Jalandhar, December 2
There is a stark difference in the way the MC officials and all politicians deal with the issues related to the illegal colonies. While the Municipal Corporation in its bid to discourage illegal colonisers refuses to lay down roads in unapproved areas until at least 75 per cent of the plot holders pay up development charges, MLAs rather seem to be encouraging the trend by doling out huge sums arbitrarily for the same purpose.

Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia is learnt to have given out grants worth Rs 15 crore in Karol Bagh, Mann Singh Nagar, Preet Nagar and a bunch of other small unauthorised colonies across Chugitti Chowk in the past three years for construction of roads and installation of streetlights and tubewells. Other unapproved colonies falling in his constituency, too, have gone a complete makeover in the recent past.

While the officials refuse to spend a single penny from the MC funds in such areas, the MLAs use all might to make sure that all development funds coming in their areas are primarily spent in their respective constituencies.

Trying to clarify the stand of the politicians on such matters, MLA K.D. Bhandari put the blame on the bureaucrats, “It is the lacuna on the part of the PUDA officials who fail to nab those indulging in setting up unapproved colonies in time. When such colonies come up and people start residing there, it becomes mandatory for the MC to provide sewer and water connection there.”

Further terming the whole exercise as a game to consolidate the votebank, he explained, “Once the people get settled in an area, they become our voters. Whenever we visit such areas, they raise demand for construction of roads, streetlight connections and other infrastructural needs from us, which they cannot get from any other source.”

Congress councillor Balraj Thakur has his own stand on the matter, “No such new unauthorised colony should be allowed to come up at the first place. The government needs to relax conditions to insure that colonisers do not take to the illegal route. But those colonies that are already there need to be taken care of.”

He quoted instances, “As many as 55 per cent of plot holders in Bank Colony falling in my ward have paid up the charges. But they have been denied all facilities as the officials demand 75 per cent payment. But I ask as to what is the fault of the 55 per cent residents who have paid up?”

Jalandhar, December 2
Besides causing financial loss to thousands of families and putting the entire health department on tenterhooks, the dengue outbreak has removed psychological hurdles in voluntary blood donation and has persuaded even those to donate blood, who had pledged not to donate it for their entire life.

The percentage of voluntary blood donation in blood banks has increased since the dengue outbreak.

Usually, the fear of chronic weakness after blood donation and the scare of detection of HIV and other fatal diseases during laboratory screening of blood after donation renders people reluctant about donating their blood.

However, the en masse blood donation during the outbreak has helped people shun such misconceptions and fears, though partially.

Dr Gagandeep Singh, Blood Transfusion Officer, civil hospital, Jalandhar, said before the dengue outbreak, only 2-3 donors per month used to donate blood voluntarily in a blood bank.

“Nowadays, on an average, 1-2 donors, per day, donate blood voluntarily in a blood bank. Moreover, even sections, who earlier never called us for the purpose, have started approaching us to organise blood camps,” said Dr Gagan.

He added that even the number of camps organised by various educational institutes and social organisations has increased after the dengue outbreak.

As per rough estimates made by experts, over 10,000 units of platelets have been donated in various blood banks of the city during the peak outbreak period of two months, from September to October end. Out of this total, over 7,200 donations were made in the blood bank of civil hospital, Jalandhar, alone.

Dr Sanjay Wadhwa, consultant pathologist at Patel hospital said over 2,000 voluntary blood donations through apheresis rocedure were done in the hospital during the peak dengue season.

“These two months were equal to the year-long mass sensitisation campaigns organised to promote voluntary blood donation. Although in compulsion, due to the critical condition of their dengue ridden relatives or friends, people thronged blood banks to donate blood. Such emergency donations turned them volunteer blood donors for ever,” said Dr Wadhwa. 

Jalandhar, December 2
Apprehending threat to life and liberty from their families, a newlywed couple that came for protection at Division No 8 police station suspects that the police is helping the girl’s parents.

Simon, a resident of Lamba Pind, Jalandhar, reportedly solemnised marriage with Veerpal Kaur of Hazi Rattan, Bathinda, at Arya Samaj, Sector 22-A, Chandigarh, as per the Hindu Marriage Act on November 16.

Since the boy and the girl belonged to different religions and got married against the wishes of Veerpal Kaur’s parents, so her parents lodged a “false” case of kidnapping against the boy at Bathinda.

Talking to mediapersons here today, the couple said they approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking protection. The court issued a notice of motion for February 1, 2011. The court also issued interim direction saying that the petitioners would not be forcibly taken in “custody” by any of the respondents.

They said despite getting their statements recorded at Division No 8 police station on November 30, they were again called for the same purpose.

Apprehending foul play, Simon and Veerpal suspect that Veerpal’s parents might have influenced the police so they are being called again for recording their statements. “We can also be victims of honour killing,” said Veerpal Kaur.

Jalandhar, December 2
After losing a long-drawn legal battle, a dejected ex-serviceman from here has now appealed to the President of India to look into his grievances.

Naib subedar (retd) Gurdev Singh said he was retired pre-maturely from the Army on April 30, 1991. He said though he withdrew his request for voluntary retirement on December 1, 1990, he was discharged.

In his case the Supreme Court did not uphold his plea despite the fact several other persons had got relief in similar cases by taking recourse to the law that held that withdrawal for voluntary retirement before the effective retirement date by the employee was a valid ground for withdrawal subsequently. The application could be withdrawn even after it had been accepted by the authorities.

The ex-serviceman has written, “I have run from pillar to post for justice for 19 years. I wonder why I am being prejudiced under the same terms under while several others have got the relief”.

The SC order, in reply to petition for special leave to appeal, reads, “Ordinarily, the petitioner would have retired in 2001 and considering that the petitioner is a farmer, there will be no point in proceeding with the matter as the petitioner cannot be reinstated at this stage or he cannot even be compensated. In the peculiar facts and circumstances, we think that no compensation is to be payable to the petitioner at this stage.” 

Jalandhar, December 2
Nearly 10,000 free eye operations were conducted in different camps held under the aegis of the Lions Eye Hospital Charitable Society, Aadampur, in the last 11 years.

The society has been holding eye camps every year since 1999 and over 9,800 operations of the needy persons have been conducted free of cost so far.

The latest such camp was held on November 21, where 408 were operated upon for various eye diseases. Patients did not only come from parts of Punjab, but also from neighbouring states, including Himachal Pradesh.

District Youth Congress Jalandhar (Rural) president Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary visited the camp.

Applauding the noble act by the Lions Eye Hospital Charitable Society Aadampur, Vikramjit Singh assured its representatives Dashminder Kumar, Amarjit Singh, Mohan Lal and Karamjit Singh that the Youth Congress would not only take active part in the camps in future, but also raise funds for the society to continue its noble act so that more needy patients got the treatment. Later, the Youth Congress activists served dinner to the recovering patients.

Jalandhar, December 2
Police DAV Public School has been awarded International School award by the British Council. It is an accreditation policy which is conferred on the schools for pioneering work in integrating international dimension in the school curriculum. The school curriculum was restructured to add international dimension to it. The students from primary to secondary section were involved in this. The main work areas were activities on biodegradable substances, currency, measurement, folk dance, music instrumental, yoga, imagination of an angel, superstitions and the like. The activities carried out and the related information was exchanged with the partner schools in UK and Sweden.

The award was awarded to the Principal Dr Rashmi Vij on November 21 at Chennai by Mike Nithavrianakis, British Deputy High Commissioner, Southern India, Paul Sellers, Director South India, British Council and Sally Goggin, Director Education - India and Srilanka.

Jalandhar, December 2
The authorities of the Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, today recommended suspension orders for those employees, who have been occupying those residential quarters, which are otherwise meant for the medical officers. The Medical Superintendent has forwarded the recommendation to the Director Health Services, Punjab.

Due to reluctance of such employees in vacating the quarters, the doctors, who sought accommodation in such quarters, were forced stay elsewhere in the city or to commute daily from their native cities. Few of such doctors were waiting for quarter allotment for four to six months.

As per sources, the authorities have recommended suspension of three such employees and the number can increase in coming days.

The matter was brought into the notice of senior health authorities, including the Director, Health, by the doctors and on the direction of health directorate, the medical superintendent office issued them directions to vacate the quarters before November 30 or face suspension.

Confirming the development, Dr Avtar Chand, Medical Superintendent, Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, said such employees failed to vacate the quarters before November 30 and we made strict recommendation for their suspension.

“It is now only up to senior authorities to decide upon the matter. But such employees have to definitely submit the penal rent for all that period they occupied the quarters,” he added.

Such occupants are incurring loss to the state revenue as instead of paying house rent equal to that of medical officers, which is 20 per cent of total of non-practicing allowance, basic pay and dearness pay, they are paying the rent meant for Class III employees, which is 20 per cent of their basic pay only.

Surprisingly, although all such quarters have been occupied since long time, no penal rent has been imposed over such occupants.

Dr JP Singh, Director, Health Services, said he could comment on the issue only after receiving recommendations made by the hospital’s authorities.

Jalandhar, December 2
Showing their magnanimity for welfare of people in their motherland, a group of five NRIs under the banner of the Guru Nanak Mission Awareness Society of British Columbia have donated Rs 1.5 crore for setting up of a charitable hospital at Mithapur village.

The NRIs, Jatinder Jay Minhas of Adampur, Amrik Singh Sangha of Nakodar, Sudarshan Baskhi of Lambran, Manjit Singh Saini and Sarabjit Singh Dhaliwal, both from Hoshiarpur, who are members of the society, are into the construction business in Canada.

While these members had donated Rs 1 crore they had collected from people in their circle in April, 2006, yesterday, they doled out another cheque for Rs 50 lakh. Handing over the amount to the president of the Guru Nanak Mission Trust, Balbir Singh Saini, Minhas said this time the five society members had contributed the amount from their own pockets.

Minhas claims that he was ready to bear the entire expenditure of construction of the five-storey multi-speciality hospital from the society funds. But, he said, “The state government has not been prompt enough to give a matching grant. We have got only the half amount of the grant from the state for the donation we made in 2006.”

The philanthropist NRI has been doing various welfare activities for people in his township. A trust run by his family, Sant Wattan Singh and Ch Khazan Singh Minhas Charitable Trust, Adampur, got a free eye check-up camp conducted in which they spent Rs 2.5 lakh. “While 1,890 people attended the OPD, 430 patients got their lenses replaced in surgeries conducted by specialist doctors,” he said.

Minhas claims that it was a very satisfying experience for him to have come to the aid of the needy and ailing people. “I just hope that the hospital comes up fast and quick. I am really satisfied with the progress that I have seen this time. I just hope that the first floor of the building gets ready fast so that we can make it operational,” he added.

Jalandhar, December 2
Owing to the ongoing wedding season and season’s declaration of winters, the prices of non-veg items, especially chicken, witnessed a significant increase in prices this week. Available at Rs 120-130 per kg last week, prices of dressed broiler remained at Rs 155 per kg this week.

Similarly, prices of boneless chest piece also witnessed increase if Rs 10 per kg this week and remained at Rs 200 per kg this week. Among fish items, prices of both Sole and Sanghara have remained roaring around Rs 250 per kg this week.

In addition to this, putting a massive burden on the consumers, the prices of wheat flour shot up to Rs 160 per 10 kg against Rs 155 per kg during last week.

Prices of essential vegetable items, except tomato and potato, remained unchanged this week. Tomato and potato witnessed increase of Rs 3 and Rs 2 per kg, respectively, this week. Tomato was available at Rs 18 per kg this week against Rs 15 per kg during last week. Similarly, prices of potato remained at Rs 12 per kg this week against Rs 10 per kg during last week.

Winter’s item mushroom has witnessed an increase of around Rs 10 per 250 grams this week. The item was available at Rs 35 per 250 gms at the stalls this week. As per vendors, day to day fluctuation in the prices of mushroom is being reported.

Much to the respite of the consumers, prices of onion saw a fall of Rs 5-7 per kg in their prices and remained around Rs 30 per kg this week. Onion was available at Rs 35-37 per kg last week. Cauliflower also witnessed decrease of Rs 8 per kg this week and remained around Rs 12 per kg against Rs 20 per kg during last week. Carrot also saw decrease of Rs 2 per kg in its prices and was available at Rs 18 per kg this week.

On the other hand, prices of all other major items including beans, peas, ginger, garlic, pumpkin, bitter groud, ladyfinger and capsicum remained unchanged this week.