Amritsar, January 2
Even as the district police fails to nab Surinder Arjun, former acting president of the Durgiana Management Committee (DMC), who has already been declared a proclaimed offender, the managing committee has detected another embezzlement of about Rs 61 lakh.

The DMC in a complaint to the district police chief, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, has urged him to register another case of embezzlement of Rs 61,18,971 against Arjun. It is pertinent to mention here that an FIR was registered against Arjun in 2007.

The SSP said he had received the complaint and enquiry would be held and action would be taken accordingly. He said raids were being conducted by the police to nab Arjun, who had been declared a PO by the court.

Harish Taneja, joint secretary, DMC, talking to The Tribune, said even though Arjun had allegedly taken away all account books with him, but according to the day book an amount of Rs 39,18.971 was detected less.

He said this was clarified in the case of coaccused Rajender Kumar Bhalla, former general secretary, who was recently released on bail.

It is pertinent to mention here that Surinder Arjun was turned out of office after the DMC was taken over forcibly by a joint committee comprising members of the Congress, BJP and other Hindu organisations in March, 2007. The new team had constituted a committee after a controversy broke over the breaking of locks of “toshakhana” allegedly by the previous management, led by Arjun.

However, Arjun had claimed that the locks were broken by the National Security Guard (NSG) deputed there to provide security to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during his visit to the city.

Taneja said another amount of Rs 22 lakh was fraudulently transferred by Arjun to his personal account (No 1508) with the Bank of Baroda from the DMC’s bank account (No SSB 311. He said the anomaly was detected after the assistant commissioner of income tax had sought clarification from the managing committee whether Arjun had sought this amount as an interest-free loan from the DMC.

The committee in its reply on July 14, 2007, stated that the constitution of the committee did not have any provision to grant loan to any member or employee.

Nawanshahr, January 2
The SAD-BJP combine would contest the ensuing Lok Sabha poll on development issue and the SAD (Youth Wing) would play a vital role in propagating the achievements of the government at the grassroots-level, said SAD (Youth Wing) president Kiranbir Singh Kang while talking to mediapersons here today.

“The government had started unprecedented development projects for the infrastructure development with a view to ensuring prosperity in the state", said Kang while enumerating the efforts to make Punjab a surplus power state and strengthening of canal system in the state.

The SAD (Youth Wing) president further said he had urged the party high command to give due representation to the youth leadership while deciding candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha poll.

The youth wing would be strengthened at the grassroots-level and it would strive hard to mobilise the Punjabi youth at the village level to remain in touch with the glorious traditions of the Punjabi culture. A special campaign against drug addiction would also be launched in the state to save the youth from falling a prey of the menace of drug addiction. Seminars, drug de-addiction camps, at the grassroots- level would be organised, said Kang adding that the drug inspectors should be extra vigilant in curbing the menace of drugs. He has written a letter to the drug controller to formulate a policy and to issue directions to the district drug inspectors in this regard.

Among others, SGPC member Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa was also present on the occasion.

Amritsar, January 2
Launched by great fan-fare and spending crores of rupees, the “Go Green Go Clean” campaign perhaps failed to aware the authorities of various departments and people of cross-section about the importance of trees.

Another glaring example is pruning and alleged chopping of trees on the premises of Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital on the side of Crystal Chowk here to pave way for the huge hoardings of advertisements.

However, medical superintendent Dr R.P.S Boparai said no single tree was chopped on the premises. Only pruning was done to construct the unipoles for the hoardings. He said the government has granted permission to the company for erecting unipole and it had deposited money to the government in this regard. He said he had personally visited the spot and no tree would be allowed to cut. He said the building, which was residential complex in the hospital was abandoned since long time.

Earlier, trees were chopped at Harbans Lal Khanna Smarak (BJP office) for construction of a room for the district BJP president office. Interestingly, it was BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu had launched the “Go green go clean” drive with personal funds for increasing green cover in the district.

Amritsar, January 2
Braving the intense cold wave with dense fog, the residents of the holy city today had to remain without power for more than six hours during the day. The people woke up this morning with chilly wind conditions forcing them to remain indoors and that too with an extended power cut.

The people were spared from the blues of load shedding yesterday in view of the visit of the several VIPs, including Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

The spokesman for the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) here said they had to resort to additional power cuts in view of the tripping of Lehra Mohabbat thermal power plant and said the situation would improve within the next few days. He said till then the people would have to bear with them.

The public at large have urged the government to give prior notice so that they were equipped to manage the additional electricity shortage, especially in this extreme weather conditions.

Meanwhile, several trading and industrial organisations have strongly criticised the functioning of the Punjab government and PSEB for resorting to long duration of power cuts, which was forcing them to use generating sets, which were adding to their input cost, especially in the times of economic slowdown.

They said business was already reeling under recession, especially in the global market segments, and required continuous power supply to meet export commitments.

Nawanshahr, January 2
The local police claims to have solved the case of blind murder of a chemist, Inderjit Singh, resident of Samundera village, by arresting his friend Bahadur Singh of Chak Singha village. The body of Inderjit Singh was found near the canal of Kishanpura village on December 19.

Giving details, SHO, sadar police station, Gurdip Singh said Bahadur Singh had murdered Inderjit Singh as he had taken Rs 45,000 from him on the pretext of helping him in getting a licence of laboratory technician. Inderjit wanted to open a clinical lab adjoining his chemist shop. But Bahadur Singh could not provide him the requisite licence and when Inderjit Singh started insisting to either provide him the licence or return his money, the accused took Inderjit Singh in a car to Chandigarh for the purpose but he could not provide him the promised licence.

Then he promised him that he would return his money by getting it from a person at Mehatpur Ulladhani village. But, when they reached there, Bahadur Singh could not meet the person there. Failing in returning the money led to a quarrel between them and while they were on the way, Bahadur Singh murdered Inderjit by attacking him with a knife and threw his body near the canal.

Before throwing his body, Bahadur Singh also took an ATM card from the pocket of Inderjit Singh, said the SHO, adding that the the accused even had withdrawn Rs 80,000 from the bank account of the murder victim. The police took a clue from the withdrawal of money from the bank account by using the ATM of the deceased and during investigation found that Bahadur Singh was with Inderjit Singh before his murder.

Hoshiarpur, January 2
Timely intervention by the district administration defused the tension prevailing at the local Balbir colony, illegally constructed in 3 kanal and 11 marla, following the order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court for demolishing the illegal constructed houses in the entire colony and get provided the possession of land to the owner today.

It may be recalled that in his order pronounced in July, 2008, senior division judge S.S. Sahni instructed the local revenue authorities to demolish the illegal construction in Khasra No 763/424 (1-0), 456-427 (3-14) located in Bassi Khawaju, now known as Balbir colony, and to handover the possession of land to the owner on August 11. But on account of heavy opposition against the order by the inhabitants of the colony, the revenue authorities and police did not act and the situation is continuing till this date.

Later, the owner of the land, Ram Piari, of local Gauran Gate, approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which instructed the deputy commissioner and SSP to get vacated the land and give their report to the court on January 15.

Acting on the court orders, the administration was swung into action and heavy machinery for demolishing the houses arrived there and a sizeable number of police force was deployed in the area to avert any mishap.

After knowing about the court orders, the inhabitants of the colony, under the leadership of Rajesh Kumar Neena, Darshan Lal, Dev Raj and Shankar, assembled in the colony and protested against the demolishing of their houses and their eviction from the land. Housewives also threatened to immolate themselves if their houses were demolished.

Talking to mediapersons they said the land was in the Bhangi Choe (seasonal rivulet) bed. All residents worked hard to raise the level of the land and constructed their houses in 1978. Their ration cards and voter identity cards had been prepared at the present addresses and power and water supply connections had also been given on the same addresses.

However, the district administration negotiated with both the parties and made them agree to settle the issue amicably for which a five-day period was given and the demolition was suspended.

Deputy commissioner N.K. Wadhawan said the timely intervention by the district administration had defused the tension.