AGRICULTURE

Buffalo milking contest to be annual feature: Kang
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 16
The Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fishery, Dairy and Tourism, Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, has announced that with a view to improve the quality of livestock in the state, buffalo milking competitions will be made an annual feature in the state and attractive prizes to the winners will be given and the cow milking competitions will also be added from the next financial year.

He was addressing diary farmers gathered at the regional prize distribution function of a buffalo milking competition jointly organised by the Department of Animal Husbandry and the Punjab Livestock Development Board (PLDB) at PAU here today.

The minister asserted that during the past five years, substantial steps had been taken to improve the dairy farming in Punjab, including incentive schemes, Adarsh Gram Scheme, 100 per cent vaccination against diseases and insurance of milch animals on 50 per cent charges to encourage farmers to adopt dairy farming as a prime vocation.

He said with the untiring efforts of Capt Amarinder Singh, the Union Government had sanctioned a special Research-cum-Cattle Breed Improvement Project costing Rs 5 crore for the state, which would further help in improving the quality and breed of animals in the state.

The state government had also set up a new training centre at Chitamali to impart training to the dairy farmers in preparation of milk products, from where the trainers, after getting training, could adopt the milk products manufacturing profession on a commercial basis. He said the Animal Husbandry Department had also set up two bull centres in the state, where 80 bulls of top breeds had been prepared for the artificial insemination of the buffaloes.

Mr Kang said during the past year, the government had administered 70 lakh dozes of vaccination against HF and 50 lakh dozes against MFD and during the current financial year, 80 lakh animals had been vaccinated against HF and 70 lakh against MFD, which saved the milch animals from these fatal diseases.

He appealed to the farmers to ensure good quality of bull semen for their buffaloes. Mr Kang also gave away prizes to 481 buffalo breeders and dairy farmers.

Mr Brij Lal Goyal, Chairman, Punjab Livestock Development Board, said these winning buffaloes had been insured by the state government at a nominal 1 per cent insurance amount. He said it was the first time in the history of Punjab that milch animals had been insured with a meagre amount.

Dr Baljit Singh Sidhu, Director, Animal Husbandry, Punjab, said milk yield competitions of buffaloes were organised throughout the state in the beginning of this year. Dairy farmers owning the buffaloes which produced more than 15 litres of milk in a day had already been honoured with a cash incentive ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 per farmer.

He said this function had been organised for buffalo owners whose buffaloes gave milk ranging from 12 to 15 litres. Cash incentive of Rs 1,000 per winning animal along with a certificate had been given today to the winners.

Dr K.S. Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, in his address said farmers should adopt dairy farming on scientific lines so that he might be able to get maximum benefit in this era of WTO.

Dr Vijay Goyal, Deputy CEO, PLDB, said this scheme of insurance of milch animals had been extended to other dairy animals also, whether those had won prizes in this competition or not, but with the condition that one dairy farmer could insure maximum of two quality milch animals.

Dr B.S. Bhullar, Manager Agriculture Division, Nestle India, Moga, Mr Anil Kaura, Director, Dairy Development, the Director, Fishery Dan College of Veterinary Science, GADVASU, Ludhiana, and Deputy Directors of Animals Husbandry from all districts of the state, Professor and Heads of different departments of GADVASU and PAU were also present on this occasion. 

Balakrishnan leaves students wonderstruck
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 16
Students and staff of DAV Public School here were today left wonderstruck at the great movements of dancer Balakrishnan, an outstanding dancer of kathakali. His dance performance was arranged under the aegis of SPIC Macay (Ludhiana Chapter). He developed an instant rapport with the students when he showed them how to rotate eye-balls, move cheeks, lips and eyebrows.

He enacted nine rasas beginning with “shingar rasa” and ended with “raudar rasa”. He was not dressed as a typical kathakali dancer as it required four hours to put on the make-up and the dress. He plans to perform in the costume tomorrow at BCM School.

Balakrishnan, son of late A.V. Krishnan and P.V. Ummanga, was born in 1944 at Taliparamba in north Kerala. He showed remarkable interest in kathakali from his childhood. He was initiated into this art by Guru Kondiveetil Narayanan Nair. He subsequently took intensive training for 10 years (eight-year diploma and two-year post-diploma with the Central Government scholarship) under famous gurus. It was during his training under the most outstanding contemporary guru Keezhupadam Kumaran Nair, that Balakrishnan blossomed into a great artiste and competent teacher.

Balakrishnan is rated as one of the most outstanding teachers in this discipline today.

HEALTH

25 units of blood collected
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 16
About 25 units of blood were collected at a voluntary blood donation camp organised jointly by the Rotary Club, Ludhiana South End, and Mohan Dai Oswal Cancer Treatment and Research Hospital at Suraj Udyog Limited in Industrial Area here yesterday. Mr Madan Bassi, a member of the club and owner of the industrial units, had motivated his factory workers and executives to donate blood.

Dr R.P. Singh, in charge of Blood Bank, and Dr Jaswinder Arora, in charge of laboratories at Oswal hospital, coordinated the camp. Dr R.P. Singh delivered a lecture and highlighted the importance of blood donation.

Dr Satish Jain, Medical Director at Oswal hospital, who also heads the club, apprised the members about facilities available at the Blood Bank at the hospital. He urged the participants to donate blood for cancer patients and accident victims.

The area councillor, Ms Sunita Aggarwal, appreciated the efforts of Mr Bassi for this novel way of motivation for blood donation. Mr Nitin Bassi, son of Mr Madan Bassi, was among the first persons to donate blood. 

SPORTS

Namdhari lads to clash with Bangladesh club in final
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, November 16
The Namdhari Academy, Bhaini Sahib, scored an emphatic 4-1 win over the Surjit Academy, Jalandhar, to set up the title clash with the BKSP Club of Bangladesh in the 5th All-India Jagtar Singh Memorial Hockey Tournament being played at the Prithipal Singh Astroturf Stadium of Punjab Agricultural University here today. The Bangladesh Club quelled a strong challenge from the PNB Academy of New Delhi before romping home victorious 6-5.

On the penultimate day of the tournament, the first semifinal match played between the BKSP Club of Bangladesh and the PNB Academy turned out to be a battle of nerves. The academy lads drew the first blood in the fifth minute through a field goal scored by Kamlesh Rai. He added one more goal to the tally in the ninth minute (2-0).

Four minutes later, the BKSP Club reduced the margin through their skipper, Sayeed Al- Masoor. He restored parity in the 16th minute. Undetttered by this reverse, the PNB players continued with the attacking game and forced penalty corners. Kamlesh Rai converted a penalty corner into a goal in the 23rd minute to score his hat-trick.

However, their joys were short lived as the Bangladesh lads scored the equaliser in the 27th minute through a field goal scored by Mohammad Abdul Sajjad. With a few seconds to go for the lemon break, the PNB Academy boys secured the second penalty corner, which was converted successfully by Rohan Singh to make it 4-3.

Immediatley after changing the ends, the Bangladesh players levelled the score when Mohammad Abdul Sajjad scored a superb field goal. Stunned at this, the academy lads made repeated forays into the rival's territory and they again surged ahead in the 45th minute through a penlaty corner conversion through Sajjan Singh (5-4).

The determined boys of the BKSP Club did not lose heart and continued to unleash attacks on the academy citadel. Their pressure tactics bore fruit in the 49th minute when Mohammad Irfan converted a penalty corner to read it 5-all. The visitors scored the all important goal in the 69th minute through captain Sayeed Al-Masoor (6-5), which sealed the academy’s fate.

In the second semifinals, the Namdhari Academy went into an early lead when Jatinder Pal Singh sounded the board in the second minute. Surjit Academy boys managed to keep their rivals away from the danger zone and the ball remained mid field most of time.

The Namdhari lads consolidated the lead in the 31st minute through Jatinder Pal Singh. They pumped in another goal in the 38th minute through Jagdeep Singh (3-0). In the 50th minute, Gurmeet Singh converted a penalty corner to increase the lead (4-0).

The Surjit Academy boys, who stunned the star-studded Javed Club of Pakistan yesterday, managed to score a goal in the 59th minute through Gaganjit Singh, however, the Namdhari Academy players managed to hang onto the 4-1 lead till the long hooter.

The final is slated for tomorrow at 2.30 pm.

BCM School girls score facile win
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, November 16
Hosts BCM Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh road, scored a facile 30-0 win over USPC Jain Public School in the girls (U-19) section of the XVth Ludhiana Sahodya Schools Complex Basketball Tournament here today.

In another match, BCM Senior Secondary School, Shastri Nagar, lost to DAV Public School, BRS Nagar, without putting up a any resistance (0-19). In the girls (u-14) section, CFC School beat Guru Nanak Public School 13-7 while the boys team of BCM Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh road, beat BCM Senior Secondary School, Shastri Nagar, 49-20 and KVM School thrashed USPC Jain Public School 32-4.

Earlier, Mr Teja Singh Dahliwal, secretary, Punjab Basketball Association, inaugurated the tournament in which 29 teams from different schools are taking part. Mr S.D. Kalia and Mr S.K. Mehta, Principal and the manager, of the host school, respectively, welcomed the chief guest and wished good luck to the players.