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Rich tributes paid to Mahatama Gandhi
No one turned up to garland Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the Jaitsar segment of Sriganganagar in Rajasthan adjoining Abohar on Sunday. Ferozepur/Abohar, October 2
The Cantonment Board in Ferozepur today organised a commemorative function to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

No one turned up to garland Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the Jaitsar segment of Sriganganagar in Rajasthan adjoining Abohar on Sunday. Photo: Raj Sadosh

Hockey hero to get Rs 5000 per month as financial aid
Faridkot, October 2
Following a news report published in The Tribune about Rupinder Pal Singh, the new sensation in Indian Hockey Team and the family of this Hockey Hero living in penury in a one-room rented accommodation in Faridkot, Gilco Public Charitable Trust, Jalandhar on Wednesday announced Rs 5000 per month assistance to Rupinder till the time he get a government job to support his family.

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	Rich tributes paid to Mahatama Gandhi Tribune Reporters Ferozepur/Abohar, October 2 The Cantonment Board in Ferozepur today organised a commemorative function to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The white marble statue of the father of the nation, installed at the Gandhi Garden, was unveiled before a gathering comprising senior citizens and residents of the cantonment. Brigadier S Sengupta, Station Commander, presided over the ceremony during which rich tributes were paid to Mahatma Gandhi. Schoolchildren enthralled the audience with ‘bhajans’ followed by an address by the senior citizens on the life and times of Bapu and his selfless contribution to make India an independent nation. JV Singh, CEO, Cantonment Board, announced that a committee comprising senior citizens residing in the cantonment would be constituted to look after the development and beautification of the Gandhi Garden where the statue has been installed. At several other places in the district, functions were organised to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. In Sriganganagar, the birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri remained a low-key affair. Barring a function organised by the Health Department at the district-level to launch a free medicine scheme for all citizens, activists of the NGOs and political parties preferred to relax at home or go for social outing. “The statue of Gandhi located in the heart of Jaitsar town remained in a a dilapidated condition as the authorities did not bother to take up even the minor repair work,” a resident Pawan Nanda regretted. Interestingly, half a dozen functions were organised on the martyrdom day of Mahatma Gandhi early this year while hundreds of students had remembered Gandhi while participating in the procession that was organised to express solidarity with the veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare when he was on fast.
	Hockey hero to get Rs 5000 per month as financial aid Tribune News Service Faridkot, October 2 Following a news report published in The Tribune about Rupinder Pal Singh, the new sensation in Indian Hockey Team and the family of this Hockey Hero living in penury in a one-room rented accommodation in Faridkot, Gilco Public Charitable Trust, Jalandhar on Wednesday announced Rs 5000 per month assistance to Rupinder till the time he get a government job to support his family. A report in the sports page of The Tribune recently reported that despite Rupinder Pal Singh giving his thrilling performance in the recent held Asian Champions Trophy and stealing the limelight with his six-goal effort in Sultan Asian Shah Cup but his performance failed in impressing upon Punjab government. Without any supporting income source, Rupinder's family is facing acute financial crisis, tells The Tribune report. Though the family approached the state government for a job for Rupinder Pal Singh but there was no positive response so far. After reading this report, RS Gill, the chairman of Gilco Public Charitable Trust in Jalandhar announced to give Rs 5,000 per month as financial assistance to Rupinder Pal Singh. “We will support the family till the time Rupinder get the deserving placement in a government job,” said RS Gill. Gilco Public Charitable Trust is already bearing upon all study expenses of 26 poor family girls who got more than 60 per cent marks in matriculation exams and now studying in various colleges and schools in Jalandhar area, said Gill. Despite Rupinder giving his awe-inspiring performance in 9 international hockey tournaments in the last one year, Rupinder's family in Faridkot is still fighting the poverty. To keep the family's hearth burning, Rupinder's mother is still sewing cloth to earn Rs 100-Rs 150 daily so that the money is not an impediment to her son's playground performance.
	BSF seizes heroin in Fazilka sector Our Correspondent Fazilka, October 2 The BSF seluths have recovered another one kilogram packet of heroin near gate number 233 of the Jodhewala BOP in the Fazilka district on the confession of Kashmir Singh on Saturday. He was spotted and arrested after a search by the BSF while smuggling a packet of heroin from across the fencing on Saturday. A total of two kilograms of heroin has been seized by the BSF authorities in the last two days worth Rs 10 crores in the international market. DIG BSF Vimal Satyarthi revealed to The Tribune that during the interrogation, Kashmir Singh had admitted that he had buried another packet of one kilogram of heroin in a pit in the fields of a farmer Iqbal Singh, across the barbed wire fencing. The BSF authorities came to know that Iqbal Singh had leased out the concerned agricultural land (from where the heroin has been recovered) to Kashmir Singh on a contract basis for agricultural purposes but Kashmir Singh used the land to fulfill his nefarious designs like smuggling drugs.
	Govt training centre in Ferozepur needs immediate repair The matter has been brought to the notice of authorities concerned but to no avail Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, October 2 Situated in an old and dilapidated rented accommodation surrounded by wild growth of grass, the Government In-service Training Centre (GITC), which imparts training to thousands of school teachers, presents a saga of apathy and neglect. The appalling conditions at the centre can be gauged from the fact that out of five rooms, the roofs of two rooms have already crumpled whereas the condition of two rooms is equally decrepit and can cave in anytime. The roof of the corridor outside library and lecture rooms seems to be on its last legs. Even as the matter has been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned umpteen times, no effort has been made to relocate the centre or improve its conditions. The precarious building has also put the lives of staff members at risk. It is learnt that in this regard, three letters (No. 155-57/2010 dated August 3, 2010, No. 112-16/2010 dated June 3, 2011, and No 133-37/2011 dated June 28, 2011) have already been sent to the DGSE, the Director, SCERT, besides the district administration. Apart from the dilapidated structure, the GITC is also reeling under shortage of staff, funds and resources. Out of 21 sanctioned posts, the posts of principal, senior lecturer, clerk, machineman and five sub-staff are lying vacant. Veer Bala, a senior lecturer who is also the officiating principal of the centre, is managing the affairs of the GITC with help of other lecturers. She said that till last year, the training sessions under both the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Rastriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan were held here. However, due to the risk here, the same were being organised in various schools, she said, adding that senior officials had already been requested to provide some other suitable space to the GITC. In the absence of adequate grants, it becomes quite difficult to make payment of electricity bills and other recurring expenditure. The monthly rent of Rs 2,000 has not been paid since March this year. The furniture needs repairs. There is no provision of water cooler or generator. The GITC is already facing a case lodged by the management of the school, on whose premises the centre is situated. The school management wants its building vacated. Paramvir Sharma, a senior lecturer, said that the GITC had been directed to organise residential training programmes for teachers next month. “Considering the dilapidated condition of the building, we are concerned about the safety of teachers,” he said.