Jalandhar, December 23
With many trains running hours behind schedule, the rail traffic was affected today due to poor visibility caused by the dense fog engulfing the region.

Shatabdi was delayed by two hours today, while Amrapali reached here more than seven hours forty five minutes behind schedule. Shan- e- Punjab was late by two hours fifteen minutes, while Jan Seva Express was delayed by two hours. Shaheed Express was late by an hour and Sach Khand Express was also late by one hour. Nai Dili-Amritsar Express came three hours behind its scheduled arrival at 2010 hours. Ahmedabad- Jammu was late by three hours.

The Jammu-Ahmedabad train was delayed by seven hours and Sheheed was running three hours behind its arrival time at 1250.

Meanwhile, road traffic was severely disrupted due to fog and several minor accidents were reported.

The traffic wing of the Punjab Police has started an awareness camp for winter season and a special drive has been launched to ensure that heavy as well as light vehicles have proper safety features to prevent accidents under foggy conditions. 

Jalandhar, December 23
A two-day national conference on ‘Total quality management in higher education’ began at Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya here today.

Dr Nisha Sarad, DPI (Colleges) was the chief guest and Mr D.R. Gupta, Director (colleges), DAV Colleges Managing Committee, was the guest of honour on the occasion.

Delivering a key note address, Dr H.S. Soch, former Vice Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, said colleges and other educational institutions should fulfill the basic needs such as adequate infrastructure, appropriate funds and recruitment of top faculty and subject experts to meet the aspirations of students and other market requirements.

Dr Soch said despite the fact that India had a broad base of intellectual power, there were many lacunas in the education system. He said the parents here were spending huge amounts of money for sending their children abroad for higher studies. He said over 50,000 Indian students were studying in the US at any given point of time.

Dr K.K. Bajaj, former Dean College Development Council, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, spoke on ‘Quality initiatives in post-accreditation scenario’. Prof P.P. Arya, Director, SAS Institute of Information and Research, Mohali, spoke on ‘Quality of higher education: The challenge of change’. 

Jalandhar, December 23
Success stories of a cousin or a friend having reached foreign shores made them closed their eyes towards the treachery plans the travel agents had prepared for them. Their hangover of dreams ended up when they found themselves in captivity, working in unhygienic chemical factories with no salaries.

As the three youth, rescued from captivity in Malaysia, show the burn marks they sustained due to acid wounds on legs and arms while working in chemical factories, their faces reveal many bitter memories of their stay in foreign land. From Malaysia, where they went in the hope of getting a handsome salary, the youth have returned empty handed and with tired dreams. Befooled by the travel agents, the three youth now thank God for saving their lives.

Balwinder Singh, a resident of Fatehgarh Chhanna village district Sangrur, Sukhdev Singh from district Hoshiarpur and Malkeet Singh from Hakam Singh Wala in district Bathinda, feel themselves lucky to have returned home. Now, they pray for hundreds of other Indians, who are still in captivity and are tricked into doing labour works in hazardous conditions on foreign lands. The three youth were saved with the intervention of some political figures from the region.

Recounting his tale of horror, Malkeet Singh said hundreds of youth were being made to work in factories in Malaysia without food or medication and were not even paid money.

“Majority of the youth, who were working in captivity in Kuala Lumpur, were from Southern India, while there were also significant number of youth from Nepal, Bangladesh and Rajasthan,” Sukhdev said.

They were made to work in chemical factories where chemical powder was scattered all over the floor, which caused acid burn marks on their legs and arms.

Having shed dozens of kilos, the youth said they survived on rice as none of them could eat the fish or the stale daal served as food in what they call the tin containers in which they lived.

“We were kept in cubicles and the owner of the factories was from Tamil Nadu. He refused to give us salary saying our agent had already taken it and any resistance would invite their wrath. We were being beaten up and could not go out anywhere,” Sukhdev said.

It was only after the media reports and the pressure from the Indian embassy which compelled the main agent Sri Chand from Delhi to come over here to return our passports, he said.

However, many youth are still there in captivity. Out of the seven Punjabis working in the Laglov factory units three have returned. An NRI Paramjit Singh, settled there, had helped them buy their return tickets for the journey. “We all had given our sub agents Rs 1, 30,000 for the work permit visas but were stranded after reaching the Malaysia airport for fifteen days as no one came to take us and authorities kept us in the deportation unit”, Malkeet said.

Promised three-year work permit visa, free stay and overtime incentives among others, the youth regret the time they were lured into the trap of their own dreams.

Phagwara, December 23
The SAD(A) President and a former MP, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, today demanded that the President should dissolve the Lok Sabha and order fresh general elections in the wake of the involvement of MPs belonging to all major political parties, including BJP, Congress and BSP, in the cash-for-questions scam.

Talking to this correspondent here, Mr Mann asserted that both the Congress and the BJP stood exposed and rejected. By choosing to go with the corrupt BJP, Badal Dal also went the BJP way and stood  rejected by the people, he said.

On the criticism of the media for exposing the scam, he said “it is strange and ironic that media is being criticised for exposing the corrupt. Media was doing its duty and 
doing it pretty well.”

“Don’t be corrupt and the media would not expose you,” Mann advised corrupt MPs.

He also criticised the Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, saying the CM was shielding “corrupt” Natwar Singh and his son Jagat Singh, he alleged. The CM represented the state and not his relatives, Mr Mann said.

Mr Mann also accused Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti of not taking fair decisions and of picking and choosing persons for summoning them to the Akal Takht Sahib. “Jathedar’s decisions were biased, political and dictated by SAD President Parkash Singh Badal,” he said.

Phagwara, December 23
The ninth Suvidha camp was held at Hargobindpur village by the district administration in Hargobindgarh Sikri village near here yesterday.

During the camp, where various departments of the district administration and the police installed 27 counters, over 6000 applications from the residents of 40 villages falling under Ranipur Kanungo Halqa were considered. — TNS

Jalandhar, December 23
Four days before the new year, Jazzy B would be performing for armymen at the Katoch Stadium here. ‘Jazzy B With Faujis’ is being organised by the Vajra Corps-AWWA in association with ETC Punjabi and Zee TV on December 27.

Other prominent artistes who will be participating in the gala event include Sanober Kabir of “Meri beri ke ber” fame, Punjabi singer Madan Matti with his latest number “Gaddi rok” and anchor Satwinder Satti. “Some Bollywood stars may also descend on the stage,” Lt Col U.K. Vaish, coordinating the programme on behalf of the corps, said.

The Lt Col Vaish added that over 10,000 armymen and their families from Jalandhar and its satellite stations, including Beas and Kapurthala, would be converging to listen to Jazzy B. He said that the best possible sound system alongwith a huge glamourous stage is being specially constructed for the event, which may the biggest ever held here.

He said over 2000 civilians including dignitaries and sponsors would be also sent invitations. “The entry would be free of cost for all. The entire expense would be borne by the sponsors.”

Jalandhar, December 23
The comedy kings from the region Jaspal Bhatti, Gurpreet Ghuggi and Jaswinder Bhalla have come out with their latest venture, a first of its kind DVD film “Jeejaji”, in which the actors will reveal how this relationship is exploited.

The three actors were yesterday in the city to release their DVD film, specially made for home viewing audiences.

The comedy actors will play each others’ Jijaji in the film which is based on a social satire.

Bhatti said the film was the first DVD in Punjabi which had also been dubbed in Hindi. “Its an out and out comedy based on the nuisance value of the relationship, ” Bhatti said.

The film has been released by Shemaroo in both Hindi and Punjabi.

The senior vice-president of Shemaroo, Mr Hiren Gada, speaking on the release function here, said with the release, the company had reached a milestone as the film had been specifically made for the home viewing audiences.