Amritsar, July 22
Textile industrialists of the city are peeved at the SAD-BJP government for ignoring centuries’ old Amritsar textile industry while extending an incentive package to Textile Park in Malwa region.

The industrialists said major units of the textile industry had already left the field, while medium and small-scale units were running with a little support of the government.

The general secretary of the Textile Manufacturers’ Association, Hardit Singh Makhni, recalled that once Amritsar was known as the “Manchester of India”. He said a number of big units were running from Chheharta to Khasa. However, he said, at present only one noticeable company, OCM, had been left there.

He said the government in its tenure had paid scant interest in the revival of these sick units. He said infrastructure was available in these units and the government support would revive them.

As per a survey, about 1,000 small-scale textile power loom units were still running in the city. About 5,000 artisans and labourers were working in these units on nominal wages.

He said he was not against the setting up of textile parks in other cities of the state, but the area which already had infrastructure relevant to the industry must be extended the similar package.

The president of the Shawl Club of India, P.L. Seth, said Amritsar, being a border district and a landlocked area, must be extended similar package. He said the local industry was already finding it tough to compete with the hilly states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir as they were extending tax holiday to the industrialists. As a result the flight of industry was witnessed in the last 10 years.

He said the holy city had the advantage of having international connectivity in shape of Sri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport and dry port at the Attari-Wagah joint check post. He said since the medieval times Amritsar had been an important centre for trade for its proximity to Lahore attracted the traders from West and Central Asia. 

Tarn Taran, July 22
Nine of ruling SAD and six of BJP MLAs were in touch with the Congress, claimed Lal Singh, former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader, while addressing a meeting of the party workers here today.

These MLAs might switch over to the Congress as they had observed the changing mood of the people of the state in favour of Congress for the coming Assembly election, further claimed the leader.

He was here to ensure attendance of party workers in large numbers at ‘Rakharrar Punia’ political conference, to be organised on August 13 at Baba Bakala, 40 kms from here.

The issue of giving Congress ticket to defecting SAD and BJP MLAs had been kept aside by the PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh. 

Amritsar, July 22
The Guru Nanak Dev University authorities’ untimely decision to introduce credit-based evaluation system for gauging the students’ performance has invited ire from the students.

As per the fresh rules introduced from May 18 onwards, for a two-year course, which contain two semesters in each year, if a student fails to maintain a minimum of 4.5 CGPA (cumulative grade point average) at the end of the second semester, he or she would be declared "failed" and in that case, he/she will have to seek readmission to the first semester.

Though the step was taken with a view to enhance the quality of education and to bring about transparency in the evaluation system, yet the students demanded that they should be given exemption from this new rule as it was never there at the time they took admission.

As many as 20 students of commerce and business management stated that as per the earlier rules, they were given chance to improve their grading, but the new rule had deprived them of the opportunity. The students demanded that they should be granted admissions to the next semester as per the old pattern and the new rules should be made mandatory for the students who seek fresh admissions from this session.

"We took admission in July 2010, whereas this rule was introduced from May 18, 2011. How could it be applicable to us when it was never mentioned in our admission prospectus? We had a fair chance to improve our grading, but this new rule would simply detain us from seeking admission in the next semester," resented the students, who after being not heard by the authorities, have decided to move court against the decision.

On the other hand, the Registrar, GND University, Inderjit Singh, admitted that the views of the students were somewhat justified on legality grounds, yet they were well informed in advance about the new evaluation rules.

"They may be sound on legal grounds, but they cannot say that they were kept in the dark. Their teachers had informed them well before they appeared for their examinations about the condition to obtain a minimum of 4.5 CGPA. Now, they are just finding an escape route with illogical arguments," he said.

Amritsar, July 22
Newly appointed Commissioner of Police R.P. Mittal today took over the charge from Parampal Singh Sidhu, who has been shifted to the Punjab Armed Police, Jalandhar.

It is evident to mention here that earlier too he was shifted as Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, in September last year. However, he could not take the charge as the then outgoing Commissioner, Varinder Kumar, refused to relinquish the charge after the local BJP MP had opposed his (Varinder’s) transfer.

The incident had hit the headlines as the whole battery of media kept on waiting for a long time, while the official ceremony had to be put off saying that Mittal, who had arrived in Amritsar only to take charge, had to go to some urgent meeting. He was IG, Ludhiana, at that time.

Talking to mediapersons immediately after joining his office here, Mittal sought the public cooperation for maintaining law and order in the holy city, which is plagued by snatching incidents and petty crimes.

“I will do my best in providing a sense of security among the people. It is the prime duty of the police to save life and property of the public and no stone would be left unturned in this direction,” said Mittal.

However, he quickly added, “It is not possible until and unless there is a strong cooperation from the people of the city. I will be accessible to every common man,” he said.

He said all the good initiatives, such as police-public meetings, which used to be held twice a week, and schemes launched by his predecessor would continue and where there was scope of any improvement, things would be improved. 

Amritsar, July 22
Guru Nanak Dev University administration debarring teachers of its constituent college, Amardeep Singh Shergill Memorial College in Mukandpur, from becoming a part of the university’s teachers’ association has made the association furious.

The decision was taken during the recently held syndicate meeting, chaired by university Vice-Chancellor AS Brar.

The teachers’ association has now attacked the university authorities on many issues.

It has come down severely on the authorities over increasing the intake of students in many streams without recruiting more teachers.

Balwinder Singh, president of the Guru Nanak Dev University Teachers’ Association, said, “At present the teacher-taught ratio is around 1:100 in almost all the classes, whereas we demand the university to follow the guidelines of UGC and All India Council of Education (AICE) and maintain the ratio at 1:60,” he said.

It is to note that the Panjab University, Chandigarh, has been maintaining the teacher-taught ratio as 1:35, while it is 1:60 in Punjabi University, Patiala, and Jammu University.

Even the private institutions like Global Institute of Engineering and Technology as well as Amritsar College of Engineering and Technology go by 1:60 ratio.

In BTech (computers)-I, there are around 180 students and just one teacher. Last year, there were 60 students in the class.

The teachers said School of Social Science, a subsidiary of university, too has been overcrowded with students.

In the last session, there were 40 students against one teacher whereas in the current session, the authorities have raised the seats to 100. Similarly, the Law Department that had a students’ batch of 50 in 2003 now has 100 students.

“It is absurd that a student pays an average annual fee of nearly around Rs 1 lakh. It just calls for immediate attention about the quality of education a teacher would provide to overcrowded class, when half the class would not be able to see what has been written on the board,” the teachers argued.

Balwinder Singh it would be the sole discretion of the association’s office-bearers to decide who should be given the membership of the association. “Contrary to the decision taken by the syndicate, the Mukandpur teachers would by all means be the members of the association”, he said.

University registrar Inderjit Singh said the burden on the teachers would be reduced as new recruitments were on cards. The university had planned to raise its infrastructure to facilitate the students too, he added.

“We will recruit at least 30 ad hoc teachers in the computer department. More appointments would be made shortly in other wings too. Moreover, the university will introduce giant LCD screens and sound system to address the students in classes. Atleast five such classrooms would be made operational by next week. Each would cater to around 120 students,” he said. 

Amritsar, July 22
As many as 201 students of Class IX and X from government and private schools took part in the state-level science exhibition ‘Inspire Award’, being conducted at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Mahn Singh Gate, here under the supervision of Director General School education Baldeo Pursharth and district coordinator Manisha Thakur.

Some of the creations of the students caught the fancy of visitors. A model ‘eco-forestry’ made by Shivnayani of Ashoka School spread the message of preserving forests. Sukhmanjot Singh of Navjot Senior Secondary School showcased her project on power conservation.

Amritsar, July 22
The Government Medical College authorities have constituted a three-member team for probing into the charges of seeking sponsorship from students against 10 per cent commission for organising inter-college programme Syndrome- 2011.

The issue of circular on the letter head of Medico Student Association (MSA), Government Medical College, having signatures of MSA president Dr Naresh Goyal and Hostel Superintendent, Dr Surinder Paul, ran into controversy after college authorities claimed that letter pad was stolen and misused by several unscrupulous persons only to defame the association. Both the teachers denied of issuing any such notice.

Dr SS Shergill, Principal, Government Medical College, termed it the result of departmental politics while Dr RS Sidhu, Associate Professor and President, Punjab Medical and Dental Teachers Association, pointed out that the government should initiate a high-level probe into this episode.

“Issuing of any such circular is illegal as it is the duty of the government and health authorities to get the matter probed,” said Dr Sidhu.

“This is all trash. No such circular could be issued. It could be the result of some departmental politics,” said Dr Shergill adding that they would properly investigate the matter.

The committee comprises Dr Adarsh Kumar, Dr N C Kajal and Dr K S Sidhu.