Jalandhar, September 4
A year after he filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking to know from the Director Public Instruction (School Education)-cum-Public Information Officer about the list of merit holders of the social study master sportsman category (general) and lecturers of physical education, he has not been provided the information. Instead he has just been given an incomplete reply.

Failure to provide the requisite information to the applicant is deemed as denial under the act. Surjit Singh, a resident of Hoshiarpur district had applied for the post of lecturer in physical education and social studies master in sportsman general category.

The player has been a gold medalist in the all-India inter-university and all-India Beni Madhav memorial cup. He participated 10 times in the national-level championship and 16 times in the state-level championship in kho-kho.

“The DPI office conducted interviews thrice for both the categories but has not declared the results till date. The first phase of interview was held on November 15, 2006, the second phase a year after on September 29, 2007, and the phase of interviews were held on November 21, 2007, but the results were never declared,” he maintained.

The complainant did his MPEd from Government Physical College, Patiala, in 2002. “I stand first in the merit list owing to my excellent record as a player but the red tape of the officials concerned led to chaos. I have been running from pillar to post to know the status of the selected candidates in both the categories but to no avail,” he added.

The complainant filed an application under the RTI Act on September 25, 2008. His grievance was that he did not receive the required information from the respondent PIO (DPI) despite the fact that even the Education Secretary wrote to the DPI in this regard.

“Despite directions from the State Information Commission, the respondent concerned did not turn up in person for the hearing of the case,” he added.

Terming this as a serious lapse, the State Information Commission directed the PIO (DPI) to file an affidavit as to why information was being delayed and denied and why action should not be taken against him or her under section 20 of the RTI Act, 2005.

The commission imposed a penalty of Rs 250 per day from the date of receipt of application till the last hearing of the case on May 27 this year.

The commission further sought information on both the issues concerning the complainant as directed on May 27.

“The commission once again directed the respondent to comply with the instructions and adjourned the case till July 15 this year. Though I went to the commission but to no avail,” he said. On the other hand, despite repeated attempts, the DPI (SE) was not available for comments. 

Ranjit Sagar Dam (Gurdaspur), September 4
The security personnel guarding the Ranjit Sagar Dam (RSD) day and night, have been living in miserable conditions allegedly due to the apathetic attitude of the authorities concerned.

The security personnel belonging to 6th Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) have not been provided shelters at duty points and they have to perform their duties under the open sky.

Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that most of them had to go to nearby forest areas to answer the call of nature in absence of toilets and urinals near their duty points. Most of them had been performing duties while sheltering themselves under the temporary posts made of tin.

The information revealed that jawans of 6th IRB, who had been manning the security of the highly sensitive Thein Dam, talked about the problems being faced by them when Commandant Inder Mohan Singh made a visit today to carry out the checking of security arrangements.

The jawans revealed that as the RSD was surrounded by three states, including Punjab, Himachal Pardesh and Jammu and Kashmir, they had to remain extra alert due to terrorism prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir. They added that they had to patrol the inner areas of the RSD constantly.

They demanded that they should be given facilities, including permanent shelters, urinals and toilets at their duty points and a proper mess to cook their food.

Commandant Inder Mohan Singh, when contacted, said the matter pertaining to the provision of proper shelter to the jawans had been taken up with the dam authorities. He said he had come to know from unconfirmed sources that the RSD authorities had sanctioned a project to set up permanent shelters for security personnel in the recent past.

He added that he had carried out the checking of security arrangements of the Thein Dam made by jawans of 6th IRB. He said the jawans had been put on extra alert so that the RSD could be provided with foolproof security arrangements.

Jalandhar, September 4
A resident of Lasuri Mohalla in Basti Danish Mandan committed suicide by hanging himself with the ceiling fan of his room last night.

According to the police, the body of Subhash, alias Bitta, was found hanging in his room last evening. His wife Kamla was shocked to find the body in her room after she returned from the Baba Sodal fair. She raised the alarm following which neighbours assembled in the house.

After receiving information, the police reached the house and removed the body. The body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem examination at the Civil Hospital. — TNS

Hoshiarpur, September 4
The Dasuya police last evening booked Kulwant Singh of Ward 11 under section 376 of the IPC for raping a young girl of Khairabad village.

According to police sources, the victim alleged that Kulwant Singh lured him in the name of marrying her. On June 15, he took her to Ludhiana where he raped her. 
— OC

Jalandhar, September 4
For the first time, the city witnessed Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Fun Fitness supported by Special Olympics Bharat and International in which 100 students from various institutes were screened.

Lovely Professional Institute of Physical Therapy and DAV College of Physical Therapy provided the professional and technical support for the event. A team from the institutes, led by their senior faculty members - Dr. Amit, Dr. Aditya and Dr. Ritesh and Dr. Pooja Bhardwaj, checked the participants.

ADC Gurpreet Singh Khera was the guest of honour on the occasion. Dr. Rajeev Prasad, Regional Manager, Special Olympics, Asia Pacific and Suvira Aggrawal, General Secretary of the outfit, gave a tour to Khera the health stations.

The ADC lauded the services being provided by the technical team of Special Olympics and extended all possible support from the administration in organising such camps in future.

It is evident from all past events that athletes of Special Olympics fetches more number of medals than normal Olympics but still does not get recognition anywhere. Such events provide a platform where these athletes are assessed for their musculoskeletal shortcomings or other area that needs improvement to enhance their sports performance, he pointed out.

Dr. Bhardwaj said after today’s evaluation it was evident that flexibility and strength were the major components that need to be improved to enhance their sports performance. Suvira and Amarjit Singh Anand, secretary, gave an overview of the upcoming regional games hosted by the district chapter under the guidance of S.R. Ladhar, Commissioner, Jalandhar division. As many as seven states will participate with 600 athletes and more than 300 coaches and parents from northern India will take part.

Satish Kaushal, G.P Jindal, Harinder Singh from Red Cross and Savita Kaushal, Sports Director, Special Olympics Punjab Chapter, were also present.