Kapurthala, July 4
Similar to situation in other parts of the state, educational facilities for children in government schools continue to be grossly inadequate in Kapurthala district too. What should be citadels of a proud nation are horrific examples of neglect, decadence, decay and lack of societal pride.

Let alone other benefits, a large number of government schools don’t even have adequate number of teachers for students. Nearly one-third of the total 536 primary schools of the district don’t have enough teachers to teach nearly 45,000 students.
The state of affairs is so bad that 31 primary schools are without even a single teacher. Other 120 schools have only a single teacher. According to sources in the office of the District Education Officer (Primary), there are a large number of vacancies in the schools. The total number of 1343 sanctioned posts of JBT teachers, 315 of head teachers and 63 posts of centre head teachers in 536 primary schools.

According to a notification issued by the state government in March this year, 154 rural and 6 urban schools have been transferred to Zila Parishads and Municipal Councils.

In the remaining 376 schools, 190 posts of JBT teaches have been lying vacant for the past several years, the sources added. Almost similar conditions prevail in 110 middle schools, 62 high schools and 49 senior secondary schools in the district. One-fifth of the total sanctioned posts are lying vacant in these 211 schools looked after by DEO (Secondary).

According to sources, no appointment has been made for 343 posts of masters, which are lying vacant. There are 1731 sanctioned posts of masters. Out of the sanctioned 309 posts of lecturers 86 are vacant while 88 posts of classical and vernacular (C&V) teachers are lying vacant against sanctioned 487 posts in these schools.

Interestingly some schools, including Girls School, Dyalpura, and Dhilwan function from buildings that have been declared unsafe, the sources added.

One cannot expect good results from these schools due to shortage of teachers.

When contacted, DEO (Secondary) Mr Surinder Singh Atwal, admitted that there was shortage of teachers in several schools. At the same time, he said that some ETT teachers had been elevated to social studies, science and Punjabi teachers in the schools looked after by his office in the district.

Despite these efforts there were several vacancies. The Education Department had recently issued an advertisement to recruit 2,000 teachers. Some of them would be appointed to Kapurthala district and the shortage would reduce further, he added. He claimed that no school was being run in unsafe building at present as the buildings of four such schools had been repaired after receiving a special grant for the purpose.

Kapurthala, July 4
Contrary to the statement he issued at a public function here yesterday, Jalandhar MP Rana Gurjit Singh today claimed that he had “not helped” former SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur. He claimed that some newspapers had misquoted him on the issue.

However, the MP said he did support Bibi’s candidate during the Kapurthala Central Cooperative Bank elections some months back.

In a signed statement issued today, Rana Gurjit Singh clarified that he had never helped Bibi Jagir Kaur during the 2002 Assembly elections.

Though at that time, he was contesting elections from the Kapurthala seat, Rana Gurjit Singh said he supported Congress candidate Sukhpal Singh Khaira from the Bholath seat against SAD candidate Bibi Jagir Kaur.

The MP today said that during the bank elections, he did support Bibi Jagir Kaur’s candidate, not Bibi Jagir Kaur.

Rana Gurjit Singh claimed that the bank elections were contested on non-party symbols.

Interestingly, Rana Gurjit Singh also claimed that Mr Khaira had confessed to have opposed his sister-in-law Sukhjinder Kaur Rana during the 2004 by-elections from the Kapurthala seat in the presence of senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Parliamentary Secretary, Agriculture and Cooperation.

It was Mr Randhawa who had intervened to bring him and Mr Khaira to the talking table, Rana Gurjit Singh added.

Addressing a public gathering at the oath-taking ceremony of Mr Khaira as the new DCC chief of Kapurthala yesterday, the MP had reportedly said that he had supported Bibi Jagir Kaur because Mr Khaira had helped Mr Raghubir Singh.

Interestingly, in his statement today, Rana Gurjit Singh did not forget to say in the end that he and Khaira had buried the past and were now united.

Mr Khaira refused to comment on his reported “confession”.

He instead said that a new beginning has been made and that he and Rana Gurjit Singh should work untidily for the betterment of the party.

Jalandhar, July 4
Following complaints regarding the adulteration of milk and dairy products, a team of officials and inspectors from the Dairy Development Department today collected two samples of paneer and one each of ghee and milk from different parts of the city.

Sources in the department said the paneer samples were taken from the bulk supplies sent to city hotels by a dairy owner based at Kalanau, Batala. They said the diary owner supplied several quintals of paneer to the hotels.

The officials swung into action after the department received several complaints of contamination.

Adulteration was suspected, as the paneer was being sold at Rs 45 per kg which could not be supplied for any amount less than Rs 70 or 80 per kg if it was pure, the officials said. In the market, it is being sold for Rs 90 per kg, they added.

The team also took a ghee sample from a dairy owner. He was selling the ghee at very low prices in Dana Mandi. The inspectors claimed the ghee might contain some quantity of Dalda.

While taking the sample, the inspectors also found that the pouches in which the ghee was being sold neither had any VAT number nor the date of manufacturing.

The inspectors took a sample of milk supplied by a Bholath contractor from the PAP area. They had received complaints that children of the PAP employees often suffered from stomachs troubles. The officials suspect the presence of chemicals in the milk, used to increases its shelf life.

The inspectors said the pouches bore a disclaimer from the owner that said that anybody who could prove any kind of adulteration would get Rs 10,000 as prize money.

The samples were taken by Dr Hardev Singh Dhillon, Deputy Director, Dairy Development Department, Dr Avtar Singh, Civil Surgeon, Dr Raman Trehan and Dr Harjot Singh, Food Inspectors. Mr Balwinderjit and Mr Waryam Singh, both Dairy Development Inspectors, were also a part of the team. The officials said it would take 25 to 30 days for the reports to arrive. 

Phagwara, July 4
Farmers in Punjab have decided to hold protest rallies and stop traffic in the state on July 10 to press for a host of demands, including the waiver of agricultural loans and levying of flat rates of taxes on diesel and petrol.

Farmers, agricultural labourers and Dalits would hold rallies to press upon the Centre as well as the state government to waive agricultural loans without any delay, President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) Joginder Singh said here today.

The BKU state executive, during a meeting here, adopted a resolution urging the Centre to announce a minimum support price of kharif crops. 

Phagwara, July 4
Burglars broke into the house of one Surinder Nangla at Guru Harkrishan Nagar yesterday night and decamped with gold ornaments, cash and several domestic items worth Rs 2.50 lakh. According to information, the burglars stole Rs 60,000 in cash, 15 tolas of gold and other valuables. Nobody was at home as the Nangla family had gone to Anandpur Sahib. An FIR has been registered in this regard. A dog squad was also called on the spot. — TNS