J A L A N D H A R

City colder than Srinagar at minus four degrees
Jalandhar, January 7
At minus four degrees Celsius, the city today recorded a temperature lower than Srinagar which already has its Dal Lake frozen at minus two degrees. While nothing of the sort happened here, the dew this morning was found to have converted into ice at several parks and open spaces.

Fruit vendors outside the bus stand in Jalandhar seeking some solace from the bone-chilling cold on Saturday night. — Photo by S.S. Chopra

Illegal constructions on Kali Bein’s green belt

Sultanpur Lodhi, January 7 Despite continued efforts by Baba Balbir Singh Seenchewal, an environmentalist, to protect the historic Kali Bein from getting polluted and making the area around it greener, unauthorised structures continued to spring up unabetted along the banks of the Bein on the Talwandi Chowdharia Road. A view of the unauthorised construction on the banks of Kali Bein on Talwandi Chaudhary Road in Sultanpur Lodhi. — Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

Circuit House auction: Police Dept likely to pay the dues
Jalandhar, January 7
After being embarrassed publicly over orders of the auctioning of a part of the Circuit House here in lieu of unpaid bills amounting to Rs 72 lakh, the Police Department may finally pay for the repairs done on its vehicles by Ahuja Motors.

‘MLA interfering with party’s affairs’
Phagwara, January 7
The political situation in Phagwara took an ugly turn today after several Congressmen, including Phagwara Market Committee chairman Jaspreet Singh Satti, Block Committee president Manmohan Sharma, councillor Tripta Dhir, and some other senior leaders, levelled allegations of undue interference into the meeting of the local Congress Working Committee being presided over by the newly-appointed Co-ordinator, Bir Pawan Bhardwaj, at the local Rest House.

Dharna by college students
Jalandhar, January 7
Students of the Department of Physiotherapy of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts and their parents staged a dharna at Desh Bhagat Yaadgaar Hall this afternoon demanding re-instatement of their Head of the Department.

Punjab Kisan Sabha supports canegrowers’ agitation
Phagwara, January 7
The Punjab Kisan Sabha today came forward in support of the canegrowers whose dharna against a local sugar mill entered its 59th day here today. Their case against the mill is already in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the next date of hearing has been fixed for January 12, the tenth one in three months.

City colder than Srinagar at minus four degrees
Tribune News Service

‘Potato yield could suffer’ Slated to give a bumper yield in the month of February, the crop of potato grown over 50 thousand hectares of land has been severely affected due to the biting cold wave conditions prevailing in the region. According to agricultural experts, the leaves of the crop had dried-up in the cold temperature, which had dipped below zero degrees Celsius. Because of that, the yield was going to be affected, they said.

Jalandhar, January 7
At minus four degrees Celsius, the city today recorded a temperature lower than Srinagar which already has its Dal Lake frozen at minus two degrees. While nothing of the sort happened here, the dew this morning was found to have converted into ice at several parks and open spaces. For the record, the new mercury level matched the temperature recorded in 1984, officials at the Met Department here said.

The minimum temperature in Adampur in the district was recorded at four degrees below zero. The lowest temperature recorded so far was on January 6, 1972, when the mercury plummeted to minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, the officials added.

Facing the coldest January in three decades, the people here saw the first sign of what sub-zero temperature meant with the frost freezing into inches of ice on the grass in the morning today. The chill had made the frost freeze.

The conditions were likely to remain the same for the next 24 to 36 hours, the Department said.

Amritsar recorded a low of minus 2.1 degrees Celsius, Halwara’s minimum temperature fell to minus 0.3 degrees. The city of Chandigarh recorded 2 degrees Celsius, Bathinda 1.2 degrees, Pathankot 1.6 degrees and Udhampur 2 degrees. The lowest temperature in Jammu was 3.8 degrees and the temperature in Ambala was 2.6 degrees.

The mercury in the district was way below zero even yesterday, with Adampur recording minus 2.6 degrees Celsius temperature, Amritsar minus 0.7 degrees Celsius, Pathankot 4 degrees and Chandigarh 3.4 degrees. The conspicuous difference in the temperatures in just one day indicate at the intensifying cold wave conditions in the region, officials at the Met Department added. They also predicted the likelihood of more rains in the region soon.

Illegal constructions on Kali Bein’s green belt
Arun Sharma
Tribune News Service

Sultanpur Lodhi, January 7
Despite continued efforts by Baba Balbir Singh Seenchewal, an environmentalist, to protect the historic Kali Bein from getting polluted and making the area around it greener, unauthorised structures continued to spring up unabetted along the banks of the Bein on the Talwandi Chowdharia Road.

Residential buildings, technically illegal, could be seen along the rivulet proving that the authorities concerned have not done their job.

When The Tribune team visited the site, these houses were found to be constructed on the same plot of land that had once been earmarked for a green belt in the town’s planning map.

Also, an illegal colony on the Lohian Road, near Bebe Nanki Gurudwara, had been spreading on both sides of the road without any interruption, till a fortnight ago when officials at the Punjab Urban Development Association (PUDA) finally lodged a complaint with the police against the encroachments. The FIR registered by the PUDA mentioned that five kanals of government land was being used for illegal constructions.

But going by the revenue records attached to the complaint, the extent of area affected by the encroachments was over 27 kanals. And as for the construction on the banks of the Bein, the department has done nothing except getting an FIR registered.

Baba Seenchewal said the complaint was lodged against the landowners in July 2004 when the roads and sewerage system along the Kali Bein were being laid. “But the authorities concerned have taken no steps to act on the complaint.” He added that plots continued to be sold and construction going on along the rivulet.

“After repeatedly requesting the authorities to declare the land up to 300 metres from the banks of the Bein as a green belt, the town planners consented to earmark only 120 feet and at some points more, as a no construction zone. But with the coming up of these houses along the banks, all efforts to save the Bein seem to be diluting,” Baba Seenchewal said.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Committee officials and the PUDA authorities pass the buck on each other over curbing the unauthorised construction along the Kali Bein.

Mr Raj Kumar Mittal, Executive Officer of the Kapurthala Municipal Council, said the office had informed PUDA time and again about the issue. “We have issued them three letters—one on October 28, 2005 and the other two on December 23, 2005.”

On the other hand, Mr Vikas Garg, the Additional Chief Administrator of PUDA said they could do nothing except lodging an FIR on the issue. He said only the Municipal Committee was authorised to stop or demolish the unauthorised constructions.

Circuit House auction: Police Dept likely to pay the dues
Anuradha Shukla
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 7
After being embarrassed publicly over orders of the auctioning of a part of the Circuit House here in lieu of unpaid bills amounting to Rs 72 lakh, the Police Department may finally pay for the repairs done on its vehicles by Ahuja Motors.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr K.K. Kareer, on December 20, had ordered that a part of the famous government building be put for sale.

Talking to The Tribune, the SSP, Mr Ishwar Singh, said the department, through its chief, the DGP, Mr S.S. Virk, had asked the state Home Department to sanction the amount before the date scheduled for the auction, that is January 10.

The Police Department owes the money to Ahuja Motors for the repair work done on its bulletproof and other vehicles. The government had only paid a part of the bill for the work done over a period of ten to twelve years. The remaining work was carried out on credit. 

‘MLA interfering with party’s affairs’
Tribune News Service

Phagwara, January 7
The political situation in Phagwara took an ugly turn today after several Congressmen, including Phagwara Market Committee chairman Jaspreet Singh Satti, Block Committee president Manmohan Sharma, councillor Tripta Dhir, and some other senior leaders, levelled allegations of undue interference into the meeting of the local Congress Working Committee being presided over by the newly-appointed Co-ordinator, Bir Pawan Bhardwaj, at the local Rest House.

The situation turned tense when the Congressmen, in the presence of the local Phagwara MLA, Mr Joginder Singh Mann, complained that the Local Bodies Minister, Chaudhury Jagjit Singh, was interfering in area’s politics and creating dissent in the party’s working committee.

The partymen further alleged that the Minister had appointed two non-Congressmen as members of the Phagwara Improvement Trust. Some of the leaders also raised their voice against Punjab Transport Minister Mohinder Singh Kaypee for his interference in Phagwara politics. Talking to media persons, Mr Bhardwaj said he would submit a detailed report to PPCC President on the issue. That all these matters were discussed openly in presence of Mr Joginder Singh Mann indicated his silent consent. 

Dharna by college students
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 7
Students of the Department of Physiotherapy of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts and their parents staged a dharna at Desh Bhagat Yaadgaar Hall this afternoon demanding re-instatement of their Head of the Department.

The students of the first and final year have been protesting ever since the HOD, Mr Hari Pani, was allegedly forced to resign following a clash between the students of the department on the campus in his presence on December 21. One of the students sustained head injuries in the incident. The HOD was reportedly blamed for the incident

The students today said, “Our HOD had been an asset for the college as he worked dedicatedly. We have approached our management time and again to re-appoint him but we are not being heard.” The second year students, however, have not been supporting their HOD for they reportedly are the complainants in the case.

Mr Pani also participated in the dharna. He said, “I am here for the students. The management is trying to ruin their career, as adequate qualified staff has not been appointed to take the classes. I am looking for an alternative job.”

Dr Sucharita, Principal, could not be contacted for her comments.

Punjab Kisan Sabha supports canegrowers’ agitation
J.S. Gandam

Phagwara, January 7
The Punjab Kisan Sabha today came forward in support of the canegrowers whose dharna against a local sugar mill entered its 59th day here today.

Their case against the mill is already in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the next date of hearing has been fixed for January 12, the tenth one in three months.

While addressing the protesters, Mr Lehmber Singh Taggar, General Secretary of the CPM-led Punjab Kisan Sabha, flayed the role of the Punjab Government and management of the Wahid-Sandhars Sugars Ltd on the issue.