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Employees’ protest halts traffic in city
Colleges remain closed
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HIV rate dropping in district: 1,189 in 2009, 680 this year
130 fined for drunken driving
Rs 59,000 looted from petrol pump
3 MC employees to face action
Parents make a beeline to schools
Nistha Goel elected vice-president of cantonment board
Integration camp
Gold chain snatched
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Employees’ protest halts traffic in city
Jalandhar, November 30 Thankfully, the union members blocked the traffic for just half-an-hour at the busy intersections, but that in turn gave a tough time to the traffic police to streamline the flow of vehicles. While the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union blocked the traffic at the busy BMC Chowk, lecturers of non-government colleges blocked the traffic at Namdev Chowk, PNB Chowk and near the General Post Office (GPO). Commuters had to face more problems at the GPO as members of both the unions reached there. Such was the chaos that the roads leading towards the local Civil Hospital, Jyoti chowk, Namdev Chowk and the Shastri Market remained blocked for more than half hour. Cyclists somehow managed to make way through the traffic jam, but others on scooters, cars, autos and rickshaws were left stranded. Among those who bore the brunt of the traffic jam were a group of women on Honda Activa, who were heading towards the Rainak Bazaar for shopping. “Before we could have thought of changing our route, the protesters blocked all sides of Namdev Chowk, leaving us in the midst of the mad rush,” they said. Similarly a large number of residents commuting towards the Civil Hospital, too, ended up criticising the unions. “It took us around 30 minutes to reach the Civil Hospital even after the protest march was over at the GPO. We were heading towards the Civil Hospital to deliver food to a patient,” said two boys on motorcycle. Long queues were witnessed at BMC Chowk as the ministerial staff blocked the traffic raising anti-government slogans. Later, they burnt an effigy of the state government near the GPO. The ministerial staff also closed the Suvidha Kendra partially in the morning. Highlights
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Colleges remain closed
Jalandhar, November 30 General secretary of the Principals’ Federation Dr Jaspal Singh Randhawa said the teaching and non-teaching staff of non-government colleges of Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr assembled at the Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall. “Since 2005, more than 95 per cent of posts of lecturers is lying vacant, which has deteriorated the standard of education. Even the promise of pension and gratuity has also not been fulfilled by the government. The non-teaching staff, too, has been demanding revised pay scales from January 1, 2006, instead of August 1, 2010,” he added. The union said they had given a week’s time to the government to accept their demands and if not fulfilled, they would cease work at the colleges and organise a rally at Sector 25 in Chandigarh on December 7. |
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HIV rate dropping in district: 1,189 in 2009, 680 this year
Jalandhar, November 30 The number, however, came down to 817 in 2010 and this year, only 680 cases have been reported so far in the district.
Dr Baldev Singh, medical officer, anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centre, Jalandhar, said: “Since the people of the city and neighbouring areas now know about the centre, they have been getting treatment from here and word has spread. We are getting considerably lesser patients for the past few years. Those who have already got the virus have moved on to taking medicines so the numbers are considerably down.” The HIV positive patient chart of the Civil Hospital’s integrated counselling and training centre (ICTC) also show a downward trend. The number of HIV positive patients was constantly going up till 2007. But now it is showing a downward trend. In 2002, the centre diagnosed only 11 HIV positive patients. In 2003, the number increased to 34 and in 2006, the number was 156. However, the number shot up to 701 in 2007. It came down to 530, and 572 in 2008 and 2009, respectively. In 2010, the number of HIV positive patients was 465 and this year so far, only 324 patients have tested positive. While the ART Centre set up in the district started in 2008, it was the second centre to be started in Punjab, after Amritsar. The district also has a community care centre which is run from Noorpur. While the total number of ICTCs in the district is four, 10 of the district primary health centres and community health centres also have the facility of HIV tests. Run by the Punjab State AIDS Control Society (PSACS), the centre works in tandem with the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). While the centre head maintains that the number of HIV positive patients have been going down, NGOs associated with government-funded AIDS control measures in the district also say the number has been going down owing to other reasons. Though overt campaigns are rare to trace, they say a lot of work on the grassroots level has brought in the change. Vikram, a local project manager, says workers across the city in various areas with high risk zones have been running campaigns for safe sex and supplying people with injections and condoms. “We have been distributing condoms and oral substitute therapy programme has been started in five districts of the state, including Jalandhar,” he added. “Targeting injectible drug users and high risk groups has helped bring this change. We have also been holding health camps to spread awareness among people,” he added. Vikram said the most high risk zone in the city is the railway station and the entire area around the bypass. This is what government sources say. However, non-government sources are highly sceptical. They believe the government data is hogwash meant to
fool people. “I have worked with the people of one of the slums in the city. We started working there a few years ago. I know for the record that the area had only two HIV positive cases then. Now, I can think of 20 cases that I personally know. The number of total HIV positive cases in the area is way higher. It is a similar case with all high risk zones of the district,” said a member of an NGO. |
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Commercialisation is MC’s new mantra
Jalandhar, November 30 The Municipal Town Planner, the Commissioner and the Mayor have incorporated the proposal in the agenda of the MC House meeting scheduled to be held on December 2, seeking opinion of councillors on allowing the change of land use (CLU) on the 60 feet road from Ghai Hospital to Prithvi Planet. A civil writ petition 7104 of 1998 titled Sanjay Malhotra v/s MC is already pending with the court wherein the complainant has challenged the authorities for allowing commercial use of residential plots in the colony which originally was a scheme area of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT). The authorities have also overlooked the fact that Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti had even submitted an affidavit in the court on November 1, 2011, assuring action by giving a reasonable time period to plot owners. The MC has even issued show-cause notices to commercial establishments in the posh colony, including Aastha Hospital, which falls on the same road which is being
declared commercial. Interestingly, even the authorities of the JIT, who had originally planned the scheme, have also not been consulted on the matter. In a yet another controversial proposal of the MC on a similar matter, the case pertaining to allowing of the CLU of Model Town road along the boundary wall of Niku Park from house numbers 594 to 604 has also been put up. The officials themselves are writing in the agenda that the road is 40 feet wide while the minimum requirement for a road to get declared commercial is 60 feet. There already are 18 roads where the CLU for residential plots to commercial is disturbing the peace of all those who are living on the declared roads and have not sold off their properties. There already are 18 roads in the city where commercial use has been allowed. These include Empress Garden Road, Harban Nagar main road, SD College road, Old Post Office-Circuit House-Model Town Road, Mahavir Marg, Mall Road, Rainbow Road, Model Town Post Office Road, Link Road, Ladowali Road, Police Lines Road, Garha Road, Cool Road, Basti Road, GT Road, New court road and 120 feet road. 36 case pending
The proposal mooted by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal during a workshop of local bodies reforms held at Bath Castle on July 22 regarding getting the CLU done at the local level has also been put up following a new policy formally laid down on November 14. There already are 36 cases pending in this regard. Last chance
It has also been proposed that all plot owners who had changed the use of their properties from residential to commercial in an unauthorised manner without paying the requisite CLU fee be allowed a chance to get it done in two months, failing which the defaulters will have to pay 10 per cent extra charges as laid down in the policy dated August 28, 2006. |
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130 fined for drunken driving
Requirement of the remaining 10 breath analysers have already been sent to the WHO and same are expected to be handed over to the city traffic police in a
few days. The data collected by the Jalandhar Tribune revealed that traffic police had challaned 130 drunken drivers since the launch of drive October 17. City traffic police sources said that in October only, 78 persons were challaned for driving while they were drunk and 52 drunken drivers were challaned in November. On an average, the traffic police has been challaning three drunken drivers per day. "Though 10 breath analysers (alcoholmeters) are enough to curb the practice of drunken driving, we have already demanded 10 more breath analysers to cover
the whole city in an effective manner," a traffic official said. Sources said the WHO had also sent 200 barricades, 2,400 plastic coins, around 200 reflector jackets and more than
100 torches to the city traffic police. Traffic officials revealed that the WHO had recently conducted a survey on road safety and said the city had five national highways, including Jalandhar-Amritsar, Jalandhar-Ludhiana, Jalandhar -Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar-Nakodar and Jalandhar-Pathankot. The WHO said accidents due to drunken driving and overspeeding were on the rise on these highways. The WHO claimed that 30 to 35 per cent accidents on these National Highways are due to drunken driving. The process
If the police traces 30 milligrams content of alcohol during the breath analyser test, the violator is first challaned and then produced in a court, which may levy a fine of Rs 2,000 or imprisonment up to six months. If the same driver is again nabbed within three years, he has to pay a fine of Rs 3,000 or two-year
imprisonment. |
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Rs 59,000 looted from petrol pump
Kapurthala, November 30 They also damaged CCTV cameras installed at the petrol pump. The Fathu Dhinga police has registered a case under Section 392 of IPC against the accused. |
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3 MC employees to face action
Jalandhar, September 30 Director, Local Bodies, Ravinder Singh said the O&M employees were directly responsible, while the JE of the B&R was indirectly responsible for the incident as he should have informed the office regarding the broken/missing manhole cover. The director said he had sent the file to the Secretary. |
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Parents make a beeline to schools
Jalandhar, November 30 The rising demand for admission in schools can be gauged from the fact that some schools are even holding draws to shortlist the number of students who will sit for the admission test. Many of the schools are planning to add more sections to their classes this year to meet the demand. Some school principals say they began getting requests for admission from July and some even got advance booking for admission from expectant mothers. While the biggest players in the field of education in the city are CBSE-affiliated schools, there are only three ICSE schools in the city (and one in the cantonment). While it is mandatory for all private schools to have at least 25 per cent students from poorer sections in their schools, not many of the schools are adhering to the norms. Even as most schools are sensitive towards the needs of their students, the fee structure of majority of the schools in the city certainly does not care for the common man. Keeping in mind the rising prices and pressure to meet costs, majority of schools are planning a fee hike. Reputed schools like Mayor World, CT Public School, Cambridge International, DIPS, Dayanand Model School, DPS, Seth Hukum Chand, etc are planning a fee hike. A look at the admission patterns at a few of the other eminent city schools: School name: MGN Public School Number of pre-primary classes seats: About 130 Response so far: Admissions over (target met), but requests still coming in, says Principal Satwant Gakhal. Fee plans: Hike of Rs 460. Last year the quarterly fee was Rs 5,100, will be hiked to Rs 5,560 this year. Plan on underprivileged kids: They have 13 underprivileged children from a orphanage, Unique Home, studying in the school. School name: Apeejay School Number of pre-primary classes seats: There are five sections for each pre-primary class (nursery, LKG and UKG) and each class has 15 to 20 seats. Response so far: Good. No numbers cited. Fee plans: Like every year, they might have a marginal (Rs 100 to Rs 200) increase, says Principal Meera Javed. Quarterly fee for pre-primary students so far is Rs 7,650. Plan on special kids: They have students with dyslexia and handicaps at the school, but so far no new requests have come in this season. School name: Eklavya School Number of pre-primary classes seats: 25 each for pre-nursery, nursery, LKG and UKG Response so far: Good, they say. Fee plans: Quarterly fee for pre-primary students last year was Rs 4,500 to 5,000, it has been reduced to Rs 3,000 this year. This is the only school to rollback prices owing to parents’ request. Annual fee of Rs 4,000 for all students. Plan on special kids: Two special kids per class are already studying in the school. Also getting many queries for admission of special kids this year. School name: Innocent Hearts School Number of pre-primary classes seats: 80 to 90 in pre-nursery, under 150 in nursery, and about 200 in LKG. Response so far: No numbers cited, but Principal Dheeraj Banati says requests are pouring in. Fee plans: Rs 500 to 650 (monthly) presently. There will be a nominal increase this year. Plan on special kids: 30 to 40 underprivileged children studying in school. School name: Police DAV Public School Admission dates: Those for nursery started on November 21. LKG admissions will start later. Number of pre-primary classes seats: Nursery 250 and LKG 30. Response so far: Good Fee plans: Fee for wards of police personnel (Rs 780) and non-police (Rs 1,225). There’s a hike of 10 to 12 per cent every year. Plan on special kids: 5 per cent students in every class are special kids. A look at the admission patterns at a few of the other eminent city schools: School name: MGN Public School
School name: Apeejay School
School name: Eklavya School
School name: Innocent Hearts School
School name: Police DAV Public School |
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Hearing impaired becomes colleague of his teacher
Jalandhar, November 30 Deepak Arora (27) joined the Red Cross School for the Deaf as a computer teacher this year. His former teacher Harwinder Kaur is serving as the principal of the school. Deepak did his schooling from the city-based Khosla School for the Deaf, where Harwinder Kaur was his teacher from 1996 to 2002. Deepak, who is hearing impaired and is capable of lip-reading, completed his Bachelors in Computer Applications (BCA) from St Louis College for the Deaf, Adyar (Chennai). He joined the Red Cross School in June this year. Talking to Jalandhar Tribune, Harwinder Kaur said, “After completing his Class X from Khosla School, he was not in touch with me. It was after he completed his BCA that he reached our school searching for me. He was looking for a job and asked me to help him find one.” She said it was indeed one of the happiest day of her life when she recruited Deepak as a computer teacher in the school. “Call it sheer luck that during those days the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology had approached us to start vocational training centre for special children. No sooner the centre started, interviews were held and he was selected amongst the normal students,” she added. At present Deepak is pursuing his MCA through correspondence from Sikkim Manipal University. Every weekend he goes to take coaching classes at the Speaking Hands Institute of the Deaf at Zirakpur. “It is such a wonderful feeling to see him as my colleague in the school. He has made everybody proud,” she said. Even Deepak also conveniently answered the queries pertaining to his job. When asked about his salary, he spoke in some half deciphered words - Rs 8,000. And when asked whether he was happy, he smiled with a gleam of joy in his eyes. He also tried to answer some of the questions by writing on a paper. To a query which is his favourite movie, he wrote, “Mr Bean and all English movies.” Deepak especially appreciated his sister-in-law, a doctor, who guided him in pursuing his college education. Through sign language he said, “She is a good human being who helped me in pursuing my graduation and postgraduation in computer.” |
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Nistha Goel elected vice-president of cantonment board
Earlier on November 14, the councillors had passed a no-confidence motion against Sonkar, following which he resigned on the same day. “I filed my nomination during the cantonment board meeting held on November 22. During the meeting it was decided to hold the elections for the post at the earliest,” said Nistha Goel. The Ministry of Defence had issued new norms for the election of the vice-president of the cantonment board on November 4, which are applicable to all the cantonments across the country. Chief Executive Officer of the cantonment board Vibha Sharma said, “The election of Nistha Goel as the vice-president of the cantonment board has been done according to the new norms issued by the ministry. She was elected unanimously by the board members.” Nistha Goel said there was only one agenda of the election of the vice-president in today’s meeting and that November 30 was the earliest date for the election. A lawyer, Nistha Goel, had defeated Mira Mittal, Renu Bala, Sarla Thakur and Som Lata in the cantonment board elections held in May, 2008. |
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from colleges
Jalandhar, November 30 Vice-Chairperson of the institutions Sangeeta Chopra flagged off the rally and said the day is celebrated with three targets - zero new HIV infection, zero discrimination and zero Aids-related deaths. The students wore red ribbons and carried placards depicting slogans about the prevention and cure of Aids. Rock climbing
Four students of Kanya Maha Vidyalaya (KMV) received training in rock climbing at the rock climbing training camp in Gwalior, which was organised by 3 Himachal Pradesh (Girls) Battalion, NCC. One of the cadets, Deepika Sharma, was awarded a medal. |
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Integration camp
Jalandhar, November 30 Assistant Director of Youth Welfare Capt I.S. Dhami said the language class was held as the Asia-level integration camp was meant to inculcate the spirit of brotherhood, communal harmony and peace among them the youth. Earlier in the afternoon, the youth attended a lecture on brotherhood, which was delivered by SN Suba Rao, Director of the National Youth Project Trust, New Delhi. The evening activities included a peace march and cultural events. |
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Gold chain snatched
Jalandhar November 30 Couple robbed of car,
jewellery
Three armed miscreants snatched a car and gold jewellery from a couple, Bitu and his wife, of Basti Sheikh last night. Bitu told the police that he along with his wife was returning to Jalandhar from Phagwara and when they reached near Rama Mandi, three car-borne miscreants first rammed their car (Esteem) into theirs and then made them stop their. “When I came out of the car, the armed youths asked me to hand over cash and other valuables. They forcibly took my gold bracelet and keys of the car and fled away. |
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Jalandhar, November 30
Jalandhar, November 30