Jalandhar, August 4
For violating guidelines of the Supreme Court (SC) on school buses, a senior police official said the management of Innocent Hearts School might face a contempt case. The school had also violated the orders of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), issued under Section 144 of the CrPC on school buses’ safety, which also invited action under Section 188 of the CrPC. Meanwhile, the school principal, who was summoned by the city police to join the investigation and submit record about the buses, didn’t join the police investigation today.

The police said if after a reminder, he did not again join the investigation, he could be charged under Section 174 of the IPC.

Following the death of a four-year-old child Aarush, an LKG student, on August 1, who fell off a moving bus, Jalandhar Tribune had highlighted that the bus was being plied without any valid permit, valid documents and even the mandatory speed governor that prevented the bus driver from driving fast, making it a fit case of contempt of the Supreme Courts directions on school buses.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Naveen Singla, while confirming the same, told The Tribune that it was likely that the school might face a contempt case for violating the Supreme Court’s guidelines.

The DCP said the police would go ahead in taking legal action after listening to the school principal. We have to give a chance to the school for presenting its viewpoint, and if the police found any discrepancies, action was likely, he added.

Jalandhar, August 4
Even as it was the third series for the vanity registration number of vehicles to go in the e-auction mode in Jalandhar, the response remained feeble, with only 55 out of a total of 266 numbers in the PB-08-CL getting sold.

While only 64 numbers could be sold in the CJ series, which was the first to go through online bid mode in March this year, the CK series had got a lesser response, with only 50 numbers getting sold in June. Even this time as many as 211 numbers have remained vacant with no bidders coming.

While the 0001 number has gone for Rs 5.11 lakh and Rs 5.02 lakh in the previous series marginally up from the reserve price of Rs 5 lakh, the first number has failed to get any response at all this time. In fact, there has been no response for the first 26 numbers.

Only two double-digit numbers have got sold this time – 0027 going for Rs 1.01 lakh and 0076 number went on the reserve price of Rs 1 lakh only. Only 16 triple-digit numbers have been sold.

The 0100 number, which has a reserve price of Rs 25,000, got a good appreciation as it went for Rs 42,000. The 0111, at the same base price, went for Rs 32,500. Likewise, 1000 number available at the same minimum price, saw a good competition as it went for Rs 35,500. The much-sought-after holy number 0786 with a base price of Rs 2.5 lakh went for Rs 500 more.

The staff of the DTO office said that while earlier it was being discussed that the fancy numbers of a series would be re-auctioned by being carried forward in the next auction, a final word is yet to come. The department has been allotting the remaining numbers manually on the first-come-first-serve basis at the reserve price for any visitors coming post auction.

Transport Minister Ajit Singh Kohar, when recently informed about the poor response to online bidding, said he felt that at least transparency had been brought into the system. “Response going somewhat feeble was expected at initial stage. We are thinking of going in for more publicity and making certain changes to ensure better response in subsequent time,” he said.

Jalandhar, August 4
Extending a big relief to the provident fund account holders, the EPFO Jalandhar has issued a universal account number (UAN). It will benefit around its five lakh members.

Even if any employee changes his/her job, he/she can continue his contribution towards the provident fund in the same account number.

Regional PF Commissioner Dheeraj Gupta, while releasing the UAN, apprised employers of their role and the process to enrol their employees under the UAN.

The official said once issued, the UAN would be portable throughout the working career of members and could be used anywhere in India. After getting the UAN, a worker would not need to apply for the transfer of the PF account claim on changing jobs. It is a bigger relief being extended to the account holder by the department.

Now an employer needs to upload the KYC information of its employees on the online transfer claim portal (OTCP) to activate the UAN of employees.

Gupta said special directions had been issued to officials to intensify the work to allot the UAN to maximum account holders.

Jalandhar, August 4
It is one of the noblest acts the government has thought up for the students of the state. While the entire education fraternity has very high hopes from the scheme to provide free education to meritorious students in the state, the first day of the school in the district took off amidst some confusion and chaos.

As many as 336 students from across the state came in to claim their respective berths at the meritorious school in Jalandhar today. The initial arrangements for them were, however, were patchy.

As a multitude of students and parents came in to the school today to get their wards settled at the school, the arrangements made by the government were clearly not adequate to handle the crowd. Students were also greeted by an incomplete hostel.

The toilets, on even the very floors where students shall be staying, are incomplete. The contractor to feed the students hasn’t been hired so far (however temporary arrangements have been made) and almost all parents were seen sitting on the floors across the building.

Moreover, the boys’ hostel isn’t even complete to the extent that students might stay there. So the boys presently will put up at the Youth Hostel in Burlton Park.

Many parents had to sit on the hostel reception floors, rooms floors or the enclosure outside the hostel due to the lack of seating arrangements.

In total, as many as 413 students have taken admission in Meritorious School in the district so far. Of the 336 students who reported until today, 237 are girls and a mere 99 are boys.

All these 99 boys are presently putting up at the Youth Hostel.

While officially the Education Department has been maintaining that classes will start from August 4, that seems impossible in the coming two to three days.

Even as officials said that the classes would begin tomorrow, the lack of basic furniture in the classrooms of the hostel told a pretty different story.

Speaking on inconvenience faced by various parents and students, DEO (Secondary Education) Harinder Pal said, “We specially brought in 150 chairs just for the parents so that they may sit. Some of the students brought as many as eight to nine relatives. In that case, even we are helpless. So some had to adjust.”

Speaking ON the lack of drinking water and food arrangements for the students, the DEO said, “All students and many parents were also fed at the school mess today. While the permanent contractor is yet to be hired, until one is appointed, students will regularly be fed by a temporary contractor.”

On the lack of toilets, the DEO said, “Only those floors where students are not staying have incomplete toilets. Students have got the ones that are complete.”

Principal of the school Massa Singh said, “All basic arrangements at the hostel are complete and the classes will be started by tomorrow. While staff has been hired, only the appointment of some peons remains, rest is all set. That too, shall be done in a few days. Place for 600 boys and 400 girls is available at the hostel and soon the boys shall be moved as well. The 8 am to 2 pm school schedule shall start in the school from tomorrow onwards.”

Speaking on the additional coaching to be provided to the students, he said, “All students shall certainly also receive coaching but there are so far no guidelines on whether the already hired teachers or new coaches shall provide these.”

Numbers

The school received 336 students today, of whom 237 are girls and 99 boys. The largest number of admissions – 223 — are in the non-medical stream (80 boys, 143 girls), in the commerce stream there are 56 admissions (44 boys, 12 girls) and in the medical stream there are 57 admissions (50 girls and seven boys). The rest 77 students of the school are expected to come by tomorrow.

Jalandhar toppers left out

While ideally the district should be given priority for admission in the school, the number of merit holders across the state, opting for Jalandhar, were so many that many Jalandhar students scoring 80 per cent or more have been left out of the merit race in their own district. Meanwhile, in view of the about 85 seats left unfilled by boys for the school it is also being mulled whether these might be filled by the district merit students left out.

Fact file 336 students report, 77 to report on Tuesday Even as classes are empty, staff say classes will start on Tuesday Confusion also at the school as many arrangements incomplete

Jalandhar, August 4
Of the 1,491 schools and 2,10,202 students studying in them, not even half are regularly monitored under the school health prgrmamme by the Health Department.

The target for the schools to be checked per month under the school health programme is 149 and the number of anganwari centres to be checked per month is 331 (of the 1,653 in district). The prevalence of anaemia among the schoolchildren, according to doctors, is a whopping 60 per cent. The per month target for checking students is 21,020. Interestingly, as schools have been told that the mandatory number of checks per year is just two, sources say it is a convenient arrangement for both schools and the health department to have a happy time even as the health of children takes a big hit.

Most schools complain it's been months the health teams visited their premises or ever instructed the teachers to prepare a healthy mid- ay meal. While the school health programme is the one directly responsible for checking the health of students, the doctors have not been paying regular visits to schools for months.

Even for sensitive programme like the National Blindness Control Programme — interestingly the eye mobile which alone has a lot of work on its hands — has been allocated this extra task. Meanwhile, the School Health Clinic languishes for lack of adequate staff, equipment, mobilisation (and some say even power) in an obscure corner of the Basti Gujan area of the city. Hardly any school even knows such a clinic exists.

Water woes: From April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014, as many as 815 water samples have been tested in various schools of which as many as 232 have failed.

Heart, cancer and thalassaemia: From April 2013 to March 2014, as many as 19 students suffering from rheumatic heart disease or chronic heart disease have been referred for treatment. The number of cancer patients referred from government schools for treatment during the said period is merely four. Meanwhile, seven students suffering from thalassaemia have been referred to the civil hospital during the given period.

"The news of the abhorrent condition of the mid-day meal we have been seeing daily is a shame. If the government can't even feed little children properly, what else can it do? These children don't have influential families to back them nor parents who would go and sue a school for feeding them a cockroach. The education and health departments are responsible for these hapless children and their nutrition should be the topmost priority. The school health programme has clearly failed to do its bit to ensure healthy schoolchildren in the district,” said Deepak Kalia, a resident of the city.

"Any picture one sees of government school students or even tales we hear from the people working at our homes about the state of affairs at school are horrible. While there is an ample flow of the iron and folic acid tablets, the mid-day meal is mum on nutrients or for the proper sustenance of students. So while there is a lack of nourishment, on top of it, they are fed tablets. As long as their food is not wholesome, medicines won't work. So the basic requisite of the school health programme is ensuring that students are getting good food and their nourishment is proper,” said Neha Bhalla, a teacher at a private school.

"The school health programme is basically meant to ensure that students' basic health needs are fulfilled and their health check-ups happen at regular intervals so that there is no room for any ailment to develop. Stringent health checks every week at all schools are a must for the health of school children to be maintained. These are children dependent fully on the government for their well-being. Ignoring them is one of the biggest ills in the society," said Sonia Arora, a professor at a local college.

"Students, especially in the far- flung areas are at the receiving end of government apathy. While in urban areas, doctors are still strict and stringent in efforts to curb ailments among school children, in rural areas, neither water, nor meal or students' health is a priority. There are many rural schools where health teams do not even step in. There are also reports wherein teachers are asked to handle the incidence of ailments. Is there no difference between a teacher and trained doctor? Until the diagnosis is proper, students' ailments won't be clear. Proper check-ups and diagnosis across schools in the district are very important for the proper sustenance and effectiveness of the school health programme," said Tarannum, a city-based teacher.

"Schools across the district have children who are labourers, and poor belonging to families with limited financial means. Neither their environment at home nor their parents ever lay much stress on their health. The very basic requisite and emphasis of the RTE Act is that schools make up for all their homes cannot provide in their lives for all these little children. Every time a child with a health problem goes ignored, every time his/her pain is left unattended by the teachers or the doctors tasked with attending to these students, the basic purpose of the noble act is defeated in yet another child. Years of hard work and devotion is required to bring the health of child doing labour after school to normalcy and still more time is required to make him healthy. The government is non-serious about the health of these little children and stringent steps need to be taken to revive the school health programme which has suffered due to general apathy," said HS Basra, a Jalandhar-based businessman.

"I think somewhere parents of students also have to be active in pursuing their wards' needs. If parents of students across government schools start demanding better health checks and proper mid- day meal and nutrition for their wards, if they start meeting officials and questioning the way of health and/or education officials, there will be scare among the department as well. Right now, they just seem to be putting up with the authorities. Also, the government needs to set examples of schools which provide mid-day meals and doctors who perform well. There should be awards for such institutions so that their morale is boosted from time to time," said Gurpreet Ahluwalia, a city resident.

"We are satisfied with the level of work done in health matters by our neighbouring dispensary. Right now, we have been provided more iron and folic acid tablets than we need. We regularly send students for check-ups at the rural dispensary and those with more complicated problems are sent to the civil hospital after check-ups by the doctor. The state of monitoring mid-day meal is bad though. Even though we provide good food, mid- day checks in villages happen only when there is some news on the issue. Otherwise, doctors or health teams hardly check schools the whole year round," said Sajiwan Dadwal, headmaster of a government school.

Jalandhar, August 4
The Health Department today inspected Gandhi Vanita Ashram and found inmates drinking contaminated water from the tank full of algae and bacterial growth.

Also, two minor girls with seven and eight months of pregnancy and a mentally challenged girl were found to be in severe anaemic condition. The team also found the medicine cupboard locked by the superintendent who was absent from the premises at the time of visit. The health officials slammed the observation home staff and directed them to improve the living conditions with immediate effect.

officials’ speak
Although, the overall condition inside the home was found to be satisfactory, we will take up the issue of clean drinking water, new refrigerator and improving the sanitary conditions inside the premises with the concerned departments
Dr Balwinder Singh, DIstrict Health Officer, Jalandhar

We have already submitted a report to the Punjab and Haryana High Court two months ago. We had shared our concerns with the district administration at that time. They should have taken cognisance of our feedback and taken steps to improve the living conditions inside the Gandhi Vanita Ashram. It is unfortunate that even now, the young girls are forced to live in such inhuman conditions
Rana Kanwardeep Kaur, Civil Judge-Senior Division and Secretary, DLSA

Jalandhar, August 4
The Veterinary Inspectors in the district have refused to perform the artificial insemination of animals from Monday alleging that the state government has withdrawn this power from them way back in 2011.

They further alleged that despite withdrawing this power from them two years back, they have not issued any public notification of the same. There are around 1482 veterinary inspectors in the state out of which 67 are from Jalandhar. Around 95 per cent of the artificial insemination in animals being held in the state is being performed by these veterinary Inspectors only.

“We have been given annual targets and we have to adhere to that. In Jalandhar alone, we have an annual target to inseminate around 65,000 animals, including cows and buffaloes. As there is huge shortage of manpower in the department, the government solely depends upon us to get the revenue earned from the artificial insemination. Now, since we are not entitled for it, we will not perform it from now onwards,” said Kishen Chander Mahajan, Press Secretary, Punjab State Veterinary Inspector Association.

He said, “The Vet Inspectors are also performing the duties of Veterinary Practitioners in various hospitals across the state due to acute shortage of manpower in the department.”

These para vets are hired by the state government under section 30(B) of the All India veterinary Act 1982 that entitles it to permit a person holding a diploma or certificate veterinary supervisor, stockman or stock assistant issued by the Directorate of Animal Husbandry or any state or a veterinary Institute of India to perform minor veterinary services. However, the act does not allow them to perform artificial insemination in animals without the presence of a registered veterinary practitioner. But due to acute shortage of staff, most of them are performing the process single handedly. “Whenever, the All-India veterinary Practitioners pressurise the state government, they withdrew the power from us and later reinstate the same after the issue fizzles out a little. But this time, they have to legalise our jobs permanently or we will not perform any further insemination in the state,” said AS Kahlon, Veterinary Inspector, Salempur.

HS Sandha, Director Animal Husbandry, Punjab, while accepting the lapse said soon a fresh notification would be issued that would entitles the Vet Inspectors to perform insemination in the state. “They are doing a good job. It was just a mild confusion. We will rectify it with a fresh notification soon,” said Sandha.

Jalandhar, August 4
Members of Bahujan Samaj Party today alleged police inaction in several criminal complaints filed at the Lambra police station.

They also alleged that in certain cases in which police have registered a complaint, filing of challan in court is being delayed by the Lambra police. The party members had put up three recent cases in which Lambra police didn’t play a satisfactory role.

BSP spokesperson Balwinder Kumar said on August 2, BSP worker Jagjit Singh of Hussainpur village was injured and looted of Rs 8,500 Love Kumar and his accomplices. When victim went to file compliant at the police station, SHO misbehaved and manhandled him. He said, if the police would not take action against SHO, they would resort to protest.

In the second case, BSP worker Manjit Kumar of Hussainpur was beaten up by some persons on November 23, 2013. Despite registering an FIR, the police has did not file a challan in the court. “We have met the SSP five times but he is just making hollow promises,” alleged Manjit.

In the third case, BSP worker Jaswinder of Hussainpur alleged that Joginder, Pawan and Jagdish, after barging into his house had hurled abusive remarks on his wife and also ransacked his house. In this regard, an FIR was registered at Lambra police station against the trio, but the police did not submitted challan in the court.

The BSP workers warned that if police would not intensify investigation into these cases, they would launch protest.

Jalandhar, August 4
DAV University has started a tree-plantation drive to increase the green cover on the campus. More than 150 saplings were planted during the drive launched by Ishwar Singh, Chief Conservator of Forests, Ministry of Environment and Forests, on Monday.

Dr SC Jain, vice-president, Gurukul University, Banur, Prof AK Thukral from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and Prof Paramjit Khurana from University of Delhi, also participated in the drive. Various authorities of the university, including the Vice-Chancellor Dr RK Kohli, Advisor to DAV University HR Gandhar, Registrar Dr Satish K Kapoor and Dean (Academics) Dr Naresh Sahajpal in addition to faculty members and students also planted trees on the occasion.

Jalandhar, August 4
The Dairy Department’s drive to make people aware of milk adulteration is going on at a snail’s pace due to lack of adequate staff and infrastructure.

In order to educate people about growing milk adulteration problem in the region, the Dairy Department had launched a milk sample collection campaign a while ago. Under the campaign, the officials visited every locality of the city to collect samples and educate the people.

”As part of the campaign, the bottles to collect samples were provided to the residents a day before, and they used to get back to us with samples next morning,” said a Dairy Department official.

Ironically, the Dairy Department has been allocated only one van to make the people aware of milk adulteration in three districts, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Nawanshehr. Besides, only one machine to test the samples is available in the entire Jalandhar district, which is not sufficient.

Apart from this, there are only five staff members in Jalandhar Dairy Department, including deputy director, one assistant dairy director-cum-inspector, and three sub inspectors, who have numerous other duties to perform within the department. Likewise, only four staff members are working in Kapurthala and Nawanshehr each. Since the inception of this drive, only five camps have organised in the various localities within the city, in which around 100 samples have been provided by the residents. Assistant dairy director Wariam Singh said, “Due to lack of the staff and adequate infrastructure, the awareness programme is not going at the pace it is supposed to go. There should be a separate staff to carry out this drive.” He said a majority of samples that have been tested failed because of excessive water in it. Many samples showed more that 50 per cent water in the milk. 

Jalandhar, August 4
A 20-member delegation of the Government Teachers Union met CPS Avinash Chander.

The teachers demanded the suspension and revoking of state awardee status of the controversial BPEO Sukhdev Lakha.

The delegation headed by state president Seetal Singh Chahal and state press secretary Amarjit Singh Mehmi said in view of the plethora of complaints against the said official by various female teachers and many pending enquiries against him the ironically award winning BPEO should be suspended and sent out of district so that he might not influence the enquiries pending against him and his state awardee status be revoked.

The charges and allegations against BPEO Surjit Kumar Lakha include financial harassment of teachers, mental harassment of female teachers, exercising powers outside his jurisdiction and misuse of government funds among others.

Union members said the CPS called up the education secretary on the occasion and directed him to suspend the BPEO and revoke his state awardee status. — TNS

Jalandhar, August 4
A jewellery shop was burgled last night at Lal Bazar from where valuables worth lakhs were stolen.

Ashok, owner of Jaidev, Ashok Kumar Jewelers, said they had closed their shop last night and when they opened the shop this morning, they found it burgled. “Locks of shutters were lying broken and when I went inside the showroom, I found the whole shop burgled. The burglars had decamped with gold and silver worth lakhs,” he added.

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