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ETT teachers on the warpath since scheme lapsed in 2009
Two arrested with 2.5 kg of poppy husk
Better
bathinda public conveniences-I
Time to relish food prepared on chulha fired by wood
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teachers’ protest Police Control room getting calls from those stuck up in traffic Megha Mann Tribune News Service
Bathinda, February 9 “All they do is give lip sympathy and do nothing else. They suggested to me to find an alternate route to reach my destination as the protest will continue for an indefinite period of time,” said Jagdev Singh from Goniana. A scooter mechanic, Bhushan, who was at Ajit Road, said it took him more than an hour and half to reach the Civil Hospital. “My three-year-old child was suffering from acute stomach pain but the blockade forced us to stay put midway,” he said. The policemen claimed that special force has been deployed to streamline the traffic on Ajit Road, Bhagu Road and Power House Road. But the actual situation was somewhat different as there was hardly any respite from the traffic blockade. President of an NGO, Sahara Jan Sewa, Vijay Goyal, said the ambulances of the NGO have failed to make any move much for the past two days in view of the protest. “Bathinda residents are paying the price of being a a VIP constituency where either the police would block the commuters’ path during their (VIP) visits or the protestors would disrupt traffic and observe a blockade,” Goyal said. He said it was high time that the government fixed responsibility of the police and the district administration to ensure a smooth flow of traffic by removing the protesters so that thousands of people passing through the road do not get disturbed. Long queues of buses and heavy vehicles were seen lined up on Bhagu Road and Power House Road where traffic is being diverted in view of the blockade. Since the Power House Road is wider than the Bhagu Road and has streets attached from the Civil Station side, it is easier to cross it. The situation is particularly piquant on the Bhagu Road, which is not wide enough and is unable to sustain the heavy volume of traffic plying on it. People having residences on the GT Road and are at the receiving end as they bear the brunt of traffic round-the-clock. “Entrance to our house has been blocked. For the past three days, buses parked outside our house are making it difficult for us to sleep due to the honking horns,” said Kamal, who has his house on the GT Road opposite the HDFC Bank.
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ETT teachers on the warpath since scheme lapsed in 2009
Bathinda, February 9 Recruited by the state government under the AIE/EGS, they became unemployed in 2009 after the schemes lapsed due to a change in policy. The teachers, recruited under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, were to work in areas with no schools and at least 30 probable Class I and II students. Over the years, all EGS centres were either upgraded to primary schools or shut down. The teachers, hired for a sum of Rs 1,000 per month, began demanding permanent jobs in 2008. The state government then asked them to clear the Elementary Teacher Training (ETT). By the time they cleared the ETT, the Centre introduced the RTE Act in 2009, which made it mandatory for teachers to clear the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET). The introduction of the Act rendered the AIE/EGS teachers jobless as the state government asked them to clear the TET as well before they could begin teaching. Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka said the state was helpless on the issue.
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Two arrested with 2.5 kg of poppy husk
Bathinda, February 9 He said that four persons were travelling in a luxury car tried to flee when they were signalled to stop. Two of them managed to escape however; other two were overpowered and were arrested. They were identified as Ramesh Kumar Jimmi, a resident of Muktsar, and Shiv Dutt, a resident of Fazilka. The police recovered 13 bags of poppy husk from their car. A case has been registered against them. During preliminary investigations, the accused revealed that the two others who escaped are Harvinder Singh Giani of Muktsar and Sukhchain Singh of Chandsar Basti, Bathinda. They admitted to bring poppy husk from Haryana in lieu of Rs 800 per kg to sell the same in Punjab for Rs 1,500 per kg. Physically disabled commits suicide
A physically-disabled man today committed suicide by jumping in front of a speeding train. Volunteers of an NGO, Sahara Jan Sewa, shifted the body to the Civil Hospital. President of the NGO Sahara Jan Seva, Vijay Goyal, said their volunteers reached the spot and assisted the railway authorities and the police. The deceased has been identified as Gulzari Lal, an employee with the Municipal Corporation. A tri-scooter was found lying near the body of the accused. Volunteers said the reason behind committing the suicide was yet be ascertained. Inquest proceedings would be registered in this connection. |
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Better
bathinda public conveniences-I For a population of 2.75 lakh, there are only 15 public toilets in Bathinda including three for women which are non-functional. In the first part of the series, Bathinda Tribune looks at how the growth of the city has overlooked this aspect of public facility Megha Mann Tribune News Service
Bathinda, February 9 Despite being tagged as Paris in the offing by the SAD-BJP government, Bathinda city falls short of adequate number of units for public conveniences. Even the existing ones are unkempt, courtesy the wrong habits of the public as well as maintenance on the part of the authorities. For a population of 2.75 lakh, there are a mere 15 urinals and 15 toilets of which 11 units (22 toilets) have been maintained by Sulabh International. The one near Fire Brigade station is being upgraded, while toilets near Fauji Chowk on Bibiwala Road are closed. Need to construct toilets for women
While men prefer to ease in the shady corner of the city walls and markets, it’s the women who actually face problem due to lack of toilets. Despite a large number of females visiting the city’s commercial markets like Dhobi Bazar, Sirki Bazar, Arya Samaj Chowk, Sports Market, Hospital Bazaar and Post Office Bazaar, there is only one toilet for women, which is in working condition. Located right below the overhead water tank in Gole miggi Market, this toilet largely remains hidden and far from the reach of women. Being the only one, it is not hygienic either. Similarly, toilets at the bus stand and railway station are too filthy to be used. At the bus stand, which is in close vicinity to the District Administrative Complex and the District Court Complex, the female visitors are at the receiving end. Though the bus stand has several urinals, near the entrance as well as at the farthest end towards its backside, there is just one toilet for women. Women, especially the elderly ones, find it very difficult and hesitating to ask people for the toilets. Shopkeepers at the backside of the bus stand add that many women ask if there is a toilet in one of the shops that can be used. The vegetable vendors’ market at the backside of the bus stand has three urinal units but there is none for the women. The market association officials said they had given a written to the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda (MCB) for constructing a toilet for the females. ”But one toilet would not be sufficient,” said Mukesh Kumar, a shopkeeper. The Bathinda Tribune spoke to a cross-section of shopkeepers and shoppers in the commercial areas of the city. While everyone laid emphasis on adding more urinals and toilets, no one wanted the facility to come up in his neighbourhood. A few years ago, the MCB tried to construct urinals near the Arya Samaj Chowk but encountered stiff resistance. People held protests and even took away the construction material lying around. The MCB has constructed toilets in Aggarwal Street, Sirki Bazar, Awa Basti, Power House Road, Bibiwala Road, Kamla Nehru Colony, Amrik Singh Road, Kamal Cinema near the Pata Market area, Post Office Bazaar, Fire Brigade, backside of the bus stand, Gandhi Market, Fish
Market, Subhash Market and Ajit Road. Besides the Sulabh International maintaining some of these toilets since 2012, the rest are managed by the MCB staff. Due to a dearth in the number as well as wrong hygiene habits of the users, the existing toilets are a picture of insanitary conditions. Before handing over the toilets to the Sulabh International for maintenance, the MCB worked on introducing paid system of usage, which failed. Also, efforts were made to hire people for Rs 1,000 per month who could also keep a portion of the user charges, but that too did not work out. While the MCB rates the work of Sulabh International as satisfactory, a lot needs to be done. Not only do the workers need to pull up their socks to maintain hygiene, even users have to be asked to inculcate good toilet habits. Government signs MoU with Sulabh
The Punjab government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Sulabh International, a social organization known for its work in public convenience sector, wherein five districts toilets were handed over to it for maintenance. These five districts included Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Bathinda. The MCB pays Sulabh International Rs 1,000 per urinal and Rs 4,000 per toilet as maintenance fees every month for a period of three years. Toilets on wheels soon, says MC commissioner
Keeping in view the problem of earmarking places for constructing toilets in public places, the MCB is holding talks with Sulabh International to provide them with mobile toilet units. Agreeing that the city has limited facility for women, Municipal Commissioner Vipul Ujwal said mobile toilets would bring about much needed relief. “We will earmark areas that are already being used for urinating in the open. They will have pre-fabricated structures, which could be moved around in case of any exigency, for example if people in the nearby areas express resentment,” he said. Ujwal said the MCB was looking for mobile units that had less smell quotient. It would help manage waste in a scientific manner using bio-digestible system. It would need no manual flushing and would be user friendly. “On pilot basis, we may introduce 5 to 7 units in the city. A final decision would be taken by the first week of March,” Ujwal added. |
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Time to relish food prepared on chulha fired by wood
Bathinda, February 9 “It is not only tasty but also healthy and safe to use a chulha instead of the modern kitchen that uses an LPG cylinder,” Nirmala said. She added that wood is purchased by her at an exorbitant price from people residing near her home. “The taste of edibles prepared on firewood is quite different from the food prepared using the gas stove. It is not only the firewood but also the earthen vessel that changes the taste altogether,” said Amarjeet Singh, a regular customer at Nirmala’s rehri. A resident of Model Town Phase-III, Amarjeet said even the taste of boiled eggs was different from the fried edibles. “The kind of taste Nirmala’s chutney gives is unimaginable and is not available anywhere else,” Amarjeet said. Selling edibles and fried non-vegetarian food for the past two years, Nirmala said she was not aware of the modern kitchen. “When I decided to sell the dishes by putting up a roadside stall, my family members and friends suggested I use the gas and stove, the use of which was quite easy and fast. But I expressed my lack of knowledge in using the gadget and carried on in the traditional manner to prepare the foodstuff,” she said. Terming her poverty as the reason behind the bedraggled material kept on the rehri, she added that it is the taste and quality of the food which matters the most. Assuring of keeping the utensils and edibles in a more orderly manner, Nirmala said she was soon going to start the sale of vegetarian food prepared on the chulha to her customers.
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Bathinda Tribune invites feedback from its readers on issues of public concern relating to Bathinda city and the nearby areas. Readers can email their views to bathinda.feedback@gmail.com They can also send their views to: Feedback, Bathinda Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh - 160029. Letters sent by post must mention 'Feedback for Bathinda Tribune' on the envelope and it should be signed and must contain the address and telephone number of the sender. It should not be more than 150 words.
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Bathinda, February 9
