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Moots projects in the holy city
SAD (1920) wants Manmohan as
PM
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Calcutta too bats for him
Tarlochan flayed for anti-PM statement
Hundreds of meter boxes lying in open
Potters bank on hens for business, as refrigerators take on earthen pots
Young World
Spring Dale students
visit Kennedy Space Centre
Book on modern science released
Refresher course in Punjabi
Pensioners seek equality
Army recruitment rally
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Moots projects in the holy city Varinder Walia Tribune News Service
Amritsar, May 12 Using “panthic idioms”, Dr Manmohan Singh today said he was delighted that he got the opportunity to have “darshan” of the “sangat” (congregation) in Guru ki Nagari (holy city of Amritsar) and Punjab. Quoting holy verses from Dasam Granth, Dr Manmohan Singh said the glorious history of Punjab educated us to tread on the path of righteousness and morality. With the “Gur-mantra of shubh-karman”, the UPA did service to the nation and took a number of initiatives for the overall development of the nation. Announcing sops for Amritsar, Dr Manmohan Singh said that the Central government had decided that after Bathinda, it would open a central university in Amritsar. He said for the overall development of Amritsar, the Central government had cleared schemes worth Rs 3,150 crore. He mentioned that his government had cleared the Rs 173-crore elevated road to make pilgrimage to the Golden Temple hassle-free and Rs 150 crore for the development of Rajasansi airport. In an interesting statement, Dr Singh also tried to take credit for the opening of an institute by the name of Guru Granth Sahib at Guru Nanak Dev University, though it has not seen the light of the day (for the last four years) after it was initially announced. He said he was also instrumental in flagging off the Amritsar-Nankana bus service. However, the bus service has failed to yield satisfactory results and most of the buses sometimes go empty to Lahore due to non-establishment of visa centres in Amritsar and Lahore. In his speech on December 20, 2006, Dr Singh had also stated, “In many ways, Amritsar is my home. In 1947, when India gained Independence, my family settled in Amritsar. I still have fond memories of Amritsar of those days. It was a leading city and the foremost centre for India’s trading and commercial relations with Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia. It was a magnificent and prosperous city where people came not only to pray at Harmander Sahib but also to make fortunes. The Partition, however, caused a great deal of harm to the industry and trade of Amritsar. Ancient trading routes got cut off and the border rose like a wall very close to the city”. At this function, Dr Singh had also wished, “It is my earnest desire that Amritsar once again regains its lost glory”. Next year, i.e. in 2007, Dr Manmohan Singh had unveiled his vision of regional integration for the first time on January 8 by hoping that one could have breakfast in Amritsar, lunch in Lahore and dinner in Kabul. Today’s speech of Prime Minister enlisted many projects, which had been cleared by the UPA government in the past five years. He said Guru Gobindgarh Fort of Amritsar, which was under the Army, was transferred to the district administration. For the overall development of Amritsar’s Medical College, he said Rs 120 crore had been approved. He said the Central government was contemplating to ensure pilgrimage of Sikh devotees to Gurdwara Kartarpur four times a year.
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SAD (1920) wants Manmohan as
PM
Amritsar, May 12 Stating this during a workers’ meet at the residence of Taksali leader and district president of the SAD (1920), Balwinder Singh Talwandi, president of the Delhi unit of the party, said after the demolition of Babri Masjid, the Muslim terrorism spread not only in India, but also across the world. He said it was the main reason behind the massacre of hundreds of Muslims in Gujarat. He said Advani was also responsible for the atrocities on the Christian community in Orissa. Taking a strong notice of the statement issued by the BJP’s candidate for East Delhi constituency allegedly on the directions of Advani by asking the Muslims to leave India, Talwandi said Advani should leave the country first and go to Sindh Province of Pakistan where his ancestors lived. He alleged that Advani had special love for Pakistan, that’s why whenever he visited the neighbouring country he always praised Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Talwandi urged the Sikh voters to vote for Dr Manmohan Singh and elect him the next Prime Minister to keep away the communal people from grabbing the power at the Centre. |
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Calcutta too bats for him
Amritsar, May 12 Calcutta said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has deserted the Akali ideology as a result of which many Taxali Akali leaders, who own more allegiance to the ideology, had decided to openly support Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has made Sikhs and Punjabis proud by successfully serving the country. Calcutta said it was a great honour for the Sikh community that the Congress was contesting the elections in the name of Manmohan Singh and as such it becomes a duty of Punjabis to support him during the elections. He urged the voters to ensure landslide victories for O.P. Soni and Rana Gurjit Singh, Congress candidates for Amritsar and Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively. |
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Make your vote count Tribune News Service
Amritsar, May 12 KK International, a hotel, has offered special discount of 20 per cent to customers whoever comes to the hotel with the voting mark. The hotel owner said this has been done to encourage people to vote in large numbers and strengthen the democratic institution in the country. Meanwhile several other retail counter wardrobe and Titan watch shops have also offered 10 to 20 per cent discount on their products during the election week. The spokesman of a company said this has been done to persuade the voters to come out of their houses and voter for their favorite candidates and take advantage of the shopping bonanza available to them.
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Tarlochan flayed for anti-PM statement
Amritsar, May 12 Cheema accused Tarlochan Singh, former Chairman of the National Commission of Minorities, of resorting to extremely low measures. He said Punjabis, especially the Sikh community, may boycott Tarlochan Singh for accusing Dr Singh of not doing anything for the community during his five-year rule. Tarlochan Singh had claimed that Dr Singh preferred Muslim and Christian functions over Sikh festivals at his residence. Tarlochan further accused the PM of not meeting Sikh delegations on his official visits to Tehran and Kabul and said he did not even bother to visit the historic gurdwaras there. Cheema said Dr Singh was instrumental in bringing Central University, IIT, Bio-Technology Institute and Rs 100-crore grant to Punjab Agricultural University. He said Dr Singh had also brought in the Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus service, passport office at Amritsar, grant for tercentenary celebrations at Hazur Sahib and Damdama Sahib, freight corridors and numerous other projects, apart from record rise in the MSP and debt relief to farmers of for Punjab. He said the Prime Minister did not require a certificate from an opportunist political turncoat who has switched many sides. Moreover, where was Tarlochan Singh during the past five years and why had he not raised these issues earlier, he quipped.
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Hundreds of meter boxes lying in open
Amritsar, May 12 This laboratory caters to four circles of Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Tarn Taran, including city and sub-urban circles in the border region. According to details, these iron boxes come in bulk to the store at Verka every month to be distributed to other laboratories including Meter Testing Labs at Hall Gate in Amritsar, Batala and Gurdaspur from where they are further distributed to various sub-divisions as per demand. It is pertinent to mention here that the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) had started a scheme, during the previous Congress regime, to fix electronic meters fitted in such iron boxes outside every household to prevent power theft which is on the rise in the border region, adding to serious power crisis. Jagdish Singh, XEN, Meter Equipment Lab, Verka, said as the electronic meters were more sophisticated apparatuses, they were kept in stores. However, they had to keep these boxes in the open due to lack of space in the stores as these boxes come in bulks. Mohinder Singh Dua, Chief Engineer, Metering PSEB said these boxes, which cost from Rs 150-200, were weatherproof.
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Potters bank on hens for business, as refrigerators take on earthen pots
Amritsar, May 12 With the invention of refrigerators and water coolers, people prefer electrical gadgets instead of purchasing earthen pots, besides considering that it would affect their health. Even though doctors have been suggesting people to go in for drinking water kept in earthen pots for its medicinal value during the summer season, people don’t take the advice seriously. One of the potters at Labour Colony in the holy city, Om Parkash, while talking to The Tribune, said up to the eighties, earthen pots were considered as one of the basic items in almost every household. But with the entry of refrigerators, only 10 per cent people are using it now. He said he had learnt the art from his grandfather and wanted to pass it to his son but as this had become unprofitable, the young generation was trying its hands on new ventures. Another potter Harbans Lal of the Daphai locality said there were about 25 families left which were continuing with this traditional work and purchased the soil from Wadali village. He said, besides earthen pots, they also made things like diyas, flower vases and small plates during Divali days. He said even though they had started using plastic taps in the earthen pots to give it a modern look, this attempt too had failed. Harbans Lal said they wanted to sell these things to other states but didn’t have sufficient finances to transport it. He said it was not easy to get a loan from a public sector bank without the help of middlemen who took large amounts of commissions for the loan sanctioned. He said they were dependent on chicken shops because they use the pots for keeping drinking water for hens. He said this dying art could survive only if the government provided loans at low rates of interest.
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The ras remedy for stroke-free summer
Amritsar, May 12 According to naturopaths and ancient medical practitioners, sugarcane juice is an ideal remedy for sunstroke, for people who are constantly on the move during the intense heat during the day, especially in the afternoon. Doctors generally recommend that one glass of sugarcane juice helps to overcome the deficiency of minerals and salt in the body and retains the strength to withstand the sapping of energy due to heavy perspiration, especially during humid weather. It’s a supplement to enhance the working of the human body during summer months, especially for those involved in hard labour, rickshaw-pullers, vendors, etc. Although natural juices are available during summer months, doctors strongly advise that sugarcane is most suitable for the human body. When temperatures soar to a 42 to 49 degrees, leading to enhanced chances of sunstroke, sugarcane juice protects us from sunstroke, heat and jaundice and it is a good source of multi-vitamins. However, sugar patients should avoid sugarcane juice. According to the doctors, sugarcane is the best drink for the human body in every season. Sugarcane juice seller Ram Avtar, while talking to Amritsar Plus, said sugarcane production had increased in the last some years while the juice being sold in the market was priced Rs 5 to 10 per glass, keeping in view its demand. Dolly, a housewife, said she gave sugarcane juice to her children everyday after she picks them up from school. Doctors recommend that the public should buy juice from a clean, covered shop and should use clean tumblers to prevent other problems.
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AEC is now a CCNA training centre
Our Correspondent
Amritsar, May 12 Exam results
Students of Global Institutes here have fared well in the MBA and B. Tech examinations conducted by Punjab Technical University. The principal of the college said Samiksha of the college secured 88.13 per cent marks in the first semester of MBA while Tamanna and Neha brought laurels to the college securing 85.75 per cent and 85 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, B. Tech students Aditi Goel (86.77 per cent), Navjot Singh (86.3 per cent) and Ankita Bansal (84.6 per cent) did the college proud. He said 10 MBA students and 19 B. Tech students scored 80 per cent marks. AIDS workshop
Army School here organised a workshop on The school also organised green governance programmes in collaboration with Mission Aagaaz, an NGO. The students took a pledge to save and protect the environment and use renewal sources of energy to save the earth. Quiz contest
The Cadbury Bournvita confident mind's challenge quiz was held at DAV Public School in which around 30 schools of the city participated. Manav Public School won the first position in the intra-school round, while the DAV Public School team won the runners-up trophy and Spring Dales School bagged the third prize. Six school teams were short listed for the quiz. Each team had four students from classes V to VIII. The winners and runners-up would get an opportunity to take part in a quiz in the Cadbury Bournvita Confidence Academy which would be held at the same venue. More than 100 students would have an opportunity to attend a three-day workshop on confidence-building measures at the quiz academy. Function postponed
The celebration of the 117th foundation day of Sant Singh Sukha Singh Khalsa School, which was scheduled to be held on May 13, has been postponed due to staying of paramilitary forces on the school premises in view of parliamentary elections. Jagdish Singh, director of the institute, in a press note informed that the foundation day would now be celebrated on May 15. |
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Spring Dale students
visit Kennedy Space Centre
Amritsar, May 12 Students got an opportunity to interact with NASA scientists and engineers like Satish Reddy (design analyst for spacecraft), Heather Paul, space suit designer, and Dr Kamlesh P. Lulla, chief scientist for Space Earth Observation. Students also visited the historic Mission Control Center used when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. It is noteworthy that Anurag Singh Sekhon, a national-level shooter and student of the school, was the only one who could collect rock samples from the surface of mars. Students also visited the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL) where they were briefed on how astronauts are trained in the NBL for extra vehicular activities in space. It was a rare opportunity for students to see the live training of astronauts in the NBL. Anurag S. Sekhon, Armaan Chawla and Ajay Karan Singh won gold medals for their achievements. Saudamini Mehra, a student of grade VIII, was specially appreciated for the economical use of fiscal resources for building up ISS and MMUs. Meanwhile, Spring Dale Senior School won a silver medal in the inter-school Limca Book of Records quiz conducted by Derek O’Brien and Associates.
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Book on modern science released
Amritsar, May 12 The Canadian author was accompanied by former Chairman of National Progressive Schools’ Conference Dr Suraj Prakash. An interactive session between the author and teachers of the 12 institutes of the city saw a vibrant question-answer session related to the application of new methods of teaching science. Suraj Prakash said the book on science education offered a modern approach to education and construction of the school science curriculum. He said the book explained the philosophy of the processes of science teaching with a focus on the values as an integral part of the programme, besides examination and evaluation in science education, and generalisations regarding the learning processes and their implications for science education. |
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Even as the Shiromani Akali Dal and the SGPC President allege that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had done nothing for Punjab and the Sikh community, the PM’s love for his native city and home state could be gauged from his speeches delivered at Amritsar from time to time.
Using “panthic idioms”, Dr Manmohan Singh today said he was delighted that he got the opportunity to have “darshan” of the “sangat” (congregation) in Guru ki Nagari (holy city of Amritsar) and Punjab.
Make your vote count 
Hundreds of electricity-meter-boxes of iron, meant for fitting electronic meters outside residences, have been lying in the open due to the shortage of a proper storing place in the Head Meter Equipment Laboratory,
Verka, here.
Amritsar, May 12
