Farmers stage dharna outside sugar mill
Our Correspondent

Amloh, November 27
Farmers and members of various kisan unions staged a dharna in front of Nahar Sugar Mill, Amloh, today, in protest against the policy of payment of sugarcane at the reduced rates, in sugar mills in the state.

While addressing the dharna, Mr Pishora Singh, state unit president of the Kisan Union (Ekta), criticised the Central Government who had declared 13 states as drought hit but discriminated against Punjab, the government did not raise the procurement price of paddy and the rise in the rates of wheat procurement are not expected without any agitation.

The farmers had sown sugarcane on the assurance of the management of the sugar mill that the produce would be purchased at the rate of Rs 100 per quintal whereas the farmers were expecting Rs 125 per quintal but now the announcement of payment at the rate of Rs 100 per quintal out of which the payment of Rs 70 would be made and the balance of Rs 30 would be paid later on.

Mr Baldev Singh Mianpur, president, Bharti Kisan Union, Punjab, said that the farmers would not supply sugarcane at the rate of rupees 70 per quintal to the mill. He appealed to the farmers to organise themselves for the fulfillment of their demands just as the organised sector employees get their demands accepted and 95 per cent of the state exchequer was paid in the shape of wages. He cited the example of PSEB, which had a strength of 92,000 employees against the requirement of 30,000, the additional burden was put on the shoulders of the consumers.

Jathedar Rajinder Singh Taura, district president, Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, Imaan Singh Mann, Sadhu Singh Pirjain (Both Akali Dal, Amritsar ), Master Harjit Singh, Comrade Ram Singh, Mr Piara Singh Sounti also addressed the dharna.

Thakur Jaipaul Singh, cane manager and Samuel Mount Singh, personnel manager, told the media persons that co-operative sugar mills made the payment to the farmers at the rate of Rs 70 per quintal after 14 days and the balance of Rs 30 in the next installment whereas Nahar Sugar Mill made the payment on the counter immediately and the balance of Rs 30 on the next fixed date. The mill had been making the payment within 24 hours to the cane producers at the rate of Rs 100 per quintal in the past, they asserted. The Central Government had announced Rs 64.50 per quintal and the rest was to be paid by the sugar mills. The mill had cleared all the payments of the farmers. They hoped to settle the matter with the farmers amicably.

MCI recognises Ramdas institute’s MBBS plan
K.S. Chawla

Ludhiana, November 27
The Medical Council of India (MCI) has recognised the MBBS programme of the Guru Ramdas Medical Institute, Amritsar, but has not accorded recognition to the postgraduate programme of the same in view of some deficiencies.

Disclosing this here today, Dr L.S. Chawla, former Vice Chancellor, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences and member of the postgraduate committee of the MCI, said that the management of the Guru Ramdas Medical Institute had given an undertaking that the attached hospital of the institute would also be located along the institute building.

But the hospital was still working in the Golden Temple complex 17 km away from the institute.

The MCI has asked the management to make the new hospital functional and till then they would not ask for the increase in the seats of MBBS course nor it could start the postgraduate courses.

The MCI has further reduced the number of seats in postgraduate courses of five other medical colleges in Punjab because of lack of required facilities.

Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot, has been permitted to have admission in the Dermatology Department and general surgery for the postgraduate courses.

The admission to postgraduate course for the Ophthalmology Department has not been granted because professor of ophthalmology of the college, Dr P.S. Sandhu, has joined the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences as its Registrar.

Similarly, the Government Medical College, Patiala, has been granted permission for postgraduate admission in biochemistry and has not recognised the MD (TB and respiratory diseases) since the bed strength was shown more than the required number of beds. During the inspection 75 beds were shown against the requirements of 30 to 40 beds and there was shortage of teachers also.

The committee has granted recognition to the Radio Therapy Department of the Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, and denied recognition to OB and Gynae Department because the teacher composition was not complete.

Further the CMC management was not undertaking the programme of medical termination of pregnancy which is a national programme. Father Mullar Medical College, Mangalore, was also not given recognition in OB gynae. Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, has been granted recognition for postgraduate admission in SPM (Social and Preventive Medicine) Department but denied recognition in general surgery.

The management of the DMCH was admitting eight students in the programme for general surgery. The MCI has asked the DMCH not to have admission in this programme. For eight seats, four units are required and each unit should be headed by a professor or a Reader and there should be at least three teachers in each unit.

The DMCH had shown two units which were headed by a lecturer and t he unit was not headed by a professor.

Seminar on environmental pollution
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 26
Resurgence India organised its fourth seminar on “environmental pollution and we” in the Master Tara Singh College for Women here yesterday. Speaking on the occasion, Dr B.D. Kansal, Professor of Soils (retd), PAU, highlighted the damage caused to human, animal and plant health by different types of pollutants discharged into the environment by the residents, municipal authorities and the industrial units, especially dyeing and electroplating units. The need to shift these highly polluting industries out of the residential areas to industrial areas with common effluent treatment plants was emphasised. There should be complete ban on the establishment of new industrial units in the residential areas, he said.

The expert advocated in favour of reducing the population of vehicles which would be possible only if energy efficient and non-polluting public transport system was improved by the municipal authorities.

Dr M.K. Sahota, principal of the college, expressed her deep concern over environmental, social and cultural pollution. The teachers and the students of the college expressed serious concern over the ever-increasing menace of autorickshaws that were contributing significantly in raising the air pollution level by using adulterated fuel comprising of kerosene and petrol.

Refresher course on post-harvest technology
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 27
A three-week refresher course on advance training in post-harvest technology of perishables started at Punjab Agricultural University here yesterday.

While inaugurating the course, Dr V.K. Sharma, Registrar of PAU, highlighted the importance eof post-harvest handling and processing of horticultural produce in the country, especially in the context of diversification of agriculture.

He emphasised that only functional coordination of biochemists, physiologists, horticulturists, food technologists, microbiologists, process engineers, managers and marketing experts could develop appropriate technologies for minimising post-harvest losses, promote value addition, processing and export of horticultural produce and products under the WTO regime.

Dr A.S. Dhatt, Director, PHPTC and course coordinator, said that 23 trainees from the disciplines of horticulture, vegetable, floriculture, food science and technology and microbiology are participating and they will be apprised of the post-harvest and quality analysis training facilities. The trainees will be exposed to the latest appropriate technologies and hands-on experience right from harvesting through packaging, transportation, storage and processing.

PAU scientists join national academies
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 27
Two veterinary scientists from the Punjab Agricultural University have been selected as fellows of the prestigious National Academy of Agricultural Sciences an the National Academy of Veterinary Sciences.

Dr A.S. Nanda, Professor, Department of Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, has been selected as fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences for his contributions towards ‘treatment of repeat breeding in cross-bred cows.

Dr R.D. Sharma, former Professor and Head of the same department, has been selected as fellow of the National Academy of Veterinary Sciences of India.

Book exhibition at PAU
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 27
The three-day annual book exhibition organised by Punjab Agricultural University began at the M.S. Randhawa Library here today.

Leading 15 booksellers including nine from New Delhi, four from Ludhiana and one each from Dehra Dun and Rohtak put their stalls in open lawns in front of the library. Besides, one stall of the Communication Centre of the PAU had also been put up.

Inaugurating the exhibition, Dr K.S. Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said Rs 57 lakh would be spent on library purchase during the current financial year. Of this amount, Rs 23 lakh would be spent for subscribing to foreign journals, Rs 10 lakh for the purchase of CD ROM database and online data access, Rs 10 lakh would be invested in the purchase of library software and hardware and the remaining amount would be utilised for digitalisation and operational recurring cost, he said.

Mr S.C. Uppal, Librarian, said the exhibition had been organised to provide books at discounted prizes. Besides, books recommended by the university scientists relating to their respective fields would be purchased from the library funds.

COURTS

8 judges appointed for fast-track courts
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 27
The Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday appointed eight persons after promotion as Additional District and Sessions Judges, specifically for starting fast-track courts, which would dispose of cases expeditiously. The orders were issued by the Registrar of the court.

Mr Vijay Singh and Mr S.K. Arora have been appointed as Additional District and Sessions Judges, Ludhiana, for the fast-track courts. They were earlier working at Fatehgarh Sahib and Faridkot.

Mr Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Civil Judge, Senior Division, Ropar, who was the senior most among the eight, has been appointed as Additional District and Sessions Judge, Ferozepore, Mr Sanjeev Beri, Civil Judge, Senior Division, Patiala, goes as Additional District and Sessions Judges, Kapurthala, Mr Manoharjit Singh Randhawa, Civil Judge, Senior Division, Hoshiarpur, is the new Additional District and Sessions Judge, Amritsar, Mr Ashok Kumar, Civil Judge, Senior Division, Chandigarh, is now the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Ferozepore, Mr Gurprit Singh Bakshi, Civil Judge, Senior Division, Gurdaspur, stays in his present place of posting, while Mr Rajinder Singh Rai, Civil Judge, Senior Division, Muktsar, has been posted to Gurdaspur as Additional District and Sessions Judge. The judges have been asked to take charge at their new places of posting with immediate effect.

CULTURE

Beauty contest with a difference
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 27
“Miss World Punjaban is a unique beauty pageant based on Punjabi culture. We should take only good things from the west. They have swim suit rounds in their beauty contest, but we decided to have a beauty contest where participants came dressed in typical Punjabi clothes and wearing traditional jewellery. Our effort has been successful and these shows have got a good response,” said Mr Jasmer Singh Dhatt, chairperson of the Sabhiacharak Saath while interacting with mediapersons this afternoon at Basant Resorts.

The idea to organise such a show was first conceived by Mr Jasmer Singh Dhatt. He is the founder of the Sabhiacharak Saath, Punjab, which organises this event.

“The pageant does not aim at displaying beauty of women in absolute vulgarity. The promoter of this pageant believes that beauty of a woman is divine and she should not be made to walk shamelessly on the ramp in revealing attires. Instead, her beauty, which includes her lovely thoughts, her cultural values and virtues, along with the sharpness of her mind, should be brought to the fore in the most admiring manner,” Mr Dhatt said.

The participants seem to be agreeing with the idea. Kamaljit Kaur, a participant from London, believes that it is a good chance to exhibit one’s talent. Gurminder Cheema, a local participant, also feels that such competitions helped them in becoming more confident. Ekta Rai from Bangalore says the competition has made her learn more about Punjabi culture. “I am proud of my Punjabiat,” she says.

This year’s show is the 7th in the series. Seventeen girls, who have been selected for the final, are Kamaljit Sandhu, Mandeep Chadha, Jaspreet, Amandeep, Rajdeep Taneja, Inderjit, Bhupinderjit, Harsangeetpal, Amrinder, Davinder, Amandeep Dhillon, Harsimrat, Gurminder Cheema, Ratti Brar, Gultaj Dhildsa and Jasdeep Sandhu. The preliminary round of the pageant was held today at Ludhiana where these girls were selected by a panel of judges before a select audience.

In the morning, the first round was conducted at VLCC, Ludhiana. The girls were judged on the basis of their physical parameters, facial features and overall personality. Ms Vibha Sharma, clinic manager, was the judge. On November 28, the girls will contest for Ms Personality title at Magnet Resort.