Jalandhar, April 22
Coming as a big jolt to applicants at the Suwidha Centre here, all forms for various services being offered here have become costlier by 10 times or even more.

While earlier the forms were being sold at the counters allotted to vendors by way of auction, they have been asked to wind up their operation, with the service now getting started at a new counter opened at the Suwidha Centre. The contract for the sale of forms had been allotted for an amount of Rs 14 lakh last year. A note mentioned at the counter clearly spelt out that a form once sold was non-returnable.

The forms, with glossy colourful covers, bear the checklist of the documents to be attached and steps for filling the forms. The backpage has the list of various services being offered under the Right to Service Act. The staff of the Suwidha Centre revealed that a Sangrur-based company had been given the contract for the printing of the forms which would be available.

The set for new arms licence which was earlier being given for Rs 50 is now available for Rs 1,250. Administrative officials have said that the price had been kept on a higher side so as to discourage the applicants for taking new licence. Even the form for the addition of a weapon in arms licence has been priced exorbitantly at Rs 630. Even getting marriage certificate has become costlier. Other than paying Rs 700 as facilitation charges, the applicants will have to shell out an additional amount of Rs 500 for the set of forms which was earlier available for just Rs 50.

As per the contract fixed by the Nazir branch of the DC office, the vendors could sell a single side printed page of form for Re 1, double side printed form for Rs 1.50 and file cover for Rs 5. Even if the vendors charged higher amount than that prescribed by the office, no set of forms even running to 20 pages, was available for more than Rs 50.

The forms for learning licence, regular licence and renewal of licence, which were available for just Rs 5 to 10, have now been priced from Rs 40 to 70. The Suwidha Centre receives as many as 400 applicants for these services related to the District Transport Office.

Rajbir Singh, system manager, Suwidha Centre, said that the decision had been taken at the level of Department of Governance Reforms and had been introduced across the state. 

Jalandhar, April 22
The affordable public schools of yesteryear have given way to costly schools, which while in some cases boast of innumerable facilities give scant regard for a poor parent’s pocket to fulfil the dream of quality education for his/her ward.

A number of parents across schools have time and again expressed resentment about the exorbitant fees, some even resulting in traffic blockades and dharnas here recently. But the school-parent divide on the issue of fee rates, refuses to be bridged.

Barring exceptions, all private schools in the district have been charging exorbitant fees.

While parents say the schools have destabilised their finances, schools retort they are abiding by guidelines (which actually are mum on determining fee structures).

The total charges of schools range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000 (in some cases more) across the district and the only fee regulation that schools abide by, is that per year, they can’t raise fees by more than 10 per cent.

JS Pasricha, secretary MGN Educational Trust, said, “All out teachers are highly qualified. We pay them Rs 30,000 to 40,000 or more to ensure quality education for students. Our school has quality classes and best of facilities. Some schools are paying their teachers as little as Rs 4,000-5,000. If we are spending, we also need our dividends. We increase fee sparingly so that students are not overburdened. As many as 242 under-privileged students are studying for free at our school. We spend lakhs on the under-privileged.”

Tarwinder Singh, MD, DIPS Institutions, says, “All schools increased fees. We reduced ours last year. Besides, our rates change from school to school. At some schools, we charge really less and provide equality education. Many parents are an extremely happy lot. We never had any complaints.”

Atam Prakash, president of the Gurdwara Management Committee, which runs Guru Amar Dass Public School, said, “Some parents complain because their children play video games and ask for Rs 20,000 for mobile phones and live costly lives. At our school, we give special concession to poor students and among siblings provide concessions that only one set of books can be bought. Our teachers are very well paid and qualified. With all that, our present fee is very justified.”

SS Channi, chairman, CT Group of Institutions, said, “We agree that some of the parents do feel their kids are left out. But finding a common ground between them and us is a trying matter with no easy solution. We haven’t increased our fee in past three years. We charge as per facilities and lesser than many schools, even incurring losses in some areas. We do accommodate all poor students we can. The government also needs to share some load for the poor, who can’t afford costly private education.”

Rajesh Mayor, chairman, Mayor Foundation, said, “The very advertisement for our schools says anyone can come and we do entertain all people, be it BPL families or the rich. We have written to the government to send more poor students. Jalandhar schools’ cost is nothing compared to schools in Delhi or elsewhere. Our fee is in proportion with our facilities.”

Flashback and laws

Many schools discreetly complained that the government was not stringently implementing the RTE Act. Members of the school association said queries regarding the RTE and fee structures to the CBSE and the government hadn’t yielded any reply. Madhu Sharma, who heads the Jalandhar Independent School Sahodaya Complex (a body with 84 member schools) which regularly meets and discusses fee and RTE provisions, said, “The CBSE guidelines don’t fix fees, but say there can’t be an increase of more than 15 per cent in school fee per year. Implementing the RTE Act is up to schools. Although government guidelines mandate that we pay staff as per guidelines.” 

Jalandhar, April 22
Even though the district election staff had been demonstrated the new technique of voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) during the recent rehearsal ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, there are reports that the Election Commission (EC) of India is not sending any electronic voting machine with the built-in technique to any polling station of the state.

The EC had planned that the EVMs which would have a provision for generating paper receipts after the casting of votes would be installed at some hyper-sensitive polling stations across the country. But the election staff has now revealed that there is only a limited availability of such machines and none of these are coming to Punjab.

Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Khaira had written to Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath and that some such machines must be installed at super-sensitive booths which could be in Bathinda and other places.

He wrote, “We have learnt that the Election Commission of India has placed an order of about 20,000 VVPAT machines to be selectively used in different states on an experimental basis. We have also learnt that the EC has chosen the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal for the launch of the VVPAT system in the EVMs on an experimental basis.

"As per the technology developed to ensure foolproof voting, the VVPAT will enable the voter to get proof that his vote has gone to the candidate of his choice against the right symbol. As the voter presses the EVM button, a paper slip will come out of the VVPAT attached to the EVM, exhibiting the name and symbol on which the vote has been cast. The machines can check any rigging and should be at least installed in Bathinda.”

Jalandhar, April 22
Facing prolonged apathy both from the Central and the state governments and its inability to pay monthly rent for the past few months, the Employees State Insurance (ESI) hospital authorities have finally decided to shift four of their dispensaries running in private venues to some government buildings within 10 km radius from the existing locations.

The dispensaries planned to be shifted to various government buildings are presently running at Laadowaali Road, Maqsudan, Phillaur and Goraya. However, sources at the ESI hospital have revealed that the state government has refused to accommodate them in any of their premises and now the ESI hospital authorities, while finding it difficult, are planning to close them permanently.

Dr RK Gupta, Medical Superintendent, ESI Hospital, said the decision had been taken as the hospital authorities were finding it difficult to pay the rent for the past few months. "Although the dispensaries will be shifted shortly, we are trying our best to shift them within 10 km radius so that the regular patients coming to these dispensaries should not face much problem." He, however, denied reports about the dispensaries getting closed permanently due to the shortage of funds. We are presently facing a huge financial crunch, but we are trying our best to sustain them and will definitely find some way out in near future, he said. Dr Gupta had recently written to the Public Works Department (PWD) to provide them the list of government buildings in the vicinity of these four dispensaries.

However, sources at the hospital have revealed that despite running around for long, many state government departments present in the vicinity of these dispensaries have refused to accommodate them in their premises. "This is not a state government project. Why would they accommodate them in their premises? The ESI is no one's child and it is the people who would be suffering from it," said one of the pharmacists at an ESI dispensary. However, a Senior Medical Officer has even suggested the merging of ESI No. 5 presently running at Maqsudan with No. 4 running at ESI Corporation building just 2 km from the former to save the monthly rent of Rs 10,000 paid by the hospital authorities.

Presently, there are around 2 lakh personS insured under the country's first multi-dimensional social security scheme for workers in the organiSed sector and have around 8.5 lakh beneficiaries from the district. According to figures received from the local ESI office, the Corporation has received around Rs 73 crore from the employees' contribution only in the last financial year, out of which it has dispersed only around Rs 3.7 crore as pension benefits. Apart from that, some money was also spent on various other schemes like maternity benefits and temporary and permanent disability benefits. However, according to sources, a huge chunk of money is still left to be accounted for by the respective governments. 

Jalandhar, April 22
Having remained a minister during the Congress regime, Chaudhary Santokh Singh (67) is now trying his luck from the Jalandhar parliamentary seat. The candidate, who has a vast political experience, has remained in the poll fray for as many as six times earlier. He has been unlucky in his last two stints having lost by a thin margin to the SAD candidates twice in 2007 and 2012 Assembly polls from Phillaur. Accompanied by his elder brother and former minister Chaudhary Jagjit Singh and his son and Punjab Youth Congress chief Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, he has been extensively touring his constituency for more than three weeks. He unfolded his poll agenda for Jalandhar during a tete-e-tete at his residence.

What is your take on how Jalandhar is today? List out the areas where it has been lacking and what is your vision to improve them?

Jalandhar has been reduced to a village. There has not been an iota of development here since the SAD-BJP government came to power in 2007. The residents here get injured in accidents after falling into deep craters on roads. It is now when the Lok Sabha elections are on their head that they have starting constructing roads. The city parks are in a mess. The authorities have not even been able to cover all areas for sewer and drinking water facility, which the Congress started eight years back. The Congress had triggered a development spree by starting Domoria Overbridge project, DAV College ROB and Maqsudan ROB and we will continue with that all over again.

What is your plan to resolve the problems of the local industry, including the sports goods manufacturing, pipe fitting, hand tool and leather industry?

The existing industry in Jalandhar has got a raw deal from the state government. The Excise Department has been levying advance tax while not doling out VAT refunds to them in time. Due to such problems, many industrialists have decided to pack up their units from here and shift to neighbouring states. I will try to get at least one heavy industry such as a Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala that would generate employment. I also have on my agenda a proposal to get a dry port here like the one at Dhandari Kalan in Ludhiana for helping the exporters to send their goods. We had planned an airport about 10 years ago in Kapurthala. We were then told that more land was required for the runway, which was being acquired but the plan was completely changed in view of raising Pushpa Gujral Science City there.

How would you make sure that the proposal of turning Jalandhar into a sports hub actually materialises?

The ruling government has only been laying foundation stones but hasn’t done anything on ground. They have been promising a world-class sports hub at Burlton Park for five years, but have failed miserably. The cost of raising the sports hub has increased over the years but the bankrupt government has failed to get it executed. The condition of Nehru Garden, which is the only open space in the city’s heart, has been miserable.

What is your opinion about the plight of health services in the city? Despite so many hospitals, why has the city not been developed into a health tourism destination?

I have been told that the SAD-BJP has plans to hand over Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences to a private company. After coming to power, I will oppose it tooth and nail. We were the ones to plan the conversion of sugarcane farms here into a medical institute. We named it S Beant Singh PIMS but the SAD-BJP wiped out the former CM’s name soon after coming to power. In seven years, they have not been able to ensure a single hospital project coming on track, leave alone developing the city into a health tourism destination.

Pollution is a big problem for the residents here. Punjab Pollution Control Board has not been able to check the problem. How will you deal with this problem?

I am concerned about the issues of water pollution and improper disposal of bio-medical waste. I held a meeting with environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal recently and offered him all kinds of support for his environment-related endeavours.

What is your plan to help Jalandhar MC revive and improve its functioning? How do you think you will ensure that the pending Solid Waste Management Plan for the city gets implemented?

During our regime, we got unapproved colonies regularised in the city without levying any charges from the residents. They have amassed crores of rupees from the residents as regularisation fee and still done nothing for them. (He takes out a paper with tabulated data from his pocket and reads out). During our regime, an amount of Rs 65 crore was spent for development in Jalandhar Central, Rs 59 crore in Jalandhar North, Rs 64 crore in Jalandhar South, Rs 38 crore in Jalandhar Cantonment and Rs 27 crore in the city areas falling in assembly segments of Jalandhar.

We got as many as 365 tubewells installed. One landmark decision that was taken during our time was shifting out dairies from the city to Jamsher village. The animal waste was leading to the problem of frequent choking of sewerage in the city, which we managed to address quickly. We want the Solid Waste Management Plan to get executed but only if the Local Bodies Department gives an assurance that the services of the existing MC staff will be taken and they are given job security.

Previous MPs from Jalandhar largely invested in dharamshalas and cremation grounds. As an MP, how do you intend to spend your MPLADS funds?

My focus will be on setting up gyms for the youth, promoting sports infrastructure and upgrading facilities in the government schools across the district. There are many schools in Jalandhar, which have not been able to provide even basic amenities such as benches and blackboards.

The NRIs of Jalandhar are no longer interested in investing back home. How do you plan to encourage investment by NRIs?

We need to rebuild their faith that their money is in safe hands and each and every penny that they invest would be rewarding. The NRI Sammelans that the SAD-BJP has been holding are a farce. What is the fun of having such big events when we don’t care about the movement of files and proposals by the NRIs for development in their areas? The NRIs cannot run around with their files for clearance. They want quick responses from the concerned departments.

What is our plan for the slums of the city? Should they be removed and their inhabitants rehabilitated?

The UPA has already given the Municipal Corporation of Jalandhar its scheme for rehabilitation of slum dwellers. But the government in the state has not been able to use the Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojna in the right manner. The MC authorities have been sitting on hundreds of files and not clearing their cases. Those who have managed to get their cases approved have not been getting their installments in time.

Do you envisage any mega project, either in industrial or IT sector for Jalandhar?

Certainly. I will certainly pitch in to get some tax holiday for the sports and hand tools industry. Our government had been supporting the local industry for setting up a multi-crore hand tool cluster in Jalandhar with funding for the common utility high-end facilities, but the local leaders did not let the project get through. 

Jalandhar, April 22
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Dr Harpreet Singh of Orthonova Hospital, Orthonova Joint and Trauma Hospital (P) Ltd, to pay Rs 2.5 lakh to complainant Harkanwar Singh aka Robin for medical negligence.

The complainant (23), after completing his Class 12 went to Australia on a study visa in 2007.

He said he came to India for three weeks only on January 24, 2012, to visit his family in Jalandhar.

He added that he had been feeling pain in his right knee for a few months. On the next day of his arrival, he went to Dr Harpreet Singh for check-up. He was referred to Super Scanning and Diagnostics (P) Ltd, Anuj Tower, Kapurthala Chowk, for MRI of his right knee.

He said after going through the scanning report, Dr Harpreet said there was nothing serious and the problem could be cured with physiotherapy.

Later, when his father told Dr Harpreet that his son was a soccer player, the doctor advised that physiotherapy could take a long time and they should better get his knee operated.

“The doctor said there would be a very small surgical operation, which would take only 15-20 minutes and after that the complainant would be able to walk even on the next day after the surgery. The doctor said the operation would cost around Rs 15,000,” said Harkanwar.

He said acting on the advice of the doctor, he got admitted for operation on February 13, 2012. But the operation took 45 minutes. When the complainant’s father inquired about this, he was told that during the operation it was found that another surgical operation was also required. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear reconstruction was done upon the complainant.

“I got myself examined at Capital Radiology, Western Private Hospital in Australia on April 19, 2012, whereby I came to know that a wrong operation had been performed upon me, because of which I not only suffered losses professionally but also became incapable of playing soccer in future,” he added.

Jalandhar, April 22
The Basti Bawa Khel police today nabbed two persons for drug peddling. The accused were identified as Palwinder Singh of Pandori Rajputa, Nakodar, and Balwinder of Sultanpur Lodhi.

The police had erected a naka near the Basti Peer Dad locality and on suspicion, cops stopped him for checking. During search, the police recovered 1 kg opium from Palwinder. Another naka was laid near Waryana from where Balwinderwas arrested with 1 kg opium.

A case under the NDPS Act has been registered and further inquiry was on to inquire further links of the accused, a police official said.

Meanwhile, the Maqsudan police nabbed three persons for drug peddling in two separate cases.

In the first case, the police nabbed two brothers Mahinder Singh and Ranjit Singh, residents of Amanatpur village.

Both were nabbed by the police during random checking at a naka near Vidipur level crossing and 110 gm of intoxicant powder was recovered from them.

In the second case, Daljit Singh of Nussi village was nabbed with 12 gm of smack.

A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against the three.