Ignoring safety norms, an overloaded auto and a school van ferry schoolchildren in Amritsar on Tuesday

A number of popular schools in the city are situated on busy roads like Mall Road, GT Road, McLeod Road and busy by-passes like Fatehgarh Churiyan, Verka, Jalandhara, which record the movement of heavy vehicles. Of these, many have got ample space on their campuses yet tell students to board and alight from transport vehicles on road. Consequently, these roads choke at the time of opening and closure of these schools. Traffic jams are frequent and long on these roads. Besides, the traffic scenario poses a risk to the students with hardly any measure in place to prevent them from moving on these roads.

No responsibility entrusted to schools

Bus, mini-bus, van, auto and rickshaw are popular modes of transportation for ferrying school children by government-run schools, government-aided schools and public schools run by different religious groups, high-end private chain schools and many others.

However, there is a strange commonality in all these schools as a majority of these schools do not own their transportation. Obviously, it gives these managements a room to pass the buck on contractors in case of any unsavoury incident.

Interactions with parents of various popular schools of the city revealed that they have a lot of queries and doubts, but found these caught in red tape prevalent in these schools. Fearing annoying managements of these schools, they backed out from being quoted in the newspaper, leave alone being clicked.

A social activist Naresh Johar said it was strange that the semi-literate drivers were always held responsible for violation, but the school managements escaped the law of the land as these outsource the school transportation to private hands.

He said relevant laws were available to regulate schools buses. As per these norms, a driver of a school bus can be booked for his driving-related offences, while the school management/owner and principal can be held responsible for other violations. He added that even private vehicles like vans, cabs, auto-rickshaws and rickshaws ferrying school children were bound to follow the safety measures. The authorities have not been able to rein in erring drivers, owners of buses and vans. Rickety and worn-out vehicles being driven by inexperienced drivers are the root cause of these accidents, civic activists pointed out.

Transport Department norms

Officials at the district transport office shared that as per the transport norms, drivers operating school buses or vans should possess heavy vehicle licences with a minimum of 10 years’ driving experience. The guidelines emphasise that buses and vans should not be loaded with students beyond the stipulated seating capacity, but these vehicles continue to ply with such loads, stated Swaran Singh, grandfather of a school-going toddler.

PSEB norms

The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), while granting approval for affiliation and category of associated schools, seeks the submission of affidavits containing 16 rules from the principals of these schools. However, sources in the department shared that officials hardly bother to follow these norms and only ensured that these schools submit the affidavit once a year. The PSEB norms maintain that the schools having any means of transportation, including van, auto, bus, must indicate their numbers and registration numbers over these vehicles. Fitness certificates of these vehicles that they are in a drivable condition and valid permits have to be submitted. Besides, these vehicles must have conductors (cleaners) and drivers who must wear uniforms, must possess valid licence, must have five years’ of driving experience, not have been challaned more than three times, names of school and routes, besides the availability of the first-aid box must be displayed over these vehicles.

District Education Officer (Secondary) Rasal Singh Malhi said the department kept a check on the transportation of various schools, besides holding traffic awareness camps with the assistance of traffic policemen in various schools. He said occasionally checking is also done.

Chief Khalsa Diwan, which is running a chain of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public Schools, president, Charanjit Singh Chadha, said they do not have own transportation and private contractors are hired after the signing of a proper agreement. He said apart from school administration, two members of the CKD, who have been attached with each school, specifically look after the transportation.

DAV Public Schools (Amritsar Zone), which has seven schools, regional director Dr Neelam Kamra said the schools do not have transportation of their own, but utmost care of students boarding and de-boarding the vehicles on school premises is taken.

Amritsar, March 5
The brutal and shameful beating up of a girl by the Tarn Taran police in full public view has brought to the fore the issue of women's safety again. Prompt action against the accused has been taken, but the sanctity of the claims made by the authorities to ensure women's safety remains doubtful. As the proceedings heat up, we check out what women in the city have to say about the shocking display of police brutality against the girl.

• The incident throws light on the helplessness of our social system. All these incidents against women, reported so often these days, have emanated from the age-old mindset that women are the weaker sex. The beating up of a young girl by the very policemen whom she was trying to seek help from is a shameful act and should be an eye-opener for all. We can talk and condemn such acts again and again, but the root cause will remain. The policemen, too, are part of society, which still believes and propagates that women should not allowed to cross a certain limit set for them. Such archaic and closed thinking process will yield bad results. Nita Mohindra, noted theatre person and educationist

• Social injustice is what I would call such an incident. The police has no right and justification for thrashing a girl on streets. Secondly, it is the common man who has to face such incidents. The crisis worsens when those under oath to protect us are the ones we have to fear the most. Anita Devgan, actor
• There have been so many incidents related to safety and status of women in the country, yet the change doesn't seem to be anywhere near. In this case, the girl was reporting eve teasing when the policemen present there thought it important to thrash her publicly rather than help her. How can one trust the system when they are themselves violating laws meant to protect you? Ramneek Kaur Sanghi, student, DAV College, Amritsar
• It's another shameful act thrown in the face of our so-called activist society. After the Delhi incident, one would have thought that society and police would be sensitive towards women. But this incident beats the logic of any sane person. To make matters worse, the girl is being accused of harassment by the accused police personnel. We have been fed with the values to suppress women empowerment at large and our police force, too, is part of that society. I just wonder what kind of training is given at tour premier law enforcement institutes that churn out such irresponsible examples. Navdeep Sandhu, theatre artiste and founder Exorts Cultural Initiative
• The police is supposed to help the situation and not make it worse. We reach out to them for our safety, but if they become the problem, we stand helpless. Such incidents contradict tall claims made by the authorities to ensure women's safety. Mannat Kundhra, a housewife from Green Avenue

Amritsar, March 5
All is set for the setting up of a non-resident Indian (NRI) police station to especially deal with the crime committed against NRIs.

The home department has given its go-ahead in this regard, while the process has been started to recruit staff. This would be the second NRI police station in the state after Jalandhar.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Kaustubh Sharma said the department had received a notification in this connection about a couple of days ago and work on this would be started after appointing a new staff soon.

Sources in the department said that the process of appointing qualified staff had already been initiated by the Police Commissioner.

It would be reportedly set up in the new building, which would be constructed after demolishing old Sadar police station located near the present building of the Cantonment police station. A team of the Punjab Police Housing Corporation from Chandigarh today visited the place for the construction of the building.

The region has seen a spurt in crime against NRIs and a majority of these are property disputes. Only in February, four such cases came to light, while a number of complaints are with the police department.

Police sources pointed out that the department received a majority of property or matrimonial fraud complaints. A majority of them remained pending for want of investigations, he said. Moreover, NRIs don't have enough time to stay here and wait for the investigations to be completed.

Police Commissioner Ram Singh said the establishment of the NRI police station would help in dealing NRI cases on a priority basis, which earlier used to suffer delay due to one reason or the other.

Amritsar, March 5
The "Panghura" installed at Red Cross Bhawan here for abandoned children received its 65th child today. The girlchild is aged between four-five months.

Ritu Aggarwal, wife of the Deputy Commissioner, who is the chairperson of the Red Cross Society, reached the place and took possession of the girlchild. She said the baby was examined at Civil Hospital and found to be healthy. “The child would be sent to Shishu Grah Trust Nari Niketan Jalandhar for adoption purpose. She said childless parents could adopt the child after completing the legal formalities."

Aggarwal said earlier 60 girls and four boys had been received at the "Pangura".

Amritsar, March 5
The Northern Railway's Ferozepur Division is all set to install escalators at major railway stations of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

Divisional Railway Manager, Ferozepur Division, Naresh Chander Goel said the first escalator would be installed at the holy city's railway station. Following this, escalators would be installed at Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Jammu.

He said the order had been placed after giving the final approval for the escalator at the Amritsar railway station. He said the escalator would be installed near the ticket window to pave way for a swift entry and exit.

The Northern Railway's Ferozepur Division, which has its jurisdiction spread across parts of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, is working towards modernising many of its railway stations which date back to the British rule period.

He said the Amritsar railway station would be the first one to have an escalator as it receives a large number of tourists and pilgrims from across the country. He said the station had an average daily footfall of over 26,500 passengers.

Besides, he said, the number of trains was also increasing. The railway station witnesses departure and arrival of 128 trains (64 trains arrive and 64 trains depart) daily.

Amritsar, March 5
"Continuous cultivation of wheat and paddy is exhausting the soil of its nutrients, making it poorer day by day. Therefore, farmers should reserve some area of their fields for other crops. Also, the conservation of water is must for the survival of mankind," said Dr Kolar, member, Board of Management, PAU, after inaugurating a Kisan Mela of the forthcoming Kharif season at Khalsa College in Amritsar today.

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Vice-Chancellor Baldev Singh Dhillon presided over the mela organized by the university. Khalsa College principal Dr Daljit Singh was the guest of honour. The mela focused at promoting kitchen gardens through its theme ‘Ghar di sabzi-dal ugao: sihat banao, paise bachao’ (grow vegetables and pulses in your household kitchen garden: save money and stay healthy).

Various stalls selling seeds of new varieties of paddy and basmati rice were put up in the mela.

Dr Kolar encouraged farmers to bring about diversification in farming, and said crop cultivation could prove beneficial, especially for farmers of Amritsar, if they explored exporting options.

He said conservation of natural resources was of utmost importance and cautioned that the depleting underground water was pushing the state towards drought-like conditions.

Dr Kolar asked farmers to sell their farm produce themselves to eliminate middlemen and increase their profitability.

PAU VC Baldev Singh Dhillon stressed upon farmers to grow pulses and vegetables in their kitchen gardens. “This will not only provide healthy and nutritious food for your family but will also help you save money,” he said, adding that vegetables in markets were stale, costly and at times contaminated with pesticides, which were harmful. He said if every farming family started growing vegetable and pulses in just one kanal, it would go a long way in contributing towards the much-needed diversification.

Dhillon said researchers at the university were focused about evolving technologies to produce power from agricultural waste. “Paddy straw disposal is a big problem and experiments are on in the university to produce biogas from paddy straw. This technology will be available to farmers by next Kisan Mela in September 2013,” he said. He said PAU scientists had developed need-based regional and crop-specific technologies.

PAU director of Extension Education Dr MS Gill said farmers should get in touch with experts of Krishi Vigyan Kendras and avail benefits of the Farm Advisory Service Scheme. He said the next regional Kisan Mela would be held in Gurdarpur on March 7.

Amritsar, March 5
The district health department issued challans to 38 people for smoking at public places during an inspection today. District Health Officer Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon said they had challaned 231 people in total in the month of February for smoking at public places.

Dr Kahlon said the health department teams were keeping a constant vigil to curb smoking at public places and to check the sale of banned tobacco products.

The district was declared a smoke-free district last year. However, the lack of awareness on the part of general public and absence of stringent punishments for violations have rendered the initiative unsuccessful. Kahlon said the department would continue its drive to make the campaign successful. He also urged the general public to cooperate with the department in checking the menace by giving information about shops in which banned products are being sold.