The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

PPCTU threatens action plan against authorities
Amritsar, November 4
Perturbed over the indifferent attitude of the authorities towards hundreds of lecturers of private and aided colleges, the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union today announced an action plan against them.

Recruitment drive of Navy
Jalandhar, November 4
The Indian Navy started a special drive at Jalandhar cantonment from November 4 to 9 to recruit Punjabi youths in the force.

Atrocities on SCs on rise, says Chhina
Gurdaspur, November 4
Joginder Singh Chhina, convener, PPCC (SC and BC Cell), has alleged that ever since the SAD-BJP combine came to power in Punjab, the members of the Scheduled Caste community had been subjected to harassment.

Woman killed under train
Phagwara, November 4
An unidentified woman passenger fell from the running train and got crushed to death under the wheels of the Amritsar-bound 2317 Jallianwala Bagh Express train near Mauli railway station between Goraya and Phagwara on Tuesday afternoon.

Laparoscopic operation to be painless now
Amritsar, November 4
Now, sterilisation or family planning would be a “painless” procedure at ESI Hospital here. For, the management of the hospital has taken all pain to introduce laparoscopic tubal ligation for women soon.

One killed in car-truck crash
Nawanshahr, November 4
Arvind Kumar of Subash Nagar, New Delhi, was killed on the spot when his Indica car collided with a cement-laden truck near Lohat village on the Nawanshahr-Chandigarh highway this morning.

Quack nabbed with wild boar meat
Hoshiarpur, November 4
The wildlife wing of the Punjab Forest Department has nabbed a quack and recovered 2 kg meat of a wild boar from him at Gardhiwala last night.

	Services of 1,099 sanitary workers regularised Kalia inaugurates Municipal Corporation complex Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 4 Minister for Local Bodies Manoranjan Kalia inaugurated the new building of the Municipal Corporation of Jalandhar, besides laying the foundation stone of a sewerage and water supply project in Rama Mandi here today. In addition to this, post of 1,099 workers of the mohalla sanitation committees were also regularised. During the Congress regime, only Rs 52 crore had been spent on development projects in the city while the SAD-BJP government had allocated Rs 122.35 crore for different projects in just three years, he claimed. The minister said it was during their reign that the new building of the Civil Hospital came up, a new bus stand was dedicated to the people, three industrial focal points were set up and a regional centre of Guru Nanak Dev University was started. He added Jalandhar was one of the nine cities to be selected for a pilot project for which Rs 210 crore had been sanctioned. In addition, a solid waste management plant would be commissioned within the next two years, he revealed. The government had also fulfilled its electoral promise to the Valmiki community by scrapping the mohalla sanitation committees and regularising the services of deserving employees in such committees, he added. Commenting on the new corporation building, named as Dr BR Ambedkar Corporation Administrative Complex, he said it was the first of its kind venture in the state where all the officials and employees working in various wings of the civic body had been brought under a single roof. A single-window system would be started soon so that people could avail of various services at a single counter, he said. Nehru Garden too would be spruced up at a cost of Rs 3.27 crore and fountains and lights would be installed, he added. Others present on the occasion included S.S. Makkar, J.S. Brar, Bhagat Chunni Lal, all MLAs, SC/ST Land Development and Finance Corporation Chairman Pawan Tinnu, Improvement Trust Chairman Baljit Singh Neelamahal and District Planning Committee Chairperson Gurcharan Singh Channi.
	Govt taking credit for our funds, alleges Cong Dharmendra Joshi Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 4 Parkash Singh Badal-led SAD-BJP government is trying to take credit for the funds released by the Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. Alleging this, PPPC secretary Virendra Sharma said Rs 352 crore was released by the Centre to ensure 100 per cent sewerage and water arrangements in Jalandhar under its Rs 4,400-crore Urban Infrastructure Development of Small and Medium Town (UIDSMT) Scheme. Punjab Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia laid the foundation stone of a Rs 66.38-crore project at Rama Mandi today for laying sewerage and providing water to several adjoining localities in the next two years. Sharma claimed, “The funds of Rs 66.38 crore being spent on the sewerage and water project were part of the Rs 352 crore provided by the Centre under the UIDSMT scheme.” Also a former councillor, Sharma said Kalia did not mention that the funds for this project had been provided by the Centre. On the contrary, several banners were put up in different parts of Jalandhar which claimed that the money for this project had been provided by the Badal government, he added. Sharma said, “The Badal government is trying to mislead the general public regarding the issuance of the funds but people know everything. No one can fool the public.” Kalia could not be contacted for his version despite repeated attempts. Under this project, 14 km main sewer line and 76 km branch sewer line will be laid in the next two years which will benefit several localities around Rama Mandi, including Dakoha, Dhilwan, Beant Nagar, Ladhewali, Nangal Shama, Suchi Pind, Kaki Pind, Karol Bagh, Moti Bagh, Mann Singh Nagar and Mohan Vihar. Similarly, three new tube wells will be sunk and 42 km water pipelines will be laid to ensure 100 per cent water supply to the localities around Rama Mandi.
	Separate room for Local Bodies Minister in MC complex Amaninder Pal Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 4 Setting a precedent, Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia has prevailed upon the Municipal Authorities to get a huge room allotted to him for discharging his duties. The room, on the first floor of the spanking new building of the corporation, has been prepared and furnished at a cost nearly Rs 8 lakh. Incidentally, the building is right across the residence of the minister. According to sources, initially there was no plan to build any separate room for the minister. “At the end of our tenure, we had completed the construction of nearly 95 per cent basic frame structure of the building complex. There was no plan to allot exclusive room to the Local Bodies Minister,” said former Mayor Surinder Mahey. It is learnt that the wall of an adjoining room was razed to make the room spacious with dimensions of 34 ft X 18 ft or 750 sq ft area. A retiring room, adjoining the main room, having 180 sq ft area, has also been allotted to the minister. Interestingly, rooms allotted to The Commissioner and Mayor measured around 350 and 450 sq ft, respectively, far less then the area of the minister’s room. The corporation never bothered to introduce agenda seeking changes in the basic frame structure of the building and allocation of rooms to the minister, which is otherwise mandatory. “We neither introduced nor even passed any agenda regarding these issues. I can’t give more details than this,” said Mayor Rakesh Rathore when asked about the same. “As corporations are independent bodies and can take their independent decisions. It is the discretion of the house to which person it prefers to give room, as the PMC Act is silent about the issue. However, permission of the house is essential to make any change in already existing plans or to introduce anything new,” said a legal expert. It is pertinent to note that there is no separate room for the Local Bodies Minister in the buildings of the municipal corporations in Patiala, Ludhiana, Amritsar and Bathinda and it is learnt that no fresh directions has been passed to the corporations regarding the same. “Regarding this issue no agenda has been introduced or passed in the house. We came to know this fact only today. Despite repeated demands, nobody cleared the air. We are definitely going to oppose this move”, said councillor Jagdish Raj Raja, who is also Leader of Opposition.
	PPCTU threatens action plan against authorities Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 4 Perturbed over the indifferent attitude of the authorities towards hundreds of lecturers of private and aided colleges, the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union today announced an action plan against them. At a state executive body meeting of the union, it was unanimously decided to wear black badges on November 6 and 7 and hold campus dharnas on November 9 and 10. PCCTU general secretary H.S. Walia said the action plan chalked out by the union, representing over 170 non-government colleges, had been against private as well as government aided college managements. “Though the protest has been planned in a peaceful manner without disruption in teaching hours, if the government’s attitude continues to remain the same, we would be compelled to intensify our agitation,” said union vice-president Jagwant Singh. The union is protesting against the indifferent attitude of the state government for not taking action against the private as well as aided college managements which denied them their dues. Union members said another meeting of the state executive committee had been slated for November 15 to take stock of the repercussions of their agitation. If the situation still remained dismal, we would be compelled to hold a mass dharna at Chandigarh.
	Recruitment drive of Navy Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 4 The Indian Navy started a special drive at Jalandhar cantonment from November 4 to 9 to recruit Punjabi youths in the force. Those who have cleared class XII with physics and mathematics as major subjects and chemistry, biology or computers as an optional subject and are between the age of 17 and 21 are eligible to apply for the job. Those who have not submitted their applications can apply now. Details about the syllabus of the written test can be found at www.nausena-bharti.nic.in. The applicants should be born between February 1, 1989, and January 31, 1993. The candidates should bring supporting documents.
	Atrocities on SCs on rise, says Chhina Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, November 4 Joginder Singh Chhina, convener, PPCC (SC and BC Cell), has alleged that ever since the SAD-BJP combine came to power in Punjab, the members of the Scheduled Caste community had been subjected to harassment. In a press note issued here, Chhina alleged that in the recent past, a section of those who enjoyed the patronage of ruling politicians had set on fire the house belonging to an SC person at Chaura village in this district. No action had been taken against them by the authorities concerned, he added. “A few months ago, a SC youth was murdered in broad daylight at Dhilwan village in Kapurthala district and the police was not arresting the assailants despite the fact that a case under section 302 of the IPC was registered against them,” the Congress leader said. He said whenever the persons from the community took out any protest march, they were being implicated in criminal cases.

Laparoscopic operation to be painless now
G.S. Paul/Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 4
Now, sterilisation or family planning would be a “painless” procedure at ESI Hospital here. For, the management of the hospital has taken all pain to introduce laparoscopic tubal ligation for women soon.

As part of its expansion plan, the ESI, for the first time, is providing this facility free of cost in the hospital, besides innovation of its emergency services, by introducing intensive care unit (ICU).

A nod to this proposal was obtained at the Hospital Development Committee meeting here today.

ESI Medical Superintendent Varinder Singh Mohi said that laparoscopic tubal ligation was the proven method to diagnose the gynae problem and is beneficial for family planning programme.

“In other words, this procedure means tying one’s tubes. This method is instant, most precise and painless too. It takes just five to six minutes to complete the sterilising procedure by inserting laparoscope, a kind of micro-camera, into the abdomen after inserting carbon dioxide gas. The equipment transmits the inner body parameter on an LCD screen installed in the operation theatre during surgery,” said Mohi.

Another sensitive surgery which would be now possible here is cryosurgery for treating vaginal infections and cervicitis moles.

With the incorporation of government funds to the tune of lakhs, ESI Hospital has proposed for state-of-the-art medical equipment like pulse oximeters, infant warmer, photo-therapy unit, colposcope, electronic foetal monitor and ultrasound machine.

Otherwise the treatment with such sophisticated equipment costs enormous, but under the social security scheme of the Labour Ministry, this medical treatment would be extended free of cost to the ESI registered employee.

Keeping in mind the number of patients visiting the ESI, this addition would be beneficial to a substantial number of people. According to official figures, between January and October, as many as 210 major and 94 minor surgeries, pertaining to gynaecological problems were performed in the hospital. Fifty-eight babies were born during this period.