Gurdaspur, January 29
In an attempt to improve the standard of education in rural schools, the Gurdaspur district administration has identified 86 government primary schools which will be upgraded to middle schools by June 30 this year.

This was stated by Deputy Commissioner Dr. Karamjit Singh Sra after presiding over a meeting of the District Public Works committee held at the Panchayat Bhawan here today. He added that the schools had been identified with the help of the Education Department authorities and a sum of Rs 9 lakh for each school had been earmarked for the purpose.

He said 60 more primary and middle schools will be given a grant of Rs 2.5 lakh, each, to upgrade infrastructure in the form of construction of class rooms and laboratories.

The DC also informed that the much-awaited bridge on river Ujh will be completed by May 30 and added that 50 per cent of the work had already been completed.

The bridge is being constructed at a cost of Rs 13 crore.

He asked the officials concerned not to show any laxity as far as initiating developmental works in the district were concerned. He urged the officials to hand over utilisation certificates to him once the developmental works falling under their jurisdiction were completed.

Officials of the PWD, who were also present in the meeting, said the 7 km stretch of road between Kotli and Sundar villages in this district will be completed by April 15. A sum of Rs 3 crore has been earmarked for this purpose. Later, the DC also held a meeting with officials of the Revenue Department.

Jalandhar, January 29
The 633rd birth anniversary of Guru Ravidass was celebrated with traditional gaiety and fervour here today. Thousands of people dressed in their bests thronged Guru Ravidass dhams and temples to pay obeisance. A shobha yatra was held in the city.

Langars were organised at various places to celebrate the occasion.

Thousands of people, associated with different sects and political parties, came together to participate in the nagar kirtan. Small processions from different places like Buta Mandi, Bank Colony, Basti Danishmandan, Katra Mohalla, etc joined the shobha yatra. The fair at Buta Mandi, Nakodar Road, was a special attraction.

Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, President of the Guru Ravidass Trust, said: “Vachanas of Guru Ravidass and Guru Granth Sahib inspire us to remember God, work hard and cooperate with one another. We should pledge to work harder to fulfil Guru Ravidass’ dreams.”

Avtar Singh Karimpuri, president of the Punjab Bahujan Samaj Party, said: “All the downtrodden and poor people of the state should come together under the banner of the BSP if they want to see their dream of ‘Begumpura’ coming true.”

BATALA: A religious procession was taken out through the main bazaars of the town here on Friday to commemorate and celebrate Guru Ravidass’ birth anniversary. Many religious jhankis formed part of the procession which was led by prominent citizens from all the walks of life. Langers were also arranged on the occasion.Thousands of schoolchildren participated in the procession.

The police had made elaborate security arrangements.

Amritsar: The Kendriya Guru Ravidass Mandir organised a shobha yatra to commemorate the 633rd birth anniversary of Guru Ravidass here today.

The religious procession passed through various areas of the city displaying glimpses on the life of Guru Ravidass.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) would hold akhand path at Gurdwara Manji Sahib inside the Golden Temple complex. The bhog would be performed on January 30.

Jalandhar, January 29
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Punjab Roadways workers today concluded their three-day-long protest against the reluctance of the government and higher transport officials, to entertain their demands.

The protest was organised in all 18 depots of Punjab Roadways. The committee also announced that if the government failed to meet their demands, a state-level protest will be organised in Jalandhar on February 18.

While talking to The Tribune, State Convener of the committee, Gurmail Singh said both the government and Punjab Roadways officials are unwilling to accept the just demands of workers.

“Our long-pending and most important demand is that claims under the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal should not be imposed on drivers. Motor Transport Reserve Fund has been generated by roadways. As per rule, the amount, which is to be paid to victim in the form of claim after any mishap, should be withdrawn from this fund. However, instead of following the rules, roadways is imposing claims on drivers and they are bound to pay it from their own pockets”, said Gurmail Singh.

Workers demanded that all 360 buses introduced under the PunBus Scheme should be transferred to Punjab Roadways. “Once free of the loan amount, these buses had to be transferred to Punjab. Now these buses are nearly free of debt. The government must transfer these buses to roadways, as approximately 628 buses of the Punjab Roadways are totally un-roadworthy”, said Jagtar Singh, who is president of the Punjab Roadways Jalandhar Depot I.

Members of the committee were also of the view that outsourcing of workers should be done on the Haryana pattern. Alleged harassment of workers at the hands of officers on petty charges, and prevalent corruption in the department was also part of the demand charter.

Jalandhar, January 29
Members of the Non-Government Colleges Management Federation of Punjab and Chandigarh, Federation of Associations of College Principals, Punjab and Chandigarh, and Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union have constituted a joint action committee (JAC).

The first meeting of the JAC was held on January 26 during which problems facing the teaching fraternity were discussed.

It was regretted the Punjab government had not taken due steps for the enhancement of grants despite the notification issued on September 30 last year for the implementation of revised pay scales for teachers working in non-government aided colleges. The members maintained that neither the verification of new fixation was done nor the claims for the increase in grant in the revised scales had been admitted.

The members demanded that the state government must pay the revised scales and grants to all existing teachers from January 1, 2006, and claim 80 per cent additional grant from the Government of India as per the MHRD notification of December 12, 2008.

The JAC also denounced the state government policy of imposing a ban on the recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff from July 27, 2005.

The members demanded immediate lifting of the ban on recruitment and recognition of all posts of teaching and non-teaching staff under the 95 per cent grant scheme.

It was urged that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal should implement his own bill and scheme of pension and gratuity which was unanimously passed in the Assembly on March 30, 1999, and notified as an Act on April 26, 1999.