The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

AGRICULTURE

Need for evolving low-cost technologies
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 29
Dr K.S. Sekhon, Dean, Postgraduate Studies, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), yesterday advised the scientists to lay emphasis on evolving low-cost agricultural technologies which could be easily afforded by the poor sections of society.

Dr Sekhon was speaking at the inauguration of a one-month advanced training course in biological sciences organised by the College of Basic Sciences here. Dr Sekhon advocated the development of small-scale industries in rural areas so that rural youths could get employment, thereby increasing the purchasing power of the rural people.

Dr M.A. Zaheer, Dean, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, delivered the keynote address on the management of scientific research and education. Advocating the importance of basic sciences, Dr Zaheer said: “If you have the problem, go back to the basics and you get the solution.”

EDUCATION

PAU broiler adjudged best
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 29
A variety of broiler developed by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), broiler cross, I. B.L. — 80, has been adjudged the best in the Fifteen Random Sample Test, conducted by the Government of India in Gurgaon this year.

The judgement was made on the basis of overall performance, calculated on the basis of body weight, feed efficiency, dressing percentage and profit margins. Dr Bhupinder Singh, senior poultry geneticist and principal investigator of the all-India coordinated research project on poultry improvement in the university, said that the PAU broiler had attained the top position in respect of profit margins, feed conversion and dressing percentage.

Dr Bhupinder Singh said that there was a great demand of broiler chicks from the public sector as well as private breeders. The broiler developed by the university was also supplied to the Directorate on Poultry at Hyderabad, from where it got propagated in the southern states, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

It is worth mentioning here that the PAU had the distinction of developing the first indigenous broilers during the eighties when it was released at the national level by the Variety Release Committee, constituted jointly by the ICAR and the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.

He also said that out of the four centres set up all over the country for research in broiler improvement, the PAU centre had the distinction to supply the maximum number of broiler parents and commercial chicks to breeders and farmers.

Final test of talent for children
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 29
A dance contest to spot the talent at a month-long workshop for children was held in Guru Nanak International School of Model Town here. The workshop was conducted by Aruna and Jyotika Verma.

In the contest titled ‘Halla Gulla’, 40 students of different schools participated. In the month-long workshop, students were taught Indian, Punjabi folk and western dances. Kids were also given training in modeling and personality development.

For children, it was a final test of their talents today, the judges for which were Kiran and Pritpal Saini.

Jagraon girls win laurels
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 29
Students of BA final year, Lajpat Rai DAV College, Jagraon, have bagged top four positions in the district in the examination conducted by the Panjab University this year.

Jyoti Arora has stood first in the district by scoring 1,926 marks out of the total of 2,400 marks. Shipra Gupta has stood second with 1,894 marks and Jinni Bansal has bagged third rank with 1,846 marks and Priyanka Dua has stood fourth with 1,845 marks.

Dr R.P Dhand, Principal, has congratulated the students for getting good results.

COURTS

Forum quashes PSEB demand
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 29
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has quashed a demand of the Punjab State Electricity Board of Rs 43,125 from Ms Bimla Rani of Sardar Nagar. The forum has further directed the board to restore the electricity connection within 10 days.

In her complaint, Ms Bimla Rani had said that she received a bill of Rs 43,125 from the board in October 2000 for replacement of the meter and alleged overhauling of the meter which was “running slow” by 78 per cent. She alleged that later the newly installed meter was also removed and since then she was without electricity.

The complainant had further stated that the defective meter was removed in April last year and she was never informed about its checking in the laboratory. It may be mentioned that as per rules, the meter when replaced has to be packed and sealed in card board box with signatures of consumer and the board employee. Later, a notice regarding the testing of the meter has to be sent to the consumer prior to the testing date. However, she said that no such rule was followed by board employees.

Ms Bimla Rani had said that the forum’s demand be quashed and she be paid a compensation of Rs 10,000. In reply, the board had said that there had been no deficiency of services and the meter was checked in the presence of additional superintendent engineer and a junior engineer and the case was reported to be of measured theft.

However, the forum notes that since the consumer was not present at the time of checking of the meter in the laboratory, the demand of the PSEB was liable to be quashed. It stated that the demand related to theft be set aside on technical grounds and connection be restored. The forum also denied any compensation or costs to the complainant.

CULTURE

Life after death — a play with a message
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, June 29
“The human form is destructible. Why not make use of it after death? Did not Maharishi Dhadichi gift his skeleton to Devtas in order to save them? Why not gift away organs of your body to help the suffering humanity?” This was the essence of the street play ‘Life after Death’, which was performed this afternoon in Punjab Agricultural University.

The artists had come from Lucknow to perform the play- “Mrityu Paridhi aur Kendra” with the message of organ donation after death. This was the 87th presentation of the play of Yaya Var - Rang anushthan Manch. The chorus sang in the beginning of the play :

‘khoon ka gara bana hai it jisme haddiyan

jab ise hilayigi, khak shah ki imarat, khak me mil jayegi.”

The theme of the play was that after death even the dearest person is not tolerated at home. The relatives want the body to be cremated or buried, and do not want to wait for long. So why not make death meaningful by donating organs to patients and sufferer so that they get a new lease of life.The players used ‘chopais’ from Ramayana, Mahabharat and Vedas to put across their message.

One of the artists sang that races perish but noble people and their noble deeds transcend all barriers of time and live

Another one read the message of a soul struggling for life in ICCU. But he tells his family that in case he becomes brain dead, there is no need to make him live on ventilators. Rather let his eyes see the blind the love of his beloved and let the person on the dialysis breathe peacefully. Similarly, let his blood, bones, liver, spleen, skin be given to the needy. He further instructs his family that they should cremate his sins and the remains of his body, and let the ashes be scattered on the ground so that flowers bloom.

The director of the play Jitendra Mittal, said,” We have named our drama company Rang Anushtan. Anushthan means ‘yagna’. For us the staging of this play is like performing of sacred ‘yagna’. All 13 artists are working, but all of us tour for 10 days at a stretch to various states to give the message of organ donation.One person can help 12 needy people by donating organs. I was inspired to write such a play because I found out that in the PGI, Chandigarh, only four organ transplants had taken place between the years 1989 to 2000.We are going down South in winters.

Mittal has written 27 plays. He has staged one play with inmates of a jail.

In the last scene, the artists tell the public that organs can neither be bought nor sold. These cannot be taken forcefully. So they take the vow that they would donate their organs.

He said it was no use carrying ‘organ donation forms’ as actual donations had to be done by the family. He had used ‘Chiatanya’ form of dance steps to motivate the people emotionally and religiously.

Prof Jagmohan (nephew of martyr Bhagat Singh) of PAU lauded the efforts of the artists and so did the crowd. Yaya-var Rang Anushthan would present three more shows of the play before proceeding to Amritsar.

Kerala Kalavedi functions
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 29
Kerala Kalavedi, which was organised in 1981 by some enthusiastic Keralites, is going to celebrate its 17th anniversary. Looking back to the years of achievement since its inception, it has maintained a good record all these years in terms of arts and sports programmes, extending help to the poor and having harmonious relation with the people in and around the city. And this has been possible with the collective efforts of the members of the organisation.

Every year it is celebrating Onam and Christmas with enthusiasm and rejoicing mood by arranging various cultural programmes.