EDUCATION

PAU staff union holds rally
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 17
The Punjab Agricultural University Employees Union organised a rally in front of Thapar Hall, the Administrative Block of the university to press for their long-pending demands.

Addressing the rally the union president, Mr D.P. Maur and the general secretary, Mr Amritpal said despite the Supreme Court orders providing autonomy to the universities the state government was unnecessarily interfering with the functioning of the PAU as far as the demands of employees were considered.

They said that due to the interference of the government important decisions taken by the Board of Management are not being implemented by the audit department. Implementation of payment of G-4 arrears on the pattern of Secretariate, time bound personal promotion and filling up of vacant posts were among the demands of the employees.

The union leaders further detailed that the decision of Board of Management include G-4 patterns for truck drivers, special allowances at double the rate to all the drivers, incentive increments, G-4 pattern for left over categories.

They announced that dharnas will be organised simultaneously in all the universities of the state as well as the office of the Education Boards on January 23, 24, 25 and 26.

PCCTU seeks support for march 
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 17
Protesting against the ‘‘anti-higher education policies’’ of the Punjab Government, the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) has sought the support of leaders of political parties, trade unions students, their parents and the intelligentsia for a march to be held at Jalandhar on January 23.

Stating this in a press note, Prof K.B.S. Sodhi, President, PCCTU, blamed the government for reduction in grant-in-aid to non-government colleges. He said the government had misappropriated an amount of Rs 21 crore received from the HRD Ministry for payment of arrears to staff of non-government colleges. Prof Sodhi declared that more protest rallies would be organised later and the next schedule decided on January 23. 

Schools to have eco-clubs
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 17
Students from over 98 schools of the district will soon be selected to form an eco-club to be funded by the Central Government.

This was decided at the concluding function of a two-day state-level workshop on environment management at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Punjab Agricultural University, here today.

Giving this information, Ms Samishta Bawa, District Science Supervisor, said each school would be represented by 50 students of Classes V-XII and work on projects related to pollution control and tree plantations. The students would endeavour to keep their environment clean, plant more saplings and bring awareness regarding dangers of environment pollution among students and the masses. Also, present of the workshop were Ms Usha Sidhu, District Education Officer, Ms Manjit Kaur, Deputy Education Officer, and Ms Gurdip Kaur, principal of the host school.

Decentralisation to zonal level
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 17
The local Municipal Corporation has achieved the distinction of perhaps being the first local body in northern India to have total decentralisation to zone level with the shifting of the Zone D office to a new building in Sarabha Nagar here yesterday. MC staff organised a function, including a kirtan darbar and langar, to mark the occasion. Mr R.L. Kalsia, Commissioner, along with senior officials took part.

Later speaking to Ludhiana Tribune, Mr Kalsia said with the shifting of the Zone D office to the new building, all four zonal offices, headed by respective zonal commissioners, were in place and fully functional. With the decentralisation to the zone level, all public dealing works would be dealt with the respective zones and the public would not have to visit the head office.