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Power, water charges
Encroachments abound near MC office
Better
jalandhar: RISING cases of SNATCHING-II |
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Roadways employees hold gate rally
Goraya-based doctor asked to pay
Rs 5 lakh as compensation to patient
General Post Office releases special cover of MBD founder
7,321 HIV+ patients registered at ART centre
Rs 170 cr transmission lines laid in state
Official’s statement irks DBY committee
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Bills set to be clubbed
Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, July 7 A plan regarding the same has already been mooted as a pilot project for Mohali and is to be implemented in the coming days. Depending on the success of the project, it will be implemented in other cities of Punjab as well. In the meantime, the municipal corporations (MCs) in the remaining cities have been asked to work out a plan and assess a feasibility of the same. It is being felt that since the PSPCL has a much wider coverage of power bills and illegal power connections in the domestic sector in the city are a rarity, clubbing the billing with water supplies could come in handy for the MC, which does not currently have any system to pinpoint defaulters. A recent door-to-door survey of properties had indicated that there could be over 42,000 illegal water connection holders in the city. A matching of the power billing with water billing could give a quick idea about the number of defaulters of water bills in each area with the property numbers. The MC had planned to rope in a private courier service for the dispatch of water bills which could not materialise. There have been complaints by consumers that the water bills are reaching them very late. Also since the Local Bodies Department is mulling water metering system in the coming days, the project can come more handy. MC Commissioner Manpreet Chattwal said, “The plan for the clubbing of the bills is in a very early stage, but it is certainly welcome, as it will help in quick data of the houses being missed out in our billing list. The exact mode of doing it would be clear only after there are directions for the same from the Local Bodies Department or once after if it gets through in Mohali.”
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Encroachments abound near MC office
Jalandhar, July 7 The office of the MC falls along Shastri Market, which is a hub of outlets of tyre manufacturers. Huge tyres of all sizes remain piled up to 10 feet outside the shops, which causes a great inconvenience to the passersby there. The worst is when tyres are being brought into showrooms or being dispatched on rickshaws. Employees of the showrooms roll the tyres out of roads to load or unload these. During the process, the tyres often go helter skelter, posing a risk to drivers and leading to accidents. Not just the tyre shopkeepers, there are several other shops in the 200 metre periphery involved in encroachments such as those selling inverters and batteries. Davinder Bhatti, a resident of Central Town, said the MC should at least set a precedent in its immediate surrounding. “If the officials cannot set their periphery in order, how will they work in the rest of the city? Officials sitting in the building need not even go out and make a check. They can see all such encroachments daily on their way to office or even from their office window,” he said, laughing out loudly. MC Commissioner Manpreet Chattwal said he would pull up his staff and make them act. “I understand that the staff has been showing extremely lax behaviour. I will make them perform,” he said.
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Better
jalandhar: RISING cases of SNATCHING-II Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, July 7 They have asserted that the police should play the role of a guardian and a watchdog to guard each and every city resident. Some of the residents contradicted their counterparts by saying that it is not only the police that can secure them, every citizen must also consider himself/herself as police to thwart the attempt of the criminals. People believe that if everything is left to the police, then it is not possible to curb the crime. Until and unless each resident becomes aware and alert, crime cannot be stopped in the city. There were several cases reported in the city in the past in which alert residents themselves caught thieves or snatchers and later handed them over to the police. Many residents say the police alone cannot tackle rising snatchings or thefts. They give the logic that if Jalandhar has 22 lakh population, how could the city police force its below three thousand force to provide security to each resident. Even the police, on several occasions, held a police-public meet in which they sought cooperation from the residents in curbing crime. The police have also assured the residents that the name of the informer would be kept a secret. Notably, in almost all snatching incidents, women remained the main victim of the snatchers. The police hardly encountered any case in which a man was robbed by the snatchers. Jalandhar Tribune spoke to several women in the city on the rising menace of snatching and theft. "Snatching and theft cases are being reported in the city on a daily basis. Despite the tall claims made by the police, nothing is being done for public security. It is the right time when the police should spring into action and take steps to ensure fool-proof security for the residents. Due to the fear of snatchers, we cannot even stand outside our house. Police should understand that they are the watchdog and guardians of society and it is their duty to provide security to each and every resident. The fear of snatchers is looming large with each passing day and due to this, we are also skipping our morning and evening walk," said Dr Madhu Meet, a local resident. "Due to the rise in snatching cases, we are so frightened that we have shunned wearing gold ornaments. I believe it is better to shun gold than to put our life at stake. Many a time, it has been seen that the snatcher injure women during the snatching attempt. For criminals, the value of human beings is nothing and everything for them is yellow metal. They can even kill a person to loot gold ornaments. Police should devise some strategy to curb the menace. If the police remains lethargic, society will remain under fear. The police should hold frequent checking of bike- borne miscreants to prevent the occurrence of crime," said Aradhana Bowry, another city resident. "When the police nab criminals, they come out on bail. After coming out from jail, they again indulge in criminal activities. The police should prepare a list of such criminals, who have come out on bail, and should keep a tab on their routine activities. If during inquiries, the police receive any hint that a criminal came out on bail or is indulging in any crime, they should again be sent behind the bars. I believe, until and unless the police does not understand its duty, nothing can be done. The speed at which crime is increasing in the city, it will soon becomes a hell for the residents. Under such frightened atmosphere, residents will think thrice before coming out of their house," said Harkit Kaur Samra, another city resident. "The police always make tall claims that crime is under control and strict action is being taken against the criminals but the reality is totally different. Despite the police patrolling at night, thieves are still committing thefts in various parts of the city. Everyday, one or two theft incidents are being reported in the city but the police performance in solving the theft cases is poor. The police should divide its night patrolling teams in the city in such a way that thieves do not dare to enter the city," said Prof SK Midda. "The police alone cannot control the rising menace of theft and snatchings. We, being a citizen of the city, should contribute and coordinate with the police to wipe out the menace. The population of the city is in lakhs and the police force is in thousands. How can the city police provide security to each and every resident? We need to be alert at every step we take and every resident needs to do policing to tackle such crime," said Romila Sharma, another resident. "To tackle the menace of thefts, residents should do night patrolling in their areas. The concept of night patrolling is quite popular in villages, where people in turn hold patrol at night. To tackle the menace of snatching, the police should increase its visibility in various parts of the city. Strategic nakas need to be installed and suspected persons need to be frisked. I believe, people who commit theft or snatching, initially keep a watch over the person or the house, and when they get the opportune time, they go ahead with their nefarious designs," said Shivani Arora, another city resident.
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Roadways employees hold gate rally
Jalandhar, July 7 Addressing the gathering, organising secretary, Avtar Singh Tari, said the time-table of Jalandhar to Pathankot route had been tampered with to benefit the private bus operators. Without naming the private bus company, he said a private bus company had been allocated morning to evening times, which was a violation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders. Officials in the Punjab Roadways have been made aware of the issue. Instead of taking any action, the officials issued a new table with timings to the same private bus company, which is absolute injustice to the Punjab Roadways. Speaking on the occasion, the committee member said they would come up with a new strategy to deal with the issue soon. Committee convener Amrik Singh Gill said their long-pending demands for the betterment of the roadways that had been accepted by the state government had not been implemented. “Despite the fact that the meeting with the ministers and officials concerned, including Chief Minister, Finance Minister, Transport Minister, Secretary, Transport, and Director, State Transport, had been held several times, nothing conducive had been done”, he added. Shedding light on their long-pending demands, he said their demands included 571 debt-free PUNBUS merging with the mainstream Punjab Roadways, buying 300 new buses for PUNBUS fleet, providing jobs to kin of dead roadways employees, regularisation of PUNBUS employees, terminating the recruitment on a contract basis and promotion of the staff in the roadways.
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Goraya-based doctor asked to pay
Rs 5 lakh as compensation to patient
Jalandhar, July 7 In his complaint filed before the forum, Surjit Kumar said that on April 15, 2013 when he along with his wife Jasveer Kaur was going from Phagwara to Goraya, his wife who was a pillion rider on a motorcycle, suddenly fell down on road and suffered head injury. He alleged that he took his wife to the nearby Mahal Hospital, and got a CT scan done on the same day but did not give proper treatment to his wife despite the fact that she had suffered severe head injury and required immediate attention by a neurosurgeon. “The hospital had no neurosurgeon and the doctor did not bother to ask me to get her admitted to a neuro-specialty hospital. Unaware of the medical intricacies, I was relying upon the advice of the doctor,” he has stated. Two days later, the complainant was asked to get another CT scan of the wife of the complainant done with respect to head injury. After going through the report of CT scan, he adjudged that the condition of the wife of the complainant was deteriorating and then asked the complainant to get her admitted to a neuro specialty hospital. Thereafter, the complainant immediately rushed to Satgur Partap Singh Apollo Hospital, Ludhiana, and the wife of the complainant was examined by Dr Davinder Pal Singh, consultant neuro and spine surgeon, and he gave his opinion that the wife of the complainant was not given appropriate treatment by a neurosurgeon in the first 48 hours of the injury due to which she slipped into a coma. He said an amount of Rs 25 lakh had been spent by the complainant on her treatment and her treatment was going on at the Apollo Hospital, Ludhiana. The complainant had to arrange a nurse on a monthly salary of Rs 8,000 for the treatment of the wife of the complainant as she needed a medical attendant round the clock. He had sought Rs 20 lakh as compensation. After getting the notice, the opposite party appeared and said the patient was in an unconscious condition when she got admitted to the Mahal Hospital. The doctor said that the attendants of the patient were explained about the poor prognosis and given the opinion to shift the patient to a higher centre for further management. “She was revived and was managed on the basis of clinical and investigative support. The delay in providing emergency treatment for cardiac arrest could have resulted in the mortality of the patient which was averted,” said Dr Gurpreet Singh Mahal. The patient’s husband, however, said she was never told to take his wife to another higher centre for proper treatment and was kept in the hospital till April 17. The forum concluded that the patient required treatment by a neuro-surgeon immediately, but neither was any neuro surgeon available in the hospital nor was called from outside to give any treatment to the patient. “It clearly proves medical negligence on the part of the opposite parties. The doctor is MD (Medicine) and not a neurosurgeon. The complaint is accepted and the opposite parties are directed to pay Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the complainant and further Rs 5,000 as litigation expenses. The entire amount is to be paid within a month from the date of receipt of a copy of this order, failing which the opposite parties shall be liable to pay interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum on the award amount,” the forum decided.
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General Post Office releases special cover of MBD founder
Jalandhar, July 7 Ashok Kumar Malhotra, Chairman and Managing Director, MBD Group, was a first-generation entrepreneur. He was very closely connected to his roots and always keen on working for the benefit of the people of Punjab. With MBD group, he generated employment for hundreds of people in Punjab. Speaking on the occasion, the SSP said, "Ashok Kumar Malhotra has been an inspiration for all of us. We are very proud that he belonged to Jalandhar. The special cover is our tribute to this very special person who valued honesty, hard work and compassion above all other virtues. Despite the group's national and even global presence, AK Malhotra never forgot his hometown." Today, the MBD Group, one of the leading publishing houses in India, has diversified into various industries including, e-learning, hospitality, real estate, mall development and management, eco-friendly notebooks and paper manufacturing. MBD is the only publishing house in India with complete backward and forward integration, right from self-owned paper manufacturing unit to in house pre-press facilities, in-house printing and binding units, and finally reaching the readers through its own distribution network with more than 37 branch offices all over India.
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7,321 HIV+ patients registered at ART centre
Jalandhar, July 7
The tragic part is that staff at the civil hospital say as many as 15 to 20 new patients reported at the ART centre since January this year, are young men aged between 17 to 30. "Some are married, some are not, some have come crying to us saying they were picked up by cops when sitting with some addicts and came back from jail — with AIDS infection — where they mingled with some intravenous drug users. At least three to four are such who we can clearly tell are not even chronic addicts," say the staff. Among other newly-reported patients, there are at least 8 to 10 couples where one or the other (in some cases both) person is HIV positive. These patients are also very young, say the staff. Most young men are coming in from Qazi Mandi, Basti areas, Bhargo Camp and some from the villages. The local ART centre presently (till June end in 2014) has as many as 7,321 HIV positive patients registered for treatment in it. Started in April 2006, the centre got 405 HIV positive patients in its first year. Ever since the peddlers' nightmare started with the current police crackdown — thanks to the Modi government's reported pressure on the state government — many areas have largely been cleansed, as even the staunchest of police critics report. Of the total 7,321 HIV positive patients registered at the centre, 4,267 are male and 2,630 female. As many as 403 HIV positive children are registered there (of whom 242 are male and 161 female). The number of trans-genders receiving treatment are 21. In 2011, 733 patients were registered at the centre, in 2012 — 734, in 2013 — 736 and this year, so far 404 HIV positive patients have been registered. While the district sees a high incidence of tuberculosis, ART centre staff say the incidence of TB is about 10 per cent in the district of the entire population and among these 10 per cent TB patients, the chances of incidence of AIDS is as high as 50 percent. So far, since 2011, as many as 250 TB patients and 288 intravenous drug users have been reported at the civil hospital. The number of registered HIV positive TB patients in the year 2011 was 54, in 2012, it came down to 47, in 2013, the number rose to 92 and this year, 57 of the total 404 patients registered so far, have TB. A considerable number of HIV positive patients at the centre are also truckers and many wives also get it from their husbands, sources said. While elsewhere, doctors and psychiatrists say the incidence of IDUs has increased manifold, the number of Intravenous Drug Use reporting at the civil hospital — compared to the total number of patients — is pretty small. Since 2011, of the 2,6017 patients registered, only 288 were intravenous drug users. In 2011, the number of HIV positive IDUs at the ART centre was 45, in 2012, it was 58, in 2013, it was 106 and this year so far, 79 of the total 405 patients getting treated at the centre are intravenous drug users. Interestingly, while elsewhere, the increasing incidence of hepatitis infections is also considered a serious threat among intravenous drug users, at the civil hospital, sources said the number they were getting is so minuscule that they are not able to keep track of it. SMO D. Baldev Singh says, "Our greatest priority is to give effective treatment to all the patients reported. Sexual transmission is still the most common cause for AIDS but the number of intravenous drug users is substantial. Patients from Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Nawnashahr and Hoshiarpur come to us. In the past five months, patients from Pathankot have stopped, due to an independent ART centre established there."
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Rs 170 cr transmission lines laid in state
Jalandhar, July 7 Giving details in this regard, the CMD said during the year 2013-14, 662.217 circuit KM transmission lines have been laid all over Punjab at an expenditure of Rs 170 Crore. Speaking to Jalandhar Tribune, Chaudhri said, “In north zone, 165 circuit KM transmission lines have been constructed at an expenditure of Rs 43 crore. These lines also included upgrade of 33 KV lines to 66 KV around Nurmahal (Jalandhar) and Kapurthala. This project has helped in giving assured and reliable power supply to the consumers of this area. Also, the 66 KV Sub-Station Patara (Jalandhar) has been shifted from overloaded system of BBMB Jalandhar to 220 KV Sub-Station Rehana Jattan (Kapurthala) by constructing 15 KM long 66 KV line at an expenditure of Rs 5 crore thereby providing adequate relief in the region.” The CMD said, “New 66 KV transmission lines are also being constructed for removing the overloading of Mahilpur (Hoshiarpur) by shifting some sub-stations to Rehana Jattan. Chaudhri disclosed that PSPCL engineers and officials have not only completed transmission works on time but also worked in difficult terrains to complete the job.” Giving an instance, he said, “To provide relief to about 3,000 agricultural consumers, who were not getting adequate power supply because of their land being situated across the Ravi, special foundations were laid by the PSPCL engineers for the The CMD said the progress of transmission works during the year 2013-14 had been satisfactory and efforts were on to plan in such a way that not even a single transformer across Punjab was loaded for more than 80 per cent of its capacity.
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Official’s statement irks DBY committee
Jalandhar, July 7 In a statement released here today, Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee (DBYC) members said Archive Department official Mohiuddin Faruk, in a statement made recently, said, "Even after a detailed study of the records in Delhi, no information regarding any Indian soldiers being gunned down by the East India Company in Ajnala in the year 1857, has been found." Reacting to this, DBYC members said, "A conspiracy is being hatched to create ambiguity about the history of the legendary freedom fighters. This is an attempt to remove their reference from history and an insult to them." In a written statement issued here today DBYC members said when they contacted Director, Archives, Museum and Archeology Department, Dr Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa, he told them that the officer has only said that so far, no list of such soldiers has been received, not that such an incident never happened at Ajnala. The members said the officer further sought proof when questioned why the officials were releasing such ambiguous statements, despite the department having proofs. The committee members said on March 17, many proofs were submitted to the director by the members of the Ajnala committee after meeting him. The DBYC said these proofs were enough to undertake the task for creating a museum, conserving the remains of the martyrs and the martyrs' well. The members also said that through a notification (no. 1282/92-41 C/1812) released on September 16, 1993, the said tehsil where the rebel soldiers were kept for the night, was brought under the jurisdiction of the archaeology department. Taking of efforts made by the DBYC and its associates, the members said the IWA (Great Britain) associated with the Yaadgar Hall has initiated efforts to procure a list of martyrs of the Ajnala well from Britain. An event to commemorate the Ajnala martyrs shall also be held by the Ajnala Committee on August 1.
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Jalandhar, July 7
Jalandhar, July 7
Terming the behaviour of police in curbing the rising incidents of snatching and thefts in the city as lethargic, residents demanded that the police should play an active role in providing security to the citizens.
The police action has caused a paucity of drugs, causing the addicts to resort to intravenous drug use (IDUs) - which in turn is causing a rise in incidence of diseases like AIDS, Hepatitis C and TB.