Jalandhar, January 1
Efforts of the district health authorities to expand the facilities to treat swine flu patients turned futile as major hospitals in the city declined to provide facility of isolation wards to suspected and positive swine flu cases.

It is learnt that health officials of all the districts were directed to earmark private hospitals and clinics where isolation care could be given to the swine flu patients. However, as per sources, managements of all the hospitals which were approached by the health authorities, refused to maintain separate isolation ward for swine flu cases.

“Five hospitals were selected at first. However, only two multispeciality hospitals were approached for the purpose. The managements of both the hospitals expressed their helplessness in providing ventilators in isolation wards,” said a senior official, requesting anonymity.

Even one of the senior members of the management of a private hospital, which refused to give services, confirmed the refusal. “We have very limited number of ventilators in our hospital. Moreover, once the patient of swine flu is put on ventilator, it is impossible to put off the ventilator until the patient shows signs of recovery. Besides, our ventilators usually remain occupied by emergency cases,” said a senior doctor of a private hospital.

It is important to mention here that the situation is worst in Jalandhar district where the maximum deaths of swine flu have been reported. Every other district of the region, including Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur, is ready with the isolation care facility each in at least two private hospitals.

Jalandhar, January 1
The cold wave failed to dampen the spirit of party lovers who rushed to various hotels and clubs to celebrate the New Year. Last night, all top hotels in the city witnessed feverish activity as people gathered to have fun right before the dawn of the New Year.

Hotel Maya organised Elation NYE2K10. It hosted a dance party for those who came to celebrate the New Year bash with their family and friends. The revelers had a taste of various cuisines, cocktails and mocktails. The youngsters 
were virtually seen gyrating and shaking a leg to the tune of hit music numbers.

While those who enjoy a dancing night at discos, saw much activity at the state’s first discotheque where a special Snow Party was organised. At Hotel Country Inns and Suits, apart from a rocking New Year party, the city residents were seen enjoying the fire-jugglers and shadow dancing. The highlight of the party was special gifts for the kids.

Many hotels also saw special performances by singers who made the ambience more enjoyable. Party lovers had a gala time enjoying the celebration with special on-demand songs played for their loved ones. Hotel Regent Park saw city residents enjoying games, drinks, parties and prizes as well.

Jalandhar, January 1
The chill in the weather, coupled with round-the-clock vigil by the district police in the city lead to peaceful New Year celebrations. No untoward incident was reported from any part of the city.

SP City I, S.K. Kalia said the New Year celebrations passed off peacefully with not even a single incident of a clash or violence.

“The district police remained on their toes to maintain law and order in the city. Moreover, the chill in the weather confined the party lovers and youngsters to the four walls”, he added. In fact the chill proved handy in accomplishing the goal of a peaceful New Year celebration.

Earlier, the city residents were seen flocking the hotels, restaurants and pubs to enjoy New Year eve with their families and friends. As the clock needles reached 00:00 hours, people gave a rousing welcome to the New Year 2010. 

Nawanshahr, January 1
The local police has arrested Kulwinder Singh, a commando posted at Bahadurgarh (Patiala), for allegedlly duping a woman constable on the pretext of marrying her, under sections 420, 376 and 406, IPC.

In her complaint lodged with the SSP on November 4, 2009, Usha Paul, widow of Dalvir Chand, who has been serving as typist in the office of the SP(D) here, had stated that accused Kulwinder Singh had been deputed in the district during the parliamentary elections last year.

He proposed her for marriage by stating that he had divorced his wife. He assured her that he would take care of her children. He gradually developed physical relations with her. Besides, he took Rs 10,000 from her for getting the documents of court marriage prepared in October last year on the pretext that he had not received his salary, Usha said and added that afterwards he stopped making telephone calls to her and even stopped answering her calls.

She established contact with his office and came to know from the munshi there that Kulwinder Singh had been absent from duty for the past few days.

On October 27, she received a telephone call from a woman who claimed to be the wife of Kulwinder Singh. She even threatened her.

She visited Police Lines, Patiala, and narrated her tale of woes to the officials concerned. Then she filed a complaint with the SSP, Nawanshahr, accusing Kulwinder Singh of committing rape on her on the pretext of marrying her.

An inquiry was conducted by SP (HQ) Jagjit Singh and a case was registered against the accused.

Batala, January 1
Small-scale industries of Batala, which consume pig iron, are a worried lot because of the rising prices of pig iron, steel and coal.

Batala was known as the hub of lathe, planner, driller, shapers and other heavy duty industrial machines but it is on the brink of being wiped out from the industrial scenario of the country.

About two decades ago, there used to be freight rationalisations at the national level because of which heavy industrial manufacturing units survived at Batala. But with the discontinuation of the policy of the government regarding freight rationalisation, the local manufacturing units failed miserably and the heavy industrial units shifted to Bihar, West Bengal or nearby states where pig iron was produced.

Batala industrial units, which were already on the verge of closing down, again faced a big jolt with the rising prices of pig iron, steel and coal.

Within a period of about of one month there has been a steep rise in the prices of steel, pig iron and coal.

S.P. Marwaha, J.S. Nagi, Surinder Kapoor, Mohinder Singh and Ashwani Kapoor, local leading small-scale industrialists and office-bearers of different industrial associations of Batala, while talking to this correspondent here today disclosed that the prices of pig iron had gone up to Rs 29,000 from Rs 23,000 and of steel to Rs 36,000 per tonne from Rs 29,000.

The prices of coal have shot up to Rs 15,000 per tonne from Rs 12,000 per tonne.

There was further apprehension that plants like the Steel Authority of India, Jindal Steel, Vishakhapatnam Steel and other such companies are likely to further raise the pig iron and steel prices this month, which may further prove to be a devastating step for local industrial units.

The local industrialists want immediate help from the state and the Centre by way of freight rationalisation and VAT plus easy loans from financial institutions.

Jalandhar, January 1
With chill at its peak, the mercury plummeted to sub-zero level in Adampur, near here, making it the coldest place in the plains. Adampur recorded a minimum temperature of minus 0.6° Celsius, throwing normal life out of gear.

The mercury has been hovering around sub-zero level for the past some days. Yesterday the city recorded a low temperature of 1°C while the lowest temperature recorded so far last year was on December 22 when the mercury reached a low of minus 0.4°C.

Amritsar recorded a low temperature followed by Halwara with 2°C. Even Chandigarh, which had been witnessing comparatively cozy days in the region, remained at 2.8°C. The city had recorded a 
low temperature of 3.4 degrees yesterday.

In the Malwa belt, Bathinda witnessed a slight rise in the mercury after remaining at sub-zero level yesterday. The city recorded a low temperature of 3.4°C today followed by Pathankot with 4°C.

The Met Department has predicted thick fog in the morning hours with mist and smoke during the evening hours. The day would witness a fair to fine weather, sources said.

The residents woke up to a nail-biting foggy morning on the first day of New Year 2010. People had a tough time in reaching at their destinations due to poor visibility. At many places daily workers as well as the poor were seen braving the chill by sitting around bonfires.

Hoshiarpur, January 1
None of the government official, including the Deputy Commissioner, the SDM and the Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO), Garhshankar, and Cultural Affairs and Archaeology Department (CAAD), Chandigarh, has any information about the construction of a proposed memorial to Punjab Mata Vidyawati, mother of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh at her parental Moranwali village in the district. Then Union Minister for Tourism and Cultural Affairs Ambika Soni had laid the foundation stone of the memorial in February 2009.

Moranwali village falling in Garhshankar subdivision comes in the Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituency from where Ambika Soni was a serious contender for the Congress ticket to contest the last Lok Sabha elections. But the Congress high command allotted th party ticket to Ravneet Singh Bittu. Since then the project had been hanging fire.

To know the fate of the project, an activist of HELP, an NGO of Nawanshahr, Parvinder Singh Kitna, sought information about the estimated cost and starting of its construction from the DC, Hoshiarpur, under the Right to Information Act. The DC forwarded his letter to the SDM, Garhshankar, for compliance. The SDM, who had no information about the project, informed Kitna on October 19, 2009, that on account of non-availability of information, he had forwarded the letter to the BDPO for providing him the requisite information. The BDPO also expressed his helplessness in this regard and informed Kitna that his letter had been sent to the CAAD, Chandigarh. The CAAD on December 22 informed Kitna that there was no proposal for the construction of Punjab Mata Memorial at Moranwali. Kitna and inhabitants of Moranwali were surprised to know that none of the state government official had any information about the project for which Ambika Soni had laid the foundation stone about 11 months ago.

In an e-mail message to this correspondent, Kitna said that he, along with villagers, would approach the Union Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs to expedite the matter.

He further said Garhshankar MLA Lov Kumar Goldy had claimed that the project would soon be started by the Union ministry concerned. The Punjab government and district officials had no concern with the project.