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Auto-rickshaw association holds strike, parents suffer jams
Parents seek removal of school’s name from bus
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Deputy Commissioner told to suspend Gymkhana Club members
PIMS strike enters seventh day
City to get 23 web-based public services soon
District employment bureau slow to turn to computers
Yuva Hindu Manch activists want crackdown on illegal liquor vends
SSP’s promise to Kalyanpur Dalits
Goa Chintan Shivir mockery of SAD ideology: Khaira
from schools & colleges
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Auto-rickshaw association holds strike, parents suffer jams
Jalandhar, April 8 Anil Kumar, whose children study in class nursery and UKG at a local private school, said, “I run a shop and I specially had to close up my establishment both in the morning and evening to pick up my children because the auto and buggy in which they travel to school did not turn up due to the strike. Continued strikes of the sort will throw our lives out of gear.” Meanwhile, hundreds of members of the auto-rickshaw association today held a protest at the DTO’s office, where they raised slogans and demanded that there should be an end to the undue harassment meted out to them. The members of the association, however, decided to end their strike tomorrow after a dialogue with the authorities. Joginder Singh Jogi, president of the Jalandhar Auto-rickshaw Association, said, “In the past week, we were witness to an aggressive challan drive against us. On a single day, challans were issued to 15 to 20 auto-rickshaws. There were challans of up to Rs 10,000 on some of the auto-rickshaw drivers. While many of us save only as much money to make ends meet, many of the auto rickshaw drivers were at the receiving end of undue harassment from the authorities. We only want that if we are being challaned for overloading, other vehicles should also be challaned for the same.” “While there is talk of banning auto-rickshaws altogether, we have only demanded that the administration provide jobs to all the men who would be left unemployed if that move is made,” he said. Notably, impounding of a number of school vehicles in the past week has also been a cause of insecurity among the vehicle owners. However, many argue that the case of auto-rickshaw and school vehicle owners is more serious than other vehicles as in this case, the lives of many children are at stake. Speaking on this, Jogi said the auto-rickshaw owners would ensure that there would be no overloading of vehicles in the future. The auto-rickshaw association would be off strike tomorrow. It said they had suspended the strike owing to the inconvenience faced by parents. |
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Parents seek removal of school’s name from bus
Jalandhar, April 8 While parents held a dharna outside the school in protest against the high bus fares, the parents met school representative Father Peter this evening. Parents were reassured that the transporter of the school will be called again by the school authorities on the issues of bus fares. The principal told the parents that the school does not have any contract with the transporter plying the buses. The transporter had also refused to reduce the bus fares of the school. In the light of these facts, parents of children in the school have raised objections that a bus service which the school has washed its hands off, shouldn’t be carrying the name of the school on it. Sanjay Sehegal, adviser member, RTI, and Grievances Cell of Punjab Congress Committee and a parent (on whose request the DC had also asked the school to reduce its rates) said, “While the bill slip for the bus fare carried the name of the school on it and the fees were indeed being paid in the name of the school it is shocking to learn that the school does not have a contract with the bus operator.” “We were earlier paying a bus fee of Rs 750. In January 2013, it was increased to Rs 850 and presently we are paying Rs 1,500. Even AC buses in some of the city’s private schools charge Rs 850. Charging such a high fare is certainly unfair,” he said. Since the school has now denied that the bus operator is in contract with them, the parents have demanded that the school bus should not carry the school’s name on it.
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Deputy Commissioner told to suspend Gymkhana Club members
Jalandhar, April 8 Presenting her report based on a two-hour 13 minute video clipping of the conduct of elections, the inquiry reports has pointed that members Mahesh Kalia, Kamal Sharma, Surjit Rai Bitta, Sunny Sapra, Bobby (Monik) Sehgal and Ajay Bhatia tried to influence the voters during the conduct of the election. The report has also said that the members were stamping ballot papers of other members without showing slightest hesitation in front of the assistant returning officer, thus indicating breach of secrecy of vote. Sharda has also pointed to the presence of one Rajan Chopra, a non-member, on the day against rule 19 (iii) of the Gymkhana Election Rules. While the returning officer-cum-SDM-Iqbal Singh Sandhu has stated that Chopra was just in connection with some sports event and left soon, she has also said that Chopra was seen in photographs flashing victory sign with the winning team later. The officer also said that she had seen a member putting two ballot papers, instead of just one, which amounted to gross violation. The elections to the club were held on December 1 but recounting was done the next day as contestants Satish Thakur Gora and Amrik Singh Ghai had lodged a complaint. Sharda has pointed out that while Article 20 of the model code stipulated that the entire election
process
starting from 9 am to 5 pm would be videographed to ensure transparency of elections, recording of only two hours and 30 minutes was available. She said that the club manager had said that there were two cameras, one fixed and another mobile, but non-availability of entire coverage further raised a question mark. Divisional Commissioner-cum-president of the club said he was yet to go through the inquiry report. “I will then discuss it with secretary and discuss on any action required on our part,” he added. |
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PIMS strike enters seventh day
Jalandhar, April 8 The irate employees of the health institution suspended work from April 1 for non-payment of their salaries for the past over four months. Over 80 paramedical and 250 doctors were reportedly not paid salaries by PIMS since December. Sources in the PIMS said officials from the district
administration,including the labour department, visited the PIMS and took stock of the situation on Friday. The officials also took the issue with the management and asked them to sort out the problem. As the strike entered the seventh day today, the management sent vice- principal of the college to pacify the protesters and offered them (some of them) salaries for the month of December. Turning down the offer, the protesters decided to continue the protest until the management cleared all their dues. The PIMS has been in controversies since its management took over the institute on a 99-year lease at throwaway prices, for not paying salaries, electricity bills, not managing bio-medical waste scientifically and not maintaining hygiene in its mess and canteens. |
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City to get 23 web-based public services soon
Jalandhar, April 8 Principal Secretary Governance Reforms C. Roul today held a meeting with the Divisional Commissioner SR Ladhar, DCs, ADCs and SDMs of districts falling in the Doaba and Majha regions, asking them to gear up for the implementation of the project. Through his presentation, he emphasised that the ultimate goal was to minimise citizen trips to Suwidha Centre, reducing multiple delivery channels for the quicker delivery of documents and allowing applicants to even apply for and receive copies of the documents while sitting at their home. This will be a step further from the existing Suwidha system wherein documents are only trackable from the token number through web and SMS but not downloadable. An applicant could have a copy of his ready documents bearing digital signatures from anywhere, he said, adding that it would also help various departments and institutions to do away with attestation procedure for their verification, as all documents bearing a unique number would be available online. He demonstrated that the documents would be protected from being tampered, as they would come with a watermark. The Principal Secretary stressed that it would not just be the applicants who would benefit from the project, but also the DCs and other officials who would be able to monitor work flow online for the status of files and pendency. He said that the status of the files would be available tehsil-wise, district-wise and even department-wise. “The officers tell me that they managed to clear Some teething troubles as well Nawanshahr DC Tanu Kashyap pointed to some teething troubles being faced by her, including computer systems being old ones and unablity to process data at good speed, poor Internet connectivity and delay on account of various documents in file which are now required to be scanned. She said while normally 150 applications were being accepted at a counter, since the implementation of the e-governance, her staff could process only 40 applications on day one. There were complaints coming to our office with regard to delay for the whole day and many people had to be given appointment on subsequent days. We decided to open two counters on the second day and number of applications processed increased to 65. On day three, we were even more hard pressed, as we had to open as many as three counters wherein 95 applications only could be processed, she elaborated her problem. What e-governance entails
Applications to be received from three modes - online, through district Suwidha Centres and some 1700-plus Gram Suwidha Centres in the state Certificates bearing digital signatures to be available in bilingual format with options in Punjabi and English Easy verification of documents by departments and institutions as these would come with a unique document number which when fed in web would produce a digital copy Photographs of all applicants to be taken at counters of Suwidha Centres for more authenticity Services to be linked with the UID for more authenticity DCs and other officials will be able to check any pendency in the delivery of documents while sitting at home or office Patwaris to get an inbox which would list out physical verifications to be done at their end. They would report the matter online to tehsildars and SDMs The number of services made web-based in Kapurthala and Nawanshahr to go up to 47 Most services include those covered under the Right to Service Act. The time frame for each service to be subsequently reduced after the implementation of e-governance. Many services, including old age pension and birth certificate, to be simplified by ensuring the reduction of delivery channels and citizen trips
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District employment bureau slow to turn to computers
Jalandhar, April 8 While the computers are being purchased, there is, perhaps, still no provision regarding the installation of any software or creating any website so that details regarding any training programmes, recruitment drives and job-oriented courses are put on web for the information of the youth. The department is still relying on sending letters to the students concerned at their postal address, which often tend to get misplaced or are dispatched late. Sanjeeda Beri, deputy director of the bureau, said, "Till the time we get some application software, we would begin making some database of existing files, creating list, qualification details and a data bank of e-mail addresses of the youths registering with us and uploading other details." Since the entire record of the department has been kept in files, retrieving details of the registered unemployed candidates often becomes a Herculean task. Scores of youths taking training in free courses through the bureau often remain stranded in queues to seek the refund of the amount paid. "Even this service requires to be made available on the web. We need to make several rounds to this office to check whether the payment can be received," said Kanchan an applicant. Unemployment allowance not raised Even as the Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhinda in his last year's annual budget had approved the enhancing of unemployment allowance from Rs 150 a month to Rs 1,000 a month, it perhaps has forgotten to get in implemented in the state. The scheme is riddled with a number of conditions which are quite unrealistic in today's time. It entails that the monthly family income of the applicant should not be more than Rs 1,000, which is far too low for a minimal subsistence of even one person. To add to this, there are many more riders. An applicant has to be registered with the District Employment Generation and Training Bureau for at least three years and has to be aged between 16 and 50. Further, during the course of this registration, the applicant should not be involved in any self-employment and should not have remained a student of any government-recognised technical or professional institute. It is perhaps due to such unrealistic restrictions that of the more than 13,000 unemployed persons registered with the bureau here, only 18 have been availing the government allowance.
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Yuva Hindu Manch activists want crackdown on illegal liquor vends
Jalandhar, April 8 Protesters included activists of the manch, as well as residents, who have been troubled due to the opening of liquor vends close to their homes. Activists raised slogans against the government and sought to revise the policy since easy availability of liquor had already spoiled many youths in the state and the new policy would only make the situation worst. They said on one hand, the government promotes martyrs like Bhagat Singh, but on the other hand, it discourages a principled life among youth by the promotion of increased liquor consumption. Speaking on the occasion, general secretary of the manch Ashok Sareen said, “The policy states that modern liquor vends will be opened across the state, in which even women up to the age of 25 years will be able to consume liquor. The policy should not be implemented because the youth of Punjab is always immersed in addiction and with the policy, there will be further degeneration in the state.” Activists also demanded that a stop should be put to the increasing number of liquor vends in the state. Woman activist Kamaljit said, “Today every street and area in the district has liquor vends. In some areas, it is difficult for women to walk safely on the streets. The number of liquor vends should also be reduced.” Activists also alleged illegal and smuggled liquor was also being sold by contractors. They said strict action should also be initiated against contractors. A memorandum signed by activists and residents was also submitted to Tehsildar Yashpal Sharma to be forwarded to CM Parkash Singh Badal.
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SSP’s promise to Kalyanpur Dalits
Jalandhar, April 8 He gave an assurance in this regard to the BSP delegation, including its state general secretaries Baldev Khaira, Gurlal Shaila, Rajinder Rehal and its district general secretary Kamal Dev Singh Jandusingha which met him. BSP district general secretary said they demanded from the SSP to take action against the then Lambra SHO Jatinderpal Singh (currently posted as Kartarpur SHO) for “torturing” Dalits of Kalyanpur village after suspending him and shifting him outside Jalandhar district, removing Sections 307, 382 and 354 wrongly included in an FIR registered after a clash between two groups of Dalits in Kalyanpur village and posting a sincere officer as Lambra SHO and shifting the current SHO Inderjit Singh from there. He said the SSP assured them that appropriate action would be taken after getting report of the SIT headed by SP (D) Rajinder Singh. Earlier BSP postponed its April8 programme of burning the effigy of the police and a cabinet minister over the issue of alleged torture of six Dalits of Kalyanpur village after assurance of Jalandhar rural SSP Yurinder Singh Hayre regarding doing the needful at the earliest. BSP state general secretary Sukhwinder Kotli and its district general secretary Kamaldev Singh Jandusingha threatened to start an agitation against Jalandhar rural police after April 7 if it failed to register an FIR against Jatinderpal Singh for not only misbehaving with the former Dalit lady sarpanch but also torturing innocent six persons of the village for no fault of theirs.
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Goa Chintan Shivir mockery of SAD ideology: Khaira
Kapurthala, April 8 This was stated here today by former Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira. He said, “Needless to mention, Punjab is facing a huge debt of over Rs 80,000 crore and is unable to pay salaries to its employees, unable to honour its social welfare schemes such as Shagun and old-age pension. Keeping in view the poor financial situation, the government has recently burdened poor girl students from class IX to XII with a hefty fees. Similarly, charges in government hospitals also have been increased.” Khaira further alleged that the Parkash Singh Badal-led SAD-BJP government had failed to implement its manifesto promise of giving Rs 1,000 unemployment allowance to lakhs of unemployed youths, students of class 10-12 were awaiting the promised laptops, but the government had nothing to offer in the budget presented recently other than fudging figures to present a rosy picture. The former MLA stated that the claims of good governance, too, had fallen flat with complete absence of the government, firstly due to Delhi gurdwara elections, then the unwarranted Moga byelection and now a luxury tour to Goa. While there was a total chaos in Punjab on the law and order front, with policemen in uniform being killed at regular intervals by Akali goons and a spate of rapes in the state, the junior Badal and president SAD had miserably failed, both as Home Minister as well as Sports Minister. Khaira said the selection of a tourist destination like Goa, known for its beaches and casinos, was absoultely anti Akali and Panthic ideology and definitely not a place for serious deliberations. It is now abundantly clear that places like Goa are more important than religious centres like Anandpur Sahib for Akali politics. The former Congress MLA said that he was of the firm opinion that Sukhbir Badal had not only thrown all Panthic traditions to the wind by holding the "Chintan Shivir" at Goa, but was totally insensitive to the issues of people and the declining graph of Punjab on all fronts.
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from schools & colleges Jalandhar BD Arya toppers In the result declared by the Guru Nanak Dev University of M.Com 1st semester, students of BD Arya Girls College, Jalandhar Cantt - Nitika Gupta (434/550 ), Harpreet Kaur (428/550 ) and Kawalpreet Kaur (408/550 ) got first, second and third positions, respectively, in the college. College Principal Dr Sarita Verma congratulated the students. Merit toppers Three students of Police DAV Public School, Jalandhar, bagged merit positions in NSTSE (National Level Science Talent Search Examination). Jivtesh of class-VII bagged 11th position and stood first in Jalandhar city, Aum of class IV bagged the 14th position, Akhilesh of class-VIII bagged 18th position. New session The new session 2013-14 began in MGN Public School, Adarsh Nagar, Jalandhar ,with path in School Gurdwara Sahib to seek the blessings. Mrs Brinder Badwal, officiating principal, addressed students in the assembly. Orientation for class V was carried in the senior wing to familiarise students with the new wing. Tech-Quest 13 With the objective of providing the platform to the students to showcase the technical know-how, the Computer Science Department of CT Institute of Engineering, Management & Technology (CTIEMT) organized a day- long technical event ‘Tech Quest’ at the seminar hall. More than 200 students of different departments and institutes of CT Group participated in this technical event. The major events of the 'Tech Fest' included Tech Quest, Code-Fecca, Punch Line, Paper Presentation, LAN Gaming, DJ Mixing etc. The students exhibited their technical skills through technology enabled and network- based programmes. For judgements in different categories of competitions, tough parameters were laid down for selections of the best. Honouring the winners at the award presentation ceremony, S Charanjit Singh Channi, Chairman, CT Group of Institutions stressed the need of smart and able technocrats to take the country to higher levels of growth and prosperity. GND varsity merit list Students of B.Sc. Bio-tech Ist year,Ist semester bagged four position among the top ten in GNDU merit-list. Satveer Kaur got the fourth position by securing 344/470 marks. Trailing by a very small margin are Navkiran got sixth position with 342/470 marks. Rajbir Kaur got VIIth position with 341/470 marks and Harpreet Kaur got eighth position with 339/470 marks. Principal KMV Dr Atima Sharma lauded the efforts of the meritorious students and congratulated the Head, Dept. of Biotech, Dr Prashant Chauchan and the faculty for the excellent academic performance. — TNS
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Parents across the city had to undergo a lot of inconvenience today owing to the strike of the auto-rickshaw, van and buggy drivers in the city.
the city suspending work, the issue of the St. Joseph’s Convent School bus fares remained unresolved for yet another day today. The school also witnessed a traffic jam in the afternoon.
Jalandhar, April 8
Having just started the e-governance project at Kapurthala and Nawanshahr by making the delivery of 23 public services web-based, the Department of Governance Reforms is now mulling its implementation in other districts, including Jalandhar soon.
Activists of the Yuva Hindu Manch today held a dharna at the DC’s office protesting against the state government’s new excise policy (2013-14), which allows the opening of new and modern liquor vends across the state.
Rural SSP Yurinder Singh Hayer here today assured a delegation of the BSP that its demand of providing justice to Kalyanpur Dalits would soon be fulfilled after getting a report of the special investigation team (SIT).
