Civic Body Organises Workshop on Solid Waste Management 

Sarkar Darbar Bureau

Jalandhar, May 31

Commissioner of Municipal Corporation Jalandhar  Diparva Lakra today called upon the Principals of all the government and private schools in the district to come forward for developing their schools as ‘Plastic Free Zone’.

Addressing the gathering during a workshop on Solid Waste Management organized by the civic body for the School Principals here at the local KMV Sanskriti School, the Commissioner, accompanied by the Joint Commissioner Municipal Corporation Aashika Jain, said that in order to avoid environmental hazards the school Principals must ensure that use of plastic was completely banned in the school premises.

He said that disposable material must be completely prohibited in the school canteens along with the plastic bags. Lakra said that plastics play a major havoc with the health of the residents due to need of the hour was to ban them in school premises.

Dwelling on another point, the Commissioner said that all the government schools where Mid Day meal was offered must ensure that waste generated while preparing the meal was duly composted as per Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.

He said that the waste must be disposed off with the through Pit Composting technique being adopted by the Municipal Corporation.

Lakra said that the civic body has already set up Pit Composting Unit at Government Senior Secondary School Nehru Garden adding that the other Principals could also use the same technique to compost this waste.

Batting for mass awareness campaign amongst the students to make them aware of solid waste management, the Commissioner said that the students must be made aware of the benefits of the source segregation for proper disposal of the waste.

He exhorted the schools to encourage the students for ensuring source segregation at their homes so that Jalandhar could be made clean, green and pollution free.

Lakra announced that after the summer vacations were over the Municipal Corporation would assess the performance of schools on the themes of plastic free zones, pit compositing and source segregation adding that as per the performance of schools the civic body would select 10 best performing schools out of them.

On the occasion District education officer Harvinder Pal Singh, District Guidance Counselor  Surjit Lal and others were also present.

Move aimed at streamlining traffic movement & environment pollution

Sarkar Darbar Team

Jalandhar, May 31

In a bid to streamline traffic movement in the city, the district administration today decided to embark a major drive to take strict action against illegal auto-rickshaws and overloaded vehicles plying in the city.

A decision to this effect was taken during a meeting held here at the District Administrative Complex in which MLA Avtar Singh Bawa Henry, Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Commissioner Municipal Corporation Jalandhar  Diprava Lakra, Additional Deputy Commissioners  Kulwant Singh and Jasbir Singh, Joint Commissioner Municipal Corporation  Aashika Jain and Secretary Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Dr. Nayan Jassal were present.

It was decided in the meeting that severest of severe action would be taken against the auto rickshaws and overloaded vehicles moving within the Municipal limits illegally. Similarly, it was decided that special checking points would be installed at the entry points of the city to check the entry of these vehicles in the city and challan such vehicles.

Likewise, it was decided that a joint team comprising of officers from Transport and Police departments besides the Sub Divisional Magistrates would enforce this drive to check the movement of these vehicles.

It was also decided that in order to prevent hazardous effects of plastic bags in the city, a major drive would also be started to check the use of plastic bags in the city. During the drive major checking would be done at all the malls and shopping complexes besides the prominent markets in the city.

It was also decided that stern action would be taken against the erring people who would use the plastic bags as they cast a hazardous effect on human health besides causing major environmental pollution.

Sarkar Darbar Bureau

Barnala, May 31:

Deputy Commissioner Barnala Tej Partap Singh Phoolka, on Friday, flagged off awareness van on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day here from civil surgeon office.

DC said that the awareness van would make the district residents aware of the ill-effects of consuming tobacco products. He also directed the health department officials to issue challans to under The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) to ensure zero smoking on public places.

TPS Phoolka said that theme of World No Tobacco Day is tobacco and lung health and district administration would carry out awareness campaign on the negative impact of tobacco on the people’s health, from cancer to chronic respiratory diseases. He added that it would also focus on the fundamental role lungs play for the health and well-being of all people.

On this occasion, a district level seminar was also organised by the health department to sensitise people against the use of tobacco. World No Tobacco Day was also observed in various schools with the motivation of Youth Services Department.

Civil Surgeon Dr. Jugal Kishore, District Family Welfare Officer Dr. Tapinderjot Kaushal, District Health Officer Dr. Raj Kumar, Mass Media officer Gurmeet Singh among several others were also present on the occasion.

Sarkar Darbar Bureau

Barnala, 30 May

To carry out the Drug Abuse and Prevention Officer (DAPO) programme effectively in Barnala district, Deputy Commissioner Barnala Tej Partap Singh Phoolka has directed Guardians of Governance (GoGs) to identify the drug addicts from their respective villages to sensitize them for proper treatment.

DC has also asked the health department officials to prepare the village wise lists of patients who have not completed the drug de-addiction treatment from OOAT centres and Drug De-addiction centres.

Tej Partap Singh Phoolka said, “Now, it the time to recheck the lists prepared by the police with the help of other sources about the drug addicts and drug dealers and crack down heavily on the menace”.

DC further said we have divided the district in various clusters in which the concerned nodal officer will keep the tab on addicts to ensure their proper treatment in de-addiction centers and OOAT clinics being run by the Punjab Government.

The police department officials have also directed to act tough against the drug suppliers to ensure zero availability of drugs in the district, he added.

Deputy Commissioner, while lauding the efforts GoGs, said that apart from their basic job, the GoGs had also actively participating in the DAPO in the past to eradicate drug menace from their respective villages.

Phoolka said that if the GOGs notice any misdoing or negligence in their respective area in other government schemes or development works, the same should be reported to the concerned SDM or directly to Deputy Commissioner’s office.

He added that every possible help from the district administrative officials would be extended to the GOGs for the betterment of residents of Barnala.

On this occasion, SSP Harjit Singh, ADC Ruhee Dugg, SDM Sandeep Kumar, Assistant Commissioner Dr. Karamjit Singh, SP Sukhdev Singh Virk, GoGs Incharge Retd. Colonel Labh Singh, all DSPs and SHOs among officers from various departments including all GOGs were also present.