The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

CM, Governor urged not to allow fresh
recruitment in PAU
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 9
The PAU Employees and Teachers Joint Action Committee (JAC) has urged the Chief Minister and Governor of Punjab to restrain the PAU Vice-Chancellor, Dr K.S. Aulakh, from making any fresh recruitment during the fag end of his term.

Dr Balwant Singh, convenor JAC, said in a press note released here today that Dr Aulakh is due to relinquish charge as Vice-Chancellor at the end of March. He recently got an advertisement inserted in the Press for more than 60 posts, which he will try to fill during the remaining part of his term, Dr Balwant Singh asserted, adding that Dr Aulakh will rush through the process of selection and appointment in order to accommodate his favourites.

The JAC convenor alleged that during the past four years, Dr Aulakh had obliged scores of his undeserving favourites and relatives with important posts in the PAU. Most appointments made by Dr Aulakh were based on extraneous considerations rather than merit, he alleged. Dr Balwant Singh also named several beneficiaries of Dr Aulakh’s “bounty”.

Dr Balwant Singh further said that the new Vice-Chancellor it should be new VC’s prerogative to make fresh appointments. Besides, there is hardly any urgency to fill any of the notified posts since many of these have been lying vacant for months if not years. Dr Aulakh said that in the interest of merit and fairness, the proposed recruitment should be postponed till the new incumbent takes over.

Fashion, textile designing exhibition opens
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 9
To encourage creativity among students of fashion and textile designing, a two-day exhibition was inaugurated at an institute here yesterday. The hall was decorated with nets, tissues, sarees and charkha by the students to welcome the visitors, giving a typical Punjabi and Rajasthani ambience.

Various sections were allocated for different types of garments such as kids wear, embroidery, tie and dye, western garments and night wear, etc. The students had made soft toys, packed in polybags. A variety of aprons with gloves and chapatti boxes were made with intricate embroidery on them.

The students had made suits with sequence work, thread work, bead work etc like any professional. The displayed material was a perfect blend of colours, cuts and styles. More than 57 students had put in their efforts to make the exhibition successful.

Mr Naresh Puri, Director of the institute, said this way students were encouraged. Visitors came and appreciated their talent. “The exhibition is held every year at the college and gets a good response”, said Mr Puri. He also said that the management was trying to make the students financially independent by providing education in fashion designing and computers at low fee. “We also try to provide placements to the successful candidates”, said Mr Puri.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Ms Pawan Pandey. She appreciated the efforts of the students and stressed that students stand to benefit from such technical courses.

Fete organised at school
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 9
Shivalikwala Doon School organised a fete today. The fete was inaugurated by the Chairman of the school, Mr Sunil Maria. It being a sunny and a bright day, many students along with their parents turned up to enjoy the various games put up at the fete.

The entire arena was decorated in bright colours with ribbons and flowers. Games of skill along with tambola and the DJ were the main attractions. Indian and Chinese cuisines were the added attractions at the fete.

Mr Balkar Sandhu, Area Councillor and Mr Bharat Bhushan councillor, MC, took out the draw of prizes.

Galaxy of singers to perform at Lohri mela
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 9
More than 20 Punjabi singers and other artistes will perform at the day-long Lohri mela, being organised at Punjabi Bhavan here on January 11 by the Malwa Sabhyacharak Manch.

Giving this information here today, Mr Krishan Kumar Bawa, chairman, and Mr Pawan Diwan, president of the manch, said prominent among those who would perform at the mela were Sarbjit Cheema, Gursewak Mann, Ravinder Grewal, Sukhwinder Sukhi, Pammi Bai, Surinder Chhinda, Kuldip Manak, Mohammed Siddique, Sukhjit Kaur, Palwinder Dhami, Parminder Sidhu, Pali Detwalia, Jaswant Sandila, Satwinder Bitti, Harjit Harman, Balbir Boparai, Neetu Virk, Daljit Kaur, Ajay Deol, Suman Dutta, Ranjit Mani, Sunita Bhatti, Diljeet, Yudhwir Manak, Romi Gill, Gill Hardeep, Sukhi Pawar and comedy king Gurpreet Ghuggi.

According to functionaries of the manch, the mela would focus on equal status to the girl child and would motivate the people to celebrate Lohri on the birth of a girl child as was done for a male child.

HEALTH

85 children to get artificial limbs
Our Correspondent

Amloh, January 9
Fatehgarh is the first district in the state to identify physically challenged children in the district. They will be provided artificial limbs at a function before March 31. The Camp was organized by Education Department under Innovative Education Development (IED) component scheme of Sarv Sikhya Abhiyaan by District Education Officer (Elementary with assistance of Child Development and Project Officer and Block Development Officer. A team of doctors checked children and prepared reports for limbs.

As many as 85 physically challenged children in the age group between 3 to 14 years were identified.

They will be provided artificial limbs, crutches and hearing aids etc. up to March 31, said Mr Amrik Singh Bath, district coordinator.

SPORTS

Rural Olympics from Feb 17
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 9
The 70th Kila Raipur Sports Festival, popularly known as Rural Olympics, will be held at the Grewal Sports Stadium at Kila Raipur from February 17-20 instead of February 10 - 13.

Events for physically handicapped, deaf and dumb and bullock-cart races will be the star attraction of this year’s events.

Chief Organiser Sukhvir Singh Grewal said Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will be the chief guest on the concluding day while Power Minister Lal Singh will preside over the function that day. The games will be declared open by the Punjab DGP on February 17.

Cultural troupes from Haryana, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh will regale the audiences in addition to giddha and bhangra teams from all over the state.

This year’s festival is dedicated to the late Ramesh Chander Singh, a former Chief Engineer, he said.

The association has also decided to start a Balkrishan Grewal Award for the best rural athlete of the games from this year in the memory of Olympian Balkrishan Singh Grewal, who was the product of Kila Raipur School and played in two Olympics (1956, 1960) and was the chief coach of the Indian Hockey Team in four Olympics - 1968, 1980, 1984 and 1992.

Top athletes of the CRPF, the ITBP, the Punjab Police and the BSF will participate in the athletics events,besides acrobatic show by gymnasts from Patiala, archers from U.P.

Top wrestlers from Punjab will also participate in the event.

In the junior section, players of schools and colleges of Punjab and the Sports Authority of India’s centre of excellence in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh will also compete.

Participations by baazigars has been confirmed while unloading and loading of trolleys, tractor races and some super human feats, including lifting of ploughs with teeth, riding two horses simultaneously, will also be part of the festival.

A contingent of Nihang Singhs would also enliven proceedings with its superb breathtaking display of traditional games and sports, including trick horse riding, gatka, tent pegging and sword display.

Products of various industrial houses will be on display in the exhibition to be organised.

A huge screen is expected to give the spectators a closed view of not only the actual events but also the cultural evenings on all three days of the festivals, he added.