Malaudh, July 7
Stringent preventive measures to control the spread of diarrhoea at Sehora village continued under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal today.

While teams of medical staff each led by a medical officer monitored the treatment of more than three suspected patients, a team of medical experts, led by state epidemiologist Monika, supervised a movement, which has been launched to educate residents about preventive measures.

Though 89 more persons were diagnosed with the disease, nine patients were discharged from the hospital. The situation was stated to be under control.

District Revenue Officer Mukesh Sharma, who is monitoring the arrangements, said coordinated efforts by officials of the health and public health departments had checked the spread of the disease that was reportedly caused by contamination of water supply a few days ago.

Measures such as cleanliness drive by employees of the Municipal Council of Payal and the Nagar Panchayat of Malaudh, supply of sage water to the residents and routine screening for the pathogens and fogging are being taken.

While 68 persons had been found suffering from diarrhoea till Saturday, doctors identified 192 more cases on Sunday. As many as 89 fresh cases were reported on Monday. Fourteen patients were admitted to the Sehora dispensary and 10 to the local community health centre.

The SMO of Payal, Dr JP Singh, Dr Navneet Bhathal and Dr SP Singh led the teams of doctors who were treating the patients.

Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha Charanjit Singh Atwal and former legislator Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal visited the affected area and patients.

A large number of residents of Ravidass Basti at Sehora village were fell prey to diarrhoea. Illegal water connections and laying of water pipes through drains were identified as major reasons behind the contamination of the water supply.

Meanwhile, Civil Surgeon Subash Batta deployed extra staff at the village dispensary and the primary health centre at Payal so patients could receive treatment round the clock.

Ludhiana, July 7
In another case of crime against minor girls, a minor girl was raped by his classmate at a government school here on Saturday.

In her complaint to the police, the mother of the victim has said that her 12-year- old daughter studies in Government High School, Sunet village. She received a call from a teacher who informed her that her daughter was raped by one of the students of the school.

The teachers of the school informed the girl’s parents that the accused took away the girl forcibly inside the washroom on the school campus. He put his handkerchief in her mouth so she couldn’t shout for help. After raping the girl, the accused ran away from the school. The girl narrated the story to the teachers after school.

The girl’s parents lodged a complaint with the Sarabha Nagar police. The police have registered a case and arrested the accused.

Ludhiana, July 7
Now you need not take stairs to visit any floor of the Mini-secretariat as the much-awaited lift has become operational in the administrative block. Eight people can use it at a time.

The lift, which was inaugurated today by Rajat Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, was a project initiated more than six months ago by Rahul Tiwari, the then Deputy Commissioner. Giving all credit to Tiwari, Aggarwal said: “It was his initiative to serving visitors. I just got it completed with the active support and cooperation of my staff.”

The lift will come in handy especially for senior citizens, women, children, physically challenged and patients. It has been installed at a cost of Rs 18 lakh.

While a schoolteacher said: “The office of the District Education Officer is on the second floor and it becomes very difficult to reach there while carrying files. Finally, the district administration has realised visitors’ problem.”

Earlier, the physically challenged had a tough time reaching the upper floors as there is no ramp. Mohan Lal, a physical challenged person, said: “Better late than never. Indeed, it is a welcome step.”

Ludhiana, July 7
Tightening noose on those violating the building bylaws with impunity, the Assistant Town Planner, Zone D, today served notices on the owners of 10 buildings, asking them to immediately stop construction or be ready to face the music.

The notices have been served on the owner of 90-D, Kitchlu Nagar, whose building was demolished twice earlier; Infinity Saloon, located near Gate Number 3 of the PAU, 29-E, BRS Nagar, part of which is being converted into shops; 8-D, BRS Nagar; and the Roopkala showroom at Ghumar Mandi, where pillars are being raised without approval.

Apart from these six buildings, notices have also been served on the owners of buildings near Krishna Mandir, Model Town and Jawahar Nagar.

Kamaljit Kaur, ATP, said the higher-ups in the MC had received complaints against all these buildings. The complaints were filed by RTI activist Rohit Sabharwal.

“The higher-ups have asked us not to spare anyone carrying out unauthorised constructions. A number of illegal buildings have been demolished in all the four zones of the MC in the past few days,” said the ATP.

Ludhiana, July 7
The railway authorities seem little concerned about the welfare of passengers visiting the local railway station in this hot and humid weather. Most taps at the station dispense hot water. Finding a water cooler at the station is a Herculean task.

Passengers say even though cold water is available at water coolers at the railway station, it is difficult to locate them during a short halt of trains.

Karamjit from Mansa, who alighted from the train to fill a bottle, had to content with hot water. She said she had to fill water from the tap next to her coach. She said she didn’t know there was a water cooler on the platform. Moreover, it is not possible for her to fetch water from it during the brief halt of the train, she said. She said cold water should be available at every tap and signages must be put up to guide passengers to the water cooler, she added.

Another passenger said: “What is the point of having taps at the station if these don’t dispense cold water in this hot weather.” Ludhiana is a big station and one expects better facilities here, he said.

Passengers’ woes do not end here. The fans at the entrance of the railway station are non-functional. The same goes true of the enquiry counter, which sees long queues and heavy rush of passengers throughout the day.

Niraj, a passenger, said it was highly inconsiderate of the railways authorities that the fans were not working even during this hot and humid weather.

Station Superintendent Ravinder Sharma said water is supplied from water tanks, which get warm due to hot weather. However, cold water is available at the 12 water coolers at the station, he said.

Ludhiana, July 7
Continuing action against illegal constructions in the city, a “chaupati” at Cheema Chowk was razed by the building branch of Zone B office of the Municipal Corporation today. The “chaupati” was almost ready to be given on rent to vendors in utter violation of the building bylaws.

Without any civic body approval, about 20 small sheds were erected on a piece of land measuring about 250 square yards.

“These sheds were set up on a plot at Cheema Chowk. It was a violation of the layout plan of Industrial Area-A. A notice was served on the owners and three days’ time was given to them. Today, we demolished all sheds. There was no resistance by anyone,” said Monica, Assistant Town Planner, Zone B. — TNS

Ludhiana, July 7
In the wake of one confirmed and three suspected diarrhoea deaths at Sehora village, the localities in and around Ludhiana are in the grip of fear. In May, a five-year-old boy from Phambran village died of diarrhoea. The Health Department has distributed pamphlets to make people aware of health and hygiene.

The District Epidemiologist, Dr Anil Verma, said the department regularly visited the colonies which were prone to such diseases and educate their residents about cleanliness.

“Pamplets are also being distributed in these areas and awareness is being created among people. Washing hands regularly is one thing which needs to be done repeatedly,” said Dr Verma.

The main causes of diarrhoea are viral infections but it can also be due to food poisoning, caffeine and excessive alcohol consumption. Some of the common symptoms of diarrhoea are abdominal pain, slight fever, and pus or mucus in stool. It usually takes two or four days for the symptoms to disappear completely, depending upon the intensity of the problem.

Ludhiana, July 7
The Vodafone company, the staff of which had damaged the water supply lines of the Municipal Corporation near Gopi Petrol Station, Chandigarh Road, on June 30, has deposited a penalty of Rs 1,01,911 with the civic body.

Kamlesh Bansal, Zonal Commissioner, Zone B, said today that the company had dug up the road in an illegal manner. The digging had damaged water supply pipes in the area. The local residents had to go without water for many days. The authorities had complained to the Division Number 7 police station, Moti Nagar, against the illegal digging.

In another complaint against the same company, the MC has asked it to pay damages worth Rs 4,200. The staff of the company had illegally dug up a road at Bhagat Singh Nagar, Moti Nagar. According to the MC letter dated July 4, the company has been given a notice period of three days to pay the damages.

“Such illegal digging will not be tolerated. Whenever digging is done by a company, prior permission of the MC is mandatory. In case a company does not take prior permission, action as per law will be taken against it,” said Kamlesh Bansal, Zonal Commissioner B.

Samrala July 7
Bharti Kisan Union Rajewal today started a state-level campaign from Mal Majra village to remove congress grass and cannabis. BKU president Balvir Singh Rajewal and Punjab Agriculture Department director Mangal Singh Sidhu were present on the occasion.

In the first phase, union workers will remove weeds from about 5,000 villages.

Rajewal said their union had started the work in Patiala, Ludhiana, Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur and Muktsar. “The workers today removed the weeds in their respective areas,” he said.

He said in the first phase, weeds would be removed with hands and later, they would spray chemicals. — OC

Ludhiana, July 7
Inderjit Nandan, a young writer who has carved a niche for herself in Punjabi poetry, was felicitated at Punjab Agricultural University today.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon along with members of the PAU Teacher Pensioners’ Association and PAU Alumni Association honoured Nandan, who never let her polio infection affect her creative spirit.

A recipient of the Punjabi Sahit Akademi Award 2014, Mother Teresa Award 2012 and Swami Vivekananda State Award of Excellence 2013, Nandan has penned five books, the prominent among which is “Shaheed Bhagat Singh Aanthak Jeevan Gatha”.

Dr SS Gill, president, PAU Teacher Pensioners’ Association, while giving a brief introduction of Nandan, said that she had set a fine example of women’s empowerment. Hailing from Hoshiarpur, Ms Nandan is presently working with Farm’s Produce Promotion Society and is running her own “APNA” self-help group, he said.

“She is making a key contribution to the society and environment through social service and by promoting chemical-free farming and environment conservation,” said Dr Gill.

On the occasion, Dr MS Panesar, Dr BS Sooj, Dr VK Garg and TK Brar recited poetical verses.

Ludhiana, July 7
The cut-off lists released by local government colleges are proving to be a nightmare for aspirants as they find themselves unable to qualify for admissions despite scoring well in Class XII exams.

After completing the process of submission of admission forms, the authorities have been releasing cut-off lists for various courses at both government colleges.

Long queues of aspirants were witnessed at these colleges. Most of them had to return disheartened on finding their marks were not enough to bag them a seat in the colleges.

At the Government College for Girls, the cut-off marks for admission to BSc (medical) stood at 88 per cent for general category, while for admission to BSc (non-medical), students were required to score at least 90.8 per cent marks.

The college had received 1,300 admission forms for 160 seats in non-medical stream and 600 forms for 160 seats in medical stream.

A college professor said although no changes could be made to the list, a number of aspirants approached the college authorities through politicians and other influential persons to assure a seat for themselves.

SCD Government College, meanwhile, released cut-off marks for admission to BCom and BBA.

Jagraon, July 7
A seminar on drug addiction was organised at Lajpat Rai DAV College here today.

The seminar focused on the role of politicians, police and media in curbing drug menace. Students from various schools attended the seminar.

Various speakers, including Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman Rajesh Bagha, local MLA SR Kaler, BJP Kisan Morcha leader Sukhwinderpal Singh Grewal, SGPC member Gurcharan Singh Grewal, Senior Superintendent of Police Ravcharan Singh Brar and Punjab Union of Journalists president Jaspal Singh Heran, addressed the gathering.

"Drug addiction is the most serious problem that Punjab is facing at present. The government has launched a massive drive against this menace, but the government or police cannot curb it on its own. Contribution of mediapersons and the general public hold equal significance to make the state free from drugs," said Bagha.

"The police have arrested many drug peddlers during the drive initiated by the government against drugs. The government is also providing free treatment to drug addicts," said Kaler.

The SSP said anyone involved in drug peddling would not be spared. He asked village panchayats and people to come forward and inform the police if they had any information related to drug peddling in their respective areas.

Ludhiana, July 7
A number of city-based private schools reopened after summer vacation here today.

KVM School, Spring Dale Senior Secondary School, CFC Public School, Bal Bharati School and other prominent schools of the city resumed studies from this morning.

Some private schools had already opened after the break on July 1, while others will resume studies from July 14.

On the first day of school after holidays, teachers asked students to share their experiences. Students spoke about the fun they had and places they visited.

Meeting their friends after a long break, students were seen excited.

Ravinder, a student, said: “I enjoyed a lot during the vacation. I completed my homework on time. It was tough to join the school after one month, but I enjoyed a lot after meeting all my friends after so long.”

CCTV grabs show snatchers targeting a woman in Ludhiana.

Ludhiana, July 7
Friday’s snatching incident has yet again brought to the fore the vulnerability of women in the city. Due to the rising snatching incidents, gated colonies are mushrooming in the city, with residents confining themselves to the four walls.

Although, Kanchan Vasdev, a journalist, fought bravely and foiled the snatching attempt, CCTV grabs belie the tall claims of the police of adequate security arrangements.

It was not a stray incident. Several such cases have taken place in the past, with the culprits making away with purses, mobile phones or gold chains.

The shocking visuals of the incident have evoked sharp reactions from residents, with most of them commending Vasdev’s courage.

Dr Shruti Bhogal, economist, research scholar, said: “We used to roam around without any fear in the city, but things are not the same anymore. Nowadays, only those who have the courage to retaliate can venture out. On the one hand, we talk about women empowerment while on the other, we are letting wrongdoers off the hook. Kanchan Vasdev, a Chandigarh-based journalist, suffered bruises and injuries in the head and ankle when two youths riding a motorcycle tried to snatch her bag. I am proud of her. I wonder why stern action is never taken against snatchers. It can act as a deterrent against those who resort to petty crimes in order to earn a quick buck.”

Navita Puri, principal, KVM School, said: “I am proud of Kanchan. The way she overpowered one of the snatchers was indeed commendable. I believe that self-defence is the best policy. Recently, we had organised a workshop in our school, where students, especially girls, were told to carry whistles so that they could raise the alarm. Similarly, carrying pepper spray and other things can also help women.”

Mehak Garg, fashion designer, said: “It is a shocking incident. Does it mean that stepping out of the house has become a dangerous proposition? Or that goons and snatchers have no fear of law enforcement agencies? A big hug to the woman who showed courage and thumbs down to the authorities.”

Sukhkaran Singh Gill, restaurateur, said: “The spate of mugging incidents is harrowing, simply for us who are working in the hospitality industry. The odd hours make us easy targets. The staff is told to walk in groups. Despite this, one of our staff members was mugged and his motorcycle snatched on Saturday night. Such crimes are mostly being committed by drug addicts. Addiction and easy money are the root cause of the menace. Also, the police being grossly understaffed add to the general sense of insecurity.”

Sham Singh Harika, social activist, said: “Kanchan should be honoured for her bravery. The way she thwarted the snatching attempt and managed to overpower one of the snatchers was commendable. Such incidents cause fear psychosis among residents and raise a question mark over the law and order situation of the city. I request the politicians to take steps.”

Sonia Batish, housewife, said: “There is no stopping snatching incidents. Precaution is better than cure. The panic of mugging is such that I do not carry costly items in my bag. I prefer to keep bank documents and other particulars at home while going out. As incidents of mobile phone snatching are on the rise, one should not carry a high-end mobile.”

Priyank Kumar Sharma, advocate, said: “Our approach of intentionally turning a blind eye to snatching cases and eve-teasing is the main reason why such incidents have started happening frequently in front of our eyes even in broad daylight. Our unwillingness to say “STOP” to such miscreants is their main strength. We blame the police for every wrong happening in society, but forget our role as a citizen to report/provide information to officials. Stepping out of our houses and helping the police will help nab such culprits. It is high time to stop blaming the police for letting the guilty go scot-free and playing our role to assist them with whatever means we have.”

Ludhiana, July 7
Genetic testing can help prevent breast cancer. The test is yet to gain popularity in India.

Dr Devinder Singh Sandhu, oncologist and haematologist, attended a conference at the 
US recently.

He said: “If you have a family history or have had high-risk benign breast disease in the past, talk to your doctor and undergo the test.”

“The test in India costs around Rs 50,000 and it is recommended to those who have a family history as they are more prone to getting affected,” he said.

He said over the years, awareness level regarding breast cancer had increased and now women did not shy away from seeing a doctor if they found something unusual.

“Breast cancer prevention starts with healthy habits such as limiting alcohol and staying physically active. Eat healthy and stay fit,” added Dr Devinder.

Stroke is treatable, 
say experts

Late treatment of stroke may lead to brain damage or paralysis. Medical aid for brain stroke should be given within 4.5 hours.

This was stated by Fortis Hospital’s senior consultant neurosurgeon Dr Vishnu Gupta and consultant neurologist Dr Alok Jain.

Dr Jain said stroke was a potentially treatable condition in many cases. “When a patient reaches an adequate medical facility within 4.5 hours of stroke, he or she can be injected with a brain clot dissolving drug, which restores the blood supply to brain and reduces the residual paralysis,” he said. Citing examples of two patients recently admitted to the hospital, Dr Jain said the patients were given clot dissolving drug.

“They went back home walking without any support within a few days,” he said. Dr Gupta added that since the treatment carried a bleeding risk, the drug should be administered under expert guidance only.

As per WHO, 1880 persons die of stroke in India every year. Many are left permanently paralysed, disabled or dependant, altering their course of life, besides causing economic burden on their families and society. “Awareness on stroke and its management should be created,” he said.

Jagraon, July 7
There seems to be no end to the woes of residents of the town. As sanitation workers visit areas at their whims and fancies, heaps of garbage can be seen dotting every nook and cranny of the town.

Residents of Gandhi Nagar, Ajit Nagar on Raikot Road, Bagh Kheta Ram on College Road, Old Grain Market, New Gaushala Road, Disposal Road, Kacha Malak Road and some other localities in the old city area have raised the issue a number of times, but to no avail.

They said sweepers visited the areas twice or thrice a week, adding that choked drains aggravated the problem.

“The drains are not cleaned and garbage is not lifted for days from our locality,” lamented Brij Bhan, a resident of Bagh Kheta Ram.

The residents stated that the Municipal Council authorities were least bothered. They showed no interest in maintaining cleanliness in the town. “Although we have requested the civic authorities to get the areas cleaned on a regular basis, it seems all our requests have fallen on deaf ears. Nothing has been done to improve the condition of our locality,” said Bhajan Singh, a resident of Disposal Road.

Unhygienic conditions pose a threat to the health of the residents. They said they could fall prey to water-borne diseases. The residents have urged the MC authorities to get the drains and streets cleaned before the onset of rainy season to prevent water-borne diseases.

Jagraon Municipal Council Executive Officer Davinder Singh Toor claimed that the civic body employees lifted garbage on a regular basis. “We will carry out a drive to clean the town,” assured Toor. 

Ludhiana, July 7
Giving in to the demands of Congress councillors, who have been protesting for the past four days at the Zone A office of the Municipal Corporation, Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria has announced to hold the General House meeting on July 25.

The councillors have decided to raise pending issues at the meeting.

On the fourth day of the dharna today, Hem Raj Aggarwal, Leader of Opposition, said the councillors had decided to intensify their agitation, but the Mayor assured them of listening to their demands at the meeting on July 25. Following the Mayor’s assurance, the councillors lifted the dharna. Spokesperson for the Congress councillors Parminder Mehta said the MC authorities should be ready to answer queries related to “scams” that rocked the civic body recently. “The authorities need to answer us,” said Mehta.

Inder Aggarwal, BJP councillor, said since the list of issues was long, the session should not be cut short and everyone should be given a chance to speak.

“Major issues such as implementation of advertising policy, stray dog menace and checks on development works needed to be discussed,” said Aggarwal.

Gurpreet Gogi, Congress councillor, said VAT returns were not released and the development works in the city were suffering. An amount of Rs 100 crore was to be released, but the MC was given just Rs 26 crore. The amount was not sufficient to pay the salaries, how could the works be continued?” asked Gogi.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, July 7
NRIs settled in Canada have been celebrating special days with gaiety. They recently observed Canada Day.

On such occasions, the NRIs miss their near and dear ones.

Gurdip Singh Grewal of Phallewal now settled in Canada said, “A motorcycle parade was taken out by Sikh youths.” He added that senior citizens and former Army officers also attended the event.

He said Punjabis through their performance threw light on the history of Canada. Sukhvir Grewal of Kilaraipur village, said sports events and cultural functions were being organised by the NRIs.

While Donnie Verma, an Indian laureate settled in Canada, said the local organisers appreciated Indians’ gesture. “Indians remain loyal even to their adopted countries,” said Verma.

Vikram Joshi from the local town and Poonam Bawa were among the NRIs who missed their motherland and friends.

“Although we have a lot of fun, we miss our people back home,” said Joshi and Bawa, adding that they exchanged gifts with friends in Canada and sent souvenirs to their parents and friends in India.

Ludhiana, July 7
Chief Engineer Rachpal Singh conducted a surprise check at the main office of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) this morning. Most of the employees did not show up on time, except officials of the distribution section.

The Chief Engineer asked the officials to work with dedication.

He said the PSPCL would take strict action against absentees, adding that negligence on the part of officials would not be tolerated. 

Khanna, July 7
The Khanna police have booked two persons and recovered 37 bottles of liquor from them. The accused have been identified as Sandeep Singh and Amarjeet Singh Bobby.

As per information, a police party today conducted raids and recovered liquor from two houses.

The police recovered 24 bottles of English liquor from the house of Sandeep and 13 bottles from Amarjeet’s house.

The police have registered a case under different Sections of the Excise Act against both the accused.

As per sources, Amarjeet Singh Bobby is a close aide of Khanna Akali Dal halka in-charge and is said to be working at the office of the leader.

Khanna SSP Harsh Kumar Bansal said he was not aware about Amarjeet’s work. However, he clarified the arrested person was a supporter of the leader. — TNS