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Uneven dimension of properties on Lawrence Road
Resident booked for obstructing MC officials
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Child workers rescued from 125 premises
Right to Education Act
9 Kissan Sikhlayi Camps being held in district
District BJP presidents’ elections
PHD-PITEX to focus on trade with African countries
2 held with illicit liquor, intoxicants
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Uneven dimension of properties on Lawrence Road
Amritsar, November 22 If an arial view of the Lawrence road is taken, it would appear to be having a zig-zag facet. But beyond the BBK DAV College entrance gate and a few private properties adjoining this college, it instantly gets broad. This implied that either the property owners on this stretch have illegally encroached upon the public land or it was the lapse on part of the authorities concerned while sanctioning the building plans. This jagged topography is not going well with the road widening project. It has been learnt that if after the verification, the authenticity of these properties comes positive, the MC has contemplated to erect a separate parking lot opposite the temple located on the Lawrence road. The prevailing footpaths along the boundary wall of these properties, too, have been encroached illegally by rehriwallas selling eatables like burgers, golgappas and small-time traders. Nonetheless, it has been learnt that the MC, in its plan to revamp the bank of Lawrence road, has contemplated to erect interlocking tiles for parking as well as a pedestrian path. After the physical survey of the area, it was observed that rampant encroachments, which included illegal extension of the entrance by the traders, makeshift kiosks have been erected along the Lawrence road which leave negligible space for the pedestrians to pass through. Even the traffic on this route suffered obstacles on smooth flow.
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Resident booked for obstructing MC officials
Amritsar, November 22 This is not the first case when government officials have earned the wrath of defaulters. Two days ago, four PowerCom officials were thrashed by a family when they visited it to check power theft. Government officials felt that such cases are repeated due to the lack of follow-up action by the police, which ends up being just part of their daily crime diary only. An inspector of the MC’s land department Inderjit Singh, with his team, had raided a place at Gali Fire Brigade opposite the SBI Town Hall for demolishing an encroachment made by one Ashwani Kumar Mahajan, a resident of house no 2346 in the same locality. Even as the team went to the site under police protection, Ashwani Kumar Mahajan abused the MC team and even threatened to kill the inspector if he dared to remove the encroachment. Inderjit Singh said the case was registered against the offender when he tried to come in their way from performing their duty. “This resident had erected a temporary shed on the public land and was using it for commercial purpose. After receiving a number of complaints from other residents of the locality, departmental action for removing the encroachment was ordered. But when we raided the
place, he retaliated in a very violent way and even threatened to kill me. That’s why I had to lodge a police complaint against him,” he said, adding that numerous times they had to face such instances and police case was registered. Investigating officer Ranjit Singh of the E-division police post said the accused had been booked under Sections 341/186/506 of the IPC, but confirmed that no arrest was made in this connection. Two days ago, four PowerCom officials were physically thrashed by a family of four, including three females, when the team raided their house to check power theft. Ajit Singh, the one official who was beaten up badly, lodged a complaint with the police, on the basis of which a case was registered against the occupants Gurmel Singh and three unknown women. The MC’s House Tax department, Water and Sewerage and advertisement department officials said they, too, had to face offenders’ wrath on numerous occasions when they raided places of the defaulters and if the situation became extreme, they resorted to police complaints. However, nothing happens afterwards, which encourages other offenders to adopt the same practice. 'No follow-up action by police'
Officials said they had to face offenders’ wrath on numerous occasions when they raided places of the defaulters and if the situation became extreme, they resorted to police complaints. However, nothing happens afterwards, which encourages other offenders to adopt the same practice. Defaulters won't be spared
Normally, such complaints are not quashed. At least, I can recall that not even a single case went in a vague manner since I joined here. Anyone who poses a hindrance or indulges in physical assault or even abuses on-duty government officials and obstructs them from performing their duties will be taken to task. These cases will be put under trial and the law will take its own course. I warn the defaulters from adopting such practices as these will not be taken
casually — Ram Singh, Police Commissioner
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Child workers rescued from 125 premises
Amritsar, November 22 Labour Commissioner Vipin Parmar said two of the rescued children were handed over to the Civil Surgeon for ascertaining their age. He said they were employed at a tea shop in the upmarket Cooper Road. He said the other three minors were rescued from a shoe and other shops in Puttalighar and Chheharta areas. He said the department would file a child labour challan in the court of the CJM, who could levy a fine ranging from a minimum of Rs 10,000 to a maximum of Rs 20,000. He said 40 schools, funded by the Central Government, were being run under the National Child Labour Project in the city and parents of these minors could utilise these institutes to educate them. He said these minors would be handed over to their parents. Meanwhile, the department also conducted 40 inspections at Tarn Taran and recovered two minors there.
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Right to Education Act
Amritsar, November 22 The Act, enacted by the state government in 2009, said all private schools had been given a three-year time to affiliate under the Act, make infrastructural and other arrangements accordingly. However, the process is already proceeding late. DEO (E) Sunita Kiran said separate committees, including senior principals of government schools, had been constituted to verify the claims of the schools for the implementation of other clauses of the RTE Act. She said the schools were supposed to fulfil at least 40 per cent of the recommendations of the Act. In return, the education department would issue temporary affiliation to these schools under the RTE Act. Section 18 of chapter four of the RTE Act stated that besides government and local bodies schools, all other schools had to register themselves under the Act. The Act ensures free text books, writing materials, uniforms apart from free education to poor children. Children with disabilities were also entitled to get free special learning and support material. As per the provisions of the Act, wherever a government school was not available, the state would make reimbursement to the nearest school, referred to as neighbourhood school to ensure compulsory education to all. Following this, private educational institutes had to reserve 25 per cent of their seats to students from underprivileged sections of society. Of the 25 per cent reserved seats, 12.5 per cent must be kept for economically weaker sections, as defined by the income tax department, 5 per cent for Scheduled castes, 5 per cent for Backward class/Other Backward Class, 1.25 per cent for children of war widows and 1.25 per cent for children of handicapped parents. Many public schools take the plea that they offer education to children from underprivileged families in evening schools, but sociologists opine that this may act as segregation of these children from other students. The RTE Act ensured that all affiliated schools must fulfill stringent infrastructural norms ensuring quality environment and studies to students even coming from marginal sections. The Act makes it mandatory for every child between the age of six-14 to be provided for education by the State. This means that such child does not have to pay a single penny as regards books, uniforms and mid-day meal. After getting applications for recognition, a team of experts from the district education office visits the schools premises to verify the implementation of the norms. The teacher student ratio of 1:30 would be maintained, while each section is given a separate classroom. The schools need to have certain minimum facilities like adequate teachers, playground, a kitchen and other infrastructure. The government would ensure that qualified teachers should only be appointed and they are paid accordingly. Sahodya School, an organisation of the CBSE-affiliated schools, chairman Dr Dharam Veer Singh said there were about 38 CBSE schools in Amritsar and the Act would be implemented in these schools from the next academic session. He demanded that the government must announce the compensatory fund to meet expenses incurred on educating each student. Citing the example of Delhi, he said the government there was giving Rs 1,190 per student every month. It may be mentioned that Director General of School Education (DGSE) had sought a report taking cognisance of a news item carried in Amritsar Tribune on March 15 which revealed that only 163 private schools in Amritsar approached for affiliation under the Act.
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City ‘halwais’ lack milk-testing equipment
Amritsar, November 22 Similarly, local officials of the health department, an enforcement agency in this regard, do not have the wherewithal to immediately test the genuineness of the milk being supplied in the market. They rely on a food laboratory at Chandigarh, which takes weeks to release results. Amritsar Milk Halwai Association president Charanjit Singh Pappu, also owner of a 'halwai' shop in the city, said they ascertained the quality of milk with the experience gained over the years, besides mutual trust between the suppliers ('dhodhi' as they are locally called) and buyers, 'halwais' and wholesale shopkeepers. He said even officials do not have any mechanism to test the quality of milk. Meanwhile, an RTI activist Naresh Johar, expressing his shock at the unavailability of the testing equipment, said it eventually meant that gullible customers were at risk. He said the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) Karnal had developed a platform test kit that detects the presence of detergent in milk in less than two minutes. A clear colour differentiation between pure and adulterated milk with detergent can be seen when using this method, which costs a little over Rs 3 for analysing one milk sample. He opined that the innovative kit would help the milk collection centres to maintain the quality of milk. He elaborated that one needs to take 400 mico litre of milk, add dye solution and some solvent available in the test kit, then shake it for around 25 times to see the colour of the milk. The lower part of the beaker would go either purple or blue. Blue is the sign of purity, while purple means specific detergent adulterations. Meanwhile, the other ingredients being used for preparing milk like formulation are urea, salt, soda, sucrose, vegetable oils, skim milk powder and water. When contacted, District Health Officer Shivkaran Singh Kahlon said the development of the testing kit was a commendable step and he would raise the matter to make it available here at the next meeting of the Dairy Welfare Core Committee which includes members from the district administration, dairy farmers, animal husbandry and others.
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9 Kissan Sikhlayi Camps being held in district
Amritsar, November 22 During the current year, around 86,500 hectare of area was sown for Basmati and 97,500 hectare for non-Basmati crop. Taking into account the bumper crop, the government aimed to sow wheat in around 1.88 lakh hectares now. The government has also contemplated to provide 30,000 quintals of wheat seed (at Rs 500 per quintal subsidy), 2500 spray pumps, rotavators, zero-tilt drills, seed drills, laser levellers at subsidised rates to farmers during 2012-2013. "The average cultivation this year would be around 5,960 kg of paddy and 3,200 kg of Basmati per hectare. It is around 137 and 125 kg, respectively, more in comparison to last year's yield. Last year (2011-2012) paddy yield was around 7.94 metric tonne, whereas till date we have procured more than 6.29 metric tonne of paddy and the harvesting is still in progress," he said. "The government has initiated to encourage the oilseed crop in the state. For the purpose, around 215 exhibitions, too, have been organised to educate the farmers about its properties so that the quantum of oldseed cultivation could be increased. The farmers are also apprised of the good varieties of wheat through around 80 exhibitions conducted in the state," he added.
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District BJP presidents’ elections
Amritsar, November 22 State BJP secretary Ravi Mahindru accepted nomination papers from the candidates from the
urban unit. The contenders are Sanjeev Khosla, vice-president of the district BJP, Adarsh Bhatia, senior vice-president of the district BJP, Naresh Sharma, general secretary of the district BJP, Surinder Sharma, Somdev Sharma, Surersh Mahajan and Sukhwinder Pintu, councillors. For the rural unit, a single nomination was filed by Ram Sharan.
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PHD-PITEX to focus on trade with African countries
Amritsar, November 22 Dr Samuel Mbambo, High Commissioner, Namibia, Richard Frege, trade counsellor, Namibia, Mohammed Hacene Echarif, High Commissioner, Embassy of Algeria, Tarekazouz, Ambassador, Republic of Tunisia, besides representatives from Algeria, Benin, Rwanda, Sudan and Morocco have confirmed their participation in the five-day state event, scheduled to start on December 6. The visitors would hold round-table conferences with various industry associations, he said. Giving details, Bali said the PHD Chamber would organise a seminar on “Business opportunities in Africa” on the second day of PITEX, wherein High Commissioners and trade counsellors from various African countries would participate and give presentations to the local industry associations about the trade potential and various trade opportunities available in their respective countries.
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2 held with illicit liquor, intoxicants
Amritsar, November 22 In another case, the C-Division police arrested Parvesh Kumar, resident of Baba Deep Singh Colony on the Sultanwind road, and seized 1,000 capsules of Parvan Spas from him.
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