The pillar of the flyover ramp which has been restricting the entry of the Punj-Aab expres bus to the International Bus Terminal in Amritsar. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Official reaction

MC Commissioner DPS Kharbanda: If it is so, I will get it checked. It is the ramp pillar of the flyover which has come just opposite the terminal gate. Actually, the design of the flyover has been approved by the Central Ministry but definitely, if any scope remains for alteration, it can be reviewed after consultation with experts. Nevertheless, our target is to open the elevated road up to Bhandari Bridge first, probably by January next because of the heavy volume of vehicles on this route. Sri Kant, In charge, International Bus Terminal: Apparently, no one observed this earlier.

If the height of the bridge is low at this spot, naturally, the gate has to be shifted. It was risky to turn the bus through this gate due to the hindrance posed by undergoing construction. At present, the exit gate is being used to drive the bus in.

Dry Fruit Trade
City traders want dwarfed Majith Mandi back to number one
Infrastructure at the Attari-Wagah joint check post and at the land customs station at Amritsar railway station is what importers seek
Neeraj Bagga
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 24
Undoubtedly, Majith Mandi and its adjoining areas, located in the maze-like roads of narrow lanes of the walled city, lost their pristine glory of being the dry fruit hub of the country but the district still holds the distinction of being the only natural dry port for the import of dry fruit from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The domestic (Indian) dry fruit market, running in thousands of crores, employing over 50,000 persons, is mainly concentrated in Delhi, Amritsar and Mumbai. Except walnut and cashew, other dry fruits like almond are imported from the USA and the Gulf countries.

B.K. Bajaj, president, Indo-Pak Foreign Chamber of Commerce, said the share of the city stood at little over 15 per cent, while Delhi controls the lion’s share of 70 per cent and the rest is controlled by Mumbai.

The city had recorded an annual business of over Rs 500 crore in dry fruit in 2005. Certainly, business has grown considerably since then. However, dry fruit traders feel that there were several roadblocks and lacunae which, when removed, could boost the trade of the city.

Importers seek infrastructure at the Attari-Wagah joint check post and the land customs station at Amritsar railway station. The consignments of dry fruit are imported through the land route from the joint check post and through international flights from Amritsar International Airport.

Almonds, pistachio, kishmish, apricot, anjir and many other dry fruits are imported directly from the USA, Australia, Gulf countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The trade has suffered a blow owing to the flip-flop relationship between India and Pakistan. Most of the importers and exporters had to shift base to New Delhi and other parts of the country, thanks to the unfriendly policies of the Central and state governments.

Interestingly, India has been exporting bulk goods through cargo flights to countries like Afghanistan.

Majith Mandi, which had emerged as the biggest import-export market of the region following the Partition, has been paralysed due to the rise of City traders want dwarfed Majith Mandi back to number one

dry fruit markets in Delhi and Mumbai. The traders, who had a flourishing business in Peshawar, had to migrate to Amritsar and find a new market in Majith Mandi after the Partition, which also housed the shop of Gurmukh Singh Kohli, father of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

Cuurently, it supplies dry fruit to Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, besides Punjab.

Another trader, on condition of anonymity, said it seemed that the government wished to encourage Mumbai importers at the cost of the traditional Amritsar traders who had been dealing with Pakistani businessmen for the last many decades.

According to trade figures made available by the customs authorities, trade between India and Pakistan during 1999-2000 was worth Rs 300 crore. It almost doubled to Rs 625 crore during 2000-2001.

Amritsar, November 24
Continuing high prices of cereals and pulses are burning holes of every household budget.Moong dhoti is still ruling at Rs 95 and Rs 100 per kg, while moong sabat is at Rs 86.A housewife, Ranjit Kaur, says she has no other alternative but to cut expenditure on other heads like weekly eating out with family and procuring seasonal clothes.

Narrating her situation she said her husband was employed with a local limited firm earning Rs 8,000 per monthly.

They have the responsibility to bringing up a daughter. She rued that being an undergraduate and not skilled in any kind of work except doing kitchen chores she was unable to support her family.

Similar is the tale of a number of families here. However Ranjit can have solace that her family owns a house. However, there are hundreds of families who are residing on rent and are earning less than Ranjit Kaur’s but braving inflation.

Among pulses mah sabut is being sold at Rs 70 to Rs 72. Mah ki dal, also called urad dal, horse bean chilka is sold at Rs 76 and dhoa at Rs 84. Moong dal is still pinching purse at Rs 90. Chana dal is sold between Rs 40 to Rs 45 depending upon quality. Chana (black gram) is available at Rs 40 to Rs 45.

Masur sabat is sold at Rs 65, masur dal at Rs 70, and arhar dal at Rs 90.

Rajmah, depending upon quality, can be procured at Rs 50, Rs 60 and Rs 80. Rongi is at Rs 64, Kabuli channa at Rs 65 and Rs 70 depending upon its size.

Amritsar, November 24
Delegates from over 46 Asian countries and Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Nigeria, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, the UK and the USA would participate the four-day 12th Asian Federation of Sports Medicine Congress (AFSMC) to be held from December 3 at Guru Nanak Dev University.

The faculty of Sports Medicine and Physiotherapy, GND University, would hold the four-day congress.

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr M.S. Gill would perform the inaugural ceremony on December 4.

The Head, Department of Sports Medicine and Physiotherapy and the Dean of the concerned faculty of the university, Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu, claimed that it was for the first time that an international congress on sports medicine would be hosted in the country.

He said the congress would be an important platform for the uplift of sports medicine and sports sciences in India. The congress is a golden opportunity to raise issues, identify challenges and explore the outcomes relevant in the Indian scenario. This is particularly vital in the context of developing countries where the cost of medical treatment was not always affordable, he said.

He said in this grand event, around 1,200 delegates, including orthopaedics, sports scientists, exercise physiologists, sports psychologists, sports nutritionists, athletic trainers and physiotherapists from India and abroad were expected to participate.

He said that 144 research papers, related to recent trends and advancements made in the field of sports medicine and sports sciences, would be presented during the congress.

Dr. Sandhu said under the broad theme of “Sports medicine in Asia: perspectives for health and competition”, over 83 speakers from the national and international fraternity would discuss key issues concerning general health, well-being and current topics related to sports medicine and sports sciences.

The congress would address key issues pertaining to advancements in sports medicine and sports sciences relevant to the bone and joint decay. It will also address topics related to lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity, stress management and cardiovascular disorders. Besides this, topics concerning the sports population, including awareness, prevention and rehabilitation of sports injuries, would also be discussed, Sandhu added. 

Tarn Taran, November 24
There is massive difference between the education system in Punjab and that existing in Germany, observed a three-member team of women teachers from Germany.

According to the members, the German education system stresses the need to develop children’s understanding with logic and depth where as education system in Punjab stresses the value of imparting the maximum knowledge, which may fail to provide depth and understanding.

The team members --- Julia Blumle (25), Caroline Rempf (25) and Claudia Henkel (24), have come here under the “Exchange Programme” between the Diocese of Amritsar (Church Of North India) and Diocese Of Obberhessan in Church Of Hessen and Nassau (Germany).

Both the dioceses have been in partnership for a long time. People from different areas of life visit each other’s dioceses to share experiences.

The team leader Julia, who is attached to the local St. Thomas School, shared her experiences which she gained while teaching to the kids of the border area. She was astonished at how the children of the rural area can easily communicate with her without knowing her language.

Julia teaches mathematics and was satisfied that she was able make the children understand. She said there was no difference between these children and the children in Germany in their ability to understand and grasp ideas. The differences were only in the education system.

Elaborating the differences between both the systems, Julia said in Germany, we teach the children as per their understanding level and with logic keeping in view the family background and mental caliber of the children. She said the children in Germany have more freedom in learning. 
They may learn a few things later which are taught here at a very early stage, but there was no question of cramming without understanding.

Julia said it was not necessary for every child to write the same paper in examinations. Different question papers are given to the children as per their calibre. Although the government has prescribed certain syllabus for different classes yet the teachers have more freedom in teaching.

“It is encouraging to see the commitment in children here, they understand the true value of education and are eager to learn all they can. The children have wonderful hopes and dreams for the future,” said Julia.

The three-member team of the German lady teachers have their good academic career. The team which includes Julia, Claudia and Caroline besides teaching have continued their studies to enhance their knowledge and understanding in different areas.

Julia is a teacher for differently-abled children (handicapped) especially the children having problem in speech-language .She has started additional studies for the teaching profession at schools for handicapped children as a double degree with specification in learning aids. Claudia has studied at a University of Applied Sciences for Social Pedagogy. She was working freelance and managing courses at the University at Fulda. Her father has been running a school for differently-abled children.

Caroline alongside her studies has been giving private lessons to pupils of different stages of life and of different grades. She tried to help them with their learning difficulties in mathematics and German. Her father was also working with the differently able children.

Amritsar, November 24
“I do not think less of India,” these were the words of James Church, a young Englishman whose lost wallet was handed over to him a couple of days after it was lost.James, a young scholar in Theology, who had come here for an exposure to study the life, social issues and problems in India, while sharing his experience with Amritsar Plus here today, said he lost his wallet while having lunch at the local Crystal restaurant a few days back.

He said when he found the wallet was missing, he went back to look for it but faliled to find it.

He had a debit card, driving license and some cash amounting to Rs 4,500.

James said when he shared this incident with his friends in India, they said, “James this is India, if you drop your wallet, nobody will come running after you to return it.”

He got the shock of his life when after two days he got an unexpected call fom one Rajan Katoch from Jammu. Katoch had found the wallet at the restaurant and had kept it safe until he could give it back to the owner.

Rajan had phoned at some numbers he found in the business cards in the wallet, because he wanted to return it personally. Ultimately he succeeded in finding James.

Rajan told James that his only thought was that the young Englishman should not think less of India. “Let me assure you all that I think more of India and indeed the world for people like Rajan Katoch,” added James. 

Amritsar, November 24
Theatre group from West Bengal Compass Coochbehar enacted play “Mahavaar” showing the predicament of the unemployed educated youth today.

The play was staged under the ongoing nine-day sixth National Theatre Festival, being organised by the Manch Ramngmanch Amritsar in association with various local organisations.

On the second day of the festival, Norah Richards Rangmanch Mohal enacted“Udhdi Hui Gudia”. The next day Assam-based theatre group The Seagul enacted play “Jatra- The Journey”.

Earlier, on the opening day, William Shakespeare’s tragedy “King Lear” was enacted by artistes of Manch Rangmanch at the Naatshala. — TNS

Amritsar, November 24
The Central and state governments’ inability to check the rising prices of essential commodities has invited strong reactions from the people.

The general opinion says prices of essential household items, including foodgrains, sugar and other items of daily need, have risen due to weak monsoons and a drought-like situation, but the liability of the governing bodies and their heedless policies, too cannot be ruled out.

It is a pity that due to faulty policy matters, the farmers, who feed the whole country by contributing more that 55 to 70 per cent of the foodgrains to the central pool are today unable to feed their own families and have even resorted to ending their lives in distress.

Meanwhile, tightening the noose on profiteers, the auction of confiscated sugar by the Punjab government has temporarily brought down sugar prices by Rs 3 to Rs 5 a kg in the local market but the prices of other essential commodities are still out of reach for the common man.

“The lentils we used to buy for Rs 22-25 per kg now sell at about Rs 70, vegetables like peas are priced Rs 85 per kg. Tomato prices shot up phenomenally from Rs 50 per kg to Rs 100.

“We feel that our lawmakers have been idle after winning the elections and haven’t been doing anything to check prices,” said Rimmy Sobti, a home-maker.

Nevertheless, the official statistics depict that food prices surged an annual 13.3 per cent in mid-August even as the overall wholesale price index fell, and the impact of a poor monsoon on inflation and the economy further prompted the price rise.

Harcharan Singh, senior branch manager, Punjab and Sind Bank, said, “Even the banks have proposed for revising up their inflation forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2010 to 5 per cent from 4 per cent.”

Another expert, Dr Kanwaljeet Singh, of the same department said it was apparently the heavy taxes on the manufacturers which had made the prices of goods exorbitant. “It is not viable to roll back the already imposed taxes, but the government should not hesitate to pool in their share of money to make the price of goods controllable”.

“As the drought has hit nearly half of India’s districts, eroding crop production and raising major headaches for policy makers. What can you expect from a battery of ministers who prefer to travel only in helicopters while paying no heed to bitter ground realities,” opined Sajeev Sud, a chartered accountant.

The widely watched wholesale price index fell 0.95 per cent in the 12 months to August 15, its 11th successive fall. That compared with the 1.53 per cent decline in the previous week and a market forecast for a decline of 1.41 per cent.

Even Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said this week that India was facing the prospect of a drought, and the government was planning a crackdown on hoarding of farm commodities and imposing limits of stock traders.

Prof Harkanwaljeet Singh of the Department of Applied Chemical Science, GND varsity, opined that the Punjab government should carry out a thorough survey to identify the properties of soil which had the ability to produce good quality crop with less production costs.

“Like Amritsar’s soil is good for peas, the Abohar, Bathinda belt is best suited for citrus fruit. Steps should be taken to grow less water consuming crop like daals. This study would help in checking the price of commodities,” he said. 

Amritsar, November 24
Prathvi of Karnataka secured the first place in the javelin throw (under-17) in the 55th National School Games held on the ground of Guru Nanak Dev University here. Navdeep Kaur of Haryana and Amandeep Kaur of Punjab stood second and third, respectively in the event.Bhumika Thakur of Punjab was declared first in long jump, while Jenimol Joy of Kerala and Arundhati of Maharashtra stood second and third, respectively.

In 100-m race, Priyana S. Kalaga stood first as she clocked 12.21 seconds, while Amuk and Rosmi Joseph, both from Kerala, secured second and third positions, respectively.

Earlier, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura inaugurated the games yesterday.

He informed that Rs 12.33 crore would be distributed among 1,233 villages of the state to procure material for various games.

Brahmpura said the amount would be disbursed under the special games policy for the state. He added that currently the policy was being prepared and hoped that it would be introduced soon. He elaborated that each village would receive Rs 1 lakh each.

He claimed that it was for the first time in any of the state in the country that separate policies for sports and youth welfare were being prepared and informed that under it the basic sports infrastructure would be consolidated at the village level.

About 3,000 players from 39 states and Union Territories have come to participate in the games. The participating players also took oath to take part in the National School Games with sportsman spirit.