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Khalsa College expels 3 students for not paying ‘double’ fee
Punjabi mutiyaars fail to meet physical standards of police
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Engineering college told to refund course fee to student
cracker shop fire incident
Jahajgarh market, a decade-old tale of apathy
The pitiable condition of a road at Jahajgarh market in Amritsar. tribune photo: Sameer Sehgal
Kuwarpreet wins turban tying contest
DC reviews arrangements at Ram Teerath mela
Pharmacists, ANMs seek revised pay grade
Athletics meet begins
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Khalsa College expels 3 students for not paying ‘double’ fee
Today, hundreds of students from different colleges lodged their protest and conducted a rally that commenced from the GND University gate to the main entrance of the college. The three students - Rajinder Singh, Harpreet Singh and Malkiat Singh - alleged that they were targeted because they had refused to share the extra financial burden of the vacant seats and that they actively participated in the Khalsa College Bachao move, when it was proposed to be elevated to a university, recently. Principal Daljit Singh said it was not viable to start the course with over 40 per cent seats vacant and that the course was started only with the consent of the students that they would bear the expense of vacant seats. “All the students themselves had committed in writing that they would bear the burden of vacant seats and that’s why the management had carried on with this course. A notice was issued to deposit the fee by September 30, otherwise they would not be eligible to attend the classes. Except for these three, all the students paid the fee and they are attending the classes,” he said. Out of 12 seats in total, as many as five seats remained vacant. The fee as prescribed in the prospectus of 2011-2012 was Rs 33,790 per annum per seat. Since, five seats remained unoccupied, a mutual agreement was reached between the students and the management that the loss to the college in view of the vacant seats would be borne by the students only by dividing it equally among them. This was calculated to be Rs 60,700. All the students paid the enhanced fee in the first year, but this time the three students in question refused to bear the extra burden and thus invited the wrath of the management. Principal Daljit Singh stated that the management was still open to consider the case of any candidate who was not financially sound to share the extra burden. “We have done in a case where the student was a son of a gardener. He was left out of this arrangement. Still, if anyone of the present lot faces any financial crisis, he is open to approach our designated committee, chaired by the Head of the Agriculture Department,” he said. Defying this, Rajinder Singh, the topper of first two semesters said, “Earlier some students had been refused admission to the college because of their involvement in students’ agitation, but following the High Court directions, the management was compelled to admit them.” “It is true that we had given them in writing to bear the burden of extra fee and we did so in the first year, but under what law of land, the management has the right to deny us education, if we fail to pay the double fee again. We are ready to pay the fee which was mentioned in the prospectus”, said Harpreet Singh. “The management has adopted double standards. In the Horticulture Department, out of 12 seats in total, only six were occupied, but the students were never asked to bear the loss of the vacant seats. Then why are we being victimised?” said Malkiat Singh. |
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Punjabi mutiyaars fail to meet physical standards of police
Amritsar, November 8 Their level of fitness can be assessed from the fact that only 20 per cent of the qualifying candidates could clear the physical tests. The physical tests required eligible candidates to complete 800 m race in four minutes in addition to a long jump of 3.25 m and a high jump of minimum 1.05 m. More than 800 women aspirants came for the physical tests today. Police officers said the services had earlier lowered the bar for minimum height by 2 inches to attract more competition. Earlier, the minimum height required for a woman constable used to be 5 feet and 5 inches, which now has been lowered to 5 feet and 3 inches. For the physical tests, the contestants were divided into batches of 25 each. At least 80 per cent of the contestants failed to complete the race in the allotted time. The SSP (Rural), Gurmeet Singh Chohan, said, “In each batch of 25 candidates running for 800 m, only five or at the most six were able to complete the race in the specified time of four minutes.” The others were dropped in the ensuing sessions of high jump and long jump. On a visit to the GND University grounds, The Tribune team found that a lot many candidates preferred to leave the race half way as they failed to complete it. Even those who completed it fell on ground after crossing the finish line. The SSP added that unhealthy lifestyle and lack of even minimum physical activity required to keep oneself physically fit seemed to be the cause for the poor show. The police forces are making recruitment for the 300 posts of woman constable from the border zone of Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Guraspur and Pathankot. For the posts of constable, more than 3,200 applications had been received, of which 2,573 were deemed fit for the physical tests. Looking at the percentage of candidates qualifying the physical tests, it seems that choosing 900 candidates for interview would become difficult. As per the norms, the police administration is required to call three times of the sanctioned posts of the candidates for interview. The physical tests at GND University are being conducted from November 8 to 11. Talking to The Tribune, a few girls who had qualified the physical tests revealed that they had went through a regular training session in view of the test. Ramanjit Kaur from Tarn Taran said, “I had been training for this test for a month. I had been practicing high jump, long jump and the race at our fields.” Another girl from Verka, Ranjit Kaur, said she had started preparations after filing an application for the post of woman constable. She had been going through regular physical training sessions to pass the tests. A candidate from Gurdaspur, Rajwinder Kaur, said getting into the police services was her dream. “I have always longed to be a part of the police forces. The uniform has attracted me and now after clearing the physical test I feel that I’m going to fulfil my dream. |
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Warm up in style this winter
Amritsar, November 8 The best thing about winter fashion is that it is gender neutral. All the major fashion weeks in the world have emphasised on androgyny as the trend for the season. So, here’s what’s hot in the winter haute couture.
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Engineering college told to refund course fee to student
Amritsar, November 8 On a complaint filed by Dilpreet Bajwa, a resident of Gurdaspur, the forum has directed the college to refund the fee of Rs 44,255 within 15 days from the passing of the order after deducting a processing fee charge to the maximum of Rs 1,000. The forum has termed the college’s action as “unjustified”. In her complaint filed before the consumer forum, Dilpreet stated that she had taken admission to engineering and technology course at Khalsa College, but in the meantime she received an admission offer from the Beant College of Engineering and Technology, Batala. In the counselling held after the CET (Combined Engineering Test), Dilpreet decided to go for Beant College. As she chose Beant College over Khalsa College, she requested the former to refund her fee as per norms of the All-India Council of Engineering and Technology (AICTE). Dipreet stated that though she was refunded Rs 21,600, which she had deposited as hostel charges, she was not refunded the admission fee. Terming the retaining of the fee of a student by a college as unjustified, the consumer forum, while considering the AICTE norms, directed the college to refund the entire fees to her. The AICTE norm considered by the forum says, “In the event of a student/candidate withdrawing before the starting of the course, the wait list candidates should be given admissions against the vacant seat. The entire fee collected from the student after a deduction of the procession fee of not more than Rs 1000 shall be refunded and returned by the institution/university to the candidate.” The court said as the college had already filled the vacant seat surrendered by Dilpreet, it has no right to retain the fee submitted by the student. What the AICTE norm says
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Mahan Singh Gate residents fear more ‘explosions’
GS Paul Tribune News Service
Amritsar, November 8 The residents feared that these containers might have some unexploded material inside them, which can burst any time. When it was brought to the notice of the Police Commissioner, RP Mittal, he immediately sent his team to examine the spot and said the residents needed not panic. The team poured water inside the containers. “Though, we are very much sure that the containers do not have any live explosive material inside them due to the high intensity of heat in the fire incident, still my team visited the spot this evening to make sure about it,” he said. The police had refrained from removing the containers as the owner of the shop fled from the scene and his relatives present on the spot had raised objections on removing the containers. |
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Jahajgarh market, a decade-old tale of apathy
Amritsar, November 8 Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) had constructed the commercial market with the objective to shift the transporters of the city to this spacious area. Running a shop in the area, Prem Singh said the Trust seemed to have forgotten about the upkeep of the market. He said the condition of these roads remain the same as its sewerage system is erroneous. Lack of upkeep and repair of the market is the reason that the market failed to attract major transporters, he said. A majority of the shops deal in used spare parts of abandoned vehicles, he added. A visitor to the market Vikram said the roads were not in the drivable condition making their visits to procure material once a fortnight very difficult. Another businessman Surinder Singh said the planned market has good infrastructure such as wide roads and parks, which no other market in the city can match. However, an indifferent attitude of the authorities had tuned it not a filthy spot in the city, he alleged. The well-planned market has a number of green belts. Almost all of them were uncared for and ill-maintained. Overgrown vegetation and encroachments have turned them into unhygienic spots. Many shanties have come up on the green belt. Going a step ahead many green belts have been turned into dumping ground. Another shopkeeper Harish Dhawan said unable to find adequate customers he had turned his shop into a godown. He said the place became a favourite spot for stray cattle and dogs, besides becoming a breeding ground for an epidemic anytime. “Life is virtually miserable due to the smell emanating from the dump which has also become a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies and poisonous insects,” he added. Former AIT chairman Bakshi Ram Arora said during his tenure he had got vacated much area of the market from the illegal occupants. He said he had sold off many plots and shops for the Patakha market in the area at that time. He said the development was ensured which in turn have drawn the maximum number of traders and businessmen. Indifferent attitude of the authorities encouraged the nearby residents especially marriage palaces on the adjoining Chamrang Road to dump garbage there, he said. Repeated attempts to contact AIT Chairman Sanjiv Khanna failed to elicit any response.
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Kuwarpreet wins turban tying contest
Amritsar, November
8 The local branch of Delhi Public School held competitions in various streams of sufi singing, poetic recitation etc. The students of as many as 14 schools of the city took part in the contests. Sarabjeet Singh and Inderpal Singh, members of Akaal Purakh ki fauj, acted as judges for the competition. In the sufi song contest, Dr Bhagwant Kaur (retd) Dean of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, GND University and Dr Dalbir Singh, head of the Department of Music, SR Government College for Women, of Sri Guru Harkrishan Senior Secondary Public School were declared the best singers along with the singers from Spring Dales Senior School at the second position. Bikramjot Singh of Sri Guru Harkrishan Senior Secondary School stood first in poetry recitation and Khushi of Amritsar Public School bagged the second position by the judges Dr Daria and Dr Sukhdev Singh Khara, both from the Department of Punjabi of GND University. Besides, an exhibition showcasing a traditional kitchen 'Punjabi Rasoi' was presented complete with a display of copper utensils, wall paintings and to make it look authentic various spices were spread to give the flavours and scents of Punjabi food while the age-old 'madhani' (churner) used in Punjabi kitchens complete with a picture of the Punjabi 'virsa' Heritage. Along with this was a scene created of a Punjabi wedding ceremony with the display of 'phulkaris' that added a spectrum of colours to a 'Bangle ceremony' accompanied by traditional utensils and pots. Dr Jagjit Kaur, director, Youth Welfare and the head of Youth Welfare Department, GND University, presided as chief guests.
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DC reviews arrangements at Ram Teerath mela
Amritsar, November 8 He visited the temple today to take stock of the ongoing ten-day fair and expressed his displeasure at the deplorable conditions there. He has directed PWD officials to expedite the repair of the pillars in the complex. He asked the officials to remove the pebbles and stones spread on the path of 'parikrama' of the holy pond to facilitate pilgrims. Construction material has been lying here as the work to lay marble slabs has been under progress. Reviewing the arrangements about the presence of medical teams, police post, control room, swimmers and other emergency services, he also instructed the officials to put up banners for the convenience of the public. He also asked the lifeguards to sit close to the holy pond wearing their uniforms so that they can be easily spotted by the public. He also spotted some shops being run on the path of parikrama. He instructed these to be removed and private properties were instructed to keep at a distance of at least six-feet away from the parikrama. |
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Pharmacists, ANMs seek revised pay grade
Amritsar, November 8 Shouting slogans against the state government, health pharmacists demanded that the government should implement the pay grades of Rs 4,200 for pharmacists, Rs 4,800 for Chief Pharmacists in Grade II and Rs 5,000 for Chief Pharmacist in Grade I. Association secretary Kishore Kumar Sharma said the state government had assured them that their demands will be fulfilled after the SGPC polls. He said even after two months the government has failed to keep its promise. He said the association has demanded that the designations of pharmacist, chief pharmacist grade II and chief pharmacist grade I should be changed to pharmacy officer, senior pharmacy officer and chief pharmacy officer. The members said they will hold a state-level rally outside the office of Director Health Services on Wednesday. The association members have also demanded that vacant posts of the pharmacists in all hospitals be filled to decrease work load on the existing staff. The Auxiliary Nursing Midwives and Lady Health Visitor workers also held a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner office here. The protest was held under the banner of Punjab Mulajam Sangarsh Saminti. The drivers and conductors of the Roadways association, Art and Craft Teachers Union, employees of the electricity corporation as well as staff nurses of the state department too extended their support to the protest. Tripta Sharma, district president, ANM and LHV association, said Badal had assured them of fulfilling their demands in October. “But no notification was issued after the Cabinet meting on November 2,” said Sharma.
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Athletics meet begins
Amritsar, November 8 Harmanjit Kaur of Guru Hargobind School, Chheharta, was declared the winner in the 70-m race in 7-year-old category while among the boys, Navjot Singh bagged the first position. The event will conclude on November 9. Being held at the playground of Textile College, the All India SC ST Commission, vice-chairman, Raj Kumar Verka inaugurated the event and announced a grant of Rs 31,000 for Sarhad-E-Punjab Sports Club, the event organisers. |
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Jai Inder Singh Transport Nagar, popularly known as Jahajgarh, is a veritable picture of dirt, filth and administrative indifference.
All roads inside the market are broken and worn out as they have not been repaired for a long time. It will not be exaggeration to call these roads - pot-holed roads. Water accumulated at many patches of the road has turned into slush as the dust and soil are present in plenty.
Amritsar, November 8
