‘Agriculture growth targets unrealistic’
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 19
The Union Government’s economic growth strategy, based on agriculture growth rate, is faulty and unrealistic, as it is almost impossible to achieve 4 per cent annual growth rate in the agriculture sector.

These views were expressed by various agriculture scientists in the regional workshop on ‘ “Media and human development with special focus on agriculture.” The three-day workshop, which began today, has been jointly organised by the Press Institute of India (PII), New Delhi, and Punjab Agriculture University ( PAU).

Initiating the discussion, on “Post-WTO agricultural scenario in India,” Mr Ajit Bhattacharjea, Director, PII, said the situation was very fluid and most of the mediapersons were unable to comprehend the implications of the global agreement.

Prof K.S. Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, chairing the session, said, ‘‘The WTO was an opportunity and a challenge for the country but due to high rates of subsidy on agriculture produce in developed countries and inadequate government support in the developing countries, the benefits have not been realised so far.’’

Earlier, Mr Hari Jaisingh, Editor, The Tribune, inaugurated the workshop. Addressing the participants, Prof Joginder Singh, Department of Economics and Sociology, PAU, said,‘‘ The new economic policies have not provided the desired results to the agriculture sector. Though the growth rate of foodgrains during the past one decade has declined as compared to the growth rate in 1980s but due to surplus food stocks, the government has not taken any concrete steps to address the development problem in the rural sector. ’’

Farewell party for tiny tots
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 19
It was time to say goodbye to the outgoing children of Lovely Lotus Nursery School who were given farewell at a function held here today.

Children came to the school wearing bright, colourful clothes and their teachers embellished them further. Boys wore garlands on their foreheads and around their necks and girls wore garlands, gajras and tikkas prepared by their teachers.

Students danced to their favourite tunes like ‘Main nikla gaddi le ke’ and ‘Pyar ki kashti mein’. Since it was the last day, the tiny tots listened to their favourite stories like ‘Chanda mama’, ‘Lalu peelu’ and ‘Choon choon chidiya’. Eatables like ras gullas, gulab jamuns, jalebi, chips, crax and kurkure were given to the children as per their demands.

Ms Harpreet Gill, Principal, said the school will hold a mela tomorrow when the parents would say good-bye to principals and teachers. She said the parents would be presented a 15-page album of their ward’s activities at school. She said the album will help the children retain positive attitude and values given by the school in years to come and become achievers. Ms Garima Singh, Assistant Commissioner, Income Tax, would release the album to the parents.

Ms Gill said the parents would also have the pleasure to watch their kid’s progress in English speaking from the slide show and progress in writing of alphabets and numbers from a special slate. Parents would also be told about their child’s growth in observation and cognitive skills, she added.

The bard at his poetic best
Tribune News Service