J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

Regularisation row: Now, daily-wagers climp up tank
Amritsar, March 3
After ETT and computer teachers, it was the turn of daily-wagers of the Water Supply and Sanitation Department, who climbed up the overhead water tanks here today, while threatening to commit suicide in case the government failed to meet the demands of the regularisation of their jobs.
Daily-wagers of the Water Supply and Sanitation Department on top of a water tank in Amritsar on Wednesday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Police launches drive to check traffic violations
Nawanshahr, March 3
The police launched a special drive on Wednesday with a view to curb the growing tendency of violation of traffic rules especially among adolescents, who have not only been violating traffic rules but have virtually been causing nuisance as well as noise pollution by making certain alterations in the silencers of their bikes. SSP Rakesh Aggarwal said the drive would also help in regulating traffic as well as strengthening security in the town.

Man pushed wife, daughter into well
Jalandhar, March 3
Routine domestic spats proved the main cause of the death of a mother and her daughter in Rampur village on Tuesday. Rekha Rani and her daughter Komal were found dead in a village well under mysterious circumstances. Her 5-year-old son, Harman, who was also rescued from the same well in a critical condition, is undergoing treatment in the local civil hospital.

Retd principals resent non-revision of pension
Hoshiarpur, March 3
Resentment prevails among the retired Punjab government college principals and lecturers over the non-revision of their pension/family pension under para 4.2 of the state government notification.

Road repair gets under way
Batala, March 3
After removal of encroachments along the road sides, the authorities have started repair of the roads in the town. The municipal authorities had demolished and removed permanent encroachments a few weeks ago and after removing the debris the road sides are being paved with interlocking tiles.

3 killed, one found dead
Phagwara, March 3
Three persons were killed in as many mishaps and one man was found dead in Phagwara last night. Sui Paswan, a migrant from Bihar, died due to excessive drinking and was found near local Sugar Mills Chowk last night. Another migrant Sat Naryan died after falling down from the running train on Phagwara Railway Station.

Aided schools’ staff denied salary
Jalandhar, March 3
Employees of the government-recognised aided schools have not received their salaries for the past five months. “We have not got our salaries after September last year,” said a teacher employed in an aided school. There are about 7,500 teaching and non-teaching employees in the aided schools for which 95 per cent grant-in-aid is given by the state government.

Regularisation row: Now, daily-wagers climp up tank
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 3
After ETT and computer teachers, it was the turn of daily-wagers of the Water Supply and Sanitation Department, who climbed up the overhead water tanks here today, while threatening to commit suicide in case the government failed to meet the demands of the regularisation of their jobs.

The high drama lasted till 5 pm as the agitators came down following the assurance given by the Deputy Commissioner, who mediated between them and the Chief Secretary, Punjab for telephonic talks.

Sukhnandan Singh Mehnia, one of the activists, said the Chief Secretary assured to fix their meeting with the Deputy Chief Minister in this regard.

According to them, all the formalities for the regularisation of their posts had already been completed, he added.

Meanwhile, the about seven members of the daily wagers association ascended the water tank about 11.00 am while the rest of them raised slogans against the government for the non-fulfillment of their long-pending demands, from downstairs.

Senior police and administrative officials visited the spot located at just a stone’s throw from the high security judicial complex and persuaded them to came down, assuring them to take up their issue with the government.

But it was not before the Deputy Commissioner arrived there in the evening that they agreed to end their protest.

Sukhnandan said many of them had been working as daily wagers for the last more than two decades, while nothing was being done to regularise them, even as the state government had promised to do so in their election manifesto.

He urged the government to fulfill their demands soon otherwise they would be forced to intensify their agitation in the future.

Police launches drive to check traffic violations
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, March 3
The police launched a special drive on Wednesday with a view to curb the growing tendency of violation of traffic rules especially among adolescents, who have not only been violating traffic rules but have virtually been causing nuisance as well as noise pollution by making certain alterations in the silencers of their bikes. SSP Rakesh Aggarwal said the drive would also help in regulating traffic as well as strengthening security in the town.

DSP Satpal Singh Bhangu said as many as nine police nakas led by city SHO Raj Kumar, SHO (Sadar) Rupinderjit Singh, Women Cell in charge Gurmit Kaur, Traffic in charge Surjit Kumar, PCR in charge Bhagwant Singh, Ranjit Bsadesa, Narcotics Cell, Special Cell and Police Education Cell etc, were set up at different places in the town.

The police parties challaned and captured wrongly parked vehicles. Besides, as many as 140 challans were done by the police parties for various violations of traffic rules.

Man pushed wife, daughter into well
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 3
Routine domestic spats proved the main cause of the death of a mother and her daughter in Rampur village on Tuesday. Rekha Rani and her daughter Komal were found dead in a village well under mysterious circumstances. Her 5-year-old son, Harman, who was also rescued from the same well in a critical condition, is undergoing treatment in the local civil hospital.

Talking to The Tribune, investigating officer Harpreet Singh, SHO, Nurmehal, said Jinderpal, husband of the deceased, admitted to have pushed the three into well in an attempt to eliminate them due to routine domestic quarrels.

The SHO claimed that during interrogation, the suspect has confessed to the crime. However, the other aspects of the crime are also being looked into.

A case under sections 302, 201 and 34 of the IPC has been registered against Jinderpal at Nurmehal police station. Harman is still in a state of shock and could not be questioned, the SHO added.

Retd principals resent non-revision of pension
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, March 3
Resentment prevails among the retired Punjab government college principals and lecturers over the non-revision of their pension/family pension under para 4.2 of the state government notification.

According to the president of the Government College Retired Teachers Welfare Association, S.P. Dhir, here today, the Punjab Government has issued a notification, No 3/39 FPPC/201, regarding the implementation of the recommendations of the Fifth Punjab Pay Commission Revision of Pension of pre-January 1, 2006, pensioners, etc. But there is a glaring omission of the revision of the pension of the retired Punjab government college principals and lecturers. The revision of the pension of the retired government college principals and lecturers is to be made as per the new UGC grades, which have been accepted and implemented in government colleges by the Punjab Government.

He stated that a representation to the Additional Secretary, Finance, of the state government has already been sent in this regard.

He urged the Punjab Chief Minister to issue separate notification regarding the revision of the pension of government college principals and lecturers as per the new UGC grades. 

Road repair gets under way
Our Correspondent

Batala, March 3
After removal of encroachments along the road sides, the authorities have started repair of the roads in the town. The municipal authorities had demolished and removed permanent encroachments a few weeks ago and after removing the debris the road sides are being paved with interlocking tiles.

The authorities managed to get Rs 10 lakh from BJP MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Jagdish Sawhney out of his discretionary funds. So far the roads have been repaired in three wards and the remaining work would be completed in about six months.

3 killed, one found dead
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, March 3
Three persons were killed in as many mishaps and one man was found dead in Phagwara last night. Sui Paswan, a migrant from Bihar, died due to excessive drinking and was found near local Sugar Mills Chowk last night. Another migrant Sat Naryan died after falling down from the running train on Phagwara Railway Station.

Mintoo Kumar, a painter, fell down from the ladder while working in a house in local Harkrishan Nagar last night. He was admitted in local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. Arvind Kumar fell down from the roof of his house in Onkar Nagar Phagwara and died on his way to DMC Hospital Ludhiana.

One killed, 2 hurt in accident

Nawanshahr: Dr Gian Singh Dolla of nearby Langroya village was killed on the spot when his car rammed into a tree at Beerowal village situated on the Nawanshahr-Chandigarh road here on Tuesday. His wife Sukesh Rani and niece Kanika were injured in the accident. Dr. Dolla was going to Balachaur and the accident happened in a bid to save stray cow on the road. The injured have been admitted to Raja Hospital here. The police has registered a case under 174 of the IPC. — OC

Aided schools’ staff denied salary
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 3
Employees of the government-recognised aided schools have not received their salaries for the past five months. “We have not got our salaries after September last year,” said a teacher employed in an aided school. There are about 7,500 teaching and non-teaching employees in the aided schools for which 95 per cent grant-in-aid is given by the state government.

As the new academic session is about to start in a few weeks, employees say they need money to pay the admission fee and other charges of their wards to admit them in educational institutions. Moreover, money is also required to apply for appearing in the various entrance tests on the basis of which admission is made in the engineering, medical and other professional colleges. While the state was spending lakhs of rupees to celebrate the completion of its three years, it had failed to give even salary to the employees of aided schools in time. “There is no use of basking in the fake glory when it is not even able to discharge its basic job of giving salaries,” said the teacher.