Jalandhar, July 4
Notwithstanding the traffic rules, prohibiting anyone below the age of 18 to drive two-wheelers and four-wheelers, the menace of underage driving continues unabated in the city.

Throwing traffic rules to the wind, young students cruise their bikes and scooters on city roads, endangering their and lives of other commuters. As per information, in Jalandhar, a large number of the school students, without driving licence, commute on two-wheelers.

One can see numerous two-wheelers parked at cycle stands of various city schools, making it amply clear that the traffic rules are being flouted with impunity. Notably, as per the figures given by police officials, during the past six months, only 115 challans were issued for the underage driving. Such an abysmally low number of challans speaks about the non-seriousness of the traffic police towards the menace of underage driving.

A visit to several city areas brought to light the fact that students in the age group of 14 and 18 indulge in reckless driving, jump red lights and do not wear helmet. Unfortunately, neither their parents nor teachers prevent them from coming to school on two-wheelers.

During the school opening and closing hours, one can spot students driving motorbikes and scooters in areas like Defence Colony, Urban Estate, Adarsh Nagar, Maqsudan, Green Model Town, Model Town, Mahavir Marg, Guru Nanak Mission Chowk and Kapurtala Road.

A traffic policeman said, "We challan underage drivers, but still students continue to violate the traffic norms. It is the responsibility of the parents to realise the danger associated with underage driving. Until and unless parents and school authorities cooperate with us, it is not practically possible to completely curb the menace of underage driving."

It is pertinent to mention that the Jalandhar administration has not made efforts in the recent past to take up the matter with the school authorities. People feel that if the administration adopts a tough stance against the schools allowing the students coming on two-wheelers, it would help curtail the underage driving to a great extent.

Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Shruti Singh was not available for comments. However, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sukhdev Singh Sandhu said the school authorities should strictly ban the entry of any scooter/motor cycle belonging to the school students, adding that the traffic police was making all efforts to check underage driving, but in the process they needed cooperation from the school authorities and the parents. The challan drive to check the underage driving would be further strengthened, he added. 

Jalandhar, June 4
Nearly 15 labourers were hospitalised due to asphyxiation as a poisonous gas leaked in a rubber slippers manufacturing unit located in the Tej Mohan Nagar area here last night.

The incident occurred when there were nearly 25 labourers working on the third floor of the unit and a container of chemicals, being used in manufacturing rubber slippers, caught fire, eyewitnesses said.

They said the entire unit was engulfed in a cloud of dense pungent smelling smog in minutes after the fire and left 10 labourers unconscious on the floor.

Noticing the smog billowing out of the roof, certain labourers outside the building rushed to the spot and found their colleagues lying on the floor.

They raised an alarm and labourers from nearby industrial units rushed to their rescue. They even smashed windowpanes to make way for the fresh air to come inside and smog to go out, said a migrant labourer.

The factory management also informed the Fire Brigade about the incident and a fire tender was also pressed into service.

Receiving information, the police reached the spot and called 108 Ambulance to rushed the victim to the local Civil Hospital.

The victims were identified as Ashok Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Hindpal, Madan Lal, Munni Devi, Meera Devi, Shimla Rani, Sona, Balwant Singh, Mulakh Raj and some others.

Station house officer, police station Division No. 5, Rajinder Kumar said that nine victims were hospitalised in the local Civil Hospital, while the rest were admitted to a private hospital. A majority of them were discharged early this morning.

Meanwhile, the police today recorded statements of the victims, but no case had been registered in this regard as yet.

Jalandhar, July 4
With the Municipal Corporation (MC) failing to make proper civic arrangements for the monsoons, a brief spell of rain this morning threw life out of gear in the city.

It started raining at about 6 am and within half an hour, many of the city areas were flooded. The commuters faced a harrowing time on account of water-logging on the main city roads that have developed potholes. The rain not only halted the vehicular movement but also created virtual puddles in the low-lying areas of the city, particularly Guru Nanak Pura.

Traffic jams continued for almost three hours, as many vehicles got stuck in deep water. The condition in narrow lanes of the city was worse. The busy bus stand road turned slushy, forcing many shoppers and vendors to make appropriate arrangements for themselves. Virtual puddles created in many areas were enough to expose the ill-equipped drainage system, faulty level of roads and non-functional road gully chambers.

Though the MC authorities have been claiming that arrangements are being made to ensure that city residents have to face no problem during the monsoon season, a visit to many places, including Preet Nagar, Railway Road, Sodal Road, Damoria Bridge and Ladowali Road, depicted a completely different picture with vehicles facing extreme difficulty in plying on the water-logged broken roads. Despite repeated attempts, Municipal Commissioner Vinay Bublani was not available for comments.

Jalandhar, July 4
Acting on a news report published in The Tribune ‘Over 2,000 patients at risk’, the Punjab State Aids Control Society (PSACS) has directed the Medical Superintendent of the local Civil Hospital to conduct an inquiry into discrimination against AIDS patients at the local Civil Hospital.

Citing the ‘refusal of the hospital staff in changing hospital sheets of AIDS patients, and delaying their surgeries and deliveries due to the AIDS-taboo’ as mentioned in the Tribune report published on May 13, the PSACS (in a letter released on May 16), had asked the medical superintendent of the Jalandhar Civil Hospital to conduct an inquiry in the matter and send the report to the PSACS at the earliest. The letter from the society also asks the medical superintendent to provide it with a date for a meeting, to sensitise the Civil Hospital staff regarding the stigma and discrimination related to HIV/AIDS.

Dr Bhagmal, Medical Superintendent, when contacted on the issue, said: “We had received directions to this effect from the PSACS and a thorough inquiry had been conducted in the matter, a report regarding which has been sent to the PSACS.” Commenting on the findings of the report, Dr Bhagmal said: “We asked and checked from various departments and wards but no such instance of discrimination has come to our notice. We have enquired from nurses, doctors and patients but no instance of discrimination has been reported.”

When questioned regarding measures to sensitise the hospital staff on the issue as asked by the PSACS, Dr Bhagmal said it hasn’t been done so far but sensitisation measures would be conducted shortly.

Dr Baldev Singh, Medical Officer, ART centre, when questioned on the issue, said: “We have a complaint box in which we ask patients to submit any grievances they might have. So far, we haven’t received any such complaints to this effect.” Notably, sources say discrimination against AIDS patients is still rampant but due to social stigma patients shy away from speaking openly on the issue. On the other hand, complaints to staff often go unheard.

While experts opine that the PSACS’ move of taking cognisance on the issue is laudable, it is also important that the body ensures an independent and fair inquiry into the cases of discrimination against AIDS patients, since the hospital authorities cannot be relied on to point fingers at the conduct of their own staff, even if found guilty.

Jalandhar, July 4
Voluntary Health Institution of India (VHAI), in collaboration with PAHAL, organised sensitisation and orientation workshop for TB prevention, control, investigation and treatment schemes of Government of India and government of Punjab for the NGOs.

SK Kapoor from Chitra and Gulistan, Balwinder Kaur from SGMDCS, Khushwant Singh Chahal from Nirmaan Society of Holistic Development, Prof Lakhbir Singh, president of PAHAL, Anju Sharma from Nari Shakti Welfare Society, Baldev Singh Rana from Samaaj Sewa Sanstha, Prof Anoop Watts, member of Citizens Welfare and Protection Council, KK Sharma from Vision Punjab, Ajay Kumar from Child Survival India, attended the workshop.

Dr Rajiv Sharma, District TB officer, sensitised the participants on TB control programmes and scope of involvement of the NGOs in this regard. 

Jalandhar, July 4
Manpreet Kaur a student of BSc (Eco)-III of Kanya Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhar, has excelled in the BSc (Eco) results declared by the GNDU. Manpreet bagged 7th position in the university merit list with 1,738/2,400 marks.

Ramgarhia College shines in BEd results

Ramgarhia College of Education, Phagwara, outshined other institutions in the BEd result declared by the Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. Rosy Mehra, a student of the college, got the first position in university by scoring 807 marks out of 1,000. The 14th, 25th, 31st and 32nd positions were bagged by Akriti Sharma, Pooja Rani, Bhavna Matta and Rubina respectively. Overall, the university pass percentage is 93.76 percent this year, whereas the college grabbed 100 per cent pass percentage with 31 distinctions and 132 first divisions out of 200 students.

Bharpur Singh Bhogal, president-cum-chairman, Ramgarhia Educational Council, honoured Rozy Mehra and other position holders. He congratulated the principal Surinder Jit Kaur, teachers and students of the Ramgarhia College of Education.

Innocent Heart students get merit positions in JEE

Students of Innocent Hearts School secured various positions in JEE 2013. Vivek Khokhar stood 14th in the state, Pranjali Puri got 120th rank, Viyanka Bajaj stood at 485th rank, Rasagya Kamboj at 524th, Preeti Mehta at 660th and Lalit Gupta at 944th rank. Tanvir, Arshpreet, Harsh, Sahil, Roneet, Navneet, Ishani, Raveena have also been able to clear the exam.