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Faridkot revenue div faces officers crunch Fazilka’s ecocab project in race for int’l award
High Court again stays upgradation of Moga MC
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Despite ban, over-sized boards promote liquor in Muktsar dist
For want of maintenance, bridge poses threat to commuters
Upholding teaching tenets
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Faridkot revenue div faces officers crunch
Faridkot, April 22 It is not because of a heavy rush for these jobs that applicants undergo inconvenience, but it is due to acute shortage of officers in Faridkot revenue division, which consists of Bathinda, Faridkot and Mansa districts. The shortage results in slow disposal of works. As against 23 sanctioned posts of naib tehsildar in these three districts, only six are filled. Consequently, one official has four-five additional charges. Darshan Singh, a naib-tehsildar in Bathinda has the additional charges of Nathana, Goniana, Talwandi Sabo and Maur. Similarly, Balwinder Kaur, a naib tehsildar at Sangatpura, has the additional charges of Rampura Phul, Bhagta and Ballianwali. For the past several months, the posts of naib tehsildar are lying vacant at Nathana, Goniana, Talwandi Sabo, Maur, Rampura Phul, Bhagta, Ballianwali, Bathinda, Mansa, Bhikhi, Joga, Jhunir, Sardulgarh, Bareta, Agrarian (Faridkot), Agrarian (Bathinda) and military land acquisition offices. Those pinched hard due to the vacant posts are the ones who want to get a sale deed registered. Many a times, they reach the registrar's office with a huge amount of cash for payment to the other party but have to return home along with the money in absence of any registrar (naib tehsildar) to register the deal. Besides naib tehsildar, the post of district revenue officer (DRO) in Faridkot is lying vacant since May 7, 2010. Interestingly, a DRO is entrusted with the task of early disposal of land dispute cases related to NRIs. However, Chandanjit Kaur, a Canada-based NRI, is waiting for a hearing of her case for the last over 15 months in the absence of the DRO concerned. Raminder Singh, Commissioner of the Faridkot division, who also has the additional charge of Ferozepur, said the vacancies were result of some promotions in the department. The vacancies would be filled in the coming days, he said. Meanwhile, many other important posts in Faridkot district like ADC and SDM are filled on a temporary basis by re-employing the retired officers. |
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Fazilka’s ecocab project in race for int’l award
Fazilka, April 22 The award was constituted by the University of Michigan’s SMART Program (Sustainable Mobility & Accessibility Research & Transformation), USA, for the best social entrepreneurs and businesses focussing on sustainable transportation globally. The Dial-a-rickshaw was introduced by a local NGO, the Graduate Welfare Association, Fazilka (GWAF), in 2008 to promote a non-motorised system. The aim was to fight global warming. Out of the 15 final entries, the first three winners would be selected by online voting and the result would be declared on May 1. The first three awards would be conferred on the representatives of the projects at the UN Conference on Sustainability Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 13. “To be among the world’s top 15 contenders for the prestigious award is a feat in itself. However, we need the support of Indian nationals to win the award. We urge them to vote online for Ecocabs Dial-a-Rickshaw, placed fourth on the list. A person can vote for three ventures. We hope India win the top three awards,” said GWAF general secretary and in-charge of the project Navdeep Asija. “The award can give the small town a brand new identity,” hoped
Asija. |
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High Court again stays upgradation of Moga MC
Moga, April 22 On October 17, 2011, the HC stayed the state government’s decision of upgrading the local body after councillors Surinder Singh and others filed a petition against it. But, on March 17, they withdrew the petition. However, on April 4, 2012, another local councillor Parshotam Puri filed a petition in the HC demanding stay on the formation of the corporation claiming that the government did not fulfill the mandatory requirements to upgrade the status of the local body. On April 20, the HC stayed the conversion for the second time. Resultantly, a youth Akali leader, Barjinder Singh Brar, who is popular as Makhan Brar and is a son of Agriculture Minister Jathedar Tota Singh, has again become the president of the Moga Municipal Council, the post which he was holding before the stay orders. Brar had himself passed a resolution in the elected house recommending upgradation of the local body last year. Talking to TNS, Brar said he did not want to take charge as the president of the local Municipal Council again because his father had made personal efforts to upgrade the local body for its development. “But the legal status of the petition has again forced me to assume the charge. Now, my priority will be to pass the budget and carry out routine development works, which have virtually come to halt in the past few months due to the legal hurdles and assembly elections,” he said. Meanwhile, local observers are of the view that the stay order on the conversion of the local body has come as a boon for Brar because his rivals were gearing up for the corporation elections without taking him into confidence. Former DGP Paramdeep Singh Gill, who unsuccessfully fought assembly election from the Moga constituency, has started projecting his cousin Dr Micky Gill in the local politics. The former DGP wants his cousin to become the first Mayor of the town and is lobbying with the councillors. Insiders say that even after losing the assembly elections, Gill’s growing interest in the local body politics has virtually led to a rift within the SAD. The local Congress MLA, Joginder Pal Jain, is also monitoring the developments in the ruling party and making calculations to take over the reins of the local body. Last time, the Congress had boycotted the local body elections. |
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Despite ban, over-sized boards promote liquor in Muktsar dist
Muktsar, April 22 Over-sized boards advertising liquor dot the roads in the district. Even the chief minister’s native Badal village has not been spared as barely a few metres away from the CM’s residence, a liquor vend owner has installed an over-sized board outside the vend promoting a particular brand of country liquor. The situation is almost similar in other parts of the district. A number of huge boards are installed on the Muktsar-Kotkapura and the Muktsar-Malout roads. These boards prove distract the drivers on roads and can prove tragic. Caring two hoots for the rules, similar boards also dot the city roads. Few boards read “Aaja chakk le” (come and buy), but the authorities concerned have hardly paid any attention towards it. When TNS asked an employee of a liquor vend on the Kotkapura road, he said, “The company has provided us the board free of cost, so we have displayed it.” And did he know that promotion of liquor is banned and invites legal action, he said, “Being less-educated, I am not aware of it. I did what the vend owner told me to do.” When contacted, officials in the Excise and Taxation Department said though they had not received any complaint in this regard, those found violating the rules would definitely be penalised as per law. Recently, an advocate of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, MS Toor, had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking judicial intervention for removal of such boards in Ludhiana. Not only were the boards removed but necessary action was also taken against the violators. |
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For want of maintenance, bridge poses threat to commuters
Muktsar, April 22 Cracks have appeared on its girders. They have also rusted after remaining in contact with water for a long time. On visiting the site, TNS found that if the bridge was not repaired at the earliest, it can eventuate into a disaster anytime. Local residents said the poorly-maintained bridge trembled everytime a heavy vehicle passed over it. Further, a huge quantity of hyacinth flowing in the canal water also poses the risk of blockage. Sukhwant Singh, a local resident, said, "The situation is turning from bad to worse but the authorities concerned hardly paid any heed towards it. It seems they are waiting for a mishap to occur before swinging into action," adding that considering the number of vehicles passing over the bridge in a day, there was an urgent need to carry out the repair work. When contacted, RK Gupta, Executive Engineer, Irrigation Department, said, "I will immediately send a team of officials to inspect the site so that if any repair was required, it could be started at the earliest." He added, "Basically, the design of the bridge is faulty. We have sought an approval from the higher-ups to modify the design and rebuild it to avoid any damage. The work will be done on priority basis as soon as we get funds for the purpose." Gupta admitted that hyacinth was also a big problem for the department, as it had caused losses in the past. |
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Upholding teaching tenets
Fazilka, April 22 Many school teachers have no compunction in forcing their students to join their private tuition classes after the school time. Defying the unfortunate trend, an NGO in the district is giving free tuitions to school students. The main aim of the NGO is to prepare poor students to win scholarship so that their parents don’t find their studies an ‘unwanted’ financial burden. The Teachers’ Club, Jalalabad, had initiated the noble campaign four years ago and it has started showing results. As many as 81 students, who were imparted free of cost coaching by the members of the club, have been selected for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) scheme for the year 2012. The result of the exam conducted for the purpose was declared recently. The president of the club, Bhagwan Singh, and the project in-charge and a state award winner teacher, Pawan Manchanda, claimed that out of the total 181 government school students of classes IX to XII, who qualified the examination in Ferozepur and Fazilka districts, 81 were from Jalalabad only, which was a big achievement for the club. “The central government in association with the state education department shall award an annual scholarship up to `24,000 to each student,” said Manchanda. The members of the club impart free coaching to poor students to prepare them for the examination, daily after the school time at different government schools. Manchanda said so far, 183 students taught by the members of the club had been able to qualify the examination. “The scholarship is proving to be a boon for the parents who are even striving to make both ends meet,” said Parmod, father of a scholarship holder student Rajinder Kumar. Club story *
The club initiated the noble campaign four years ago * Members of the club provide free coaching to poor students after their school time at different government schools *
The main aim of the club is to assist students to self-finance their studies by winning scholarships *
The club boasts of having taught 183 students, who earned scholarships |
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Muktsar, April 22
Owing to poor upkeep, a bridge built over the Abohar branch canal on the Muktsar-Malout road at Mehrajwala village is posing threat to commuters.
Cracks have appeared on its girders. They have also rusted after remaining in contact with water for a long time. On visiting the site, TNS found that if the bridge was not repaired at the earliest, it can eventuate into a disaster anytime.
While education is nothing but business for several money-minded educators in the country, there are some who still consider teaching as a noble deed.
Many school teachers have no compunction in forcing their students to join their private tuition classes after the school time. Defying the unfortunate trend, an NGO in the district is giving free tuitions to school students.
