Amritsar, April 8
Picture this, a man holding a heavy oxygen cylinder as he climbs up the stairs of a nine storey hospital building. Following him is a woman holding a child in her arms. What may scare you further is to see that the oxygen cylinder is attached to the ailing child, vital to save the child's life. Worried not to falter, the two keep looking into each other’s eyes to make sure they are in step.

If you are wondering, the hapless couple did enter the hospital lift first but not finding the lift operator they had to climb the stairs. The reason, the lift operator was away to enjoy a casual chat with his co-workers outside the building. But not before switching off the lift!

We are talking about the state of affairs at none other than the much hyped nine storey building of Bebe Nanki Mother and Child Care Centre. The institute claims to provide all mother and child care facilities under one roof. The centre was inaugurated five months ago by CM Parkash Singh Badal but became functional only a fortnight ago.

Had the guard been available, the couple parents could have easily taken their child into the safe hands of a doctor. Climbing stairs of the nine-storey building is a huge task for even the most athletic of the human bodies. The centre has the provision of two lift systems but only one is functional. Clearly it is not enough to cater to the heavy rush. In emergency cases when every second is crucial, a special system reserved for such cases is vital. In the meantime, the hospital management can request the lift attendant to be available, so that patients don't face any 
trouble. Even doctors and hospital staff did not notice the lapse.

One of the doctors at the centre said, "Only someone in authority can dare ask such people to do their duties properly for anyone else from the staff it is an invitation to be insulted."

A junior employee said, "The attendants often slip away while visitors and patients are forced to use the stairs. They can be spotted sitting outside the building where construction work is going on."

Government Medical College Principal Dr SS Shergill said, "We are going to write to the government to provide us lift attendants. The said lift attendant is an employee of the PWD and thus can not be controlled by us.” He said medical college and other institutions need more staff to deliver better services to the general public.

We will write to the government to provide us lift attendants. The said lift attendant is an employee of the PWD and thus can not be controlled by us. The medical college and other institutions need more staff to deliver better services to the general public

— Dr ss shergill, principal, gmc

Amritsar, April 8
A group of seven students studying in various schools of the city has been invited by NASA to attend a conference to be held in Washington DC in May.

They were invited after they clinched the first prize in the international design competition NASA Ames Space Settlement Design Contest, 2012, in the Grade 9-10 category.

The students are Abhinav Chawla, Saksham Sharma, Sheetaabh Sharma, Varun Goel, Archit Sharma, Rikin Khanna and Puneet Duggal. They are students of Spring Dale Senior School and DAV Public School.

Competing with participants from all over the world, the students worked hard and did extensive research from libraries and on the internet for the 92-page project. They also designed 'Radeios Space Settlement', a future space settlement to house 19,000 people in an earth-like environment that too in the inhospitable environment of the space.

The project required designing a space settlement, complete with designs for the houses, security measures, structural materials and everything that is necessary for a settlement.

Amritsar, April 8
If the heavy service tax levied on your food bill in this budget has not stopped you from eating out, let the concern for your and your family's health and well being do so. Be aware! A sudden change in the temperature and the humidity level brings along water borne infections. However tempting but it's time to say "no" to cut-fruits and not drinking water from unattended water coolers on the roadsides.

The practice of eating roadside food items is a culture with residents, yet in the absence of a check by the healthauthorities, these roadside vendors care two hoots to maintain hygiene, thereby resort to health hazard conditions.

Similarly, the drinking water which gets contaminated with nitrates can also prove fatal. The water we use in our homes comes from underground borewell tanks or the municipality supply. The Municipal Corporation has no scientific mechanism to treat or check the quality of the water supplied. Even as officials say bacteriological tests are conducted and bleaching powder is diluted to disinfect water, yet it never conforms to the ISI standards.

Dr SS Shergill, principal Government Medical College, said maximum cases of gastroenteritis are caused due to cut fruits, raw vegetables and chaats eaten these days, as hygiene is not maintained in preparing them. "Vomiting, fever, blood in stool, abdominal pain, weakness, giddiness, dehydration and muscle cramps are the main symptoms of diarrhoea, dysentery and gastroenteritis. Each day, we get around 15-20 such patients every day. Roadside rehris are more prone to dust and flies and it is through flies, the infection travels," he said.

Dr Yogesh Arora, MC health officer said though an intensive campaign against roadside vendors and even big food joints is on but due to a shortage of staff every vendor or food joint cannot be checked. Occasional showers may provide temporary relief from the scorching heat but thanks to the city's poor drainage system, the risk of water-borne diseases goes up.

Dr Ashok Goel, professor, Government Medical College said, "There would, many a times, be negative pressure on the pipes. This makes dirty water and often the sewage getting sucked in, which leads to the contamination of drinking water. Coupled with poor hygiene, diseases like typhoid and cholera get transmitted both by faecal and oral route.

Amritsar, April 8
The cricket crazy world seems to be shrinking around the television screens once again and why not the IPL fever runs high in city. Students, shopkeepers and businessmen are manipulating their schedules to find time for matches. Its exam time in university and colleges but the students are not ready to miss any game.

If they are not watching, residents say they keep themselves update with the match scores wherever they are. “Even if there is no television nearby, I call up my friends to know about the scores,” says Sachit Arora.

Parents are naturally a worried lot as students cut down on study hours to watch cricket.

Jatinder Preet Kaur said, “The organisers should have taken exam time into account. It is tough to stop youngsters from watching cricket. The timing of the IPL is not appropriate.”

Pinder Singh, a restaurant owner said, “The number of customers during the evening hours has dropped. Even daily booze lovers prefer to stay home and watch cricket.” He said he plans to install a big LCD screen at the bar for the customers.

Residents say cricket has not lost its charm and it will never do so.

Avneet Singh, a cricket player himself said, “People had not given up on cricket even during the match fixing controversies. It’s a treat when we are getting a chance to watch international players playing for various IPL teams.”

Cricket lovers feel that the game has evolved with time. “Instead of test matches people love to watch twenty-twenty matches. But it does not mean that cricket has lost its old glory,” said Prem Pal, a school teacher. He said cricket is the most common talking point these days.

Amritsar, April 8
The jail authorities have heaved a sigh of relief with the state government announcing new premises for the Amritsar central jail.

"The central jail will be constructed on separate premises and following the completion of the construction, all the inmates besides the staff would be shifted in the new jail," said Shashi Kant, DGP, Jails, while talking to Amritsar Tribune over the phone.

It is pertinent to mention here that the state government has proposed the construction of three new modern central jails at Amritsar, Bathinda and Ferozepur, besides a district jail at Muktsar at a cost of Rs 200 crore.

"We have proposed the construction of central jails in 80-acre lands which would also house de-addiction centres. There would be appropriate staff to check drug flow and mobile phones inside the jail." the DGP added.

At present the local central jail is grappling with the problem of overcrowding and acute staff shortage.

There are 2,800 prisoners languishing in the jail against the capacity of 1,000.

There are just 158 policemen against the sanctioned strength of 400.

Even, the police strength at the jail takes a hit as some of them had to accompany prisoners to courts or hospitals. According to the jail norms, at least three guards should be kept with an inmate admitted to a hospital.

In absence of required staff, there is a continuous flow of drugs, mobile phones inside the jail. Also, several clashes among inmates have occurred.

Being the border district, a large number of prisoners languishing in the jail are either hooked to drugs or are notorious smugglers who continue to run their business with from inside the jail.

According to reports, over 350 international smugglers who were caught by various agencies have been lodged in the central jail.

Superintendent Jail, Rashpal Singh could not be contacted

But another official preferring anonymity said, "We only got this information through the media. If this happens, that would really help in efficient vigilance in the jail premises."

Amritsar, April 8
Ration depot holders are up in arms against the central government’s decision to slash the kerosene quota of Punjab by 63 per cent.

Resent prevails among the depot holders who will decide their next course of action following a state-level meeting at Patiala tomorrow.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Kerosene Wholesalers Association had already gone on an indefinite strike and has refused to lift kerosene.

The depot holders held a meeting with Industries Minister Anil Joshi at circuit house and apprised him about their decision and current situation prevailing in the district.

The minister has assured them to take up the issue with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal besides raising the issue in the assembly to find a solution. He said he would urge them to take up the issue with the central government in this regard.

Sanjiv Laddi, district president of ration depot holders association, said they get no commission in kerosene being distributed to below poverty line (BPL) families.

“With the reduction in the kerosene quota, the ration depot holders would be in trouble. Only 25 per cent of ration card holders were dependent on kerosene and we are somehow managing to supply to the beneficiaries with whatever supply (of kerosene) we get. But with this reduction, every cardholder would get only one and half liter of kerosene,” said Sanjiv Laddi.

“We are answerable to the consumers. It will become difficult for us to run the ration depots,” he added.

Rajan Verma, president, Amritsar Kerosene Wholesalers Association, said they would not lift the supply of kerosene until there is rollback of supply cut. With slashing of kerosene quota it has become very difficult for us to run our establishments.

“There are about 1,600 ration depot holders and about 16 wholesalers of the oil in the district who were getting over 7 lakh liters of kerosene. Out of these, major share goes to Blue Card holder besides BPL families. Now following the reduction in the state government’s quota we will become helpless,” said Rajan Verma.

Amritsar, April 8
The state government granting industry status to the hospitality sector 
in 2009 has not brought any benefits to the sector so far.

Satnam Singh Kanda, chairman, Hotel Association Walled City, Amritsar, said the government, instead of chalking out measures to boost the nascent industry in the city, was increasing and introducing new taxes.

He said the conservation tax, which existed before Independence, was re-imposed in the early 90s to meet the financial crunch. He said the tax, which is annually charged by the Municipal Corporation, has been hiked from this financial year to Rs 4000 on small hotels and Rs 8000 on big hotels. He said about a decade ago, his hotel had to pay just Rs 1,800 as conservation tax.

Besides, he said, the corporation is charging house tax on the basis of rooms. “I have to deposit an annual amount of Rs 26,660 for my 10-room hotel built on 70 square yards,” he rued.

“What kind of industry status it is when the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is charging commercial rate on power bill?” he asked.

Hotelier APS Chatha said the government failed to open more tourist spots to prolong the stay of tourists in the city.

He said the Union Government levies 3.09 per cent tax on AC restaurants apart from 12 per cent service tax on rooms. Besides, state government charges 13.75 per cent VAT on food and 4 per cent luxury tax on rooms.