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No specialist at newly-built maternity & child health block
Despite checks, illegal mining on in Ferozepur
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Red Cross sends 10 kids
to de-addiction centre
Youth who ran away with minor girl faces rape charge
Bhog performed in memory of Delhi gang-rape victim
Police team to prevent any trouble in Faridkot village
Advocates to boycott evening courts
Lohri for girl child celebrated in Fazilka
Woman sarpanch of Abohar village suspended
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No specialist at newly-built maternity & child health block
Ferozepur, January 6 The poor quality of construction of the new block also shows the lack of concern on the part of the authorities concerned. At several places in the block, the plaster has started peeling off. The problem of leakage and faulty sanitation has added to the problems. There is also a shortage of doctors for discharging the duty of the emergency medical officers (EMO) following which the other specialists posted here have to double up as EMOs. Consequently, their own work gets hampered. The work related to the issuance of medico-legal reports (MLR), allocation of patients to various specialists, conducting post-mortem and manning the trauma ward to deal with the emergency cases is also suffering due to which the poor patients have to bear the brunt. An official in the health department, while speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, "The entire exercise of spending a huge amount on the new children and maternity ward has been futile when the doctors for the same are not available." As per the information, over Rs 2 crores has been spent on the construction of the MCH, the foundation stone of which was laid by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on August 14, 2010. However, months after its completion, the new block wears a deserted look. Apart from this, the post of radiologist is also lying vacant for many years. Sources said that around 67 posts of medical officers are vacant in the CHCs, PHCs, mini PHCs and other hospitals in the district. Making things worse, the shortage of SMOs, 64 staff nurses and 10 nursing sisters has affected the health service adversely besides the non-availability of medicines and the required medical equipment. Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr Pradeep Aggarwal said he has brought the matter to the notice of the senior officials. About the vacant posts of the paediatrician and the gynaecologist, the SMO said they were trying to make up for the shortage by taking the help of other non-specialist doctors posted in the district. |
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Despite checks, illegal mining on in Ferozepur
Ferozepur, January 6 Sources said following a ban imposed on mining in the region, around 58 FIRs had been lodged against more than 140 offenders. Besides, more than 100 vehicles, including tractor-trailers and JCBs, had been issued challan and some of them impounded. Rs 8.64 lakh had been recovered from them in the form of penalty. Despite this, the process is allegedly going on in utter disregard of all the regulations. The sources said the illegal activity mainly took place at odd hours so as to evade any kind of action. The top surface of sand is filled with earth or any other material to dodge the authorities. Meanwhile, the price of the sand has escalated manifold which has affected the common man who has to bear the brunt of these inflated prices. Officials said as per the government policy, the price of a sand trolley should be around Rs 800. However, the same was being sold at an exorbitant amount ranging from Rs 1,800 to Rs 3,000 per trolley. Officials belonging to the Industry Department said they had to work in the office the entire day and then tour vulnerable areas during the night to apprehend offenders. “We have to keep a watch on such activities in the entire district. It is a challenging task given the fact that we do not have sufficient manpower and resources. The area is also spread over hundreds of kilometers and to keep an eye on the movement of illegal miners along the entire stretch is extremely difficult,” admitted another official. Gursharan Singh, General Manager (District Industries Centre), said the department was taking strict action in cases related to illegal mining. The sources said there were 57 legal sand pits in the district where mining was earlier permitted. However, after the High Court directions making it mandatory to obtain environment clearance, the mining has been barred even at these locations too. Earlier, the Forest Department had unearthed an illegal sand mining racket in a protected forest area close to the Indo-Pak border near Bareke village, around 12 km from district headquarters. The offenders had even cut several trees to make inroad into the forest area to carry out their unlawful activity. |
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Red Cross sends 10 kids
to de-addiction centre
Faridkot, January 6 The Red Cross Society on Saturday caught as many as 10 children, all aged below 13 years of age, who had been using correction fluid, nail polish remover, shoe polish and enamel paints to get a high. These children belong to poor families of the local Sanjay Nagar. The Red Cross Society came to know about them after a child was admitted to the Red Cross De-addiction Centre. He had collapsed because of a high dose of a volatile inhalant two days ago. When the centre’s chairperson questioned the boy about the history of his habit, he revealed that there were many others like him who were addicted to these inhalants. Red Cross members nabbed 10 such youngsters who were also admitted to the de-addiction centre. The children said they took to such drug habits due to the easy availability of these substances. They said there were a number of such children who sniffed glue, ate bread laced with Iodex or show polish and inhaled paints, said Roshan Lal, secretary, Red Cross, Faridkot. “The use of these substances is common among children in some backward localities of the town. Such drug habits can prove fatal for children below 10-15 years of age,” said Dr Harish Arora, senior psychiatrist, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital Faridkot. Inhalants slow down the body's functions and induce a sense of intoxication which usually lasts from 15 minutes to an hour, he said. In September, 2011, 11 such children all below 13 years of age were nabbed from Kotkapura. They had been inhaling various pungent fumes to get a high. After a week of treatment, these children were discharged but many of them relapsed to the inhaling habits after some time, said Dr Harish Arora. Most of these children are school dropouts. “After treatment, we will send these children back to the school. There will be a proper follow-up till they are fully rehabilitated”, said Ravi Bhagat, Deputy Commissioner,
Faridkot. |
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Youth who ran away with minor girl faces rape charge
Fazilka, January 6 The Fazilka police recovered the 17-year-old girl and the boy from Rewari (Haryana). They had eloped from their native village Kamalwala of Fazilka sub-division on December 23. The father of the girl lodged an FIR with the police under Sections 363, 366-A and 120-B of the IPC against the accused youth Sandeep Singh (24), his father Joginder Singh and mother Surjit Kaur on December 24 in Arniwala police station of Fazilka subdivision. The parents of the boy were arrested by the police, who are now undergoing judicial custody. As per the investigating officer in the case, Kartar Singh, the boy and the girl first went to Rajasthan and later, took a room on rent in Rewari in Haryana some 10 days ago. But the owner of the house, Raj Singh, smelt a rat and managed to get the address and mobile number of the girl's father. He immediately informed the parents who in turn informed the police about the whereabout of the couple. The Arniwala police raided the house and recovered the boy and the girl from Rewari. The medical examination of both was conducted at the local Civil Hospital. Arniwala SHO Darshan Singh said Section 376 of the IPC has been added against the accused boy in the FIR registered on December 24. The girl was produced before a woman judicial magistrate last evening. Thereafter, she was handed over to her parents. The boy was produced before another judicial magistrate, who sent him to the police custody for a day. |
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Bhog performed in memory of Delhi gang-rape victim
Barnala, January 6 Members of the political parties and religious and social organisations took part in it. A former president of the ex-serviceman wing of the SAD, Gurjinder Singh Sidhu, demanded the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit, holding her responsible for the incident. He also sought maximum punishment for the accused in the crime. The area in-charge of the Bhadaur Assembly constituency Darbara Singh Guru, while condemning the incident, demanded the implementation of laws for protecting women in their letter and spirit. He also urged the government to amend these laws, if necessary. A former Member of Parliament (MP) Rajdev Singh Khalsa asked the government to ensure the protection of women. The increasing population, poverty and unemployment also contribute to such incidents, he said, while urging the government to initiate steps to control the same. Among others who were present on the occasion included the district president of the ex-serviceman wing Hardip Singh Randhawa, advocate Kulwant Rai, president of the municipal council Paramjit Singh Dhillon, Jarnail Singh Bhotna, Gurmeet Bawa, Inderpal Singh Chehal, Kulwant Singh Kanta, Teja Singh Jaagal, Karam Singh Bhandhari and Rajinder Singh
Bhola. |
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Police team to prevent any trouble in Faridkot village
Faridkot, January 6 Two of the accused belong to the girl's community and live in an area adjacent to her house. As the families of the victim and the accused live in the same village, a police team comprising five officials was constituted to keep a tab on the situation and prevent any trouble. In a press briefing held here this evening, the district police claimed that the case had been solved with the arrest of the two accused and the victim's condition was improving now. The police is still in search of the third accused. “We are not going to spare any of the accused,” said Faridkot SSP GS Toor, adding: “I personally visited the village today and met the members of the village panchayat. I was told that the accused were without any work and kept playing cards. The village panchayat supported the police so that the accused are not spared.” The police have also formally arrested one of the accused who was yesterday admitted to a hospital under police security after he allegedly consumed some poisonous substance out of fear. He was discharged from the hospital today and formally arrested. |
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Advocates to boycott evening courts
Fazilka, January 6 "A resolution has been passed to request the appropriate authority for scrapping the evening courts and observing five-day week on the pattern of the Punjab and Haryana High Court," said Gumber after the meeting. "The advocates do not find the time to prepare their cases after being present in the evening courts," said senior advocate Manoj Tripathi. The lawyers warned that they will continue their boycott of the courts till their demands are fulfilled. — OC |
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Lohri for girl child celebrated in Fazilka
Fazilka, January 6 Lohri is traditionally celebrated only for newborn boys but the members of the NGO honoured parents of 151 newborn girls on the occasion of their first Lohri today. "The celebration of Lohri in a collective way has brought this border town to the forefront of spreading awareness against the killing of the girl child and female foeticide in a novel way," said the chief guest at the programme, minister Surjit Kumar Jyani. Additional Deputy Commissioner Charandev Singh Maan also honoured the parents. "There has been criticism for the skewed sex ratio in Punjab. It would be unfair for us if we do not celebrate Lohri for our daughters," said the president of society Rakesh Nagpal. He said the society has started celebrating the "Kanya Lohri Samman Mela" after being motivated by Nirmala Jyani, wife of the minister, six years ago. "The celebration for the girls can been seen as an attempt to reform the mindset," said Jyoti who was pleasantly surprised at being honoured for giving birth to the third girl child. "We announced the celebration of Lohri for girls this year also and when the number of applicants reaches 151, we discontinue the registration," said an organiser Surinder
Tinna. |
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Woman sarpanch of Abohar village suspended
Abohar, January 6 The inquiry was initiated vide letter number 2360 dated November 21, 2012, by the Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO), Khuyiansarwar, alleging that the sarpanch had snatched the proceedings book. Responding to the notice, she explained on December 13 last year that the BDPO had relied on the allegations levelled against her by panchayat members Jaspreet Kaur, Kulwinder Kaur, Sukhdev Kaur and Gindar Singh. The suspension order sought to explain that the dissident members of panchayat wanted to record their statements over the development grant but were not allowed to do so. The department then got the case inquired by the BDPOs at Fazilka and Khuyiansarwar and their report indicted the sarpanch for misusing her office and creating hurdles in development works. — OC |
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government has spent crores on the construction of the new maternity and child health (MCH) block which has come up on the premises of the local Civil Hospital here, the posts of both the paediatrician and gynaecologist there are ironically lying vacant for the last several months.
