03042021-JTR-01.qxd 4/2/2021 11:04 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar TRIBUNE BASKETBALL C’SHIP: ASR EVES, LBA MEN TAKE HOME TROPHIES PAGE 2 Eight teams participated in both categories each in the event organised by the Jalandhar Dist Basketball Association. FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY INBRIEF AGRICULTURE DEPT ORGANISES CAMPS Jalandhar: The Agriculture Department has been organising various camps for farmers in the district. The department targets to hold 77 camps till April 30. Experts have organised as many as 20 camps in which 1,250 farmers took part. A camp was organised at Kangniwal village by the department in which farmers were apprised of various techniques that they could adopt. Jalandhar (east) Agriculture Development Officer advised farmers to prepare themselves to prevent any untoward (fire) incident during harvesting of wheat crop. He also told farmers about the availability of seeds on subsidy. TNS GET VACCINATED: ADMN TO LOCALS Jalandhar: The district administration appealed to residents to come forward and join the vaccination drive in Jalandhar. The administration released a poster in this regard, which read ‘Jalandhar did a record 11,690 vaccinations on April 1. Cumulative vaccinations have crossed over 1 lakh. Please come forward and join in this drive’. Such initiatives have been being taken by the administration to encourage residents to get themselves inoculated. TNS ‘NO SHORTAGE OF CLASSROOMS’ Jalandhar: The Education Department has asked school heads to use Art and Crafts room in case there is a shortage of classrooms. The department said it has come to their notice that Art and Crafts rooms were being used by subject teachers for their personal space. Thus, it’s advised to use them for students from now ownwards, reads the circular. TNS DD TO HIGHLIGHT INFRA OF SCHOOLS Nawanshahr : A new programme ‘Nawian Paidan’ has started on DD Punjabi. On Sunday, the programme will focus on achievements of the government schools in Nawanshahr. The programme will inform about infrastructure, increase in enrolment, smart classrooms and installation of solar panels in some schools. OC PAGE 3 KANGANA RANAUT REHEARSED CHALI CHALI SONG FOR A MONTH Kangana prepared for the song Chali chali in Thalaivi for almost a month before shooting it, says the director. MAX 31°C | MIN 10°C | YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 10°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6:48 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:12 AM 8,447 persons between 45 and 60 yrs inoculated in 2 days Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service A total of 24,105 persons have received the jab in April so far. service to intensify the vaccination drive. Officials said the recently introduced measures as well as the introduction of mobile vans coupled with the start of the start of next phase of the vaccination drive had given a boost to the number of those now choosing to get vaccinated. Of the 12,155 vaccinated today, as many as 2,781 were frontline workers (out of Hoshiarpur logs nine deaths, 183 new cases Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, April 2 The district today reported nine deaths due to Covid-19, taking the toll to 562. Meanwhile, the district witnessed 183 fresh cases, taking the tally to 13,988. Civil Surgeon Dr Ranjit Singh said on Friday, the reports of 1,831 samples were received and out of them, 154 new cases were reported while 29 more patients were reported from other districts. The number of active cases stood at 1,663 while 12,783 patients recovered. Hoshiarpur city reported 14 new cases, while the remaining ones were reported from various health blocks. 145 jabbed at Verka plant Under the Covid-19 vaccina- tion drive, District Health Officer-cum-SMO Police Lines Hospital Dr Lakhvir Singh on Thursday administered the first dose of Covid vaccine to the entire staff of Verka milk plant, Ajjowal. Dr Lakhvir Singh said 145 staff members along with general manager of the plant were inoculated in today’’s special drive. He said as of now 8,163 doses had been administered here, including first dose to 2,422 healthcare workers and second dose to 855. Apart from this, a total of 4,329 senior citizens and 523 beneficiaries between the age group of 45 and 59 with co-morbidities were inoculated during the vaccination drive. The DHO 1,879 and 755 officials have been vaccinated at said at the Police Line Hospital. which, 2,784 got the first dose, while 87 got the second one), 709 health workers (673 received the first dose, 36 got the second), 4,588 persons between 45 to 60 years of age (4498 first dose, 90 second dose) and 3,987 above 60 years of age (3,909 first dose, 78 second dose). District Immunisation Officer Dr Rakesh Chopra said, “There has been a record vac- PAGE 4 Ankit, who is currently a part of Yash and Mamta’s ongoing show Ishq Mein Marjawaan 2, has tested positive. Vaccination drive for those above 45 gains momentum Jalandhar, April 2 The drive to vaccinate those above 45 years of age in the district got off to a roaring start. In the last two days, 8,447 persons between the age group of 45 to 60 years got vaccinated — 4,588 on Friday and 3,859 on Thursday. Meanwhile, a total of 24,105 persons got vaccinated in the first two days of April 2021. While 11,950 persons got vaccinated on April 1; as many as 12,155 persons received their Covid vaccine on April 2. The number of persons getting the jab per day has hence doubled since March as on March 31, only 6,343 persons received the Covid vaccination. Notably, with a dramatic jump in Covid cases, after record highs in the district during the month of March, the vaccination centres had also been considerably ramped up and at least eight to 10 mobile vaccination vans had also been pressed into ANKIT ISOLATES HIMSELF AFTER TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID cination in the district in the past two days. There is an immense response to the vaccination phase of those over 45 years of age. The enthusiasm of the public has also surpassed the previous phases. Over 11,900 got vaccinated on the first day of April alone and today, an additional persons 12,000 got vaccinated. Collectively, the number of persons who got vaccinated in the district has now crossed the 1,10,000 mark. While 250 centres are currently operational in the district, 216 centres were active on Thursday. With the help of mobile vans, the drive is reaching more and more people everyday.” While citizens also keenly anticipate the next phase which will include those above 20 years of age – the DIO said the next phase is also expected to begin in a month or so in keeping with the steady advancement of vaccination phases by the government. SATURDAY | 3 APRIL 2021 | JALANDHAR 9 deaths, 439 cases reported in district Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 2 With an alarming 439 new Covid cases reported in Jalandhar, the district tally reached 30,562 on Friday. Of the total cases reported today, as many as 40 belong to other districts. The district health authorities reported nine deaths in Jalandhar today. With this, the death toll in the districtincreased to 933. A total of 26,337 persons have been discharged so far. At present, the district has 3,292 active cases. In Kapurthala, 67 persons tested positive for the Covid19. The district health authorities reported three deaths in Kapurthala today. The deceased include a 38year-old woman resident of Phagwara who died at the Government Medical College, Amritsar; a 61-year-old male resident of Bhagwanpur village who died at a private hospital in Jalandhar and a 60-year-old male resident of Begowal village who died at a private hospital in Amritsar. The health officials urged residents to get inoculated. HELPLINE NUMBERS FOR COVID PATIENTS ■ Helpline number of Ambu- lance: 108 ■ Emergency helpline: 104 ■ Jalandhar Helpline for Covid JALANDHAR UPDATE NEW CASES TOTAL CASES NEW DEATHS TOTAL DEATHS NEW RECOVERY TOTAL DISCHARGED ACTIVE 439 30,562 9 933 282 26,337 3,292 or other medical queries: 0181-2224848 ■ District Immunisation Officer contact: 94171-64164 ■ Website for Covid bed info: https://jalandhar.nic.in/ 100% staff of PAP battalion vaccinated Jalandhar, April 2 On the directions of Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta, the 7th PAP Battalion on Friday organised a mobile Covid-19 vaccination camp for family members of the police officers/employees on the campus. Commandant Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh of the 7th Battalion said 300 eligible beneficiaries (above the age of 45) were inoculated today and the camp would continue further as well. He said the entire staff (100 per cent) of the 7th Battalion has received the first dose and more than 98 per cent got the second shot. The Commandant said only accelerated vaccination drive can help in building immunity, which is essential to break the transmission chain of the virus. He said the vaccination was now open for all persons above the age of 45 years and any kind of identity can be produced for getting the jab. Khakh said the state government was running the vaccination drive on a war footing and now, it’s the social responsibility of residents to get vaccinated. — TNS MINOR RAPE AND SUICIDE CASE The path of faith SCpanel Chairman meets victim’s family Our Correspondent Members of the Christian community attend church services on the occasion of ‘Good Friday’. Hoshiarpur, April 2 National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman Vijay Sampla on Friday met family members of a minor girl, who died after consuming poison. He expressed deep grief and sympathy with the family and assured all possible help. He said he had directed the police to ensure timely disbursal of compensation to the deceased’s family. He said the commission had sought a detailed report immediately after the incident took place following which the DGP marked an inquiry. DC Apneet Riyait said the victim’s family would receive the first instalment within a few days. Meanwhile, SSP Navjot Singh Mahal said the prime accused was arrested on Thursday by conducting raids on 17 different hideouts. He said the second accused has also been nabbed. He said as per the complaint submitted by the victim’s mother, the minor had left her home around 10:30 am on March 28 to do school work at her friend’s home, but the accused abducted her. The SSP said an FIR under Sections 306, 365, 366-A, 506, 34 and 376-D of the IPC, Sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act and Section 3 of the SC/ST Act was registered against the accused. Ordeal of despair: A year after exodus, Fed up with homeschooling, parents migrant worker stands duped, indebted want government schools to reopen Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 2 A year ago, when the pandemic scarred the world, millions of migrant workers of the nation rushed back to their native places. While many started their journeys on foot, others had to pedal their way to their hometowns. There are hundreds of stories highlighting despair and ordeals of the migrant workers. The tale of Itbari, a farm labourer, is no less painful. He was to leave for his native village in UP for his daughter’s wedding that was scheduled for April 17, but then the lockdown was announced and Itbari could not go. Hence, the wedding had to be postponed. Also, when he went to the agricultural society to withdraw his savings, he came to know that the secretary of the ❝ Last year was tragic for us. First, I lost my money in a fraud and later, I had to postpone the wedding because of the lockdown. And now I am heavily indebted. I am working day and night so that I could pay money to the lenders at the earliest. Again, the cases have increased and I fear another lockdown Itbari, A MIGRANT LABOURER society had committed a fraud and he had no money. Neither he could get his hard-earned money nor could he marry off his daughter because of the lockdown. Although the cooperative department had then sought a criminal action against the secretary, till date, Itbari has not got his money back. ❞ Depressed Itbari then lamented “My daughter’s marriage had to be postponed. How will I recover from this loss? Only the government can help me now.” Today, when The Tribune approached the farm labourer, he apprised that he had married his daughter off when the lockdown restric- tions were eased. But he had to take a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh, and he is still indebted. “Last year was tragic for us. First, I lost my money in fraud, later I had to postpone the wedding because of the lockdown. And now I am heavily indebted,” he said. “I am working day and night so that I could pay money to the lenders at the earliest. Again, the cases have increased and I fear another lockdown,” Itbari said. These days, Itbari is at his native village, to look after his parents. He will be back in Jalandhar in 10-15 days. “The pandemic proved worse for the poor. I have not come to terms with the fact that I have lost my money in a scam. And now I have to pay back my lenders. I just want everything to get back to normal,” he hoped. c m y b Say even after buying smartphones, online classes fail to deliver Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 2 Extension of restrictions due to rising Covid cases has led to shutdown of schools again. The decision has not gone down well with parents of the students studying in the government schools, mostly in the rural belt. They said it was after a long wait that they were planning to send their wards to schools where they could ‘actually’ study. But with the state government closing the schools again, in wake of the increase in the number of cases, parents of the government schools’ students are left to face the same challenges again. Teachers shared that the parents had been approaching them and calling them to ask why the schools were Teachers shared that the parents had been approaching them and calling them to ask why the schools were closed again. FILE closed again. Some of the parents also say: Koi corona nahee hunda, school kholo. Kulwinder Singh, a teacher from Government School, Mundi Cholian, said, the parents often ask him about the reopening of schools? “They tell me that they had brought phones for online education of the students with much difficulty, but the students were still not studying the way they should. So, the par- ents think that it was important for them to visit the schools and attend offline classes the way they used to earlier,” the teacher said. But, he added, that it was only because of the rise in the number of Covid cases that the decision was taken. “I feel that the students could be invited to schools according to the roster. “One day, students of Class VI could be asked to come while students of senior class could be attend the offline classes in schools the other day,” Singh said. One of the government school teachers from Lohian block said she was facing a lot of trouble. “Parents often fight with me when I call them to ask whether the students have done their work or not. continued on page 2