EDUCATION

Appoint regular teachers: union
Our Correspondent

Mandi Gobindgarh, July 10
The decision to hike fee for higher education by the Punjab Government has exposed that it is trying to shirk from its responsibility for providing education to people in the state. The decision of the government was criticised at a meeting of the Government Teachers Union, Fatehgarh Sahib district chaired by Mr Balbir Singh Ghuman here on Tuesday. With the manifold increase in fees education has gone beyond the reach of poor people and they have been denied their right to education.

In an other resolution, the union urged the government to withdraw the policy of appointing teachers on contract basis. The teachers should be appointed on a regular basis against the existing vacant posts in government schools.

The union drew up a programme for the conduct of the elections on July 20 for which the nominations of this district will be filed on July 13 at Mata Gujri Government Senior Secondary School, Fatehgarh Sahib. Ms Maghar Singh and Mr Shamsher Singh will be the returning officer and assistant returning officer, respectively. Mr Amar Singh, Mr Jarnail Singh , Mr Balbir Singh Sekhon and Mr Raghbir Singh Randhawa presidents of Sirhind Block-2, Block -3, Bassi Pathana Block-2, Bassi Pathana Block-1, respectively, expressed their views at the meeting.

Search on for new DMCH Principal
K.S. Chawla

Ludhiana, July 10
Since Dr S.C. Ahuja has served a notice on Dayanand Medical College and Hospital of resigning as Principal, search has begun for the new incumbent. The management is now busy in looking for a suitable replacement of Dr Ahuja, who will leave his office by July 31.

Dr Ahuja has been asked by the management to help in completing the process of admission to the undergraduate and postgraduate courses, which is likely to be completed by this month-end. Speculation is on as to who will be the new Principal.

In the race are Ms Rekha Goyal, Head, Radiology Department, who is the senior-most member of the faculty, and Dr T.K. Kaul, Head, Anaesthesia Department. Both have served the institute for more than 20 years. The third aspirant is Dr Daljit Singh, Dean, Academic Affairs, and Head, Paediatrics Department, who was earlier with Christian Medical College and Hospital.

The faculty is keen that the new Principal should be from it as has happened in the past. Three successive Principals — Dr L.S. Chawla, Dr S.B. Khurana and Dr Ahuja — have been the senior faculty members. Dr N. Dube had served the institute as Principal for 18 years.

The management has not yet given its mind about the successor, but sources say that it is interested in having the new man from outside. The faculty will resent the move. There is already resentment among the faculty over the appointment of certain functionaries who, it is alleged, are interfering too much in the day-to-day working of the hospital. Dr Ahuja, who was given two-year extension in February, has submitted his resignation primarily because of interference in his work. The faculty alleges that the CEO is meant to look after the affairs of Hero-DMC Heart Institute, but he is allegedly poking his nose into the affairs of the hospital and the heart institute.

Similarly, some other functionaries have been appointed at hefty salaries.

The DMCH management has already advertised a large number of posts of Professor and Reader. The periodical inspection by the Medical Council of India (MCI) of the institute is due and the management has received a notice in May.

Sources in the MCI said it had resorted to surprise inspections. It has already conducted the inspection of the CMCH.

Commerce all-time favourite in city colleges
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 10
With almost all seats for BCom and MCom filled in colleges affiliated to Panjab University, commerce stream seems to be the most preferred among college-going students here.

All 30 seats to MCom have been filled in Khalsa College for Women, GGN Khalsa College and SCD Government College. With two days still left for admissions, nearly 27 seats out of the total 30 have been filled at Kamla Lohtia Sanatan Dharam College and 26 have been occupied in Arya College.

Even BCom has received a very good response as all 210 seats have been filled in Kamla Lohtia SD College. Even Khalsa College for Women has filled all 120 seats. GGN Khalsa College has also managed to fill its 140 seats and nearly 56 seats have been filled in Guru Nanak Girls College.

In contrast, basic courses such as BA, BSc and MA have found few takers compared to the previous year. For BSc, GGN Khalsa College has been able to take only 40 students. Nearly 102 admissions have been held in Guru Nanak Girls College. In Khalsa College for Women, medical group has received a feeble response while 150 seats have been filled for the non-medical group.

For BA, Kamla Lohtia SD College has admitted just 65 students. GGN Khalsa College has taken 150 students while last year 400 students had joined the course. The response, however, is better in girls colleges as Khalsa College for Women has already taken more than 300 students and 203 students have taken admission in Guru Nanak Girls College till date.

Courses such as MA have found good response only in government colleges. All other colleges have admitted very few students. Only five students have taken admission in MA Punjabi in GGN Khalsa College and 16 have joined Guru Nanak Girls College for the same course. Nearly 10 students have joined MA each in history and political science in Arya College. Just 13 students have applied for MA economics in Kamla Lohtia College. While only 16 students have taken admission to MA English in GGN Khalsa College, Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women has received 128 applications against 40 seats for the same course.

It is not just these basic courses, even technical courses have received very poor response. Just six students have taken admission to PGDCA which has 30 seats in GGN Khalsa College, 10 each have been filled in Guru Nanak Girls College and Kamla Lohtia SD College and 13 seats have been occupied in Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women.

Even MSc (IT) has not had a very good response. Kamla Lohtia SD College has received just four applications, though not even a single seat has been filled. Six seats out of the total 30 have been occupied in Arya College. However, two girls colleges including Ramgarhia Girls College and Khalsa College for Women have been able to fill all 30 seats.

Similarly, BCA and BBA have also not had a good response in Panjab University colleges. Just 12 out of the total 40 seats for BBA have been filled in Kamla Lohtia SD College and 21 have been occupied for BCA. Similarly, 18 students have taken admission to BCA in Guru Nanak Girls College. In contrast, all 40 seats have been occupied in Khalsa College for Women for both BBA as well as BCA. 

Students hold craft exhibition
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 10
Students of Shanti Niketan Adarsh Vidyalaya, Benjamin Road, organised an science, art and craft exhibition here today. Students displayed various working and non-working science models prepared by them during their summer vacation. Models were made on themes such as solar system, automatic dipper, circulation system, water pollution, ways to check air pollution, solar cooker and green house effect. Embroidered items such as table cloths, TV covers, handkerchiefs, bed covers and suits were exhibited by them. Paintings made using various media such as water colours, oil colours, fabric colours, nib paints, tube paints, emboss paints and glass paints were also put on display.

The students who got best prizes for the presentation were given prizes by Ms Bina Sharma, Headmistress of the school. From Class X, Megha, Gaganpreet, Sunny and Amardeep received prizes. Among Class IX students, Inderpreet, Neha, Karandeep and Gourav Soni won prizes. Priyanka, Prabhjot, Ankush Khanna, Nitin and Visual clinched prizes among Class VIII students. From Class VI, Priya, Sheen am, Monika and Parol got prizes. Jaspreet, Behave, Helena Chopra and Paras got prizes among Class V children. 

COURTS

Spice penalised for deficient services
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 10
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Moga, has penalised the Spice Communication for its deficient services in a case. The company has been directed to pay Rs 2000 as compensation for the inconvenience caused to the complainant due to illegal disconnection of the mobile services apart from Rs 500 as costs.

The order was pronounced in connection with a complaint filed by Kamal Sood of Akalgarh Road, Moga. The mobile connection of the consumer remained disconnected for nine days despite making the payment of bill prior to the due date.

The complainant stated before the forum that he was having the mobile connection No. 98140-66157. He received a bill for Rs 2395.33 payable on or before January 25, 2003. He deposited the amount through cheque with the Bank of Punjab, GT Road, Moga, the collecting bank of the opposite party on January 20. The cheque was cleared on the next day and in this way the amount was duly paid to the company through its collecting bank within the stipulated period.

Otherwise also an amount of Rs 3000 as security was lying with them and they could adjust that amount against the bill of the complainant. But to his surprise they disconnected his mobile connection on January 27. This caused hardship to the complainant as he could not contact people in his business or his family doctor, added the complainant.

The Spice Communication pleaded that the cheque in question was encashed and the amount was deposited in their account on February 4, as entered in the copy of consumer’s account. They claimed they had rightly disconnected the connection and there was no deficiency in the services.

But from the documents placed on record, the forum found that the amount was received by the collecting bank on January 22. Therefore, when the amount was received by the collecting bank on January 22, it was their duty to credit the amount in the account of the company on the same day. Its credit on Feburary 4, clearly showed negligence on the part of the Bank of Punjab, the collecting bank of the company. Since the Bank of Punjab was the agent of the opposite party, they are liable for their act, observed the forum.

Consequently, the result proceeds that the OPs had received the amount in question on January 22, 2003, well before the stipulated period. Thus their act in disconnecting the mobile connection on January 27, was illegal and uncalled for, amounting to deficiency in rendering services.

“It is not disputed that the mobile connection of the complainant remained disconnected for nine days from January 27 to Feburary 4, 2003. During this period the complainant could not contact the people in his business as well as his family doctor. Therefore, he is entitled to the suitable compensation, in addition to the exemption from pay the rent for the period the connection remained disconnected”, observed the forum.