AGRICULTURE

Plan to promote soyabean cultivation in state
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 9
Dr G.S Kalkat, Chairman of the newly constituted Punjab Rural Commission, today held discussions with the Vice- Chancellor of the Punjab Agricultural University, Dr K. S Aulakh, and other experts to discuss ways and means to diversify crop pattern in the state.

The state government has set up the Punjab Rural Commission to bring about changes in the pattern of crops in Punjab in order to replace the area under wheat and paddy cultivation.

Dr Kalkat said they had discussed the possibility of sowing soyabean crop in the state today with the PAU experts and they would be starting this programme from the current kharif season.

The PAU has good soyabean variety which could be sown in the state. They would lay 100 demonstrations-at least one in one acre in the state this year to promote the cultivation of soyabean on commercial scale.

Dr Kalkat pointed out that the government was fixing the minimum support price of soyabean every year but it was not procured. They would ensure that the same was also procured by the government agencies to encourage farmers to take up the cultivation of soyabean.

Dr Kalkat also disclosed that PAU experts would also lay stress on the cultivation of ginger and garlic under vegetables as these could be stored for a longer period and these were not perishable.

The commission would also undertake the cultivation of moong this year. ‘‘The basic idea is to replace the area under paddy and efforts would be made to implement the recommendations in this regard’’, he emphasised. Dr Aulakh assured that the PAU would extend all cooperation to the rural commission in the diversification of crop pattern.

EDUCATION

5,000 teachers to undergo training
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 9
Around 5,000 teachers of government schools of Ludhiana district, will get exclusive in-services training at the teachers’ training programmes being initiated by the SCERT under the Sarv Sibhya Abhiyan from May 16, stated Mrs Usha Sidha, Principal, Government In-Services Training Center (G.I.T.C) here yesterday.

While addressing 170 lecturers and teachers from different schools during the block resource person training here, Mrs Sidhu emphasised the need to revive, reactivate and rejuvenate the education system in government schools to ensure quality education.

She said that teachers training programmes would be organised in 32 clusters of the district in which 20 days of training to every teacher would be provided between May 16 and June 30.

Mrs Sidhu said that teachers from 520 schools would be covered for training in two different batches. “The training for teachers is being organised during summer vacation, as per guidelines of the SCERT so that the” teaching schedule in schools do not suffer”, she remarked.

Training modules related to quality dimensions of elementary education, school readiness, action research inclusive education, learning environment, education for girls, value education harnessing community participation teaching of subjects, nurturing creativity amongst children, team spirit leadership in group activities dealing with children with special needs etc would be discussed, said Mrs Sidhu.

Senior lecturers Mrs Sarbjeet Kaur, Mrs Sudesh Bajaj and lecturers Dr Shoshi Trehan, Mr Pradeep Kumar, Mr Davinder Singh Chhina, Mr Harminder Singh and Mrs Savita Chadha among others attended the back resource person training programme.

MCA students get top positions
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 9
Students of Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology, Gujarkhan Campus have shown commendable performance in MCA Semester examinations held in December 2004. Punjab Technical University (PTU) recently released the merit list of toppers indicating the top ten position holders in the University.

MCA-V semester Monika Matta won first position in the university by securing 89.4 per cent marks, Gagandeep Kaur got second position with 88.7 per cent marks, Gurpreet Kaur and Hardeep Kaur bagged fifth and eighth positions with 87.4 per cent and 86 per cent marks, respectively.

In MCA-III semester examinations, Baldeep Kaur got second position with 89.8 per cent marks, Annet Batra secured seventh position with 87 per cent marks whereas tenth position was bagged by Harpreet Kalia with 85.7 per cent marks.

Students’ rally against privatisation move
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 9
The Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa) in association with several more student unions organised a protest rally here today against state government’s proposed move to privatise education. The union has already decided to hold dharnas in this regard on May 11 and 12.The joint rally was organised by both teachers and students.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Gurpreet Singh, member state committee PSU said that government wanted to snatch right of education from common man and union would never approve of that. All unions would come together and struggle against privatisation, said the union leaders.

Ms Baljinder Kaur, president district unit of PSU and Ms Kiranjot Kaur, one of the committee members in a joint statement said that the students were all set for May 11 protest.They said that hundreds of school students and ITI students would take part in the protest dharna.

Under the protest, dharnas would be held at Samrala, Gujjarwal, Phagwara, Manuke and Jagraon etc.

Dance party held for tiny tots
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 9
A dance party was organised for the tiny tots of Love Dale on the school premises here today. A few mothers attended the party and students presented cards with flowers to their mothers. Children whose birthday was in April were felicitated and children danced on sever popular numbers.

Mother’s Day celebration: Mother’s Day was celebrated at New Senior Secondary School, Civil Lines here. Mothers of students were invited to get a feel of the caring, sacrificing, loving and devoted spirit expressed by the students. A special session for mothers was conducted on child care in the form of questions and their day-to-day association with their wards. The judges declared Mrs Dolly, mother of Maninder of plus two, as the best mother and the most lovable mother was Mrs Madhu Kapoor, mother of Paras of Class III. The function was presided over by the Principal, Mrs V.L. Patel. Prizes were distributed to the winners and sweets were distributed among the tiny tots.

‘Akhri Alfaaz’ staged
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 9
“Akhari Alfaaz”- a play by the Rang Manch Rang Nagri in association with Punjabi Sahit Akademi was staged at Bal Raj Sahni open air theatre in Punjabi Bhavan on Sunday. The 50-minute-long play was full of punch and was more on the lines of “nukkad natak”.

The story revolves around the theme of AIDS and how the problem should to be tackled. In the process of conveying the message, the play also brings to the fore the hypocrisy of politicians and bureaucrats.

Mr Ashwani Jaitley, chairman of the Rang Manch, said the manch planed to do four more shows of the play in Ludhiana district every Sunday in the month of May.

HEALTH

Ayurveda  practitioners resent orders on seniors’ work
Shivani Bhakoo

Ludhiana, May 9
Various ayurveda practitioners in the district are up in arms against the District Ayurvedic and Unani Officer (DAUO) over his recently issued orders which said that junior practitioners would review their seniors’ work. The practitioners alleged that the District Ayurveda Officer was not authorised to make block medical officers on his own. Senior practitioners said they were not answerable to people who had just five to six years’ working experience.

Several ayurveda doctors, who did not wish to be quoted, said the DAUO in his orders dated May 2, had divided the district dispensaries in to four major blocks i.e. Khanna, Samrala, Jagraon and Ludhiana. Four doctors —Dr Surjit Singh, Dr Rakesh Garg, Dr Jaspreet Singh and Dr Pankaj Kumar —were made in charge of Khanna, Samrala, Ludhiana and Jagraon blocks respectively.

As per the orders, the above-mentioned doctors have been assigned to submit the monthly reports of their block by fourth of every month. Not only this, they would check that the doctors sitting in dispensaries were wearing white coats and stethoscopes. They should keep thermometers and BP apparatus on their tables etc.

“The in charge for Ludhiana and Jagraon are juniors with a few years experience only. We are in service for over 30 years now. Are we answerable to these junior doctors? Now they would check that we are properly dressed? This is really disgusting,” said a senior ayurveda practitioner.

Another doctor complained that because of poor infrastructure, this system of medicine could not progress. Some of the dispensaries were allotted medicines worth Rs 1000 only for the whole year and it was impossible to survive in such a situation.”

Ludhiana Tribune repeatedly tried to speak to the District Ayurvedic Officer but he was not available for comments.

Apollo hospital starts functioning
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 9
The Satguru Pratap Singh Apollo Hospital started it functioning here today. The hospital will have round the clock in-patient service and emergency. Mr Jugdeep Singh, Director of the hospital, send focus would be on quality, cost effectiveness and accessibility in providing healthcare to all needy. There will be five per cent discount for women patients.

Dr Gurcharan Awasthi, Director, Medical Services, in the hospital said that the aim was to provide affordable medical services to the patients. He claimed, “the state of the art 350, superspeciality hospital is envisaged to provide the best facilities in Punjab.

He disclosed that the hospital was equipped with nine modular, zero-infection operating theatres, 65 intensive care beds with modern technology, state of the art cath lab, MRI, body CT and cardiac care ambulance.

He said, the services offered include, interventional cardiology and cardiothoracic vascular surgery, and other surgical specialties, neurology and neuro surgery, orthopaedics and Joint replacement, trauma care and emergency services, anesthesia and intensive care, medical specialties including internal medicine, phulmonary medicin, gastroenterology and dermatology.

SPORTS

Office-bearers of sports council elected
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, May 9
Representatives of more than 60 sports clubs yesterday attended the annual general body meeting of the Punjab Rural Sports Promotion Council. The meeting was held at Guru Nanak Stadium here.

The meeting took a number of decisions besides electing its new team of office-bearers. The council formed different committees which would oversee the activities of rural sports clubs in the state to promote the games.

Devi Dyal, a former international kabaddi player and the outgoing chairman of the council, proposed to dissolve the council, paving the way to form the new team. The meeting then elected unanimously elected the office-bearers. They are: chief patron — Mr Kartar Singh, Director, Sports, Punjab; patron — Pehalwan Sikander Singh Alamgir; chairman — Mr Ramesh Singla of Nabha; vice-chairman — Mr Paramjit Singh Grewal of Kila Raipur; president — Mr Prithipal Singh Batala; senior vice-presidents — Mr Ajmer Singh of Ludhiana, Mr Tarlochan Singh Grewal of Lalton Kalan, Mr Sachdev Singh Gill, Mr Gurjeewan Singh Brar of Bathinda, Mr Harjeet Singh Grewal of Gujjarwal and Balwinder Singh of Ghaloti; vice-presidents — Mr Jasvinder Singh Kussa of Moga, Mr Gurvinder Singh of Amritsar, Mr Jasvir Singh Boparai of Ghudani Kalan, Mr Darshan Singh of Kamalpura and Mr Gurnam Singh Cheema of Gurdaspur.

General secretary — Dr Kulwant Singh Sohal of Ludhiana; organising secretary — Mr Bikkar Singh of Ludhiana; finance secretaries — Mr Pavittar Singh Grewal of Ludhiana and Mr Gurmeet Singh Kular of Ghungrali Rajputana; advisers — Mr Teja Singh Dhaliwal, general secretary, Punjab Basketball Association, Mr Ramandeep Singh Grewal, Deputy Director, Sports, PAU, Prof Gubhajan Singh Gill, Mr Sarwan Singh Dhudike and Dr Darshan Baddi; legal adviser — Mr Kulwant Singh Boparai of Chandigarh.

Secretaries — Mr Kulwant Singh of Budhlada, Mr Baljeet Singh Gill, Mr Sukhminder Singh of Mundian Kalan, Mr Harjinder Singh of Sarihn and Mr Harkanwal Singh of Hoshiarpur; working committee —Mr Devi Dyal of Kube Lallian, Mr Prthipal Singh of Batala, Mr Inderjit Singh Grewal of Sarabha, Mr Jagroop Singh of Jarkhar, Mr Gurjeewan Singh Brar of Jandhawala, Mr Pavittar Singh Grewal of Gujjarwal, Mr Paramjit Singh Grewal, Mr Kulwant Singh Bopari, Mr Gurmeet Singh Kular, Prof Kanwaljeet Singh, Mr Sukhdev Singh Mangat, Mr Talochan Singh Grewal, Mr Sharanjit Singh Greal and Mr Gurmeet Singh.

Members of the media committee are: Prof Kanwaljeet Singh, Mr Rajinder Singh Dhaliwal, Mr Kanwaljeet Singh Shankar and Mr Parminder Singh Phullanwal.

Later, the council resolved to organise a function in the second week of June during which the sportspersons, coaches who have excelled in their respective fields along with sports promoters would be felicitated. They would be honoured with the Punjab Da Gaurav awards, started in the memory of Amarjit Singh Grewal. Navjot Singh Sidhu, a former cricketer, and Mr Rajdeep Singh Gill, ADGP, will be the chief guest on the occasion.

The meeting also decided to hold its meeting on May 21 where the games’ calender for the next year would be finalised.

Chess tournament at Ryan school
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, May 9
A large number of students from class III to X took part in the inter-house chess tournament held at the Ryan International School, Urban Estate, Chandigarh Road, here today.

The participants were seen raking their brains for the next move on their chess boards.

It was only after gruelling rounds that team of Raman House came out victorious. Ms Jaishree Gupta, Principal of the school, encouraged the winners. Charankamal Sethi, Varun Jain, Nikhil Jain, Devashish Sharma, Sanket Dyal, Sumit  Dua, Simranjeet Singh and Akshay Behl  were the winners in  the contest.