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Price Rise
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21,000 MT more wheat likely to perish in six months
FOOD NO MORE: Stench emanating from rotting wheat at Ranwan village in Fatehgarh Sahib area has
made the life of villagers difficult. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu
Kayakalp banyan to be second biodiversity heritage site
Cabinet okays House session from Sept 24
UK university confers doctorate on Gurdas Mann
CIC tells PPSC to maintain records of interviews
Illegal Immigration
Pakistan frees 140 more Indian fishermen
Indian fishermen wave on reaching the Attari-Wagah checkpost after their release by the Pakistan Government on Tuesday. Photo: Vishal Kumar
Scholarships for Minority Students
Commercial emu farming begins in state
Gunraj on his emu farm in Hoshiarpur district. Tribune photo: S Chandan
Colonisers told to refund EDC charges
PSEB Semester Exams
Sexual harassment of girl students
White revelation
NGOs running minority schools to get grant
Workshop on radio programming begins
Workshop on radio programming begins
HC notice on ward delimitation
Landlord donates 1 kanal for cremation ground
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Price Rise Tribune Reporters
Patiala, September 7 Employees of the Postal Department, the BSNL, banking sector, the LIC and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) staged a protest and raised slogans against the policy of privatisation, skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and unemployment. Members of the PRTC Motor Mazdoor Union and the Punjab Palledaar Mazdoor Union blocked the main gate of the bus stand, following which even private buses could not ply on roads for several hours. Activists of the New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI) staged a dharna on a railway track at Patiala railway station disrupting rail traffic for several hours. Members of the LIC Employees Union and the State Bank of Patiala Employees Federation also staged separate dharnas. Addressing the protesters, majority of the speakers criticised the alleged anti-people policies of the Centre. The Patiala Branch Committee of the Northern Zone Insurance Employees Association staged a demonstration in front of the LIC office at Chhoti Baradari. Meanwhile, majority of protesting employees demanded that contract labour and outsourcing systems should be abolished. AMRITSAR: A state-level rally was also organised here today. Various government offices, including Punjab State Power Corporation, Roadways, transport, FCI, insurance and the telecom department, remained closed. Members of Left parties and trade unions carried out a protest march that culminated at Bhandari Bridge, where they blocked traffic for half an hour. Interestingly, the Congress-supported All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) also participated in the rally organised at the Putlighar area. Leaders of various parties and unions condemned the statement of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who while commenting on the recent apex court orders had said that free foodgrains could not be distributed among the poor. General secretary of the AITUC Bant Singh Brar said the government should immediately implement the orders, as it would help in controlling price rise. Among others who spoke on the occasion were Amarjit Singh Asal, secretary (AITUC); Vijay Mishra, president (CITU) and Mangat Ram Pasla, vice-president (CTU). They also sought minimum wages of Rs 10,000 per month for the industrial labour and the implementation of labour laws in letter and in spirit. Meanwhile, activists of the district unit of the Employees’ Manch, Punjab and Chandigarh, burnt an effigy of the state government at Company Bagh here. FAZILKA: Activists of the Punjab Subordinate Services Union, Anganwari Worker Helper Union, Punjab Palledaar Union, All-India Trade Union Council and Punjab Kisan Sabha today took out a rally against the price rise and blocked traffic on the Malout road. They also halted a Ferozepur-bound train for an hour. They blamed the Centre for the skyrocketing prices of the essential commodities. The agitators also organised a protest rally in Partap Bagh. BATHINDA: In protest against privatisation policies, contractual system, price rise, unemployment and violation of labour laws, employees of various local banks, LIC, PRTC, BSNL and other departments observed a strike here today. President of the PRTC Workers’ Union (AITUC) Pritam Singh said due to the strike, the Bathinda depot of the PRTC suffered a revenue loss of Rs 9 lakh to 11 lakh today. ASHA workers and multi-purpose health workers on contract also held a rally and raised slogans against the government on the premises of the Civil Hospital here. Later, they burnt an effigy of the state government in front of the main bus stand. Gopal Rana, an executive member of the local unit of the Northern Zone Insurance Employees Association, said they held a rally at the office and later marched towards Kikar Bazaar where they joined a joint rally organised by various trade unions.
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Patiala District Magistrate ban rallies in city
Patiala, September 7 The DM said the orders would remain in enforce till November 5. The orders would not apply to the security forces. Government functions, wedding ceremonies, religious and funeral processions would also be exempt from the ban.
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21,000 MT more wheat likely to perish in six months
Fatehgarh Sahib, September 7 The Hindu Organisation, Bassi Pathana-based NGO, has written a letter to the Prime Minister, apprising him of the pathetic situation about the rotting wheat and paddy in the district. General secretary of the organisation Manoj Banda said while China had stored wheat for the next 20 years, it was a matter of shame that huge quantities of wheat were rotting in our country even after 63 years of Independence. The letter said “gross negligence” on the part of central and state government officials and rampant corruption had lead to this situation. The letter said wheat could not be preserved for more than six months in open godowns. However, the government procuring agencies made purchases in excess of their storage capacity and let the grains rot. This lead to unbearable stench at several places, especially during the monsoon season, the letter claimed. Residents of Ranwan and adjoining villages rued that they were struggling to get rid of rotten paddy for the past four years. “Our children and elderly cannot move out at night. Insects breeding in the four-year-old completely damaged paddy stock are a big problem,” said Paramjit Singh, speaking on behalf of his sarpanch wife Kiranjit Kaur. Villagers rued that migrant labourers had started using the area to answer nature’s call. People were facing a similar situation near the Khamano Tehsil complex, where paddy had been rotting for the past many years, sources said. Officials of the procuring agencies said they had to spray insecticides, stuck celphos tablets in wheat bags and use many other preservatives that ultimately affected the food grains. As per details provided by officials of the District Food Supply Controller (DFSC), Fatehgarh Sahib, 14,946 tonne wheat (2008-09) of the Punjab Agro and Punsup was lying in open godowns. Besides that, 37,653 tonne wheat of Markfed, Punsup and the Punjab Agro had been lying in the open since 2009-2010.
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Kayakalp banyan to be second biodiversity heritage site
Chandigarh, September 7 Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh during the national biodiversity meeting here yesterday asked the state biodiversity board to prepare a proposal to declare the kayakalp banyan tree spread over 4 acres in Cholti Kalan village in Fatehgarh Sahib district a biodiversity heritage site. The Union Minister, when briefed by board officials on the tree, said he had also come to know about it and was impressed that it had become a religious as well as cultural symbol in the area. What has apparently impressed Ramesh and is the main reason for proposing to list the tree as a unique heritage site is the fact that it is in continuous expansion over private land in Cholti Kalan.. This expansion, which has resulted in around 20 more shoots taking root, is also the reason behind the name kayakalp (transformation). The tree, which is more than 200 years old, is spread over a 4 acre plot owned by several farmers. Villagers like Mahinder Singh of Cholti Kalan, whose land is adjacent to the tree, say they would not take any step if it spreads into their fields. “Trying to stop the progress of the tree brings grave misfortune”, he said, adding a few farmers had discovered this at great cost. Biodiversity board senior scientific officer Gurharminder Singh says the tree had acquired religious significance with a temple being established along its main branch. He said the tree also had cultural significance now with an annual fair being organised under its shade annually on February 15. The myth surrounding the tree ensures no attempt is made to thwart its progress. Dr Gurharminder Singh, who located the tree after being told about it by Fatehgarh Sahib residents, says the myth surrounding the tree is so effective that people do not even collect rotting wood from the tree
for firewood. The banyan tree is responsible for creating its own unique eco system in the area as it supports a number of birds and insects. “We will take steps to identify this biodiversity”, says Dr Neelima Jerath, Director of the state biodiversity board.
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Cabinet okays House session from Sept 24
Chandigarh, September 7 In yet another significant decision the Cabinet gave the green light to enhance the allowances and other facilities of the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Parliamentary Secretaries and Members of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. The Cabinet also approved the enhancing of the pension of ex-members of the Assembly. Further, the Cabinet gave in principle approval for the regularisation of the services of 9998 teaching fellows and 4000 education service providers recruited on a contract basis by the Department of School Education from April 1, 2011. The Cabinet also approved uniformity in the pay package of rural medical officers working under zila parishads on a contractual basis, thereby benefiting 398 rural medical officers who would now get Rs 37,250 per month. For disabled soldiers the Cabinet approved the giving of a cash grant in lieu of land at the rate of Rs 1 lakh per acre. This would also apply to widows, parents and dependent children of soldiers killed during wars with China and Pakistan and the widows of Army, BSF and PAP personnel killed in the Indo-Pak war of 1971. Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited (PAGREXCO) and Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Limited (PAIC) have been amalgamated to have better synergy in their activities. Approval was granted to change in policy on the sale of the Abohar Cooperative Spinning Mills by PUDA from open auction to allotment-cum-auction. The Cabinet decided that instead of the earlier proposal of selling the land by open auction it would be now be sold as follows: 80 per cent of residential plots by allotment, 20 per cent by open auction and the commercial area through open auction. Based on a report the Cabinet approved to amend a notification issued with regard to the restriction of input tax credit (ITC) up to four stages. As per this decision, the restriction on claiming ITC claims up to four stages was waived and the old system would continue. Regarding VAT refunds, the Cabinet decided that the department would issue 75 per cent of the refunds on the basis of monthly returns and against the indemnity bond. This facility of indemnity bond would be extended to genuine manufacturers and traders up to a particular limit (Rs 1 crore). Once this limit was crossed, they would not get the new refunds. Only after getting the statutory forms, the new refunds would be issued. The Cabinet also granted ex-post facto approval for levying tax on four-digit lotteries in Punjab at Rs 75,000 per draw. The Cabinet also gave approval to fill posts of district programme officer and child development project officer in the Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development, subdivisional engineer, junior engineer belonging to the direct quota in the PWD (B&R) and some technical posts of the Architectural Department.
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UK university confers doctorate on Gurdas Mann London, September 7 The School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure of the Wolverhampton University conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music on 53-year-old Mann in “recognition of his lifelong career in music, promotion of Asian music and traditions and the continual maintenance of his natural talent.” “I am both touched and thankful for this recognition. It is an honour to India and Punjab in general and artists of India in particular. I will continue to entertain my audience as in the past,” Mann, who has written over two hundred songs, and produced over thirty albums apart from acting, said after receiving the honour. Mann joins a galaxy of artistes such as Sir Paul McCartney, Bill Cosby and Bob Dylan who had received the doctorate from the university. “The university is absolutely delighted that Mann found time from his busy international touring schedule to receive the honorary doctorate. Mann’s contribution to music is immense and he is a real inspiration for our students,” John Pymm, Dean of the School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure of the University, said. Besides this, Mann will also be performing at Birmingham, Glasgow, Wolverhampton, Leicester and Leeds next year.
— PTI
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CIC tells PPSC to maintain records of interviews
Chandigarh, September 7 Taking up an appeal filed by TS Chhabra, a resident of Mohali, who had sought information about a selected candidate who had appeared in the interviews for the posts of medical officer conducted by the PPSC, Ramesh Inder Singh stated, “In the best interest of transparency and enforcement of the provisions of RTI Act, the PPSC, Patiala, is hereby directed, in exercise of powers conferred under Section 19 (8) and all enabling provisions of the Act, that it shall maintain a faithful and sincere record of what transpires in interviews (viva voce) of candidates conducted by it for public services.” “This commission is conscious of the exalted constitutional status of the PPSC and, therefore, will leave it to the PPSC to work out the way it will like to deal with the method and procedure of creation, maintenance and destruction of record. In what form the record should be created, how it should be generated - whether a parchment or video or audio - is an internal decision of the PPSC,” state his orders. Chhabra had asked for details regarding the interview of a candidate but having failed to get the information, he moved the State Information Commission. In the last hearing of the case, the commission had asked the PPSC to specify the procedure and the method in which the record of interviews conducted by the PPSC was maintained. In response to the commission’s orders, instead of giving details of the manner in which the interviews were conducted, the PPSC information officer submitted to the commission a letter written by the chairman, PPSC, to the Punjab Chief Secretary in March this year in response to a series of investigative news reports carried by The Tribune highlighting the alleged shoddy manner in which the interviews were conducted. “It appears that the selection is exclusively interview-based, without any written test. However, there is no record in any material or physical form, whatsoever, as to what transpires between a candidate and members of the interview committee during viva voce, carrying 50 marks. The allegations regarding selection of the medical officers primarily emanate from lack of record of the interviews,” he states. “The RTI Act states that democracy requires informed citizenry and transparency of information is vital to its functioning and also to contain corruption and to hold governments and their instrumentalities accountable to the governed. Against these lofty objectives, what we have is viva voce, which leaves no trail, or a parchment or a record, to recall what transpired in the enclosed walls of a room. Candidates come and go, with no record of how an interview was conducted, what questions were asked, what answers were given, or how a candidate performed or was evaluated. All this is left to fickle memory; the memory of a candidate versus the memory of interviewing members.” “In the age of technology, when reasonably priced and easy-to-handle gadgets swell the market place, there is no reason why interview process should not be reduced to record, for any subsequent verification, should a need arise. It will instill confidence in the entire selection process.”
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After UK, now Canada seeks state govt’s help
Prabhjot Singh Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 7 In less than three weeks of the visit of the British Immigration Minister, Damian Green, to Chandigarh to seek help of the Punjab Government in addressing the problem of illegal migration and returning irregular migrants, his Canadian counterpart, Jason Kenny, too, has set the same agenda for his one-day visit here on September 9. Accompanied by three MPs, including Nina Grewal of the ruling Reforms Party, Jason Kenny is expected to meet besides the Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, state police chief Paramdeep Singh Gill and others in the state administration to find permanent ways to curb illegal immigration. Jason Kenny will also address the media to highlight changes in the Canadian Immigration policy as well as steps being taken to curb illegal immigration. Consul-General of Canada in Chandigarh, Scot Slessor, who has come in place of Helene, today called on the Punjab Chief Minister to seek cooperation from the state government to address the issues of fraudulent visa cases that had created a major problem for both Canadian as well as the Indian Government. Slessor also apprised the Chief Minister about the visit of the Canadian Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, the purpose of which was to interact with the top brass of civil and police administration of the Punjab Government to find a permanent solution to illegal immigration. Badal wanted the Consul-General to establish a skill development centre in collaboration with the state government. To be set up in cooperation with key players from Canada, the centre should train unemployed youth to meet the requirements of the industry in Canada. The centre could be later replicated in all districts of the state. The Punjab CM assured the new Consul-General of full support and cooperation of the Punjab Government in evolving a permanent solution to the problem of illegal migration. The Chief Secretary, Subodh Aggarwal, was asked to coordinate with the Consul-General to chalk out the modalities for resolving the issue in a time- bound manner. Scot Slessor also offered to help the state government by establishing a state-of-the-art skill development centre in Punjab, which would be instrumental in training the local youth with assured chances of employability in Canada. He further emphasised the need to bring a strict legislation by the state government to curb the malpractices of travel agents in duping the innocent youth, who intend to go abroad.
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Pakistan frees 140 more Indian fishermen
Amritsar, September 7 Almost all fishermen, except Nepali fisherman Gopal Bahadur, 24, belong to Gujarat and they were arrested in the Arabian Sea. The solitary Nepali fisherman recalled that he had come to India some years ago to make a living by fishing in Gujarat with the help of an acquaintance. He said he along with some other fishermen was held by the Pakistan Coast Guard off the Gujarat coast for “illegaly” venturing into the territorial waters of Pakistan nearly three years ago. He rued that the court had awarded him imprisonment for three months but he was released only after three years. Answering a question, he said he would go to Nepal to meet his near and dear ones and look for a job there. An officer of Pakistan Rangers, Mohammad Munir, handed over the fishermen to his Indian counterpart, Company Commander, BSF, Ajay Yadav. Another fisherman, Hira, said the Indian Government had failed to verify the antecedents of 12 fishermen, currently lodged in Ladhi Jail of Karachi, in India. He claimed that he had interacted with them in the prison and was convinced that they were Indians.
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Scholarships for Minority Students Prabhjot Singh/TNS
Chandigarh, September 7 Instead it inserted advertisements in various newspapers on September 2 fixing September 30 as the last date for submitting the applications for the grant of scholarships under the national scheme. Irked by the lackadaisical attitude of the state government towards the scheme run under the Prime Minister’s 15-point programme for giving a fillip to minority community students in the field of education, National Minorities Commission member HS Hanspal wants the Prime Minister to reprimand the state government for its slackness. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, HS Hanspal said the Punjab Government was yet to disburse even a single penny out of the Rs 35 crore sent to it by the Ministry of Minority Affairs for distribution among students of minority communities. Among the applicants last year were 2,34, 275 students, nearly half of them Sikh students. Scholarships are given to both pre- and post-matriculation students. The scholarship amount meets their admission and tuition fee requirements besides giving the beneficiaries a maintenance allowance for 10 months in an academic year. The students from minority communities can avail themselves of this scheme till the completion of doctorate studies. Hanspal said that though letters were sent in time to both the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary of the state to advertise this scholarship scheme in time, no response was received from either of them. “After much persuasion, the Punjab Government finally published an advertisement in various newspapers on September 2 though the last date for the submission of applications was August 15”.
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Commercial emu farming begins in state
Hoshiarpur, September 7 Emu rearing is easy business, says Gunraj Singh of Naroor village in Hoshiarpur district. All a farmer needs is a small plot of land, solar fencing and a small shed. Emus, which are originally Australian birds, have adapted well to the state’s climate. Gunraj says he purchased 50 pairs of birds in February this year and has not had any problem with the birds thriving in extreme heat conditions. He says there have been no problem of mortality due to any disease. “You can see the birds are doing well”, he said while standing among the emus that were completely docile despite their immense height (6 ft) and pointed beaks. Gunraj, who got his birds as chicks from Tamil Nadu, says farmers are showing interest in purchasing emus and that he has already sold 15 pairs and made a tidy profit. One-month-old chicks are available for around Rs 15,000 per pair and the rate goes up as they grow older. A hen starts laying eggs (20 to 50 in a season) after the 18th month. It has a life span of 25 to 35 years. The progressive farmer wants to start a hatchery and is developing his farm on these lines. He says once the hatchery takes off emu farming will also increase in the state with some farmers already having bought a few chicks but not going in for large-scale farms. Gunraj says small farmers, particularly poultry farmers, could benefit from emu farming as it is not prone to avian flu unlike poultry. The emu is a bird that is known for its meat, which is 98 per cent fat and cholesterol free. Around 4 litres of oil can be extracted from an emu. This oil is 43 per cent mono-unsaturated and helps lower the 'bad' LDL cholesterol and is known to give relief in the case of swollen joints and muscles. Emu meat sells for around Rs 500 per kg. Full-grown birds usually weigh between 30 kg and 45 kg. Gunraj says besides meat and oil, eggs, feathers and the skin of the birds can also be exploited commercially. He says besides this the birds also have ornamental value and can easily form part of the landscape in exclusive resorts and eco tourism projects.
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Colonisers told to refund EDC charges
Mohali, September 7 Following the decision, the investors have been hoping that the promoters would refund the already paid excess charges. Sources in GMADA said the issue had already been taken up with promoters and they had been asked to file status report. The investors lament while a number of promoters of mega projects and other colonisers had been defaulting in payment of external development charges (EDC), they kept on charging it from them. Inquiries reveal that none of the promoters had passed on the benefit to the end users. In most of the cases, the promoters have not included EDC in the cost of plots and have been charging it separately. In GMADA area, there were around 10 mega projects by major realtors and another 88 housing projects under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA). Sources in GMADA said citing global recession in the past, a number of promoters had been either delaying or defaulting on the payments, running into crores of rupees. The promoters had also been stating that the government fee was also on the higher side. Sources in the real estate sector said a benefit of 5 to 10 per cent in offer price would have to be passed on to the investors. The present rates offered by the promoters varied between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000 per sq yard. Unofficially, some of the successful builders are selling residential plot for as high as Rs 20,000
per sq yard. In case of projects handled by GMADA, the EDC for residential projects had been reduced from the existing Rs 36.95 lakh an acre to Rs 33 lakh an acre and for commercial projects, it had been reduced from existing Rs 130.47 to Rs 115 lakh per acre. Similarly, the licence fee for residential projects had been reduced from existing Rs 4 lakh an acre to Rs 3.5 lakh per acre and for commercial projects it had been reduced from Rs 200 lakh an acre to Rs 150 lakh an acre.
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Probe ordered into faux pas
Tribune News Service
Mohali, September 7 “It is unfortunate that students had to suffer. We will probe the matter to know the reasons leading to chaos,” said Dr Upinderjit Kaur, Punjab Education Minister, while talking to mediapersons here today. She was replying to a query about widespread reports of candidates not getting their roll numbers and inadequate number of question papers being dispatched to the examination centres. The minister, who was in town in connection with the foundation stone-laying ceremony of ‘Sikhya Bhavan’ in Sector 77 here, said she could not comment further as she was not the controlling authority of the board, adding that orders had been passed to probe the matter. Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, after laying the foundation stone of the Punjab Education Department building, said Punjab would soon herald a revolution in quality education at all levels, be it school, college and university. He said the new five-storied building of the Education Department, to be built at a cost of Rs 70 crore, would be completed within 15 months. All offices of Education Department scattered in Chandigarh and Mohali would come under one roof in the new building, which would be eco-friendly and equipped with rain water harvesting technique. Dr Upinderjit Kaur said Punjab had climbed to the sixth rank from the earlier 14th position in the country on the education development index as per the report of the National University Educational Planning and Administration for 2009-10. She announced a grant of Rs 9 crore for the purchase of utensils under the mid-day meal scheme and Rs 70 crore for the purchase of furniture in the primary, elementary and middle schools.
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Sexual harassment of girl students Gagan K Teja Tribune News Service
Patiala, September 7 The letter clearly indicates that it has come to the notice of the authorities that the cases of sexual harassment of girls are on the rise. There have been certain such incidents in Patiala district itself in the recent past. According to the DGSE, “These incidents occur when there is lack of discipline in the school and the teachers don’t pay attention towards studies of students. So, they should ensure that proper discipline is maintained and if any such incident comes to light, strict action should be taken against erring teacher or the employee after proper inquiry.” He has further asked them to report matters of sexual abuse immediately at the nearest police stations and get FIRs registered. The DEO concerned should also be immediately informed about such incidents. A copy of the complaint should be sent to the head office, giving details of the incident and the action taken in the case. A copy of the letter was also sent to all Deputy Commissioners of the state and the SPs. This step has got thumbs up from parents and teachers. Though most of the teachers were reluctant to say anything about the incidents in past, they agreed the step would certainly help in checking such instances in future. “The relation between a teacher and a student is very pious and it’s very rare that a teacher tries to take advantage of a girl child. However, even a single incident puts the entire male teaching fraternity to shame. The step would certainly force them to think twice before even thinking of doing such a thing and if a teacher is caught indulging in such an act, he should certainly be awarded strict punishment,” added one of the male teachers.
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White revelation
Fatehgarh Sahib, September 7 The Dairy department organised eight camps from April 1 to July 31 this year, asking people to get milk samples tested. In all, 292 samples of milk were collected during these camps. Of these just 63 samples, around 23 per cent of the total samples, were found pure. The remaining 77 per cent samples failed to pass the test. These had up to 60 per cent water content. The viscosity was also very low. “Adding water to milk compromises on its fat content and quality. Making a fool of the consumers, these milk vendors continue age-old practices of mixing water in milk,” rued department officials. According to the owner of a private dairy, such milk costs just Rs 9 to Rs 10 per litre, whereas milk vendors sell it at Rs 22 to Rs 25 per litre. As per Milkfed standards, the buffalo milk should have at least 5.1 per cent fat and 8.8 per cent of viscosity and should be not more than Rs 17 to Rs 18 per litre. Dairy Department officials have also sent this report to the office of the Deputy Commissioner and to the District Heath Department for further action. Pleading anonymity, a department official said, “Our department can just conduct purity tests. We do not have powers to take action against the erring milk vendors. The ball is in the court of the DC and the Health Department. It is for them to decide whether Fatehgarh Sahib residents should continue to consume such milk or have a healthier option.” The Dairy Department has rights to confiscate adulterated or synthetic milk, but has no right to tackle cases of low fat content.
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NGOs running minority schools to get grant
Patiala, September 7 Deputy Commissioner of Patiala Deepinder Singh said the scheme would be applicable to NGOs that had been registered under the Societies Registration Act for at least three years. He said, “Under the scheme, any primary affiliated school that can be upgraded as a middle school will be given a grant of Rs 5 lakh. Any school that is affiliated till Class VIII and can be upgraded up to Class X will get Rs 10 lakh. Any affiliated middle school that could be upgraded as high school and has a total strength of at least 500 will be given a grant of Rs 15 lakh. Also Rs 15 lakh will be given to a school that is affiliated till Class VIII and can be upgraded up to Class XII.” He said the money would also be issued for the purchase of laboratory equipment. A sum of Rs 1 lakh would be sanctioned for the purchase of furniture. The schools in which computer education was compulsory would get Rs 2.5 lakh. Under the scheme, the foundation would also release money for the construction of hostels in schools and colleges, the DC said. For a dormitory of 100, 50 and 30 beds, a grant of Rs 30 lakh, Rs 15 lakh and Rs 10 lakh would be released, respectively, he added.
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Workshop on radio programming begins Patiala, September 7 Inaugurating the workshop, university Registrar Dr Manjit Singh highlighted the role of media, especially radio, in transforming societies, both in developing and developed nations. “Given its reach, magnitude and quality of programmes, no other medium can match radio in bringing societal change,” he said. Dr Manjit further said after having remained eclipsed for a while following the advent of television, radio had staged a comeback, particularly with the beginning of era of FM broadcasting. Director, CAMS, Dr Gurmeet Singh Maan said the major objective of organising the workshop was to make students familiar with the technological aspects, along with programming and production techniques of radio broadcasting. “The focus of the workshop will be on radio jockeying, anchoring, Internet radio, community radio, podcasting, future of FM radio and job openings in the field,” he added. Dr Maan said the students attending the workshop would be given practical training at radio stations of BIG FM and the All India Radio, Patiala. Station director of AIR, Patiala, Amarjit Waraich and cluster engineer of the Reliance Broadcasting Network Amandeep
Badhwar.
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Workshop on radio programming begins
Patiala, September 7 Inaugurating the workshop, university Registrar Dr Manjit Singh highlighted the role of media, especially radio, in transforming societies, both in developing and developed nations. Director, CAMS, Dr Gurmeet Singh Maan said the major objective of organising the workshop was to make students familiar with the technological aspects, along with programming and production techniques of radio broadcasting. “The focus of the workshop will be on radio jockeying, anchoring, Internet radio, community radio, podcasting, future of FM radio and job openings in the field,” he added.
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HC notice on ward delimitation
Chandigarh, September 7 In her petition, Kamlesh Kumari and others submitted that even though Khanuri’s population had undergone a change during the previous five years, the elections to the council were being held without carrying out a fresh delimitation of wards. These were rather being held on the basis of the previous delimitation in 2005. As per law, the variation in the population of wards should not be more than 10 per cent. But in Khanuri’s case, it was even 50 to 70 per cent in certain wards. Counsel for the petitioners submitted the seats reserved for the SCs had to be allotted by rotation, but the state government was reserving the same wards. He said the mandate of the Constitution was binding on all state governments and any violation of the same would render the elections illegal.
— TNS
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Landlord donates 1 kanal for cremation ground
Mehma Bhagwana (Bathinda), September 7 As senior functionaries of the state, including politicians, took notice of the incident reported in The Tribune, a number of civil officials were deployed in the village to search and finalise a suitable place for the purpose. The officials suggested a number of places but villagers kept on rejecting them on one ground or the other. At last, Jasdeep Singh voluntarily offered the land from his agricultural field for the purpose, to which the administration agreed immediately.
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Fatehgarh Sahib, September 7
London, September 7
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Hoshiarpur, September 7
