He doesn’t just preach, practices too

Chandigarh: Signalling two employees attempting to stop from touching his feet while he was entering his office recently, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, Dr S Karuna Raju pointed his finger towards the door of his office. A signage at the entry under his nameplate read: “Don’t touch feet, I am here to serve you. We are all equal citizens”. The staffers got the message and left after greeting the officer. 

The green man of Ludhiana

Chandigarh: Indian Revenue Service officer Rohit Mehra has made the conservation of environment his goal in life. The efforts made by the officer, who posted as Joint Commissioner in the Income-Tax Department in Ludhiana, have been recognised by the Limca Book of Records twice. His “green plastic” initiative has led him to plant more than three lakh saplings, set up vertical gardens using used green plastic bottles, bins and earthen pots and a kind of drip-irrigation method to water them. He has won laurels in the highly polluted industrial city of Ludhiana although his works are not just restricted to the city alone. He has set up these vertical gardens in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Delhi, Chandigarh and even IIM, Ahmedabad, among others. All his initiatives, including the recent donation of two lakh seed balls, are self-funded. TNS

Bureaucrat on a mission

Fatehgarh Sahib: IAS officer Jaspreet Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner, has initiated a mission to transform government schools into model institutions by involving his NRI friends. Recently, in collaboration with an NRI from the US, he has adopted Government Senior Secondary School, Sangat Pur Sodian, where a “sole lab” is being set up where students will learn on their own. He was also instrumental in transforming Government Primary School, Arai Majra, which was in a dilapidated condition. He has adopted 30 schools in the district in the first phase. “Access to quality education is the right of every child. The underprivileged should not be left behind,” says the ADC.

Taking to acting for a cause

Amritsar: Rekha Mahajan, Deputy District Education Officer, Elementary, Tarn Taran, will soon be seen playing the role of a police inspector in a short Punjabi movie “Jee Aayan Nu Ji”, which will be released on a Punjabi TV channel. The official agreed to do the movie as it highlights the exploitation of innocent people, mainly women, by some police officers and stresses the need for responsible officers. Rekha feels that entertainment with a social message is the need of the hour and that’s what she intends to do. She has also signed another short film highlighting department politics.

Jakhar, Kavita share special bond

Gurdaspur: Despite being at different ends of the political spectrum, Congress MP Sunil Jakhar and BJP leader Kavita Khanna share a special bond. Jakhar’s love for film actor and former Gurdaspur MP Vinod Khanna is what brings them together. Recently, both were seen at a social gathering, creating many a ripple among other politicians present. They discussed everything except politics. Not many know that during the 2017 byelection, Jakhar, before launching his campaign, visited Kavita’s Pathankot residence. He says he is a die-hard Vinod Khanna fan and has seen all his films. On her part, Kavita is never seen saying anything negative about the Congress leader despite being rivals. While the Congress has almost cleared Jakhar’s candidature from Gurdaspur, the BJP is yet to make an announcement. If the party opts for Kavita, it would be interesting to see how far the camaraderie can be stretched when it comes to a straight political battle. 

Looks matter, more so during polls

Jalandhar: Ever since Panthic issues have taken centre stage in the state politics, leaders are seen with open beards at public functions. While earlier former minister Rana Gurjit Singh stopped trimming his beard, off late Kartarpur MLA Chaudhary Surinder Singh too has changed his look. He now keeps a moustache and a beard. Former Akali MLA Sarabjit Singh Makkar has also started keeping his beard open. Supporters have also started following them. A district general secretary of Jalandhar, Inderjeet Singh Sonu, who had shorn hair, has started wearing a turban.

Cops alone can’t take credit

Muktsar: When it comes to taking credit of some achievement, nobody wants to miss the chance. Recently, when the district police held three persons along with 30-kg opium and recovered Rs 17.85 lakh from their possession, they held a press conference the next day. Later, the police got a message that as per the guidelines of the Election Commission, the District Election Officer should hold joint press conferences of such recoveries while the poll code is in force. So another press conference was held, which created confusion among the mediapersons. The matter became clear after an officer in the district administration gave a clarification.

Contributed by Sanjeev Singh Bariana, Surinder Bhardwaj, Divya Sharma, Ravi Dhaliwal, Deepkamal Kaur and Archit Watts