Amritsar, March 14
The ministry of local bodies have sanctioned Rs 36.9 crore for the rehabilitation of existing sewerage system in the walled city project for Amritsar. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by M Ramachandaran, principal secretary, ministry of local bodies, in New Delhi today.

Talking to The Tribune over phone, municipal commissioner D.P.S. Kharbanda said the project would be implemented under the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM). He said the project was cleared by the central monitoring committee of the ministry, the nodal body for sanctioning grants and monitoring progress of projects under the 
NURM guidelines.

Giving details, the municipal commissioner said the project would cover an area of 155 km comprising the sewerage systems of 13 wards, most of them falling in the congested walled city area.

Meanwhile, mayor Shawet Malik said the project would help in revamping the entire sewerage system of a large part of the city. Besides, it had been a long pending demand of the affected population.

Interestingly, the faulty sewerage system had been a key issue during the last municipal corporation elections and most councillors had promised relaying of the 
sewerage system.

Under the NURM guidelines, parts of the total cost of the project would be borne by the state government and the municipal corporation.The rehabilitation of sewerage project, along with the elevated road project, which would provide an easy and shorter route to the Golden Temple, are the two key projects being implemented under the NURM scheme in the city.

Meanwhile, an official from the California administration, Frank, called on mayor Shawet Malik and informed him about the proposal of declaring Amritsar and Bakerfield sister cities. He said the proposal was discussed last year during the visit of Bakerfield mayor Harvey H Hall. 

Hoshiarpur, March 14
Activists of the BSP, led by their state general secretaries Onkar Singh and Gurlal Saila, raised slogans against the SAD-BJP government for about half an hour on account of the non-availability of the deputy commissioner and other senior officers in their offices here today.

They had come to the mini-secretariat to submit a memorandum addressed to the Punjab Governor, in which they had lodged their protest against the alleged defamatory word mentioned for Dalit community in a recent question paper of the fifth standard examination, conducted by the Punjab School Education Board.

It was the SDM, Karnail Singh, who reached there and pacified them. Only then they ended their demonstration and submitted the memorandum to him.

Later, in a press note, state leaders, including Bhagwan Singh Chohan and Gurlal Saila, criticised the Punjab minister for education for her statement over the objectionable words against the Dalit community. — OC

Hoshiarpur, March 14
Panic gripped the local Shimla Pahari Chowk area when a stray bull attacked several persons resulting in injuries to them today.

Shopkeepers of the area informed the fire brigade and police. Fire brigade employees and municipal staff with the help of some youths, somehow, controlled and tied the bull with ropes.

But all their efforts to load it in a tractor-trailer for taking it to an abandoned place outside the city became futile even after struggling for more than three hours. During the efforts the bull sustained injuries.

Jalandhar, March 14
Following reports of BKI threat on attacks at Jalandhar and Kapurthala railway stations on March 22, security has been tightened at all important stations. High alert has been sounded and dog squads have been pressed into service to detect explosives, said Jalandhar RPF incharge Rajeev Kumar. 

He said the threat came as a postal letter by Daljeet Singh alias Teetu of Babbar Khalsa at Kapurthala railway station. Teetu has threatened to blow up Ferozepore and Bathinda railway stations besides Jalandhar and Kapurthala. — TNS