Dera Chak Hakim rises to the occasion

In view of the soaring Covid-19 cases and shortage of beds at the hospitals, Ravidas Mandir Welfare Association, Dera Chakk Hakim, Phagwara, has come forward to help the administration in battling the virus. Purshottam Lal, head of the association, has written to the state government to utilise two big halls of the dera as ‘Covid-19 Care Centre’. Lal and other members of the association, including Rajesh Bagga, Tejasvi Bharadwaj, Pankaj Chawla and Santosh Singh, appealed to the government to set-up Covid wards inside the dera halls. This would help the administration in treating Covid patients effectively during the shortage of beds at the hospitals.

7% hike in enrolment

Owing to the intensified ”Door-to-Door” and ”Each one Bring One” campaigns, the elementary government schools in Phagwara recorded 7 per cent hike in the enrolment drive. District Education Officer (DEO) Primary, Gurbhajan Singh Lasani stated that the primary schools of both the sub divisions of Phagwara showed a good response in terms of enrollment. From 4,640 students last year, the student count in Phagwara Sub division-1 has increased to 4,936. Similarly, the total count has increased to 4,214 mark in sub-division-II, compared to 4,110 last year.

Farmers at receiving end

Even after protesting against the shortage of bardanas (gunny bags), at Rihana Jattan grain market for four continuous days, on Hoshiarpur roads, the farmers continue to suffer. A group of farmers, who have brought their produce to the grain market at Phagwara, rued they had not received new gunny bags and the old ones sent were torn. Due to heavy traffic on the Hoshiarpur road, farmers were assured that they would receive 16,000 gunny bags, but to no avail.

(Contributed by Ajay Joshi)