Saturday, September 18, 1999
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Saturday, September 18, 1999 |
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UGC
directive to play havoc: VC CBI probe into FCI rice stocks
ordered |
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Gurdwara
Act Amendments evoke mixed response Govt order irks PCMSA Man posing as IT officer held Distress sale of paddy in
Gurdaspur "Mock UMC court": case
registered Move to amend Act decried Dramas on life of Baba Farid ‘Babe da viah’
celebrated Rs 13 cr grant for PWSSB Dhaba owner shot dead Cement, fertilisers damaged in
rain Petrol pump looted Plan to make Ropar cataract free |
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UGC directive to play havoc:
VC AMRITSAR, Sept 17 — The implementation of 10 per cent mandatory cut on non-plan and non-salary expenditures and 10 per cent cut in posts by Guru Nanak Dev University with immediate effect as directed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) is likely to create havoc with the higher education. The directives of the UGC will also be mandatory for affiliated and aided colleges. The Secretary of the UGC, Dr R.P. Gangurde, in his communication to the varsity has directed that it would be the responsibility of the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar to implement these orders in totality. In two different circulars issued by Mr Varinder Pal, Finance and Development Officer, GND varsity, to the deans, academic affairs and colleges, principles of various colleges and directors of regional centres of the varsity stated that the austerity measures would be implemented with immediate effect in institutes and the colleges affiliated to it as per the directives of the UGC. Dr Harbhajan Singh Soch, Vice-Chancellor, when contacted said a meeting of the Finance Committee would be held on October 8 here to discuss the austerity measures to be taken in wake of the directives of the UGC. He said he had already faxed the message to Mr K.R. Lakhanpal Finance Secretary, Punjab, in this regard. He, however, admitted that the cut in posts and austerity measures would adversely affect the higher education. He further said the university was facing financial crunch as the grants received by the state government were already reduced drastically. The circular of the Finance and Development Officer of the university reads, "Those university/colleges which have not fully implemented government’s decision to achieve 10 per cent reduction in the number of posts (as on January 1, 1992) shall implement the said decision immediately". "Every university/colleges shall make 10 per cent mandatory cut during the current year (1999-2000) on non-plan, non-salary expenditure i.e. on TA, office expenses, and honorarium etc. No re-appropriation of funds to augment these heads of expenditure would be allowed during the current financial year. Austerity must be reflected in functions organised by university, college meetings, conferences and inaugurations, etc, and in furnishing of offices and camp offices. The expenditure limit prescribed for these purposes shall be strictly enforced". "No new expenditure proposals will be entertained during the current financial year except those announced in the Budget". Another circular issued by the Finance and Development Officer of the university reads: "The existing ban on creation of non-plan posts will continue and should be strictly enforced. Any unavoidable proposals for the creation of plan posts including group ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ posts shall continue to be referred to the University Grants Commission for approval". "Every university/college shall undertake a review of all posts which are lying vacant in the universities and in the affiliated colleges and subordinate officers, etc, in consultation with the UGC. Financial advisers will ensure that the review is completed in a time-bound manner and full details of vacant posts in their respective universities, etc, are available till the review is completed. No vacant posts shall be filled up except with the approval of the commission. "The circular further reads: "Purchase of new vehicles is banned until further orders. Exceptions will be allowed only for meeting the operational requirements of defence, central para-military forces etc". "Foreign travel
funded by the Government of India, unless it is
absolutely unavoidable, shall not be undertaken till the
end of current financial year." |
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Resentment over varsity amendments AMRITSAR, Sept 17 — Resentment prevails among faculty members of the Guru Nanak Dev University over the changing of qualifications for the recruitment of faculty from the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms to the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) norms. Earlier, such change was made effective only for engineering faculties. However, in the recent meeting the change has been made for management faculty also. Some of the faculty members, on condition of anonymity, said the university, a body mainly funded by the UGC, had been practising the UGC norms since the creation of the management faculty in the university. The teaching community and the administrative staff believed that the change, which had been recommended by the university authorities, had been made to benefit the top function aries of the university eligible for the lectureship. However, a spokesman of
the university claimed that norms of the AICTE were
mandatory for the management courses all over the
universities in the country. The AICTE was constituted
under the act of Parliament. The spokesman further
claimed that there was no move to appoint any lecturer in
the management as two ad hoc lecturers were already
appointed in the Regional Centre of the University at
Gurdaspur. |
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CBI probe into FCI rice
stocks ordered CHANDIGARH, Sept 17 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the CBI to conduct investigation into whether the stocks of rice belonging to the FCI lying in various godowns at Bareta conform to the standards laid down by the Union Government. Mr Justice R.S. Mongia and Mr Justice J.S. Narang, who handed down this order on a public interest writ petition preferred by Mr Sukhdev Singh, former president of the Mansa District Kisan Morcha, ruled that in case the CBI came to the conclusion after analysis that the stocks of rice procured by the FCI were substandard, it would further probe the matter to find out who were the officials (or officers) responsible for accepting the rice which was not up to the standard. The Bench ordered the CBI would complete the directions of the High Court up to the stage of collecting samples within 10 days. The FCI officials will make available to the CBI whatever record sought for, especially to indicate which officials accepted the rice of a particular miller from which samples had been taken. The FCI will also provide to the CBI the names of the officials who certified that the rice was of the requisite standard, the judges held. The Deputy Commissioner or the Senior Superintendent of Police would provide any help the CBI officers may ask for carrying out the High Court’s directions. The petitioner had stated that if samples were taken of the stocks lying in the godowns of the Warehousing Corporation or other agencies where the FCI had kept the rice stocks, the truth would come out. The Bench observed that considering that it might not be personal vengeance or private interest to file the present petition, "we had asked the petitioner to deposit Rs 25,000 in this court so that further probe could be done to find out what the truth is. The petitioner did deposit the sum. We had appointed two advocates of this court as Local Commissioners to go to Bareta and take samples of about 1 kg each at random out of any 10 bags. This was done and the samples so collected were tested from the laboratories of the Punjab Food and Supplies Department. The analyst report showed that the samples did not conform to the laid down standard of procurement of rice". "After being prima facie satisfied that the samples which were got analysed by us", the Judges observed, "through the agency of the Food and Supplies Department of the state of Punjab are not up to the standard laid down, we are of the considered opinion that the matter required to be further probed by the CBI." The Bench adjourned the
case to October 27 with directions to the CBI to file its
status report about the investigation it conducted till
that date. |
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Panel to decide action against LUDHIANA, Sept 17 — The President of the Shiromani Akali Dal and Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, said here today that the head of the disciplinary committee, Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, was dealing with the issue of violation of party discipline by 10 pro-Tohra MLAs in the SAD. He said that he had handed the reports and complaints of "violation" of party discipline by pro-Tohra MLAs to Mr Talwandi for appropriate action. Mr Badal said that only amendments approved by the SGPC to the Sikh Gurdwara Act would be accepted by the Central Government. "I have talked with the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani in this connection," he added. The SGPC was the only authority which could ask for amendments to the Act. Asked about removing Mr Ranjit Singh Talwandi from the chairmanship of the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation, Mr Badal said a decision in this connection would be taken soon. Mr Talwani had been convicted in a murder case but he had not been removed from the office of corporation Chairman so far. Mr Badal refused to comment on the local rape case in which the Punjab Agriculture Minister’s son Suba Singh is allegedly involved. He said that he had already ordered an inquiry and action would be taken on its basis. "No one would be spared," he asserted. He also refused to comment about the Punjab Governor’s role with regard to Lok Pal’s recommendation against four former Congress ministers. About the financial
crisis facing the state, Mr Badal said that not only
Punjab but the entire country was facing this problem. No
decision had been taken to withdraw subsidy on small
scale industries nor had any instructions been given to
collect taxes by using "arm-twisting" measures
against traders, he added. |
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Gurdwara Act Amendments evoke
mixed response AMRITSAR, Sept 17 — The draft notification regarding amendments to the Gurdwara Act, 1925, sent by Justice Harbans Singh (retd) to the Central Government today evoked mixed reaction from Sikh intellectuals, the Sikh Lawyers Association and All-India Sikh Students Federation. While Mr Sujan Singh, Convener of the Sikh Lawyers Association, has endorsed the draft notification, Dr Kashmira Singh, Head of the Department of Law, Guru Nanak Dev University, an authority on the Gurdwara Act, has opposed doing away with all kinds of reservations in the SGPC. Mr Harminder Singh Gill, President of the AISSF, has opposed certain proposed amendments and supported some. Dr Kashmira Singh, who has done his doctorate on the Gurdwara Act, said that though equality was the sine-qua-non on Sikhism and any kind of discrimination had been rejected by the Sikh Gurus, yet the term Scheduled Castes could not be called "contradictory" to Sikh principles. "It is just a tool to achieve or bring about equality", he claimed. He further said that at the time of Partition, it was conceded by national leaders in their informal meetings with Sikh leaders that the Sikh converts from among Scheduled Castes Hindus would get the same facilities and concessions as Hindu Scheduled Castes. The Government of India, in 1953, had to declare that Sikhs were also included in the Scheduled Castes list when Master Tara Singh had taken a big jatha to Delhi. He also opposed doing away with reservation for women though Sikhism preaches gender equality. However, keeping in view the ‘infiltration’ of non-Sikhs in gurdwara elections, the prescription for keeping unshorn hair was justified. Mr Harminder Singh Gill
said that word ‘sehajdhari’ should be omitted
from the Gurdwara Act. He also supported Justice Harbans
Singh’s proposal that there should be no reservation
of any kind in the SGPC. |
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Govt order irks PCMSA PATIALA, Sept 17 — The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has threatened to launch a statewide agitation if the state government did not withdraw its decision of putting health services under village panchayats. Dr M.S. Randhawa, Dr D.S. Gill, Dr Manjit Singh, patron, president and general secretary respectively of PCMS Association in a joint statement here yesterday said that the government needed to improve basic facilities to the patients and working conditions of doctors and health staff to improve rural medicare instead of putting Class-I gazetted officers with medico legal duties under village panchayats just to cover up its own administrative failure. The association described the decision as "unjust and immoral and said it would put the government to ridicule. The association general secretary, Dr A.C. Sharma, in a press release here said the government was making absenteeism among the doctors and paramedical staff in the rural areas an excuse to explain its failure in providing facilities to them. He alleged that there was an acute shortage of medicines in the rural areas where there were even no chemist shops from where the patients could purchase the required medicines prescribed by the doctors. Dr Sharma said most of the rural dispensaries lacked proper building infrastructure. HOSHIARPUR: The Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) Association has reacted over the decision of state government to empower the village panchayats concerned with the authority to pass a monthly resolution, certifying regularity and punctuality of doctors and paramedical staff posted in their respective areas. In a press release here on Thursday the association press secretary, Mr Ajay Bagga, said that the association would not allow the state government to implement the decision which lowered the prestige of the doctors. He said Civil Surgeons and Senior Medical Officers were already empowered to take action against doctors and paramedical staff who did not attend to their duty especially in the rural areas regularly. He said by empowering the village panchayat to maintain a register for recording of attendance and adherence to duty hours by doctors and paramedical staff, the state government had tried to suppress their freedom. He said it was evident that certain doctors were not attending their duty regularly and were indulging in private practice. The association had already demanded strict action against them, he said adding that such doctors were being protected and encouraged by "politicians and bureaucrats". Dr Bagga asked the state
government to withdraw its decision failing which the
PCMS Association would launch a statewide agitation. |
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Statewide stir threat by Punjab
docs CHANDIGARH, Sept 17 — The PCMS Association today threatened a statewide agitation by doctors and health staff if the state government did not withdraw immediately its ill-advised decision of putting health services with medico-legal responsibilities insubordination to village panchayats, which at most of the places, were symptomatic of groupism, casteism and politics. Dr M.S. Randhawa, Dr D.S. Gill, Dr Manjit Singh, Patron, President and General Secretary, respectively, of the association in a joint statement said the need was to improve the basic facilities the working conditions of doctors and health staff for better rural medicare instead opting for cheap publicity by placing Class-I gazetted officers under village panchayats to cover up the government’s own administrative failure. The association described the Cabinet decision as "unjust and immoral" and mirrored non-governance. If the Punjab Cabinet was really keen on improving medicare in the state, it should implement the pending recommendations of the expert committees on health care and the recommendations of Fourth Punjab Pay Commission. The state health institutions were facing an acute shortage of basic and life-saving medicines. What to talk of dispensaries in rural areas even state-run TB hospitals had no medicine and patients had to discontinue their treatment. Meanwhile, association
members have met Mr Manoranjan Kalia, Health and Family
Welfare Minister, and lodged a protest against the Punjab
Cabinet decision. |
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Man posing as IT officer
held GURDASPUR, Sept 17 — Mohan Singh of Warsola village, 8 km from here, who posed as an income tax commissioner posted at Jaipur (Rajasthan) before the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sandhu, about 15 days ago, landed in police custody today. Mr Sandhu, briefing newsmen here today, said that the accused rang him up about 15 days ago. Next day the accused also personally met the Deputy Commissioner and got stay orders against a decision of the Sub-divisional Magistrate, regarding division of some inherited property at Warsola. The rival party comprising a step-brother of the accused met the Deputy Commissioner when he learnt about the stay order. During a discussion with the step-brother, the Deputy Commissioner came to suspect the accused was posing as an income tax commissioner. The Deputy Commissioner then deputed the local SDM to find out the truth. In the meanwhile, he directed the accused to meet the SDM. When the accused met the SDM, the latter somehow obtained two telephone numbers of the accused — one of Delhi and another of Jaipur. The SDM then requested the accused to come after half an hour. During this time, when the SDM rang up these numbers, he came to know from the Jaipur number that the accused was not the income tax commissioner. When the accused contacted the SDM after half an hour, the latter took him to the Deputy Commissioner, who snubbed him and handed him over to the police. The police, during interrogation, came to know that the accused was a retired accountant of the Rajasthan State Electricity Board and had a land dispute with his brother at Warsola. A case under section
420/171 IPC has been registered against the accused. |
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Distress sale of paddy in
Gurdaspur GURDASPUR, Sept 17 — Cases of the distress sale of paddy have been reported in the district. As many as one lakh bags of paddy arrive at various purchase centres in the district daily. Ordinary paddy is being purchased by private traders at a rate varying from between Rs 400 and Rs 430 per quintal against the support price of Rs 490 per quintal fixed by the Agricultural Price Commission. The average rate of parmal which, according to government specifications, is called a creed paddy is Rs 455 per quintal against support price of Rs 520 per quintal. At the Sidhwan procurement centre a heap of parmal paddy A-grade was sold at Rs 380 a quintal. The Government procurement agencies despite announcement by the Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal, in a section of the Press yesterday said agencies would enter the market on Thursday. Meanwhile rice millers in the district are hesitant to purchase paddy in view of government failure to announce specification procurement of rice. Paddy, particularly from procurement centres in the Batala subdivision is being purchased by traders from outside Punjab and traders from other districts of Punjab. Meanwhile farmers have
been advised not to bring paddy with high contents of
moisture to the market as this would fetch prices much
lower than the support price. |
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287,019 tonnes of paddy arrive CHANDIGARH, Sept 17
— As many as 287,019 tonnes of paddy arrived in the
various mandis in Punjab till September 16. Of this
286,700 tonnes were purchased by traders and 319 tonnes
by government agencies, according to press note. |
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"Mock UMC court": case
registered AMRITSAR, Sept 17 — The non-teaching employees union today took strong exception to the "identification parade" of the employees by an outsider at the behest of the university authorities. In a statement issued here today, Mr Sawinder Singh and Mr Daljit Singh, president and secretary of the association, respectively, said that the association would not permit the authorities to humiliate employees in this manner. Employees were not sheep or goats. It was a matter of shock that the identification was done by an outsider student to identify a person who allegedly tried to dupe her for bailing her out of the "fake UMC". Meanwhile, Mr Jatinder Jain, SP (City) said that a case had been registered against one Balbir Singh of Jalandhar who was handed over to the police, in connection with the cheating of a student, by the security staff of university. Dr Harbhajan Singh Soch,
however, said that the girl who had alleged that she had
appeared in the "mock UMC court" did not turn
up today to get her result. |
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Move to amend Act decried JALANDHAR, Sept 17 — The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) has endorsed the efforts of the Chief Commissioner, Gurdwara Elections, Justice Harbans Singh, to streamline the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925. The SGPC and the Punjab Government has opposed the amendment move regarding sending a draft notification to the Union Home Ministry to amend the Act, saying that Justice Harbans Singh had no authority to do so. The Sikh Budhijeevi Council, Punjab, has decried the move to amend the Sikh Gurdwara Act "without consulting and taking into confidence" the SGPC. A joint statement issued
by Giani Bachittar Singh, Chief Patron, Dr Sukhbir Singh
Nagra, President, Mr Gurdev Singh, General Secretary, and
Mr Gurcharan Singh Channi, senior Vice-President of the
council, reiterated that this notification as
unconstitutional and violative of law." |
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Dramas on life of Baba Farid FARIDKOT, Sept 17 (UNI) — Followers of great Sufi saint Sheikh Baba Farid thronged to witness dramas under the suspicious of National Drama Festival to mark the 14th Aagman Purb of the saint at Amar Ashram last night on the third day of six-day long festival. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Azad Kala Manch, Dhanaula, and cultural troupes from Bathinda and Abohar staged dramas on the life and teachings of Sheikh Baba Farid. Faridkot Deputy Commissioner Gurinder Singh Grewal while presiding over the festival said Sheikh Baba Farid achieved unique distinction in "chisti silsila" of Sufism who preached universal brother-hood and always served the poor. Gurusharan Singh, a renowned dramatist, will stage three dramas on September 18. During the festival all dramas which were being staged will be scrutinised and the selected dramas will be given prizes of Rs 10,000, Rs 7,000 and Rs 5,000. MOGA: However, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will inaugurate a state-level cultural programme at Faridkot on September 22 to mark the Aagman Purb of great Sufi saint of 12th century Sheikh Baba Farid. The programme was being organised with the cooperation of the District Red Cross Society. The Chief Minister will also preside over the prize distribution of "sabhaya charsak" programme as well as wrestling competition "Punjab Kesari" and "Punjab Kumar." Kirtan darbar will be
another highlight of the Aagman Purb at Godari Sahib
Gurdwara. |
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‘Babe da viah’ celebrated BATALA, Sept — A religious procession was taken out here today on the wedding anniversary of Guru Nanak, popularly known as "Babe da viah". Thousands of villagers from nearby villages reached here and participated in the procession which was led by Panj Piaras. Among others who were present in the procession included Mr Jagdish Sawhney, a local MLA, Mr Gian Chand, president, Municipal Council, and leaders of other political parties. Various school children in their school uniform also participated in the procession. The procession which started from Gurdwara Dera Sahib passed through the Khajaur Gate Smadh road, Kahnuwan road, Simble Chowk, Gandhi Chowk, City main road, Chakri Bazaar and concluded at Gurdwara Kandh Sahib where the marriage of Guru Nanak was solemnised. However, the police has
made elaborate security arrangements during the
procession. |
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Rs 13 cr grant for PWSSB ABOHAR, Sept 17 — Mr Satpal Mahajan, Chairman of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, (PWSSB) said here yesterday that the 10th Finance Commission had released a grant of Rs 13 crore for drinking water and sewerage schemes in the state. He said the state government and municipal councils of the selected towns would have to contribute a similar amount on 50:50 basis for these scheme. Eight towns would be covered under this project. Mr Mahajan said the Abohar Municipal Council had handed over the complete control of water works and sewerage to the PWSSB. Raising of bills and collections there of would also be done by board by utilising the services of the municipal staff. He said the board had already taken up the work of identifying illegal connections and efforts would be made to recover arrears worth Rs 90 lakh from local consumers. The board has also
launched a Rs 1 crore scheme for the renovation of
sewerage in the town and Rs 20 lakh would be spent on
re-laying of a damaged portion of sewerage here. |
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Dhaba owner shot dead MALERKOTLA, Sept 17 — Leela Krishan, owner of Leela Vaishnu Dhaba at Club Chowk here was shot dead by some unidentified persons on yesterday night. According to reports he was returning home after closing the dhaba around midnight when he was shot dead near his house close to the Civil Hospital here. According to Mr Surinder
Singh Saini, DSP, Malerkotla, said the police had rounded
up some suspects in this connection and investigation was
in progress. He said a case under Section 302, IPC, had
been registered. |
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Cement, fertilisers damaged in
rain LUDHIANA, Sept 17 — Agitated traders here today lodged a strong protest with the local railway authorities for the damage caused to the cement stocks at the railway station due to heavy rainfall. Mr Anil Thapar, a cement trader, told TNS that about 27,000 bags of cement and large stocks of fertilisers, which were unloaded at uncovered railway sidings at Dhandari Kalan and engine shed site, were damaged. He said that when they went to lodge protest railway officials said it was an act of god. Mr Thapar said effected traders had contacted railway authorities at Ferozepore and Ambala for claiming the damages from the railways for the damage caused to their goods. He said a large stock of
gunny bags belonging to government agencies was also
damaged. |
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Petrol pump looted KAPURTHALA, 17 — Four car-borne miscreants looted Rs 28,161 from a petrol pump here on the Kapurthala-Amritsar road today. According to reports, the miscreants looted the amount at gun point. The police has
registered a case. |
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Plan to make Ropar cataract
free ROPAR, Sept 17 — While reviewing the work of the District Blindness Control Society (DBCS) here yesterday, Mr Kulbir Singh Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairman of the DBCS, said a campaign was being launched in this district to make it cataract-free district in the current financial year. He said door-to-door survey would be conducted to detect the cataract cases. Mr Sidhu said the society would get cooperation of the non-government organisations for the success of this project. He said the DBCS had fixed a target of 7,000 cataract operations to be performed in the district in the current financial year and 880 such operations had been performed already. The Deputy Commissioner
also said the DBCS had performed 7,367 cataract
operations against the target of 6,050 during the last
financial year. He also said 775 cataract operations had
been performed in the Anandpur Sahib tehsil in the
previous financial year as part of cataract-free tehsil
programme for Anandpur Sahib. |
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New NSV method introduced AMRITSAR, Sept 17 — Dr Raaj Inder Singh, Civil Surgeon, Amritsar, told mediapersons yesterday that the Health Department had introduced a new permanent birth control method. The method known as no-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) has been widely accepted all over the world and has replaced the conventional vasectomy. The NSV has also provided a convenient alternative to tubectomy. Dr Raaj Inder Singh said specialists sponsored by the Government of India and the UNFPA first imparted training to doctors in the district on August 9 and since then over 100 operations had been performed at various family welfare camps. The new procedure scores
over the conventional technique as there is no use of
knife. There is no cut and hence no stitches. The
anaesthesia technique is also improvised making the
procedure completely painless. |
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Shift transformers, say border
villagers TARN TARAN, Sept 17 — Mr Kashmir Singh Gandiwind, member, SGPC, Mr Tega Singh Sohal, chairman, market committee, Chabal and other leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have demanded the shifting of power transformers installed across the fencing in border villages to this side of the fencing as was promised by the Punjab State Electricity Board Chief, Mr Tuteja, while on a tour to study the problems of farmers of the border area in June. The Akali leaders said farmers in border area go across the fencing to their fields from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. but whenever some defect occurs in the transformers after 5 p.m. it is removed only the next day by the powermen at they are not allowed to go across the fencing by the BSF. The SAD leaders said this resulted in loss to farmers. The SAD leaders also
demanded that the government send procuring agencies to
the mandis in the area at the earliest. |
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Students hold protest AMRITSAR, Sept 17 — A protest rally was held on the GND varsity campus by post graduate students of the varsity and students of DAV College, Amritsar, Layalpur Khalsa College, and DAV College, Jalandhar, against the decision of the university Syndicate to laydown new conditions for getting aggregate pass marks. Due to new conditions for passing out exams and attaining compartment, many students of the varsity and its affiliated colleges were failed. Addressing the rally,
student leaders urged the university authorities to
withdraw the amendments and implement the old rules. |
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LIC staff hold demonstration PATIALA, Sept 17 — A demonstration by employees of the Insurance Corporation of India was held here today in protest against the delay over the settlement of their demands. Mr Narinder Walia, president, Divisional Committee Insurance Employees, said in a press note that the employees deplored the dilatory tactics being adopted by the management over calling their association over the wage negotiations. He said the
demonstration was held to urge the government to ask the
management to start negotiations over wage revision and
other demands immediately. |
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Secretariat staff meet FM on DA CHANDIGARH, Sept 17 — A deputation of the Punjab Civil Secretariat Staff Association led by its president, Mr Oma Kant Tewari, today met the Finance Minister to express concern over the government decision to deposit the DA instalments of January, 1999 up to March 2000 in the employees' GP fund. The deputation apprised the Finance Minister of the fact that Central Government had given another DA instalment to its employees from July. But the Punjab Government had not given the DA in cash till date which was due from January. The association urged
the Finance Minister to grant 5 per cent DA instalment
also in cash from July on the Central pattern. |
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Mysterious disease claims two lives FATEHGARH SAHIB, Sept 17 (PTI) — A mysterious disease has claimed the lives of two children in Talaniyaan village of the district. The officiating Civil Surgeon said here today that both the children died on Wednesday after complaining of high fever. Suspecting the disease
to be encephalitis, he said that clinical reports were
still awaited. In 1994, encephalitis had claimed 27 lives
in the district. |
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School contributes to Kargil fund CHANDIGARH, Sept 17 — A function was held at Government Senior Secondary School, Ajrawar in Patiala district in memory of Kargil martyrs Mrs Surjit Kaur Sandhu, Secretary, Department of School Education, Punjab presided over the function. Mr Baldev Raj, Principal of the school, presented a draft of Rs 31,000 to Mrs Sandhu. Mrs Sandhu also laid
down the foundation stone of the school hall. |
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Free legal aid in 16 cases ROPAR, Sept 17 — The District Legal Services Authority has decided to provide free legal aid in 16 cases which were received by it since June this year. This was decided at a meeting of the authority held under the Chairmanship of Mr Maghar Khan, District and Sessions Judge and Chairman of the authority, here last evening. The authority also allotted these cases to the advocates who are on its panel. The meeting was also
attended by Mr Kulbir Singh Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner;
Mr Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, SSP; Mr Mahinder Pal,
Additional District and Sessions Judge; and Mr Dharam
Singh, Civil Judge (Senior Division) and Secretary of the
authority. |
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