TRIBUNE IMPACT: Anganwari centres get items missing from medical kits

TRIBUNE IMPACT

Anganwari centres get items missing from medical kits

The medicines supplied to an Anganwari centre in Muktsar district on Monday. A Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 11

Two days after The Tribune report, ‘Anganwari centres allege bungling in medicine supply’, the authorities concerned today supplied the medicines which were missing from the kits given a few days ago.

Chhinderpal Kaur, district president, All-Punjab Anganwari Employees’ Union, Muktsar, said, “The supervisors in the Social Security Department today supplied the medicines to the anganwari centres that were earlier missing from the medical kits. For my centre, I have received one packet of cotton, 250 ml paracetamol syrup, 300 paracetamol tablets, five bottles of albendazole suspension, five bottles of eye and ear drops and one tape roll.”

She added, “The anganwari workers from other centres too have confirmed the medicine supply. It seems to be a big scam as there are a large number of anganwari centres in the state.”

The anganwari workers had earlier demanded a probe into the recent supply of medicines under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) by the Social Security Department, alleging that the quantity received by them was less than what was mentioned on the packing slips on the cartons.

Repeated attempts to contact Naresh Kumar, District Social Security Officer, Muktsar, proved futile. He had earlier said that the medicines were supplied by a Sangrur-based firm for one year to all anganwari centres. These were purchased by the head office. So, they were not at fault.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Dimpy likes grey beard, can’t keep it

Muktsar: In public life, you sometimes can’t even choose your style statement. Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpy’ Dhillon (49), Akali Dal’s Gidderbaha assembly segment incharge, recently decided to let his beard turn grey for a ‘veteran’ look. But he had to face opposition from not only his family members but also the party workers. Dimpy says, “I like a grey beard, but can’t keep it. My well-wishers have asked me to colour it to look younger.” He is the frontrunner for the SAD ticket from Gidderbaha, represented by Indian Youth Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. It seems Dimpy’s supporters don’t want him to look too old compared to his rival, who is in his late thirties.

Contributed by Archit Watts
Courtesy: The Tribune

Not many takers for health insurance scheme in Muktsar

In 8 months, just 26,987 farming families have enrolled themselves

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 8

The state government’s free-of-cost health cover up to Rs 50,000 and life insurance of Rs 5 lakh under the Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojana to poor people has not got a positive response from farmers in the Chief Minister’s district.

In the past eight months, just 26,987 farming families of Muktsar district have enrolled themselves under this insurance scheme. However, as per the figures of the Agriculture Department, there are nearly 50,000 farming families in the district.

The Mandi Board officials said they had provided 15,807 insurance cards to the farmers till date and some of them even availed benefit of this scheme.

However, they added that some farmers owing allegiance to opposition parties were reluctant to enrol under this scheme. Earlier some hospitals had denied benefit of this scheme to patients and the message spread like fire.

Kulbir Singh Matta, District Mandi Officer, Muktsar, appealed to the farmers to avail benefit of this scheme and enrol themselves as beneficiaries without any hassle at any of the four market committees in the district

“Any farmer can enrol his family by producing the ‘J’ form of his crop, Aadhaar card or ration card,” said Matta.

Besides, the district administration has also roped in block development and panchayat officers (BDPOs) and panchayat secretaries in this process.

Sources said the situation was almost similar in the neighbouring districts as well.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Anganwari centres allege bungling in medicine supply

Anganwari workers show the medicines supplied to them under the Integrated Child Development Scheme in Muktsar on Friday. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 8

Local anganwari workers have demanded a probe into the recent supply of medicines under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) by the Social Security Department, alleging that the quantity received by them was less than what was mentioned on the packing slips in the cartons.

The medicines were supplied in mid-June, while the anganwari centres reopened after the summer vacation on July 1.

Chhinderpal Kaur, district president, All Punjab Anganwari Employees’ Union, said, “When I opened a carton, I noticed that some of the medicines were missing. The slip mentioned 500 tablets of paracetamol, two packets of cotton and a 500-ml bottle of paracetamol syrup, but I found just 200 tablets of paracetamol, one packet of cotton and a 250-ml bottle of the syrup.”

She added, “There are seven anganwari centres in Thandewala village but none got the full supply of medicines. The anganwari centre at Chak Kala Singh Wala village also faced a similar problem.”

She said their union had lodged a complaint with the district social security office through their president, Hargobind Kaur, seeking a fair probe.

Naresh Kumar, District Social Security Officer, said, “The medicines were supplied by a Sangrur-based firm for one year to all anganwadi centres. These were purchased by the head office. If the supply was found short, we will seek the supplier’s explanation. The district office is not involved in the distribution of medicines.”

Courtesy: The Tribune

More money for mid-day meal, yet nothing new on kids’ table

No formal order

• The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has increased the cooking cost for primary classes (I to V) from Rs 3.86 to Rs 4.13 per student per day
• Similarly, the cooking cost for upper primary classes(VI to VIII) has been increased from Rs 5.78 to Rs 6.18 perstudent per day with effect from July 1
• Sources in the state Education Department say they know that the cooking costs have been revised, but they don’t have any formal order in this regard

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 8

Despite the fact that the Centre has increased the cooking cost of mid-day meal in government schools with effect from July 1, the state government is yet to implement the orders, courtesy ‘red tape’.

The file in this regard is stuck somewhere in the channel and the school heads in the state are still serving the mid-day meal to students as per the earlier fixed cooking cost.

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has increased the cooking cost for primary classes (I to V) from Rs 3.86 to Rs 4.13 per student per day. Similarly, the cooking cost for upper primary classes (VI to VIII) has been increased from Rs 5.78 to Rs 6.18 per student per day. The mid-day meal scheme is jointly funded by the Centre and the state government.

Sources in the state Education Department said they knew that the cooking costs had been revised, but they did not have any formal order in this regard.

Prabhcharan Singh, General Manager, Mid-Day Meal Cell, Punjab, said, “The Central government has increased the cooking cost from July 1 for both primary and upper primary classes. The notification in this regard has been sent to the higher-ups for their approval.”

He, however, did not comment about the undue delay in clearing the file in this regard.

Harjinder Singh, Mid-Day Meal Cell, District Coordinator, Muktsar, said, “As per our records, the cooking cost is Rs 3.86 for the primary classes and Rs 5.78 for the upper primary classes. We have not received the copy of any fresh order about the increase in cooking costs.”

Whenever the Centre increased the cooking costs in the past, the state government took nearly a month to implement the orders.

For instance, the documents in possession of The Tribune showed that when the cooking cost was increased from Rs 3.59 to Rs 3.76 for primary classes and Rs 5.38 to Rs 5.64 for upper primary classes with effect from July 1, 2015, the orders were conveyed to the district coordinators on August 4, 2015, after the delay of more than one month.

Similarly, when the cooking cost for primary classes was increased from Rs 3.76 to Rs 3.86 and for upper primary classes from Rs 5.64 to Rs 5.78 with effect from January 1 this year, the orders were issued on February 1 this year after a delay of one month.

Courtesy: The Tribune

17 schools in Muktsar have one teacher each

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 7

Even after spending huge money on infrastructure development under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), 17 government primary schools in the district are running with one teacher each.

These schools are located at Budhemall, Jagat Singh Wala, Kothe Melak, Nanakpura, Dhani Sham Singh, Bazigar Basti Kotbhai, Shekh, Kothe Behka, Chak Cheedian Wala, Chak Kesar Singh Wala, Kothe Naiwala, Manianwala, Bhullarwala, Lohara, Mithri Budhgir, Phullukhera and Sehna Khera villages.

Sources in the Education Department said the situation had arisen after the recent transfer of teachers. Though the district office had refused to transfer the teachers, some of them approached the higher authorities and managed to get transfer orders, they said.

As per the RTE Act, a government school should have minimum of two teachers with a student teacher ratio of 30:1. The Act says more than half of the existing staff can’t be transferred from any school.

A teacher posted at a government primary school said: “With no one to share the burden, I am saddled with the responsibility of teaching nearly 80 students of classes I to V. Besides, I have to do non-academic work as well.”

Another teacher said: “Imparting education is not a tough task, but other works like mid-day meal and administrative works consume a lot of time. It is difficult to manage everything on our own.”

Jaspal Monga, Deputy District Education Officer, Muktsar, said: “After the recent transfers, some schools are left with just one teacher. But we are hopeful that the situation will improve as the state government is appointing 4,500 new teachers.”

Courtesy: The Tribune

50% merit holders fail to clear meritorious schools’ exam

Muktsar lad gets first position

• Rohit Kumar, a student of Government High School, Danewala village in Muktsar district, has topped the entrance exam conducted for admission to meritorious schools. Jaspal Monga, Deputy District Education Officer, Muktsar, said, “Our student has got the first position in results declared on Tuesday.”

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 6

The maiden results of the entrance exam conducted for admission to meritorious schools in the state have raised eyebrows as only 50.3 per cent students could qualify it.

A total of 6,547 students had applied for the exam that was conducted on June 12 in all districts. As many as 531 of them remained absent. Of the 6,016 students who took the exam, only 3,028 could qualify it.

All these students of government schools had scored above 80 per cent marks in the PSEB class X results declared recently.

A total of 4,500 seats are available in the nine meritorious schools in the state. But going by these results, it seems a large number of seats will remain vacant or some relaxation will have to be given to the students.

The Education Department has already announced its counselling schedule, which will begin from Thursday (July 7) for both boys and girls.

The entrance exam results have raised doubt over the credibility of PSEB’s class X results declared recently.

Some educationists wonder how a student scoring above 80 per cent marks has failed to clear a much easier entrance test from the same syllabus.

Even the officials in the Education Department are worried over the results and most of them remained mum over it.

A government teacher from Muktsar, who has been serving for 25 years, said, “The entrance exam results have definitely raised questions about the credibility of the PSEB result. The entrance exam of total 150 marks was conducted at the class X level in three subjects — English, Maths and Science. To qualify for admission, candidates had to just score 16.5 marks in each part and overall 50 per cent marks.”

Similarly, another teacher compared the state’s education system with Bihar.

Pradeep Kumar Aggarwal, Director General of School Education (DGSE), Punjab, said, “I am not aware of the results and the syllabus. The project director for meritorious schools can comment better on it.”

Repeated attempts to contact KAS Bhullar, Project Director for Meritorious Schools, proved futile. Even Education Minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema was not available for his comments.

Courtesy: The Tribune