Nawanshahr, May 14
SSP Narinder Bhargav has exhorted the social activists, educationists and intellectuals to join hands for launching a concerted crusade against the drug abuse.

Presiding over a seminar organised by Sankalp Welfare and Awareness Society (SWAS) to make the youth aware of the menace here on Wednesday, he said, “Human resource development is the most important for ensuring development and prosperity of any society and Punjab needs a proper policy for the purpose so that the Punjabi youth could be moulded to face the challenges of globalisation.”

The war against the drug menace could be fought with the double-edged weapon. On one hand, the supply line of drugs and, on the other, society should be mobilised for strengthening the punitive action against the drug mafia as well as to ensure proper rehabilitation of the drug addicts, added Bhargav while underlining the need of evolving a concrete action plan.

SWAS also organised an exhibition. Jaswinder Singh Patti presented a slide show to make the students aware of the ill-effects of drug abuse. A declamation contest was also organised in which school students won prizes.

Hoshiarpur: Interacting with people of Hoshiarpur at the NRI police station here today, Deputy Inspector-General of Ferozepore Range R.P. Mittal appealed to the parents to make their wards aware of the ill-effects of intoxication so that they did not indulge in drug abuse.

He showed his concern over the increasing menace of intoxication among the youths and appealed to the people to cooperate with police in checking the drug peddlers who were ruining youths for earning easy money. Stressing on the impartial attitude of the police during its functioning, Gurchain Singh of Kharkan village and Shankar Singh of Kotla Gaunspur said police officials should deal with anti-social elements, including snatchers and thieves, with an iron hand. 

Hoshiarpur, May 14
Providing relief to local cloth merchant Harkishore Rai Aggarwal, the District Consumer Court, headed by President P.D. Goel, has ordered New India Assurance Company Limited to pay Rs 50,000 with interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum from the date of filing the complaint till realisation along with litigation expenses of Rs 1,000 to the former within one month.

Aggarwal had filed a complaint against the company, Jalandhar Road, on the ground that it wrongly repudiated the claim of his insured cloth lying in his shop which got damaged due to entering of 3 to 4-foot water in the shop following a heavy rain on August 13, 2008. He had submitted all the requisite documents to the company. The company raised the defence that first surveyor Jyoti Parkash and thereafter Vinay Mittal was appointed for the final survey report. It was reported that the insurance company was liable to pay Rs 31,040 and the cheque for the amount was sent to Harkishore Aggarwal which the latter refused to accept.

The court held that keeping in view the law laid down by the Apex court and also the risk clause contained in the insurance policy, the ends of justice would be well served if the insurance company is directed to pay Rs 50,000 as assessed by surveyor Jyoti Parkash.

Phagwara, May 14
Two women were drugged and robbed of their two gold “gajras” by two other unidentified women near Chachoki village this afternoon.

Reports said that Sheenam and her daughter-in-law Balbir Kaur were waiting for a bus to board when two unidentified women came and stood near them, posing as if they were also waiting for a bus.

Pathankot, May 14
More than 400 labourers and artisans held a protest demonstration against the authorities of the Improvement Trust for launching a drive to convert a labour shed located outside the SP’s office into a parking lot for Army vehicles here yesterday.

Onkar Chand, a daily labourer, said the labour class engaged in works of carpentry, brick-kiln, rickshaw-pulling, construction and agricultural work had been taking shelter in this shed for the past over five years.

He said during the rainy season and scorching summer days, labourers found shelter in this shed. He said the authorities should stop the movement to deprive the labour class from this shed.

Later they marched through the main bazaars of the town and handed over a memorandum to SDM Sukhmandar Singh, demanding shelving of the drive by the Improvement Trust immediately.