Amritsar, January 12
Health and family welfare minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla, while inaugurating Punjab's first community care centre for HIV/AIDS patients near Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, here on Saturday, said self control and adherence to age old norms of brahmcharya and grihastha ashram as per the vedic culture is the only way out to put an end to this problem. Emphasising on the need of adopting value based moral and ethical values, the health minister said AIDS is not just a disease but a grave problem afflicting our society due to abandonment of age old values. Chawla closely inspected the community care centre right from the male/female wards, counseling rooms, toilets and kitchen to the recreation room. She also interacted with the patients including four females admitted therein. She exhorted the doctors to undertake the treatment of HIV patients with a compassionate attitude.

She also stressed upon the need to spread awareness on AIDS/HIV and asked the social workers and religious leaders to come forward for this. On the eve of Lohri festival, in her message to the public, the health minister said Lohri should be celebrated with fervor, regardless of the consideration of the festival being celebrated for a male or a female child. She added that in a country where female army officers are guarding the national frontiers at places like Siachien, it is a myth to consider the girls weak or a burden. T.R. Sarangal, secretary health and family welfare, Punjab cum project director Punjab state AIDS control society, appreciated the efforts of the district administration in facilitating the setting up of community care centre. He revealed that Punjab government is making serious endeavours to create awareness about AIDS. 

Jalandhar, January 12
Lohri was celebrated with traditional fervour in city today. People lit the ceremonial bonfire and sat around it relishing groundnut, popcorns, reoris, gachak, bhugga and sweets. The market places were jam-packed in the day with people buying these items in bulk to gift these to their kith and kin.

Celebrations were also held in various schools and colleges today. At the Government College of Education, students sang songs and performed folk dances like giddha. Principal Geeta Vohra wished the staff and students. Community lunch was also arranged. Students and teachers of Seth Hukum Chand SD Public Senior Secondary School gathered around the Lohri bonfire to celebrate the festival. Enjoying festive goodies they sang Lohri songs and exchanged greetings. Principal Manju Arora told the students about the importance of the festival.

The festival was also celebrated at Dayanand Model School, Model Town. A bonfire was lit by the principal Suman Sharma. Students danced to the tune of folk songs. The staff distributed sweets among students.

Celebrations were a bit different at Apeejay School Rama Mandi yesterday. A special assembly was held wherein the students delivered talk on Makar Sakranti and Lohri. Primary school children performed a skit conveying message against female foeticide and celebrate the Lohri of both boys and girls. Bonfire was lit and prayers were offered seeking abundance and prosperity for everyone. Principal R. K. Walia wished everyone on the occasion. 

Jalandhar, January 12
In view of acute crises in the agriculture sector, the Congress will soon impress upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to announce a comprehensive financial package for the state on the pattern of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Stating this while interacting with mediapersons here today, Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said the PPCC had formed an agricultural committee headed by former PAU VC Kirpal Singh Aulakh, which would present a white paper on the actual position on the ground. It will also suggest measures to ease sufferings of the farming community. The document will be ready in the coming days, he revealed.

Farmers were under heavy debt forcing them to commit suicides, said Khaira. Effects of the green revolution have come to haunt them as the soil has become unproductive after decades of use of chemicals and pesticides, he added.

Khaira said the committee would compile all data available on the subject so to enable the PM to have a first hand account of the reality. “The feeling in Delhi is that the issues were being blown out of proportion in the once prosperous state ranked at the top,” he pointed out.

He also condemned the decision of the present regime to allot 1250 acres of land at Ladhowal near Ludhiana for research purposes to the private sector. “On one hand the state government claims that it is committed to bring newer varieties of high yielding crops and on the other it is giving such land to MNCs which is nothing but hypocrisy,” he alleged. 

Jalandhar, January 12
Punjab minister for health and family welfare Laxmi Kanta Chawla today formally inaugurated the pilot project for prevention and control of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke at the civil hospital here.

The first of its kind project is meant for accessing the prevalence of risk factors for non communicable diseases (NCDs). Addressing the gathering, the minister said there was an urgent need to change the sedentary lifestyle, which is hitting the urban population hard.

Dr JS Gill past president of the Punjab chapter of the IMA and Dr PS Bakshi president of the district unit of the association presented a memorandum to the minister, seeking amendment to the section 304-A of the IPC. They said the doctors should be taken out of the purview of the act and demanded that the government should enact an ordinance on the pattern of Andhra Pradesh where medical practitioners are not booked in such cases.