PUTIA delegation attends International Conference in Chicago

By Punjabnewswire4u

CHANDIGARH, OCT 30

A delegation of Punjab Unaided Technical Institutions Association ( PUTIA) is on a Business Trip to USA. Dr Anshu Kataria, Chairman, Aryans Group of Colleges and Spokesman of PUTIA said that around 10 members Delegation under the Leadership of Dr.J.S.Dhaliwal, President, PUTIA is in US and attend the International Conference of 4th Global Engineering Dean’s Council (GEDC) in Chicago,  from October 20 to 22.

 The topic of the conference was “Online Digital Education and Transformed Faculty Roles”.

 Dr Anshu Kataria added that apart from attending the Conference, the delegation would also visit various universities and colleges of USA and Canada. The conference was attended by around 200 world leaders in education.

 Dr. J.S.Dhaliwal, President, PUTIA said that many renowned Institutions of Punjab including Aryans Group, Rajpura; Rayat and Bahra, Patiala; Adesh Group, Gharuan; Universal Group, Lalru; Global Institute, Amritsar; Jasdev Sandhu Group, Patiala; Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo; Saint Soldiers, Jalandhar; Punjab Group, Lalru etc are part of this Delegation.

 Dr Dhaliwal further said that Punjab Delegation is the Largest Group not from only Indian Subcontinent but also from other parts of the World. This was the Perfect Platform for International Collaboration, Technical know how, Student Exchange Programme, Joint Research etc.

 Dr Anshu Kataria said that it's good exposure to know more about the latest about Technology used in Education, Course Curriculum, Latest Research, Faculty Development etc.

Seeram Ramakrishna from Singapore was the speaker at session Engineering Education in a Global, Technology-Driven Environment

Ramakrishna is Director of the Center for Nanofibers & Nanotechnology, National University of Singapore. He served as the Dean of Engineering from 2003-2008. He is the author of "The Changing Face of Innovation: Is it Shifting to Asia!" He is a Faculty Associate of the Global Asia Institute, and lectures on global trends of higher education, research and innovation.

The Punjab Group meeting was an optional opportunity for the delegates to meet with the administrators from PTU (Punjab Technical University) throughout the day on Monday and Tuesday morning at The Palmer House (Crystal Room).

Dr. Rajneesh Arora, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Technical University, India , was Lunch Keynote speaker  ar The Palmer House (Honoré Ballroom).

Thomas’ assurance to Kairon on paddy procurement

By Punjabnewswire4u

NEW DELHI, OCT 30

The Union Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister, Mr. KV Thomas, assured the Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Mr Adaish Partap Singh Kairon, that his Ministry would announce relaxations in the specifications of paddy procurement positively by Thursday.

Mr.  Kairon, who met the Union Food, Consumer Affairs and Distribution Minister in his office here at Krishi Bhawan this evening, seeking his personal intervention to immediately announce these exemptions.                            

The Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister apprised Mr. Thomas that the Central teams sent by his ministry had visited various mandis across the state last week to assess the damage caused to paddy in terms of discoloration and moisture content due to inclement weather lashed by unseasonal and unprecedented rains and hailstorm in September last and thus collected samples to further examine and subsequently recommend relaxations in these specifications. He impressed upon Mr. Thomas to announce these relaxations forthwith so as enable the government agencies to procure paddy quickly in a prompt and hassle free manner as the factors like discoloration and moisture content were proving to be a major hurdle in the way smooth procurement of paddy. Mr. Kairon further requested the Union Minister that it was incumbent on the part of the Government of India (GoI) to bail out the state's peasantry in this hour of crisis, on the contrary our farmers were being penalized for the fault none of their  because unusual climatic conditions that resulted in damaged food grains was beyond anyone’s control.

Mr. Kairon reiterated that every single grain of the farmers crop would be lifted during the ongoing procurement operations across the state and all the farmers would be made payment of their crop within 48 hours. He also asked the Union Minister to direct the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to procure its allotted quota of 10% whereas it has so far hardly procured 4-5% much to the dismay of farmers. Mr. Kairon also took up the matter with the Union Minister for creating adequate space for the storage of paddy with the concerned quarters besides arranging requisite racks for transporting the grains with the Ministry of Railways as both these issues were crucial for speeding up the paddy procurement from Punjab, so as to facilitate the farmers as well as procurement agencies involved in these gigantic operations.

Responding to various issues raised by Mr. Kairon, the Union Minister reiterated that the Ministry would certainly announce relaxations in prescribed parameters of paddy procurement within next 48 hours. Mr. Thomas also assured that FCI authorities would be directed to ensure lifting of its allotted quota of paddy besides taking a sympathetic view of resolving other issues raised by Mr. Kairon with the Ministry of Railways in a holistic manner.   

Mr. Kairon was accompanied by Secretary Food and Civil Supplies Mr. DS Grewal. Prominent amongst other who attended the meeting included Secretary Food and Consumer Affairs GoI Mr. Sudhir Kumar, Joint Secretary Policy and Food Corporation of India Mr. UKS Chauhan.  

Badal deputes eight senior IAS officers to monitor paddy procurement

By Punjabnewswire4u

CHANDIGARH, OCT 19

In order to supervise the smooth procurement of paddy across the state in an effective manner, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal has deputed eight senior IAS officers to monitor the entire procurement process.

Disclosing this here today a spokesman of the Chief Minister’s Office said that on the directions of Mr. Badal the state Chief Secretary Mr. Rakesh Singh has issued orders accordingly Dr. Roshan Sankaria, IAS has been allotted Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Ludhiana districts, Mr. DK Tiwari has been allotted Sri Muktsar Sahib and Faridkot districts, Mr. Ajit Singh Pannu IAS has been allotted Patiala, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib and Barnala districts, Mr. Vikas Partap IAS has been allotted SAS Nagar and Rupnagar districts, Mr. VK Sharma IAS has been allotted Ferozepur, Fazilka and Moga districts, Mr. Kahan Singh Pannu IAS has been allotted Bathinda and Mansa districts, Mr. R. Venkatratnam IAS has been allotted Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Pathankot districts whereas MR. SS Bains had been allotted SBS Nagar and Hoshiarpur districts.

The spokesman further said that the Chief Minister had directed these officers to personally visit the grain markets of the different districts allotted to them for monitoring the progress of ongoing paddy procurement in these districts on the daily basis so that this gigantic task could be accomplished in a hassle free, quick and smooth manner. Mr. Badal further said that all out efforts should be made to ensure smooth and prompt procurement of Paddy on one hand and facilitate the farmers in getting timely payment of their produce on the other.   He categorically said that farmers of the state should not be put to any inconvenience for the sale of their produce in the mandis.

Plan to utilize recycled agriculture waste

By Punjabnewswire4u

 LUDHIANA, OCT 17

    In a bid to optimally utilize recycled agriculture waste in the state as alternative fuel, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today constituted a committee under the Secretary Agriculture Mr. KS Pannu to explore the feasibility of implementing this project successfully in the state with collaboration of a private firm.

          A decision to this effect was taken by the Chief Minister in a meeting with the owners of the company and officers of the Industry and Pollution Control department here today. During the meeting the Chief Minister asked Mr. Pannu to study all the aspects of this project so that it could be effectively implemented in the state for benefitting the farmers. Mr. Badal said that Punjab had abundant quantity of Biomass being an agrarian state which could be optimally used for captive power generation. This would not only enormously benefit the farmers of the state but would also supplement their income considerably besides the effective management of this waste.   

          The representatives of ‘Riela’ company led by Mr. Karl Heinz Knoop gave a presentation regarding their project to the Chief Minister here at the local circuit house during which they apprised him about the entire technology through which the agriculture waste would be effectively utilized for producing a fuel which would act as alternative to the Coal in running the Thermal Plants, Cement Factories and Brick Kilns. The Chief Minister was apprised that the company would purchase the agriculture waste like straw from the farmers and produce the burning pellets from it by installing the Pelleting plant. Mr. Badal was informed that this fuel would be cheaper than coal and would help in enhancing the income of farmers by 10%.

       The Chief Minister was accompanied his Advisor Mr. Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, Secretary Agriculture Mr. KS Pannu, Director Industries Mr. Vikas Partap and Deputy Commissioner Mr. Rajat Aggarwal.  

Badal blames Congress for meddling in religious affairs of Sikhs

By Punjabwirenews4

LAMBI (SRI MUKTSAR SAHIB), OCT 12

Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today said that Congress was pursuing its old policy of irrelevantly meddling in the religious affairs of Sikhs by undermining the position of Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib through its ‘B-team’ led by former President of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee Mr. Paramjeet Singh Sarna, which was totally intolerable.

Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan program in the Lambi assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister categorically said that the filing of suite against Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib through an aide of Mr. Paramjeet Singh Sarna, who was a trusted agent of Congress, was testimony to the fact that Congress party was maneuvering to denigrate the revered position of Jathedar Sahib. He said that since time immemorial authority of Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib had never been questioned by anyone as sacred Sri Akal Takht Sahib was the highest temporal seat of Sikhs and even the mighty Kings like Maharaja Ranjit Singh had always bowed before the supreme power of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and ever accepted its orders (hukamnamas) thereby upholding its supremacy. Mr. Badal said that but by resorting to such cheap tactics the Congress and its agents were trying to dent the authority of Jathedar Sahib, which was unacceptable to any Sikh who believes in the tenets of Sikhism.

Replying to another query, the Chief Minister further said that just for the sake of taking political mileage the national Congress leadership was bent on destroying the federal feature of Indian constitution by ignoring the state government ruled by opposition parties during the inauguration of key projects. Mr. Badal said that as a votary of morality in politics he had always held the opposition in high esteem and had accorded ‘Red Carpet’ welcome to the leaders of oppositions of Union Ministers during their tours in the state. However he said that while laying the foundation stone of Cancer Hospital in Sangrur, the Congress leadership has stooped too low, which has given a fatal blow to the centre-state relationship. “But that will not deter us from welcoming the leaders of Union government to the state and we will give full honor and respect to PM or any other Minister, if they come to state”, he added.

  The Chief Minister further said that state government has taken path breaking initiatives to promote sports in the state adding that Punjab has introduced its own Sports policy thereby becoming the first state in the country to have a perfect Sports Policy. He said that as per its commitment with the sportspersons, the state government has given a status of DSP to the 10 players of different games who have won accolades for the state in the field of sports besides giving jobs to the other eminent players. 

When asked to comment on the arrangements made by the state government for ongoing paddy procurement, the Chief Minister said that it was the foremost duty of the state government to ensure a hassle free procurement of the farmer’s produce. He said that the entire arrangement for the smooth procurement process have been made so as to facilitate the farmers adding that 1795 purchase centers have been established across the state for this purpose.

Earlier addressing the gathering during the Sangat Darshan program in Karam Patti, Ratta Tibba, Mohlaan, Dhaniwala, Aspaalan, Bhagwanpura, Burj Sidhwan and Kabarwala village, the Chief Minister, while underscoring the need for adopting crop diversification in the state, said that it would go a long way in bailing out the distressed peasantry from the current agrarian crisis. He said that the farmers must adopt the cultivation of crops like Soyabean, Maize and others which were more remunerative on one hand and less water intestive on the other. Mr. Badal also stressed upon the need for adopting agro forestry and fish farming for supplementing their income besides preventing the depletion of under-ground water table. He said that the farmers of the water logged areas must adopt fish farming as there was a tremendous scope in it adding that the state government would extend fulsome support to them in this cause.

The Chief Minister also advised the farmers to adopt the technique of using the farm equipments on custom hiring basis to curtail the heavy cost expenditure meted out on farming. He said that the state government was giving 33% subsidy on this project. “Adopting this technique will not only reduce the cost of farm input but will also enhance your profits” added Mr. Badal.

Meanwhile welcoming 24 Congress families into Akali fold, the Chief Minister said that they would be given due respect in the party.

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