Gurdaspur, August 13
The fear of diarrhoea spreading its tentacles in Gurdaspur district has sent officials of the Civil Hospital on an overdrive as the disease during the past 72 hours has claimed the lives of three children in Kalanaur town, 20 km from here.

Three children, including a brother and a sister, allegedly died due to diarrhoea in the localities of Nawa Katra and Balmiki Mohalla in Kalanaur town. This development has spurred the health authorities into action and the Civil Surgeon, for the second day, visited the affected areas at Kalanaur.

The siblings, who have been identified as Vedika and Sahilpreet, and Krishna died after they allegedly consumed water from hand pumps in their respective localities. Health department sources reveal that the water drawn from the hand pumps is highly contaminated and despite repeated warnings by health officials from time to time, people still use water from hand pumps.

A team led by Civil Surgeon Dr Dalip Kumar and comprising of epidemiologist Dr Adarshjot Kaur and District Immunisation Officer (DIO) Dr J.N. Mehta visited the affected township and distributed packets of oral rehydration solution (ORS).

The team collected 27 water samples, including from the affected hand pumps. The reports of the samples are still awaited.

The team also distributed pamphlets, although these did not have much effect on the locals as a majority of whom are uneducated and illiterate.“Such paperwork means nothing to these people whose first need is to have safe drinking water,” remarked Ajmer Singh, who was affected last time when water-borne diseases had threatened the region.

Hoshiarpur, August 13
On the recommendations of Deputy Superintendent of police (R) Harwinder Singh Parmar, after investigation into the death of Gian Chand of Khanpur Thiara, the Bulhowal police on Wednesday evening booked the deceased’s wife Kulwinder Kaur and her paramour Maninder Singh of the same village under section 302 of the IPC.

According to police sources, Gian Chand died on May 6 under mysterious circumstances and was cremated by Kulwinder Kaur.

Gian Chand’s sisters Kamla Devi, wife of Amarjit Singh of Manko (Adampur), and Bimla Devi, wife of Satnam Singh of Hajipur, made a joint complaint to the police about the causes of the death of their brother.

During investigations by the DSP (R), it emerged that Kulwinder Kaur had illicit relations with Maninder Singh. They presumed that Gian Chand was the main obstruction in their relations.

To eliminate Gian Chand, they hatched a conspiracy and gave him a poisonous substance in some edible material. No arrest has been made so far in the case.

Jalandhar, August 13
Giving a fillip to the campaign against the illegal sale and purchase of habit-forming drugs by retail chemist shops, the state drug controlling authorities today cancelled the licences of four more chemist shops in the city.

With these cancellations, the total number of licence cancellation in Jalandhar city only has risen to 11 as seven licences of the chemists, involved in the sale of such drugs, have already been cancelled in the past few months.

Confirming the termination of a few more licences in the coming days, State Assistant Drug Controller Ajay Singla said the licences of four chemists, including Sai Baba Medical Store, Adda Khambra, and Shri Sharda Medical Store, Basti Danishmandan locality, had been cancelled.

“As the state authorities are receiving repeated complaints of such chemists, a large number of such cancellations are already in the pipeline,” said Singla. On the other hand, Drug Inspector Kulwinder Singh said the district authorities had received confirmation of only two cancellations. He said the licences of Luthra Medical Store and Mediking Medicose, located in Basti Shiekh and Model Town localities, respectively, were cancelled by the state licensing authorities.

He said habit-forming drugs from both the shops were seized in May and June and the owners were served the show-cause notices on June 23 by the drug authorities. “Both the chemists failed to submit the reply to the notice, hence invited cancellation of their licences,” said Inspector.

Phagwara, August 13
The Punjab Government has sounded a high alert throughout the state and instructed Civil Administration and police at sub-divisional and District levels to constant watch and take all steps to prevent any clash or confrontation between the followers of Guru Ravi Dass and Guru Granth Sahib.

A circular from the ADGP (Intelligence) has been sent to Divisional Commissioners, IGs of all zones, DIGs, Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners, SSPs, AIGs Zonals of CID wing, in which it was clearly apprehended that there might be confrontation and clashes between both the factions as and when any attempt was made to install ‘Amrit Bani’ in any Guru Ravi Dass Gurdwara in place of Guru Granth Sahib.

The circular (a copy of which is available with the Tribune) confirmed that Guru Ravi Dass Dharam Yudh Morcha, Guru Ravi Dass Force, Dalits youth federations, and few other associate groups are spearheading campaign for installation of ‘Amrit Bani’, a religious holy book of newly raised “Ravidassia Religion” in the Guru Ravi Dass Gurdwaras/ Mandirs, but the Sikh Community having faith in Guru Granth Sahib are strongly opposing installation. Both the factions had already confronted each other in two villages in Jalandhar district.

In the circular it was cleared that aforementioned Dalit organisations had organised a protest march in Jalandhar on August 11, submitted a memorandum to Divisional Commissioner Jalandhar requesting for stoppage of interference by the administration in the installation of ‘Amrit Bani’, while Dalit leaders had announced in the march to observe Independence Day as Black Day.

The Tribune has learnt from the circular that Ravidassias had also threatened to install ‘Amrit Bani’ at different places, including Phagwara, on Independence Day and even announced to observe ‘Shaheedi Diwas’ of Swami Ramanand at Phagwara on December 22.

Baba Harnam Singh, chief of Damdami Taksal, has called for raising ‘Doaba Samaj Sudhar Youth Wing Sansthan’ and constituting 10-member committees in the villages to check those who are showing disrespect and replacing Guru Granth Sahib with Amrit Bani in gurdwaras.