KIRAN FINDS GlARING GAPS IN CROP INSURANCE SCHEME
Chandigarh: Kiran Choudhry, leader of the Haryana Congress legislature Party (ClP), has flayed Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar for implementing the crop insurance scheme despite glaring gaps in the scheme. In a statement, former Excise and Taxation Minister said that under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) heat wave, cold wave and frost are not covered as natural calamity for giving compensation which will put the farmers to a great loss in Kharif and Rabi seasons. She said CM should clarify his plans to protect the interests of the farmers suffering losses on account of heat wave, cold wave and frost. Choudhry said when the Centre and the State Governments planned to give direct subsidy to the farmers where was the need to involve insurance firms. This is being done just to benefit the insurance firms, not the farmers.
OFFICERS to be ACCOUNTABlE FOR RElEASING BENEFITS
Chandigarh: Haryana Government has decided that the drawing and disbursing officers would be responsible for release of monetary benefits available to the dependents of deceased regular employees under the Haryana Compassionate Assistance to the Dependent of Deceased Government Employees Rules 2003. It has also been decided that where neither appointment has been given under ex-gratia scheme nor an amount of Rs 2.5 lakh has been disbursed to the dependents of the deceased regular employee as a onetime measure, lump sum payment of Rs 2.5 lakh would be made to the dependents of deceased regular employees who are covered under the policy of the year 2003. All the Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Commissioners of all the four Divisions of Ambala, Hisar, Rohtak and Gurgaon, all Deputy Commissioners and Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) have been asked to ensure strict compliance of these instructions.
‘GANDHI, AMBEDKAR HAD CONSENSUS DESPITE CONTRADICTIONS’
Chandigarh: Mahatma Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar had differences on the possible strategy for freedom of India and that of its people, but there is no doubt that they were in the last instance working on a project of universal human liberation. Professor Manindra Thakur, Jawahar lal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi said so while delivering a lecture on ‘’Exploring Ambedkar-Gandhi Relations’’ in Punjab University. Prof, Thakur said caste was the primary contradiction for Ambedkar, whereas, for Gandhi it was colonialism. Gradually they realised that freedom of India was conditional on the freedom from caste exploitation and colonial exploitation simultaneously. Ambedkar in the beginning thought that modern state, rule of law and a good constitution would be sufficient for liberation from caste. While Gandhi thought society had to reform itself and that would be more smooth and permanent. Ambedkar towards the end of his life realised that state or rule of law might be a necessary but not sufficient condition for freedom from caste exploitation. His conversion to Budhhism confirmed this change in his idea. It should not be difficult to understand that contemporary social movements need to engage with both them and treat them as complementary instead of being contradictory.
SANDHIR to ADDRESS PARIS REDOX WORlD CONGRESS
Chandigarh: Prof Rajat Sandhir of Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh has been invited to deliver a talk on the topic “Nanoantioxidants: a new paradigm for treating diseases involving oxidative stress” during the 17th International Conference on Oxidative Stress Reduction, Redox Homeostasis and Antioxidants (Paris Redox 2016 World Congress), which is to be held at the Institute Pasteur in Paris from June 13 to 15, 2016. The Paris Redox World Congress 2016 would focus on understanding how cells respond to oxidative stress and how preventing cell damage and cell death, with a particular interest in neurons and neurological conditions, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, kidney and liver pathologies. The Organising committee invited him after following his recent work on the applications of nanoantioxidants in health and disease. Dr Rajat Sandhir is the only speaker from India invited to the prestigious international meeting.
HQ DElHI WINS WESTERN COMMAND ATHlETICS tourney
Patiala: HQ Delhi Area won the Western Command Athletics Championship organised at NIS Patiala. The championship ended with a sparkling closing ceremony, attended by over 1500 military personnel and presided over by GOC Black Elephant Division. The championship saw about 750 athletes rubbing shoulders with each other. Fifteen teams of the elite Western Command participated in the 32 track/field events in the championship. Hav K Kumar was awarded the Best Athlete of the Championship as he bagged one Gold and one Silver medal. HQ Delhi Area received the championship trophy from GOC, Black Elephant Division.
Oxigen tied up with Big Bazaar Direct
Chandigarh: Oxigen, having 2 lakhs point of sales touch points, where people can deposit their cash and transfer money to any bank account in the country with an approach in the mobile wallet business is to digitise cash in the country, has announced its tie-up with Big Bazaar Direct. This association empowers Oxigen’s retailers to sell the wide assortment of Big Bazaar Direct through its network to its end customers. This partnership is aimed at offering convenience to the end consumers by making its large product offering easily accessible at great prices within their vicinity, at their neighborhood store.
PaiF celebrates Holi Utsav
Patiala: The Patiala Agarwal Intellectual Forum” (PAIF) celebrated Holi Utsav with limca Book of Records holder for kathak dancer, Shruti Gupta. PAIF president NK Jain, Vice President Dr KC Garg, General Secretary VK Modi, Organising Secretary HC Jindal, and others welcomed kathak dancer Shruti with flowers. She gave a holi based kathak recital on Thumri. PAIF also presented a memento for her special achievements. The main theme of kathak dancer Shruti Gupta has been nature. On Independence Day, she will again dance on the theme of environment- “THE NATURE”.
Andhra Bank’s Sec 19 Panchkula Branch opens
Panchkula: SK Kalra, Executive Director, Andhra Bank inaugurated Sector-19 Panchkula Branch in the presence of Ashwani Mittal, Circle General Manager, New Delhi Circle, Shaik Hussain, Zonal Manager, Chandigarh Zone, E Koti Reddy, AGM, Branch Manager, staff members and other guests. Chandigarh Zone covers the states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh & the UT of Chandigarh. Andhra Bank now has 78 branches in Haryana, 75 branches in Punjab states, & 25 branches in Chandigarh Tri-city. Kalra elaborated on the performance of the Bank and interacted with the customers. Mittal spoke about how the Bank has grown rapidly in the northern part of the country. Shaik Hussain spelt out the focus areas of the Bank for Chandigarh Zone & Zone’s progress & achievements during the year. Wheelchairs were distributed at Civil Hospital, Sector-6, Panchkula as part of Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity.
OBC staff protests against defaulters
Chandigarh: The staff of Oriental Bank of Commerce, Regional office, Chandigarh which comprises Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana held a peaceful demonstration in front of residences of the promoters and Guarantors in the three Non Performing Assets (NPA) accounts. The bank took the action to convey the message to the defaulters to repay the bank loans immediately as they had failed to do so despite regular reminders and meetings. Officials of Oriental Bank said this process of silent demonstration will continue in all other NPA accounts as well till these borrowers deposit the full loan, MM Dhupar, Dy General Manager said.