The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Minister Mohan pedals his way to work Naveen S. Garewal Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 12 Giving security personnel the nightmare of their lives, Punjab transport minister Master Mohan Lal today rode a bicycle all the way to office in the Secretariat to protest against the recent hike in the petroleum prices. A few other BJP leaders accompanied him on their cycles, while his security staff followed him in their vehicles. Incidentally, after the Chandigarh Administration reduced the value-added tax (VAT) on petrol by 2 to 20 per cent, petrol now costs Rs 50.28 a litre here, the lowest in the tri-city. Petrol costs Rs 50.60 per litre in Panchkula and Rs 55.57 in Mohali. The price of an LPG cylinder too has been reduced to Rs 339.50 in Chandigarh after the administration abolished VAT on LPG. Talking to mediapersons, the minister said his action was to emphasise the need for austerity. The distance between his official residence in Sector 39 and the office in the Punjab and Haryana Secretariat is by no means small. But Mohan Lal, accompanied by senior BJP youth leader and national executive member Vineet Joshi, undertook this arduous journey to make his point. Though it was a rare sight for onlookers, the minister did not disappoint those who missed watching him in the morning by going for the Cabinet meeting on the cycle and then returning from there. Mohan Lal did not shy away from the people who recognised him, rather he waved back at them and greeted them in typical Bollywood style. At times, people slowed down to get a glimpse of the minister slowing down the traffic on the way. Lambasting the Union government for its failure to control the spiralling prices, especially of basic products like petrol and diesel, Mohan Lal said inflation was the biggest concern for the ordinary man. The transport minister said, “I simply wanted to relate to the common man and the best way to empathise is to stand in a common man’s shoes and view things. As the transport minister, I now understand the meaning of a phenomenal and unprecedented hike in the diesel and petrol prices.” When asked if the minister proposed to repeat going to office on cycle tomorrow and for how long he intended to do so, a close aide jokingly said, “I wonder if the minister will be in a position to move out of his residence tomorrow. He will probably require the entire weekend to recuperate.”
	Looks Matter City spruce-up plan in place Deepkamal Kaur/TNS Jalandhar, June 12 The Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) and the department of local bodies have jointly decided to upgrade and beautify the urban road network and landscape of state’s five cities, including Jalandhar. As per the plan, all major roads in the city, including GT Road, old GT Road leading to Bidhipur crossing, Ladowali Road, Nakodar Road, Kapurthala Road, Pathankot Road, Nehru Garden Road and Gazigulla Road, will get better infrastructure and public facilities. There would be a complete change in their design with construction of footpaths, cycle tracks, parking facilities, public utilities, bus bays and bus shelters. Apart from it, pedestrian crossings, railings and seating places would also come up. Landscape design would be boosted with green cover on the centre verges and footpaths. Various road-safety features like road markings, rotaries, crossings and kerb stones would be added. Also, wherever possible widening of roads would be done, said official sources. The Jalandhar municipal corporation officials have already started a survey of the roads, noting down the traffic volume, requirements, problems and existing facilities along the proposed roads. Chief general manager, PIDB, Gurpartap Singh Mann, said consultants for the project were being shortlisted. He said since the project required taking down minute details like length and breadth of roads and other features specifically required for a particular road, the process could take two to three months. MD Sukhvir Singh Sandhu said the estimate of the expenditure that was likely to be incurred is yet to be prepared since details of the various components involved are still being sought. He pointed out that a separate plan for each road, every footpath and even the design of each and every kerbstone and tile to be used was being sought.
	Stop Over No train halt irks Dasuya residents Amarjit Thind/TNS Jalandhar, June 12 Commuters of Dasuya and its vicinity are an aggrieved lot in the absence of any train service from the town to Jalandhar and Delhi between 12 noon to 7 pm. Residents and members of the Railway Advisory Committee have highlighted this aspect before senior railway functionaries but to no avail. Representations to the railway ministry have elicited no response. Tulsi Dass Jagga, a former member of the Northern Railway Advisory Committee, said they had approached sitting and former legislators and MPs from the area had also been approached to get the needful done but little progress had been made except assurances that the ministry was looking into the matter. Citing an example to highlight the problem, he said thousands of commuters would benefit if the 2471/2472 Swaraj Express alone were allowed a halt at Dasuya. Presently, the people have to either go to Chakki Bank (Pathankot) or Jalandhar to board the train. The 18 Field Ordnance Depot is situated just 3 km from the Dasuya railway station where 1,500 employees, including army personnel work and often travel a lot of distance to board the train. Not only this, commuters from the adjoining areas of Himachal Pradesh too have to travel far to board the train, he pointed out. Similarly, the 1450 Dn Jammu-Jabalpur train runs once a week and its frequency needs to be changed to at least five days a week keeping in view the rush on the train. For the convenience of the passengers, the route of the train should be changed via Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashok Nagar and Bina, he added. Since there was no train from Dasuya to Delhi during daytime, the railways should start an unreserved train from Pathankot to Delhi in the morning hours so that the poor could travel comfortably. There was also a great need to start a passenger train from Pathankot to Jalandhar since there is no such train between 10 am to 7 pm forcing the commuters to travel by road. He said the railways should have a fresh look at the need of this area since people had to travel great distances to catch the major trains even though some pass through the town. Even brief stopover could be of immense help to the passengers, he added.
	Poll Update Hoshiarpur: Cong to contest elections only in five MCs Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, June 12 Out of the eight municipal councils (MCs) in Hoshiarpur, the Congress would contest elections only in Hoshiarpur, Garhshankar, Tanda, Dasuya and Mukerian on the party symbol, whereas it would support prospective candidates in Garhdiwala, Sham Chaurasi and Hariana C-class MCs. This was disclosed by former minister and election in charge of the Congress in Hoshiarpur Avtar Henry while talking to mediapersons here this afternoon. He said the price hike was not an issue in these elections. Moreover, controlling the prices of essential commodities was a state subject, but the SAD-BJP government had badly failed in taking any action against the black-marketeers and hoarders as a majority of them allegedly belonged to the BJP, he said. Traders were freely charging exorbitant rates of essential commodities which caused a heavy burden on the pocket of the common men. The SAD-BJP government had not provided any fund for the development of urban areas in the state during its 15-month regime due to which even repair works of roads and drains in various cities and towns could not be done, causing great inconvenience to the public. Answering to a question, Henry claimed that there was complete harmony and unity among leaders of the District Congress Committee, Hoshiarpur. The prospective candidates for all the MC wards were being selected on their recommendations. They would collectively give a tough fight to the SAD-BJP candidates in these elections and ensure victory of tghe party candidates. Earlier, Henry, along with Rajya Sabha member and DCC president Dharampal Sabharwal, interviewed dozens of men and women seeking the party ticket for various wards in the aforesaid five MCs. There was a great rush of candidates and their supporters in the party office.
	Nobody to issue no-dues certificate Our Correspondent Batala, June 12 In violation of all norms and rules, the local BJP MLA has forced the local municipal council executive officer, superintendent and clerical staff to go on long leave. These officers are required to give “no-dues certificate” to the candidate contesting elections to the local municipal council to fulfil the criteria under the Municipal Council Act, wherein it is essential to have the certificate. In the absence of the certificate, the nomination papers can be rejected. Local Congress leaders met the returning officer-cum-SDM J.S. Garewal to ensure this compliance as per norms. The assurance to issue no-dues certificate has not yielded any results till this date. The Congress leaders, under the leadership of former minister and former local MLA Ashwani Sekhri, protested at Gandhi Chowk and the municipal council office. The Congress leaders alleged that the SAD-BJP combine was trying all means to win elections. Today, it came to the notice that the local sub-divisional magistrate was also forced to go on leave, disclosed the Congress leaders. A deputation of Congress activists, led by Ashwani Sekhri and Raj Kumar, former parliamentary secretary, left today for Chandigarh to meet the election commissioner in this regard.
	‘Demand of treason trial against Modi absurd’ Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, June 12 Punjab medical education and research minister Tikshan Sud has ridiculed the Congress for demanding treason trial of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for questioning the Union fiscal policy of uneven distribution of tax share to states. In a statement issued here today, Sud said if a chief minister can attract the charge of treason by asking a right amount of revenue share for his state, then every development-oriented leader would be guilty of this. He said Modi only pointed out the biased policy of the Union government and demanded a review of the outdated formula. Gujarat had been providing Rs 40,000 crore as taxes to the Centre, whereas the Union government was returning only 2.5 per cent of the share to the state. Sud said all progressive state governments, including Punjab, had been complaining about the “faulty” taxation policy. “The present formula is discriminating against the progressive states on the basis of their low population and its review is very important,” he added. He said the Punjab government had been pleading a review of the formula to maintain a balance between the unitary and federal system of democracy. Calling for an apology from the Congress for invoking treason charge against Modi, the BJP leader wondered that the same Congress was working to grant mercy to Afzal Guru who attacked Parliament and killed scores of policemen.