Kisan panchayat on March 3
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 25
The kisan panchayat to be held at Chandigarh on March 3 will be a historic show of strength by farmers with more than one lakh farmers likely to participate in it. Claiming this here today, the president of Bharti Kisan Union (BKU), Mr Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, and acting president Manjit Singh Kadian told mediapersons that during the ongoing district-level protests under the name of 'save land to save farmers', they had received enthusiastic response from farmers for the proposed rally.

During the massive kisan panchayat, the BKU would reiterate the demands for restoration of free power and water to the farming community and also for the refund of the amount charged for electricity and water during the last three years.

The panchayat would also make a strong plea for ensuring a minimum of 11-hour power supply to farmers during day time, he said.

Both Mr Lakhowal and Mr Kadian maintained that in order to improve the financial condition of farmers and to stop them from committing suicides, it was imperative for the government to fix the minimum support price (MSP) of farm produce on the basis of wholesale price index for the year 1966-67.

Moreover, the government ought to write off all previous debts of farmers and fix an interest rate of not more than 4 per cent for agricultural loans to be given in future.

The BKU activists demanded legislative protection to the farmers against exploitation by 'arhtias' (commission agents) and seizure of their land, houses, farm machinery and implements and household goods for default in repayment of loans.

They wanted that 'arhtias' should issue pass books to the farmers which should contain details of all transactions.

Tiny tots set ramp on fire 
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 25
It was a modelling contest with a difference. Tiny tots sashayed down the ramp in Cherry Field Public School today as part of a function organised to boost the confidence of Kindergarten children and improve their personality.

Garisha Khosla of Class Pre-KG walked away with the title of Miss Cherry Field while Kumar Aditya won the Mr Cherry Field prize. Both were given a medal and a trophy besides a special crown made of leaves and flowers.

The contest was based on the children's catwalk, confidence and smartness.

Cheered by their parents, the children showed remarkable confidence and composure while participating in the contests.

Ms Priya Sharma, Principal, announced the winners decided by the judges Ms Prem Lata Sharma and Ms Santosh Sharma.

The 'Most Active Child' award was won by Dhriti Jain and Kunwardeep Singh while Raghav Chabhra was adjudged to be the 'Most Confident' one.

Other prizes were won by Mehak Pal, Pranav, Eknoor, Preeti Jain, Akshay Munjal, Nimish Budhiraja and Karamveer Singh.

Conference on transforming traditional business
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 25
The Punjab Commerce and Management Association will hold a three-day national conference “PCMA-2005-Transforming Traditional Business” at SCD Government College here tomorrow.

Prof Ashwani Bhalla, organising secretary, today said around 400 delegates would present their research papers on the theme during the conference.

“We have already received papers from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, Kurukshetra University, Delhi University, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and Punjabi University Patiala”, said Prof Bhalla.

Meeting on schools today

Ludhiana, February 25
To discuss the shortcomings in government and private schools falling in the city area, a meeting of principals, headmasters and presidents of PTAs would be held under the chairmanship of Mr Harnam Dass Johar, state Education Minister, tomorrow.

Mr Nahar Singh Gill, Mayor, officers of the municipal corporation, and the Education Department, would participate. OC

‘Jashan 2005’ on Feb 27

Ludhiana, February 25
Regional learning and facilitation centers of Punjab Technical University and learning centers offering courses in information technology, fashion technology, paramedical technologies and hotel management and tourism will organise the 2nd annual cultural competition festival "Jashan 2005" at GGN Khalsa College for Boys on February 27. OC

PCCTU rally on March 3

Ludhiana, February 25
The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers' Union will hold a protest rally-cum- march on March 3 at Bathinda, the constituency of Mr Surinder Singla, Finance Minister. Mr V.K. Bhardwaj, president, PCCTU, Ludhiana, in a press note today said their demands were lying with the Finance Department. OC

COURTS

Businessman gets 1-year jail term in cheque
bounce case
Legal Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 25
A businessman, Ramesh Kumar of New Shivaji Nagar, has been sentenced to one-year imprisonment in a cheque bounce case by the Court of Judicial Magistrate, Mr Jaspal Verma. The accused was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 5,000.

The orders were pronounced by the court while deciding the complaint filed by Mr Sukhdev Raj, proprietor of S.K. Traders of Narinder Nagar, Samrala Chowk.

The complainant had submitted that he had supplied goods worth Rs 1,77,780 to Paris Hosiery Factory in 2002 and the accused was a partner of the factory. Ramesh Kumar had issued a cheque of Rs 1,77,780 in April 2002 in favour of the complainant.

When the cheque was presented to the Bank of India, Railway Station Branch, for payment, it was dishonoured with the remarks “insufficient funds”. Thereafter, a legal notice was issued calling upon the accused to make the payment but he failed to make the payment, further added the complainant.

The accused admitted the issuance of cheque, but said the cheque was for only Rs 7,780, which was the amount to be paid to the complainant. The remaining amount of Rs 1,70,000 had already been paid. However, the complainant filled the blank cheque mentioning the amount of Rs 1,77,780.

After perusing the evidence on record, the judge held that once the issuance of the cheque was admitted, the onus shifted upon the accused to prove that in fact he was liable to pay only Rs 7,780. But the accused had failed to discharge the onus by leading sufficient evidence.

Finding the accused to be guilty under the Negotiable Instruments Act, the court sentenced him to undergo imprisonment, terming the offence to be “grave” in nature of economic offences. The court also held that in default of payment of fine, the accused would further undergo rigorous imprisonment for 15 days.

HEALTH

Stoma workshop begins at CMCH
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 25
A four-day workshop on wound care and stoma management commenced at the CMCH here today. Nursing staff of leading hospitals of the North is attending the workshop. This is the second workshop being organised by the S-Three Hollister in association with the CMCH.

Prof Rajeev Kapoor, in charge of colorectal surgical services and coordinator of stoma clinic at the CMCH, said stoma was a temporary or permanent opening made surgically on the abdominal wall due to intestinal malignancy. Patients passed stools through the stoma thus special care was needed to educate and guide the patients to manage the stoma and to prepare them psychologically.

“Unfortunately only a limited number of hospitals in India have special nursing staff to manage such patients. The CMCH is one such hospital and it has been running a special stoma clinic for the past eight years," he said.

The faculty at the workshop included Ms Angela Leedam from South Africa, Ms Neeta Sabharwal from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, and Dr Navneet Choudhry, Dr Rajeev Kapoor, Dr Verghese Paul, Dr Sachin and Ms Praveen Masih, all from the CMCH.

Among other participants were the nursing staff from AIIMS, New Delhi, the PGI, Chandigarh, the SGPGI, Lucknow, and Fortis Healthcare Institute, Mohali.

Mr A.J. Rischbeiter, Regional General Manager, Hollister, and Mr S.K. Jhingan, managing director, S-Three Sales International Pvt Ltd, were also present.

150 persons donate blood 
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 25
As many as 150 persons donated blood at a blood donation camp organised by Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) at Rampura Phul in Bathinda district yesterday. Apart from people from all walks of life, members of the milk union played a leading role in donating blood as well as motivating other sections of the community.

The contribution by the people of Rampura Phul town to voluntary blood donation programme has become a regular feature in this humanitarian activity. It was primarily due to the active support of Principal H.L. Bansal, president of the Blood Donors Council, that this programme has made a deep impact on all categories of people.

An expert team from transfusion workers from the DMCH collected blood at the camp, in which, Dr Bishav Mohan from the Department of Cardiology, played a significant role.

Dr Amarjit Kaur, Head of Department of Transfusion Medicine at the DMCH, informed that in order to ensure safety of blood, every unit of blood was subjected to processing and screening. Further, in a bid to provide benefit to more and more persons, the blood thus collected, was processed for the preparation of blood components like packed cells, platelets and plasma so that it could be transfused to patients depending upon their specific requirement.