Jalandhar, January 14
Despite a letter of the Director, health services, to the deputy commissioners of all the districts, not to deploy clinical health staff during the elections, the health staff has been deployed for the same across the district.

With both lab technicians (LTs) and pharmacists across the district put on election duties, work has taken a hit and many patients are left without any choice, but to return home without treatment.

At the Civil Hospital, a good number of lab technicians are away for election duties. Even more critical is the condition of the dispensaries in the rural or slum areas of the district, some of which have lost almost half or all of their staff to election duties.

President of the lab technicians’ association Sohan Lal Bawa, who is posted at the Civil Hospital, says, “Work was severely hit due to the strike of the lab technicians in the district. We are responsible for all the clinical work and in the absence of much of the staff, a few handle a large number of patients in the OPD. Even on a lean day, we have at least 400 patients at the Civil Hospital and in the absence of staff it’s a challenge to handle so many patients.”

Three lab technicians (out of a total of 10) at the main building of the Civil Hospital are on duty while in the building, which houses the malaria unit, while there are a total of 11 lab technicians, only two are left to take care of the entire unit while the rest are on election duty.

Across the district, pharmacists too, have been away on election duties in at least six blocks. The worst hit segments are Mehatpur, Nakodar, Kala Bakra, Shahkot, Bilga and Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur.

Jagtar Singh, a pharmacist at Nakodar, says, “The dispensary that I am posted at, does not have a doctor. I am the only one that the patients look towards for treatment. In my absence, the dispensary lies locked up and patients have to go back without medical care. I got deployed as a booth level officer. While we were told that we will be called during the evening, daytime duties have been assigned to the clinical staff. Since March we are being summoned for election-related duties and whenever I go for a day-time duty, the dispensary has to be closed. From January 1 to 9 the dispensary was locked because I had been summoned. I had also written to the Nakodar SDM about the state of my dispensary, me being the only person on duty there, but I was told that I am supposed to adhere to the election duties. So as my patients suffer, I am busy doing election duties.”

At Mehatpur too, out of the three persons on duty, two have been called for election duties at the polling booths. Both pharmacists posted at Shankar village are also carrying out duties of booth level officers. Hukam Chand Thareja, who retired from the post of chief pharmacist in December, had also written to the Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner-cum-DEO, on the lines of the letter of Director, health services, Punjab, asking the Deputy Commissioner not to put pharmacists on electoral duties but to no avail. The office of the Civil Surgeon, Jalandhar, is also mum on the issue. So far, they have no details of the total number of staff members at the Civil Hospital or other governmental medical units across the district, which are carrying out election duties.

Jalandhar, January 14
The Election Commission may have put curbs on political parties regarding advertisements but the Election Commission has itself been using various means of publicity to ensure better poll percentage this time.

The district election office has got various posters to be put up at prominent places around various booths to encourage people to exercise their right to vote.

The office has got three different sets of posters, which are actually paintings made by school students selected during a competition organised by the Punjab election office.

As many as 18 different kinds of short video clippings, documented by comedian Jaspal Bhatti, too are being shown on local channels. The documentaries are meant to encourage people to give their mandate, especially women who are said to be reluctant to come out of their homes and stand in queues waiting for their turn at the polling booths.

Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Priyank Bharti has also circulated copies of the same to the media.

Jalandhar, January 14
Three independent candidates officially quit from contesting the Assembly polls by withdrawing their nominations today.

The most important of them is the withdrawal of candidature of Municipal Corporation councillor Kuldeep Singh Oberoi of SAD who had contested independently from Jalandhar Central constituency. The councillor had filed papers claiming that most parties, including his own were run by people with selfish motives.

His candidature was being seen as a dent against the BJP candidate and former minister Manoranjan Kalia as the votes will be split. Senior party leaders, however, have managed to coerce him to cancel his decision to stand as an independent. There are 11 contestants from this constituency.

Comrade Dev, another independent candidate, today withdrew his papers from Phillaur. Sham Lal, an independent candidate, also quit his decision to contest from Jalandhar West. His brother Sandeep is still in the race.

Jalandhar, January 14
Display of some breathtaking stunts by a team of Army Aviation Corps lured crowds to the Army equipment display-cum-exhibition held at Dogra Grounds in Jalandhar Cantonment here today. The exhibition was held on the eve of Army Day, which is celebrated across the country on January 15. From daring stunts by the pilots applauded by the audience, especially the children, the event left everyone asking for more. It was the children who had a field day as they were seen clicking pictures in daring poses not only with the static arms display but the Army officers too.

The helicopter team crossed the members of the audience from a close distance forcing them to give them a standing ovation.

The aviation team led by Lt Col Styaveer Shaukeen also displayed the live 'casevac operations', highlighting their role during rescue operations during floods, cloudbursts and other natural calamities.

"We are thrilled at having witnessed the pilots perform such adventures in daily life. Till date we had only seen such daring acts in movies. We also recorded the demonstration and it is a matter of pride to join the armed forces," said a group of students from Army Public School.

The day-long exhibition also saw a demo by the daring soldiers from the Regiment of Artillery, who brought action from a war-zone to life. The display was accompanied by a loud audio of firing, which gave a true account of attack on the enemy by the soldiers.

Amidst the loud orders to the team of artillery, the jawans reached the ground in six 'Tatra vehicles' loaded with missile launchers and guns. "It is hard to believe that the action packed performance by the soldiers was done within few minutes! Now, we have got to know that how the Gun Position Officer passes instructions to the gun detachment commander and the attacks take place. Hats off to the valiant soldiers of the armed forces who perform in difficult terrains and situations," said Ashutosh Singh a student.

Among the other features of the exhibition was a wide display of tanks, guns, missiles, latest weapons and equipment. This also included infantry, artillery, engineers, air defence and nuclear biological chemicals (NBC) equipments. For the children, the key attractions remained T-72 M1 tank, Battle Field Survielliance radar, Remotely Operated Vehicles, Automatic Grenade launchers and the 7.62 Medium Machine gun.

An impressive mass display by the army bands was also held, which made the ambience enjoyable. Screening of motivational film on the Indian Army also turned out to be a crowd puller. “I enjoyed watching the movie on the armed forces. In fact we also took some posters of the Indian Army highlighting, how to become a commissioned officer as it will help us in motivating a lot," said a group of Class XI boys from Kendriya Vidyalaya. In the morning, Major General SK Aggarwal, Chief of Staff, Vajra Corps inaugurated the exhibition amidst serving Army officers, JCOs, the jawans, students and the local population.

Jalandhar, January 14
The police today claimed to have seized one kg of opium and also arrested an accused in this regard. Two accused, including a woman are still at large.

Sources said police officials of the bus stand division had set up a naka near PAP Chowk this afternoon where they stopped a motorcyclist for routine checking.

When the police signaled a motorcyclist with two persons, including a woman, riding pillion for checking, both the pillion rider threw a polythene bag they were carrying and fled from the spot.

The police nabbed the motorcyclist. Sources said 100 gram of opium was seized from the accused identified as Harvinder Singh alias Hinda, a resident of Beant Singh Nagar.

The polythene bags dropped by the other two accused were found to contain 600 and 300 grams of opium, respectively.

The other two accused who fled from the spot have been identified as Sabi and Nikki, both residents of Amirpur village in Lambra near here.

A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused and raids are being conducted to nab the remaining two accused.

The accused were said to be on their way to sell the contraband.

Jalandhar, January 14
Former senior Youth Akali leader Parminder Pal Singh Khalsa who had quit the party few days back to join the Congress today slammed the SAD-BJP government for having adopted the saffron culture.

He said the Shiromani Akali Dal, which had its founder leaders like Baba Kharak Singh and Master Tara Singh had now become a private limited company. “It has now come under the dictatorship of just one family,” he said while addressing a press conference.