The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

Declamation contest
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 20
The Ved Prachar Mandal organised a declamation contest at Sanatan Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Civil Lines, here today.

Students spoke on different topics, including “working of Swami Dayanand”, “Life of Guru Gobind Singh”, “Contribution of Arya Samaj for freedom”, “Importance of spirituality in our modern education” and “Effect of modern society on Indian youth”.

Deepika and Nitin from Tagore House won the first prize, followed by Gaurav and Sarabjeet from Nehru House and Sonia Thakur and Sonia Sharma from Gandhi House. Aastha from Tagore House got the consolation prize.

Mr Prem Chand Gupta and Mr C.L. Sachdeva, members of the managing committee, gave away prizes to the winners. Mr Roshan Lal, President of the Ved Prachar Mandal, said that it was the duty of the parents and teachers to impart moral education to the students.

PAU professor honoured
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 20
Dr G.S. Bilaspuri, a senior professor of reproductive biology in the Department of Zoology, Punjab Agricultural University, has been honoured with an international award of $ 1000 in the VII International Congress of Andrology held at Montreal, Canada. He presented four research papers on testis, epididymis and semen of buffalo and goat in this conference which was organised by the American Society of Andrology and International Society of Andrology (ISA) and attended by more than 1,000 scientists from all over the world. Dr Bilaspuri was also honoured with appreciation and congratulatory letter by Mr Gurbax Singh Malhi, Deputy Minister in the Govt of Canada.

Dr Bilaspuri was the youngest and the only basic scientist in the delegation of five Indian scientists to represent this country in the world buffalo congress held in Bulgaria in 1991 where he presented a series of research papers. He also obtained advance training on in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer. He has participated in about 30 national and international conferences. Under his leadership, his research team has been awarded four best research paper awards in national conferences on agriculture, andrology, biomedicine and veterinary sciences.

COURTS

Consumer forum fines BSNL
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 20
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to pay Rs 5,000 on account of deficiency in services along with Rs 500 as cost of litigation to Dr Manmohan Lama a resident of Mundian Kalan. The forum has also directed the BSNL to restore the telephone connection of the complainant within a week from the receipt of the order.

According to the complaint, the consumer had a telephone connection (651649) at his farmhouse. He stated before the forum that he received a bill for Rs 705 which he deposited at a TRA cash counter on December, 2000, but his telephone was made CNP (closed due to non-payment).

According to the consumer, he approached nigam officials and told them that he had deposited the bill, but he did not have the receipt of the payment as the records were maintained by his compounder who was on leave. But the nigam officials allegedly did not listen to him. After that he rang up his bank to check whether the payment made by a cheque was cleared by the bank or not and he was told that the cheque was cleared on December 15, 2000. The consumer told the nigam officials about the same but they allegedly did not do anything to restore the telephone connection.

The respondent stated that had the consumer adopted the proper procedure the disconnection would have been avoided. There was no deficiency in services and the complaint was liable to be dismissed, it added.

The forum observed that the consumer had paid the bill for Rs 705 along with surcharge of Rs 20 on December 7, 2000, about one month after the due date. The forum observed that the telephone was made CNP after the bill was deposited.

The forum stated that If the payment was made at the TRA cash counter, the BSNL was bound to check the payment before making the telephone CNP. The forum further stated that the payment was to be entered in the records even if it was made late. Moreover, the complainant was not given any notice to produce the particular of payment before making the telephone CNP, the forum added.

After hearing the representative for the consumer and counsel for the BSNL, the forum held that there was a clear deficiency in service on the part of the BSNL.

3-yr RI for 8 on impersonation charge
Our Correspondent

Jagraon, September 20
The Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Mr Hari Singh Grewal, has sentenced eight persons — Singara Singh and Didar Singh of Phullanwal police station, Ludhiana, Zora Singh, Bahadur Singh, Jabar Singh and Amar Singh of Nangal (Haryana), Sukhdev Singh of Binjal and Mrs Parsin Kaur of Roomi — to 3 years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine on them on a charge of impersonation. They have been convicted under Sections 419, 467, 468, 120-B, IPC.

According to the prosecution, Mrs Parsin Kaur impersonated as Bachan Kaur on September 2,1996, before the Subregistrar, Raikot, though Bachan Kaur had died in July 1996. Parsin Kaur impersonating as Bachan Kaur then executed a registered sale deed of 38 kanal 4 marla plot of land for Rs 3,58000.

According to the prosecution, a letter was received from the office of Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana bearing No 2148/HRC on the subject and for lodging of an FIR as the Joint Subregistrar, Raikot, had informed that Zora Singh, Bahadur Singh, Jabar Singh, Amar Singh and Bachan Kaur had got a sale deed bearing No 184 dated September 2, 1996, executed in forms of Shingar Singh and Didar Singh of Phullawal.

CULTURE

Ru-ba-ru with Kulwant Jagraon
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 20
A ru-ba-ru programme was organised with a noted Punjabi poet, Kulwant Jagraon by G.G.N. Khalsa College, Ludhiana Prof, Balwant introduced the poet to the audience and lauded his contribution to the growth of Punjabi poetry. Prof, Avtar Singh Dhodhi spoke at length about his four books on anthology. He told the audience that Kulwant Jagraon had a great deal of versatility in his poetry. In his books , he has always spoken for the cause of down trodden and condemned repression, fundamentalism and orthodoxy. He has propogated love, peace and brotherhood.

Prof Gurwant singh talked about his simplicity and humility and said, “his poems have lyrical quality in them. His gazals carry deep meaning and can be set to music.” On popular demand Kulwant Jagraon recited a few of his famous poems and gazals.

He was honoured by the Principal of the college ,Mr.Kuldip Singh.