Amritsar, October 10
As the festival season is on and reports of increase in the supply of adulterated eatable material, especially made from milk are pouring in, the health department is facing hardships to check the adulteration in these materials, including khoya, paneer and desi ghee, which are largely used in sweets.

A large chunk of these adulterated materials are especially being supplied from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana. Recently the department has seized about two and half quintals of khoya from a sweet shop indicating that the illegal traders have become active to make money with the arrival of the festive season. It has also shown the inability of the health department to deal with the situation due to lack of proper and trained staff.

Incidentally, the health department has just two food inspectors to check the adulteration in food items in the huge city of Amritsar, while about 128 posts of trained medical officer were lying vacant. The department had recently sent a notification to the authorities concerned to appoint at least four trained medical officers in view of the festival season.

The consumption of sweets, especially made of khoya and paneer, increases up to four times in Punjab during the festival season.

However, Dr Lehmbar Singh, civil surgeon, said although there was lack of staff but they would leave no stone unturned to check the adulteration and quality of sweets, eatables and milk products. He said teams had been appointed to check every entrance point, including bus stand and railway station, besides keeping a vigil on transportation.

He said the teams would also inspect major retail stores such as 6X, More, Reliance Fresh, Subhiksha, etc. He said special health teams had already started taking samples from various sweet shops of the city. Recently, notices were issued to eight restaurants, hotels and sweet shops. It was made mandatory for sweet shop owners to inform the health department about their consignments being brought from other states.

When asked about the recent statement by health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla that health teams from other departments could also conduct raids in other districts so that transparency could be brought in the system, he said department had not received any instructions from the governments.

Amritsar, October 10
The residents of Khuh Bumbe Wala and its adjoining areas are irked over dumping of garbage near Arya Samaj Senior Secondary School (ASSSS) which has become a nuisance for the school inmates also. The area has four schools and three historic gurdwaras in its vicinity, Gurdwara Bhai Salo, Gurdwara Guru Ka Mehal and Gurdwara Lohgarh, besides 20 temples.

However, the ignorance of the municipal corporation has annoyed the natives who felt cheated and disappointed over the attitude of the sewerage board and the health department. Expressing anguish over the pathetic attitude of the civic authorities which had not taken any measures to get the dump lifted, they sent a representation to the municipal corporation commissioner, the mayor, the local member of Parliament, the MLA and the councillor of the area. The representation has been signed by the councillor of the area, mohalla presidents of various adjoining areas, different school managements and their principals.

Mohalla Sudhar Society general secretary J.N. Jain said they had made a number of complaints during the reign of the previous and present governments to direct the authorities to repair the sewerage.

However, the requests had fallen on deaf ears as no action had been taken so far. He said open drains from Khuh Bumbe Wala to the school remained filled with filth and overflowed with solid waste, emanating foul smell making life hell for them. He said these drains required desilting at regular interval.

Anil Khanna, a resident of the area, said garbage was lifted from the dumps of various areas, including Katra Sher Singh, telephone exchange, Katra Moti Ram, milk booth inside Haathi Gate and Lohgarh Gate by the municipal corporation.

Life became hell for them as the corporation started dumping the solid waste of the surrounding areas near the school, exposing children to various diseases.

Another resident said whenever they contacted the corporation authorities, they said a solid waste management plant would be set up. “But are we going to bear the smell and live with overflowing drains till the establishment of the plant?” he asked.

When contacted, MC commissioner D.P.S. Kharbanda said he had visited the spot after receiving the complaint, but there was division among the people over lifting of the dump as some people wanted the dump to stay there.

However, the matter was later sorted out and he directed the sanitary inspector to regularly lift the garbage.

About repairing the sewerage, he said an estimate in this regard had already been prepared and work would start shortly.

Amritsar, October 10
Amritsar-born Dr Kuldip Singh Rattan, Sameep Singh Gumtala, Dr Darshan Singh Sehbi, Loharan village in Jalandhar district-born Avtar Singh Springfield and other Punjabis living in Dayton, Ohio, USA, and around were instrumental in winning first prize for their Punjabi cultural exhibition out of 61 exhibitions of different countries, including Japan, China, Mexico.

The 12th annual cultural fest of Springfield (Ohio) served up music, dancing, food, information and activities from around the globe.

In the Punjabi stall, artifacts such as spinning wheel (charkha), churner (madhani), seat chair (peerhee), grinding stone (atta chaki), harmonium, hand drum (damru), tong (chimta) were displayed. To create awareness about the Sikhs and turban in context of Indian culture, pictures and posters about “Who are the Sikhs and their Beliefs” and “Tying of the turban” were displayed. Pictures of the Golden Temple and Guru Granth Sahib were also displayed and their significance explained.

Dr Darshan Singh Sehbi, Dr Kuldip Singh Rattan, Daljit Singh Deol, Piara Singh Sembhi, Sameep Singh Gumtala, Sarabjeet Kaur, Jasmel Kaur, Sawarnjit Singh Pannu and many others participated in various activities.

Several thousands turned out for the free event and encountered an electric array of live music acts on two stages, 61 booths featuring traditional cuisine and crafts from a variety of cultures - Indian, Greek, Chinese and many more. The choices also included Mexican, Greek, Indian and Italian foods; bluegrass, jazz and Andean music; and African, Indian and Celtic dancers. Punjabis living in the Springfield and Dayton area celebrated this song and dance festival by exhibiting giddha and bhangra. Springfield city mayor Warren Copeland inaugurated the event. He said he hadn’t missed a year and wished more people would attend the event.

After the inauguration by Copeland, Punjabi dance was performed by young kids - Ravjot Kaur, Manpreet Singh, Gurinder Singh, Kamaldeep Kaur and Balraj Singh - followed by bhangra by Karanvir Singh, Gulshan Singh, Taranjeet Singh and others. The onlookers were so impressed with the bhangra and giddha display that they could not resist themselves from joining the Punjabis on the rhythm of the dhol.

Amritsar, October 10
Pillar boxes containing bulk domestic power meters, put up in various government and private localities, have been instrumental in plugging power thefts three times in one year.

Each pillar box contains 15 to 20 meters and its lock can be opened by meter inspectors or senior PSEB official only.

According to additional superintending engineer Parmjit Singh Bal, pillar boxes also cover government localities, including the Punjab police and the CRPF.

He claimed that pillar boxes were foolproof and no consumer could tamper with the meters.

He said overhead electricity wires and bare conductors had also been removed in various parts of the city with a view to preventing the consumers from using kundi connections.

Energy meters had been put up outside the government houses, including those of senior officers. Deputy commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu sent a communication to all officers working in the district to cooperate with the PSEB.

“None of the officers objected when the PSEB authorities visited their respective residences to fix their domestic power meters outside the walls,” said Bal.

Amritsar, October 10
The Sikh Students Federation (SSF) led by Gurcharan Singh Grewal has urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to review the murder case registered against activists of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee on the suspicious ground.

He said the federation would hold meetings with Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh and the Shiromani Committee to discuss the matter.

In a communiqué to the Chief Minister, the federation activists said controversial writer Darbara Singh Sioana was shot dead by some unidentified persons under mysterious circumstances a few days back.

After the incident, the police instead of arrested the real culprits, booked activists of the Satkar committee who used to issue statements against him over the issue of his controversial article in a Punjabi daily.

The SSF chief urged the CM to direct the police to find out the real culprits responsible for the murder.

From this year the university has decided to include associate institutes in the youth festival so that true talent from these institutes could also come forward.

Dr Pushpinder wished the student artistes luck. She said in the era of globalisation one needs to be strong in all aspects. She said, “We need to be academically strong along with cultural and sports activities.” This youth festival is a part of seven youth festivals, which would be organised by the university till the last week of November. The final youth festival would be held from December 1 to 4.

On the inaugural day, the competitions in bhangra, shabad/bhajan, group shabad/bhajan, Vaar singing, group song (Indian), western music (solo) and western music (group) was held on the first stage, while the competitions in classical instrumental (percussion), classical instrumental (non-percussion), classical vocal and semi-classical vocal was held on the second stage. Tomorrow on the second day, the competitions in giddha, folk orchestra, skit, fancy dress, mime, mimicry, histrionics and one-act play would be held. The competitions of poetical symposium, allocution and debate would be conducted on the same day on the second stage.

Amritsar, October 10
Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) has invited applications from college lecturers for a three-week refresher course in English which would be conducted from November 7 at Academic Staff College (ASC) here.

Stating this here, ASC director Dr H.S. Bhatia said the lecturers were required to apply on the prescribed form available in the ASC.The form can be downloaded from its website www.gndu.ac.in.

American singer Beyonce Knowles has recorded more than 70 songs for her new album. While writing on her official Web, the 27-year-old singer said that her new album reveals all about her.

"I have recorded over 70 songs and have created a sound that reveals all of me," People quoted her, as stating.

"I am in a different place right now and I wanted people to see the many sides of me," she added. Knowles has not yet confirmed a title or track listing for the set. She did announce that the disc will be preceded by two singles, If I Were a Boy and Single Ladies, which be released on Oct. 7.

She said that her new music reflects who she is now - personally and sonically.

"I have worked on this album for close to one year," she writes. "I have taken the time so I can create my sound. Something that says who I am at this stage in my life. I have poured my heart and soul into it. It is my baby. "It is the most time I have spent on any project since my first records as a member of Destiny's Child," she added. — Agencies

Needless to say that two renowned persons who were born in Amritsar - Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and playback singer Mahender Kapoor - have nothing after their death to remind people of their linkage with the holy city. It would be in the fitness of things if a thought is given to it. Though late, yet it is said better late than never. I propose that two famous chowks in the heart of city - Lawrence Road Chowk and Crystal Chowk - be renamed as Field Marshal Manekshaw Chowk and Mahendar Kapoor Chowk, respectively.