AGRICULTURE

Farmers want India to get out of WTO regime
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 3
Various kisan unions have demanded that India should get out of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime. The organisations maintained, otherwise it would harm the interests of millions of farmers across the country. These organisation warned that the government had already started withdrawing various subsidies being given to farmers. These subsidies, they said, were very important for the agricultural growth in the country.

The national vice president of the All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha and the state president of Kirti Kisan Union, Mr Hardev Singh Sandhu said here today that the WTO regime was guided and dictated by the developed nations. He pointed out, it will have the most adverse effects on the agricultural sector. He said, the WTO regime was applying the single yardstick for the developed and developing nations alike, which was not fair.

Mr Sandhu said, farmers of the developing countries were not be in a position to compete with those in the developed nations who had lot of facilities and subsidies. He said, the developed nations protected their farmers, while under the WTO the farmers of the developing countries like India would face an unfair competition. He said, Indian farmers were not in a position to accept the WTO regime and it was high time that the Government of India rejected it.

The kisan leader said, it was in the interest of the economy of the country that the agriculture sector was given protection and patronage, which would not be possible under the WTO regime. In case the agriculture sector collapses, it would have a devastating effect on the overall economy and there would be no retrieval.

Procurement of wheat inaugurated
Our Correspondent

Khanna, April 3
Local M.L.A. and Parliamentary Secretary Punjab Mrs. Harbans Kaur Dullo formally inaugurated the procurement process of wheat at Asia’s biggest grain market here today. Only 240 quintals of wheat was procured at Khanna grain market today by the government agencies and private traders.

The auction was started at the Sardar Mandi area of the Grain Market where the crop of Kirpal Singh of Kumbra was procured by the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation at Rs 640 per quintal the minimum support price declared by the Central Government.

Mr Harbans Singh Rosha Chairman, Market committee, Khanna, said the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation had procured 150 quintals of wheat and Punsup had procured 50 quintals. While private traders had procured only 40 quintals. S.D.M. Khanna Mr. Jaspal Mittal, secretary market committee Khanna, Mr Mohan Saingh Pannu were present.

EDUCATION

First-of-its-kind play school inaugurated in city
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 3
“Strong foundation is required to build a big building. Similarly, in today’s competitive world, you have to choose quality education since start,” said Mr K.L. Chhabra, councillor, while inaugurating Little Leaders Play Way, Pre-Nursery/Nursery School at BRS Nagar in Ludhiana here today.

Special attraction of this opening was a baby show organised at the school. 158 children aged between 0-5 year age group participated at the baby show and dance competition.

Dr Vibhu Narad, Dr Sukhmeet (child specialist) and lecturer Mrs Amrit Rishma did the job of judges of the events.

On the occasion, Mr R.S. Gandhi, MD, highlighted the special qualities of Little Leaders — a play school. It has come with a specially designed infrastructure keeping in view the needs and requirements of the little ones.

It’s a first school of its kind in the city with the whole building creatively divided into playful learning zones.

The trained and experienced staff is competent enough to satisfy intellectual and emotiona1 needs of kids. Little Leaders emphasizes on the learning pattern of different activities in a practical manner rather than the theoretical knowledge.

Visuals produce 1000 times better impact on the mind than audio. Keeping this in view an amphitheatre with a large movie screen and multimedia computers have been provided to give the visual effect of the knowledge.

The fully air-conditioned building has ample space and huge lawn area so that the activities of the child are not restricted.

The area covers big splash pool, skating, a lion tunnel, doll house, sand pit, ball pool, specially designed stage, messy area etc.

It is commonly said reading makes a child complete fellow. Library is thus equipped with books of international standard to cater to the requirements of the little students.

Principal Devender Kaur declared the results of the baby show.

Baby Show:

Up to 1 year: Sanyam Sethi 1, Sanyam 2 and Zorawar 3. 1 to 2 year: Sanya 1, Sanjana Kwatra 2 and Ishweer 3. 2 to 3 year: Apoorva 1, Anna Singh 2 and Japneet Taneja 3. 3 to 4 year: Anshita 1, Muskan Gupta 2 and Trisha 3. 4 to 5 year: Aseem 1, Naman Thapar 2 and Arushi 3. Best Dancer: Boys Shantanu Kwatra 1. Girl: Navroop 1.

3 top Class V exam in Ahmedgarh block
Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, April 3
All schools in the Ahmedgarh block have shown good performance in the Class V exams held by the State Council of Educational Research and Training .

Mr Pyara Singh, in charge at the local Block Primary Education Office, said only 29 students out of a total of 2,124 students failed. Schools with 100 per cent result increased this year.

Tawisha and Ranjana of the local Kundan Model School and Simranpreet Kaur of Guru Harkrishan School Jalwana topped in the block. Manvjot and Anuradha stood second and third, respectively.

M G M N Senior School, Sanatan Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School , Dyanand Adarsh Vidyalya High School, Kennedy Public High School, Govt Senior Secondary School Nathumajra and Govt Elementary School Phalaund have had good results.

Fee hike: PSU calls for strike
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 3
Calling upon the students community to launch a concerted fight against the fee hike in industrial training institutes (ITIs) and other educational institutions, the process of privatisation of ITIs and other anti-student policies of the government, the Punjab Students’ Union (Shaheed Randhawa) has given a call for a statewide strike on April 6.

In a statement here today, the district chief of the PSU, Mr Sukhraj Singh, and state committee member Mr Gurpreet Singh lamented that the annual fee in ITIs had been jacked up from Rs 3200 to Rs 12,000 and at the same time the process to privatise ITIs had been set in motion.

Not only this, the tuition fee for undergraduate students in government colleges had also been increased by 10 per cent, aided colleges were being threatened with denial of grants, vacant posts in educational institutions were not being filled and due to paucity of funds, teachers in a large number of educational institutions were not getting their salaries.

The student leaders further said the union would organise protest demonstrations, rallies and dharnas in ITIs all over the state on April 6.

Peace march to halt at Doraha college
Our Correspondent

Doraha, April 3
Nearly 100 delegates, led by Mr Sandeep Pandey and Mr Gurdial Seetal, who have initiated an Indo-Pak peace march from Delhi to Multan for strengthening peace ties, will be accorded a warm welcome by the management, staff and students of Guru Nanak National College here on April 7.

Mr Jaswant Singh Gill, Principal of the college, and Prof Jagdev Singh Grewal, Head of the Postgraduate Department of Punjabi, informed that a cultural programme would be organised in their honour in which a play “......... Te Rome Jalda Riha”, written, directed and acted by Sompal Heera with the assistance of his Sirjana art group, Riakot.

The peace march, which began in Delhi on March 23, is supposed to reach Multan on May 11.

COURTS

37 cases settled at Lok Adalat
Our Correspondent

Khanna, April 3
As many as 37 cases were settled at Lok Adalat organised at the Khanna Court Complex here toady. Ms Priya Sood, Civil Judge, Senior Division was the presiding officer, Mrs Rekha Bhardwaj, Principal, Dr Mamta Sood and Naveen Thamman, president of Bar Association, Khanna, were present as member of the Lok Adalat.

Mr Thamman said five civil suits, one criminal complaint, one case of Rent Act, eight cases of cheque bouncing, three cases of matrimony, three cases of bank recovery, two cases under Hindu Marriage Act and 14 other cases were settled.

Another lok Adalat was organised at the court of Mr K.K. Goel, Civil Judge, Khanna.