Jalandhar, July 12
Going by the pace of the renovation work of decades’ old Company Bagh in the heart of the city, it would not be wrong to say that it would take quite some time for its completion as the work has been halted yet again.

It has been more than a fortnight since the construction work has stopped leading to problems for the residents who come for morning and evening walks daily. While the Municipal Corporation (MC) authorities had recently claimed that almost 90 per cent of the renovation work was complete and the rest was expected to be over within another three to four months.

However, around two months have passed and all that one finds in the park is mounds of mud and construction material scattered everywhere. Even the work on the irrigation, musical fountains and electrical parts of the park also stands incomplete. Agitated at the slow pace of work, frequent visitors of the park said they had been rendered bereft of an ideal leisure and walking place of the city.

Gauri Shanker Joshi, a resident of Central Town, said, “Where was the need to renovate the park? We were happy enjoying our morning and evening walks and spending leisure time with our friends here. Already two years have passed and still there is no ray of hope of its completion.”

A senior citizen, Inder Mohan, who has been visiting the park since 1954, said, “All that we see is tractors loading and unloading mud in the park while major development and beautification of the park is lying dumped. Imagine the pace of work that within two years only cemented pathways have been made and since the work has already stopped there seems to be less hope of its completion even in another year’s time.”

However, the residents appreciated the efforts of the MC in protecting the old trees of the park and planting some new ones adding to more greenery in the park. Vishal Khullar, another resident, said, “We are happy that the years’ old banyan tree in the heart of the park has been saved as we have fond memories of enjoying our leisure time with our friends under its shade. We just hope that our favourite park gets the desired face lift soon,” he added.

When contacted about the delay in the work, Mayor Rakesh Rathour said there were some pending issues with the contractor regarding various items and payments, which had been sorted out. “The work will begin soon and we are hopeful of completing this project within three months,” he quipped.

Jalandhar, July 12
Almost 14 months after the work began, the BMC Chowk flyover is set to be inaugurated on July 15 morning by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal.The flyover, coming up at a cost of nearly Rs 20 crore, takes off from Narinder Cinema and turns towards Apeejay School. While this passage of the flyover is two-way, the other side, which starts from Radisson Hotel and gets back in front of the cinema, is single.

While the flyover stands ready, even the roads beneath the flyover are being re-carpeted and traffic lights have been installed to ensure a smooth traffic all around the site. Owing to the ongoing work, the crossing from beneath the flyover from Cool Road or Mahavir Marg towards the courts side has been closed since the last evening, forcing the commuters to take a very long U-turn via the busy Namdev Chowk. The commuters had a tough time throughout the day today as other two-three cuts in the 2-km road from bus stand to Namdev Chowk have been closed.

While the flyover is set to be inaugurated, the residents are quite skeptical on whether it would streamline the traffic or only create chaos. Commuters are also doubtful owing to the fact that there are only single lanes for all sides. They are worried that this flyover would also harm the utility of the double-lane Khalsa College flyover also since traffic coming from that side will slow down at the single-lane BMC flyover.

The SE, Jalandhar Improvement Trust, Mukul Soni, has confirmed the fact saying that the width of the road on the Apeejay School side was 10.5 m (including a lane for either side and a central verge), 6 m on the Radisson Hotel side and 16.5 m on the bus stand side.

Jalandhar MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee, too, had earlier said design of the under-construction BMC Chowk flyover was full of discrepancies. “The intersection has six connecting roads, but the design will serve only two sides and block traffic on the remain four.”

Virinder Kumar, a resident, had remarked, “The concept of single lane has now become non-viable keeping in view the increasing volume of traffic.” He said the authorities had not come up with a long-term vision.

Lakhbir Singh, president of NGO Pahal, too, has raised concern by saying “There seems to be a technical fault on the part of designers for having gone towards Mahavir Marg, which is just 90 feet wide. The width of the flyover has been reduced just because of a turn on that side. It is a common observation that most commuters have to go straight and only a few have to take left turn towards Mahavir Marg.”

Phagwara, July 12
The police has registered a case of fraud against a travel agent, Mohan Lal, a resident of Khamacho village, under Sections 420 and 406 of the IPC on the charge of cheating Ravi Kumar, a resident of Birr Puad village, of Rs 6.5 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad.

The complainant alleged in his complaint that the travel agent assured him that he would send him to New Zealand and demanded Rs 6.5 lakh.

He gave the full amount along with his passport, but neither he was sent abroad nor the accused returned his money, despite repeated requests.

Ravi then approached Kapurthala SSP Sukhwinder Singh Maan who instructed the local police to investigate into the matter and the police booked the accused after detailed investigations. No arrest has been made so far. 

Jalandhar, July 12
Apprehending that the Jalandhar industry, once shifted to newly established focal point at Subhanpur, might jostle with the severe labour shortage, the industrialists have raked up the demand that the plots meant for residential colony there should be used to construct accommodations for labourers.

The focal point, expected to come up in January next year, will be situated around 28 km from Jalandhar city. This far-off location of the focal point is a matter of concern for the industrialists, who believe that the purpose of the focal point would be diluted, as there would be no workforce if not provided with accommodations there.

Sources revealed that 227-acre focal point would include 418 industrial and 234 residential plots.

“As hardly any industrialist would wish to stay there, we want that all 234 plots be used to construct homes for labourers,” said an industrialist. Industrialists demand that such plots should be given at the same prices as that of industrial plots. Prices would be tool high if allotted under the residential category,” said an industrialist.

Pankaj Dheer, Vice-President, Laghu Udyog Bharti, said various associations of Jalandhar industrialists would demand 80 per cent contribution of the Centre Government for the total land and construction cost for accommodations for labourers.

“The Central Government’s authorities concerned have sought our demands on the issue and conveyed that there are some provisions under which the Centre Government could pool its share under various schemes. We are shortly going to take up the matter with the Centre Government,” said Dheer.

The Laghu Udyog Bharti also demanded that the units facing closure following the Supreme Court’s notice of shifting units out of residential areas within 10 years should be given priority while the allotment of plots at the focal point.

Jalandhar, July 12
Carrying on his crusade on saving water, Rajya Sabha MP Avinash Rai Khanna yesterday gave a lecture on the issue to jawans and their families at PAP Complex here today.

His lecture revolved around his slogan, “Everyday everybody should save at least a litre of water”. He insisted on ensuring that taps do not leak. He had more tips, “You can save a lot of water by being economical while washing cars and brushing teeth. Keep on turning your taps off when you do not need water and do not allow water to run off into the drains unnecessarily.”

He gave examples on how his campaign over the past two years had helped save water. “I have gone to jails and addressed inmates on being miser while using water. After my lecture, a jailer in Bathinda called me up telling that inmates, who used to earlier insist that motors be switched on till they take bath in open, had now started taking bath in toilets using water flowing at normal pressure,” he added.

Khanna said he had also interacted with hostelers. “The other day, I got a call from the hostelers of Sandhu Nursing College, Nawanshahr, and they told me that the college had started saving at least 15,000 litres of water a day, which I feel is a big achievement for me”.

In a yet another development on this front, the MP said he had got a water recharging plant fitted with a swimming pool in Hoshiarpur. “The authorities used to change the pool water once in a week. The used water was flushed into drain, but now it is going directly into the ground and the groundwater is being recharged,” he said, adding that lakhs of litres of water was being saved every week by this move.

Nakodar, July 12
The Computerised Land Record Centre of Shahkot subdivision is ready as all minute land record details have been uploaded and it is likely to be operational this week. The SDM of Shahkot subdivision, Tarlok Nath Passi, said this today. He also said Revenue Minister Ajit Singh Kohar would inaugurate the centre.

Earlier, additional charge of the subdivision was with Iqbal Singh and now
Passi, who was earlier posted at Jeera, had assumed the charge of the subdivision.

He said a person seeking information on any type of land record would had to fill a simple form containing details about the land, and on the click of a mouse complete details would be available for him.

He said it would also put to end the cumbersome manual process of finding records.

Passi said, “Farmers can have an easy access to information pertaining to girdawari, mutation, jamabandi, fard, roznamcha and other land-related records of the Revenue Department on a nominal fee.”

He said recently Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon issued a grant of Rs 1.1 crore for strengthening the embankment of the Sutlej near Danewal village and Thumuwal village of Shahkot, adding that work on the project would be initiated in a few days.

Jalandhar July 12
Tata Motors launched its multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) Tata Venture, boasting of manoeuvrability of a hatchback car and interior space of a utility car, here yesterday.

The new MPV, powered by 1.4 litre turbo diesel engine, could comfortably accommodate eight passengers in three front-facing rows and has ample luggage space apart from having a glasshouse effect with plug-in windows for second row passengers.

The vehicle, according to Arun Sethi, President of Cargo Motors, Jalandhar, gives the mileage of 15.42 km/litre as per the ARAI certification and is available in five colours along with a warranty of two years or 75,000 km.

Jalandhar, July 12
The Labour Department on Monday organised a children mela for the kids studying in schools run under the child labour project.Nearly 300 students from 27 schools participated in the event. The students participated in events, including poetry recitation, fancy dress, painting, handwriting, solo and group dance competitions.

Winners were Sahil, Rajan and Aarti in poetry recitation contest, Aarti, Pinku and Aarzoo in fancy dress contest, Vinay, Pankaj and Manu in handwriting contest, Karandeep, Kajal and Satinder in painting contest and Ridima, Shalu and Tanya in solo dance contest.

Jalandhar, July 12
Though theatre activity in the city has picked up substantially, rarely do theatre enthusiasts get to take lessons in the art.A 20-day production-oriented workshop will be held by a theatre group, Kalaa, at the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall in Jalandhar.

Starting tomorrow, the workshop will see students getting instructions on the technical and practical aspects of drama from experts in the region.

Dedicated to legendary playwright Gursharan Singh, the workshop will culminate with two or more productions being staged by students.

Talking to The Tribune, theatre person Kranti Pal, the organiser of the workshop, said, “There is no dearth of amateur theatre in the region, but students need to get to know the finer nuances of the art to move towards more professional theatre. The workshop will attempt to encourage quality theatre and try to inform students about all the tools and techniques which go hand in hand with it.”

“About 25-30 students are expected to attend the workshop. The students will be shortlisted after the auditions and registrations will be completed by tomorrow,” he added.

Kranti has also roped in National School of Drama (Delhi) pass outs for the workshop, namely Sangeeta (dance drama), Anurag (street play expertise) and Gagandeep Kaur (stagecraft).

“We are also planning to invite experts from the theatre departments of Punjabi University, Patiala, and Panjab University, Chandigarh,” said Kranti, who also held another workshop in the city a couple of years ago.

The workshop will end on the July 30 with productions featuring students.

Jalandhar, July 12
Almost 27 years after evening classes were discontinued in Jalandhar, Lyallpur Khalsa College has resumed the trend by introducing an array of courses being preferred by professionals and Army personnel.

The college has plans to offer courses like BCA, BCom, BCom (professional), MCom, MSc (IT), MSc (mathematics) and MA (English) under Guru Nanak Dev University. The professionals will also be able to brush up their skills by taking up PG diploma courses such as those in computer applications, marketing, labour laws, insurance and risk management, personnel management, industrial relations, agricultural marketing, export and business management.

Principal of Lyallpur Khalsa College Dr Jaspal Singh Randhawa said he was getting several queries for evening courses, especially from armed forces’ officers on study leave.

Ever since Guru Nanak Dev University College (which was till last year located at Basti Nau and has now been shifted to Ladowali Road) shut down its evening classes in 1984 due to tense situation in Punjab, the youth working in daytime hardly got an opportunity to utilise the evening time for improving their educational qualification.

Principal Usha Kapoor of the college said, “In those days, our college was more popular for its evening courses. For the same reason, it was more popularly known as evening college. In 1984, no one ventured out of homes in the evening and as a result the evening courses got closed down.” Somehow, the courses were never resumed, she added.

Jalandhar, July 12
Panthic bodies have urged the SGPC to hold a meeting of its panel to decide the space and shape of the 1984 martyrs’ memorial which has not been held since it was constituted last month.

The committee was to deliberate on the proposal to construct the memorial and submit its report within two months.

Kanwarpal Singh of the Dal Khalsa said while they had welcomed the formation of the five member panel by the committee, it was a matter of concern that no meeting of the panel has taken place and the SGPC does not seem serious about the emotive issue of the community.

The committee had
constituted the panel on June 8 and was to submit a report in two months but even after a month no meeting has taken place and there is no progress worth reporting to the Sikhs, he pointed out.

In view of the delay, panthic bodies comprising the Khalsa Action Committee led by Bhai Mohkam Singh, Dal Khalsa headed by Harcharanjit Singh Dhami, Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardani) led by Harpal Singh Cheema and Panthic Sewa Lehar led by Baba Baljit Singh Daduwal have formed Saka Darbar Sahib Memorial Committee.

The panel constituted by them comprise former bureaucrat Gurtej Singh, contemporary author and analyst Ajmer Singh, author of book on Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and former bureaucrat, AR Darshi, human rights activist and anti-death penalty campaigner, Prof Jagmohan Singh, from Ludhiana.

The panel will incorporate more members from across the Sikh world and seek advice from the masses, he revealed.

A comprehensive memorial monument proposal will reflect the valour of the martyrs who died fighting the battle of Saka Harmandar Sahib, the atrocities committed on innocent Sikhs by the army and the subsequent cover-up methods by forces inimical to the Sikh nation will be prepared by this committee, he added.

The panel will incorporate the views from the community based on the true occurrence of the battle along with opinion of architects and scholars and will submit an interim report on August 2 to the Akal Takht Jathedar.