Doing their bit for environment

Fatehgarh Sahib: An NGO, “Rise to Help Welfare Society, Sirhind”, comprising students and professors, is making efforts to control pollution by initiating a tree plantation drive under its “Green Fatehgarh Sahib” mission. It has taken the approval of the Forest Department to plant 1,000 saplings from Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup Sahib to Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib in colleges, university, religious institutions, cremation grounds and deserted places. The society will also ensure their growth by putting up iron grills around the saplings. Each of its members will look after 20 plants and will be responsible for watering and ensuring their growth. The NGO is also helping meritorious students by giving them coaching during weekends free of cost, besides paying their fees and providing books.

Cheque it out!

Hoshiarpur: Setting an example of shunning VIP culture, Minister of Industry and Commerce Sunder Sham Arora gave Rs 5 lakh grant to Sarvhitkari Vidya Mandir School. The cheque was handed over to the management by the bus driver, the oldest employee of the school. In presence of Arora, the cheque was presented to office-bearers of the school managing committee by Shyam Bihari. Arora said, “I am just a carrier. It is the people’s money so it should be handed over to them by the common man. There’s no big deal about it. Whenever the society needs help, the government is always there to help.”

Little awareness, big impact

Ferozepur: The district administration has stepped up efforts to make the young generation aware of the drug menace. Deputy Commissioner Chander Gaind is visiting schools and addressing children during morning assembly. During one such recent visit, he exhorted girl students to keep a vigil in their neighborhood to check the menace. He explained them about symptoms shown by a drug-affected person. He asked the students to inform their schoolteacher or headmaster, if they get any information on drug peddlers in their locality. He also told the students to talk to their friends, relatives and neighbours about this scourge. 

Farm automation, any takers?

Fatehgarh Sahib: To resolve the problem of labour shortage being faced by farmers these days to transplant paddy, awareness camps are being organised by agriculture officials for the promotion of self-driven paddy cultivators. The machines are proving boon for farmers. The officials highlight the difference between the cost of paddy transplantation done manually and with the machine. They say a machine can plant paddy on up to 8 acres a day, whereas manually hardly 2 acres are covered and the cost is low as compared to labour. Further, the government provides a subsidy from of up to Rs 8 lakh on paddy cultivators. Win-win for farmers indeed.