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Training of nurses hits roadblock
Jalandhar, December 18 Bred on a continuous supply of textbook stories of the legendary Florence Nightingale, we feel the very soul come alive when we see her. But today, nightingales of Punjab are unable to clean up the wounds of their patients. The government is shirking its responsibility to train general nurses and midwives in government nursing schools of Punjab. School of Nursing at Shaheed Babu Labh Singh Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, has also met with the same fate. This school of nursing is the oldest in Punjab. Established in 1952, it provided training to in-service auxiliary nurses and midwives to upgrade their qualification up to general nursing and midwifery course. Seats were available for fresh students also who got direct admission to the GNM course. A stipend of Rs 110-130 was given to these fresh students, whereas regular salaries were paid to in-service candidates. But admission to fresh candidates was stopped in 1982 and the regular salary of in-service candidates was discontinued early
this decade. As per information, the last batch was admitted in 2003 which passed out in March 2006. From September 2003 up till now, not even a single candidate has taken admission in this school. The director of health services has not even given an advertisement about the admission since 2006. The school, with 30 seats for in-service candidates, has a staff, which falls a bit short of the regulations of the Nursing Council of India. According to the council, the school needs one principal, one vice-principal, two public health nurses and one sister tutor for 10 students. Only one post of the public health nurse is vacant. The hostel of the school, recently renovated, has excellent facilities. But these days, the hostel is used for the nurses getting training for 15-day orientation programme. Some rooms are also rented
out to other employees on monthly payment. Senior officials of department, when contacted, were unable to comment on it. When the number of private nursing colleges is constantly on the rise, what reason can the government cite to legitimise its policy of dragging its hand away from this responsibility?
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Tender Allotment
Jalandhar, December 18 DCC president Arun Kumar Walia has asked the mayor whether all the three bidders were from the same family. “As per your clarification, all three tenders were received from Shiv Kumar Bansal, Rajesh Kumar Bansal and Vikas Bansal. Is Shiv Kumar Bansal, son of late Om Parkash Bansal, and Rajesh and Vikas grandsons of late Om Parkash?” Walia has asked, seeking clarification for the same through a separate RTI application as well. The DCC leader had yesterday held a press conference in which he had said a close associate of HP chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had been favoured with allotment of works worth Rs 17 crore. They had said the lone bidder for the scheme had been handed over the work that too without taking the earnest money. Mayor Rakesh Rathour had then clarified saying that no favouritism had ever been done and there were three
bidders for the project. Walia has further asked, “Has the earnest money been received along with the tender? Whether it was a condition that the earnest money at the rate of 5 per cent will be 2 per cent?” Here he has presented a copy of the terms and conditions of the MC tender allotment work, the 13th point of which mentions, “Every contractor will submit the tender form and earnest money in separate double sealed envelopes. Tenders without earnest money envelopes will not be considered.” He has asked whether the work orders have been issued. “Our information goes that the inauguration of the work has been done by you and Punjab local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia without the work order. Is that true? If so, the inauguration should have been done by MP Rana Gurjit Singh as the funds have been received from the UPA government,” he pointed out. The mayor, when asked about any family relation among the three bidders, feigned ignorance in the matter. “There were no bids when we had invited tenders on first two occasions. It was during the third occasion that these three bids came to us. We tried to negotiate with the lowest bidder who had quoted a price of
Rs 2.4 lakh per unit. We brought it down to Rs 1.63 lakh per down,” he tried to clarify. “He was not ready to settle for a lower price. He was about to quit when we agreed on it. The matter was later approved by the house. The issue regarding payment of 2 per cent earnest money instead of 5 per cent was also agreed upon in the finance committee meeting,” he said. A senior functionary, requesting anonymity, sided with the mayor, saying, “What if all the bidders were cousins? They have been running separate business under different names. No other bidder was coming and we did not want the scheme, for providing shelter to the poor, to go out of hands”
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Diesel pump set export faces artificial crisis
Jalandhar, December 18 According to exporters, taking advantage of the all-round economic gloom, which has sent demands on the downhill path, the importers in these countries are not collecting their orders “due to a cash crunch”. This has resulted in inventories of the exporters piling up at the dockyards. This would finally force them to go for distress sale of their products. “Export orders are facing delay tactics from the foreign buyers and in some cases, it is reported that even exportable materials shipped earlier are lying at destination ports as the foreign buyers are not ready to clear them with hefty discounts,” Punjab Chamber of Small Exporters senior vice-president A.K. Kohli said. He said that stocks were piling up daily and most of them had to be stacked in the racks in the factories. Manufacturers and exporters of diesel engines and pump sets were worst hit during the first quarter of the current fiscal year due to rising steel prices. But exporters had to fulfil their commitments and execute the export orders even with heavy losses, he rued. A certain semblance of stability had just started to descend in the second quarter of the current year when the global crisis, followed by a sharp rise in costs, brought further worries for the manufacturer-exporters, he added. India is one of the largest exporters of diesel engine pump sets to Middle East and African countries, mainly used for the agriculture purposes. But now, many of the units making these pumps and spare parts are in trouble, Kohli said.
— PTI
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All is not well at Virsa Vihar, allege artistes
Jalandhar, December 18 Infighting and clash of egos among artistes is common in organisations but the major problem that artistes seem to be encountering is lack of cooperation from the authorities at Virsa Vihar. Sucharita Sharma, principal, Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar, said, “A lot of activities can take place at a place like this. The scope of the place is not being exploited to the fullest. Hardly any meeting takes place during a year.” Talking about the Satya Paul Art Gallery on the Virsa Vihar premises which is owned by her college, she said, “The art gallery is doing well but I would be happier if the activities at Virsa Vihar as such pick up.” Sculptor and painter Basudeb Biswas, an artist who has been associated with the art activities in the city, said, “It’s been many months since the members had a formal meeting. Though many suggestions were voiced at the last meeting, the only new thing that has been done in the name of development is construction of the outer boundary wall.” Senior painter Dr Surjit Kaur, said, “Virsa Vihar has a very few activities happening for the cause of art. When we meet, we talk about workshops and exhibitions but little is actually implemented practically. The place already has very few activities happening and on top of that what good would be the morale of the artists if the ones who are already there are debarred,” she said referring to the time when some artists carried out a workshop in the parking space on the Virsa Vihar premises, but the office secretary was still reluctant to permit them to do so. Bharat Bhushan, a painter from Srijan, said, “Whenever we go to the place it is locked. Sometimes artists feel they are not welcome at Virsa Vihar. We want regular workshops and activities to happen there but feel like outsiders.” Harinder S. Bhatti, a painter from the group Srijan, said, “The environment at Virsa Vihar is such that none of the people from the
younger generation would feel welcome there. Sometimes when we want to hold an exhibition, we are told the hall is booked but when we actually go there in the evening there is no activity happening.” Chaitanya Kochar, coordinator of the Jalandhar chapter of Spic Macay said, “It seems that the authorities are interested to work for the place but are too preoccupied to take steps. The artists themselves, at such a time, should form a dedicated committee which can work for the Virsa Vihar.” Some artistes, on condition of anonymity, told The Tribune that the office secretary of Virsa Vihar had not been cooperating with them. “We are not appreciated for the work we do. Rather there have been times that we are misbehaved with by him.” Sources even claim that the secretary Channi GS Takulia had been putting the place to his personal use, for ventures which have nothing to do with the functioning of Virsa Vihar. GA to DC Anupam Kaler, also the secretary general of Virsa Vihar, while talking to The Tribune on the issue, said she had not received any complaints from any of the artists regarding Virsa Vihar’s functioning. “Rather to me they seem happy.” When asked about the functioning of the secretary, she said, “I don’t think there is any problem with his work.” Unveiling the future plans, she said, “We are planning to start classes in music, dance and yoga at Virsa Vihar from December 25. We also have plans for an open air theatre and a canteen.” When contacted, Virsa Vihar secretary Channi G.S. Takulia said, “I do whatever I am told to do by the authorities. It has just been that sometimes when somebody asked for permission for a hall, I told them to talk to the authorities. That’s my job. I don’t think there was ever lack of cooperation from my side.”
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Sewer cleaning machines becoming nuisance
Jalandhar, December 18 The machines have not only been creating traffic chaos for the manholes lie mostly in the centre of the road in the city, but also leading to spillage and spread of the smelly muck on the roads. Such a machine used for sewer clearing is often put to use in the busy Shastri Market, close to the residence of the local bodies minister. The manhole falls right in the centre of the road with traffic moving from either sides. With little space available, the vehicular traffic often passes over the piles of muck, flattening them on the road. A passerby commented, “I wonder what they are doing. Cleaning the underground lines and messing it up all on road.” The shopkeepers in the market have demanded that the work should either be carried out in the night or garbage be lifted up all along. Naresh, president of the Safai Karamcharis’ Union, said at many places the machines were operated in the night. He argued that the filth taken out was not allowed to spill over as it was collected immediately and taken away. Mayor Rakesh Rathour said he also felt that the working of the machines should be checked. “We will get it rectified,” he assured the residents.
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Appointment of defeated Akali leaders as panels’ chiefs opposed
Jalandhar, December 18 A meeting of the Akali Dal (1920) was held here today under the chairmanship of its president Ravi Inder Singh to discuss prevailing political situation in the state. Several resolutions were passed in the meeting. Tejinder Singh Pannu, press secretary of the party, said a resolution was passed to oppose the appointment of a RSS man as vice-chancellor of Punjab Technical University. Expressing concern over the prolonged power cuts in rural and urban areas of Punjab, the party criticised the Badal government for selling the power to other states instead of making it available to the industrial sector in the state. Pannu said several industrial units in the state had suffered a huge financial loss because of the woeful power situation in the state. The party has urged the jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Gurbachan Singh, to act against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal as he has violated an edict of the Akal Takht by supporting a Sacha Sauda follower in recently held assembly elections in Rajasthan. Passing a resolution in this regard, the party said in case the jathedar of Akal Takht did not act against Badal, then party would mobilise people to gherao Badal. The party also criticised SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal for allegedly making the cable networks in various parts of the state to stop relaying a TV channel. The party alleged that Sukhbir had captured the cable network and forcing the cable network operators not to relay certain channels. The party has given a call for a joint agitation against the SAD move to browbeat the print and electronic media. It condemned the lathi charge on ETT teachers, panchayat secretaries and anganwari workers. A decision was also taken to hold a political conference by the party at Shaheedi Jor Mela at Fatehgarh Sahib on December 25. The party has set up a committee comprising Jasbir Singh Khalsa, jathedar Darshan Singh Issapur and Gurinder Singh Shampura to study the new definition of Sehajdhari Sikh submitted by the SGPC to a court.
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Young World
Jalandhar, December 18 Old-age home
Students of Delhi Public School visited the old-age home run by the Pingla Ghar Society at Makhdoompura here on Thursday morning. The children shook hands with oldies and interacted with them for some time. The students had taken biscuits for the elderly people as a token of love.
Annual day
The junior wing of Apeejay School, Rama Mandi, organised its annual appreciation day on Thursday. The tiny tots had put up an exhibition of their works under the theme “Kalpanayein”. A cultural show was put up. “Tare zameen par”, a portrayal of tiny tots searching their identity amidst elders left the audiences spellbound. “Dreams”, a glimpse into the minds of the young ones, was a reflection of ambitions of the UKG kids. Poonam Juneja, a business entrepreneur, was the chief guest.
Sports Day
Eklavya School organised its annual sports day. Chritsain Olessan Peterson and Tove Engemann from Denmark, who are on the campus as part of the teachers’ exchange programme, were the chief guests. Tove, who is a gymnastics teacher, taught juggling, salsa, gymnastics, dance and skipping to the students. The middle and senior school students performed dance as they skated.
Medical camp
The DAV Institute of Physiotherapy organised a free medical camp for people suffering from physical disabilities. Free bone densitometry test was conducted for diagnosing calcium deficiency or osteoporosis of bones. Dr Manjit Singh, a renowned orthopaedician, prescribed medicines.
Seminar
A seminar on the present status of the Punjabi language was organised at Government Arts and Sports College. Dr Satwinder Singh Sangha, a speaker, said state politics, availability of material and inter-generation transmission were the parameters on which the development of a language depended. Another speaker Gurwinder Singh said many scholars involved them only theoretically and not practically.
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Annual conference of POS from today
Jalandhar, December 18 “About 400 delegates from all over the country would share their experiences over the issues like cataract surgery and glaucoma. Vitreoretinal symposium and symposium on glaucoma would be the other important events,” said chief organising secretary Dr J.S. Thind. “Eye surgeons like Dr V.C. Mehta and Dr Shashi Kapoor from Mumbai, Dr Rajat Desai from Lucknow, Dr Mahipal, S.Sachdeva from New Delhi, Dr P.S. Brar from Faridkot and Dr J.S. Thind from the city would come up with live eye surgery sessions. Blade-free lasik surgery is one of the latest concepts planned to be taken up during these live surgery sessions,” added society president Dr S.S. Mann. Organising secretary Dr Sangeeta Mittal said, “The meeting would also host 80 stalls as part of the scientific exhibition being held at the venue. Also, the Punjab Medial Council has allotted 10 CME credit hours for attending the conference. These hours are required for registration of the doctors with the Punjab Medical Council.”
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Frame law against hate crime: AISSF
Jalandhar, December 18 He said crimes against minorities should only be investigated by the CBI. The federation held a march today to seek justice for minorities. Karnail Singh said that a memorandum regarding prosecution of minorities would be submitted to the UN.
— TNS
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