J A L A N D H A R

No Teachers
Going gets tough for forensic medicine students
Amritsar, June 30
The students of forensic medicine in the Government Medical College here have been suffering on account of shortage of teaching faculty. This is the only department in the state for forensic medicine.

42 villages prone to floods in Phillaur
Phillaur/Batala, June 30
“Nearly 42 villages in Phillaur sub-division are flood sensitive.” This was disclosed by SDM Phillaur S Pritam Singh. The officer said, “Drainage department staff has already been asked to inspect the possible breaches in Dhusi Bandh.

Vehicle-lifters’ gang busted, 3 arrested
Phagwara, June 30
The local police claimed to have achieved a major success by busting a notorious gang of inter-state vehicle-lifters on Saturday. Addressing mediapersons, DSP HPS Khakh said three members of the gang have been arrested.

The accused in police custody. — A Tribune photograph

Sacked Army man held with stolen bikes
Amritsar, June 30
With the arrest of a dismissed Army personnel, Amritsar (rural) police claimed to have busted a gang of thieves involved in stealing and selling motorbikes after forging the documents.

Rally against menace of drugs
Amritsar, June 30
A drugs awareness rally was organised by the district administration, in collaboration with local NGOs, religious bodies and District Red Cross Society, here on Saturday. The rally was flagged off by additional deputy commissioner Paramjit Singh from Gurdwara Nanaksar, Verka.

Varsity to take over Mukandpur college
Nawanshahr, June 30
In a major boost to the rural education sector, the Guru Nanak Dev University will be taking over the Amardeep Singh Shergill Memorial College situated in Mukandpur near here.

No Teachers
Going gets tough for forensic medicine students
Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 30
The students of forensic medicine in the Government Medical College here have been suffering on account of shortage of teaching faculty. This is the only department in the state for forensic medicine.

Five posts including that of professor, assistant professor and lecturer have been lying vacant for the last many years affecting the studies of students.

As the government has failed to fill the posts of professor and assistant professors, it has flouted the Medical Council of India’s rule of providing adequate number of professors and lecturers in government run medical colleges in the state.

A senior lecturer on the condition of anonymity said the doctors with more than 15 years experience were available for promotion but the dismissive attitude of government has created this anomalous situation for the institutions and the students.

He urged the government to take urgent steps to promote the lecturers as assistant professors besides appointing more teachers in the department so that the teaching and the work in the department do not suffer.

Interestingly, after the advent of the SAD-BJP government in the state, several high level meetings have been held in the medical college here to revamp and upgrade the infrastructure besides filling up the vacant posts by promoting the existing staff which had adverse impact on the studies for last many years.

But the government has yet to come up with the short and long-term plan to streamline the functioning of the three government run medical institutions in the state.

However, repeated attempts to contact Dr J.S. Dalal, director, Research and Medical Education, failed to elicit any response.

According to informed sources, with an annual intake of 150 students into the MBBS students stream annually the teaching faculty for the forensic department fall short of the expected faculty.

At present only nine teachers were available against the total strength of 20 in two government colleges of Amritsar and Patiala. The skeleton staff in the department was causing many hardships to the students and had also affected the working of the forensic department.

42 villages prone to floods in Phillaur
Our Correspondent

Phillaur/Batala, June 30
“Nearly 42 villages in Phillaur sub-division are flood sensitive.” This was disclosed by SDM Phillaur S Pritam Singh. The officer said, “Drainage department staff has already been asked to inspect the possible breaches in Dhusi Bandh. We have nine boats to meet any emergency.” A 24-hour flood control centre would start functioning here from July 1.

Meanwhile, a special meeting was held to review the flood-control measures at SDM office in Batala on Saturday.

SDM Batala Sandip Rishi pointed out that inflow of water into the reservoirs has increased with coming of the monsoon. He disclosed that special teams have been formulated to keep a check on river and canal embankments. Besides, the sewerage authorities have been directed to clean the drains.

The SMOs have been told to maintain round-the-clock vigil and stock up medicines to meet any emergency. A 24-hour special flood control room (telephone number: 241069) has been established in the office of SDM. The roadways authorities were directed to keep a squad of buses and trucks ready to meet any eventuality.

Among others, tehsildar, naib tehsildars of the subdivision, DSPs, SMOs, BDPOs, veterinary doctors and officials of PWD, sewerage and canal departments were present.

Vehicle-lifters’ gang busted, 3 arrested
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, June 30
The local police claimed to have achieved a major success by busting a notorious gang of inter-state vehicle-lifters on Saturday. Addressing mediapersons, DSP HPS Khakh said three members of the gang have been arrested. The accused were identified as Dharmender Kumar of Mallian Khurad village, Paramjit Singh alias Pamma of Balkona village and Arjun Singh of Bhattian village.

The cops have also recovered five stolen motorcycles, one 12 bore pistol, four live catridges, and two kamanidar knives from their possession.

DSP Khakh said Dharmender was first to land in the police net. “We recovered a Bullet motorcycle, a pistol and four live cartridges from him. During his interrogation, the accused confessed to have stolen the motorbike from near Leo Health Club,” said the officer. He also gave us the whereabouts of his two accomplices, who were nabbed along with two stolen motorcycles, bearing registration numbers PB-09-3963 and PB-10AZ-8964 respectively. Two knives were also recovered from them.

DSP said the gang had conducted thefts in several areas of Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Phagwara and Nakodar. “Their interrogation led to recovery of two more bikes from a barren plot in the Industrial Area. One of the accused, Paramjit Singh alias Pammi was a panchayat member of Balkona village which comes under Nakodar police station,” said Khakh.

Sacked Army man held with stolen bikes

Amritsar, June 30
With the arrest of a dismissed Army personnel, Amritsar (rural) police claimed to have busted a gang of thieves involved in stealing and selling motorbikes after forging the documents. In a release issued to the press here on Saturday, SSP Iqbal Singh said the accused, identified as Rajwinder Singh alias Soni, resident of village Awan, was arrested after a special naka was put up near village Mehal Bukhari under Ajnala police station.

We had spexific information and Soni, a sacked army constable, was arrested with three stolen motorcycles, said the SSP. During interrogation the accused revealed that he along with Kabal Singh and Raju of same village had formed a gang which used to steal motorcycles and later sell them after forging the papers. A case under section 349, 411, 417, 418, 465, 468 of IPC has been registered against the accussd. Iqbal Singh said efforts were being made to arrest remaining two accused who were at large. Further investigations were on, he added. — OC

Rally against menace of drugs
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 30
A drugs awareness rally was organised by the district administration, in collaboration with local NGOs, religious bodies and District Red Cross Society, here on Saturday. The rally was flagged off by additional deputy commissioner Paramjit Singh from Gurdwara Nanaksar, Verka.

Addressing the participants, he said the youth need to be extra careful to save themselves from drugs. “It’s necessary for better future of our country,” he added. Assistant civil surgeon Kanwaljit Singh said most of the addicts were indulging in illegal activities to procure money to buy drugs.

Besides free treatment, the health department is also providing counselling to the addicts so that they are re-habilitated into society, he said. He asked parents to keep vigil on their children, who are vulnerable in their growing years.

Varsity to take over Mukandpur college

Nawanshahr, June 30
In a major boost to the rural education sector, the Guru Nanak Dev University will be taking over the Amardeep Singh Shergill Memorial College situated in Mukandpur near here.

The syndicate of the varsity has already passed a resolution of the taking over, which will be held on July 4. With this take over the college is expected to start professional courses, which would help the youth from rural sector to compete with their urban counterparts.

The college, set up in 1994 by a UK-based NRI Gurcharan Singh Shergill, has been providing education to the nearby 20 villages. “Since, A.S.S.M. trust, college overseas committee and managing panel have voluntarily made the offer to the university for the takeover, their continued co-operation and patronage will further strengthen the institution,” said principal Dr. Atamjit Singh. — OC