Punjab Diary: Women rule the roost in Ferozepur district
Ferozepur: For the first time in its history since Independence, ‘Women’ officers rule the roost in this sensitive border district sharing boundary with Pakistan. After posting of Kanwardeep Kaur, a 2013 batch IPS officer as the SSP here, now both the top executive posts have women officers. Already Amrit Singh, who is 2014 batch IAS officer, is serving as first woman Deputy Commissioner of this historic district. Besides, a large number of female officers are holding key portfolios in other central and state government departments. In the Railways, Seema Sharma is posted as DRM of this division, which is the biggest division of the Indian Railways while Promila Jaiswal is serving as the CEO, Cantonment Board, and Ekta Uppal is the CJM. Even in other fields like judiciary, mining, revenue, Army, BSF, education and sports, the key positions are held by women in the district. Paramjit Kaur, the only woman journalist in this region, said earlier, when she used to visit government offices, she seldom came across women officials. However, it was really heartening to see the women ‘power’ come to the fore in the district, she added.
No end to Facebook password pangs
Sangrur: The latest crackdown on residents, who flaunt arms on social media, has created problems for many, who have forgotten passwords of their old accounts on Facebook (FB) and created new account. Being not tech savvy, they are unaware about the procedure to recover their old accounts to delete their posts uploaded with arms. Also, many people forgot passwords when they changed their mobiles or due other reasons. Now, they are approaching mobile shops to seek help for recovering their lost accounts. The government is scanning all accounts to detect pictures showing arms on the social media.
Damaged speed breakers pose risk to vehicles
Amritsar: Speed breakers were installed on city roads with an objective to slow down speeding vehicles and avert mishaps. It seems that there is no provision to replace damaged and partly damaged speed breakers. At several places, nails are protruding out of roads as the cover of speed breakers has broken. These nails pose risk of puncturing tyres of vehicles besides defeating the very purpose of installing speed breakers.
Rs 50,000 bet on cotton price
Muktsar: Betting is an illegal act. However, two residents of Kaoni village in Gidderbaha have made a bet of Rs 50,000 on the cotton price. While one of them has said that cotton would fetch Rs 20,000 per quintal by January 2023, the other opined that the price won’t escalate that much. They have further signed their bet on a letter head of the gram panchayat. This bet has not just become talk of the neighbouring villages, but other districts as well. Notably, the cotton’s MSP is Rs 6,225 per quintal. Presently, it is fetching Rs 8,500 to Rs 8,700 per quintal in mandis.
When the cat’s away, the mice will play
Pathankot: The saying ‘when the cat’s away, the mice will play’ seems to aptly fit SSP HPS Khakh. A gang of poppy husk smugglers were forced to shut shop following an intense anti-drug drive launched by the police chief. Before Khakh had joined, these people enjoyed a free run on the Pathankot-Jammu highway, bringing in the dope and subsequently selling it in the city almost at will. Recently, the SSP had to proceed on a fortnight long leave. This came as a much needed breather for these drug-runners, who were back in business. Now, with the SSP back in action, these very smugglers have been forced to go into hibernation. Unknown to the SSP, they are awaiting his next move or rather his next leave. Indeed, the cat and mouse game is on in full swing in Pathankot.
Strain rarely takes over ‘Three Musketeers’
Gurdaspur: Strain rarely gets the better of a small group of women officers manning three vital posts in the Gurdaspur administration. This is despite being handed over additional charges of some vital posts. For some reason, locals often address them as the ‘The Three Musketeers’ of Gurdaspur, a play on Alexandra Dumas’s classic going by the same name. ADC Dr Nidhi Kumud Bamba, Gurdaspur SDM Amandeep Kaur and her Batala counterpart Shayari Bhandari are indeed overburdened but they are not complaining. “If you want to get something done, ask these women. Otherwise you can come to us,” said a senior officer. That is a big compliment for these officers.
Contributed by Parvesh Sharma, Neeraj Bagga, Anirudh Gupta, Archit Watts, Ravi Dhaliwal
