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Teachers climb water tank
Teachers told to improve quality of education
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Over 100 cops deployed to disperse protesters
Save girl child: School takes out candlelight march to spread awareness
Guru Ravi Dass Sabha seeks Bathinda-Varanasi train
Treatment plant
Obesity clinic launched
Students present a cultural item; and (below) a Punjab Police contingent take part in the parade during the full-dress rehearsal at the Multipurpose Sports Stadium in Bathinda on Friday.
Tribune photos: Pawan Sharma
Brar Eye Hospital opens branch in city
R-Day full-dress rehearsal conducted
GKU win gold in boxing
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Teachers climb water tank
Bathinda, January 24 The teachers assembled at the village around 4 am and climbed atop the water tank. A verbal dual broke out between the villagers and the protestors when the former asked the protestors to leave the village as they had planned a few religious functions and a sangat darshan of Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab is also scheduled to be held in the village in a few days. While the heated arguments between the villagers and protestors were still on, the police personnel reached the spot and tried to intervene and stop the teachers from blocking the traffic. The police also arrested close to 100 teachers and sent them to police stations in Nathana and Thermal Colony, Bathinda. Speaking to the Bathinda Tribune, Avtar Singh, a member of the Joint Action Committee stated, “We attended a meeting with Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal and a panel of officials from the education department on December 25 and January 8. The CM had promised us that the government would heed our demands, but nothing has been done till now. Members of the committee have also been protesting in Barnala for the past 40 days but no concrete solution has been given to us.” The joint action committee is asking the state government to regularise their jobs. The teachers also demand that they be exempted from appearing and clearing the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) as it was introduced in 2011 while the EGS and AIE teachers were recruited before that. The teachers want the government to make it clear to them whether they would be instated in schools under the zila parishad or education department. Rules for aam
aadmi only!
The district administration and the police department once again made it clear that the law applied on only the common people. While the police personnel arrested the teachers to prevent them from blocking the Bathinda-Goniana road today, they had allowed the Congress party workers to block the Bathinda-Mansa and the Bathinda-Dabwali roads on January 16. The police had also allowed close to 1,000 members of the Youth Akali Dal to stage a protest and burn effigies near the District Administrative Complex on
January 15. |
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Teachers told to improve quality of education
Bathinda, January 24 During the meeting, Maluka set a 12-point improvement programme for the schools and directed the BDOs to implemented these at all schools. He also directed them to keep checking the schools regularly to ensure that the orders are followed. Speaking to the Bathinda Tribune, Maluka said, “While the schools were inspected earlier as well, the teams focused on the quality of mid-day meal and attendance of teachers and students, but never on the quality of education being imparted to these students. The focus should be on to improve the quality of education of these schools since these elementary schools form the basis of the academic life of the students.” He expressed dissatisfaction with the way teachers were doing their duties in these schools. “While it is the prime responsibility of these teachers to impart good quality education, during inspection, I found that they were not performing their duties accordingly. Either they don’t check the notebooks or they overlook glaring mistakes. They also pay no attention towards improving the handwriting of the students. In fact, at some of the schools, posters and charts made by teachers also had spelling mistakes,” he added. During the meeting, Maluka laid down a 12-point programme to set the functioning of these schools right. As per the rules, it has been mandatory for the principals of be present in the schools at all times even during the lunch break. If they have to go for some official work, they will have to hand over the charge of the school to the next senior most teacher. The principals will now have to report to and take approval of the BDOs before going out of the school and also report the nature of work. The schools are also to maintain a leave register in which all the leaves and the reason for leaves are to be recorded and these should be approved by the principal in advance to make sure that too many teachers are not absent on the same day. The teachers have been directed to check notebooks frequently and point out mistakes and also focus on the handwriting of the students. Action will be taken against teachers found conducting classes in the open instead of
classrooms. Panchayat funds will be used to build gates, boundary walls and other small works in the schools. In villages where the panchayats don’t have enough funds, Zila Parishad will sanction the same. The schools have also been directed to record the requirement of furniture as the same will be bought and issued to the schools. The schools have been asked to dispose of any waste materials, the name of the school to be written outside the main gate and all the rules and regulations issued earlier are also to be followed. |
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Over 100 cops deployed to disperse protesters
Bathinda, January 24 Heated arguments and lathi charge were witnessed during the protest of teachers near Bhokra village today. A dozen protesting teachers climbed atop the water tank at 6 am in protest against the long pending demands. A woman teacher also fell unconscious as the policemen got aggressive to curtail the protest and to diffuse tension between some villagers and teachers. With nine women and three men protesters atop the water tank, a heavy police force was deployed in and around the village. Some SAD workers of the nearby villages entered in heated arguments with the protesting teachers over the issue of climbing the water tank. “We have not eaten anything since morning and the police is not allowing anyone to climb up the water tank,” said Veerpal Singh, one of the protesters atop the water tank, while talking to The Tribune over phone. Over 100 policemen, including DSPs, SHOs and others with anti-riot and fire tenders were stationed at the water tank. SDM Damanjeet Mann also reached the spot to enquire into the matter but to no avail. The teachers demanded their reinstatement in the schools. It is pertinent to mention here that earlier too, last year, teachers had climbed atop a water tank at Lehra Dhoorkut village near Rampura and remained there for
over a week. Following massive protests by teachers who climb atop the water tanks, the Punjab government had passed strict instructions to the police to secure the water tanks. “Policemen were deployed at all the water tanks in the district for a couple of months. But following lax attitude of the police, the teachers have now again chosen the water tanks to vent their anger against the government,” said a policeman, pleading anonymity. Meanwhile, the police functioning in most of the police stations came to a standstill as the police force was deployed at Bhokra village to curtail the teachers protest. |
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Save girl child: School takes out candlelight march to spread awareness
Bathinda, January 24 Principal of the school, Anju Nagpal, flagged off a candle march with a note that girls must be allowed to take birth, breathe in free air, and get good care and education and be supported to become empowered citizens of India with equal rights and opportunities. Staff members and students of the school and parents of the students participated in the march to enlighten and sensitise the people against female foeticide, crime against women and girl child labour. The commemoration of the National Girl Child Day, 2014, was accomplished through a slogan writing competition on gender equality and empowerment of girls and presentation of a street play ‘Beti Bachao’. The school also adopted a wall at Kalanwali village to disseminate the message ‘Save the girl child’ wherein the residents of the village participated in a signature campaign and took a pledge to remove these social evils. Government High School, Nehianwala, also organised a function to celebrate National Girl Child Day. Students of classes VI to VII participated in the function and presented various items sending across the message to saving the girl child. The students rendered the song, ‘Baabul peeng pavade’, ‘Kukh De Vich Naa Maari Maaye’ and poem ‘Gall Kitaaba Di’. Baljit Singh and Balwinder Kaur, teachers, addressed the students and spoke on the importance of education of girls. Another teacher Raman Kumar also made the students and the staff members aware about various schemes introduced by the Punjab government
to encourage girls to seek education. |
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Guru Ravi Dass Sabha seeks
Bathinda-Varanasi train
Bathinda, January 24 Speaking to the Bathinda Tribune, president of the Maha Shakti Bhalai Sabha,
Mahinderpal, said, “Birth anniversary of Guru Ravi Dass is celebrated in a big way in Begumpura
(Varanasi) every year in February. Last year, around 30,000 pilgrims from the Malwa region, Sriganganagar and parts of Haryana had participate in the celebrations. This year the number of pilgrims is expected to touch nearly 45,000. The government should heed our demands to facilitate the journey of these pilgrims.” He said in the absence of a direct train from the city junction to
Varanasi, the pilgrims had to first travel to Delhi to take a train for
Varanasi. “The pilgrims belonging to the Malwa region assemble at the city junction to catch trains to Delhi and then take the Shiv Ganga Express from there to
Varanasi. The train reached Delhi at 7am but leaves for Varanasi at 7.40 pm. Instead of halting at Delhi for more than 12 hours, the route of the train on its way to Varanasi can be diverted via Bathinda for at least 15 days in a year during which the pilgrims travel to and from
Begumpura,” he added. Mahinderpal said the journey was tiring and testing, especially for the old and handicapped passengers. |
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Hearing on February
6
Megha Mann Tribune News Service
Bathinda, January 24 The five apprehensions were over absence of green cover around the proposed site on the Mansa road, allegation of unscientific handling of the waste collected, water in distributary of Sirhind canal running parallel to the site getting contaminated and presence of residential pockets around the site. DC’s report mentioned that 15 m green belt is being developed around the garbage dumping site. “We cannot manage the garbage scientifically as we do not have any plant yet. The plant has been proposed on this site so that the MSW dumped can be treated in a scientific manner,” said DC Yadav elaborating on the reply filed. He added that as per the Municipal Act 2000, any site, where the garbage is being dumped for the past five years, can be utilised for setting up a garbage treatment plant. “This particular site on the Mansa Road has been serving as dumping site for the past four decades and hence it is aptly suitable for setting up a plant,” Yadav reasoned. Meanwhile, the counsel of petitioner, advocate Guriqbal Singh Chahal, said as per the general terms and conditions of the project contract signed, no amendments could be made in the project. If any changes are made, it would require re-certification from the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). “The Punjab government has proposed changes in the project but the same have not got re-certification from the SEIAA,” he said.
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Obesity clinic launched
Bathinda, January 24 Dr Kotru said people could also attend weight loss session on the same day at the hospital at 11.30 am. The session will impart education about simple tips to reduce weight and generate awareness about recognising early signs of obesity. The camp will also extend benefits on follow-up investigations and radiology services. Dr Kotru said, "At our diabetes and obesity care
centre, we received 15-20 patients daily who complain of obesity with diabetes. Through this camp, we aim to educate people about main causes of obesity and how simple lifestyle habits like jogging, walking or simple dietary modifications could transform their lives immensely." Obese individuals were at risk of developing one or more serious medical conditions, causing poor health or early death in severe cases. Considering burden of obesity, it was important to take preventive steps at early stages. Dr Kotru said in Punjab, 30.3 per cent men and 37.5 women were obese due to sedentary life style and junk food habits. Obesity was a major cause of serious and life threatening diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, stroke besides breast and colon cancer. |
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R-day celebrations: Sale of khadi flags yet to pick up
Bathinda, January 24 Khadi Board officials said all other shops selling flags in the city were not authorised for this. The tricolour comes in specified sizes, which has to be adhered to as per the constitutional norms. The medium size flag is 2.5 ft by 3.5 and costs around Rs 260. There are bigger flags too that the Army buys for covering tanks in tricolour on the occasion of the Republic Day or Independence Day celebrations. Chairman of the District Khadi Board, Beena Sharma, said the office had got some calls inquiring about the availability of the national flags, but no one had come to buy it so far. “Every year, the customers start pouring in at the 11th hour on January 25 or on the January 26 early morning,” she said. This year the Republic Day celebrations fall on Sunday. |
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Brar Eye Hospital opens branch in city
Bathinda, January
24 At the new centre, latest treatment will be given for all kind of eye treatments. Brar said all patients will be offered free check-up during the first month and all senior citizens offered 50 per cent concession in check-up fees in the second month. Retina specialists Dr Ajay Kapoor and Dr Kumar, cornea specialist Dr
Mani, Dr S Aggarwal and oculoplasty surgeon Dr Raman Mittal were also present on the
occasion. |
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R-Day full-dress rehearsal conducted
Bathinda, January 24 The duo also pointed out some shortcomings in the preparations and directed the officials and teachers concerned to rectify the same to make sure that the final presentation is mesmerising. Students of various schools presented physical training (PT) items, giddha and bhangra, gymnastic, choreography and cultural performances invoking the spirit of patriotism. After the dress rehearsal, ADC (D) Giri directed them to work according to the plan and in tandem with each other to make sure that the R-Day function is a success. |
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The police had to resort to using water cannons to disperse a 300-storng crowd of members of the Joint Action Committee of the teachers’ union employed under the Employment Guarantee Scheme
and the Alternative Innovative Education.
Bathinda, January 24
