PCCTU begins stir with black badges
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 1
At least 6000 college teachers of non-government colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh will start the academic session beginning tomorrow wearing black badges as part of a calibrated phased protest to seek implementation of gratuity and pension scheme.

Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) president, Mr KBS Sodhi, said today “6,000 college teachers from 172 non-government colleges will start the first phase of their agitation by wearing black badges from tomorrow, the first day of the session after the summer vacation.”

The PCCTU president said a decision to this effect was taken by the executive committee of the union on June 23 in Ferozpore. Blaming the government for forcing the union to go on an agitation, he said: “The responsibility of the agitation falls on the government which has been callously indifferent to the repeated representations and appeals of the PCCTU.”

Elaborating on the agitation programe, Mr Sodhi said the agitation would gradually be stepped up culminating in a massive rally in the Assembly constituency of the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, in the last week of August.

He said in the second phase, teachers would hold dharnas outside the principals’ offices of their respective colleges on July 16, 18 and 20 and “ceasework” after the third period each day.

Mr Sodhi said that this would be followed by rallies before Deputy Commissioners’ offices on July 30, August 1 and August 3 at Jalandhar, Muktsar and Patiala, respectively.

Dharna by technical teachers
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, July 1
Members of the Unemployment Technical Teachers Institutions (UTTI), staged a dharna in front of the office of the DPI (Primary) here today. Members of the National Youth Federation (NYF) also joined them.

Addressing the gathering, the President of the NYF, Mr Harjinder Singh Bhanyu Khera, said that the Punjab Government had failed to understand students’ problems. He demanded that 7,230 posts which were lying vacant in various primary schools in the state should be filled immediately.

The president of the UTTI, Mr Sukhwinder Chahal, informed that about 500 employees from different unions of Punjab would join the chain fast on July 3. He informed that a member of the union, Ms Binder Kaur, who was forcibly taken by the city police on June 29, had once again joined the agitation. Ms Bindu joined the dharna after escaping from the General Hospital, where she was admitted.

Mr Balwant Singh Shahpur, MLA of Amloh, said that unemployed ETT teachers should be appointed against thousands of posts lying vacant in various schools of Punjab.

Bid to avoid confusion on interview dates
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 1
In order to avoid any confusion on clash of dates of interviews for the first-year bachelor of computer application, bachelor of commerce and bachelor of business administration courses in local colleges affiliated to Panjab University due to interviews scheduled for common dates on July 11, 12 and 13, it has been decided that the whole procedure will follow a planned schedule.

The local MCM DAV College is the centre for local admissions to these three courses. Reliable sources said that first day admissions would be carried out for the BCA course alone. If any time was left, the interviews for the B Com course would be second on the list.

PU BSc (II) results out
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 1
Panjab University has declared the results of the BSc II (general) examination conducted earlier this year, an official press release said here today. The results have been declared 43 days in advance this year as compared to the last session.

The university has also declared the results of the BA and BSc III (Honours) and the BEd (yoga), the official press release added.

PU MSc entrance test results
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 1
Panjab University today declared the results of the entrance examination to the MSc (honours) and MSc (two-year course) conducted in June.

Copies of the result gazette are available at the university enquiry counter on all working days.

The results can also be accessed at the website cet2001.puchd.ac.in.

CULTURE

Paintings donated to museum
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 1
Apprehensive of their being stolen or destroyed after his death, Sepoy Joginder Singh, a resident of SAS Nagar today presented two of his hand-embroided paintings to the Punjab Governor, Lieut-General JFR Jacob, who is also Administrator of Chandigarh, at the Punjab Raj Bhavan.

Sepoy Joginder Singh, who saw action in World War II, said that his anxiety was that his paintings should be presented to a person who could appreciate his works of art and retain these in a safe place. It was for this reason that he thought to present two of his paintings to General Jacob. Sepoy Joginder Singh worked 10 hours a day for three years to prepare these paintings.

“I have embroided 500 such paintings during the past 50 years”, said Sepoy Joginder Singh. He has already presented 60 paintings to the Chandigarh Administration for retaining them safely in the Art and Museum Gallery. The Governor has asked the Administration to create a special cell for these paintings. He added that he had presented 30 paintings to Kala Gram.

His regret is that the Punjab Government was not willing to honour him for his works. Earlier, he had presented 16 paintings to the Punjab Government during the Surjit Singh Barnala regime. These paintings are now in Sheesh Mahal at Patiala.

Sepoy Joginder Singh (80) had worked in the Army with General Jacob. He was a good friend of General Jacob, he said. He has also a good collection of coins and currency from all over the world.

Sepoy Surjit Singh also worked as a waiter for royal families. He stayed in the USA for five years and spent three years in the UK, where he served as a waiter.

The Governor thanked Sepoy Joginder Singh for donating his works to the Chandigarh Art Museum. He said his works would be properly displayed so that art-loving people could appreciate these.

Dance competition on July 7
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 1
The Citi Entertainment Network, Chandigarh, will organise Jhankar 2001, a dance competition, at Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh, on July 7 at 6 pm. This information was given by the director of the network in a press note here today.

Participants aged between 5 and 22 years will perform western, folk and film dances. The contestants will be divided into four categories. The winners will be given a chance to work in stage shows and video albums.

Audition for selection of male and female contestants will be held on July 6. The last date for submission of entry forms is July 5.