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Use of inter-locking tiles to be stopped
Armed Forces Flag Day
Speak out
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Double trouble at Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences
Striking safai sewaks litter garbage
Jalandhar, December 7 Scores of safai sewaks converged on the main gate of the institute and indulged in arguments with security guards while they were restrained from entering the PIMS premises, this morning. The safai sewaks had suspended work for the past one month. Apprehending that the management might have deployed private scavengers for the purpose inside the PIMS premises, the irate protesters broke the barriers and made their entry into the institute. Storming inside the hospital building, especially the OPD, reception and corridors, the protesters brought garbage from different corners of the hospital and littered it on
the floor. The PIMS management, including resident director Rajshekhar, had to call the police to bring the situation under control. A high drama was witnessed for a long time within the PIMS premises, as certain safai karamchari leaders of the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation (MC) also joined the melee. The protesters were pacified by the police, as the management claimed to have made the payment to a Chandigarh-based company to whom the
contract of sanitation had been allotted. Station house officer police division No 7, Som Nath, claimed that the management had called a meeting of the safai sewaks and the officials of the company to settle the issue by tomorrow. Paramjit Singh Raipur, a top functionary of PIMS, expressed his ignorance on the issue and suggested that Rajshekhar was on the spot and would be able to brief about the incident. Efforts to contact Rajshekhar proved futile till late evening. No case was registered in the incident. |
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Health department raids kitchen
Jalandhar, December 7 A team of the health department, led by Dr Harjit Singh, food and safety officer, visited the hospital premises and examined the quality of the food items, including flour, green peas, vinegar, noodles, edible oil and other eatables. District Health Officer, Dr Ashwani Sondhi, said the raiding party found that the kitchen of
PIMS was being operated from very unhygienic conditions. Expressing shock at this, Dr Sondhi also said that garbage was spilling out of the dustbins, while the kitchen floors were filthy and emitting foul smell. Green peas were rotting and packings of flour, vinegar, noodles and certain other food items were not bearing the date of packing (manufacturing) and expiry, the DHO added. The institute was found flouting the guidelines of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act by the raiding party. The SHO said he had sternly told the hospital management to maintain hygiene in the kitchens, mess and other places, besides serving healthy food to the students
or he would initiate tough action against the management. He had started preparing a list of violations by PIMS and notices would be shortly served to head of the department like food and nutrition, directors and office-bearers of the PIMS management under various provisions of the FSS Act . Meanwhile, a number of medical students assembled in front of the hospital OPD and lodged their protest against the management. They alleged that the management had been serving them poor quality food, affecting their health slowing. |
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Use of inter-locking tiles to be stopped
The decision has come after higher-rung officials felt that the tiles, which were being preferred to concrete work for the past few years despite their higher cost, were not yielding the desired result. The tiles were being projected as "eco-friendly", as these allowed seepage of rainwater, helping improve groundwater table. It was initially also believed that these tiles made repair work easy, as just a few broken tiles had to be removed for the purpose. Principal Secretary Local Bodies Suresh Kumar said, “We were told that the roads paved with tiles appeared cosmetically good for just six months, after which the wear and tear sets in. There also was a problem with levelling. We have asked the MCs to abort any existing contracts and stop the use of tiles in future.” There were reports that the orders came after Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal got some complaints from the Muktsar area and told officials concerned to pass directions regarding the matter. The Principal Secretary, however, said that the proposal was mooted by Director, Local Bodies, to which he agreed. Meanwhile, works to the tune of several crores had already been undertaken in the city across several localities since the previous Akali-BJP regime. Tiles were being preferred so much that several localities, including Central Town, Guru Nanakpura, Ladhewali and other areas, had
an entire road network built with tiles. Tile work to the tune of Rs 6 crore had been undertaken for paving pavements as part of the city beautification project. Significantly, the Jalandhar MC has already floated tenders for road work to the tune of Rs 22 crore. After the MC, even the municipalities and panchayats had started making use of inter-locking tiles with the result that the kin of MC employees, contractors, councillors and other political leaders had also set up plants to make big buck. Since there had been no specifications on standardisation, poor quality tiles were also being used, it is alleged. Congress councillor Jagdish Raja said he had been opposing the use of tiles from the very beginning as he knew that it would prove to be a big failure. “I am happy that the government has finally acted in the matter,” he said. |
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Homage paid to war heroes of Punjab
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, December 7 Lt Gen S Madhok, General Officer Commanding, 11 Corps, was the chief guest on the occasion. He was welcomed by Priyank Bharti, deputy commissioner-cum-president, District Sainik Welfare Board; and Brig KS Dhillon, vice-president of the board. The GOC laid wreath at the memorial and paid homage to the war heroes of Punjab. The programme started with a devotional song by the students of BD Arya Girls’ College. Lt Gen Madhok made a fervent appeal to everyone to contribute generously on the occasion as their contribution would go a long way in mitigating hardships faced by the widows of the heroes of Punjab. He presented a cheque of Rs 30,000 to the District Sainik Welfare Board for the empowerment of widows, disabled soldiers, ex-servicemen and their dependents. The deputy commissioner lauded the role of the Vajra Corps in promptly sending technical teams for rescuing labourers trapped during the Shital Fibres factory collapse episode in April this year. “A labourer’s life is far more important as his entire family is dependent on his measly income. The Army men did a yeomen’s service in rescuing nearly 20 labourers out of the debris,” he said. Lt Col Harvinder Pal Singh, District Defence Services Welfare officer, said: “During 2011-12, financial assistance had been provided to 557 widows, destitute ex-servicemen and other deserving beneficiaries to the tune of Rs 5.82 lakh. The Jalandhar office had made a collection of Rs 33 lakh last year through Flag Day contributions.” Among those who attended the event were Major Gen Binoy Poonen, Chief of Staff, Vajra Corps, Brig HPS Pall, Brigadier Administration, Brig IJS Chouhan, Commander 91 Sub Area, and Brig Dharamvir Singh, Commandant Military Hospital. Retired officers, including Lt Gen Surjit Singh, Lt Gen MS Shergill and Lt Gen AS Bahia also attended the event. Faux pas
The District Defence Services Welfare Office conducted a faux pas today when they invited Parkash Kaur, widow of Sepoy Dilbagh Singh from 5 Sikh Regiment, for receiving a reward but returned her empty handed. A chair at the function carried her name and so did the list of beneficiaries; but the organisers perhaps did not had anything to offer. |
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Illegal hoardings deface the city despite directions from Deputy CM
Jalandhar, December 7 Bharti on Wednesday had send orders to MC Commissioner, SDMs, deputy director, local bodies, project director NHAI, XENs of PWD, Panchayati Raj and EOs of all municipalities. The District Magistrate had written that the officials would be held accountable for non-compliance of Public Defacement Act in future. MC Commissioner Vinay Bublani said he had asked Joint Commissioner Anupam Kler to take the charge on the matter and get all such hoardings demolished at the earliest. Most visible among them are the hoardings bearing congratulatory messages for Ravi Mahendru, who had been appointed district BJP president, but were removed on Wednesday. Such hoardings could be spotted in large numbers around Doaba Chowk and Preet Nagar. BJP district president Subhash Chander Sood yesterday issued an appeal to the BJP members to not to display any board or hoarding on behalf of the president. He said, “The signboards are being displayed against the instructions and directions of the MC and an appeal is also being made to all religious and social organisations not to display their hoardings and deface the city. General public should also extend their help to MC Jalandhar to keep the city clean. I endorse the appeal of Mayor Sunil Jyoti that there should be no illegal hoardings.”
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Speak out
Jalandhar, December 7
— Suruchi Sharma, student I was literally in tears when I saw the news on TV. I have always led a very protective life being a daughter of an IPS officer. Now even as I am a mother of two grown up boys, I feel insecure while going to crowded areas. I cannot stand any provocative comments. My dad was very strict with men attempting to hurt modesty of women. I really feel bad for the girls who would find it hard to come out of the trauma. Today, when I was walking on a road, I prayed to God for my safety. — Harman Bhangal, daughter of retired IPS officer
— Nimisha Mehta, an entrepreneur and vice-president of Punjab Mahila Congress
— Raminder Kaur Dhindsa, independent councillor
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The striking safai sewaks of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) ransacked the premises of the institute and littered garbage on the corridors while lodging their protest.
Taking a serious note of the protest over the poor quality food served to medicos of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences
(PIMS), the district health department today conducted a raid.
Jalandhar, December 7
I do not think that girls should sit down at home apprehending any such unfortunate incident. Instead, they must strengthen up themselves and be prepared for the worst. My suggestion is that they can use some devices like pepper spray now available in the market in their purses to avoid any untoward
incident. 
If such a gory incident can happen with a cop and his daughter, the life of a common man is certainly under threat. Not just the guilty but even those supporting the accused must be brought to book. The call details of all the accused in the case must be made public to know whose patronage they were
getting. 
Such incidents certainly increase threat perception in the minds of young girls. The misuse of power and the daylight murder was certainly inhumane. I wonder how these boys would feel had the incident occurred with their sisters or fathers. Badal who has been going around with Nanhi Chhan campaigns must take up this issue and voice her concern over the matter. Some kind of show of strength must be held against the shameful
act.