69th annual conference of Physicians of India begins today

Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 7:08 PM

Inaugurated by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal

LUDHIANA, February 19, 2014: (Satpal Soni//Punjab Screen):

The sixty-ninth annual conference of the Association of Physicians of India will begin here tomorrow. It will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, while Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, Political Advisor to Mr Badal will be the Guest of Honour.

It is for the first time in the seventy year history of the Association that the conference is being held in Ludhiana and for the first time in Punjab in the last fifty years.

According to Dr GS Wander, member of the organising committee, the conference will continue for four days and will conclude on February 23. The valedictory function will be attended the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who will be the Chief Guest and Bikram Singh Majithia and Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, both cabinet ministers in the Punjab government will be the special guests of honour.

Dr Wander said, it is after fifty years that Punjab has got the chance to host the conference. The last time it was held in Punjab was in 1964 in Patiala. It is being held for the first time in Ludhiana. Otherwise, the conference is usually held in the metro cities.

The Conference, according to Dr Wander, will provide a four day platform to doctors and researchers to discuss and devise ways and means to focus their research according to the Indian conditions. And that is the reason the theme of the conference has been kept as “Generating Indian Evidence”.

He said, there could be no better venue for holding the conference than Ludhiana. He pointed out, the city being one of the main healthcare centres in the north after Delhi with four big hospitals and several small and medium healthcare centres has a large number of medical fraternity which will get benefitted with the exposure to world renowned experts in medicine. He said, it is a great honour for Ludhiana to host this conference, first time in Punjab in last fifty years.

About 6300 delegates have already registered themselves for the participation in the conference. Besides there will also be student delegates. While most of the delegates will come from across the country, several delegates are coming from abroad including from the world reputed medical institutions like University of Minnesota, USA, University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, University of Colorado Denver USA, Imperial College and Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA and others.

Tewari demands immediate release of salaries to PAU staff

Wed, Jan 22, 2014 at 6:17 PM
Pb. Govt. must ensure an assured fund for the PAU

LUDHIANA:January 2,2014: (Rector Kathuria//Satpal Soni//Punjab Screen):

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today demanded immediate release of the salaries of the employees of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), who include scientists, teachers and other non-teaching staff. He regretted that the staff had to struggle to get their monthly salaries as a result of criminal and callous indifference of the Akali-BJP government towards them.
In a statement issued here today, the Union Minister, who represents Ludhiana in the Lok Sabha, said, given the importance of the institution towards the agricultural development of the state, the Punjab government must ensure an assured fund for the PAU so that the staff there does not suffer.
He said, it has become a routine for several years now that the PAU employees’ salaries get delayed in the last quarter of every financial year and still the government has not devised any mechanism to ensure that the practice does not get repeated.
Tewari said, it reflected very badly on the fiscal management of the Akali-BJP government in the state that the scientists and professors who should otherwise be working in fields, laboratories and classrooms, which they are doing in any case against all odds and despite their salaries getting delayed, are forced to sit on dharna for what should come to them as their rightful due.
The Minister maintained that while all the educational and research institutions are of paramount importance, the PAU holds special place since it has not only scripted the Green Revolution in the country but also sustained it. “It is an irony that when the Punjab government is claiming to improve the agriculture economy it is treating PAU so step-motherly”, the minister said, while seeking the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s personal attention to this pressing issue.
While assuring that he will try whatever he can at the government of India level, Tewari said, a few years ago he had managed to get a one-time special grant of Rs 100 crores for the PAU, he will again try to get some more grants. However, he added, it is actually the state government that has to ensure that the PAU does not suffer for want of grants as the institution comes under the state government only.