Jalandhar, October 26
It seems that programme to control dengue and chickengunea is in need of dire thrust as vast network, consisting of community and primary health centres, rural dispensaries, private hospitals and nursing homes in almost all districts of Doaba region, is still waiting for an impelling jolt in the form of an epidemic.

All these health units have transformed into reporting units, means that they have to refer the suspected cases of dengue to the District Hospital, Jalandhar, where the Sentinel Surveillance Unit has been established for proper monitoring of dengue and chickengunea cases and to provide services in all adjoining districts.

If calculated, total number of reporting units in Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and regions of Moga and Ferozepur, would turn out in thousands. In Jalandhar alone, the number 
of reporting units are approximately 330.

As, according to prevailing fear of dengue epidemic, every patient with platelet count less than 50,000 is considered as a suspected case of dengue fever, but irony is that only 25 suspected cases have been traced by this vast network of health centres. In addition to this, private hospitals in these districts have reported only five suspected cases of dengue fever to the established surveillance unit. Five of these 25 cases have been tested positive for dengue.

Of these total 25 cases, 20 suspected cases have been traced in Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, only. Reports of the rest five cases have been given by one or two big multispeciality hospitals of Jalandhar, the city which otherwise boasts of approximately 500 private nursing homes.

“Either there is any problem in the functioning of the reporting units or the threat of an epidemic of dengue fever is nothing but a fallacy. How can it be possible that on one side you find 20 suspected and five positive cases from a very tiny cluster of bastis in the city, and on other side not even a single suspected case has been traced by all private and government-run health institutions of the other areas,” said an expert on the condition of anonymity.

“Though every case of decreased platelets count can’t be diagnosed as a case of dengue fever, but in the prevalent scenario, it becomes ethical obligation for every professional to refer the suspected patient to the surveillance unit as expert laboratory technicians and recommended Mac ELISA kit, manufactured by the National Institute of Virology, is only available in the Civil Hospital. There can be chances that by avoiding reporting, doctors are exploiting some patients, who have decreased platelet count due to any other ailment but not due to dengue, as phobia of dengue is still at its peak,” he added.

The fall in platelet count can happen in some ailments like viral infections and bacterial blood infection. Due to ignorance about this fact, some false positive cases are also undergoing treatment for dengue fever.

In addition to this, there is also technical limitation to conduct Mac ELISA only for one suspected case at a time. “Technicians need to perform minimum four tests at one time, otherwise there is wastage of extremely expensive Antihuman IgM coated kits, meant to perform test. In this condition, experts need to wait for patients, sometimes for two days. Condition can be made better if reporting frequency of patients is high,” said a laboratory technician posted at the GMC, Patiala.

Sultanpur Lodhi, October 26
In a daylight robbery, three youths looted Rs 10 lakh from a farmer near Jatta Di Sarai village on the busy Sultanpur Lodhi-Talwandi Chaudhria road today.

According to the information, Tarsem Singh of Tibba village and his wife were returning to their village on a scooter after cashing a cheque of paddy procurement for Rs 10 lakh from the Sultanpur Lodhi branch of Punjab National Bank.

When they reached near Jatta Di Sarai village at around 11.30 am, three youths came on a Pulsar motorcycle and one of them pulled the “dupatta” of Tarsem Singh’s wife to divert their attention.

As a result, Tarsem’s wife fell from the scooter and the robbers snatched the bag containing Rs 10 lakh and disappeared.

After getting the information of the robbery, a large number of police personnel reached the spot. Sultanpur Lodhi SHO Piara Singh said efforts were on to nab the culprits after identifying them.

Meanwhile, it is suspected that the robbers were chasing the victims from the bank itself. The police is also reportedly taking the help of footage of the close circuit television (CCTV) camera in getting some clue about the robbers.

In the meantime, a first information report (FIR) has been registered against the unidentified robbers under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in this regard.

Jalandhar, October 26
The Riot-Affected Welfare Society today announced that the 25th ceremony of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots would be held in Ludhiana on November 14. Society president Surjeet Singh said at a press conference here that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar and Adviser to CM Daljeet Singh Cheema, among others, would attend the function.

He said that they had forwarded a memorandum to the UNO to bring culprits of riots to book.

The society demanded that the process of allotment of plots should be started in Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala and other districts of the state.

Members of the 1984 Displaced Sikhs Sangharsh Committee also organised a meeting and said that even after 25 years the Akali government was not paying any heed to their demands, said president Kartar Singh.

Hoshiarpur, October 26
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has not only been proving a boon for generating employment to unskilled workers in rural areas but has also been becoming a source for the overall development of the areas in the district now.

To gain optimum in this regard and to activate institutions like panchayats and other rural development agencies under NREGA, innovations have recently been introduced for bringing transparency and make it a mass movement to achieve the desired results.

As a result the district had taken the lead in Punjab for the implementation of this act,

Deputy Commissioner Megh Raj claimed while talking to this correspondent here today.

As many as 60,161 job cards had been issued up to October 22, 2009, of which employment to 20,561 had been given. As many as 5.46 lakh mandays, including 1.09 for women, had been generated.

The district had an unspent amount of Rs 508.28 lakh on April 1, 2009, of the previous year. An amount of Rs 1,262.09 lakh had been received in May and July, 2009. On seeing its performance, the Union government had further released Rs 476.51 lakh to the district in October this year.

Out of the total amount received, Rs 1,270.04 lakh had been spent on construction of rural roads, flood protection works, renovation of ponds, plantation of trees, land developments, etc. which was the highest percentage of spent amount in Punjab, claimed Megh Raj. He said the scheme was launched in the district on February 2, 2006, but no gram rozgar sewaks were appointed to look after the work. It was decided to utilise the services of literacy workers earlier which were terminated after closing of the literacy programme.

All the Block Development and Panchayat Officers had been provided with digital cameras to ensure the videography/photography prior to the launching, executing and completion of the project.

Tarn Taran, October 26
A man, his wife and their son duped many residents of Dhotian village, 12 km from here, of Rs 32 lakh in the name of sending them abroad. The Sarhali police has registered a case.

According to information here today, the accused have been identified as Ranjit Singh , Devinder Kaur and their son Ramnit Singh of Rossa village, falling under Kalanaur police station of Gurdaspur district.

Gurjant Singh, resident of Dhotian village, in an attested affidavit to the district police alleged that the accused duped him of Rs 11 lakh in the name of sending him abroad about more than two years back.

Amritsar, October 26
SD Arya Mahila College, Dinanagar, lifted the overall champion trophy of “A” Division and Sri Guru Angad Dev College, Khadoor Sahib, remained champion in the “B” division in the three-day Guru Nanak Dev University Zonal Youth Festival of B zone which concluded here yesterday.

In the “A” division, RR Bawa DAV College for Girls, Batala, remained second and SRPA AB College, Pathankot, got the third position in the competition.

In the “B” division, SSM College, Dinanagar, got the second position and Sikh National College, Qadian, third.

Jatinder Brar, President of Punjab Naatshala, presided over the valedictory function and gave away the trophies to the winners.

More than 1,800 student artistes from 17 colleges of Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts participated in 40 items.

The results: One-act play - SGAD College, Khadoor Sahib (1), RR Bawa DAV College for Girls, Batala (2), SD Arya Mahila College, Dinanagar (3); western vocal solo - SSM College, Dinanagarn (1), SD Arya Mahila College, Dinanagar (2), RR Bawa DAV College for Girls, Batala (3); western group song - SD Arya Mahila College, Dinanagar 
(1), RR Bawa DAV College for Girls, Batala (2), SSM College, Dinanagar (3).

Classical dance - RR Bawa DAV College for Girls, Batala (1), SD Arya Mahila College, Dinanagar (2), SSM College, Dinanagar (3); creative dance - RR Bawa DAV College for Girls, Batala (1), SSM College, Dinanagar (2), SD Arya Mahila College, Dinanagar (3); bhangra - SGAD College, Khadoor Sahib (1), Guru Nanak College, Batala (2), Baba Budha College, Bir Sahib (3); giddha - SD Arya Mahila College, Dinanagar (1), Guru Nanak College, Batala (2), SSM College, Dinanagar (3).

Hoshiarpur, October 26
Ram Dulari of Marule village died on the spot and her husband Lajpat Rai was wounded when a truck (PB-13B-9362) hit the scooter (PB-07R-3051) they were traveling to Badesron, 48 km from here, yesterday.

According to police sources, Rai, who was admitted to the Civil Hospital, Garhshankar, was later referred to a private hospital at Nawanshahr in critical condition.

Truck driver Paramjit Singh of Taprian village tried to escape with his truck, but was caught by people near Garhshankar and handed over to the police.

A case under relevant sections of the IPC has been registered against Paramjit Singh.