Ludhiana, June 22
Vice-chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University Manjit Singh Kang has put his foot down against the appointment of a pro vice-chancellor in the university. In fact, there is no provision in the University Act for the post of pro vice-chancellor.

Kang has said on record that he did not need a pro vice-chancellor. He told this reporter, “I do not feel there is a need for a pro vice-chancellor in the university”. He said this experiment had not worked well anywhere and it had already been dispensed with in most of the institutions.

Moreover, he pointed out, when he was asked to come from the USA there were no conditions like the appointment of a pro vice-chancellor. He said he did recognise that Dr B.S. Dhillon was a brilliant scientist.

“But each one of us has to retire someday and nobody is too indispensable”, he made it clear while trying to put up a strong case against the appointment of a pro V-C. He said he had a good team of deans and directors, besides some eminent scientists.

There is general apprehension on the campus that by creating the post of a pro vice-chancellor the government might open up a pandora’s box. The faculty and the staff maintain that it would simply lead to an alternate power centre.

“There is every likelihood that than there would be struggle for oneupmanship”, remarked a senior scientist of the university.

Moreover, it may become difficult for Kang to implement his ideas and plans in the university. Although he is to be a product of the same university, he spent 40 years in the USA as he migrated there immediately after passing out from the College of Agriculture.

Dhillon has had most of his career in the PAU itself. He worked on various posts in the PAU and was himself a strong contender for the post of the vice-chancellor. In fact, he was one of the three shortlisted candidates along with Kang for this post. However, he lost to Kang at the last moment.

Some members in the board of management of the PAU, who were in the favour of he becoming the vice-chancellor, had subsequently suggested the idea of appointing him as pro vice-chancellor after his retirement on June 30 from the post of director research.

However, the board members seemed to be unaware of the Punjab and Haryana High Court order in a case challenging the appointment of Dr K.S. Aulakh as pro vice-chancellor.

Since Aulakh was appointed vice-chancellor and nobody was appointed as pro vice-chancellor, the court had disposed of the petition saying the petitioners could approach the court again in case the government at any stage decided to make a fresh appointment (of a pro vice-chancellor).

No one had come to claim the remains of the car that caught fire till the evening.

Ludhiana, June 22
After the Congress, it seems to be the turn of the rebel Akalis to cry hoarse over political vendetta unleashed on them by the Akali-BJP government in the state.

In one such case, one Jarnail Singh Shahpur, who claimed to be a third generation Akali supporter and particularly that of Parkash Singh Badal, has been booked for trespassing and theft of a motorcycle despite that he has one arm as the other he lost in the Army. Besides, he owns 12 trucks.

His fault was that he supported rebel candidate from Payal Jagjivan Pal Singh Gill against official Akali candidate Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal. Grewal lost to Tej Parkash Singh of the Congress mainly due to the presence of Gill in the contest.

Addressing a press conference here today, Jagjivan Pal Singh Gill, accompanied by Jarnail Singh and three other co-accused in the same case, alleged that it was not only the Congress supporters who were being victimised, but also the staunch Akalis. Their only fault was that they did not follow the official party line.

Jarnail Singh regretted that despite being a third generation Akali and a staunch supporter of Parkash Singh Badal, he was being victimised during the Akali government. And, interestingly, on the complaint of a person who had always been with the Congress and during 2002 was the polling agent of the Congress candidate.

He disclosed that three others made co-accused in the case were also staunch Akalis and had contributed Rs 20,000 each towards the party fund in October 2006.

“We regret that we financed the same party that was to implicate us in a false case later”, Jarnail Singh lamented, while adding that none of the four persons booked in the FIR had ever had any complaint or case registered against them.

While Jarnail Singh is 77 of age, Arjan Singh is 72 and Tarlochan Singh is 60 years old. The fourth accused, Shamsher Singh, is just in his teens and was not even present during the incident that became the basis for the FIR. Jarnail Singh had to spend two days in police custody and two days in jail for the crime he had never committed.

He along with other co-accused alleged that they were being targeted just because they supported Jagjivan Pal Singh Gill against Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal. Jarnail Singh said Badal knew him personally.

“I supported him (Badal) during his long drawn confrontation with Gurcharan Singh Tohra and now I am being rewarded for that loyalty and that too at the behest of a Tohra loyalist and the complaint of a Congress worker”, he regretted.

Gill regretted that a bad precedent was being set in Punjab. He observed that political rivalries must not be turned into personal vengeance and power must not be misused.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, June 22
Ujjagar Singh Latala, a social activist and activist of CPIML (Liberation) party who had donated his body to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, for promotion of research in medical science two years ago, breathed his last at the hospital after a brief illness today.

The body was today taken by the medical staff of the hospital today. The residents of his village and various office-bearers of his political party came to see the body being taken away.

This gathering at the village was addressed by former MLA and state secretary CPIML (Liberation) Tarsem Jodhan, general secretary Punjab Kissan Sabha Baldev Singh Latala and president Zamhoori Kissan Sabha Mohinder Singh Seelon talked of Ujjagar Singh Latala’s contribution towards the cause of the members of lower strata of the society.

The speakers claimed that Ujjagar Singh had been acting as a bridge between the needy and the authorities at various public dealing offices.

"Besides extending a helping hand to people irrespective of their political alliance he used to associate with officials of block development offices of his area so that the genuine beneficiaries could avail facilities of their entitlements without bribing anyone," said Jodhan adding Ujjagar Singh pedalled from one place to another instead of asking beneficiaries to spend on fare.

Sources in the family revealed that Ujjagar Singh had signed documents for donating his body after death to the hospital authorities about two years ago but the family came to know of his wish recently.

"It was recently that he told us that he had donated his body to the hospital for the welfare of humanity. He desired that we should not perform elaborate ceremonies usually carried out after death. Instead he wanted that the time and money thus saved should be utilised for the welfare of poor and downtrodden," said Rana, one of the sons of the deceased.

Ludhiana, June 22
Majestic Park Plaza hotel is organising an Italian food festival from tomorrow. The festival food will be available at the coffee shop of the hotel, Break For the Border.

The hotel chef says fine Italian and Indian food will be available during the festival apart from top line desserts. Salads and soups will also be there as part of the festival.

For the next ten days after tomorrow, Italian food will be available as part of the buffet at the hotel.

Ludhiana, June 22
A joint meeting of the Federation of Tiny and Small Industries of India and its affiliated associations was held today under the chairmanship of Joginder Kumar to discuss the state Budget.

The leaders present at the meeting lamented that the SAD-BJP combine government had belied their hopes. No concrete steps had been announced for the revival of micro sector for which Punjab was considered to be home town.

President of the federation Joginder Kumar said the finance minister had allocated Rs 10 crore for upgrading various focal points in the state.

It was a cruel joke with the industry as various focal points in the state were in a precarious and deplorable condition.

Focal points phase VI,VII and VIII of the city were in a pitiable condition as the sewerage remained choked and dirty water overflew on roads due to setting up of dyeing units.

Sewer pipes had become incapable of coping with the heavy flow of water. The PSIEC had charged extra fee from the dyeing units.

The allocation of just Rs 10 crore was insufficient for these focal points, how could other in the state could be maintained with this meagre amount?, he asked.

The leaders further added that the auto parts industry, which attracted 12.5 per cent Vat, could not compete in the domestic/international market. Vat should be brought down to 4 per cent on all industrial products. They said the Budget had come as a dampener for IT industry also. No sops were announced for the IT sector.

The members felt that the Budget 2007-2008 was not growth oriented. It was silent about the freight subsidy to the exporters and clear-cut guidelines were not spelled out for long-pending capital subsidy.

Ludhiana, June 22
Hundreds of Jain devotees from the region have completed their "Shingla Yatra" pilgrimage to the birth place of Upadhyay Sharman Shri Phool Chand Ji Maharaj at Shingla village in Himachal Pradesh.

Sharman ji holds a special place among all Jain saints, especially for the people of this city where he spent many years of his life preaching Jain philosophy. The yatra coincided with Sharman ji's dev lok gaman anniversary on June 17.

Shingla is a village located seven kilometers from the town of Rampur Bushahr in Himachal Pradesh. The yatra is an annual feature, organised by ‘Prem Sangh', a group of leading Jain industrialists, which was constituted under Sharman Ji's guidance.

Ram Kumar Jain of Sharman Shawls told Ludhiana Tribune here today that the initiative was intended to provide a safe and comfortable pilgrimage to the devotees and followers of Sharman Ji.

Jain said that the yatra departed on June 16 from the Jain Sthanak here and with a brief stop over at Bhagwan Mahavir Vanasthali, Doraha, reached Shimla by late evening.

The next morning saw the yatra proceeding to Rampur through the hills of Narkanda and Kufri and the road through the valley to Rampur running parallel to the Sutlej river.

The devotees assembled at the samadh in Shingla village in the evening for a small religious programme where bhajans were recited along with the local residents of the village.

On the next day the devotees commenced their march from Rampur to reach the Samadhi Sthal in Shingla where a religious gathering was addressed by various dignitaries.

Jagraon, June 22
Dilpreet Singh, alias, Raju and Happy of Bhatha Dhuha intercepted Satwinder Singh of their village in Bhundri and assaulted him with hockey and dah.