J A L A N D H A R

Admn introduces home delivery of documents
Jalandhar, June 10
In what could prove to be a big relief to people of the district, the administration would deliver documents at home of the residents. The much-needed facility of home delivery of documents, including, driving licence, has been introduced at the local Suvidha Centre.

PTU revamps B.Tech courses syllabus
Jalandhar, June 10
The Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, has introduced major changes in the syllabi of B.Tech courses in colleges affiliated with it from the forthcoming session.

Death fails to unite tragic lovers
Phillaur June 10
Their love could transcend neither boundaries nor death as the two lovers killed together by the girl's family were cremated separately at Bhattian village, in Phillaur sub-division, late evening yesterday.

Panel to look into villagers’ pollution problems
Kapurthala, June 10
A committee to look into the problems of villagers around the Jagatjit Industries Limited factory has been formed and steps would be taken with the coordination of the district administration to solve the problems being faced by residents of the area.

Two labourers found dead
Phillaur June 10
Two migrant labourers, Kadir and Ramu, were found dead in mysterious circumstances at village Pandori Mushakkata in Phillaur sub-division today. The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Phillaur, told The Tribune that a dead dog and crow were also found near the bodies of the deceased.

Goods gutted as truck catches fire
Phagwara, June 10
Goods worth Rs 7 lakh were destroyed when a truck carrying chemical, electronic goods and clothes caught fire on the National Highway No 1 at 11.50 pm at nearby Chaheru village on Friday.

Admn introduces home delivery of documents
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 10
In what could prove to be a big relief to people of the district, the administration would deliver documents at home of the residents. The much-needed facility of home delivery of documents, including, driving licence, has been introduced at the local Suvidha Centre.

Applicants visiting the Suvidha Centre in the District Administrative Complex (D.A.C) can now opt for their processed documents and licences to be delivered at their doorsteps or at any address given by them.

The processed documents, according to Mr Anurag Verma, the Deputy Commissioner, would be sent by the Suvidha Centre officials to the address provided by applicants through speed post. To avail this service, applicants would have to pay Rs 30 to cover the cost of postage and handling.

This additional amount would save time of applicants. The applicants would also be informed on phone after their documents have been dispatched. Initially, the service would be introduced in the Jalandhar district only.

Members of the District Bar Association had earlier brought to the Deputy Commissioner's notice that in some cases documents had not been delivered on the due date. A special meeting was convened all the officers were instructed to send documents three days before the due date to the Suvidha Centre. Apart from this, the Suvidha Centre has been directed to telephonically inform applicants whose documents haven't been processed by the due date.

Mr Verma said arrangements had been made to monitor cases which were due by the next date but had been delayed. A list could be brought out on a daily basis. In case of delay, an operator from the Suvidha Centre would ring up the applicants to inform them about the next date by which the documents would be ready for delivery. This would also reduce inconvenience to applicants.

"All applicants who come to the Suvidha Centre should provide their contact numbers along with their documents so that they can be provided with the newly introduced facilities," said Mr Verma.

The timing of public dealing at the Suvidha Centre has been increased for convenience of the people. Applications would be now be received after the lunch break and upto 4 pm. The documents would be delivered till 5 pm.

PTU revamps B.Tech courses syllabus
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 10
The Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, has introduced major changes in the syllabi of B.Tech courses in colleges affiliated with it from the forthcoming session.

While the course content of the B.Tech (computer sciences) and (information technology) course has been completely revamped, other courses, including B.Tech (manufacturing engineering and chemical engineering) have also undergone a change.

The changes have been made keeping in view the demand of the industry. University officials had recently held meetings with leading industrialists from various fields. A meeting for makeover of contents of manufacturing engineering course was held at Ludhiana, a meet for representatives from chemical industries was organised at New Delhi.

While the university has been making significant changes in the syllabi of most subjects every year, there had been no major changes in any course last year, reportedly on demand from officials of the examination branch. The officials in the branch had been upset for being forced to make multiple sets of question papers for each subject, particularly for students who had failed to clear certain subjects every semester.

This year again examination branch officials are disappointed, for they had said the changes should be made constantly year after year. An official who wished not to be quoted said, "All major engineering institutes like IITs make less than 20 per cent change in the syllabus each year so that the problem of making multiple question papers for a subject in a semester does not arise. But here, the syllabus is changed by as much as 60 per cent each year even if the technology does not change that fast".

Interestingly, the university is making as many as 6,000 types of question papers each semester for graduate and post-graduate courses in technology, pharmacy, architecture, management, computer applications and others. The university colleges have been imparting almost every stream in technology, except for aeronautical engineering which the local DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology (DAVIET) has asked for this time. Graduate-level bio-medical engineering and auto-engineering courses and Masters in Pharmacology courses had been started in select colleges last year.

The Vice-Chancellor, Dr S.K. Salwan, however, said the changes were important to meet the demand of the industry. He added that changes helped the institute bridge the technology gap too.

Death fails to unite tragic lovers
Ashok Kaura

Phillaur June 10
Their love could transcend neither boundaries nor death as the two lovers killed together by the girl's family were cremated separately at Bhattian village, in Phillaur sub-division, late evening yesterday.

Heartrending scenes were witnessed at cremation ground as the body of Manjit, also known as Rajji, was first brought to the cremation round in a tempo. She was cremated in the presence of her family members, besides hundreds of villagers. Then it was Sandeep's turn, who was also cremated in the same ground.

Earlier a board of doctors conducted the post-mortem examination in the Phillaur civil hospital.

According to the villagers, the love story between Sandeep and his cousin Rajji (who earlier used to tie Rakhi on his wrist) started about three years ago.

Talking to The Tribune on condition of anonymity, the villagers revealed that Sandeep had talked to Kuldip (Rajji's brother) and expressed his love and wish to marry his sister.

Kuldip abused him and told him such a relationship was not possible as the two were related by blood.

Both families tried to advise the two lovers to go separate ways, but both were adamant regarding the relationship and continued to meet each other.

As the two carried on, the relations soured between the two families. Sandeep's father Madan Lal disowned three months back.

The tragic turn came when the two lovers were caught red-handed while jumping from the roof of the house at mid-night. Rajji's father Kewal Ram and her brother Kuldip killed the two with bricks lying near by.

The Phillaur police produced Kewal Ram and Kuldip before the Judicial Magistrate, who sent them to police custody till June 14.

Panel to look into villagers’ pollution problems
Arun Sharma
Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, June 10
A committee to look into the problems of villagers around the Jagatjit Industries Limited factory has been formed and steps would be taken with the coordination of the district administration to solve the problems being faced by residents of the area. Mr Vijay Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer of Jagatjit Industries Limited, Hamira, said the management had already installed 75 hand pumps and six submersible pumps in the 10 villages situated near the factory.

Talking to mediapersons, Mr Kapoor claimed that the management had incorporated the best technology for the treatment of industrial effluent to tackle the water pollution in the region. There was no water pollution by the factory after 1992. In addition, air pollution control devices had been installed at a cost of Rs 36 lakh, he added.

The residents of the villages around the factory have been up in arms against the management since last Friday, alleging that the officials were ignoring their interests by polluting the air and underground water. The Balmiki Majhbi Sikh Morcha volunteers, protesting against the alleged pollution by the factory, have been on a hunger strike in the administrative complex since then.

Residents of Hamira village were full of complaints about the unavailability of potable water. "No potable water is available in our area as the lone submersible pump installed by the factory management was not giving clean water," said Ms Kanta, whose house is near the railway level crossing.

In Lakhan Khole village, Mr Prabhjeet Singh, who is the president of youth club, also alleged that the factory management had installed two submersible pumps only at the house and fields of an influential person.

Mr Bagga Singh, a resident of Rajpur village, also complained about the potable water arrangement in his locality.

"Only dirty water runs through the hand pumps installed in front of my home and I can't spend on a submersible pump," he said.

On the other hand, Dr Chaman Lal Arora, a former senior soil chemist at the Punjab Agriculture University, who was also present at the press conference, said the effluents found in the underground water had mixed before the company took remedial measures in 1992, but the water was still fit for agriculture purposes.

Moreover, the quality of underground water was improving as per the analysis of the Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, based on samples drawn from various locations, he added.

Two labourers found dead
Our Correspondent

Phillaur June 10
Two migrant labourers, Kadir and Ramu, were found dead in mysterious circumstances at village Pandori Mushakkata in Phillaur sub-division today. The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Phillaur, told The Tribune that a dead dog and crow were also found near the bodies of the deceased.

According to the police, the two labourers went to sleep in the fields of Gurwinder Singh, who had gone to Delhi to receive his sister at the airport. In all probability the two labourers mistakenly mixed rat poison in their lime water instead of salt. The bodies had been sent to the civil hospital, Phillaur for post-mortem examination.

Goods gutted as truck catches fire

Phagwara, June 10
Goods worth Rs 7 lakh were destroyed when a truck carrying chemical, electronic goods and clothes caught fire on the National Highway No 1 at 11.50 pm at nearby Chaheru village on Friday. According to sources, a truck (PB-02-9949) was on way to Jammu from Delhi. Near Chaheru village, it caught fire as some chemical spilled on to the clothes. — TNS