J A L A N D H A R

Jaundice Scare
25 new cases give admn another jolt
Victims include SDM office staffers, advocates
Phagwara, June 22
The detection of 25 fresh cases of jaundice from the SDM’s office and local court complex today, have grounded the tall claims made by the Phagwara Nagar Council and health authorities regarding the measures undertaken to control the epidemic, including the cleanliness drive.

Transformer falls into pit, snaps power lines 

Jalandhar, June 22 Construction work of an underground parking lot in front of Narinder cinema here has become quite a nuisance for the public as power and telephone connections of the commercial complexes around it got snapped.

The transformer lying in the trench near Narinder Cinema in Jalandhar on Friday. Photo by S.S. Chopra

Rural docs on warpath  Jalandhar, June 22 An entire cadre of doctors appointed as rural health officers (service providers) two years back in the state staged a protest outside the office of zila parishad here today. Rural health officers shouting slogans against the governmnent in Jalandhar. — A Tribune photograph

Adampur teens run away after parents decide to relocate
Jalandhar, June 22
It has been 12 days since Avtar Singh, resident of Arjunwal village of Adampur, has been frantically searching for his two sons. But success has eluded him.

Jaundice Scare
25 new cases give admn another jolt
Victims include SDM office staffers, advocates
Anil Jerath
Tribune News Service

Phagwara, June 22
The detection of 25 fresh cases of jaundice from the SDM’s office and local court complex today, have grounded the tall claims made by the Phagwara Nagar Council and health authorities regarding the measures undertaken to control the epidemic, including the cleanliness drive.

Four staff members of the SDM’s office and 21 persons, including advocates, from the court complex, are suffering from jaundice. Contaminated drinking water is said to be the main reason behind the spread of disease.

Amarjit Singh, an assistant public prosecutor, has reportedly been suffering from the disease for past the 15 days. Manish Sareen, an advocate, has been ailing from the disease for more than 10 days.

“The place, where I am residing, is free from such disease. I contacted the disease after drinking NC supplied water from the taps in the court complex,” added Sareen.

“Fed up with the working of the local Nagar Council, which failed to provide safe drinking water in the court complex, we had no other alternative but to install our own submersible pump to get fresh and safe drinking water in the court complex”, said R.K. Mittal, president, Phagwara bar association.

On the similar lines, the SDM office staff had also initiated for the installation of its separate submersible pump in the tehsil complex for prevention from the disease.

However, the installation could not be materialised due to some technical snag. Meanwhile, a team of doctors, led by Dr Ajay Kumar, visited tehsil and court complexes today and distributed chlorine tablets among the staff.

However, despite repeated attempts Nagar Council’s executive officer Gurwinder Kaur Randhawa could not be contacted. NC president Malkiat Singh Ragbotra assured of an early remedy for fresh supply of drinking water in these important complexes. 

Transformer falls into pit, snaps power lines 
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 22
Construction work of an underground parking lot in front of Narinder cinema here has become quite a nuisance for the public as power and telephone connections of the commercial complexes around it got snapped on Wednesday evening and it also posed danger to the passersby.

The power and phone lines were snapped after a pole and a transformer of the Punjab State Electricity Board fell into a trench two days back due to the alleged negligence of the contractors and municipal corporation officials. Even as the huge, deep pit was dug up more than a year back and now construction work is on, the contractors have not done any scaffolding of its boundary for the safety of the passersby and numerous vendors around the busy area.

While one pole and a transformer collapsed on Wednesday night, two more poles and a transformer also face a similar risk. While one of the poles has been supported by putting sacks filled with construction material around it, the other bearing a transformer is at a major risk.

Sukhdeep Singh, senior manager and branch head of the adjoining HDFC Bank, said the construction had been a serious problem for the employees and customers. “We have been running our office on generator for the past two days. Telephones are out of order, which is another major hindrance for carrying out work efficiently. There is such a narrow strip of land outside our bank premises that we have to cautiously step out of it,” he said.

Ashok Sharma, SDO, PSEB, said the municipal corporation had earlier paid an amount for shifting the poles, which was done. “Now they have covered more area and more electricity poles fall in the construction area for shifting of which no request has been made. The MC will now have to pay almost Rs 2 lakh for the shifting of poles and another amount for payment of damages caused”.

“We have made one operative today and the other one too will be repaired soon,” he said.

MC commissioner C.S. Talwar said he was not aware of the problem as he was away on leave. “I will just check it up”, he remarked.

Rural docs on warpath 
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 22
An entire cadre of doctors appointed as rural health officers (service providers) two years back in the state staged a protest outside the office of zila parishad here today.

The dharna was staged by nearly 200 doctors from across 19 districts of the state. The doctors condemned the “misconduct” of deputy CEO of the zila parishad Paramjit Singh and blamed him for harassing six doctors by issuing show-cause notices and giving them one-month notice for the termination of their contracts. They burnt his effigy during the protest.

Rural Medical Services Association state president Aslam Parvez said more than 200 service providers had left their contractual jobs during the last eight months due to such instances.

“Our general secretary Rishi Bhardwaj has already been given a termination notice,” said Anshuman of the local unit.

“If this goes on, all doctors on contract will quit their jobs and rural masses will again be deprived of health services like they have been earlier for 15 years.

We have presented our demand of regularisation to strengthen rural health care many times to the government but it is apathetic and shirking its responsibility,” joint secretary Parampal Singh said while addressed the gathering.

The State Veterinary Doctors Association and the Unemployed ETT Union have also joined hands with doctors in the protest.

Adampur teens run away after parents decide to relocate

Jalandhar, June 22
It has been 12 days since Avtar Singh, resident of Arjunwal village of Adampur, has been frantically searching for his two sons. But success has eluded him.

Garjinder Singh (13) and Gaganjit Singh (15) allegedly ran away from their house on the evening of June 10. The brothers were told to fetch ice-trays from their neighbour by the parents. No one saw them after that “My elder son was against my decision to take the family to Baroda where I am currently posted,” said a visibly-disturbed father. After Gaganjit flunked his class VIII examination, Avtar Singh had decided to take the brothers to Baroda. He had even taken their transfer certificates from the school. The family was scheduled to leave Jalandhar on June 13.

The boys also took away with them their father’s mobile . The duo stayed at their maternal grandparents’ house near Kandola village. “My elder son’s friend had contacted them on my mobile. The police was able to make out that the call was made from Kandola area, but before we reached there, the boys fled after destroying the SIM card”, said Avtar, an Army man.

“Their another friend told us that the duo had boarded a Hoshiarpur-Jalandhar DMU and were seen near Rama Mandi few days ago. So, we came here looking for them,” he said, showing a copy of the public notice issued by police station Adampur.

When contacted, SHO Adampur said he was enquiring into the matter. — TNS