Nawanshahr, December 23
A large number of illegal water and sewerage connections in the town have become a major headache for the municipal council authorities. According to the sources, the unauthorised ‘arrangements’ have hit the delivery mechanism of these facilities hard. This is evident from the fact that though the new water and sewer pipes have been laid, the complaints of erratic supply have failed to stop.

Admitting that illegal connections are causing great problem, MC chief Lalit Mohan says, “The revenue collection is suffering. Besides, it makes the maintenance work all the more difficult.” Addressing a public meeting during a function organised at teachers’ colony here, Mohan urged the residents to get their water and sewerage connections regularised.

Sources reveal there are around 6,200 regular water and 3,600 sewerage connections which fetch MC a revenue of Rs 5 lakh per month. But what is giving MC authorities sleepless nights is presence of around 4,500 illegal connections.

“This is a matter of great concern. We cannot even demand more funds from the higher-ups for better facilities, as the official data shows facilities corresponding to the number of authorised connections,” says an MC official.

While the residents of many inner localities are reeling under supply problem, those staying in the colonies, developed on the outskirts, including Chandigarh Road, Rahon Road, Banga Road, Garhshanker Road and Sloh Road, are crying for even basic civic amenities.

“The state government has recently announced a scheme of voluntary disclosure of unauthorised connections. Under the scheme, no arrears or fine would be charged from such users for regularization. But, so far no one has come forward with an application to the council,” said the MC official, adding that the common practice of putting MC staff on duty to conduct various surveys, coupled with ‘political interference’, is only compounding the problems.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the previous Congress government had sanctioned an amount of Rs 150.53 lakh and Rs 366.84 lakh for augmenting water supply and sewerage facilities, respectively under the municipal development fund scheme. Subsequently, the first installment of Rs 75.10 lakh and Rs 93.75 lakh was released. The amount was utilised in undertaking new water works in Ravidas Nagar, Bhatti Colony, Friends Colony, Shivalik Enclave, Banga Road and Musapur Road areas. Similarly, 3,200 metre pipelines were laid in Bakkerkhana road, near Kushat Ashram, Friends Colony, Sloh Road and Vikas Nagar. “But with the change of guard in state, no funds have been released, as a result many projects are hanging fire,” add sources.

Chandigarh, December 23
For heart patients and potential heart patients it is time for “no cheers”.

Contrary to the popular perception that “two small drinks a day” are fine for your heart, eminent cardiologist and PGI director Prof K.K. Talwar said there was no conclusive evidence of “beneficial” effects of alcohol on the human heart.

The two-drink theory is a hoax and may be part of the liquor companies’ strategy to push up their sales, Professor Talwar said in a talk on healthy heart during the course of a medical camp organised by the Chandigarh Press Club in association with the Gianwati-OP Jain Memorial Trust, Charkhi Dadri, here.

Heart patients should at best avoid liquor, the doctor said, adding that occasional consumption of 45 ml of liquor (one-and-a-half small drinks) for persons prone to heart diseases could be recommended.

Blaming lifestyle diseases, including heart diseases, on wrong dietary habits, Professor Talwar, who is also head of the department of cardiology of the PGI, said a balanced diet coupled with exercise could go a long way in preventing heart diseases.

Terming walking as the best exercise, he advised the patients to avoid self-medication and overdose of medicine.

He also called upon the doctors to create confidence among the patients.

Dispelling another myth, Professor Talwar said women were as prone to heart diseases as men. However, they may be immune to these diseases during the child-bearing age. Answering a specific question, Professor Talwar said doctors, including cardiologists, were at equal risk of having a heart attack depending upon family history and lifestyle patterns.

UT IGP S.K. Jain stressed the need for holding such camps for the better health of the professionals.

Jalandhar, December 23
Housing a museum of photographs of martyrs associated with one of the greatest movements of the freedom struggle, the Ghadar Party Lehar, was not enough for the Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall Committee. The committee decided to reach out further and remind the youth of the ideals the martyrs stood for to bring them closer to their heritage. This decision has led to the launch of a drive of organising special lectures in schools and colleges by experts. The drive got a head start on December 19 and the response is overwhelming for the organisers in the first two days only. The campaign aims at steering the youth away from vices like drugs, dropping out from schools, getting into crime and violence, among others.

Committee’s cultural wing secretary Gurmeet says, “Our panel of experts, comprising Dr Harish Puri, former head Dr Ambedkar Chair, GNDU, Dr Prem Singh, Bhagat Singh’s nephew Prof Jagmohan Singh, head of the department of English, GNDU, Dr Parminder Singh, Dr Dalbir Kaur and others will deliver special lectures at all senior secondary level schools and colleges as part of the awareness drive. “Students were moved wherever we have held lectures so far,” claims Gurmeet.

“Youth, especially those belonging to rural areas of the state are the focus of the campaign,” says Gurmeet. “Along with the lectures by experts we also carry copies of photographs of the martyrs and put up a mobile exhibition of pictures as well literature related to the movement as at the venue,” he adds. “The lectures as well as the exhibition inspire children no end and we have been getting calls from other principals of many institutions for organising lectures,” he adds.

“Beginning on the 19th of this month, we organised a lecture at the Guru Nanak College for Boys, Nakodar, and Phulwari Kanya College, Lohian, by the head of department of English, GNDU, Dr Parminder Singh,” says Gurmeet.

“We will soon be organising such lectures at Nurmahal, Sarhali, Kala Sanghian, Sultanpur Lodhi and other places,” informs Gurmeet. “We have also covered half a dozen colleges near Chandigarh as part of the drive and lectures have been delivered by scholars Dr Prem Singh and Dr 
Dalbir Kaur.

“The campaign will be carried out throughout the year and we are expecting to cover all colleges and senior secondary level schools of the state by the time we hold the next Ghadari mela next year,” adds Gurmeet.

Nawanshahr, December 23
Resentment prevails among schoolteachers over the scheduled teachers training seminars during the winter vacation. Different teachers’ organisations under the banner of “School Bachao, Sikhiya Bachao,” has chalked out a programme to burn the effigies of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at Nawanshahr, Balachaur and Banga on December 26 to oppose the training seminars as well as the policy of the state government to handover the schools to private companies.

Prem Rakker of the Government Teachers Union, Shiv Kumar Vashisht of the Government Teachers Union-Khatra, Narinder Singh of the Democratic Teachers Union, Harbans Singh of the Government Primary Teachers Union-Dhillon and Bikramjit Singh, vice-president, All Punjab Elementary Teachers Union, said the conducting of training seminars during winter vacation was quite illogical and virtually an injustice to the teachers.

With this the teachers would be deprived of winter vacation. Besides, the training seminars were a mere wastage of the resources as these had been proving futile in the re-orientation of the in-service teachers for want of proper resource persons and new techniques in education technology.

Instead of wasting funds on such futile activities, the funds should be used for bringing in qualitative improvement in the 
education, opined the union leaders.

Director-general, school education, Krishan Kumar, when contacted on phone, said a comprehensive plan had been chalked out to make in-service teachers’ training a worthwhile programme. To begin with, two districts - Amritsar and Kapurthala - had been selected for making them a “model districts” in teachers’ training.

Jalandhar, December 23
In order to save the crop of potato during the ongoing severe cold wave, the central potato research station advised the farmers to provide irrigation to the crop either late in the evening or early morning and provide sprinkler irrigation or create smoke screens wherever possible. 

“Since the crop is prone to ground frost when the minimum temperature drops below 2 degrees Celsius in Jalandhar, where the crop is being cultivated, it’s must that the crop is irrigated late in the evening or early morning,” says principal scientists of the station Dr R.K. Arora. — PTI

Jalandhar, December 23
“A complaint office has been opened to address the problems of the people. The residents can file their complaint regarding the corporation at the office which will be open from 9am to 5pm. The complaint can also be filed through a toll free number (22242411). All complaints filed in this office would be addressed by the joint commissioner within 15 days,” local government and commerce and industries minister Manoranjan Kalia said this in a press note issued here today.

An NOC will be issued to all those seeking an electricity connection, within 15 days, he said.

The minister handed over machinery worth two crore 63 lakh rupees to the municipal corporation as a measure to keep the city clean and green. The machinery included six tippers, two sewer jetting machines, 11 tractors, 28 hydraulic systems alongwith two fogging machines, one ladder, one dumper truck, water tanker trolleys, grass cutting machines and other equipment used for maintaining gardens.

Kalia said alongwith the three wheelers 32 more hydraulic machines would be bought by the municipal corporation.

To solve the problems faced by commuters in the city, railway crossing near the bus stand and a flyover to the tune of Rs 40 crore would be constructed. He said the project of another flyover from the Football Chowk to the Kapurthala Chowk has been proposed.

Kalia said the government also plans to start the city bus service till April 2008 and arrangements are already being made in this connection. He said a drive to deal with the encroachments in the city has been started and it is already yielding positive results.

Kalia said the city company bagh will also get a facelift and it will be an attractive spot for the city residents.