B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Education Dept cracks the whip
Fazilka, January 29
The Education Department has started taking strict action against teachers involved in criminal activities. In the last ten days, the department has placed under suspension three teachers of Fazilka district who were sentenced by different courts in criminal cases.

Drug addiction adding to TB cases in Faridkot district
Faridkot, January 29
The grim scenario of drug addiction in Punjab has started showing its impact on tuberculosis (TB) control. Those with addiction problems are more prone to contracting the disease than those who do not use drugs.

CBI submits report to HC in sealed cover
Chandigarh, January 29
Less than six months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered a CBI probe into land acquisition for allegedly helping three influential families earn approximately Rs 5.63 crore, the premier investigating agency today submitted its report in a sealed cover.

Bus service to Hussainiwala evokes tepid response
Ferozepur, January 29
The bus service from Ferozepur town to the Indo-Pakistan Joint Check Post (JCP) at Hussaniwala has not evoked much response from the people despite the low fare being charged from the passengers in contrast to the other means of public transport.

Undertrial commits suicide in jail
Barnala, January 29
A 65-year-old undertrial, Ram Sarup, a resident of Jhaloor village in Barnala district, died under mysterious circumstances at the sub-jail here. He reportedly committed suicide in the jail by hanging himself. Ram Sarup was in jail for attempting to murder his own son.

Fencing in sanctuary area worries Bishnois 
Abohar, January 29
The Akhil Bhartiya Jeev Raksha Bishnoi Sabha and its allied organisations have expressed concern over the ongoing trend among the farmers in Asia's largest open wildlife sanctuary here to erect fencing to cover their farms.

Education Dept cracks the whip
Suspends three teachers sentenced by the court in criminal cases
Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, January 29
The Education Department has started taking strict action against teachers involved in criminal activities. In the last ten days, the department has placed under suspension three teachers of Fazilka district who were sentenced by different courts in criminal cases.

As per a list issued by the Secretary, School Education, yesterday, eight teachers working in different district of the state have been suspended. Of these, Gurwinder Singh, posted in Government Senior Secondary School at village Ramsara in Fazilka district, has been placed under suspension.

A physical education teacher, Gurwinder Singh was booked under sections 365, 325, 324, 323,148 and 149 of the IPC at the Fazilka police station. He was later awarded an imprisonment of two and half years and a fine of Rs 1,000 by the court.

Similarly, a drawing teacher posted at Government High School in village Chanan Khera, Jarnail Singh, was also suspended on January 17. He was booked under different sections on October 9, 2006 at the Sadar police station in Abohar and was awarded an imprisonment of three years with a penalty of Rs 5,000 by a Ferozepur court on January 20, 2011.

In another case, a computer teacher of Government Senior Secondary School in village Dangar Khera, Resham Singh, who was booked under sections 323, 504, 148 and 149 of the IPC and awarded imprisonment of two years and fine of Rs 2,000 on December 21, 2011, was also placed under suspension.

Hailing the decision, patron of the NGO, Shiksha Sudhar Committee, Raj Kishore Kalra has demanded that action should also be taken against teachers who are frequently absent or come to school under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants. He said those indulging in outraging the modesty of girls should also be booked so that the institutions are purged of negative elements.

Drug addiction adding to TB cases in Faridkot district
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, January 29
The grim scenario of drug addiction in Punjab has started showing its impact on tuberculosis (TB) control. Those with addiction problems are more prone to contracting the disease than those who do not use drugs.

Because of this, TB control is not yielding the desired results in the area.

With a population of 6.18 lakh, Faridkot district reported 1335 cases of TB in 2012. It was a bit higher than the 1315 cases registered in the year 2011 in the district.

A study of these TB patients revealed that a large number of them were hooked to drugs and alcohol, making addiction a leading risk factor for the disease, said Dr Mandeep Kaur Khangura, District TB Control Programme Officer, Faridkot.

"We can't treat TB in isolation," she said. "We have to bring in people who are experts in tackling drug abuse and can also deal with the circumstances that people face so that we can end a chain of transmission," said Dr Khangura.

After the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended the directly observed treatment short course (DOTS), a national TB control programme was started in Punjab in 1997.

The prevalence of TB in Punjab has gone down to near about 160 per lakh. It is far below the national average of 265 per lakh. But in Faridkot, the prevalence of TB is crossing the figure of over 200 per lakh.

With the rising graph of drug addiction and the TB patients addicted to drugs reporting the disease at an advanced stage, the survival rate is poor, said the doctors. It was found that the drug abusers are less likely to be screened for TB or complete treatment, and may be diagnosed with the disease later, said the doctors.

TB is curable if a patient is properly diagnosed and is regular in receiving the treatment which is provided free of cost at government dispensaries and hospital, said Dr Khangura.

But as a large number of the patients are drug addicts, so they realize the gravity of the situation late. Moreover, due to lack of awareness, especially among the weaker and illiterate section of society, the diagnosis is relatively late.

Doctors say the high number of registered TB patients in Faridkot can also be due to the presence of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in the town as there is a high possibility of patients from the adjoining districts receiving treatment at the medical college, thus adding to the tally of tuberculosis cases in the district.

CBI submits report to HC in sealed cover
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 29
Less than six months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered a CBI probe into land acquisition for allegedly helping three influential families earn approximately Rs 5.63 crore, the premier investigating agency today submitted its report in a sealed cover.

The development is significant as one of the families is alleged to be close to Revenue Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia. The government, in this case, allegedly paid compensation of about Rs 8.67crore within days of the land being purchased by the families for just over Rs 1.50 crore.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, the Bench headed by Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri ordered the resealing of the report after examining it. The Bench fixed February 28 as the next date of hearing to decide whether a copy of the report was to be made available to the petitioner.

In their petition filed in public interest before the High Court through counsel Ramandeep Singh Pandher, Jarnail Singh and three other residents of Mandi Khurd village in Bathinda had demanded an inquiry into the alleged scam hovering around the acquisition of land for a sanitary landfill facility. Directions were also sought to shift the project to another place.

Bus service to Hussainiwala evokes tepid response
Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, January 29
The bus service from Ferozepur town to the Indo-Pakistan Joint Check Post (JCP) at Hussaniwala has not evoked much response from the people despite the low fare being charged from the passengers in contrast to the other means of public transport.

Earlier, following the efforts made by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Manjit Singh Narang, the Punjab Roadways (Ferozepur depot) had started the bus service from Ferozepur to Hussaniwala JCP from January 17 amidst much fanfare.

The bus service was launched keeping in view the large number of visitors who come here from far and wide to pay respects at the National Martyrs Memorial, Hussainiwala, and witness the retreat ceremony performed by the BSF personnel and Pakistan Rangers.

However till date, the passenger response to the bus service has not been enthusiastic. Sources in the roadways department said on an average, not more than 10 to 12 passengers board the bus every day, adding that yesterday, only one passengers was on board. The fare at the moment is only Rs 9 per person. Still, the response is not encouraging, said an official.

"We had even run the bus service free of cost from January 25 to 27 on Republic Day," he added.

Earlier also, following public demand, the bus service between this town and Hussaniwala had been started but it had to be discontinued on account of poor passenger response.

DC Narang has also exhorted the residents coming to witness the retreat ceremony to make the optimum use of the bus service. "It is an excellent initiative on the part of the district administration and we should make it a success so that the bus service continues," said Kamal Sharma, state president of the BJP.

Meanwhile, the roadways officials say they were incurring losses and the proposition will become financial viable only if the passenger response improves.

Undertrial commits suicide in jail

Barnala, January 29
A 65-year-old undertrial, Ram Sarup, a resident of Jhaloor village in Barnala district, died under mysterious circumstances at the sub-jail here. He reportedly committed suicide in the jail by hanging himself. Ram Sarup was in jail for attempting to murder his own son.

A case was registered against him on May 3, 2012 under various sections, including 307, of the IPC at the Sadar police station, Barnala. — TNS

Fencing in sanctuary area worries Bishnois 
Our Correspondent

Abohar, January 29
The Akhil Bhartiya Jeev Raksha Bishnoi Sabha and its allied organisations have expressed concern over the ongoing trend among the farmers in Asia's largest open wildlife sanctuary here to erect fencing to cover their farms.

At a meeting held here today, the functionaries of the Sabha, including its national president Ramesh Bishnoi, Lokesh Godara and Surinder Bishnoi, resolved to persuade the farmers to remove wire fencing from February 1. Range Officer Mohinder "Meet" was also present at the meeting.

The activists of the Sabha said black bucks, other varieties of deer and blue bulls get trapped in the fencing while trying to escape from stray dogs, the number of which has risen.

It was stated at the meeting that the state government had so far not provided tractor-trolley and canter to fill the ponds with water in the sanctuary area. Forest and Wildlife Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani had assured at a ceremony on Seetogunno road last month that sufficient funds would be provided for this, but the promise is yet to be fulfilled. The number of guards also remains at four in the entire Fazilka district.