Cotton crop hit by American bollworm
K.S. Chawla

Ludhiana, August 7
Heavy rains in the state have caused damage to the standing cotton crop in the districts of Bathinda and Muktsar. The Punjab Government has ordered girdawari of the same and revenue officials are now on the task.

Dr Joginder Singh, Head, Department of Entomology, Punjab Agricultural University, expressed concern over the spread of American bollworm in the cotton crop.

According to Dr Joginder Singh there has been about 17.83 per cent increase in the area under cotton in Punjab this year. The area under cotton increased from 4.5 lakh hectare to 5.3 lakh hectare during the current kharif season.

He said that extremely hot and dry conditions during the month of April-June resulted in burning of the cotton crop at the germination stage in about 2.2 per cent area of the area.

Dr Joginder Singh said the cotton growers had sown as many as 76 types of cotton varieties against only nine recommended by the Punjab Agricultural University.

At the time of sowing, sufficient quantity of seed was not available. Out of these varieties, 55 were different types of American hybrids covering 45.9 per cent to the total area under cultivation.

The farmers at their risk had purchased Bt cotton so far. The pattern of crop sowing revealed that 34.41 per cent area was sown in April, the sowing up to May 15 was 86.39 per cent.

According to Dr Joginder Singh, the crop growth varied from the vegetative phase to fruiting phase, depending upon variety and the time of sowing. The staggered sowing of 76 different types of material could boost the spread of pest. The prevailing cloudy weather conditions were also not favourable for normal crop growth but conducive for the pest.

Experts at PAU recommended bi-weekly monitoring of the crop and use of insecticides strictly according to recommendations.

PAU had adopted more than a dozen villages under the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in collaboration with the Vardhaman and Cotton Corporation of India. 

Education officer inspects school
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 7
Following complaints of charging exorbitant fee from students, appointing more teachers than required, irregularities in appointing a new teacher and bungling in donations given to the school from MP fund, Mr Avtar Singh, Circle Education Officer, Nabha, inspected the Douglaspura (Lyallpur) SD Senior Secondary School, Hazuri Road, here today.

The complaint was filed by Ms Manju Jain, a teacher at the government-aided school on contract. She had sent a complaint to the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, who had then deputed the officer to conduct an inquiry into the matter. The officer visited a few classrooms and talked to a few students.

Mr Avtar Singh checked the school registers and then called up the aggrieved teacher. She presented him a copy of her complaint. Following this, the officer held prolonged meetings with Ms Asha Chopra, Principal, Mr P.C. Gupta, president, and Mr Tilak Raj Gupta, secretary of the school management.

The complainant had also told Mr Avtar Singh that the school had been showing more strength by calling some students from other schools in Chhoti Haibowal. The officer observed that the schoolgirls were wearing different types of uniform. He questioned the principal regarding this. To this, the principal replied that the students of 11th and 12th classes had been told to come in chequered suits. She said the rest of the students were told to wear blue suits with white dupattas but she had given some relaxation to the new students. Ms Jain, while talking to mediapersons in front of the school, said she had sent her complaint to the Chief Minister in November last year in which she had pointed out various anomalies in the functioning of the school.

Ms Chopra, however, refuted the allegations. She said the school had 486 students till Class X, for whom there were 18 teachers.

Mr Avtar Singh said he would conduct another inquiry in a few days and present the inquiry report within a fortnight.

Health show for kids
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 7
Students of Lovely Lotus Play School, BRS Nagar, participated in a good health show held here today. The slogans for the day were “Plant green trees” and “Eat green vegetables and fruits”. Students were advised to shun fast food items such as noodles, chips, macaroni, pizzas and burgers. They were served fruit salad and vegetable salad on the occasion.

They were also given tips on sapling plantation. Each child then planted a sapling and watered it.

Ms Harpreet Gill, Principal, said the exercise was an attempt to inculcate good eating habits among children.

Freshers party at medical college
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 7
A party was organised to welcome new students of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Medical College and Hospital of Electropathy here today. The function started with a welcome speech by Ms Amritpal Kaur. Mr Jaspal Singh Gill, chairman, managing committee, was the chief guest. After paying homage to Count Ceasre Mattie, founder of electropathy, Dr Kuldip Singh Khaira, Principal, told students about the eminence of electropathy.

The programme compered by Ms Manpreet and Mr Jagjit Singh had been organised under the supervision of Dr Anjaldeep.

Students presented various items like giddha, western dance, songs and skits. The giddha performance directed by Ms Baljit Kaur Sidhu was much appreciated.

Grewal additional secretary of educational trust
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 7
Former Minister and a senior Akali leader Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal has been appointed additional secretary of the Nankana Sahib Educational Trust managing Guru Nanak Engineering College, polytechnic college and a chain of other educational institutions.

The orders to this effect were issued by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, in Amritsar today.

While the SGPC president and secretary are ex-officio president and secretary of the trust, the main functioning of the trust is looked after by the additional secretary.

CULTURE

It is raining movies this month
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, August 7
Ludhianvis are out for a lot of entertainment this month. It will be raining movies at the box office here this August. For the superstars, it is time to take for the litmus test.

The month promises cinemagoers enough to choose from — from a science fiction to romance and action.

Taking the first plunge is the much-talked about Hrithik Roshan who has his fingers crossed for his new film ‘Koi Mil Gaya’. It could give his dwindling career a push. “Koi Mil Gaya ” is already in the news as the country’s first science fiction movie. The city residents are awaiting the release. They are keen to know the fate of Hrithik Roshan at the box office.

With his father Rakesh Roshan’s larger-than-life venture being seen as Hrithik’s second launchpad after ‘Kaho Na Pyar Hai’, a lot will depends on whether or not the audiences accept the film as an ‘alien’ product, that in more sense than one.

The month will also be important for Bollywood’s once very reliable boy wonder Salman Khan, who will finally have a new release with ‘Tere Naam’. With this film making news as a ‘reel’ version of his ‘real life’ romance with Aishwarya Rai, it could well help turn the spotlight back on his reel career.

And then there is Abhishek Bachchan, still waiting in the wings for the release of his ‘Kuch Na Kaho’ and ‘Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost’ to establish himself as an actor of calibre.

At least 15 films were reportedly slated for August 15 release, but most were either delayed or kept back for the big rush to end.

Last Friday saw the release of four films — Deepak Tijori’s directional venture ‘Oops’, Priyadarshan’s ‘Hungama’, Nagesh Kukunoor’s ‘Teen Deewarein’ and the Ajay Devgan-Rani Muherjee starrer ‘Chori, Chori’.

Also stated for release on Independence Day are ‘Tere Naam’ and Vikram Bhatt’s ‘Footpath’, starring Bipasha Basu and Aftab Shivsadasani.

With holidays on August 12 (Rakhi), August 15 (Independence Day) and August29 (Janamashtmi), may keep the cash boxes of cinema houses ringing.