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Ludhiana village sitting on history
Chew this: More than 10 dog bite cases in UT everyday
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33 per cent rural students quit studies at matric level: Study
Sangrur sees alarming rise in cancer cases
In Gujjarwal, ox dies after race
Blue bulls found mauled to death
Star campaigners’ flights cost Rs 10 cr in elections
Ludhiana
double murder
On
the Verge of extinction
Health dept cancels doctor’s licence for violating PNDT Act
Poster triggers tension in Balachaur
Jathedar walks out of Mann’s function
HC wants Punjab govt to promote roller staking
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Ludhiana village sitting on history
Ludhiana, February 12 History here rests in small, rickety cupboards in the form of seals, utensils, coins and coin moulds dating back to 3rd century BC. Most of the elderly in the village have safeguarded these prized possessions more out of habit than informed choice. There was a time when the villagers would dredge up history to sell it to connoisseurs and earn a few bucks. Whenever rains sloshed the village, the residents would rush out to dig coins and coin moulds. It was a sound business proposition, as Nasib Kaur, who claims to be 102 years old, says. A coin fetched her a princely sum of Rs 40 in the 1940s. “A man came to our house and told me to quote the price for the coin. I thought Rs 40 was a huge amount and I settled for it,” she says wistfully.
She had no idea of what she had bartered away. Even today, the awareness is more about the material loss rather than the loss of a valuable archaeological artefact. The younger lot in the village is as ‘historically’ challenged as the elders. And unlike the elders, they are not even interested in history. They just let a whiff of myth-addled history float around them. A young woman walking past the fenced mound (the fencing has been done by the Archeological Survey of India after clearing the area of encroachments) says she has heard talk about royal treasures being buried there. “Perhaps, a king had buried his treasure at this place,” she says nonchalantly. The caretaker of the mound, who’s an employee of the ASI, takes recourse to a popular myth to explain the existence of the mound. A few minutes’ walk from the mound are workshops of craftsmen whose embroidery designs are well-appreciated by fashionistas from across Punjab. “Many times, clients ask us to create Mughal-inspired motifs and designs,” says a craftsman. History, it seems, has a close affinity with the village.
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Chew this: More than 10 dog bite cases in UT everyday
Chandigarh, February 12 Officials in the UT Health Department say that in 2011, they recorded 4,724 dog bite cases, of which 75 per cent were from city and the rest from the neighbouring areas of Haryana and Punjab. As many as 522 cases have already been reported this year. The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation does not have the latest data on stray dogs. A senior official quoted the figure at 5,400 as per a survey conducted by the Animal Husbandry Department in 2007. The MC officials said their duty was confined to sterilising stray dogs. Health officials said supplying the anti-rabies vaccine was the MC responsibility with all dispensaries under its jurisdiction. But the fact was that till March 31, 2012, it was the UT Health Department that had provided the medicines and staff to the dispensaries. Dog bite victims are forced to purchase the vaccines from the open market. A course of five anti-rabies vaccine costs Rs 1,750 (Rs 350 each) whereas the dispensary charges Rs 1,400 (Rs 280 each) for the same. Patients are forced to shell out more money due to non-availability of the vaccine in government dispensaries. The vaccine is available at a subsidised rate of Rs 100 at the government hospitals in Mohali and Panchkula. Poor patients are forced to pay unreasonably high rates for the vaccine, despite their entitlement to free treatment. Doctors at the dispensary said they often advised poor patients to either go to the Panchkula or Mohali government hospital for the vaccine. Sources said though only Rs 80 lakh was required annually for buying the vaccine, the authorities had been dilly-dallying on the matter. When approached, the Health officials were unwilling to speak on the issue. Chandermohan, UT Director Health Services (DHS), said: "I was not aware of the problem. I will ensure the vaccine supply to dispensaries". During the past five years, the UT Administration and Municipal Corporation have jointly come up with proposals to tackle the problem of stray dogs, but till date not a single project has taken off. The MC is getting stray dogs sterilised with the help of the SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and the PFA (People for Animals). These organisations charge about Rs 775 per dog. Official sources said the number of dogs being sterilised was much less as compared to the growing population of stray dogs. In 2007, the MC mooted a proposal that a dog pound be constructed in the city to provide temporary shelter to the potentially rabid as well as critically sick dogs. A project report underlined the need for constructing a dog pound and managing it independently. But nothing was done.When contacted, Medical Health Officer Dr S K Salwan said that the department was now looking for a site in the industrial area for setting up the dog pound. Till date nothing has been finalised “officially”. Interestingly, former UT administrator-cum-Governor SF Rodrigues had announced in his Independence Day speech in 2009 that two dog pounds had been constructed to manage the sick and stray dogs, including one managed by an NGO. In reality, the proposal for setting up a dog pound has been hanging fire for adecade for want of space. A proposal for a dog pound at Dhanas was rejected as there was a school and a residential area nearby. Later, the office of the Medical Officer suggested a piece of land at Maloya, but it was rejected by the Administration on the plea that the site was next to a
gaushala.
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33 per cent rural students quit studies at matric level: Study
Chandigarh, February 12 The study findings suggest that there was a flaw in our education system that saw students reaching middle school but was unable to inculcate skills in them to handle board examinations. For the study, the PAU (Ludhiana) involved 50 schools from all five agro-climatic zones in Punjab. Students have been opting out from government schools at all levels. But, more girls quit studies at the primary level, thus, indicating they were put to household chores at an early age in rural areas. Around 26 per cent of girls drop out from schools at the primary level as compared to 16 per cent boys. The most dropouts are occurring in the border along Pakistan. Research fellows, including Dr Sukhpal Singh and Simran K Sidhu, deduced that rural students were increasingly feeling that education would not guarantee a better future. They said one-third of the rural population was opting out of studies because they felt education would not provide them employment opportunities. The study also noted that one-fourth of the rural population dropped out of school due to poor economic conditions. These youth were seen as income augmenters by their parents, particularly the families of landless peasants. Besides, 15 per cent of the students opted out because their schools were located at distant places. More girl students dropped out due to this reason than boys, as the parents were hesitant to send them to distant towns and cities for further education. Researchers GS Romana and Bhupinder Singh said students were also dropping out of schools in rural areas because they were unable to cope up with the pressure of studies. The study revealed 39 per cent boys and 26 per cent girl students dropped out because they were very poor in studies. The researchers said this indicated the quality of education available to rural students was poor. The researchers have recommended doing away with single teacher schools at the primary level and maintaining student teacher ratio at 1:25. Beside, the study has recommended a separate cadre of rural teachers at the district level so that such teachers could serve only in rural areas. If this was not possible, they suggest, teachers appointed in rural areas should serve for at least 10 years there before becoming eligible for posting in urban areas.
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Sangrur sees alarming rise in cancer cases
Fatehgarh Channa, Sangrur, February 12 From three-year-olds to octogenarians, almost every village now has a cancer patient battling for life. As The Tribune team visited some 24 villages, it came to light that the plight of poor families having a cancer patient is particularly terrible. As TNS team stepped in the house of a labourer, Surinder Singh in Fatehgarh Channa village, his three-year-old son Jaskaran was crying continuously. Diagnosed with cancer in his left eye one year ago, the innocent child is undergoing painful chemotherapy sessions at AIIMS. “We have even forgotten to smile. From our cattle to household goods, everything has been sold off to manage funds for the treatment of my son,” said Surinder with tears in his eyes. Jaskaran's mother Ranbir Kaur said, “How can god be so cruel to my son, who instead of playing with toys, cries the whole day due to pain”. A few hundred metres away from Jaskaran's house was another poor family facing similar situation. Gurdeep Kaur (60) is suffering from mouth cancer. “I am undergoing treatment at Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. Due to our poor financial condition, my family can't take me to a good cancer institute,” she said in a subdued voice. Though there has been no official figure on the total number of cancer patients in Sangrur, inquiries by TNS revealed that the number of people suffering from cancer in Dhuri, Sunam, Lehra, Dirbha and Amargarh villages have increased drastically in the past few years. Speaking to TNS, inhabitants of several villages like Kakarwal, Lehal Kalan, Ubhawal, Adakwas, Mehila, Bhedni Kalan, Jakhepal and Kanoi said cancer cases in the Malwa region were on the rise but there was no premier health institute in the rural Malwa belt, following which the patients had to travel to Ludhiana, Chandigarh and New Delhi for treatment. “Sangrur is located centrally in the Malwa region. If a cancer hospital comes up here, it will be of immense help to the patients,” said Ramanjit Singh, a resident of Ladda Kothi village. Flaying the successive state governments for not doing anything to set up a cancer institute in the rural Malwa belt, Varinder Kaur Bassi of Dhadiwa village said, “It is shameful that cancer patients from the region have to go to Bikaner in Rajasthan to get low-cost treatment. The Union Government should step in and sanction a cancer hospital in either Sangrur or Bathinda”.
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Ban on bullock cart race stalls ox trade
Ludhiana, February 12 Jasbir Singh is not alone. Hundreds of farmers who have spent lakhs of rupees on these pricy animals are in a state of shock. Anger was writ large on their faces as they were denied bullock cart race even on the fourth day of the Kila Raipur games. “These are not mere animals for us. We have nurtured them like our sons. The officials make decisions while sitting in AC rooms and impose these on us. They might not have even seen an ox,” said a visibly rattled Satnam Singh. Jagbir Grewal, one of the organisers who was quietly looking at the empty stands, said, “At a time when every sport or human daredevil is being performed on television, bullock cart race was something which drew huge crowds”. The race, however, draws enthusiasts from across the state for other reasons as well. Big deals of ox are struck here and the owners of the winning animals make huge money by selling these. Pamma, an ox trader, said the government’s decision had put the future of ox trade in limbo. “Many trades like me are into the sale and purchase of oxen. I have spent nearly Rs 30 lakh on buying these. If the government does not show flexibility, our business will be ruined,” he lamented. Jhanda Singh had bought an ox for Rs 4,000 one-and-a-half years ago from Rajasthan. He made a killing last year when he sold the animal for Rs 5.60 lakh after the ox won the race at Kila Raipur. These are not served an ordinary diet. The monthly budget on feeding an ox crosses Rs 10,000. “These pricey animals are served milk containing power boosters, food supplements, maize, jaggery and ghee. The oxen are massaged twice a day,” said Jhanda Singh.
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PPP meeting today
Chandigarh, February 12 “We will discuss our shortcomings and also strong points vis-à-vis assembly elections”, said Manpreet, who arrived here this evening. “Our two major problems during the elections were inadequate organisation structure in the countryside and lack of funds,” he said. “Every candidate and members of the two main bodies of the party will be given a questionnaire to answer as part of getting feedback from them,” Manpreet said, adding that as his party was fighting against organised mafia operating in various spheres in the state, there was no scope of collecting funds from such gangs. “It is well known that mostly mafia operating in liquor, sand, landed properties, business and some rogue elements in officialdom fund the elections of various political parties. We were not to get money from such people,” he added. “We will decide at the meeting the ways and means to be adopted to strengthen the party at the grass-roots level”, he said. “I have talked to most of the candidates on the phone and the mood in the party rank and file is upbeat keeping in view the response from the electorate”, he said, adding, “I cannot say that how many seats the PPP will win but I can say with full confidence that the PPP candidates with get a sizeable share of votes in most of the constituencies”. Asked about his ailment, Manpreet said following tests, doctors had reached the conclusion that cyst was benign and not malignant. “The doctors have given me steroids for a week to reduce the size of the cyst. They will re-examine it after two weeks to decide whether any surgical intervention is required or not,” he said.
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Rising canal water alarms villagers in Muktsar areas
Muktsar, February 12 While the authorities concerned claim the situation was “normal”, villagers living nearby fear their fields would get inundated in case there was any breach. The Irrigation Department officials said faulty designs of the bridges were to be blamed. On the Muktsar-Malout highway, The Tribune found two such bridges where the gushing water in the canals had touched the bridges. In the Abohar branch and the Arniwala distributary, the water level had reached an extent that necessitated immediate attention. Farmers working in fields located nearby said this was not a new problem as they had had to face floods in the past as well due to breaches in canals. “The water level in the canal has increased immensely over the past couple of days. But, neither the district administration nor the Irrigation Department appear to be interested in addressing the issue,” said Baltej Singh of Mehrajwala village. Executive Engineer RK Gupta said: “The present water level in canals is almost normal, but the design of a few bridges is faulty. We have sought an approval from the higher authorities to modify the design and rebuild them to avoid any damage.”
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Rusted grenade, 250 cartridges found in Malout
Muktsar, February 12 A few labourers had been digging land near to the distributary in the morning when they recovered the box. Jugraj Singh, SHO Malout city police station, said, "A grenade and nearly 250 cartridges have been found from the spot, besides three small boxes, which are yet to be opened." Muktsar SSP Hasrh Bansal said, "The ammunition is rusted and seems to be defused. Still, we have called two teams of experts from Bathinda and Jalandhar, which will see whether the ammunition is defused or not." He said a case under various sections of the Arms Act had been registered and the Army had also been informed about the seizure so that they could check whether it belonged to them or not.
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Blue bulls found mauled to death
Ludhiana, February 12 The villagers, not discounting the possibility of a wild animal on the prowl, say the dogs pose a serious threat to the people and domestic animals. “ A pack of 50-60 ferocious dogs live near the dump yard fir carcasses located between Gidri and Bilaspur villages. These dogs are a threat to commuters, particularly children,” said Parminderjit Singh, a retired science teacher from Gidri village. The villagers, are afraid of venture out after dusk. “We prefer to stay indoors after sunset,” said Bharpoor Singh of Buani village. Divisional Forest Officer Naresh Mahajan said pugmarks indicated that dogs were responsible for mauling the animals. —With inputs from Lovleen Bains
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Star campaigners’ flights cost Rs 10 cr in elections
Chandigarh, February 12 The star campaigners of different parties used these choppers and the expenditure would be added in the account of the parties and not the candidates. Sources say a chopper company charges Rs 80,000 to 1.5 lakh per hour and politicians in Punjab used helicopters between two to four hours during campaigning. The Congress party spent the maximum money on choppers, as 75 landings were registered by it, followed by the Shiromani Akali Dal that used helicopters 31 times. The BJP recorded 13 landings and the BSP used a chopper only once. Capt Amarinder Singh was the most frequent flier during canvassing followed by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. The star campaigners of the Congress who visited Punjab included AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda, Ambika Soni and Bollywood actor Raj Babbar. Those in SAD included Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, his wife and Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia. National BJP president Nitin Gadkari and other leaders, including Vasundhra Raje, Sushil Kumar, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Rajnath Singh and small screen actress-turned-politician Smriti Irani were among the party's star campaigners, who used choppers to canvass for party candidates. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati was the only BSP leader who used chopper only once to campaign for her party candidates. "Our Returning Officers have recorded 120 landings. The political parties were directed to seek our permission before landing anywhere in Punjab. Since all these leaders were star campaigners, the expenditure will be registered in the accounts of the political parties," said Rajkamal Chowdhary, Joint Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab.
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Rs 10.2 lakh spent on paid news in Moga
Moga, February 12 But no legal action has been initiated against any of the candidates except issuing them notices as they expressed ignorance. The expenditure observers and the returning officers asked the candidates to include the money spent on getting their photographs/news and advertisements published in newspapers into their poll expenditure. As per the instructions of the EC, an elected legislator could face disqualification as well as criminal proceedings, which could lead to prison term of six months as well as a fine, if he/she resorts to paid news in any form of media in the elections. Even a person who presented himself on behalf of any candidate for inclusion of an advertisement was required to file a declaration duly attested by two witnesses. In the event of the candidate concerned disowning such a person, the authorities should initiate criminal proceedings against the latter. On the eve of Lohri festival, a leading vernacular newspaper published photographs of many candidates in a paid supplement but the candidates expressed their ignorance. The newspaper was issued notice but no legal action was initiated against the candidates or those published their photographs. As per the details calculated by the media certification and monitoring committee, in Moga constituency, former DGP and SAD candidate Paramdeep Singh Gill paid Rs 43,980, Joginder Pal Jain (Congress) Rs 5,314 and Ravinder Singh Dhaliwal (PPP) Rs 10,744 to newspapers to publish their photographs, news or advertisements. In Dharamkot constituency, Jathedar Tota Singh (SAD) paid Rs 32,090, Sukhjit Singh Kaka (Congress) Rs 92,540, Kuldip Singh Dhose (PPP) Rs 51,744 and Hardeep Singh Fauji (Independent) Rs 43,844 to newspapers. In Baghapurana constituency, Darshan Singh Brar (Congress) paid Rs 64,954, Mahesh Inder Singh (SAD) Rs 1,41,624, Gurpreet Singh (PPP) Rs 80,544 and Amarjit Singh Rajeana (Independent) Rs 3,81,024 to newspapers. In Nihalsinghwala constituency, Ajit Singh Shant (Congress) paid Rs 48,826, Rajwinder Kaur (SAD) Rs 9,720, Colonel Babu Singh (Independent) Rs 10,800 and Darshan Singh (SAD-A) Rs 2,880 to newspapers. Dr PC Mittal, chairman of the district media certification and monitoring committee, said that the candidates had published their advertisements in newspapers. "I have compiled the details and submitted the report to the district magistrate-cum-district electoral officer who has asked the returning officers to include these expenses into the poll expenditure of the respective candidates", he added.
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Ludhiana
double murder
Ludhiana, February 12 The police has reached the conclusion that the suspect were more than five in number. Contrary to the claims of the DSP’s family members that he had no link with Monica, the police said the two knew each other. "They knew each other for the past six months and the DSP hid his identity, posing as Aman Verma," said DCP. The police ruled out the involvement of a doctor in the murders. The police thinks robbery could be the motive behind the killings. The police said it had been ascertained that the DSP and Monica entered the Hambran farmhouse between 6.15 and 6.30pm on February 1 and the murders took place between 7pm and 7.30pm. "The two were, perhaps, attacked while returning from the farmhouse. The assailants could be hiding in the farmhouse," the DCP said. The mirror of one of the cars was broken. A shoe print of one of the
suspects was found at the crime scene. The DCP said they had also found a key ring, a baseball bat, a sword, a sickle and a knife. It seemed the assailants had first hit the DSP on the head with the baseball bat. They had then used a sickle or a sword to kill him. The attack on Monica was equally brutal. Her body bore injury marks on the left arm, the left foot, the jaw and the skull.
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On
the Verge of extinction
Patiala, February 12 A committee appointed by the department in 2011 had stated that it had failed to either procure or even get a sight of the bird in the state to ascertain if it was still in flight. In 2010, The Tribune had carried a story on the bird, which is near extinction. Later, the department decided to exchange wild animals with a zoo in Lahore and procuring Eastern Goshawk from Pakistan was among the top priorities. However, the exchange trip remained on papers, as the cash-strapped government failed to sanction it. "The Punjab government bagged a project for Chhatbir Zoo pertaining to breeding of falcon, but could not do much to get a pair of Baaj", said Karamjit Singh Jattana, a retired forest officer. "The government should put the responsibility on some officers to get a pair of Baaj for breeding", he added. The bird is usually found in higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand, but the bird has not been spotted in Punjab since long. Chief Wildlife Warden, Punjab, Dhirendra Singh said, "Getting a pair of the bird from Pakistan is in the pipeline."
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Health dept cancels doctor’s licence for violating PNDT Act
Patiala, February 12 Patiala Civil Surgeon Dr Virinder Singh Mohi said that Punjab Director, Health Services, Dr Dalip Kumar had visited Patiala last week and held a meeting with the department to study the case. He said, "When we checked the records of Dr Meena Garg, who runs Garg Mission Hospital at Model Town, the facts that came to light were astonishing. Firstly, Dr Garg had three certificates for doing Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP). The first one was for the MTP up to 12 weeks and the other two were for the MTP up to 20 weeks. Strangely, the number of both the certificates for the MTP up to 20 weeks was the same (195) whereas they were issued in different years." "Secondly, she had willfully violated the spirit of the MTP Act, 1971 by concealing the period of pregnancy of the patient because under the MTP Act a single medical practitioner cannot independently conduct the MTP on a patient carrying pregnancy which is more than 12 weeks, without the opinion of a second medical practitioner. Then, there was a difference in the statement of the patient and the hospital record. While she cited failure of the contraceptive method as the reason of terminating the pregnancy, the patient admitted that she was too poor to afford the fourth child. Last but not the least; it is the Garg and Maternity Hospital, Model Town, which had been given the permission to conduct MTP not Garg Mission Hospital. As per rules, if they had changed the name, they had to get the license re-issued in the name of new hospital which they did not do," added Dr Mohi. After these gross violations, Dr Dalip had directed the Civil Surgeon to cancel the license of the doctor as well as the hospital. The department has also issued a show-cause notice to Dr Parval Goyal of Goyal Ultrasound Centre, Leela Bhawan, as they had tampered with the record. Dr Mohi said that there was cutting on 'F form' and the referral slip of the doctor. "We have issued him a notice as to what was the reason behind this cutting and why his registration should not be cancelled," he said. Meanwhile, the police has not yet registered a case against the doctor.
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Poster triggers tension in Balachaur
Balachaur, February 12 On seeing the poster, Jaspal Singh, an employee of a printing press, raised an objection that led to arguments between the two. After the incident, a group of locals demanded action against both the persons and also held a dharna in this regard. Later, the Nawanshahr police booked the two under Section 295 of the IPC for hurting religious sentiments of each other. “The situation is under control. We are trying to prevent further tension in the area,” said Nawanshahar SSP Narinder Bhargava.
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Jathedar walks out of Mann’s function
Fatehgarh Sahib, February
12 Hundreds of people attended the function organised in front of Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib. Addressing the gathering, Mann termed Bhindranwala, a great visionary and Sikh scholar of the century. He said that Bhindranwala was proud of Sikhs and we should follow his philosophy of Sikhism and fulfill his mission.
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HC wants Punjab govt to promote roller staking
Chandigarh, February 12 The significant directions, likely to go a long way in popularising the sport, came from by the Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover on a petition filed in public interest by Chandigarh-based Wonderland Skate Club. Describing itself as a registered club dedicated to the sport of roller skating, the petitioner had contended that the particular sport was universally acknowledged. For encouraging the sport in the country, "due recognition should be given by the State of Punjab to skaters on the basis of their performance at different levels of national and international competition", the petitioner had added. Taking up the case, the Bench observed: "The State has filed its affidavit, a perusal of which would indicate that the State has taken a contentious stand in the matter by questioning even the bonafides of the PIL-petitioner. "Having gone through the respective pleadings of the parties and upon hearing the counsel, we do not fully appreciate the stand taken by the State. All forms of recognised sporting activities are required to be encouraged". In its details order, the Bench added: "In so far as roller staking is concerned, undoubtedly, it is a widely popular sporting activity where human skill and physical endurance is required in a large measure. National and international events in this particular branch of sport is being organised and the same attracts wide public participation." "Though no writ or direction by the Court for award of prizes and recognition would be justified, we are of the view that the State of Punjab should take a positive attitude in the matter of granting recognition to this particular field of sport and also due recognition to the persons who have excelled therein by award of suitable prizes, certificates and other forms of recognition as may be considered appropriate by the State authorities".
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Chandigarh, February 12
Fatehgarh Channa, Sangrur, February 12
Ludhiana, February 12
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PAU study suggests rural students feel education would not guarantee them a better future