Chandigarh, April 7
The prevailing mess in school education in Punjab is evidently the creation of the state government itself. Even as the Punjab Government got enough time to shift private schools out of residential or unauthorised buildings in a phased manner, it continued to dither on the issue.

The government was spurred into activity only a couple of weeks ahead of the extended deadline of March 31 fixed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to shift such schools out of unauthorised buildings. The High Court’s original deadline had expired earlier and the Punjab Government had been given a year’s extension.

The leisurely pace of the government can be gauged from the fact that 126 government primary schools are still functioning from residential buildings or other unauthorised places. Even these could not be shifted to the earmarked buildings. There are about 17,000 private and other schools that are to be shifted.

The last meeting of the high-powered committee to implement the process of shifting was held on May 4 last year. It was then decided that the Departments of Urban Planning, Local Bodies and Education would collectively prepare a comprehensive policy on the shifting of the schools that would be sent to the Council of Ministers. It was also then decided to seek the advice of the Advocate-General to file an application in the High Court to seek more time to shift the schools.

In reality, most of these orders remained on the files and nothing was done practically to shift the schools. The suggestion of the high-powered committee in May last year to seek more time from the High Court was considered three days ago. The state has now decided to move an application in the High Court to seek an extension in time to shift 17,000 private schools. The application is expected to be filed within the next week.

Realising the delay caused in the past, the Punjab Government, in the past few weeks, has issued advertisements inviting applications from private schools for the allotment of plots in various towns. It will take six to eight months for basic buildings to be constructed on these plots. As it is a big task, the government should have started the shifting in a phased manner well before the start of the academic session as it had got enough time to do so, said sources in the Education Department.

On April 11 last year, the state government gave an undertaking in court through its Special Secretary, Education, Mr R. Venkat Ratnam, saying that the state would take steps to admit students of such private schools in government schools in the academic session 2006-07.

In that undertaking, Mr Venkat Ratnam gave reasons for seeking an extension. He had said that nearly 2.97 lakh vacancies existed in government schools, whereas more than 7 lakh students would be displaced.

Just weeks before the deadline was the expire, the Punjab Government started the much-delayed process to recruit school teachers. This was also stayed by the High Court in a separate order. Sources said the Chief Minister’s office was not even aware of developments like the undertaking given in the court regarding the shifting of such unauthorised schools before the current academic session.

Samana (Patiala), April 7
Making a significant departure from its earlier stance, the Punjab unit of the Congress has decided to open its gates, albeit with conditions attached, to those who once supported terrorism in the state and had celebrated the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

This disclosure was made by none other than the Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief, Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, while addressing mediapersons here today.

Mr Dullo was here to attend a function to mark the first death anniversary of Sant Ram Singla, who had been the chairman of the Punjab Mandi Board.

"We will welcome such persons, who once supported terrorism, to our secular party only on a condition that they will have to shun the ideology of terror.

"We are doing so because our party is making efforts to bring such people to the national mainstream," said Mr Dullo.

While disclosing that a total revamp of the Punjab unit of the Congress would be made by the end of this month, Mr Dullo said those who had joined the Congress in the past and were enjoying party posts would not be given the same in the next reshuffle.

In another significant statement, Mr Dullo, while expressing concern over the detection of three tunnels in the Burail Jail, said the Punjab Police had shown laxity in nabbing the assailants of late Chief Minister Beant Singh after they had tunneled their way out of the Burail Jail about two years ago.

He added that he was also looking into the allegations levelled by Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta, Chairman, All India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF), that a senior police official was aiding ultras.

When asked to comment on the anti-Punjab Government statements allegedly made by the senior party leader, Mr Jagmeet Brar, Mr Dullo said Mr Brar had met him and clarified that he (Mr Brar) had made no such statements.

Mr Dullo said the Punjab Government had fulfilled almost all its promises and had put the state on the path to progress.

He claimed that the administrative reshuffle in Punjab had been done by the Chief Minister with his consent.

Chandigarh, April 7
The Election Commission of India has selected the Ajnala Assembly constituency in Punjab for preparing the electoral rolls as per the new format. To eliminate the chances of bogus voting in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the commission has decided to publish the photos of voters along with their names, fathers’ names and addresses on the electoral rolls.

Such poll rolls will be used in the coming Assembly elections in certain parts of Tamil Nadu. Sources in the local office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab told The Tribune today that the Ajnala segment had been selected because in the constituency 80 per cent of the voters had voter photo identity cards.

“We have the photographs of 80 per cent of the enlisted voters of that constituency which will be juxtaposed in front of the names of the voters on the fresh electoral rolls through a mechanical process”, said a senior officer in the Chief Electoral Office. The remaining voters will be photographed for this purpose, he added.

Meanwhile, the Chief Electoral Office has started preparing the fresh rolls keeping in view the coming Assembly elections in Punjab. “We intend to complete the process of revising the rolls by June,” said a the senior officer.

The commission wanted that the electoral rolls should be prepared in a transparent manner. During the last Assembly elections, thousands of names were missing from the electoral rolls on the day of polling. Even the names of certain village panches and sarpanches were missing from the rolls.

“Though a good number of persons had voter photo identity cards their names did not figure in the electoral rolls. They were denied the opportunity to cast their vote”, said a senior political leader. “ The Election Commission of India should ensure that it should not happen this time. If the Election Commission cannot ensure the right to vote to an eligible citizen, its talk of electoral reforms is meaningless”, he added.

One can get registered as a voter through e-mail, it is learnt. However, this process is a bit complicated as later one’s identity has to ascertained through the normal official channels.

Chandigarh, April 7
Started less than four months ago as an initiative to spread awareness about breast cancer, the 'Roko Cancer' campaign has turned into a movement in the border areas of Punjab where over 500 women have been screened for the killer disease that claims over 50,000 lives in India each year.

Started in December last year from Amritsar, India's first fully- equipped mobile breast cancer detection unit run by the U.K- based MKC Trust will now make its presence felt across the state, educating women and helping them with early detection and eradication.

It has been conceived by Mr. A.S Chawla, a U.K-based NRI, who lost his first wife, Manjit Kaur, to breast cancer when she was 43. Mr Chawla then decided to fight the disease by empowering women with knowledge. The MKC Trust is named after her. He started the campaign by seeking donations from parliamentarians and NRIs in the U.K who collected Rs 1 crore with which the mobile unit was purchased and put up at Amritsar.

"On December 18, 2005, this mobile unit, equipped with the latest electronic equipment which facilitates the detection of breast cancer, was flagged off from the Golden Temple. Since then with the help of the local Civil Surgeon and other doctors of Shri Guru Ram Das Hospital (SGRD), hundreds of women have been provided free mammogram examination. The target is the rural and semi-urban women who need to be told that if detected early, cancer is curable", Mr. Chawla told TNS during a visit to the city today.

Recalling how he decided to start awareness about breast cancer after the death of his first wife, Mr Chawla said "in the U.K, we formed the Tiffin Club, comprising about 70 U.K parliamentarians who endorsed their support for the "Roko Cancer" campaign". Later, Aishwarya Rai and Jackie Chan, the winners of Diversity Award, also endorsed the campaign. The Trust later got U.K's Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to join the campaign and make its reach global.

"Roko Cancer" has many supporters like Gurinder Chadha, director and producer of the films" Bend It like Beckham", and "Bride and Prejudice". It has also produced an educative film titled. 'Remember Me', which voices the words of breast cancer survivors.

According to Ms. Isha Bhandari, Director, Operations, North India, for "Roko Cancer", so far 300 villages have been surveyed and since December in over 10 camps, 500 women have benefited. Examination that costs about Rs 1500 in most hospitals is provided free of cost. She said states, including Delhi and Rajasthan, had shown keen interest in the project and had requested the trust to launch similar initiatives in their states.

From Amritsar, the unit will move to other districts of Punjab and will also be brought to Chandigarh and its neighbourhood, Mr. Chawla said. 'By the end of this year or early next year, depending upon the funds we are able to raise, we propose to get another mobile unit for Haryana and Delhi", Mr. Chawla said.

The trust is negotiating with institutions like The Tata Cancer Research Institute, Mumbai, and the Oswal Cancer Hospital, Ludhiana, for providing subsidised treatment to the patients who are detected with breast cancer by the unit.

Hoshiarpur April 7
The crusaders against the illegal poaching and felling of trees in the state are in for trouble. The forest department officials today raided the farm of Gunraj Singh, former wildlife warden, a prime witness in SDM poaching case in Hoshiarpur.

While former warden Mr Sukhdeep Bajwa and Mr Gunraj Singh were in the forests with the team constituted by the Deputy Commissioner Hoshiarpur, Mr DK Tiwari, to inquire into illegal felling, the forest department team raided the house of Mr Gunraj Singh in Hoshiarpur.

Mr Swaran Singh, Conservator, Shivalik Hills and Chairman of the flying squad of wildlife department, who ordered the raid, told The Tribune that during the raid, conducted a tip-off, legs, skin and head of a Sambar were recovered from the farm house. Besides, 250 empty cartages of .12 bore gun, 11 live cartages of .22 bore gun and two guns were also recovered.

Two attendants at the farm house namely Nanku Munda resident of Jharkhand and Hari Ram resident of Mali village in Hoshiarpur have been arrested.

Since the farm is owned by Mr Gunraj Singh, he is the prime accused. A case under Wildlife Protection Act has been registered against Mr Gunraj Singh and the attendants at the farm. Mr Gunraj is absconding.

Mr Gunraj Singh, when contacted on phone, said that the raids were frame-up attempt. He alleged that forest officials are peeved at their acts of exposing the bungling in the department. They arranged to throw the remains of the sambar in his field.

"How could I be hunting in the forest when I am coordinating with the Assistant Commissioner grievances and SDM Hoshiarpur for the last two days regarding the inquiry ordered by the Deputy Commissioner," he said.

He further added that recently there was an attack on his life. A case had been registered at the Hoshiarpur police station in the matter.

Mr Sukhdeep Singh Bajwa said that he had recently filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the illegal felling in the forests. Due to the court proceeding the felling has been banned in the state for the time being.

The forest officials and the lobbies of forest contractors, who had suffered losses worth crores for being allowed to fell trees illegally, are up against them.

Recently, poaching of wild boar and illegal felling of 200 trees was reported in Harikae wetland area. The inquiry officers appointed for the purpose have not raided or arrested any one in case.

Interestingly, the DFO Hoshiarpur, Mr RR Kakkar, who is the main target in the illegal felling charges was kept away from the entire raid today. Mr Kakkar, when contacted, said that he had no knowledge of the raid. He was busy attending a social function.

Fatehgarh Sahib, April 7
Resentment prevails among residents of the district over the sale of the oldest tourist complex of the state.It is situated in the historical Aam Khas Bagh Sirhind. It was sold to a private party by the Punjab Tourism Development Corporation at a throwaway price of Rs 3.10 crore through tenders last week.

The Moulsari tourist complex used to be a highway inn for the use of royalty as well as common people built by the Mughal emperor, Babar, and rebuilt by Sahjahan.It was given 2 acre of land in Khasra No.186 by the Cabinet in its meeting held on March 26, 2003.

The land which earlier belonged to the Archeological Department was transferred to the Punjab Tourism Department on March 13, 2006.

The department invited tenders for the sale of the complex. The reserve price was fixed at Rs 2 crore. 

Only two tenders were received and the higher bidder got the land at Rs 3.10 crore.Legal formalities are yet to be completed. The residents say that this amount is just a pittance for the government. In return it has lost the oldest tourist complex of the state, which has been running in profit since 2001.

Amritsar, April 7
The Shiromani Khalsa Panchayat (SKP) dissolved its present organisational structure and resolved to constitute a new one within three months.

Revealing this at a press conference here yesterday, Mr Rajinder Singh, convener of the panchayat, said the decision was taken after due consultation with all senior members of the organisation.

He said the present set-up was constituted four years ago on the ad hoc basis.

He said to carry on with day-to-day activities and take policy decisions till a new body was formed, the present chairman constituted a three-member committee, comprising Mr Gurdev Singh Batalvi and Mr Sukhvinder Singh Sabhran.

He alleged that the late Gurcharan Singh Tohra was responsible for the denigration of the Sikh panth. He said Tohra remained president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for 27 years and did nothing for the betterment of the panth. On the contrary, he alleged, that Mr Tohra took certain steps during his tenure which proved detrimental to the growth of the panth.

Answering queries, he alleged that the Panth Rattan award given by the Shiromani Committee was “a stunt to gain political mileage.”

Abohar, April 7
Taking notice of reports of the supply of contaminated water in canals in the region Mr Jaskiran Singh, Sub Divisional Magistrate today asked the senior medical officer, Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital and Sub Divisional Engineer, Public Health to examine quality of the water and submit reports by next 48 hours. The SDM also took up the matter with the Irrigation officials but the latter reportedly told him that the units located in Ropar and Ludhiana districts that were not under their jurisdiction discharged harmful effluents in the canals.

However the department’s officials had separately taken up the matter with the Chief Engineer and the Principal Secretary, Irrigation, Punjab sources added.

Mr Shiv Kanwar Sandhu, a senior Congress worker and founder of the Sanjay Vichar Manch, said on phone that some sarpanches had reached Chandigarh with bottles containing samples of the contaminated water that had also affected the Assembly segment of SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal. The same would be got tested tomorrow at the state-run of laboratory he said.

Mr Sandhu said he had convened a meeting of sarpanches of the Lambi area a day before the Baisakhi festival to discuss the problem and steps to check discharge of chemicals by the units into Sutlej river and Sirhind canal. The Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, will be asked to stop mixing sewage of the Buddha Nullah in the canals, he added.

Meanwhile fish eaters too have become alert in all parts of Ferozepore and Muktsar districts as sources confirmed that contaminated water had entered in some fish farms also.

Samana (Patiala), April 7
A galaxy of Congress leaders, including Union Minister of State for Finance Pawan Bansal and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, paid rich tributes to former Chairman of the Punjab Mandi Board Sant Ram Singla on his first death anniversary today. They dubbed him a role model for party workers.

Addressing a function organised here to mark the death anniversary of the leader, Mr Bansal said Singla’s conduct was near flawless in all fields, including politics, society and kinship.

Capt Amarinder Singh showered praise over the leader for his political acumen and special skills to manage election campaigning.

He added that Singla was a tireless party worker and a role model for party workers. Singla was made Chairman of the Punjab Mandi Board for his special concern for rural people, he added.

The Chief Minister, while underlining that he had had a long association with the family of the leader, said the party would observe his death anniversary every year.

He added that Singla’s son, Vijay Inder Singla, who was nominated Chairman of the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA), was adeptly handling the administration of the department.

He also talked about a special message sent by Union Minister Ambika Soni on the leader’s death anniversary.

Shamsher Singh Dullo termed Singla a true party worker. He said Singla always worked for party’s betterment, setting aside all considerations or favours.

He recalled Singla’s determination to fight terrorism by stepping out and raising voice against it.

Party leaders, Punjab ministers, parliamentary secretaries, MLAs and other leaders attended the function.

They included Shamsher Singh Surjewala, Partap Singh Bajwa, Lal Singh, Rana Gurmit Sodhi, Sunil Jakhar, Hans Raj Joshan, Jasbir Singh, Malkit Singh Dakha, Preneet Kaur, Vishnu Sharma, K.K. Sharma and Gurkeerat Singh Kotli.

Sewing machines and tri-cycles were also distributed among the needy.

Later, the Chief Minister unveiled a statue of the leader in the town. He also announced the renaming of the Patiala-Samana road as Sant Ram Singla Marg.

Rajpura, April 7
Fortis Hospital, Mohali, today celebrated World Health Day by organising a free medical camp for villagers of Manauli Surat, near here. It was organised in association with the Dalit Chetna Manch.

A team of six doctors and nurses examined 150 villagers.

Mr Ashish Bhatia, COO, Fortis, said World Health Day was an occasion to reach out to the people of the community, especially the people who are not fortunate enough to have access to urban medical facilities.

The hospital also launched a radio programme in which medical and other experts will give information about new techniques and expertise that is available in medicine to the people in remote areas. 

Mansa, April 7
Protesting against the "unjustified and arbitrary suspension" of Dr Purshottam Goyal posted at local Civil Hospital in connection with the case of Bant Singh Jhabbar whose three limbs were amputated after a murderous attack on him, scores of government and private doctors today staged a dharna outside the hospital here.

Members of PCMS Association and IMA, paramedical staff and other employees of Civil Hospital participated in the protest. In a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, they stated that the Civil Surgeon had constituted a board of senior doctors to probe into the matter.

They claimed that the medical board and the Civil Surgeon categorically reported that there was absolutely no negligence on the part of Dr Goyal.

They said the suspension had put enormous pressure on an honest man and the decision will "encourage people to put unlawful pressure on doctors to write favourable MLRs".

They said it will also compromise their professional integrity and make it difficult for them to discharge their duties judiciously and in a non-partisan manner.

They said an injured Bant Singh was admitted to the hospital with multiple injuries on January 5. Dr Goyal prepared a medico legal report mentioning all the injuries in detail. Orthopaedic surgeon was immediately called and proper treatment and dressing of wounds was done by a team on duty under his supervision.

They alleged that on January 7 six persons led by a CPM leader went to Dr Goyal's residence and threatened him with dire consequences for "not writing a favourable MLR", after which Bant Singh was treated at the PGI. Now, he is recuperating at the local Civil Hospital. 

Omission of devotees’ names resented
Our Correspondent

Amritsar, April 7
The SGPC reacted strongly against the omission of 69 names from its list of Sikh devotees going to Pakistan for celebrating Baisakhi.

The SGPC in a press note issued here today said the state government had omitted the names from the list of 1,885 members. The jatha would travel by a special train to Pakistan on April 11 and would visit historic Sikh shrines, including Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib, Sacha Sauda, Dera Sahib and Mandi Chuhadkana.

Chandigarh, April 7
Giving a new twist to the controversy over the shifting of private schools from residential buildings the Punjab Private Schools Welfare Association today claimed that its members did not come under the purview of the judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The advocate of the association Mr Rajwinder Singh Bains, and members of the association, addressing a press conference here today, said the High Court judgement applied to areas in cities where building plans had been approved and the sites for schools earmarked.

No such specified demarcation of residential areas, commercial areas and educational areas existed in any village of Punjab, claimed Mr Bains.

In urban areas too the judgement shall apply to only those areas where planned colonies had been developed or in areas that were in consonance with the master plan. In old localities where no such plan was required for approval the judgement shall not apply, Mr Bains claimed.

He also went to claim that none of the schools had been issued any notice by the education department asking them to close down. Whatever information was available was through a notice issued by the DPI asking unauthorised private schools to refrain from admitting students in the ongoing academic session.

Asked why the association was not getting impleaded as a party in the case, Mr Bains said”: We will do that when a notice is served to any of the schools”.

Ropar, April 7
A 1994-batch IAS officer, Mr Alok Shekhar,here today joined as the new Deputy Commissioner. The former DC, Mr H.I.S Garewal, has been posted as Special Secretary, Transport.

Mr Alok Shekhar had earlier served as Deputy Commissioner at Faridkot and Mansa districts. He was given a warm welcome by officials of the district, headed by the ADC (General), Mr Surjit Singh, at the Canal rest house in the afternoon.

Bathinda, April 7
The police today claimed to have cracked a theft case within 24 hours with the arrest of a private company's employee. The police also recovered Rs 7.5 lakh from the possession of the accused.

Addressing a press conference here today, the SSP, Mr Kapil Dev, said the Divisional Manager of Navbharat Fertilizers and Victor Agriculture Industries, Mr Mahesh Yadav, had lodged a complaint with the police yesterday that Rs 7.96 lakh kept in the safe of his Model Town office had been stolen. He said Rs 12.21 lakh were kept in the safe. He received a call from the office yesterday morning that a sum of Rs 7.96 lakh was missing from the safe.

The SP (D), Mr Ajay Maluja, was asked to probe into the matter. Following investigation, the police arrested Dinesh Kumar, an employee of the company, who was staying at Harpal Nagar locality and recovered Rs 7.5 lakh from his possession.

Dinesh spilled the beans and revealed that he was planning the theft for the past one month. He had also laid hands on an old key of the safe and had tested it once.

Before perpetrating the crime he had already broken the locks of shutter. When other staff members left the office at 5.30 am he hanged the broken locks on the shutter so that later he could do his job swiftly. He then took the amount and returned on duty in the afternoon after hiding it.

A case has been registered against him under Section 380 of the IPC. 

Jalandhar, April 7
A Pakistani spy and two of his Indian accomplices who were in possession of some important hand-made sketches of Parliament and the Delhi cantonment, besides some restricted maps of installations of the Indian Army, have been nabbed by the police.

The three spies have been identified as Attaullah Munim, a resident of Sargodha in Pakistan, Jyoti Parsad, a resident of Ajmeri Gate, Delhi, and Babu Lal of Kamal Market, New Delhi.

The three spies, according to the SP, Dr S.K. Kalia, were arrested tonight from outside the cantonment here on the basis of a tip-off. The arrests were a result of a joint operation of the IB and the Military Intelligence.

Mr Harkanwalpreet Singh Khakh, DSP, said apart from handmade sketches of Parliament and the Delhi cantonment, the spies were found to be in possession of restricted maps of the Hisar cantonment and that of an army radar system. 

Fatehgarh Sahib, April 7
The district police has arrested Sanju, Vijay kumar, Ashok Kumar and Chintu, all residents of Madrasi Colony, Sirhind, for their alleged involvement in a theft case in Sirhind last week. It has recovered stolen goods, a pistol, cartridges, iron rods, besides other things.

According to a press note of the police, on April 6, Mr Sukhjit Singh Virk, ASI, got a tip-off that some suspicious looking persons carrying arms and iron rods are holding a meeting at a brick-kiln near Tarkhan Majra village. A police party, including Mr Ranjit Singh, Mr Ajaib Singh, Mr Balwinder Singh, and Mr Gurmeet Singh, all ASI, raided the place and arrested the four persons.

During preliminary interrogation they admitted that they used to commit thefts and robberies in and around Sirhind. They also admitted that a few days ago they entered the house of one Manjeet Singh near Aam Khas Bagh by scaling the wall of the house and breaking its grills. They stole cash and jewellery from there. 

Ludhiana, April 7
The year-long golden jubilee celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College here will start on the college campus here tomorrow.

A thanks-giving ceremony will signal the start of the festivities when the staff and students will perform kirtan. Following this, an elaborate programme showing various achievements of the college and the programmes for the year-long celebrations will be presented in a gala function in the college auditorium. A short documentary by Prof Kanwaljit Singh about the journey of the college through the past 50 years will be screened.

Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College was established by the Nankana Sahib Education Trust (NSET) to uplift the weaker sections of rural India by admitting 70 per cent students every year from rural areas. This commitment was made to the nation on April 8, 1956, when the foundation stone of the college building was laid by the late Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India.

According to the Principal, Dr S.B. Singh, the alumni of this institution have reached top positions in the prestigious organisations like IBM, Ford and NASA. Nearly all the engineering colleges of North India have principals who have graduated from this college. 

Fatehgarh Sahib, April 7
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi, would beam the course of different subjects in the form lectures, presentations and practical demonstration through satellite under the "EDUSAT" project.

According to Dr D.S. Hira, Principal of the local Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College (BBSBEC), this project is an interactive satellite-based distance education system, by which expert lectures prepared by AICTE would be beamed live to students .

EDUSAT is a collaborative project of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and Department of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), he said. Dr Hira said any technical institute in the country affiliated to AICTE was eligible to become its member by paying a prescribed annual fee to get it linked under the project. He said BBSBEC spent Rs 6 lakh to get it linked through EDUSAT.

Prof. A.P.S. Sethi, Head of Mechanical Department and Co-coordinator of College, EDUSAT, said under this project connectivity had been provided through Ku-band for an interactive classroom, which would have a two-way video conferencing facility. He said the project was an application of using space technology for overall development of students. College students would benefit under this project as they would attend live lectures from experts and could also interact with them through video conferencin .