Ghal Kalan (Moga), May 19
Many cases of chickenpox have been reported in the nearby Ghal Kalan village, which has created panic among the residents. The health department has rushed medical teams to the affected area while the district administration has shut down all the schools in this village.

Confirming the outbreak of chickenpox, District Magistrate Satwant Singh Johal said he had asked the health department to take preventive measures and strict vigil for the care of the affected children and adults.

The DM had also passed orders to close down all the four government and two private schools in the affected village till the 29th of this month as a preventive measure to check the spread of this communicable disease.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Adarsh Sood told The Tribune that she had sent a team of medical professionals comprising district health officer, senior medical officer, paediatrician, community health workers and the local doctors to this village. “We are keeping the affected patients under observation and taking all the preventive measures to check the spread of this disease.”

The CMO said, "Symptoms usually go away without treatment but because the infection is very contagious, an infected child should stay home and rest until the symptoms are gone.”

In the preliminary survey of the health department, at least six children and two adults had been found suffering from chickenpox, she said.

However, the villagers revealed that at least 12 children and five adults were in the grip of this disease.The nine-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, son of Nikka Singh, six-year-old Kulwant Singh, son of Gurdip Singh, 11-year-old Amandeep Kaur, daughter of Sukhdev Singh and at least ten other children and two adults of this village had developed itchy rashes with blisters appearing all over the body.

Sukhdeep Kaur, wife of Roop Singh said that her three children Arshdeep, Anmoldeep and Akashdeep are suffering from chicken pox for the past few days. Sukhchain Singh (23), son of Balwinder Singh, Manpreet Singh (25) son of Nachattar Singh and Rajvir Singh (6), son of Baljit Singh were also in the grip of this disease.

The patients had reported of redness, itchy rashes on the skin spreading to almost everywhere on the body including the scalp, mouth, nose, ears and genitals. Some kids had also reported of fever, abdominal pain, sore throat, headache and vague sick feeling.

The CMO said in order to help keep the virus from spreading, one should make sure the kids wash their hands frequently particularly before eating and after using the bathroom and the child with chickenpox should be kept away away from unvaccinated siblings as much as possible. 

Fazilka, May 19
It may be called as liberalism or carelessness of the traffic police that hundreds of vehicles and two-wheelers, particularly motorcycles, are being run without a registration number in Fazilka town.

Probably, it has become a fashion for a majority of the youth not to display the registration numbers on their bikes. The vehicles bear blank registration number plates.

In some cases, even registered vehicles do not bear the registration numbers while in some cases, the vehicles are yet to be registered.

The motor cycles are being used dauntlessly in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act. It appears that the traffic police has become a mute spectator even as the number of such vehicles is increasing day by day. Despite this, no action has been taken against those who use these two-wheelers recklessly.

In some instances, the registration numbers are not displayed in accordance with the instructions of the Motor Vehicles Act. Such registration numbers are displayed in a stylish manner.

In case of an accident or violation of the laws and traffic rules, if the police personnel may intend to identify the involved vehicle through registration numbers, it is virtually impossible. On the other hand, some innocent people may be trapped in mistaken identity.

A majority of the youth driving the motorcycles rashly also do not hold driving licences. The law abiding people want the traffic rules to be enforced and a check on unfair activities.

Mansa, May 19
To intensify their protest, nearly 8,000 landless labourers, stepping up their agitation, held a rally and staged a protest march in Mansa to get plots to construct their houses under the leadership of CPI (ML) and the Mazdoor Mukti Morcha.

Addressing the rally, state secretary of CPI (ML) Rajvinder Singh Rana pointed out that the labourers had to reluctantly take possession of the panchayat land as their demand to get plots to construct houses was not accepted by the government. The agitation would continue until the demands of the labourers were accepted, he mentioned.

During the rally, CPI leader Jagroop Singh assured full support of his party to the labourers. He stressed upon the united struggle by Left forces to bring good result.s Everyone has the right to have a house for living, he added.

State secretary of Mazdoor Mukti Morcha Bhagwant Singh Sammaon said that the government should provide plots to labourers for residence and work under the NAREGA.

He criticised the government for not fulfilling its promises regarding the demands of poor people. ADC (General) of Mansa, Malwinder Singh Jaggi said that labourers should send applications to get plots till May 29 and the administration would provide them with the plots within three months.

However, he said that illegal possession of government land would not be allowed. Among others, who spoke at the rally were general secretary of Lal Jhanda Bhatha Mazdoor Union, Tarsem Jodan and Gurjant Singh and Sukhcharan Singh. All leaders insisted that the dharna would continue until the demands were met. 

Abohar, May 19
While laying the foundation stone of the Abohar-Fazilka rail link at Fazilka on February 2, 2004, the then Railway Minister Nitish Kumar and CM Parkash Singh Badal had promised to get it functional by March 31, 2007. However, it is unlikely to be commissioned even by June 30 this year, the deadline fixed after four revisions.

The actual cost of the 42-km rail link is likely to go up from Rs 86.44 crore due to the repeated price rise for the material.

A visit to the Gang canal revealed that the work on one of the four major bridges had been lying suspended for the last three months near Khuikhera village.

Bhoomi pujan for the work was done on September 1, 2006 in the presence of the executive engineer of the Northern Railways by the partners of the Lall Construction Company, which had successfully completed a part in the Metro train project in New Delhi.

The newspersons were then told that the construction of the major bridges at a cost of Rs 5.60 crore would be completed by April 30, 2008. This correspondent today found that the construction of bridge on the Abohar-Fazilka road (NH 10) near village Dangarkhera was also going on at a snail's pace. Another bridge is under construction near the city bypass here on the Abohar-Malout road.

However, most of the 47 small bridges on the sub-canals and water courses in 16 km stretch had been completed. The work for laying rail line has also been completed to the extent of 80 per cent by now, about 30 km drive indicated.

The signal room on the college road rail crossing has been demolished and a similar cabin on the Thakur Abadi level crossing is being shifted.

The contractors shift the blame for delay in the construction of rail line to delay on the part of the state government in handing over the physical possession of the government seed farm land that had reportedly been under unlawful possession of evicted tenants due to some political reasons for a long period.

However, no explanation is offered for the delay in completing the task of the major rail bridges. The daily wage earners camping near the canal said the contractors had asked them to wait for the supply of iron girders.

Pillars are to be constructed in the middle of the 2500 cusecs capacity Gang canal by suspending water supply for a fortnight. No schedule has so far been finalised, sources said. 

Moga, May 19
The District Magistrate of Moga, Satwant Singh Johal, today suspended Ashok Watts, secretary of the District Red Cross Society, following some serious complaints of dispute and misbehaviour with a woman employee of the society.

It was learnt that the DM, who is the chairman of the society, was also likely to take action against the woman employee but sources close to her revealed that she may resign from the job on Wednesday.It may be mentioned that the District Red Cross Society had courted controversy for quite sometime.

The society was running a chemist shop in the district hospital without a valid licence from the drug licensing authority and prior permission of the health department for the past over two years.

Some of the employees of this chemist shop had been allegedly given undue financial favours by the secretary, which was highlighted in the media early this year.

The DM had already marked a magisterial probe into the controversy surrounding the chemist shop about three months back. However, Additional Deputy Commissioner Mahinder Singh Kainth was yet to begin the probe, probably due to the pressure of work of the Lok Sabha elections.

The Tribune repeatedly tried to contact Ashok Watts for his comments but he did not pick up his phone.