|
|
|
|
Roads of shame nowhere?
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Nachattar Gill, Rani Randeep get best Punjabi singer award
NCC’s naval unit bags prizes in group competitions
National meet on medical informatics
to be organised
Holy City walks for a healthy heart
MC tenders for pole installation allotted arbitrarily?
Ministry launches textile fund scheme
Weekly Round-up
‘City SSIs should globalise business’
Khalsa College to start job-oriented courses
Teachers’ body welcomes uniform admission norms
Colours come alive at Indra Dhanush fest
|
|||||||
|
Unchecked encroachments, gaping manholes, frequent sewerage spills, the city’s roads are rutted, potholed networks.
Varinder Walia and Rashmi
Talwar, who did a recce of the situation in the city, report that the metalled surfaces here are shrivelling with each passing day, thanks to political patronage and indifference of municipal corporation’s authorities.
Centuries ago, Maharaja Ranjit Singh had an unhindered morning darshan of Harmandar Sahib from the window of his summer palace, Ram Bagh — named after the fourth Sikh Master, Guru Ram Dass. It was a uniquely visionary planning that gave the city its architectural splendour and its people-friendly infrastructure. But today, all has changed. And changed for worse. The unplanned growth of the city and the haphazard road network here have become the unenviable ‘hallmarks’ of the Holy City. Due to haphazard road planning even the international highway and the Amritsar–Wagah-Lahore route remains clogged with unchecked encroachments by non-historical shrines. Not to be outdone, a police station at Chheharta has occupied half the road! Even the roads linking the main highway, on which plies the international Delhi-Lahore Sada-E-Sarhad, (the highway is also important as it has a flow of foreign passengers and VVIPs crossing to and from Wagah ), have become accident prone at the intersections. With 231 parks and four large gardens, including Goal Bagh, 40 Khoo, Ram Bagh and Sakatri Bagh, the city had inherited green lungs. However, subsequent planners failed to formulate and implement policies to keep this greenery intact. The average width of the roads is merely 22 feet in this city with 1.94 lakh houses. Water-filled potholes, craters and speed breakers without any marking dot the city’s roads. The uncovered gutters and manholes are “deathtraps” that again are quite common here. The Municipal Corporation Amritsar (MCA) takes for granted that a theft of manhole covers is a good defence to absolve them of responsibility. Badly-eroded road shoulder is another hazard for vehicles. “It’s a city where bridges exist without railings. Truckloads of garbage dumps are left on roadsides,” rues a city resident. As another astute observer puts it — Drivers with their big trucks are expected to do the levelling of garbage piles! Road signs in most parts of the city are conspicuous by their absence. Pavements, too, are missing. Residents have, time and again, been asking the government to repair the roads, but to no avail. The sewerage length in the city is 557 Km, mostly laid underneath roads. This leaves about 30 per cent of the city’s population without any sewerage facility. While the MCA removes silt using machines, heaps of silt are left on the roads, and this silt finds its way back into the sewerage. About 1571 safai sevaks are on the rolls of the MCA. Many of these safai sevaks are reportedly working in the residences of officials and politicians, while residents are forced to engage private workforce for cleaning the roads. Interestingly, many politically-connected people in the city have managed to get access to their commercial and residential establishments through road dividers, defeating the very purpose of the construction of the dividers. A district party president and a former mayor have allegedly been violating the “divider plan” to provide access to petrol pumps and lanes. Undeterred, the police, too, has taken the “liberty of this access” for its Sadar police station! In striking contrast to this is Lahore — the twin city of Amritsar — that has a mall which stretches up to 17 Km without any break. However, the main cause of narrowing or squeezing of the roads, often leading to traffic chaos in the city, is the alleged MCA indifference. The corporation has failed to keep a check on parking space of high-rise buildings. Most of these buildings use their basements for commercial or other purposes. The extension of houseline by the city’s residents to increase the garden space and ‘outer’ space of their houses is yet another road-squeezer. The city is chock-a-block with encroachments of permanent and temporary structures. The shoppers’ gallery at the posh Lawrence Road has been completely encroached upon, as has the Railway Link Road been. So much so that under the very nose of the MCA, a dhaba has encroached upon the road that is being used as its parking area. If one of the most serene and beautiful areas of the Cantonment Road has been neglected by its board, one can well imagine the state of the roads in the congested walled city! According to records, a sum of Rs 35 crore has been spent on the city’s roads in the last three and a half years. In most cities, roads and sewerage facilities are planned in such a way that sewerage level is much below the road level. However, no such planning or rectification has been recommended here. Ideally, the crust level of the road should be about one foot on highways and about 70 mm on the city roads. However, only 20 mm of the crust has been laid on the roads here, causing rapid deterioration of the roads. This is due to financial constraints, it has been learnt. One km of such a road would cost up to Rs 1 crore as compared to the usual cost of Rs 12.80 lakh per km of the road. On an average, 50-60 km of the road should be repaired after a maximum of six years, say experts. But is anyone listening?
|
|||||||
|
Killer
roundabout The first roundabout that greets a Pakistani or a foreign guest in India from the international road or rail route was initially a proposed site for India Gate. Three decades later, the said roundabout became an open air museum to display battered vehicles to tourists coming from Pakistan. Even old horse carts could be seen tied here for an added effect! On October 24, 1977, a foundation stone was laid here by former Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to commemorate the 400 years of the foundation of the Holy City. However,
today the foundation stone has withered away. The absence of streetlights
and reflectors here has given the roundabout the name “killer roundabout”. Incidentally,
this road caters to VIPs crossing through Wagah joint check post. The
international “Sada-E-Sarhad” Delhi-Lahore bus also passes from here,
and this roundabout also leads to the international Atari Railway Station
and connects to Rajasansi International Airport.
|
|||||||
|
Couple accuses Improvement Trust officials of financial misappropriation
Mr Varinderjit Singh Kahlon, a city-based industrialist, and his wife Anju Kahlon, a lecturer in Batala, have alleged that three officials of the sales branch of the Improvement Trust demanded about Rs 1 lakh extra for the land the couple procured from the trust under the Area Development Scheme. The couple alleges that the said officials have been issuing fake notices to them.
Demanding the dismissal of the alleged accused officials, the Kahlons threatened to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court if the authorities failed to redress their complaint. In a letter to the vigilance department, the couple mentions that the incident occurred when they demanded a “No Due Certificate” after depositing the entire amount for the land. Mr Kahlon said that he had purchased a 250-yard plot under the Area Development Scheme and submitted two regular installments of Rs 1.32 lakh to the trust. However, due to financial problems, they could not pay several installments, he said. The trust issued a final notice on July 14, 2004, for depositing the remaining amount of about Rs 5.83 lakh, which the couple claimed they paid on August 24, 2004. The complainant alleged that when he requested for a “No Due Certificate”, he again received a notice for depositing Rs 1.10 lakh before March 20, 2005. The notice was signed by the executive officer of the trust’s sales branch. Mr Kahlon said that after much effort and harassment, the accounts branch rechecked the records and said that there was not any amount due against them. They then issued a “No Due Certificate”, he added. “If we had no pending dues, why did they issue us a notice for depositing Rs 1.10 lakh?” he asked. “This shows the dubious intentions of the accused officials of the trust,” he further alleged. The couple has urged the authorities to audit all records of the Improvement Trust office and conduct income tax raids on the houses and office of the alleged accused officials. Mr R.P.S. Bajwa, SSP, Vigilance, said Mr Kahlon had come to his office and given him the details of the incident. He said he would look into the matter. Mr Jugal Kishore Sharma, local MLA and Chairman of the Improvement Trust, said that if the couple had any problem, they should bring it to his notice so that timely action could be taken. He, however, added that he would hold an enquiry into the allegations and would take the necessary action against the alleged accused.
|
|||||||
|
Nachattar Gill, Rani Randeep get best Punjabi singer award
A sea of music lovers descended on the Guru Nanak Auditorium here for the 25th Mohammad Rafi Award function. The ceremony was organised by the Mohammad Rafi Memorial Society.
Bollywood singer Anwar, along with Punjabi singers Nachattar Gill and Rani Randeep, entertained the spectators. Comedians Jaspal Bhatti, Sudesh Lahri and Arvinder Bhatti also amused the audience with their wit and humour. Anwar was given the best playback singer award, while Anand Raj Anand got the best music director award. The best comedian prize went to Jaspal Bhatti. Anwar has already sung for more than 60 movies, including Vidhata, Naseeb, Janta Havaldar, Heer Ranjha, Kurbani, and Noori. Famous anchor Satinder Satti was given the best debut film actress award, while Nachattar Gill and Rani Randeep jointly received the best Punjabi singer award. The best pop singer and stage singer awards went to Captain Laddi and Nalini Jain, respectively. Arvinder Bhatti was declared the best newsreader. The Rana Jaspal Singh Award went to Roopinder Singh Ruby, managing director of Fine Touch Music Company, and the Pride of Amritsar award was given to comedian Sudesh
Lahiri.
|
|||||||
|
S.S. Minhas: An advocate with a difference
Going against the general perception about the advocates — the community which believes in logics and practical things — Mr S. S. Minhas, a senior advocate and member of Amritsar Bar Association, has developed a penchant for poetry and writing. He makes his writing a tool to highlight various social problems.
Mr Minhas, who has dozens of poetry and literary works to his credit, says, “I try to touch every problem of society, besides depicting our old culture and prevailing moral values”. Lamenting the moral degradation in the modern society, Mr Minhas says, “Crime is increasing day by day and we need to deal with it for the benefit of the society.” He strongly believes in “meaningful writings”. Talking about modern writers, he said meaningful writings were decreasing. Mr Minhas did not get the support of his family for his hobby. His father, late Mr Sant Singh, who was Director, Finger Print Bureau, Punjab Police Training College, Phillaur, before Partition, did not like his son’s participation in extra-curricular activities, as he wanted his son to focus on studies. Despite that, Mr Minhas, a gold medalist from Panjab University, could not disassociate himself from his writing skills. During his school and college days, he participated actively in debates, recitation, contests and a number of declamation contests at interstate level. He was adjudged the best speaker of Panjab University, Chandigarh in the years 1957, 1958 and 1959 and was awarded a rare distinction of university in debating. Besides being an accomplished lawyer, he has carved out a niche in Punjabi literary world and till date has a number of poetry books to his credit. His lyrical works titled “Ufkon Paar”, “Kehkashan Tak” and “Apuran”, have already seen the light of the day, while his fourth book “Khamosh Safar” is under publication. He is also working on a novel these days. “He possesses a remarkable skill to rip open the oozing sores of the society. His verses will continue to haunt the minds and souls of millions for years to come,” says Dr Iqbal Kaur, Head Namdev Chair, Guru Nanak Dev University, and Dr Sohinderbir Singh of the School of the Punjabi Studies. Working as a lecturer in criminal law in Guru Nanak Dev University, Mr Minhas taught for about 12 years in the department of laws. Moreover, during his stint as a professor, law department, the university published his various legal research papers. Out of these publications, “Intention in Criminal Law, “Child Law at the Cross Roads”, “Trespassers in English Law” and “A Study in White Collar Crime” are worth mentioning. He has also been editing the journal “Law Review”.
|
|||||||
|
NCC’s naval unit bags prizes in group competitions
The lone naval unit in this area, 2-Punjab Naval National Core Cadets (NCC), has bagged the top honours at the NCC’s group competitions, winning the best cadet awards both in the senior division (boys) as well as the senior wing (girls) categories.
“This was the result of hard work put in by the naval cadets,” said the organisers. The competitions were recently conducted among the NCC’s army, navy and air force units (comprising Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts) for the selection of the best cadets among boys and girls of senior division. The parameters of selection for the best cadet were the ‘drill’ and ‘firing’ competitions, besides a general knowledge test and a final interview. While Cadet Capt Vaibhav Sareen stood first among the boys, Cadet Harmeet Kaur was adjudged the best among the girls. Wing Cadet, Capt Harkirat Kaur, stood second among the girls. A keen marksman, having attended the Republic Day Camp at Delhi in January this year, Cadet Vaibhav Sareen is a final year BCA student of DAV College here. Cadet Harmeet Kaur is an all-India gold medallist in sailing and is also a good shooter. She is pursuing her BSc in food technology from Khalsa College here. Cadet Harkirat Kaur, an outstanding sportsperson, is final year student of SR Government College.
|
|||||||
|
Army observes Dograi Day
The Indian army recently observed the Dograi Day to commemorate the Battle of Dograi — the hardest battle fought in the Indo-Pak War of 1965. The solemn ceremony was observed at the Dograi Memorial located at New Amritsar’s military station.
Brig Raghu Kapoor, deputy general officer commanding the 15 Infantry Division, and Brig Ajay Mehra, Cad 54 Infantry Bde, along with other formation commanders, paid homage to the heroes of the battle. Dograi, a township on the axis of the Amritsar-Lahore road on the eastern bank of the Ichogil Canal in Pakistan seven km from international border, was captured in an operation that commenced on the night of September 5 near the Wagah border outpost. Though the Pakistani army kept repulsing the attack, the Indian troops remained undeterred and launched an operation to capture the township on September 22, making the enemy suffer heavy casualties. The 54 Infantry Bde was honoured with three Mahavir Chakras, eight Vir Charkas, 15 Sena Medals and 10 Chief of Army Staff Commendation Cards and 33 Mention-in-Dispatches.
|
|||||||
|
National meet on medical informatics
to be organised
The Indian Association for Medical Informatics (IAMI) will organise its 4th national conference on Medical Informatics and Telemedicine at the Sri Guru Ram Dass Institute of Medical Science and Research on September 30. The institute is run by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC).
This is for the first time that the IAMI would be holding its conference in north India, said Dr U.S. Dhaliwal, Principal and Director of the institute. The theme of the conference is “Health Information Technology for Disaster Management”. A special session on “Security in Medical Records” will also be held. “One of the objectives of the conference is to provide a platform for doctors, researchers, scientists, medical practitioners, administrators and students working in this area to discuss and exchange their views,” he said. The Indian Association for Medical Informatics is a body of medical professionals trying to bring about awareness and greater utilisation of information technology in healthcare facilities across the country. Dr Dhaliwal said the conference was aimed at making medical professionals and other technical departments know more about the incoming revolutionary developments in information technology. Dr A.K. Saini, the organising secretary of the conference, and Dr Sanjay Bedi, chairman of the organising committee, said top scientists, administrators, software professionals and biomedical engineers were likely to participate in the conference. These included experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and various space research centres at Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Mumbai. Experts from Germany, Austria, Norway, US, Iran, Canada and UK could also be part of the conference, he added. Dr A. K. Sangal, Director, Educational Communications, Indian Space Research Organisation, will inaugurate the conference, while Bibi Jagir Kaur, President, SGPC, will preside over the function. Dr Dhaliwal said the conference proceedings would be telecast all over the globe. There would also be a special session on the role of computers and information technology in providing medical help during natural disasters like tsunami, earthquake, floods and epidemics, he added.
|
|||||||
|
Holy City walks for a healthy heart
More than 1500 people attended the World Heart Day march organised here to increase awareness about obesity.
Taking the lead, Escorts Heart and Super Specialty Institute held a “Walk for Heart” marathon, which was joined among others by doctors, hospital staff, school students and even Mayor Sunil Dutti. The march highlighted the rising number of heart cases due to obesity. A team of doctors also visited 10 schools of the city and screened the students for obesity. The students were told about the importance of maintaining a healthy weight. Doctors said that waist size was associated with increased levels of heart disease risk. Men with waist sizes above 94 cm and women above 80 cm were considered at significant risk of developing heart disease and stroke, they added. Abdominal obesity, measured by waist circumference, was an easy marker of cardiovascular risk, they said. They informed that excess abdominal fat was more resistant to the action of insulin. Body shape and specifically a large waist relative to hip size raised the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Indians were more prone to developing abdominal obesity, the doctors added. Adopting a balanced diet, including plenty of fruits and vegetables, wholegrain products, low-fat and fat-free products, oils such as sunflower, corn and olive oil, lean meat, fish and pulses, was the best.
|
|||||||
|
MC tenders for pole installation allotted arbitrarily?
Allegations about arbitrarily allotting tenders for the installation of “unipols” (poles for placing advertisement boards and hoardings) in the city been levelled against the Municipal Corporation Amritsar (MCA).
Complainants allege that favouritism was rampant in the allotments. The work to install 62 such unipols has been given to a Jalandhar-based company and the kin of a corporation councillor, it has been alleged. The work is worth lakhs of rupees, and several applicants in the fray have been left high and dry, it has been further alleged. The allotments were allegedly passed by the Municipal Corporation Amritsar without any advertisement or open calling. As many as 42 unipols have been allotted to the Jalandhar-based company on the alleged recommendations of a minister. The councillor’s kin managed to get a contract for the installation of 20 unipols, it has been alleged. However, Mr Sunil Datti, Mayor, claimed he was not aware of the development, but promised action in case rules had been flouted. Mr K.S. Kang, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, also said that he would look into the matter.
|
|||||||
|
Ministry launches textile fund scheme
In a bid to face the challenges of the quota-free regime, the Union Ministry of Textiles has launched the Textile Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) for modernising the industry, said Mr J.S. Rawat, deputy director at the office of Textile Commissioner here. The scheme, he said, was valid till March 2007.
Mr J.S. Rawat said interest subsidy could be reimbursed up to five per cent for all textile units under the scheme. “For small-scale industries, 15 per cent credit link capital subsidy would be available and for the small-scale power loom sector, 20 per cent credit link subsidy would be given. For specified textile processing industry, the Central government was allowing five per cent interest subsidy, besides 10 per cent capital subsidy, he added.
|
|||||||
|
Weekly Round-up
The Shah Mohd Memorial Charitable Trust has decided to dedicate its annual fair to Mr Dyal Singh Majithia, scion of the Majithia family and founder of The Tribune newspaper.
Topper:
Ms Deepshika from Khalsa College has secured the first position with 976 marks out a total of 1275 in Guru Nanak Dev University’s MSc II (Chemistry) examination held in April this year. Quiz contest:
An inter-departmental quiz competition was organised at Khalsa College by the Department of Youth Welfare and Cultural Activities. The quiz was conducted by Prof Sawant Singh. The team of Saras Nayyar, Dinesh Agarwal and Gurjinder Singh stood first in the contest. Eco-preservation:
Expressing concern over the depleting water table in the state, AAGAAZ — a group working on environmental issues — has decided to prepare a report on the matter. Mr Deepal Babbar, president of the group, said the report would be sent to all political, social and religious bodies. The organisation has also urged the public to save water and grow more trees. Prize winners:
The BBK DAV College for Women has won the overall runners-up trophy, including 12 championship trophies, for yoga, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, athletics, cross country, rowing, chess, tug-of-war, softball and table tennis.
The college students also won Rs 60,000 in cash for participating in various national and international competitions. Ms Sania, a student of the college, secured the runner-up position in singles and doubles competition in the Open State Badminton Tournament held at Ludhiana, and was selected for the North Zone Badminton Tournament at Jaipur, and the national tournament at Kerala. Science meet:
A science competition was held at Sahibzada Ajit Singh Senior Secondary School, Ajnala, where various schools participated. The hosts secured the first position, while Government Senior Secondary School, Chamiari, and Raj Memorial School, Ajnala, secured the second and the third positions, respectively. Mr Gursaranjit Singh Mann, deputy district education officer, was chief guest on the occasion.
|
|||||||
|
‘City SSIs should globalise business’
The SME Business Services Ltd, a joint venture company of Punjab Infotech (under Government of Punjab), recently organised a seminar on “Global Business Opportunities” in association with the Textile Manufacturer Association and the Shawl Club here.
Speaking during the seminar, Mr Deepak Nanda, managing director and CEO of the SME Business Services Limited, pointed out that the portal has 16 international languages and is published in more than 20 online trade and business directories across the globe with more than 20-lakh business enterprises. “This portal for small and medium business enterprises aims at a global reach and the marketing of products and services. It would facilitate trade between different countries and also between NRIs and the 200,000-plus SMEs in Punjab,” said Mr Nanda. The main aim of the SME Business Services Ltd (SMEBS), he added, was to actively assist the local SMEs and equip them with the necessary ICT tools for exploring and exploiting not only national but also international territories for marketing, technology tie-ups, sourcing, trading and other business activities. “The portal will also provide basic data of importers and exporters in major countries for mutual benefit and also disseminate information regarding trade delegations visiting India. The SME Business Services Ltd will also assist in all kinds of technical collaboration between interested partners.” Mr Harprit Singh, also from SME Business Services Ltd, invited entrepreneurs to become members of the portal to become globally competitive and create collaborations for mutual benefit. “Members of this portal will automatically get connected to millions of international buyers and sellers eager to do business with Indian companies.” Mr B.M. Munjal, joint secretary, Textile Manufacturer Association, thanked the Punjab government for its novel initiative in supporting the small-scale industries in their endeavour to capture the export market. He assured full participation and cooperation of the industry.
|
|||||||
|
Khalsa College to start job-oriented courses
To encourage academics and build a healthy atmosphere for the personality development of students, Khalsa College has decided to start new educational courses and programmes. The college will pay special attention to the development of the computer, physiotherapy and biotechnology departments. Also on the cards is a three-year and five-year law course, besides more job-oriented courses in the next academic session.
The century-old college has been struggling with an image makeover as controversies surrounding it have been erupting at regular intervals. Dr Daljit Singh, Principal, Khalsa College, said that they would even start a coaching centre to prepare the students for different competitions, especially the civil services. He said the college would also apply for starting a postgraduate course in biotechnology and food sciences. Infrastructure, including laboratories, required for these classes was being developed, he added. “A departmental library for all postgraduate departments is being planned, besides providing computer and Internet facilities in all departments. We would also apply for increasing the seats for graduation in the agriculture department.” The principal said that for personality development of the students, the college would hold regular seminars, conferences and workshops. “With the present thaw between India and Pakistan, the college has also sent a proposal to the Chief Minister of West Punjab (Pakistan) and authorities at Canada for exchange of students,” he said. “We have got good response from both sides.” For encouraging students who cannot afford their education expenses, fees would be remitted, Dr Daljit Singh added. “We are approaching NRIs in Canada and other foreign countries, including former students of the college, for sponsoring the needy students on the lines of Patiala University.” He said that during the current session, two extension lectures would be organised in the Punjabi Department. “One extension lecture each in the departments of political science, physics and economics would be organised.” Meanwhile, the Science Day was celebrated at the Zoology Department with contests like quiz, declamation, poster making. Three lecturers — Prof Manbir Singh, Prof J.S. Gandhi and Prof Ishpinder Kaur were awarded fellowships during the function. The college has also claimed the overall runner-up trophy in the Inter-College Sports Competitions. The students of the college won in archery, basketball, cricket, fencing, gatka, judo, best physique, wrestling, netball, korfball, cycling, rowing, kayaking and cannoning competitions and remained first runners-up in athletics, gymnastics, handball, hockey, softball, swimming, water polo, wrestling and yoga. The college was second runner-up in cross country race, kabaddi, pistol shooting, kho-kho and table tennis.
|
|||||||
|
Teachers’ body welcomes uniform admission norms
Welcoming the proposed legislation for formulating uniform regulatory norms for admissions in medical, dental, ayurvedic and homoeopathy institutions and colleges in the state, the Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers’ Association has also asked it to be made more comprehensive by involving various private institutions in its making. It has also been suggested that it should cover all courses related to medical sciences and pharmacy.
Dr Baljeet Singh Dhillon, chairman of the association’s state core committee, said that after the act came into being, the state government should constitute a medical and technical education authority to regulate those courses. Dr Dhillon stressed on threadbare study for admission rules, fee structure and reservation rules, including the costs incurred by an institution for the training of an individual. “All private institutions should be involved in the process of framing of rules for fixing the fee structure.” The law, which should fall under the jurisdiction of Punjab government, should be enforced strictly and punitive action should be taken against those who failed to comply with the norms,
he added. The association also urged the government to improve the infrastructure and staff strength of government-run institutions, besides equipping them with the latest facilities, investigative tools and instruments keeping in view the training of the students. Dr Dhillon stressed on the framing of a long-term policy or strategy for training, saying that seats should be increased in government institutions for the economically weaker sections. “The issue of renovation of hostel buildings should also be given priority.” He also appealed to the government to permanently attach the Government Guru Gobind Singh Medical College with the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences to improve its functioning.
|
|||||||
|
Colours come alive at Indra Dhanush fest
‘Indra Dhanush’ festival was recently organised at the BBK DAV College for Women in association with the North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala. In the festival, cultural programmes were presented by artistes from different states of northern India, including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh.
The groups presented folk dances in traditional costumes. The rich heritage of their respective states was presented through traditional music instruments, dresses and performances. The troupe from Mathura headed by Mr Madan Lal presented musical “Brij Vandana” depicting the spirit of Vrindavan. This was followed by performances of artistes from Kulu. But Rajasthan with its bright costumes stole the show. The performance of balancing urns with earthen lamps on the head received maximum applause. Their folk dances included Malwayi giddha, jindua
and jhoomer. Local MLA, Mr Jugal Kishore Sharma, presided over the cultural evening. Ms J Kackria, Principal of the college, urged the students to take forward the rich Indian culture to various parts of the country and abroad.
|
|||||||
|
Talent search
Hundreds of students participated in the four-day talent search competition held at the SR Government College for Girls from September 5 to 9. About 400 first year students from BA, BSc, BCom and MA participated in various items. A total of 100 prizes were given to the winners of various competitions.
— TNS
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
A sea of music lovers descended on the Guru Nanak Auditorium here for the 25th Mohammad Rafi Award function. The ceremony was organised by the Mohammad Rafi Memorial Society.
Bollywood singer Anwar, along with Punjabi singers Nachattar Gill and Rani
Randeep, entertained the spectators.
