Even as the Jalandhar Improvement Trust spent Rs 3.25 lakh on the upkeep of the Punjab State War Memorial about five months back, the musical fountains there are yet to be opened for the public. Reason: delay in their formal inauguration.

Though the matter was taken up twice in the quarterly meetings of District Sainik Board, no step has been taken by the trust to announce their opening for the public The ex-servicemen of the district and officials from the Sainik Welfare Department had taken up the matter with the Deputy Commissioner, who is the president of the board, but to no avail. The last meeting had been held on August 25.

During a visit to the memorial on Thursday, the Jalandhar Plus team found it all spruced up. Flowers, bushes and grass had been all pruned.

Stones had been given a fresh paint. Statues of war heroes had also got a new finish.

The fountains in a set of four sprinklers on four corners and a huge central square seemed quite inviting. A small control station of the fountains alongside was also ready. A small space had been left on its wall for erecting a stone of a dignitary who would inaugurate it some day.

Lt-Col Manmohan Singh, Deputy Director, Sainik Welfare, confirmed that a representation had been made to officials.

He said he had been given an assurance about the opening of fountains for the public. Mr Tejinder Singh Bittu, Chairman, Improvement

Trust, is away to Holland, and could not be contacted. He is expected to be back by September 2. 

The Library Restorer of the Guru Nanak District Library (GNDL), adjoining district courts complex, at Kapurthala has accused the Librarian of slapping her on Wednesday afternoon.

The Library Restorer, Ms Swaraj Kaur, alleged that the Librarian, Ms Sadhna, called her at her office at about 3 pm. There Ms Sadhna slapped her and beat her. She was surprised and shocked at her act, Ms Swaraj Kaur added.

Ms Kaur, also the state president of the Library Restorer Union of Punjab, alleged that Ms Sadhna beaten her up as she and other staff members had complained against her rude behaviour to the DPI (Colleges).

Several eye-witnesses corroborated Ms Kaur’s statement of having been slapped.

The watchman-cum-peon of the library, Mr Gauri Shankar, said he had seen the Librarian slapping the restorer.

Mr Sohan Singh, who owns a shop situated quite opposite the library, said he heard Ms Kaur’s cries when he went to the library to drink water from the cooler. The restorer was weeping when she came out of the Librarian’s room, he added.

Dharampal of the Kapurthala, Mangal Singh of Surkhpur village and Kashmir Singh of Sabuwal village said marks were visible on Ms Kaur’s face when she came out of the Librarian’s room.

On the other hand, Ms Sadhna, who is also works at the Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Government College and holds additional charge of the GNDL, called the allegations as baseless.

When contacted, she said the entire episode as a mere drama and claimed that the restorer had faked her signature on some documents.

She had reported the matter to the seniors about two days before, that was why the Library Restorer had enacted the episode, she further claimed.

Meanwhile, Ms Kaur admitted herself in the Civil Hospital. Both of them threatened to report the matter to the police.

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum on Thursday asked members of the Vasant Vihar Housing Building Co-operative Society to deposit the subscription charges as levied by their cable operators earlier. The different comes to Rs 180 per connection.

Asking the cable operators to file a reply on the stay application on September 8, the forum ordered that the money deposited with the forum be released for cable operators. The Jalandhar Cable Network and Rainbow Cable on Thursday received cheques worth Rs 43,200 and Rs 25,600, respectively.

The amount included a payment at the rate of Rs 100 per connection that had been collected from the society members of Vasant Vihar and Jyoti Nagar Welfare Society for the months of June, July and August.

The cable operators had earlier refused to take the amount as they had been demanding a payment of Rs 280 per connection.

In another judgment passed on Thursday, the forum represented by Mr M.M. Bhalla, president, and Ms Rakesh Kumari, member, asked the Postal Department to pay full amount of postal life insurance policy of Rs 30,000 to the widow of a postman in Pandori village, Nakodar, here.

Postman Charna Ram’s widow, Ms Gurmeet Kaur, had filed a case against the Chief Post Master General, Punjab Circle, Senior Superintendent Posts, General Post Office, Jalandhar, and Assistant Post Master, Kapurthala, appealing that her husband had applied for two postal life insurance policies of Rs 30,000 on August 19, 1996, and Rs 20,000 on March 2, 2001, while he was posted in Shankar village in Nakodar. He had passed away on January 10, 2004.

As a nominee, his wife completed all formalities to avail the benefit but she did not get the amount or any reply.

She sent a legal notice but to no avail. She asked for a payment of Rs 30,000 and a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for causing mental harassment. She said the rate of premium of sum assured for Rs 30,000 was fixed as Rs 197 per month, which she said was paid by her husband.

The Postal Department officials argued that no deduction was made from his pay later for giving premium as he was being given full salary.

Thus, they added that there was no deficiency of service on their part and the family was supposed to give intimation to the head office regarding deduction of premium.

The counsel for complainant said since the case pertained to a petty employee and nor a knowledgeable person, the office should be held responsible for making further deductions from his pay.

The forum held that there was deficiency on the part of the sub-office and head office for not deducting premium from the salary of the postman.

It asked the insurance office to make full payment of Rs 30,000 to the widow. 

The rare phenomenon of Saturn-Venus conjunction in Cancer occurred on Sunday. Venus and Saturn came in the closest union after 112 years. The rare phenomenon was sighted by naked eyes in Nainital on Sunday on August 27. Next such union will take place after 31years on July 22, 2037.

Kapurthala-based astrologer, Mr G.S. Jaspal Ahluwalia, also life-member of Chennai-based Indian Council of Astrological Science, predicted that the rare occurrence would have far-reaching consequences in India.

The astrologer predicted large-scale damage by floods in several parts of the country, especially in Ladakh and Rajasthan, as Venus joined Saturn in the watery sign of Cancer.

The conjunction will have some positive effects, too. Astrologers predict a boom in real estate sector and mushrooming of big and modern colonies and opening of plush malls all around. Big boom in sale of luxury cars and launch of sleek car models is also expected due to the conjunction, claim astrologers.

As far as different zodiac signs are concerned, the conjunction is especially beneficial for Taurus, Libra, Capricorn and Aquarius, it is being claimed.

Astrologers claim that for the zodiac sign Aries, the conjunction would be good for business, promotion. Awards and recognition would be likely, especially for those in chemical, petroleum and property dealing business.

The conjunction would be good for siblings, and there would be reward through initiative for those born under the zodiac sign Taurus, as per the claims of astrologers. It would be good for father, the astrologers further claim.

For those born under Gemini sign, it augurs wealth, peace in family, recognition for those in research, claim astrologers.

According to astrologers, the Cancerians may patch up the differences with spouse and business partners.

For Leos, the conjunction could lead to some frustration in profession, and health concerns may arise. But there is a possibility of a patch up

with enemies and reduction in debt, claim astrologers.

Those born under the sign Virgo would find it good for gain and achievements, and children’s education, go the claims of astrologers.

Huge potholes on roads of Peer Shah and New Roop Nagar localities near Bhagtanwala are enough to give nightmares to commuters as well as residents, besides presenting a picture of complete apathy on part of authorities.

Complaints and pleas of residents to officials concerned and leaders of ruling party have fallen on deaf ears. Assurances were plenty, action was absent.

About 1500 residents live in these two localities and the road links New Roop Nagar to Roop Nagar.

However, the ride is more than bumpy and takes a heavy toll on vehicles as well.

Iron-cast automobiles suffer technical snags and patients and aged fall to serious health problems.

Residents of the area approached the MLA of the area, Mr Rajinder Singh Thekedar, for repair of the road.

He assured them of action but nothing happened. A meeting with the councilor of the ward produced the same result.

The condition turned from bad to worse since the work on the new sewerage started. Labourers broke the old sewerage pipes about 20 days back and did not return after that.

The holes big filled with rainwater, resulting in several accidents.

Only a big accident would spur the authorities into action, say residents.

When contacted Mr Sunil Dutti, Mayor, said he would direct the officials concerned to complete the sewerage work.

After that the road would also be repaired, he added. 

Dr A.L. Sangal, Head of the Department of Computer Sciences, Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, delivered a lecture on ‘Decision Support System’ for the students of the Masters in Computer Applications, Guru Nanak Dev University College, Basti Nau. He explained that right decisions taken at the right time helped in achieving maximum results with increased productivity and profitability.

Case 1: Nineteen-year-old Neha finds it difficult to walk around in college because she’s self-conscious and feels that people are watching her. Worse, she may run into a person she knows and be forced to say hello to them. She’s not sure that she can do this.

Case 2: Homemaker Sudha Grover sits in front of the telephone, terrified of making a call. She’s afraid to call an unknown person in an office about some bill because she thinks her call may not be taken kindly. It’s very hard for her to take rejection, even if it’s over the phone from someone she doesn’t know. As a result, she feels rejected even before she makes the call

Case 3: Twenty-something Saurabh wants to go to parties and other social events. But he never goes anywhere because he’s very nervous about meeting new people. Will he know what to say? Will they stare at him and make him feel even more insignificant? Will they reject him outright? Even if they seem nice, they’ll sense his discomfort; he reasons and proceeds to just sit at home.

How many times have you tried to be nice to someone you’ve just met, but after a couple of futile attempts at conversation deduced that they are shy or reserved? Probably, many times. But did you ever think that these people could be phobic? They may be trying to fight the very phobias that you thought were part of their behaviour.

Sounds surprising? Welcome to the world of socially phobic, a realm that is inhabited by nearly 5.4 million Americans every year. And Indians aren’t far behind. In Phagwara itself, a whopping 30 per cent are unknowing victims. Psychologists talk of glaring cases that not only project a fear of people, but also instances when defence mechanisms create other personalities that are stronger than the true self to handle rejection.

“A friend of mine used to, and still does, act very strange around people, always projecting herself to be this confident sexy person. She was pretending to be someone she was not. She would blow hot and cold very quickly, alienating herself from her friends in the process. I just never realised she could have been afraid of what people, especially men, would say about her,” says commerce student Nancy Chadha, adding, “She definitely needs help.”

Nancy’s not the only one to have come to this realisation. Gurpreet Bajwa, an interior decorator, comments, “A close friend of my brother, a truly nice guy to know, insists on using intense and wild humour with his friends and even people he meets for the first time. It doesn’t strike a great chord with many, but the clowning helps him to deal with strangers.”

Psychologists, however, say that not everyone can find the courage to turn themselves into a stronger person. “Many will still just run away from the daily challenge of social interaction to decrease their anxiety levels,” affirms Dr Shashi Seth, practicing neuro-psychologist with a private hospital in the city. Adding to the situation is the fact that very few socially-anxious people are aware of their own problem.

“They think they are the only ones in the whole world who have these terrible symptoms. Therefore, they must keep quiet about them. It would be awful if everyone realised how much anxiety they experienced in daily life. Unfortunately, social phobia or social anxiety continues to wreak havoc throughout their lives, if measures to correct the disorder aren’t taken,” explains Dr Joginder Singh.

The socially anxious persons can’t relax, take it easy, and enjoy themselves in public. In fact, they can never fully relax when other people are around. It always feels like others are evaluating them, being critical of them, or judging them in some way. “Sometimes, it becomes impossible to focus on anything else except the fear. Because this anxiety is so painful, it’s much easier just to stay away from social situations and avoid other people altogether,” explains educator Balbir Kaur.

While the root cause of social phobias lies in an individual’s growing-up years, the solution is to seek professional help.

“Social anxiety does not come and go like some other physical and psychological problems.

If you have it one day you have it every day for the rest of your life unless you’re willing to seek professional help,” aver Dr Simranjit and Dr Mohan Singh.

(Names changed on request)