From Schools & Colleges
Sikh Missionary School celebrates annual day
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 22
Sikh Missionary Public School, Salem Tabri, celebrated the Parkash Utsav of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and annual function here today. Mr Harbhajan Singh presided over the function. Students delivered speeches, recited Shabad and poems on the teachings of the tenth Guru.

The students were given prizes for excelling in academics and extra-curricular activities. The Principal of the school, Mr Iqbal Singh, read the school’s annual report on the occasion.

Poetry recitation: A poetry recitation competition was organised at Spring Dale Public School today. The function was presided over by its founder Principal and Director, Ms Avinash Kaur Walia. Mr Gurcharan Rampuri, a Canada-based poet, was the chief guest.

Music contest: Harmeen Kaur, a student of Baba Isher SIngh (N) Senior Secondary Public School, BRS Nagar, secured first position in the junior category of All-India Music Competition organised by the Sangam Kala Group at Government College for Women recently.

The school Principal, Ms Aneeta Kundra, said Harmeen would perform at a national- level contest to be organized at Talkotora Stadium, New Delhi, on February 5.

Exhibition concludes: The leaf painting exhibition organized by Mr I.S.Raja at Sacred Heart Convent Senior Secondary School, Sarabha Nagar, concluded here today. Ms Jyoti Sahota, Art Instructor of the school, said a collection of his 200 paintings, based on various religious themes, was displayed on the occasion.

The exhibition was inaugurated yesterday by Sister Marialeena, Principal of Sacred Heart Convent Senior Secondary School.

Donated: The management, staff and students of Sacred Heart Senior Secondary, BRS Nagar, has donated Rs 3.15 lakh for the victims of tsunami tragedy.

Tributes paid to professor Dhody
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 22
Prof Avtar Singh Dhody was a dedicated teacher and he served the people of the state and Ludhiana in particular with distinction. Prof Dhody who taught Punjabi in the Gujranwala Guru Nanak Khalsa College for more than 40 years died on January 19 at the age of 87.

The management of the Gujranwala Guru Nanak Khalsa College appointed him Professor emeritus after his retirement. He used to teach postgraduate classes.

Prof Prithipal Singh Kapoor former pro-Vice Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University described Prof Dhody as a selfless and hardworking . With his death the Punjabi literature has suffered a setback.

Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha, also a student of Prof Dhody described him as a man of letters.

COURTS

6,000 traffic challan cases settled at Lok Adalat
Legal Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 22
More than 6,000 traffic challans were disposed of at a special traffic lok adalat organised at Judicial Complex by the Legal Services Authority here today. Chairman-cum-District and Sessions Judge Harbans Lal supervised it.

Traffic violators paid the minimum-possible penalty and got back their documents on the spot.

The District and Sessions Judge, along with Mr H.P.S. Mahal, member secretary of the authority, District Bar Association President Balwinder Goel, secretary Rana Harjasdeep Singh, acting ADC Prem Chand, and Mr Arvind Markan, inspected the working of all lok adalat benches.

Sessions Judge instructed the judicial officers to clear the cases of senior citizens and women on a priority.

Talking to the Ludhiana Tribune, Mr Harbans Lal said it was a successful attempt to clear the backlog of traffic challans pending in courts for years. Fourteen benches were constituted to dispose of the challans. Judicial officers from Jagroan, Nakodar, Phillaur, Khanna, Moga and Jalandhar settled the cases at the lok adalat, he said.

He appealed to the people to get their pending cases settled at lok adalats to save money, time and harassment in the courts.

Activists of Shree Ram Leela Committee, Daresi, and Gurudwara Singh Sabha, Harnam Nagar, served tea and biscuits to the people. The traffic police held an exhibition with the assistance of Mr Sham Sunder Juneja to create awareness about the traffic rules and driving. 

SC acquits murder accused
Our Correspondent

Khamano, January 22
Jagjit Singh was yesterday released from a prison in Patiala after the Supreme Court acquitted him of a triple murder case on January 19. Three persons, including a girl, were murdered with a sharp-edged weapon on October 30, 1996, at a motor near Khamano Mele Wali village.

A case under Sections 458, 460, 302 and 34 of the IPC was registered against the main accused Gobind, alias Raju, a labourer from Bihar. The name of Jagjit Singh also figured among the accused after a six-year-old Gujjar girl, Billo, who was injured in the incident, gave the statement to the police.

Jagjit Singh was set free after undergoing nine months of imprisonment. But a court in Fatehgarh Sahib sentenced him to death on April 2, 2003. The family members of Jagjit Singh filed a writ petition in the High Court and later moved the Supreme Court. The apex court acquitted Jagjit Singh on January 19 and he was released from the prison. The main accused, Raju, was yet to be arrested.

HEALTH

Drugs ‘ruining’ health of rural youth
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 21
Drug abuse is eating into the vitals of rural Punjab. Farmers of the state are at present facing the challenges of drug abuse mainly of alcohol, opium, smack and poppy husk etc. Youths in the village face doom if the situation continues like this.

These were the feelings at the panel discussion at Punjab Agricultural University as part of the course on ‘Effective Use of Mass Media for Dissemination of Science and Technology”.

The course was sponsored by National Council for Science and Technology Communication. It was organised by the Directorate of Extension Education, PAU, Ludhiana and Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, Chandigarh

The panelists expressed concern over the rising number of chemist shops in rural areas. Since the prescription of drug use is slow, legal and has little visible effects, it is fast becoming the major choice of addicts. Many youth have even started using cocktail of various drugs to get sufficient kick.

Dr Simran Sidhu of the Department of Human Development and Sociology, PAU emphasised on greater participation of media in checking this menace.

Dr S.S. Gill, Additional Director of Extension Education stated that mass media must be used for making intelligent and creative interventions for drug abuse prevention in the state.

Dr Dawinder Kaur, Dr Gurteg Singh, Dr Parminder Kaur and Dr Gunwinder Singh Sidhu acted as panelists in this discussion.

Dr Diljit Singh Brar acted as coordinator for the panel discussion.

23 students donate blood
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 22
As many as 23 students donated blood. Kulwinder Kaur and Jaspreet Kaur did it for the fourth time and several others second and third time at a camp organised by the Red Cross Society of Swami Ganga Giri Janata Girls College, Raikot in this district on Friday.

Mr Prem Chand, SDM, inaugurated the camp. College Principal Dr Savita Uppal, Ms Harjit Kaur, senior vice-president of the managing committee, Mr Ramesh Kaura, Mr Nem Kumar Goel, Mr Jaswant Singh, Dr Rajinder Kaura, Dr Swaran Singh Sandhu and Principal L.D. Verma were also present at the occasion.

Medical camp for cops, families
Our Correspondent

Jagraon, January 22
Mr Rajiv Ahir SSP Police Jagraon District today inaugurated a medical check up on the premises of the Police Lines for cops and families. Dental care mobile team and other doctors from CMCH Ludhiana, examined cops and others.

Dr Naseeb Chand Mann, addressing gathering said that causes of early decay of teeth. As many as 350 cops including police officers and their family members were examined. 

SPORTS

Athletics meet begins
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, January 22
The two-day annual athletics meet of Green Land Senior Secondary School, GT Road, near Jalandhar bypass, here got off to a colourful start. An impressive cultural programme was the highlight of the inaugural function.

Mr Narinder Pal Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana, declared the meet open. Speaking on the occasion, he praised the students for collecting a handsome amount for the tsunami victims.

Mr Rajesh Rudra and Ms Baldeep Pandher, Chairman and Principal, respectively of the school, handed over a cheque for Rs 1.50 lakh collected by the students, staff and management for the tsunami victims. Mr Surinder Dawar, Parliamentary Secretary, Punjab presided over the function.

First day’s results: 100 m (junior girls) — Navneet (first), Shelza (second) and Rayal (third). 200 m — Amritpal (first), Harpreet (second) and Sarabjot (third).

4x100 m relay — Jagriti House (first), Jyoti House (second) and Kirti House (third).

Sack race — Jyoti (first), Nawjot (second) and Akansha (third).

200 m (junior boys) — Gaurav (first), Rajinder (second) and Sukhwinder (third).

4 x100 m relay — Jagriti House (first), Jyoti House (second) and Kirti House (third).

Sack race — Rahul (first), Rohitdeep (second) and Manpreet (third).

Balance race — Amrinder (first), Harchand (second) and Shivaj (third).

200 m (Senior boys) — Udhamjeet (first), Harpreet (second) and Jatinder (third).

800 m — Bikram (first), Harpreet (second) and Bharat (third).

Balance race — Gaurav (first), Haritab (second) and Hardeep (third).

200 m (Senior girls) — Pallavi (first), Sandeep (second) and Rashmeen (third).

Balance race — Awalpreet (first), Swati Jain (second) and Simi (third).