AGRICULTURE

NCP concerned over FMD
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 9
The Kisan Cell of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has expressed concern over the outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) among the cattle in Punjab, as a result of which countless cattle have perished resulting in heavy losses to the farmers and dairy owners of the state.

Dr Balwant Singh, convener of the Kisan Cell of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has expressed surprise over the reported statement of the Director of Animal Husbandry of Punjab, Dr G.S. Chahal, that the state government proposed to spend Rs 100 crore to make the Majha region of the state free from the menace of FMD. He claimed that with proper planning and scientific approach, the amount would be adequate enough to make the whole state of Punjab free from the outbreak of FMD.

He further maintained that immunisation programmes using artificial vaccines and immuno-diagnostic kits to monitor immune responses were crucial for the prevention of the disease. It was, therefore, necessary that the research and development (R&D) institutions of the region, such as PAU, Ludhiana, and the NDRI, Karnal, coordinated their efforts in this regard.

He criticised the state government and the authorities of Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, for closing down the Department of Immunology of the PAU, which was doing pioneering work on the control of FMD and other cattle diseases. He said the department had been closed down by the authorities of PAU with the sole motive of victimising some illustrious scientists. A well-equipped laboratory of immunology having infrastructure worth over Rs 3 crore has been lying unused for the last about three years”, he said.

He further said that it would be in the larger interest of the farming community of Punjab that private organisations with the expertise available at the national and international level worked together to eradicate FMD.

EDUCATION

Agriculture students on indefinite fast
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 9
“We are on an indefinite fast from today as our demands have not been accepted. We , the students of Punjab Agricultural Students’ Association have been on strike since May 2, and had even broken the security cordon to meet Mr Parkash Singh Badal at Veer Palace for a few moments yesterday at a ‘Sangat Darshan’, but Mr Badal could not devote much time to us as he was very busy. Our main demand is of finding jobs for 1,500 agriculture students which has not been attended to so far. So we had to resort to hunger strike,” explained Navtej Singh , a spokesperson of the students.

The peaceful atmosphere on the PAU campus was disturbed by the slogan raising by students of Agriculture College of the university. They took out a procession from Thapar Hall and went around the campus while raising slogans against the Punjab Government.

Five students — Hardeep, Harvinder, Balvinder, Gurpreet, Ramandeep who were on fast, were sitting under a tent alongwith other classmates in front of the Hockey Ground. Navtej Singh said the five would not break the fast before 24 hours. It would be a relay fast and girls would also take part in it.

The other spokesperson of the students Harveer Singh said, “We are not anti-establishment. Infact, we are very grateful to the former VC, Dr Kalkat, who had suggested to the government to introduce agriculture as a subject in the school curriculum as Punjab is basically an agricultural state. We want the jobs for the subject to be advertised so that we find suitable employment.”

Navtej Singh said Mr Badal had assured them that he had instructed the Education Secretary to notify about the jobs. But no jobs have been advertised so far much to the dismay of the students. There are only 20 to 50 jobs available as ADO (Agriculture Development Officer) or HDO (Horticulture Development Officer). Then again with jobs reservations for certain classes, there was a lot of unemployment among the agriculture graduates which was causing resentment among the students against the short sighted policies of the government, he said and added that after their long struggle finally the High Court had agreed that the students of agriculture need not acquire a B.Ed. degree for appointment as school teacher.

The students are seeking a meeting with Mr Badal, Mr Tota Singh, Education Minister, Dr Kalkat, former VC of the university, Dr Aulakh, the present VC, Dr Sukhdev Singh in Chandigarh to sort out the problem of unemployment.

Dr K.S. Aulakh told this correspondent that he had met Mr Badal for a shortwhile at a ‘Sangat Darshan’ yesterday but due to political pressures, he could not discuss the problem of his students with him. Dr Aulakh said, “I have faxed to the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr Ramesh Inder Singh, wherein I have requested him to arrange a meeting with Agriculture Minister, Education Minister and Mr Badal preferably in Ludhiana by May 15.

“I have been told that agriculture students who will take up the jobs of agriculture teachers need not do B.Ed. but those who want to teach science subjects will have to clear B.Ed. course. I am optimistic that we will reach a settlement soon. I have instructed the Dean, PG, to help the students to prepare a draft of their demands based on the facts which can be shown during the meeting.”

PCCTU’s plea to Jacob
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 9
The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union has urged Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob, Governor of Punjab and Chancellor of the state universities, to convene a meeting of the representatives of various university and college teachers’ organisations of the state to find out ways and means of diffusing crisis faced by Punjabi University, Patiala. The ongoing controversy between the Vice-Chancellor of the university, and the Minister for Higher Education has vitiated the academic atmosphere of the state.

According to Prof K.B.S. Sodhi, president, PCCTU, this controversy has relegated the important issues facing the higher education of the state to background. The development process of the university is also badly impaired. 

COURTS

Anticipatory bail for three
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 9
The District and Sessions Judge, Mr S.S. Arora, has granted anticipatory bail to Ms Ruhi Brar, Mr Rashpal Singh Brar and Mr Shrenik, members of the board of directors of the Indotech Apparel Private Limited, in case under Sections 306, 342 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, for abetting suicide of Devidner Sharma and his wife Pushpa Sharma.

The deceased were the parents of Vishal Sharma, who had been working as an accountant in the company of the accused. He had allegedly embezzled Rs 6.75 lakh of the company and ran away. Vishal was missing since the police registered a case against him and the police was making inquiries about him from his parents.

HEALTH

Ice candies, not so cool
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, May 9
The gaudy orange, green and deep violet coloured ice candies being sold by the innumerable ice-candy men and manufactured at dubious small units in the city have become potential source of severe gastric disorders in view of the growing number of cholera, jaundice and typhoid cases. It is ironical that even though the district administration has passed an order banning the sale of cut fruit, the Health Department and other officials have remained silent on such harmful food items being sold openly outside each and every school.

Children usually make a bee line for these ice-cream sellers after schools get over and unknowingly consume the impure water and harmful colours used in these seemingly attractive ice candies.

Ms Hunjan, who has three school-going children, was worried by the frequent gastric problems of her children till she found that these ice candies were the culprits. “In spite of telling my children about the dangers of such ice creams, I was shocked to see them licking those ice candies out side their school. I wonder why the school authorities allow such ice candies to be sold outside the schools.”

The parents and teachers opined that the District Administration should maintain a strict vigil on small units manufacturing ice candies. These ice candies are made under most unhygenic conditions. The manufacturing units are full of flies and cheap quality colours that are used can even cause cancer. But as no punishment is ever meted out to these manufacturers, they continue to sell these ice candies without any compunction.

Dr Vikas Loomba, a physician says, “Sometimes the candies cause severe food poisoning. The child loses a lot of fluids and has to be administered glucose. At times the condition can be serious. So I would advise the parents to strictly instruct their wards to refrain from eating these. I would even ask the school authorities to ban these ice cream sellers from selling such hazardous things.”