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De-addiction centres experience a new low
Policemen conduct tenant verification drive
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City to showcase its RO plants to visiting mayors
Chief
Minister’s cancer relief fund
AISSF mulls getting political party status
Bhai Rupa school observes World First Aid Day
Patiala resident held with 9 quintal poppy husk
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De-addiction centres experience a new low
Bathinda, September 13 n The vibrancy of Punjab is virtually a myth now — many sell their blood to procure their daily dose of drugs, some beg on the streets to satisfy their craving for drugs. n Almost every third family has at least one addict. Every kind of drug, smack, heroin and synthetic drugs to over-the-counter drugs like Buprenorphine, Parvon Spas, Codex syrup and spurious Coaxil and Phenarimine injections are easily available here. These are not mere conjectures that paint a gloomy picture of the state once known for its vibrancy. But it was the Secretary, Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development, Punjab, who, on behalf of the state government, submitted these facts in reply to a petition filed by some drug rehabilitation centres before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, over three years back. So when Punjab is witnessing a steep rise in incidents of youths indulging in snatching and loot in recent times, no concrete efforts for an effective check on the free flow of drugs are visible. The rehabilitation of those who are deeply stuck in this morass is also a priority. The drug de-addiction centres open in Punjab and senior political leaders arrive for the inauguration. For some days, everything looks rosy but after some time, these de-addiction centres are on the verge of closure in absence of doctors and medicines. Instead of resuscitating these hospitals, there is another announcement for a new series of hospitals to rehabilitate the youths… and this goes on. Bathinda exemplifies this notion. In February 1992, the first de-addiction centre was opened in Bathinda. The centre, a joint project of the Red Cross Society and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, ran successfully for some time. While the Government of India was contributing 90 per cent of the funds, Red Cross Bathinda was providing 10 per cent of the share. Now, for a long time, there has been no permanent doctor at this centre. A retired doctor is rendering part-time services at a salary of Rs 5,000 per month. There is no peon, sweeper, ward boy and above all, any medicine at this de-addiction centre. Since April this year, the de-addiction centre has been waiting for financial grants to meet its monthly expenses. There was no fund to carry out the repair when a portion of its building collapsed during the rainy season this year. In October 2008, even the visit of Rahul Gandhi to this de-addiction centre failed to improve its condition. After Rahul's visit, there was a smooth flow of grants for some time but then the situation was back to square one. JR Goyal, secretary, Red Cross, blamed the Central Government for the inordinate delay in the release of funds. About the shortage of doctors and other staff at this centre, the secretary said the recruitment could not be made as the Deputy Commissioner was on training leave. "The posts will be filled in the next 30 days," he said. Now, a visit to second de-addiction centre in Bathinda, a 25-bed hospital on the premises of the Civil Hospital, Bathinda. A joint venture of the Civil Hospital and the Red Cross, it was established in February 2002. It is also presently working on financial aid from Guru Gobind Singh Refinery. In April, when there was no fund to run this de-addiction centre, the district administration requested the refinery authorities for donation. Against the demand of Rs 5 lakh, the refinery granted Rs 2.8 lakh in aid. This fund is also now drying. Now, come to the latest 'dream project' of the Punjab Government to rehabilitate the drug addicts in Talwandi Sabo, where the temporal seat of the Sikhs — Takht Damdama Sahib-is located. In April 2010, a first of its kind state-level de-addiction centre was set up here at a cost of Rs 2 crore. The Punjab CM inaugurated this 20-bed de-addiction centre in a magnificent building with much fanfare. The state cabinet gave special approval for this centre and a psychiatrist, two medical officers, three staff nurses, four security guards and three ward boys were appointed for the care of indoor and outdoor patients. For six month, the centre was at the top in the list of priorities of the health department and the indoor patients got food, medicines and full care. But for many months now, there has been no medical officer, no staff nurse, and no funds to give food, medicines and care to the patients. Dr Ajay Sahani, Civil Surgeon, said as the state government has now plans to establish five ultra-modern super speciality de-addiction centres at Amritsar, Patiala, Bathinda, Faridkot and Jalandhar, so these small de-addiction centres would also become a part of the proposed big centres.
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Policemen conduct tenant verification drive
Bathinda, September 13 It may be mentioned that the gangster Gurshaheed Singh Shera, killed in an encounter with the police recently, was residing in a rented accommodation by faking his identity following which the police have tightened the noose around the owners of houses who rent their premises as PG accommodation. Heavy police force was deployed at around 6.30 am today on the entire Ajit road and eight teams were deployed to search the rooms and houses of those who had rented their rooms to the youngsters, mostly students. The exercise was lead by the ASP City-II Kuldip Chahal. The ASP was assisted by Civil Lines SHO Gurdev Bhalla, Kotwali SHO Jaspal Singh and Canal Colony SHO UC Chawla. The ASP himself examined the documents, identity cards and the credentials of the residents in some houses. The exercise lasted for around an hour. The PG owners were told to furnish all details in connection with their tenants. The residents of the area, who were in panic, were seen making queries about the deployment of heavy police force in the area as the teams entered the streets and houses situated on the road. The police teams also examined the household material, cupboards and belongings of the youngsters. The house owners were told to submit every detail about their tenants by filling up a form at the police station. Later, talking to TNS, ASP Kuldip Chahal said the exercise had been initiated to instill a sense of security among the residents of the area and to serve as a warning to the anti-social elements. The ASP said those who rent their houses or rooms without informing the police would have to face the music and cases would be registered in this regard under various sections of the IPC and the CrPc. "We will not entertain any 'sifarish' the next time as it is a serious issue which must be dealt with an iron hand," the police said.
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Head constable drowns in lake
Bathinda, September 13 A half-empty bottle of country made liquor besides a plastic glass with some alcohol in it and a bottle of water were found lying near the lake. The liquor was not removed by the police and was lying there even hours after the incident. The incident occurred in the afternoon when two kids, both ragpickers, noticed the body floating in the water and informed a vendor nearby. The cop was in plain clothes and had parked his scooter by the roadside. Volunteers of the NGO Naujawan Welfare Society were informed and the body was fished out. The deceased, identified as Jaswinder Singh, was deployed as head constable with the Punjab Police. He was declared dead by the doctors at the Bathinda Civil Hospital. Jaswinder Singh was presently posted at the Phul courts as guard. People who gathered around the place of the incident said the head constable had not yet finished his drink and might have slipped into the water. A neighbour of the head constable said Jaswinder was hooked to liquor for a long time and had been fighting with his family members over trivial issues. He had two teenaged children, a boy and a girl, who study in class VI and X, respectively, at the Police Public School. The family resides at the Police Line quarters in Lal Singh Basti. His daughter had gone for tuition when the incident took place. The neighbours said Jaswinder had refused to undergo treatment for his alcoholism despite repeated requests by his wife. Jaswinder was earlier attached with an officer of the rank of an SP who was aware of his drinking habit. It is learnt that the SP had reprimanded him many times but to no avail. He was reportedly not regular at his duty at Phul as well. Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at the Civil Hospital where his teenaged son was seen intimating his relatives over the phone about the tragedy. SSP Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill, while expressing grief over the incident, said an inquiry would be conducted. "The incident has nothing to do with work pressure or the habit of consuming liquor. It is a stray case of suicide but still, we will probe to ascertain under what circumstances the tragedy took place," the SSP said.
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City to showcase its RO plants to visiting mayors
Bathinda, September 13 The local municipal corporation is the only one in the country which supplies filtered water to almost all its residents. "We are providing RO water to 48 out of the 50 wards in the city. We will be showing the supply system to the visiting mayors. Some of them have already evinced a keen interest in understanding the system," said Bathinda Mayor Baljit Singh Bir Behman. He is also the vice-chairman of the Council of Mayors. The RO plants treat the underground as well the canal water for drinking and domestic purposes. The population in the city cannot do without filtered water as the underground water is laced with uranium and heavy metals. The canal water drawn from the Bhakra reservoir through the Sirhind Feeder also can't be used without filtration. The city is also at the heart of the cancer belt of Malwa. Baljit Singh Bir Behman is the first mayor of the city with a population of about 3 lakhs. "If the Surat Municipal Corporation is known for its effective cleaning and Delhi for its Metro, our corporation is famous for its filtered water supply," he said. The installation of RO plants started in 2009, the Mayor revealed. Besides, the visiting mayors will be taken around the city to show them the picnic spots. The Mayor revealed that the visit will dispel the belief that Bathinda is not a scenic place. The guests will be shown the Rose Garden, the lakes where the tourists will enjoy a ride in the Kashmiri shikaras and also the historic Bathinda Fort. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will inaugurate the conference. Among the main guests would be Uma Shankar Gupta, Home Minister of Madhya Pradesh, who is the national secretary of the All India Council of Mayors. About 25 mayors from different corporations are expected to participate in the conference. They would be from the executive body of the Council of Mayors. The visiting mayors will also pay obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Sunday.
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Right time to grow garlic: PAU experts
Bathinda, September 13 From last week of September to the first week of October, the weather is congenial for garlic cultivation. The FASS (Farm Advisory Service Scheme) in-charge, Jatinder Brar, said garlic was a significant bulb crop, which was grown across Punjab. At present, the area under garlic cultivation was nearly 1390 hectares and annual production of garlic in Punjab stands at 18,230 tonne. Brar said garlic grew in pleasant weather. Shorter days are approaching, which would prove instrumental in formation of bulbs. Sandy loam and silt loam soils prove best for garlic cultivation. Dr Amarjit Sandhu said farmers were motivated by the PAU to increase the area under garlic. Special thrust in this direction was towards Bathinda district. City residents too can grow garlic in their backyards, he said. "We inform farmers about the nutritive value of garlic, which is a rich source of various mineral nutrients, vitamins and fibre, and also has various medicinal uses," Sandhu said. Sandhu said despite having favuorable weather conditions and soil, farmers in Bathinda district still lag behind in sowing garlic. He said as far as garlic cultivation was concerned, Jalandhar topped in the state followed by Ferozepur. Bathinda district has merely 150 to 200 acres under garlic crop. "We are making efforts to increase its area in the coming years," he said. The experts said garlic could be consumed in both fresh as well as dried form. It is used as an ingredient to add flavour to vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes besides pickles. Nutrition value The nutritive value of garlic depends upon its variety. Garlic is rich in proteins, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium and carbohydrates. Ascorbic acid content is very high in green garlic. An uninjured bulb contains colourless, odourless water soluble amino acid 'allin'. Medicinal value Garlic is used as remedy for many ailments. Being carminative and gastric stimulant, it helps in digestion and absorption of food. Allicin present in aqueous extract of garlic reduces cholesterol concentration in human blood. Doctors recommend inhalation of garlic oil or garlic juice by the persons suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis, rheumatism, sterility, impotency, cough and red eyes. Improved variety PG-17: Its plants have dark green leaves. The bulbs are attractive and white. The cloves are bold, white and vary from 25-32 per bulb. It takes about 165-170 days to mature and the average yield is 50 quintal per acre. Many farmers are using G-282, a non-recommended variety, which too is doing well in various districts of Punjab. Sowing time The ideal time for sowing garlic is from the last week of September to the first week of October. Method of sowing For kitchen garden and small-scale cultivation, dibbling is the best method of sowing. For commercial purposes, garlic ought to be sown using the 'kera' method. The cloves should be sown three to five cm deep by using a manually-operated garlic planter. Two to three persons can sow garlic on about 0.5 acre a day. Spacing Close planting at 15 cm between rows and 7.5 cm between plants in the rows is most conducive. Seed rate For sowing on an acre, 225-250 kg of healthy cloves are needed. Manures and fertilisers 20 tonnes of farm yard manure or compost per acre may be applied about 10 days before sowing. In addition, apply 50 kg of nitrogen (110 kg urea) and 25 kg of phosphorus (155 kg Single Super Phosphate). Whole phosphorus should be applied before sowing. Apply nitrogen in three equal splits; 30, 45 and 60 days after sowing. Irrigation The area under garlic should be irrigated immediately after planting. Subsequently, irrigate the field after 10-15 days depending upon the type of soil and weather conditions. The fields where garlic has been sown should be irrigated about 10-12 times. Weed control The weeds in the garlic crop can be controlled by applying Stomp 30 EC (Pendimethalin ) or Basalin ( Fluchloralin) at the rate of 1 litre per acre followed by hoeing after 10-15 days of planting. Stomp 30 EC should be applied within a day after planting and Basalin three to four days before planting of cloves. Harvesting and storage Stop irrigation at least a fortnight before harvesting for prolonged storage life of bulbs. After harvesting, cure the plants in a dry and shady place for 10-15 days. Tie in small bundles and store in a well-ventilated dry place. Sort out bulbs with dried cloves during storage.
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Chief
Minister’s cancer relief fund Archit Watts Tribune News Service
Bathinda, September 13 According to the information procured from the Cancer Control Cell, Punjab, it had received 401 completed applications from the cancer patients of Bathinda district for releasing relief to the hospitals and institutions empanelled under the scheme. All of them had been provided with the relief amounting to nearly Rs 4.16 crore. The cancer patients, who had applied for financial aid from the CM's Cancer Relief Fund, belonged to various parts of the district, including Bathinda, Maur Khurd, Dayalpura, Bangi Rupa, Janduke, Raiyan Patti, Deon, Kotfatta, Mehma Bhagwana, Maluka, Bhagta Bhai Ka, Sangat Kalan, Nehianwala, Rajgarh Kubbe, Raman Mandi, Jethuke, Krarwala, Khayaliwala and Khemuana. It has been learnt that a majority of the women patients are suffering from breast cancer and cervix cancer while there are some cases of brain cancer among the children. Besides, there are several patients of blood cancer and cancer of the food pipe had applied for financial aid under the scheme. It may be mentioned that till the middle of May, around 240 cancer patients had been provided with financial assistance worth Rs 2.49 crore in the district under the scheme. Before that, till March 12 this year, 156 patients were provided with relief amounting to Rs 1.63 crore in the district. Earlier, in January, in the first five months of the scheme, as many as 101 cancer patients from the district had received an amount of more than Rs 1.11 crore for their treatment. In the door-to-door survey conducted by the health department in December 2009, there were 2,733 (1,090 males and 1,643 females) cancer patients in the district. Of these, 2,200 were alive at that time. Districts on top in the list Amritsar district is placed at the top in the list with 458 approved cases and relief to the tune of Rs 5.81 crore released. Ludhiana district is number two with 441 approved cases and relief sanctioned to the tune of Rs 4.2 crore. Gurdaspur with 399 approved cases is at number four and Ferozepur with 360 approved cases is at number five. How to apply for relief? To file an application for relief under the scheme, the patient has to furnish a detailed break-up of the treatment expenses by the hospital or the doctors concerned. Dos and don'ts Oncologists say that after knowing about the dreaded disease, the patients should not panic. If the treatment starts at stage zero or at stage one, the chances of increase in the patient's longevity are more. Moreover, the patients should not fall prey to the quacks. The patient must have full faith in the team of doctors treating him. The patient should not rely on experiments or self medication when the doctors are already doing their job. What's the scheme? The CM's Cancer Relief Fund Scheme was launched in the state in July last year to provide monetary assistance to the needy cancer patients. Under the scheme, a financial grant of up to Rs 1.5 lakh can be given to the patient on the recommendations of the doctor or the hospital, treating him. The payment for the treatment of the patients will be made to the empanelled hospitals as per the rates of the PGIMER, Chandigarh. Under the scheme, financial assistance of up to Rs 1.5 lakh may be given for a patient. However, the government employees and persons with medical insurance are not eligible for assistance under the scheme. Hospitals on panel There are four hospitals empanelled from Bathinda district under the scheme: Max Healthcare Hospital, Mata Sumiti Memorial Sharma Hospital, Bansal Cancer Hospital, and Kiran Maternity Home and Surgical Centre. Besides, there are a number of private and government hospitals in the state and outside empanelled under the scheme.
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AISSF mulls getting political party status
Bathinda, September 13 The Federation’s 68th annual camp (Gurmat parchar camp) was held at Talwandi Sabo under the patronage of Balwant Singh Nandgarh, ,Jathedar Sri Damdama Sahib. Addressing the convention on the occasion, Jathedar Nandgarh said that Sikhism was a separate religion and demanded restoration of its separate identity in the Constitution. Emphasising upon the need for transforming the AISSF into a political party, the president of the Federation, Karnail Singh Peermohammad, said ever since its inception in 1944, the Federation had participated in the freedom movement. However, Peermohammad lamented that the community had been discriminated against later on.
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Bhai Rupa school observes World First Aid Day
Bathinda, September 13 An inter-house first aid awareness competition was held to mark the occasion. The CV Raman House, the Mother Teresa House, the Tagore House and the Shivaji House participated in the competition. Principal Dhawan Kumar and senior coordinator Veerpal Kaur, who were the judges, declared the Shivaji House as the winner. The principal gave away prizes to the winners. In his address, the principal said the World First Aid Day was marked by activities and events aimed at raising awareness among the general population of how first aid can save lives.
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Patiala resident held with 9 quintal poppy husk
Bathinda, September 13 The accused, identified as Mehanga Singh, was arrested on a tip-off received by sub-inspector Gabbar Singh deployed at the Sangat police station. The police official said the accused was carrying 30 bags full of narcotics in a truck. The quantity of prohibited drug has been estimated at nine quintal. He was intercepted near Pathrala village and was arrested along with the prohibited narcotics. A case under Sections 15, 25, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered. Four booked for assault in Nai Basti
The police has booked four persons, including two women, for inflicting injuries on a resident of the Nai Basti here. One Leelu Ram, a resident of the locality, in his complaint to the police stated that the accused, who too resided in Nai Basti, beat him up over the issue of an unapproved temple in the locality. The police has registered a case against the accused, Vijay Kumar, his wife Salochana Rani, his son Sunil Kumar and Nirmala Devi, under Sections 341, 323, 148 and 149 of the IPC at the Kotwali police station. Four booked for beating
The police has registered a case against four persons for beating a resident of Chak Fateh Singh Wala village. In his complaint to the police, one Jaswinder Singh stated that Jagga Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Gaurav Kumar and Gaggu Singh attacked him and inflicted serious injuries upon him over an old dispute. He said the accused attacked him near Chak Fateh Singh Wala village. The police has registered a case under Sections 341, 324, 323 and 34 of the IPC at the Nathana police station. Material worth Rs 1 lakh stolen
Material worth nearly Rs 1 lakh was stolen from a house in Pathrala village. In a complaint to the police, Major Singh said thieves entered his house by scaling the boundary wall and after ransacking the entire house, they fled with cash and jewellery worth nearly Rs 1 lakh. A case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC has been registered in this regard at the Sangat police station. |
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Bathinda, September 13
