AGRICULTURE

VC for quality farming for food security
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 4
The Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University Dr K S Aulakh has emphasised the need for quality farming to ensure food security. Addressing a meeting of experts here today, he said, the food security directly depended on qualitative farming.

He said, “to achieve the desired goal, we will have to take special measures to solve the problems of the future”. Dr Aulakh pointed out it was paradoxical on the one hand people did not have sufficient food to eat, huge stocks were rotting in godown.

He sought innovative approach to agriculture saying that the state was using 184 kg of pesticides per hectare. Due to Nitrates, the land was being polluted. These challenges were alarming. 

HEALTH

Immunisation drive from Jan 15
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 4
All senior medical officers (SMOs) posted in the Civil Hospital here and the primary health centres in the district will donate a day’s salary to the tsunami relief fund. This was unanimously decided at the monthly meeting of the SMOs held here today under the presidentship of Dr Rajinder Kaur, Civil Surgeon. Reviewing the work being done under different state and national health programmes, the Civil Surgeon told the district family welfare officer, Dr Manorama Awasthy, to further step up the campaign and achieve better results.

She also stressed the need for stringent enforcement of the PNDT Act to check the menace of female feticide. She informed that a special non-scalpel vasectomy camp would be organised at the Civil Hospital here from January 10 to 14.

The district immunisation officer, Dr Kuldip Kaur Sahni, informed that immunisation drive would be observed in the district from January 15 to February 14 for intensive vaccination of children against diseases like measles, polio and BCG.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr Charanjit Singh, Assistant Civil Surgeon, emphasised the need of punctuality and regularity on the part of SMOs, both at the dispensary and PHC level.

He said the supervisory officers would keep a close watch on absenteeism and habitual defaulters so that appropriate action could be taken against them.

SPORTS

Pak kabaddi team to play at Jarkhar on February 7
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, January 4
A kabaddi match between India XI and Pakistan XI will be the main attraction during the 19th Mata Sahib Kaur Gold Cup Hockey Tournament and Sports Festival slated to be held from February 5 to 7 at Mata Sahib Kaur Stadium at Jarkhar village, 15 km from here.

Giving this information, Mr Narinder Pal Singh Sidhu, chairman, and Mr Jagroop Singh Jarkhar, president, of the organising committee, said a Pakistani kabaddi team with a number of national and international players in its ranks would be seen in action on February 7, the concluding day of the festival.

Besides, kabaddi, top hockey players of the region would be vying for top honours in the annual Mata Sahib Kaur Gold Cup Tournament in the boys as well as girls sections. In addition to this, competition in other disciplines such as volleyball and basketball would also be conducted during this three-day sports extravaganza being organised in association with residents of the area, prominent NRIs of the region and sports organisations of Jarkhar village.

Sportspersons, coaches and sports promoters would be felicitated by the organisers for their contributions in the respective fields. As usual, the renowned Punjabi artists would be entertaining the spectators on the occasion, Mr Jarkhar added.