NSS camp attracts large numbers
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 13
A 10-day NSS special camp organised by constituent colleges of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) concluded at Bhundari village yesterday. During the camp, volunteers undertook several community development activities like cleanliness of homes, surroundings of public buildings and lanes and drains involving villagers. The volunteers planted saplings in the school and gurdwara premises.

Women volunteers gave demonstrations to girl students of Senior Secondary School and village women on interior decoration, flower arrangement, preservation of food and preparation of pickles, sauces and recipes for a variety of articles from waste material. Expert lectures on home management, balanced diet to pregnant women and lactating mothers and bee-keeping were delivered by Dr Ravinder Kaur, Ms Rupinder Kaur, Ms Harpinder Kaur and Mr P.K. Chhuneja from PAU.

The volunteers went door to door to administer pulse polio drops to children as part of the nationwide campaign. They also arranged an exhibition of PAU publications at the camp site and sold a large number of books to farmers. The volunteers took out an impressive rally carrying banners and placards with slogans on them against use of drugs and alcohol, awareness about lifestyle diseases and need for more plantations. The farmers were advised to make judicious use of water and electricity. The farmers came out in large numbers to learn about maintenance of tractors and farm implements.

Giving their impressions about the camp, Mr Hardial Singh, a progressive farmer and member of the Kisan club and Mr Ujagar Singh, sarpanch, appreciated the activities undertaken by young boys and girls, despite the biting cold and foggy weather, and thanked the organisers for selecting their village for the camp. They expressed a desire for maintaining their link with the university through such camps in future.

Dr K.S.Verma, programme co-ordinator, NSS, presenting the camp report, thanked both volunteers and programme officers for making the camp a success and also villagers for their response.

He presented mementos to the sarpanch and members, Kisan Club. The Chief-Guest, Dr Meenakshi Sharma, Medical Officer-cum-Surgeon, Krishna Hospital, praised the participants for their sincerity in carrying out various community development activities, especially those related to pulse polio eradication, TB, AIDS and motivation for blood donation.

Preparations on for conference
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 13
A meeting for making preparations for the International Students’ Conference on ‘Volunteering for peace and social engineering’ to be organised at the PAU from February 6 to 9 was held under the chairmanship of Dr S.S. Johl, Agriculture Adviser to the Punjab Government, here today.

Dr K.S. Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, said the objective of the conference, which is to be jointly organised by the PAU and the Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle, would be to promote the spirit of volunteering and culture of peace through spiritual scientific approach for the cause of building a fearless global society. The conference would be dedicated to the International Decade for Culture of Peace and Non-Violence and the International Movement for Promotion of Volunteering.

During the conference, the discussion will be focussed on different issues like strategies to involve the youth and promote initiative in building a society free from drugs, alcoholism, conflicts and evils and developing a spiritual scientific approach.

School fete draws crowds
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 13
After house examinations, what better way to spend a Sunday than to enjoy games like ‘lucky seven and Tambola and eating sumptuous meals at a fete held by students of Shivalikawala Doon School, Rishi Nagar, here.

The school grounds look festive with fluttering flags and colourful ‘rangolis’ . Students of red house are attired in red jackets. They have put up a dance floor with a DJ in attendance. Their ‘request stall’ is popular.

Facing them are members of the Yellow house, all dressed in yellow jackets. The fete was inaugurated today by Mr Maria, director of the school.

Welcome birth of girlchild: VC
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 13
Dr Kirpal Singh Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has conveyed his best wishes to the university teachers, other employees and students and the farming community of the state on the occasion of Lohri.

Dr Aulakh has expressed serious concern over the imbalance in male: female ratio due to the decreasing birth rate of female children. He said the practice of female foeticide after the pre-natal determination of sex was mainly responsible for this imbalance. Dr Aulakh emphasised that apart from being unethical and illegal, the practice was likely to create many social and economic problems for the next generations.

Dr Aulakh appealed to the public in general and the intellectuals in particular to create mass awakening against this practice. Dr Aulakh has appealed to people to celebrate the birth of female children in the same way as in the case of male children on the occasion of Lohri.

Schools closed till Jan 15
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 13
Keeping in view the intense cold wave, the District Magistrate has ordered the closure of all schools up to January 15. This decision has been taken in view of hardships being faced by parents of school going children due to the prevailing weather conditions.

“Dense fog has become a threat to life and property, therefore school that have already been closed will continue to remain shut till January 15. The schools would be reopened on January 16.”

The orders have been passed under Section 144 CrPC. These would be applicable to all government, private, aided and non-aided schools in the district.

Guddu’s bail plea rejected
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 13
The Special Judge, Fast-Track Court, Mr Sunil Arora, has rejected the anticipatory bail application of Inspector Shamsher Singh ‘Guddu’. It may be recalled that an IPS officer, Mr Varinder Kumar, posted as SSP, Gurdaspur, had conducted an enquiry against Guddu and upheld the allegations levelled against the cop. After the inquiry, he had recommended for the registration of the case against him under Sections 395 (dacoity), 511 and 120-B of the IPC. The SSP had termed the inspector as dacoit in police uniform, in his report. The inquiry was conducted on the complaint of a city industrialist Mr Maninder Singh, who had alleged that in 1995, his factory was robbed, but the police did nothing as the accused inspector was hand in glove with the accused.

In the bail application, the accused had pleaded that he was innocent. He also claimed that the only allegation against him was that of delay in registering the case. The public prosecutor opposed the bail applicant. After hearing both sides the judge turned down the pre-arrest bail plea of suspended cop. Guddu has also been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act by the State Vigilance Bureau, in some other case recently.