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Another burglary rocks city
The owner of the house shows a ransacked room after thieves struck at New Sarabha Nagar in Jalandhar on Saturday night. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh
12 yrs on, Goraya hospital project in limbo
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In a departure from tradition, parents to celebrate special Lohri for girls
Better
Jalandhar: Traffic chaos
IMA unit gets first woman president
Master percussionist
Aided school staff to hold rally at Rampura Phul on Jan 18
After finance, CA makes foray into the realm of words
Seminar held on drug addiction
PEPSU employees vow to intensify stir
50 IVF families celebrate Lohri Lohri festival celebrated
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Another burglary rocks city
Jalandhar, January 12 Harpal Singh, a resident of New Saraba Nagar, said he, along with his family, was away in Bhulath to attend a marriage function last night and when they returned home this morning, they were shocked to see the ransacked house. Harpal, who is an NRI and has recently returned from Italy, said the burglars after scaling the outer wall of the house broke the locks of the main door. “The thieves decamped with 22 tola of gold ornaments, 300 euros, Rs 55,000 in cash and 25 live cartridges of .32 pistol,” he said. He added that the thieves had ransacked each and every corner of the house. He said thieves did not even spared clothes and other small things. He said some known who was aware of the house could have committed the crime. Finger print experts and the dog squad also reached the spot for Balbir Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Division Number 1, said the owner of the house suspected that a drug addict residing in their locality might be behind crime. He added that as per owner’s statement, the police had rounded up the suspect, but as of now, his role in burglary cannot be cleared. Notably, two days ago, burglars had struck at a jewellery showroom near the house. The miscreants had decamped with gold and silver ornaments worth over 20 lakhs. Interestingly, the policemen who are still groping in the dark about the case got another challenge from thieves in just two days. The SHO said the police had not got any vital lead in the showroom burglary case but diligent efforts on to trace the culprits. It is pertinent to mention here that to tackle these incidents, the city police have also launched the night domination exercise and several senior police officers of the ADCP rank can be seen patrolling in the city. Despite such an exercise, burglars are outsmarting the police. Apart from these two major burglaries in the past two days, over eight theft this year are also lying untraced. On January four, burglars had struck at four houses in the Quilla Mohala locality. Similarly a day before yesterday, thieves had also struck at four houses in the Ladewali locality. |
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12 yrs on, Goraya hospital project in limbo
Phagwara, January 12 Heaps of garbage can be seen on the site and the foundation stone, laid twice by different politicians belonging to the SAD and the Congress, was found removed. Dwelling on the issue, social activist MP Singh Goraya said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had announced a grant of Rs 25 lakh when he was in power from 1997-2002 for the construction of the hospital, which was released during the Congress rule after 2002 and the then Health Minister, Ramesh Chander Dogra, had laid the foundation stone with the pomp and show in 2006. However, only the boundary wall of the hospital could be constructed with the grant provided by the government. Even the wall is in a bad shape as the construction work could not be continued. It was learnt that when the Goraya residents submitted the demand to implement the construction plan to former Health Minister Lakshmi Kanta chawla, she refused to construct the hospital in Goraya, taking plea that a Civil Hospital was already functional at Barra Pind, which was just a km away from Goraya. MP Singh Goraya said now the Barra Pind hospital had been downgraded to the CHC (Community Health Centre) so the town needed a full-fledged Civil Hospital. He asked the authorities concerned how the Health Department dared to transfer the 3.5 acres of land in the department’s name, if the construction of the hospital was not feasible in Goraya according the to rules. UK-based NRI Harmel Singh Dhillon, son of donor Ram Singh, during his recent visit to Goraya had express deep concern that he too could not fulfil the dream of his father to construct a hospital in their native town for which a costly piece of land was donated by them. He urged the government to shift the mini health centre of Goraya to this site for which several residents, including his family, were ready to donate more.
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In a departure from tradition, parents to celebrate special Lohri for girls
Jalandhar, January 12 But society is sustained by those who continue fighting for the vital balance, celebrating womanhood and their existence. The Tribune takes a look at special girl child Lohri plans by parents other people. Shilpa Sharma, who will be celebrating the second Lohri of her daughter Rihana, says, “My first child is a daughter and the second a son. Our family is very happy for both of them. The birth of my daughter was a social occasion and my father-in-law distributed sweets on her birth. We especially hosted a big party to celebrate her birth.” Harmohinder Kaur, vice-chairperson of the Nirmal Takhat Baba Budha Sahib Charitable Trust, will be hosting a special Lohri for girls this year. The trust started celebrating the special Lohri for girls to promote noble values in society. Kaur said, “We are associated with many social activities but still felt the need to spread awareness on female infanticide and other ills relating to women. We started hosting a special Lohri for girls last year. Meanwhile, Gaurav Singh Singla, who will be celebrating the first Lohri of his three-month-old daughter Aneira, couldn’t help beaming at his daughter’s birth. Much in keeping with her parents’ vision about her, Aneira’s name means ‘freedom and creativity’. The father says, “ My wife Shikha and I never thought on gender lines. The birth of our daughter has given us immense happiness and it will be Child Development Project Officer Amrik Singh says the district administration will be supporting Lohri celebrations in the villages where the festival is being celebrated for girls. “All blocks and villages will hold a special Lohri for girls and we will back these efforts. We shall be spreading word against female infanticide.” A district-based child helpline will also be holding a special event at Nehru Garden Girls' Senior Secondary School. What parents say
My first child is a daughter and the second a son. Our family is very happy for both of them. The birth of my daughter was a social occasion and my father-in-law distributed sweets on her birth. We hosted a big party to celebrate her
birth. — Shilpa Sharma My wife Shikha and I never thought on gender lines. The birth of our daughter has given us immense happiness and it will be a very special Lohri this year. Relatives from other cities will come to meet us and celebrate this special
occasion. — Gaurav Singh Singla |
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Better
Jalandhar: Traffic chaos
Residents do not care two hoots about the traffic rules, traffic police lack infrastructure to implement traffic norms and the Municipal Corporation adopts lackadaisical approach when it comes to removing encroachments to ensure smooth flow of traffic. And this is what makes the Jalandhar city chaotic in terms of traffic management. Until and unless the traffic police, MC and residents facilitate each other, it would not be possible to improve the traffic scenario here. The traffic police are responsible for making the city residents aware about traffic rules and challan them if they do not abide by them while the MC is accountable to remove illegal encroachments on the roads. Both these agencies are not performing their duties well to streamline the traffic scene.
Police officers, on the condition of anonymity said their bosses had categorically told them to issue maximum challans everyday due to which the police pay less attention on traffic jams and traffic chaos in the city. Proposal ignored
The traffic police had filed a proposal to the MC Jalandhar to minimise four chowks, including BSF chowk, Namdev chowk, Jyoti Chowk and Manbro chowk of the city, where the traffic always remained disrupted but officials said their proposal files have been gathering dust in the MC office for the past over several years. Assistant Commissioner of Police (traffic) Mohinder Singh said the police have also been serving reminders through repeated proposals to the MC every year but the files are pending with the MC for years. Reacting to this, Superintendent Engineer (B&R) Kulwinder Singh admitted that the traffic police had sent proposals to mininise traffic on certain chowks in the city to improve traffic conditions. He said police proposal was under consideration and if the MC considered their proposal viable, chowks would be minimised for public convenience. Asked why the proposals were not cleared for years, he reiterated that getting a clearance was not an easy task as it involved approval of various departments, including powercom. “Earlier, MC had acted on the traffic police proposals and had removed Guru Nanak Mission chowk, Footbal chowk and BMC chowk, which have smoothened the traffic. Now, traffic police proposal to minimise the four chowks is also under consideration and after getting mandatory approvals, MC will minify these chowks too,” SE informed. 64 die in road mishaps
Blame it on the broken city roads or lack of property equipment with the city traffic police, accidents continue to suck lives out of innocent people. The city had witnessed 64 fatal accidents last year, which took the lives of 64 persons and has also rendered 54 seriously injured. In all these accidents, the main cause was drunken driving, rash driving and broken roads. Traffic officials said they did not have speed radars to check over-speeding, the vital cause of accidents on road. Similarly, traffic police have only three alcoholmeters to check drunken driving, the other important cause of accidents. Traffic cops, on request of anonymity, said the city traffic police had ten alcoholmeters of which seven have developed technical fault and are lying unused adding that police had also apprised the senior authorities about the faulted alcoholmeters but nothing fruitful has been done so far. Traffic police sources said it had managed to issue over 5,000 challans of drunken driving last year and collected over Rs 28 lakh as fine from the violators. Encroachments turn roads into narrow streets
If the MC acts against encroachments, city traffic scene may see improvement. Illegal encroachments at various places in the city have turned the city roads into narrow streets. Outside the Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT), several illegal shops, including fast food shops, dhabas, juice vends and other kiosks, have been illegally constructed. Had MC paid heed to remove the same, traffic chaos outside ISBT would have been better. So is the plight of Garha road, Jyoti chowk, Rainak Bazaar, Milap chowk, Ladowali road, Purani Sabzi Mandi to name the few. Interestingly, traffic scene is so worse outside civil hospital that many a times ambulances or patients ferrying in their own vehicle get stuck in the traffic and can not reach the hospital on time. Similarly, traffic chaos outside the city’s main fire station extends huge inconvenience to the fire tenders. Fire station official on request of anonymity said many a times, fire tenders got stuck in the traffic and failed to reach spot on times to douse flames. ACP traffic condemns MC
ACP traffic Mohinder Singh said one of the main reasons of traffic jams in the city is desynchronised traffic lights. Due to the issue, vehicles often get stuck in traffic jams. The traffic police keep informing the MC officials about the desynchronised traffic lights but MC officials hardly take timely action. “If traffic lights timing remain synchronised, traffic can run at a smooth pace without any unwanted disruptions,” the ACP said. Traffic police seek residents’ co-operation
Until and unless residents cooperate with the traffic police in maintaining traffic discipline, the police alone cannot control
the traffic. What residents say
Until and unless, encroachments on roads are removed, traffic chaos will continue to prevail in the city. Several roads have turned into narrow streets due to the illegal encroachments which are actually causing traffic jams.~ Nitin Sharma, A Businessman Traffic police alone cannot achieve success in maintaining traffic discipline until residents agree to follow traffic rules. People park vehicles on road wherever they like thereby causing traffic
chaos.~ Sandeep Jain, a doctor Traffic police often concentrate more on issuing challans and hardly bother to maintain traffic discipline on road. Many a times, I have noticed that traffic cops, instead of easing out traffic jams, are more concerned about nabbing offenders.~ Robin Sharma, private employee Cops who are bound to enforce law themselves break traffic rules. Many a times, I have noticed cops driving without seat belt, without helmet, indulging in triple ridding or jumping red light. If law enforcing people become law breakers, why will a layman care about the traffic
rules. Pardeep Nayyar, a businessman
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IMA unit gets first woman president
Jalandhar, January 12 She has become the first woman president in the history of Jalandhar Chapter, the biggest branch of the IMA in India. Dr Chawla is a gold medallist in the best post graduate, a silver medallist in the research and also a bronze medallist for gynaecology and obstetrics. She had also been the best athlete in Jalandhar district during her college time and at the
PGI. She also holds the colour of Medical College, Amritsar. “It’s a great honour to become the president of the biggest branch of the IMA in India with the support of all my fellow colleagues and well wishers. I am sure that with their support I would achieve for my fraternity and humanity what we all desired for,” said Dr
Chawla. She assured her fellow colleagues that she would work for achieving the objectives of the IMA to promote and advance medical and allied sciences in all their different branches and to promote the improvement of public health and medical education in India. Her husband late Dr GD Chawla was ophthalmologist in the Civil Hospital,
Jalandhar. She is also president of NARCHI (Jalandhar Chapter) since 1991 and has been instrumental in providing medical related services in villages, schools, colleges and other places in Jalandhar and surrounding districts along with her team. She has called upon all the doctors to work together to ‘save the girl child’ and conduct Adolescent Health Awareness
Programme. Make people aware of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) and their prevention. Work towards Reproductive Child Health
(RCH). She also urged her colleagues to make sure 100 per cent hospital deliveries for saving precious lives of both mother and child. She has formulated a forum to work for senior doctors named as “Club 65 Plus”. Meanwhile, the office of the hononary secretary,
Jalandhar, IMA, has been allocated to a young physician, Dr Gagandeep Singh, in charge of the blood bank, Jalandhar Civil Hospital. Whereas, the post of finance secretary has been given to Dr Pankaj Paul, a
paediatrician. |
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Master percussionist
Punjab is a very special place for the Punjab Gharana’s noted percussionist Ustad Zakir Hussain. It’s the place where music has been honoured, loved and nurtured and the future of music has been assured here, he says, while on a visit to Bhaini Sahib. “When I come here, I’m paying homage to one of the greatest temples of art and music, which is Bhaini Sahib. It’s a matter of pride that this exists in the state where I belong to and where the music I learnt was born.” He feels that to be in Punjab is to be at home. “The energy at home keeps you going. You absorb that flow of energy.” The tabla maestro believes that music, in its organic form, is one of the most positive vibrations on the earth. He draws a parallel between music and nature: “Just as there’s something organically beautiful about a banyan tree spreading around, there’s a special beauty, power and energy in music in its organic form.” On the future of tabla in music, he says, “Musical instruments are tied with the music of the time. Those that convey the music that’s heard (by the audience) are the prevalent instruments. Be it santoor or sarod recital or khayal gayaki, tabla happens to be the (musical) instrument of choice. So long as these music forms survive, tabla will be heard.” Striking a philosophical note, the tabla maestro known for his impromptu improvisations and also for his innovative streak, says instruments have a spirit (soul) in them. The trick is to become connected with the spirit, to get the spirit accept you. Though he credits his father with being a decisive influence on his music, he says many people have shaped and guided his musical journey. “My father is my guru. He provided me the tools to express myself in the world of art. How I utilize these tools has a lot to do with my ability to interact with others of his stature.”
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Aided school staff to hold rally at Rampura Phul on Jan 18
Jalandhar, January 12 The union members said Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka had promised to arrange a meeting of the union with CM Parkash Singh Badal on January 8 but no meeting took place. "Although a number of employees waited for nine hours for the meeting, it did not take place. The action committee of the union has decided to hold the protest rally in the constituency of the Education Minister due to it," the union members said. District president Arvind Bains and PRO Manish Aggrwal said the union was demanding shifting of aided schools employees to government schools. "They are struggling for the past two years for the merger," they said. They further stated that a state-level rally was held in March, 2013, thereafter they held a demonstration at the district headquarters from August 5 to 8 and a state-level rally on September 5. They said when they decided to protest during the Teachers Day celebrations in Patiala on October 9, the Education Minister had called them for a meeting and favoured the merger but, later, he made a committee to consider the number of posts required in aided school and that committee submitted a report to the government and the High Court. The teachers said they had also not received their salaries since October, 2013. |
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After finance, CA makes foray into the realm of words
Jalandhar, January 12 ‘The one Minute Manager King’ which offers management lessons to readers, is a story having dragons, speaking animals, princes and princesses. He is set to release his first novel ‘Pulchritude - An Eternal Love Story’ soon. Rupansh says, “The novel is a love story based in 15th century Europe and the exact date of its release will be announced soon.” Rupansh had also released a poetry book, ‘The Sojourn’ - On the Secrets of the Universe, in the past. “The book consists of 35 poems those try to explain the basic questions of
life such as Why are we born? What is our purpose?,” he said. The book has won him awards ‘Contribution of CA Towards Society’ from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and Special Appreciation Award from the Nishkam Sewa Bharti Trust. While he also composed a song, ‘Proud to be A CA’, written and sung by him, it was distributed among various chartered accountant groups and forums, followed by the release of its ringtone and karaoke version. The song spread quickly through the electronic medium and soon became a big hit among chartered accountants. He is working on a second song, ‘Love Can Go So Far’. When asked from where he drew his inspiration, he said, “I have always been inspired by the hard work and dedication of my father CA Ashwani Gupta. He has taught me to strive hard until the goal is achieved.” |
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Seminar held on drug addiction
Jalandhar, January 12 The seminar was presided over by Dr Nirmal Singh, who heads Punjab Sath, Lambra. Dr Singh spoke about the Punjab’s trapped in the web of drugs and condemned the ills like female foeticide. On the occasion, Dr Bains shared his views on drug addiction and AIDS which was eating the society. He said while the drugs cause mental and physical weakness, they also give rise to a number of additional ills like marital discord, rape, crime, snatchings and accidents. He appealed to media, parents and especially the youth and educational institutions to spread awareness on the issue. Deputy president of the foundation, Harvinder Singh, while speaking on the occasion, said the foundation has held many seminars in various institutions regarding drug abuse. Saroop Singh Rita, IAS, Jaswinder Singh, Jagjit Singh Raba among others were present on the occasion. |
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PEPSU employees vow to intensify stir
Jalandhar, January 12 Addressing mediapersons, the state president of the corporation, Rupinder Pal, alleged that the Punjab Government had turned a blind eye towards their demands for the past many years, thus forcing them to launch an
agitation for their rights. The striking employees of the transport corporation are opposing the privatisation of the corporation and demanding regularisation of services, insurance of drivers, conductors and buses. The irate employees are also against the outsourcing of employees. |
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Burglars are virtually giving a tough challenge to the city police as another major burglary was reported at the house of an NRI in New Saraba Nagar last night.
The traffic problem in the city has its genesis in the lack of co-ordination between the Municipal Corporation officials and the traffic police. The
laidback attitude of the residents contributes in no small measure to civic woes. The Tribune Reporter Nikhil Bhardwaj traces roots of the problem
Information obtained from traffic police revealed that they had issued 1.17 lakh challan for various violations last year and put about Rs 4 crore in the government exchequer. 