Amritsar, November 29
Even as the process of setting up a new administrative and police complexe has started, complete chaos prevailed in the shifting of the Police Department offices.

For an example, the Civil Line police station has been temporarily shifted to the Circuit House police post, while the latter has been shifted to an adjoining dingy room building, which has created disarray.

“Can the staff of a police chowki properly function in a small room? Where would in charge and munshi sit? Where they would keep their record?” said a senior police official.

In the absence of proper space, the huge record of the Civil Line police station were kept either in the Ranjit Avenue police chowki or in the Circuit House police chowki. But now with the Circuit House police chowki been shifted to a dingy room, problem had arisen in keeping the record properly, he added.

The ACP (Traffic) office and crime record office (CRO) running from the same Circuit House police chowki building have also been transferred to the old building of Blood Bank located near Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital and the C-Division police station, respectively.

There is resentment among the police officials having their offices in the court complex area. They say before shifting a proper plan should have been prepared by identifying the government buildings which are vacant and where the police staff should be shifted till the construction of the administrative and police complex.

As many as 15 offices of police officials located in the court complex have been shifted to a old vacant building of Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for the time being. As there is no proper distinction between the offices of various police officials, they are virtually “pouncing” on the every possible space available in the building to set up their offices.

Ram Singh, Commissioner of Police, while admitting that the department was facing problem said they would manage but it would take sometime. “We are trying to manage with whatever place is provided to us,” he added.

Amritsar, November 29
For the first time, the authorities of Guru Nanak Dev University have formulated a policy to outsource some of its services, but this move has not gone down well with a section of its employees.

As per the policy, the Class IV safai karamcharis, who were associated with the university on daily basis for cleaning the university complex, are being replaced with the employees engaged with an Abohar-based contractual labour firm.

The authorities had terminated the services of existing 55 safai karamcharis with immediate effect and replaced them with 50 new workers, who would be paid DC rate wages on daily basis but only through the Abohar-based contractor.

It has been learnt that the authorities concerned had made an offer to the terminated safai karamcharis that they could rejoin the service but only through the engaged contractor.

The university authorities have initiated this step by shifting the liability of these employees, pertaining to wages or provident funds, to the newly-engaged private contractor Gurpreet Singh.

This move has caused resentment among employees, including gardeners, messengers and security staff. They burnt the effigies of university authorities outside the entrance gate to lodge their protest.

Showing solidarity with them, various trade employees’ unions, including Safai Mazdoor Union (IFTU), the Punjab Students Union, the Naujwan Bharat Sabha, Democratic Employees Front and Kirti Kissan Union, today participated in the protest march.

The gardeners and security staff did not participate in the march as they approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court and received stay orders till March 20, in their case.

The security staff is also initiating to follow the suit.

“A few of Class IV employees have been associated with the university for more than 15 years and this was not the right way to lay off them,” said Partap Singh, a messenger.

“We were being exploited by the authorities concerned. On November 20, the VC had insisted us to fill the form of a contractual firm. As we declined to oblige him, our services were terminated immediately without giving us any notice,” he said.

Datar Singh of Kirti Kissan Union said “These employees were getting Rs 164 as daily wages. Since a week with no work, the authorities have declined to pay them as the new staff has already been recruited,” he said.

Meanwhile, the gardeners said there was no option but to knock the door of the court because they were next in the line of getting terminated.

Satnam Singh, an ex-serviceman who has been working in the university security since 2006, confirmed that they were going to file a writ in the court soon. “Our service period is about to lapse on December 8, but till date; we did not receive any renewal orders, as per the precedent. This indicates that the authorities concerned are thinking about replacing us on the same grounds,” he said.

official speak
The decision to outsource the Class IV employees was taken in the interest of the university as their services were not up to the mark. We have engaged 50 safai karamcharis on DC rate through an Abohar-based firm. Our concern would be to get the job done in a professional manner, the rest of all affairs pertaining to these employees, be it their wages, leave, provident fund would now be the liability of the contractor only.

— Inderjit Singh, Registrar, GNDU

Amritsar, November 29
Patients in the local government hospitals are forced to go for makeshift arrangements to save themselves from cold winters during nights as windowpanes in the wards lie broken.

Though the harsh winters are yet to begin, but the patients at these government institutions say that temperature during the night drops substantially. They complained that they had to use extra blankets or put bedsheets around the broken windowpanes to stop cool breeze from entering the wards.

A few patients were even seen using old newspapers for the purpose. The windowpanes in a few wards of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Civil Hospital and District TB Hospital were seen broken.

Even in the corridors and other rooms, the windowpanes lie broken. The hospital staff at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital has used “wind sheets” to keep the corridor areas warm. Patients at the hospital say though the temperature during the daytime is quite bearable, but there is a sudden dip in the mercury during the night which makes them vulnerable to the cold.

Balwinder Kaur, attendant of a patient, said, “The insides of the patients’ wards are very cold during the nights. We have to make arrangements to keep the patients warm.” She said the hospital management must arrange for fixing the glasses, where they were required, as the temperature would drop further in coming days.

Another visitor Balram Kumar said, “The cold is expected to intensify during the coming weeks. In January these bedsheets would fail to stop the air and patients would have no choice left.” He added that the hospital should have taken the corrective measures before the onset of winters.

The patients expressed that they were having very tough nights due to the cold breeze coming through the windows. “We have to use two-three blankets to keep the patients warm. If the windowpanes are intact only one will be sufficient for the purpose,” said Gurpal Singh, a relative of another patient.

Meanwhile Senior Medical Officer at the local JBM hospital said window glasses have been fixed at most of the places. He said in those areas where glasses were needed to be replaced, they would be replaced soon.

Amritsar, November 29
The city is gearing up for the two mega events -- World Kabaddi Cup and Punjab International Trade Expo (PITEX-2012) -- scheduled to be held on December 4 and December 6 respectively.

The workers at the Guru Nanak Stadium are busy preparing the ground for the three matches of the upcoming international kabaddi cup to be exhibited in the city.

One of the workers, working at the Guru Nanak Stadium, said unlike the previous tournaments, the matches of the cup would be held on the mattresses and not on the soil. He said the workers were preparing the arena for the competition.

The Commissioner of Police, RP Mittal, inspected the stadium from the security point of view.

Punjab Committee of PHD Chamber chairman Rajiv Bali said the PITEX this year would focus on business opportunities in African countries apart from Pakistan. As many as 350 exporters are expected to attend the mega event.

He said the bilateral trade between India and Africa has seen a phenomenal growth in the recent times.

Punjab Committee of PHD Chamber co-chairman RS Sachdeva said Dr Samuel Mbambo, High Commissioner, Republic of Namibia; Richard Frege, a trade counselor from Namibia; Mohammed Hacene Echarif, High Commissioner, Embassy of Algeria; Tarekazouz Ambassador, Republic of Tunisia, and other representatives from Algeria, Benin, Rwanda, Sudan and Morrocco have already confirmed their participation in the five-day state-level event.

Amritsar, November 29
Guru Nanak Dev University is all set for the teachers’ association elections, which are scheduled to be held on December 5. Dr Kuldeep Singh, Department of Political Science, has been nominated as returning officer of Guru Nanak Dev University Teachers Association (GNDUTA) elections for 2012-13.

For the five general and six executive posts of GNDUTA, there is a contest between a group showing allegiance to VC under the banner of Progressive Teachers Front and a rival group Radical Teachers Front.

Prof DS Sogi of Department of Food science is representing the Progressive Front. He will contest against Prof. Davinder Singh, Department of Psychology, for the post of president.

For Progressive Teachers Front, Prof Azia Abhas, Prof Daraya, Prof Mohan Kumar and Shymal Koley will contest for the post of vice-president, secretary, joint secretary, and treasurer respectively.

For Radical Teachers Front, the contenders for the post of vice-president, secretary, joint secretary, and treasurer are Prof Amarjit Singh Sudan, Prof Lakhwinder Singh, Prof MPS Saini and Prof RSS Kaler respectively.

Prof Rajinderjit Kaur Pawar, Dean, Academic Affairs of the university, said the election would start from 9.30 am to 4 pm in the Lecture Theatre, Punjab School of Economics.

She said the voters from GNDU regional campus Satiala, GNDU College, Verka and Chung would cast their vote at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and voters from GNDU College, Niari and Narote Jaimal Singh would cast their vote at GNDU Regional Campus, Gurdaspur. The voters from GNDU College, Jalandhar and Bebe Nanki College, Mithra would cast their vote at GNDU Regional Campus, Jalandhar.

Amritsar, November 29
A 60-year-old resident has set an example by pledging his body for donation to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital for medical research and education. The doctors at the hospital have accepted his application as a thoughtful move which would motivate others to follow the path.

The general secretary of the Amritsar Seva Samiti, Surinder Billa, said he had always wanted to donate his body for the research and education of medical students.

“Being a terrorism victim, I have always lived for the cause of fellow sufferers,” said Billa, adding that he was motivated by Medical College Principal Dr SS Shergill and Dr Ravi Kant.

Even as he is very much known for his association with religious institutions, which advocates holding of a proper cremation for attaining “mokhsa”, Billa stated that instead of following rituals, one should follow religion in true spirit.

He said he would motivate others to pledge their bodies. “The organs can be transplanted into other people and the body can be used to train medical students at Government Medial College,” said Billa.

Amritsar, November 29
A budding swimmer, Ujjawal Sharma, student of Class X in DAV Public School, Lawrence Road, brought laurels to the school by bagging the third position in water polo in National School Swimming and Water Polo Championship held in Pune from November 21 to 25. He had the honour of representing the state (Punjab) there.

Ujjawal already has many medals and trophies to his credit. In the open State Swimming Championship organised by the PSA at Patiala in June, he had won two gold medals in 100 m and 200 m butterfly stroke, three silver medals in 100 m back stroke, 50 m back stroke and 4x100 m free style relay.

In the state school swimming and water polo championship organised by the DEO at Jalandhar in October, he bagged a gold medal in water polo, two silver medals in 200 m back stroke and 4x100 m free style relay and two bronze medals in 100 m stroke and 50 m back stroke.

Regional Director Dr Neelam Kamra, Principal of the BBK DAV College for Women and the manager of the school Dr K.N. Kaul and Principal of DAV College, Amritsar, congratulated the swimmer and wished him luck for his future.

Neera Sharma, Principal of DAV Public School, Lawrence Road, applauded Ujjawal’s achievement and efforts of his coach Lovely.