Jalandhar, December 1
The much-publicised Mid-Day Meal scheme norms, scheduled to be implemented from December 1 onwards in the government schools, failed to take off at many places in the district as the respective Village Education Development Committees (VEDC) are yet to execute the plans.

A random survey of the government schools of the district revealed that the students were being served the food as per the old menu of the Mid-Day Meal scheme. At Government Senior Secondary School, Ladowali Road, the teachers maintained that though instructions were issued a week earlier, but nothing had started till date.

Even at the other government schools situated in Nakodar, Kartarpur and Shahkot blocks the norms were not implemented. A majority of the teachers said they were looking forward to the guidelines of the central head teacher (CHT) in this regard. Even at Government Elementary School, Kukkarpind, the teachers maintained that they would be implementing the changed menu soon.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) took a decision in this regard under the National Programme for Mid-Day Meal in schools during a meeting held in New Delhi on November 24.

Instructions have been issued to revise food norm, cooking cost and honorarium to cook-cum-helper. A separate provision for payment of honorarium to cook-cum-helper at Rs 1,000 per month has also been made. The cooking cost will be shared between the Centre and the states on 90:10 basis and with other states and Union Territories on 75:25 basis.

The schools have been issued instructions to increase the quantity of pulses for the upper primary children from 25 to 30 gm, that of vegetables from 65 to 75 gm and reducing the quantity of fat from 10 to 7.5 gm. The MHRD took these decisions with an aim to increase the protein intake and the nutritive value of the food.

However, there were reports that the changed menu was implemented at some middle schools of the district. The authorities at Government Middle School, Tahli Mohalla, said they implemented the instructions with effect from today and served the meals accordingly.

District Education Officer (Elementary), Kamal Kanta said they had already forwarded the letters pertaining to the changed Mid-Day Meal scheme norms. “The implementation of the norms has to be done by the respective VEDC members in the villages. However, we are hopeful that the norms would be implemented at the earliest,” she added.

Jalandhar, December 1
He inherited the power to heal from his ancestors who were physicians to the kings of Mysore. But being a revolutionary since his childhood, he did not confirm to the family traditions. For the signature healing touch, he chose movement over medicine.

Jalandhar opened its eyes to the splendour of movement therapy at a dance concert choreographed by National Award winner Guru Syed Sallauddin Pasha. Organised at the Kanya Maha Vidyalaya in association with Educomp, the concert both entertained and sensitised the audience of Jalandhar in a way that has never before been witnessed.

Dance of the so-called ‘able and normal’ beings itself is devoid of grace in these testing times. A performance by the ‘special’ to the curious and apprehensive audience, seemed all the more challenging, but once the act began, the packed hall was steeped in wonder and amazement.

The concepts and themes were well thought and executed.

The first act was Durga, a composition in the Purulia Chau dance form. Wearing “four to five kg masks”, the performers - Durga, epitomising strength and beauty, took on an aggressive Mahishasura on the wheelchair.

If there’s one man on earth who knows how to extract grace out of wheelchairs and crutches, it’s Guru Pasha.

From the very onset, the deft spins of the specially designed wheelchairs and the artistes’ balancing acts with the crutches rendered these objects integrity, making them gel with the inherent character of the presentation, rather than just being perceived as mundane instruments for support.

After Durga came Bharatnatyam on wheels, followed by Bhagvadgita on wheels which transformed Arjuna’s conversation with Krishna into a splendid dance presentation. In the guru’s own words, “the wheelchair was turned into a chariot and the crutches into bows and arrows.”

Then came yoga on wheels with the specially-abled managing difficult feats like the Shirishasana, Padmasana and Mayurasana on the wheelchair.

Yoga was followed by the ‘dangerous’ ancient Manipuri martial art Thangta.

In the mellow Sufi dance to the tune of A.R. Rehman’s ‘Khwaja Mere Khwaja’ the audience got a soothing performance which comforted the senses, quite literally (read therapy).

An upbeat end in two presentations ‘Jai Ho’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ (again Rehman) brought the performance to an end.

Lighting, the play of shadows and silhouettes added half the beauty to the act, (Pasha himself was at the lights) and sound were deftly and aesthetically chosen, rendering a dramatic, classy and larger than life feel to the act.

Excerpt of an interview with the guru:

Why didn’t you stick to the family vocation?

I believe this came to me as a poorvajnmasanskaram (values from the past life). I had no reason; I was just attracted towards dance owing to an inner urge.

How did you discover movement therapy?

But I started learning dance at the age of six. I received professional training in Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Sanskrit and yoga. While baby sitting kids, as they waited for their turn to be treated by my grandfather, I would teach them dance and movements. Sometimes the dance worked better for people than medicinal treatment.

Were you ever ridiculed?

I have been working on movement therapy for th past 25 years but I still am ridiculed sometimes. To some people me walking along with my disciples, still amounts to “anishth” (bad omen). I guess they don’t

know this sort of “anishth” can happen to any of us anytime. Then can we expect our family and loved ones to abandon us?

How do the hearing-impaired pick up the moves you teach them?

I think it’s all about the antardhwani. We all have a sense of rhythm and vibration. Our heartbeat itself is a constant rhythm. The same principles work for them, they are just more sensitive and receptive to it.

How’s your worldwide experience been?

I have taught special children in the UK, Somalia, Estonia in Finland. Sometimes their own mentors said the kids responded better to me than to them.

What do you think is the future for this movement in India?

Presently India is not a disabled-friendly country. But things will work out with constant efforts. I believe the movement revolution is just the beginning of it all. Efforts like these are a new sort of employment. We just need never-ending patience and sensitivity to keep up the work and people to join in, spread word.

Jalandhar, December 1
Gerontology is a much neglected subject in our world where the aged fall off the social map and die in oblivion. Once retired, your market value reduces and so does your status in the family. With only some institutions here and there, there isn’t a solid support system in place for the old and the dejected.

The Red Cross has two such homes in the city - one located near the Civil Hospital and the other near Maqsudan.

The home in the city centre has a capacity of around 15 people but is without food facility, though there is provision for a kitchen. Occupants stay in a dormitory and belong to the relatively lower strata of society. The Red Cross charges Rs 550 per person per month.

The Maqsudan old-age home is better equipped. Originally constructed as a working women’s hostel in 1990, it was morphed into a shelter for the elderly.

There are 36 rooms, 11 for couples (there aren’t any) and 25 for singles. At present, 11 women and 15 men stay there. For all the amenities provided here, one has to deposit Rs 1,850 at the beginning of every month.

Once inside the building, it is apparent that like the grey colour on the outer walls, things on the inside are grey too. “In this home, mainly well-heeled people are housed. While in some cases, the children are non-caring, in others it’s the parents who find it difficult to adjust to the demands of their grown-up kids,” said home supervisor Paramjeet Singh.

Though there are some belonging to the lower strata, most of the residents of the Maqsudan home have retired from prestigious posts and get handsome pensions. Some are on frequent visits abroad.

While the rich and poor alike need care in old age, the home serves mainly to ‘influential’ people with sound pockets. In some instances, the occupants have even kept a 24-hour personal maid. The disparity often results in dissension among the residents.

While the house offers quality food, some things need to be improved. For instance, the doctor visits only once a week. The house lacks a resident doctor, some people to attend to the sick and weak, an ambulance to shift patients in case of emergency and a tie-up with some good hospital to provide quality treatment at reasonable rates.

In most of the cases, the occupants accompany each other in times of need. Nobody comes from the families. While some don’t have anybody left, others have been abandoned by their families.

Sheela, a widow in her sixties, cries every time she thinks of her only child who died in an accident a year back. “I don’t feel like staying here, it feels so lonely…bereft of happiness and hope…” she complains.

Another widow, who has been staying there for the past nine years and has lost her only daughter to a fire accident, has compromised with the fact. “I have adjusted myself… that’s life,” she says.

Some visit their families once in a while but rarely get any visitors. Children don’t bother and parents have stopped complaining. “They are busy looking after their nuclear families and find it difficult to spare time for those who brought them up.

Jalandhar, December 1
It was a nostalgic reunion of the Olympians and international players at Sansarpur - the Mecca of Indian hockey - on Friday when they gathered to participate in a friendly match between Sansarpur veterans and Army officers from Vajra Corps.

The fully decked-up Sansarpur hockey grounds saw Olympians and Army officers displaying great hockey skills. The interesting, attacking moves of the eves of Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya gave a crushing defeat to Army officers, while they learnt lessons in hockey from the Sansarpur veterans in another match.

The friendly match was held with an aim to provide a learning platform for the budding hockey players of the Sansarpur Hockey Academy, who hone their skills on the same ground where the stalwarts of hockey picked up their lessons.

“We always look forward to such friendly matches which provide us a with a common platform to discuss issues related to hockey,” said Col Balbir Singh (Services).

Talking to The Tribune, Olympian Charanjit Singh, who represented India during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as the captain, said, “It feels great to meet old pals on the same ground where we spent hours sharpening our hockey skills,” he said.

When asked about the gradual decline in the number of hockey players being produced from the historic village, he said, “No doubt, there has been a decline as a majority of the veterans and Olympians migrated abroad and the rest shifted to other places, but there are still some promising young hockey players who are rising and learning the finer points of the game,” he added.

The veterans expressed satisfaction over the upcoming mini-turf situated on the Sansarpur-Jandiala road. The veterans said it was a long-pending demand of the Olympians of this village and it would help the budding hockey players in picking the game faster.

Those who were present during the match were Charanjit Singh, Lt-Col Hari Pal Kaushik (retd), Dharam Pal Singh Mann, Balbir Singh, Col Balbir, Jagjit Singh, Baljit Dhillon, Baljit Saini, Rajinder Singh Junior, Baldev Singh, Varinder Singh, Gundeep Kumar, Jagdeep Gill and Mukhwain Singh.

Earlier, the gathering enjoyed interesting matches displaying competition between the rich experience and the budding zeal of the young brigade, including the Army officers and the HMV girls.

Results: Sansarpur veterans defeated Army officers 2-1, Sansarpur veterans beat eves of Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya 5-2, HMV girls defeated Army officers 2-1. 

Phagwara, December 1
The Phagwara Nagar Council, led by SAD-BJP, has refused to abide by the instructions of the state government to sell the vacant lands of the Nagar Council and has decided to adopt an alternative way to contribute its 15 per cent share of the total cost of Rs 38 crore to materialise two prestigious projects, under the Sutlej Action Plan.

The first one is to install a Water Treatment Plant in Hadiabad, a sub town of Phagwara, and the second is the extension of the existing Water Treatment Plant of the nearby village in two more acres of land.

Phagwara Nagar Council President Balbhadhar Sein Duggal, while confirming this, told The Tribune here on Tuesday that a general body meeting of the council had unanimously passed resolutions to pledge some lands of the council to make arrangements to raise the required funds and contribute its share.

Phagwara SDM Amarjeet Paul, when contacted, told The Tribune that under the Sutlej Action Plan, Directorate of National River Conservations and Environment had agreed to launch Water Treatment Plant Phase-II in Hadiabad, for which 70 per cent share would be contributed by the Union Government and 15 per cent share would be contributed by each state government and the Phagwara Nagar Council. Paul said the Water Treatment Plant near Palahai village would also be extended on two more acres of land.On the other hand, Executive Officer, Phagwara Nagar Council, Paramjit Singh said sewerage lines would also be laid near Santokhpura localities, Gurdwara Sukhchain Sahib, Vishawkarma Mandir etc. — OC

Jalandhar, December 1
On the occasion of 22nd World AIDS Day, the Health and Family Welfare Department organised a seminar on “Universal access and human rights” at Government Senior Secondary School, Adampur.

In his presidential address, Adampur Municipal Committee president Darshan Singh Karwal said that this year’s theme of universal access and human right had been chosen to address the critical need to protect human rights and attain access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. He stated that any kind ofdiscrimination against HIV patients was inhuman.

Adampur PHC Senior Medical Officer Ajay Bagga stated that in the developing countries, 9.5 million HIV positive patients were in immediate need of life-saving drugs but only 42 per cent were receiving these drugs. Dwelling on this year’s theme, he said the theme was a call to all countries to remove laws that discriminated against HIV positive cases. He added that AIDS had claimed around 25 million lives all over the globe so far and everyday 7,400 people were infecting with the disease.

Principal Kulwant Singh Puar, Dr T.S. Randhawa, Dr A.S. Duggal, Dr Preetinder Singh Dang, ophthalmic officer Dr A.S. Bhatti and Sohan Lal Jassi were present on the occasion.

A seminar on World AIDS Day was organised in the District Training Centre in the Civil Hospital here which was presided over by Civil Surgeon Dr S.S. Walia. A core group of doctors, paramedical staff, representatives of NGOs and paramedical staff attended the seminar and discussed the achievements and challenges being faced by the ongoing AIDS control programme.

Dr Walia said that much had been changed in the years as nobody was willing to hear a word from us about sexual behaviour and other unethical practices causing AIDS when the propaganda campaign to control AIDS was started in early nineties. “However, now we can see that even school going children are organising rallies and cultural activities to promote prevention of AIDS,” he added.

“Today we need to propose and formulate new ideas and innovative ways to involve them not only in AIDS control programme but in other projects also,” added Dr Walia.

Prof Lakhbir Singh, who is chief organiser of PAHAL, said the basic reason for an increase in prevalence of these diseases was that youth of the state was leading life without any motive and creative activity. “We can’t control drug addiction, unsafe sex and even stress disorders until we don’t involve lakhs of youth into creative exercises,” said Randhawa.

District Health Officer Dr Roop Lal, District Family Welfare Officer Dr Maninder Minhas, District Medical Commissioner Dr Ajay Sahni, Media Officer Rakesh Pal Singh and Surinder Saini of NGO Mother also addressed the gathering.

Members of the District Congress Committee gave a lecture on the need to create awareness among the masses about AIDS.

Addressing the youth, DCC senior vice-president Sanjay Sehgal said underprivileged people must be educated to stop the killer disease from spreading its tentacles. The youth must play an active role in creating awareness among the masses. Among others present on this occasion were DCC secretary Manjinder Singh Johal and Youth Congress leader Paramjit Singh Bal.

Jalandhar, December 1
Areas falling under the limits of the Municipal Corporation of Jalandhar would witness the thrust of multiple development projects if the city comes under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

Two cities in Punjab, Ludhiana and Amritsar, were brought under the mission and gained number of projects in the past few years. Mohali has been in the mission but only along with Chandigarh and Panchkula.

According to the guidelines of JNNURM, the condition to bring a city under the JNNURM is that the population of city should be more than 10 lakh as per the census 
of 2001.

The population of Jalandhar was 7.71 lakh in 2001 and with the increasing rate of 2 per cent per annum, it is pretty near to the basic precondition.

Moreover, it is learnt that the Ministry of Urban Development may relax this precondition in the near future.

Both ways, local authorities have been expecting that Jalandhar will be inducted under the mission shortly, but any formal notification or order is yet to be descended to the corporation office.

Under the mission, there are admissible components like redevelopment of the inner city or old city areas, which include widening of narrow streets, shifting of industrial and commercial complexes from non-conforming areas to conforming areas, 100 per cent water and sewerage supply etc.

Projects of solid waste managements, urban transport including expressways and metro train projects, massive parking lots and development of heritage sites is also included in the mission.

“If the city comes under JNNURM, we can definitely witness momentum in the overall development of the city, especially the inner areas. There is a scope of great leap in projects like water supply and local transport system,” said Commissioner MCJ 
Vinay Bublani.

It is pertinent to note that the Centre and state governments provide around a 50 and 20 per cent respective share of the total cost of the project. Only 30 per cent of the total cost has to be borne by the corporation.

Projects bearing a cost of Rs 500 crore and even above can be gained for the city under the mission. Number of projects, including the walled city and elevated road projects, have started in Amritsar and Ludhiana under the mission in the recent past.

Jalandhar, December 1
A positive diagnosis bearing witness to HIV infection is usually considered a death certificate. Though even today, none of the books of medical sciences claim 100 per cent cure rate of patients suffering from acquired immuno deficiency syndrome (AIDS), a newly arrived anti-retroviral treatment (ART) therapy has been seen to be successful in markedly increasing the quality of life and in prolonging the life expectancy of patients.

Data collected from all the three ART centres running in the state under the National AIDS Control Organisation, clearly reveals that even after being diagnosed for AIDS, patients still have a ray of hope.

A total of 5,272 and 1,968 patients are registered at ART centres of Amritsar and Patiala, respectively. The number of patients registered with the ART centre in Jalandhar is 3,826.

In Amritsar and Patiala, 2,672 and 1,198, respectively, are on anti-retroviral treatment.

Similarly, in Jalandhar 2,146 patients suffering from AIDS have been undergoing the same treatment.

The good news is that less than 8-10 per cent of these patients have died of the disease, which is usually considered 100 per cent fatal.

As per experts working in these centres, the cases of most of the patients who died were reported at a very late stage or were already suffering from other infections. Some of the patients were reluctant to report in centres or were hesitant to take medicines regularly.

“Patients who report at an ART centre at earlier stage and continues with the treatment as per prescriptions have a better chance to sustain with quality life. But some patients simply fail to cope up with the psychological stress due to some social reasons and ultimately lose determination to live. Patients, who die, are mostly of this category,” said Dr K. Sharma, who works at the ART centre in Jalandhar.

Though ART was introduced just a few years back in India, some positive changes are being observed in the blood profiles of patients after taking medicines provided in this line of treatment.

“Though we can’t claim that we can be cured of AIDS, it is reported that there is a significant increase in the count of CD4 cells in HIV patients who are taking medicines prescribed under ART,” said Dr N.M. Sharma, Additional Project Director of the Punjab State AIDS Control Society.

It is pertinent to note that a decrease in the number of CD4 cells leads to the downfall in the immunity of the patient. The patients catch superadded infections and debilitating diseases due to the collapse of the defence system.

These ART centres provide free check up and medicines to AIDS patients. In addition to this, missing patients, who fail to follow up, are tracked and traced by the centre. NGOs are involved at different levels to counsel and deliver medicine to patients.

Kapurthala, December 1
Each of the 136 villages falling in the Bholath assembly constituency of Kapurthala district will get pure water by the end of next year.

Talking to The Tribune, former SGPC President and District Planning Committee (DPC) chairperson Bibi Jagir Kaur said the residents of these villages would be supplied pure water through proper supply system by installing pumps and constructing water tanks.

Bibi Jagir Kaur said while pure water had already been supplied to about 20 villages, the work for constructing water tanks at 90 villages at a cost of Rs 13 crore was already going on and the same was likely to be completed within the next three months.

Laying the foundation stone at Boparai village for the construction of a water tank, she said the tank would be built at a cost of Rs 32 lakh. Similarly, water tanks would be constructed at Jaid, Raipur Peer Baksh and Dayalpur villages.

Claiming that the work for providing clean water was started two and a half years ago, she said all the villages of Kapurthala district would get pure water by 2012.

Work for providing clean water to 256 villages of the district was already on at a cost of Rs 33 crore, she added.

The DPC Chairperson distributed cheques for the grants to the panchayats of Fatehgarh Seikri,Mand Kulah, Donowal, Feroz Sanghowal and Boparai. 

Jalandhar, December 1
Students of the Lyallpur Khalsa College for Women, in association with the NCC, the NSS, the Rotaract Club, the Youth Club and the Red Ribbon Express, held a rally on World AIDS Day. Deputy Commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu flagged off the rally and urged the youth to protect themselves from AIDS. The rally started from the college campus and went to BSF Chowk, Ladowali Road, and culminated at the college.

Earlier, Dr Raghbir Singh Bains, an AIDS activist, delivered a multi-media presentation depicting the causes and prevention of AIDS.

The occasion was graced by Gurdev Kaur Sangha, Chairperson of the Punjab Women Commission, Dr Balbir Singh Bhaura from Dharat Suhavi, Dr Yash Pal Sharma, president of the IMA, Civil Surgeon S.S.Walia and many others.

Students of Lovely Professional University made human chains and participated in a rally held to create awareness among the masses on World AIDS Day.

An awareness rally was organised by students of the St Soldier group of institutions here. As many as 500 students of GNM, B.Ed, M.Ed colleges participated in the rally lead by vice-chairperson of the group Sangeeta Chopra. The students, holding placards in their hands, gave the message of “Save Lives” and “Stop AIDS”. The students also distributed red ribbons among the public to create awareness against the disease.