Jalandhar, May 24
While a majority of the city roads are in a dilapidated condition, their reconstruction or patch work is not in sight despite a favourable weather prevailing for such works these days.

A broken road crying for repair in Jalandhar. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

According to experts, the current scorching heat, with around 45 degrees celsius, is very friendly for constructing and repairing roads, but the municipal corporation Jalandhar (MCJ) is seemingly turning a blind eye towards the damaged city roads, as none of the dilapidated roads is being presently reconstructed or repaired.

A social activist Rajat Mohindru said, “The MCJ should immediately start at least the patch work of the pathetic roads, as extreme heat is favourable for such work. The MC should take the benefit of the scorching heat for providing smooth roads to the residents, as the monsoon is expected after a few weeks.”

Residents here have been facing inconvenience due to the bad condition of roads for the past several months. Potholes and pits existed on almost every city road. They further grew in size after the rains a few months ago.

While the MC authorities had claimed that they would reconstruct or repair the roads as the case might be only after the end of the last monsoon season, a majority of the roads were left without any repair.

A number of potholes on the roads between Kapurthala Chowk and Workshop Chowk, near Jyoti Chowk, Mai Hiran Gate, Garha Road, near Maqsoodan flyover and Transport Nagar flyover were noticed during a round of the city.

Potholes and pits on Ladowali Road, near the District Administrative Complex (DAC), Preet Nagar Sodal road, Gujja Peer road, Kapurthala Road and Nakodar Road are growing in size day by day. The potholes on the roads are an open invitation to mishaps.

Sandeep of the Krishan Nagar locality said, “It has become difficult to drive on such dilapidated roads. It gets difficult to judge the potholes and pits due to the inundation of roads by rainwater.”

“At least patch work should be done immediately to minimise inconvenience to the public by these potholes and pits," he added.

Jalandhar, May 24
Mechanical engineering students of the CT Institute of Engineering, Management & Technology (CTIEMT) have made two projects "Power spring tricycle" and "Unmanned rail gate".

Students with their model of an unmanned level crossing; and (below) a tricycle for the physically impaired in Jalandhar on Friday. Tribune photos: Malkiat Singh

To give a special feel to the physically challenged, budding mechanical engineers have made a power spring tricycle which can be run with the help of a spring as it uses no fuel at all. The spring tension is allowed to be released by driving the wheels through chain drive. The separate gear is also attached to the spring, which is used to transmit power to the drive shaft with the help of chain mechanism. It enables the person of a mass of 75 kg to move the tricycle.

Fatehjit Singh, Gurkamal Singh, Manpreet Singh, Isharveer Singh and Harpreet Singh have prepared this innovative tricycle.

In addition, to curb rail accidents happening at unmanned level crossings, a project has been developed to help the Railways in making its present working system a better one.

Based on the responses and reports obtained as a result of the significant development in the working system of the Railways, this project can be further extended. BTech students of the CTIEMT Jaspreet Singh Saini, Jatish Arora, Kamaljit, Md Rafique Ansari and Nikhil Jain worked hard under the able guidance of faculty to get success in this project.

Talking about the project "Unmanned rail gate", Jaspreet Singh Saini, group leader, said, “The project provides significant dimensions. Whenever a train is a few kilometres from the railway gate, the buzzer will make sound and when the train comes nearer, doors will start closing and then buzzer will stop making sound. After the train has gone, the railway gates start opening automatically. At another crossing, which is without gates, traffic will be controlled using traffic lights."

Charanjit Singh Channi, chairman, CT Group of Institutions, was elated at the achievement of the students. He emphasised that it was the attitude of the students that made the difference. At our institutions, the students are nurtured to mould their attitude in the right direction. 

Jalandhar, May 24
Condemning the alleged lackadaisical attitude of the administration in the Nakodar accident which took place in the district on April 4 and claimed 13 lives of schoolchildren, Surinder Saini of the Child Helpline Jalandhar Welfare Society today demanded that a sitting judge should be appointed to look conduct an inquiry into the incident.

Saini had recently complained to the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and state transport officers of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh regarding this.

Addressing a press conference here today, Saini said SDM Nakodar and Secretary Regional Transport Authority, who had been asked to conduct an inquiry into the issue, had carried out unsatisfactory inquiries and so far no responsibility had been fixed on any erring person despite the loss of 13 lives. He said the driver had an LMV driving licence and the vehicle was a maxi cab, the tourist permit of which was only till 12/12/12.

He also stated that the driver had got his licence made only two years ago, but the driver should have at least five year’s driving experience.

The 12-seater van was seating 25 students, he added. He said while the Punjab and Haryana High Court directions on the issue had been sent to all DTOs and DCs, still these hadn’t been implemented.

Expressing disagreement with the existing inquiry reports, Saini demanded that the inquiry should be marked to a sitting judge for honest findings on the issue.

Accompanied by SK Kapoor of the NGO Chitra, Saini said while the lax stand of the authorities on the Nakodar tragedy was disappointing, what was more bothersome was that despite accidents, many involving school students taking place regularly, no strict guidelines were being issued or enquiries being made into school vehicles which were obsolete, unregistered or without proper drivers.

He said while there were about 700 registered school vehicles in the city, thousands of other school vehicles were also plying on roads everyday.

Jalandhar, May 24
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Diljinder Singh Dhillon will look into the allegations of the tearing of clothes of a woman of his area, levelled against Congress councillor Pradeep Singh Rai in a first information report (FIR) lodged against him a few days ago.

Commissioner of Police (CP) Gaurav Yadav marked the inquiry to ADCP (Special Branch) Diljinder Singh Dhillon following a delegation of Congress leaders, including Rajinder Beri and a Congress councillor, had met him in this regard.

Talking to The Tribune, Dhillon said he had already summoned both parties for recording their statements as part of the preliminary inquiry into the case.

While the complainant had alleged in the FIR, registered on May 16 at the Basti Bawa Khel police station under Sections 451, 323, 506 and 509 of IPC, that the Congress councillor and some of his companions had tried to rape her after entering her house, Rai claimed that the FIR was registered against him and some of his supporters due to political vendetta, as an illegal marriage palace of an Akali leader had been sealed on his complaint two months ago.

Councillor from ward 40, Rai alleged that the FIR had been lodged at the behest of local Akali leaders "just to teach him and his supporters a lesson". Elaborating, Rai said, "Hans Raj of his area had approached him that an 'infamous' person was luring his daughter to marry him, while that person had already been married."

At this, he, along with over 40 persons of the area, including several women, went to that person's house to tell him not to spoil that girl's future.

"Instead of paying any heed to our advice, that person threatened us, brandishing a sword. His sister also misbehaved with us. Later, the police registered an FIR against me and some of my supporters on the statement of that person's sister at the behest of Akali leaders," he added.

Rai said, "Had the police inquired into the matter at the ground level, it would have not lodged any FIR. On the contrary, it would have taken action against that person as everyone in the area, including the police, knows that the person is involved in drug selling. No action is being taken, as some policemen were hand in glove with him."

Interestingly, Hans Raj also gave a complaint to the police against that person, but no action has so far been taken in this regard.

The Congress councillor is hopeful of getting justice as assured by ADCP Navjot Mahal after a one-hour long dharna by his supporters at Kapurthala chowk on Saturday.

Subsequently, the Congress leaders met CP in this regard and the CP marked the inquiry to ADCP Diljinder Singh Dhillon.

Rai expressed the hope that the FIR against him and his supporters would be cancelled after a thorough inquiry, and proper action would be taken against that person and his sister on Hans Raj's complaint.

Earlier, the Municipal Corporation (MC) had sealed the Akali leader's building located at Shiv Nagar, falling in Ward 40, on March 18 after regular complaints by Pradeep Rai and following some persons, including Tara Singh Nagra, knocking the doors of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this regard.

Jalandhar, May 24
A 12-member state delegation visiting the district to review the working of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) in Jalandhar, submitted a report of its findings to the ADC (Development), here today.

The report will also be shortly submitted to MD, HRHM, and then to the Central TB Division.

Headed by State TB Officer (STO) Balbir Singh, the delegation found the RNTCP programme to be working successfully.

In its final report, the team stated that the cure rate of TB in the district is 88 per cent and the cure rate of category two TB in the district is 76 per cent.

The report also noted that as many as 75 per cent of registered patients of TB in the district had been tested for AIDS. While the report stated that majority of the designated microscopy centres (DMCs) were accessible to residents with the exception of Kartarpur.

Starting on a sweet note, however, it pointed out various TB centres for some lapses.

Lapses

Prime among these were the lack of pharmacists at almost all drug stores.

The report stated that at the Kartarpur, Nakodar, Jamsher Khas and Phillaur TB Units (TU) either drug stores were being run by STS or some other employees, which was affecting the working of the units.

The report also noted that the STLS at Nakodar, staff at PIMs, LT at Bhargo Camp Dot centre and TBHV, Dot provider and STLS (supervisor LT for TU) at Phillaur needed training.

The report mentioned that due to dearth of staff, some centres in the district were relying on TB health visitors (TBHVs ) and LTs (Kartarpur) to provide DOTs while it should be done by trained DOT providers.

Recommendations

The report recommended - setting up of sputum collection centres at Randhawa Masandan Samastpur/Ballan under TU Kartarpur (and wherever else needed in interior areas), supervision of ASHA workers, HIV counselling and testing for all TB patients, issuance of new microscopes for two new DMCs at Jamsher Khas and proper supervision by SMOs as well as involvement of private pactioners for the Nikshay Project.

It recommended 100 per cent entries under the Nikshay Project (under which a database of TB patients is created)
for 2012 (93 per cent had been made), which is bound to have caused underreporting.

Free treatment

Talking about his findings regarding the district, Dr Balbir Singh, State TB Officer, said the most impressive thing about the district was that 100 per cent patients registered with the RNTCP were getting free diagnostic and treatment services. He said 100 per cent of these patients were getting DOTS as per guidelines in the intensive phase and 100 per cent in continuation.

While the stock management of drugs was stated to be good, the STO said, adding that through a problem was reported regarding pediatric TB drugs and it would be resolved soon.

New additions

The team stated that the faculty of Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) be trained in the RNTCP. It also announced that an integrated ICTC centre would be started at PIMS for the benefit of patients.

While a fifth TU was announced for the district in September 2012, it began work in January this year, keeping in mind the over 24 lakh population and bustling TB cases of the city. The team’s findings about the Jamsher Khas (also caters to PAP) TU were that needed a pharmacist to take charge of the drug store, instead of an STS, and prevention of seepage in its drug store.

District statistics

Jalandhar has 3,619 registered TB patients in 2012, MDR under treatment are 30 and total category II patients in the district are about 1,200.

Though the RNTCP has been implemented in Jalandhar from December 2004, intensified TB HIV package was introduced in the district in the second quarter of 2010. The district was recently adjudged the best for controlling TB across the state.