Faridkot villages better sex ratio
Girls outnumber boys in two villages
Perneet Singh
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, September 8
At a time when Punjab is grappling with skewed sex ratio, a couple of villages of the district have set an example by reversing the trend prevailing in the state thanks to the district administration’s endeavour.

Leading the list of villages that have improved their sex ratio is Bhag Singhwala village which has 1,400 girls against 1,000 boys. Machakimalsingh village too has an impressive sex ratio with 1,200 girls against 1,000 boys. Golewala village stood third with a ratio of 950 girls against 1,000 boys. Overall the sex ratio in the district has shot up to 865 girls against 1,000 boys. The District Social Security, women and Child Development Department carried out a door-to-door survey between January and August to find out the effect of their campaign against female foeticide. CDPO Chhinderpal Kaur said they used to maintain a record of pregnant women in villages and keep track of them until the child was delivered. They would also ascertain the child’s sex at the time of birth. She attributed the campaign’s success to people’s support. She said it was the people of Bhag Singhwala and Machakimal Singh who took the initiative and the survey result shows that their efforts bore fruit. The state government has proposed a prize money of Rs 3 lakh for areas having more than 1,000 girls against 1,000 boys.

She told that if these villages maintained their sex ratio by December their cases would forwarded to the state government under the scheme.

Deputy Commissioner Rakhi Bhandari said it augured well for the girl child and indicated a positive change in people’s mindset.

Jalandhar, September 8
Agony writ large on the faces of Jatinder (15) and Dalip (12) — two brothers from Bihar, who, worked as bonded labourers with a farmer for over two months without wages and who, have been without food for the past two days, has virtually rendered World Nutrition Day today a meaningless ritual for them.

The state-level Nutrition Day was observed in Jalandhar by the Punjab government today. Since Jatinder and Dalip have not had food for the past two days, they are aware neither about nutrition nor the importance of World Nutrition Day for the world.

All that two orphans, whose parents died seven years back in their home in Sitamarhi township of Bihar, know is that they had to walk for six hours from some village to reach Jalandhar after hard and fruitless toil in some village of Jalandhar district for over two months. They are so innocent that they don’t even know the name of the village where they worked just for food.

“We worked in fields of maize and we remember that we were part of a group of 22 people, who, were brought from Bihar to work as labourers in Punjab by one Sunil Thekedar about two months back. We have two sisters and aged grandmother back home,” said a sobbing Dalip.

The story of Jatinder and Dalip could have been worse and they could have been exploited further by some unscrupulous elements had they not met Mr Manoranjan Kalia, a former Punjab Minister and a senior BJP leader, who spotted them near his home at 8 a.m. today in pitiable state.

“Dalip, who, was weeping, was being dragged by Jatinder. When I asked where they were headed for, they said they wanted to go back to their home in Bihar. Questioning revealed that they were suffering from pangs of hunger as they had not eaten anything for two days. I have talked to Deputy Commissioner A.Venu Parsad, who has promised to provide them with ‘safe passage’ to their home town,” said Mr Kalia.

“The farmer, with whom we were left by Sunil did not give even a single penny to us for all these days. We were, however, provided with food twice daily,” rued Jatinder and Dalip, who, could not control their tears.

Mr. A. Venu Parsad, Deputy Commissioner, said that arrangements were being made for their safe travel to their home. “We are going depute some official, so that they are able to reach their homes without any problems,” said Mr Parsad.

Red Cross chemist shops in hospitals closed
Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur September 8
The administration today ordered closure of all the Red Cross chemist shops operating in the civil hospitals on the instructions of the district health staff.

The Red Cross chemist shops on the premises of civil hospitals were opened for the facility of the patients. The basic objective was to provide medicine 24 hours to the patients at controlled rates. The accommodation for the shops had been provided by the health authorities, while the medicines were supplied by the Red Cross.

Chemists having their shops outside the civil hospitals were against opening of such shops. They had been alleging that substandard drugs were being sold at the Red Cross shops in connivance with the doctors.

The Red Cross shops affected their business as most of the patients were directed by the doctors to buy medicines from the shops located on the hospital premises. The daily sale of the Red Cross shops varied from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000.

However, the sudden closure of the shops has come as surprise for the patients of the civil hospitals.

The Civil Surgeon, Gurdaspur, when contacted, said they ordered the closure of the Red Cross chemist shops on the directives of the government.

The deputy commissioner, Mr Vivek Pratap Singh, when contacted, said certain chemists from Batala had approached the Punjab and Haryana high court against the Red Cross chemists shops in civil hospitals. The court in an order recently had made adverse comments against the shops.

Bar Council supports all-India judicial service
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 8
The recent recommendation of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice for setting up an all-India judicial service has drawn support from the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana.

At a meeting held here, members of the Bar Council, the highest disciplinary body of lawyers for the states of Punjab and Haryana as the well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh, discussed the issue threadbare and came to the conclusion that such a service would make the appointment of Judges of the High Courts more transparent.

According to Mr Harish Rai Dhanda, the Chairperson of the Bar Council, introduction of this system would go a long way in make the process of appointment of Judges more transparent.

“As of now, the present system, where High Court Judges are recommending names by way of collegium, is leaving a lot to be desired. While we are strongly opposed to the legislature or Executive interfering in the process of appointment of Judges, an all-India judicial service could be the answer,” Mr Dhanda said.

In another major demand, the Bar Council has said that the practice of appointing retired Judges of the High Court as well as lower judiciary to various government posts, including chairperson and members of various commissions and tribunals must be stopped.

“I personally think that lure of such appointments in future can be a negative effect. Why should retired Judges be appointed to such posts? Why not trained lawyers of integrity and those who fit a minimum criteria?” Mr Dhanda said.

Mr Dhanda also disclosed that the Bar Council has submitted its suggestions to the Punjab Government about the proposed Advocates Welfare Fund Act.

The Bar Council Secretary, advocate Lekh Raj Sharma, said that among the other demands of the Bar Council are that Form B, Rule 20 in the VAT Act be dispensed with; amendment be made in the Registration Act, wherein it must be made mandatory to get a certificate from a lawyer of not less than five years standing about the title of the property; bringing legislation to regulate immigration agencies; and making it mandatory of all companies having a turnover of over Rs 5 crore per year to have at least lawyer on its board.

Meanwhile, the members also applauded the services rendered by Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association president Anmol Rattan Sidhu and Mr C.M. Munjal, both former chairperson of the Bar Council, at various occasions.

Mr Mittar Sain Goel, District Attorney, was also honoured for his literary contribution to the legal system.

Fatehgarh Sahib, September 8
Ms Jaspreet Talwar, Deputy Commissioner, while presiding over the monthly meeting of the district officials here yesterday directed the SDMs to conduct a regular checking of the respective schools falling in the area, remove the encroachments on government lands as well as to ensure the implementation of various welfare schemes of the government. She directed the DEOs and the CDPOs to check the proper distribution of ration goods, its quality in rural anganwari centres and schools under the mid-day meal scheme.

The said under the 5 marla-plot scheme 2,400 plots were being given to houseless people from panchayat lands in the first phase. She directed all BDPOs and the CDPOs to distribute all type of pensions by September 15 and submit the APRs by September 20.

The Deputy Commissioner directed Executive Officers to ensure that pure-drinking water was supplied in all towns of the district.

She directed the officers to ensure transparent and corruption-free administration and warned if any one found indulging in corrupt practices would not be spared.

Mr D.P. Gupta, ADC, Mr B.S. Shergil, ADC (D), and SDMs also addressed at the meeting.

CRIME

Gang of narcotics smugglers busted
Our Correspondent

Abohar, September 8
The sadar thana police here today busted an inter-state gang of narcotics smugglers and recovered 25-kg opium.

Mr Arpit Shukla, Senior Superintendent of Police, told newspersons here that the sadar police party intercepted a Balero silver colour vehicle coming from Rajasthan, near village Sherewala. The occupants added to suspicion by trying to escape.

After search, the police found 25 kg opium placed on the backside of the driver seat. Three persons, identified as Jia Ram Bishnoi, son of Ghanghar Ram, Bansi Lal Bishnoi, son of Bhagirath Ram Bishnoi and Oma Ram Bishnoi son of Babu Ram have been arrested .

During preliminary investigation, it came to light that Jia Ram and Bansi Ram, king-pins of the inter-state gang, used to deliver the consignments of narcotics and drugs in different parts of Punjab, especially in the border districts up to Gurdaspur.

The accused reportedly revealed that they had bought opium from Umar Gaon village in Neemach district of Madhya Pradesh for sale at their permanent counters.

The gang had been supplying opium in the border belt for last seven years. Ferozepore district police had earlier recovered 10-kg opium each here and in Ghal Khurd areas.

Police parties were rushed to nab other members of the gang on the basis of information provided by the accused.

Amritsar, September 8
Members of the local chapter of the Punjab Polytechnic Teachers Association, along with students of four colleges, organised a protest against the state government for transfer of management of polytechnics to societies.

The agitators burnt the effigy of the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, and blocked traffic for an hour, resulting in traffic chaos at the Bhandari bridge.

Teachers and students of four colleges, including Mai Bhago Government Polytechnic for Women, GIGT College, Government Institute of Textile Technology and Government Polytechnic, participated in the agitation. All of them started march from their colleges and converged on Hall Gate under the leadership of their local president, Mr Parambir Singh Mattewal.

He said they would hold a state-level protest in the constituency of Technical Education Minister Ramesh Dogra at Dasuha (Hoshiarpur) to express their grievance to the government.

He said the Cabinet approved the change on August 29 and termed the move as another way of privatisation. They also gave a memorandum.