Five arrested for posing as sales tax officers
Amritsar, April 25
Following the leads provided by the bootleggers who were arrested by the Civil Lines police recently, the police has unearthed a nexus of criminals involved in the smuggling of alcohol and spirit used to manufacture illicit liquor in the city.

Amritsar, April 25
For the lift facility, Bebe Nanki Mother and Child Care Centre authorities follow the official duty hours. As soon as the lift attendant leaves at 8 pm in the evening, the only lift in the nine storey building is switched off till 9 in the morning when he joins duty for the day. Patients and their attendants are left with no choice but to climb up and down the stairs.

For a centre dealing with pregnancy cases, the labour rooms and operation theatres of the gynaecology wing are on the first floor as a result of which emergency delivery cases in the night have to be transported through the stairs only.

The building does not have a ramp either. Though it is connected on each floor with the nearby emergency block of the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital which does have a ramp, patients complain that in case of emergency people are left searching for the ramp. “Only the hospital staff and few others who are regular visitors to the hospital are aware of the ramp. The lift should work round-the-clock as it is difficult for people to climb all the way up,” Jagwinder Singh, an attendant said. He said people in case of emergency have to look for ways to get their patients transferred to other floors.

The visitors have demanded that the lift should be made operational 24X7.

In the absence of the lift facility, bringing a pregnant woman to the labour room from wards on the upper floors also becomes a problem. Sources say once a woman gave birth outside the labour room as her relatives were taking her to the first floor through the stairs.

Another resident Kulmeet Singh said, “Even during the day one lift is not enough to cater to the needs of all people who visit the centre. The hospital must make arrangements for another lift." He said during emergency cases, patients and their relatives cannot be expected to wait at the ground floor for the lift.

Amritsar, April 25
Short of staff by more than 40 per cent, the existing staff of the Ayurveda department is overburdened with work. The department runs 24 dispensaries in the district besides a swasthya kendra, a hospital and an extra unit.

To run all these centres, the department needs at least 26 Ayurvedic Medical Officers (AMO) but it has only 19. The sanctioned strength of Uph Vaid in the district is 26 but 16 of the posts are lying vacant. Of the total 26 trained midwives required by the department, 10 posts are lying vacant. The only post of Senior Ayurvedic Officer is also lying vacant.

The dispensers (pharmacists) are also less than the required strength.

The department is also receiving low stock of medicine for the patients. The department receives only 12-13 of the basic medicinal ingredients. Department insiders say the problem of reduced stock of medicine began more than a year ago.

A visitor Nishan Singh said, “Ayurveda can easily be promoted but only if the government is serious. The government should provide ample stock of medicine and manpower.”

District Ayurvedic and Unani officer Dr Kushal Kumar said they depute staff on rotational basis at all the dispensaries. He said more people are interested in Ayurveda medicines these days. He said the department has purchased the required medicines. “We are hopeful that we will get the medicines soon,” said Kumar.

Amritsar, April 25
Jatinder Singh, a commission agent and a resident of Dashmesh Nagar on Tarn Taran Road, allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself at his shop in Vallah vegetable market yesterday.

A police team headed by SHO Sanjiv Kumar reached the spot and recovered a suicide note from his pocket. The police has initiated action under Section 174 CrPC. The police has also seized a licensed double-barrel gun belonging to the deceased from the spot.

He was under huge debt owing to a property dispute with his close relatives.

He had taken a loan huge loan to fight the case and due to this he was suffering from a lot of mental tension. He went to his shop at Vallah vegetable market and shot himself with his licensed double-barrel gun, the police said.

The incident came to light in the wee hours today 
when shopkeepers reached his shop.

Amritsar, April 25
The police has arrested five persons allegedly involved in vehicle lifting and thefts while two others are absconding. Those arrested include Patras Masih, a resident of Bahadur Hussain Kalan, Gurdaspur, Bobby and Saleem of Faizpura, Harjit Singh of Wadala Johal village and Lakhwinder Singh of Pheruman village. The accused who are absconding include Narain alias Rajbir Singh of Thathgarh village, Tarn Taran (an accomplice of Patras Masih) and Bhallu of Faizpura (an accomplice of Bobby and Saleem).

Amritsar, April 25
The Central Board of Secondary Education affiliated schools seem to have grudgingly agreed to implement the RTE Act but only for the pre nursery classes. The schools will reserve 25 per cent seats under the Act from the next academic session.

Dr Dharam Veer Singh, chairman of Sahodya School, an organisation of 70 CBSE affiliated schools in Amritsar, Batala and Taran Taran, also the director of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, said no official from the Education department has approached any of the CBSE affiliated schools in the city to ask them to get recognition under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. He zsaid they came to know about the decision through newspaper reports.

He said there are 38 CBSE affiliated schools in Amritsar and the Act will be implemented in these schools from the next academic session. He demanded that the government must announce a compensatory fund to meet the expenses incurred to educate each student. Citing the example of Delhi, he said the government there was providing Rs 1,190 per student every month to the schools.

y As per the RTE Act, of the 25 per cent reserved seats, 12.5 pc must be kept for the economically weaker sections, as defined by the Income Tax department, five per cent for the Scheduled Castes, five per cent for the Backward class/Other Backward Class, 1.25 pc for children of war widows and 1.25 pc for the children of handicapped parents.

y As per the RTE Act, all private schools were given three years to get affiliated under the Act, make infrastructural and other arrangements accordingly.

Amritsar, April 25
Coming as a relief for farmers, the Revenue Department has started uploading the land records on a website (www.plrs.org.in). The first phase of the project has been completed.

Now, the farmers can get a printed copy of the jamabandi (land record) from respective fard kendras or can even access it from the website sitting at home.

A farmer, Jagdeep Singh, said, "Most of the disputes in the state are related to properties. It is good that the government has taken up the task to computerise the records."

Sucha Singh, another farmer said, "Earlier, the procedure to take the jamabandi was very cumbersome. First, the patwari remained inaccessible and if he was available then he would not be very happy to give us the jamabandi." He said it took him few minutes to get a copy now.

SDM Manmohan Singh Kang said, "The land records of more than half of the villages have been uploaded. The work on phase II, covering rest of the villages, has begun." He said the project would be completed soon.

Kang said computerisation of records has helped check corruption and unnecessary delays in providing services to the general public. He said the process to computerise the remaining records is going on at a fast pace.

Farmers to benefit

Farmers can get a printed copy of the jamabandi (land record) from respective fard kendras or can even access it from the website (www.plrs.org.in)

Amritsar, April 25
With the wheat crop harvest season in full swing and the percentage of grain dust particles increasing in the air, doctors have advised residents, especially those suffering from asthma, to take precautionary measures.

Chest specialist Dr Naresh Chawla said, "When the harvest season is on, people must not forget to wrap a cloth around their face." He said problem is more severe in the rural areas.

Residents living in residential colonies on the outskirts of the city said dust emanating from the fields makes breathing difficult. Ravneet Kaur, a homemaker said, "The combine harvesters create a lot of dust as a result of which children and aged face respiratory problems."

Medical experts also warned farmers against the burning of wheat stubble.

"Farmers are advised not to burn the stubble considering its health hazards," said Senior Medical Officer Dr Balbir Singh Dhillon.

He said residents must wear eyeglasses and cover their faces to avoid dust entering their eyes and lungs. "Asthmatic patients must consult their doctors if they feel a problem," said Dhillon.

Amritsar, April 25
The Punjab Pollution Control Committee, an NGO, urged the state government to set up water treatment plants in the city.

Criticising the state government for its failure in making environmental education a subject, the NGO said the apex court had decided in 1991 that environmental education be made a subject in all technical schools and colleges. However, the Punjab Government did not comply with the order. The PPCC would also file a PIL against the government which have failed to construct public toilets in Punjab. Amritsar is a centre of pilgrimage and lack of basic amenities brings bad name to the city. — TNS

Amritsar, April 25
With a view to generate awareness against drug menace, the Rehabilitation and Settlement Organisation (RASO), an NGO, will organise a mini marathon on April 29. The marathon, which will begin from Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post, has been divided in two parts.

The first part would be a 10-km race that will end at Khasa. Schoolchildren and senior citizens are eligible to take part in this part of the walk. The second part would be 20-km race ending at Sham Singh Attari Wala Gate near Naraingarh.

The champion of 20-km race will be awarded a cash prize of Rs one lakh while the winner of 10-km race will get Rs 50,000. Besides, participants will be given certificates. RASO president Kamaljit Gill said about 2,000 persons from different walks of life, would participate in the event.

On the occasion, literature highlighting adverse effects of drug addiction will be distributed among the youth.