J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

Polio threat: Proximity to Pakistan puts Amritsar in high risk zone
Amritsar, December 1
The rapid response team under the Emergency Preparedness Response Plan (EPRP) on polio outbreak has put the Lopoke block as a high risk area.

Dr Daleep Kumar, Director, Health Services and Family Welfare, Punjab, during a meeting with the district health officials in Amritsar on Thursday. Photo: Sameer Sehgal

Tarn Taran reports 247 HIV+ cases in 11 months
Tarn Taran, December 1
As many as 247 HIV cases have been found positive in the district in the past 11 months. Out of the total, 18 are children. A total of 9,252 cases were examined during these months.

Mukerian land grab case: HC orders Punjab to maintain status quo
Mukerian, December 1
Passing stay orders, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked Punjab Government and other respondents to maintain status quo on a disputed land in Tikhowal Mohalla here. The court after hearting the counsel for the petitioner, going through the application supported by an affidavit, directed the parties to maintain status-quo with regard to the existing position of the property in dispute till further orders.

A file photo of the construction work on the disputed land at Tikhowal Mohalla in Mukerian.

BSF gets Rs 560 crore to upgrade training facilities
Chandigarh, December 1
To face new challenges, the Border Security Force (BSF) has received a grant of Rs 560 crore from the Central government to refurbish and upgrade its training infrastructure.

Karamjit’s body taken to Gurdaspur
Amritsar, December 1
The postmortem of Karamjit Kaur, whose body was found in the Ravi in Pakistan, was conducted at Ajnala Civil Hospital here today. The body was later handed over to the family members who took it to their native place at Gurdaspur for cremation.

Polio threat: Proximity to Pakistan puts Amritsar in high risk zone
Manmeet Singh Gill
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 1
The rapid response team under the Emergency Preparedness Response Plan (EPRP) on polio outbreak has put the Lopoke block as a high risk area. The Amritsar has become the first district in the entire country to be visited by a rapid response team to asses the situation.

The 9-member team after scrutinising the ground realities for the last four days today said as the Lopoke block is adjacent to Pakistan, it is a high polio risk zone.

State Immunization Officer Dr Balwinder Singh said, “Pakistan has recently reported 154 polio cases out of which 152 are P1 type, the severest kind. As long as polio transmission continues in any part of the world, the polio free regions are at a risk of virus importation.”

He said as few cases have been reported in areas alongside the border, the risk of polio outbreak remains. After the assessment, the RRT has asked district health authorities to enhance AFP (Acute Flaccid Paralysis) surveillance along with reviewing its cold chain system for immunisation medicines.

He said till date around more than 450 AFP cases were reported from the state.

“The health authorities have been demanded to enhance supervision of the polio campaign. The RRT would visit again in three months and health authorities have been asked to do the needful by the time.”

Dr Daleep Kumar, Director, Health Services and Family Welfare, Punjab, who visited Lopoke today along with other health officials, said, “To tackle risk of virus importation from Pakistan, a polio check post at Attari-Wagah international check post was set up two months ago.”

He said polio outbreak in Pakistan has forced India to take measures to tackle an emergency situation. Later, he organised a meeting of the district health officials to review the assessment report as submitted by RRT.

He said six districts in state; Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana, Mohali, Jallandhur and Ferozpur was earlier identified as high risk zones. The RRTs teams are yet to visit all the other five districts.

Civil Surgeon Dr Avtar Singh Jarewal said a workshop for the private medical practitioners to ensure reporting of each and every AFP case was organised on Wednesday evening.

“The response has started coming and on the very first day today, a private practitioner has reported an AFP case,” he said.

Tarn Taran reports 247 HIV+ cases in 11 months
Our Correspondents

Tarn Taran, December 1
As many as 247 HIV cases have been found positive in the district in the past 11 months. Out of the total, 18 are children. A total of 9,252 cases were examined during these months. Dr Karanjit Singh, Civil Surgeon, gave the information during a seminar on World AIDS Day here today. Dr Karanjit said the rate of HIV has gone down after the launch of an awareness campaign. Seminars on AIDS awareness were also organised at different health centers in the district.

Nawanshahr: The district health department organised a seminar on AIDS awareness to mark the World AIDS Day here today. Civil Surgeon Bhag Mal presided over and Dr HS Gill delivered the key note address. Dr HN Sharma, Assistant Civil Surgeon, Jaswinder Singh Patti, Sankalp Welfare and Awareness Society (SWAS) , among others, delivered lectures. The students of Sandhu Institute of Nursing presented a choreography and poetical recitation to create awareness.

World AIDS Day was also observed the local Government Senior Secondary School. Declamation and painting competitions on AIDS were organised at Government Senior Secondary School, Bakapur.

Phagwara: Rotary Club, Phagwara South East, celebrated World AIDS Day with the help of a blood bank and Civil Hospital here today. Two blood donation camps were organised at Kamla Nehru College of Education for Women and sub-jail. 

Mukerian land grab case: HC orders Punjab to maintain status quo
Bipin Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service

Mukerian, December 1
Passing stay orders, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked Punjab Government and other respondents to maintain status quo on a disputed land in Tikhowal Mohalla here. The court after hearting the counsel for the petitioner, going through the application supported by an affidavit, directed the parties to maintain status-quo with regard to the existing position of the property in dispute till further orders.

The petitioner Achhar Singh, a resident of Sant Nagar on the Naushera road, had sought court’s intervention in a land dispute and had filed a civil suit before the court of Justice Mehinder Singh Sullar.

The applicant has made Punjab Government, through its Financial Commissioner (revenue), Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, Tehsildar, Mukarian, and Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Mukerian, a party in the petition.

Achhar Singh has alleged that certain influential persons in connivance with the officials of the local civic body, has been grabbing a chunk of his land at a prime location in Tikhowal Mohalla.

The issue was also highlighted by The Tribune in November last week following which the Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner had marked an inquiry to the Mukerain SDM Rahul Chhaba, directing him to submit his report in a week’s time.

The SDM, however, had claimed that the structures coming up on the disputed land would be demolished if found illegal. He too had claimed to have gathered some evidences and the rest would be collected shortly.

Interestingly, the construction work at the site is still going on at war footing despite of the stay orders issued by the High Court.

BSF gets Rs 560 crore to upgrade training facilities
Vijay Mohan 
TNS

Chandigarh, December 1
To face new challenges, the Border Security Force (BSF) has received a grant of Rs 560 crore from the Central government to refurbish and upgrade its training infrastructure.

"Our force levels are increasing and commitments have expanded and diversified. This also calls for the training curriculum and infrastructure to be kept up with the emerging changes," said Himmat Singh, Special Director General (West), BSF.

Besides increasing the capacity of training establishments, new courses and special training capsules have been introduced to meet the security challenges at hand, particularly anti-naxal operations. In addition, infrastructure like buildings, firing ranges and equipment are also being improved.

The Special Director General (West) headquarters, located here, is responsible for the management of the entire 2,527 kms of the international border with Pakistan from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat.

Singh said that the BSF, which is celebrating its Raising Day today, is undergoing massive expansion with 29 new battalions. Eight battalions are being raised this year. To cater to the expansion, the annual intake of constables has been increased to 20,000 from about 5,000 per year. These constables would pass out from training centres in next two months.

"To meet training requirements of the force, the government has also sanctioned 1,500 new posts of instructors at various levels," Singh said. "In addition, the force's air and water wings are also being strengthened. Increase in the strength of women constables is also on the cards," he added.

To strengthen border management, 177 composite border outposts (BOP) are being constructed in forward areas, which would have better operational facilities and living conditions. The number of items authorised for a BOP has been doubled to 14 to ensure better facilities, including power generators, water purification gadgets and coolers and mobile or satellite phones. Further, to assist jawans in travelling, establishment of seven transit messes at various locations have been approved.

Regarding illegal activities along the western border, Singh said that the BSF had foiled three infiltration bids in Jammu sector this year. The force had killed 18 infiltrators and apprehended 170 persons, including 93 foreign nationals. It had also recovered 75-kg heroin valued around Rs 375 crore, 15 weapons and Rs 35 lakh in fake Indian currency. 

Karamjit’s body taken to Gurdaspur
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 1
The postmortem of Karamjit Kaur, whose body was found in the Ravi in Pakistan, was conducted at Ajnala Civil Hospital here today. The body was later handed over to the family members who took it to their native place at Gurdaspur for cremation.

Her body was repatriated from Pakistan late last evening after the intervention of Syed Asif Hashmi, chairman of Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board, who was in the city recently. “We are taking the body to Gurdaspur for cremation,” said deceased’s brother Gurpreet Singh. She was allegedly killed by her in-laws.