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Bank staff go on 2-day strike
Saanjh Kendras in dist lying non-functional for 3 days
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Bank staff go on 2-day strike
Jalandhar, August 22 Such was the impact of the strike that around 200 branches of various nationalised banks in the city and 400 branches of banks in the district remained closed, hence leading to a huge inconvenience to the residents. The call for strike was given by the United Forum of Bank Unions, consisting of bank employees and officers, demanding settlement of their long-pending issues, including appointments on compassionate grounds in banks and stopping of outsourcing of bank jobs, banking sector reforms, closure of rural branches and the implementation of the recommendations of the Khandelwal committee. Following the strike, around 20,000 cheques for around Rs 100 crore in the city and Rs 200 crore in the district were not cleared, while cash transactions amounting to Rs 200 crore were badly affected in the district. Since morning the bank employees had hung up big banners and hoardings to inform the residents about the strike. The residents who reached the banks for various works had to return disappointed as the bank employees observed the strike completely. “We wanted to withdraw a huge amount of cash immediately for sending it abroad, but the strike left us helpless. Since these are nationalised banks, they should keep some alternatives for emergency services,” said a peeved Satnam Singh, who returned from a bank in the city. Similar was the case of those who had come to deposit cheques, withdraw jewellery from lockers of the banks. An NRI family, which came to withdraw gold jewellery ahead of a wedding, was left in the lurch. “We came a few days ago to the bank and there was no information about the strike. The bank managements should start informing the people at least a week before their strike to avoid inconvenience to the common man,” said Balpreet Kaur, a member of the NRI family. Earlier in the day, more than 2,000 bank employees and officers assembled at the main branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) at Civil Lines and took out a huge procession, which culminated at the Nehru Garden chowk. Addressing the gathering, Amrit Lal, convener of the United Forum of Bank Unions, said the attitude of the government was totally irresponsible and against the interest of the employees and the public. “The government is trying to relinquish the concept of social banking and in turn helping the corporate houses,” he added. “If the government does not budge from its stand, the bank unions would be forced to extend the strike,” said R.K. Dhawan, who also addressed the gathering. Meanwhile, the Northern Zone Insurance Employees Association of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), Divisional Committee, also supported the strike of the banks and held a gate rally in front of the main entrance to their office on the Model Town road. Secretary of the association Surjit Ram said, “The decision of the government to outsource the banking services would bring a complete decline in the banking services. This would be a complete violation of the labour laws,” he added. |
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Saanjh Kendras in dist lying non-functional for 3 days
Jalandhar, August 22 Sources revealed that the computers, accepting complaints online, have been rendered non-functional as the department failed to pay the Internet bills to the telecommunication companies in time, following which their services were snapped. The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarter), Navjot Singh Mahal, however, denied this saying that adequate funds had been allocated for the proper functioning of the kendras. He said technical snag in the server or some other fault at a Saanjh Kendra might have resulted in the problem. He, however, said, “I will inquire it from the officers concerned and get back to you by tomorrow.” The city police has five Saanjh Kendras - one each on the premises of the Division No 3 and 4 police stations and Cantonment Area police station and two at the Division No 5 police station. With the non-functioning of these Saanjh Kendras over 30 police personnel have been sitting idle for the past three days. Enquires revealed that the Saanjh Kendra at the Division No 4 police station returned a complainant, who had come there for registering a complaint regarding his missing mobile phone. Expressing their inability to register the complaint online, because of “no access” to the main server, the policemen deployed there suggested the complainant to approach the nearby Saanjh Kendra at the Division No 3 police station. The complainant had to face disappointment at the Division No 3 police station again when the employee there informed him that the system in all five Saanjh Kendras under the Jalandhar Commissionerate were out of order as the Internet connections to them had been disconnected by the service providers due the non-payment of the bills for the past three days. Similarly the Jalandhar (Rural) police have also five Saanjh Kendras at police stations in Shahkot, Nakodar, Phillaur, Kartarpur and Bhogpur with over 30 policemen on duty. These kendras are providing services that include verification of tenants, registration and verification of servants, passport verification, police clearance certificate, verification of vehicles, character verification for service, payment of traffic challans, information of impounded vehicles, receiving complaints on traffic problems, permission for political/sports/religious functions, NOC for armed licences, permission for use of public address systems, etc. The kendras will also provide a copy of an FIR online. |
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Govt’s immigration project fails miserably
Jalandhar, August 22 While the immigration companies have been flourishing and making a brisk business by charging heavily from the applicants, the government has failed to provide the much-needed support and guidance to the youth on the matter. Owing to the fact that many Punjabis have been duped and made to follow wrong tracks, it is even more important for the government authorities to pitch in and help them take the right decisions, choose the right courses, institutes and countries. As a part of the programme, the district exchanges had even set up an overseas employment cell in January, 2002, to open vistas for people interested in working abroad by allowing them to register by paying a nominal fee of Rs 500 (Rs 50 for reserved categories). The exchanges had then even started collecting the biodata of such applicants and posting the same on a website. The foreign employers on viewing the biodata could contact the applicants directly. The Jalandhar exchange had reportedly registered 185 persons within the first three months of setting up of the cell. While the registration is still being done at district exchanges, not even a single candidate from across the state has managed to move abroad through the scheme. The only advantage the applicants have got is to undergo a free one-month cooking and childcare training through private companies in the city. Refundable security, which is levied at the time of admission, is returned to the candidate on the completion of the course. Sanjeeda Beri, Deputy Director, Employment Exchange, when asked about the same, said, “There is a separate cell for foreign employment and training at Chandigarh. Our job is only to register the applicants here. The scheme
The scheme is as old as 41 years. Changes in nomenclature by successive governments has not helped in the uplift of the scheme. It started as the Foreign Employment Information and Training Centre in 1971. The Overseas Employment Cell was set up in 2002. The Punjab State Council for Employment and Training was formed to strengthen it. In 2007, a new department of employment generation and training was created. In 2008, the Foreign Employment and Training Bureau was also set up, but to not much avail. |
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Opened 8 months ago, Ambedkar Bhawan awaits completion
Jalandhar, August 22 The pending amount of Rs 54 lakh, which was required by the Social Welfare Department for sanitary works, electricity fittings and other jobs has just been cleared, but is yet to reach the local office. The staff members of the department, which is currently lodged on the third floor of the complex, have been long awaiting for the bhawan to get complete so that they can shift there. While an amount of Rs 1.01 crore has already been spent on building halls in the bhawan, there are other works which are pending, including installing of the front gate by pulling down the boundary wall of the complex and creating parking areas on the left and right side. It is quite ironical that the bhawan, which was inaugurated by the Minister for Welfare of SCs and BCs Gulzar Singh Ranike on December 18 last year, is yet to see the light of the day. The foundation stone was perhaps laid hurriedly to draw mileage out of it in view of the approaching Vidhan Sabha polls, overlooking the fact that the building was still bereft of the basic amenities. After taking round of the complex, SC Commission Chairman Rajesh Bagha yesterday got a press note issued wherein he said he hoped that the bhawan would be opened soon and used for dissemination of various social welfare schemes. Rajesh Bagha visited the site accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti, member of the Punjab SC Commission Parkash Singh Gardiwal, Chairman of the Market Committee of Jalandhar Cantonment Arun Sharma, Executive Engineer, PWD, BS Tuli, and District Welfare Officer Rajinder Singh. |
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Residents suffer as rains inundate roads
Jalandhar, August 22 Areas like Gujja Peer Road, Amar Nagar,
Preet Nagar, Railway Road, 120-Foot Road, Basti Bawa Khel, Pathankot bypass, Rama Mandi approach road, Kapurthala Road, Basti Bawa Khel, Sodal Road, among others, remained inundated today. Residents of the Gujja Peer area are so fed up with the bad condition of roads in the area that they even held a protest on the issue today. Talking to The Tribune, Ramesh Chander of the Gujja Peer area said, “The road gets inundated during every rain and it is a big problems for anyone passing through the area. There have been countless accidents due to the bad condition of the road. In the past couple of months only, eight to 10 people have been injured due to the bad road. Some even had fractures. The condition of the road has been especially bad for the past two years.” Prabhjot of Preet Nagar area said, “Ours is very deep area and since the time I was small, we have been suffering every time it rains even for 15 minutes because water gets accumulated in the area. The area councillor or other officials have not done anything about it. The accumulated water also gives rise to diseases.” Rupinder Kaur, a resident of Amar Nagar, near KMV College, said, “The roads in the Amar Nagar and Amar Garden areas get inundated every time it rains. The entire Pathankot Road stretch is inundated and the state of the streets inside our locality is even worse.” |
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Beneficiaries of Slum Development Housing Scheme receive cheques
Jalandhar, August 22 As per the scheme, the beneficiaries first has to construct houses by their own means and then take payment in instalments. Many beneficiaries today claimed that they received their dues after five months as the process lingered due to elections. Aquarium stone to be laid today y The foundation stone of the third-generation aquarium-cum-food court will be laid tomorrow at Shastri Chowk by Punjab Local Bodies Minister Bhagat Chunni Lal. The project is to be started on the BOT basis by a Manila-based company. |
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from colleges
Jalandhar, August 22 Dr Harinder Kaur, who was the key speaker on the occasion, introduced the students to the problems of polycystic ovaries, cancer of cervix, irregular periods, its reasons and probable indicators. She emphasised the need for taking care of healthy eating habits. She also asked the girl students to include exercise as an essential part of their lives. Students get placements
As many as 14 students of the local Prem Chand Markanda SD College for Women bagged placements with IBM Daksh. The selected students include Aditi, Nitika, Yogita, Amrita, Priyanka, Gurpreet, Sonam, Tanvi, Neha, Meenu, Ankush, Shilpa, Amarpeet and Nitika. Sports meet at KV 4
Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 4, Jalandhar Cantt, organised a regional meet of volleyball, handball and swimming from August 17 to August 19. The event was inaugurated by Col KB Yadava, nominee chairman, Vidyalaya Management Committee. As many as 151 players from various schools of the Sirsa region participated in the sports meet. Case study competition
An Intra-College Case Study Competition was organised by Dr Anurag Pahuja and Anu Sahi (assistant professors in Management) on August 16. Students analysed different cases and presented a report during the competition. As many as 80 students attended the competition to support and motivate their friends. The results of the competition are as follows: Gurpreet Singh, Supriya, Ridhima and Deepika of MBA-III stood first, Pawanpreet, Geetanjali and Karanvir of MBA-I bagged second position and the team of Batool Zehra, Nikhita Chawla and Gurpreet Singh bagged third position. Workshop on IBM DB2
A three-day workshop on IBM DB2 organised by the Department of Information Technology of DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology concluded on August 19. Ravinder Kundu from IBM Academic Initiative team was the key resource person in the workshop, which was organised in association with IBM. More than 100 students and 10 faculty members from the IT, CSE and MCA departments took part in the workshop. International seminar held
The Department of Zoology of the local DAV College organised a DBT (Department of Biotechnology) Government of India-sponsored international seminar on August 20 in which Dr Ashutosh Goel from the Department of Glass and Ceramics, University of Aveiro, Portugal, delivered a talk on “Friendship between glasses and humans - A historical perspective and a futuristic vision”. He highlighted how the relationship between glass and human beings dated back to the Stone Age era and how gradual advancement took place in the human civilisation. The seminar was aimed at highlighting the beauty of glass technology with emphasis on basic concepts of glass science and a discussion on different types of glasses. |
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from schools
Jalandhar, August 22 In its initial stage, more than 19,000 saplings were planted at St. Soldier Engineering Institute, hotel management, law college, pharmacy college, polytechnic college, degree college, B.Ed college and at the school. Students carried banners with the message “ek rukh sau sukh, rukh lagao vatavaran bachao, har manukh laavay ek rukh.” A students’ club will also be established for the care and protection of plants in all the branches. Apart from that, the plantation drive will also be conducted at the Pingla Ghar, Andh Vidyalya and Mother Teresa Home. Urja Divas celebrated
Akshay Urja Divas was celebrated at Government High School, Patara, to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The school staff organised a chart-making contest on the occasion. Sushil Kumar stood first, Bharat Sharma stood second and Gagan Baddhan stood third in the declamation contest. In the chart-making contest held on the topic “energy conservation”, Harjit Baddhan stood first, Bal Krishna second and Som Prakash stood third. In the energy quiz held for all the houses of the school, Karan and Navjot of Shaheed Bhagat Singh house stood first, Jasmeet and Rakesh of Master Mota Singh house stood second, and Raghvir and Raju of Sir CV Raman house stood third. Students crack NTSE
Harmohit and Anmol Jain of class IX of MGN Public School, Adarsh Nagar, Jalandhar, appeared for the NTSE at the national level. They have been selected for the same. The students thanked the school principal and staff for their constant support. |
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