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Faridkot flying academy encounters turbulence
Air Force Day observed at Bhisiana air base
Suspected ISI spy in police net
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Scientists for reforming pharmacy education to meet global challenges
Another protest march to Badal village foiled
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Faridkot flying academy encounters turbulence
Faridkot, October 8 The Defence authorities say the FTA is a potential threat to the security of the cantonment and an ammunition depot located inside it. Rubbishing all ‘apprehensions and objections’ of the local cantonment authorities, the Land Acquisition Collector (LAC), an appointee of the Punjab government, in his report noted that the work on the academy started after getting a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) in February 2008. But the local cantonment authorities said the ATC did not mull over the security threat perceptions to the ammunition depot and the cantonment before giving the NOC. “The primary purpose of the ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collision, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic. So, the ATC is least concerned with the ground situation,” said a senior officials in the cantonment at Faridkot. Before issuing the notification for the acquisition of 103.4 acres, the Punjab government did not go through the formality of checking with the local defence authorities, though the land is adjacent to the cantonment. “And once we came to know about the acquisition of the land for the academy, we found that the location marked for the academy was very close to the cantonment and the ammunition depot,” said the official. In a letter to the Punjab Civil Aviation Department in August last year, SD Vashist, officiating administrative commandant of the Faridkot cantonment, apprised the department about the potential security threats. However, riding on the ATC's NOC, the state government ignored the matter. Two month back, KS Puri, the senior station officer, Faridkot Cantonment, wrote to the district administration in Faridkot saying that the state government and the district authorities would be responsible for any risk and threat to the academy. The cantonment authorities have now informed the state government that as per the Defence Ministry directions, there would be no construction within a 1,000 meter radius of the ammunition depot. One year back, a farmer Anokh Singh was paid Rs 5 lakh as compensation by the Defence Ministry to demolish his house as it was within a 1000 meter radius of the cantonment. Besides facing strong objections from the cantonment authorities, the land acquisition for the FTA has also been challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. While Deputy Commissioner, Faridkot, Ravi Bhagat said the ownership of the land had already been transferred in the name of the Punjab government, Paramjit Singh Sandhu, the legal advisor to Mehrawal Khewaji Trust that looks after the properties of the erstwhile ruler of Faridkot, said the Trust has moved the court, challenging the acquisition. |
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Air Force Day observed at Bhisiana air base
Bathinda, October 8 In his address, the Air Officer Commanding conveyed warm greetings and felicitations to the personnel and their families and praised them for their dedication, involvement and professionalism that has brought laurels for the station. He said the IAF has been proudly serving the nation with professional competence, discipline and dedication. It has also shown exemplary courage in safeguarding the nation and also provided assistance during natural disasters. “We need to upgrade our knowledge and awareness to be able to counter the omnipresent threat. At the same time, aspects related to aerospace safety, including safety of all assets on ground need to be embedded in our work ethos,” he added. This is the day, when in 1932, the Indian Air Force was formed. Every year, this day is celebrated as the Air Force Day to commemorate the occasion. Weeklong events were conducted for the station personnel and their families at the Bhisiana air base. Static display of aircraft and other operational equipment was organized in which the students from the schools got an opportunity to witness the prowess of the IAF. This was followed by a Station Mela and musical night for the personnel and their families.
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Suspected ISI spy in police net
Faridkot, October 8 The 45-year-old plumber was taken into custody following a tip-off from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the military officials. Terming the matter as highly sensitive, police authorities chose to remain tight- lipped about the custody of the plumber but unofficial sources revealed that the plumber, who was posted for over 25 years in Faridkot cantonment, was working as a spy for the ISI. He was providing important military secrets related to the Faridkot cantonment to the Pakistan agency on his mobile phone. A DSP level police officer has been deputed for the interrogation of the plumber and the details of the case would be discussed after a thorough probe and questioning of the plumber, said Sat Pal Singh Sidhu, SSP Faridkot. The prima facie investigation and the interrogation of the suspected spy revealed that he was passing on the secret information to the ISI for over 18 months, said sources in the police. |
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Scientists for reforming pharmacy education to meet global challenges
Moga, October 8 They were expressing their views on the second day of the three-day national conference on "Global Status of Pharmacy Education and Current Status in India" being organized by the Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI) at the Indo-Soviet Friendship College of Pharmacy at Moga, today. The scientists, while lauding the efforts of the union government to create a separate department of pharmacy, demanded that it should be brought under the control of the Health Ministry rather than the Ministry of Chemicals, contending that pharmacy education is related to manufacturing, prescription and delivery of drugs for upholding the health of human beings. Renowned pharmacy academician SL Nasa said the Indian pharmacy industry was expanding at a rapid pace besides attracting huge investments in clinical drug trials. "Out of the total of $200 billion, more than $20 billion has come to India for clinical drug trials," he said. At present, there were more than 6,500 pharma industries in the country, which ranks third in the global market with exports of more than $7.5 billion, besides domestic sales amounting to $14 billion. The Indian vaccine market is growing at a rate of about 22 per cent. Professor SK Kulkarni from Mumbai was of the view that the expanding pharmacy industry and practice sectors needed clinically and technologically trained professionals who could face global challenges. Dr RS Gaud, also from Mumbai, stressed upon the need to regulate the pharmacy education. He spoke about various opportunities and stressed upon the need for clinical research in pharma industry. RS Gaud (Mumbai), S K Kulkarni (Mumbai), BG Nagavi (UAE), P Trivedi (Bhopal), N Udupa (Manipal), SP Vyas (Sagar), PG Shrotriya (Mumbai), FV Manvi (Belgaum) and MD Burande (Pune) also expressed their views. VK Kapoor, Principal, GHG Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Gurusar Sadhar, was conferred with the lifetime achievement award, Pratima Tatkey, CV Shah, B Madhav Reddy, Veer Braham Kishan, Veeresh P Veerapur and V Manvi were awarded the best scientist award, principal of the year, pharmacy teacher of the year, young pharmacy teacher of the year and Kamlaben Wanna awards, respectively. A book, 'Introduction Dosage Form', written by SP Vyas and 'Pharma Aspire', the college magazine, were also released on the occasion. In the evening, a cultural programme was organized which was presided over by Paramdeep Singh Gill, Advisor, Home Department, of the state. |
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Another protest march to Badal village foiled
Lambi (Muktsar), October 8 On Saturday, about 200 hundreds members of the ITI Instructors Union blocked the Fazilka-Delhi highway for over three hours when the police did not allow them to march toward Badal village. Demanding regularization of their services, the instructors wanted to reach Badal village and burn the CM's effigy. Just two days back, the rural area veterinary pharmacists also blocked the Fazilka-Delhi road when the police did not allow their march to proceed toward Badal village. There was even a mild cane charge by the police to disperse these pharmacists. Before these veterinary pharmacists, five days back, the Muktsar police was on tenterhooks over controlling 500 data entry operators in the revenue department who were also demanding regularization of their services. While all these protests affected the traffic movement on the national highway, the police also faced a tough situation in controlling the situation. “There are directions from the higher-ups that we need to exercise the maximum restraint and desist from using the force to check the movement of the protestors toward Badal village,” said a police official in Lambi. As this is an election year and the state government does not want to annoy any section of society, so the police has been directed not to use force but some times, when the situation threatens to go beyond our control, the police has to use force like on Dussehra while dealing with the highly provocative veterinary pharmacists, said a police official. |
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Four years after the Punjab government started the process to set up a flying training academy (FTA) in 103.4 acres of land, adjacent to the cantonment area in Faridkot, the project is still in the pipeline but it is facing strong opposition from the Defence authorities.
