Jalandhar, April 10
The prime reason for the lack of seriousness about government school education among people is the dearth of school teachers in government schools.

While the number of students in government schools might just be set to witness an increase owing to the ongoing admissions across government schools in the district, the bothersome aspect is that the present teacher-student ratio in schools remains skewed and the issue unaddressed.

While rural schools are at the receiving end of the problem owing to a plethora of schools with very few teachers, urban schools witness quite the opposite - a problem of plenty, so there are schools where two teachers have been recruited for less than 20 children.

While the ideal student-teacher ratio in primary schools (as per the RTE instructions) is 25:1, the education department maintains it at 30:1.

As per education department records, presently, in primary schools across the district, there are 1,760 teachers for 55,944 students.

On an average, this puts the average student-teacher ratio at one teacher for 32 students.

On the other hand,there are about 5,500 teachers for the1,60,356 students for classes from 6th to 12th. Their collective average would put the students-teacher ratio across middle, high and senior secondary schools in the district at one teacher for 29 students.

On the basis of the aforementioned figures, the collective average (7260 teachers for 3,16,290 students) for the district would be around 40:1.

But the situation is not as simple as it seems.

The average is not uniformly divided across district schools and the rural schools have much more children and much lesser teachers.

There are a number of rural schools where a school full of 150 to 300 children is being taught by one or two teachers. Government High School Mundi Kasu (has more than 130 children but only an English and drawing teacher is present), Government Girls High School, Lohian and Government Boys Senior Secondary School Lohian, Government Senior Secondary School Gidderipndi are the other examples of the serious problem. Other affected schools are in Nawa Pind Khalewal, Nawa Pind Donewal Turna, Rupewali among other places. The schools in the Shahkot and Nurmahal segments are notorious for the government's indifferent attitude .

Sources also say what aggravates the problem is that even the teachers presently working are often put on duty elsewhere (elections, programmes, etc.) owing to which the RTE Act's recommendations of paying individual attention to students are going down the drain.

This is one issue where the District Education Officers (primary and secondary) do not have much to do because teachers can only be recruited as per the government's policy and directions.

Jalandhar, April 10
The lackadaisical attitude of the Local Bodies Ministry in clearing the policy related to the change of land use (CLU) has blocked a quick income of Rs 5 crore for the Municipal Corporation Jalandhar.

The authorities, who are hard pressed for funds, have more than 55 cases regarding the CLU pending for more than two years now.

While the policy had last year been changed to allow the CLU to be cleared at the local level, a clause that the recovery thus made would come via the state exchequer had led to some hue and cry.

Ever since the policy was withdrawn with no headway. Local Bodies Minister Bhagat Chunni Lal, who has been quizzed a number of times on the matter, has simply been saying that it would be cleared soon.

There are 20 roads in the city which have been declared commercial and where the CLU is being done.

MTP Tejpreet Singh said while nearly 25 cases of the CLU were lying pending with the state committee for over two years, there were nearly 30 pending even at the district level.

Talwandi Bharo (Nakodar), April 10
More than a month after the horrific accident in which 13 schoolchildren lost their lives in a bus accident at Nakodar, five-year-old victim Chanpreet Singh still gets chills at the mere mention of it.

The horrific picture of the March 4 accident of his school bus which landed him in a hospital at Ludhiana for a month-long treatment is still fresh in his mind. Having braved three surgeries in his one leg including those for the plugging of an artery of his thigh, orthopaedic problem and grafting, it was on April 4 that the boy finally returned home at Talwandi Bharo village.

As his parents and grand-parents sat beside him discussing the harrowing ordeal they went through, Chanpreet lay on a cot in the verandah quietly playing with his remote control car.

Gurdip Singh, the child's grand-father,said “The fickle finger of fate changed our lives for the worse all of a sudden. We lost our grand-daughter Navpreet Kaur (4), daughter of my younger son, in the same accident. We are not sure whether Chanpreet (son of my elder son) will be able to walk properly even after a year or so. We are also worried, for he will have to miss his full one year of studies. While we were busy with all this, we could not find time to attend to our wheat crop which has got badly damaged”

“What really haunts my mind is that I was getting ready myself to drop the children to school as the bus was late and they were to appear for the exam. The bus came just in the nick of the time. The driver, who was in a hurry did not stop in front of our gate and was about to take a turn, when I called him back to take the children off. My split second decision shook my small world just in a few minutes," said he still is unable to overcome the remorse.

Naik Surjit Singh,the boy's father narrated his story, “I was serving at an army post in Jammu and was not here when the accident took place. I had to get my one-month leave sanctioned and directly reached Ludhiana the next day where Chanpreet was taking treatment.” Uncovering his left leg which has deep wounds and an iron rod as an external support, he said, “This sight is still tolerable,you could not have taken a glance for more than a second on day two of the accident. My younger brother Harjinder Singh, who lost his daughter, too, was in Kuwait when the accident took place. My family needs a lot of support from my side at this point,so I have got my leave extended by another few weeks.”

Regarding financial aid, he said, “The government has given us Rs 25,000 as compensation.

The hospital bill amounted to Rs 3 lakh, which has been footed by the management of the school Akal Academy.”

Jalandhar, April 10
With the Navratras starting tomorrow, the prices of all commodities, especially those which are much in demand during the Navratra fasts, have shot up. The worst affected are the prices of fruits.

Almost all fruits have witnessed a steep rise and are sure to burn a big hole in the consumers’ pockets during the ongoing Navratra season.

Talking to The Tribune, a fruit-seller said the price rise was a sure trend accompanying the Navratras and this year was no different.

The prices of bananas have risen from Rs 20 per kg to Rs 30 to 40 per kg, kharbooj prices have shot to about Rs 60, while they were earlier piced at Rs 40. Pomegrenates will come costlier by Rs 30. They are now priced at Rs 150, while they cost Rs 120 until last week. Mango prices will be shooting up to Rs 80 to 100, while they were priced at Rs 60 last week.

Grapes’ rates have almost doubled as they would be costing Rs 80 from their earlier cost of Rs 40. Apple price have shot up to Rs 120 from Rs 100 and Papaya prices will be higher by Rs 10. They will be costing Rs 30 from the earlier Rs 20. 

Jalandhar, April 10
The striking paramedical staff of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) today turned down the proposal to call off their strike after they were offered 15 days' salary by the management.

Sources in PIMS said that the management offered the striking employees salaries in instalments, which was not acceptable to the employees who demanded salaries for at least two months.

The protesters lamented that they were unable to submit the annual admission school fee of their children, as the management had not paid their salaries yet.

“The doctors, who are getting monthly salaries in lakhs, could affort to be without pay for five months, but for them, it was quite hard to run a family," a striking employee claimed.

The strike has gathered momentum, with the doctors extending their support to the protesters on Tuesday.

The functioning of the hospital has been virtually paralysed for the past nine days, with over 85 employees going on strike for the non-payment of their salaries from December 2012 onwards.

Jalandhar, April 10
It has been a worrisome period for an elderly couple at Urban Estate here. Ever since their five-year-old grandson Achintya has been taken off from their daughter Shruti and son-in-law Rajat by the Social Service Authorities of the UK, the grandparents have been meeting the political bigwigs and socially connected people in India to raise the issue in their favour.

The maternal grandmother of the child, Promila Beri, said the child had gone to Dayyard Hill School, where his teachers quizzed him regarding his family. "The innocent child who was trained that taking drinks and smoking cigarette was bad told his teachers that he did not like his father. It was for this petty reason that they took off the child from the parents' custody," she said.

Beri,a retired professor, said she had visited the family last year at Oxford and stayed there for six months. "During my stay, I did not come across a single situation when the parents were rude or behaved in a wrong manner with the child. The only problem is perhaps with the cultural differences here and in the UK, which the authorities have perhaps failed to understand. I am really worried and so are her parents and we wish that the Indian Government intervenes and helps restore the child to the family", she said. 

Jalandhar, April 10
The number of patients seeking anti-rabies vaccine has increased almost three times at the government hospitals, with the Punjab government issuing directions to the health authorities for supplying anti-rabies injections available to patients free of cost.

An injection that cost almost Rs 1200 to dog-bite patients at private hospitals will now be provided free of cost at government-run hospitals. The government-run hospitals earlier used to charge Rs 100 per injection.

With the recent notification in which the government has released a list of 159 drugs (essential),including anti-rabies injection,to be made available free of cost,the number of dog-bitten patients has increased almost three fold.

Sources in the health department said that the government was earlier procuring the injections in bulk at Rs 120 per injection and was charging Rs 100.

Dr Renu, Medical Superintendent (MS), Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, said earlier about 20 dog-bite cases were reported at the Civil Hospital daily,but the number had gone to almost 60 soon after the government announced that the injections would be free of cost.

The patients who earlier preferred to take treatment in the countryside have now shifted to the Civil Hospital, she added.

The MS claimed that she had directed her staff to inject all doses of the vaccine to the patients at the hospital personally.

Doctors, earlier, were handing over injections to the patients so that they could get these injected from paramedical staff in their respective areas after injecting the first dose at the hospital, Dr Renu added.

Jalandhar, April 10
The CIA staff arrested three persons in connection with drug trafficking under the NDPS Act today.

In charge CIA inspector Sukhdev Singh said ASI Kewal Singh during a naka at the Jind Pind tri-junction confiscated 5 kg of poppy husk and 500 gm of drug powder from a motorcyclist. One Harsimran Singh Happy of Kartarpur has been arrested in this connection.

In another episode, a naka was laid at Workshop Chowk where Gagan Sethi of Sarai Khas was arrested and 270 gm of drug powder seized from him. In yet another case, during a naka at Gulab Devi Road, Mahinder Pal of Sarai Khas was arrested and 310 gm of drug powder confiscated from his possession.

LPG theft

The Basti Bawa Khel police arrested one Anil Kumar, alias Sonu, of Pannu Vihar for illegally siphoning off LPG from big cylinders and filling it in smaller ones. The police also recovered 10 big cylinders and seven small ones. A case has been registered under Section 420 of the IPC.

Gang busted

The crime branch of the police today reportedly busted a gang which was indulging in using fake IDs, documents and "fards" and committing forgeries. The police is learnt to have rounded up five persons and is on the hunt to trace the remaining members of the gang which also indulged in getting bails granted by producing wrong persons. 

Jalandnar, April 10
Replacing Group Captain R Bhasin, Air Commodore SK Mohlah took over the command of Air Force Station, Adampur, here today.

Air Commodore SK Mohlah was commissioned in the Indian Air Force on June 7, 1986. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and has completed his Masters in Defence and Strategic Studies.

He is an accomplished officer, having undergone various courses viz Junior Commanders Course and is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College. He is a highly experienced test pilot and qualified flying instructor.

He was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal for his distinguished service in 2006. 

Jalandhar, April 10
After receiving a good response in the Majha region for the “Ambuja BIG Panja League”, the championship is being extended to the Doaba and the Malwa regions in the state.

Ajay Srivastva, Zonal Head, north, Ambuja Cement, while addressing mediapersons here today, termed that league was an effort to promote rural sports in Punjab ,in a big way.

The league will witness a round of on-ground activities ,including auditions across 24 towns surrounding Jalandhar including Nawanshahr, Banga, Garhshankar, Mahalpur, Hoshiarpur, Mukerian, Talwara, Tanda, Dasuya, Kapurthala, Lohia, Malsian.

The grand finale of the league will be telecast on Spark Punjabi, he revealed.

Competition under two categories (below 70 kg and above 70 kg) would be kicked off from Naya Gaon,and Zirakpur near Chandigarh on April 15.

The champions would be crowned with ‘Panja Champion’ of Punjab and a cash prize worth Rs. 51,000 each would be presented.

Besides Lakwwinder Singh, general secretary, Arm Wrestling Foundation, Sukhdeep Singh Sohal, station head — 92.7 BIG FM Jalandhar, and Arun Sharma, branch head, Jalandhar, Ambuja Cements, were also present on the occasion.

Jalandhar, April 10
While digital bhangra beats and petite women might be good for an initial kick for the men who like it western, in a society ridden with crime and rampant disrespect for women, it is the poets, historians and cultural scholars who come to an ideological rescue.

Even as a dehydrated, emotionless music scenario does little to revive the divorced-from-culture generation of today, it is the likes of Satinder Sartaj that the old-school ideologues in the state pin their hopes on, to introduce people to the lost glory of the erstwhile Punjab and music which moves at its own pace. Many people have almost labelled him a musical saviour for the state.

Addressing a press conference at a packed Punjab Press Club here today, the singer promoted his new album ‘Afsaane Sartaj De’ and was honoured by the members of the Punjab Jagriti Manch for his brilliant works.

That he has struck a deep chord with his music and words was evident in the manner in which he was eulogised by noted intellectuals and scholars today.

Talking about his album, Sartaj said it had a special place in his heart because it was the first album in which he had not faced any sort of interruption or opposition. “The words, the selection and the videos are all mine.”

Saying that literature and constant reading was a vital part of his life, even after he entered into the music profession, he said history and geography were the areas he had a special liking for, making a special mention of Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha.

While the singer said he had been bred on a supply of writings by poets and writers, he added that he had started singing at the age of three at a school samagam (gathering) but discovered the poet in him much later, in 2003.

Speaking on the issue of westernisation of Punjabi masses, he said, while the westernisation in apparels and clothes was inevitable with changing times, what was more important was to retain the basic societal and cultural values.

Asked when he was going to sing for Bollywood, Sartaj said, “I have been approached by many top people but I said no to the proposals. I will certainly sing for Bollywood but that would be when someone offers me a song which is in keeping with the image and expectations that people in Punjab have from me.”

Music and concerns about societal degeneration went hand-in-hand at the meet. While scholar Prof Pyara Singh Bhogal termed Sartaj’s words as capable of washing off the layers of stone-heartedness, journalist Satnam Manak credited him for recalling the flowers of tara mira and alsi, which had lost somewhere in his childhood.