Jalandhar, April 20
A 16-year-old (abandoned by his parents) works at a garment shop by day and sustains his livelihood as well as bears the burden of accumulating thousands of rupees every month for his thalassaemia treatment.

Three families of daily wage labourers, whose children suffer from the disease, do the same for their wards (each have three to five children, of whom at least two are thalassaemics).

The plight of 85 children, receiving regular treatment at the Thalssaemia Ward of the Civil Hospital, seems to have fallen on deaf ears so far.

Repeated requests by the Thalassaemic Children Welfare Society (TCWS), which runs the ward, for funds from the government and NGOs have resulted in a total lack of response.

Barring 11 government school students, getting medicines for free (under the School Health Programme), the families of all the rest (mostly poor patients) have to pay from their pockets for medicines, tests and other treatment costs worth thousands of rupees every month.

While the TCWS had sent a list of 20 needy children to the Jalandhar-based 1098 Childline in this regard last year, the NGO carried out initial inquiries in the matter, but no help came.

President of the TCWS TS Bhatia says, "They had asked me if we needed help. I handed them a list of 20 children who needed urgent monetary assistance. Teams came and talked to us as well as visited affected children's homes. Investigations went on for about two-and-a-half months. But they later said they do not have so many funds. We haven't heard from the Childline after that."

Talking about the plight of the children, Bhatia said, "As many as 30 to 35 children are wards of very poor migrant parents or daily wage labourers. These children can't be covered under the school programme either because they don't go to school. Among the rest of the children, 40 to 50 go to private schools so they can't get free medicines either. The remaining 11 also can only be provided free medicines, but the rest of expenses of some of the tests, filters and supplements have to be borne by them."

Cost of treatment

While the Civil Hospital provides blood transfusion, blood and a few tests for free to the thalassaemic patients, the cost of the rest of the treatment is borne by the patients themselves. Tests even in the Civil Hospital (outside the Blood Bank) are all charged.

Iron chelating agents costs between Rs 1,000 to 3,000 per month per child. Ferritin tests are provided at subsidised rates of Rs 250 to 300.

Filters are provided at subsidised rates of Rs 750.

All the subsidised medicines have been arranged by the TCWS with special efforts and tie-ups with manufacturers or traders.

Some other tests and supplements add on to the cost.

With a single child needing two to three transfusions per month (depending on the severity of the disease), the expenses pile up with poor families having nowhere to go.

Of all these expenses only the chelating agents are available for free to the school students. Affected children have to bear all the rest of the expenses and the eldest of the patients is 22.

Sarita, coordinator of the 1098 Childline, when contacted, said, "We had carried out investigations about a year ago based on a case initiated by the previous coordinator of the Childline. But we were short of funds so we had forwarded the case to the then Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti. The Childline does not have enough funds to support all these children on its own."

Flashback

The TCWS, involving the concerted efforts of president TS Bhatia and BTO Gagandeep Singh, started working for the thalassaemics in the district in 2007. With a special request to Laxmi Kanta Chawla, thalassaemics were included in the ambit of the School Health Programme. In 2011, medicine grants started coming for 11 schoolchildren.

In August, 2011, itself, there was a communique from the then Assistant Director, Health Education, who asked for a list of thalassaemic children interested in a stem transplant, but despite Bhatia sending a list, there was no further response.

However, since then, efforts to arrange money for the rest of the needy children have almost been in vain. Bhatia says that very poor parents are sometimes compelled to miss sessions owing to dearth of money, which affects their child's health. The amount the TCWS can afford isn't enough to get all the needy children treated.

Jalandhar, April 20
Having already prepared the plan for the upcoming Jang-e-Azadi Memorial to be set up in 25 acres at Kartarpur, the state government has plans to go ahead with the Rs 200-crore project in the next few months.

Chief Executive Officer of the memorial-cum-MC Commissioner Vinay Bublani said the whole idea was to take the visitors to a virtual historic journey portraying the heroes of Punjab in freedom struggle starting from the first Sikh war, led by Bhai Maharaj Singh, in Multan in 1849 to Independence and Partition.

Bublani said there would be several galleries in the memorial, which would showcase history through statues, LED screens showing documentaries, light and sound shows and laser shows.

He said the galleries would depict various chapters of history, including Kuka movement, awakening brought about by the Punjab Singh Sabha Movement, Arya Samaj, Agrarian unrest of 1906-07, role of Madan Lal Dhingra and Lala Lajpat Rai, Ghadar movement, Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh massacre, rising of Udham Singh, Central Sikh League, Khalsa College, Gurdwara Rakab Ganj, Non-Cooperation Movement, Akali movement and Gurdwara Reform, Babbar Akalis, Revolutionary Movement, Bharat Naujawan Sabha and Bhagat Singh, Kirti Kisan and the Left movement, Praja Mandal, Civil Disobedience Movement, Quit India Movement, INA, Independence in 1947 and Partition problems.

Bublani added that a replica of the historic Komagata Maru ship would most likely be put up for the visitors made to conceptualise the 1914 tragedy. Besides, he said there would be other attractions, including food joints and shops selling rare souvenirs linked with the freedom movement.

He said the concept plan committee held nine meetings before finalising it. The concept committee members included Dr Jaspal Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala, Dr JS Grewal, former Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Dr Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh-based eminent historian, Prof Pirthipal Singh Kapur, former pro-Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Dr KL Tuteja, formerly with Kurukshetra University, Dr Harish Sharma of Guru Nanak Dev University and editor of vernacular daily Dr Barjinder Singh Hamdard.

Prior to its finalisation, the concept team and 16 members of the foundation team visited the Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands for its light and sound show, Teen Murti Bhavan, viewed documentaries showcased at Parliament and laser show at Hazoor Sahib to take ideas from there.

Jalandhar, April 20
The management of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) finally forced Surjit Singh Rakhra, chairman of the society running this premier health institutions, to visit the hospital and pacify the striking employees this morning.

The PIMS management swung into action after the doctor fraternity of the PIMS joined the protesting paramedical staff and reportedly boycotted the OPDs this morning.

The doctors joining the strike by paramedical staff forced the management to call Rakhra, chairman of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Medical and Education Charitable Society, running this healthcare institution.

Sources in the PIMS revealed that after reaching the PIMS, Rakhra, who is also Punjab Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats, called a meeting of the officials and had a discussion with them.

Later Rakhra held a meeting with the striking paramedical staff and doctors in the conference hall and assured them payment of their due salaries in instalments.

He assured the employees that some part of their salaries would be released by Monday and the rest by 20th of the next month. The PIMS chairman also interacted with the contractors of cafeteria and other establishments and heard their grievances.

The striking employees, however, were adamant and turned down the proposal to call off the strike till they receive some part of their due salaries.

While talking to The Tribune, Rakhra, said, "I was not aware of the non-payment of salaries to the staff. As I came to know about this, I rushed to PIMS and ensured that the salaries of the employees be paid in time. The issue has been resolved."

Jalandhar, April 20
A recent decision by the newly formed District Bar Association making it compulsory for the litigants to avail a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the previous advocate while changing their lawyer has generated heated debate here.

While availing a compulsory NOC from the superseded lawyer is a rule as per the Bar Council Act of India, it has not been in practice so far. The District Bar Association through its secretary Satnam Singh had passed a resolution on the issue recently and circulated it across to the members citing various reasons including ethics, ensuring financial security to advocates and upliftment of their dignity and honour.

Most of the lawyers are not issuing proper receipts to their customers, nor do they settle a compromise regarding the fee at the start of the case and even demand more fees at later stages at times and hence there will be multiple problems linked up.

Anuj Mehta, former DBA secretary, agrees that there will be problems but it would have to be followed as there were several touts working for some lawyers who were spoiling the work environment.

“A lawyer studies the case thoughtfully and even prepares a file on part payment. While the lawyer has already worked on it, the middlemen manages to convince the litigant to snap ties and engage another lawyer, not caring two hoots for the effort, time and pending dues of the previous lawyer. Our aim is just to put an end to this practice.”

Advocate KK Arora pointed out that in Chapter 2 of the Rule 39 of the Act defining professional conducts and etiquettes, the matter had been clearly laid out but it had been not in practice.

“Having been codified since April 1, 1984, the law is somewhat in practice at the Punjab and Haryana High Court but not in district courts. Since it is a new idea, it may face little opposition from some lawyers to begin with,” he added.

Jalandhar, April 20
To keep a check on the growing complaints against the property dealers, who are carving out illegal colonies, the state government is contemplating to bring an act on the lines of the Haryana Regulation of Property Dealers and Consultants Act 2008.

The Revenue and Rehabilitation Department, Punjab, has decided to a hold a meeting on the issue on April 23 in Chandigarh. The department has invited Iqbal Singh Sandhu, SDM-1, PP Singh, SDM Phagwara, and Pardeep Bains, tehsildar, Ludhiana West, to hold discussions on the matter .

While Punjab has already made it mandatory for realtors to obtain licence from the authorities concerned, including PUDA, there are only a few dealers who are working as per the norms. The remaining dealers continue to raise housing schemes, flats and even big shopping malls with impunity.

Moreover, after selling their sites, the dealers do not even look back to pay their dues, including licence fee, development charges or even ensuring maintenance. Another major nuisance factor is that wherever there are undeveloped areas, several property dealers engaged in the sale and purchase of land crop up all of a sudden and start doing brisk business. The state will be able to prosecute all such offenders after the act.

Haryana has been the first state that has enacted the Haryana Regulation of Property Dealers and Consultants Act, 2008 (Haryana Property Dealers Act) to regulate the functioning of the real estate dealers. The act came into force in the state in January 2009 and it makes it mandatory for a property dealer to obtain a licence from the Collector. The licence can be revoked by the Collector for breach of the terms of licence, malpractices, unfair dealing, failure to deposit the copy of the sale agreement executed between the parties with the Collector. Any contravention of the act is punishable with an imprisonment upto two years and fine which may extend upto Rs 50,000.

Jalandhar, April 20
The five-member streetlight committee, headed by Senior Deputy Mayor Kamaljit Singh Bhatia, may recommend penalties for “non-performing” contractors. Talking to The Tribune, Bhatia said recommendations for the imposition of penalties against the contractors would soon be sent to Mayor Sunil Jyoti.

The Senior Deputy Mayor said, “ Penalties would be imposed after getting reports from various quarters regarding how many light points remained out of order and for how much time.

The record of complaint cell and the reports of surprise visits would be taken into consideration before calculating the penalties against the streetlight contractors.”

Bhatia said, “The recommendations in this regard will most probably be made to Mayor Sunil Jyoti and MCJ Commissioner Vinay Bublani by Wednesday and they will take final decision on it.”

The five-member committee also recommended various other steps to streamline the faulty streetlight system.

The committee has not only made recommendations for issuing directions to the streetlight contractors to immediately implement various clauses included at the time of contract, but also recommended to form monitoring committees to a keep watch on the working of contractors.

Jalandhar, April 20
Observing the year 2013 as the year of LPU Connect, LPU's Directorate of Distance Education organised 2nd annual Distance Education Centre's Meet 'Manthan-2013' on the campus. Nearly 1,000 counsellors and centre heads, who guide more than 40,000 students at 400 LPU study centres across the country and abroad, participated in the event.

During the event, discussion and presentations were made on how LPU Directorate of Distance Education can take the next big step to provide quality education across the globe.

Congratulating counsellors and centre heads for their joint efforts, LPU Chancellor Ashok Mittal highlighted the success stories of LPU Distance Education.

He said, "Our Directorate of Distance Education is progressing substantially. Big corporate houses have joined us. Further growing in the era of distance education, we want to offer quality programme.