Amritsar, January 30
Tightening the noose around the erring X-ray centres which have not been complying with the norms of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has directed the deputy commissioner, the commissioner of the municipal corporation and the civil surgeon to look into the matter and take the necessary action.

Earlier this month, the AERB had given a month’s time to all erring X-ray centres in the holy city to adhere to the norms and remove the shortcomings detected by the team of scientific officers who had visited the city on November 12 last year or be ready for action.

The board authorities said if the centres failed to take appropriate steps, the necessary regulatory action would be initiated by the competent authority under the relevant provisions of the Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules, 2004.

It is pertinent to mention here that the AERB team had found the conditions at the centres unsatisfactory as these were running without approved layout plans as per the requirement of the safety code of medical diagnostic X-ray equipment and installations.

The area of the X-ray room was not according to the guidelines of the board, besides it did not have any lead lining.

The Supreme Court, in order to check the mushrooming of X-ray and scanning centres in the country, had issued directions for the setting up of the Directorate of Radiation Safety (DRS) in every state. However, only Kerala had set up the DRS till now, while the other states had failed to do so.

Amritsar, January 30
An awareness rally “walk for life” was organised in the holy city today to create awareness among the general public regarding breast cancer.

The rally was organised by the MKC Roko Cancer Charitable Trust, an NGO, in association with the Amritsar unit of the Indian Medical Association, Guru Nanak Dev University, the Rotary Club, the Chief Khalsa Dewan Educational Society and the BBK DAV College. The rally started from GND University and after passing through Khalsa College, Putligarh, railway station, Income Tax Chowk, Mall Road and Lawrence Road, it culminated at the BBK DAV College for Women.

Hundreds of students from various educational institutes, donning pink caps and white T-shirts with the slogan “roko cancer”, participated in the rally.

Lauding the role of the trust in creating awareness among the masses regarding the disease, Dr Pushpinder Kaur exhorted the girl students to work towards educating rural women about the benefits of early detection of breast cancer. She said with the proper treatment and medicines, the disease could be controlled very effectively and the patient suffering from the disease could lead a normal life.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rajinder Pal Singh Chawla said free mammography tests had been conducted during various camps held in Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa and screening was conducted of 35,000 women. He said out of these, 530 women were found suffering from the disease. He said according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organisation, approximately 80,000 women were affected by the diseases per year in India and out of these, 30,000 women died without any knowledge of the fact that they suffered from it.

Meanwhile, a free medical camp was organised at the BBK DAV College for Women where mammography tests were conducted on about 40 women. College principal Neelam Kamra also spoke on the occasion.

Amritsar, January 30
Concerned over the growing conflict between the patients and doctors, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) would organise a panel discussion on ‘Has the doctor changed or is he facing a changed society” during the two-day 61st annual conference “Pimacon-2009” here from January 31.

More than 1,000 doctors from all over Punjab and various specialties are likely to participate in the two-day conference to be organised by local chapter of the IMA at Guru Nanak Dev University complex. The conference would be inaugurated by Dr Ashok Adhao. Eminent doctors from AIIMS, PGI and other renowned medical institutions of the country would be delivering special talks on their selected fields. They would exchange the latest views and technological changes in the field of medical sciences.

Addressing the media here today, Dr Amrik Singh Arora, IMA Punjab, informed that eminent persons from the society including social workers, advocate and representatives from the media besides the senior and young doctors would discuss the problems being faced by the medical fraternity.

Emphasis would also be laid on introspection and shortcomings in the day-to-day working of a medical professional, he added. Dr Arora said a seminar on the female foeticide would also be organised on the first day and Harsimrat Kaur, wife of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, and chief executive Nanhi Chhan, would be the chief guest. She would be presenting the views of the general public besides highlighting the importance of women in society.

Amritsar, January 30
Rich tributes were paid to the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, along with freedom fighters, who sacrificed their lives during the independence movement at an impressive commemoration ceremony held at Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial here today.

Deputy Commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu exhorted the public to follow the path of nonviolence espoused by Mahatma Gandhi and urged them to champion the cause of society and cleans the nation of social evils which have dogged he country.

He said the people who have gone astray should return back to the mainstream of the country and solve their problems through dialogue and adopting the democratic channels.

Pannu said that we must live up to the glorious ideals of our great freedom fighters who had laid down their lives to give us freedom. He said that we must fulfil the dreams of great leaders of the country. Earlier a police posse presented reversed their arms to pay homage to the martyrs on the occasion. Among those who attended the ceremony include Commissioner Municipal Corporation DPS Kharbanda, Additional Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh and members of the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Trust and Nehru Yuva Kendra.

Amritsar, January 30
The foreign and study tours by various MLAs, chairmen of various departments and ministers on government expenses during the previous Congress regime yielded no result. This is outcome of the information received under the RTI Act by the Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM), which has sought immediate ban on such tours.

In a communique to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, patron of the manch Prof Mohan Singh said according to information they received under the RTI Act, during the previous Congress regime about 80 MLAs and Congress leaders visited many countries for “study tour” from May, 2005, to August, 2005, at government expenses of more than Rs 86.50 lakh.

However, the authority concerned failed to provide any information regarding what benefit the state had from these tours and what these leaders observed and reported about their visits to these countries.

Giving details, Prof Mohan Singh said according to information provided by the under secretary, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, a 29-member delegation of Congress MLAs and leaders visited France, Switzerland, UK, Italy, etc, from July 8 to 25, 2005, while about 25 MLAs and leaders went to Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore on a study tour from July 24 to August 9, 2005.

Interestingly, about 25 MLAs had visited Pakistan on “study and peace” tour from May 21 to May 30, 2005. The government borne an expenditure of Rs 82.47 lakh and Rs 4.34 lakh, respectively, on these tour.

The AVM patron said the city of Golden Temple, which has an important and prominent place in would tourism map, lack very basic amenities, including clean drinking water and sewerage system, besides the state of education and health facilities was also dismal.

He pointed out that there was no need of such tours. The MLAs and leaders of the state were very rich and themselves could afford these tours.

If they wanted to go on study tours they could bear the expenditure themselves rather than wasting the precious public money and causing loss to state exchequer.

Amritsar, January 30
The Punjabi Writers Cooperative Society (PWCS) has urged the Punjab government to grant scholarships to brilliant students of Punjabi on the line of Uttar Pradesh government. The demand has been made in a letter by society president Dr Bikram Singh Ghuman and managing director Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and education minister Dr Upinderjit Kaur.

They welcomed the moves by Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati to promote the Punjabi language. They said Punjabi had been given the status of second language, besides pledging financial help to the Uttar Pradesh Punjabi Sahit Akademy and Rs 3,000 scholarship for students of class I to class XII for securing 60 per cent marks in the subject.

They were of the view that the Punjab government must approach other state governments in the country to promote the Punjabi language since a sizable population of Punjabis was residing there.

Amritsar, January 30
IBM Daksh, a multinational company, has recruited 11 students of Guru Nanak Dev University out of 14 through joint campus recruitment conducted on the university campus here today. The students have been offered a salary package of Rs 1.80 lakh per annum plus incentives. Students of the graduate and postgraduate courses of various colleges from Amritsar and surrounding regions also participated in the recruitment drive.

Dr Sukhdev Singh, director placement of the university, said 11 students from the streams social science, MBA, MCA, LLB and MSc Electronics were selected while one each was selected from Khalsa College, the SR Government College for Women, Amritsar, and APJ College, Jalandhar. All the selected students would join the jobs after completion of their degree courses in June 2009.

Amritsar, January 30
Students and staff members of Jagat Jyoti Model High School organised a function on the eve of Basant Panchmi here today.

The students and staff dressed in the varied shades of yellow participated in yellow-kite flying competition to mark the festival of spring. They also offered prayers to Sarasvati, the goddess of learning, besides organising giddha and bhangra.

Basant Panchmi has a specific meaning. Basant means spring, whereas Panchami means the fifth day. Basant Panchmi generally falls in the month of January-February. The festival is celebrated with full vivacity and festivity to mark the end of the winters and is celebrated allover India. People wear yellow clothes, offer yellow flowers in worship and put a yellow turmeric tilak on their forehead. The yellow flowers of mustard crop cover the entire field in such a way that it seems as if gold is spread over the land glittering with the rays of the sun.

Speaking on the occasion vice-principal Sumeet Puri said such functions should be organised in every school so that students could know the significance of such festivals. He said such functions help the students to know about their culture and heritage and also exhorted the students to follow the path of truth.

Amritsar, January 30
Union minister for youth affairs and sports Dr M.S. Gill and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan director-general Dr Shakeel Ahmad Khan have appreciated the district administration for successfully holding the 14th National Youth Festival from January 12 to 16. Dr Gill, in his letter to deputy commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu, said the administration and its staff had made excellent arrangements for the festival.

Dr Ahmad said the tireless efforts and hard work put in by the administration had made the festival, which was held for the first time in the state, a success. He said the festival held in the holy city had set a benchmark for the future youth festivals.

It is pertinent to mention here that about 4,000 youth participants from all over the country, competed in 18 cultural items. Even these teams performed at various locations in the city, besides many villages. — TNS

Tarn Taran, January 30
Kabul Singh, a resident of Dubli village, 25 km from here, has been booked for firing four rounds at his relative Ninder Kaur from his licensed rifle last night.

Police sources said here today that the woman, however, managed to escape unhurt. A case under sections 336 and 506 of the IPC has been registered by the Patti police against him.

The victim in her statement to the police alleged that Kabul Singh had been terrorising her for the past some time. Last night he opened fire at her to terrorise her.