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Nurses to meet Badal today, say no to talks with Chawla
Assembly Session |
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Sidelights SAD makes jibes at Amarinder’s absence Chandigarh, March 10 The PCC president, Capt Amarinder Singh’s absence from the Assembly is becoming a cause for many a comment. SAD legislator Harish Rai Dhanda made two comments, both of which were not contested by the Congress. First he “requested” CLP leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal to “please call the absentee CM” to participate in the discussion on the Governor’s address.
Govt carries day on development
New Congress in charge to tour state
OPERATION BLUESTAR
Kin allege medical negligence in woman’s death
Decision on fund for cancer treatment hailed
Govt has ‘ignored’ cleaning of seasonal rivulets
Expert invited to conference on ‘biobanking’
‘Markers being repaired, replaced in border areas’
Kheti Virasat Manch seeks Rs 500 cr boost for organic farming
Dr Jasdeep Kaur selected for Mars programme
Daduwal, followers rounded up
Sant Baljeet Singh Daduwal talks to a police official before the former was rounded up from Gurdwara Jandalisar on the Bathinda-Talwandi Sabo road on Thursday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma
Varsity, college teachers strike work, organise rallies
Special Summer Trains SARABJIT CASE
Contempt of court: Show-cause notice to House secy
Peon shot dead by bank guard
Union Bank security guard Baksheesh Singh in police custody after the incident in Abohar. Photo: Raj Sadosh
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Nurses to meet Badal today, say no to talks with Chawla
Amritsar, March 10 “We received the message to meet te Chief Minister at his office in Chandigarh tomorrow and hope for a positive outcome,” General Secretary of the Punjab Staff Nurses Association, Raj Bedi Anand, said. The staff nurses today took out a protest march from Guru Nanak Dev Hospital to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital here. There are 2,500 nurses and 500 nursing assistants working in various government hospitals in Punjab at a meager Rs 3,200 as basic pay, Bedi said. On the other hand their counterparts under the Central Government were getting Rs 4,600 as basic pay, said Anand, Bedi added. Dr SS Shergill, Officiating medical superintendent of GNDH has urged the nurses to resume work. Jalandhar: The statewide strike of staff nurses seems to be a protracted affair with the agitators turning down the offer of state Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla to come to the negotiating table. They are on an indefinite strike for the past four days, demanding the implementation of the revised pay scales and the regularisation of the services of contractual employees. Sources said senior officials of the Health Department today contacted the top leadership of the Punjab Nursing Association and invited them for talks with the minister. State vice-president of the association Jasbir Kaur Thind said there was no logic in meeting the minister since the file pertaining to their demands was lying with the Chief Secretary and had to be cleared by the Chief Minister Office. “Moreover, we have been holding meetings with the Health Minister for the past two years on these issues, but to no avail. Following this, we all are of the view that more meetings will yield nothing,” she added. She said though a meeting had been fixed with the Chief Minister on March 11, the agitation would continue till their demands were not accepted, she added. As the strike entered the fourth day, indoor health services were hit both at the urban and rural health centres. Routine surgical interventions and indoor admissions have been put on hold in most of the Civil Hospitals across the state since nurses have boycotted all work, including OT services. The situation is no different in all medical colleges of the state. A section of the nurses alleged that although they were performing their services at emergencies, doctors were not entertaining emergency cases and propagating about the strike.
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Assembly Session
Chandigarh, March 10 Just as the Zero Hour started, Jakhar pointed out that media reports had highlighted the issue that needed immediate and serious intervention. He said since the two cases in question were from his area, he got these verified and found that contamination of sub-soil water from a nearby mill was responsible for the spread of illness in the area. At the same time, he pointed out that the SAD-BJP had received huge amounts of money under various health schemes like the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). Out of the allotted Rs 697.87 crore only Rs 110 crore were partly used resulting in the lapse of several crore, while people remained without medical help. Jakhar pointed out that the Centre had released Rs 2.86 crore to Punjab under the National Programme for Control of Blindness in 2009-2010, but the government failed to use evan a single paise. Again in 2010-11, out of Rs 6.91 crore allotted under the same plan, no money was used, showing utter callousness on the part of the state government. Similarly, he said that many other central grants lapsed due to lack of initiative by the state. He pointed out the case of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, where the Union Government extends Rs 30,000 per family for treatment, but since the Punjab Government has not issued any BPL cards, people cannot take advantage of this centrally funded scheme. At this point, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal got up and said that he, too, was very concerned after reading the news report and he had directed his Principal Secretary to conduct a thorough probe into the matter and come to him with a detailed report. “We will take all necessary action in the matter,” he assured the House. At the same time, the Chief Minister reiterated that his government was ensuring that no water from industry or sewerage from towns and cities went into the rivers or canals. “Ninety per cent of the rivers will become clean by the end of this year,” he said. Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla, who had earlier said that the issue of contamination of water did not fall in the purview of her department, asked the Congress legislators to help her find BPL families in the state as her department had failed to locate many such families.
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Sidelights
Chandigarh, March 10 Bhattal digresses on Punjab Bhawan
CLP leader Bhattal apparently got carried away while discussing the facilities at Punjab Bhawan in Delhi and how legislators were not accommodated there. She said she had brought the matter to the attention of Chief Secretary SC Agrawal who had not even deigned it fit to reply to her letter. She demanded that the Vidhan Sabha Estimate Committee look into the renovation work being done in Punjab Bhawan besides lack of hygienic facilities. SAD legislator Bikram Singh Majithia got up on a point of order to claim that Bhattal was digressing from the debate to which the Congress leader said, “Majithia should be made to stay on the sixth floor of the B block of the bhawan to understand the situation.”
Officers’ golf
sessions
Bhattal also brought up the issue of lack of any officers in the Officers Gallery in the Assembly. Claiming she had made officers work during her three-month stint in power and even made them forget their daily golf sessions; she said the lack of officers in the gallery was an insult to the House. Chief Secretary SC Agrawal was the lone senior officer present in the House when Bhattal spoke.
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Govt carries day on development
Chandigarh, March 10 The SAD-BJP coalition made it clear that it was going to the people with a mix of religious appeal as well as development. SAD leader Harish Rai Dhanda led the debate talking about the conditions, which led to the assassination of Indira Gandhi, even as he built up a solid case of all-round development by comparing work done in various fields with the earlier Congress government. Dhanda was also able to effectively counter the points raised by Congress legislator Sunil Jakhar in his speech yesterday. Dhanda chose to quote from the speech made by Jakhar while participating in the debate on the Governor’s address during the Congress rule. The Akali legislator said all the issues raised by Jakhar --- on power, airports and the Ludhiana ring road --- had been addressed by the SAD-BJP government. Dhanda also countered the allegation of vendetta made by the Congress by reading out a list of cases registered against Akali ministers, legislators and SGPC members. He also highlighted the discrimination being meted out to Punjab under the 11th plan, saying the state’s share was only 1.3 per cent because the plan favoured large and populous states. Earlier Congress Legislature Party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal claimed the issue of discrimination against Punjab could be settled by bringing out a White Paper on the central grants given to the state during the NDA as well as the UPA rule. She went on to claim that institutes like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) had come about due to central funds and that the state should thank the Centre for the same instead of criticising it. The CLP leader, however, seemed ill prepared to take up the micro issues instead of the macro ones in her speech. Among others, she raised the issue of attempts being made to gag the media by bringing in special legislation besides steps being taken to muzzle peaceful protests. Meanwhile, the Congress had to even face the brunt of anger of a first-timer --- BJP leader Harish Bedi. He said it was strange that the Congress was calling each and every fact being put before the House a lie. He said in light of this, he was at a loss for words and did not even read out his prepared speech.
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New Congress in charge to tour state
Chandigarh, March 10 Charak said the people of Punjab were fed up with the corrupt and communal alliance of the Akalis and the BJP and they wanted a secular and progressive government, which only Congress can provide. He said he has always remained secular to the core and has been ardent admirer of the communal unity and brotherhood in a sensitive state like Jammu and Kashmir. He has been appointed the in-charge of the Congress for Punjab. He has worked in various capacities for the party in eleven states. Besides, Punjab, he has also been given the independent charge of Chandigarh and Bihar. — TNS
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OPERATION BLUESTAR Perneet Singh/TNS
Amritsar, March 10 Interacting with the media, Dal Khalsa spokesman Kanwar Pal Singh said, “The SGPC executive had adopted a resolution for raising the memorial on February 20, 2002, but nothing had been done to raise the memorial till date. We had even staged a 72-hour sit-in outside the main entrance of the Golden Temple on June 4-6 last year to wake up the SGPC out of its deep slumber, but to no avail.” He said a special SGPC executive meeting under the then chief Bibi Jagir Kaur had decided to build the memorial on May 27, 2005, but backtracked at the eleventh hour. “The community wants to know if there is any compulsion or some hidden forces that are stopping you from building the memorial. Shall we consider it your apathy or fear of the state,” he wondered. Kanwar Pal announced that they would make the campaign for the memorial a public issue. “We will launch a signature campaign in support of it, besides distributing pamphlets and posters on events like Holla Mohalla, gurpurbs and sangrands. We will also stage a sit-in for one day each in the April, May and June in front of the Golden Temple,” he added. AISSF President Karnail Singh Peermohammed said the SGPC should call a meeting of all religious organisations without any delay and start the work on the memorial after evolving a consensus among them. SAD (A) president Simranjit Singh Mann said these outfits should make it an electoral issue in the forthcoming SGPC poll. "We will be fighting the elections on these very grounds." SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar reacted on the issue cautiously and restricted himself to saying that the SGPC would act as per the sentiments of the Sikh Sangat.
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Kin allege medical negligence in woman’s death
Khamano (Fatehgarh Sahib), March 10 Hardeep Kaur (40) hailing from Bathan Kalan village was first admitted to a private hospital of Khamano Kalan adjoining the Chandigarh-Ludhiana Road from where she was referred to the PGI. The protesters alleged that the was operated in the private hospital where doctors failed to take care of her despite taking huge amount of money in the form of fee and other medical expenses. When the situation went out of the control of the doctors they asked the family members to take her to the PGI, Chandigarh, they alleged. The patient died within an hour of reaching PGI. Her kin alleged that the doctors failed to cure the infection she got after her operation. They alleged negligence on part of the attendants and doctors of the private hospital. The victim’s husband Swaran Singh, an assistant lineman in Powercom, said his wife was operated in the hospital on February 28 and her uterus was removed. He alleged that the doctors had failed to care of his wife properly despite taking Rs 14,000 besides other medical expenses. “Doctors in PGI today said infection is so severe that woman would not be able to survive and she should have been brought here earlier,” he alleged. The dharna was lifted when senior police officials, including the DSP, area SHO and tehsildar assured agitators of justice. Khamano SHO Rajpal Singh said te statements of the family members have been recorded at the police station. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, which would be conducted tomorrow. Meanwhile commuters in large numbers had a harrowing experience on the Chandigarh-Ludhiana Road due to the protest.
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Decision on fund for cancer treatment hailed
Patiala, March 10 The secretary general of the Council, Karamvir Karan, said the CCI also hails the announcement made by the Punjab CM, Parkash Singh Badal in the Assembly, that his government would undertake a detailed census of cancer patients, create new medical facilities and upgrade the existing ones to provide latest treatment. Karan said, “The infrastructure and equipment required for the treatment of cancer patients in the state was not sufficient. Successive state governments have failed to ensure that health institutes in the state should be well equipped with the latest infrastructure for cancer patients. CCI appreciates the announcement of setting up of a dedicated fund for treatment of cancer.” He said their long pending demand to declare cancer a ‘notifiable’ disease is also very important. He said, “To declare cancer a ‘notifiable’ disease, the state government will have to amend the Notifiable Diseases Act, which presently covers only communicable diseases.” A ‘notifiable’ disease is one that is required by the law to be reported to government authorities so that the collation of information allow the authorities to monitor the disease and provides early warning of possible outbreaks.
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Govt has ‘ignored’ cleaning of seasonal rivulets
Patiala, March 10 Speaking to mediapersons today, Jalalpur claimed that for the past three years, Chhoti Nadi and Badi Nadi had not been cleaned, following which people had to suffer a lot during the monsoon season. “The state government is befooling the people of Punjab by making false claims of initiating development projects. Had the government adopted a serious approach towards the cleaning of the Chhoti Nadi and Badi Nadi, the damage due to floods in Patiala last year would have been much less,” Jalalpur claimed. The Congress MLA further stated that for the fiscal year 2010-11, funds to the tune of Rs 57 lakh and Rs 10 lakh had been sanctioned for the cleaning of Chhoti Nadi and Badi Nadi, respectively. “These funds are insufficient,” he said, while demanding that the government must allocate the requisite funds for the proper cleaning of the seasonal rivulets.
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Expert invited to conference on ‘biobanking’
Patiala, March 10 The conference will highlight meaningful advances in cancer with a focus on the developing countries. Saini said, “During the conference, I would deliver a talk on the scenario and authenticity of milk bank, sperm bank in India, Bioethics involved with safe conduction of clinical trials in India, along with the bioethics involved with the creation of a national biobank to study phenotypic diversity in India.”
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‘Markers being repaired, replaced in border areas’
Chandigarh, March 10 The minister was replying to a calling attention motion filed by SAD legislator Virsa Singh Valtoha, who claimed that markers had been damaged or destroyed in the border areas due to the laying of mines as well as other military operations. He said this work was near completion in Amritsar, Nawanshahr and Sangrur districts and was going on in others. Replying to another calling attention motion by Independent Legislator Ajit Singh Shant, Labour Minister Tikshan Sud claimed that there was no need to increase the present labour courts in the state. — TNS
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Kheti Virasat Manch seeks Rs 500 cr boost for organic farming
Jalandhar, March 10 The Centre has earmarked Rs 300 crore to encourage organic farming in various parts of the country. States such as Bihar have also made allocation of money at their own level to make farmers switch to organic farming. “We would like that the state Finance Minister should at least allocate Rs 500 crore for organic farming,” said the Convener of Kheti Virasat Mission, Umendra Dutt. Dutt has been on the forefront in the state for the past several years to persuade farmers to take up organic farming. Dutt said it was now an established fact that the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers had created several problems related to human health, soil health and eco system in the state. High incidence of cancer and other diseases in the Malwa belt had been attributed to the excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers. Already, the state government had announced to create a special fund for the treatment of cancer patients. However, he said the only way out to control cancer in the long run was to make farmers to switch over to organic farming. “Allocation of Rs 500 crore by the state government will give a big boost to organic farming in the state,” he said.
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Dr Jasdeep Kaur selected for Mars programme
Jalandhar, March 9 She joins the Mars Research Station as Health and Safety Officer/ Biologist and represents ESA’s (Europe Space Agency) six-member crew from Europe. Kaur is currently working on effect of microgravity on human body, plans further to work on different biological conditions for extremophiles. Kaur, a daughter of Dr Harbhajan Singh, a homoeopath and Ravinder Kaur, a manager with the Punjab and Sind Bank, did her plus two from MGN Public School, Kapurthala, and BDS from the BJS Dental College, Ludhiana. Dr Kaur has recently completed double masters in forensic odontology from Belgium. In 2008, she was awarded top honors for her table clinic in Mangalore. SCADA (Member of student Clinician American Dental Association) was awarded to her for presenting table top presentation in Jan 2008 in Mangalore. A multifaceted personality, she is also Editor- in- Chief, Journal of Aeronautic Dentistry, President of International Forensic Odontology Research Forum, Executive editor of journal of Forensic Odontology and journal of Dental Education. She has published 50 articles in international and national journals. As part of the 100B crew, she will prepare guidelines for real MARS missions and she will be working in the exploring the deep subsurface of MDRS, the existence of deep sub-surface organisms in a world that was once thought to be devoid of life.
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Daduwal, followers rounded up
Kotshamir (Bathinda), March 10 Daduwal and his followers were rounded up to prevent them from reaching Dhale Ke village in Moga district, where a clash between followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda and Sikhs had taken place on March 7. Daduwal wanted to join other hardline Sikh leaders reaching the village today to take into account the damage to a gurdwara during the clash. As the police apprehended that his visit there could pose a threat to law and order situation, heavy police force was deployed outside Gurdwara Jandalisar. To persuade Daduwal into changing his plan of visiting Dhale Ke village, police officials held a meeting with him inside the gurdwara, but failed in the attempt. An hour later, when Daduwal, boarding a swanky SUV and escorted by nearly 50 followers in other four-wheelers, came out of the gurdwara, police force, led by SP (Headquarter) Amarjeet Singh, intercepted them. The officials again tried to persuade Daduwal into returning to the gurdwara, but finding him reluctant to do so, they took him into custody. During his brief interaction with the media on the spot, Daduwal accused the state government of favouring dera followers. Bathinda SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill said: “It is just a preventive detention to prevent him from visiting Dhale Ke village that could, otherwise, have created law and order problem.” Till the filing of the report, Daduwal was in police custody. Two days ago, a number of radicals, led by Daduwal, had attempted to burn an effigy of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh at Talwandi Sabo. Though the timely intervention of the police foiled their bid, it had irked dera followers.
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Varsity, college teachers strike work, organise rallies
Amritsar, March 10 Addressing a rally at DAV College, Amritsar, PCCTU general secretary said the state government is unnecessarily vitiating the academic atmosphere in the state. Their demands include inter-alia, release of revised pay scale’s arrears from January 1, 2006, to March 31, 2010, enhancement of the retirement age to 65 years as per central government’s notification, full pension after 20 years of service as per the Sixth Pay Commission, implementation of Career Advancement Scheme for Director of Physical Education (DPE) and librarians as per the UGC guidelines. A gate rally will be organised in front of GNDU tomorrow to protest against the anti-teachers policies of the GNDU authorities and the arbitrary and unilateral decision to swap teachers from one college to the other. A state level rally will also be organised on March 15. Practical exam re-scheduled
In view of the protest call by Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) on March 15, the Guru Nanak Dev University has re-scheduled its practical examinations in ‘Communication Skills’ for BSc (IT) part-I that was scheduled for this date. Now, this practical examination will be held on March 14. The varsity Deputy Registrar (Conduct) said the practical examinations scheduled for March 16, will be held as per schedule already notified.
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Special Summer Trains
Amritsar, March 10 However, Amritsar has altogether been ignored as a destination. This despite the fact that the holy city has been found to be among the top-most tourist sites in the world. Besides, a large number of Sikhs residing in Delhi and various other parts of the country visit it during the summer. A number of pilgrims come in groups even booking an entire train to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. On the other hand, a large number of locals travel to hill stations like Dalhousie, Mussorie, Hardwar, Mathura and Vrindavan during the Holy festival, commented a senior citizen, Naresh Johar. He reasoned that during the Holy festival, the wholesale and many retail markets were closed giving them respite from their routine life. Retailers and wholesalers, in order to take advantage of these holidays, preferred to travel out of the city. A majority of the trains are to either start from Delhi and New Delhi railway stations or have a halt at these stations. One of the shortest routes for a special train is from Delhi to Panipat while the longest routes are from Varanasi to Delhi, Lucknow to Delhi and Jammu. The railway authorities announced to run these trains as a pre-emptive measure to take care of a sudden spurt in the number of travellers during the summer vacation every year. Divisional Railway Manager, Ferozepur division, Northern Railway zone, Vishwesh Chaubey said these decisions were taken at the head office and he could not comment on them.
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Fresh plea rekindles hope Tribune News Service Bhikhiwind (Tarn Taran), March 10 Talking to The Tribune here, Sarabjit’s sister, Dalbir Kaur, said: “Sarabjit has been a victim of mistaken identity and the fresh petition has been filed contending that he should be given another chance to prove his innocence. Last time too, we had given all the proofs to establish his identity, but the court was not convinced.” According to her, the fresh appeal has been made on the ground that Manjit Singh, with whom Sarabjit had been confused, has been traced to India. “Manjit had visited Pakistan many times and got visas for cities like Lahore, Islamabad, Faislabad and Rawalpandi. He even got married there. We will also put forth the documents related to Manjit’s background to prove Sarabjit’s innocence,” she said. Another point, which she claimed, would be crucial is that there is a gap of one month between the lodging of an FIR and the nabbing of Sarabjit. “While the FIR naming Manjit Singh was lodged on July 27, 1990, Sarabjit was nabbed on August 28, 1990. Also Manjit Singh was present in Pakistan when the bomb blast, in which Sarabjit has been named due to mistaken identity, took place,” she said. She claimed that the Pakistan Radio’s Deputy Controller had also given a witness that Manjit was there and he had given a plea to hold a programme on the radio. Dalbir said they had applied for visa with the Pakistan embassy and hope to meet Sarabjit once they were allowed to visit the neighbouring country. Manjit Singh Rattu, whom Sarabjit’s family accused of being involved in bomb blasts in Pakistan in 1990, was arrested by the Panchkula police for his “involvement” in some fraud cases on December 16 last year and was granted bail last month.
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Contempt of court: Show-cause notice to House secy
Chandigarh, March 10 He has also been directed to appear before the Court on March 31. “In the meantime, if the directions of this court are complied with, the respondent need not appear,” Justice Kohli added. The petitioner, retired under secretary Tara Singh, had alleged non-compliance of orders dated December 14 last, vide which the respondents were directed to start paying pension to the petitioner. 
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Peon shot dead by bank guard
Abohar, March 10 The condition of one of the bank cashiers, Ravi Kumar, deteriorated due to nervousness as Bakhshish also fired a shot towards him, which hit the door of the strong room where Ravi Kumar was sitting. Abohar SP Varinder Brar said Bakhshish Singh, a resident of Chirag Wali Tahni, who joined duty as the bank security guard after being transferred here from Malout recently, was overpowered by a team of police control room (PCR), which was patrolling that area at the time of the incident. He said relations between Asha Ram and Bakhshish Singh turned sour few days back when the former made a movie of the latter while he (Bakhshish) was sleeping during duty hours. They had frequent quarrels over the incident
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Members of the Staff Nurses Association will meet Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Chandigarh tomorrow to demand an increase in their allowances at par with the Central Government.
Khamano (Fatehgarh Sahib), March 10
Kotshamir (Bathinda), March 10
On a call given by the Punjab Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation
(PFUCTO), several teachers working in the universities, government colleges and non-government colleges, struck work for two hours today. They organised rallies in their respective campuses to protest against
the alleged anti-teachers policies of the state government.
Abohar, March 10