The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

AGRICULTURE

Govt to promote fish farming
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 21
The state government has formulated a comprehensive plan to promote fish farming as a profitable alternative to traditional paddy — wheat crop rotation in Punjab. Under the plan, water and soil testing laboratories are being set up at divisional levels to provide the testing facility for the fish ponds.

Announcing this at a state-level seminar on fish farming here today, Dr Rattan Singh, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, said the fisheries department had plans to enhance the production of fish seed of better quality from the present 3 crores to 10 crores annually. For this purpose, the Central Government was extending a financial assistance of Rs 1 crore. The seminar, first of its kind in the state, was organised by the fisheries department.

The minister informed that proper training of minimum 3 months’ duration of fish farming would be arranged for the potential fish farmers at the existing big fish ponds, where the youth would have to go through each and every activity of fish farming, right from the insertion of the fish seed to the marketing, so that the trained youth could learn maximum from the valuable experience of the established fish farmers about the production and marketing of their produce. The prevailing training of 3 to 5 days’ duration, he observed, was not sufficient to prepare the farmers. The fish farming was a much profitable venture as compared to the agriculture and there was a big scope of diverting more and more rural youth towards this profession.

Dr Ajnala said in fish farming, the major portion of the profit was being eaten by the middlemen and Punjab farmers, at their level, were not giving proper attention to the marketing of the fish, which was mainly being carried out by the migrant labour. He exhorted the fish farmers to strive to earn the full remuneration of their produce by making direct marketing. The fish farmers should get themselves properly organised on the pattern on the farmers of coastal states, so that they unitedly could make use of latest information technology and Internet facilities to explore the domestic and international markets and get their problems solved through a single effective platform.

Giving details of the achievements in fish farming of the state, the minister said during the past four years, the area under fish production had been enhanced from 4000 hectares to 6000 hectares, as a result of which, fish production had increased to 52,000 tonnes per year from 32,000 tonnes in 1996-97. He said during this period, the department had doubled the subsidy on the loans to Rs 40,000 per hectare for new ponds and from Rs 8000 to Rs 12000 for the renovation of old ponds.

He said with the coordinated efforts of fish farmers and the department, the average fish production of the state had increased from 4100 kg to 5000 kg per hectare against the average national per hectare production of only 2200 kg. It was for the first time that the Jagjeevan Ram National Award for Agriculture had been won by a fish farmer from the state. He assured the fish farmers to take up their demands, including the exemption on octroi on fish to be carried by other vehicles than trolleys, and to sort out power and subsidy-related problems.

The minister added that the required directions for giving panchayat ponds in villages on lease for a minimum period of 10 years to the fish farmers from the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats, for which the provision had already been made in the law. Mr Ajnala said a meeting of fish farmers would be arranged with the Chief Minister soon to settle the demands relating to power subsidy, bone separating machines, and waiving of charges of the visits of the field staff of the department.

Mr D. S. Jaspal, Secretary, Animal Husbandry, while addressing the farmers, said the marketing of fish in Punjab was not an organised trade and only because of the marketing through the middlemen were the farmers unable to avail themselves of the total profit of their produce. He said the latest techniques based on information technology also needed to be introduced in fish farming, replacing the traditional system. He remarked that the department would explore the possibility of involving big companies in the production of fish feed, improvement of quality of fish seed and marketing facilities in the state.

Mr M. L. Kaushal, Director, Animal Husbandry, Punjab, informed that this year the department would extend subsidy on loans amounting to Rs 80 lakh to the fish farmers for the improvement in fish farming, out of which Rs 50 lakh had been released by the Central Government and the remaining Rs 10 lakh were being released shortly. He said the share of the Punjab Government of Rs 20 lakh subsidy was also being expected to be released shortly.

EDUCATION

200 take part in painting contest
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 21
An inter-class painting and craft contest was organised at New Senior Secondary School, Sarabha Nagar, here today.

Over 200 students from Classes IV to XII participated in the contest which was categorised into four groups. Group A comprised students from Classes IV and V, Group B included students from Classes VI and VII, Group C comprised students of Class VIII and IX and Group D included students from Classes X, XI and XII.

The five topics given to the students included ‘Pollution’, ‘Drug abuse’, ‘Effects of overpopulation’, ‘Traffic rules and their effects’ and ‘Children of new generation’. The contestants used pencils, crayon colours, water colours, blow pens, glitters and other materials to give varied effects to their paintings.

Mr H.C. Gupta, Principal of the school, said that results would be declared within a week and winners would participate in a district-level contest to be held shortly.

COURTS

HC stays appointment
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 21
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Union Public Service Commission not to make appointments to the post of Associate Professor of Neurosurgery till further orders.

Mr Justice R.S. Mongia and Mr Justice R.C. Kathuria of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in their order issued on May 15 on a civil writ petition filed by Dr Yashbir Dewan, Reader and Head, Neurosurgery Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, have ordered, “If the appointments to the post of Associate Professor of Neurosurgery pursuant to the interview stated to have been conducted on 19-04-2001 have not been made, the same would not be made till further orders”.

Dr Dewan had applied for the post of Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Health, specialist grade II. The interview was held on April 19, 2001. Dr Dewan contended that he had received the interview call in Ludhiana by post on April 19 only after the interview had started and there was no way that he could reach the place of interview which was to be conducted in Delhi. He had already informed the office telegraphically.

Arguing that this was not a postal delay, he said the interview letter from the UPSC bore the date of April 17 and asked how it could reach Ludhiana on time, particularly when the interview was scheduled for April 19. Referring to the telegram mentioned in the letter, which was reportedly sent in advance, Dr Dewan said it was received after the date of interview, which was proved by the postal stamp on the telegram.

Apprehending some mala fide intention in the delay in issue of interview letter, Dr Dewan pointed out that the applications were lying with the UPSC for a couple of months and the interviews were conducted in such a haste that no time gap was kept for the dispatch and the receipt of letters.

CULTURE

Kahani paricharcha, mushaira organised
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 21
The Preet Sahitya Sadan organised a kahani paricharcha and a mushaira at Punjabi Bhavan yesterday. It was a well-attended function. In the kahani paricharcha a compilation of short stories of Darshan Mitwa titled ‘Sidarth Ki Maut’ was discussed. A critical appraisal of the short stories was done by writer Dr Balwant Singh of Chandigarh. Talking about the book he said, “The stories are well written and reveal harsh realities of the modern age and truth of our society. His characters are lifelike and one can easily identify oneself with them.”

Ajaib Chitarkar,Gurbhajan Gill, Sardar Paanchi, Hasanpuri, Amarjit Kaur Naz, Kulwant Jagraon, Gurcharan Kaur Koachar and Om Parkash Gaso all luminaries of Punjabi literature were present on the occasion. Dr Manoj Kumar conducted the stage very ably.

Mr Om Parkash Gaso, a novelist, speaking on the occasion said, “Our culture is getting corrupted rapidly. The writers should try to stem the rot. Society without art and culture is meaningless and incomplete. There was a time when we possessed and cherished the values of honesty, integrity, compassion and had a great deal of dedication towards our work and profession. But sadly there has been a slide in our moral character. Cinema and TV have become all pervasive, but I can say that books will always hold their esteemed position and can never be replaced. Literary works record faithfully the history of time. Writer is extremely sensitive to the needs of the time and is aware of the ills prevalent in the society. He, through his writings, tries to bring in the winds of change.

In the second part of the programme, shama for the mushaira was lighted by Gurbhajan Gill. Sardar Paanchi sang, Gaya hain kaun phir toofan ki zanibkishtian lekar, ki sahil ro rahey hain siskian pe siskian ro kar. Janga Nand Puri said that his song ‘Bolo tara rara’ was sold by him for a meagre sum of Rs 250 to Daler Mehndi. The song brought much fame to Daler. He presented a few lines from his composition, Ashiq nu ashiqui da rehenda jo saroor hai, eh ta sara sonya naina da kasoor hai.

Anees Ahmed from Rae Bareli sang Laga chunri main daag and Muhbat karne wale kam na honge, par teri mehfil mein hum na honge. Other poets who read out their poems were Anil Mehta Fakir, Surinder Seema and Savi Singh.