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Celebrating womanhood
Tribune News Service

Women police personnel exhibit martial arts at Nadda village on the International Women’s Day on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

Patiala, March 8
"Women are ahead of their male counterparts in all fields. This is the essence and the importance of International Women's Day. Women need to be more aggressive and its only then that they will become a dominant force in society." This was stated by education minister Upinderjit Kaur at a function held at Government College for Women to mark International Women's Day. The minister honoured 18 prominent women. She added that to improve the quality of education in the state, the government would shortly recruit 14,000 teachers and 2,100 computer teachers.

HONOURED: The National Theatre Arts Society (NTAS) honoured 24 women leprosy patients on International Women’s Day here today. Each one of them was given a shawl.

CELEBRATED: Khalsa College celebrated International Women’s Day on its premises here today. Eminent poetess Sukhwinder Amrit electrified the atmosphere with her emotionally charged poems and presented her viewpoint on the life of women by sharing her personal experiences with the audience and answering the queries of the eager students.

FUNCTION: Rotary Club mid-town celebrated International Women’s Day at Rotary Bhawan here today. Gursharan K. Randhawa, chairperson of zila parishad was the chief guest. Club president Sudershan Bedi honoured Renu Singla from Deaf and Dumb School, Parveen from Apahaj Ashram and Beena from Bal Niketan for their selfless services in their respective fields.

Ambala
PROGRAMME: A district-level programme was organised at War Heroes Memorial Stadium, Ambala Cantonment, by the women and child development department on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The programme was inaugurated by Nezli Shayin, financial director of UHBVN and chairperson of the district child welfare council, Ambala. Ambala DC Mohammad Shayin gave away prizes to the winners of various completions. Additional DC Ambala Renu Fulia also addressed the participants.

Panchkula
TRAINING CLASS: Master Bikram S. Thapa, a fifth degree black belt holder in Choi Kwang Do martial art, organised a special self-defence training class for women in order to commemorate International Women’s Day at Choi Kwang Do Martial Art School in Panchkula. A number of women participated in the programme.

INAUGURATED: An aerobic club-cum-mini fitness gym, beauty care and fashion designing training centers were opened by the district administration on the occasion of International Women’s Day in the city here today. Joint commissioner of income tax department Kalpana Kartaria, who inaugurated the club and training center at Red Cross office building, Sector 15 and District Children Welfare Parishad, Sector 14, respectively, said this step would help in making the women of the area self-dependent and take care of their physical fitness. The visitor women would have to spend a minimal amount to avail the facilities at these centers, she said. Assistant inspector general of police (admistration) Charu Bali, who was also present on the occasion, awarded the aanganwadi workers, self-help groups, women sarpanches and other women of the area who contributed in various fields in the region.

The flip side
Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 8
International Women's Day is a day meant to honour and celebrate womanhood. However, the day celebrated today by Government College for Women turned out to be an aberration of sorts. Girls were made to serve the chief guest and other staff members allegedly as per the instructions of college principal Indra Bagga.

Girls, upon whom the day bestows dignity, could be seen serving tea and snacks to chief guest Upinderjit Kaur, minister for education and civil aviation. Other staff members were also being served much to the chagrin of many in the audience.

A woman from the audience, preferring anonymity, said, "Atleast the college management could have spared the girls today. The principal should have given a caring little thought to the girls on this day. Everything is so hypocritical in today's world." A staff member, who also wished to remain anonymous due to obvious reasons, also echoed the thought.

When contacted, principal Indra Bagga said it was normal on the part of the management to put girls on duty during functions.

She also remarked that the girls were drawn from the home sciences faculty and serving refreshments to a chief guest was part of their syllabus. Unfortunately, the principal very conveniently swept under the carpet, the importance of International Women's Day that is celebrated all over the world with great fervour.

Farmers in fix over acquisition
Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service

Ropar, March 8
The recent notification issued by the department of national highways for acquiring land along Kurali to Kiratpur Sahib road stretch has created panic among farmers here.

The notice has been issued for the purpose of four-laning of Chandigarh-Kiratpur Sahib national highway stretch. However, farmers are alleging that the nature of their land has been changed in the notification, which would mean that they would get lesser compensation from the government. Mohinder Singh, a farmer from village Sirsa Nangal, said his entire land along the road is either agricultural or residential but in the notification it has been declared as barren.

The price of agricultural land as per government approved rates is around Rs 20 lakh per acre, whereas the price of barren land is just around Rs 2 lakh per acre.

Farmers alleged that the national highways department has referred to 10-year-old records and the latest ones were left out. They added that the land acquired has been calculated in ‘biggas’ and ‘biswas’ and this system of measurement of land has been abandoned in Punjab. Land is measured in marlas, kanals and acres in the state.

The old system has put farmers in a fix as they are not being able to figure out how much land will be acquired from them.

Farmers also alleged that they had filed a large number of objections before the respective SDM’s regarding acquisition of their land. However, in the notification it has been stated that just two objections were received, which have been rejected by competent authorities.

Meanwhile, SDM Ropar Kavita Singh said she had received about 90 objections, mostly related to price fixation of land. There were just two to four objections regarding acquisition of land. Objections regarding compensation of land would come up during the price fixation committee meeting, she said.

When asked about change in nature of land in acquisition notice, the SDM said it would not have any implication. She said in price fixation committee meeting the district administration would make sure that latest land records are taken into consideration. Farmers would be paid market price for the acquired land as per the government policy, she added.

Minister lays foundation stone of Panchayati Park
Tribune News Service

Lalru, March 8
Punjab cooperation minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh said yesterday that the Amarinder Singh government had failed to initiate development works in the state as a result of which Punjab has lagged behind its neighbouring states.

Addressing a function after laying the foundation stone of Panchayati Park here, he said no progress was made in the state during the last five years. He said during the tenure of last SAD-BJP combine government, 16 tube wells were installed in the area but the Congress government even failed to provide electricity connections for the same. He said people did not get potable water and not a drop was provided for irrigation.

He said their government was committed towards fulfilling all election promises which would be implemented one by one. He said special camps were being organised to complete pension and ration card cases.

The minister assured the gathering that all the tube wells would be given power supply within the next 15 days. He said Rs 3 lakh would be spent for draining out polluted water from the town.

He distributed cheques for Rs 2 lakh for Government Pimary School and Rs 60,000 for primary school of Lalru. He also announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh each for three dharmshalas and Rs 50,000 for cremation ground.

Others present on the occasion included executive member of SGPC Nirmail Singh Jola besides leaders of SAD-BJP combine.

Rice millers condemn fraud
Our Correspondent

Bassi Pathana, March 8
The Punjab Rice Miller's Association has strongly condemned the fraud committed by a rice mill owner of Bagha Purana in Moga district by selling the consignments of government procurement agency's rice worth crores of rupees in the market.

The association has urged all its members to strictly honour all clauses written in the agreement made with the procurement agencies.

If any rice miller committed fraud, the association would not support him. This decision was taken during a meeting of Punjab Rice Millers’ Association held here today under the presidentship of Tarsem Saini.

According to a press release issued by press secretary Nakesh Jindal, state president Tarsem Saini said if any rice miller committed fraud, relation between the state agency and the millers would get spoilt. The government agencies had started hesitating to store paddy in the rice mills for milling. He said the government stored paddy worth crores of rupees in the mills just on goodwill of the mills and the association played an active role.

In another resolution, the association also urged the government to concede the genuine problems of the millers.

Ambala girl makes it to Gladrags contest
Tribune News Service

Ambala, March 8
City girl Simran Malhi has made it to the Gladrags Mega Model Competition. Having been selected among 700 participants, Simran is elated at her achievement.

As many as 10 participants have made it to the competition from the region, she informs, which include four girls and six boys. Twenty-year-old Simran is a second year student of English honours at the local SD College.

She said she had gone for the northern region auditions on February 26 at New Delhi and it was last Friday that she received a call from Maureen Wadia informing her about her selection. “She told me that I had the caliber and potential to be a supermodel,” said Simran.

With full support of her parents J.S. Malhi and Kamaljit Kaur Malhi, Simran is all set to win the title. She says: “The finals are being held on April 12 in Mumbai and I undergo a month-long training programme.”