Jalandhar, January 3
An alleged nexus of private buses ferrying passengers to Delhi airport with officials of the transport department of the state has reportedly caused a huge loss to the Punjab Roadways forcing the latter to withdraw its direct service from Jalandhar.

The Punjab Roadways, which had started the Delhi airport service from the city almost a year back by adding two Lexia super deluxe buses, has found it to be non-viable as there were hardly any takers for it. This happened despite the fact that the passengers were being charged Rs 606 as one side fare, which is much lower than what is being charged by many private bus operators.

As there are scores of tourist buses in the city plying from outside the bus stand and halting on the highway, in every town to lift more passengers without any permit to the airport, it has reportedly caused a huge dent on the Punjab Roadways service.

Talking to The Tribune, the roadways’ general manager Rajeshwar Singh Grewal said, “Keeping in mind the public response we have decided to change the route of these buses. One bus has already been sent to Chandigarh yesterday and the other one was sent today. Now these buses will start from Chandigarh, halt outside the bus stand at Jalandhar for some time and would then move for Delhi airport via Ludhiana and vice versa.”

Not much happy with the decision, Punjab Roadways employees said the private bus operators were the ones who were creating hindrances in the services. “The transport officials are responsible for it because they have failed to keep a tab on private bus operators. The tourist buses doing the business are actually allowed to pick up a marriage party or a bunch of students and tour back and forth from one fixed destination. But these are actually plying to the airport and picking passengers at every stop in an open manner. This is totally illegal. If the officials want, they can challan these bus operators and even impound the buses but no action has ever been taken and is causing huge losses to the government,” they rued.

The employees even pointed out that in lean season, the bus operators bargained with the passengers and were ready to settle for a small amount to fill their otherwise empty seats.

Meanwhile, DTO Babita Kler was not available for comments.

Hoshiarpur, January 3
Though the Punjab government has started the Central government-sponsored District Institute of Education Training (DIET) in Ajowal located on the periphery of the town, it has completely ignored the real reason for which the institute was set up. The institute imparts training to primary teachers, head teachers, central head teachers and block primary education officers under the Sarav Sikhiya Abhiyan to make them well versed with the modern concept of education. The training programme includes computer training to secondary teachers and holding of elementary teacher training classes, but the upkeep of the institute is in a bad shape.

The state government is not providing funds to this institute due to which the complex is at a shortage for providing even basic amenities to the teachers and the staff.

Local social activist Amarjit Singh Amar, who had retired from the post of administrative officer of the district education office, Hoshiarpur, told The Tribune here on Thursday that only 30 posts had been filled against the 40 sanctioned for the teaching and non-teaching staff.

There is no regular principal, besides four posts of senior lecturer and two of lecturer have been lying vacant since long. Though the government had started construction of a building for the hostel about seven years ago, it was not completed even after spending more than Rs 40 lakh by the PWD and the latter has not handed it over to the authorities concerned till date. The students and trainees had to make their own arrangements for a dwelling.

Two-thirds of the complex is without a boundary wall, which serves as a free entry to all, including stray animals. The ongoing construction of the Rajiv Gandhi kandi canal has divided the 10-acre complex into two portions.

Despite repeated requests by the staff, the authorities of the Rajiv Gandhi kandi canal had not constructed a bridge over the canal to join the two ends.

People excavate earth from the complex in the absence of a watchman. Two thefts have taken place in the complex. There is no gardener at the institute to maintain lawns.

Amarjit Singh Amar said though the state government was providing salaries to the entire staff from the funds provided by the Central government, the former should also provide annual contingency funds to the institution to meet the day-to-day needs.

When contacted, the teaching and non-teaching staff of DIET showed great resentment against the state government for not providing them with salaries for the past four months. They demanded immediate release of their salaries.

Hoshiarpur, January 3
Hundreds of activists of the Bet Bhallai Committee (BBC), led by their president Ajaib Singh Boparai and state committee member of the CPM comrade Darshan Singh Mattoo, held a dharna and blocked traffic at Binewal Jhuggian, 50 km from here, on the Garhshankar-Nangal road on Thursday afternoon to protest against the district administration for not supplying potable water to the residents in the Bet area of Garhshankar subdivision for the past so many days.

Addressing the participants on the occasion, all the speakers strongly criticised the leaders of the political parties and alleged that all of them made false promises like providing residents with a regular supply of drinking water and electricity in the area, during elections. But as usual they forgot these promises after victory and thus dashed the hopes of the inhabitants of the Bet area. Whenever an agitation was launched, the condition of electricity and water supply was improved for some time, they said.

Nawanshahr, January 3
Under the ongoing Road Safety Week, district transport officer R.L. Jassal inaugurated a pollution check-up camp at the bus stand here on Thursday.

The camp was organised by the district transport department in collaboration with NGOs in which more than 100 vehicles were examined and reflectors were installed on tractor-trailers. The organisers also distributed literature for creating awareness about road safety.

Meanwhile, district education officer Piara Singh has instructed the school heads to organise lectures, painting competitions and exhibitions in their schools for sensitising students about road safety measures.