AGRICULTURE

Power, procurement situations bad: BKU
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 4
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) has said here that the Punjab Government and the Punjab State Electricity Board are responsible for poor power supply to the agriculture sector. It says that the average is two hours of power supply at most in a day.

The BKU chief here, Mr Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, and the secretary general of the unit, Mr Manjit Singh Kadian, said farmers who had adopted diversification were not being able to irrigate their fields due to erratic and inadequate power supply.

They urged the government to give a minimum of eight hours of power supply, if it wanted farmers to adopt diversification. Mr Lakhowal and Mr Kadian also said the government’s claim that the procurement of wheat was going on smoothly was false. “Farmers are still being made to wait for days together to sell their produce and there is almost no lifting. Most grain markets cannot accommodate more procured grain and farmers are being harassed by officials of procurement agencies. There have been complaints of delayed payments,” the BKU men said.

EDUCATION

Plan to set up residential law university
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 4
The Advocate General, Punjab, Mr Harbhagwan Singh, has said that the government was making efforts to establish a residential law university on the pattern of Bangalore and Hyderabad law universities. Without giving further details, he said he had recently visited Hyderabad to attend a valedictory function in a residential law university. A plan of a similar law school would soon be given a final shape by the government, he said.

Mr Singh had come here to inaugurate a 10-bed dialysis unit in Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib Charitable Hospital today. These dialysis units had been imported from England which were donated by people on the persuasion of Professor K.S. Chugh, former head of the Department of Nephrology, PGI, Chandigarh.

While talking to Ludhiana Tribune, he said, “The plan of establishing a residential law university is under consideration and after selecting proper location, a formal announcement will be made in this regard.” He said like some other residential law universities, this university would also be on the outskirts of the main city.

He said, “It is the need of the hour that we should improve the standard of education, particularly in the field of law and medicine, in the state. Being a lawman, I would do my level-best for the success of this project.”

While commenting on corruption in the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), he said, “The investigation agency has not completed the investigation and as soon as it is complete, the state will ensure that the guilty is penalised.” He said the government was examining whether it could remove the government employees who got jobs during the tenure of tainted PPSC Chairman, Ravi Sidhu.

Mr Singh said the state would engage some good lawyers to represent the state in the PPSC case.

While replying to a question, whether daily news reports were advertisements of the governments?, he said, “This is not an advertisement campaign, but a crusade against corruption. We are not targeting our political opponents. But some big names have been coming up in the investigation and if there is any politician involved, he or she should not be spared for any reason.”

PAU entrance tests schedule released
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 4
Punjab Agricultural University has released the schedule for entrance tests to various graduate and postgraduate courses offered by it for the coming academic session.

The tests would begin in June and continue till the end of July. Entrance test to MBA would be held on June 15 and would be followed by group discussion and interview of the successful candidates on June 16.

Common entrance test to BSc Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences would be held on June 26.

Entrance tests to various postgraduate courses in veterinary sciences would be held on July 4, basic sciences (Biochemistry, Microbiology, Botany, Genetics and Zoology) and Physics on July 8, Chemistry on July 9, Journalism on July 10, Home Science on July 15, Agricultural Engineering on July 19, Civil Engineering and Computer Sciences on July 20 and Agriculture on July 24.

Following the tests, counselling of selected candidates for basic sciences would be held on July 29, Home Science on July 30, Agricultural Engineering on August 30, Agricultural Engineering on August 2 and Veterinary Sciences on August 3. Registration would be held on August 5 and new academic session would commence on August 6. Meanwhile, the sale of prospectus and admission forms has got under way on the campus. 

Annual day celebrated at BCM School
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 4
To honour the students for their performance in academics, sports and cultural activities, the management and staff of BCM Senior Secondary School, Sector-32, Chandigarh Road, celebrated its annual prize distribution function here yesterday.

On the occasion, nearly 400 students received prizes for academics, 350 students got prizes for inter-house activities and 75 students got awards of honour in sports like basketball, roller skates, volleyball and kho-kho.

The function began with Saraswati vandana, followed by an enchanting performance by tiny tots on song ‘Manu bhai motor chale’. Fabulous performance by kids on Punjabi song ‘Chappa chappa charkha chale’ kept the audience enthralled. A English play ‘Ganga’ raised questions about pollution of River Ganga by different pollutants. The function concluded with a thrilling performance by senior girls, who performed a Rajasthani dance. The play ‘Ganga’ and Rajasthani dance were adjudged the best performances of the day.

Mr Yog Raj Sachdeva, joint secretary, Chandigarh zone of the CBSE, was the chief guest. Mr S.D. Kalia, Principal, read the annual report of the school. Mr S.K. Mehta, manager of the school, said that all efforts would be made to ensure overall development of the school students. Mr Satyanand Munjal, president, was also present on the occasion. 

School celebrates anniversary
Our Correspondent

Samrala, May 4
Sant Kirpal Singh Sewa Panthi Public School, Neelon, 9 km from here, celebrated its ninth anniversary, yesterday. The foundation stone of the school building was also laid by Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon, MLA, Samrala, on this occasion.

The function started with the chanting of Japujee Sahib path by the students and staff members. More than 200 parents of the children participated.

On this occasion Miss A. Bakhshi, director of the school, welcomed the chief guest and others distinguished personalities, including Mr Jaspal Singh Jassi, SDM, Samrala and Mr Avtar Singh Ghulal, vice-chairman of the Task Force Congress.

Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon, while addressing the gathering, appreciated the steps taken by the school management and the progress made during a span of nine years. He stated that after seeing the excellent maintenance of the school and hostel facilities he felt that sending children to places like Simla, Dalhousie, Mussoorie etc was not necessary. He announced a grant of Rs 11,000 for the school.

The school children also presented a cultural programme.