EDUCATION

Child Labour Rehabilitation Project launched
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 20
Child Labour Education Project has been launched in Ludhiana district to educate the children working in hazardous industries, said Dr B.C. Gupta, Principal Secretary, Labour Department, Punjab, while addressing a meeting of various non-governmental organisations at Bachat Bhavan here today.

He said the children in the age group 8 to 14 would be provided primary and vocational education under this project. He disclosed that 40 schools would be started under this project and 2,400 children have been identified for these schools. These schools have been adopted by 25 NGOs. He said the Government of India would provide financial assistance as salary of the teachers, stipend of Rs 100 pm to each student and money for mid-day meal for each student as well.

Underlining the important role and cooperation of NGOs, he urged these to come forward and take it as a mass movement. He said in Punjab these projects have been started in Jalandhar, Amritsar and Ludhiana only. The working children would be provided education upto Vth standard in the period of three years. After this, they can be admitted to government school for middle education or vocational education as desired.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr S.S. Channi, Labour Commissioner, Punjab said each school would have 50 children and two-hour teaching would be done daily and the profile of each child would be maintained in the school. He urged the NGOs to come forward for this noble cause and adopt the schools financially also.

Mr S.K. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of District Child Labour Welfare Society, said economic compulsions were the main reason behind the child labour. Mr Sandhu said committed and dedicated teachers would be kept in the schools to teach and guide these children, as the commitment to the cause was more important than any qualification. The society would allot funds to the NGOs as per requirement and they will have to submit the utilisation certification for that. He further said that complete monitoring of the project would be done from time to time and assured full cooperation with commitment and dedication by NGOs to run this project, he added.

Revision in salary demanded
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 20
At a meeting held here today, the Punjab Education Department Ministerial Staff Association demanded revision of the salaries of its members as per the scale introduced in January, 1986.

Stating this in a press note, Mr Shingara Singh, president, said that the members demanded that the posts of superintendent and assistant in the block offices should be filled. 

DC pulls up DEO(S)
Our Correspondent

Fatehgarh Sahib, August 20
The Deputy Commissioner pulled up the DEO (S) at the monthly development progress meeting held at Bachawat Bhavan here today for his failure to bring the meritorious students at the Independence Day function.

The DC expressed his displeasure as his directions to honour the outstanding students on Independence Day were not carried out. According to the proceedings of Independence Day, the names of those students, who had topped in their respective classes, were announced by the DPRO for prizes, but to the surprise of all none of the student came to take the prize and the district administration had to face an embarrassing situation before the minister.

CULTURE

Natak mela in September
Our Correspondent

Mandi Gobindgarh, August 20
The Natak Kala Sangam has decided to organise a three-day musical “natak mela” in September to mark its 25th anniversary. This was stated by Mr Sohan Lal Dhariwal, chief organiser of the function, in a press release here today.

He said that plays like Court Martial, Mata Deen Chand Par and Ghasia Hoya Aadmi, and folk dances from Rajasthan, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh like kalbelia, jhoomar, etc, would be presented. Raj Babbar and Gurdas Mann had been invited to the function, he said, adding that Bhag Singh, a film artist, would be its patron.