Kapurthala, April 23
Despite a blanket ban by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on putting up hoardings on main roads, a number of hoardings highlighting “achievements or promises” by the state government, have been put up all over the town.

Residents put the blame on politicians and civic authorities for the violation of the court’s order.

These hoardings show Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, AICC President Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

The hoardings also display the pictures of local MP Rana Gurjit Singh, local MLA Sukhjinder Kaur Rana and Improvement Trust Chairman Kulwant Bhandari.

The High Court had banned the installation of such hoardings on the main road within the Municipal Corporation limits, as these distract the attention of vehicle drivers putting lives at risk.

Mr Brij Mohan Jhamb, a former executive officer of the Municipal Council, had submitted an affidavit in this regard on March 25, 2004, to the state Local Bodies Ministry to be submitted with the Punjab and Haryana High court.

However, not a single road or place in the city is devoid of these hoardings.

Bus stop shelters, public toilets, walls of government buildings are dotted with such hoardings.

The religious bodies in the city also do not lag behind in installing hoardings.

It seems the Municipal Council has turned a blind eye towards the violation as it is allowing politicians to use electricity as well as telephone poles for the purpose.

Though the hoardings have been installed on the main roads of the town, the authorities concerned deny any knowledge regarding their presence.

One such hoarding is installed on The Mall in front of the General Post Office.

Others are opposite the Allahabad Bank and inside the bus stand.

Mr Raj Kumar Mittal, EO, Kapurthala said that for erection hoardings related to the government, nobody asks for a permission.

Mr K.D. Parti, Deputy Chief Engineer, PSEB, Kapurthala, said the use of electricity poles for installing hoarding was illegal but it was in his knowledge.

Mr Hira Lal Dhir, District President, Bhartiya Janta Party, alleged that even though the government made excuses of financial crunch for carrying out various developmental works, it was blatantly putting up hoardings and other advertisements to propagate its policies.

Jalandhar, April 23
The bouncing of a Rs 1 crore cheque, given to the local Municipal Corporation by an advertisement company about a year ago against the earnest money towards the construction of the much-publicised Rs 12.25 crore overbridge in front of the local DAV College, has not only delayed the project, but also put the MC authorities in the dock.

Despite objections, the job of building the bridge was awarded to a company run by certain people close to a Punjab Minister.

Since it is mandatory for anyone who is allotted a work, under the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act to deposit the earnest money as a surety, the company, it was learnt, had deposited a cheque for Rs 1 crore with the MC about a year back.

The norms also specify that a bank draft should be preferred to a cheque so that there are minimum chances of any lapse on the part of of the person allotted any work.

But the MC authorities have suffered a huge financial loss as the cheque deposited with the MC by the company against the allotted work bounced about a week ago.

Under the agreement, the company, it was learnt, was allowed to put up advertisement hoardings at the allotted venue for a period of 10 years in case it completed the job of building the bridge.

Interestingly, though there was no sign of initiation of any construction work at the project, the company had allegedly put up about 22 lakh huge advertisement boards of its clients in different parts of the city and this had generated a high-pitch opposition from varied quarters, including, certain councilors belonging to the opposition in the MC house.

Those people, who were opposing the way the project was being handled and “finally” discarded by the company, have alleged that a large number of irregularities had taken place in the whole episode and that the MC had suffered a huge financial loss in it.

On the other hand, Mayor Surinder Mahey has maintained that suitable action would be taken against the company, which, according to him, was seemingly not in a position to give a practical shape to the project.

He has also given the assurance that an amount of Rs 22 lakh of the company, which, was lying with the MC in connection with some other project, will be forfeited.

But, this has failed to pacify the dissenting voices as they have been raising questions as to why the MC had not made the company to deposit a bank draft in place of a cheque.

The bridge project, which has been hanging fire after the alleged “exit” of the company, will now be completed by Gammon India, another construction company, and it will be inaugurated on May 3 by the Local Bodies’ Minister.

Jalandhar, April 23
Sixteen-year-old Renu, a member of various dance troupes, died today even as her boyfriend, a 21-year-old taxi driver, Lucky, was saved. The couple had consumed poison in the afternoon yesterday and the girl died today. The girl’s father, Jagan Nath, lodged an FIR against the boy for allegedly killing his minor daughter.

Renu was a resident of Abadpura Mohalla, Nakodar, and the boy was a resident of Shahkot. The couple had consumed the poisonous substance at the village Littran bus stop.

The girl was admitted to the local Civil Hospital yesterday, where she died today. The police is yet to record the statement of the boy, who is stated to be out of danger. The boy has been booked under section 302 of the IPC on the basis of the complaint filed by the girl’s father Jagan Nath. accusing him of killing his daughter.