Jalandhar, February 21
The Railway Ministry has been neglecting Punjab for the past 62 years, BJP MP from Amritsar Navjot Sidhu stated this during his visit to the residence of Jalandhar Mayor Rakesh Rathour here today.

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Sidhu said the Railways had not even laid a 50-metre track in Punjab since Independence.

“What to talk of other things, the department has even failed to connect its capital Chandigarh with Punjab through rail during the 62 years of Independence,” He said.

“Punjab is the only state in the country which has a capital which lies unconnected with the state through a rail link.” Indicating negligible jobs to Punjabis in the biggest job providing department of the Railways, he said he would raise a question in Parliament during debate on the rail budget and ask as to what formula was being adopted to fill the vacancies in the department. He would also ask how many Punjabis had been appointed and how many were presently working with the 
Railways, he added.

Reiterating his demand of extending a dedicated freight corridor of Mumbai-Ludhiana to Amritsar to provide its benefit to the business and industrial community of the Doaba and Majha regions, he said Makhu and Qadian should also be linked through a rail track with Ferozepur and Beas, respectively.

Sidhu demanded starting of a Rajdhani train between New Delhi and Amritsar.

Stating that the connectivity of neglected areas through rail was the key to success, he said if the government could spend Rs 40,000 crore under the NREGA every year to uplift the rural poor, it should celebrate the next financial year as a railway year for the overall development of the different areas and should earmark Rs 60,000 crore for laying rail tracks in the entire country as India was lagging in this department as compared to China.

Providing figures, he said India could lay a rail track of just 10,000 km during the past 62 years since 1947, whereas China had laid 51,000 km track in the same period.

Jalandhar, February 21
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has passed an order directing a doctor at Vardaan Medical Centre here to pay up Rs 75,000 as damages to a Phillaur-based patient for not conducting a third IVF test on her, despite an assurance.

In her complaint, Rajinder Kaur, a resident of Sarhali in Phillaur, had said she was childless and had contacted the doctor for a treatment on July 13, 2007. She said she was told that she would be able to conceive after the treatment. She alleged that she was told that she would be charged for IVF treatment for two times only and would be given third IVF treatment free of cost.

The plaintiff said she was charged Rs 2,23,450 against receipts from her on various dates. “In spite of payment, I was also charged Rs 80,000 on August 17, 2007, for eggs and Rs 2 lakh for special treatment that the child must be male on August 24, 2007. Again on October 13, 2007, Rs 80,000 were taken for eggs, but no receipt was issued for these payments. But the report of the second IVF test also came negative,” she wrote in her complaint before the forum.

She alleged that when she and her mother requested the doctor to give her further treatment free of cost, he refused. Thereafter, they contacted Virk Hospital on November 7, 2007, took treatment and conceived twins. The twins were born at Dhami Hospital on November, 2008.

The forum, represented by president A.K. Sharma and member Rakesh Kumari, served a notice to the doctor at Vardaan Medical Centre but he failed to file a written statement despite being given four opportunities. No one appeared in person or through the counsel and he was proceeded against ex parte.

The forum observed, “There is no contrary medical record produced by the complainant that treatment taken by her was absolutely wrong. No test report from Virk Hospital has been produced as evidence accepting the medication, which could be a pointer to negligence of the doctor. The conception and birth of twins may also be possible with the delayed effect of medical treatment given by the hospital.

We do not find convincing evidence to substantiate the charge of medical negligence on the sheer basis that conception had not taken place immediately after the treatment.”

The forum further stated, “However, the other allegation about refusal of the hospital to give free treatment to conduct IVF test after failure of the first two tests cannot be ignored. No one had come forward to give any rebuttal evidence. Though medical negligence is not proved, we find deficiency in service for not conducting third IVF test despite assurance for which we pass ex parte award for Rs 70,000 and Rs 5,000 as cost of litigation.”

Hoshiarpur, February 21
The illicit relations of his wife has forced an Army personnel to kill her. In a press note here today, SSP Parmod Ban stated that Prem Chand of Itian village, an Army personnel, was arrested in connection with the murder of his wife Meena Devi today.

It was stated that on the intervening night of February 19 and 20, two persons entered the house of Meena Devi, while she was sleeping, with an intention of theft. On listening noise, Meena Devi woke up and raised an alarm. Both assaulted her with sharp-edged weapon, killing her on the spot.

Tarn Taran, February 21
The historic township of Tarn Taran, which was made a district about three and a half years back, is being discriminated against by the state government from so many sides.

It can be said that the district is being run with a single hand as many important posts are lying vacant. Though one has to say the district is lucky enough to have at least the Deputy Commissioner (Khushi Ram).

All the other important posts like that of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (General), GA to DC (of PCS level), Public Grievances Officer (PGO) and the District Revenue Officer (DRO) have been lying vacant for quite some time.

The district has three subdivisions, besides Tarn Taran. The other two are Khadoor Sahib and Patti. The district has only one SDM against three posts.

Bakhtawar Singh, who is SDM, Tarn Taran, has been given the additional charge of SDM, Patti, and GA to DC.

Though the post of PGO has been lying vacant, no official has been given the additional charge. The same is the case with the post of the DRO. The DRO has gone on long leave, but no substitute has been arranged in his absence.

Most of the district headquarters offices have been running without buildings and basic infrastructure.

Though the foundation stone was laid to construct the District Administrative Complex (DAC) by Capt Amarinder Singh, then Chief Minister, not even a single brick has been laid there as yet.

The situation is no better in the judicial arena. More than a year back, a Justice from the Punjab and Haryana High Court had visited the town to inspect the site for the judicial complex and also approved the site, but nothing has been undertaken positively.

The township of Muktsar, which was made a district after Tarn Taran, has been given the post of the District and Sessions Judge but Tarn Taran is unlucky, though three Additional District and Sessions Judges have been working here.

The historic town has been discriminated against by the SGPC too as the construction of the hospital it announced to construct here goes on but at a snail’s pace.