PGI starts new procedure for Liver Cancer

PGI starts new procedure for Liver Cancer

Chandigarh, 29 November : The interventional radiology section of the Department of Radiodiagnosis, PGIMER, Chandigarh has started a new procedure, transarterial radio-embolization (TARE) with Ytrrium 90 (Y 90), for treating inoperable liver cancer. This procedure has been started in collaboration with the departments of Hepatology and Nuclear Medicine. Patients with liver cancer who are not fit for surgery, liver transplantation or minimally invasive locoregional procedures, can be taken up for transarterial radio-embolization (TARE) with Ytrrium 90 (Y 90). In this technique, a catheter is placed selectively into the blood vessel supplying the tumor through the groin and Ytrrium 90 is injected. This emits local radiation and reduces the systemic side effects of radiation. “Earlier the department was using rhenium only which was provided by the local generator from Department of Nuclear Medicine” said Prof. Naveen Kalra, Department of Radiodiagnosis, PGIMER, Chandigarh.

This new technique will be a major boon for patients of liver cancer in North India. Uptill now the technique of TARE with Y 90 was only available in Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai and Medanta, Gurgaon in North India and was not available in the government hospitals. “By doing TARE at PGI we will be able to provide affordable therapy for inoperable liver cancer patients in their vicinity” said Prof. N.Khandelwal, Head, Department of Radiodiagnosis, PGIMER, Chandigarh.

LIVER TRANSPLANT CLINIC LAUNCHED AT PGI

LIVER TRANSPLANT CLINIC LAUNCHED AT PGIMER, CHANDIGARH

Chandigarh, 28 November : Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh launched Liver Transplant Clinic (LTC) to provide comprehensive care to the patients requiring liver transplantation and those who have undergone liver transplantation.

Liver clinic was inaugurated at New OPD 4th Floor, PGIMER Chandigarh by Prof Jagat Ram, Director PGIMER, Chandigarh. He said that “patients with liver diseases is a specialised group and require focussed care with dedicated time and service. He further said that beginning of liver transplant clinic will give such platform for these patients and to boost the liver transplant program of the institute. He congratulated the liver transplant team which included hepatologists, liver transplant surgeons, anesthetists, pathologists, radiologists, pulmonologists, cardiologists, etc for starting this special clinic.” Liver Clinic OPD is busy with patient load of more than 500-600 liver patients per day and sometimes stretching upto 7-8 pm, hence Liver Transplant Clinic  is the need of the hour to meet the requirements of prospective liver  transplant patients with end-stage liver disease said Prof. R.K. Dhiman, Head , Deptt. of Hepatology, PGIMER, Chandigarh.

The focus of the liver clinic is to provide special attention to the pre- and post-transplant care to the patients with end-stage liver disease. It has been estimated that there are around 2 lac people with end-stage liver disease in our country who require liver transplant as the liver transplantis the only option available for these patients.Hence a patient with end-stage liver disease would attend Liver Transplant Clinic for both pre-transplant work up as well as post-transplant follow-up. This would result in increased number of patients registered for liver transplant as well as better follow-up. The clinic would also take care of patients  who have undergone liver transplant elsewhere, e.g., Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, etc.
Liver can be taken either from deceased- or live-donor. While maximum transplants in India are happening from live donors in which portion of liver is taken from the near relative and transplanted in the recipient (LDLT), most of the liver transplantation in the West is from deceased donor (DDLT). In PGIMER, presently all liver transplantations are DDLT. PGIMER has performed >35 DDLT. The launch of liver transplant clinic will also help in identifying potential and in starting the LDLT program in the Institute. While the average cost of liver transplantation in PGIMER is approximately 10 lac, it 30-40 lac in the private sector. This clinic is expected to give further boost to liver transplant in a public sector like PGIMER.

Ninja, Sharry Mann & Ritu Pathak honoured

Ninja, Sharry Mann & Ritu Pathak honoured by Aryans

Chandigarh 27th November : Punjabi Singers Ninja & Sharry Mann and Bollywood Playback Singer Ritu Pathak were honored by Aryans Group of Colleges, Chandigarh in 3 days Chandigarh Carnival-2017 themed Indradhanush organized by Chandigarh tourism & Aryans Group from 24-26th November at Leisure Valley, Sector-10, Chandigarh.

                                                              

Dignitaries including Smt. Kirron Kher, MP, Chandigarh; Mr. Anurag Aggarwal, IAS, Home Secretary; Sh Maninder Singh IAS, Chairman, Chandigarh Housing Board; Sh. Satyajeet Rajan, IAS, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India; Mr. Jitender Yadav IAS, Director Tourism; Dr. Anshu Kataria, Chairman, Aryans Group of Colleges, Chandigarh etc graced the 3 days event.

Aryans Group, the education partner for this grand extravaganza gave chance to the visitors to win free tab and laptop in 3 days. Mr. Virender (Adarsh Nagar, Nayagaon) & Ms Neelam (Sector-31, Chd) won free tab while Jagdeep Kumar (Phase 9, Mohali) won free laptop from Aryans Group.

Over 60,000 visitors from all over the North India visited in the 3 days carnival. Amusement Park, Art & Craft stalls exhibited by various NGO's & Govt. Departments, swings camel rides, Laughter Show, Magic Show, Food Courts, Cartoon characters, cultural events, food stalls by CIHM, AIHM, CITCO Da Vehra etc were the major attractions in the Carnival.

Civil & Police Administration should work with mutual coordination

Civil & Police Administration should work with mutual coordination to maintain law and order: VK Meena

Officers and officials of Revenue department to ensure complete transparency

SAS Nagar, 27 November : Civil & Police Administration should work with mutual coordination to maintain law and order in the district and officers concerned at district & sub divisional level should review the law and order during monthly meetings. This was stated by Divisional Commissioner Sh. VK Meena while addressing a meeting with Police and Civil Administration officials called to review the law and order in the district. Earlier guard of honour was also given to the Divisional Commissioner by the team of Punjab Police.

During this Sh. VK Meena directed the Police officials to ensure proper implementation of section 144 as and when ordered by District Magistrate. During this SSP Sh. Kuldeep Singh chahal apprised about the crime index graph in the district. Sh. Chahal said that a decline in the crime graph has been observed this year as compared to the last year. He said that religious places and other sensitive zones have been kept under CCTV surveillance. Sh. VK Meena said that each and every chowk of the district should be monitored through CCTV as the same is done in Chandigarh. He said that there is no chance of disturbance to law and order if civil and police administration work together with coordination. He also appreciated the Civil and Police Administration for appreciable work for maintaining law and order in the district.

Later on addressing to the officials of revenue department he said that complete transparency should be ensured in the working of revenue department and general public should not face any hurdle for getting mutation deeds of their properties. He further said that mutations, Divisions and surveyorship work should be completed before the stipulated time. During this he directed all SDMs to visit the Sewa Kendras once in a week to review the works and to ensure minimum pendency. Service Delivery aspect at Sewa Kenderas should be strengthened and objection files should also e checked. Besides this service delivery under Right to service act should be timely ensured.

Sh. VK Mena also reviewed the ongoing works & public welfare schemes in the district and said that officers to ensure timely presence in their respective offices and should also make a schedule for public interaction so that public grievances could be redressed timely. He directed the all officials to work as a team and to ensure timely completion of projects. During this he emphasized on extending the public welfare schemes to the grass route level. He also reviewed the projects of Water Supply & Sanitation, Education Department, Social Welfare Department, Pollution Control Board, Agriculture Department, MGNREGA scheme, Animal Husbandry department and various other departments. Sh. VK Meena also reviewed the working at Sewa Kendra at District Administrative Complex whereat he interacted with the general public and they expressed satisfaction towards the services of Sewa Kendras.

Earleir Deputy Commissioner Smt. Gurpreet Kaur Sapra explained in detail about the various development works, Social welfare schemes and Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojna. During the meeting Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Sh. Charandev Singh Maan, ADC GMADA Sh. Rajesh Kumar Dhiman, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Sh. Sanjeev Kumar Garg, All SDMs, Assistant Commissioner (General) Jasbir Singh, Assistant Commissioner (Grievances) Dr. Palika Arora, Chief Agriculture Officer Parminder Singh, Executive Engineer Public Health Sh. Sukhminder Singh Pandher, Executive Engineer Public Works Sh. Inderjit singh, Deputy Director Animal Husbandry Dr. Parmatma Sroop, Assistant Registrar Cooperative Societies Smt. Barjinder Kaur Bajwa and other officers of various departments were present.

PGIMER Ist amongst Govt. Hospitals in the Country

PGIMER Ist amongst Govt. Hospitals in the Country for the Promotion of Cadaver Organ Donation Programme

Conferred Award by Ms Anupriya Patel, Minister of State

With 40 Cadaver Donations in 2017 till date, PGIMER already up by 50 % vis a vis 2016. It was another milestone added to the already accomplished profile of PGIMER when Ms Anupriya Patel, Minister of State MOHFW awarded PGIMER, Chandigarh for its contribution for the promotion of cadaver organ donation programme in the ‘Best Hospital’ catagory at a hi-profile event organised to celebrate the 8th Indian Organ Donation Day by NOTTO (National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation) in New Delhi today.

It was consecutively for the second year that PGIMER Chandigarh was awarded for being first amongst the government  sector hospitals nationally for its contribution towards the deceased organ donation programme. The other two hospitals in the top three awarded on the occasion in the ‘Best Hospital’ category are private hospitals; including one from Telengana and other from Pune.

The award was received by Dr. Vipin Koushal, Nodal Officer, ROTTO PGIMER, Dr. Naveen Pandey, Assistant Professor, Deptt. of Hospital Administration and Ms Saryu D. Madra, Consultant (IEC/Media) ROTTO PGIMER On behalf of PGIMER, from the Hon’blr Minister of State.  

Others representing PGIMER at the function included Ms Rajinder Kaur, Transplant Coordinator, Mr Milan Kumar, Consultant (Data Management), Ms Nilakshi, Transplant Coordinator  and Mr. Varinder Singh from ROTTO PGIMER

Expressing his happiness at the accomplishment, Prof Jagat Ram, Director PGIMER stated, “It’s a huge honour to be acknowledged nationally as first amongst the public sector hospitals for our contribution towards the promotion of the deceased organ donation programme for second year successively. We at PGIMER dedicate this award to all the brave – heart donor families whose magnanimous gesture helped saving hundreds of lives and in fact, sustain the deceased donation programme in PGIMER.”

Reiterating the same sentiment, Prof.A K Gupta, Medical Superintendent cum Head, Deptt. of Hospital Administration, PGIMER shared, “The testimony to cascading impact of the awareness initiatives to mainstream the cause with the engagement of the community can be gauged from the fact that with one month yet to go, PGIMER has already received 40 cadaver organ donations in 2017, which is 50% already up from last year. ” We feel honoured as well as all the more committed to carry forward the mandate at a faster pace, added Prof. Gupta.

Govt policies are responsible for poverty .....................

Govt policies are responsible for poverty, unemployment, and suicides of farmers : Pasla

SAS Nagar, November 26 : After concluding the first 4-day All India Party conference of Revolutionary Marxists Party of India (RMPI), at Chandigarh today, a massive public rally was organized at Mohali (SAS Nagar) a large number of people from Punjab including Delegates all over India participated in rally. Comrade Mangat Ram Pasla, the newly elected General Secretary of RMPI, while addressing a public meeting here today said that these policies are responsible for growing poverty, unemployment, debtedness and suicides of farmers, labourers. Sufficient health services, quality education, house sites, social security, agricultural and forest land, public services, drinking and irrigation water are being snatched from us due to these policies. 

Apart of these polices under the conspiracies of the SANGH PARVER the Modi Government is bent uopn to make Hindhu Raj by attacking minorities, dalits which will be called as ‘one nation one religion’. Comrade K.Gangadharan newly elected Chairman, RMPI who also addressed the rally said that due to indiscriminate attitude of union and state govts. towards farmers community, farmers-laburers are committing suicides as these governments are in slumber. He further said that Mafia rules the roost and consequently rapid increase in crimes, smuggling and youth is indulging in nefarious activities in day and day out.  He said that the black laws like demonization has brought all-round bankrutcy in the country. Further derogatory GST has made the life of the people miserable because of this there are sky rocketing prices. He said that Indian people are becoming victims of MNCs and monopoly Indian capitalists.

Newly elected Tresurer of RMPI Comrade Rajinder Pranjpay said that under the prevailing, there is no iota of truth that it is not only an India but all over the world these new-liberal and anti-people policies have made the miserable life of the people especially people living in the third world countries. There is an all round frustration because of these policies in the country. He further said that mass movement leading to struggle to bring revolution is the only way out against these communal and divisive and anti-people forces. Comrade Harkanwal Singh Standing Committee Member of RMPI and Secretary Punjab State Committee while addressing the rally appealed to the people to extend whole hearted support for the ensuing struggles and expressed thanks for the unprecedented success of the four-day party conference.

Kindergarten presents “Magical Movements”

YPS, Mohali Kindergarten presents “Magical Movements”

S A S Nagar, 25 November : “A healthy body houses a healthy mind”- an adage which is closely followed at Yadavindra Public School. This is the spirit and ethos cultivated from Kindergarten onwards, hence a Field Display aptly named “Magical Movements” was presented by the youngest wing for their Annual Day. The spellbinding performances spoke volumes about the importance of learning precision, performance and above all team work. Regular games, aerobics , free play and a romp in the sandpit are important constitutes of a typical day in the Kindergarten. “Magical Movements“reflects the perfection in coordination as is learnt by performing simple to complex tasks. In Nursery children learn to tumble, roll, stretch and understand commands given. This is a gradual build up for the sophisticated performances as of the gymnasts and the butterflies. The spectacular show left everyone desiring for more- well done children

National Law Day celebrated

National Law Day celebrated at Aryans College of Law

S A S Nagar, 25 November : Aryans College of Law (ACL), Chandigarh today celebrated National Law Day at its Campus. Advocate Amit Rana, Co-Chairman, Bar Council of India, New Delhi was the Chief Guest in the occasion while Dr. Anshu Kataria, Chairman, Aryans Group presided over the function.

Students of BA-LL.B (5 Years) and LL.B (3 Years) participated in the function. Students also organized an awareness rally on bikes in the nearby villages of Nepra, Thuha and Alampur to aware the people about the legal rights and laws. Amit Rana addressed the students and reiterated the preamble of the constitution. Pointing out that the constitution had 25 parts, 448 articles, he urged the students to realize that it was equally important to perform the eleven fundamental duties as enshrined in the constitution while taking pride in cherishing the fundamental rights.

Dr. Anshu Kataria while speaking mentioned the 3 principles i.e Rule of Law, Independence of the Judiciary, Independence of the legal profession. The rationale of celebrating law day is to create awareness, to identify and to remove hurdles in the effective working of legal judiciary system.

Prof. B.S Sidhu, Director Administration discussed about fundamental Rights, amendments made in constitution, right to education and preamble of Indian Constitution etc.

Ms. Sukhaman Bath, Registrar while speaking on the occasion said "Taking the pledge on this important occasion would instill a sense of patriotism among students and engage their hearts and minds with a sense of being a part of one great nation”.

Dr. Parveen Kataria, Director General; Dr. Raman Rani Gupta, Director Academics; Ms. Jasmeen Kaur, HOD, Law Dept; Ms Sukhvir Aulakh, Assistant Professor, Law Dept etc were also present.

15-20,000 students affected

15-20,000 students affected because of shifting of PTU Exam Centres : PUCA-PUTIA

S A S Nagar, 24 November : A meeting of Punjab Unaided Technical Institutions Association (PUTIA) and Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA) under the joint leadership of President, PUTIA, Dr. J.S Dhaliwal and President, PUCA, Dr. Anshu Kataria was held today. The meeting was attended by the main office bearers of PUCA and putia.

Both associations expressed their concern on the shifting of Examination centres by the IKGPTU, Jalandhar due to the nonpayment of Registration fees, Admission fees, Examination fees or other Student Related Funds (SRF) to the University.

Dr J.S Dhaliwal and Dr. Anshu Kataria while speaking said that due to this decision of University, around 15,000-20,000 students affiliated to the University have to travel 20-30 Kms extra to give their exams. Dense fog and security would be the main issue especially for the girl students. 

It is to be mentioned that over 1200 crore of the colleges under PMS is pending towards the Govt. The delegation of PUCA and PUTIA assured that the dues towards the University would be cleared as soon as Govt releases the funds to the colleges

Apart from others S. Gurfateh Singh (Adesh, Gharuan), S. Gurkirat Singh (Gulzar Group, Ludhiana), S.  Gurpreet Singh (Universal Group, Lalru), Mr. Harinder Kanda (Quest Group, Jhanjeri), Mr. Sanjeev Chopra (HIMT Hoshiarpur) etc were also present in the meeting.

Democratic Revolution will come out from the unity of nationalists & democratic powers

Revolution will come out from the unity of nationalists & democratic powers

Chandigarh, 24 November (Bhagwant Singh Bedi) On the second day of its 1st All India Party Conference, the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India adopts its perspective tactical line, called programme of the party, introduced by Harkanwal Singh, CC member. 21 delegates participated in the day long discussion on the draft, which was circulated in advance to the lower party committees for deep delebrations inside the party, as a whole. 

The programme underlines the importance of extra parliamentary struggle, along with parliamentary work, for the development of a militant mass movement capable enough for the redressal of acute problems being faced by all the sections of toiling masses all over the country. It also underlines the importance of eradication of obnoxious cast system as well as gender based oppression on women for unleashing the full potentials of socio-economic development in India. The programme highlights the centuries old scourge of cast system as ‘Most dehumanizing’ aspect of Indian society, created by Manuwadi-Brahmnical order which is not only a source of cruel exploitation of the oppressed caste, but also a strong stigma for there humiliation.’  

The adopted programme also points the fact that the bourgeoisie-landlord rulers has further strengthed the patriarchal  order of discrimination with the women and they are now victims of trilateral exploitation-as women, as Indian citizens and as workers and degenerated culture being imported from the imperial world is daily adding the atrocities upon the women.

The party document underlines the growing violations of secularist and democratic norms and forms of the Indian constitution, because of the offensive let loose by Modi Government under the dictates of RSS. 

The Programme details the important feature of the People’s Democratic Revolution, the party has set its immidiate aim for advancement toward socialism, and has noted the urgent need of developing a People’s Democratic Front based on worker-peasant alliance led by working class. The party also aims at building a militant mass Revolutionary Party capable of uniting all the left-democratic and progressive patriotic forces for the realization of revolutionary social transformation    

Illegal mining on Panchayati lands will be blocked

B D O's & Panchayat Officers directed to prepare list of locations for Mining at Panchayati Lands: Anuraag Verma 

SAS Nagar, 23 November : Sh. Anuraag Verma, Secretary Rural Development& Panchayat Department, Punjab has directed all District & Block Development & Panchayat Officers to prepare a list of Mining and Panchayati Lands in villages and also directed to prepare this list by 30 November 2017 positively. 

Speaking on the issue today at Vikas Bhawan Mohali, Sh. Verma said that this will prevent illegal mining in the villages and on the other hands it will also add on the income of panchayats. He said that time to time various complaints are being received in the department regarding illegal mining in village's panchayat lands. In this regard, a DO letter from Director of mining, Department of Industry & Commerce Punjab has also been received. As such, directions to identify the mining panchayati lands in each village have been issued. 

Sh. verma also directed the concerned District& Block Development & Panchayat Officers to include the locations of Panchayati lands observing illegal mining in the said list. He said that if any complaint regarding illegal mining on panchayati land other than mentioned in the said list, is received after 30 November than the concerned District & Block Development & Panchayat Officer will be held responsible. He further said that these officials will obtain proper approval for legal mining at these locations in the village, after coordination with Deputy Commissioner of the district and SDMs. 

BSP gets a jolt ahead of MC polls

BSP gets a jolt ahead of MC polls

Prominent youth leader, others join Punjab Congress

Chandigarh, November 23 : The Bahujan Samaj Party has suffered a major jolt ahead of the Municipal Corporation (MC) elections in Punjab, with the former state chief of its youth wing Amrik Bagri from Jalandhar joining the Punjab Congress in the presence of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh here on Thursday morning. Amrik Bagri, who was also in charge of Jalandhar Cantt Assembly segment besides being ex General Secretary of the BSP,  was inducted into the Congress along with other party leaders, Gagan Bajwa, Vivek Bagri, Monu Bagri, Paramjeet Bagri, Jatinder Kalsi, Kamal, Balwant Rai (NRI) and Monu Ghir and Jagroop Singh Dhesi.

Welcoming Bagri and others into the party fold, Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder said it was a sign of the growing popularity of the Congress and the enormous faith reposed by the people in the Congress government’s citizen-centric policies and programmes. It was also an endorsement of the welfare schemes and development initiatives of the government, especially for the underprivileged sections of the society. 

Coming as it does in the run-up to the MC elections, this showed that the people of Punjab had no faith in any of the other political parties in the state, said Captain Amarinder. He assured the newly inducted leaders that they would be given due respect and recognition in the Congress. Bagri lamented that the senior BSP leadership, due to its autocratic style of functioning and vested interests, had deliberately ignored and marginalised the rank and file of the party. The BSP was at the crossroads today and swiftly losing its popularity even with its own electorates due to its myopic vision, he said, alleging that the BSP had lost its base.

The Congress, under the leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh, has already taken path breaking initiatives, which would definitely take Punjab to new heights of development and prosperity, said Bagri. He pledged that he and his colleagues would work relentlessly like disciplined soldiers to ensure overall development and prosperity in the state. Prominent amongst those present on the occasion were MLA  Jalandhar Cantt Pargat Singh and OSD to Chief Minister, Ankit Bansal.

Aryans Personality Development Programme

Aryans Group organizes a Personality Development Programme (PDP)

S.A.S Nagar, 23rd November : Aryans Group of Colleges, Chandigarh organized a Personality Development Programme (PDP) at its Campus. The Programme aimed at increasing Employability skills of the Students. Mr. Jaspreet Singh Malhotra, Managing Director, The Giants along with others including Mr. Paramjeet Singh and Mr. Hanu Dixit were the key note speakers on the occasion.

The programme emphasized on building various skills including Speaking skills, Interview skills, Personal Interviews, Verbal Ability, Quantitative ability, Resume writing etc.

Mr. Jaspreet Malhotra told about goals, importance of setting goals, how to overcome anxieties related to them and overcoming obstacles to achieve them. He emphasized the importance of having clarity while setting goals. Also, one must be determined and prepared to make sacrifices in order to achieve the goals.

Mr. Paramjeet Singh discussed about speaking skills, group discussion, interview skills, personal interviews focusing on Interview tips, Interview attending skills, etiquette and Presentation Skills etc.

Gian Jyotians shines

 Gian Jyotians shines in 2nd India Open International Taekwondo Championship 2017

S.A.S. Nagar, 23 Nov : Students of GianJyoti Global School brought laurels to the school by winning 3 Gold Medal, 4 Silver and 4 Bronze Medal at 2nd India Open International Taekwondo Championship 2017.
Spokesman of the school told today that Kamalpreet (Class 3rd), Vansh Sharma (Class 5th), Jaskaran (Class 7th ) won Gold Medals.Inder Singh (Class 8th), Raman Bassi (Class 7th), Hardik (Class 8th), Sumit (Class 7th) won Silver medals. Hardik (Class 8th), Sumit (Class 7th), Vansh Sharma (Class 5th) and Kamalpreet also won Bronze medal in2nd India Open International Taekwondo Championship 2017held atJaipur. Over 1200 students across the country participated in the championship.

CROSS-COUNTRY RACE

INTER-HOUSE CROSS-COUNTRY RACE ORGANISED AT YPS

S.A.S.Nagar, 23 November : Yadavindra Public School, Mohali, held its Inter-House Cross-Country Race on November 23, 2017.  An immense amount of enthusiasm and vigour was seen amongst all the runners, who ran to the best of their ability. The boys and girls were grouped according to their age groups. The proud winners of U - 19 (Boys) were- Aditya Bakshi (First), Gunjeet Bhullar (Second) and Maganpreet Singh (Third). In U- 19 (Girls) category, the winners were- Sehaj Kaur Tiwana (First), Alexia Verma (Second) and Ria Khurana (Third).  U-17 (Boys) Samarth Sehgal stood first, followed by Siddharth Goyal  and Abhiraj Singh respectively. In the U-17 (Girls), the first position went to Arshiya, Ekjot Kaur stood second and Ananya Sharma was third. In the U- 14 (Boys) Category, the first position went to Nitya Ahuja, Agambir Singh stood second while Harshit Kumar bagged the  third position . In the U-14 (Girls), the first position went to Senona. The second position was taken by Agam Sadiora and the Kudrat Bhatia stood third. In the U-12(Boys) group, Davik Sharma stood first, while Jasnoor Singh was second, followed by Raghav Verma. In the U-12 (Girls) category, the winners were -Jasnoor Kaur (First), Japleen K.Dhaliwal (Second) and Sajneet K. Grewal (Third). The Cross Counrty race is an enjoyable event, which is liked by all, especially the students. P.T.Usha and Milkha Singh trophy was awarded to Sehaj Kaur Tiwana and Aditya Bakshi respectively.

Sports Day

Annul Sports Day celebration at Ashmah International School

yoga and formation of pyramid were centre attraction of the competition

S A S Nagar, 23 Nov : Ashmah International School, Sector 70 celebrated Annual Sports Day in the campus in colourful dresses and marvellously decorated premises. After the splendid March Past, students participated in the ‘Oath Taking Ceremony’ in which they pledged to play with sportsmanship besides keeping in mind all the rules and regulations of different events. Students were led by their house captains. The P.T. drill was presented by all the students. The day witnessed a number of sports events like balloon race, lemon back race, cap race, crawl race, frog race. Everyone enjoyed the races and cheered the little ones.

As it was a field show also yoga and formation of pyramid, Drills were conducted by the students. The senior students presented many sports events. Junior and senior wing also participated in Matka, Sprint, Sack, Slow cycling race. All the students participated with great sportsmanship spirit. In Dribbling Dhawal Rawat, Prabjot, Bhavya Mittal take 1st, 2nd & 3rd position. While in Matka Race Harsh , Prabjot, Ravneet bagged  the first, second & Third position. Raman was declared as overall winner besides this Rakesh ,Ishnaaz were second and third .

The winners were awarded the prizes by  Chief Guest Harpal singh, joint MD Rayat Bahra Group of institutes. Director of the School J.S.Kesar blessed the students and encouraged them to participate actively in sports in future too for the overall development. According to him healthy mind lives in healthy body and sports are helpful to channelize the energy of the children in positive way, besides sports are helpful in enhancing different qualities in students i.e. Quality of cooperation ,leadership, competition which will be helpful for them in future.

Later, Principal of the school Babita Dogra congratulated the students for their unmatched performance. She advised the students to participate in sports for their physical fitness & growth. The day drew to a close after the prize distribution with a vote of thanks and the National Anthem. The children went home displaying their medals and certificates proudly, looking forward to the next Annual Sports Day.

PUNJAB CM UNVEILS DRAFT STARTUP & ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT POLICY

PUNJAB CM UNVEILS DRAFT STARTUP & ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT POLICY

STRESSES COMMITMENT TO PROMOTING ENTREPRENEURIAL GROWTH, ESPECIALLY AMONG WOMEN

S.A.S Nagar , November 22: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday unveiled the draft Punjab Startup and Entrepreneurship Development Policy 2017, underlining his government’s strong commitment to aggressively supporting women startups.In his inaugural address at the 'Road to GES' programme ahead of the Global Entrepreneurship  Summit 2017,  slated to be held in Hyderabad later this month, the Chief Minister said women were more committed in terms of dedication towards industrial entrepreneurship and his government was doing everything possible to facilitate them. 

The Startup and Entrepreneurship Development Policy will go a long way in boosting the state’s efforts to promote entrepreneurial culture, especially among women, he added. The Road to GES, focused on 'Celebrating and Empowering Women in Entrepreneurship', was organized by NITI Aayog in partnership with FICCI and ISB.

Inviting suggestions and feedback to the draft policy, the Chief Minister said his government was focused on making the state competitive for industrialists, and the draft policy, along with the Industrial Policy brought out earlier, would facilitate industrial development in the state. He cited his government’s decision to fix power rate at Rs 5 per unit for industries, along with other measures being taken to boost industries, as being motivated by the motto of `Business First’.

His government, said the Chief Minister, was focused on empowerment of women and was enhancing their participation in decision-making, having already increased women’s reservation in Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies to 50%. Captain Amarinder expressed the hope that other states would follow Punjab’s example in the matter of reservation of seats for women.

Women empowerment was critical to the development of the state, said Captain Amarinder, adding that during his meetings with captains of industry, he had mentioned to ICICI Bank MD & CEO Chanda Kochhar that the best way to help Punjab was to enhance the income of the women of the house. Lauding women for their stellar role in the development of India as a brand, the Chief Minister cited the example of PepsiCo Chairperson & CEO Indra Nooyi, who had emerged as a role model for all visionary and successful women.

Blaming the previous government in Punjab for not doing enough for the technology-driven industry, Captain Amarinder said his government was committed to getting the state back on the track of progress. He lamented the lack of thrust on industry in Punjab over the years, with agriculture being promoted more than other sectors, causing the state to lag behind on industrial and other important fronts. 

While Punjab needed to continue promoting agriculture, diversification was important to bring the state out of the prevailing agrarian crisis, said he Chief Minister, adding that the state government was keen to work with bodies like FICCI to boost the state’s development. Referring to the SYL issue, the Chief Minister said nobody wanted to stop sharing water if there was surplus of it.

The Chief Minister, who honoured six entrepreneurs including five women, also came out in praise of Trident Group Chairman Rajinder Gupta for his business success in Punjab and said everyone was welcome to come to the state to do business.

Gupta, who is also Regional Chair – FICCI and Vice Chairman Punjab State Planning Board, underlined the role of women in fostering the overall social and industrial growth. The women entrepreneurial community should be provided with all safety nets to create a self-sustained path of development, he said, while appreciating the Chief Minister for his dynamic role in enabling Punjab to provide a conducive environment for nurturing capacity building in startups. Gupta further said there was need to aggressively support women who have always proved that they have the inherent ability to offer innovation in startups.

Ms. Monika Chowdhary, Chairperson FICCI FLO Ludhiana, thanked the Chief Minister for providing proactive leadership in supporting women set up their own ventures. Punjab is known for industrious people and women especially are involved in managing their own business ventures and in creating jobs at all levels of economy, she said.

VIII CME cum Workshop on Laws Applicable to Hospitals Concluded Successfully

VIII CME cum Workshop on Laws Applicable to Hospitals Concluded Successfully

Chandigarh, 22 November : The Eighth CME cum Workshop on Laws Applicable to Hospitals: Issues, Challenges & Possible Solutions by Department of Hospital Administration concluded on a positive note here at PGIMER today. More than 120 senior healthcare functionaries with diverse background from across India including states closer home like Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir as well as distant states like Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala etc participated in the CME.

Inaugurating the CME cum Workshop as Chief Guest, Prof. Jagat Ram, Director, PGIMER stated, “In the present times, the patient care has gone beyond ensuring physical and mental well being of the patients. There was a time when the compliance with central & state laws & regulation was not an important issue for hospital administration. Now, with the system constantly evolving, the increasing knowledge and enlightenment about frail healthcare practices have opened a Pandora’s box in terms of legal issues and challenges for administrators. Therefore, the acid test for healthcare providers is to focus on giving the patients a better experience while conforming to the prevailing laws,”

Speaking as Guest of Honour, Prof. D. Behera, Dean (Research) & Head, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, PGIMER emphasized that the job of Dept. of Hospital Administration is no cake walk as they are to achieve balance through coordination and deliver the results every time without violating any law of the land. Highlighting the need for innovation, Prof. Behera lauded the Dept. of Hospital administration for their initiative of “tele-evidence”, one of its kinds in the country, leading to saving of hundreds of man-hours of doctors through video court apperances and thereby, helping the patients.

Endorsing the need for awareness and training of the health care functionaries, the Organizing Chairman, Prof. AK Gupta, Medical Superintendent cum Head, Dept. of Hospital Admn. PGIMER stated, “ There being over 200 laws applicable to health care services, ensuring hospital’s compliance is a tall order and with the advent of healthcare reform & development of newer ways of health care delivery, it is all the more imperative to ensure that compliance plans are current & that hospitals follow the law in letter & spirit.”

With an intent to enhance engagement and build synergies, the scientific sessions in CME cum Workshop encompassed in-depth and analytical deliberations on Bio Medical Waste Management Act, PCPNDT Act, Transplant of Human Organs Act, RTI Act, Consumer Protection Act, Delhi Fire Services Act and Contract Labor Act.

The galaxy of experts who deliberated and came out with recommendations on various legal and technical aspects included Sh. Ambitabh Avasthi, IAS, DDA PGIMER, Prof. N. Khandelwal, Head, Deptt. of Radiodiagnosis; Prof. Vanita Suri, Head, Deptt. of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Prof. Ashish Sharma, Head, Deptt. of Renal Transplant Surgery, Prof. Sameer Aggarwal, Dept. of Orthopedics, Dr. Vipin Koushal, Nodal Officer, ROTTO, Dr. Ashok Kumar, Dr. Pankaj Arora, Dr. Navneet Dhaliwal, Dr. Mahesh Devnani and Dr. Shweta Talati from Dept. of Hospital Administration, PGIMER to mention a few.

National training Programme on Materiovigilance at PGIMER

Chandigarh, 14 November : The Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Division have started one day “National training Programme on Materiovigilance”under the supervision of Professor Bikash Medhi and Er. Sanjeev Sharma. This programme was started in 2015 after the approval of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Govt. of India (GoI). Materiovigilance Programme of India (MvPI) in an effort to ensure safety of medical devices. In the inauguration programme, the following dignitaries. were present: Professor Rajesh Kumar, Dean, PGIMER; Professor Ajit Avasthi, Head, Psychiatry Department, PGIMER; Er.P.S Saini, Superintendent Hospital Engineer, PGIMER, Chandigarh;Er. Sanjeev Sharma,Hospital Engineer(Biomedical)in LT-1, Lecture Theatre Complex, Nehru Hospital, PGIMER, Chandigarh.

This time the programme will focus on the clinical and industry aspects of implementation of Materiovigilanceand will cover current issues facing in medical device use, implantable and nonimplantable medical device safety, recent regulatory changes, Materiovigilance, Current status of medical education and lots of other topics.Many eminent students, Biomedical Engineer and staff of other medical institutes from all over India are attending the programme and efforts are made to aware the personnel of different institute about the programme.

Explorica 2017 at Gem Public School

Explorica 2017, an endeavour to hone the creativity, innovation and energy of the students was organized at the school premises. The exhibition was formally inaugurated by the director Mr. H.S.Midha & Mrs. Midha. Students exhibited working models of different subjects. 

Explorica gave a chance to every child to showcase their innate talents. Every little artist, scientist and entrepreneur exhibited his/her creative creation. There was plethora of activities and competitions like creative writing, quiz, Radio Jockey, Solo song and dance for the students. Many 'on the spot competitions' like Mehandi, Face Painting, Tattoo Making were also organized. The spectators and visitors enjoyed games organized by the students and relished the dishes prepared by them. The evening witnessed a grand closing ceremony.

Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu MLA attended the ceremony. He facilitated the winners of different competitions. The senior students gave scintillating dance performances which left the audience mesmerized. Five lucky people walked away with lucky prizes. Principal Mrs. R. Buvana thanked the chief guest, parents and student for their contribution to make the event successful.

Navjot Singh Sidhu releases Gurleen Khaira’s book

Navjot Singh Sidhu releases Gurleen Khaira’s book for Occupational English Test

CHANDIGARH, NOVEMBER 13: "It is very heartening to note that a book has come out which would be of immense assistance to the nurses wanting to move to the foreign shores by taking OET (Occupational English Test) and make a career for themselves."
Disclosing this here today while releasing a book penned by OET trainer, soft-skill trainer, and career counsellor Gurleen Khaira, the Local Government, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister, Punjab, Mr. Navjot Singh Sidhu said that he is elated that a daughter of Punjab who is a 4 time National Awardee, has taken such an initiative which would prove to be a milestone in helping the nursing professionals.
On the occasion, the author Gurleen Khaira said that OET is an English language test that is designed for health professionals who seek to register and practice in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Singapore, and Dubai.  It provides a valid and reliable assessment of all four language skills –listening, reading, writing and speaking – with an emphasis on communication in healthcare professional settings. It is also worth mentioning that the Chapters in book cover everything from vocabulary review and hints to full-length sample tests with answer expectations.

GOVT TO SOON RELEASE ANOTHER 70 LAKH TONNES OF MINING CAPACITY

CAPT AMARINDER-LED PUNJAB GOVT TO SOON RELEASE ANOTHER 70 LAKH TONNES OF MINING CAPACITY

EASY AVAILABILITY OF SAND WILL CHECK HOARDING & CONTROL PRICE OF SAND, GENERATE MORE REVENUE FOR STATE

Chandigarh, May 21 : Encouraged by the successful e-auction of 89 mines, the Punjab government has decided to release another 70 lakh tonnes of mining capacity soon to meet the state-wide demand for sand and bring the commodity price under control. With the generation of a total capacity of 3 crore tonnes, the government is looking at filling the demand-supply gap in the state, thus effectively decartelizing the mining business and stabilizing the price of sand, an official spokesperson said here on Sunday, providing the rationale for the Captain Amarinder Singh government’s strategic decision to release more sand into the market through progressive bidding.

Categorically allaying fears of a price rise, as projected in a section of the media, the spokesperson said the government policy on mining rests on the twin pillars of reasonable price for the people and reasonable revenue generation for the state coffers. The revenue from mining was earlier being diverted into the pockets of the mafia, patronized by the erstwhile SAD-BJP government, and the Congress government was committed to effectively eliminate illegal mining and ensure level playing field for all.

The e-auctions, said the spokesperson, had restored the faith of the common businessman in the system and had encouraged many new players to enter the field, as reflected in the wide participation in the bidding, leading to the destruction of the cartel formed by a few players and a record-breaking revenue generation of Rs. 1026 crores through the release of 1.3 crore tonnes of sand. With 70 lakh tonnes of additional capacity set to be released soon, the total quantity of sand in the market will go up to 3 crore tonnes (including the 1 lakh tonnes already available). This would be more than sufficient to meet the current estimated demand of 2 crore tonnes, the spokesperson added, pointing out that with such a huge amount of material available for sale, the question of overcharging or hoarding could not arise.

The spokesperson further said the conditions of mine allotment under the present government’s policy have built-in checks against hoarding and speculation by the contractors, who are required to deposit security and advance payment by May 23. In case of failure, the earnest money deposited will be forfeited and the mine will be re-auctioned immediately, with the said contractor being blacklisted for the future. Further, the successful bidder has to pay a quarterly instalment of total bid amount irrespective of actual mining. In case of failure, the security will be seized and the mine will be put on auction again.

The Department of Mining, according to the spokesperson, is actively working on the identification of new sites and will keep adding capacity to keep a check on supply side. Further, the existence of multiple players will prove to be a strong deterrent against illegal mining as the contractors will themselves keep a strict watch on others in order to protect their own interest. The Department is also in the process of putting in place a strong mechanism to check illegal mining, which includes physical and technological checks. This will further support genuine players. All efforts of the government are directed towards streamlining of the mining sector and diverting the abnormal contractor profits to the government exchequer, for use in public welfare programmes, the spokesperson added.

15+ Companies to participate in 43rd Aryans Job Fest on 6th June

15+ Companies to participate in 43rd Aryans Job Fest on 6th June

Mohali 21 May : Over 15 big and small companies from various corporate and industrial sectors have given their written confirmation to participate in 43rd Aryans Job Fest to be held on 6th June at PHD Chamber, Sector-31, Chandigarh. Free online registration has already been started on Aryans website i.e www.aryans.edu.in 

Dr. Anshu Kataria, Chairman, Aryans Group while giving this information said that hundreds of candidates from North India and other states have already registered for this fest. In this fest, job opportunities would be available for B.Tech, MBA, BBA, BCA, BA, B.Com, M.Tech, Diploma, ITI, Nursing etc. He further said that candidates need to carry 10 copies of their resumes and passport size photographs with them.

Kataria further said that in India, the number of unemployed educated youth is the highest. Thus such job fests provide the youth with great job opportunities. He also said that in Punjab itself, huge job opportunities are available but there is always a gap between job seeker and job provider. Thus Aryans always tries to bridge this gap. 

Ms Sukhaman Bath, TPO, Aryans Group that the one day fest will witness participation from leading companies that are looking to engage with prospective employees. The fair will give an opportunity to final year students and fresh graduates from all streams to access career options available in various leading organizations under one roof. The students will also get an opportunity to evaluate if their existing skill sets match up to the industry requirements.

It is to be mentioned that Aryans has achieved several milestones in the field of placements last year. Last year about 800 companies had visited the job fest and this year more than 700 companies are expected to visit the campus during job fest. The group has seen 100 per cent placement of its students and now the group is trying to get students of other colleges placed with well-known companies.

STOP LYING, CHECK OUT THE HARD FACTS, SAYS CAPT AMARINDER

STOP LYING, CHECK OUT THE HARD FACTS, SAYS CAPT AMARINDER ON SAD-BJP CRITICISM OF HIS 2-MONTH RULE

POINTS TO SUCCESSES ON DRUGS, PROCUREMENT, INDUSTRY REVIVAL TO EXPOSE BADAL’S BLATANT LIES

Chandigarh, May 17 : Lashing out at the Akalis and the BJP for their criticism of his government’s two-month rule, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said they should be ashamed of such brazen lies, which were completely belied by the actual facts and ground realities. 

In a hard-hitting statement, a spokesperson in the Chief Minister’s Office said Captain Amarinder was shocked at the shamelessness with which the Akalis, led by their patriarch and former chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, and their alliance partners - the BJP, were resorting to blatant falsehoods in a desperate bid to befool the people.

Their criticism, said the Chief Minister, was particularly impertinent in view of the fact that it was their misrule of 10 years that had plunged the state to such abysmal depths of despair on all fronts, with a mega debt burden compounding the problems of the Congress government.

Yet, despite the mess it had inherited, his government had been successful in bringing the state out of the throes of devastation to put it back on the path to progress, said Captain Amarinder, pointing to the massive successes they had notched up on all major fronts, including elimination of the drugs scourge, industrial revival which will lead to generation of jobs, steps to waive off the farm loans, abolition of the VIP culture, educational and transport reforms, among others. The drugs mafia was gasping for breath while industries and business houses were making a beeline for investment in the state, the Chief Minister pointing out, adding that the situation was in sharp contrast to the one prevailing till two months back, when drug smugglers and peddlers ruled the roost and industries were fleeing the state in hordes.

Chief Minister referred to the smooth procurement of wheat, with the highest ever payments released to farmers in April, to point out the extent to which the Akalis and the BJP were stooping with their blatant falsehoods, while completing ignoring hard facts that were on record. He Further said that the last two months have seen a marked improvement on the law and order front, with the common people of the state feeling much more safe and secure than they had felt over the past decade.

The Commission set up to ascertain the farm debt quantum and to work out modalities for its waiver was expected to come out with its report soon, to pave the way for total waiver of the farmers’ loans, to which he was personally committed, Captain Amarinder said. Referring to the sacrilege cases, he said his government had not only set up a new Commission on Inquiry but was mulling steps to enhance the punishment in such cases, based the opinion given a few days ago by the state Advocate General on amendment to Section 295 IPC. Negating another of Badal’s criticism, the Chief Minister said his government had already ordered a freeze on all 'kurki', which the former chief minister was either not aware of or had deliberately chosen to ignore in order to mislead the people. 

Captain Amarinder urged Badal and his associates to stop criticizing the government for the sake of criticism and, instead, to join hands in bringing the state back on the path to recovery.  Considering that the people of Punjab were suffering because of the SAD-BJP misdeeds, this was the least they could do now, the Chief Minister added.

Kingpins of paper leak scam arrested by Vigilance Bureau

Kingpins of paper leak scam arrested by Vigilance Bureau

Accused were wanted in the paper leak cases of various recruitments in Local bodies during 2015

SAS Nagar (Mohali), May 17

In a major breakthrough, Punjab Vigilance Bureau has succeeded in apprehending the main culprits behind the various cases of paper leak in the year 2015. These papers were conducted for the recruitment of various posts in local bodies department. The wanted master minds behind these paper leak cases Siv Bahadur Singh and Sanjay Kumar Srivastava were arrested by the vigilance bureau along with their associate Sailes Kumar. Sanjay Kumar Srivastava is popularly known as 'Masterji' alias 'Guruji' alias Mithilesh Pandey

          Divulging the details of the case during a press conference here at Vigilance Police Station Flying Squad 1, Mr. G Nageswara Rao, Director Vigilance Bureau said that the Punjab Government conducted recruitment tests for the posts of Assistant Corporation Engineer (Civil), Assistant Muncipal Engineer (Civil) and Sub-Divisional Engineer (Civil) in Muncipal Corpoartaion, Muncipal Council, Nagar Panchayat and Improvement trust on November 08 and November 15, 2015. He said that the matter of paper leak for these recruitments was reported and after the preliminary investigations Vigilance Bureau had registered the case on April 6, 2016. He said that during the investigation the similar cases of paper leak for the examination of PUNSUP and PUDA department were also came to the fore.

          Adding further to this case, Mr. Rao said that during investigation it was revealed that Guruji managed to leak the papers to the selective candidates at Lucknow in lieu of fat bribe. Further investigations after the arrest of Siv Kumar Bahadur son of Uma Shankar resident of Vindvasni Nagar, Varanasi and Sailes Kumar son of Harinder Singh resident of Bahera, district Azamgarh, revealed that the real name of ‘Guruji’ is Sanjay Kumar Srivastava son of Muni Lal resident of Ujjala Appartment, Sector 20, Indra Nagar Lucknow. Later, Chief Director Vigilance formed a vigilance team led by Inspector Satwant Singh Sidhu to arrest 'Guruji'. After getting the warrants from the court, the vigilance team arrested the culprit from Lucknow on May 16, 2107.

          It is pertinent to mention here that these culprits were also wanted by Chandigarh police in the similar ETT/JBT paper leak cases.

Accused were presented in the court today where honorable court ordered to send Guru ji in police remand for 5 days and other two accused on police remand for three days

Punjab seeks special packages for agricultural, industrial & border area development

Capt Amarinder seeks special packages for Punjab agricultural, industrial & border area development

New Delhi, 17 May : Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today called on Arvind Panagariya, vice chairman of Niti Aayog to discuss central support and collaboration in the holistic development of the state, with special measures to help out the beleaguered farming sector and special packages for debt waiver, industrialization and border area development.

Arvind Panagariya, vice chairman of Niti Aayog agreed to visit Punjab for detailed discussions with the state government for the development of the region through crop diversification, industrial revival and other programmes, according to an official spokesperson.He assured the chief minister that Punjab would not be impacted by industrial incentives to the states of Uttakahand, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. 

Captain Amarinder suggested a special industrial package for Punjab along a 40 km belt in the sensitive border area.There is a strong need, he said, to encourage micro, small and medium enterprises in Punjab State with similar incentives in the border belt and in the sub-mountainous area along the hilly tracts to promote employment and bring buoyancy in the tax revenue of the State. It was also necessary for balanced regional development, he stressed, also seeking a special one-time infrastructure development package for improving the border areas, with border roads to be taken up for special development and maintenance under the National Highway Programme of the country.

The Chief Minister further urged the central government to also promote a Petro Chemical hub adjoining the Bathinda Refinery for manufacturing value added products.
Even as he reiterated his request for financial support to mitigate the fiscal distress of the farmers reeling under huge debt burdens, the Chief Minister sought the support of the Aayog and the central government for encouraging Agro Food Parks, especially in horticulture, in the state.

The Chief Minister also sought from the Aayog price deficiency support for maize and other crops, as per Government of India MSP, in addition to wheat and paddy, to encourage farmers to opt for alternate cropping to increase their earnings. He urged the Aayog to provide the state with technical support in preparing a roadmap for doubling the income of the farmers. The issues of drip irrigation, water conservation and management also came up for discussion at the meeting. 

Captain Amarinder once again reiterated his request for a one-time waiver and debt swap by the central government of the term loan taken by the cash-crunched state, which is reeling under immense financial difficulties as a result of the fiscal mismanagement of the previous government. Besides soliciting the Aayog’s support in planning and implementing micro irrigation systems in agriculture to enhance the water productivity in the state, the Chief Minister also asked for support for outcome studies in education, health and water.

Captain Amarinder further emphasized the need for the central government to acquire lands that lie beyond the border fence and also liberally compensate lands which are damaged or rendered ineffective for farming due to periodic military deployment. The Government of India should provide the same level of tax incentives and promotional schemes to this region as is given to the hilly and north-eastern region, and should also include Punjab as a category ‘A’ State for financial assistance on the pattern of Jammu & Kashmir and eight north-east states under the modernization of State Police forces scheme with Central funding on a 90:10 basis, the Chief Minister added. Chief Minister accompanied by his Media Advisor Raveen Thukral, Principal Secretary Tejveer Singh besides Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary Satish Chandra and Resident Commissioner, Punjab Bhawan, New Delhi Rahul Bhandari. Apart from these, Member Agriculture Dr. Ramesh Chand, CEO NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant and Additional Secretary Yadvendra Mathur.