Jalandhar, January 28
People will have to shell out more for a daily glass of milk, following a decision of the Jalandhar Dairies Association (JDA) to increase the price of milk by Rs 4 per litre.

JDA president Bhupinder Singh Ghumman said at a press conference held here today that during the past three years there had been a steep rise in the prices of fodder and dairy farming inputs. “Three years back the fodder was easily available at Rs 50 to Rs 60 per quintal, but it is now available at Rs 130 to Rs 150 per quintal,” he said.

Milch cattle, including cows and buffaloes, which were available at a price of Rs 20,000 three years back, now cost Rs 40,000, with an equal increase in the rates of raw material meant for the cattle, he added.

Meanwhile, the Doaba Cooperative Milk Producers Union has also increased the prices of its four categories of Verka brand of milk by Re 1 per litre from January 15.

As per the revised rates, the 500-ml packet of Verka’s “full cream milk” would be available at Rs 12 as against Rs 11.50 per pouch, whereas the rate of its “standard milk” has been revised to Rs 11 from its earlier rate of Rs 10.50.

Besides, Verka’s “toned milk” would be available at Rs 10 as compared to the previous rate of Rs 9.50 and its “double toned” milk would be available at Rs 9 instead of Rs 8.

Hoshiarpur, January 28
The district consumer forums will soon be set up in the newly formed districts of Tarn Taran, Mohali and Barnala. This was stated by the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (SCDRC), Punjab, president Justice S.N. Aggarwal here today.

Aggarwal said a three-member committee, comprising him and the secretaries of law and food and supply departments, had been constituted for appointing presidents and members of the forums. Besides, other vacant posts, including presidents of the consumers forums in Ludhiana, Nawanshahr, Gurdaspur and Ferozepore, would be filled soon.

Describing the commission’s plans, he said the commission had procured land measuring 1,183 square yards in Sector 37, Chandigarh, for constructing an office at a cost of Rs 1.50 crore. “The Punjab government has already provided Rs 50 lakh during the current financial year and has sanctioned Rs 1 crore for the next financial year,” he added.

Aggarwal said the SCDRC was disposing of around 100 cases monthly. However, around 80 complaints and more than 5,000 appeals were pending with the commission. He said the commission had requested the state government to constitute three new benches for quick disposal of the cases but the government had agreed to constitute only a single bench.

Jalandhar, January 28
Nearly one year after it was started, the ambitious project of Vajra Corps to build a bird sanctuary at Sofi Pind, near here, has come to a standstill. Vajra Corps, in association with Green Thumb, a Pune-based NGO, had started the project but in the absence of any planning the project lies neglected.

Initially 112 TA Dogra Regiment was taking care of the project, but at present the area demarcated for the sanctuary looks more like a jungle. “The bird sanctuary project took off very smoothly but of late everything has stopped. Earlier, workers from the cantonment board use to come to work here, but now even they have also stopped visiting the place,” said villagers.

A plantation drive was launched to give a kickstart to the project. To accomplish this target, the Army organised plantation drives and purchased different types of plants from the military farm, horticulture department, forest department and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana.

“Though plantation drives were carried out, most of the time the plants were either stolen or destroyed due to rains,” said an attendant on the term of anonymity.

“Earlier 10 to 15 workers used to come for work. A water tank from the cantonment board was brought but the project seems to be lying in shambles,” he added.

The bird sanctuary was basically designed to utilise the wasteland of the village by planting biotech plants, reeds and bamboos.

The five-phase project included making peripheral tracks, two islands and cleaning of village slush. In phases two and three it was expected to expand the project by planting saplings.

Apart from this, roosting place for birds was to be developed in phase four followed by beautification of the checkposts of the cantonment in phase five.

The Army had also planned to bring different species of birds to turn the bird sanctuary into a perfect picnic spot but the project could never take off.

Green Thumb chairman Col Suresh Patil (retd) visited the sanctuary in June, 2006. Though some peripheral tracks and gazebos were constructed and the village nullah was cleaned, at present the sanctuary has turned into a jungle due to the growth of tall bushes.

When contacted, Station Commander Brig B.B. Patil said, “This is a long-term project and it will take at least another four to five years to complete.

We have been regularly planting saplings and flowering plants and hope to complete the project as soon as possible.”

Chandigarh, January 28
After the failure of a Punjab police officer to conduct murder case investigations in a fair manner, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the state government to initiate “effective steps” to ensure that probe in all criminal cases is entrusted to impartial officers.

In a significant judgement likely to push the state government on its toes, the Bench, comprising Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice Sham Sunder, ruled: It is high time that he Punjab government takes effective steps to ensure that the investigation in criminal matters is entrusted to impartial and honest police officials, so that the faith of the people in police is not further eroded.

The directions follow an appeal filed by Lakhwinder Singh, Hardip Singh and Harbant Singh against the orders of Hoshiarpur’s additional sessions judge convicting them in a murder case before awarding them life sentence on March 25, 1998. The matters pertains to the murder of Kuldip Singh, who expired in a Ludhiana hospital on September 6, 1993.

Virtually passing strictures against the police officer involved in the murder case probe, the Bench also directed the forwarding of the order’s copy to Punjab Principal Secretary for Home and Justice “for action as may be deemed fit under the relevant rules and regulations against Manjit Singh for deliberate lapses committed by him in the case”.

The judges further ruled: If he is still in service, it is recommended that he should not be assigned the task of investigating criminal cases, involving serious and heinous offences. If he is already retired, then too action be taken against him as per the relevant provisions of rules and regulations.

In their detailed order, the judges ruled: Before parting with the judgement, we must record our deep concern that Manjit Singh, inspector, at the relevant time, posted as SHO, Mukerian, did not conduct the investigations in an impartial manner.

The pistol, the weapon of offence used by Lakhwinder Singh, was not taken into possession. The statement of Kuldip Singh, on whose person the injuries were caused with pistol by Lakhwinder Singh was not recorded.... Even other lacunae were left during the course of investigations.

All this was deliberately done by him just with a view to helping the accused so as to save them from the clutches of law.

Partly accepting the appeal of Lakhwinder Singh and Harbant Singh, the judges ruled that the appeal filed by Hardip Singh stood abated following his death. 
The judges also ordered that the appellants were acquitted of the charges framed against them for the offence punishable under Sections 302, and 302 read with Section 34, along with Section 148 of the IPC.

Lakhwinder Singh was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for five years and pay a fine of Rs 5,000 after being convicted for attempt to murder punishable under Section 307 of the IPC. Convicting Harbant Singh for offence punishable under Section 307 read with Section 34 of the IPC, the judges directed him to undergo rigorous imprisonment for four years, besides imposing a fine of Rs 5,000.

Directive to Ludhiana SSP Following the failure of an investigating officer to appear despite being informed about the hearing of an anticipatory bail application, Justice Harbans Lal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed Ludhiana's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to be present in the court. Issuing the directions in an open court, Justice Harbans Lal also directed the issuance of notice to the SSP for February 6. The judge observed that the non-appearance of the investigating officer clearly indicated that he was not bothered about the court orders.

The directions were issued on Gurmeet Kaur Gill's petition against the State of Punjab for her release on anticipatory bail in the event of her arrest in first information report dated October 6 last year under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC at police station Sarabha Nagar in Ludhiana district.

Jalandhar, January 28
Amarjot Singh and Abhay Singh, builders of the Rampaa Centrepoint, Model Town, have claimed that they have built a plaza that fully adheres to all building norms.

They were reacting to a story published in these columns – Of men, their muscle power – published on January 25.

Amarjot said it was true that the railings of the staircase had not been installed since they were to be erected after the equipment of the gym was in place on the fifth floor.

He said theirs was not the only building in Jalandhar that was operational pending the issuance of a no- objection certificate from the civic authorities. The authorities have not issued a single such certificate for the past six- seven years, he pointed out.

Regarding parking in the complex, he added that the parking was under construction and would be completed soon.

He said his father was a law abiding citizen and a senior politician and would never flout any law of the land.