The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

No end to teachers’ agonies
Teachers of aided-schools without salary for 5 months
Riva/Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 10
It almost been five months now, the teachers of aided-schools in Jalandhar have not received their salaries. Reason: The dearth of Session Officers in the DPI office, sector 17, Chandigarh.

There are three officially sanctioned posts for Session Officers in the state, but for the past many years the vacancies have never been filled completely.

There have been constant delays in the delivery of salaries to teachers of aided-schools. “The problem is persistent for the past 4-5 years. There are instances when we were devoid of our due salaries for 6 months in a row. Not just Jalandhar, teachers of other districts also face the same problem from time to time,” said K.C. Chaudhary, district secretary of the Punjab State Aided School Teacher’s and Other Employees Union.

There are 11 primary aided-schools and 53 senior secondary aided-schools in Jalandhar district at present. As many as 788 teachers are employed in these schools. As per the sources, every teacher in the district has a due of about Rs 2.5 lakh. Going by the calculations, the amount comes to whopping
Rs 19.7 crore. “Usually, the government lacks money. When money is there, it lacks staffers to distribute it,” said another union member.

The union claims to have apprised the government about the problem a number of times, both orally and in writing, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, The Tribune learnt that those who were appointed as Session Officers get their transfers done to some better place as soon as possible. “There is only one officer at present. Another was supposed to join last month but hasn’t turned up till now…it seems he is trying for cancellation or get further transfer done,” said an official, preferring anonymity.

Due to dearth of space, Session Officers are forced to sit in a lobby measuring 8 X 10 feet. The ‘office’ lacks proper chairs, drinking water, and toilets facility. “There is no facility for the employees here…No room, broken window and heaps of pending files all around. Moreover, one can’t clear all the files alone,” he added.

Furthermore, the teacher’s union planned to wage a struggle if the government failed to heed to there genuine demands. “It seems like the state authorities are least concerned about providing good education to its children. If our demands are not met and claims not cleared at the earliest, like many other teachers’ unions, we will be forced
to come to streets,” concluded the union leader.

Police ‘picks up’ 8 ETT teachers

Amritsar, February 10
Eight members of the ETT teachers Union were picked up by the police from the classrooms here today, claimed the union. Union’s district president Jaswinder Singh Jahangir said it was pre-emptive move by the government to fizzle out their proposed rally to be held at Lambi on February 12. He said the union had chalked out the rally to tell the Punjab government to fulfil its promise of giving permanent jobs to teachers. He informed that five teachers were held from schools of Ajnala block, two from Majitha and one from Rayya blocks. — TNS

Protest against Education Minister

Nawanshahr, February 10
The Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), in collaboration with like minded unions, has demanded resignation of Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur over the incident of self-immolation of an EGS Volunteer at Kapurthala.

Bhupinder Singh Warraich, state president of the DTF, said the wrong policies adopted by the Education Department are to be blamed for the recent incidents of suicides by teachers. The Punjab Subordinate Services Federation, also protested against the minister over the incident of self-immolation. — OC

RTI mela: CIC spreads power of information
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, February 10
Under a special drive for making the public as well as government officials aware about the proper use of the Right to Information Act, an RTI Mela kicked off in the district on Wednesday. Ramesh Inder Singh, Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), Punjab, inaugurated the event and interacted with the representatives of various government, NGOs and prominent citizens of the town.

He said, “The RTI Act has given a new dimension to the fundamental rights mentioned in our Constitution by virtually ensuring ‘empowerment of the common man’ and it would bring in revolutionary reforms in the functioning of the government, consequently ensuring accountability and transparency.”

“The common man can even seek the right to inspect and monitor the ongoing construction works by government departments, take samples of the material used,” he further said while emphasising that the need of the hour was that the common man should remain vigilant and be educated regarding proper use of the RTI Act.

He exhorted the people to act in a responsive manner while seeking information so that the sanctity of the RTI Act could be maintained.

The Chief Information Commissioner lauded the innovative measures initiated by the Deputy Commissioner, Gur Kirat kirpal Singh for creating awareness among the masses regarding Right to Information Act by organizing training workshops for the different departments, street plays for making aware about the RTI Act, distribution of booklets published in simple Punjabi language, setting up a special RTI Counter at Suvidha Centre and organising mega RTI mela etc in the district.

With a view to bring in further improvement in the implementation of RTI Act, the State Information Commission would start the facility of Video Conferencing at the district headquarters in the state and the Deputy Commissioner, Nawanshahr has expressed his willingness to start the facility soon, he further added.

The local MLA, Jatinder Singh Kariha, Brig Manjit Singh, Manmohan Singh Nagra, advocate, Harmesh Guleria, Jaspal Singh Gidda, president, UPKAR, Parvinder Singh kittna, president, HELP, Sat Pal Bairsian, Jagdish Rai, among others, actively participated in the ‘brain storming session’ organised on the occasion. In this session, the queries were answered by the Chief Information Commissioner.

Besides, the stalls by as many as 29 departments were set up at the RTI mela, with a view to make the people aware about the proper use of the RTI Act and as well as ‘on the spot’ receipt of applications under the RTI Act. A similar RTI mela would be organised on February 22, for ensuring “on the spot delivery” of the information sought by the people from different departments, informed the Deputy Commissioner.

‘Encroachers’ on protest path
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, February 10
The shopkeepers of the local Chandigarh Road, Banga Road, Old Court Road and Rahon Road took out a protest march from the local Gurdwara Singh Sabha to the District Administrative Complex and held a dharna to protest against the notices issued to them by the local Municipal Council for removing encroachments from the main road under PUDA Act for paving way to widen the main roads.

It is pertinent to mention here that the officials of the Council have undertaken demarcation and videography of the alleged encroachments on the main roads in the town recently and issued notices to the concerned shopkeepers and residents to remove them. The irate shopkeepers and residents, in reaction, called a meeting here at Gurdwara on Saturday and decided to launch a stir against the proposal of widening of the road at the cost of their dislocation as well as source of their livelihood. As per the decision, the shopkeepers kept their business establishments closed for two hours and held a dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner on Monday.

Addressing the dharna, Lalit Mohan Pathak, former MC president, Harmesh Kumar Puri, senior SAD leader, Jarnail Singh Khalsa, Pardeep Chandla, Satish Rana, Rattan Jain, Daljit Singh Kaushal, Manjinder Singh Walia, Yashpal Hafizabadi, Mohinder Singh Rai, among others, said the proposed project of widening of the roads would deprive hundreds of shopkeepers of their source of livelihood. Hence, the government should either go for the construction of the elevated road or by-pass to solve the problem of traffic in the town. The shopkeepers also submitted a memorandum to the Additional Deputy Commissioner. Jatinder Singh Kariha, MLA, while addressing the dharna assured the shopkeepers that he would take up the issue with the CM for amicable solution of the problem.

Two killed in mishaps

Phagwara, February 10
Two persons were killed and two others, including a child, sustained serious injuries in two different road mishaps in Phagwara today. One motorcyclist Hakam Chand (55), resident of Virk village, was killed on the spot while his two-year-old daughter Priya sustained critical injuries, when the motorcycle was hit by a speeding bus near local bus stand on national highway. The injured was sent to a Ludhiana hospital. The body of the deceased was handed over to the family after postmortem in the local civil hospital. The police has arrested the bus driver and impounded the bus.

In second accident, one cyclist was killed on the spot while his pillion rider was injured, when a tractor-trolley hit their cycle on Phagwara-Banga road late last night. The injured was admitted in local civil hospital. — OC

Strike Zone
Advocates oppose move on evening courts
Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, February 10
The District Bar Association (DBA) struck work today in the district court in protest against the proposed decision of the Punjab and Haryana High court to set up evening courts across the state. In the first phase, the Punjab and Haryana High Court plans to set up evening courts in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala.

Criticising the move, Baltej Singh Sarao, president of the District Bar Association, claimed that the move was not feasible as with the setting up of evening courts, both advocates and litigants would be put under tremendous stress.

He said such courts were not viable as the advocates, after working throughout the day, would have to stay back till 7 pm, while litigants who come to the courts from far off places would also feel the strain. He appealed to the Punjab and Haryana High Court to review its decision of establishing such courts across the state.

PSEB staff say no to unbundling

Jalandhar, February 10
Members of the Employees Federation of the Punjab State Electricity Board today observed a one-day strike to protest against privatisation of the board and non-implementation of their already accepted demands. With 80 per cent of the employees abstaining from work, the call witnessed good response in Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur amd Nawanshahr.

“By implementing the Electricity Act 2003, the government is trying to privatise the department. While, the department is doing well now, its condition will be miserable in case the unbundling takes place. It is against the interest of the people. The condition of the department can be improved if the amount of subsidy given to farmers is deposited on time. There is no need to break the institution,” Lakhveer Singh, convener north zone Jalandhar.

Trader drugged, looted in bus
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, February 10
ader Vikas Kumar (24) was drugged and looted by two unidentified robbers in a private bus on his way back from Delhi yesterday. The bus conductor found Vikas unconscious at Jalandhar. The conductor succeeded to trace the address of the Vikas and informed his parents in Phagwara who rushed to Jalandhar to bring back their son. Later Vikas was admitted to Phagwara Civil Hospital where his condition was stable.

Vikas in his statement to the police said he was returning from New Delhi. Two unidentified persons befriended him in the bus and offered him cold drinks at Haweli Dhabha near Karnal, he said. He lost consciousness after taking the drink and found his gold chain, three gold rings, mobile phone besides some cash missing. The police has registered a case and started its investigation.