The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Good News: Intense chill gets swine flu on wane?
Amaninder Pal
Tribune News Service

I disagree, says anonymous health official, it might be back with the summers

Jalandhar, January 12
Has the decline in mercury over the past few days put any influence on the prevalence of swine flu cases in the state? Data pertaining to the killer disease reveal that there is a decline in the number of swine flu cases and deaths over the past few days.

However, it is yet to be determined whether this development is a result of the efforts of the health department or simply an affect of decrease in temperatures.

According to data obtained from the office of the state Nodal Officer, two deaths have been reported in the first 10 days of this month, as compared to 28 deaths in December last year.

Moreover, a qualitative change is also reported in the results of laboratory tests conducted for the disease.

“In the last few months, results of more than 50 per cent of samples were positive. However, in this month, there is a marked decrease in the positive outcome of tests. In addition to this, significant decrease in the frequency of samples, reaching to the testing laboratory has also been reported,” said Dr Deepak Bhatia, state Nodal Officer for swine flu.

“Though lowering of temperature might have played some positive role, it is widespread campaign, early screening and administration of Tamiflu to the suspected cases which brought the death rate down. Earlier, the survival rate of patients was very low as patient reached at centres where facility of ventilator is available at the late stage,” he added.

Meanwhile, admission of suspected or positive swine flu cases in the district-level hospitals has also declined. No suspected patient of the killer disease has been admitted in the civil hospitals of Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur for the past few days.

However, experts feel that the decrease in the prevalence of the disease is only due to extreme decline in temperature. “There is a catch in the data itself. The authorities say that frequency of samples for swine flu testing has considerably decreased. This shows that only the infectious capacity of the virus has come down,” said one senior health official, requesting anonymity.

“Mode of administration of drug and facilities of screening and testing are quiet same as that of earlier months. Moreover, in the absence of any research and epidemiological study regarding the prevalence of disease in the state, how is it possible for authorities to establish the definite fall or rise in the prevalence of disease? Are they sure that there would be no backlash of disease in the coming sunny days? Nothing has changed except temperature,” he added.

City property, vehicles to get on the net soon
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 12
The Municipal Corporation of Jalandhar plans to go hi-tech. The officers and the staff are gearing up to offer e-governance facilities in line with the administration’s Suwidha Centre scheme.

A plan to equip all MC vehicles with the GPS system for their online tracking is also on the anvil. The corporation, in association with a private firm, has also started preparing a property database for the entire city using graphic information system.

MC’s Hi-tech Plans

Plans to equip all MC vehicles with the GPS system for their online tracking Property database to be prepared for the entire city using graphic information system

System for the payment of water supply and sanitation bills, house tax and receiving of birth and death certificates to be re-organised

Records to be put on official website so that any one would be able to track the status of his certificate or take printouts of bills

Users will know about the owner of a property, its use, area covered, water supply connections and other details, at the click of the mouse

The entire system for the payment of water supply and sanitation bills, house tax and receiving of birth and death certificates is being re-organised to make it a single window system for the convenience of residents.

AS Dhaliwal, SE (O&M), said all the concerned branches of the corporation would be integrated through networking.

“The entire existing record will be uploaded for the same purpose. The office is expecting a grant to the tune of Rs 15 lakh for consultation and assistance in the job for 15 months,” he added.

Dhaliwal pointed out that the record would be put on the official website so that any one would be able to track the status of his certificate or take printouts of bills.

The SE said the office had already got a sanction for creating a property data base of the city. “Once the data entry will be complete, any user will be able to know about the owner of the property, its use, area covered, water supply connections and other details, at the click of the mouse. Since the record entry also demands a door-to-door visit, we will also be able to nab those who have been taking water supply illegally without paying the dues to the MC,” he revealed.

Mayor Rakesh Rathour said there was a plan to equip all the vehicles of the MC, including garbage vans, jetting machines and horticulture machines with GPS system, so that their movement could be tracked online by the officials sitting in the administrative building. The insiders revealed that there have been complaints of misuse and siphoning off of the fuel by certain employees which also could be checked once the system would be in place.

While steps are being made for technological advancement, the MC lags behind in some basic infrastructure. Sources pointed out that as many as 161 out of a total of 384 metres of streetlights are out of order, owing to which the corporation is suffering a loss of Rs 20 lakh each month. The officials raised the point with the PSEB staff during their meeting yesterday urging them for a repair work. The officials said the payment of power bills for such lights was being made on flat rate, which was far higher than consumption since there have been cuts in the night as well.

Zila Parishad chief plays down ETT teachers’ demand
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, January 12
Reacting sharply to the stir launched by the ETT Teachers Union for merging the schools with the Education Department, Chaudhary Darshan Lal Mangupur, chairman, Zila Parishad, in a statement issued, said the acceptance of the demand would virtually reverse the Panchayati Raj Act, which has brought as many as 6 departments under the jurisdiction of the Panchayati Raj Institutions.

“With a view to bring in qualitative improvement in the functioing of the rural schools by empowering the elected bodies of the Panchayati Raj institutions to monitor their functioing, the schools have been brought under the jurisdiction of the Zila Parishad,” said Mangupur.

He said, “In Nawanshahr, the Zila Parishad had recruited 434 teachers in 194 schools and the Panchayati Raj Department had been providing them the due facilities like permission for attaining higher qualification, completion of probation period, service books, regular scale as per the 5th Pay Commission report, CPF etc.”

“Besides providing efficient delivery of services to the ETT teachers, the Panchayati Raj Institutions had also been making efforts for bringing in improvements in the functioing of the schools as per the needs and aspirations of the people. Hence, keeping in view the public interest, the demand of merging the ETT teachers with the education department should not be accepted, said the Chairman.”

Crime File
Explosive material seized, 2 nabbed

Pathankot: The Dhar Kalan police arrested two persons of Bhul town in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir with explosives here today. SP Bhupinderjit Singh Virk said both the persons, identified as Mohammad Shariv and Saddam Hussein, were moving in suspicious circumstances in the Dhar block area. Both were stopped at a naka on the Dunera-Basholi Pattan road, near Gura Nagrota Pattan village, about 52 km from here. During checking, explosive material - which included three detonators, two battery power cells and about 100 metres of fuse wire - was seized from their possession. Virk said a case had been registered under sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Act. He further said both were produced in a local court which remanded them in police custody for 15 days. — OC

Auto-lifters’ gang busted, 5 arrested

Jalandhar: The CIA Staff of the district police claim to have busted a gang of auto-lifters near Wariana T-point here last evening. CIA Staff in charge Angrej Singh said on secret information, a trap was laid to nab the suspects. The police nabbed Ranjit Singh, alias Raju, a resident of Mithapur and kingpin of the gang, along with his four accomplices, Balwinder Singh of Alipur, Shushil Kumar and Unish, alias Ravi, of Fulriwal, and Shamsher Singh, alias Shera of Mithapur. He also claims to have recovered a stolen Maruti Zen car, a country made pistol, four mobile phones and a dagger and chilly powder from the suspects. The gang has been using chilly powder to rob people. A case under sections 399 and 402 of the IPC and the Arms Act has been registered against them. — TNS

All primary schools closed till Jan 14

Jalandhar, January 12
District Magistrate Ajeet Singh Pannu today ordered closure of the primary classes from class I to V in the district till January 14.

Pannu took serious note of the private schools in the district which have not declared holidays for the students of primary section. He maintained that sudden inspections would be conducted from tomorrow. “Strict action would be taken against the private schools if found functioning on these days,” he added.

The DM also instructed all the SDMs concerned to comply with the instructions and ensure full implementation of the holidays for the students of the primary classes in the district. — TNS

Migrant labourer run over, killed
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, January 12
An unidentified Bihari migrant labourer was run over and killed by a Jalandhar-bound train near Phagwara railway station late last night. The deceased was crossing the track. The railway police has sent the body to the local Civil Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

In another incident police langri Mann Bahadur (50) died here after brief illness due to severe cold today.