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Poor arrangements haunt PSEB examinees
‘Punjabi culture has deep influence on Bollywood’
Photo: Vishal Kumar |
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Ward 31
The roads at industrial focal point in Ward 31 have turned into water ponds. Photo: Vishal Kumar
Jallianwala Massacre: ‘New perspective needed’
Sidhu tells MC
chief
‘Hospitalised ETT teachers not given proper treatment’
Leftists, trade unions protest against price rise
Patient’s Haemoglobin Count
Int’l membership grant for GND varsity prof
Fill vacant posts of principal: School lecturers
Biz Buzz
More arrests in BKU leader murder case
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Poor arrangements haunt PSEB examinees
Chohla Sahib (Tarn Taran),
March 5 According to information collected by this correspondent from different examination centres in the area yesterday, it was observed that the PSEB not only failed to appoint adequate staff for supervision but there was also no arrangement of desks, besides drinking water and toilets for girl students. There are two blocks each at Government Secondary School (Boys) and Government Girls Secondary School (Girls). About 900 examinees have been appearing at the boys’ school. It required four deputy superintendents and 22 supervisors, besides one superintendent and 16 supervisors and the same staff for the girls’ examination centre. Against these 50 staff members, the board has appointed only two deputy superintendents and two supervisors. The school staff had to manage staff on their own where some instructions of the board have been violated in routine. The school does not even have the required number of rooms to make the examinees sit. There should be 22 rooms for the examinees, whereas the school has only 17 rooms. Most of the students (examinees) were forced to sit on the floor. Rasal Singh, Principal of the school and controller of the examination centre, said that observing problems in the policy of the board, he wrote a letter to the board authorities that in case of lapses in conducting smooth examinations, the responsibility would be of the board. The same was the position in the centre at the girls’ school of the township where 750 examinees have been appearing. Manjit Kaur, Principal-cum-controller, said due to a shortage of desks and benches, students were made to sit on the ground. Girl examinees were seen sitting on the ground at the examination centre of Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Sarhali, 22 km from here. The same position prevailed at the examination centres at Government Secondary School, Naushehra Pannuan, Goindwal Sahib, Nagoke, Ekal Gadda, Kirtowal, Khadoor Sahib, Bath, Kang and others. A piquant situation arose at Government Secondary School, Goindwal Sahib, when some outsiders quarrelled on the school premises during the examination. Outside interference was also observed at Naushehra Pannuan, Chohla Sahib, Bath, Nagoke, Ekal Gadda and other centres. D.K. Mahia, District Education Officer (SE), was of the view that a shortage of staff was observed at certain centres and the district authorities had to make on-the-spot arrangements. |
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Development an unknown term here
P.K. Jaiswar/Tribune News Service
Amritsar, March 5 “Since we are Congress supporters, our area is left out for superfluous reasons. They say our area does not exist on paper. If it is so, how come the sewerage got laid in our locality,” said Inderjit Walia of Jawahar Nagar. The condition of the adjoining Chugian Wali Gali in Rajindera Nagar is even worse. The area did not even have basic facilities like sewerage, water supply, road and streetlights. “We spent from own pockets to level streets by filling earth while there is no hope for development in the near future,” said another resident, Amar. Entering from the GT Road, the main road of Rajindera Nagar is still awaiting completion. The pebble road was laid before the parliamentary elections. “I can only repent my decision to purchase land and build a house here. Now I am suffering as there is no facility here. The authorities make false promises while only the Municipal Corporation knows when the road would be constructed,” said Ranjit Singh. These areas fall on the Amritsar-Mehta road just close to the Maqboolpura area, infamous for bootlegging and drug addiction. Another resident, preferring anonymity, alleged that the law and order situation is not up to the mark as bootlegging and drug addiction go unchecked. Other areas which fall in the ward include Dalip Avenue, Dashmesh Avenue, Subhash Colony, Ujagar Nagar, Bhai Laloji Nagar, Rana Garden, Baba Budda Avenue, Darshan Avenue and prominent ones are New Amritsar and Industrial Focal Point. New Amritsar
Contrary to its
name, the conditions at New Amritsar are no better than the old city
when it comes to providing basic facilities. The tall claims of the
local administration, including the Amritsar Improvement Trust, of
establishing the complex as a replica of posh localities like Ranjit
Avenue, fall flat as potholed roads welcome the visitors. The area also
hogged limelight over the transfer of a major chunk of land to private
colonisers with the alleged connivance of the powers-to-be at that
time. Out of the original 275-acre scheme launched in 1996, only 156
acres were left, while the remaining land was exempted by the
consecutive governments. The SAD-BJP government reportedly exempted 87
acres, while the Congress government let off 32.10 acres to colonisers.
People have to walk to far away places or have to depend on markets on
the main GT Road for their basic needs. Amritsar Industrial Focal
Point
The problems of road and infrastructure are likely to be solved
with the release of Rs 5 crore for repair and carpeting of roads and
other purposes by the state government. However, in the absence of a
power substation, earmarked for the focal point, entrepreneurs here have
to shell out exorbitant electricity bills due to low-voltage lines.
“Land has been earmarked for the setting up a power substation but
even after nearly two decades, it has failed to come up and repeated
requests to the authorities have fallen on deaf ears,” said Kamal
Dalmia, general secretary of the Amritsar Focal Point Industrial
Association. Besides the power substation, a fire substation and ESI
dispensary are also supposed to come up at the industrial focal point.
“The fire station here could also cater to the industrial area of
East Mohan Nagar and vegetable market at Vallah, which are also
vulnerable to fire accidents,” said D.S. Goraya, president of the
association. In case of a mishap, the fire engines from the Town Hall
area of the walled city are requisitioned. But it takes a lot of time
for them to arrive at an incident spot, he added. Other works which
would be undertaken under this project are upgradation of sewerage,
repair and carpeting of roads, streetlights and improving water facility
by installing another tubewell and setting up of a new disposal, besides
providing pumps, for the existing disposal system. Established in the
early 90s with over 400 industrial units of textile, weaving, yarn,
pharmaceuticals, rubber belts, etc, the industrial focal point
contributes a large chunk of the taxes to the state and the municipal
exchequer but without receiving any advantage. CouncilorSpeak
Refuting
charges of any political discrimination, SAD councillor Ranjit Kaur said
tenders had been passed for CC flooring of the lanes in Jawahar Nagar
and New Jawahar Nagar and work would be started soon. She said
irrespective of any political considerations, the government was working
for overall development of area. She said Chugian Wali Gali could not be
constructed as the area was low-lying. She said work had started for
laying sewerage and carpeting of roads. She would take up the matter of
setting up the power substation, besides ESI dispensary and a fire
substation with the authorities. About New Amritsar, she said the area
came under the Amritsar Improvement Trust and therefore she could not do
much. |
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Jallianwala Massacre: ‘New perspective needed’
Amritsar, March 5 He was delivering keynote address in the one-day national seminar on ‘Jallianwala Bagh Revisited’, sponsored by the UGC and organised by the History Department of Guru Nanak Dev University. Dr Tuteja said the people gathered in the bagh to protest against the anti-Indian policies of British ruler and were not scared of the bullets of the British. He stressed the need to re-assess the Jallianwala Bagh event keeping in view various events unfolding at that time. Dr Raghbir Singh, Dean, Academic Affairs, raised many questions for the consideration of the historians related to the Jallianwala Bagh incident. He said there was a need to review the motives of British Government, behavior of General
Dyer and response of the Indians. He said the massacre forms an important chapter in the Indian freedom struggle and evoked deep feeling of patriotism. He said the martyrs became catalysts for the freedom struggle for the country. Earlier, HoD Dr Sukhwant Singh said there was a dire need for reconsidering the different interpretation about the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy. Dr Sumel Singh Sidhu from Delhi University, Dr Najar Singh, Dr Parambakhshish Singh and Dr S.D. Gajrani from Punjabi University presented their papers. |
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Make list of encroachers public
Neeraj Bagga/TNS
Amritsar, March 5 Meanwhile, Deputy Chief, Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), Kirpal Singh Randhawa filed a contempt petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against Secretary Local Bodies, C Roul, Chairman Improvement Trust MP Arora, Commissioner Municipal Corporation DPS Kharbanda, Deputy Commissioner KS Pannu and the SSP for not obeying the court order for removal of encroachments. The petitioner stated that he filed the contempt of court as the concerned authorities did not comply with the orders of the divisional bench of the High Court passed on November 18, 2008 in response to his plea. The divisional bench of Justice TS Thakur and Justice Jasbir Singh had stated in their judgment that in case the petitioner, or any other citizen for that matter, pointed out any encroachment to the concerned authorities, the complaint ought to be taken note of and suitably dealt with, so that the process of multiple rounds of litigation, for the removal of encroachments, came to an end. They stated that the direction issued by this court in the present proceedings would be deemed to be effective in future, making it unnecessary for this court to issue any further directions in the matter or entertain any other petition on the subject.
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‘Hospitalised ETT teachers not given proper treatment’
Amritsar, March 5 The two ETT teachers, Harjit Kaur and Manpreet Kaur, were among hundreds of other unemployed counterparts from
Kapurthala, who were admitted in the hospital after their health condition deteriorated during the statewide hunger strike against the state government’s inability to provide them jobs. Today when their colleagues went to meet them at Ward No 4 of the hospital, the police personnel deputed there restricted them from meeting the two. Later they were allowed after the intervention of senior police officers. “While entering the ward, we saw that the part of the hospital had been transformed into a mini jail. It was pity to see the heavy police force which was deputed to have an eye on them, as if they were not teachers but hardcore criminals. We were not earlier allowed to meet our counterparts, whose condition were critical”, alleged Germanjit Singh
Batth, an activist of the federation. The federation activists said the tiny room (6 X 12 foot), where the two has been kept, had no ventilation. The activists complained that their colleagues were also not been provided with proper medical treatment. “They were being administered drip only for a day. Even the windows on the rear of the hospital room were not allowed to be opened,” told Devinder Kumar
Hato, president of the federation. Later, a delegation of the federation met Medical Superintendent RPS Boparai to intervene. They demanded to send the two suffering teachers back to the Central Jail, Amritsar. The demand was, however, turned down straightaway by the Medical Superintendent, apparently considering the critical condition of the two teachers. |
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Leftists, trade unions protest against price rise
Amritsar, March 5 The traffic remained suspended at Putlighar Chowk for over an hour. The protesters raised slogans against the UPA government and its anti-people policies. Addressing the gathering the leaders of trade unions alleged that the government had failed in controlling inflation that was hitting the middle class and poor strata of society. They stressed on strengthening the public distribution system in order to control the price
rise. AITUC general secretary Bant Singh Brar alleged that the government had failed on every front. He said it failed to generate employment for unemployed youth and was promoting the contract system that was only benefiting corporate houses only. They demanded a social security fund for farm and
non-organisational labour, besides grant of minimum salary of Rs 10,000 per month for the labour class. Tarn
Taran: Hundred of workers of the Communists Party of India (CPI) took out a rally here today and also blocked traffic protesting price rise. Veteran communist leader Satya Pal Dang called to form a strong workers forum to bring social revolution in the society. He also laid down the foundation stone for the party’s district level office which would be constructed with the donation given by the party workers. The workers marched in the town against price
rise and raised slogans against the Union and state government. Harbhajan Singh, state Secretariat member, raised issues like corruption, unemployment, food scarcity, favouritism among the high-ups levels etc. |
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Patient’s Haemoglobin Count
Amritsar, March 5 Questions are also being raised that had Charanjit relied on the reports of the team of government hospital staff and started medication on their basis, he would have been in more complicated situation. It is evident to mention that Charanjit (53) during an operation to nab terrorists in mid 80s had got his back injured and developed chronic backache problem since then. On March 1, Charanjit went to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) here to get himself examined. He was referred to OPD Ward No 6 Clinic, Pathology Department, under patient ticket No 2561, for getting his haemoglobin examined before further medication. After undergoing the test by a team of doctors, their report showed an acute low haemoglobin at 7.1 gm. After not being satisfied, he insisted on reexamination. “Lab assistant Gurmeet Singh half-heartedly did it and re-testified that the earlier reading of my haemoglobin was correct and my medication would be started on this basis only,” he said. Leaving nothing to chance, Charanjit decided to get the test done for the third time from a private laboratory. He approached Dr Puri Laboratory, Majitha Road, which found his haemoglobin to be absolutely under normal limits. To reconfirm it, Charanjit got the test done for one more time through another private laboratory which also testified his haemoglobin to be quite normal and the reading by the government hospital to be totally false. “When I underwent the test through private labs, my reading at Puri Laboratory and Amritsar Sewa Samiti laboratory came to be between 14.5 -15.8 gm, which was quite normal,” he said. This case has opened the pandora box which speaks volumes about the carelessness and inefficiency on the part of government doctors. Official reactions Dr R.P.S. Boparai, Medical Superintendent, GND Hospital: It is really a serious matter because such an enormous variation in haemoglobin reading cannot be possible. Please ask the patient to see me. It is true that had his medication started on the basis of wrong reading of haemoglobin, the things would have been complicated. Now when it has been brought to my notice, I will instantly inquire into the matter. Dr Balwant Rai, in charge, Pathology Department: Yes, one such case came to my notice when the patient approached me with such a huge variation in the haemoglobin reading. It seems as if his reports got exchanged mistakenly with some other patient. We will inquire where the lapse occurred.
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‘Punjabi culture has deep influence on Bollywood’
Amritsar, March 5 He said big names in production and direction liked to give Punjabi touch in their movies and it has proved to be a hit formula. Interacting with the media, Bachchan, who was here to shoot for a TV programme, said he had no plans to join politics. “I’ll never join politics. I simply don’t understand it,” he said. He said Ravan directed by Mani Ratnam alongside his wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se were among his upcoming movies. However, he preferred not to give further details of the films. He appealed the people to reject pirated CDs and materials as a lot of money is spent on making and promoting a film. He urged the people to fight against piracy that has hit hard Indian film industry. Junior Bachchan who makes his debut on TV said small screen in no way lagged behind the big screen. He said number of audience has increased manifolds now. Meanwhile, he accompanied by his sister Shewta paid obeisance at Golden Temple and performed a sewa besides visiting other holy shrines.
— TNS |
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Int’l membership grant for GND varsity prof
Amritsar, March 5 Each year, the Bethesda-based Association selects five non-US laboratory professionals for membership grant based on their contributions in the field of molecular pathology/diagnostics through a peer reviewed process. Recipients of the grant have their AMP membership dues covered for the calendar year. Members get access to vast scientific resources for the development of their professional goals and are eligible to join or participate in
AMP projects. Expressing hope, Dr Sehajpal said it would help him to make a better contribution to the ongoing revolution in the field of molecular diagnostics by generating novel tools that may help formulate new tests or strategies for the better management of human diseases. Dr Sehajpal is the recipient of several prestigious awards including Sandoz-Transplantation Award of the American Society of Transplant Physicians, Sainion Award in 1996
for salient contributions in the field of applied molecular biology and Ranbaxy Research Award in 1994. His salient research contributions include discovery of an endogenous inhibitor of a protein of AIDS virus. |
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Fill vacant posts of principal: School lecturers
Amritsar, March 5 Union leaders Kanwaljit Singh Majitha and Harbhagwant Singh said in order to uplift the falling standards of education it was necessary to fill the posts. They claimed that these posts have been lying vacant for the past over a decade. They stated that against the spirit of the notification of the Punjab Education Policy 2002 more than two kinds of schools were still in vogue. The policy said there should be only two types of schools elementary and secondary schools. However, four types of schools primary, elementary, high and senior secondary were still imparting education.
— TNS |
AlphaOne outlet
Amritsar: Alpha G:Corp opened its AlphaOne mega retail store in Amritsar. With retail partners like Shoppers’ Stop, Hypercity, Fun Republic and other globally popular brands, AlphaOne is all set to offer goods, services and family outing options to the citizens. Marking its debut in Punjab, Shoppers’ Stop, premier fashion and lifestyle destination, launches its first store in Amritsar at AlfaOne Mall on Friday. It offers a wide selection of merchandise, including food, grocery items, home appliances, clothing, children toys, games and sports, according to Govind Shrikhande, CEO, Shoppers’ Stop Ltd. — TNS
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More arrests in BKU leader murder case
Amritsar, March 5 The seven arrested so
far are Jatinder Singh, sarpanch of Chogawan, Iqbal Singh of Manjh Havelia, Maninder Singh of Chogawan, Suba Singh of Vaniake, Sandeep Singh of Kurala, Dilbagh Singh of Haitampura and Kashmir Singh of Boparai village. |
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Amritsar, March 5
