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Majority of schools not sticking to traffic norms
Issuance of birth, death certificate process spells chaos
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Spring olympics held in school
Amritsar, March 10 Annual Spring Olympics were held in Spring Dale Senior School. The Olympics saw the participation of students, their parents and grandparents. Tanishq Kumar and Aashka Khadka of Class II were adjudged best athletes, boy and girl, respectively.
11th National Theatre Festival begins in city
Mysterious death of 19-year-old boy in hospital
Better amritsar underage driving—iI
TB awareness camp for jail inmates
Over 400 students felicitated
Elevated road needs efforts for smooth ride
Five booked for restraining lecturer from performing duty
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Majority of schools not sticking to traffic norms
Amritsar, March 10 This despite the fact that the administration held a series of meetings with the city schools over the issue in the past. School buses carrying students in the city continue to violate traffic norms. An Amritsar Tribune team spotted various school buses, flouting traffic rules, as many of these were overcrowded, while in some the students were standing or sitting on the doorsteps, in risky positions. Several buses were found without a cleaner or a conductor. Drivers were seen discharging both the jobs. Rash driving and speeding, even on congested roads of the city, demanded immediate action. Snehdeep Kaur, mother of two school-going children, said, she spotted the driver speeding, as she came to sit her children in the school bus in the morning. She pointed this out to the driver who said that he had to reach the school on time. She said it was also a matter of concern that many buses and vans, involved in carrying school students, were worn out and violated norms. The slack attitude of school authorities, transport and the traffic police authorities has resulted in recurrence of such incidents. A social activist, Naresh Johar, said it was strange that semi-literate drivers were always held responsible for violations but the school managements were freed of the responsibility, the necessity of keeping a tab on violations by drivers etc. He said laws were there to regulate school buses. According to these norms, the driver of a school bus could be booked for his driving offences while the school management/owner and the Principal could be held responsible for other violations. He added that even private vehicles like vans, cabs, auto-rickshaws and rickshaws, carrying schoolchildren, were bound to follow the safety measures. Further, the authorities have not been able to rein in erring drivers, owners of buses and vans. At the same time, rickety and worn-out vehicles, driven by inexperienced drivers are the root causes of such accidents, civic activists pointed out. Meanwhile, officials in the District Transport Office said that according to the Transport Department norms, drivers operating school buses or vans should possess heavy vehicle licences with a minimum of 10 years' driving experience. The guidelines emphasise that buses and vans should not be loaded with students beyond the stipulated seating capacity, but these vehicles continue to ply carrying such loads, stated Swaran Singh, grandfather of a school-going toddler. Meanwhile, the PSEB, while granting approval for affiliation and the category of associated schools, sought submission of affidavits containing 16 rules from the principals of these schools. However, sources in the department said that officials hardly bother to keep a tab on these norms and only ensured that these schools submit the affidavit once a year. The PSEB norms maintain that those schools, which have any means of transportation, including vans, autos or buses, then these vehicles must indicate their numbers and registration numbers on the vehicles. Fitness certificates of these vehicles have to be submitted. Besides, these vehicles must have conductors and drivers who wear uniforms, must possess a valid licence, must have five years of driving experience, must not have been challaned more than three times, names of school and routes must be displayed on these vehicles besides availability of first-aid box on the bus. However, majority of the schools having transportation are affiliated to the CBSE. Last year, the state government enacted a provision ensuring the involvement of principals, District Education Officers and others in the administration of the school transport. According to the instructions, each school, whether affiliated to CBSE, ICSE or the PSEB, has to form a transport committee comprising a school Principal, a senior teacher, a person from the school managing committee or the local managing committee besides the head of the local police station. However, the recent death of a 10-year-old girl student of a famous private school highlighted the fact that the school bus was without a cleaner, which apparently showed that rules were not being implemented.
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Issuance of birth, death certificate process spells chaos
Amritsar, March 10 Every month between six to eight thousand applicants apply for such certificates here. The newly appointed Superintendent, Shushant
Bhatia, has proposed to make the process online on priority and has reshuffled his supporting staff to bring efficiency. There have been complaints about applicants being subjected to harassment by the lower- rank staff. Sources said bribes between Rs 1,000 and Rs 15,000 were being charged to get their files through. Besides, numerous cases came to the fore wherein the certificates issued carried wrong addresses or the names were
misspelt. The process of correction meant further harassment. The serpentine queues at the department’s window had their own tell to tell. It is learnt that the process to simplify the issuance of birth or death certificates through computerisation was launched partially on December 24, but it could not deliver the desired results. Ironically, the city mayor, Bakshi Ram
Arora, who had inaugurated this service, had detected various shortcomings on its inaugural day and had even put under suspension one of the employees associated with the wing after he found gross irregularities. Earlier in March 2013, the then Assistant Commissioner of MC, Surinder Singh, had conceptualised the idea to put the whole records online and to keep the applicants updated about their pleas through the SMS service. On the initial stage, the MC had even entered into a contract with a software firm which was engaged to reach at least 50,000 applicants on trial basis and the MC was to bear an expense of Rs 25 per message, but it could not kick start its initiative in letter and in spirit. Further, things came to nought because the process is
semi-computerised till date and there was no accountability of any official. Things could not be fixed if they came to naught. “There were several shortcomings. I will make sure that applications should be noted officially at every stage and the officials concerned will have to sign it. According to the norms, either of the certificates, if current, will have to be delivered to the applicant within two days and the earlier dated, within five days, but it was not being done. Also we had reports that some of our own officials were harassed them deliberately, compelling them to shell out money to get their certificates because many of the applicants want these documents for obtaining passports or transferring properties, etc”, he told.
Bhatia held a meeting with his staff members and deliberated upon how to make the system public friendly. “My will would be to make the records fully computerised and establish a direct contact with the applicants so that there is no room left for
curruption,” he pointed out.
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Spring olympics held in school Amritsar, March 10 Fervour marked the Annual Spring Olympics as three generations participated in various events, including PT exercises, balloon race, relay race, juice race, snake race, passing the ring, straight race, spoon and lemon race, juice race, shoes and socks race (for students), three-legged race, musical chairs and tug-of-war (for parents) and candle race (for grandparents). — TNS
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11th National Theatre Festival begins in city
Amritsar, March 10 The 10-day long festival was inaugurated in the presence of Dr Rajinder Singh Gill, Director, North Zone Cultural Centre, Waman Kendre, director, National School of Drama, Madeeha Gauhar, Pakistani theatre person, and prominent theatre persons from the region at Virsa Vihar. Uma Gurbaksh Singh and Toronto based Punjabi playwright Nahar Singh Aujla were the special guests for the evening. Speaking on the occasion, Kewal Dhaliwal, director, Virsa Vihar, and organiser of the event, said, “The event has become an important literary and cultural activity on the city’s theatre calendar. This edition is dedicated to popular Punjabi playwright CD Sidhu and brings a mix of classical, comedy drama and celebrated plays of our time. Over 10 days, some of the best of Punjabi, Hindi and English plays will be staged by theatre groups from Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and New Delhi. It also highlights young, upcoming theatre artistes in the field of acting, costume designing, light and sound as well as stage management. The inaugural play for the festival was "Pulsirat", based on a true life story, directed by Kewal Dhaliwal. The play tells the story of a Muslim Punjabi woman caught in the whirlwind of Partition. “The play is based on playwright Dr Swarajbir’s personal experience with a woman in his village near Gurdaspur. She was kept forcibly after Partition and later on lost her mental balance while her sons turned terrorists during the dark period of 1984,” explains Dhaliwal. Staged by 22 actors from Manch Rangmanch, the play tells the story of the madness of time during 1947 and 1984, the spectre of dehumanisation which she faces and resists and later tries to reconcile with. But when things fall apart, she loses her battle. “Pulsirat derived from Arabic words, mean the path of bridge over Hell. Islamic tradition upholds that only the pious will be able to cross the bridge while sinners will fall and burn in hell. Punjab faced unprecedented horror, cruelty and grief during Partition and later 1984. The metaphor is used to describe the journey of this woman, who starts walking on this bridge during Partition and keeps doing it throughout her life,” explained Dhaliwal. The two-hour long play was heavy with emotions and the turbulence of the time. The engaging play received resounding applause by the audience for its story telling. The actors of the play were Amanpreet Bal, who played the lead, Gurtej Mann, Manjinder Malhi, Pawandeep, Paval Sandhu and others. The second play to be staged at the festival is "Ghost" by the Amateur Theatre Group from Jammu. Directed by Mushtaq Kak, the play is based on one of the classical problem plays of celebrated Norwegian playwright and director, Henrik Ibsen. The timings for the plays are 6.30pm.
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Mysterious death of 19-year-old boy in hospital
The parents of the victim, identified as Gagandeep Singh, alias Robin, of the Basant Avenue area suspected foul play and alleged that he was murdered. The police on the other hand registered a case against the hospital management for their negligence. The police found several intoxicant injections, sleeping pills and a pouch of alleged narcotic substance from the spot. They suspected that the boy might have died due to drug overdose, but pointed out that the investigations were under progress. According to information, Gagandeep went missing on Saturday evening. The family tried to locate him but failed. They found his scooter parked outside the hospital. Kanwaljit Singh, father of the deceased, said that they had searched the hospital at that time while suspecting that Gagandeep might have met with an accident and shifted to the hospital. However, this was not the case. "He went out of the house saying that he was going to Lawrence Road. Last evening we again visited the hospital, and went through the CCTV footage for hours to find any clue about the whereabouts of my son. I even used the same washroom, where his body was found, a couple of times but he was not there," said Kanwaljit Singh, a local trader. The deceased's mother, Pushpinder Kaur, said the police were trying to divert the case by showing intoxicant injections and the alleged powder recovered from the washroom. "First they went inside the bathroom and found injections, they again visited the spot and claimed to have recovered a pouch of a narcotic substance. Why did they not recover the same on his first attempt," Pushpinder Kaur pointed out while alleging that the Police Department was diverting the murder case by giving it the shape of drug abuse. This is being done under some pressure as the owners are very influential, she alleged. Balkar Singh, DSP, North, who along with other police officials visited the spot, said the preliminary probe clearly indicated negligence on the part of the hospital management. He said the foul smell was coming out of the body which meant that it was lying there for over 24-hours. "The post-mortem examination will be conducted in the presence of a medical board comprising at least three doctors. Only the autopsy report will ascertain the cause and timing of the boy's death," said Balkar Singh. Sukhjinder Singh, SHO, Majitha road, said a case under Sections 304-A and 279, IPC, was being registered against the hospital management while further investigations had been started in this regard. Dr Ashok Nayyar of the hospital said that appropriate action would be taken by hospital authorities if anybody was found guilty after the completion of the probe. He said only the post-mortem examination would ascertain when Gagandeep had died and the reason behind it. He pointed out that his body was found in the common bathroom, which contained a couple of toilets, of the hospital. He said the boy's body was found in one of the toilets which was locked from inside. Today when foul smell was coming out of the hospital, we broke open the bathroom door only to find him dead. We immediately informed the police which took the body in their possession.
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Better amritsar underage driving—iI Everyday, under-age drivers can be seen flouting traffic rules with impunity. Despite erecting several nakas at various intersections in the city, the traffic police shut its eyes to the unabated violation of norms. Amritsar Tribune speaks to residents to find a solution. Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service
A solution to the problem lies not with one person. In fact, society at large needs to play an important role to stop teenagers from putting their own as well as the lives of other commuters in peril. Collective efforts of parents, school management and the traffic police only can lead to permanent solutions. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Bikram Pal Bhatti said instructions have been given to the staff, manning the road to strictly deal with under-age drivers. Even the documents of their vehicles would be verified. "I have seen children inthe age-group 12 to 13 years driving bikes and cars. Instead of preventing these youngsters, parents feel proud to give them vehicles to drive. No doubt, the traffic police are conducting awareness camps in schools but the peer pressure and visual media effects are influencing these youngsters more strongly. Under-age drivers violate traffic norms more. They are often seen triple riding vehicles. The school administration can not escape the responsibility as these children park their vehicles in the parking lots only," said Inderjit Singh, a resident of Vikas Nagar, GT Road. "Novice drivers tend to replicate daring stunts and moves on bikes and other vehicles to brag about their new found talent. Many a times, these daring moves prove costly for them and at times for the passersby as well. Parents and teachers are the first observers of the children. They can share and exchange vital information and correct the aberrations before it is too late. After gold ornaments, snatching became rampant. Flashy bikes and costly cars have come to be known as objects to showcase one's wealth. Not to leave behind this unbridled race, parents are not holding back from giving flashy bikes and costly cars to their wards," said Kuljeet Singh Donny, a resident of Majitha road. "The schools allow only classes XI and XII students to bring gear-less vehicles. If students park their vehicles outside school in the nearby market then I cannot stop them as they are out of my purview. A few days back, two students of class VII came in a car which was noticed by a teacher who instantly brought the matter to my notice. In the meantime , children vanished in the school after leaving the car unlocked outside the school. The students were identified after a thorough investigation and parents of the children were called to school. The parents promised not to allow their wards to drive a car unless they attain the permissible age," said Neera Sharma, principal, DAV Public School. "Zero tolerance approach should be adopted so as to stop the menace of under age driving. Employees deputed at gates should be given a strict warning to implement the norm. Besides, they should also be instructed to keep a watch outside the school building so that the students don't park their vehicles," said Kusam Malhotra, principal, KV School Number I.
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TB awareness camp for jail inmates
Amritsar, March 10 This programme is being undertaken as a part of the NGO's drive to spread awareness about TB. The targeted inmates were the ones who were suffering from cough constantly for two weeks or more, losing weight and pain in the chest. TB official Dr Naresh Chawla said, "This exercise is being under taken as Project Akshay and a special drive was carried out which was named as 'Akshay Samvaad'. We are here to identify the probable TB patients in the jail. We would be collecting the sputum samples which would be examined at nearby government laboratories. Reports of those found to be positive would be given to the jail authorities so that the patients are well taken care of." The others team members were Dr Vikramjit Singh, Tarandeep Singh and Tarsem Singh. Deputy Superintendent RK Sharma said they would be monitoring each suspected case because jail was the most vulnerable place and there were fair chances of getting it contagious. Meanwhile, the others present on the occasion included district TB Forum convener Rameshwar Dutt Sharma, Brij Mohan Sharma, Deepak Babbar and Dr Mukhtiar Singh.
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Over 400 students felicitated
Amritsar, March 10 Eminent Economist Padam Bhushan Prof Dr SS Johl, Chancellor, Central University of Punjab, was the chief guest. Prof Dr HS Soch, former Vice-Chancellor, and president of the college managing committee, presided over the function. Around 400 prizes were given away to the students who excelled in academic and co-curricular activities. Medals and roll of honour were presented to the students who achieved top positions in Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) and State Board Exams. In his address Sant Singh Sukha Singh Education Institutions director Jagdish Singh highlighted the contribution of Dr Johl to the state as an eminent economist. Dr Johl in his speech lauded the achievements of the Sant Singh Sukha Singh College of Commerce for Women in a short span of two decades. Results: Best Hukamnama Recitation: Komalpreet Kaur (BCom) Best Ardas: Manpreet Kaur (BCom) IT Wizard: Amanpreet Kaur (BCA) Best in Creative Art: Jaspreet Kaur (BCom) Best Volunteer: Mehak R Singh (BSc) Best in Performing Art: Navkiran Kaur (BCom) S Sant Singh Memorial Trophy: Satinder Kaur Indira Nooyi Trophy: Gazal Sekhon Dr Manmohan Singh Trophy: Amandeeep Kaur Charles Babbage Memorial Trophy: Neelam Bibi Gujri Memorial Trophy: Komal Ahuja
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Elevated road needs efforts for smooth ride
Amritsar, March 10 Earlier, the MC had a contract with a private firm to maintain the road which expired sometime back. Besides, no effort was ever made to ensure that the commuters stick to a speed limit. Ironically, it would only be some fatal instance which would 'temporarily' shake the authorities and a hardlyexercise would be carried out to overcome the lapses. A day after an accident occurred in which two people were killed; the pits on the road were filled up with patches which end up making the road uneven. Today, another 'eyewash' exercise was done to cleanse the water passages on the elevated road. It also turned out to be a futile attempt, as the MC men could clean-up just a few water passage vents before culminating their day's job. Interestingly, no senior officer was deputed to observe the 'work being done'. As the problem of waterlogging continues to unabated during rainy season, it has taken its toll on the road surface. This elevated road, leading to multiple destinations, including the Golden Temple complex parking, was constructed at a cost of over Rs 230 crore. Yet no thought was ever spared to devise a mechanism here so that water should not get accumulated on the road and damage it. It has been a constant problem when either the levelling of the road is faulty or the water drain pores remain choked for want of cleanliness. The problem aggravated because the 3.2 km long rainwater harvesting system pipe that had been laid beneath the incline was stolen a few months ago, but the authorities did not bother to replace them with fresh pipes. In yet another case of administrative apathy, around 25-30 streetlights installed on the middle of the elevated road connecting downward ramps (one leading to the Golden Temple) and almost a similar number of lights on the Hussainpura bridge continue to remain defunct for the past several days, leaving commuters and pedestrians to tread the stretch in the dark every night. Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora said, "The obstructions on the water passages are being cleared and the depression on the stretch and faulty lights too would be well taken care of."
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Five booked for restraining lecturer from performing duty
Amritsar, March 10 Among those booked include Prabhjinder Singh, chairman, Maharaja Public school, Laddowal, Sukhpal Singh and four others. Avtar Sigh alleged that on March 1, he was on duty when the accused forcibly entered the examination centre and created ruckus for copying. He alleged that they forced the staff to hide in a corner of the centre. He said they lodged a complaint with 181 helpline following which a police team reached the centre and rescued them. Following his complaint, the Gharinda police have booked them under Sections 353, 186, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC in this regard. Earlier, they were booked on the charge of attempt to murder lodged by the complainant at the Chheharta police station after the accused allegedly barged into his house and attacked him with firearms and sharp-edged weapons on March 1. No arrest has been made so far.
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Amritsar, March 10
Amritsar, March 10
Amritsar, March 10