Jalandhar, November 8
After the implementation of the first phase of the Solid Waste Management Programme in the city, the district administration is in for a much bigger challenge.

The major concern involves the complete exhaustion of the Wariana dump where there is no place for the solid waste management company to dump any further garbage and the movement of its garbage lifting vehicles. Also, the security of the ultra modern dustbin to be installed at various 
dumping sites by the solid waste management company from Monday seems to be a much bigger concern for the Municipal Corporation.

“Presently, the company is not fully equipped as it is yet to install the garbage processing plant at Jamsher. It will take months for it to make the plant operational. Meanwhile, Wariana dump is completely exhausted as the city is throwing garbage here from the last 35 last 40 years. Also, there is no place to build road where the company can move its big vehicles to dump the garbage that it will collect from the various secondary dumping sites and major institutions,” said Gurpreet Singh Khehra, Municipal Commissioner, Jalandhar.

He said due to massive garbage dumping, the lone road at the dump has gone beyond repair and the ultra modern tippers on the company could not even enter on to the narrow road at the Wariana dump.

Now, the MC on Saturday identified a 3-acre site nearby for the further dumping of the city garbage. The city generates around 500 metric tonnes of garbage every day. The city has around 2.13 lakh houses that generate around 1.5 lakh quintals of tones of garbage. Apart from that, industrial and other waste also gets dumped at Wariana since ages.

Although the MC has has identified around 70 to 80 garbage collection sites and have asked the company to install dustbins at these points from Monday but the company is apprehensive of the success of the project due to the shortage of space. While the company has around 60 bins to be installed at the secondary dumping sites and has ordered around 600 more bins to be installed at various points identified recently by MC it seems clueless about the place to throw the garbage that it would collect from all over the city. According to Satish Sharma, AGM, Jindal Infrastructure Limited, although the company has started upgrading its infrastructure soon after getting a nod to implement the first phase of the project in the city, it expects necessary cooperation from MC for getting an alternate space to dump the garbage till the garbage processing plant can be made operational. Meanwhile, the MC on Saturday installed temporary flood lights at Wariana for the smooth movement of the waste management vehicles to the dump. 

Jalandhar, November 8
Unidentified miscreants broke into the Union Bank of India branch at Mustfapur village in Kartarpur last night. However, they failed to decamp with any valuables.

The entire crime scene was recorded on CCTV cameras installed on the bank premises and the police have circulated the images of the robbers to identify them.

Interestingly as per the footage, one person was spotted who broke open the locks of the main door with iron rod today in the wee hours.

After he entered the bank, he started ransacking the bank but failed to locate cash. After struggling for few minutes to trace the cash inside the bank, robber, whose face was covered, escaped from the bank premises.

Today morning, when villagers noticed the broken locks of the bank, they informed the police and bank authorities. After bank officials reached the spot, they said the no cash has been stolen from the bank.

Meanwhile, senior police officials reached the spot and started the investigation. Finger print experts also reached the spot for investigation. Kartarpur DSP Ranjit Singh said the police had circulated the picture of the robber taken from the CCTV footage.

Jalandhar, November 8
Right at the precious juncture in their lives when they are at their productive best, the passing away of a student succumbing to pressure, depression or sometimes a trivial incident which triggers a fatal impulse, has cost the district many precious young lives and has wrecked families.

A startling regularity with which students are opting to commit suicide - rather than carry on with their lives - hints at a worrying social malaise which is causing more and more students to feel isolated. While the recent Supriya suicide incident had recently saddened the district, a suicide by a student of a local college last evening has given another cause for both parents and academicians to deal with the disturbing trend.

While in a number of cases, peer pressure, stress and family problems have been seen to be the cause of the suicides, even in cases like the Supriya suicide case - where parents have openly stated the cause of the suicide and registered and FIR - the government and the police are yet to provide closure.

Social activist Amolak Singh said, "In the past few years, the frequency of suicides has risen and given the state of affairs in the state, it seems steps are not being taken to counter the rise. Students are socially and psychologically isolated. They have become like loaded guns, waiting for a trigger to take such a step. There is lack of self worth and they don't feel like vital components of society. Such a situation should not arise that a child is so full of sorrow that he/she chooses to end their life for it. The privatisation of the education system, busy lives of parents and even the caste and class crisis are factors in which solutions to the problem might lie."

Sarita Sharma, principal of the BD Arya Girls College, said, "About 15 years ago, students totally confided in parents and teachers but the onset of technology has brought it in this secretive generation which simmers inside. Since childhood children's moral fibre needs to strengthened and they need to be told that failures are fine. This has certainly increased in the past few years and in some cases like the unfortunate Supriya incident, it was seen that their very environment claimed their lives. Both parents and the education system needs to involve children and create an environment where we stop producing an overstressed generation."

Professor Atima Sharma, principal, KMV College, Jalandhar, while speaking on the recent incident, said: "The incident is very unfortunate. The parents of the student have confirmed she was suffering from depression a problem which ran in the family. Her mother was also suffering from it. We take constant care of the students in our college but we were not aware of the student's condition. We have employed counsellors in the hostel who regularly talk to students, but this student never displayed such signs before."

"It is important to state at this juncture that sharing is very important. All students must share any problems or conflicts they are facing, with their mentors and counsellors," she added.

Professor Sharma added that the police report has also held the domestic and personal reasons as responsible for the demise of the student. The student was a resident of a village near Moga.

Suicide cases Daughter of the District health officer, Jalandhar, Dr Supriya commits suicide on September 29 by hanging herself from the ceiling fan of her hostel room at DMC Ludhiana. A 22-year-old student of BCA from Doaba College allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a speeding train near the PAP complex on March 13, 2014. Body of a CT College of Engineering student, who committed suicide, was found by the police in the Mukerian canal on February 2, 2014, he was missing since January 23. A 20-year-old girl student of Gulab Devi Nursing College in Jalandhar allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in her hostel room on June 18, 2013. Two students of DAV College allegedly committed suicide by jumping before a speeding train on April 26 2013. Student of the local SD College for Women College commits suicide by jumping in front of a speeding train after being quizzed by cops in front of media at a naka on August 30 2012. A polytechnic student allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in a hostel room on August 16, 2012.

Jalandhar, November 8
A veer naari meet was organised by Vajra Corps for the wives of martyrs at the Jalandhar Cantonment Military station.

As many as 63 veer naaris attended the meet. Kiran Hira, regional president, Vajra AWWA, welcomed the veer naaris and interacted with them with a singular aim of reaching out to resolve their various issues and concerns. They were also felicitated during the ceremony.

The veer naaris were updated by officers' wives who acted as counselors about welfare schemes undertaken by the Central and Punjab Government and the Army, for them. The forum also highlighted important guidelines issued from time to time by the Army Headquarters on aspects of ECHS, CSD facilities, medical benefits, schemes on placement of wards/widows of martyrs.

Remembering the supreme sacrifice made by the soldiers who laid down their lives fighting for the honour of the motherland, the Vajra Corps made an endeavour to reach out to the families of the martyrs and extend a helping hand. —TNS

Jalandhar, November 8
The bus stand police today nabbed a snatcher and recovered six mobile phones from his possession. Suspecting his role in several previous snatchings, police said, his remand would be sought to solve pending cases.

The accused has been identified as Naresh Kumar, alias Raj. He hails from Ferozepur and was presently residing in Upkar Nagar.

The police said Tejas Kumar of Punjabi Bagh yesterday had filed a complaint with the police that his mobile phone was snatched near the bus stand. Today, when the victim intercepted the snatcher in Defence Colony, he informed the police and the accused was nabbed. The police said six mobile phones, including the one snatched from Tajas, were recovered from the snatcher.

Jalandhar, November 8
The Mid-day Meal Workers Union Punjab today held an agitation at the local Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall reiterating their demands of the provision of at least minimum wages to the mid-day meal workers and a stop to the forcible sweeping of schools, which schools were making some cooks do.

The Congress' UPA government had approved the increase of salaries of workers by Rs 1,000 in April 2014, which wasn't implemented by the Modi government. They said the Haryana government provides their mid day meal workers Rs 2,500 per month but the Punjab government in comparison was providing only Rs 1,200 to its workers and that too only for 10 months of the year.

Workers said on many occasion cooks and workers of the mid day meal had sent letters to the state government on various issues, but rather than having any impact, workers at schools are being made to do the work of sweepers.

The union demanded that after implementation of the minimum wages act, mid day meal workers should be paid at least Rs 7,228 and part time sanitary workers should be paid at least Rs 6,448.

They also demanded that sanitary workers who have completed 10 years should be made permanent and be paid for all 12 months instead of just 10.

They demanded that the decision of starting contractual mid-day meal in some cities be taken back. Other demands included provision of ESI, PF facilities, six months' maternal leave to workers, increase of limit per cook to 50 from the present 25, free insurance of Rs 2 lakh per worker, immediate stop to the forcible cleaning of schools by cooks, at least one sanitary worker per school and provision of uniforms to workers twice a year.

Activists said if the government does not pay heed to their demands then they will be intensified their agitation.

Jalandhar, November 8
In support of the national rally for the implementation of the Right to Education Act, activists of various groups today held a march at the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall demanding the implementation of the Act in the state equally among all children.

A rally which started from Jammu, with the aim of implementing the Right to Education Act, had reached Madhopur on November 6. It was lead by Kul Hind Sikhiya Adhikar Manch’s Presidium members Dr. Madhu Prasad and Professor Jagmohan Singh. Reaching Jalandhar today, the education yatra travelled through Dhialwan in Kapurthala to reach village Dayalpur (the village of legendary Bhagat Singh’s sister Amar Kaur) and Kartarpur from where it reached the yadgaar hall.

The rally was supported by the activists of the Pendu Mazdoor Union, Nauajwan Bharat Sabha, Punjab Students Union, Istri Jagriti Manch, Democratic Teachers Front, Punjab along with mid day meal workers Union.

As a part of the same series rallies will be held across the nation in 23 states divided into five zones – in which demanding regarding the implementation of the Right to Education Act, 2009 as well as prevention of the privatisation of school education in the country will be raised.

The rally also moved across Amrtisar, Gurdaspur, among other districts where people were made were of the Right to Education Act.

The rally, originally started on December 4 2013, from various parts of the nation, will also reach Madhaya Pradesh and Bhopal.

The prime demands of the activists supporting the rally include prevention of privatisation in education, prevention of saffronisation of education and demand for a common school system – which sees all students as equal.

Passing through Nakodar and Mehatpur, the rally will reach Barnala, Bathinda, Mansa, Sangrur, Patiala and finally Chandigarh from where it will proceed to Haryana from there for the next phase of the yatra, entering the state on December 17.

Hind Sikhiya Adhikar manch was formed in Chennai in the presence of 1,000 delegates during a conference in 2012. The prime motive of the yatra taken out by the manch, with support from various state activists, is to ensure provision of equal education for all students without any discrimination on the basis of their caste or other factors.

Jalandhar, November 8
Chandigarh University today declared the launch of an official website which would allow students to participate engineering students to participate in campus placement drives online.

Chandigarh University, Gharuan, and CGC, Landran, today announced a Joint Placement Programme (JPP) for 2014 pass-out students and passing-out batches of 2015. In a press conference held here today, Dr. RS Bawa, vice-chancellor, Chandigarh University, said the joint placement programme would enable the engineering and MCA students from the state to register free-of-cost on the official website of Chandigarh University to participate in the campus placement drives.

Launching the online web-portal for JPP for the students of Punjab today, Dr. Bawa said North India’s biggest joint campus placement drive under JPP had already been conducted on October 6th this year, in which more than 15,000 students participated during the Hewlett Packard (HP) drive.

Dr. Bawa said Chandigarh University had turned out to be a Centre of Excellence (CoE) were top multi-Nationals like Microsoft, IBM, Wipro, Infosys, Tech-Mahindra, Quarks and Mahindra & Mahindra were giving hands-on experience to students to learn emerging technologies. He said India’s only IBM Lab for emerging technology and North India’s first Microsoft Innovation Centre as well as Mahindra & Mahindra’s first T-School for mechanical engineers had also been setup at the campus, he added.

He said during JPP-2014, more than 229 companies selected students in various fields. Dr Bawa said top ranked companies like IBM, SAP Labs, L&T, Royal Bank of Scotland, United Spirits, JW Marriot, Bajaj Motors had recruited 2014 passing-out batch students under joint placement program last year, in which students from Punjab had the highest percentage of selected students besides other states.

Jalandhar, November 8
Jalandhar will make its presence felt in the first ever Champions Tennis league to be held in the country from November 17 to 22 with its very own team Punjab Marshalls owned by renowned businessman Gurpreet Singh hailing from the city. The league is the brain child of Vijay Amritraj, the legendary Tennis player of India and also the Chairman of Second Serve Pvt Limited, the organizers of the league in India.

Punjab Marshalls boast of India’s No 1 singles player Somdev Devvarman along with the tournament’s highest ranked men’s player David Ferrer of Spain, former great Greg Rusedski and the up and coming Garbine Muguruza in their ranks for the inaugural edition of the tournament, which will commence from November 17 across India. The Marshalls will launch their campaign against Delhi on November 17.

According to Gurpreet Singh, the owner also popularly known as ‘Kiki’, the team’s tag line ‘Hai Dum’ looks to reinforce the message that the four-member team has been picked with an eye on creating a team that reflects the strength, skills and achievements of each player.“My wife and I have always been passionate sports fans and wanted to do something for the development of sport in the region and India as a whole. The CTL provides a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the sport as well as a fantastic way of getting way into a sport that we like and hence it was a win-win situation for us,” said the 49 year-old proud owner.

He also informed that Punjab Marshalls also aims to promote tennis in the whole of Punjab. “We will soon launch a project called ‘Child to Champion ‘that will search talent across Punjab at the grassroots level and will help youngsters showcase their talent through various school level tournaments,” said Kiki. He said that with a strong team line, he is sure to bring the first crown to the state.

Punjab Marshalls will host their home matches on November 20 and 21 at the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association Stadium. After Delhi, Mumbai is the third team in the group.

Jalandhar, November 8
With a view to improve seller and buyer dealings, the Jalandhar Management Association (JMA) has joined hands with Hannover Milano Fairs India Private Limited for their upcoming annual event in India under the brand of World of Industry– India 2014 (WIN India 2014), to be held from December 10 to 13 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

The main focus of the partnership is to explore new avenues for business growth of multinational companies from north India through various joint activities. Hannover Milano Fairs India Pvt Limited is an Indian subsidiary of the largest engineering trade fair organiser Deutsche Messe AG, Germany.

WIN India 2014 is the umbrella for four trade fairs – MDA India, Industrial Automation India, CeMAT India and Surface Technology INDIA – that present products and services in power transmission, motion control and fluid power; process automation, factory automation and industrial building automation; material handling and logistics; and surface technology, paints and coatings, respectively.—TNS

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