Jalandhar, May 26
The department of medical education and research is planning to set up an Ayurvedic university in Hoshiarpur.

Principal secretary of medical education and research Jagjit Puri revealed this at a press conference held at yet-to-be-operative Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), here today.

He said the university is likely to be set up in public-private partnership.

“An Ayurvedic college is already running in a 66-acre land in Hoshiarpur. A university would further give studies a boost in the Kandi area. The land is suitable for herbal plantations. Former adviser to the Government of India, S.K. Mishra is being consulted on the issue,” he added.

The principal secretary said there is also a proposed to set up two more directorates in medical education sector. “While a director for allopathy is already there, two more directors for Ayurveda and homeopathy will be appointed.”

Regarding the issue of holding online pre-medical test in the state from the next session, Puri said a committee had been already set up under managing director of Infotech, R.K. Verma, to ascertain its viability.

“If GRE and other examination can be conducted online for immigration purposes, why not PMT,” he said.

Adding that Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have already been conducting online tests, Puri said the method would also save thousands of examinees from undue harassment at the time of buying forms, submitting, making payment and other steps involved for taking the test.

The principal secretary further said the state had 13 medical colleges and there was a plan to set up 10 more in due course of time.

He said since most part of the building of PIMS was ready, the department was trying its best to make it functional by next year. “An amount of Rs 600 crore has already been spent to acquire the land for the project Another sum of Rs 116 crore has been spent on construction of the building. All it requires is Rs 134 crore to make it a fully functional hospital-cum-college”, he said.

Phagwara, May 26
Four poultry farms and equal number of dwelling units were totally destroyed in a major fire at Badowal village, here on Friday evening.

More than 2,000 chickens also perished in the incident. In another fire, sugarcane husk worth Rs 3.5 lakh was reduced to ashes in Chack Hakim village.

The total loss is pegged at Rs 20 lakh in both the incidents.

According to sources, the first fire was reported in the fields of Manoranjan Singh, a trader dealing in sugarcane husk.

The flames spread fast and destroyed the husk lying in the fields.

The Baddowal village fire completely destroyed four poultry farms and four nearby dwelling units.

Fire officials from Phagwara, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur had to tough time controlling the blaze.

Spark in electric wires, accompanied by high velocity winds, could be the reasons behind the incidents, said fire officer Rajinder Sharma from Jalandhar.

Unfortunately, when Phagwara fire tender official was informed about the Chack Hakim fire, the lone employee present at the fire department office expressed his helplessness saying that one fire tender had been sent to Baddowal village to control the poultry farm fire, while the other was without a driver.

Finally, a fire tender was summoned from Jalandhar. “Luckily, a Jalandhar fire tender was at Phagwara for a refill at that time. As a result, the Jalandhar driver was able to ply the Phagwara vehicle. He was joined by a tender from Hoshiarpur,” Rajinder Sharma told The Tribune.

Hoshiarpur, May 26
‘Harassment’ by his neighbours allegedly forced a Tanda trader to end his life.

The police has booked three persons Sant Sucha Singh Khalsa, former municipal councillor Mohinder Singh and Kashmir Singh, all of Dashmesh Nagar in this connection.

According to the police, Gurbax Singh consumed some poisonous substance on Friday evening. He breathed his last on the way to the hospital.

Police also recovered a suicide note from the pocket of the deceased in which he stated that the trio had been making false complaints against him for the last three years due to which he felt humiliated and committed suicide. — OC