Jalandhar, November 10
Already engulfed in a quagmire of cow dung and drains carrying polluted water, residents and workers at the Jamsher dairy complex and its surrounding villages may get another filthy gift in the form of a solid waste treatment plant.

It is learnt that plans to establish a solid waste treatment plant in 15 acres near Jamsher village have already materialised.

A proposal has been drafted by a firm, IFSL Private Limited, and tenders would be floated in the coming days.

The plant will manage nearly 600 metric tonnes of garbage generated in areas under the limits of the Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, and the municipal committees of Kapurthala, Nakodar, Kartarpur and other adjoining committees of Jalandhar.

Residents of the dairy complex and its surrounding villages are apprehensive about this new move.

“We are already living in unhygienic conditions. The whole environment is polluted as low-lying plots around the dairies have almost been converted into marshlands due to lack of maintenance of infrastructure to drain the refuse of cattle. Worse still, the air rising from the polluted water ponds of the sewerage treatment plant a few kilometres away, and drains carrying the polluted water of the city, pollute the air and groundwater.

“The setting up of any waste treatment plant will make the living conditions worse,” said Amardeep Singh, who owns a dairy in Jamsher.

Worried murmurs can be heard even in Begowal as the 15 acre land which is to be used as the land fill site (land required to dump refuse after the treatment in the plant), is earmarked near Begowal.

“Is it correct to divert the refuse of cities to nearby towns and villages where the ecosystem is still safe? Rather stress should on carrying out a continuous campaign to sensitise people to produce less garbage and to enhance environment-friendly practices,” said Bholath MLA Sukhpal Khaira.

As per the directions of the government, seven districts, which include all the five big cities of the state as well as Pathankot and Ferozepore, have been selected to build high-capacity waste management plants.

The proposed plant will run on the three-generation principle, in which it generates the end product in the form of manure, refused dry fuel and power or energy.

It is important to note that a solid waste management plant, with a capacity of 150 metric tonne, is already running in Varyana, Jalandhar. This plant can optimally use only 30 per cent of the total quantity of garbage which it treats, and that too only to generate manure.

On being asked why the MC won’t upgrade the already existing plant, an official of the corporation replied, “There is a mammoth accumulation of garbage around that plant. It is not an easy task to clear that land. Moreover, the new plant will be constructed by a different firm”.

Jalandhar, November 10
While environmentalists have been concerned over the rising level of global warming, shopkeepers selling winter wear are worried over the relative drop in the sales as compared to the previous year.

When will the winter arrive, is a question which haunts everyone. The Meteorological Department, which predicted the late arrival of winter, has further dipped their hopes.

There was a time when people used to start shopping for winter wear by August-end. This year, the situation is particularly bad. “Second week into November and customers haven’t started coming in yet. We have sold just three pieces this week,” said Pankaj Dua, owner of the Monte Carlo showroom at Model Town, Jalandhar.

“The problem is that we can’t even introduce any schemes to up the sales. The company has reserved this right. And why would they be bothered, the investment is ours and so is the loss,” he added.

While people are happy with the pleasant weather, shopkeepers are in for trouble. Old and new stocks are piled up. “We have had moderate sales this season. Most of our customers are either NRIs themselves or those who are buying for them,” said Paramjot Singh of the Duke showroom.

The condition of small shop owners is particularly bad. Sales had dropped due to global recession and now, with the winters arriving late, people are hesitant to spend on blankets, quilts and winter wear. “Sales were bad last year also. We have pinned all our hopes on God. Only he can save us now,” said Inderjeet Singh who runs a shop near Jyoti Chowk.

Interestingly, there are some people who are worried about global warming. “Weather inconsistencies will only increase in the future and will lead to unknown problems. When we don’t take any special measure to decrease the green gas emissions why will the nature be considerate towards us?” asks Shukla, a resident.

Kapurthala, November 10
Ramesh Punjrath had deposited some money in her Kissan Vikas Patra (KVP) some time back. After some time, the aged woman started suffering from a disease of her lungs. She decided to prematurely withdraw money, for treatment, from her KVP.

As she was unable to walk, she sent a messenger, Atul Chakarvarti, after completing the required formalities about three months back, to cash the KVP prematurely, but she has not been made the payment till date.

The messenger was told that the signature of the depositor did not match the one made at the time of depositing the money. The concerned clerk Gurpreet Singh asked the messenger to get the signature of the concerned municipal councillor to get the payment of nearly Rs 40,000 against the KVP.

Even after they fulfilled the required formalities, the payment was not made.

At this, Chakarvarti lodged a complaint with the Post Master against the clerk for not making the payment and keeping the KVP in his custody. In the complaint, he alleged that the clerk misbehaved with him when he went to his counter to get the KVP encashed.

The messenger also sent copies of the complaint to the Director General Post Offices and Superintendent of Posts. It has been alleged in the complaint that the KVP had been submitted to the counter clerk Gurpreet Singh on August 12 but the clerk refused to make payment, on one pretext or the other.

When contacted, Superintendent of Posts K.P. Dutta said he had already issued directions to the clerk to release the payment without any further delay. “If they find any difficulty in getting the payment, either the depositor or the agent may contact me, I will ensure immediate payment,” he added.

Phagwara, November 10
Former MP Satnam Singh Kainth has alleged that the entire administrative and economic structure in the state has collapsed due to lack of political will and indifferent attitude of both ruling alliance partners - the Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP.

Bahujan Samaj Morcha president Kainth alleged that development in the state has come to a standstill due to lack of coordination between the SAD and BJP and both parties were working only to strengthen their vote banks than watching the interests of the state and the common people. Commenting upon the unexpected price rise of essential commodities, he said that wrong and directionless policies of the government were responsible for this price rise, but nothing had been done from government side to control the price rise. Kainth opposed privatisation and alleged that the MNCs were themselves fixing the prices and the government was losing its control to fix the prices.

The BSM leader urged the government to come forward to strengthen the public distribution system of essential commodities to provide the daily-use items on controlled rates.

Jalandhar, November 10
The state unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) will form a panel of experts to give opinion to the government. The district branches of the IAM will submit the panel to the SSPs and the consumer courts.

The decision was taken by the IMA members at the 62nd state-level annual conference “PIMACON 2009” hosted by the Jalandhar and Phagwara chapters of the association here on Sunday.

Organised with an aim of unity and friendship, over 1,200 delegates from Punjab participated in the conference.

Minister Local Bodies Manoranjan Kalia, who inaugurated the conference, stressed that the IMA members should treat the poor and needy patients at affordable prices.

Dr Parkash Kothari from Mumbai delivered a lecture on management of psychosexual disorders, while Dr Naresh Trehan, a known heart surgeon, shared his views on the management of heart diseases and role of stem cell therapy. Padamshree Dr J.M. Hans talked on new developments as cochlear implant for the deaf children.

Dr Mahipal Sachdeva talked on surgery for removal of spectacles. The other topics covered the disease of jaundice, genetic defects, role of ultra sound in pregnancy.

Discovering addiction in the child is a nightmare for the parents. No parents want to believe that they raised a drug addict. “I could not believe that the word ‘addict’ would apply to my child,” said a mother of a drug addict in despair. It is very hard for the parents to accept the fact that their child is into drugs. All the children are vulnerable to the temptation of drugs. You are highly mistaken if you assume that your child cannot use drugs.

Yes, it makes parenting difficult. The emotions of the parents range from anger and betrayal to sorrow and powerlessness. These parents certainly have the right to be angry but they have to help their child to get the situation under control.

Parents, make yourself aware of the drugs and their symptoms. Recognise addiction in your child. Usually the parents are the last ones to know that their child is an addict. If your child is taking drugs, please don’t deny it; take remedial steps when you suspect that he is consuming drugs.

Jalandhar, November 10
“The state shall endeavour to provide, within a period of 10 years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of 14 years.”

The provision inducted in the Article 45 of the Indian Constitution is, of course, an allegory, which has failed to translate into reality. It talks about ensuring education to all children below 14 years as the mandatory responsibility of the government. But what we see today is that the article remains merely on paper.

One can easily find a number of children working in dhabas, tea shops, construction sites, begging at traffic signals, selling eatables at bus stops and picking rags from the city garbage bins. There are teenaged boys working as labourers at various construction sites in the city. Under-construction building in the Civil Hospital and the one behind the Head Post Office are some such examples.

Young girls can be seen begging at city traffic signals and scavenging garbage bins.

Most of them are poor migrants who came from other states hoping for a decent living, but ended up living on roadsides. The sprawling city has not bestowed them with fortune, except that they are pulling along somehow. Their children either never go to school or drop out after primary level to assist them in earning a living.

“We ask people to give money or eatables for the baby,” tells a young girl of 10 years, who was carrying her little brother and assisted by her younger sister, at BMC Chowk. When asked if she had ever gone to a school, she replied in the negative, adding that she would like her brother to study and become a big person one day.

When told about the free education and mid-day meal scheme of the government, she expressed her desire to go there for lunch. When asked if she wouldn’t like to study, she said: “If we go to school who will assist our mother.” Their mothers were, however, ignorant of any such schemes and quite unwilling to send their daughter to schools.

Not only are these children devoid of their right to education, but also forced into child labour. “I am plying cycle-rickshaw for the past four months,” said a young boy who hadn’t yet sprouted a beard but claimed to be 18-year-old. A native of Uttar Pradesh, he has been staying in the city from the past three years and has worked at a tea stall.

According to the Child Labour Act-1986 employing children below 14 years of age is illegal and only light work can be given to those between 14 to 18 years of age.

The Labour Department should remain alert and take necessary steps to stop the violation.

Jalandhar, November 10
The local wing of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has nabbed a clerk of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust for his alleged involvement in a file missing case.

Sanjiv Kalia was today arrested by a VB team on the directions of the consumer court. He was produced before the court and remanded in one-day police custody.

The SSP, VB, S.S. Cheema, claimed that Kalia was arrested after the trust fixed responsibility on him for for the missing file.

The file was related to a plot owned by Avinash, who had filed a case in the consumer court.

The complainant reportedly had filed a case in the consumer court after the trust asked him to pay a sum of over Rs 57,000 as instalment for a plot that he had already paid. The complainant approached the court and the case was decided in his favour.

The court had also asked the trust to produce the file relating to the plot which the latter could not produce and claimed that it had gone missing from the office. The court then directed the trust to fix the responsibility of the dealing hand and file a reply in this context.

The trust fixed the responsibility of the dealing-hand clerk, following which the VB today arrested him from his office for questioning.

Jalandhar, November 10
Pain of economic disparity and anguish of social inequality and injustice are usually unbearable and long lasting. Thousands of youth of the Doaba region have moved to other countries where they could get rid of disparity and inequality.

But some of them never let their dream to fade in oblivion. Durga Dass Ahir is one of those fellows who could imagine the depth of these disparities and is trying to uplift Dalit students through his means.

Durga Dass was born in Nakodar, studied FA from Doaba College, Jalandhar, and moved to England in 1962. Owing to his quality of being multilingual, he got job in local government as community adviser to provide services to ethnic minorities and supervisor of the Asian Cultural Project in 1987. In 1991, he was appointed Justice of Peace (magistrate). Now, after retirement, he is raising charity for Dr BR Ambedkar Model School, with 231 students on its roll in his hometown for children of the age of three to 14 years.

With his tireless effort and to fulfil the needs of these children, a seven-member Dr BR Ambedkar Charitable Trust in Mohalla Ravidasspura of Nakodar took over the school six years back. No fee is charged from the children of widows. With his motivation 15 citizens of England adopted students of the school. Ahir’s family also adopted 10 students.

“People of my village, which is now part of the Nakodar municipality, had no access to education and my community was trapped within the poverty due to lack of basic education. A majority of children have never had the opportunity for education, which resulted in finding work to support their families at the early age of seven. This realisation and my bond with my community and birthplace prompted me to do this,” Ahir told The Tribune.

Trust has developed a website www.nakodarschool.com <http://www.nakodarschool.com> to generate both national and international support. Trust has also opened account in Barclays Bank to raise charity fund.

“Back in the UK, we organise seminars and promotional meetings to raise charity. Every year on August 4, we observe death anniversary of my wife by organising extended gathering for the purpose of fund raising. Recently our family has donated a bus to the school. Nearly 40 students of nearby villages were enrolled as they get access to school through bus,” added Ahir.

While terming the idea and memory of his wife as moral support, he said, “My wife used to say that her mother and sisters remained uneducated due to backwardness of contemporary society and non-existence of school.

“Mohalla Ravidasspura was the locality where we lived before moving to abroad. It was her dream as well as mine,” he added. 

Jalandhar, November 10
Allegations and counter-allegations continue to bedevil the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with allegations of anti-party activities and selling party tickets to rank outsiders flying thick.

Scores of workers, led by Manjit Singh Manderan, Harbhajan Singh Bohana, Kaushal Kumar, Gurdharshan Singh Muktsar, alleged that party president Avtar Singh Karimpuri and Punjab in charge Narinder Kashyap were ignoring sincere party workers for moneybags. In fact, workers who had always tirelessly worked to extend the base of the party had been expelled from the party without assigning any reason.

This reflected the autocratic style of functioning of Karimpuri and Kashyap and was also reflected in the dismal results of the party in the assembly and the parliamentary elections. The party graph had fallen and their brethren were no longer sure whether the duo could deliver the goods or expand the party base in Punjab in the coming days, they pointed out.

Not only this, it was common knowledge that money changed hands in the allotment of party ticket in the parliamentary polls. Established leaders were ignored and instead outsiders who were not even aware of the ideology of the BSP founder Kanshi Ram were fielded resulting in the rout of the party at the hustings, they alleged.

This arbitrariness was also witnessed in Haryana where the party could only win one seat of the total 90 contested.

On the other hand, Dr Sukhvinder Sukhi and Paramjit Gosal, both in charges of the Jalandhar zone, hailed the victory of nine candidates in Uttar Pardesh byelections and said certain disgruntled elements were out to sabotage the party in Punjab and that they had been doing so even when Kanshi Ram was alive. In an apparent reference to former BSP leader Devi Dass Nahar, they said Nahar had always worked at cross-purposes with the party and had always tried to indulge in one-upmanship.

They said they were solidly behind Karimpuri who was working tirelessly to rejuvenate the party. “We will not tolerate any slurs against our leaders and will give a befitting reply to self-styled leaders who level baseless charges to discredit the party,” they pointed out.

Jalandhar, November 10
Artech Infosystems Pvt Ltd conducted a job placement drive on the premises of Lovely Professional University. The joint campus placement drive which was organised for students from fields like B. Tech, MCA, MBA (HR), BSC (IT) and BCA saw selection of 17 students, of which 15 belonged to the LPU. The selected students would join the company from the first month of 2010 and have been hired at a package of Rs 1.68 lakh per annum.

Jalandhar, November 10
The efforts of the Punjab Sports Department to uplift hockey at the grass-roots level seem to be bearing fruit as the Mecca of hockey - Sansarpur and Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium have been equipped with new polyton astroturf, thereby giving a fresh lease of life to the game. The department has earmarked an amount of Rs 3 crore for the purpose.

The mini-turf at Sansarpur village of 22 X 44 dimension was laid recently, while the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium is at present witnessing the 26th Indian Oil Servo Surjit Hockey Tournament on the newly laid astroturf equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities.

Among other the world class facilities, the stadium has been equipped with a players’ room, empire room, physiotherapist room, conference room, media room, separate well-equipped place for media adjacent VIP stage with electricity points to plug in laptops. The work on the electronic scoreboard is on the cards.

Talking to The Tribune, Deputy Director of Sports Hazari Lal Sharma said the mini-turf would also have stairs on facing the turf on both the sides for the audience. “The motive is to provide the budding players at the grass-roots level with the latest facilities. Moreover, this was a long pending demand of the villagers and we are hopeful that the work would be over in a month’s time,” he added.

He added that the construction work of the changing room, bathrooms and an office at Sansarpur was going on in full swing. “The work on the outer wall and fencing is also expected to be over soon. Besides this, the department is also looking forward to construct the approach road to the turf,” he said.

The construction work on the expansion of Bodhi Hostel at the Surjit Hockey Academy was also on the verge of completion. “The department has floated tenders for the interior work of the hostel. We are looking forward to the early completion of the finishing work of the hostel,” he said.

The 26-room state-of-the-art hostel comprised a spacious dining hall, recreation hall, study hall and other facilities. At present there were 67 budding hockey players at the hostel. “With the expansion of the hostel we would be able to house as many as 60 more players”, he added.

The Deputy Director said even the old turf of the Surjit hockey stadium had been relaid at different places in the state. He said they had relaid mini-turf at six places in the state. These include one each at Mehta village, Gurdaspur, Cheema Academy, Batala, Kukkarpind, near Jalandhar Cantonment, Guru Hargobind Khalsa College, Ludhiana, Jarkhad village, Ludhiana, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium, Ferozepur.

“The relaying of mini-turf at Qila Raipur and Seechewal village is pending. The work on the construction of the base is going on at both the places. And the turf would be provided by the department,” he added.