Ludhiana, August 12
The issue of closure of Gate Number 6 of Punjab Agricultural University is taking a political colour with the residents of Kitchlu Nagar vowing to extend their support to Mr Parkash Singh Badal, SAD supremo ‘‘as the ruling party leaders had failed to convince the Vice- Chancellor to reopen the gate.’’

Orders to close the controversial gate, which opens in Kitchlu Nagar were given by the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Kirpal Singh Aulakh, in July 2001 for ‘‘security reasons.’’ The closure had, however, evoked strong protests from the residents of the area, comprising mostly of former senior functionaries of the university.

After struggling for all these years to get the gate opened as it was causing lot of inconvenience, the Kitchlu Nagar Residents Association has decided to approach Mr Badal and support him in the forth coming elections so that if his party comes to power, the gate would be reopened.

‘‘We approached city MLAs, ministers and even the secretary of the All India Congress Committee to get the issue resolved. But they all remained ineffective in convincing the Vice-Chancellor to reopen the gate. Now we have decided if a common man has no say in getting his demands fulfilled, then we will not vote for this party, ’’ said Mr Virinder Bhakoo, general secretary of association.

The closure of the gate, which was an approach road to the PAU for the residents of the area had seen around 200 PAU employees, hundreds of school children of campus school and around 50 former scientists of PAU silently protesting. Incidentally, two former VCs and 10 to 12 former Deans and Directors of PAU happen to live in the colony. The closure meant that they had to travel at least four kilometers to reach their offices.

Many of the former senior functionaries of PAU had constructed houses in this area as they wanted to be in constant touch with the university. The gate was of special significance for the morning walkers who chose the clean environs of the university.

The residents said for the past many years they were staying in this colony and this gate was never closed. He said even when terrorism was in full swing from 1981 to 1990, the gate remained opened.

A former scientist of the university who also lives in the colony said on the condition of anonymity that they had constructed their houses in the colony after retirement as they wanted to live in the vicinity of the university. He said the then Vice-Chancellor of the university, Dr M.S Randhawa, had written to the Improvement Trust at that time to plan a colony here as PAU was unable to accommodate all employees.

Another former employee of PAU said they were visiting the university on a daily basis as they were going to meet the scientists and read in the library. He said most of the retired persons were old and they could only move on foot and if the gate was opened then they could just walk down to the university.

Doraha, August 12
The students of Guru Nanak Model Senior Secondary School enjoyed a pool party in the school premises today.

The students of kindergarten section had a water bath and had fun playing various types of water games. The children sat in a pool of water and recited water poems. They were educated about the monsoon season and the importance of rains.