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MC to set up panel on sealing
Ludhiana, February 28 Members of the core committee that met here today reached a consensus that the sealing committee would identify building violating norms, will issue them notices and then seal them to ensure compliance. Today’s development deferred the sealing drive as the committee would first get a nod from the general house and the decision would be sent to the local bodies department. Later, the committee would identify buildings and issue public notices. The members of the committee are yet to be decided. The meeting, chaired by the mayor, also decided to restore water supply during afternoon hours. The supply was suspended during winter on the plea that residents did not require much water. It was also decided to get encroachments on public land removed. The law officer, Ashok Bajaj, was told to identify encroachments on MC land that had been stayed by courts and urge the court to vacate the stay so that the MC could generate resources by selling land. The issue of tenders that went for a loss of 40 per cent was also taken up. While members called for recalling the tenders, chief parliamentary secretary Harish Rai Dhanda suggested that the work orders should be released and the quality of work should be checked.
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Trader beaten up, robbed
Ludhiana, February 28 Four unidentified gang members, armed with weapons, blocked the Sonata car being driven by Sandeep Randev at about 5.30 am. They beat him up and took away his car, Rs 70,000 and a mobile phone, besides the jewellery he was wearing. A security guard at an ATM outlet situated nearby helped the badly bleeding trader call the police and relatives. The victim has been admitted to the CMCH with deep wounds on his head and limbs. The police has registered a case and sounded a red alert. The police has also sounded an alert for a Maruti Esteem car in which the assailants were travelling. Randev told the police that he had gone to the railway station in the morning to drop a relative. The Esteem was following him from the station itself. He said the car overtook him and blocked his way. The accused came out brandishing guns and sharp-edged weapons and pulled him out of the car. They then started beating him up.
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Registration of scan centre suspended
Ludhiana, February 28 The registration of City Nursing Home in Ghumar Mandi has been suspended for a month and the ultrasound machine sealed. Two other scan centres, Bawa Nursing Home in Civil Lines and Bal Nursing Home in Ghumar Mandi, have been issued show-cause notices for procedural lapses. Giving this information, the civil surgeon, Dr S.P. Sharma, said a team led by the deputy medical commissioner, Dr Yash Pal Mehta, had inspected eight scan centres in various parts of the city. He said stern action would be taken against those found violating the provisions of the Act or carrying out foetal sex determination test.
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Jhuggis back again; mayor intervenes
Ludhiana, February 28 During the demolition drive yesterday, angry dwellers had gone on the rampage, damaging a fire engine, a school bus and cars and injuring three employees of the fire department. Though four persons were arrested yesterday, several slum dwellers began raising their jhuggis in the morning. The matter was brought to the notice of the chairman of the Ludhiana Goods Transport Association, Charan Singh Lohara, who quickly intervened. He said the land was meant for parking of trucks and the slum dwellers had no right on it. The dwellers, however, alleged that the transporters wanted to occupy the land which was worth crores. Lohara rubbished the allegations and said that the transporters had paid development fund to the MC for developing Transport Nagar and jhuggi dwellers had no right over it. He said they would not allow them to hold the area to ransom as they had done yesterday by stopping a school bus. The transporters organised a meeting in the evening and resolved that they would get all illegal encroachments cleared from the area and press the MC to provide better amenities. They raised slogans against the MC They said they had invited city mayor Hakam Singh Gyaspura on February 4, who promised the area would be developed. “ But the work is moving at a snail’s pace, ’’ said the transporters.
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‘Smart’ pills not so smart for health
Ludhiana, February 28 The sale of these pills, tonics and anti-depressants increases in the month of February and these are being sold to students without any mandatory prescription. Akshit, a class 10th student, prefers to have the pill to help her overcome the academic grind. “It helps me immensely. Whether it helps medically or not I do not know, but I can study for longer hours after popping in a pill.” Akshit is one of the many students who regularly take these pills to enhance memory, increase concentration or stay up till the wee hours. However, these students are unaware of the side-effects of these pills and doctors are totally against such drugs. “It can cause a sleep disorder, headache, stomach pain etc if taken without proper prescription,” said neurologist Dr Gagandeep Singh. “No, not at all, there is nothing like a memory enhancing pill, otherwise all of us would love to take it. Manufacturers of such pills are actually cheating students; these can do more harm than good,” he cautioned. Students cannot be entirely blamed for the ‘brain doping’ as it is termed. “High expectations of parents and the education system is partly to be blamed,” said Poonam, a housewife.
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Direct job proposal angers rural doctors
Ludhiana, February 28 State president of the RMSA, Dr Aslam Parvez, said rural doctors were feeling cheated due to such “discriminatory” behaviour of the government. He said the decision for the recruitment of 147 PG doctors through the PPSC, as announced by health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla, was irresponsible and uncalled for since the entry level for PCMS doctors was an MBBS degree, which the government intended to amend by bringing changes in the PPSC rules. “We shall not take the blatant discrimination with MBBS doctors lying down and the government will have to face opposition,” he said. He demanded that the entry level for PCMS doctors should remain MBBS and only MBBS doctors should be recruited through the PPSC after regularising the services of 1,193 rural medical officers who were working under zila parishads throughout Punjab and serving the rural population for nearly two years now. Dr Aslam observed that the discriminatory attitude of the government would affect the morale of MBBS doctors which would be in direct contrast with the guidelines of the union government and the National Rural Health Mission that had recommended extra benefits to MBBS doctors serving in far-flung rural areas. “The government decision will also prevent MBBS doctors from serving in rural areas since they will no longer be able to have the benefit of PG quota earmarked for rural doctors. The move is bound to prove self-defeating as not only will MBBS doctors stay away from rural service, but also the health services in villages will also suffer,” he said. A delegation of rural doctors will meet the health minister in this regard. The association will also hold a meeting on the issue on March 2.
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Electronic updates at excise office
Ludhiana, February 28 Inaugurating the board, A.K. Mehra, commissioner, central excise, said the department would not just update people on the latest news, it would also tell them how their taxes were used and how honest payment of taxes could help them contribute towards the country’s development and their own benefit. He said fast upgradation in technologies was taking place and institutes unable to upgrade themselves, would lag. For the interest of people, headlines and match scores would also be displayed. He said the department was planning to have such boards in its Chandigarh and Amritsar offices soon.
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City gets 2 more courts
Ludhiana, February 28 Additional sessions judge Kishore Kumar today joined here on promotion. Another judge, Manjinder Singh, joined as presiding officer of the fast-track court, replacing P.S. Dhanoa who is now additional sessions judge and has been posted in the regular courts here. The district and sessions judge, G.K. Rai, today marked cases to the new courts which started functioning this afternoon.
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Brawl at GADVASU hostel
Ludhiana, February 28 Kanwaljit said a group of boys attacked him with "swords and sticks" when he was sitting with his friend Gurjot in his hostel room. He said, "I received severe back injuries and was brought here by other fellow-students.” Meanwhile, Simar Sagar Singh, dean, veterinary sciences, GADVASU, said a committee had been formed to look into the matter. "It will take another week to submit the report. The action will be taken accordingly," he said. This is the second incident of violence that took place at GADVASU hostel in the past five months.
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PAU asked to submit details of pension scheme
Ludhiana, February 28 A senior official, requesting anonymity, said a meeting was called yesterday to get first hand information from PAU representatives. “We had called them to brief us regarding their problem. Without understanding the problem, how can we assure them that it will be resolved? The government wants to know why the matter became so serious and a decision will be madeonce we get the details.” Meanwhile, unrest prevails among pensioners. The group has decided to hold a massive rally tomorrow from PAU gate number 1 to 2. Agitated pensioners have urged other trade unions to join their struggle. Those who joined the pensioners in their hunger strike on the fourth day today included PAUTA president Dr M.S. Mahal, Dr R.C. Sharma, Megh Raj Sood, Balam Singh, Jagga Singh, G.S.Bedi and Gulzar Pandher, former vice president, PAU employees’ union. An executive council consultation committee, to chalk out a plan for the pensioners, has also been formed to support the pensioners. Members of this committee include Dr S.S. Gill, Dr R.S. Brar, Dr H.K. Tiwari, V.K.S. Sharda, Surinder Hari S. Brar and Dr
Mavi. Mukesh Siag, general secretary PAUTA, alleged that the state government, instead of ending this issue, had gone into the technicalities. “Now they want to blame the university alone. Pensioners have not been paid a single penny for the past five months and state government wants to know how the pension fund was created, why it got dried up etc. We will whole-heartedly support the pensioners in tomorrow's rally,” said Siag.
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Ex-additional director dead
Ludhiana, February 28 He is survived by his wife and two sons. A condolence meet was organised in the university, which was attended by the faculty, staff, officers of the university and the vice-chancellor Dr VK Taneja.
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Critically ill youth needs help
Ludhiana, February 28 Having lost his father when he was small, he is dependent on his mother who is somehow managing to pay the monthly medical bill worth about Rs 22,000. According to doctors, the youth needs to go for a kidney transplant but the family does not have the required financial resources and a suitable donor from within the family. “I have already lost my husband and whatever little money we had, has gone towards the treatment of Amritpal,” his mother says. Those wanting to help the family could send their contributions to Deep Kidney Care (Deep Hospital) with “for treatment of Amritpal Singh” marked behind cheques or bank drafts.
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Lecturer invited to Bulgaria for conference
Mandi
Ahmedgarh, February 28 She was selected on the basis of her research paper on ‘Polynomial Approximation of Finite Order Analytic Function’, submitted earlier. The paper will soon be published in International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics, Bulgaria. Balvir Singh, head of mathematics department at the college, said thousands of mathematicians from 57 countries of the world had submitted their papers for publication in the international journal and 350 papers were selected for publication and subsequent presentation in the conference. The selection committee comprised scientists and experts from Mexico, Bulgaria, USA and Poland.
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Consumer forum holds lok adalat
Ludhiana, February 28 A case filed by consumer A.K. Sharma against Subhiksha stores was settled on its second date. The consumer had submitted that he purchased a mobile phone which turned out be defective. With the intervention of the lok adalat, the consumer was provided with a new mobile phone set. Apart from this, the consumer forum settled five cases in which the compensation of Rs 8,500 was awarded to the consumers.
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Postgraduates allege arbitrary
action
Mandi Ahmedgarh, February 28 The group, led by Sarita Joshi, has urged the authorities to seek a report from the education department as to why they were declared ineligible for the posts of English teachers despite clearing the B Ed exam. In a communiqué addressed to the CM and education minister, the candidates have accused authorities of trying to accommodate candidates who had not studied English in the education degree class. “If postgraduates in English, with it as a teaching subject in B Ed, are not considered eligible for the post of English teachers then what is the relevance of taking the subject in education degree class,” said Joshi. Hundreds of candidates, who had applied in response to an advertisement published on August 31, 2007, were declared ineligible by a corrigendum published on February 27, she claimed. The office of director education department (senior secondary), vide the corrigendum had stated that candidates who had not cleared English as an elective subject in B.A were not eligible for the posts of English teachers, though they might have done post-graduation in the subject. Sarita further claimed that the syllabi of elective English in B.A and postgraduation were
quite similar, whereas teaching subject curriculum was entirely different. “While clearing the syllabus as teaching subject is necessary for teaching, the department had condoned the condition. On the other hand candidates with master’s degree in the subject have been declared ineligible arbitrarily,” she said while demanding a review of eligibility conditions.
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Letters
Apropos the article ‘Residents against stalling of sealing drive’ (Ludhiana Tribune, February 26), the city mayor should act in the larger interest of people instead of being partial to a few. The extent of frustration that violators are causing to the general public can be gauged from the public reaction appearing in the media.
Fed up with the inaction by authorities to check non-delivery of services, some people have sought the help of the higher judiciary through PILs. An independent judiciary examines the cases without any bias. Its judgement has to be honoured and implemented seriously for the larger good of residents. It is time that the elected representatives refrain from blocking the implementation of court orders because of vested interests. They should instead use their energies in uplifting the living conditions of people in the city. S.S.
Chana, Ludhiana
Readers are invited to mail letters (not more than 200 words) at
"ludhiana@tribunemail.com" or post the same to The Tribune, 1, 2 Improvement Trust Building, Badaur House, Clock Tower, Ludhiana.
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2 days before exam, students await roll nos
Ludhiana, February 28 Private candidates have still not got their roll numbers and are running from pillar to post for the same. Long queues of students were seen outside the Punjabi Bhawan, situated close to the mini-secretariat, today. Navneet Kalra, a class XII student, said, “I am standing in a queue since yesterday and waiting for my turn. I do not know how many hours will the department employees take to give me the roll number." “It is the department’s fault and we are suffering unnecessarily. It is duty of the board to send the roll numbers at our houses, but we are wasting precious time here instead of studying,” said Suraj, another student. However, the Punjab School Education Board has made alternative provisions and candidates can download the roll numbers from the internet, but no school is willing to sign on a computer-generated roll number of a private candidate. A senior official of the PSEB said, “We are repeatedly telling students that they can download their roll number forms from the PSEB website. As the school are not attesting their roll numbers forms, students are coming back to get the duplicate roll number." Meanwhile, later in the evening, government school teachers gheraoed the district education officer (secondary) Sudash Bajaj. The teachers alleged that they are unnecessarily being deputed to far away places as in charges of centres. They said some of the teachers have to travel 30 km each day to supervise the examination.
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From Colleges
Ludhiana, February 28 The cultural troupe from Greece presented the folklore of their country while Russian students put up a music and dance show. Ranjodh Singh, president of Ramgarhia Education Trust, welcomed the artists and dignitaries. Farewell party: Students of the post-graduate department of commerce, Guru Nanak Girls College, bid farewell to their seniors at a party hosted by them here today. The function was presided over by principal Dr Charanjit Mahal and president of Guru Nanak Education Trust Gurbir Singh. To add colour to the occasion, students presented an entertaining cultural programme. The function comprised several dances and songs. A major highlight was a modelling show put up by senior students. The winners of ‘Miss Farewell’ were selected after two rounds. In the first round, students gave their introduction and in the second they answered questions put up by the judges. At the end, Rimmi was crowned ‘Miss Farewell’, Amandeep and Hartinder were declared first and second runners-up respectively. Fun games were also played and students gave compliments to their respected teachers. The judges included Dr Jaskirat, Ritu and Jasmeet . Dr Charanjit Mahal crowned the winners. |
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Rangoli competition at PAU
Ludhiana, February 28 Dr Neelam Grewal, dean, College of Home Science, while giving prizes to winners said such type of competitions play an important role in binding today's generation through our cultural heritage. She added that such type of competitions will be organised in future as well.
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Sukhwant, Sandeep declared best athletes
Mandi Ahmedgarh, February 28 Sushma Gupta, principal of the college, acknowledged the role of organisers of Gurdwara Karamsar in maintaining standard of education in the institute. Over one hundred students were felicitated for their performance during the meet. Nirmal Singh, vice-principal, said Sukhwant Singh, who won the 400 mt race, discus throw, high jump, shot-put, javelin throw and long jump events, and was runners-up in the 200 mt race was declared the best male athlete. Sandeep Kaur, who was declared the best female athlete, won the 400 mt race, discus throw, high jump, shot-put events, and bagged the second prize in long jump. Gurdip Singh of BA II was declared the overall runners-up for winning 3000 mt, 1500 mt and 800 mt races, and finishing second in 5000 mt and 400 mt races. Amandeep Kaur of BA I, who won the 100 mt, 200 mt and long jump events was declared runners-up among girls. Dharminder Singh, winner of the five-kilometre race, was declared the athlete with highest stamina.
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Karate meet at Ryan International School
Ludhiana, February 28 Tushar Bajaj and Ananya Mohindra, both students of class III, emerged winners in the boys and girls categories, respectively. Jaishree Gupta, principal of the school, gave away the prizes. “Sports help in developing the personality of a child. Such competitions go along way in helping students shed their inhibitions and gain confidence,” she said.
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Sahinka pockets three titles
at athletics meet
Ludhiana, February 28 Various events, besides fun games, were organised in which a large number of students took part. Other winners include Rohit and Inder of VIIIth standard, Krishna of VIIth standard, Shubham of class Vth, Vinayak, Arjun and Mohit, all students of class IVth, Yogita and Nikhil of UKG. Sham Sunder, councillor of municipal corporation, Ludhiana, was the chief guest at the prize distribution function. K.D. Arora, headmaster of the school, thanked the chief guest and congratulated the students who won prizes. A cultural programme was also organised on the occasion.
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