Jalandhar, February 16
The recent proposal of the Local Bodies Ministry, to offer incentives to vacant plot holders, in lieu of opening parking lots in congested areas, has drawn flak from city residents.

Residents feel that the scheme is totally non-viable for there are no vacant plots in congested areas.Wherever there are plots, there is no parking problem either, they say.

Even the officials agree to this for they say they haven’t received any query ever since the scheme was announced by Minister Manoranjan Kalia on Saturday last.

The commuters frequenting to market areas such as Model Town, Rainak Bazaar, Milap Chowk and BMC area, find it extremely difficult to park their cars. Sometimes the cars get so haphazardly parked that traffic gets choked, creating a lot of chaos.

A resident of Adarsh Nagar, Varinder Sharma, too opines, “If at all there are any plots available in busy areas, these are disputed and can certainly not be put to use. In any case, no one will use his prime land for parking. He will rather use it for a more profitable venture such as opening a showroom or an office site”.

Tejwant Singh, a resident of Model Town, pointed out, “The scheme might not be of help here for the citizens of Jalandhar are not in the habit of parking their vehicles in designated areas about a kilometer away from the shopping centres. They would rather push in for a place right in front of the shop they would want to go to. Perhaps that is the reason why the recently-constructed basement parking lots at PNB Chowk and Jyoti Chowk are hardly used by commuters to Rainak Bazaar.”

Many also believe that the scheme would rather be misused by people who would try to avail the incentives of getting house tax waivers, exemption from getting CLU and liberty to go to minus three level for constructing a basement for their multi-storey buildings in the garb of starting a parking lot construction.

Minister Kalia and Principal Secretary C Roul had announced that no house tax would be charged for a period of 10 years and no change of land use charges will be levied for any one ready to start a parking lot in his vacant plot in a busy area.

Kalia had further announced incentives for those constructing multi-level parking lots. “The Floor Area Ratio of 1:3 is maximum in Punjab, which will be enhanced by 50 per cent. Number of basements which are normally allowed up to two levels below ground, will be allowed without any restriction, subject to safety norms and technical feasibility. Only constructed parking lots will be allowed to display advertisements without payment of advertisement charges, except advertisement tax, for a period of 10 years.” 

Jalandhar, February 16
Along with a few other schemes of the Department of Social Welfare, a much obscured scheme of the Samaj Kalyan Kendras is also bearing the brunt of government negligence. In this district alone, 10 out of total 17 such centres are lying defunct due to shortage of staff.

These centres are aimed at imparting free one-year training of sewing and knitting to girls belonging to Scheduled Caste families living below the poverty line. Creches and adult education programmes are also being run in these centres. Sewing machines are disbursed free of cost among 20 girls in each centre with an aim to promoting self-employment of girls.

Currently these centres are running at Lalhiyaan, Saidpur, Gehlrha, Varyana, Tagharh, Saidchak and Maanko village of the district. However, other 10 village centres are out of operation. Sources revealed that continuous shortage of staff and no recruitment for the last few years had turned the situation worse.

Officials of the department also cite the same reason for the situation. “We cannot say that centres are out of operation. We have given additional charge to staff working in the nearby centres to look after the centres running with crunched staff,” said Rajinder Singh, District Social Welfare Officer.

“However, some centres are running without required staff as employees are retiring every year but new staff is yet to be recruited. But our staff is trying their level best to keep the centres functional,” he added.

“Ten non-operational centres suggest that nearly 200 girls are failing to avail themselves of the benefits of this scheme in Jalandhar district alone every year. Schemes devised for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes are already providing very less as compared to what these categories required. Unavailability of even these very benefits are making it crystal clear that successive governments are not interested in the welfare of these castes and classes,” said an insider.

The staff of such centres comprise of a instructor and a helper. Ironically, the department is bound to suspend the services of the centre if any one of these members discontinue service due to one reason or another.

School students pass through sewege-filled streets of the Shivpuri Mohalla in Phagwara. Photo by writer

They submitted a detailed memorandum to SDM Paul, who assured early action and instructed the Nagar Council authorities to immediately take action to redress the problems of the residents of the affected localities.

Paul also instructed the NC officials to make arrangements for spray in the localities.

Meanwhile, Phagwara SDM Amarjeet Paul has instructed the officials of Phagwara Nagar Council to regularise more than 150 illegal water connections, of the residents of nearby Sham Nagar village to adress the problems of the residents of local Shiv Puri.

SDM Paul who visited the affected localities facing severe problems of stagnating dirty sewerage water, also assured the villagers that no arrears and road cutting charges would be charged from these villagers.

Paul instructed the Nagar Council officials to make adequate arrangements for the disposal of the water. Later the SDM visited nearby Chachoki village to assess the situation which arose after the ponds lands were acquired by the National Highways Authority, engaged in the six-laning of highways. He assured the people that the required steps would soon be taken for the disposal of dirty pond water.

Jalandhar, February 16
After having run from pillar to post in her efforts to get some justice for herself, Punam Rani, a resident of Haler village in Mukerian sub-division, who had lost her husband and two kids in a road accident in 2008, has finally knocked at the doors of the Punjab State Women’s Commission alleging that her in-laws had deceived her and were not ready to give her share in the family’s property.

Punam, it was learnt, had lost her husband Ajay Kumar and her two sons when the scooter they were riding had met with an accident on April 17, 2008.

She had got so traumatised over the incident that she had almost lost her consciousness and had remained admitted in a Jalandhar hospital for months together. As if this was not enough, another shock was in store for her when she returned to her in-laws’ home in Haler village and was curtly told by her in-laws that she had no rights over the property and belongings of her husband, after having been told to sign some documents in a court.

“They took me to court saying that they needed my signatures for some government aid. When we came home, my two brother-in-laws started persuading me that I should re-marry.

When I refused, they insisted that I will have to do so as I don’t have any property or money in my name.

Not only this, my in-laws have usurped the insurance money of my husband and all of his money which he had invested in his small clothing trade.

All I want is that someone should investigate the whole matter and the truth will come to the fore,” pleaded Punam Rani in her letter to the Punjab State Women’s Commission.

Kapurthala, February 16
Change in the functioning of police divisions at the grassroots level is necessary to bring about reforms in the working of the police.

Retired Director General of India’s Bureau of Police Research and Development Dr. Kiran Bedi stated this while talking to media persons after presiding over the annual prize distribution function at the Hindu Kanya College here on Tuesday.

Raman Magsaysay awardee, Dr. Bedi said community policing might play a vital role in bringing changes in the behaviour of police personnel.

Commenting on domestic violence on women, she said only awareness about laws and rights could save women from domestic violence.

Earlier, she gave away prizes to 693 students during her brief stay at the college for about 40 minutes.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, she emphasised that students should devote themselves to studies as it would help them in enhancing their knowledge as knowledge is power.

She narrated her example of hard working, determination, discipline, self-confidence and time management as keys to success in life.

Dr. Bedi further said she was an all-rounder in the college and won the all-rounder trophy for four times. She advised students to find out their hobbies and inculcate them.

After distributing prizes and her brief speech, she interacted with students and went to Jalandhar to preside over some other functions there. College Principal Dr. Archna Garg was present on the occasion.

Jalandhar, February 16
A ‘Goodwill Camp’ for Aviation Safety Awareness was organised by Air Force Station, Adampur, at Chomu village today. The camp was inaugurated by Air Commodore H.S. Arora, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station in the presence of village sarpanch, member of Panchayat, villagers and schoolchildren.

The aviation safety awareness team interacted with the local villagers and schoolchildren and highlighted the importance of keeping the surroundings clean, as garbage thrown in the open attracts birds, which poses direct threat to the safety of the aircrafts.

Jalandhar, February 16
Keeping with the commitment to provide opportunities to the students of global standards, Principal of Wolver Hampton Primary School, United Kingdom, visited the Cambridge International School for Girls.

School Principal Deepa Dogra said teachers of both the schools would plan lessons and demonstrations, which will be directly transmitted to classroom through video conferencing and web camera. It will be interesting for students of both the countries as it will bring the real classroom into one another’s school, she said.

Principal of Wolver Hampton Primary School, Kieth Rogers, who was in Cambridge School today said technology was not about using passive videos and make learner dependent on taking information from the software. It is about connecting people in education and learning from each other, he added.

The areas of mutual teaching are mathematics, science, languages and special education, said Rogers.

Jalandhar, February 16
After the death of nearly 15 cattle and calves in the past four days, a team of Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory today visited cowshed Pinjar Poll at Bulandpur near Jalandhar.

Though doctors have taken the blood and smear samples of dead animals to ascertain the cause of the disease, they are of the view that the three animals which died today had poisonous fodder.

“We have taken the nine samples and final diagnosis can only be made after laboratory analysis. However, chances are that the animals died because of nitrate poisoning after having nitrate rich fodder”, said Joint Director of RDDL Dr. Arun Kumar.

When asked about the cause of the death of animals, which died yesterday and day before, he said information pertaining to the deteriorating health of animals was received only today.

However, Dr. Harjeet Singh, who is associated with Cowshed, denied any animal death before today.

Another doctor, requesting anonymity, admitted that few animals had died yesterday and day before but only due to chronic illness.

On the other hand Deepak Jyoti, a resident of Kot Kishen Chand, who voluntarily visited the cowshed everyday, claimed that animals have continuously been dying in the cowshed.

“A few animals were suffering from chronic illness. Animals have died suddenly in the last few days. Nearly 15 animals have died in last few days,” he claimed. 

Kapurthala, February 16
The Congress has criticised proposed setting up of a polytechnic college at Begowal in Kapurthala and blamed Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal “of misusing central funds for political gains”.

Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said the CM was going ahead with the laying of foundation stone of Rs 14-crore polytechnic college at Begowal on Wednesday ignoring merit and merely with political motives.

Begowal has already four graduation degree colleges in a radius of 8 kms and one ITI at the village. Maqsoodpur is barely four kms. Besides a government-aided college, there is a government degree college at Bholath, hence Khaira suggested setting up this polytechnic college at Jatike village in the Dhilwan belt. For setting up this college the gram Panchayat had passed a resolution on December 12 last year giving 8 acres land free of cost to the state government, he added. Jatike village was a part of ‘Bet’ area and backward in terms of higher education, he added.

Jalandhar, February 16
The project of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in the state is hanging fire with the Department of Health and Family Welfare yet to procure 4,000 mobile phone sets and other logistic services.

Under the project, aimed at revolutionising the existing channels of intra-departmental database communication, mobile phone sets were to be provided to health personnel posted in all 2,858 health sub-centres across Punjab.

To implement the project, the idea of which was floated last year, bids were invited by the department in August and November last year and on January 15 this year. However, the department failed to get an appropriate response from the bidders even after inviting tenders last year.

Though the department is claiming that the technical bid has been finalised after getting a “good” response after the tender notice of January 15, but going by the ground realities it is certain that the project would be delayed for another few months.

Admitting the delay, state Project Director, NRHM, Arun Aggarwal said the earlier bidders were not able to meet the technical requirements of the project.

“The issue of some technical compatibilities had to be resolved. However, we have finalised the operator now. But it will take at least one month or two to get the project on the road,” he added.

Sources revealed that project had been in doldrums for the past many months as issues regarding the annual maintenance contract and alternative services, like when mobile phone sets and servers break down, were not resolved.

Once equipped with mobile phone sets installed with a unique software, Auxiliary Nursing Midwives (ANMs) posted in each sub-centre, will have to send daily report of their work directly to the head office, which, eventually would forward it to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.