The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	82 schools go through ‘surprise’ test, 3 employees face suspension Parmod Bharti Nawanshahr, November 21 With a view to bringing in qualitative improvement in the functioning of schools, teams, led by Director-General, School Education (DGSE), Krishan Kumar, conducted surprise inspection of 37 primary and 45 upper primary, high and senior secondary schools in the district on Saturday. He found eight teaching and non-teaching employees absent from the duty and ordered on-the-spot suspension of three employees, Rama Kumari, Hindi teacher, Government Middle School, Paniali Kalan, Balwinder Singh, clerk, Government Senior Secondary School, Paniali Kalan, and Inderjit Kaur, SLA, Government Senior Secondary School, Aur. The action against the other employees would also be initiated. As many as 10 inspection teams, comprising District Science Supervisors and subject experts from different districts, and a team, led by Dr Davinder Boha, Assistant State Project Director (ASPD), Parho Punjab programme, conducted inspections to take stock of the progress of the various qualitative improvement programmes, including Parho Punjab” in the district. Later, Krishan Kumar conducted a meeting of the school heads, cluster master trainers (CMTs), block master trainers (BMTs) associated with the Parho Punjab programme here at Government Senior Secondary School. District Education Officer Darshan Kaur and District Science Supervisor Balihar Singh Bains were also present at the meeting, aimed at to take feedback from the inspecting teams and to discuss the shortcomings pointed out by the teams with the school heads. Later, talking to mediapersons, the DGSE said the various initiatives launched to bring in qualitative improvement in the functioning of the schools had been proving fruitful. The Parho Punjab programme, launched for bringing in improvement in the quality of education exclusively at primary-school level, was not only proving a boon in strengthening the understanding of basics in the subjects of mathematics, science and languages among the students, but also becoming popular among the primary schoolteachers, especially the newly recruited ones. The real benefits of the Parho Punjab programme would start coming forth within three years as it would enable the primary students to have proper understanding of the fundamentals of various subjects, subsequently generating their interest in higher studies. Thus, the Parho Punjab programme would be helpful in checking drop out rate. “Besides, the impact of the surprise inspections and the that of the innovative initiative Monitor’s Diary, launched in the schools, is also quite visible,” said the DGSE, adding that it had not only improved the attendance of schoolteachers, but also the classroom teaching.
	35 hearing aids for 130 students Amaninder Pal/TNS Jalandhar, November 21 Insensitivity of officials towards the handicapped and disabled can be gauged from the fact that one of the prestigious deaf and dumb schools in the city is running only with one-third of the required hearing aids. The Deaf and Dumb school, which is owned by the Red Cross Society, Jalandhar, presently caters to nearly 130 deaf and dumb students across Punjab and the neighbouring states. According to sources, only 35 hearing aids are in working condition in the school. The school purchased 90 hearing aids way back in 1998. The Khosla Deaf and Dumb school provided some hearing aids a few years back. Similarly, five years back, a charitable group of Dehradun provided 40 hearing aids, which were also not sufficient in number. Even the hearing aids, which are presently being used by students, were donated at a cultural function organised by the Sarv Siksha Abhayan in April this year. Most of these hearing aids are defective and also lie unused due to the non-availability of cells or want of repair. There is only one Group Hearing Aid installed in a classroom, which can cater only to group of 11 students at one time. This hearing aid is also insufficient to cope with the needs of 130 students. “Most of the students of the school suffer from severe and profound deafness, which means that students can only listen to voice measures around as high as 70-90 decibels. By providing them with hearing aids, levels of deafness can be brought down. With this, children can hear voices ranging from 50-65 decibels, which is almost near to normal range,” said an expert associated with the school since long. In an expert view, children with hearing impairments often experience delayed development of speech, language and cognitive skills, which may result in slow learning and difficulty in progressing at school. “Dumbness is not an inherited disorder, rather ignorance of parents and society leads to dumbness in deaf children. When children cannot hear any word, how can he or she speak it out? In such cases, there is lack of development of speech expression, which ultimately leads to dumbness,” said an eminent ENT specialist Dr. Sanjeev Sharma.
	Fund misappropriation blues hit Jan Aushdhi shop; records sealed P.K. Jaiswar/TNS Amritsar, November 21 The tussle between local Civil Hospital authorities and Hindustan Antibiotic Pharmaceutical Limited (HAPL) led to closing down of Jan Aushdhi fair prize shop for more than 15 hours. It is relevant to mention that the pharmaceutical outlet was exclusively meant for providing medicines to patients at much lower rates than the minimum retail price. If the hospital authorities are to be believed, in charge and employees of the shop situated in the civil hospital premises misappropriated funds by purchasing substandard medicines. They were also accused of selling the same at much higher rates. The Jan Aushdhi team sealed the computer and several records from the outlet, confirmed Dr S.K. Kapoor, Senior Medical Officer of the hospital and member of the team. He said this all started after a team of Jan Aushdhi committee checked the stock after the allegations cropped up. “The team found several sub-standard medicines of local brands while same medicines of reputed brands were available in cheaper rates in the market,” he maintained. Dr Kapoor said the staff shutdown the shop claiming that they were directed by the SMO to do so. However, he had not issued any directives to him in this regard. However, Manu Mahajan, in charge of the store and area manager of government-run Hindustan Antibiotic Pharmaceutical Limited (HAPL), alleged that due to this arrangement made by the central government several doctors could not savour their extra bucks in the shape of commission. “The shop was closed after the orders from higher authorities of HAPL and BPPL, the main companies looking into the management of the shops, as the SMO had sealed the computer which was creating hindrance in issuing bills to the customers,” he said. The shop was opened today morning after meeting of the Civil Surgeon, SMO and other doctors. The Jan Aushdhi concept was launched under the banner of by the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals last year. These shops were supplying drugs at no-profit-no-loss basis at more than 70 per cent discount which is more comforting for the common man who would be able to get regular medicines at far cheaper rates from the chemist who were charging exorbitant rates.
	After 9 Months MC leaves grant issue behind, resumes business Parmod Bharti Nawanshahr, November 21 Finally, the Municipal Council put the issue of utilisation of Rs 2-crore grant in the backburner and resumed its usual business on Friday. The house had witnessed chaotic meetings for the past nine months over the issue. Thanks to the initiative of Deputy Commissioner Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, who has resolved the issue of the utilisation of the development fund of Rs two crore prudently. The development works in the town have been accelerated in the town and the political hype being given to the issue was defused in the town. In the MC meeting yesterday, the urgency to purchase fogging machine and jet machine was discussed to ensure proper sanitation in the town. The fogging machine is needed to check the breeding of mosquitoes and flies and the jet machine is needed for clearing the sewerage blockage in different localities in the town. The MC passed the resolution to purchase these machines. Besides, the row over the regularisation of excess load of the street lights, going on between the Punjab State Electricity Board and Municipal Council, was also discussed at the meeting. The Executive Engineer (Enforcement), PSEB, during a checking has found the current load of street lights was 213.92 KW against the sanctioned load of 172.28 KW. The PSEB has asked the local MC to deposit a sum of Rs.13.24 lakh to regularise the load. On the other hand, the local MC claimed that it had got the load checked by its own staff and found it to be 194.05 KW. Hence, there is difference of 19.867 KW in the excess load conducted by the PSEB and MC staff. The local Municipal Council has decided to take the services of lawyer to file a petition in the consumer court for regularisation of the excess load in proper manner.
	Both countries need to eliminate social anomalies, say Pak guests Riva/Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 21 A delegation of 35 members from Pakistan visited the city while on the way to Chandigarh. They are on a five-day trip to Punjab, organised by Sai Mir Mia International Foundation. Their next destinations are Chandigarh, Delhi and Faridkot. The delegation included eminent political personalities of Eastern Punjab like Sami Ullah Khan of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), Azma Bokhari, member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Punjab, Saghira Islam, MPA from Lahore, and Arshad Ulki. Also present were renowned artistes like Akbar Hassnail, Aslam Lauhar, Kurban Niazi, Ali Sher, Doule Khan and Abdul Salaam Rajput. Aijar Ullah Naz, a poet and journalist from Lahore, and Dr Kausar Mahmood, a poet and consultant dental surgeon from Rawalpindi, were also there. Guests of the foundation, they are on a peace visit to India. Speaking to The Tribune, Bokhari said, “It feels just like another home. This is my sixth visit to India and I have always received warm welcomes, happy atmosphere and some sweet memories. Prevailing tension between the two countries can only be decreased through friendly interaction and negotiations. War is no solution.” Saghira Islam said, “India looks the same as Pakistan. We share cultural heritage. Even the dresses we wear are the same. My ancestors belonged to Gurdaspur. I feel like that at home.” Arshad Ulli stressed on the role of media in forging better ties between both the countries. He appealed to the governments to open trade and exchange, including education, between the two nations. Sami Ullah Khan said borders were a reality which could not be changed but that did not prohibit the two countries from forging better ties. He said instead of waging war against each other, the governments should focus on eliminating social anomalies like unemployment, poverty, malnutrition, etc.
	Drivers evade entry fee, park vehicles outside bus stand Our Correspondent Phagwara, November 21 Several bus drivers were seen preferring to halt their buses outside the Phagwara Bus Stand despite prohibitory orders imposed by SDM Phagwara Amarjeet Paul, who had imposed a ban on the halt of buses before the bus stand. Though the matter was brought to the notice of Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal during his recent visit to Phagwara and he too had instructed the officials to act accordingly, the rules were seen openly violated by the PRTC staff. Despite stern instructions and action taken by the Transport Minister, the Phagwara Bus Stand was still in bad shape and several illegal encroachments by different encroachers could be seen near the bus stand. On the other hand, the second announcement of Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal, to introduce a special bus service from, Phagwara to Shri Chintpurni Shrine, made here on November 17, could not be implemented till now while the first such announcement was made by the minister two years back during the inaugural ceremony of the new bus stand in the presence of the Chief Minister. Few PRTC officials visited the Phagwara Bus Stand today and assured to set up a complaint box in the bus stand and to introduce a public address system in the bus stand to make necessary announcements. The officials, however, admitted that several bus drivers did not enter the bus stand to save entry fee and assured to issue instructions to all PRTC buses to make the entry in the Phagwara bus stand compulsory.