Jalandhar, July 1
The government schools today witnessed less than 50 per cent attendance across the district on the first day after the vacations.

Sources in the Education Department said with 90 per cent teachers across government schools deputed on election duty, this would continue for the coming days as well since many teachers will not be present at schools.

In most of the schools which The Tribune team visited, even half the number of total students there had not turned up. The parents had been demanding for the past few days that summer vacations be extended till July 4.

At two government schools in the Ladowali Road area, the scenario was even dismal.

Only 56 out of 270 students turned up at one school while only 150 out of total about 1,000 students were present at the other. Few teachers attended virtually empty classes and two to three sections or classes (having over hundred students) were made to sit together in most of the cases as two to three students from each class turned up.

At one school, only eight students from Class VI, VII and VIII had turned up.

At another school, only five out of 60 students turned up in Class XI, 11 out of 38 students in X, 11 (out of 52) students in Class IX, four out of 25 in Class VIII and only three out of 18 students were present in Class VI.

At one school, 13 out of 16 teachers were deputed on election duty for the upcoming panchayat election while at other, 23 out of total 35 teachers have been deputed for the purpose.

Reports from the schools falling in rural areas where the entire staff, including principals, will be away for election duty, witnessed the same scenario.

“In view of the panchayat polls, most parents abstained from sending their wards to school. While we encouraged students to attend their schools on the first day, they knew there would not be many teachers. The same is expected to continue tomorrow as well. When there are no teachers at school, what use would be their coming to school,” said a staff member at a city school.

District Education Officer (DEO-Secondary) Neelam Kumari said, “The upcoming panchayat elections might have been a reason behind low attendance in schools.”

Asked as why vacations had not been extended when it was clear that very few teachers would be present at schools, she said, “While July 3 has been declared a holiday by the government, we have had no directions from the government or the district administration regarding July 1 or 2.”

Sources said 90 to 95 per cent of school staff members would be away on election duties on July 2.

Jalandhar, July 1
A team of health officials today raided a city-based restaurant and a confectionery shop and collected samples of food items from there.

After receiving complaints of stale food being sold and foreign substances found in food items served to the customers, the district health department constituted a team under District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Balwinder Singh.

Dr Balwinder Singh, while talking to the Tribune, said, “Surprise visits were conducted at a restaurant located in the Urban Estate and a confectionery shop in Kishanpura.”

The health team had also planned to visit ‘Best Price’ on certain complaints but the operation was withheld due to certain reasons, a team member said.

District Food Safety Officer Harjot Singh, who was also a part of the raiding party, said samples of cheese, flour and chicken were collected from the restaurant while samples of cold drinks were taken from Kishanpura-based confectionery shop.

He said the samples had been sent to the laboratory for examination and action would be initiated against the defaulters only after the samples were found positive.

The Health Department had been receiving such complaints frequently from vigilant consumers for the past couple of days. It has raided a couple of hotels, restaurants, dhabas and other eateries in and around the city. 

Jalandhar, July 1
Condemning the attack on a temple in Canada, the Punjab Mahila Congress (PMC) has asked the Union Minister for External Affairs to order a high-level probe into the incident.

In a statement, PMC vice-president Nimisha Mehta said she was deeply saddened by the incident. "It is a clear case of hate crime against the Hindu community and Union Ministry of External Affairs should immediately take up the matter with the Canadian government to protect the rights of the Hindus in Canada," said Mehta.

"We have written a letter to the Union Minister for External Affairs and demanded an inquiry at the earliest. We expect a positive response from their side too," she added.

Alleging that Khalistani elements are behind the attack, she said two armed men had vandalised the Laxmi Narayan temple in Surrey, Canada. The men, who were captured on the CCTV camera carrying baseball bats, smashed the windows of the temple. Later they left baseball bats in the temple complex itself.

"The incident has shaken the Hindu community across the globe. Our government should ensure that the culprits do not go unpunished. A probe should also be conducted to ascertain whether the attack was part of any conspiracy, she added. 

Jalandhar, July 1
A man identified as Arun Kumar sustained bullet injuries after some persons shot at him in Gandhi Camp area under the police station number one late last night.

The accused have been identified as Jasbir Singh alias Lucky alias Ganja, Ajay Kumar and their accomplices. Reports said Arun Kumar had an old enmity with the accused.

According to police sources, Jasbir and Ajay, both residents of Gandhi Camp locality, were arrested in the wee hours on Monday.

A first information report (FIR) was registered against the accused on the charges of attempt to murder under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

A country-made pistol was also recovered from their possession.

Jalandhar, July 1
The visitors at the local Suwidha Centre were greeted by a unique spectacle today as artists from the Doordarshan Kendra shot a short film on the importance of the Punjab Right to Service (PRTS) Act, 2011.

In a first-of-its-kind project, the district authorities have undertaken to make a docu-drama on the rights and services under the PRTS Act.

The docudrama, which was shot at the district administrative complex featuring a team of seasoned Doordarshan actors, will talk about rights, technicalities and the Act through a Punjabi enactment in detail.

A CD of the docu-drama will be made and screened at villages across the district, possibly the state as well.

Channi Takulia and Satnam Channa are producers of the project. Channa said, "The concept is brainchild of Deputy Commissioner Shruti Singh. While services are available to people, lack of awareness sometimes plays a spoilsport.

The DC happened to discuss the project with Takulia, being in charge of the Virsa Vihar, after which both of us were roped in to bring it alive on screen."

A crew comprising the producers, director, DD artists set to work yesterday and completed the shooting today.

"The concept involves a motley group playing a resident, a transporter, a student and a careless Suwidha Centre employee. Through them, we will educate people about what kinds of services are available to them and what they can do to avail them rightly," Channa said.

"We were offered help from ADC Perneet Bhardwaj and Additional Commissioner (Grievances) Sanjeev Sharma on the technical aspects of the act. It is a 20-22 minutes docu-drama," Channa told The Tribune.

"While the Right to Services Act is very much in place, people often come to me saying their work has not been done for the past 10 days. I observed that lack of awareness about the Act was also a key factor behind their grievances. So we wanted to present the idea in a storyline, give information about the Act as well as aspects like how people can make appeals," DC Shruti Singh said.

About the screening of the docu-drama, the DC said, "After the final edited version gets ready by Friday, we plan to take it to various villages. After the completion of the video, the district authorities will chalk out a 10-15 day schedule as per which these screenings will be made. After rural areas, it might also be screened in urban areas."

She said the district administration was planning to send the CD to the Right to Service Commission so that it can be screened across the state. She said it was the first attempt by any district administration in the state to make a video on the Right to Service Act.

The docu-drama has been directed by Vishal Sharma.

Actors such as Surinder Farishta (popular as Ghulle Shah), Prem Kakria, Neeraj Kaushik, Chander Mohan, Jasjit Kaur, Rekha Kashyap and Channa have acted in the video. 

Jalandhar, July 1
The City police today recorded Congress leader Sanjay Sehgal's statement against local BJP worker Sandeep Bhalla in connection with uploading Congress president Sonia Gandhi's photgraph on the social networking site Facebook.

The statement of advisor member, RTI & Grievance Cell of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), Sanjay Sehgal, was recorded by the city police after he submitted an online complaint to Commissioner of Police Gaurav Yadav on Sunday in this regard.

Sehgal, accompanied by his party activists Anil Vashisth and Rajesh Agnihotri, recorded his statement in presence of ADCPs Navjot Mahal, Naresh Dogra, Sukhdev Singh and police station No 3 SHO Jatinder Pal Singh.

"Sandeep Bhalla should be booked under relevant provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act and criminal laws for hurting our sentiments by uploading Congress president's photo. Bhalla tried to malign Sonia's image," Sehgal said.

Sehgal further said he had provided adequate evidence in support of his statement. The police officials have assured them of proper legal action in this regard, he added.

Neither DCP Jaspreet Singh Sidhu nor ADCP Navjot Mahal could be reached for comments despite repeated attempts. Sources said an FIR was being registered under relevant sections against Bhalla.

Jalandhar, July 1
Congress has urged the SGPC president and Akal Takht Jathedar to clarify their double standards on the issue of disrespect to the turban of the Sikhs. Congress spokesman Sukhpal Singh Khaira said: “It is needless to mention that the turban is considered to be a symbol of pride for Sikhs and it is also noteworthy that the institutions of Akal Takht and the SGPC are the guardians of the community as well as its pride.”

Former Bholath MLA Khaira said: “Of late there have been different standards adopted by the Jathedar of Akal Takht and the SGPC, when it comes to showing disrespect to the turban. In the recent case of assault on IAS officer KS Pannu, both Jathedar Sahib as-well-as SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, lost no time in condemning the removal of his turban and the disrespect shown to him as a Sikh.”

“The SGPC went a step further and instituted a three-member fact finding committee under its vice-president Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, to inquire into the matter and fix responsibility on the culprits,” he added.

Khaira said: “DGSE KS Pannu is known for his proximity to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and is often given important responsibilities. The CM had handpicked him to head rescue operations of the pilgrims stranded in Uttarakhand, where he was assaulted and his turban removed. A video of the incident created ripples on the social media networking sites.”

“Was it proximity and fondness of Badal for Pannu that inspired the Jathedar Akal Takhat and president SGPC to take immediate cognisance of the removal of his turban? Or was it Pannu’s high bureaucratic status that caught eye of these important Sikh personalities? Because when turbans of lesser important or down trodden or the ordinary Sikhs are tossed daily in Punjab, our Sikh leaders do not react so sharply,” he added.

He said: “Take the case of Major Bennipal ,a Tehsildar, who was assaulted in his office by power drunk Akali leader now MLA. His turban was removed, beard pulled and he was beaten severely, but no such reaction came from our clergy or the SGPC. Similar is the case of Kashmir Singh, father of Dalit girl Harbrinder Kaur, whose video of ruthless beating by the Tarn Taran police became national news, was Kashmir Singh’s turban not taken off, beard pulled. But again there was no reaction from our religious heads because he did not wield influence like Pannu or he was a poor and a scheduled caste?”

“Besides these glaring cases, Punjab Police often tosses the turbans of even ‘Amritdhari’ Sikh employees, seeking redressal of their grievances but neither Jathedar Akal Takhat nor President SGPC raise their voice,” he added.

Khaira further said: “Our glorious institutions of Akal Takht and the SGPC have been created by our forefathers for ‘Sarbat-da-Bhala’ (well being of the universe) and not for ‘Akali Dal-da-Bhala’ or ‘Takatwar-da-Bhala’ (Well being of the powerful). Hence, the above stated institutions are requested to see the entire community with one eye and respect the sentiments of all Sikhs and not the well connected and powerful alone.”

Jalandhar, July 1
Dr Sunit, head, Department of English, of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar and Dr Madhumeet, from the PG Department of English of the KMV College, Jalandhar, launched the second volume of the “Literary Icon-International Refereed Research Journal of English literature, language and criticism”. Dr Sucharita, Principal, Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar and Dr Atima Sharma, Principal of the KMV College, Jalandhar, are the chief advisors of the international journal.

Amarjit Kaur and Ramandeep Singh, assistant professors of English, Apeejay College of Fine Arts, are the chief consultant and consultant, respectively.
The journal is a new milestone in the field of research as it encourages research enthusiasts across the globe. Sunit and Madhumeet aver that the journal unfolds various less explored areas of English literature, language and criticism.

Jalandhar, July 1
In an effort to give the students of airlines and tourism programme a real exposure and practical training, the Lovely Professional University (LPU) has established an aircraft-shaped laboratory from inside. The university claims it to be the first in North India for having a “practice aircraft” at its campus to provide hands on experience to its students undergoing airline programme.

According to a press note released by the LPU, an 18-seater practice aircraft has been designed specifically to train students on different aspects of aviation, including serving to the business and economy class passengers, in flight hospitality systems, announcements and different other operations. The students will learn in exactness even the minutest details and be trained on how to better serve and accommodate airlines-guests.

The LPU chancellor, Ashok Mittal, said: “According to the need of the hour, we have established airlines practice cabin at the campus so that students could get real time experience. Here, the students are exposed to internationally bench-marked theoretical and intensive practical inputs by experienced faculty.”

Talking about raising professional culture among students, he said the students had been adopting air-hostess/steward/cabin-crew dress code as per the requirement of the profession so that they could feel they were already in the related job.

Jalandhar, July 1
The Deputy Commissioner today invited entries for a national-level essay writing contest for students of schools and colleges in the district aspiring to earn some laurels by displaying their creative skill.

Dr Ambedkar Foundation and Social, Law and Empowerment Ministry will jointly be conducting national essay-writing contests this year. Students intending to participate in these contests can submit their forms by July 15.

Deputy Commissioner Shruti Singh today said students of the affiliated schools, colleges and universities of the district can submit their essays to the Ambedkar Foundation.

She said under the category A, students of 9th to 12th standards can submit a 2,000-word essay on “Dr Ambedkar - a social reformer”, in Hindi or English, to the foundation. For this category, the first prize (in both the languages) would be Rs 25,000, second Rs 15,000 and third Rs 10,000.

Under the category B, affiliated schools, college and university students can submit a 3,500-word essay on the subject “Dr Ambedkar and Women Improvement” to the foundation in both Hindi and English languages. Shruti said under this category, the first prize winner would be awarded Rs 1,00,000, second Rs 50,000 and third winner would get Rs 25,000. Those interested in getting entry forms and conditions of the contest can log on to the website www.ambedkarfoundation.nic.in — TNS