 2000.

The consumer alleged that there was a clear deficiency on the part of the department. He demanded from the forum a compensation of Rs 50,000 for harassment and restoration of his telephone connection.

The Telecom Department pleaded that sewerage work was going on in the area during July, August and December, 2000, and due to that cables of about 800 pairs had been stolen. The respondent stated that an FIR had also been lodged with the police. The department maintained the telephones in the area remained faulty because of theft of cables and the department had tried its best to remove the defects immediately. The respondent maintained that the fault occurred in August, 2000, was removed and to compensate the consumer a rent rebate had also been given for the period during which the telephone remained dead, that was from August 23 to 31, September 13 to 28 and December 3 to 11, 2000. The department stated that there was no deficiency in services and the complaint was liable to be dismissed.

The forum observed that the telephone of the consumer remained faulty on 15 occasions during 2000 and on three occasion it remained faulty for more than six days which showed that there was frequent faults. The forum further stated that there was no documentary evidence to prove that the services of Basant Vihar was also affected by the said theft of cables. 

CULTURE

‘Preserve heritage of state’ 
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 1
The youth should come forward to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the state, said Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, at a cultural function organised by the Punjab Cultural Promotion Council here last evening. Mr Dhindsa was also felicitated on the occasion. He urged the artists to present refined family programmes and appreciated the role being played by the council in this direction.

Directed by Mr Davinder Singh Chhina, Chairman of the Punjab Cultural Promotion Council, Punjab, the festival presented full colours of Punjabi culture like Punjabi folklore, traditional dances and comedy.

Gidha artists Jasveena Begum, Mandeep Dhillon and others presented “Jago” Devinder Chauhan, Harinder Hundal, Ms Sarabjit Mangat presented folk songs.

Mr Dhindsa honoured Baba Budh Singh Dhahan, Jaswant Kanwal, Nirmal Singh Bhangu, S.P. Singh, Nirmal Rishi, Jarnail Basota, Hira Lal Sharma, R.M. Singh, Jasveena Begum Dhadhi Sharif Idu, Sarabjeet Cheema and Madan Dolly Guleria with annual Virasat awards.

Tor Punjaban di, a cultural contest based on Punjabi culture was organised on the occasion. Fourteen girls from all over the state participated in three rounds, which included Tor Punjaban di, Punjabi Kitta (work) round and Sawal Jawab (introduction). The contest was choreographed by Nirmal Jaura, Jasveena Begum and Mandeep Dhillon. Attired in traditional Punjabi suits and lehngas, the girls from various districts were looking elegant while singing Boliyan on Charkha, Aheran and Chhajj Chhattana etc.

Roopinder Kaur Roop of GCW Amritsar was presented gold medal on being declared The Punjaban-2001.

Hardeep Kaur Neetu of Patiala and Paramjit Kaur Pammi were adjudged second and third in the contest. The “Suchaji Mutiyar” title was won by Amritsar-based Sukhi Pawar, Gidha di melan title by Pal Kaur of Talwandi Sabo and Tor Punjaban di Title was won by Jasvinder Kaur, also of Talwandi Sabo.