Jalandhar, July 21
Pandemonium prevailed during the meeting of the House of the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation, as members of the Opposition raised the issue of “contaminated” water supply in certain areas of the city, while the Mayor and certain councillors belonging to the ruling group attempted to silence the commotion.

The high-pitch commotion reached to such a point that a Congress councillor allegedly threw a mike at an Opposition councillor, and subsequently, Opposition councillors, led by Mr K.D. Bhandari, staged a boycott.

The drama started when Mr Bhandari, the leader of the Opposition, waved a bottle full of “coloured and contaminated” water to Mayor Surinder Mahey, and in response Mr Kuljit Babbi, a Congress councillor, waved a “glass of water” to Mr Bhandari.

While Mr Bhandari allegedly used “unparliamentary language” and pointed out that Mr Babbi was favouring the Mayor, Mr Babbi allegedly pointed a mike at Mr Bhandari, and the situation reached the flashpoint.

Later, members belonging to the Opposition staged a walkout, saying that they would resign in case the allegation pertaining to the supply of “contaminated” water proved to be false.

Certain councillors also alleged that the vehicles of the civic body were being driven by safai karamcharis.

Meanwhile, a Rs-70-crore proposal regarding upgradation and repair of roads of the city was passed, and the Mayor highlighted his achievements.

Jalandhar, July 21
Even as the state government has laid down common rules for all universities through its notification, these are being interpreted differently by two state universities presently conducting centralised counselling for CET and MET qualifying candidates.

While Punjab Technical University (PTU) allows Punjab students to take admission through 15 per cent all-India category for admission to B.Tech, B.Pharmacy and B.Arch courses, Guru Nanak Dev University currently doing common counselling for MCA and MBA students has permitted admission to only those students who are from outside Punjab.

This has upset many students, who had felt that they had a chance for them to get seats through this quota. Even the college managements are unhappy, as they said that these seats were either falling vacant or were going to students of a lower rank.

The notification in this regard cited in the copy of admission brochure as a fourth point in general conditions states, “85 per cent seats will be reserved for candidates from within the state and 15 per cent will be open to all candidates on all-India basis”.

While the candidates argue that all-India basis meant all states, including Punjab, the GND University authorities have said that it was meant for candidates from outside Punjab. The candidates have said that while reserved category students could also appear in counselling for general seat, albeit with a disadvantage that the competition became a bit tougher, the Punjab students could also appear in the general all-India category.

The candidates said that in this case, their chances were quite high as the number of candidates from outside state was very low. Even the authorities of local colleges running MBA and MCA courses in affiliation with PTU have validated their argument.

A college director said that since the GND University had not set up counters for selling admission forms outside Punjab or allowed any dispatch of forms though postal services or internet, the number of candidates from outside Punjab was comparatively low. All this definitely had a fallout on the admission, he said.

Dr V.K. Arora, Dean, Academics of PTU, and coordinator of CET counselling, too said that the students from mother state could be taken in all-India category. He said that there had been a repeated discussion over the issue, and the point had been made clear a few years back.

Mr R.K. Bedi, coordinator of MET counselling at Guru Nanak Dev University, was adamant on his stand, as he said that Punjab students could not be taken in all-India counselling as it was meant only for students from outside the state. He said the rule was present in the admission brochure. 

Jalandhar, July 21
The District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum today ordered a stay restraining the PSEB from disconnecting electricity supply to a passport officer and recovery of an disputed amount of Rs 2,95,092, subject to a deposit of Rs 30,000 within seven days, out of the disputed amount.

In a case filed by the officer against a PSEB assistant executive engineer and the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), it was stated that the he (the complainant) was being charged of electricity theft and had been asked to pay Rs 2,95,092.

The complainant said a notice had been sent to him on June 6 wherein the PSEB had alleged that the load of power on June 5 had been found to be excess by 53.450 KV.

The officer claimed that his office was in LIC office premises, and as such, the electricity meter had been installed in the same office. He said the meter was under the control and supervision of the LIC which was at a significant distance from the leased premises.

He said the building was common and bulk supply to the building was being used for his office and the LIC’s through a dedicated transformer.

He said the connection was in LIC’s name and the LIC’s sanctioned load was over 500 KV for the last 40 years.

He, therefore, claimed that the checking of load had to be assessed with reference to the total load sanctioned to the LIC.

He added that as per the lease deed registered between the two offices, it was specified that the passport office was to pay one-third of the total electricity expense till a separate meter was provided.

He argued that since the expenses were one-third of the total bill, the lessee was entitled one-third load installed in the premises.

He said the meter was provided to the LIC and there was no basis of arbitrarily fixing the load at 87.540 KV out of the 542 KV for the passport office.

He added that the load had never exceeded the total load sanctioned for LIC and its offices.

The passport officer also said that as per regulations of the Central government, Chief Engineer (operations) should correspond with his counterpart in the Central government for the payment of boards dues or load surcharge and advise the concerned department for either the removal of the unauthorised load or regularisation without delay. 

Jalandhar, July 21
Passengers of the newly-introduced “Lexia,” an air-conditioned Punjab Roadways bus equipped with ultra-modern facilities, were given a red carpet welcome on its maiden arrival at the city today.

The Amritsar-Chandigarh bus, which was flagged off by the Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, from

Amritsar today, reached Jalandhar’s PAP Chowk at 12.15 pm.

As soon as the bus approached the PAP Chowk at a slow speed, it was greeted by the PAP band and senior Transport Department officials, including Mr Ravinder Singh Sandhu, Secretary, Transport, Punjab, and Mr Rajan Gupta, Additional Director General, Punjab Armed Police, Jalandhar.

Mr Manjit Singh, Director, State Transport, Mr Parneet Singh and Mr Hardev Singh Jaggi, both general managers, were also present.

The bus has a phone facility for passengers, and the cost of a single ticket from Jalandhar to Chandigarh is Rs 195.

Jalandhar, July 21
Anguished over the alleged failure of the authorities concerned to improve the “pitiable lot” of the Sports and Surgical Complex, Jalandhar-based manufacturers and exporters of hand tools, sports items, rubber goods, pharmaceuticals, valves and cocks and other items have sought the intervention of the Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, into the matter.

Ironically, they have appreciated the “sincere and quality efforts” of the Chief Minister in improving the infrastructure of the state and providing “best services wherever required”.

The biggest grudge of the Sports and Surgical Complex Association, a representative body of the manufacturers and exporters, is that though various small and medium industrial complexes in Punjab have been taken over by respective municipal corporations or local bodies from the Punjab State Industrial Export Corporation (PSIEC), such a step has not yet been taken in case of the Jalandhar-based Sports and Surgical Complex.

In its letter to the Chief Minister, Mr Satish Wasan and Mr R.K. Gandhi, chairman and president, respectively, of the Sports and Surgical Complex, have complained that though the complex was set up about 20 years ago, the roads at the place have never been repaired.

Similarly, owners of various production units had to installed their own pumps to procure water, as the tubewell installed by the PSIEC had become “too old” and “always remained in need of repair”. “

We have installed tubewells on our own. Still the PSIEC demands heavy penality from us, which is not justified,” Mr Gandhi alleged.

“Not only this, the PSIEC has discontinued electricity that runs streetlights, saying that they had no funds to foot the bill, which was just Rs 8,000 a month,” Mr Wasan said, adding that the sewerage system in the complex was also needed repair.