Tarn Taran diary: 12th standard student Kiranpreet Kaur refuses to accept award

Kiranpreet Kaur, a student of 12th standard and a resident of Gunowal Havelian (PO Bundala) has refused to receive the award given to her for securing the first rank at the national level in the Biology Olympiad. The test was conducted in December 2021 and the results were declared in August 2022. The Common Services Centre (CSC) under the Digital India Programme had conducted the test. The CSC sent Kiranpreet Kaur an e-cycle to be delivered to her on Independence Day by the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Tarn Taran. Kiranpreet Kaur was informed in advance by the DC office but the office forgot to deliver the letter to her as a result of which she missed the chance to get her prize. Kiranpreet along with her family members approached the DC office later and was instructed to contact with the branch concerned. Kiranpreet was informed by the staff concerned that as she had come late, her e-cycle was lying at his home and would be given to her after some days. In spite of repeated visits to the DC office, the e-cycle has not been delivered to Kiranpreet till date. Feeling humiliated, she refused to accept her prize in protest. She wrote letters to the authorities of the Information and Technology Department of Government of India, Deputy Commissioner, Tarn Taran, Monish Kumar and other officials. The Deputy Commissioner, when contacted, said he would conduct an inquiry in this regard. The state leadership of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab also took up the matter and asked the state government to intervene.

Vocational training for jail inmates

The de-addiction and OOAT centre, Patti which was running the OOAT centre in sub-jail Patti, had started a special vocational training course for drug dependents to rehabilitate them. The initiative had been launched with the assistance of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Booh (Tarn Taran district), by officials of the local health department. It is a first in a prison set-up in the state. “It was an initiative to productively engage the addicts, make them financially independent and re-integrate them into society,” said Dr Jaspreet Singh, Medical Officer, Rehabilitation and De-addiction Centre, Bhagupur, who was also looking after the jail OOAT centre. Dr Satwinder Bhagat, SMO, Civil Hospital, Patti, and Jatinderpal Singh, Jail Deputy Superintendent, who monitored the development, said the patients addicted to drugs would be trained theoretically and practically by experts of the health and agriculture departments. The patients would be prepared to become responsible citizens. They would be trained in organic farming, with the latest agricultural and horticultural techniques and it would connect them with nature to provide them with a sense of accomplishment and serenity. During the training, the patients are to be provided with detailed information about the scientific cultivation of vegetables and flowers, nursery, seed production and their marketing. Each batch of about 20 patients will be trained for five days and a series of batches will be trained at various centres, including inside the prison as well as at de-addiction centres. Dr. Balwinder Kumar, Assistant Director of the KVK, Booh and Dr Nirmal Singh, Assistant Professor (Horticulture) were providing the trainees with agricultural techniques. Of these, those willing and eligible shall be helped in getting loans to build their own set-ups. The project is in a nascent stage and hopefully shall generate positive outcomes, said Dr Jaspreet Singh.

(Contributed by Gurbaxpuri)

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