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1,450 arms deposited in Bathinda
Stop field trials of GM crops, demands NGO
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Political parties to work harder in urban pockets
‘Treat daughters equal to sons’
Prolonged use of steroid, eye drops can lead to glaucoma: Experts
SIT under Tiwari mere eyewash: Lucky
BLOs conduct voters' list checking
Accident victim dies at hospital
Better bathinda Amenities in schools
First aid training programme held at cement plant
TASTE BUDS
Aklia College celebrates Women’s Day
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1,450 arms deposited in Bathinda
Bathinda, March 9 Maximum firearms in possession of the people in Bathinda are .12 bore guns. Those living in agricultural fields or in remote areas on the outskirts of the cities, however, lamented that the campaign to deposit firearms expose them to thieves or burglars in view of the rising criminal activities. Most arms licence holders having costly firearms prefer not to deposit their weapons at the police stations but with the gun houses. Those depositing arms in gun houses pay to keep their weapons in safe and careful custody. “At times, a careless attitude is opted by the policemen due to lack of a proper place to keep the arms at the maalkhanas of the police stations,” said an arms licence holder having a .32 bore revolver. The policemen are in a fix over the exact number of arms licence holders in the district and heavily depend upon the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The policemen said they were yet to receive the exact number of arms holders from the DC office, but have stressed upon getting it deposited at the police stations or in the gun houses. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said they had already launched a programme for getting the firearms deposited and more than 1,450 had been deposited. “We will surely take stringent action against those who fail to comply with the orders,” he said. The maximum number of arms deposited with the police is under the Maur police station where till today in the evening, as many as 290 weapons were already deposited. “Since many people who had shifted to other places after getting themselves registered as arms holder in Bathinda, or those who passed away but did not inform the concerned authorities, the exact number of arms holders is not with the district administration,” said a policeman. To know the exact number of arms holders the list of only those who have renewed their arms licences recently should be counted in the category of the arms holders. Police Arms Stations deposited till Mar 8
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Stop field trials of GM crops, demands NGO
Bathinda, March 9 The dialogue was organised in the series of ongoing campaign for public awareness being held against the GM crops and food. Speakers at the dialogue urged Member of Parliament from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal to intervene and stop open field trials of the GM crops in Punjab. MP Badal was a member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on agriculture that strongly recommended a cautionary approach to open field trials of the GM crops in India. “The Environment Minister of the Government of India has gone ahead and approved around 200 GM field trials, including that of the GM varieties of rice, wheat, maize and other food crops, that have a huge potential to contaminate our seed and food supply. The government has approved these field trials despite growing scientific evidence on adverse impacts of the GM crops on health, biodiversity and environment. In Punjab, these trials are a huge threat as wheat is a staple crop here,” said Neha Saigal, senior campaigner of an NGO Greenpeace, India, while addressing a public meeting. She further added that China had recently banned the use of this technology in its staple food crops. “Experience with the GM crop and Bt cotton has shown that the GM crops benefit multinational seed companies and no one else. The Malwa region has already been reeling under the consequences of the green revolution in terms of cancer, polluted groundwater and environmental toxicity. The Bt Cotton has further aggravated the situation,” said Umendra Dutt of Kheti Virasat Mission from Punjab. He warned that if the government goes ahead with permitting the GM field trials in the state, the situation of the environmental toxicity and contamination of food supply will be alarming. Joining the public meeting, Prof RK Mahajan, an economist at Punjabi University Regional Centre, said that the GM crops are one of the greatest threats to food safety and consumer choice and said that people reject all those who stand for the GM crops. He further added that the GM crops will impact everyone and that everyone must together fight this controversial technology to keep our farms and foods safe. The public gathering demanded MP Badal to intervene with the state government and not to allow the controversial GM field trials in the state. As she is a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on agriculture, she has signed report recommending a moratorium on open field trials of the GM Crops in India. Farmers, social activists, consumers and students also participated in the dialogue.
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Political parties to work harder in urban pockets
Bathinda, March 9 While the State Election Commission has been holding repeated campaigns sensitising people to vote, it would be important for the political parties too to devise their own tools of publicity and propaganda among the urban voters. An analysis of the last Lok Sabha election's voter turnout report reveals that the rural voters have been more responsible in casting their votes than their urban counterparts. Of the nine Vidhan Sabha constituencies, which form the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, Budhlada has registered the highest voting percentage at 84.34 per cent leaving behind sitting Member of Parliament from Bathinda Harsimrat Badal's father-in-law Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal's Lambi seat. Bathinda urban, which the Badal clan has been claiming to turn into Paris, has registered the least voters' turn out at 66.52. Sardulgarh recorded the second highest votes polled at 83.25 per cent, Lambi at 81.47 per cent, Talwandi Sabo at 80.29 per cent, Maur at 79.82 per cent, Bhucho Mandi at 79.14 per cent and Bathinda rural at 77.32 per cent. Interestingly, the women at Sardulgarh and Lambi led in voters' turn out. While 82.45 per cent women turned out at Sardulgarh, 81.01 per cent women turned out to vote Lambi. Bathinda urban women were the least ones to contribute in voters' turn out at mere 66.01 per cent followed by Bathinda rural at 76.77 per cent. At the same time, the 88.21 per cent men of Budhlada took lead, while Sardulgarh men voters trailed at 83.97 per cent. Bathinda urban men too lagged behind with mere 66.98 per cent followed by Bathinda rural at 77.80 per cent. Political parties have started planning their campaigning strategy as per it. The spokesperson for the SAD, Om Prakash Sharma, said more youngsters have been enrolled in the party ranks for extensive campaigning, beginning from the ward level these will percolate down to the booth level and further street wise. "We have been asked to ensure that no vote is left un-polled," he said.
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‘Treat daughters equal to sons’
Bathinda, March 9 Speaking at the event, Civil Surgeon Dr Ajay Sahni said this year’s theme for the International Women’s Day celebration was equality for women is progress for all. Chief guest on the occasion District Health Officer Dr Raghubir Singh Randhawa said the need of the hour was to give women equal status and ensure that they live in a better society. Counsellor Kamaljit Kaur informed about the medical help and facilities available for HIV positive and AIDS infected women. Dr Anjali Bansal said women should not only be given importance just one day in a year, rather they should be treated equal always. She said that in families, one can set an examples by treating daughters as equal to sons. District Family Welfare Officer Dr Ravanjit Kaur said female doctors conduct delivery at the women and children’s hospital every day. She encouraged people not to indulge in female feticide or any kind of crime against women. She added that any information on female feticide or information related to it could be reported to the office of the Civil Surgeon. A nursing student, Simrajit Kaur, read out an essay on women equality-a myth. BCC facilitator Narender Kumar conducted the stage. SMO Dr SS Romana, Dr Dheera Gupta, Dr Alka, Dr Sheetal and others were also present.
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Prolonged use of steroid, eye drops can lead to glaucoma: Experts
Bathinda, March 9 Former vice-chancellor of the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Jai Rup Singh and District Health Officer Dr Raghubir Singh Randhawa flagged off the walk from the Fire Brigade Chowk. Spreading the message on the early detection of the glaucoma through regular eye check-up, after the age of 40, members of different non-government organisations and nursing schools participated in the campaign. President of the BOS, Dr Shweta Grover, said the glaucoma (kaala motia) was called the sneak thief of vision. It makes the patient blind without much symptom. Dr Amrit Sethi, President of the Bathinda Ophthalmological Society stressed upon the need for regular eye check-up after the age of 40 for the timely detection of this blinding malady. There are more than 20 million glaucoma patients in India. Regular and prolonged use of steroid and eye drops can lead to glaucoma among the people. Covering Amrik Singh Road, the rally culminated at the SSD Girls’ College, where literature pertaining to glaucoma was distributed. The BOS has been holding Glaucoma Awareness Week from March 9 to March 16. Free glaucoma detection tests will be done in clinics of all members of the society from from 9 am to 11 am daily during this week.
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SIT under Tiwari mere eyewash: Lucky
Amritsar, March 9 The Congress leader said earlier, too, Tiwari was entrusted with the responsibility of conducting an inquiry into two cases against Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora and a relative of Local Minister Anil Joshi, but he never bothered to initiate the proceedings. Lucky said, “Even after over a month, the files, pertaining to the cases have not been open. Tiwari did not turned up to conduct the inquiry. He was supposed to visit Amritsar on February 7, which was postponed to February 13. However, the day never came." Suspended Municipal Town Planner Des Raj had alleged that the Mayor had pocketed a token money of Rs 50 lakh for a 4,000 sq yard plot in the Joshi's colony. Challenging his suspension, Des Raj had filed an affidavit in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against MC officials and the Mayor for torturing him mentally by suspending him. In another case, a private filling station, owned by councillor Aman Aery, who happened to be a close relative of Joshi, was hired for providing fuel to 135 MC vehicles. The move had invited the wrath of the MC staff. “As per the Municipal Act, 1976, the contract could not be given to any councillor, an employee of the corporation or their relatives. But, these norms were bypassed in the Aery's case," the Congress leader said.
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BLOs conduct voters' list checking
Bathinda, March 9 Evoking a good response from the electorate, the District Election Office today received around 9,200 new voters' applications. The BLOs read out electorates' lists and sought objections for the same. Forms and applications from new voters were also received. Assistant Election Officer-cum-ADC Sonali Giri said around 150 booths were checked at random. "Work went on well at all the booths. Our main aim was to ensure that voters can find if their names figure in the lists or not," she said. She added that the maximum number of forms were received from the Bathinda urban constituency as around 3,855 forms were received in this constituency. She appealed to the electorate to enrol themselves before the filing of candidates' nomination starts.
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Accident victim dies at hospital
Bathinda, March 9 At around 9: 15 pm today, two factions from the local Awa Basti clashed in the emergency ward of the Civil Hospital. Eyewitnesses said both the factions hurled abuses at each other. One of them ran into the minor operation theatre and caught hold of knives and blades spread out for surgery. Before the cops deployed at the police post on the Civil Hospital premises could reach, attendants of the other patients informed the police. Within a few minutes, the hospital donned a khakhi look with over 50 cops present there. In the ensuing chaos, the hospital staff could not properly attend to the accident victim Jasbir Kaur alias Pappi who was wheeled in 30 minutes before the fight started. She was to be referred to a tertiary care hospital as she suffered serious head injuries. The patient's crucial first hour was lost in settling the fight leading to her death. Jasbir had met with an accident near village Bhunder. She was a resident of an area near village Lambi. SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said heavy police force is being deployed on the hospital premises keeping in view the gravity of situation. Till the filing of this report, no case had been registered. Doctors said had cops been at the emergency police post, as they are supposed to be, a valuable life could have been saved.
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Better bathinda Amenities in schools There are mats for students, dirty toilets, no electricity and boundary walls are broken Nikhila Pant Dhawan Tribune News Service
Bathinda, March 9 Shortage of furniture
Classes being held under the trees on the school premises, students sitting in the corridor and on mats inside the classrooms while appearing for examinations are all a common sight in the government schools. Shortage of furniture is a regular problem with all the government schools, especially the elementary ones. A few schools, with low student strength, are helped by non-profit organisations and other generous sections of society to give them desks and chairs. Potable water
Non-availability of safe drinking water is another problem which looms large over thousands of students studying in these schools. While ROs have been installed at many schools, there are still several schools where the students rely on taps or hand pumps for drinking water. The water samples of hand pumps of such schools keep failing purity tests conducted every year. No funds for power
A majority of the schools also face the problem of lack of funds to pay the electricity bills. It is also not surprising for the schools to function without electricity for days and in case of some schools, for weeks. Since the schools get only a paltry amount in the name of annual funds, either the teachers and staff members contribute to pay for the bill or wait for some generous members of various organisations to do the same. Staff shortage
While the number of vacant posts in government schools across the state stands at around 14,000, the schools in the district also face a shortage of staff. The last rationalisation policy announced by the state Education Department mandated a teacher-students ratio of 1:40 in high schools, while the Right to Education Act of the Central Government mandates it to be at 1:30 across the nation in all schools. Crumbling boundary walls
Maluka, the village of the Education Minister, is the only shining example of the area in the district where all the government schools have complete and properly painted boundary walls. The situation at most of the schools in the rest of the district is the same — either the boundary walls are incomplete or are so old that they are crumbling and can easily be broken into. Apart from this, the schools are also yet to demolish the rooms which were declared unsafe by the B&R Department last year. Delayed supply of books, uniforms
Last year, students of government schools had to wait till July to get some of the books which are provided to them free-of-cost under the education schemes. Similar delay is also registered when it comes to the release for grants for procurement of uniforms for the students under these schemes. The grant for uniforms for the academic session 2013-14 was released to the schools in the last week of November. |
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First aid training programme held at cement plant
Bathinda, March 9 Resource persons from St John's Ambulance Service, Naresh Pathania and Maan Singh, imparted training in basic first aid skills to the workers and officials of the cement plant. Unit head Tilak Raj Babel, senior manager Dinesh Pandey and officer Sanjeev Kumar said the purpose of the training programme was to provide the basic first aid knowledge to the employees of the unit to ensure that when an accident take place, there is someone present who knows what to do until the experts arrive. During the training sessions, lectures on various topics like choking, artificial respiration, burns and scalds, electric injuries, CPR techniques, heat exhaustion and heat stroke etc were delivered by Naresh Pathania. He said a sound principle when assessing an accident situation is to try to stay calm. Naresh Pathania also asked everyone to reassure the injured and give appropriate on-the-spot first aid to the victims immediately. Demonstration on blanket lifting, loading the patients in ambulance vans, stretcher drill and manual carrying methods were also given by the trainers.
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He sells 30 kg jalebis in five hours
Gurdeep Singh Mann Tribune News Service
Bathinda, March 9 Though one may not be able to catch a glimpse of this jalebi seller on the most congested road of the city, his permanent customers for the past many years find him easily everyday between 3.30 pm to 8.30 pm. Being one of the oldest jalebi makers of the area, people had been visiting him for the pleasure of eating the sweet. Apart from having it for taste, people suffering from cough, cold and headache in winter, too, approach him to get rid of the same. "If one dips the sweet or sugarless jalebi in a glass of milk, they would get rid of the winter-related ailments, including cough, cold or headache," says Ramesh. He was 15 years old when he started working at the vend of his father to sell jalebis. "After the death of my father in 1994, I took over and continued the sale on the railway road," Ramesh said. He however, laments that his three sons, after completing their education, refuse to continue this work. “They disagree with me on carrying on with the work at footpath at the most crowded place adjoining the entrance of the railway station," he said. "My father used to sell jalebis for a fixed time of five hours beginning at 3.30 pm. I, too, manage to sell the entire edible in these hours," he said. Ramesh claims to have maintaining the quality of jalebis by using the best ghee and oil for preparing the sweet edible. "If I indulge in adulteration or use inferior quality of raw material, then I hardly manage to save Rs 100 to Rs 150 in a day. For this amount, I do not negotiate with my customers who hail my ingredients used in jalebi as the most perfect ones," he said. Ramesh says he always prefers making a medium size jalebi instead of thin varieties which are in vogue these days in view of the escalating cost of the raw material. "It took years to get perfection in the taste and shape of a jalebi and it will discontinue as nobody will take over after me," he rues.
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Aklia College celebrates Women’s Day
Bathinda, March 9 On this occasion, students participated in various events such as poem recitation, speech, drama, rangoli, poster-making and slogan writing competition, etc. Gurtej Singh Brar, chairman of the Aklia Educational and Research Society, while addressing the students, shared his views regarding the importance of women in the male-dominated Indian society. He focused on the women's rights, importance of their education and also discussed the rising cases of crime and domestic violence against them. He said domestic violence was one of the most serious ills plaguing our society. Director of the college said male members of the society ought to be ashamed of themselves as they had not changed their attitude towards women. Gagandeep Kaur recited a poem, “Kyon” dedicated to the all women of the country. The guests gave away the prizes to the students who bagged the first, second and third positions in the various competitions. Sarojini Naidu House bagged the first prize and Kalpana Chawla House bagged the second.
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Bathinda, March 9
