The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Powerloom units face tough time Manish Sirhindi Tribune News Service Panipat, August 29 Faced with a tough competition from cheaper imports from China coupled with local challenges, the Panipat powerloom industry is finding itself engaged in a tough struggle for survival. According to local industrialists, around 60 per cent of powerloom units have already shut operations while the remaining units are being operating a single shift. The main reason for this slowdown is that a bed sheet which costs Rs 200 to manufacture at a local powerloom is available in the market for Rs 135, which is being brought here from China. Given the prevailing conditions, many powerloom owners have stopped manufacturing operations and shifted to the trading business. It is not just the cheap imports that have hit the industry hard. The units are also facing a shortage of work force. The ever increasing power charges have also made it difficult for the producers to continue their operations. The local industrialists said fixed charges imposed by the power utilities had reduced their profits to nil as they had to pay for power even if it was not used. The slowdown that started in May this year after the prices of cotton yarn and polyester took a plunge is continuing to ail the local industry. The manufacturers rued that they had booked the order at the start of the year when the prices of cotton and polyester were high. However, in May, the prices went down which dented their profits. Powerloom entrepreneurs in the city said they were facing a bleak future and if the things were not turn in their favour more units could face closure. Arun Bajaj, a local powerloom owner, said the local industry was in a dire need of government support. He said the government should initiate measures to protect them from Chinese products else the industry might vanish from here. The industrialists are also demanding that the fixed charges imposed by the power utilities should be withdrawn as it was a burden on them. They said the cash-strapped powerloom owners were left with no other option but to reduce production.
	Rs 110 cr to strengthen power transmission in Kaithal Satish Seth Kaithal, August 29 In order to further strengthen power transmission and distribution system in the district, the state government has an ambitious plan of Rs 110 crore under which 13 new substations of different levels will be constructed and the capacity of five substations will be augmented. The plan will be completed in a phased manner to meet the growing requirement of electricity consumers. This was stated by Haryana Power Minister Capt. Ajay Singh Yadav while addressing public meetings after inaugurating 132-kV substation Khanpur, 132-kV substation Khurana, 33-kV substation Khurana, 33-kV substation Khurana Road, Kaithal, and 33-kV substation Sisla Sismor near here recently. These substations have been set-up with an investment of about Rs 38 crore by the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam and the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam. He said the construction of 220-kV substation Kaul, 33-kV substations Pabnawa, Bakal, Jateri, Jadola, Dherdu, Sakra, Sirsal, Kotra, Kithana, Deban, Baupur and Adhoya had been approved. Setting up of these substations would help ensure uninterrupted power supply to the consumers with better voltage. Yadav asked the consumers to make timely payment of energy bills. It was necessary to arrange coal and other material in a sufficient quantity and ensure better service to the consumers. Strengthening of power infrastructure in one of the major paddy growing districts of the state has been given special focus under which 1,273 distribution transformers will be added/augmented and 750-km-long lines will be erected to supply quality power to consumers. Besides these, as many as 60 overloaded and lengthy feeders have been identified for bifurcation and trifurcation. The work is targeted to be completed with an investment of Rs 13.80 crore by the end of November this year. It will help minimise line losses and streamline the distribution system. With the augmentation of five new substations, about 17,908 consumers of different categories, including 3,172 tubewell consumers of 23 villages, will be benefited. Presiding over the programmes, Haryana Industries Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Power Utilities had commissioned two 220 kV, eight 132 kV and 25 33-kV substations with a massive investment. The capacity of 16 existing substations had been augmented and 23,768 distribution transformers had been installed. As many as 3,629-km lines had been erected and 976 old transformers had been replaced, he added. Referring to the works completed since March 2005, he also said as many as 9,782 electricity connections had been given free of cost to BPL families under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana in the district. The Power Utilities had segregated the load of 70 feeders supplying power to rural domestic and tubewell consumers and replaced 1,275 km conductor to strengthen the distribution system. Separate transformers had been installed to supply electricity to the power-run tubewells under the high-voltage distribution system.
	State Bureaucrats' Property Details RTI activist demands early decision by full Bench Manish Sirhindi Tribune News Service Panipat, August 29 It was in February this year that the state Information Commissioner had snubbed the Special Public Information Officer (SPIO) attached with the office of the Chief Secretary to Haryana Government for denying information to a convict lodged in Karnal jail, who had asked for the property details of state bureaucrats. Though the commission had upheld that "conferment to police or judicial custody or conviction has no bearing on a citizen's right to seek information under the RTI Act", it had referred the issue pertaining to the property details of the state bureaucrats to the full Bench of the commission. The ruling had been pronounced while settling a petition filed by RTI activist PP Kapoor --- the convict --- before the commission, after he was denied information related to the properties owned by all the IAS, IPS, tehsildars, assistant tehsildars, HPS and HCS officers posted in the state at the time of their joining the duty and at the end of 2009. However, even after six months, the commission has still not announced any date and time for taking up of the case by its full Bench. Kapoor had used the RTI Act to seek the property details of the state bureaucrats in December last year and despite depositing the fee asked by the SPIO, he was not provided with any details asked by him. Kapoor, who at present is out on bail, was at that time undergoing imprisonment at Karnal jail after being convicted in a case related to damages caused to a factory in Panipat where his trade union had organised a protest six years back. Kapoor lamented that he had already taken up the matter at an appropriate level but the commission had not yet decided the date and time to settle the issue. He contended that when the Chief Minister of the state had asked his ministers to declare their assets and had even written to them on three different occasions, what was holding the bureaucrats back from revealing their property details? He requested the commission to take up the matter in the full Bench as early as possible so that it could be decided in the best public interest.
	Panel for skill building among widows formed Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Sirsa, August 29 The district authorities has constituted a monitoring committee for skill building among widows and destitute women under various state and centrally sponsored schemes. A meeting of the committee was headed by Deputy Commissioner Yudhbir Singh Khyalia to review various schemes. The committee will also review and monitor the implementation of vocational training of the institutions being run under the Juvenile Justice Act. "According to the provisions under Section 45(1) of Juvenile Justice Rules, 2009, it provides that every institution shall provide gainful vocational training to juveniles or children", said Khyalia after the meeting. It would also issue guidelines for provision of facilities for education, training and rehabilitation of the target group. The committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner would include the Civil Surgeon, the District Education Officer, the District Elementary Education Officer, the Principal, Polytechnic or Polytechnic (W), the Principal, ITI or ITI (women), or the Headmistress, ITI Women Wing, the District Officer, AIDS Control Society, the General Manager, HARTRON, the District Manager, Women Development Corporation, the District Officer, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan, the District Labour Officer, the Lead Bank Officer and the District Child Protection Officer under the ICPS. The Programme Officer, Women and Child Development, would serve as Member Convener of the committee. The committee would also assess available training and skill-building facilities in civil societies or government institutions or industries and provide linkages with other schemes of the government and ensure a tie-up of the beneficiaries.
	Annapurna scheme boon for poor patients Suman Bhatnagar Ambala, August 29 The Annapurna scheme being run by Red Cross Society at the Ambala city Civil Hospital has turned out to be a blessing for indoor patients and their relatives. Under the scheme, the society provides breakfast, lunch and dinner to the patients admitted to the hospital free of cost. Around 200 patients avail this facility everyday. It is the only government hospital in the division where such a facility is available. The society has launched this scheme on the pattern of PGI, Chandigarh. A hygienic kitchen has been set up in the trauma centre building. A dietician has also been appointed who decides on the type of food to be provided to the patients according to their needs. The food is supplied to the patients through trolleys. Around 20 persons have been employed to run this scheme. Since the hospital has the services of specialised doctors, patients from other hospitals and primary health centres of the district are referred here. A large number of poor patients mostly from the rural belts come to this hospital for treatment. The food facility to the indoor patients comes as a big relief to them. Recently, the society also started a canteen for the relatives of the patients on a no-profit-no-loss basis. The canteen would also serve the hospital staff which has been demanding it for a long time. Shakti Rani Sharma, vice-chairman of Haryana Child Welfare Council, inaugurated it a few days ago. Samir Pal Saro, deputy commissioner, Ambala, and chairman, Red Cross Society, said patients admitted to the hospital were being provided food and medicines free of cost. He said the Annpurana scheme would also be launched in the Civil Hospital at Ambala Cantt. Recently, ATM and ultrasound facilities were also provided in the hospital for the patients, he added. Civil surgeon Satish Aggarwal said the number of outdoor and indoor patients had doubled in the past three years. The number of beds was required to be increased from 200 to 500 to meet rising demand, he added.
	Prisoners take pledge to shun liquor Our Correspondent Rewari, August 29 The Saurabh Sagar Yuva Manch, a voluntary youth organisation of the Jain Samaj, organised a conference in the District Jail complex for its inmates here recently. Besides Jain saints - Acharya Vishad Sagar Maharaj, Muni Vishal Sagar, Vidarsh Sagar, Jain disciples - Asha, Sapna, Kiran and Aarti, numerous distinguished members of the Jain community were present on the occasion. Delivering his enlightening discourse, Acharya Vishad Sagar asserted that jail was just like a reformatory where efforts were made to put offenders on the right track again. Elaborating upon the genesis of wrongdoing, the Acharya said: “When one loses his sense in a fit of effervescence, an offence is committed that puts the offender behind the bars”. Further delving deep into the rationale behind offensiveness, the Jain saint explained that wealth, woman and landed property had been the three cardinal stimuli to criminality since times immemorial. Simultaneously, stating that while addiction to liquor, meat-eating and other such unwholesome eatables often led to injurious self-control, he counselled the jail inmates to eschew such disgusting things to ensure their subsequent return to the mainstream of society. Motivated by the Acharya’s views, most of the prisoners took a pledge to give up liquor and meat-eating as well.
	Swift’s new version launched in Ambala Tribune News Service Ambala, August 29 Swift’s new version was launched in Haryana at a Maruti dealer at Tepla village in Ambala district on the Ambala-Jagadhari road recently. This long-awaited car was unveiled by Parveen Singh, general manager of Eakansh Wheels, in the presence of a huge gathering of eminent citizens of Ambala. Talking to The Tribune, Parveen said this car was already evoking a good response from the public as bookings were flowing in continuously. Customers, who were earlier waiting for the older version, had been converted to this model. This car comes with both petrol and diesel engine variants. He said: “The car comes with a host of new features. The length and breath of the car has been increased giving it roomier interiors. The topmost model comes with a high-end stereo fitted, automatic climate control, instrument panel with multi-information display, tilt steering and driver seat height adjustment, alloy wheels, etc. This vehicle is slated to give a mileage of 22.9 km/lt in diesel and 18.6 km/lt in petrol variant”.
	Unhealthy diet, AC environment bad for bones: Experts Sunit Dhawan/TNS Gurgaon, August 29 Thanks to the unhealthy diet and air-conditioned environment, an increasing number of urban people could be suffering from vitamin D deficiency that precipitates or exacerbates bone disorders like osteopenia, osteoporosis, muscle-weakness and fractures in the long run. Medical specialists maintain that a concerted campaign to improve bone health in the urban areas should be set up to arrest the trend. Dr Sunil Marwah, a senior orthopedic surgeon at Artemis Hospital in Gurgaon, observes: “Most of the upper middle class population residing in the urban areas is at a greater risk of having Vitamin D deficiency due to a lack of exposure to sunlight as a result of lifestyle practices such as indoor work schedule, travel in air-conditioned cars and excessive use of sun block lotions. Production of Vitamin D-fortified food products is also not being done, which is the another limiting factor”. Osteoporosis is considered a silent disorder, as most people do not know that they suffer from the disease until a major fall or fracture causes it to be detected. According to Dr Ravi Sautha, a senior consultant orthopedic surgeon at Paras Hospital in Gurgaon, “Without sufficient vitamin D, which is also produced in the skin by exposure to sunlight, bone growth is affected and conditions such as osteoporosis, in which bones become softer and porous, become common. This can result in more bone breakages and fractures”. The experts opine that after the age of 45, a number of dietary and lifestyle tips should be considered to help prevent the chances of developing osteoporosis. Dr Sautha explains: “Besides following a nutritious diet pattern, an active lifestyle should be adopted and products such as soft drinks need to be avoided. There should be opportunities for the youngsters to learn about bone health right from school days”. Says Dr Marwah: “By adopting a healthy lifestyle, the risk of breaking a bone as a result of osteoporosis in later life is likely to be reduced. There is a need to promote healthy diet with appropriate vitamin supplements and adequate sunlight exposure to prevent osteoporosis and fractures”.
	Credit cards distributed among farmers Our Correspondent Rewari, August 29 Farmers and other residents of various villages of the Kosli subdivision participated in a loan fair held at Vijya Bank branch at Kosli recently. Ranjiv Bansal, regional agriculture officer of the bank, distributed credit cards to the tune of about Rs 55 lakh among 26 farmers of the region. He said the bank had decided to issue credit cards to a maximum number of farmers here to enable them to accomplish their occasional financial requirements. He further said they were going to implement another useful scheme here under which the villagers, who had mortgaged their jewellery with the local branch of the bank, would be given proportionate loans at a low interest rate to enable them to carry out their necessary work. Bansal also said in October this year, when the bank would be completing 80 years of its existence, several special projects would be initiated for the benefit of the customers.
	Council to conduct action research Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 29 The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Gurgaon, has decided to conduct action research with the newly established Research and Experiments for Action and Policy (REAP). A spokesman for the SCERT said the research work would involve overseeing policy evaluations in the field, mentoring for teachers where required and qualitative inputs from action researchers. Two candidates from each district would be selected and placed in the District Institutes of Educational Training (DIETs). The selection would take place in two stages. The first stage would comprise an evaluation of writing skills and interests and the second stage would comprise an interview by the director and additional experts. He said the candidates having two years’ teaching experience and at least a master's degree in science, economics or statistics could apply and send applications to director, SCERT, by September 7. The selected candidates would be trained in research methodologies in collaboration with Poverty Action Lab, US, and would participate in research activities undertaken by REAP.
	Scientists unveil mustard variety Tribune News Service Hisar, August 29 Oilseed scientists of Haryana Agricultural University have developed a new variety RH 0406 of mustard with high oil content and yield potential. A spokesperson for the university said in the group meeting of oilseed scientists of All-India Coordinated Research Project held at Guwahati recently, the variety was released for cultivation in Haryana, Punjab and parts of Rajasthan under rain-fed conditions. He said the university had also developed several mustard varieties like RH 30, RB 50 and RH 8812 which had contributed towards raising oilseeds production in the area. The scientists had also developed production and protection technologies as a result of which Haryana led the country in oilseed production. He said this year also the state had recorded average productivity of 1,869 kg per hectare against the targeted average productivity of 1,750 kg per hectare. The spokesperson said the new variety possessed average yield superiority of 12 to 15 per cent over the existing recommended varieties of mustard. The latest variety gives an average yield of 20 to 22 quintals per hectare and matures in 145-150 days. Its seeds are bold with oil content of 38 to 40 per cent.
	State for financial literacy at school level Education Department to hold contests to create awareness Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 29 The School Education Department has decided to organise competitions on financial literacy at the block, district and state levels to raise awareness among the children. While stating this, Vijayendra Kumar, director, School Education, said, “Financial literacy is the ability to understand finance. More specifically, it refers to the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions through their understanding of finances. Raising interest in personal finance is now a focus of state-run programmes in countries like Australia, Japan, the US, the UK and India”. "The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) started an inter-governmental project in 2003 with the objective of providing ways to improve financial education and literacy standards through the development of common financial literacy principles. In March 2008, the OECD launched the International Gateway for Financial Education, which serves as a clearing house for financial education programmes, information and research worldwide. In the the UK, the alternative term ‘financial capability’ is used by the state and its agencies: the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the UK started a national strategy on financial capability in 2003. The US government also established its Financial Literacy and Education Commission in 2003,” he added. He said in July 2010, the US Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), which created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB had been tasked, among other mandates, with promoting financial education through its consumer engagement & education group. In 2010, the Reserve Bank of India initiated a project on financial literacy. The objective of the project was to disseminate information regarding the central bank and general banking concepts to various target groups, including schoolchildren, women, rural and urban poor, defence personnel and senior citizens. The project was designed in two modules, one on the role and functions of the RBI and the other on banking concepts. The two comics are available for download. Teachers should download the comics from the RBI website (http://www.rbi.org.in/financialeducation/home.aspx) as well as involve the children in visiting the website and utilise all resources available for kids, including games with a view to impart financial literacy to students of class VI and onwards, Vijayendra Kumar added.
	ITIs to be upgraded Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 29 To improve the quality of training in government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), the state government has decided to upgrade 47 government ITIs under public private partnership (PPP) mode in 2011-12. The industrialists willing to adopt ITIs and contribute in the process of upgrading of skills would be included in the management of individual government ITIs, which are now being constituted as independent societies, an official said. The industrialists willing to adopt the ITIs should be within the district or in a radius of 100 km in the adjoining district and should be a manufacturing unit or service sector unit or infrastructure company or an IT company with a minimum annual turnover of Rs 10 crore. They should have been operational for at least five years and should have at least 25 employees. The industrialists would have to give an undertaking that they would appoint a chairman, managing director or director of the company or head of the local unit of the company as the chairman of the Institutional Management Committee of the adopted ITI. The applications along with supporting documents should reach the director, Industrial Training Department within 15 days, he added.
	Ensure prompt disbursal of education loans, bankers told Our Correspondent Rewari, August 29 A joint meeting of the District Scrutiny Committee, District Advisory Council and the District Security Counselling Panel was held under the auspices of Punjab National Bank here recently. J Ganeshan, ADC, presided over its proceedings. Highlighting the achievements of the education loan project launched by the Indian Bank Association, the ADC emphasised upon the distribution of educational loans to a maximum number of students while urging the bank officials to ensure the availability of the assigned subsidy on interest rate to the beneficiaries. Simultaneously mentioning about the apprehensions regarding burglaries and robberies in banks, Dr Ganeshan asked bank managers to expedite the installation of CCTV cameras in banks and also to ensure the placement of well-scrutinised currency notes of the denomination of Rs 100, Rs 500 and Rs 1000 in their respective ATMs. While reviewing the progress of various government-sponsored schemes, he directed officials to ensure speedy accomplishment. Similarly, KC Gupta, assistant general manager of the Reserve Bank of India, stressed the need for extending augmented credit facility to entrepreneurs while taking stock of the district loan projects whereas Lata Sikri, district manager of NABARD, urged the bank officials to provide optimal loan facility for rural warehouses and other agricultural projects. Mentioning about the lack of standardised safety measures in several banks in the district, SP Vikas Arora emphasised the need for speedy installation of CCTV cameras, maintenance of their month-long footage, proper preservation of the alarm system, appointment of security guards at ATM booths and the display of essential precautions for ATM card users. While presenting the progress report of the district loan project, lead bank manager AK Mittal specifically mentioned that banks in the district had registered an overall increase of 26 per cent in their deposits as well as a hike of 13 per cent in the dissemination of agricultural loans during the quarter ending June 30, 2011.
	Shree Siddhivinayak Group welcomes freshers Tribune News Service Yamunanagar, August 29 Shree Siddhivinayak Group of Institutions, Bilaspur near Yamunanagar, recently organised an orientation programme for the parents and new students of MBA, BBA and B.Tech. Dr MK Sehgal, chairman-cum-CEO and renowned academician of the region, welcomed the students and showed the path of success and excellence by telling them the significance of hard work and consistent learning in life. Talking about the optimum utilisation of time, he asked the students to spend leisure time in reading books, magazines and newspapers which would update their knowledge as well as communication skills. Dr Rajni Sehgal, director-general, Shree Siddhivinayak Group of Institutions, promised the students to provide the best education. Prof RC Sharma, additional director, assured high quality education and 100 per cent ragging-free campus to the freshers. Prof Ajay Sidhana, dean, Students’ Welfare, introduced students with the institute and its achievements. He acquainted students with the opportunities they could explore in the institute and briefed them about foreign tie-ups and MOUs with foreign universities and government bodies for personality, skill developments and entrepreneurship development. In order to set new heights and excellence in academics, Prof RR Suri, dean (academics), shared his views and guidelines with students and called honesty, sincerity and regularity as the simplest mantras for excellence.
	Varsity to set up renewable energy centre BS Malik Sonepat, August 29 With the financial assistance of Rs 1 crore from the Science and Technology Department of Haryana, a Renewable Energy Test Centre is being set up at the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal. The centre will be first-of-its-kind in Northern India. According to HS Chahal, vice-chancellor of the university, the decision to set up this centre was the result of the outstanding contribution of the Centre of Excellence for Energy Environment Studies of the university in saving electricity consumption by using solar energy equipments. “Solar energy is being used for lighting up roads and parks and solar water heater system had been installed on the roofs of the girls’ and boys’ hostels, guesthouse and vice-chancellor’s residence,” he said. Chahal said more steps were being taken for energy conservation. He recalled that the university was given the first prize of Rs 1 lakh and a commendation certificate by Finance and Renewable Energy Minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha at a state-level programme in Panchkula for its outstanding contribution in the government’s “Save Energy Programme”. “This reward has given a new energy and initiative among the students, faculty members and other staff to accelerate the tempo of save energy programme with more commitment,” he claimed. Dr SK Singh, head of the Centre of Excellence for Energy Environment Studies of the university, said the efforts were being made to meet the requirements of the university campus from the renewable sources of energy.
	Science exhibition at Panipat school Tribune News Service Panipat, August 29 The local GD Goenka Public School recently organised a science exhibition on the school premises in which students put on display their creative models. The students also showcased an impressive presentation on life achievements and contribution of famous scientists. At the end of the presentation, some general questions about the scientists were asked in which the students participated enthusiastically. Speaking on the occasion, principal RK Walia encouraged the students to develop interest in science and inspired them start with some simple experiments by their own. He appreciated the efforts put in by the students and the teachers in making the exhibition a reality. He asked the students to get motivation from scientists like Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams and APJ Abdul Kalaam. He said it was important to coax students to participate in such events for their overall development.
	Agarwal Sabha gets new chief Our Correspondent Rewari, August 29 In a straight contest for the post of president of the Agarwal Sabha, a prominent social organisation of the region, here recently, Radhe Shyam Gupta, who secured 924 votes, defeated his rival Ashok Garg, who received 613 votes, by a hefty margin of 311 votes. Elated at Gupta’s spectacular win, his jubilant supporters profusely garlanded him and took out a victory procession here recently with uproarious beating of drums. Thanking the members of the Agarwal Samaj for the veneration bestowed on him, Gupta, an eminent entrepreneur of the Rewari region, said as the chairman of the Sabha, he would discharge his responsibilities honestly and sincerely.
	ATM fraud makes Rewari man poorer by Rs 4.80 lakh Our Correspondent Rewari, August 29 With the registration of a case of cheating at the city police station here, fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 4.80 lakh by a cheat from the savings bank account of Shri Chand of the nearby Doongarwas village has come to light. The contents of the FIR have revealed that when Shri Chand, an account holder in the State Bank of India here, sent his daughter Poonam, along with his ATM card, to withdraw money from an SBI ATM at the local bus stand in May 2011, she sought help from a stranger who allegedly replaced her ATM card with a fake one deceitfully. Thereafter, the cheat allegedly withdrew Rs 4.80 lakh from Shri Chand’s account. However, recently after his return from Darjeeling, when Shri Chand got the details of his account from the bank here, he was stunned to find that a huge amount of Rs 4.80 lakh was missing from it. Consequently, he filed a complaint with the police following which it registered a case of cheating against the unknown swindler. In the meantime, while the non-availability of CCTV footage, which had been deleted after one month as per the general practice, was proving detrimental in getting a clue of the culprit, a senior police official said the matter was under investigation.
	Haryana Ki Dhoom - 2011 Sonepat girls win folk dance contest BS Malik Sonepat, August 29 The students of the local Hindu Girls College have won the three-day state-level folk dance contest - Haryana Ki Dhoom - 2011 - organised by the Haryana Kala Parishad at Panchkula recently. The students were rewarded with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a trophy by Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Sharma. The team was given a rousing reception and the conveners of the programme, Manju and Dr Maya Chaudhary, were also felicitated by Nirmal Jabbal, principal of the college. According to the principal, before winning the state-level contest, the students got the first position in the competition among the teams from the Rohtak zone and received the cash prize of Rs 30,000.
	Kavi sammelan held in Rewari Our Correspondent Rewari, August 29 Besides distinguished citizens from various walks of life, prominent poets from various parts of Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and UP participated in a kavi sammelan-cum-samman samaroh held under the joint auspices of the Haryana Sahitya Akademi (HAS) and the All-India Lok Chetna Manch here recently. While Amit Swami, national president of the Young Men’s Association of India, was the chief guest, SDM Arvind Sharma presided over its proceedings. Noted satirists Ashok Madhup from Noida (UP) and Baghi Chacha from Delhi made a dig at divisive politics and religious parochialism in their verses to the delight of the enlightened gathering. Similarly Toolika Seth (UP), Baljit Kaur Tanha (Delhi), Ram Babu Ram (Rajasthan), Master Mahender, Lalji Lal, Satyavir Nahariya, Laj Kaushal, Gopal Vashishtha, Bharpur Singh Bharpur (all from Haryana) regaled the audience with their poetical compositions. While Dr Mukta, director of the HAS, highlighted the activities of the Akademi, Dr SS Yadav, Dr Tara Saxena, Rao Bhopal Singh, HP Yadav, Satyavir Nahariya, VP Yadav, Dr Ram Niwas Yadav, Poonam Yadav, Deepa Bhardwaj and Ajit Singh Khaira were honoured with the “Shan-E-Ahirwal” Award for their meritorious work in different spheres of life.
	Will send another expedition to Everest next year: DGP Bhanu P. Lohumi/TNS Madhuban (Karnal), August 29 DGP Ranjeev Dalal has said that the Haryana police will continue to promote adventure activities to make the force physically strong and send another mountaineering expedition to the Everest next year. Speaking at a function to felicitate 10 mountaineers of the Haryana police, including three Everesters and three women cops, he said another expedition to the Everest would be sent with the assistance of Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP), which had been providing support for such expeditions in the past also. He honoured woman constable Sushama Kaushik and her husband Vikas Kaushik who conquered the 8,848-m-high Everest peak on May 20, 2001, and Amit Kumar, who reached the Hillary Point on May 19, 2011. Others who were honoured on the occasion included constable Praveen Kumar, Amandeep Singh and woman constable Indubala, who conquered 7,075-m-high Staopanth peak in Uttarakhand on July 21, 2011, and constables Jaipal and Kapil Thakur and naval commando Vinod Kumar for conquering 17,100-ft-high Pir Panjal peak in Himachal. He also announced the promotion for ASI Jitendra and convenor of the Adventure Sports Committee of the Police Academy at Madhuban. Dalal said: “Adventure sports help in character building and wean the youth from falling into bad habits”. He urged the youth to channelise their energy by participating in adventure activities and other sports. Speaking on the occasion, Everester Harbhajan Singh, DIG, ITBP, said the Haryana police had developed enough capability and expertise in the past two years to independently send an expedition to the Everest.
	Manjit wins gold in shooting Tribune News Service Yamunanagar, August 29 Five students of the Yamuna Group of Institutions, Gadholi village in Yamunanagar district, participated in the Haryana Shooting Range Competition, which was organised at Dr Karno Singh Shooting Range, Delhi, recently. According to sources, Manjit Singh and Amninder Singh, both students of BBA first semester of Yamuna Institute, Gadholi, bagged gold and bronze medals, respectively. Jasbir Kaur, a student of MBA third semester, and Chander Shekhar of BBA first semester qualified for the national competition of shooting range. Dr Sarvjeet Kaur, director, Yamuna Institute, congratulated the winners and said it was really a proud moment not only for the winners, but also for their parents, the institute and the city. She said the Yamuna Group of Institutions always took a keen interest in extra-curricular activities such as sports, cultural events, along with studies. Rajinder Singh, chairman of the institute, director general SR Mendiratta, principal Dr Rajeev Kanduja and Prof Nirmaljeet Singh also congratulated the winners and their coach.