Students of various schools and colleges participate in "jan chetna rally" against social evils orginised by DAV Institutes and Arya Samaj in Jalandhar on Wednesday. — Photo by S.S. Chopra

Amritsar, November 30
Ex-servicemen would burn their medals at Amar Jawan Jyoti, New Delhi, next month if arrears of disability pension in respect of non-regular officer and arrears of affected officers of the Fourth Pay Commission were not released to them.

Capt C.S. Sandhu, chief coordinator, All-India Defence Brotherhood, in a missive to the Defence Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherji, has demanded that arrears payable due to notional fixation of revised pension should also be released as per the Supreme Courts ruling in the case of Maj A.K. Danapalan.

He said the apex court in AIR SC 538 had ordered when a citizen aggrieved by action of a government department has approached the court and obtained the declaration of law in his favour others in like circumstances should also be able to rely on the sense of responsibility of the department concerned to expect that they would be given the benefits of this declaration without the need to take their grievance to court.

Urging the minister to take personal interest in solving the problem of arrears of all affected officers, Captain Sidhu said the government must correct the anomaly committed by its bureaucrats and pay the arrears of the rank pay to all other affected officers expeditiously, thus saving thousands of officers from going to the courts. 

Phagwara November 30
Thousands of students belonging to different schools and colleges participated in a Vedic jan chetna yatra organised by DAV College, Phagwara, here yesterday.

The yatra, organised against social evils like female foeticide, dowry, child labour, drugs abuse and corruption, was flagged off by secretary, DAV College managing committee, New Delhi, Principal Mohan Lal, in a colourful function here today. The yatra originated from local Hargobind Nagar, and passed through main bazaars of the town.

Jalandhar, November 30
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has held the divisional office of the LIC accountable for not rightly sending the payment to its own agent. The amount was received and encashed by a namesake in the same village as the corporation had neither made payment through payee cheque nor mentioned the name of addressee’s father on the envelope.

The forum has asked the corporation to make a payment of Rs 6,974 to the agent along with 9 per cent interest from October 30, 2003, till the date of payment, besides paying Rs 1,000 as costs of litigation.

In a complaint filed by Mr Ashok Kumar, son of Sohan Singh, a resident of Khusropur village in Jalandhar cantonment, it has been stated that he is an agent for procuring life insurance business for LIC with a code number 05447142 allotted to him. He said he had secured a proposal for Rs 4 lakh assured under Endowment Assurance with accident benefit plan for term of 16 years. He said the yearly installment reckoned to Rs 30,679 was paid by the policy holder to the LIC at the time of proposing for insurance.

Mr Kumar had alleged that he was entitled to receive first year commission but the same had not been paid to him. He said he made the request and also wrote for non-payment of first year commission but to no avail. He said he was told that the cheque bearing No. 669916 dated August 30, 2003, with a sum of Rs 6,974 was issued in his favour on account of commission and sent to him under registered post which had fallen in the hands of someone other than the addressee.

He alleged that Punjab and Sind Bank was equally deficient in rendering service.

The LIC replied saying that the complainant could not be a consumer under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act. It said that it had already sent the cheque by post and the case should be dismissed.

The bank had filed a separate reply saying that the amount of cheque had been deposited in the account of his namesake Ashok Kumar, son of Sardari Lal, having savings bank account no. 25542.

It said had the complainant informed him about the matter, it would not have credited the amount of the cheque and allowed him to withdraw the amount which was not his.

The forum interpreted that the complainant was a consumer. It also found that the LIC had sent the cheque to Ashok Kumar without mentioning the name of his father on the envelope and had not made the payment through payee cheque. The forum also stated that the LIC had also not mentioned that the amount was being sent to Ashok Kumar who was an insurance agent.

It found the LIC liable for deficiency of service and directed it to pay Rs 6,974 to the complainant along with 9 per cent interest from August 30, 2003, till the date of payment. It has also been asked to pay Rs 1,000 to him as cost of litigation.

Khadoor Sahib, November 30
The Kar Sewa, Khadoor Sahib, in Tarn Taran district is a religious organisation with a difference. Besides serving society, it is also concerned about the depleting flora and fauna and increasing pollution levels. It believes that it is the time to go green.

The plantation drive they started in 1999 has started bearing fruit.

“Whether it is the mighty eagle or the tiny butterfly or moth, each species plays a significant role in nature and saving it is of utmost importance to maintain proper balance in nature,” says Baba Sewa Singh, chief organiser, Kar Sewa.

“Trees are cut to make way for roads and buildings. Every year, a large number of trees are pruned, particularly in cities, by residents, especially during winter, as they block the sun, by the electricity department to ‘protect’ high-tension wires, by the telephone department to lay wires and by slum-dwellers to keep the hearth fire burning. So, our aim is to plant saplings throughout the year to take in the polluted air and release life-sustaining oxygen for us and play host to animals and insects,” believes Baba Sewa Singh.

The sect has so far succeeded in growing nearly 50,000 trees in Punjab, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Saplings were planted on the 14-km stretch of all five roads leading to Khadoor Sahib from various directions. Nearly 225 trees of indigenous species like neem, banyan, jamun and peepal were planted every stretch on both sides of the road in 1999.

On one stretch, from Khadoor Sahib to Tarn Taran, nearly 4,000 saplings, including 1,772 of neem, were planted.

“During the plantation drive special emphasis was given to such trees that can be used by birds for feeding and roosting like small and shy birds prefer Ashoka tree and large birds like the egret make nests on peepal,” says Baba Sewa Singh.

A team of 40 volunteers is looking after the plantation, watering and de-weeding. The sect has also set up an orchard in the village in which 32 varieties of fruits were planted in 3.5 acres.

It also motivated farmers to plant trees in their fields. So far, saplings have been planted in 500 acres in various villages.

“It is an ongoing drive. Every year saplings are planted at various places like schools, colleges, hospitals, cremation grounds and isolated areas through kar sewa.

We cover about 20 km area annually. The state government and a UK-based NRI, Mr Ram Singh Dhesi, are contributing towards providing saplings,” says Baba Sewa Singh.

Amritsar, November 30
Dr Gurdev Singh of Punjabi University, Patiala, and famous qawwal Asgar Ali were today conferred upon Baba Sheikh Farid and Sai Mian Mir Award – 2006, respectively, at a function held at Punjab Naat Shala here by Sufi Samvad Sanstha.

The chief guest, Mr O.P. Soni, MLA and Chairmain, Punjab State Small-Scale Industrial and Export Corporation, gave away awards in the presence of prominent personalities, including Dr S.P. Singh, a former Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, an SGPC member, Mr Onkar Singh Shairfpura, Dr Nasar Naqvi, all-India’s convener of the Sufi Foundation, and Chann Pir Qadri, the 17th descendant of Sain Mian Mir.

The Sufi Sanstha – an organisation dedicated to spread the message of peace and harmony, humanity, divine love, brotherhood, equality as advocated by Sufi saints - has conferred upon the award to Dr Gurdev Singh for his contributions in his research on Sufi philosophy and thought for the past four decades.

Dr Gurdev Singh, who retired as professor, wrote 45 books.

Famous Qawwal Asghar Ali of Malerkotla has been honoured for his contributions in Sufi singing.

The audience remained spell bound as Janab Asghar Ali presented qawwalis in the musical extravaganza “Ik Shaam Sufian De Naam”.

Ustad Ram Lubhaya, Sain Ladoo Shah and Gurpal Singh Pal, all Sufi singers, were also presented their Sufiana Kalam during the function.