The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Residential quarters razed amidst tight security Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, May 9 In a major demolition drive undertaken by the district administration today, 84 residential quarters in the Housing Board Colony were brought down amidst heavy security arrangements. Subhash Chander, SDM, who supervised the demolition, said these quarters had been constructed by the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) decades ago. However, due to their precarious condition, they had been declared unsafe for living by the committee constituted by the Deputy Commissioner. As these quarters had not been allocated to any person or government employee, their maintenance was later entrusted to the PWD department which had also abandoned the same and declared them dangerous for living. The SDM said for the last few years, some families had illegally occupied these quarters after finding them vacant. He said the demolition was undertaken only after following the due course of law, adding that all the unauthorised occupants had been served notices before taking action. The SDM further said some of the families had already moved out after they were served notice to vacate. Those families that were still staying in these abandoned houses got adequate time today to take out their belongings before pressing the JCB machines into action. Manpritam Singh, SDO, PWD, said though the committee had taken the decision to demolish these quarters a long time back, they could not be brought down earlier due to various reasons. Sources said the district administration had received many complaints about these abandoned quarters being used for unscrupulous purposes following which the action was expedited. An official said some of the quarters had become a haven for the drug peddlers because of which the residents in the nearby areas were up in arms. The families which were rendered homeless today did not offer any resistance and vacated the quarters peacefully, though they were looking worried wondering where to find a shelter for their kids. A heavy police contingent along with the fire brigade and rapid action teams had been deployed to tackle any possible law and order problem during the demolition.
	Teachers to ‘socially boycott’ Parho Punjab team in Fazilka Protesting against suspension of fellow teachers Praful Chander Nagpal Fazilka, May 9 Irked over the suspension of 10 primary school teachers and the show-cause notices issued to 220 others, teachers have decided to “socially boycott” the team of the Parho Punjab in Fazilka district, whom they consider responsible for the action against the teachers. According to the information available, the Parho Punjab team had submitted their report to the Fazilka Deputy Commissioner (DC) that some of the teachers were not performing their duties diligently. On the basis of the report, the DC on April 23 recommended the suspension and issuance of show-cause notices. Members of the Fazilka district unit of the Government Teachers Union, led by its state committee member Ram Krishan Dhunkian, launched a campaign against the Fazilka district team of the Parho Punjab and staged a protest at the local Pratap Bagh. The union is demanding that the coordinator of the Fazilka district team of the Parho Punjab, Shankar Chaudhary, and three assistant district coordinators should be sent back to their regular respective posts as teachers. For the purpose, the union has launched a signature campaign too. “We have decided to “socially boycott” the team members, as the primary school heads would not sign any official document during their visit to the schools,” said Dhunkian. “The Parho Punjab team has misguided the authorities and it led to the suspension of and issuance of show cause notices to the teachers,” alleged Dhunkian. The primary school teachers in the district have also decided to stage a protest rally in front of the DC office on Thursday. They would submit a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner in favour of their demand. On the other hand, Shankar Chaudhary and assistant district coordinators held a press conference here today and refuted the charges levelled against them. The education department had appointed them to monitor the functioning of the teachers, food being provided to the students, IQ level of the students, presence of teachers and students in schools during working hours and other things to ensure quality education in the government primary schools, said Chaudhary, adding that the information was forwarded to the higher authorities on the basis of the reports submitted by block and cluster master trainers and coordinators. “It was their job to submit a ‘fair’ report to the higher authorities and this is what they have done,” Chaudhary pointed out. He termed the agitation as illegal and uncalled for.
	Faridkot doc makes it to IPS Improves rank from 616 to 101 in Civil Services exam Tribune News Service Faridkot, May 9 It was a double delight for a doctor from Faridkot when he cracked the Civil Services exam for the second time. Dr Sandeep Garg sat for the exam this time to improve his ranking. Along with this, he nursed a dream of donning the police uniform. He was successful on both the counts when the results for the exam came in recently. The son of an anaesthetist, Dr Girdhari Lal of Faridkot, Dr Garg completed his MBBS from the Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, in 2009 and attempted the Civil Services examination for the first time in 2010. Though he made it to the coveted services in his first attempt, his ranking at 616 was something he was not satisfied with. His dream came true a year after he cracked the Civil Services exam for the first time. Dr Garg was undergoing training as a corporate law service officer in New Delhi when he decided to give the Civil Services examination another try in 2011 to improve his rank. As destiny willed it, Sandeep not only ended up with an improved rank of 101 but also acquired eligibility for the IPS, his dream service. Sandeep did his schooling from the Dasmesh Public School, Faridkot, and was ranked 30th in the All India Pre-medical Entrance Examination-2003. Later, he joined Maulana Azad Medical College, said his proud father Dr Girdhari Lal.
	Hi-tech Suvidha Centre coming up in Muktsar The new building to be ready by July Archit Watts Tribune News Service Muktsar, May 9 For the convenience of people visiting the Suvidha Centre to get their work done, an ultra-modern Suvidha Centre building is being constructed at the District Administrative Complex (DAC) here, which would accommodate 40 service counters. The construction work is on and the 7,000 square feet building would be ready before the end of July. Nearly 250 chairs would be placed for the public in the waiting hall. Besides, CCTV cameras would also be installed to keep an eye on the functioning of the staff and the movement of notorious elements, if any. The local Mandi Board is the executive agency to construct the building, which has given the contract to construct the building to a private company of Gurgaon at an estimated cost of `1.53 crore. Deputy Commissioner Paramjeet Singh said, “The building would be the first of its kind in the state with such a vast area and will be fully air-conditioned. A number of new counters would also be opened there. We have 15 counters in the existing Suvidha Centre, which sometimes prove inadequate. So, the expansion was planned.” He added, “Once the building gets ready, public would not have to wait. All the services would be provided within the stipulated time-frame and there would be no inordinate delay in the services.” Rajiv Gupta, in-charge, Suvidha Centre, said, “On an average, we deal with nearly 80,000 files in a year, which means 2 to 3 lakh people visit the centre in a year. The 2,500 square feet area of the existing building was proving too short for the purpose.” Shamsher Singh, site in-charge of the construction company, said, “The construction work is on full swing and we are supposed to complete it in July.” He added that besides the cabins, waiting hall and public convenience facility, the new Suvidha Centre would be landscaped and will also have a cafeteria.
	Man shoots drug-addict son to death Kulwinder Sandhu Tribune News Service Moga, May 9 A man allegedly shot dead his son at Daatta village of the district on Tuesday night. Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that the deceased Sarbjit Singh (27) was a drug addict and often used to quarrel with his father Amar Singh over division of the latter’s property. Since Sarbjit was an addict, Amar Singh was not willing to transfer his share of property in his son’s name, which could have been the cause of murder. The situation took an ugly turn when Sarbjit tried to crush his father under a tractor when he returned home on Tuesday night. Realising that his drug addict son would kill him, Amar Singh loaded his .12 bore gun and allegedly shot at Sarbjit. The bullet hit him in the head killing him on the spot. A criminal case of murder has been registered against Amar Singh on a complaint filed by the deceased’s wife. The accused was absconding, said a police officer here. The police took the body into its custody and got the post-mortem examination conducted at the district hospital here. Sarbjit is survived by his wife and two sons.
	60-yr-old teacher ends life Tribune News Service Faridkot, May 9 A week after the authorities of a private school in Faridkot lodged a complaint with the police against a 60-year-old music teacher, he ended his life by jumping before a running train this evening. Ajit Singh Saini, the teacher was serving in the school for the last 30 years and was known for his musical genius among his students and artists in the area. His family members alleged that the school authorities had complained to the police after receiving an anonymous letter some days back. Since the day the complaint was lodged, Ajit Singh Saini was under mental stress. The teacher chose a railway line near the school to end his life by jumping before a train running today. In a suicide note, he said that he was under great stress. “So, I am ending my life to prove my innocence and end the mental agony,” reads the suicide note.