PCCTU urges CM to release grant
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 12
The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) has urged the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to reverse the ‘‘anti-higher education policies’’ of the SAD-BJP government.

In a telegram to the Chief Minister, Prof K.B.S. Sodhi, president, PCCTU, requested him to intervene immediately and said the bureaucracy was going ahead with the policies and decisions of the previous government which had been voted out.

He urged upon the Chief Minister to release the grant-in-aid for the fourth quarter of the financial year 2001-02 to help the colleges come out of the ongoing fiscal crisis and to enable them to pay salaries of the staff.

While thanking the Chief Minister for including the implementation of pension-gratuity scheme and updating of 95 per cent grant-in-aid scheme in election manifesto of the Congress, Prof Sodhi demanded a speedy follow-up of these to re-affirm the credibility of the new government among academicians.

He demanded that the sum of Rs 21.35 crore received as payment of arrears to the college teachers by the state government from the Centre in March last year should be restored to colleges soon.

The PCCTU demanded revival of the State Council of Higher Education with the Chief Minister as its chairman to reverse the higher education policies, review the fees and fund structure and re-assess the performance and conduct of VCs appointed by the former Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, at Punjabi University and Punjab Technical University.

Prof Sodhi has also demanded that the VC at Punjabi University should be removed before the commencement of examination or else the union would give a call for the boycott of examination. 

Teachers to meet minister
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 12
To discuss a complaint of fraud against a clerk of the Pakhowal block, the Democratic Teachers Front has decided to meet the Education Minister tomorrow.

Stating this in a press note, Mr Joginder Azad, its district secretary, said the clerk had misappropriated Rs 4 lakh from the GPF account of a teacher of Government Primary School, Gujarwal village. He said similarly there was a complaint against the same clerk for misappropriating almost the same amount from the account of another teacher sometime back.

Mr Azad alleged that the clerk was working in connivance with some other officers of the block.

PCTE overall winner
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 12
Students of the Punjab College of Technical Education (PCTE) emerged as overall winners of Crescendo, an inter-college youth festival, which concluded at the Gujranwala Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology, here today.

Prize distribution of the three-day cultural festival was held for which Mr Kuldip Singh, SDM, was the chief guest. On the occasion, students from the host college, who did not participated in the contests, presented a cultural programme.

The programme began with ‘shabads’, followed by a comic skit titled ‘Swayambhra’. Gagan and Noorjahan presented Punjabi dance on ‘Naag saambh lai’. Suneeta, an MCA student, performed a solo dance ‘Kehna hai kya’. Students of BCA presented western group dance.

Nearly 20 students from the college attired in traditional Indian dresses participated in a fashion show. Mandeep enthralled the audience with his song ‘Pyar to hona hi tha’. ‘Jehad’, a skit based on Kashmir-related problems, was also staged. Alexander and group performed western dance. A choreography titled ‘Crescendo’ won much applause.

The programme concluded with ‘bhangra’ presented by students of BBA and BCA classes.

Results of the inter-college contests held last evening are: Mehndi: Sanjali of the Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology 1; Seema of the PCTE 2; and Payal of Khalsa College for Women 3.

Quiz: Gautam Sikri and Nitin Ahluwalia of the PCTE 1; Sandeep and Rajesh of SCD Government College 2; and Pankaj and Amandeep of the Guru Teg Bahadur National Institute of Management and Technology 3.

Fashion show: PCTE 1; GNIMT 2; and GTBNIMT 3. Western group dance: PCTE 1; GNIMT 2; and the Institute of Management Studies 3.

Just a minute: Vidhi Aggarwal of GNIMT 1; Anvita Aggarwal of the PCTE 2; and Bikramjit Singh of the Government College for Boys 3.

Cartoon making: Gagandeep of the PCTE 1; Vikas of the GCB 2; and Dheeraj of the Doraha Institute of Management and Technology 3.

Children's park inaugurated
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 12
The newly renovated children's park and the newly constructed Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Hall of New Senior Secondary School, Sarabha Nagar, were inaugurated by Mr Sunil Maria, president of the school management committee, here yesterday.

Mr H.C.Gupta, Principal of the school, in a press note issued today said the park had been specially designed and renovated keeping in view the latest techniques in the field of primary education by using visual aids for the mental and physical development of the children. A skating rink has also been made operational at the school.

Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Hall will serve as a multipurpose hall and as a theatre for the students where by the use of TV and CD player, cultural and educational films too will be screened.

Addressing the guests, Mr Sunil Maria expressed his gratitude to the Principal and his team of workers for completing the work with in a limited period.