Jalandhar, October 6
Started on September 15, 2006, in Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) Centre is acting as a lifesaving centre for HIV positive patients.This ART Centre, which aims to treat HIV positive patients from Jalandhar and surrounding districts, registered approximately 3,600 patients including 250 children with itself.

While giving details, Lt-Col K. Sharma (retd), who is working as SMO in this centre, said, “This centre is being running under National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) along with NGO Koshish. All medicines for HIV/AIDS patients and for other superadded infections, which occur secondarily in AIDS patients due to low immunity, are given free. All investigation, including the CD4 cell testing, is done free of cost.”

This centre, which is the only one in North India established in the premises of Civil Hospital instead of medical college, has blunted the already established concepts about the AIDS. As per the record of centre, out of 3600 patients 65 patients before and 356 patients after the beginning of treatment have expired.

In almost all these cases some patients reported too late, some developed secondary infections and others didn’t take regular medicine. These figures show that if proper line of treatment should be followed death rate in AIDS patient can be brought down markedly. It is opposite to the established notion of guaranteed death of patient suffering from HIV.

“Regular medication is vital for the success of treatment. Missed medication can lead to development and spread of resistant virus. We track missing patients through phone calls, by the use of internet to get his/her nearest contact number. Sometimes we need to send our staff to patient’s home. We fix next appointment in such a way that patient must left with medicine for 2-3 days,” said Dr. Sharma.

Mr Naresh Kumar, who is President of Jalandhar wing of ‘Koshish’ and has volunteered himself for this cause, said, “Though we are on the path of success but still there are number of problems. Some patients don’t turn up due to social stigma and faith in Gurus and other therapies. Counselling is required in those patients who are reluctant to get registered with the centre.”

The NACO is planning to label this centre, which runs with staff of two medical officers, three councillors, staff nurse, community care coordinator, laboratory technician and data entry operator, as a model ART Centre as number of ‘Missing Patients (who missed dose for one month)’ and those who ‘Lost to Follow Up (who missed dose for three months)’ is minimum in this centre.

Jalandhar, October 6
Blame it on Bollywood, TV mania or the market trend-setters, Karvachauth, a day of fasting for the longevity of husband, has undergone a change. It is the commercial colours of the market, which is giving food for thought to the women and in turn reaping benefits out of it.

And having a gala time on the eve of Karvachauth, womenfolk, especially the newlyweds, spent the day indulging in shopping. The city adorned a festive look with every second shop presenting lucrative offers to the women. From the busy parlours, mehndi stalls, jewellery shops, to the narrow lanes of Meena Bazaar it was women everywhere making the most of it.

Shyam Lal, a shopkeeper of Meena Bazaar, said they wait for this day with eagerness. “Apart from the marriage season, which begins with the onset of Navratras, we reap good profits during Karvachauth festivities,” he said.

Right from the global Internet to the television channels and the ad agencies, nearly everybody is joining the bandwagon of making the festival a big affair. An advertisement of the ICICI Insurance during a prime time show was seen spreading the message of making life secure and cherishing the marriage bond - “Karvachauth ki shub kamnaye”.

Not to forget that Star Plus recently telecast a special programme on Karvachauth with TV actors celebrating it with pomp and show. And many others would be carrying special shows on the day of the festival.

At the same time, various websites have been offering a plethora of festive options for those who cannot celebrate the day with their spouse. From sending musical e-cards to Karvachauth SMS, songs and sharing your inner thoughts one can nearly find anything on the virtual world with a click of the mouse.

For Shweta Saxena (30), wife of a Merchant Navy officer, the wide variety of websites available on the Internet has actually served the purpose. “I would be sending a musical e-card with a written message on it to my husband and chat with him for a short while before ending my fast. Probably expressing your innate feelings to the one you love has its own charm,” she said.

Even the unmarried girls also love to indulge in shopping, applying mehndi and doling out extra bucks to make the day special. “I spent Rs 500 for applying mehndi on my hands and would love to keep a fast for a good husband,” giggled Shikha, a collegiate.

However, septuagenarian Parveen Singh feels that the festival has lost its charm with the overindulgence of commercialisation. “The festival has lost its true meaning. These days women concentrate more on making the day as special as their wedding and pay less attention to the rituals and religious aspect of the day. Probably many women would not be able to recite the Karvachauth song as well,” she added.

Jalandhar, October 6
Though the government is flooding with funds for the efficient performance of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), in some of the villages funds allocated solely for this mission are still lying unused. Untied funds of Rs 10,000 per annum are allocated to every village under the NRHM.

As per information, funds in a number of villages falling under different primary health centres in Jalandhar are still lying unused due to the non-professional approach of the chairmen of the village sanitation committees or heads of gram panchayats.

According to health experts who are closely working with the NRHM, “In some villages, the heads of gram panchayats fail to understand the importance and timeliness of desired healthcare drives. Some activities for which funds can be put into use are village-level cleanliness drives, school health activities, source reduction measures for vector control, to conduct household surveys, anganwadi-level health awareness activities, etc.”

According to the guidelines of the NRHM, there should be a joint account for auxillary nursing midwife (ANM) or Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers and chairmen of village health and sanitation committee or heads of gram panchayats. Due to the reluctance of the heads of gram panchayats in some villages, ANMs or ASHA workers are unable to withdraw the required amounts from their accounts which eventually causes delay in the performance of activities.

“In some villages, heads of panchayats demand that money should be spent only according to their discretion. Similarly, political egoism at the village level also hinders the optimal use of funds at the grass-roots level,” added an official on condition of anonymity.

Though some doctors working in the field floated the idea that the rural health officer should be given the authority to withdraw untied funds so that they, owing to their professional medical background, can optimally use the funds. An effective use of funds in the present scenario still seems a distant dream.

Jalandhar, October 6
The local Virsa Vihar in collaboration with the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, would be hosting the first ever week-long Art Fair from October 8 to 14 at Dr. Satya Paul Art Gallery in the city.

Addressing a press conference, Deputy Commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu along with Principal of the local Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Dr Sucharita Sharma, said the event would include 25 eye-catching stalls displaying mélange of Punjabi crafts through ethnic craft mela and artifacts.

Pannu said the week-long fair would include events like kathak, theatre, qawali and ghazals. “The audience would also get to see a play directed by Kewal Dhaliwal titled ‘Main Punjab Bolda Haan’ in the evening on October 9 at the Apeejay College auditorium,” the DC added.

Another notable feature of the fair would be a workshop by 10 national and international acclaimed painters and sculptors. The workshop aimed at bringing the art aficionados together would add up to the experience of the art students. The art lovers would get first hand experience by watching great artists at work and would be able to interact with the artists from 10 am to 7pm later in the day. Dr. Sucharita said during the event, veteran Punjabi painters and sculptors would be felicitated with lifetime achievement awards. “An exhibition of the works of the renowned artists of Punjab would also be held,” she added.

The event would culminate on October 13 with a grand fashion show and a memorable performance by popular Sufi singers Lakhwinder Wadali and Master Saleem. — TNS

Jalandhar, October 6
Lambasting the Union Government for not accepting their long-pending demand of implementing the revised pay scales recommended by the 6th Central Pay Commission from January 1, 2006 onwards, the members of All India Defence Civilian Canteens Employees Union (AIDCCEU) have decided to restart their agitation. The union would go on a nationwide strike from October 9 onwards.

A copy of the demand has been forwarded to President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, AICC President Sonia Gandhi, Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Chief of Army Staff, Air Staff and Naval Staff, Quartermaster General, Army Headquarters, Deputy Director General, Canteen Services and other concerned officials.

The agitated civilian workers of Unit -run canteens (URCs) across the country would wear black ribbon as a mark of protest from October 9 to 13. This would be followed by a two-hour long pen down strike in the morning from October 14 to 16. The members held a meeting in this regard on October 2.

Talking to The Tribune over the phone, union secretary general T.S. Chauhan said the union members held a meeting in this regard to restart the agitation. “It has been six months since the UPA government came to power but they failed to take up our long pending demand. After the Defence Minister resumed his office we met him thrice raising our demands but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears,” he added.

It was also decided that the employees would further submit a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu. “In case the government failed to implement our demands the union members would organise a ‘Naked Parliament March’ registering their protest,” he said.

The basic pay scales of the CSD employees have been revised as per the sixth Central Pay Commission but that of the URC employees has not changed. At present the minimum pay scale of Class IV employees is Rs 2,550 that of an LDC is Rs 3,050 followed by Rs 4,000 plus yearly increment for UDC. “There is no gratuity, bonus EPF, medical and other allowances available for us. All that we get is the minimum basic salary,” added Chauhan.

It needs mention here that the agitated union members had earlier observed a nation wide strike from February 17 to March 6 this year. The strike at that time was withdrawn on an assurance from Defence Minister A.K. Antony that the matter would be considered on priority, but to no avail.

Jalandhar, October 6
May it be poetry, singing, dancing or painting, every art evolves from an emotion and age never hinders emotions to express them. This principle fits with the personality of Neera Mahajan (61) who has been painting for 45 years.

One can see the reflection of natural icons in her painting which reveal her paradigm and depth of her mind’s eye to materialise the natural phenomenon into a painting or portrait. Her depth of imagination ranges from shepherd of the Himalayas, waterfalls of South India, roofs of Portugal and architecture of Venice to ecosystems of pond.

Talking about her career or achievements in this field, Neera, who got the first public appearance of her paintings in the Venus Art Gallery of the city, said, “I am in this field for 45 years. But in these years I never made a painting as a professional artiste. I pursued painting only as a hobby. Usually I made paintings and then present them to my dear ones on any special occasion.”

While denoting this art as genetic familial expression, she said, “I can’t recall what clicked me to do painting. But one of my maternal uncles Rajender Pal Mahajan, who is now above 80, was a great painter and alumni of the London School of Art and the J.J School of Art in Bombay.

“I never got any professional training from him or anyone. Maybe, it’s a genetic flow which triggered me to do painting,” she added.

“Beauty of nature triggers me to paint. I hold brush only when I am happy. Art is something more than narration of sorrows and hardships. I love to narrate abstract and material beauty of nature into my paintings,” she replied when asked about paradigm of her art

“Now at 61, I feel that every household should own a piece of nature in the form of painting. But every one can’t purchase paintings of renowned artistes. These exhibits are part of effort to promote art and to promote human’s love with nature,” she added.

Jalandhar, October 6
The Australian student visa is still open and applications are being accepted, said Lee Courington, who is running a migration agency, Vostek International.

Taking to mediapersons, Courington said, “In Punjab there is culture of agents advising applicants to use false financial documents and in many cases agents provide false documents. The message of the Australian Government is clear that it will not issue visas to those with fake documents.”

Because of these stringent checks being made by the Australian Embassy, there was long delays for current applicants. This had also led to high increase in visa refusals, he said.

The Australian Visa Authority was going to implement measures that would include upgradation of interview programme to confirm the genuineness of applicant and removing or restricting eVisa access for some agents where there was evidence of fraud.

Similarly, Harjap Singh Bhangal, who is a solicitor in the Supreme Court of England and Wales and an expert in the UK immigration Law, said some of the agents in Punjab were misleading students.

“Colleges in the UK are required to report non-attendance by the students to the UK Border Agency, which then will cancel the student visa. Some agents secure student’s admission in colleges with fees of 2,500-3,000 pounds by charging Rs 6 lakh from the student and are making profits of Rs 3-4 lakh per student,” said Bhangal.

Jalandhar, October 6
It was a proud moment for Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya (HMV) when five of its students from the Postgraduate Department of Botany bagged first two positions in first as well as the second year exams conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.

The college has been a front-runner in the city and bagged maximum university positions in this academic year. In M.Sc (botany)-Ist year, Ramanjit Kaur, a resident of Gurdaspur, has bagged the first position with 73.66 per cent marks in aggregate. She scored 442 marks out of 600.

Apart from being a proud topper, the girl has another credit to her kitty. She is the first girl from her entire family to complete her graduation and pursue a master’s programme.

A jubilant Ramanjit, while talking to The Tribune over the phone, said the result was as per her expectations. “I was sure of a wonderful performance this year as I had put in a lot of hard work,” she said.

The topper is planning to appear for the UGC exam to be held in December and join the field of academics. A hosteller, the topper has been a merit holder throughout. On being asked about her experience as a hosteller, the girl said, “I spent eight years in the hostel and knew how to manage time and work hard,” she added.

The second position in the varsity has been bagged by Anita Kumari by scoring 437 marks out of 600.

In M.Sc (botany)-IInd year, Maninder Kaur Judge and Parminder Kaur jointly bagged the first position securing 938 marks out of 1200. The second position was secured by Rashi Sharma, who got 934 marks out of 1200.

A resident of Hoshiarpur, the topper has already joined Sant Baba Bhag International School, Padhiana, as a teacher. Apart from this, the topper has plans to pursue the field of clinical research. Maninder is also planning to appear for the UGC exam. “As both my parents are from the academic field, I also wanted to pursue a career of a teacher,” she said.

Lauding the achievement of the students, Principal of the college J. Kackeria said the institution had earned accolades in the region owing to the hard work of the students.

Jalandhar, October 6
Dr. Jaspal Singh Randhawa, principal of the Lyallpur Khalsa College, has been unanimously elected as the president of University Sports Board (Men) of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.

Dr Randhawa has been a member of GNDU Sports Board for five consecutive years and held this office in the year 2007-08 as well. Among his achievements is the reinstalling of the cash prize to the winner of Teja Singh Samundri Overall Trophy by persuading NRI John Singh Gill to donate Rs 5 lakh to the university.

Jalandhar, October 6
The Consumer Rights Protection Forum, an NGO, has presented a complaint before the District Consumer Redressal Forum against the DC and State of Punjab against a non-functional elevator in the District Administrative Complex. The complaint will be heard on October 19 for admission or rejection.

Vinay Goel, a lawyer and a consumer activist of the Consumer Rights Protection Forum, has stated that many persons were aggrieved over the non-availability and non-operation of elevator in different parts of the complex and SSP Office, Jalandhar.

The NGO has pointed out that the non-operational single elevator had become a cause of mental tension and stress to many physically challenged persons, old-age visitors, women and accompanying minors.

The members have said since all important administrative offices are situated in the four-storey complex, there is provision of only single elevator for over 20,000 to 25,000 daily visitors.

They have contended that this only elevator was not working since the past more than three months. They have said for the same reason some persons were not able to go to the offices on upper floors by climbing stairs and were abstained from availing remedies and their legal rights.

The NGO has pointed out that even the railings of staircase had been lying broken and the ailing and physically challenged persons were forced to risk their lives while taking strength of these railings for climbing upstairs. They have said that the foul smell emanating out of the toilets and washrooms in the staircase near elevator further aggravated the problem.

The NGO has said that the DC was claiming that there is no operator in his office to operate the lift, so it was lying blocked. The members argue, “The bureaucrats and officers of Punjab Government are enjoying the services of many persons of subordinate services at their residences with no provision of availing such services at their residences. The general masses are paying huge revenue to the State exchequer and even paying ‘Suvidha Shulk’ for providing different services. It is the duty of the State to provide basic amenities to the general masses.”

Pleading before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, the members have said that the forum office was itself situated on the second floor of the District Administration Complex and the forum is well aware of the hardship and difficulties suffered by the staff, consumer and general masses. “The forum could have taken suo motto notice of hardship of general masses and deficient and negligent services of opposite parties but this till date despite having knowledge of all the things, it has not taken cognizance of the matter. At the time of inauguration of camp court by Justice S.N. Aggarwal, President State Consumer Redressal Commission Punjab, it was particularly brought to the notice of DC the hardship of consumers but despite the assurance nothing has been done so far”, the NGO has pointed out.