19112024-LT-01.qxd 11/19/2024 12:46 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune RECONSTRUCTION OF POTHOLED ROADS BEGINS IN MALERKOTLA Authorities have launched a drive to undertake construction and repair of potholed roads in Malerkotla. P3 » LATE QUINCY JONES BESTOWED WITH HONORARY OSCAR MODELS SHOWCASE OUTFITS BY RENOWNED DESIGNERS Weeks after death at the age of 91, music composer Quincy Jones was bestowed with honorary Oscar. P4 Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan stole the limelight as she walked the ramp wearing Valaya’s collection. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 23°C | MIN 11°C YESTERDAY MAX 23°C | MIN 11°C SUNSET TUESDAY 5.25 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:52 AM TUESDAY | 19 NOVEMBER 2024 | LUDHIANA Helmet-less driving continues Health Minister visits Civil Hospital, makes ‘old’ announcements again unabated despite HC orders Most of the violations by students noticed outside schools Manav Mander Tribune News Service Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 18 Despite strict orders by the Punjab and Haryana High Court that helmet is mandatory for everyone above four years old while riding two-wheelers or pillion, the violation of helmet-less driving continues in the industrial hub. It is learnt that the Ludhiana traffic police have been issuing maximum challans of helmet-less driving than any other violation. Still, twowheeler riders continue to break the rules and drive vehicles without any fear. Data of challans of past years can corroborate this fact. Notably, wearing helmets is now mandatory for everyone above four years old in Punjab and Chandigarh while riding two-wheelers. The High Court has in its recent direction made it clear that helmets must meet Central Government standards to ensure full protection during accidents. However, members of the Sikh community, who wear turbans, are exempted from wearing helmets. The police must provide records of challans issued to riders without helmets. The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for December 4. During a survey in the city, two-wheeler riders were noticed violating the motor vehicle norms. Most of the violations were noticed outside schools where children drive two-wheelers and they hardly care about wearing helmets. Both riders and those riding pillion were also seen sitting without wearing helmets. A woman, along with her two Youths and underage drivers (below) ride two-wheelers without helmets in Ludhiana ASHWANI DHIMAN children, was caught driving a scooter and all three were without helmets. Three schoolchildren were seen riding on a scooter in violation of the norms and they were not wearing helmets also. Interestingly, many of the riders wear low-quality helmets just to save themselves from challaning. Even the traffic police would not stop them to check if they are wearing ISI-marked helmets. “I have been wearing a lowquality helmet for a long time and I was never stopped by any traffic policeman. The ISImarked helmet is quite costly which I cannot afford but I understand the risk of wearing a low quality helmet,” said a Air pollution, who cares motorcycle rider, who came to pick up his child from school. As per the amended Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, driving a scooter or bike without helmet is a serious traffic violation and can attract a fine of up to Rs 1,000. The traffic police can also impound the vehicle or suspend the driving licence. Ludhiana, November 18 Again during his visit to the Civil Hospital, Health Minister Balbir Singh made the same old announcements of making the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital operational and starting the neonatal intensive care by January 2025. In 2023, the minister had made similar announcements at three stances, but these have failed to become reality. In September, October and then in December 2023, he had announced to make the ICU of the Civil Hospital operational but the situation remains the same till date. In June this year, and again on Monday, he announced to make it operational during his visit to the Civil Hospital. The ICU, along with ventilators, was set up during the Covid-19 pandemic and was made operational by deputing staff but as the situation normalised, the employees were sent back to their place of postings and the ICU had been left non-operational and ventilators are gathering dust for want of trained staff. In September last year, a team of Health Department officials, including Dr Hitinder Kaur, Director, Health Services, visited the hospital for making assessment of the setting up of the ICU. Experts from the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) also visited the hospital to take stock of the situation. But the ICU is lying non-functional so far due to want of staff. He inspected the hospital and had a word with patients to get feedback about its services. Commenting on the Health Minister Balbir Singh during his visit to Civil Hospital in Ludhiana on Monday. INDERJEET VERMA PAST PROMISES In September, October and then in December 2023, Health Minister Balbir Singh during his visit to the Civil Hospital had announced to make its ICU operational but the situation remains the same till date. issue of a medicine scam worth crores at Aam Aadmi Clinics, the complaint of which has been submitted by a NGO, the minister said the Vigilance Bureau was conducting the investigation, and he could comment only after the arrival of the report. “Strict action will be taken against the guilty. Whoever misuses public money will not be spared,” he said. Vigilance inquiry is pending in the case where medicine bills worth crores were got passed from the government while no medicine reached Aam Aadmi Clinics. “We are regularly in touch with patients and calls are being made to them to get their feedback and 98 per cent of the patients are satisfied about the treatment given at Aam Aadmi Clinics,” he said. Repeating another old promise, the minister said the shortage of doctors and specialists at Civil Hospital would be overcome within 15 days so that patients need not to go to other cities for treatment and state-of-the-art facilities would be provided here. “The hospital will be upgraded by January and patients will get best healthcare facilities under one roof. Feedback from them will be sought on a regular basis so that shortcomings could be overcome as early as possible,” he said. He said the Health Department would train two million students from schools and colleges to ensure that every Class XII student or graduate was equipped with Pvt school mired in controversy after suspending 9 teachers without notice Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service A farmer puts his field on fire after harvesting paddy in Ludhiana on Monday. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Bus tyre comes off, vehicle hits 3 Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 18 After one of the rear tyres of a private company bus coming from Moga to Ludhiana came off, the vehicle rammed into a shanty. Three persons, including a child, who were present in the shanty suffered injuries. Passengers in the bus got frightened when the incident occurred. Forty passengers were travelling in the vehicle and some of them got minor injuries. No passenger suffered serious injuries and later, they were sent in another bus of the company. According to information, the private company bus was going from Moga to Ludhiana as usual. When it reached near Gurdwara Nanaksar on the highway in Jagraon, nuts and bolts of two rear tyres on one side of the vehicle got loose. Before the bus driver could realise anything, one of the wheels came off the vehicle. A man, Jogi, his child Saurav and another person, Inder, who were inside the slums, got injured in the incident. Inder and the child were taken to a hospital in the city for treatment. After one of the tyres came off, the bus stopped with a jerk. It created panic among the passengers. Some lost balance and collided with seats. No passenger was seriously injured. Another rear tyre of the bus, which also got loose, remained stuck in the vehicle. On receiving information about the accident, a police team reached the scene. Traffic on the highway remained hit for sometime but it was restored and the injured were sent to a hospital for treatment. Ludhiana, November 18 MGM Public School in Dugri mired in a controversy after its management allegedly suspended nine teachers without giving any prior notice or reason. One of the suspended teachers on Monday said all of a sudden, they were told by the school management not to come to the school. They were not intimated about the move by the school authorities. By the noon, a compromise was reached between both parties and dues of the teachers were cleared by the school authorities. In support of their teachers, students came out to protest in school lawns and raised slogans against the management. The school authorities closed main gates and no body was allowed to enter the premises. The students said they did not have any problem against the teachers. They were happy with the sincerity with they were teaching the students. They said since the teachers were not available to take classes, they assembled in the lawns. Earlier, the affected teachers had also submitted a complaint to the Commissioner of Police in this regard. In a signed letter, they stated that they c m y b Teachers interact with cops at MGM Public School in Dugri on Monday. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN were hired by the daughter and son-in-law of the director of the school. After some time, both of them moved to Canada and from May onwards, school affairs were managed by the director himself. Since then, the management started terminating teachers, they alleged. The teachers said on November 14, a meeting was called by the principal to announce that the Director had decided to remove around nine teachers. No prior notice was given to them. They alleged that ever since the Director took over the reins of the school, sports day and annual day were not celebrated in the school. They alleged that the Direc- tor violated the CBSE norms too, by denying leave to the teachers, adding that their families depend on their earnings and they would not be able to sustain if rendered jobless. The police were also called who had a word with the teachers and the school authorities. The nine suspended female teachers used to teach dance, English, Hindi, etc. Earlier, there were over 1,400 students in the school from nursery to Class XII but now the strength came down to about 1,245 students. The director of the school, Gajjan Singh, however, said he returned to the school after his daughter went back to Canada. He said the school had hired more teachers than required in his absence. The nine teachers were on probation period for less than a year and in their contract, it was mentioned that their services could be terminated since they were not on regular rolls. “The teachers also understood the issue that there were less number of students. But a few outsiders instigated the teachers and the matter went out of control. The teachers came to the school today and asked that their dues be cleared by the management. We sorted out everything amicably, they were given the dues. We have told them that their services are no longer required,” the director added. knowledge in detecting larvae and providing first aid to those in need. “Starting next year, the department will educate two million students, including those in senior secondary classes and colleges, on identifying dengue larvae and contributing to community prevention efforts. Students will also learn to provide first aid assistance to those in need,” he said. Additionally, discussions are on with medical colleges and other nursing institutions to collaborate on training around 50,000 medical or nursing students, focusing on the early detection of lifestyle disorders such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and strokes — all of which are classified as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The minister emphasised that early detection of the NCDs would help reveal which areas in the state were facing specific health challenges. Anganwadi workers protest against Centre Ludhiana, November 18 The Anganwadi Mulazam Union today held a protest against the lackadaisical approach of the government in implementing the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme in true spirit. The protesting workers said the scheme aims to address the health of children. Though it had entered its 50th year, till date it had not been implemented in a proper manner. Hundreds of workers gathered at Dana Mandi on Monday outside the office of Ravneet Singh Bittu to gherao him but the minister was not in the city. Subhash Rani, president of the union, said the children were deprived of their rights even now. General Secretary of the union Chandershekhar said India had maximum number of malnourished children but the government was not serious about their health. They said the workers in their limited budget were providing their best services to needy children but the union government was not bothered about the health of the poor and needy children. The workers said they were meagerly paid. If the government fails to address their demands, they would resort to agitation during the Budget session of the Union Government. — TNS