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3 armed robbers BREAK INTO house
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Two killed in road mishaps
Save environment preserve future
Refund of test fee sought from Punjab & Sind Bank
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna: Smart cards elude poor in district
Missing sisters found
Sugar dealers continue stir
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3 armed robbers BREAK INTO house
Jalandhar, July 26 While two of them took hold of the father and
son, the third took away valuables after breaking open the cupboards and almirahs, revealed Swaran Das. As the victims who were captured by the assailants raised an alarm, area residents assembled at the house and managed to nab two of them. Their one accomplice, however, escaped from the scene. Then it was free for all and the neighbourers thrashed the assailants mercilessly, leaving them seriously injured. Station house officer (SHO), Bast Bawa Khel, Hardial Singh, reached the crime scene and the injured were taken to the local Civil Hospital. The police have identified one accused as Rajesh Kumar, while his one accomplice is still unconscious at the hospital. A case has also been registered at the Basti Bawa Khel police station in this regard. |
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Two killed in road mishaps
Jalandhar, July 26 The accident occurred at about 7 am when Rajinder Kumar, a Bania Mohalla resident in Basti Shekh, was riding his motorcycle with his wife Sarjo Kumari. Due to the impact of the bus-motorcycle collision, the couple fell on the road, leading to Saroj’s death. Her husband sustained serious injuries in the accident. Area residents nabbed the bus driver, Harjinder Singh, resident of Khurla Kingar, and handed him over to the police. A case of rash and negligent driving has been registered against him at the Division No. 5 police station. The body was handed over to the family this afternoon after postmortem examination at the Civil Hospital. In another incident, a Lamba Pind resident, who was on a pilgrimage to a religious place in Himachal Pradesh, died after his motorcycle collided with a stray cattle on the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road this morning. Accompanied by his friends, Viney was riding his motorcycle when a buffalo suddenly appeared on the road in Chooharwali village and the rider failed to manage his speed and banged his vehicle into the animal. The injured was rushed to a nearby private hospital by his friends, but to no avail. |
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Save environment preserve future
Jalandhar, July 26 While the saplings were arranged by the NCC, the MC authorities also came forward and assured to provide tree guards to ensure safety of the saplings. The plantation drive was conducted along the roadside covering the entire stretch of the road in the village. As the NCC girls battalion had adopted Mithapur village recently, they cadets initiated the plantation drive from the village. The NCC cadets, along with Associate NCC Officers first conducted a survey of the roads of the village and then began the plantation drive. Talking to Jalandhar Tribune, Commanding Officer of the battalion Col RMS Sandhu said, “The cadets planted 100 Ashoka tree saplings along the roadside today and we will extend this plantation drive to other parts of the village in the coming days. Soon, we will make the village a name to reckon with in having maximum number of trees.” Around 100 saplings of Ashoka tree were planted by the cadets while the MC authorities provided 20 tree guards. “We planted only Ashoka trees, as they require less space to grow. As many as 55 cadets planted the saplings and are further given the responsibility of nurturing them as well. The MC has agreed to provide us 100 more tree guards,” he added. The chief guest, Mayor Rakesh Rathour, lauded the efforts of the NCC for adopting the village and initiating the plantation drive and said the MC would be providing bamboo tree guards soon. The MC authorities had provided a water tanker and manure to the students. “Such measures are the need of the hour and we are hopeful that very soon the village would get a facelift,” he added. Earlier in the day, the plantation drive was also held at Government Senior Secondary School, Mithapur, where MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment Pargat Singh planted saplings. Secretary of the Rotary Club of Jullundur Nupur Sandhu said, “Since Pargat has been an alumni of the school, he planted some Ashoka saplings on the school premises.” |
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Refund of test fee sought from Punjab & Sind Bank
Jalandhar, July 26 The parents and the candidates lamented that the eligibility criterion in the first notification that appeared on the web mentioned essential requirement as “IBPS valid score card holder in common written entrance for clerks held in November-December 2011”. They said that since there were no cut-off marks mentioned, thousands of candidates from across the country who had qualified the test got themselves registered by paying a fee of Rs 200 from May 2 to May 18. The fee levied from candidates of categories other than general had been put at Rs 50. It is estimated that over 5 lakh candidates from across the country had qualified the IBPS test. Much later, however, they said that a state-wise minimum cut-off for the candidates was declared on the official website of the bank. As per the list, the cut off marks for the general category in Punjab is 166. It is 160 for OBC, 147 for SC and so on. Pawan Kumar Chadha, whose daughter Neha had applied for the job, said since she had attained 148 marks, she had been declared ineligible in the general category, interviews for which were on. “If that was to be the criteria, why did the bank not clearly mention it in the first notification? It is after the collection of the fee that the bank has declared the list, which is uncalled for. We demand refund of application fee or removing of any such eligibility clause,” he said. Satwinder, senior manager, HR, Punjab and Sind Bank, New Delhi, said all other banks, too, were declaring the cut-off ranks after receiving applications. “Ours is not the lone case,” he maintained. But many parents have insisted that it was not the case. They brought along notification copies of the Indian Overseas Bank, which mentioned cut-off marks of 120 even before calling applications. |
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Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna: Smart cards elude poor in district
Jalandhar, July 26 One glaring example of this is the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY). Started three years ago in 2009, the ambitious RSBY has failed miserably in the district (and the state). The scheme - as per which a smart card is made for a five-member BPL family, which ensures funding of the medical expenses (worth Rs 30,000) of the said family - has utterly failed in the district. Only 7,940 smart cards have been made for the BPL families in the district, whereas the target is to enroll as many as 18,583 families. Awareness about the scheme is very low both in urban and rural areas and proper facilities are not provided to even those enrolled on many occasions. The existing smart cards also do not seem to work well. During a recent health camp in Phillaur about 20 to 30 people with smart cards had to be turned back as their fingerprints did not match with the ones in the database. Sources say at the Civil Hospital Phillaur not more than one patient in a month turns up to avail a medical service through smart card. The situation is similar at other CHs and rural units. Understated target
So far only families listed as below poverty line (BPL) as per the 2001-2002 census have been included in the RSBY target list, but the total number of BPL families in the district has substantially exceeded the target list number over the years. While the RSBY district staff puts the target at 18,583 (based on the 2001-2002 census), the results of the 2011 census (awaited in a couple of months) will dramatically increase
the numbers. As per a municipal corporation survey, in the year 2006, the number of BPL families (most of who live in the 97 slums) in the city is 60,617 and those in the rural and semi-urban areas of the district are 10,716 (making a total of 71,333 BPL families in
the district). Notably, these estimates do not even include the increase in numbers by the year 2012. Based on the 2006 survey, as many as 63,393 BPL families in the district are yet to receive smart cards. Village watch
Residents of most of the villages and slums are unaware about the smart card scheme. The fact - that in many villages even BPL cards of needy residents have not been made - only adds to the trouble. The lack of awareness about smart cards can be gauged from the fact that most of the village sarpanches that The Tribune talked to, denied having any information about the RSBY scheme and did not know what a smart card was. Hence, the people in their villages have not availed smart cards so far. Mangal Singh, sarpanch of village Sangal Sohal, said even though the village had a population of 1,500 people, only two BPL cards had been made. He said he was unaware of the smart card scheme. Feroz village, which has 80 per cent of the population comprising the SC people, has only 20 to 25 people with BPL cards despite the fact that most of the families (barring 10 to 20 families) in the village are BPL households. Sarpanch Sukhdev Raj says the smart cards are yet to reach his village. Sarpanch of villages Mulewal Khehra, too, said not a single resident of his village had a smart card and only about 15 to 20 families had blue cards. In village Wariana, residents have only three BPL cards despite the fact that over 100 BPL families reside in the village. In this village, too, smart card is still an alien concept. The situation is similar in the city. Kheto Devi of the Indira Colony slums says they had never
heard of smart cards in the slums. None the said village/slum chiefs mentioned any health team ever coming to them to inform them about the RSBY scheme. Internet difference
While the RSBY puts the target BPL families to be enrolled for smart cards at 19,644, the local target figures have been out at 18,583. When asked the reason for the difference, district RSBY Administrator Dr Paramjit Kaur Bhutani said, “Some supplication in numbers led to the increased target. But as per our latest records, and based on the 2001-2002 census of BPL families, the target in Jalandhar is 18,583.” Paramjit Kaur Bhutani RSBY, administrator in the district, agrees that awareness about the scheme, both in urban areas and villages, is still low. On the abysmal performance of the scheme says, “The district was earlier distributed in 50 wards, now there are 60. As a result, some BPL families now fall in new wards and their new addresses are unlisted with us, which is causing some confusion.” “Also there is a lack of interest in people since the scheme is new and we have to specially go to them to get the cards made,” she added. Since there is no dedicated staff for the RSBY scheme, the existing ASHA workers and ANMs in the district are the employees that the RSBY banks on to provide manpower. Dr Bhutani says after the results of the RSBY scheme come in a few months, the teams would be better informed about the number and location of the BPL families in the city and the campaign is expected to pick up speed after that. Low awareness level
RSBY way behind target in district, only 7,940 BPL families out of the target of 18,583 families have smart cards. The MC’s 2006 survey puts total BPL families in the district at 71,333. A majority of villages/slums not even aware of RSBY |
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MC starts re-installation of drainage system
Jalandhar, July 26 Labourers were seen working at least at three sites by digging the recently paved road and newly constructed footpaths. Surjit Singh, Sub-Divisional Engineer (O&M), MC, said recharging wells were being installed along three road chambers, which would help in quicker disposal of rainwater. “The water collected will go deeper into the earth and mix with the groundwater. The work is likely to get completed tomorrow after which it can be tested anytime when it rains. If need be, we will install more road chambers,” he pointed out. |
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Missing sisters found
Shahkot, July 26 Kashmir Singh, girls’ father, said this evening that he was informed by some persons that the girls were roaming in Jalandhar. So they immediately reached the spot and found the girls. He said his elder daughter was under tension due to her divorce, which she had got recently, and she along with her younger sister, left the home without informing the family members.
— OC |
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Sugar dealers continue stir
Jalandhar, July 26 Pritam Singh Arora, president of the Gur Mandi Wholesale Sugar Dealers Association, said the imposition of VAT would burden the common man. He said they would continue with their protest till the rollback was done.
— TNS |
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