The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has embarked upon an expansion programme for Rajasansi Airport to put it in league with the top international airports in the country.

Work has already begun on the phase II of the master plan to give the airport a new look, with more passenger facilities and increased security features.

Besides giving better amenities to passengers, the cargo handling facility being developed at the airport would prove beneficial for exporters from the region who presently have no alternative but to transport their goods to Delhi.

The AAI recently agreed to hand over 10,000 square metres of land to the Council of Value Added Horticulture for setting up of a permanent perishable cargo centre, on a token money of Re 1 per annum for a period of seven years.

This would catalyse export of perishable goods.

Arun Talwar, Airport Director, said there has been an increase of 40 per cent in the number of international and domestic passengers at the Amritsar airport last year.

The number of international passengers swelled to 4,09,166 and a total of 77,974 domestic passengers flew on different circuits of as many as nine airlines offering their services from Amritsar during 2006.

“The airport is developing at a fast pace and air passengers from the region can look forward to better facilities once the expansion plan is implemented over a period of 7-8 months.

Tribune News Service
An alarming 45-50 per cent of those suffering from diabetes are developing heart disease. This was disclosed by Dr Arun K Chopra, senior consultant, Interventional Cardiology, Escorts Heart and Super Specialty Institute in Amritsar.

Dr Chopra said according to world figures, 25 per cent of those suffering from heart disease have diabetes, but in this region the figures were rapidly growing to a level where 45-50 per cent of heart disease patients were diabetic.

Cautioning the people over the sedentary lifestyles, combined with consumption of rich fatty food, the cardiologist said that diabetes had a strong genetic link and this connection was growing swiftly, giving India a disgraceful reputation of being the 'Diabetes Capital' of the world.

Dr Rajeev Khanna, Consultant Endocrinologist, Escorts, elaborating the diabetic link through parents, said if either of the parents was a diabetic there was a 30-40 per cent chance that their children too would develop the disease in their lifetimes. However, if both parents are diabetic their children’s probability to get the disease would be nearly 70-80 per cent, he added. This can be prevented by lifestyle modification (diet and exercise) in up to 55 per cent individuals.

Dr Chopra said the risk of heart attack in diabetic patients was 3 to 5 times higher than normal. In addition to this, other factors like high blood pressure, smoking and high cholesterol further raises the risk of heart attack by a whopping 15 to 20 times, he added.

According to an estimate in the next 20 years, the situation may turn “extremely grave” as it is predicted that every second family in India would have a diabetic patient. Also the economy would be badly hit by the expenditure incurred on treatment.

Doctors advise that persons above 35 years need to get their risk factors evaluated through check ups.

In another estimate, he calculated that the growing problem of heart disease with an estimated present figure of 10-12 per cent of adult urban population of the city would affect nearly 70,000 out of a total of 13 lakh population. 

On the eve of International Women’s Day, a play ‘Maaien ni main kinnu aakhan’ depicting the deplorable condition of women folk in the men dominated world was staged at Naatshala by the Rangtoli here.

The play focusing on the pitiable condition of the women was the collage of stories of famous writers including Amrita Pritam, Tausif and Pali Bhupinder Singh. Dr Neeta Mohindra, director of the play said that she had tried her best to break ‘myth’ saying the woman are better half of men. She said although the women were considered to be the ‘Ardhnarishwar’ in the religions but the truth was opposite to it.

In the play the director tried to attack the mentality and the thinking in which the people considered the women as a thing of lust and inferior to men although various religions measured her as pious and worshipped. The artists presented the play with meticulous and lively way. Dr Mohindra said that though various stories written by famous writers barring of boundaries of language, but they all focused on the main problem of women. She said that although the world entered in the 21st century and was planning to conquer the universe, but we were still unable to break the age old shackles of bad mentality.

She said women should themselves come forward and fight to free themselves from the old age customs which were responsible for their present condition.

A mammoth ex-servicemen rally was organized by the Panther Division for the benefit of ex-servicemen at new military station.

The rally was flagged off by Maj Gen KMS Shergill, General Officer Commanding Panther Division and other senior army and civil officers. The rally provided an ideal platform to the ex-servicemen to come face to face with civil official and seek redressal for their grievances.

Numerous stalls and information outlets of various government agencies like agriculture, horticulture, sericulture, fisheries, irrigation, handicrafts, small scale industry and nationalized banks were established to provide first hand information and assistance to them.

The army authorities also disseminated information regarding various schemes like a ex-servicemen contributory health scheme, assured decent rites scheme launched by army for the ex-servicemen.

The main attraction of the rally was a mega medical camp, wherein, services of all types of specialists including eye, ENT, surgeon and cardiologist were made available and medicines were distributed free of cost. The ex-servicemen made full use of the canteen facilities established at the location.

Maj Gen Shergill interacted with the ex-servicemen and exhorted them to work for the betterment of the society and nation as a whole.

The ex-servicemen expressed their gratitude for organising the rally and for hospitality.

Tribune News Service
Giving them lots to cheer about, Mamta Niketan Residential School, Tarn Taran, organised its maiden exhibition-cum-fete for students in which baby show, painting competition and a book fair were some of the main events.

Dr Karanjit Singh, a civil surgeon, inaugurated the fete where as many as 400 students of the school participated. Innovative ideas were brought to display in the form of working models. The students presented their models to the chief guest with great enthusiasm and pride.

As many as 50 students participated in the spot-painting competition. The youngsters enjoyed events organised on the stalls like Tambola, computer games, dance and other games. Swinder Singh Pannu and Maninder Pal Singh, the directors of the school managing committee, awarded the winners on the occasion.