Tarn Taran Diary: High hopes from newly elected MLA Harmeet Singh Sandhu

Residents of Tarn Taran have high hopes from their newly elected MLA Harmeet Singh Sandhu as they have been facing many troubles for long. The problems of Tarn Taran town have increased manifold in the last few years. It is a fact that the condition of all roads in the town has gone from bad to worse. The roads have developed deep pits as a result of which accidents are often reported. At certain points, the area residents have tried to repair the road by filling the pits with earth but the dust flying from it makes life terrible. At certain points, residents of the town were forced to consume sewage-mixed water. Manjit Kaur and other women of Gali Walia Wali said that early in the morning, they get drinking water from the roadside water tap as the water pipes in the streets carry sewage-mixed water as pipes of the sewer system are leaking. The sewerage system in the town has become faulty and waste water from the pipes spills on to the streets which creates a nuisance. There are two sewage treatment plants (STPs) and both are not in working condition for the last many years and the sewage is directly discharged into the drain. The roads of the town are seen jammed with traffic troubles. On the Jandiala road, the railways gate has become a major problem for the residents of the town and commuters. The railways gate is seen closed 10 to 12 times in a day. Once it is closed, it takes more than 15 minutes to reopen. During these 15 minutes, the road on both sides is occupied by a long queue of vehicles and its takes more than half an hour to normalise the traffic. The bus stand, certain educational institutions, grain market and other institutions fall on this Jandiala Road. When the railway gate is closed after the school hours, the situation turns critical for the students who have to bear the brunt of the heat during the summer season. The main road of the town is seen jammed due to the traffic. The deployment of traffic police is seen as useless. The residents want the drains to be covered as people reside on both sides of the drains. There are two drains in the town ---- one towards the Amritsar side and the other on Sarhali road -- and both are uncovered, emanating a foul smell and transmitting diseases. The issue was raised in a session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha by the late MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal about three years back but nothing has been done till date. The School of Eminence (Government Senior Secondary School) which was opened before the partition has no playground. The building of the school too is not sufficient. As a result, the school functions in double shifts. More than 1,400 students study in the school. In the town, the stray animal menace is dreadful, encroachment has affected normal life and there is lack of parking for the three-wheelers. The residents have high hopes for a solution to these problems from their newly elected MLA Harmeet Singh Sandhu and his performance in the short-term is yet to be observed. He has already represented the constituency thrice. It is also a fact that the election for the State Vidhan Sabha is drawing near.

Students secure second place in state

The students from Guru Amar Dass Adarsh Institute, Goindwal Sahib, achieved second place in the State-Level Inter-School Debate Competition. The contest was held at Amritsar Group of Colleges, Amritsar. The fair aimed to promote holistic development and unity among students. The team of Grade-12 students participated in the debate and included Amandeep Kaur Kular and Prabhleen Kaur. Rajesh Kumar Sharma, District Education Officer (Secondary), Amritsar, and college principal Dr Gaurav Tejpal gave away prizes to the winners. The students were also honoured by Dr Jatinderpal Singh Randhawa, Managing Director, and Manisha Sood, principal, at a function organised in the institute.

Dr Dhami awarded by Language Dept

Dr Inderjit Singh Dhami, a teacher at Government Senior Secondary School, Dubli, has got another feather in his cap by receiving an award from the Language Department, Punjab, recently on his teenage novel ‘Supansaz’. He was selected for the year 2024. The Language Department of Punjab received a total of 273 books published in 2024. Of these, 10 books of different genres were selected for the Best Punjabi Awards in which one was written by Dr Inderjit Singh Dhami. He was given Sri Guru Harkrishan Award-2025 in the field of children’s literature. This children’s novel explores the different layers of children’s minds in different colours, making their dreams come true, and also highlighting the flaws of the current educational system. Dhami has also conferred the State Award by the Punjab Government two years back. Inderjit Singh Dhami, who has done his PhD, is a Punjabi master. Being a dedicated teacher, Dhami has established a ‘Haveli’ in his school where he has preserved the old traditional items related to Punjabi culture.

Text & photos: Gurbaxpuri