Ludhiana, October 17
Taking a serious note of "non-utilisation of funds" provided by him to the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation from his Local Area Development Fund, Ludhiana MP and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari has asked the Municipal Commissioner to return the funds if the civic body is not interested in utilising these for the purpose these were provided for.

In a strong-worded letter written to the Commissioner, the minister said it was surprising that despite about 75 per cent grant provided by him for setting up 15 tubewells in different parts of the city, the MC had not taken any step to provide the remaining 25 per cent amount. "Not a single brick has been moved so far," he said.

Tewari told the Commissioner that in case the corporation was unwilling to utilise the sanctioned amount, the same should be transferred back to his MPLAD Fund so that it could be directly provided for the welfare of the people for whom it was meant for. He pointed out that the amount had been sanctioned for installing 15 tubewells so that people could get adequate water in their respective areas.

The issue relates to the setting up of 15 tubewells by the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation in different areas of the city under its jurisdiction at a total cost of about Rs 2.32 crore. Of this, about 75 per cent amount to the tune of Rs 1.74 crore was provided by Tewari from his MPLAD Fund and it had already been sanctioned to the local municipal corporation.

However, for reasons best known to the corporation, the entire amount remained unutilised. No work had been initiated on any of the tubewells, Tewari said, adding that "I have made it categorically clear to the corporation that if it is unwilling to utilise the amount, the money should be returned to my MPLAD account so that it can be directly provided to the people for whom it is meant for".

Ludhiana, October 17
Expressing anguish and disappointment over the "light" manner in which the serious issue of child labour is being taken by the state government, a member of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Yogesh Dubey, has said he will soon meet the state Chief Secretary over the issue.

Dubey, who was in the city today to get a feedback on child labour, told Ludhiana Tribune that it was shocking that not even a single meeting had been convened during the past three years over the issue of rescue and rehabilitation of child labourers in Punjab. "This shows how serious the state government is towards eradicating child labour," Dubey said.

"I visited Ludhiana and Amritsar today and was shocked to see the state of affairs. Both districts do not have any proper children homes, observation homes and homes for the mentally challenged children. It is the responsibility of the state to provide proper education, nutrition and health care facilities to children of migrant workers. However, the state does not have a proper data of such children. I will give all these details in my report, which is to be submitted to the Centre. The spirit to eradicate child labour seems missing in the state," said Dubey.

I visited Ludhiana and Amritsar on Thursday and was shocked to see the state of affairs. Both districts do not have any proper homes for children. It is the responsibility of the state to provide proper education and health care facilities to children of migrant workers. However, the state does not have a proper data of such children. I will submit my report in this regard to the Centre.

Yogesh Dubey, member, child rights panel

Ludhiana, October 17
Tall claims of the district administration about its efforts to eradicate child labour from the district fall flat as there is no proper follow-up procedure and a negligible number of such rescued children is rehabilitated by the government. According to the estimates, around 275 children (boys) have been rescued by the district administration with the help of NGOs from different factory units in the district in the last two years. Ironically, there is no such data, which provides details that how many of them were rehabilitated or sent to their native places.

The Programme Officer of Integrated Child Development Scheme, who had served in the district for many years, disclosed the rescued children were sent to the Children Home and after that a majority of them were handed over to their parents and "guardians", with the assurance that they (children) will be provided education.

Dinesh Kumar from Bachpan Bachao Andolan said there was no follow-up procedure in such cases. "The government claims to have created a corpus fund for the rehabilitation of these children but a negligible number of such children is provided education. Ludhiana, being an industrial town, lures many children and their mentors (guardians/middlemen, parents, etc), who feel that the former could earn better livelihood here. Ironically, these children are handed over to the same guardians, who are responsible for forcing them into work at factory units. And from one factory to another, these children are exploited by the factory owners," said Dinesh Kumar.

It is learnt that a particular certificate is issued to the rescued children, which is required for their rehabilitation and to get funds from the state where they belong. But, no such certificate has been issued by the Nodal Officer here since March 2013. "No certificate has been issued to any of the 44 children rescued recently from a hosiery unit. We do not know anything about their whereabouts, whether they have been sent back or some of them are back on work here," said Dinesh Kumar.

Ludhiana, October 17
With dengue fever at its peak, the prices of kiwi fruit have doubled. Since kiwi is considered good for increasing the platelet count of a patient suffering from dengue, the demand for the fruit has increased. Priced between Rs 20 and Rs 25 per piece, the fruit is now being sold for Rs 35 to Rs 40 per piece.

"The demand for kiwi fruit generally increases during the beginning of the winter season. However, this year, one of the main reasons for the increase in the demand for kiwi fruit is the rising number of dengue patients, who consume kiwi fruit as it is considered beneficial," said Mohammad Hussain, a vegetable and fruit vendor at Ghumar Mandi.

Sangeeta, a homemaker, said throughout the year kiwi was priced between Rs 20 and Rs 25 per piece, but its price had shot up suddenly. "My son is fond of eating kiwi and now I have to shell out Rs 10 to Rs 15 extra per piece," she said. Lakhwinder, whose daughter is suffering from dengue, said people had advised him to give kiwi and papaya leaves to her as these are considered beneficial for increasing the platelet count.

"I do not mind paying extra for kiwi fruit as I want my daughter to recover soon. Consuming four kiwis a day helps in increasing the count," Lakhwinder said.

Ludhiana, October 17
As many as 20 new cases of dengue have been confirmed from the DMCH during the past three days. The patients belong to various parts of the district. Of them, 16 are from the city, while the rest are from the peripheral areas.

Besides, 20 cases have been reported out of district. Of these, four are from Sangrur and Pathankot, three from Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur, two from Fatehgarh Sahib and one each from Barnala, Kapurthala, Jalandhar and Mansa. As many as nine cases have been reported from other states, of which seven are from J & K and one each from Rajsthan and Haryana.

With this total cases till date diagnosed in Ludhiana Hospitals are 320,of which 205 from other districts and 89 from other States.

Ludhiana, October 17
There seem to be no stopping of freak accidents due to the "poor construction" of the expressway project on the NH-I near the Jalandhar bypass.

In the latest incident, a Maruti Alto car got stuck in an open drain near the bypass. This is the second such incident in the past fortnight. On October 1, five persons from Amritsar had a miraculous escape after the car they were travelling in got stuck in the drain near the Jalandhar bypass.

While the construction company, Soma- Isolux, is busy minting money by collecting a hefty toll, no attention has been paid to the "poor construction work" on the road project.

Ludhiana, October 17
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has started his efforts to please the Valmiki community. Adding a chapter to his mission today, he said a state-of-the-art historical monument-cum-temple at Sri Valmiki Ashram (Ram Tirath), near Amritsar, would be a humble tribute by the state government to Lord Valmiki, who had preached the message of equality and universal brotherhood on this sacred land.

Addressing a gathering during a Shobha Yatra organised on the eve of Bhagwan Valmiki Jyanti here, the Chief Minister said coming up at a cost of Rs 115 crore, this temple-cum-museum would perpetuate the rich legacy of Lord Valmiki besides showcasing the life of this great Guru. Badal said the design of this temple-cum-museum had been conceived by architects of world repute while keeping in mind the religious sanctity of this historic place.

The Chief Minister said Bhagwan Valmiki was the “Pitaamah” of the Sanskrit language and the first poet or "Adi Kavi" of the world, who, by his masterpiece composition, the “Ramayana”, propagated the message of victory of good over evil.

He urged the people to follow the path and high ideals shown by Bhagwab Valmiki so as to build an egalitarian society.

Mandi Ahmedgarh/ Raikot/ Payal: Residents paid obeisance to Maharishi Valmiki, Luv and Kush during shobha yatras organised by various organisations on Thursday.

The Bhagwan Valmiki Mandir Committee organised a shobha yatra at Ahmedgarh. A large number of devotees paid obeisance as it passed through the Old Tehsil area, Gandhi Chowk, Bhagat Singh Chowk, Gall Mandi, Railway Road and Chaura Bazar.

Volunteers of various organisations offered drinks and eatables to the devotees.

Similar yatras were organised at other localities, including Raikot, Dehlon, Payal, Malaudh and Sudhar.

Ludhiana, October 17
Aimed at optimally utilising recycled agriculture waste in the state as alternative fuel, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today constituted a committee under the Secretary, Agriculture, KS Pannu, to explore the feasibility of implementing this project successfully in the state in collaboration with a private firm.

A decision to this effect was taken by the Chief Minister at a meeting with the owners of the company and officers of the Industry and Pollution Control Department here today. Badal said Punjab had abundant quantity of biomass, which could be optimally used for power generation. This would not only enormously benefit the farmers of the state but also supplement their income considerably.

The representatives of the Riela company gave a presentation regarding their project to the CM at the local Circuit House. The company would purchase the agriculture waste like straw from farmers and produce burning pellets from it by installing a pelleting plant. This fuel would be cheaper than coal and would help in enhancing the income of farmers by 10%. — TNS

Ludhiana, October 17
Employees and pensioners of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have been facing tough time as the state government has still not released their salaries and pensions for month of September. On the fourth day of the protest, the Punjab Agricultural University Employees Union and the Punjab Agricultural University Pensioner's Association once again held a protest outside the Vice-Chancellor's office.

Gulzar Singh, an employee said, "Most of the employees get the household goods on loan and they have to pay the monthly installments. They are unable to pay the electricity bills, phones and other expenses due to nonpayment of salary. The pensioners have been suffering a lot. When the government don't release the pension timely they become dependent on others for their requirements.

"The Punjab Agricultural University authorities are also responsible for this delay. The authorities never tolerate the delay in our work assignments but the senior officials are least concerned about this routine delay in salaries," said an employee of Punjab Agricultural University.

Jaswant Singh, President, Punjab Agricultural University Retirees Association and Punjab Agricultural University Pensioners Association, also joined in the protest.

Dr Harmeet Singh Kingra, President, Punjab Agricultural University Teachers Association, addressed the rally and said, "Non-release of grant-in-aid to meet salaries and pension is totally unconstitutional on the part of the state government because the budget for PAU has been sanctioned by the Punjab Government duly approved by the Punjab Assembly."

Paramjit Singh Gill, President, PAU Employees Association, has also shown great resentment towards the state government for non-release of salaries. He said, "The Finance Minister had announced in the Punjab Assembly that issue of arrears of the PAU employees will be settled in the first quarter of 2013-14. But the same is still pending till date."

Ludhiana, October 17
The party high command would decide from where Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu would contest the next Assembly elections, says Punjab BJP president Kamal Sharma, who was in the city for the announcement of new members of the BJP Senior Citizen's Cell. He said there were some differences between the SAD and the BJP regarding Sidhu contesting from Amritsar. But, these differences would be sorted out.

"We will decide together and win all the 13 seats in the Lok Sabha elections next year. We will not let the Congress gain any ground," he said. The BJP would contest three seats in the state, he said. The candidates for these seats would be decided by the party high command, he said.

He said the Congress had been politicising several issues and misleading the public, because it didn't have any positive "report card". He said property tax had to be levied for colonies seeking regularisation. But, the tax rates are much lower compared to those imposed by the other states, he said.

The Congress misinformed the public about the e-trip system and made an issue out of it but it was only for transparency. There were fewer power cuts and by December this year, Punjab would be a power surplus state.

Samrala/ Khanna, October 17
PPP president Manpreet Singh Badal has appealed to the state government to bring a new law to empower farmers of the Bet area of owner rights in the coming session from October 28.

He appealed to Congress to support this bill for the welfare of the farmers of the state who are facing eviction from lands after a court verdict in this regard. He was participating in a party rally organised by a local party unit.

He said, “Although the farmers of the Bet area are cultivating land from last many years but till date they are denied of owner rights.”

He flayed the state government for imposing hefty taxes on plot owners and colonisers in the name of regularising the colonies and also imposing heavy taxes on the name of property tax.

Local leaders of the PPP, including Avtar Singh Rajewal were present during the rally.

Ludhiana, October 17
The burning issue of protection of women, who are subjected to domestic violence, is still a far cry. In a recent case, despite orders from the local court for rescuing a victim of domestics violence, there was no protection officer available to carry out the orders.

If the victim does not wish to involve the police, the responsibility of rescuing her and taking remedial measures rests with the Child Development and Project Officer (CDPO).

Today, when Amandeep Singh, president of the Swatantra Awaz Welfare Organisation, received the orders from the court and visited the office for necessary action, he was shocked to find out that no official was available to carry out the orders for the next three days.

"The CDPOs were attending a meeting with the new minister in Chandigarh and tomorrow the administrative offices will remain closed. I do not think that the court orders will be implemented even on Monday as the post of CDPO- IV (Dugri area ) has been lying vacant for two months," said Amandeep Singh.

The wife of an influential businessman approached the organisation and sought help as she was being subjected to domestic violence.

While showing the orders of the court, Amandeep Singh said: "The woman is married for nearly 15 years and did not wish to involve the police as it could cause embarrassment to the family. Further, our organisation also disapproves of the role of the police in marital disputes."

The rule number nine of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005-06 clearly states: The protection officer or the service provider as the case may be should reach the place of occurrence and record the domestic incident report and present the same to the magistrate without any delay for seeking appropriate orders under the Act.

The judiciary is sensitive towards the matter pertaining to women's rights. When we approached the Sessions Court and sought protection for the victim, it immediately issued an order for necessary action. The court issued the orders in the absence of the victim. Further, we had not even hired an advocate and submitted court fees. But what an irony, there is no one to implement the orders.

— Amandeep Singh, president, Swatantra Awaz Welfare Organisation

Ludhiana, October 17
Complying with the directions of the State Information Commission, Punjab, while disposing of an appeal (AC No 33 of 2013) of city-based RTI activist Kuldeep Singh Khaira, the Secretary, Local Government Department, Punjab, has specified the public authorities to be designated for the purpose of Right to Information Act 2005 in the Municipal Corporation and Improvement Trusts in the state.

In partial modification of earlier orders, the state government has notified on October 4, 2013, that in the Municipal Corporation, the superintendent of the branch concerned will be the assistant public information officer (APIO), the joint or assistant commissioner will be the public information officer (PIO) and the Commissioner will be the appellate authority. The government has also made it very clear that the APIOs, the PIOs and the appellate authorities will not delegate their powers to other officials without approval of the government.

Likewise, in the Improvement Trust, the official designated by the executive officer will be the APIO and the executive officer of the Trust will be the PIO while the regional deputy director, Local Government will be the appellate authority.

State Information Commissioner Narinderjit Singh had noted in his orders in AC No. 33 that in most of the cases (pertaining to information demanded under the RTI Act), delay occurred in providing information to the applicants due to confusing arrangements by the designated PIOs, APIOs and the staff assigned the RTI work in the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana. The Commission had also observed that the MC did not seem to be sufficiently sensitised to respond to the RTI applications on time.

Ludhiana, October 17
Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Secretary Legal Services Authority KK Singla today exhorted the activists of legal literacy clubs for playing an important role in spreading legal awareness in society and for eradication of social evils.

He was addressing the activists today at an awareness camp organised at SCD Government College for Boys, in which participants from over 225 school and colleges participated.

He told under the scheme of the NALSA each club shall undertake following activities on weekly or monthly bases for spreading legal literacy: painting, slogan making, poster making, New Year greeting card making, street plays, debate and declamation, paper reading, awareness camps/seminars.

He said that club members should identify persons in their neighbourhood who deserves legal-aid.

"Laws and schemes are being made by legislature, Supreme Court and High Courts but these are not reaching to the people for whom these have been introduced," said Singla.

Doraha, October 17
Some of the city schools, in a sincere effort to protect their students from the onslaught of dengue, have changed their dress code. Some schools have asked the parents to send their children in full sleeves shirt and trousers so as to protect them from the mosquito bite.

"As the cases of Dengue are on rise, it is very essential to ensure the safety of the children. Hence, the children have been asked to wear full sleeves shirts and trousers from tomorrow," said Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, Principal, DAV Public School, BRS Nagar, Ludhiana.

"Although I try to protect my children while they are at home by using various types of mosquito repellents but I am always concerned about their safety at school. Their naked arms and legs were a real cause of concern to me. Missing school is next to an impossible thing but now, I can rest assured as my children will be fully covered. We are thankful to the principal who has shown real concern towards the children," said a parent.

Ludhiana, October 17
Students of the IIT are in the state to organise workshops for their upcoming Annual Tech Festival at IIT Kharagpur titled Kshitij. The students are campaigning for the next version of the Android software OS to be named as Lassi.

"We have written an open letter to the vice-president of Google and Android Head Sundar Pichai so that the version is named as Lassi. Pichai also happens to be an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, so we are hoping for the best," said Ritesh Saraogi, who was in the city to spread awareness about the campaign and the tech-fest.

He said that Google's version have been named alphabetically since the start, starting with C all of these have been about some delicacy or the other including, Ice-Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean and the latest version has been named Kitkat. Not it is the turn of L. We want the next version to be named Lassi, as it would not only spread the name of a healthy drink from India. "In India Android market shares are growing at staggering 57.7 per cent per year," he said.

Ritesh said that they were getting a good response for the tech fest in which workshops would be held on robotics. Last year, the workshops were held at Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College. This year the workshops would be held at Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Punjab.

The annual Techno-management festival is scheduled to be held at IIT Kharagpur from January 31 to February 3. The festival has even attained patronage from the UNESCO.

During the seminar, various recommendations emerged out of the four technical sessions, chaired by MG Joshi, Managing Director, NFCSF; Dr APS Mann, former Dean, PAU; Dr SS Gosal, Director of Research, PAU; and Dr PR Singh, Head, Agricultural Engineering, Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow. During the first session on “Issues and Challenges of Sugar Industry-Role of Cooperatives”, the experts emphasised on the need to increase in the area and productivity of sugarcane in north-western and central zone; improvement in government policies for the benefit of industry and modernisation of present sugar factories to achieve better efficiency and output.

In the second session on “Challenges for sugarcane research- role of research institutes and sugar industry”, the experts stressed on modifications in machinery as per the local requirements of the farmers and planning of research programme as per the feedback from the sugar industry. In the third session on “Prospectives of value addition- towards a viable sugar industry”, the farm experts focused on mechanical harvesting of sugarcane and advised that the research on suitable varieties of sugarcane for mechanical harvesting should be taken up. The experts in the last session on “Mechanisation in sugarcane cultivation- need of the hour”, emphasised on the popularisation of sub-soiler in sugarcane growing areas. —TNS

Ludhiana, October 17
A Punjab Police Head Constable died in a road mishap in New Kailash Nagar near Jodhewal Basti today.

The victim has been identified as Balbir Singh. The incident took place this morning when the 50-year-old police official was heading for his duty on scooter.

According to an eyewitness, an over speeding truck came from behind and hit the rear end of his scooter. The victim fell on the road and was crushed under the truck.