Jalandhar, August 17
To minimise the chances of copying during the examination in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) run schools, the board has decided to circulate 30 different sets of questions papers to the schools for the first semester examination of class IX and X this year.

Last year, only eight sets of question papers were provided to schools.

The step has been taken to effectively enforce the decision taken by the CBSE last year, though the board had decided to frame the different sets of questions papers of its own, which were earlier set by the school managements themselves.

The leap was taken to universalise and regulate the standard of examination and subsequently the results, as the authorities were of the opinion that there was a marked gap in the standards of exams conducted by the different schools.

However, the discretion to independently formulate the date sheet for semester examinations of class IX and X remained with the school managements.

Confirming the development, DR Yadav, Regional Officer, CBSE, Panchkula said due to the limited number of question paper sets last year, there was a frequent repetition of question papers.

“As there was no uniform date sheet, it happened that a particular question paper distributed in one school of the city was also circulated in another school of the same city but on another date. Hence, the chances of paper leakage were high”, he added.

Earlier, a compact disc, consisting of only eight different sets of question papers, was provided to the school and a unique log-in code was given to schools to access one of the eight sets of question papers. This year, the modus operandi would remain the same but the number of question papers has been increased.

“Moreover, the question papers would be date specific. Only one set of question papers can be accessed on particular date”, added Yadav.

Kapurthala, August 17
Taking strong note of the poor quality of mid-day-meal being supplied to the primary schools of the district, Kapurthala DC Raj Kamal Chaudhary has directed Civil Surgeon Dr Harvinder Singh and DEO (elementary) KK Airi to take action against the erring contractors.

The DC issued directions on Tuesday, after getting a report in this regard, from a six-member inquiry team including ADC (general), SDM Phagwara, District Education officer (elementary), SMO Phagwara, CDPO Phagwara and BPEO Phagwara.

The report, a copy of which has been procured by The Tribune, confirmed rat droppings in the mid day meal in the primary schools of Phagwara and Sultanpur Lodhi on August 10. The team members visited different primary schools in the district and found complaints of school children and parents regarding the supply poor quality mid day meal to school children.

The team was set up after complaints and protests by the parents and students of various primary schools on August 10.

The team also stated, in its report, the presence of insects in the mid day meal being supplied by a firm. Expressing concern regarding the poor quality of the meal, it was also clearly mentioned in the report that this type of meal might cause deaths of students. Shockingly, the meal was cooked in the night and was being supplied to schools on the forthcoming day and was unfit for human consumption, the report stated.

The team members, on August 11, visited the place located at Khurmpur village on Hoshairpur Road in Phagwara where the food was cooked and found it was stinking. Chaudhary directed the DEO (elementary) to bring it to the notice of higher authorities to take immediate action on the report.

Jalandhar, August 17
As many as 20 new cases of severe diarrhoea have been diagnosed at the Chandan Nagar locality of Kartarpur town. The extent of the disease is so severe that all the patients were hospitalised and are undergoing treatment. Two patients suffering from sever diarrhoea were also admitted to the civil hospital, Jalandhar, yesterday.

Talking to The Tribune, District Epidemiological Officer, Dr TP Singh, said the consumption of contaminated water was the likely reason behind such a large number of cases of severe diarrhoea.

He said 16 patients were undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital, Kartarpur and 3-4 patients are also getting treated at private hospitals in the city.

Though two cases of severe diarrhoea from Kartarpur were reported to the civil hospital, Jalandhar, yesterday, the local health authorities refuted any outbreak. However, the depth of problem was only ascertained today when the survey teams of the health department visited the locality and found over 20 cases of severe diarrhoea.

District Health Officer Dr RL Wassan, said around 200 households were surveyed today and 4,000 chlorine tablets were distributed to the population residing there. He said four water and stool samples have been collected and have been sent for microbiological examinations.

He said water supply channels supplying water to the locality have been blocked and water is being supplied through alternative water tanks of pure water. 

Nawanshahr, August 17
Daljit Singh Cheema, adviser to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, criticised the Central Government for laying down “wrong” parameters for the utilisation of various funds and execution of construction work of railway overbridges “thus affecting the plan of strengthening dhussi bundhs along the rivers to thwart the fury of floods and halting the pace of infrastructural development started by the SAD-BJP government in the state.”

Cheema visited the town to inaugurate Apex Superspecility Hospital. He also visited the residences of senior SAD leaders Resham Singh Thiara, Manjinder Singh Walia and the Industrial Focal Point here and heard the grievances of the people.

“It is a paradox that the funds to the tune of Rs 2,200 crore were lying with the government but due to the parameters laid down by the Centre the funds could not be spent for the prevention of floods,” he said adding that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had repeatedly been pressing upon the Centre to relax the parameters so that the funds could be utilised for preventing the floods, but nothing concrete was done.

“Had the Centre paid heed to the suggestions put forth by the CM, the people of several districts in the state would have been saved from the fury of floods consequently saving the state from the damage of crops worth crores,” he said.

“It is paradoxical as well as illogical that, first the Centre waits for the floods to play havoc with the people so that they could utilise the funds lying with it for carrying out relief and rescue operation than to utilise the funds for preventing such a disastrous situation”.

"Besides, the pace of development of infrastructure in the state is being hindered by the 'wrong parameters' of issuing separate tenders by the Railways for joining the spans for the construction of Railway Over Bridges", he further lamented adding that the CM had repeatedly brought the problem into the notice of the Union Ministry of Railways pressing upon them that the work of joining the span to complete the Railway Over Bridge should be assigned to the contractor who had been assigned the work to construct the flyover so that the problem of undue delay in completing the work could be curtailed, but to no avail.

Hoshiarpur, August 17
Hoshiarpur MP Santosh Chaudhary raised the plight of safai karamcharis in Parliament today. Talking from New Delhi, she said she raised the sorry plight of safai sewaks. They had to carry excreta on their heads even after 64 years of independence, she said.

Majority of the karamcharis were doing work either on contract or through mohalla committees and were not getting salary even according to minimum wages fixed by the government. Thousands of posts of safai karamcharis were lying vacant in various municipal corporations, municipal councils, Railways and other government departments.

She urged the minister concerned to instruct all the state governments to fill vacant posts of safai karamcharis.