Amritsar, September 7
Finally, authorities of Dr Vidya Sagar Mental Hospital have decided to come to the rescue of the family of Sushil Kumar, a mentally upset man, who has been chained to a bench for the last 12 days.

The hospital officials, who came to know about the miserable condition of Sushil and his family after a news report appeared in The Tribune, have written to SHO Islamabad to bring the patient to the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) so that orders can be given for his proper treatment. Giving details, Dr B.L. Goyal, former director of hospital said, “Since Sushil falls in the category of dangerous patients, he cannot be admitted directly to the institute according to an Act passed by the Indian Parliament. Such patients have to be brought to the court of CJM who passes orders for their admittance to the hospital,” he added.

The doctor further said the preliminary inquiry conducted by him showed that no employee of the hospital had demanded bribe from the family members of the patient to admit him.

He said it has come to his notice that some unscrupulous persons were active outside the hospital premises and misguiding families of poor patients. “We have decided to deploy some senior staff members to keep tabs on activities of such elements,” he added.

Notably, Kiran, Sushil’s wife, had accused the mental hospital authorities of having failed to admit her husband to the hospital, despite her repeated pleas. She also alleged that some officials were demanding bribe for her husband’s treatment.

Talking to The Tribune, Kiran, resident of Khandwala, said her husband had become a grave danger to the family, including the two teenaged daughters. “He had become a drug addict and used to beat me up mercilessly whenever I refused to give him money to buy drugs,” she claimed.

The Chhehrta township, where this patient lives, has become a hub of drug addiction.

The menace has claimed lives of many persons, majority of whom were breadwinners. She said they spent Rs 4,000 on Sushil’s treatment in June and after that he had shown some improvement. But, his condition deteriorated and he became very violent, following which he was chained to a bench. 

Amritsar, September 7
The partly-covered drain running through the heart of the city from Chatiwind Gate to Fatahbad has become a health hazard for residents of a cluster of colonies located 
around it.

The place where the sewerage of the areas has been connected with the drain has made the things worse. Not only the place has become highly polluted but the stench being emitted from the place has made it unbearable for the passers-by.

The residents of the nearby colonies like Nagar Nigam Colony, Guru Ram Das Nagar and Roop Nagar have complained that due to the presence of the drain there has been a spurt of in cases of dengue and jaundice.

Nagar Nigam Colony Welfare Society general secretary Daljit Singh Tegh said a master plan to cover the open drain was prepared and the necessary budget was allocated during the previous SAD-BJP government. However, before the completion of the project, the Congress government took over. Thereafter, work was carried out at a very slow pace and the drain could be covered only from the Sau Footi road to the Tarn Taran road. He demanded that the completion of the project to cover the drain should be resumed on priority in view of the health problems arising due to it. Garbage from the adjoining colonies is also being dumped in the drain.

Now, with the present government declaring that Amritsar would be developed as a model city and emphasis would be laid on its cleanliness and beautification, work on covering the drain should be expedited.

He pointed out that the students of Gian Ashram School, which is located close to the drain, are also at high risk to contract hygiene-related ailments. Besides, the morning and evening walkers going to Sakatri Bagh also complain that it is difficult to move around in the area because of the foul smell.

Amritsar, September 7
The city’s newly-elected mayor Shawet Malik is a qualified engineer and completed his postgraduation in medical computers at Toshiba Corporation, Japan. Malik came into the limelight for the first time in 1993 when he was appointed the district president of the BJP’s youth wing.

After being declared mayor yesterday, The Tribune reporter Vibhor Mohan caught him at his residence to find out his plans for the city in the coming years.

Q: What are your immediate plans for the city’s development as the mayor?

A: The city is in a “fractured” state right now. The roads are pot-holed and heaps of garbage can be seen all around. Providing basic amenities to the city residents is my priority right now. I am planning to hold a series of meetings with all the councillors to evolve a plan for making the city’s sanitation system more effective. This would be followed by recarpeting of the key roads and availability of potable water.

Besides, providing basic amenities I would also ensure that corruption in the corporation is also reduced and the system is made public-friendly. I am dedicated to the city’s residents and they can approach me for any problem.

Q: Do you have any new projects in your mind at present for Amritsar?

A: As far as old projects are concerned, I still have to study them and find their present status. However, I am thinking to work on promoting tourism and medical tourism in the city. I have talked about my plans with MP Navjot Sidhu and health and family welfare minister Luxmi Kanta Chawla. They have assured me of their support and we all are confident to make Amritsar a model city within next two years.

In fact, there are many private firms willing to work with the municipal corporation on BOT (build, operate and transfer) basis. So we can consider them.

Q: How do you plan to overcome the financial crunch faced by the corporation?

A: We are optimistic that the SAD-BJP government would provide financial assistance for the development projects. Apart from the state government’s aid, the corporation would also streamline the tax collection system by setting time-bound targets.

Q: The elevated road project has become an ordeal for commuters. Is proper laying of alternate roads on your agenda?

A: Well we had already planned to get the elevated road and the road leading to Rattan Singh Chowk repaired on priority.

Q: Are you looking forward for cooperation from your alliance partner, SAD, and the opposition, Congress?

A: It is for the first time in the history of the municipal corporation that the ruling party consists of young and educated councillors. Around 90 per cent of the BJP-SAD councillors are young and educated, who dream of a developed and beautiful Amritsar. As far as Congress is concerned, it would surely play a constructive role as opposition for the city’s development.

Q: The fact that the BJP’s district president was also in the fray for the mayor’s post, has your appointment led to any bad blood?

A: Not at all. My appointment was a decision of the high command and everyone in the party has accepted it. There is nothing  personal about it.

Amritsar, September 7
“Respected SSP saab, a group of drug peddlers wanted by the police are moving around freely in the Sultanwind area. They can be arrested from the following address…”

This is one of the letters posted by city residents in the complaint box put up at different public places. A brain-child of SSP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, the ideas has come up as a strong medium to report secretly about crime.

Talking to The Tribune, Kunwar said, “Thanks to the people. We have been able to achieve major breakthroughs due to secret information by the responsible citizens. The information has helped us in arresting accused wanted for drug peddling for the past few months.” The recent seizure of drugs on Sultanwind Road, Maqboolpura and the arrest of family of an accused Sukhi, are outcomes of public feedback only, he added.

Besides complaints, department also receives interesting suggestions. “For instance, a gentleman suggested that women should wear necklaces made of “tulsi”, instead of gold. It would keep them healthy and chain snatchers at bay,” recalled the SSP.

Giving another example, the SSP said, “Disturbed by the fact that kids of policemen roam around, with no purpose after school, one of the staffers shot off a letter to me suggesting setting up of a library in the residential area for these kids.” “Similarly, department gets many valuable suggestions and we’ll try to implement them. Many letters pertain to traffic congestion in the city and people write in suggestions about their areas on how to create more parking spaces,” he added.

Revealing about the activity, the SSP said, “Instead of putting up complaint boxes outside the police stations, they have been put up at public places. On an average we get 15-20 letters every third day from boxes outside Hall Gate, Town Hall and Ram Bagh.” The keys of the boxes are with me and I personally read every letter, added Kunwar.

Letters are categorised as - tip offs, suggestions and grievances. The grievances include complaints about land disputes and personal problems. These are passed on to the police station concerned. Giving an example, the SSP said he received a letter from the owner of a popular restaurant in the city. He had requested him to withdraw orders of declaring premises around his restaurand as no-parking zone, because it had resulted in loss of business. Asked about the percentage of junk mail, the SSP said only 10 per cent of total received mails was junk. “It has never happened that information through letters turn out to be false. Most tip-offs are by anonymous writers and some even call after the job is done,” the SSP added.

Even disgruntled cops contact the police chief through the complaint boxes. In one such complaint a staffer informed about a corrupt head constable and urged the SSP to frisk him any day after duty hours where he could be caught red-handed. 

Amritsar, September 7
Soft approach on huge subsidy bills in Punjab has been causing considerable alarm among the economists. To give a new start to the economy, which has been sluggish for the past 25 years, the political leaders have to take some hard decisions. This was stated by finance minister Manpreet Badal, who was in the city to attend a CII meet.

Talking to media persons, the finance minister said, “If we take the realistic view of the state’s economy, the present subsidy of Rs 4,500 needs to be capped. This will help planners to take a fresh look of the economy.” He said some hard decisions had to be taken to check the burgeoning subsidies as they had been a major drain to the state’s exchequer.

Manpreet said, “Despite the fact that Punjab offers good infrastructure, it has failed to attract direct investment for the industrialisation. Although agriculture has been growing at a dismal rate of 2 per cent, it is still causing a major concern to the agriculture scientists and economic planners.” The central government has to infuse more funds to help the agriculture sector, he added.

Discussing the revenue, the finance minister said, “To bridge the resource gap loopholes in the tax collection system have to be plugged. According to reports, the revenue leakage has been to the extent of Rs 2,000 crore against the total collection of Rs 5,000 crore.”

Offering a farsighted solution, Badal said the government had to adopt a land pooling system under which it would arrange about 10,000 acres of land with a budgetary allocation in the next year. He felt that this incentive would go a long way in making Punjab industrial friendly.

Commenting on the government’s effort, the finance minister said the SAD-BJP alliance would hold talks with business community for levying more taxes in the state. 

Amritsar, September 7
The demolition of three shops adjoining the Jallianwala Bagh to widen the entry to the memorial has led to apprehensions in the minds of city residents that it might lead to the change in the original character of the historic place.

This has highlighted the need for the district administration to spell out the purpose behind razing of the structures which were no less historic.

The district administration had, on September 5, demolished three century-old shops and three houses in the area after the owners of these buildings lost the case and agreed to move out. The objective behind the demolition is believed to be the creation of a 1,000 sq yard parking area for the vehicles of VIPs who visit the Jallianwala Bagh memorial, especially during functions organised there.

Satya Pal Dang, a former MLA and veteran politician, who interacted with the shopkeepers in the area on September 6, said, “There is a strong apprehension in the minds of locals that the administration may bring about changes in the layout of the historic place just to make room for parking for dignitaries,” he said.

“The fact that there used to be two more streets leading to the Jallianwala Bagh, besides the existing one from which General O’Dyer had entered with his men, but were later closed, gives rise to suspicion that there could be further changes made in the memorial’s layout,” he said.

Accompanied by his wife Vimla Dang, a former MLA, and Ripudaman Singh, former secretary of the district unit of the CPI, Satya Pal Dang met with the secretary of the Jallianwala Bagh Trust. “He told us that the work had been undertaken under a project of the Indian tourism development corporation. However, he gave an assurance that the narrow lane leading to the bagh would not be closed, as the trust had already taken a decision in this regard,” he said.

Dang demanded that under no circumstances, the look of the historic place be tampered with by the district administration by closing the lane which finds reference in the history of the Indian independence. “Moreover, the district administration has already constructed a parking lot by demolishing a historic school in the area. The razing of portions of one of the most popular historic places, which is seen as a milestone in the freedom struggle, should not be the price for convenience of dignitaries visiting the place,” he said.

The district administration and the Indian tourism development corporation should come out with the details of the project under which the shops have been demolished to lay to rest apprehensions about playing with the antiquity.

In November last year, Dang had protested against the move to demolish the 155-year-old Saragarhi school. He had demanded that the state government should initiate an inquiry to find out who were behind the decision.

Dang had urged the then Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to intervene immediately to ensure the reversal of the government’s decision to demolish the school, which had dealt a big blow to the future of a very large number of students of the school. Even trees, which were as old as the school itself, were being cut to make way for the parking in the area.

Amritsar, September 7
Global warming, depletion of the ozone layer would also have an effect on the Antarctic continent, besides affecting other parts of the world. If Antarctica’s ice sheets melt, the world’s oceans would rise by 60 to 65 metres (200 to 210 feet) submerging all the coastal areas of the world.

Stating this, Dr S.S. Dhillon, consultant, Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, speaking on “biodiversity of Antarctic region” arranged by the Zoological Society of Guru Nanak Dev University, said the Antarctic ice cap had 29 million cubic km of ice which was 90 per cent of all the ice on the planet and between 60 and 70 per cent of all of the world’s fresh water.

Dr Dhillon said Antarctica which is a white continent covered with 98 per cent ice and is also known as “white desert” was the last frontier as it was the end of the world with its totally clean environment. He said Antarctica was full of resources and had less biodiversity due to ice. It’s lowest recorded temperature is -89oC and surrounded by the most turbulent oceans.

Dr Dhillon said, “Untrammeled nature of the region provides a living laboratory where scientists could measure the effects of changes in the environment. Ongoing research is crucial to understanding and monitoring global warming, ozone depletion and atmospheric pollution.” He said, “The cold and dry conditions in the dry valley region of Antarctica are so close to those on the Mars that NASA conducted tests there for its viking mission. It has not rained in the dry valleys for at least two million years.”

Dr Dhillon said, “Antarctica is the best place in the world to find meteorites. Dark meteorites show up against the white expanse of ice and snow and don’t get covered by vegetation.” Talking about India’s expeditions to Antarctica, he said first wintering was conducted by India in the permanent station Dakshin Gangotri built in 1983. India built its second indigenous station “Maitri” in 1988-89. International bilateral co-operations in various domains of polar science were pursued with the treaty nations.”

So far, twentyone expeditions have been launched, including one to the Weddell Sea and another being the Krill expedition to the southern ocean. India was admitted as a member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) on the October 1, 1984. It became a member of the Convention on Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in 1986. India ratified the environment protocol to the Antarctic Treaty in 1997, thus upholding its commitment to preserve the pristine continent. Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, director research, presided over the programme and honoured Prof S.S. Dhillon by presenting a memento to him. 

Amritsar, September 7
Publishing house, Ratna Sagar, and the British Council, Delhi, in collaboration with Shri Ram Ashram Public School held a seminar on “effective English teaching” in the school today. Ila Vij, associated with the British Council, as part of its teacher-support programmes, conducted the seminar, touching essential areas of teaching the 
English language

In the four-hour seminar, Illa, who also conducted seminars in the USA, the UK, Canada and other countries, explained about primary skills that begin with the identification of alphabets, qualification (of alphabets) in their order, forming a relation between alphabets, classifying them and finally their use in forming sentences. She emphasised that skills imparted to students at the kindergarten and primary levels play a major role in the life ahead.

Participants from as many as 16 schools in the city took part in the seminar. Illa explained the ways of integrating English with other subjects like geography, science, mathematics and linking the language’s usage for better understanding and expression.

Professionally qualified from the University of Cambridge, Illa stressed on the use of language skills like reading and listening as receptive skills, while writing and speaking were identified as productive skills. She also demonstrated interesting activities for vocabulary building.

The principal said the school was a member of the British Council (BC) Library and also conducted examinations of the council, including Young Learners English test (YLE) and KET (Key English test), which was of the Cambridge level. She said the school planned to adopt teaching methodology of the BC for regular teaching. Principal Preeti Sharad welcomed the guests.

Amritsar, September 7
There’s some good news for patients suffering from venous reflux disease. A new technique will give immediate relief to patients from leg heaviness and fatigue, severe pain and swollen limbs and other symptoms associated with the disease.

Says radiologist Dr Atul Kapoor who has brought the pioneering technique to the country from USA: “ According to studies as many as 3.75 crore people were suffering from 
the condition which creates weakness in the 
leg veins. The valve deficiency throws the muscle out of gear.

The new procedure, Radio Frequency technique, is performed using an ultrasound machine and a catheter which is injected into the veins through small opening in the skin.”

He said the tiny catheter delivers radio frequency energy through vein valves. The radio frequency heats the collagen in the valves which shrink and the vein is closed.

He said once the diseased vein is closed the blood is re-rooted through other healthy veins.

There’s no need for anesthesia or hospital stay, said Kapoor, adding that the enquiries have been pouring in from different parts of country, besides Pakistan and the Middle East. He said treatment at Amritsar is far less expensive than Europe and USA.

Amritsar, September 7
London-based beautician Yashika is all set to impart beauty and hair care tips to the Amritsarites during the two-day exhibition beginning tomorrow in the city.

Expecting a houseful, the promoter of the fashion forecast show Tania Chatha, said the festival would bring on a single platform wider range of designers clothes, jewellery, home furnishing and other delicate women wear line. She said the handicrafts made by the inmates of Tihar and Amritsar central jail would also find place among the variety of products showcased during the exhibition.

Chatha said a fashion show by the aspirant students from the air-hostess academy and NIFD would also be a special feature on the concluding day of the show. Meanwhile, Pakistani designers has also shown tremendous enthusiasm and bringing in top of the shelf range of suits, dresses and other ensembles for stirring up the local fashion scene.

Chatha said it would be a unique combination of traditional ethnic and modern creation to catch the fancy of young and trendy women of the city. Another unique feature of the two-day fashion festival would be to showcase Thewa jewellery based on Kundan designs from Jaipur.

“Top jeweler designers from the Pink city would display their finery for the first time. Tea leaf cup reading would also be another feature of the show which would also include mirror gazing providing a new experience to the city’s whose who,” she added. 

Amritsar, September 7
In a complaint to the health and family welfare minister, Puneet Singh, a resident of Guru Nanak Avenue, Majitha Road, has alleged that a doctor in the surgical unit of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital refused to give him first aid even though he was bleeding profusely.

Puneet Singh claimed that he sustained injuries on his wrist on August 27. His grandfather rushed him to the hospital where two doctors were having tea. One of them, who was requested to give treatment, said it was a case of the orthopedics department and did not bother to give first aid to stop bleeding.The patient went to the emergency of Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital where he received stitches on the wound.

When asked, the GND Hospital authorities denied the allegations and said the doctor must have acted in accordance with hospital procedures.

Amritsar MP Navjot Sidhu should camp in the city for a month and look at issues like getting rid of defacement and vulgar posters and bringing down encroachments blocking the view on all the key roads. A government building on the GT Road, he points out, has probably the biggest of the hoardings. Now that the SAD-BJP alliance has one of its councillors elected as the Mayor of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation, the time has come to crack the whip on these issues.

Brij Bedi, president of the Cirizens Forum, Amritsar