Bathinda, April 12
On the second consecutive day today, the doctors of the local Civil Hospital and the local Women and Children Hospital, both situated on the same premises, kept the OPD services completely paralysed for more than two hours, leading to inconvenience and harassment to the patients and their attendants.

The doctors today went on strike, saying they had lifted the dharna and ended the strike the previous day when the Civil Surgeon, Dr Iqbal Singh, visited them at the dharna site and assured them that no action would be taken against Dr Shekhar Mangal and Dr Dhiraj Goyal, both emergency medical officers (EMOs) at the local Civil Hospital, against whom he had earlier written to the Director, Health and Family Welfare, Punjab.

It may be mentioned here that in the letter, Dr Iqbal Singh had recommended disciplinary action against both the doctors and their transfer from the Bathinda Civil Hospital on the basis of an inquiry report, submitted by a three-member board, which was set up to hold inquiry after the death of a patient on April 10 at the Civil Hospital here.

The doctors said today they saw a news item in a section of the press in which the Civil Surgeon had stated that after holding a talk with the Director, Health and Family Welfare, on the issue, he had given the assurance to the agitating doctors that for the time being no action would be taken against both doctors. They said this was contradictory to the assurance, given to them. So they were compelled to go on strike today, they added.

Later, the agitating doctors submitted a representation to the officiating Civil Surgeon, Dr Raghubir Singh Randhawa, demanding cancellation of the inquiry report saying it was unilateral and against the principle of natural justice as no clarification had been taken from the doctors concerned.

They also demanded cancellation of the action, recommended against both the doctors who had been held guilty by the three-member board in its report.

Acting upon their representation, Dr Randhawa, in consultation with Dr Iqbal Singh over the phone, issued an office order in which he stated that as the hospital staff had not been included in the inquiry, the inquiry report was incomplete.

He also asked the board to include the hospital staff in the inquiry and submit the report in a week.

After this, the agitating doctors called off their strike and at about 12.15 pm resumed their duties in the OPDs and elsewhere.

Bathinda, April 12
Because of the ageing of the existing mortuary located on the local Civil Hospital premises, the hospital authorities had some time back written to the engineering wing of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) for the construction of a new mortuary on a vacant piece of land on the premises of the existing mortuary, which is over three decades old.

The authorities of the engineering wing were asked to construct a new mortuary in the light of the PHSC guidelines in this regard.

On the requisition of the hospital authorities, the engineering wing of the PSHC prepared the drawing for a new mortuary and submitted it to the hospital authorities for approval.

The senior medical officer (SMO) of the Civil Hospital, Dr Satish Goyal said the drawing had been approved and sent back to the engineering wing to begin the construction. He said the engineering wing had estimated that constructing a new mortuary would cost around Rs 40 lakh.

The SMO said there were four deep freezers in the existing mortuary with a capacity to store 11 bodies. Besides, there were two cemented tables for conducting the post-mortem. He said about 60 post-mortems were conducted by the doctors in a month on an average.

He said there was no doubt about the existing mortuary being in a bad shape because of which the engineering wing of the PSHC had been asked to construct a new mortuary.

Giving details of the drawing of the new mortuary, the SDO of the PHSC, Dinesh Kumar said in the new mortuary, there would be a room for post-mortem, a body storage room, a doctor's room that will also serve as the retiring room, a store and a room for the visitors. The new mortuary would be constructed in an area of about 1800 square feet, he added.

Dr Jindal said the estimate would be finalised by the higher authorities of the engineering wing of the PHSC in a month while the construction was likely to begin in June.

A bathroom, constructed on the site of the existing mortuary, is in such a bad shape that it is being considered as unsafe.

As per the information available with TNS, the old mortuary will be dismantled. Besides, the existing site of the mortuary may also be renovated for using it as a store or for keeping dead bodies. 

Bathinda, April 12
The fate of around 500 C.P.Ed qualified physical training instructors (PTI), serving the education department in the state since 2006, hangs fire owing to the Punjab government’s move of releasing a new merit list of 849 posts.

Directorate of Public Instructions (Secondary) has released a new merit list for the 849 vacancies of PTI, wherein candidates with qualification higher than C.P.Ed have been included in the merit list, which the PTI Union, Punjab, has objected to.

“In a way, the services of the already serving teachers will be terminated and new people are being recruited. To recruit new people, the old ones would be terminated,” said the union spokesperson, Harjit Singh Maluka.

Union members, Amandeep Singh Bal, Lakhwinder Lakha and Mandeep, said the Punjab government had recruited 849 physical training instructors in 2006.

“As per the rules for these posts, only C.P.Ed was sought as basic qualification. Before the people with higher educational qualification could apply, the examining agency declared the merit list of C.P.Ed candidates,” said Harjit Singh.

He added that those with higher qualifications then filed a writ in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and by 2008, the number of such writ petitions had reached around 43. To save their jobs, the C.P.Ed teachers too filed petitions.

In the decision delivered on December 16, 2008, a double bench of High Court dismissed all 43 petitions filed by people other than C.P.Ed degree holders laying claim on PTI posts and said the posts were meant for C.P.Ed only.

He claimed that candidates with higher qualifications then filed a petition in the Supreme Court and the apex court too dismissed all the petitions.

PTI Union Punjab members Ajitpal Singh and Shamsher Mansa alleged the education department filed an affidavit in the court stating that the lists of all 849 posts would be revised on merit basis and a public notice regarding the same was issued on May 21, 2011.

The union members alleged that the high court was not apprised of the fact that the Supreme Court had already turned down the pleas of the over-qualified candidates.

“Following this notice, we went to the high court and were granted a stay,” the union members claimed.

On April 3, the high court directed the education department to depute PTIs on the basis of combined merit list of C.P.Ed and those with other degrees, which would affect the future of over 500 C.P.Ed PTIs already serving with the department, union members said. They appealed to the Punjab government to seek the suggestion of the state advocate general on the issue.

Meanwhile, Secretary (Education), Government of Punjab, Hussan Lal said as per court directions, new merit list had been issued. “I have not seen the court orders yet and so I can't comment on the issue,” he said.

Bathinda, April 12
The issue of drug de-addiction would now be an integral part of the government schools’ curriculum with the Director General of School Education (DGSE) issuing special instructions to district education officers.

The DGSE has laid a 14-point programme wherein the DEOs and head teachers of various schools have been directed to ensure that drug addiction is discussed during the morning assembly.

DGSE officials said the department aims to catch children young and save them from falling in the habit later in life.

Instructions have been issued keeping in view the increasing drug addiction habit among students.

The school notice boards would now carry a slogan daily related to de-addiction and to encourage students, slogan-writing competitions and poster-making competitions would also be held at the school level.

The Bal Sabha (student meetings) held on the last working day of every month would also have activities related to the subject. The activities would include skit, poetical recitation, fancy dress, debate and declamation.

Special rallies would be held on Anti Tobacco Day and International Drug Abuse Day during which the students would generate awareness on the issue in the areas surrounding their schools.

Emphasis has also been laid on counselling the students already caught in the addiction web, entrusting students with constructive and innovative work as well as encouraging them to participate in sporting activities and creating a collage highlighting ill-effects of drug addiction to be displayed on school notice boards.

Interaction with medical experts and scholars, screening of documentary films, moral education and significance of balanced diet has also been suggested to sensitise children.

Bathinda, April 12
Twenty-one schools and inns at Talwandi Sabo would remain closed in view of the Baisakhi celebrations being held in the holy city.

The district administration has declared a holiday for six days, from April 10 to 15, and the schools have been ordered to vacate their classrooms for the police force that would be staying here.

Around 1200 security forces personnel would camp for these six days at Talwandi Sabo to guard the Baisakhi celebrations.

The office of the DEO (Secondary) has issued instructions to the principals and headmasters of government schools that would remain closed. The schools including Government High School, Talwandi Sabo, Government Elementary School, Talwandi Sabo, Government High School and Government Elementary School at Bhagi Wander, Government High School, Sekhpura, Government High School, Jaga Ram Tirath, Government High School, Jajjal, Government Middle school, Jiwan Singh Wala, Government High School, Lelewala, besides the government elementary schools of Sangat Khurd, Gurusar Jagga, Fatehgarh Nau Abad and Laleana would be closed.

Private institutes like the Khalsa Senior Secondary (Boys) School and Khalsa Senior Secondary (Girls) School, St. Soldier National Public School, Tagore Public School, Sri Dasmesh Senior Secondary School, Guru Kashi College, Arya Putri Kanya Pathshala Dayanand Dharamshala and Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Pvt School would also remain closed.

Bathinda, April 12
Residents of the city and workers of the SAD-BJP today welcomed the newly-appointed Chief Parliamentary Secretary and MLA from Bathinda, Sarup Chand Singla. People were seen gathering at the Barnala road and in other parts of the city on the route to welcome Singla. Sarup Chand Singla has been allotted the portfolio of Excise and Taxation attached to the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Singla was given salute by a contingent of the Punjab Police. A police band also played on the occasion.

Bathinda SSP Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill and other officials greeted Singla. Later, speaking to the media, Singla said he would take steps to remove the liquor vends from the villages where the panchayats have requested for their removal. He added that action would also be initiated against those officials found guilty of unnecessary harassing the businessmen.

Gurpreet Singh Maluka, the son of Punjab Education Minister Sikendar Singh Maluka, was unanimously elected the managing director (MD) of the Bathinda Central Cooperative Bank Limited, at an election meeting held on the premises of the Central Cooperative Bank here today. Nine directors of the bank took part in the meeting.

Besides Gurpreet Singh Maluka, Jasbir Singh Brar was elected chairman of the Bank while Kulwant Singh was elected vice-chairman of the bank. Both were also elected unanimously.

After the election, Sikendar Singh Maluka, chief parliamentary secretary Sarup Chand Singla and MLA Darshan Singh Kotfatta congratulated Gurpreet, Jasbir and Kulwant. They also garlanded them. Deputy Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Bathinda, Harbant Singh Jatana was also present.

Bathinda, April 12
Volunteers of the NGO, Sahara Jan Sewa, today washed the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar with 50 kg of milk near the Mini-secretariat.

President of the NGO, Vijay Goyal, said the volunteers also cleaned the area surrounding the statue. He added that the place has been neglected for a long time as garbage is dumped near the statue.

It was ironical as Dr Ambedkar’s contribution to modern India was immense and his drafting of the Constitution of independent India is well-known, the NGO said. Goyal said the cleaning of the statue would be made a regular feature by his NGO. 

Bathinda, April 12
Snatching incidents have become the bane of the city as an increasing number of such incidents are being reported in the city and its surrounding areas. With the flow of traffic on the city roads reducing with rising temperature, a string of chain and purse snatching incidents have created panic in the city.

Two victims of chain snatching are yet to come out of the harrowing experience and are afraid of coming out of their respective homes during odd hours.

A gold chain worth nearly `25,000 was snatched by some young boys from near the Bibi Wala Chowk on Tuesday evening. In her complaint to the police, Veerpal Kaur said she was on her way home in Patel Nagar when some unidentified boys came on a speeding motorbike and snatched away her gold chain. She also suffered minor injuries.

A case under the sections 356 and 34 of the IPC has been registered in this connection at the Cantonment police station against the unidentified rider of the red Pulsar motorcycle.

Investigating officer in the case, Sukhmandar Singh, said that the police is yet to arrest any chain snatcher and the incidents are on a rise these days. He added that the woman got off an auto and the boys chased her on a bike. When she entered a street which was not very crowded, the boys hit the woman with their fist, snatched the chain and sped away.

“Most of these snatchers are addicted to one or the other kinds of drug. They are hardly traceable and the can be sent to jail only if they are nabbed by the public on the spot,” he said.

In a similar incident, Balwinder Kaur of Goniana Mandi lodged a complaint with the police about snatching of her gold jewelry by two unidentified motorcycle-borne youths.

Balwinder said she was purchasing something from a shop on the Mall Road in Goniana Mandi when two boys took away her gold earrings worth nearly `25,000.

Investigating officer in the case, Harnek Singh from Nehianwala police station said the victim was walking with her sister when two young boys came on a motorbike and snatched away the earrings.

“One of the ears of the woman was injured and she had to be taken to the hospital. She has got a case registered in this connection and efforts are on to nab the culprits,” said the police official.

Bathinda, April 12
Seven unidentified men have been booked by the police for ransacking the More Retail Store near the ICICI Bank in Bathinda on Tuesday night.

Naveen Mittal, a resident of Kotkapura, lodged a complaint with the police, alleging that he along with the other staff of the store were closing their retail shop when some unidentified people entered inside the store and demanded some 
chocolates.

When the staff refused, they attacked the store officials and broke the computer. The attackers were upset over the refusal and threatened the staff with dire consequences. They also took out a weapon, ostensibly a pistol, and pointed it at the temple of one of the store employees.