Ludhiana, February 12
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has again asked the school managements to start Mandarin (Chinese language) as optional foreign language course in the CBSE-affiliated schools.

Earlier, the CBSE had issued the circular in 2012, but not a single school started the course. School managements said the students did not show interest to join the course.

Many entrepreneurs from the city visit China to sign business deals regularly. The school managements were hopeful that the students would show interest in learning Mandarin.

The CBSE has again issued the circular and asked schools to start the course for Class VI students. The CBSE offers 34 languages, including 12 foreign languages. The CBSE circular states the course will cater to the diverse needs of the students. The CBSE has trained teachers for the course.

Gurminder Kaur Gill, principal of Guru Nanak International School, said: “We had sent notices to parents for enrolling their wards in the course, but nobody was interested. If they show interest, we can start the course from the next session.”

Avtar Singh, an entrepreneur, said: “I often visit China for business deals. It is convenient if we know Mandarin. Parents should encourage their wards to learn the language.” 

Ludhiana, February 12
The General House of Municipal Corporation today cleared all the major agenda items during an emergency meeting held at its Zone-A office today.

The meeting was called to pass the agenda for the Rs 1,252 crore Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) project for the city to the Government of India for approval before the imposition of the poll code.

Before the proceedings, Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria appealed the members of the house to be agenda-specific. However, Opposition and Independent councillors vent their ire when they were not given an opportunity to speak.

Mayor said the last round of meetings were being held in Delhi for Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) schemes. The approval for the Bus Rapid Transport System for Ludhiana was of utmost importance. The BRTS was largely a replication of Metro Rail System with buses rolling instead of trains, he said.

Ludhiana, February 12
Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal has issued a show-cause notice to two doctors posted at the Civil Veterinary Hospital, Mehdudan, near Samrala.

During the DC’s recent surprise visit, two employees, Dr Rajpal Jindal and pharmacist Baljit Singh, were found absent from duty whereas they had marked their attendance in the register.

“Show-cause notice has been served to the employees. We are waiting for their reply after and action will be taken accordingly,” added the DC.

Dr Inderjit Singh, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, said he was aware of it but his office had not received the show-cause notice. “Some employees of the hospital have been assigned the duty of distributing mineral mixture and Dr Jindal is one of them. So, he was not in the hospital during the DC’s visit,” he said.

When contacted, Dr Rajinder Singh, Senior Veterinary Officer, Samrala, said Dr Jindal was not present in the office during the DC’s visit as he was assigned the duty of distributing subsidised mineral mixture at the Civil Veterinary Hospital, Samrala.

After making his attendance, Dr Jindal went to Samrala for distributing the mineral mixture since he is a member of three member committee assigned for the distribution of same,” said Dr Rajinder Singh.

Pharmacist Baljit Singh has an additional charge of Begowal village and he went there after lunch. 

Ludhiana, February 12
The interim Railway Budget presented by Union Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharage in the Lok Sabha has failed to bring cheers to the general public and the industry.

Terming it as virtually a “no budget”, national president of the Federation of Associations of Small Industries of India Badish Jindal said the minister might be having his eyes on the coming Lok Sabha polls which made his task difficult. But still, the budget had failed to address the specific problems of passengers and the industry.

Jindal said two main issues that needed to be rationalised in the Railway Budget were abnormally high freight rates and passenger fares of air-conditioned (AC) class, especially AC-I, which presently was more than the air fare.

He said Punjab had a disadvantage of location being too far away from ports. “What the industry and business in Punjab needs are rational freight rates so as to be able to compete in the domestic and global markets with industry located in other states,” he said.

The Railway Minister had also failed to make any announcement for providing better amenities and facilities at the Ludhiana railway station, which has been given the status of a “model” railway station. Besides, no new train has been announced for the city,” Jindal added.

Secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal Mohinder Aggarwal criticised the Railway Budget saying the proposed hike in catering charges was uncalled for. “The railway are already serving poor quality food items on railway stations and the catering service being provided on board the trains, including elite Shatabdi trains, also leaves much to be desired.”

Rajinder Syal, a frequent traveller said providing better amenities and facilities both at the railway stations and in the trains to railway passengers seems to be among the least of the priorities of the government.

“The minister should have announced more trains on trunk routes connecting Ludhiana with other metro cities and fare structure, especially of the AC classes ought to have been rationalised, which has not been done,” he said.

Sher Singh, chairman, Northern Railway Pensioners’ Association said the railways had been persistently neglecting their retired employees. The railway budget had failed to make any mention of much needed improvement in the medical and healthcare facilities for the railway pensioners and serving employees, he remarked. 

Ludhiana, February 12
The police have filed a 500-page chargesheet against seven persons in the infamous Harpeeet Kaur acid-attack case in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ranjeev Kumar Vashisht.

Those named in the chargesheet include Amitpal Kaur, Parvinder Singh, Sanpreet Singh, Gursewak Singh, Ashwani Kumar, all residents of Patiala, Jaspreet Singh of Ragera village, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Rakesh Kumar, alias Premi, of Bhaddal Dhua village, Fatehgarh Sahib.

Taking cognisance of the chargesheet, the CJM has fixed Feburary 17 as next date of hearing. The court is likely to commit the case to the Sessions Judge on the next date of hearing. Thereafter, the trial will commence.

The police have cited 51 persons as witnesses. The investigation relies upon the call details of the accused, CCTV footage of the main accused, Amitpal Kaur, in an ATM booth and her bank statement. The list of witnesses includes 10 doctors from the Indian Burns Society, Navi Mumbai, and three doctors from the DMCH, Ludhiana.

A youth had thrown acid on Harpreet Kaur on her wedding day on December 7, 2013, in a beauty salon in the Sarabha Nagar area. She died at a hospital in Mumbai on December 27, 2013.

One of the accused had thrown a jar full of acid on her. Two women employees of the salon also suffered injuries in the attack.

Amitpal Kaur suffered 50 per cent burns. After being treated in a city hospital, she was air-lifted to Navi Mumbai's Indian Burns Research Society National Burns Centre on December 12.

As per the chargesheet, Parvinder Singh at the instance of Amitpal Kaur hatched a conspiracy in connivance with his associates and carried out the attack after taking money from the prime accused. The prime accused was divorced by the brother of the victim's fiancé.

One of the accused, Major Singh of Kheri Aania village, Patiala, is still at large. 

Ludhiana, February 12
Disenchanted with vulgarity in Punjabi music, three youngsters have formed a band 'Singh Rocks'.

Harpreet Safi, one of the three vocalists, said songs promoting vulgarity had become a nuisance.

"Through our songs, we sensitise residents against social evils such as female foeticide and drug abuse," he said.

"We have written all songs. We do not believe in copying," said Safi. An MA in Punjabi and MPhil, Safi was working as a lecturer at a university earlier, but his passion for music and need for bringing a change forced him to look for a job that afforded him more time to devote to the band, he said.

Other performers in the band are Tejinder Singh and Ramajit Singh. They are using different techniques to get the message across. "Although 'boliyan' are considered to be a part of the folk songs, we are writing new 'boliyan' from the perspective of social issues that need to be highlighted," he said. "We have used various literary techniques such as satires in our songs to highlight the issues. Some of the songs address many issues while others focus on one issue," he said.

"We believe that whatever is the 'input', similar will be the 'output', so if children listen to vulgar songs, it will erode social values," he said.

"Rock music focuses on spreading social messages. We want to connect with the new generation, the music that the youth relates to these days," he said. 

Ludhiana, February 12
Employees of the Department of Posts observed a one-day strike to press for their demands today.

Boota Singh, district secretary of the All-India Postal Employees Union, stated the National Federation of Postal Employees and Confederation had decided to go on a two-day strike.

"We want the authorities to merge dearness allowance (DA) with interim relief. We are overburdened as the government is not expanding the department. We are against the privatisation of the department."

"Employees are yet to be promoted. The department used to give night duty allowance and overtime allowance a few years ago. Without citing any reason, all these facilities were stopped. Our wages have not been revised," said Boota Singh.

Visitors to the post office had to face inconvenience, he said. Hari Om, a resident of Maya Nagar, said, "I was unaware of the strike. I wanted to speed post a recruitment form, but had to return disappointed."

Ludhiana, February 12
Increasing intake of fast food like cheeseburgers, fries, pizzas and soft drinks is landing children with kidney stones. Teens’ being diagnosed with the problem has taken parents and the medical community by surprise.

Earlier considered to be an adult malady, it is now said to have started affecting children as young as 10 years old. Clearly, it is the lifestyle choices that are coming under scanner.

Dr Francis, associate professor, urology department at Christian Medical College and Hospital, said that there were two types of stones being formed in children. One type is due to metabolic abnormalities and the other is due to malnutrition.

“Stones due to metabolic abnormalities are due to salt imbalance in the blood while those occurring due to malnutrition are due to improper diet. Children today have grown fond of junk food and hence lack proper nutrition. They become obese leading to development of stones in the kidneys,” said Francis.

Since Punjab is the stone belt, one should get complete checkup done after every six months. The early detection is the key for preventing kidney failure later in the child's life and can be done by the various diagnostic tests, he added.

“Junk food in itself is a stone. Increasing consumption of junk food is the main reason for developing kidney stones in children. Apart from metabolic abnormalities, changing lifestyle and eating habits are contributing a lot towards growing number of cases of stones in children,” added Dr Vikas Kumar, urologist from SPS Apollo Hospital.

Adding further Dr Kulwinder Singh, an urologist, said stone occurrence in the age group of 10-18 had become common as there were at least 10 to15 such cases every month.

Stones are formed when the urine contains more crystal forming substances such as calcium, uric acid and a compound called oxalate, but less of water.

"We have operated many in the age group of 10 years and below. While in many cases, they are caused due to metabolic reasons such as malabsorption issues or family history and in others it is caused by unhealthy lifestyle," added Singh.

Children who develop kidney stones have a greater chance of redeveloping them in future. Doctors also blame lack of physical activity for the stone formation. “Young people don't drink enough water and juice and end up being dehydrated. Aerated drinks are preferred, which add to the damage,” he added.

"Children these days love cheeseburgers and junk food. They favour processed foods with high amount of salt and preservatives and also frozen non-vegetarian food. Most of these youngsters are obese and this predisposes them to the condition,” adds Ruchira, another medical practioner form the city. 

Ludhiana February 12
Iron and steel traders have opposed the recent notification of the Excise and Taxation Department regarding VAT and threatened to close down their business and hold protest on roads.

Gurinder Singh Juneja, president, Ludhiana Iron and Steel Merchants’ Association, stated that the Punjab Government had issued a notification reducing VAT rates from 4.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent on iron and steel goods. At the same time, VAT refund will be available on the reduced rate of 2.5 per cent on the stock maintained by them. “With the implementation of the notice, the iron traders will face huge losses in business”, said Juneja. “The government should review the policy in the interest of the business community. Otherwise we have decided to oppose the Akali-BJP government on every platform”, said Juneja. 

Ludhiana, February 12
The Indo-Pak International Trade Expo is all set to start tomorrow. The second edition of the Indo-Pak International Trade Expo, is being organised at Hotel Gulmor from February 13 to 17.

Upkar Singh Ahuja, convener, Ludhiana Zone, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that this would be the 12th such expo in the series of trade fairs being organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry to promote bilateral trade among the participating countries.Surjit Kaur, deputy director, PHD Chamber, said that the expo exhibited range from Pakistani onyx marble, textiles, dry fruits from Kabul, Kashmiri Carpets, Jaipur jewellery, home appliances, wellness and healthcare products, high-end leather bags and crockery and quilts. “The very objective of organising such expos is to engage masses in people-to-people dialogue ”, said Surjit Kaur. PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Khursheed Barlas, CEO, Pakistan World Trade and Expo Centre, said the credit definitely goes to such exhibitions and expos as these help in confidence building. 

Ludhiana, February 12
Till the proposal to set up the Civil Surgeon’s office at Civil Hospital becomes a reality, the staff at the Civil Surgeon’s office is forced to sit in the decrepit building which has been declared unsafe by the Punjab Public Works Department some 13 years ago.

In 2012, the roof over the verandah in the office collapsed due to rain and a number of almirahs containing official record were buried under the debris, but this did not ring a bell in the government’s ears. Sources said that the proposal of setting up of Civil Surgeon’s office at Civil Hospital was still in papers.An employee posted at the Civil Surgeon's office, on the condition of anonymity, said that they were constantly living under fear as the building had been declared unsafe more than 10 years ago. Adding further he said, “Two years ago, birth and death records were buried under the debris after heavy rain and now, we seem to be waiting for our turn. Some rooms at the office are in bad shape as their roofs have developed cracks. Higher authorities seem least concerned as no repair work has been undertaken so far.

Ludhiana, February 12
A woman delivered twins with the help of the staff of Ambulance 108 while being transported to a hospital.

Beauty (23) while was being taken to a hospital from Vishivkarma Colony went into labour in the ambulance. Beauty delivered twins, both boys. The delivery was normal. Everything was on track while delivering the first baby, but complications arose while giving birth to the second baby as his umbilical cord got stuck in his mouth.

Ludhiana, February 12
Industrialists have extended financial help to the cash-starved Punjab Agricultural University.

With the funds, they want the university to provide facilities to morning and evening walkers.

Visitors to the university lamented that despite paying service tax, they were deprived of basic facilities.

They said the PAU should install more benches and water taps on the stretch. Besides, rains shelters and toilets should also be constructed.

Deepak Thapar, who visits the university every day, said: "We have taken up the problems with some industrialists and they are ready to extend financial help," he said. "Recently, the foundation stone of Bougainvillea Garden was laid near Botanical Garden. But the proposed garden never came up. The area looks like dumping site. The garden can be developed with Public Private Partnership (PPP)," said Thapar.

Khamano, February 12
A student of Class XI was found dead near the railway tracks near Khamano. The deceased was identified as Gurjot Singh (16), a resident of Barwali village.

His uncle Ravinder Singh said Gurjot had gone to attend tuitions.

When he did not return home in the evening, they started looking for him, he said. They spotted his body near the tracks.

The body was handed over to the family after the autopsy. The family was inconsolable.