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Kalia, Rathour vie for taking credit for development works
1098 Child Helpline fails to take off in city
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Consumer forum’s work affected in absence of regular president
‘Miracle’ doctor from Gujarat visits city
468 girl cadets take part in NCC camp
Plea to extend date for submission of applications
Merchant robbed of Rs 70,000
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Kalia, Rathour vie for taking credit for development works
Jalandhar, October 5 As the warring twosome came face to face publicly after a long time, both of them went out and out to use the platform for one-upmanship and to take credit for various achievements and development works in the city. Kalia, however, went a step ahead by claiming that the development work in the city had come to a standstill ever since he stepped down from the post of the Local Bodies Minister, indirectly implying that the Mayor has been a failure without him. Though the duo represent the same party, the bone of contention between them is that both have been desperate for the Jalandhar Central ticket from the BJP. Since the Mayor was the first one to address at the event, he took credit for having regularised 1,300 safai karamcharis, getting Rs 100 crore for development in the city and getting four flyovers in the city. During his speech, Rathour even claimed that he had been doing it in a clean and corruption-free manner. It was this statement of the Mayor which infuriated Kalia, who perhaps thought that it was targeted against him for being questioned by the CBI in a graft case at Rajpura a few months back. The former minister spent good five minutes on the stage claiming that there was no corruption case against him and that he had come clean out of it. Taking to the dais, Kalia, somehow, even seemed to have lost his cool as he said, “I have been living in the same house in which my father and grandfather lived. The MC office is just across the road from my house and my relation with the office is much stronger.” He countered Mayor’s statements one after the other. “It was I who initiated talks on the regularisation of safai sewaks at my place and took the matter to the CM,” he went ahead as he asked Mayor from the dais, “Mayor sahib, kindly ensure that 73 pending cases of regularisation for which I had already given an approval get cleared.” On the issue of grants, Kalia claimed, “I did not just get Rs 100 crore grant, but also another of Rs 150 crore for water supply and sewage works. Ever since, there has been no financial aid,” he again hit back. Manoranjan Kalia, when asked about his outburst, had just one-liner, “There is no harm in taking credit for all the hard work I have done.” Mayor Rakesh Rathour, however, said, “The event went on very peacefully. I guess that the media will just play it up. I have my own way of saying things and Kaliaji, of course, has his own ways.” |
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1098 Child Helpline fails to take off in city
Jalandhar, October 5 A centrally sponsored scheme under the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, it is being managed by the Child India Foundation (CIF), which monitors this helpline across the country. Owing to the lack of awareness, the trust has received a meagre 300 calls on this toll-free number till date. Even the nature of calls, too, remained confined to the process of adoption only. Expressing concern over the lack of awareness, one of the trustees, Seema Chopra, said now they had decided to use other mass mediums like All-India Radio, Jalandhar, Doordarshan, private FM channels and even the newspapers to reach out to the masses. “We have got made some banners, which we will be putting across the city and its periphery to educate the people and especially the children below 18 years to use the child helpline in saving somebody’s life. This helpline has been a major success in the entire country and we want to replicate it in the district as well,” she added. Further talking about the efforts made by the Nari Niketan in publicising the helpline, she said, “Our teams had been making rounds of the Jalandhar railway station, ISBT, local fairs and gatherings to inform the people about it.” “A majority of the destitute children, especially the sexually exploited girls are usually abandoned at such places. In fact we have been putting up banners to ensure that such children land in safe hands,” she maintained. Since Nari Niketan has established itself as a home for adoption, people have been making calls regarding this on the helpline. “We end up telling people that this number is not meant for adoption queries, but still they keep calling. And we do attend to their calls but then the helpline is not meant for this purpose,” she said. According to information, the Nari Niketan Trust is required to primarily intervene in cases received, creating awareness about 1098 Child Helpline, documentation, coordination with various departments and allied systems like police, healthcare, juvenile, transport, legal, education, communication, media and political people and the community. It is pertinent to mention here that Childline 1098 currently receives around 2 million calls every year from 72 cities in 22 states of the country. |
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Garbage heaps grow bigger in city
Jalandhar, October 5 Since even the drivers of the Municipal Corporation have been on strike, vehicles collecting garbage from along roadsides also remained parked in the MC workshop. As a result, the piles at the dump
sites were seen getting bigger today. Residents of areas around Santokhpura, Patel Chowk, Pathankot Chowk and Lamma Pind Chowk claimed that their life had become miserable with garbage emanating foul smell for the past two days. Bimla Devi, who runs a shop in Santokhpura, claimed that the residents had been facing a tough time bearing the stench the day through. Garbage heaps were also seen in some posh colonies, including Model Town, Green Model Town, Gol Market and Defence Colony. Members of the Safai Karamchari Sangharsh Morcha, representing 10 unions, today again held a demonstration in front of the MC office for almost five hours. They even burnt the effigy of former Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia in front of his house. They claimed that they would continue protest till their demands of the cancellation of the allotment of solid waste treatment plant to a private company, regularisation of safai sewaks working under the Mohalla Sanitation Committees and covering of safai sewaks under the pension scheme are not agreed to. Chandan Grewal, president of the Nigam Safai Mazdur Union, said they had been called for a meeting with Mayor Rakesh Rathour, but the talks failed. Rathour, however, claimed that he was arranging for a meeting
of the union members with Local Bodies Minister Tikshan Sud tomorrow at Hoshiarpur and
he hoped for resolving of all issues. |
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Div Commissioner finds information signboards missing at govt offices
Jalandhar, October 5 Verma found that the offices of Tehsildar-I and II and DTO offices had neither displayed any signboards regarding services being offered by them, nor issuing any receipts to the applicants. The Divisional Commissioner advised Tehsildar-I and II to put up display boards regarding services being rendered by their offices for the awareness of the public. He also asked the officials to issue receipts to acknowledge the applications received by them in the interest of the applicants, who later can be in a position to take the legal course in case the services are not dispensed in the given time frame. The official had similar observations for the DTO office. He met ADTO Karnail Singh and directed him to ensure compliance of his orders at the earliest. Since the ADTO has an additional charge of the Deputy Director, Local Bodies, he also asked him to ensure compliance of his orders by the Improvement Trust and Municipal Corporation officials. Verma asked the officials to designate employees from within staff to handle the complaints under the Act. He, however, felt satisfied with the functioning of the Suvidha Centre, where a signboard regarding 12 services offered by the centre has been put up. Since the centre has also set up a counter for queries on the Act and receiving complaints under it, the Divisional Commissioner seemed pleased. The official checked up with the offices and found that not even a single complaint had been received by them since the issuance of the notification on July 26. Asked on the matter, he said, “It can be because of two reasons. Either the public is not aware of the Act or our offices are working much efficiently.” Verma added, “I am also planning to take up the issue of having a common software in all the offices concerned so that the implementation of the Act could be properly monitored. I have also realised that the registration of marriages be made less cumbersome by getting Tehsildar or Naib Tehsildar on duty in Suvidha Centre authorised as the signatory.” |
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Consumer forum’s work affected in absence of regular president
Jalandhar, October 5 While he is looking after the work at the Jalandhar forum with its two members Darshan Singh and Jyotsna for four days - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - he is taking care of the work of the Kapurthala forum for only one day on Wednesday. A city advocate, Ashok Sharma, said “There is an urgent requirement for appointment of a regular president of the Jalandhar forum as a number of complaints from various consumers have been pending in the forum.” According to information, D.R. Arora was appointed president of the Jalandhar forum and took charge on February 3 after A.K. Sharma’s tenure as its president ended. However, Arora remained here for just over two months till April 7 as he was shifted to Patiala. After that no regular president has been appointed. Double charge
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MC demolishes cracker sellers’ shops
Jalandhar, October 5 Although located at a prime location near DAV College, the over 120 shops in the cricket stadium had been lying vacant for the past many years as the MC had not drawn a cogent policy to either rent them out or auction them, with the result the entire complex had become a safe haven for anti-social elements. The only time the area witnesses a rush is when the shops are rented out to cracker sellers of the region since it is the only open and safe area designated by the authorities for the sale of fire crackers during the festival season. The major grouse of the crackers sellers is that when there was a hitch in the construction for the upgradation of the cricket stadium, why were the shops demolished in haste in the first place. A cracker seller said the shops were demolished two years ago, but the construction of the stadium was yet to begin. “Last year the civic body had got temporary shops constructed for us and charged us rent for the season. However, in a shift of policy, we have now been asked to undertake construction on our own and pay Rs 392 as rent to the corporation,” he revealed. He said they were involved in a totally seasonal profession and their volumes were also not that big. For a vendor to shell out between Rs 12,000 and 15,000 depending on the area constructed for just 15 to 20 days was a big drain on the finances, he lamented. Others too said that they had brought it to the notice of the civic body that this was the only place in the city where they had been allowed to sell their merchandise and that alternate arrangements should have been made for them before the old stadium was pulled down. This was done in view of the delay witnessed in other projects of the civic body, they narrated. “With the festive season already underway, we have lost precious time to get the needful done to set up shop. We are still in the process of getting the stalls fabricated and work is underway in full swing. It will be a few days before we settle down and calculate the losses incurred,” they added. “Since it is a makeshift arrangement, they will have to repeat the same exercise the next year too,” they pointed out. |
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‘Miracle’ doctor from Gujarat visits city
Jalndhar, October 5 In Jalandhar for a knee brace provision camp at the Lion’s Bhawan here, Dr Naik provided “Miracle” polycentric knee braces to as many as 142 people. For those who can’t afford surgery, Dr Naik has been the best bet. He has been touring India with his team for the past 11 years taking his knee-correction treatment to those who can’t afford a surgery. A combination of polyprene flaps, stainless steel hinges and four velcro fasteners, his braces cause the leg to bear the weight of the body (which the knee was earlier doing). While a single knee-brace of his costs Rs 3,000 it is way cheaper that the other substitutes available in the market. A strong votary of knee-correctional remedies rather than direct replacement, Dr Naik’s team works under the aegis of the PNR Society for Relief and Rehabilitation at Bhavnagar. He says, “Since knee replacement surgeries are very costly, people don’t opt for treatment and let their knees suffer. But our society provides them braces which they are supposed to wear for a year, following which after which in most of the cases, the deformity is corrected.” He said the incidence of knee deformities, caused by osteoarthritis, is most among aged people but after age, obesity is one of the major factors causing this problem among people. While before Jalandhar, he and his team held a camp at Hyderabad, they were now headed to Goa. His radical beliefs and approach to his profession earned him a lot many accolades. Working at a US-based institute, Dr Naik quit a job in the US just to ensure his kids experienced Indian culture. Back in India, starting at a job of just Rs 3,000 at the Artificial Limb Centre in Bhavnagar in 1992, his first invention was the 'Prabha foot' - a lightweight (2 kg), low-cost (Rs 4,200) artificial leg with a foldable knee and mobile foot. In 1999, Naik developed the 'myoelectric hand', an artificial hand that functions like a normal one with the help of an electronic network, popularly known as 'Miracle Hand'. The ‘miracle’ knee-braces were developed in 1999 as well. Dr. Naik is the winner of the Red & White Bravery Award for Social Courage for altering the lives of 16,000 earthquake victims through the Prabha foot, in 2001. He also won the Dr Vikram Sarabhai Young Scientist Award for the 'Miracle Hand'. He holds patents for all his three inventions. |
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from Schools & Colleges
Jalandhar, October 5 Fine arts competition
An inter-house fine arts competition was held at Paradise College of Education in which students participated in Rangoli, Clay Modelling, Phulkari, Slogan Writing, Cartooning, Sketching and various other competitions. Results: Sangeeta stood first in Rangoli while Dolly, Sheela, Veena, Pooja and Jaswinder stood first in clay modeling, phulkari, slogan writing, cartooning and sketching respectively. Mahatma Gandhi House got the over all trophy. Student awarded
Anahad Batra, a student of BBA, received Dr Stya Paul Award for Human Values on the occasion of the Founder’s Day celebration held at the Apeejay Institute of Management. The award included a certificate and a one-time scholarship of Rs 5,000. Swimming championship
The swimming team of Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya (HMV) won the Guru Nanak Dev (GND) University swimming championship for the 14th time in a row. It scored 115 points. The winners are Anisha, Sukhpreet, Amarjit and Pallavi Jamba. Dasehra celebrated
Students of Apeejay School, Rama Mandi, celebrated Dasehra with aplomb. Students presented dances and poems and expressed their views on the topic - the victory of good over bad. On the occasion three effigies symbolising evil were burnt and principal Madhu Sharma congratulated students on the initiative. Group singing contest
Students of the Emm Aar International School won the second position in a state-level Hindi and Sanskrit group singing competition organised by the Bharat Vikas Parishad. School principal lauded the students and their music teacher Ashish Sahota because they won despite the fact that they don’t have the Sanskrit subject or a Sanskrit teacher at the school. Annual Function
The students of pre nursery and nursery at the Innocent Hearts School, Green Model Town, participated in the annual function “Tarang” 2011 here. The students of nursery classes presented a patriotic song and modelling performance. Nursery E concluded the show by performing a Rajasthani dance. Ivy World School
The Vasal Educational Group has set up an Ivy World School (IWS) for the children of the city. A day boarding school situated at Rama Mandi, it will cater to students from kindergarten to grade 7 and will embrace the future curricula of the CBSE, National Curriculum for England and International Baccalaureate. |
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468 girl cadets take part in NCC camp
Jalandhar, October 5 As many as 468 girl cadets from 15 colleges and seven schools of the Doaba region are taking part. The cadets are being trained in handling and firing of weapons, drill, map reading, first aid, home nursing, national integration, civil defence, ecology and leadership. The girl cadets also visited an Arty Regiment in Jalandhar Cantonment and witnessed the equipment display organised by the regiment. The camp has been organised under the aegis of NCC Group Headquarters, Jalandhar. Col H.K. Madan is the Camp Commandant of the camp. Two officers, 20 instructors, 10 civilian staff, 3 Associated NCC Officers (ANOs) are participating in the camp. |
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Plea to extend date for submission of applications
Jalandhar, October 5 A copy of the memorandum was also submitted to the Circle Education Officer and Deputy Commissioner. The president of the manch, Dorthy, said the last date for the submission of forms should be extended to October 10. “Scores of students have been left in a dilemma as the officials concerned are not even interested in processing their applications for the scholarship,” she added.
— TNS |
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Merchant robbed of Rs 70,000
Jalandhar October 5 Snatchers attacked him when he was going on a rickshaw near Baba Muradshah dera and snatched the bag. A case under Section 394 of the IPC has been registered against four unidentified persons and raids were on to nab the accused. |
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It was an interesting war of words between Mayor Rakesh Rathour and former Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia as the duo addressed the gathering at a function held to inaugurate the community hall of Valmiki Mandir in Shakti Nagar here today.
