|
|
|
|
BPL families’ youth get training, jobs
Chandigarh, January 19 Former additional deputy commissioner of Kurukshetra KK Gupta brought to the notice of Jindal a scheme of the central government under which youth belonging to the BPL families, Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and even poor families of the general category are imparted employability skills so that they can find jobs in the private sector. Jindal got in touch with the union ministry for rural development, which agreed to sponsor 2,000 youth for undergoing training in employability skills. The ministry assigned the ITFT Education Group, Chandigarh, to train youth from Kaithal and Kurukshetra districts under its Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna. In the first batch, 1,006 boys and girls were chosen to undergo the training. The ITFT designed a special training module, which encapsulated employability skills such as soft skills, communication skills, improving spoken English, personality development, interpersonal skills, confidence building, basic computer skills, selling skills and office management skills. The training lasted for two months. The ministry agreed to pay Rs 7,500 per trainee to the ITFT. But this did not include the stay of the trainees in Chandigarh for two months. Jindal, however, made arrangements for their boarding and lodging in private paying guest accommodation. Transport and uniform was also provided . All these arrangements cost Jindal about Rs 7,500 per youth, which he paid out of his personal funds. From the first batch, 852 trainees, including 100 girls, have already been placed in various corporate houses like IBM Daksh, Plateau, Omnia- Spice, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, ICICI Prudential, IDBI Bank, Tata Teleservices etc. |
|
Villagers to get purified water at nominal cost
Jhajjar, January 19 It will provide for the installation of drinking water plants based on WHO guidelines with reverse osmosis technology. Interestingly, the treated water would be supplied to the beneficiaries at the rate of 10 paise per litre. This fee will make it possible to sustain the water plant by paying for the programme management and maintenance costs. Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Raghuvir Kadian and MP Deepender Hooda inaugurated the project recently. The project is a collaborative arrangement with village panchayats, Naandi Foundation and the district administration. The village panchayats permit the use of water resources from where water is drawn, purified and supplied from the water purification plants. The panchayats also contribute in the setting up of
the plants. The state government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Hyderabad-based Naandi Foundation in July 2008, to implement a pilot project on safe drinking water systems in select villages in
the state. In the first phase, as many as 100 villages would be taken up in the districts of Jhajjar, Mewat, Mahendergarh, Kaithal and other areas. The state government would pay Rs 11.25 crore to the Naandi Foundation for the implementation of the programme. According to the MoU, the Naandi Foundation would bear the cost of energy charges for operations and maintenance of water resources and water treatment plants. It would also make arrangements for the disposal of the rejected water in consultation with the state government, besides meeting the requirements of the Haryana Pollution Control Board regarding the management of rejected water and comply with all standard legal provisions
as well. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Deepender Hooda said the community safe water centres would be constructed as a pilot project in 100 villages of four
districts. “Providing potable water to the people is the need of hour and it is my dream that Jhajjar should be the first district where World Health Organisation-standard water would be made available and with the inauguration of the project, this dream had come true,” he maintained. Dr Kadian said the project would also provide employment opportunity to villagers as two persons of every village concerned would be engaged at
the centre. Amit Jain, national director (water programme) for the Naandi Foundation, said there would be tremendous social benefits to providing equitable access to safe drinking water for rural communities, especially the lower income group. “The implementation of this project will also benefit the rural poor in terms of reducing the incidence of water-borne diseases for which these villagers are paying extensive medical bills,”
said Jain.
|
|
Teleconferencing for cancer patients
Sirsa, January 19 The District Health Society (DHS) that has recently been constituted under the National Rural Health Mission has contacted the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences with a project in the regard. Deputy commissioner SK Goyal, who is also the chairman of the DHS, informed that the authorities had also contacted the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Trivandrum, as both AIIMS, Delhi, and the RCC, Trivandrum, offer teleconferencing facilities to the patients. Special software is needed for teleconferencing with these hospitals and sanction has already been provided to purchase the
Reports of the diagnostic tests of cancer patients could be sent to the specialists sitting in these cancer institutes and the experts would treat the patients through teleconferencing. SK Sharma, civil surgeon, Sirsa, has already met senior doctors of some cancer institutes of the country, informed an official spokesperson. Negotiations are under way with the pathology laboratories of the private sector and the DHS will soon sign an MoU with some of these for diagnostic tests of the patients. The society has also decided to provide the ambulance services free of cost to poor patients for shifting them to government hospitals situated elsewhere. The authorities will charge the ambulance as per Rs 4 per km from the patients having yellow card, while the general patients will be charged at Rs 8 per km, he added.
|
|
Oil depot along GT Road
Ambala, January 19 Despite repeated attempts by company officials to shift the depot from the current location, no action has been taken. Storage containers are a mere 500 m away from the GT Road and are clearly visible from the road itself. While on one hand all measures have been taken to secure the railways station here, the depot which is in close proximity to it is being ignored. Any strike here can prove devastating for Ambala Cantt. “The location of the depot is not safe, but the file regarding its shifting is only catching dust”. According to HPCL officials, it is now two years since they had written to the authorities at the district and as well as state level, but to no avail. The last request was sent to the chief secretary three months ago. IG Security has also written to the government, but in vain. According to the officials, the file is now lying in the office of the director urban local bodies. Over the years, encroachments have also come up around the HPCL depot, which is spread over three acres. “Any celebration that involves crackers during festivals or marriages makes us worried. Also, the fear of anyone carelessly throwing a cigarette butt is always bothering us,” they said, adding, “Now the threat of terror strike has left us more worried. But the administration does not seem to care. We should be located in an isolated area, with no population nearby”. The depot was set up here in 1950. It was, however, renovated in 1990, and ever since it has been supplying fuel to depots in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. At that time, even the Indian Oil Corporation depot was situated next to it. It was, however, since long shifted to a safer area. Officials said HPCL was also now looking at shifting to an area next to the IOC depot. The land comes under the municipal committee and they had also mentioned the same to the authorities. However, approval was still awaited, they added. |
|
Floriculture changes marginal farmer’s fortunes
Sirsa, January 19 Balwant Rai of Chhatria village is one such youth, who has been able to shape his destiny by earning handsome profits by producing flowers on his meagre landholdings after traditional crops failed. Balwant's family was in ruins 14 years ago and he found himself trapped under debt after the traditional cotton and wheat crop cycle on nine acres of his land failed to provide livelihood to his and his brother’s family. He then learnt about growing flowers from the horticulture department, which could get him handsome profits. However, when he sought his father's permission, he was discouraged and it was after a lot of persuasion that he was allowed to grow flowers, but on only a small piece of land. That proved a good experience and he was able to earn Rs 6,000 from that small piece of land in one season of four months. There has been no looking back since then. Now, he grows flowers on more than three acres and floriculture has changed the destiny of the family. He has been earning a net profit of Rs 60,000 per acre from this venture, which has made him a role model for other farmers of the area. Balwant is a matriculate and he sought to earn his livelihood by running a small shop of seeds and pesticides after he failed to earn a decent living through agriculture. However, he suffered losses from this venture as well. In the meantime, he came in touch with officials of the horticulture department and started seeking information with regard to floriculture. Balwant said the crop of flowers was less sensitive to various diseases as compared to other crops. Wheat or other crops grown after harvesting flower crop also become less vulnerable to diseases. The crop of flowers take 100 days in
maturing. Balwant said he had been growing marigold and rose flowers in his fields. Marigold was sold at Rs 15 to 20 per kg whereas rose was sold at Rs 50 per kg, he added. He has also been growing gladiolus flowers on his fields. He sells his flowers in the markets of Bhatinda and Sirsa. All members of his family lend a helping hand in plucking the flowers. He said marketing was the biggest worry for him and if the government helped he could earn better profits.
|
|
Water table rises by 1.08 m in Gurgaon
Gurgaon, January 19 As per the hydrological department, the average water table in the city was at 27.25 m in June 2008, while this level came slightly upwards at 26.17 m in October 2008. This shows that the water level in the district has improved by 1.08 m during a period of five months. On block-wise analysis, it was found that the Gurgaon block registered an improvement of 1.95 m when the water level reached to 32.65 m in October 2008, from 34.60 m in June 2008. Similarly, the water table in the Farukhnagar Block came up by 0.40 m from a depth of 18.40 m to 18 m. In the Patoudi block, it came up from 31.50 m to 30.15 m during this period, showing an improvement of 1.35 m while the Sohna block registered an improvement of 0.60 m from 24.50 m in June 2008, to 23.90 m in October 2008. Deputy commissioner Deepti Umashankar said, “Though there is some improvement in the water table of Gurgaon district, the residents should continue to adopt rooftop rainwater harvesting system. They should also educate others about the usefulness of this system”. She mentioned that the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) had in 2001, declared south and south-west districts of NCT Delhi, Faridabad, Ballabgarh, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and its adjoining industrial areas as the notified areas in view of the depletion of groundwater resources. The authority under Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act 1986, had directed all residential societies, institutions, hotels and industrial establishments located in these areas to adopt rooftop rainwater harvesting system. The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) also made rules under regulation 81A of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Erection of Buildings) Regulations 1979, making rooftop rainwater harvesting system mandatory for obtaining completion certificate in the buildings where the area of the roof is 100 sq m or more. “The system of collection, conveyance and dispersion of rainwater for harvesting should be made in such a manner that only clear water is able to enter into the earth. No contaminated or waste water should find its way in this system. The entry points of rainwater for harvesting should be design such a manner that in normal days these remain closed,” Umashanksar retreated. The DC, while appealing the people to adopt rooftop rainwater harvesting system, said the design could be obtained from the office of the additional deputy commissioner.
|
|
Corporate retail no threat to small businesses: Expert
Fatehabad, January 19 Goel said the retail sector had huge potential, both for providing employment and leveraging the supply chain network in the country, and those expressing apprehensions over the corporate retail sector devouring small and unorganised retail business, were doing so due to myopic outlook. “Instead of expressing skepticism over the corporate retail sector's negative impacts, steps should be taken to use all its impacts to our advantage," he said. Goel suggested the involvement of urban local bodies and panchayats in retail for regulations through a national policy. It would also provide an alternative source of financing for the urban local bodies and the panchayati raj organisations, which could be utilised for development activities. He said the public-private partnership (PPP) model could prove an excellent option for the Indian retail sector in food, which otherwise is proving a miserable failure for the government through the public distribution system. Goel said the new economic reality had to be accepted and instead of its blind opposition, we needed good governance with social responsibility at all levels of operation in the economy starting from those at the corporate level to those governing social and economic relations in the family and neighbourhood. "To survive in the era of continuous change, marketers need to be honest, humane and hardworking in providing real value products and services to its customers," Goel concluded.
|
|
Rs 89.12 cr for works in cities
Chandigarh, January 19 A sum of over Rs 28.60 crore has been placed at the discretion of the Chief Minister. An official spokesman said here that the amount sanctioned from the LADT funds would be given to various municipalities. He said Rs 69 lakh had been given for strengthening roads and the drainage system in Kalka and Pinjore; Rs 3.24 crore for strengthening and constructing roads and drains in Ambala City, Ambala Sadar and Naraingarh; Rs 1.43 crore for Kaithal town, Rs 21 lakh, Rs 39 lakh and Rs 21 lakh,respectively, for Pundri, Cheeka and Kalayat ; Rs 1 crore and Rs 1.24 crore,respectively, had been approved for Yamunanagar and Jagadhri ; Rs 2.16 crore, Rs 46 lakh, Rs 30 lakh and Rs 41 lakh,respectively, for Thanesar, Shahabad, Ladwa and Pehowa ; Rs 1 crore for Karnal; Rs 27 lakh, Rs 20 lakh, Rs 37 lakh, Rs 28 lakh and Rs 19 lakh,respectively, for Taraori, Nilokheri, Gharaunda, Assandh and Indri, while Rs 1.37 crore would be spent in Panipat and Samalkha. He said Rs 6.96 crore had been approved for Rohtak city and Rs 3.83 crore for Sonepat. Out of this amount, Rs 2.64 crore would be spent in Sonepat and Rs 60 lakh, Rs 36 lakh and Rs 23 lakh,respectively, in Gohana, Ganaur and Kharkhoda. Jhajjar, Bahadurgarh and Beri had been sanctioned Rs 5.05 crore; Rs 3.05 crore for Faridabad, Palwal and Hodal; Rs 87 lakh had been approved to be spent in Sohna, Haily Mandi, Pataudi and Farukh Nagar in Gurgaon district. Similarly, out of the total sanctioned amount of Rs 1.72 crore for Rewari district, Rs 1.34 crore would be spent in Rewari and Rs 15 lakh and Rs 23 lakh,respectively, in Bawal and Dharuhera; Rs 22 lakh, Rs 14 lakh, Rs 21 lakh and Rs 13 lakh,respectively, would be spent in Ferozepur Jhirka, Nuh, Taoru and Hathin in Mewat district; and Rs 2.48 crore for Mahedragarh district. He said Rs 4.03 crore had been approved for Bhiwani district. Out of this,Rs 2.94 crore and Rs 55 lakh,respectively, would be spent in Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri. An amount of Rs 19 lakh, Rs 21 lakh and Rs 14 lakh,respectively, would be spent in Siwani, Bawanikhera and Loharu. Out of the approved amount of Rs 5.78 crore for Hisar district, Rs 3.15 crore had been sanctioned for Hisar, Rs 2.03 crore for Hansi, Rs 41 lakh for Barwala and Rs 19 lakh for Narnaund. Similarly, out of the sanctioned amount of Rs 3.35 crore, Rs 73 lakh had been approved for Fatehabad, over Rs 2.23 crore for Tohana and Rs 39 lakh for Ratia. For Sirsa district, Rs 3.52 crore had been approved.
|
|
Park cries for help
Ambala , January 19 The distance between the road and the lake is so little that while overtaking a vehicle can accidentally fall into the lake . Recently, a cyclist fell into the lake after being hit by a scooter. Residents have also started dumping garbage into the lake in the absence of any barricade. The boundary wall which was broken by the municipal council while removing wild plants from the lake around six months ago has not been repaired. People have complained to the municipal council in this regard, but to no avail. In fact, due to indifferent attitude of the council, the lone park of the old city has turned into an unmanageable spot which is generally used for the morning walk.The children have stopped going there as the swings have been removed.The toy train is also in bad shape.The mini zoo of the park, the main attraction for the children, is empty. A few years ago, it was the most beautiful park of the city where hundreds of locals used to go in the evening and schoolchildren used it as a picnic spot.The water of the lake is polluted and has not been cleaned for a long time.Now, the people have shifted to the herbal park which was recently developed by the forest department near the Officers Colony. Local MLA Venod Sharma is of the view that the park lake spread on around 5 acre should be converted into a herbal park. "We are planning to develop the park and the lake in a proper way under the guidance of the local MLA”,says the chairman of the municipal council.
|
|
Rural background no handicap, students told
Jhajjar, January 19 This was stated by Dr Poonam Kumar, professor and assistant dean, State University, Michigan (US), while addressing students of Dubaldhan Government College at a function organised to mark the National Youth Day here recently. Dr Poonam, hailing from Majra village in the district, said, citing her example, rural background and gender was no handicap to climb the ladder of success. “Students, especially girls, must avail educational opportunities and work towards making a successful career. At the same time, they must contribute to the family,” she said, adding that students should not forget their roots and rich cultural heritage and traditions. She also threw light on the academic system in the US and interacted with the students and answered their queries
as well. Earlier, Sunit Mukherjee, lecturer, welcomed the visiting academician and said the students must take inspiration from this young achiever. College principal OP Ahlawat said Indians by the dint of their talent and hard work had made their mark all over the world. Faculty member, including Bimla Deswal, Rekha Malhotra, Renu Sankra, Kiran Sharma, Ashok Kumar, Nirmala Kayat, Punam Aghi and Ajay Kadyan, were also present on the occasion.
|
|
Motivating girls to develop personality
Yamunanagar, January 19 Dr Kaur has been visiting various countries to train girl NCC cadets in camps. She has also been regularly presenting and publishing research papers. In 2008, she went to University Of Ottawa in Canada to present a paper on the novels of Margaret Atwood. Recently, she went to Sri Lanka to present a paper on “Australian Aboriginals”. Her areas of interest are African, Canadian, Australian and feminist literature. Commissioned in the NCC in 2002 with a silver medal from WOTS, Gawalior , Dr Amrit Kaur is also in-charge of the girls wing of the NCC. She also got the best NCC officer award in three years and was honoured by Dr A.R Kidwai, Governor of Haryana. “After returning from training, I became instrumental in raising the NCC girls wing in the college. I motivated the girls students for blood donation and adventure training. We have to constantly encourage the girl students to adopt NCC to develop personality and have a dynamic outlook at the college level. NCC has made a special place and is gaining popularity among the girl students”, said Dr Kaur.
|
|
Rail electrification work reviewed
Ambala, January 19 He inspected the Jalandhar-Pathankot section in the tower wagon. The Railway Board had sanctioned the electrification of the Jalandhar-Pathankot-Jammu Tawi section in October 2007 at a cost of Rs 167 crore. He was satisfied with the performance of the project and the pace of the work being executed. During the current year, up to March 2009, the section up to Mukerian (67 RKM) is to be electrified.A review was also carried out of other sections where the CPM/RE/UMB was executing the work and directions were also issued to expedite the works. The routes, which are being electrified, include the Shakurbasti-Rohtak section. The work here had been sanctioned in February 2008 by the board at a cost of Rs 70 crore. The target of electrifying the Shakurbasti-Mundka (10 RKM) section has been given for the current financial year and the work is progressing well on the Khurja-Meerut-Saharanpur section. The electrification of the Khurja-Meerut City section had been sanctioned at Rs 171 crore in February 2008. The Khurja-Meerut City section, 90 RKM, is targeted for electrification during the year. Moradabad-Roza is part of the Moradabad-Roza-Lucknow section and the electrification work is progressing well in this section. The Moradabad yard is planned to be electrified after remodelling in February 2009 and is likely to be electrified by May 2009. The Najibabad-Moradabad section has been offered to the CRS for inspection and after the inspection the section will be opened to traffic. The electrification of the Jammu Tawi-Udhampur section has also been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 48 crore and a detailed estimate is under preparation. Despite severe constraints of manpower, the GM/RE appreciated the performance of the Ambala project and stated that the stiff target laid down by the board would have to be met.
|
|
‘Chandni Chowk… belongs to real Akshay’
Gurgaon, January 19 Talking about his film, Akshay told The Tribune that the shots given at the Great Wall of China were one of the best shots of his life till now. "Shooting on the Great Wall of China was a wonderful experience in itself and the scenes which were shot there are the best shots I have given in my whole life, people will definitely enjoy the same”. On being asked how he feels about being a part of Bollywood's first action-comedy film, Akshay said, “This film actually belongs to real Akshay. I always wanted to do such kind of film and was waiting for it since the past 18 years.” "I used to think that I was an expert in martial arts but after working with Chinese trainers I found myself to be lacking”. He said, "People are now following the mixed-culture trend of global cinema whose demand is increasing day by day. We expect that people will like the film very much." About his experience working with director Nikhil Advani, Akshay said, "I just do films which have good script and I enjoy doing. I never go behind the name - it can be Nikhil Advani or Rohan Sippy. I enjoy working with those who are crazy about doing good work”. As we all know that he is a good cook and on what he loves to cook, he says, “If I have time to get into the kitchen I cook some Punjabi dishes”. On being tagged as a good comedian, Akshay avowed, “I love doing comedy as my 90-year-old grandmother is fond of it and just to give her respect I do as many comedy movies I can." On being asked why he rejected viewers' choice award of Star Screen recently, the actor said, “I will not take something I don't deserve. I felt that Aamir Khan is the perfect person to receive the same and not me”. Deepika Padukone, who was also accompanying Akshay for the promotion of the film, said, “I am not a celebrity but a simple person as my bringing up has been done in such a way that it keeps me grounded”. On being asked what she likes, the celebrity status or being a normal homely girl, Deepika said, "I can manage both as I have learnt from my father, Prakash Padukone, a badminton player, how to maintain balance”. "I feel money and popularity are secondary things, they come and go, it is only you who leaves the mark in ones mind”. Regarding her double role in the film after Om Shanti Om, Deepika said, "May be it is the trust of directors and my audience who has also accepted me in double role and people will definitely remember my role in this movie too." Deepika, who is playing a role of a fighter in the movie, had undergone training for the same. “I got myself trained in martial arts under the trainers from Hong Kong for eight months," she added.
|
|
Meltdown
Panipat, January 19 Industrialists here say that though they have made numerous representations to the state government,these have failed to have the desired impact. Without any government support till now, the industry has grown to become a Rs 3,500 crore industry. “If the government provides us infrastructural support, the Panipat handloom industry, too, can rise like the Tirupur industry in the south,” they say. The Panipat handloom industry is a vertically integrated cluster, with two export houses at the top having a turnover of hundreds of crores. At the next step is the smaller export house, while contract manufacturing units are at the bottom. “Of the 39 lakh handlooms in India, 70,000 handloom units are located in Panipat, which employ over 1.50 lakh people. During the recession, the contract- manufacturing units are the worst hit as the bigger export houses do not have sufficient orders for which they can outsource work to these units. Handloom production here has come down by 50 per cent. In this scenario, the state government must step in to support the industry,” said VK Batra, a strategic management consultant here. Ramesh Verma, president of the Handloom Exports Manufacturers Association, said: “We have been doing our bit by bringing down the prices of our products for foreign buyers, while ensuring good quality. Every handloom unit here is now eyeing buyers at the HEIM Textile fair in Frankfurt (being held now) to get more orders by offering competitive prices”. The need of the hour is to make the sector here more attractive for foreign buyers. In this regard, said industrialists, the state government should help set up a research and development centre for handlooms, a lab-testing facility, an exhibition-cum-exposition centre and conference halls where the buyers and sellers could meet and hold business discussions. “In fact, a separate sector for the industry can be carved out with all these facilities, which will help the industry here grow in the form of a cluster. The Tirupur industry has managed to grow only after a cluster development approach was followed there,” added
Verma.
|
|
Allotment letters for free plots distributed
Kurukshetra, January 19 Jindal said the government had started distributing free plots and under the scheme free residential plots would be distributed among the deserving people residing in five villages of a block every month. He assured that the district administration would provide the basic amenities, including the supply of electricity and drinking water, in the area wherever the plots would be allotted. The beneficiaries of the plots are residents of Beholi, Sanwla, Palwal, Ajrani, Govind Majra, Munda Khera, Indbari, Kanwaar Kheri, Tigri Khalsa, Gaamri Jattan, Dhurali, Bhainsi Majra, Dheerpur, Badarpur, Baroundi, Belolpur, Bura, Gura, Guri, Dhyangla, Halalpur, Beer Bartouli, Khaira, Kheri Gadiyan, Barhaan, Jogi Majra, Samalkha and Dhanora Jatan villages. On behalf of the social welfare department and under the Indira Gandhi Priya Darshni Vivaah Shagun Yojna, Jindal also distributed cheques of Rs 1.5 lakh among 12 beneficiaries. He also highlighted the development plans of the Hayana government, while MLA Ramesh Gupta as well as deputy commissioner Pankaj Aggarwal addressed the gathering. Ashok Bansal, subdivisional magistrate, AL Bathla, district development and panchayat officer, Jagdish Chander, district welfare officer, Pratap Singh, block development officer, Sunita Nehra, vice-president,
Zila Parishad, and Subhash Sudha, former chairman, municipal council, Thanesar, were among those present.
|
|
Art and craft workshop held
Kaithal,January 19 Romi, resourceperson from a company, provided the necessary guidance to about 90 students about making pots, pot painting , shipcraft, photoframe, jewellery box, flower- making and veniar art. Prof Lovleen Dutt inaugurated the workshop. Sushma Vatts, convener of the cell, said the workshop helped the students learn making of various articles with guidance provided by the resourceperson.She said students showed keen interest in the workshop. Dr R.L.Dhanda, principal, assured the students that such workshops would be organised in the college in future which would provide them an opportunity to shine in various fields and help them build confidence and enable them to bring to surface their talent.An exhibition of the prepared articles was held which evoked keen interest among the students.
|
|
State leads in cultural activities
Panchkula, January 19 These include a new four-storyed Akademy Bhawan built at a cost of Rs 5 crore, now housing Haryana’s Sahitya, Urdu, Punjabi and Sanskrit academies, another office for Haryana Kala Parishad, revision of budgetary provisions, and all facilities to all akademy chiefs. Certainly, there has been a burst of cultural activities, mainly folk music and dances, during the year, but experts feel that culture as such is a much wider term and this activity is just a fragment. Other art forms like painting, sculpture, photography, cinema, theatre and their propagation at grass-roots level were not accorded due attention. Nevertheless, various events organised by different akademies deserve a special mention. Usha Sharma, director, Haryana Kala Parishad, says the revival of the heritage of legendary folk maestro, Pandit Lakhmi Chand, and his contemporaries and our folk repertoire having nearly 10,000 compositions and 500 folk tunes is our aim. She claims that the parishad is the only akademy in India to institute cash prizes worth Rs 2.5 lakh for the winners of the annual folk dance competition, in which over 500 artists participated this year. Raagini competitions, doll-making and painting workshops and seminars on women empowerment and female foeticide in the state are the regular features. Raagini festivals and dance ballets by Sri Ram Kala Kendra remained big draws, adds Usha Sharma. Haryana DPR in collaboration with the NZCC organised eight-day national theatre fest, featuring plays of thespians like Habib Tanvir, DR Ankur, Nadira Babbar and others. The annual Pinjore Heritage Festival by the Haryana Tourism featured classical dances by Shovna Narayan, Parthiba Prahlad, Ranjana Gauhar, Bharti Shivaji, Saroja Vaidynanathan and Sabri brothers in the panoramic ambience of Pinjore gardens. However, the awakening and nourishment to the soul came from literature with the akademies having organised record number of seminars, workshops and literary competitions. The Haryana Sahitya Akademy, led by director Desh Nirmohi, took its literary ventures to chaupals in rural Haryana. Engaged in the promotion of Hindi and Haryanavi language, many seminars and kavi sammelans were held in the state. Notable were Sanjhi Sanskriti Sanjhi Virasat, Prem Chand Jayanti, Hindi Divas, Balmukand Smriti Divas, International Kavi Sammelan, Mahila Rachnakar Sammelan etc. Director of the Haryana Punjabi Sahit Akademy CR Moudgil reveals that the akademy organised eight poetic symposiums and six seminars last year. Haryana Punjabi Gaurav Puruskar for Rs 1.25 lakh has been instituted from this year while prize money for winners in the short-story competition has been almost doubled, he adds. The akademy also purchased books worth Rs 2 lakh from Punjabi writers during the year for free distribution among college students. The Haryana Urdu Akademy, too, apart from presenting the Hali award for Rs 1 lakh and other prizes, organised Hali Mela in Panipat and scores of seminars. The correspondence courses in Urdu launched by the akademy had met with tremendous response, claims Padmashree KL Zakir, academy secretary. Among similar programmes executed by the Haryana Sanskrit Akademy, the awarding of 60 scholarships to students securing 95 per cent marks in Sanskrit has inspired them to learn the language, claims director RD Sharma. Besides, the celebrations of the Sanskrit Day, Maharishi Balmiki and Ved Vyas Jayanti and awards worth Rs 2.5 lakh to scholars are the regular features of the
akademy.
|
|
Centre urged to upgrade Kalka phone exchange
Kalka, January 19 Informing this, Vijay Bansal, former secretary of the state Congress, said a delegation recently met Kumari Selja and submitted a memorandum seeking to upgrade the telephone exchange. It was also mentioned that thousands of BSNL subscribers have been facing inconvenience due to the frequent suspension of landline phones and failure of broadband system. The local telephone exchange, including sub-exchanges of Pinjore, Madhan wala, Surajpur, Morni, Karanpur and Barwala, is using old technique due to which subscribers of the BSNL have to face inconvenience due to the frequent disruption of the services. Sources said there was a dire need to upgrade the exchange. At present, the exchange was functioning with C-dot system with limited capacity and connectivity, they said, adding that the broadband system lacked CDMA facility and cable channel network.
|
|
International karate meet
Panipat, January 19 Mayank Dhiman reached the finals and returned with a silver medal while Jyoti Narang and Kajal Sharma won a bronze medal each. The medal winners were honoured by the DAV College Managing Committee, New Delhi. The three were accorded a warm welcome at the school by Dr D Vidyarthi, regional director.
|
|
|
||
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
