Kapurthala, March 15
The old students of Sainik School Kapurthala submitted representations to union minister of state for defence MM Pallam Raju against Punjab government’s proposal of setting up a luxury heritage hotel in place of the school.

In its memorandum, the Sainik School Old Boys Association, led by its general secretary Tejinder Kaushal and advocate MS Gill, opposed the proposal of the Parkash Singh Badal led SAD-BJP government. In a separate memorandum submitted to the minister, Jalandhar MP Rana Gujrit Singh demanded that instead of setting up a luxury heritage hotel, a national defence university should be established on the vacant land of the school.

Talking to mediapersons, Raju said the defence ministry would decide on the representations after proper discussion on the issue.

Replying to a question, he said the Centre had already announced a sum of Rs 2 crore for 22 sainik schools located in different parts of the country.

Upgradation of sainik schools was needed so as to produce more officers for the armed forces, he added. In separate meetings with the union minister, Punjab tourism minister Hira Singh Gabria, principal secretary tourism Geetika Kalha and DC JM Balamurugan apprised him in detail about the plan of the state government regarding developing a tourist circuit of Sultanpur Lodhi-Kapurthala-Hari Ke Pattan.

Amritsar, March 15
Impressed by the beauty of Punjabi girls, Miss India Universe Pooja Gupta said here today that she would strongly recommend to the organisers of the show to host Miss India Pageants in small towns to attract beautiful women with brains and to make the show a bigger affair.

Gupta, talking to media at the inauguration of Richfeel Hair and Scalp Clinic, said Indian women were one of the most attractive, healthy and intelligent across the globe. She attributed her success to reach the top of the rung in the beauty contest to her fondness for yoga and meditation and a cool mind.

Having lived in the USA for six years had helped her acquire a universal perspective and imbibe the international culture which had helped her to hone her skills to reach to the top.

Engaged in many social projects in India and abroad she said she had been championing the cause of HIV positive and AIDS patients across the world and said she had recently been to New York and other places around the globe.

She said till she finishes her Miss India Universe assignment in April, she would decide on her next course of action of either joining the tinsel town or to take up other glamorous assignments.

Earlier, launching the Richfeel Trichology (the science of hair and scalp disorders) Gupta said it would help to meet people’s needs with regard to hair problems.

Amritsar, March 15
Experts feel that there’s a tremendous potential for export of herbal medicines. Deliberating during a seminar, which was organised by National Medicinal Plants Board, they expressed concern over the ‘widespread use’ of chemical fertilisers.

“The chemicals are ruining the rich fertile fields of the state. The farmers must shift to organic farming which has been the traditional mainstay of the agricultural community for centuries,” they said, emphasising the need to educate the farmers on cultivation of herbal medicines.

Sanjiv Sharma from Kheti Virasat, an NGO working for organic farming in Punjab, said it was very important to change the mindset of the farming community.

Jalandhar, March 15
An elderly woman, Kanta Devi, was allegedly murdered by one of her neighbours, Ravi Kant, with a sharp edged weapon when the former was alone at her house in Chitti village here on Saturday.

The murderer decamped with Rs 2 lakh. Meanwhile, an FIR under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered on the statement of Kanta Devi’s husband Shiam Lal, a brick kiln owner. The accused is still at large.