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Anti-Tobacco Day
Smoking in public: Admn, health dept issue challans
Amritsar, May 30
The District Administration and Health Department issued more than 40 on-the-spot challans to people who were found smoking at public places here today. The initiative was taken to mark Anti-Tobacco Day. The administration recovered fine of Rs 7,000 from the smokers.

Health Department officials challan people, who were caught smoking at public places, in Amritsar on Saturday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

EARLIER STORIES

	Life back to normal in city May 30, 2009
	Panic grips town over violence rumours May 29, 2009
	Situation limping back to normalcy May 28, 2009
	Stranded passengers get relief as partial train service restored May 27, 2009
	DC escapes mob attack, 3 gunmen hurt May 26, 2009
	Dowry claims two lives May 25, 2009
	Windstorm leads to death of youth May 24, 2009
	SAD, Cong slog it out May 23, 2009
	Punjab will seek spl package from UPA govt: Sukhbir May 22, 2009

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TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

All health centre docs found absent from duty
Hoshiarpur, May 30
Avinash Rai Khanna, a member of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC), raided the Community Health Centre at Hariana Town, 15 km from here, today and found all the five doctors of the centre absent from duty. He was accompanied by Hoshiarpur Civil Surgeon Dr S.K. Gupta. Khanna said only one homeopathy doctor, one nurse and some class IV employees were present at the centre.

Violence
Cong to CM: Step down
Kapurthala, May 30
A special Congress workers’ meeting of the Bholath assembly constituency was held at Ramgarh village under the aegis of Santosh Chaudhary, MP, Hoshiarpur and was presided over by Sukhpal Singh Khaira, MLA and president, Kapurthala district Congress.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had morally forfeited the right to govern the state after having miserably failed to control violence in Punjab. — Sukhpal Singh Khaira

Anti-Tobacco Day
Smoking in public: Admn, health dept issue challans
P.K. Jaiswar
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 30
The District Administration and Health Department issued more than 40 on-the-spot challans to people who were found smoking at public places here today. The initiative was taken to mark Anti-Tobacco Day. The administration recovered fine of Rs 7,000 from the smokers.

The administration formed five teams for proper implementation of anti-tobacco law at public places, hotels, restaurants, railway station, bus stand and offices. The teams visited various parts of the city and imposed fine on persons, who were found smoking at public places.

Kahan Singh Pannu, Deputy Commissioner-cum-chairman of District Tobacco Control Committee, said sub-inspector level police officers, executive magistrate and heads of various departments could impose a fine of Rs 200 to defaulters. He said hotels or restaurants manager could also be challaned for use of tobacco on their premises.

Meanwhile, students of Paras High School along with residents carried out rally to mark the World Anti-Tobacco Day. Dr Naresh Chawla, District TB officer, presided over the rally that passed through Indira Colony, Prem Nagar, Gulmohar Avenue, Sher-e-Punjab and slum areas spreading awareness on the issue.

Giving data, Dr Chawla said as many as 25 crore children above the age of 10 years and about 24 crore teenagers above 15 years of age were addicted to tobacco consumption. He said about seven lakh people died due to this addiction in the country.

He said more than 100 crore people were addicted to tobacco while 54 lakh people died in the world due to this. Quoting the WHO data, Dr Chawla said about 18 per cent students in India were addicted to tobacco while eight per cent addicted to smoking.

In Punjab, 10 per cent and 14 per cent students were addicted to tobacco and cigarette.

Dr Pardeep Ohri, chest specialist, said one out of five men in India would die of smoking by 2010 and it would cause one million deaths in India by that time. He said as per WHO, smoking was a pediatric epidemic with India reporting five million smokers. As many as 55,000 children start regular tobacco use every year.

All health centre docs found absent from duty
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, May 30
Avinash Rai Khanna, a member of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC), raided the Community Health Centre at Hariana Town, 15 km from here, today and found all the five doctors of the centre absent from duty. He was accompanied by Hoshiarpur Civil Surgeon Dr S.K. Gupta.

Khanna said only one homeopathy doctor, one nurse and some class IV employees were present at the centre. He said the commission would take suitable action against the absent doctors and he had instructed the Civil Surgeon to do departmental inquiry against them and send the report to him in this regard.

Later, Khanna inspected the local civil hospital and checked the general, outdoor and emergency wards, operation theatre and X-ray room. Senior Medical Officer Dr Gurdev Singh along with other doctors of the hospital were present.

After interacting with the patients, Khanna showed his satisfaction on the functioning of the hospital. All the doctors of the hospital were present during the inspection.

Violence
Cong to CM: Step down
Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, May 30
A special Congress workers’ meeting of the Bholath assembly constituency was held at Ramgarh village under the aegis of Santosh Chaudhary, MP, Hoshiarpur and was presided over by Sukhpal Singh Khaira, MLA and president, Kapurthala district Congress.

Addressing the meeting, Khaira alleged that the state government, headed by Badal, had totally failed to tackle the law and order situation in the state after the Vienna shooting incident.

Various speakers, including Khaira, termed the killing of Sant Ramanand as the most unfortunate incident but at the same time they criticised both the Badals for violating the oath taken by them, under the constitution, as protectors of public property.

Khaira said the state suffered an immense loss of over Rs 7,000 crore of public property due to rioting by miscreants in Punjab during the week. Khaira felt Badal had morally forfeited the right to govern the state after having miserably failed to control violence in Punjab.

The meeting called upon Badal to step down as Chief Minister for lack of leadership in moments of crises as was evident by the conduct of CM. Khaira supported the demand saying if Badal has an iota of morality, he must tender his resignation as he has lost the confidence of the people.

The meeting questioned as to who would compensate such heavy losses of over Rs 7,000 crore of public property. The meeting felt that if administrators like the DC, Kapurthala, whose official vehicles were burnt by the mob, could not protect themselves, how the people at large could be protected.

The meeting unanimously passed a resolution demanding a CBI inquiry into the loss of life and property in Punjab.