B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Dengue scare grips region
Muktsar/Faridkot, October 18
While the cold weather which kills the dengue-carrying mosquito is still away, the dengue outbreak in Muktsar district, which has struck with viciousness, has created panic.

Three held for Rs 24 lakh robbery
Complainant himself hatched the plan: Cops
Ferozepur, October 18
Within 12 hours of the incident in which an employee belonging to a private paper mill was robbed of Rs 24 lakh by three unidentified persons, the Ferozepur police has unearthed the plot behind the robbery and arrested three persons in this connection.

52 offices sans child development officer for 4 yrs now
Abohar, October 18
Even when there had been no dearth of funds earmarked by the Central Government for welfare of children and women, the state government has not taken substantial steps to fill the vacancies in 52 officers in the department for past four years. In all, 146 offices had so far been opened by the state government.

Special Drive Adulterated sweets confiscated
Ferozepur, October 18
The Health Department has confiscated a huge quantity of adulterated sweets including 80 Kg of ‘burfi” and 56 kg of ‘patisha’ which was being brought towards Ferozepur in a vehicle.

World Cup Kabaddi
Venue for 4 matches, Ferozepur stadium to get facelift
Ferozepur, October 18
The local Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium will play host to four international kabaddi matches during the World Cup Kabaddi championship slated to be held next month.

Dengue scare grips region
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Muktsar/Faridkot, October 18
While the cold weather which kills the dengue-carrying mosquito is still away, the dengue outbreak in Muktsar district, which has struck with viciousness, has created panic.

In Muktsar, the number of confirmed cases of dengue has already touched 227 and almost all the private clinics and health centres are bursting at their seams.

Because of the panic, every patient with minor fever is assuming he has been struck by dengue and is rushing to private clinical laboratories for testing, said Dr Sanjiv Sethi, the dengue nodal officer in Muktsar.

Though the confirmatory test for dengue in the area could be conducted only at the microbiology department of the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital (GGSMCH) in Faridkot, cashing on the dengue scare, most of the private laboratories are conducting the preliminary screening tests, said Dr Sethi.

On the basis of these screening tests and a fall in their platelets counts, while most of the patients are declared as afflicted by dengue, a majority were found to have tested negative in the microbiology department labs in the GGSMCH.

The dengue screening kits are selling like hotcakes.

While private labs are charging Rs 600 to Rs 900 for dengue screening test, the kits are available at chemist shops for Rs 400 and a patient can use these at home. These kits are for in vitro diagnostic use only and are intended as an aid in the earlier diagnosis of dengue infection and presumptive diagnosis.

As there are many reasons responsible for an abnormal platelet count, said Dr Sandeep Kaur Sidhu, an epidemiologist and the dengue nodal officer in Faridkot.

“We have already started a campaign to make people aware,” Dr Sidhu said.

Of the 565 suspected dengue cases in Muktsar district, 227 cases tested positive at the microbiology department in GGSMCH  and the reports of 17 cases is still awaited, said Dr Neerja Jindal, head of the department.

The number of confirmed cases in Faridkot was 10 so far, said Dr Sandeep Kaur.

But in an indicator of panic gripping the residents, the pathology department in GGSMCH is receiving about 50 cases daily for complete blood counts tests.

Earlier, these cases used to average just one or two daily.

Fact file

• In Muktsar, the number of confirmed cases of dengue has already touched 227
• Almost all the private clinics and health centres are filled to their capacity
• Private labs are cashing in on the scare by conducting preliminary screening tests
• Tests by the private labs further adding to the scare
• The pathology department at the GGSMCH in Faridkot is receiving about 50 cases everyday for complete blood count tests

Three held for Rs 24 lakh robbery
Complainant himself hatched the plan: Cops
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, October 18
Within 12 hours of the incident in which an employee belonging to a private paper mill was robbed of Rs 24 lakh by three unidentified persons, the Ferozepur police has unearthed the plot behind the robbery and arrested three persons in this connection.

Addressing the media persons here, Paramraj Singh Umranangal, DIG, Ferozepur range, said that the company’s employee, identified as Sukhbir Singh, who had lodged the complaint regarding the incident, had himself hatched the entire plan for robbery in connivance with his accomplices.

The DIG said that Sukhbir was employed with the Nicer Green Paper Mills, Golewala, and had been entrusted with the job to look after the banking transactions of the company.

He added that Sukhbir often used to go to the banks to withdraw money and collect amounts from various firms on behalf of the company.

The DIG further said that yesterday, when Sukhbir went to the bank to withdraw money, he informed his friend Jaskaran Singh alias Sona along with whom he had hatched the plan to siphon off the booty on fifty per cent share basis.

Later, when he was returning on his bike after withdrawing an amount of Rs 23 lakhs from the State Bank of India, Mochi Bazaar branch, besides collecting Rs 1 lakh from a firm, three persons, including Jaskaran Singh, Jaspreet Singh alias Gogi and Monty intercepted him near village Rukna Begu on the Ferozepur-Faridkot road as per the decided plan and threw red chilli powder in his eyes before decamping with the amount.

“The entire drama was enacted in a way as to dodge the police. Sukhbir had also inflicted some injuries on himself to evade police suspicion,” said the SSP.

When the police was informed about the robbery, he along with SP (D) Jatinder Singh Benipal immediately reached the spot and inquired from Sukhbir about the incident.

The SSP added that during the preliminary investigations, the police grew suspicious about the involvement of Sukhbir in the crime. Circumstantial evidence and clues gathered from the spot also substantiated their doubt.

“Out of the stolen amount, Rs 23.5 lakhs have been recovered,” the SSP said.

He added that two of the accomplices, including Jaspreet and Monty, were on the run whereas Sukhbir, Jaskaran and their another associate Rajwinder Singh alias Raju have been arrested.

52 offices sans child development officer for 4 yrs now
Our Correspondent

Abohar, October 18
Even when there had been no dearth of funds earmarked by the Central Government for welfare of children and women, the state government has not taken substantial steps to fill the vacancies in 52 officers in the department for past four years. In all, 146 offices had so far been opened by the state government.

Punjab flagship programme monitoring committee chairman Sunil Jakhar said here this evening that the state government had announced during the budget session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to lower the age for old-age pension for women from 60 years to 58 years, but its implementation was still awaited. The government deserves to be censured also for not keeping its promise to enhance the monthly pension from Rs 250 to Rs 400.

As many as 19,52,540 listed pensioners have thus been deprived of the benefit of enhanced payment of Rs 1,757 crore, as per the data available with the department concerned, since formation of the alliance government in the state.

He regretted that Anganwari centres too were facing an acute shortage of staff as 201 posts of supervisor and four of district programme officer were yet to be filled.

Special Drive Adulterated sweets confiscated
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, October 18
The Health Department has confiscated a huge quantity of adulterated sweets including 80 Kg of ‘burfi” and 56 kg of ‘patisha’ which was being brought towards Ferozepur in a vehicle.

Civil Surgeon Dr Rakesh Sikri said that keeping in view the onset of the festival season, the Health Department has launched a massive campaign to check the sale and production of adulterated and sub-standard sweets and food articles.

Dr Sikri said that today in the evening, when the officials had gone to take samples of the sweets and food items, they recovered the consignment of adulterated sweets from an area near the Khai railway station.

He said the owner of vehicle in which these items were being brought, left the consignment and fled on noticing the presence of the officials.

Dr Sikri further said that another stock of food items which included sohan papri and rasgullas has also been recovered, which has been sent to the Government Food Laboratory, Chandigarh, for testing.

Meanwhile, the Health Department officials also collected samples of paneer, khoya and gulabjamun from Makhu, Mallanwala and Zira which have also been sent for examination.

World Cup Kabaddi
Venue for 4 matches, Ferozepur stadium to get facelift
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, October 18
The local Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium will play host to four international kabaddi matches during the World Cup Kabaddi championship slated to be held next month. Deputy Commissioner S. Karuna Raju, who presided over the meeting to take stock of the arrangements, said that four matches, including three in men’s category and one in the women’s group will be held in Ferozepur on November 12.

The DC said that the duties of various officials were being fixed to conduct the international matches in a smooth and successful manner.

District Sports Officer Sunil Kumar said that the stadium was being given a facelift. “An estimate of Rs 15 lakhs has been sent to the authorities for the repair and maintenance of the stadium,” he added, saying that tomorrow, a meeting will be held under chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at Bathinda to review the arrangements.