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Now, students will need good marks to get hostel accommodation
Strife continues: BJP trains guns on SAD again
Cong accepts SAD MLA’s challenge
EDI system remains underutilised at airport
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Thailand-based Pranda jewellery enters Punjab
Heritage Walk: Admn begins cleanup initiative
Portraits installed at Sikh museum
Pingalwara’s service to suffering humanity
Teachers’ front to hold protest from Aug 4
Left parties hold dharna in Patti
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Now, students will need good marks to get hostel accommodation
As a result, 2,800 students are being accommodated in five hostels (two for boys and three for girls) in the campus, which otherwise have a capacity of little over 1,000 students. Another batch of 100 students has been accommodated in some of the faculty houses. The authorities have placed extra beds in the rooms. The situation is so dismal that in some rooms two students are sharing a bed. To set a parameter for the fresh hostel seekers, the authorities have formulated a policy, under which baring the students belonging to SC category, the accommodation in the campus would be provided according to the marks obtained by the students. Those old hostellers who got compartment in their previous examinations have been told to vacate the rooms. Similarly, those students of computers and electronics, who would remain in the field to prepare their project report, too have been communicated to surrender the rooms. Registrar Dr Inderjit Singh viewed that these parameters have been set keeping in view the heavy rush of admission seekers from outside the city, in the streams of computers, electronics, business and commerce. “Yet, there are a very few cases where the students have been sharing the same bed. That too was allowed after getting mutual consent,” he said. “In the wake of sky-rocketing cut-off admission percentage in cities like Delhi and Chandigarh, the students have been heading towards Amritsar. At present, we are focusing on raising the infrastructure of the classrooms by introducing giant LCDs and sound systems but enhancing hostel accommodation would be a costly affair. To raise accommodation for 500 students, it would incur a construction cost of around Rs 10 crore. It would not be viable to go for it, especially when we charge nominal rates Rs 300 per bed per month”, he said.
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Strife continues: BJP trains guns on SAD again
Tarn Taran, August 2 It was the second press conference by Maini in less than 10 days accusing the SAD for its alleged anti-people and anti-BJP behaviour. Maini told newsmen that a section of the SAD workers were involved in grabbing land of people. He alleged that the people were also denied justice as the police was also hand in glove with the SAD. The BJP leader asked the local MLA, Harmit Singh Sandhu, to be fair in his functioning and come to the rescue of the victims. Former municipal councillor Mahant Baljit Singh, SAD leader Dr Kuldeep Singh Dhillon and others were also present in the press conference.
Cong accepts SAD MLA’s challenge
Tarn Taran, August 2 Mianwind was the native village of SAD MLA Manjit Singh Manna, who had challenged the Congress to hold conference in his village. Harpartap Singh Ajnala, former MLA and the president of District Congress Committee, Amritsar, was the chief guest. Ajnala in his address condemned the ruling SAD and BJP for its anti-people policies and called the Congressmen to shun their differences. He called the people to come in large number in the proposed political conference being organised at Baba Bakala on August 13 on ‘Rakharrar Punian’. |
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EDI system remains underutilised at airport
Anticipating manifold rise in the export from this border town, the EDI was installed nearly two and a half years ago with much fanfare. However, its purpose of speeding up the clearance of duty drawback claims filed by exporters was yet to be achieved. The EDI system enabled paperless transaction and disbursement of drawbacks (subsidy refund) to the exporters within a week. It still issues manual drawbacks which take months to transact the subsidy in the account of exporters. In the scenario, exporters from the region preferred to export their merchandise from Delhi airport. The Union Government extends subsidy to exporters on exporting of goods as they bring in foreign exchange. Customs Commissioner Ranjit Singh said he had already initiated the process of installing online fund transfer connectivity between the EDI system installed at cargo terminal in the international airport with a local branch of PNB. He informed that approval of three departments was required to get the connectivity. A letter had been forwarded to Principal Chief Controller Accounts in the Ministry of Finance. He said the official had also been requested to direct the PNB to initiate the process of online fund transfer connectivity between the EDI with a suitable bank branch. Another communication was dispatched to the Directorate General Systems (DGS), which is an attached office of the Central Board of Excise and Customs under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. Notably, DGS is responsible for the management of computer facilities, hardware, software and data communications in all centrally deployed Customs and Central Excise departments. Meanwhile, the PNB Circle Office here has also requested its head office to authorise its Mewa Mandi branch to have online connectivity with EDI system at Amritsar Airport.
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Thailand-based Pranda jewellery enters Punjab
Amritsar, August 2 I came to pay obeisance here in 2009. I have minutely observed the craftsmanship done to beautify this holy temple. It would not be exaggerated to say that Indian designers were unquestionably magnificent two centuries ago too”, he said. About the present scenario of Indian jewellery designers in the international market, Tiasuwan viewed that they need to spruce up their marketing strategy to attain desired results. “There is no iota of doubt that the Indian designers have extraordinary talent in them in present times too, but the irony is that they seldom get proper platforms to market their product in the global market. This is the only reason that they lose the battle to the European designers. I advocate that since there is a lot of craze among both men and women in India for gold ornaments, this industry can prosper manifold but the need of the hour is that the state government should come forward to nurture the goldsmiths here and help them organise overseas exhibitions to explore their products”, he said while informing that to capture Asian market, the company has hired jewellery designers from Mumbai and Jaipur. Nevertheless, this group launched its 24K pure gold jewellery brand Prima Gold at the Alpha One Mall. The brand was launched amidst a lot of glitter with models exhibiting the jewelry during a ramp walk at the mall. Present from the Pranda family were Chanat Sorakraikitikul, Director Brand Management Vinod Tejwani Managing Director, Pranda India along with Naraen Tejwani, Director, Pranda India.
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Heritage Walk: Admn begins cleanup initiative
Amritsar, August 2 Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal directed Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, Connect, Siti and Fastway cables to settle the problem of wires and asked the Municipal Corporation to take responsibility of roads and drainage. The deputy commissioner gave these directions to the officials of these departments and private companies during a meeting with the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board on Saturday. Heritage walk covering the walled city of the holy town is expected to start from September. |
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Portraits installed at Sikh museum
Amritsar, August 2 Giani Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takht, unveiled the pictures after an ardas. Among others whose portraits were installed in the museum today include former SGPC president Kabal Singh, raagis of the Golden Temple Bhai Avtar Singh and Sant Amar Singh Kirti and former members of the SGPC Kashmir Singh and Bhagwant Singh. The Jathedar, Akal Takht, honoured the family members of the persons whose portraits were installed in the museaum with siropas (robes of honour). |
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Canteen reopens at railway station
Amritsar, August 2 Despite the holy city being categorised as one of the highly visited tourist places in the world, the Railways took so long to reopen the canteen. Without the canteen, thousands of pilgrims and tourists coming to the railway station had to be content with snacks, tea, coffee or cold drinks. A pilgrim from Delhi Manjit Singh, who had his meal at the canteen, said he was thankful to the authority for reopening the canteen. Accompanied by his mother Surjit Kaur, he said his family comes to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple every four months. He said his mother being old preferred to have fresh cooked meals than packaged food and snacks. Canteen operator Sanjiv Khosla said his outlet offered breakfast, lunch and dinner apart from tea, coffee and snacks. The canteen has a capacity to seat 35 persons at a time. |
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Pingalwara’s service to suffering humanity
It was the outcome of single-minded dedication of a holy soul, Bhagat Puran Singh, who also known as Mother Teresa of Punjab because of his selfless services to poor and needy people. Since its inception in 1950s, it has come a long way adding new feathers to its cap. It has taken a lead in environmental causes, providing free education to the poor as preached in Bhagatji’s philosophy. It has extended the facilities and adding state-of-the-art infrastructure for the benefits of its inhabitants by opening a school for special children and another one for deaf children. Meanwhile, as the two campuses of Pingalwara situated at Manawala, GT Road, and opposite bus stand gear up to observe the 19th death anniversary of Bhagat ji falling on August 5, Dr Inderjit Kaur, director of the institute feels proud at the rare and distinguished achievements of the Pingalwara. “This gives us inner satisfaction as we see patients getting cured and reuniting with their families after getting treatment,” says Dr Kaur. Every year about 150-200 patients return to their families after getting treatment, she informs. From August 2010 to July 2011 as many as 288 patients admitted in Pingalwara out of which 180 patients were sent to their homes after they got cured, says Dr Kaur. The society has now 1,521 inmates including mentally challenged, diseased and old age persons. She says philosophy of Pingalwara is unique. Bhagatji believed that the collective efforts of the society are capable of achieving anything and these cannot be matched by that of a government or an individual. The efforts, which the whole staff and management of the society and persons associated it, put it has resulted in the involvement of more and more philanthropists with the institution. Cochlear implants of two children
Dr Kaur considers the cochlear implants on two the deaf and dumb children --- Harmandeep Kaur and Jagjivan Singh --- as the biggest achievement of the Pingalwara as it helped in bringing new ray of hope in the lives of two children who were ailing from deafness from their birth. “The implant was very costly but we did it free of cost with the help of donations by various philanthropists associated with the organisation. Dr JM Hans, eminent cochlear implant surgeon and personal physician to Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh along with Dr Jagdeepak Singh of Government Medial College conducted the operation voluntarily,” she says. Now these children are undergoing speech therapy showing great results. Sensory room for cerebral palsy patients
Another feather in the Pingalwara’s cap is a school of special children equipped with sensory room for acute cerebral palsy patients wherein the senses of such children are developed with the helps of lights, sounds and colour. Multi sensory room situated in Manawala complex provides an environment where a child can begin to focus on their senses such as feel, vision, touch, sound and smell. Anita, who herself is an inhabitant of the society and trained the children, informs that there are 27 children with spastic cerebral palsy and they are being trained for eight minutes. There is perhaps no such school in Punjab which is equipped with the facility of sensory room, claimed Dr Kaur. Various experts who visit the Pingalwara feel very impressed with the facility, she adds. Deaf and dumb school
Schools for deaf and dumb are one of the sought-after institutions in Punjab and setting up of Bhagat Puran Singh School for deaf could be another major achievement of the Pingalwara society. The school is equipped with latest electronic audio/video gadgets in order to provide its students with the necessary training for communicating with others and receive the necessary education. Admission of HIV patients
The test, conducted during the admission of patients, brought startling revelation with as many as 12 patients, some of them from Andhra Pradesh and Hyderabad, were found to be HIV positive. They were found roaming in the city streets after the police and NGOs brought them to Pingalwara. “As per our practice, we used to conduct tests including HIV on all the patients being brought to the Pingalwara during which they were found infected with HIV virus. We immediately started treatment with the help of government schemes which provide free treatment and medicines to the patients,” says Dr Kaur while adding that they were never discriminated and were kept with the other patients taking all the precautionary measures. Bhagat Puran Singh Adarsh School
Pingalwara is also doing yeoman services for providing education to the children of down trodden people. In order to achieve this aim, Bhagat Puran Singh Adarsh School, affiliated to Punjab School Education Board, was opened in the premises of Manawala complex. At present about 650 children get education in the school. These students are provided free education along with books, uniform and transport facility, who came from far away places. Natural farming
Taking the environmental causes, Pingalwara has set up its own farming at Dhirekot village near Jandiala Guru strictly following the natural farming techniques. Use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers is a strict ‘no’ here. “The production has doubled after adopting the techniques,” said Rajbir Singh, a teacher and trustee member of the Pingalwara society. He is the chief organiser of natural farming and nursery of the society besides organising awareness programmes at villages, schools, colleges in the city. The society planted innumerable saplings of flower plants, fruit and shady trees in various parts of the city. Opening of TB block
Recently, the society opened a new TB ward for the patients suffering from the disease. A number of patients arrive with TB infections or they contracted infection after their arrival in the centre. A special 20-bed TB ward has been opened such patients who were provide free treatment under government DOTs programme. They were kept in the ward till they are cured. “They are sharp and intelligent and respond to the questions quickly as compared to normal children,” says Rajni Bala, their teacher. Sona and Mona are joined at their lower abdomen. “They are conjoined yet they are different from each other in habits,” she said. Sona and Mona got birth at Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi. They were referred to AIIMS where their parents abandoned them due to their poor financial conditions. |
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Teachers’ front to hold protest from Aug 4
Amritsar, August 2 “It has been planned to stage protests outside the education offices located in every district. “We would start our agitation from the office of district education in Amritsar,” he said. Their main demands were implementation of 10 per cent border area allowance, service benefit for teachers who have completed 20 years of service, implementation of ACP scheme from 4-9-14 to 4-9-14-18 from January 1996, fixation of medical allowance to Rs 1,000 and same amount to those teachers who take practical classes. |
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Left parties hold dharna in Patti
Tarn Taran, August 2 Devinderjit Dhillon and Mahaveer Gill, leaders of the CPM and CPI, respectively, condemned the local police for its failure to provide security. The leaders said thefts had become a routine affair in the area but the police had not taken proper action in this regard. The communist leaders also condemned the prevailing corruption in government offices and said the state machinery had become the puppet of the ruling side for which people were being denied proper hearing at police stations and offices. The parties would also stage a dharna in the coming four days, said Dhillon. |
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Amritsar, August 2
Amritsar, August 2
Amritsar, August 2
Sona and Mona, conjoined twins adopted by Pingalwara about seven years back, remain the centre of attraction for many who visit the society. Abandoned by their parents they were being brought up at Manawala Complex. They are now the students of second class at the Bhagar Puran Singh Adarsh School.