Jalandhar, February 11
Though the prices of essential commodities skyrocketed in 2009, there was no hike in the grant of Rs 2.50 per primary school child/day issued by the government under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS).

Otherwise a good idea, the scheme is also marred by some implementation flaws like pilferage in the food grain supply, deficient infrastructure and delayed or insufficient release of funds. As per the 2008 research report of the Comptroller Auditor General of India, 89 per cent of the schools in Punjab are offering food which is adulterated and unfit for human consumption.

The Union Government had launched the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education to improve the enrolment and retention of students in the schools and to reduce the dropout rate. Another main objective of the scheme was to provide nutritious meals to positively impact the heath status of children, especially of those belonging to the under-privileged sections of the society.

The MDMS was primarily started to attract students from economically poor families, which preferred to send their wards to work instead of schools. For them, sending kids to school meant not only incurring extra financial burden, but also depriving them of some money which they would have otherwise earned by labouring. The scheme yielded results. The enrolment has gone up as many parents send their kids just because their kids would get one assured meal a day.

The government issues 100 gm of wheat/rice per student per day along with Rs 2.50 towards production cost, which includes expenditure on cooking gas, oil, pulses, sugar and spices. “Now in these times of inflation, what would you get for such a meager amount which satisfies quality standards along with providing the required nutritional value? As per the menu issued by the authorities, we are supposed to provide wheat flour halwa to kids on Wednesday. For 100 gm of wheat, we are required to use only 8 gm of ghee. But how is it possible by us to cook halwa in so less ghee?” asked an in charge teacher, on the condition of anonymity.

“When pulses range between Rs 65 to 120 a kg, prices of vegetables have soared high, sugar is priced at Rs 48 per kg and a cooking gas cylinder at Rs 325, you cannot afford to provide nutritious food to the kids,” she added. The faculty concerned also complains of pilferage in the gunny bags. “We should get sacks weighing 50 kg each, but for the past some months, the weight often ranges between 43 to 45 kg per sack. We don’t know where the fault lies but it gets very difficult for us to manage…,” she said.

Punjab being a prosperous state, well-off people tend to send their wards to private institutions for acquiring better education. Still, around 83,000 students in 980 primary and 67,000 in 431 upper primary schools are reported to be availing themselves of the facility of Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Jalandhar district. All children under the MDMS were to be provided micronutrient supplementation, 100 tablets of 20 mg of iron and folic acid (one daily) once a year and de-worming tablets twice a year. As per the sources, most of the government-aided schools have never got this facility and despite the government schools getting the medicines, nutritional status indicates that around 7 per cent of the children are anaemic.

Jalandhar, February 11
With Valentine’s Day round the corner, the city youth is all set to make the most of it on the day of love. February 14 being a Sunday, the youngsters were little concerned that they would get less chances to meet their beloveds.

From the bedecked gift shops to florists to buying timeless love songs, the youngsters are virtually busy making the day as special as it can be. And one can select mushy gifts, decorated baskets, special gift boxes, greeting cards and the evergreen roses to choose from.

The Tribune spoke to a cross section of youngsters who said although difficult but they will manage the day through one or the other excuse. A group of students from the local Lyallpur Khalsa College said their plans to celebrate it big could not be 

materialised, as it is Sunday on that day. “Especially the girls would face a lot of difficulty finding an occasion to come out of their homes. And we will have to look for a safer options”, quipped a student.

The students added that had it been some other day things could have been easy for them. “We would have managed to skip the day with our friends ad celebrate the day,” said a student of BBA.

Another bevy of girls enjoying a party at the local Hangout 
place-Headquarters said that they have plans to watch a movie and chill out in the later part of the day. We have already chalked out 
plans to exchange gifts and organize a party as well.

“We wait for this day anxiously as this is the only time when we formally express our love for our dear ones”, said Sakshi a youngster.

As usual even the orders for special bouquets and Rose sticks in also on the rise. Youngsters especially those at the foreign shores have already started making online orders.

Says, Harinder Singh, the owner of Meera Nursery, “Apart from routine orders of Roses, bouquets we are receiving online orders as well. And people ensure that their gifts along with chocolates, teddy bears and greeting cards reach on Valentine’s Day”, he added.

Jalandhar, February 11
Going by the pace of construction work of railway overbridge near Lyallpur Khalsa College, the project is likely to get over in another four months.

If it happens so, this will be the fastest accomplished project in the city. Officials of the PWD believed that the Railways will complete their work by March 31 after which they would need another two months to put up a span on the common tier. PWD XEN B.S. Tuli said the tiers that have been constructed by the railway engineers had been erected at the site. “Four tier caps would be put up in place by February 15 after which they would need to construct a slab,” he explained the process.

Having started almost two years back, the work has been going on in an uninterrupted manner. There have been quite a few glitches which have been removed timely with the efforts of the officials concerned.

Diversion of heavy traffic because of proximity of the bus stand to the ROB construction site was a major issue. Taking space from Punjab State War Memorial was yet another much-needed step which took some time. Demolition of an old mazaar from periphery of the bus stand was another issue which was proceeded after taking assistance from the court and local administration. Later permission for axing from trees from forest department on cantonment road became another glitch.

Once over, the commuters shuttling between Jalandhar and other satellite towns daily would be benefited the most as the buses coming from the bus stand have to take a detour via the Ladowali Road crossing as of now which is somewhat longer and chaotic. The buses enter the stand via Defence Colony road which too remains jammed because of narrow lanes, heavy traffic and single railway crossing on the Garha Road.

Work on all other ROBs is pending for more than four years or more. The most delayed project, however, is that of Domoria ROB which began almost a decade back and needs another 16 months to get accomplished.

Jalandhar, February 11
Alleging police inaction in the Satpal murder case, scores of residents of Sant Nagar locality in Basti Danishmanda and family members protested in front of Division No 5 police station, here today.

Satpal Singh was allegedly murdered by his wife Rajni in connivance with her paramour Jatinder Singh Bhatia in January. The police arrested Rajni but Bhatia was still at large.

Family members of Satpal, including his son Sahil, and scores of neighbours today assembled in front to the police station and raised anti-police slogans. They alleged that the police was shielding Bhaita.

The protesters claimed that Bhatia has been roaming in the city fearlessly and even attended the marriage ceremony of his son. The police hardly made any attempt to nab him, they alleged. The protesters later dispersed from the site after the area DSP reached the spot and pacified them. 

Jalandhar, February 11
It was mixed set of emotions floating in his eyes when a young officer from the 13 Sikh Regiment came to greet him. Sentimental, yet confident, he looked affirm. He said, “I want to join the Indian Army”. And the officer gave him a pat on his back assuring him success in life.

This was Gurpreet Singh (15), son of Late Naik Gurjant Singh who died during Operation Rakshak on July 8, 2005. The boy had come along with his mother Mahinder Kaur all the way from Mansa district to attend the ‘Veer Nari Sammelan’ during the silver jubilee celebrations of the regiment held at Jalandhar Cantonment today. Unfazed the boy said he would love to join the armed forces or the Punjab Police, as these were only career options he had thought of. However, Mohinder Kaur expressed the motherly affection and said, “I have already lost my husband in the war… I would never send my son to… Army.”

Mahinder Kaur was one of the seven awardees who were honoured on this occasion. The war widows were given a cash award of Rs 10,000 each, a memento and a watch.

While Charanjit Kaur, another war widow, wife of late Lance Naik Harjinder Singh could not control her tears after the ceremony. The lady had also lost her husband in Operation Rakshak. Sitting along with her children, all she said was that the regiment has stood besides them during thick and thin. “We are being honoured for what my husband attained during his service,” she added.

However, the war widows rued lack of support from the state government. “We applied for a franchise of gas agency at our native village but to no avail. The state government seems to have turned a deaf ear towards our demands,” maintained Mahinder Kaur.

The other awardees included Ranjeet Kaur, wife of late Naib Sub Avtar Singh who died during Operation Rakshak, Karamjit Kaur, wife of Havaldar Balbir Singh, killed in Operation Meghdoot on February 1, 2001, Lovejit Kaur, wife of Lance Naik Kuljit Singh who lost his life in Operation Rakshak, Salwinder Kaur, wife of late Sepoy Kartar Singh killed in Operation Meghdoot, Nov 23, 2000. While the award of late Sepoy Lalit Kumar, who was killed during Operation Meghdoot on April 11, 2000 was received by his father Madhu Ram.

Earlier the day was marked by a special Sainik Sammelan addressed by the Commanding Officer Colonel O.P. Awasthy (retd) who called upon all ranks to uphold the battalion’s tradition of valour and battle. A special day cover issued on the occasion by the Army Postal Service was released by the founder father of the battalion.

Jalandhar, February 11
In order to control water pollution in the Sutlej, and to check the compliance of pollution control laws by the water polluting industries in Jalandhar, the Punjab Pollution Control Board has launched a campaign to keep the water polluting industries of Jalandhar under high surveillance.

“Not just in Jalandhar, the campaign has been launched across the state. Jalandhar is under the radar as the east Bein eventually drains polluted water into the Sutlej, which is undoubtedly the most important river channel in the state,” said member Secretary of the PPCB, Babu Ram.

While talking to The Tribune, Harbir Singh, Environment Engineer of the PPCB, said the Punjab Pollution Control Board has started surprise checks 
on the water polluting industries of Jalandhar and these surprise inspections will continue for a month-long period.

“There are nearly 100 industrial units in the district, which ultimately drain polluted end products into the Kala Sanghian drain, which further drains this polluted water into the east Bein. According to environment protection rules, water polluting industrial units need to run their own Sewerage Treatment Plants. Though plants are established in the units, most of the times these units remain non-functional due to the reluctance of the owners of factories,” said Harbir Singh.

He said two teams, comprising all senior officers of board, today made a surprise inspection in eight units located at the Focal Point, Basti Area and Sports and Surgical Goods Complex.

Effluents’ samples were collected from industries and sent to the Punjab Pollution Control Board Lab at Patiala. Action will be taken against industries found violating the pollution control laws during the surprise visits, as prescribed under the Water (Prevention & Control) Act, 1974, he added. 

Jalandhar, February 11
Prices of nearly all essential vegetables and commodities this week remained nearly same as that of last week.However, some varieties of pulses witnessed an increase in prices.Sugar also witnessed an increase of Rs 1 per kg. Sugar remained at Rs 44 per kg last week and Rs 43 per kg nearly 15 days ago. Eggs also saw an increase of Rs 1 per kg against Rs 36 per kg of last week.

Essential vegetables like onion and tomato remained nearly same as that of last week. Onion saw marginal decrease of Rs 1 per kg. Onion remained at around Rs 21 per kg last week and Rs 20 per kg this week. Tomatoes remained at Rs 16 per kg, same as that of last week’s price.

Prices of capsicum again jumped up to Rs 40 per kg this week. They had remained at Rs 36 per kg last week. Notably, capsicum prices remained at Rs 42 per kg nearly 15 days back.

Prices of radish remained nearly same as that of last week, at Rs 8 per kg.

Prices of peas and garlic also remained the same.

With no change in price, garlic remained at around Rs 100 per kg this week. Similarly, peas remained around Rs 16 per kg this week against Rs 15 per kg of last week.

However, carrot witnessed a decrease in price of Rs 1 per kg. It remained at Rs 11 per kg this week against Rs 12 per kg last week. Prices of ginger remained nearly same at Rs 60 per kg. 

Jalandhar, February 11
A day after the cremation of EGS volunteer Kiranjeet Kaur, who committed self-immolation, former Congress MP Rana Gurjit Singh has taken strong exception to a former SAD minister Raghbir Singh’s statement in which he demanded registration of a case against the former alleging that he had provoked the volunteers. 

Rana said he was the only leader who had contacted the protesters after the self-immolation bid to convince them not to take any extreme step whereas the SAD leaders could not even turn up at the spot. — TNS

Jalandhar, February 11
The daylong dharna of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) today brought to the fore the difference of opinion between the DAV College staff and Principal Dr. VK Tewari.However, the dharna was held for the immediate implementation of the revised UGC pay scales at the local Burlton Park. The dharna was supported by the staff of the local Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya.

While the agitated members blamed Principal Tewari for alleged favouritism in the college, the Principal in-turn maintained that the members of the PCCTU have been indulging in issueless agitation against the college.

The PCCTU members have also sent a memorandum to the DAV College Managing Committee (DAVCMC) and demanded an enquiry into the allegations.

The members said Principal Dr. Tewari fraudulently gave the contract of the college hostel, having four messes and three canteens, to the family of his elder sister.

The contract for the cycle and scooter shed was also given to them. They also raised the issue of the alleged undue financial advances made by Dr. Tewari to some favoured members of the staff, to promote factionalism.

However, Dr. Tewari said the PCCTU members have been indulging in issueless agitation against DAV College.

Phagwara, February 11Several residents registered their protest and alleged that the garbage of the town was being thrown on service roads, along with a canal from Khalwara village to Bhularai village, which was spreading a bad smell in the entire area and could be harmful for the health of the people.

The protest was raised in different Advisory Committees of the departments of Irrigation, Public Health and Co-Operative. Phagwara SDM Amarjeet Paul, who presided over these three Advisory Committee meetings, immediately instructed the concerned officials to act accordingly, to solve the problems of the people.

In the meeting of the Co-Operative Department, SDM Paul disclosed that the department has arranged to provide household goods like candles, pickles, chatni etc., providing training to 15 needy girls from the Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, while the department was providing loans up to Rs 25,000 to each needy woman to start her own business.

SDM Paul said the department was running four computer training centres at the nearby Atholi village, Gandhwan, Mauli and Darvesh Pind, under the Mai Bhago Istri Sashtrikaran Scheme.

He disclosed that the Co-Operative Department was running Agro Service Centres in eight villages of the Phagwara sub-division.

While presiding over the meeting of the Public Health Department, SDM Paul said residents of 72 villages have been facilitated with fresh drinking water, while the facility would soon be provided to 25 more villages.

Some villagers complained about the leakage of water pipelines in some villages. SDM Paul instructed the concerned officials to plug the leakage immediately.

Jalandhar, February 11
She is a senior programme executive at the All-India Radio (AIR) here by profession, but a writer at heart.Though Dr Rashmi Khurana has produced a number of programmes while working with the AIR in the last 34 years, yet she somehow spares some time from her busy schedule for his first love of writing.Dr Khurana has already penned down over 50 stories, most of them published in different Hindi dailies and literary magazines of the region. The theme of most of her stories revolves around the challenges faced by women.

Her stories “Os Ki Jakran” and “Ehsas” have especially been appreciated by the critics and readers. While the former is a story of an educated woman who practices law, the latter is about the affection between Hindus and Muslims giving the message of national integration. Besides this, she has penned down over 25 poems.

Apart from this, she translated Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography “My Experience with Truth” in Punjabi in 1994.

Though she has not given her translation work the shape of a book, yet its contents were broadcast by the AIR every Friday for several years in a series “Gandhi Charcha” on Akashwani Jalandhar from 1994, the 125th birth anniversary of the Father of the nation.

To a query, she says she is planning to publish a book of her Punjabi translation of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography. She says she is also compiling all her stories to give them the shape of book shortly. She has also translated several other literary works into Hindi and Punjabi.

Dr Khurana says she has got inspiration of writing and producing different programmes in her childhood as his father B.P. Kaushik was also an AIR producer. The first Information and Broadcasting Minister picked him up for his direct appointment as producer when he was Principal with Sangeet Samaj College at Meerut, she adds.

Phd in Hindi literature, Dr Khurana joined the AIR Jalandhar as transmission executive in 1976 after two years of her lectureship at Guru Nanak Girls College, Ludhiana. Later, she was selected as programme executive through the UPSC in 1988.

Her mother Urmilla Kaushik, husband Prof S.C. Khurana, son Ankur and daughters Kompal and Pallavi are also fond of literature.

During her 34 years of working with AIR, Dr Khurana has prepared a number of programmes, including “Yahi Sach Hai” (a feature on militancy-affected families), “Dukh Bhanjan Naam Hai Ek Tehjib Ka” (Hindi feature broadcast on national hook-up), “Kaswati”, “Punjab Ke Hindi Rachnakar”, “Amrit Bodh” and “Ankahe Rishte”.

She has also interviewed several Bollywood bigwigs, including Ramanand Sagar, Shabana Azmi and Rama Vij, for different AIR programmes. She says she got the privilege of editing a souvenir published in 1998 on the golden jubilee of Akashwani Jalandhar.

Jalandhar, February 11
While the district police set up a temporary police post (chowki) near the Gadaipur pulli, immediately after a protest by migrant labourers following attack by robbers, the industrialists and workers demanded the setting up of a police station (thana) for the Gadaipur and Focal Point areas.

Talking to The Tribune, the President of the Udyog Nagar Manufacturing Association Tejinder Singh Bhasin said they had already shown some possible places to the officials where the thana could be set up.

One such vacant place, owned by PSIEC, was located between the Gadaipur and Focal Point areas, he added.

Actually, the labourers said the incidents of looting workers had become a routine matter in these areas for the past several months.

Meanwhile, IG Sanjiv Kalra also visited the spot to get a first-hand view of the matter.

In the meantime, taking a serious note of the incident on Sunday night, the Chairman of Punjab Migrant Welfare Board RC Yadav visited the Focal Point, Gadaipur areas and listened to the grievances of the union leaders and industrialists.

In a meeting with the leaders of the Purvanchal Vikas Manch and Industrialists, Gupta revealed that he would soon write to the state government to provide land for the setting up of a police station in the Focal Point, Gadaipur areas.

Meanwhile, the district police has rounded up several suspicious persons in connection with the Sunday incident.

Jalandhar, February 11
It was a proud moment for the young and bubbly Sakshi Mahajan when she won the 
first prize in western vocal solo event during the National Youth Festival, jointly organised by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and Union Ministry of Sports and Culture at Rohtak.

A BCA sixth semester student of Lovely Professional University competed with students from universities of four zones from all over the country. She was awarded a gold medal in the 25th edition of the festival titled “Rajav Utsav”.

An estimated 900 participants from 63 universities participated in the festival. Sakshi represented the north zone, after having secured the first position in the intra-zonal festival held earlier at Kurukshetra.

A Phagwara resident, Sakshi tells that she took some training from the Head of the Cultural Department on the campus, Suman Sharma. “I sung the track ‘From this moment’ at the festival. This was in fact my third attempt at the national level. In 2007, I got a third prize. I was not lucky enough last year as I had to return as a runners-up,” she revealed.

Daughter of a businessman, she says that no one in her family had been into singing. “It is perhaps due to the fact that I have been born and brought up in the culturally alive city of Kolkata that I developed this passion. My first stage performance was in my school in Kolkata when I was in Class VII. I have been singing since that time on. I have not had any formal training because of my studies, but I earnestly desire to take classes in Indian classical music,” she said, adding that she enjoyed listening to Asha Bhosle’s hit numbers.

Jalandhar, February 11
It is one of the worst kept memorials in the city. Built up in the memory of Giani Lal Singh, who had his contribution in the freedom struggle, the memorial located right in front of the district administrative complex is more like an eyesore.

Families of migrants repairing bumpers at BMC Chowk have encroached upon the memorial site. Tattered clothes and blankets cover the entire circumference of the structure that came up just five years back. Huge sacks filled up with junk lie all around the memorial. The families cook food, play cards and sleep at the same site.

The maintenance of the structure has been ignored to such an extent that two fountains erected on either side of the memorial have stopped working. There are not lights to illuminate the area.

Ironically, Tejinder Singh Bittu, former president of District Congress Committee and former chairman of Jalandhar Improvement Trust, is the grandson of the man in whose memory the structure has been created. When contacted, Bittu said that his grandfather had participated in the independence struggle. “He played a vital role in the Jail Bharo Andolan. Till the time our party was in rule, we had maintained the memorial very well. It is in a bad shape ever since the SAD-BJP government came to power,” he started the blame game.

Asked why the bust had not erected till date, he said that it had been deliberately avoided to check any further disgrace of the monument. “I have asked the Municipal Corporation to allow us to maintain it, but we have not received any approval for the same”, he pointed out. Viney Bublani, commissioner, MC, said he was not sure whether the area fell under the prerogative of the Improvement Trust or MC. “If it is under MC’s ambit, we will have now qualms in handing it over to the family”, he claimed.

Jalandhar, February 11
The Additional Jalandhar Bench of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Kapurthala, has directed Oriental Insurance Company Limited to pay the claim to the legal heirs of accident victim.

The insurance company was in denial mode on the basis that deceased Amandeep Singh, who met with an accident and expired while driving his Scorpio Car, did not have a valid license to drive a SUV car.

However, the bench declared the case in favour of mother of Amandeep, who is also complainant in the case, on the basis that mechanism of both the vehicles for which the license was obtained and one, which was being driven, was the same.

While directing the Company to pay Rs five lakh to the legal heirs of the deceased, the bench declared, “As mechanism of both vehicles Mahindra Scorpio and motor car is the same, company is liable to pay compensation.”