Jalandhar, March 18
The Municipal Corporation of Jalandhar does not seem to practise what it preaches.Going by the fact that while the MC’s own bylaws state that all new commercial buildings in an area of more than 200 sq yds should be equipped with rainwater harvesting system, it does not have the provision in its own new complex built in an area of 2,500 sq yds.

It seems rather surprising that such an important aspect of modern-day construction has been missed out by all top MC officials in the building where they have been sitting and spending their days since October last.

All officials of the town planning section, who have been inspecting buildings across the city, have failed to take note of the issue in their own complex.

The MC itself is so strict about the installation of the system that the owner of any new commercial building visiting its office for the approval of a plan has to deposit Rs 2 lakh as security. The security is refunded only after the officials visit the site on completion and find that the rainwater harvesting system, with pipes from the rooftop and pits, has been installed properly.

Senior Town Planner A.S. Tuli said the installation of the system was a must even for all residential buildings which were housed in an area of more than 500 sq yds.

He said the MC was very serious about the environmental issue and the authorities of all public sector buildings had been directed to make the necessary arrangements.

The officer explained that owing to rampant construction, rainwater had not been percolating the water table leading to receding level of groundwater. But when asked as to why the provision had not been made in the MC’s administrative complex, he feigned ignorance, “I was not aware of the issue. If it is so, a corrective measure needs to be taken immediately.”

Executive Engineer (B&R) Gurcharan Singh, who headed the construction team of the complex, said no arrangement for rainwater harvesting had been made as of now.

“But we are planning to have the system in the adjoining Nehru Garden Complex which is under renovation. We will be able to have a huge catchment area there,” he explained. 

Tarn Taran, March 18
Power is being stolen in the local police colony for the past many years and the irony is that the PSEB officials are helpless in taking any action.Though PSEB officials were hesitant to disclose details of power theft in the police colony, The Tribune found that the theft on a large scale has been going on for the past eight years.

As per the “record” of the PSEB, it was found that there were as many as 400 consumers in the colony.

Power board officials knew about the theft gets clear by the fact that the PSEB officials installed an 11-KV meter at the main gate of the colony through which the power theft and its cost could be calculated.

And as per the meter reading, 67 per cent power was found to be stolen by the residents of the colony.

According to an estimate, power worth more than Rs 4 crore has been stolen by the consumers of the colony for the past two years. The colony residents use kundi connections to draw power from the main PSEB lines.

Sukhdev Singh, SDO, subdivision of Gohalwar, said keeping in view the power theft, the PSEB had decided to install pillar boxes in the colony. Under this move, 20 meters would be fixed on the single poll and would be sealed to avoid power theft.

S.S. Sarna, Deputy Chief Engineer of the local circle of the PSEB, could not be contacted.

Some policemen residing in the police colony said the PSEB officials followed the same practice in the local power colony. They said the proportion of the power theft in the police colony was much less than the power being stolen in the power colony. In their den, the PSEB officials did not even install meters in the houses. 

Amritsar, March 18
Members of the Employees Action Committee, Punjab, burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner here yesterday to protest against the Budget which they termed it anti-employee and anti-people.

Punjab Subordinate Services Federation President Jarmanjit Singh Baath said the Budget passed by the state legislature would encourage inflationary trends and put more burden on lower income group families.

The agitating employees raised 
slogans against the state government in general and the Chief Minister 
in particular.

They sought withdrawal of cases against five leaders of the action committee and revoking of cases registered against the ETT Teachers Union.

They also sought payment of the arrears of the grade revision carried out by the Fifth Pay Commission up to July 31, 2009.

They demanded regularisation of 3,500 daily wage employees working in the Water Supply and Sanitation Department for the past 20 years and those contractual employees working in various departments like health, education and PWD.