Jalandhar, January 31
Resentment among the employees of Punjab Technical University against the authorities came to the fore as the entire clerical staff, in an effort to express their sympathies with Rajinder Sharma, a former university employee who committed suicide yesterday, went on mass casual leave and staged a dharna here today.

The employees came to their office in the morning and asked for casual leaves from their officers. When the Registrar, Dr M.S. Grewal, refused to allow them to go on leave, they submitted an application for mass casual leave and walked out of the campus.

The office was attended by the Registrar, a few Deans and some senior officers of the examination branch only while the rest vacated the office in the morning.

The employees then held a meeting and decided to contribute some money as help to the family of Sharma. It was decided that the ad hoc clerical staff would contribute Rs 100 each, the ad hoc attendants would contribute Rs 50 each and the daily paid labourers would contribute Rs 20 each.

The employees said that since they were least hopeful of any financial help from the university authorities for the family of the deceased, they had decided to do whatever they could do for the family’s welfare.

The employees of the university then went ahead and joined the relatives of Rajinder Sharma who were demanding the arrest of the Vice-Chancellor, Dr S.K. Salwan, and Registrar, Dr M.S. Grewal, during a massive protest held at Kapurthala Chowk today.

Unrest among the employees has been brewing since the last few years as they have been often holding protests against the authorities.

Dharnas by the employees during the lunch hour have become a regular feature since the last few months, say observers. The employees have long been demanding regularisation and promotions.

The employees have even been alleging favouritism in many cases and also harassment of those who did not see eye to eye with the higher ups.

Dr Grewal and Dr Salwan were not available for comments, as they did not answer the phone calls today. 

Phagwara, January 31
The Sadar police yesterday night booked three youths, including two brothers, from Uchapind village for the alleged gang rape of a 44-year-old married woman from the same village on the Republic Day.

Those booked include Kulwinder Singh alias Nikka, his brother Fakir Singh, and Sukhbir Singh alias Babla.

According to sources, the incident occurred after the victim, a mother of two daughters, was called by a youth, neighbour to his house. The other two accused were also present there. After the alleged rape, the matter was somehow covered up and the victim went to the house of her parents in Pandori Araiyian village. However, her relatives lodged a complaint with the police.

Sources in the police said the three were booked after results of a medical examination of the woman at the Civil Hospital here corroborated with the rape charges. However, the police has not yet made any arrests.

Jalandhar, January 31
Worried over the increasing incidents of suicide in Punjab, especially by those who are unable to bear the burden of mounting loan along with threats by private moneylenders, Helpline, a social organisation here, has set up a special cell that would offer free legal assistance and psychological aid to debt-ridden persons.

Members of Helpline said that instead of adhering to the guidelines issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, individual moneylenders and certain private financial institutions not only take advantage of the financial weakness of the loanees, but also use threats, mental torture and even force to recover the loans.

“Certain anti-social elements are also into the business of money collection, which they do on behalf of the financial institution on the basis of a hefty commission,” Mr Kulwant Rai, chairman of Helpline, said.

“You can imagine that for recovering a loan or a car, such agencies charge Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 as fees. These people not only torture the loanees psychologically and physically, but also make them sign blank cheques and even affidavits,” Mr Rai added.

Dr Ravi Verma, state president of the organisation, said that in most cases, a person who was humiliated socially had no option but to commit suicide.

According to Mr Rohit Vij, an office-bearer of Helpline, certain “anti-social elements” even go up to the extent of misusing blank cheques issued by the defaulters as was the case with Mela Ram (the 62-year-old man who immolated himself after such an incident).

“When the cheques bounce, the loanees are made to face criminal procedures in the court. Even the guidelines issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court about hire-purchase agreements are not adhered to, sometimes even by the police,” Mr Vij added.

Dr Verma said Helpline would not only take up the matter with various government departments and create an awareness about the court’s guidelines pertaining to hire-purchase agreements, but also extend legal assistance to such people in distress.

“We have set up a special wing, headed by Ashok Sharma, an advocate, to deal with such cases and offer free legal assistance,” Mr Verma added.

Phagwara, January 31
Parks are supposed to be the lungs of a city. But in a crowded town like Phagwara, most of the parks are in a neglected state and as such remain deserted.

Lack of fund from the Phagwara Nagar Council and a shortage of staff are stated to be the reasons behind the sorry state of the parks. These green zones, instead of providing a breath of fresh air to residents, have been converted into garbage dumps.

A visit to the various parks of the town tells the same story: a complete lack of basic features like landscaping, benches and ornamental trees. The parks also do not have any swings nor slides.

In fact, during the monsoon, the rains aggravate the bad condition, with water stagnating in puddles.

Take for instance the park in Joshian Mohalla located in Indira Nagar. Heaps of dry leaves and weeds dominate the park— no wonder few are ready to venture here. It turns into a cesspool during the monsoon and also becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes and flies.

“As the park in our locality is not maintained at all, we have no option but to play cricket beside the road,” said Raman, a twelve-year-old resident of the area.

Similarly, the park in Urban Estate Colony is in a bad state. In the absence of a gardener, the residents make their pets defecate there.

The indifferent attitude of the Nagar Council towards the maintenance of these parks has made residents form welfare societies to look after and maintain these parks. “We pay the gardener and keep a vigil on the maintenance of the park in our locality. We have no faith in authorities now,” a resident of Guru Hargobind Nagar locality said.

They add that majority of the gardeners deployed by the Nagar Council for the upkeep of the parks spend their time taking care of lawns in private houses. “Hence they are never there where they are supposed to be.”

When contacted, an official of the Nagar Council admitted that the civic body was facing problems in maintaining the parks. “This is because of a fund crunch and shortage of staff. We have now handed over a number of parks to welfare societies and private organisations for upkeep.”

Kapurthala, January 31
A newborn infant was found abandoned at the bus stop near Khojewala village on Kapurthala-Jalandhar road here today.

According to the police, the baby boy seemed to be two-three days old.

Mr Balbir Singh, SHO, Sadar, Kapurthala, said that a labourer passing through the spot early in the morning heard the baby’s cry. The child was wrapped in a blanket. He informed one Satpal residing near the spot.

Satpal took the baby to his house and fed him before informing the police, the SHO informed.

The police has sent the baby to Pushpa Gujral Nari Niketan, Jalandhar, after registering a case under Section 317 of the IPC.

Jalandhar, January 31
The Punjab Irrigation Department is likely to set up a Departmental Promotion Committee to consider cases of promotion of junior engineers.

Mr Ramesh Chaudhary, a spokesman of the Diploma Engineers’ Association, Irrigation Department, Punjab, said that a delegation of diploma engineers had met the Punjab Irrigation Minister to discuss the issue at Chandigarh today. “They said that since junior engineers were retiring at the same posts even after putting in 32 to 38 years of service, they should be promoted as Sub Divisional Engineers (SDOs),” added Mr Chaudhary.

He said that the minister had assured them that a Departmental Promotion Committee would be constituted shortly and the junior engineers might be promoted as per the new promotion rules.