Amritsar, August 18
Environmentalists and agriculturists have expressed acute concern over the sharply-depleting ground water levels for the cultivation of paddy in the border region here.

The state has recorded 40 percent deficient rain during the month of June and July but some showers in August have redeemed the situation slightly.

According to reports in the media, the ground-water-level-situation in Punjab had been quite grim but effective measures taken by certain NGOs backed by the government, for the last two years, have created a situation where the fall could be termed relatively insignificant.

It is pertinent to mention here that a strong message was sent to the farming community with a sustained advertising campaign and efforts of the agriculture department seeking the cooperation of the peasantry to plant paddy saplings not before June 30 and sow paddy at the advent of the monsoons in July.

This strong message had helped to preserve groundwater resources but the deficient monsoon this year has raised several key questions about the declining water-table.

District Chief Agriculture Officer Paramjit Singh Sandhu said with literally no rains in May and June this year, farmers were forced to pump out water to sow paddy. He, however, added that the little more than 37 percent rain during July and August, roughly about 160 mm, was not sufficient for the cultivation of the paddy crop during the Kharif season.

He said due to the efforts of the agriculture department and several NGOs, they have been able to educate farmers to go for Basmati cultivation which has now been sowed on 90,000 hectares, which is 50 percent more than last year.

He added that the total area under paddy cultivation was around 1.83 lakh hectares and farmers had to put in an extra input of Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per acre to use diesel for engines to pump out water to keep the paddy crop alive.

He said it seems that August, which is giving some hope with belated rainfall would be sufficient for an excellent crop this time. Sandhu said during the Kharif season, farmers have gone for PUSA 1121 and other varieties of Basmati which are water saving crops unlike Permal and other varieties, which consume a lot of groundwater.

PS Bhatti, eminent environmentalist said the water table, which had remained at par for last two years, had rapidly depleted during the current season as farmers had overdrawn water. He cautioned the government to be careful about the overuse of groundwater and said new methods should be devised to cultivate paddy varieties which require lesser water to help preserve the natural reserves. 

Should you be going to watch the retreat ceremony at the Attari border, do make a point to visit an unassuming, but a centre of learning in true sense, about 5 km short of Attari. Hoshiar Nagar village can safely be termed as a centre of learning in the suburbs of the border area.

Blessed by the revolutionary convulsions initiated by Guru Hargobind in this area, the devotional spirit has been kept well perpetuated by his devout followers in service at Gurdwara Satlani Sahib. Beginning from the grass-roots level of education, the institutions go up to the level of degree in technology.

The ever-effervescent spirit of the Sikh Gurus is continuous in numerous forms for services to humanity. Since the Sikh Gurus have been a unique example to enlighten the common masses through education, so have the followers upheld the glorious spirit in true sense of the edict, “Let light prevail through education,” realised as “uplift of rural population through technical literacy.”

Baba Mangal Singh undertook his life’s mission to spread education among the common and unprivileged masses of the rural areas. He undertook a philanthropic step to open Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Secondary School at the village in 1994. The institution has progressed to come up to the secondary level. The school imparts education to boys and girls of the area in all streams, such as arts, commerce and science subjects.

It was under this continuous campaign of promotion of education that Baba Mangal Singh took a Herculean stride and started Baba Kuma Singh Ji Engineering College in the rural area in 2003. The technical institute caters to the needs of not only local or state-level students, but also to the needs of the students from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, J&K and up to Jharkhand and even Assam. It also encourages girl students of the neighbouring villages to join professional engineering courses.

The college is the only institute in the border district sprawling on a pollution-free area of 25 acre in the verdure surroundings of nature. The college was established with a view to creating a base for providing skilled and technical education in order to train professionals for various disciplines of engineering to be absorbed in industries. The college facilitates instructions for B.Tech degree in CSE, ECE, ME, EEE and information technology.

Amritsar, August 18
A free heart and multi-specialty camp was organised by Fortis Escorts Hospital at local BBK DAV College here.

About 238 patients belonging to the teaching fraternity, their relatives and others availed free examination of blood sugar, blood pressure, ECG, BMI etc. Specialized tests, like ECHO, were also conducted free of cost.

The camp was conducted by team of doctors from the hospital comprising Cardiologist H.P. Singh, Orthopedic Surgeon Mohit Arora and Physician Jasdeep Singh besides a 10-member medical team.

H.P. Singh said Punjab was reporting an “alarming rise” in heart ailments adding that medical research has identified that “only 30 minutes of brisk walk daily could reduce risk of heart disease by 18 per cent and stroke by 11 per cent. Running for an hour could reduce risk by 42 per cent.

Such physical activity encourages body to use up excess fat, reduce hypertension improve cholesterol and sugar levels.

Quitting smoking could also reduce risk of heart disease by as much as 25 to 30 per cent while correct food and lifestyle habits, also helps in prevention of heart problems.

Dr Mohit Arora emphasised the need for correct postures and regular exercise to help keep backache problems away. He highlighted that increased joint pains are because of arthritis, which can be effectively controlled.

Amritsar, August 18
The grand failure of many financial institutions in the United States is one of three such crises that have affected the world today, the other being the oil price and food shortage.

These views were expressed by Dr Pritam Singh, Director, postgraduate programme in International Management and International Relations, Oxford Brookes University Business School, Oxford (UK), while delivering a lecture in Punjab School of Economics of Guru Nanak Dev University.

He said these crises in total have broken the back of neo-liberal triumphalism and the need is to tackle this greed driven unregulated and excess-motivated system. He said such an alternative must be based on the principles of ecological sustainability, social justice and democratic participation.

Amritsar, August 18
Guru Nanak Dev University has released the revised schedule of ongoing counselling for the admission to BEd course for the session 2009-2010 in the colleges of Punjab, affiliated to Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjabi University, Patiala and Lovely Professional University, Phagwara. Earlier, the counselling was to be held till September 7, but now will continue till September 19.

Test Coordinator Dr M.S. Hundal said that the candidates of all categories under Punjab 85% Quota (Subject Humanities - Group /Subject Codes 03 to12 only) have been invited as per their General Rank according to new revised schedule uploaded on University website www.gndu.ac.in and being published in the newspapers. All other instructions are as per earlier published advertisement, he added.

Amritsar, August 18
The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary urged Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to grant an IIT or IIM to the Majha region of the state.

In a communiqué to the Prime Minister, he pointed out that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal shifted the Central university of the international level from the holy city to Bathinda. He reminded the PM that the university was granted by him to the city.

Baserke stressed that a quality educational institute was acutely required in the region for providing its talented youth a destination to inspire, uplift the education standards and progress of this belt.

Amritsar, August 18
Even as the absence of the family members of martyr Madan Lal Dhingra from the state-level function to commemorate the centenary of his martyrdom took the sheen off but the large number of programmes in the memory of the son 
of soil sent the message across that the city has not forgotten him.

Located in the arterial lanes and by-lanes of the walled city, his ancestral house could be another martyr’s memorial for the citizens of the country visiting the holy city from across the country.

Health Minister Lakshmi Kanta Chawla has announced to request the government to acquire his ancestral house to convert it into a museum with all his memorabilia to perpetuate his memory for the future generations and inspire the youth.

It was learnt that the family of the martyr could not attend the ceremony as they were out of the country. Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal made it a point to visit the house of the martyr along with officials of the district administration.

Meanwhile, a road in the city would be named after the martyr during the observance of the 100th death anniversary of the martyr. Chawla said a statue would also be installed at PBN High School from where he had attained formative education.

Historians said Dhingra came from an affluent family and had strong desire to see his country liberated from the foreign yoke at any cost. However, his father, close to the British government, did not approve of his idea. Upon the refusal of the Dhingras to accept his body, Veer Damodar Savarkar had sought the British government to hand over the body to him but his plea was turned down.

The Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Housing Welfare Society held three-day sports meet in the memory of the martyr, which concluded on August 15. Competitions in table tennis, badminton, race and yoga were held.

The All-India Students Federation (AISF) held a programme dedicated to the martyr where speakers from various walks of life addressed the gathering. Former president, AISF, Prithipal Singh Marimegha said Dhingra had dabbled in the freedom struggle movement in his academic years. After completing his graduation from a college in Lahore, Dhingra had gone to attain higher education in London where he gunned down Sir William Curzon Wyle.

He rued that successive governments paid only lip service on the anniversaries of martyrs and turned back to implementing their thoughts and dreams. He held almost all parties responsible for this.

Students of DAV Public school paid tributes at the bust of the martyr installed at the fore-garden of Dhingra Colony. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad also held a programme to recall the contribution of the martyr.

Amritsar, August 18
The Improvement Trust would hold a draw of lots for Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar residental scheme located near Mall Mandi, hanging for about eight months, on August 26.The announcement has brought relief to nearly 97,00 applicants trying their luck to get plots.

Improvement Trust Chairman Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina said Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia would be the chief guest at the draw of lots.

The applicants had applied for plots in the beginning of the year and deposited a huge money in the shape of earnest money.

Chhina said sauction for residential and commercial properties would be held on September 1. Accepting that delay had occurred, he said after taking over the charge nearly three weeks ago he laid stress on completing the pending projects.

Prez medal for top cop
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 18
Makhan Singh, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Counter Intelligence, has been awarded President’s Police Medal for his meritorious service. The honour was announced during the 63rd Independence Day celebrations at New Delhi.

Earlier, he remained a SP (D) in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Amritsar Rural police district (Majitha police district) and Batala police district besides being a SSP of Special Narcotics Cell (now Special Staff Operation Cell). He joined the police force as Assistant Sub-Inspector in 1976 and rose to the post of AIG during his 33 years of service. 

686 clear written test for women cop 
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 18
As many as 686 candidates have cleared the written test for the recruitment of women constables in the Punjab police, which was held on August 9.

Gurpreet Kaur Deo, Chairperson, Recruitment Board for Women Constables and DIG Border Range, said the list of successful candidates who had qualified for the interview could be seen on the official website of the Punjab police www.punjabpoliceindia.org.

She said the list had also been displayed on the notice boards of all the three offices of recruitment sub-boards and the SSPs’ offices of the state. She said the candidates would be intimated by posts the date, time and venue for the interview.

The candidates whose names are included in the list, but do not receive the information by August 31, may contact the sub-board control rooms, she added.

ACC launches ‘Ashwamedh’ campaign 
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 18
Cement manufacturer ACC Limited today launched Ashwamedh campaign, a specialised mobile van for home building guidance here. This campaign would run in all the 20 districts of Punjab. The company would reach out to the masses through roadshows, training programmes for masons and contractors which would help people make long lasting homes. D S Ghai, Chief Executive of ACC (North Region), said people generally face problems during building their home and are not aware about the right quality of building material.

Bajaj’s new Discover version

Bajaj Auto Ltd today launched its new model in 100-cc category Discover DTS-SI designed for long distance bikes. Manjit Singh Ghai, regional manager, sales, said it would give mileage of 80 km per litre and it has new wheel base segment.