Animal welfare camp held
Our Correspondent

Jagraon, March 21
An animal welfare camp was organised at Bhammipura village, about 15 km from here, by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Punjab, as per the directions and guidance of Dr Harprem Singh Gill, Deputy Director Animal Husbandry, Ludhiana. Dr Ravinder Khullar Assistant Director inaugurated the camp.

According to Dr Paramjit Singh, Veterinary Officer, Jagraon, a team of doctors led by Dr Dev Parkash Chugh, Senior Veterinary Officer, examined 250 animals. Operations were performed free of cost.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Dev Parkash Chugh, SVO, stressed the need for timely vaccination of animals against FMD and HS diseases. He said such camps were being organised to inform farmers about various schemes of the department.

Specialists collected blood and fecal samples of animals for further investigations. Some pharmaceutical companies also put up their stalls for the benefit of farmers. Free medicines were given for diseased animals. Farmers of five nearby villages participated in the seminar.

According to Dr Chugh, next camp will be held at Pabbian village on March 26.

Course concludes
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 21
A 10-day advance training course on ‘Management of Apis mellifera (Italian honey bee)’ organised by the Centre for Excellence in Apiculture, Department of Entomology, Punjab Agricultural University, concluded here today.

Dr G.S. Dhaliwal, Head of the Department of Entomology and course director, said bee-keeping scientists from Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab participated in the training course which was sponsored by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Dr G.S. Gatoria, senior entomologist and coordinator of the course, said during the training, scientists were acquainted with the use of latest agricultural equipment, bee management, mass queen bee rearing on commercial scale etc. Dr B.S. Chahal, chairman, Punjab State Beekeepers’ Federation, cautioned the scientists against the spread of honey bee diseases. 

COURTS

Forum directs New India Assurance to pay 
Rs 1.80 lakh
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 21
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the New India Assurance Company, to pay Rs 1,80,000 on account of the loss of insured vehicle of M/s Piara Lal Prem Chand of Jagraon. The forum has further directed that the payment should be made within 15 days of the receipt of the registration card and other documents for the transfer of the car in favour of the company and salvaging of the vehicle. The forum also directed that in case the payment would not be made within 15 days as directed, then the amount would be payable with interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum from September 27, 2001, till the actual payment.

According to the complaint the car (PB-10-V-6917) was insured with the insurance company for the period from May 19, 2000, to May 18, 2001, after payment of the premium. It was stated that Mr Parveen Kumar who was a partner in the firm, along with Mistri Mukthiar Singh was going to Delhi in the said car when it met with an accident near Panipat on December 31, 2000.

Mr Parveen Kumar stated that he was having valid driving licence and he himself was driving the car when after bursting the rear tyre, it had fallen in the low lying area adjacent to the highway. “In this mishap both of them received injuries and car was badly damaged. He lodged the DDR no 14 with the Chandni Bagh Police Station on the same day,” he said.

Mr Kumar disclosed that the information regarding the accident was also given to the company office at Panipat and as such a surveyor of the Panipat office visited the site and noted down the details at the spot regarding the loss. He further disclosed that the car was brought to Jagraon after spending Rs 2,020 on transportation of the damaged car. After that the consumer approached the company office at Raikot and the manager of the branch adviced him to get the estimate of repair of the car, he added.

The complainant said an estimate of repair of the car of Rs 2,87, 601 was prepared by the Chada Motors where the car was parked and it was submitted to the surveyor along with other required documents. He further said he approached the company office for the payment of the claim but to no avail. It was alleged that there was clear deficiency on the part of the company for making payment of the claim of Rs 2,87,601 after investigation of the case.

The company pleaded that the complaint was pre-mature since the complainant had not given sufficient time to it to process the claim. The respondent stated, “The claim has not been repudiated so far.” The respondent maintained that after processing the claim, a letter had been written to complainant on September 10, 2001, that the competent authority had agreed to approve the claim of Rs 1,80,000 at total basis and in order to enable the company to release the cheque, he should get the vehicle transferred in its name.

The company explained that the complainant had to handover the key of the vehicle also and to inform as to whether the financer was still involved or not. However, the ownership of the vehicle of the complainant and insurance were not denied. Moreover, lodging of the claim was also not disputed. The company stated that since there was no deficiency on its part, the complaint was liable to be dismissed.

The forum observed that it was an admitted fact the accident took place and the claim was lodged with the company. The forum further observed that the consumer filed the complaint on June 12, 2001, while the report of the surveyor was received by the company on June 27, 2001.

The forum stated that according to the report the loss was assessed at total loss basis at Rs 1,80,000. The forum further stated that the company had even offered the payment to consumer but he refused since he wanted more money than the amount assessed. The forum held that the consumer was entitled to recover the amount assessed by the surveyor appointed by the company.