Amritsar, December 3
The administration today nabbed 37 homeless people, including a child, for begging at different spots of the city and put them at Rain Basera, running from Old Karam Singh Ward here.

Sham Narain, a native of Patna, was caught with his grandson Raju (12) from the Golden Temple premises for begging. Sham Narain said he had come here 10 days ago to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple with his grandson. “I took to begging because someone stole all the cash I was carrying. So, I had no option, but to beg for money to buy tickets for going back home,” he said. The statement of Sham Narain, may apparently be true, but there are others at Rain Basera who are having “ready excuses” to get out of it.

The administration in collaboration with a Red Cross team, has been running a programme for the rehabilitation of beggars by accommodating them in a portion of a building at Old Dr Karam Singh Ward since February 12, 2010. They are provided with three square meals a day, clothing and medicines, but this is probably not enough to stop them from begging, as they claim to earn anything between Rs 250-300 daily by begging.

It has been observed that the administration’s “hospitality” apparently could not transform their basic character and they would always be inclined to be back on the streets and traffic signals for begging.

Even as the Prevention of Begging Act has already been enforced in the state, no case has been registered against even a single beggar in past three years. An “organised” begging nexus also cannot be ruled out here. The police in this regard said unless it received any complaint against anybody, no action could be taken.

A few months ago the administration had busted a gang and got released over 10 Nepali children who were made to beg around the Golden Temple complex. On interrogation, it was found that they were taught to play shrewd tricks to draw the attention of the people.

A random round of the city by The Tribune team revealed that most of these beggars were found near the Golden Temple, Dasehra Ground, Shiv Dev Mandir, Longawali Devi Mandir, Bhandari Pul and Lohgarh area.

Amritsar, December 3
The city seems to be insensitive to the problems of physically challenged persons as is evident from the absence of washrooms and other facilities for them at various public places and offices here.

Among all the public places here, only the local railway station has special washrooms for the physically challenged inside the waiting halls. However, to travel for one platform to another is the biggest challenge for the physically challenged passengers as the ramps are missing.

In the absence of the ramps, physically challenged persons have to cross the railway lines from the places from where the goods are transported. But still the railway station is a place where special drinking spots for physically challenged persons are present.

In hospitals, the Jallinawala Bagh Memorial Civil Hospital and Guru Nanak Dev Hospital do have ramps for the physically challenged, but the special washrooms for them are missing there too.

In the Courts Complex too, washrooms for the physically challenged are missing, though the ramps are available.

At the Deputy Commissioner’s office, washrooms for the physically challenged are missing. The physically challenged face a problem at the local Civil Surgeon’s office if they have to get the births or the deaths registered as the office does not have a ramp.

Sukhdev Sharma, a physically challenged person, said, “The officers must try that the offices which are needed by the physically challenged as well are placed on the ground floor, or a ramp is there.”

The washrooms for the physically challenged are not available at the local bus stand.

Another physically challenged person, Ravinder Singh, said, “The government must ensure that all washrooms in the public places are made in a universal design so that they are comfortable for both the physically abled and physically challenged persons. If we continue demanding separate things, perhaps we would not get these. So the only solution is that a few supports are installed in each bathroom at public places and offices so that physically challenged persons too can use them.”

Amritsar, December 3
Drug addiction is playing the pivotal role in the rise of crime, especially snatchings and lootings, in the city.

If the incidents of crime in the recent past and subsequent revelations made by the police authorities in several of the cases are anything to go by, the accused nabbed in the incidents were acute drug addicts.

They took to crime only to fulfil their financial needs for procuring the daily dose of drugs and then they became habitual offenders.

Recent kidnapping drama enacted by a teenager for extorting money from his parents and grandfather is a glaring example of this. The police recovered 50 g of smack from him when he arrived at the spot for taking the ransom money.

Country-made arms procured from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have made the matter worse as these criminals are becoming more dreaded and ruthless. They have become so dreadful that now they don’t hesitate to barge into houses located in posh localities and loot them on gunpoint.

A family in the posh Palm Groove locality was recently robbed of cash and jewellery worth Rs 70 lakh after five unidentified armed persons held their five-year-old granddaughter hostage.

Ironically, many times the police hardly care to register an FIR, especially in the snatching cases, and complete the formalities only by reporting the incident in the daily diary report (DDR).

Bunty, a waiter in a reputed hotel here, was stabbed and robbed of his earnings and a phone just a few days ago when he was returning to his residence after his duty late in the night. The case is yet to be registered.

“His is not the only case, says APS Chatha, general secretary, Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association, adding that a number of incidents had occurred in the past in which waiters were looted by miscreants.

“Snatchings and lootings have become an order of the day in the city and the residents are feeling unsafe. Many areas are plagued by the snatching incidents while the police have miserably failed to curb the menace,” said Kulwinder Singh, a resident of the East Mohan Nagar area, while alleging that the areas on Sultanwind Road had become a safe haven for snatchers and looters.

Amritsar, December 3
The administration at the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Civil Hospital seems to have turned a blind eye to the need of basic amenities of patients as it has failed to get the washroom near the Out Patient Department (OPD) of the hospital repaired after three weeks.

Further, water has been seeping from the roof of the corridor outside the Gynaecology Ward for around two weeks now, but no efforts have been made to rectify the problem.

As per information, the washroom was dug up by workers of the hospital because of some problem around three weeks ago. But even after so much time, the administration has failed to find a worker to fix the things.

The hospital OPD is visited by more than 800 patients daily. Because of the washroom being in the vicinity of the OPD, the patients are facing a lot of inconvenience.

Further, because of the seepage of water from the roof, the cemented flooring in front of the Gynaecology Ward remains wet throughout the day.

Talking to The Tribune, Paramjit Kaur, a patient from Attari, said, “The inside of the washroom has been dug up. The debris is blocking the way.” She added that the hospital management must get the washroom repaired.

Another patient Shanti Devi from Chogawan said, “Getting a washroom repaired does not cost much money to the hospital.”

Another patient Ram Kaur said, “The floor outside the Gynaecology Ward has become slippery because of constant water seepage from the roof. It is very dangerous for the pregnant women who come to the department.”

Senior Medical Superintendent Dr Balwinder Kakkar said the washroom could not be fixed as the management could not find a plumber. “We are working to solve the problem,” he said.

About the seepage of water from the roof outside the Gynaecology Ward, he said the Engineering Wing of the Health Systems Corporation had been asked to look into the matter. “Getting the seepage corrected is the duty of the Engineering Wing,” he said.

Amritsar, December 3
The annual shopping and business extravaganza, PITEX (Punjab International Trade Expo), brings together business and pleasure to Amritsar with an array of international products and brands to wow the citizens.

The sixth edition of the annual flagship event of the PHD Chamber of Commerce focused on bigger and better lifestyle products this year with over 300 exhibitors displaying their best products.

But like every year the most popular and crowded arena is where the Pakistanis stalls are. Among the 100-odd international stalls from countries like Lebanon, Thailand, Egypt, Australia and more, our neighbours enjoy better business opportunity given their popularity. From the famous Pakistani suits to juttis and jewellery, the From page 1

women seem to make sure they have their hands on everything. Designer suits with crochet, laces and ribbons, shawls and woollens are making style statement this year.

Among the 70-odd stalls from Pakistan, most
popular stalls included that of the Handicraft Association of Pakistan having a variety of fabrics and designer wear and Azam Handicrafts that displays traditional fabric and jewellery

“I participated in last year’s edition as well and got a good response. This year, too, the footfall has been quite good. With two more days remaining and the high demand for Pakistani products, the business seems better,” said Mohammed Azam. “We have been a regular part of the fair and have found a big market for our designer suits,” says Azam.

Bringing a select selection of hand-embroidered suits in chiffons and crepes, the exhibitors always find good response. “Amritsar is a good market for us as the cultural tastes are similar to Pakistani people. Also, the buying potential of the consumers here is fairly good.”

Shimmering range of decor products from Karachi, carved rosewood furniture, designer melamine and rich dry fruits and onyx. There is no dearth of the products on offer.

The food stalls with authentic delicacies from the country, serving halal meat kebabs and grills, shorbas and other Pakistani recipes belonging to the famed Lahore Food Street, have the maximum crowd after the designer wear arcade.

The other highlights are stalls from Thailand with their dry flowers, designer home decor items, lamps and fancy candles. Traditional, pure herbs and spices from Egypt and Afghanistan dry fruits are also a hit. Apart from the clothes and apparel arcade, the Kitchen Expo, Home Expo and Health Expo too have a rising footfall, thanks to over 300 Indian brands.

For the wandering souls, the tourism departments of Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka have their stalls promoting the destinations.women seem to make sure they have their hands on everything. Designer suits with crochet, laces and ribbons, shawls and woollens are making style statement this year.

Among the 70-odd stalls from Pakistan, most
popular stalls included that of the Handicraft Association of Pakistan having a variety of fabrics and designer wear and Azam Handicrafts that displays traditional fabric and jewellery

“I participated in last year’s edition as well and got a good response. This year, too, the footfall has been quite good. With two more days remaining and the high demand for Pakistani products, the business seems better,” said Mohammed Azam. “We have been a regular part of the fair and have found a big market for our designer suits,” says Azam.

Bringing a select selection of hand-embroidered suits in chiffons and crepes, the exhibitors always find good response. “Amritsar is a good market for us as the cultural tastes are similar to Pakistani people. Also, the buying potential of the consumers here is fairly good.”

Shimmering range of decor products from Karachi, carved rosewood furniture, designer melamine and rich dry fruits and onyx. There is no dearth of the products on offer.

The food stalls with authentic delicacies from the country, serving halal meat kebabs and grills, shorbas and other Pakistani recipes belonging to the famed Lahore Food Street, have the maximum crowd after the designer wear arcade.

The other highlights are stalls from Thailand with their dry flowers, designer home decor items, lamps and fancy candles. Traditional, pure herbs and spices from Egypt and Afghanistan dry fruits are also a hit. Apart from the clothes and apparel arcade, the Kitchen Expo, Home Expo and Health Expo too have a rising footfall, thanks to over 300 Indian brands.

For the wandering souls, the tourism departments of Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka have their stalls promoting the destinations.

Amritsar, December 3
Supreme Court Judge Justice DK Jain expressed serious concern over the spread of drugs in Punjab. He spoke on cases pendent in courts while addressing Khalsa College’s 105th annual convocation today.

He said Punjab being a border state is exposed to social evils like drugs. He called for a strong drive to curb the hazard.

Justice Jain along with Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge, Justice Jasbir Singh presided over the convocation. Nearly 422 degrees were awarded to students and medals were given to the meritorious ones. Justice Jain spoke about the cases pendent in courts at all levels, especially at district levels, and attributed this to the lack of sufficient infrastructure and budgets.

He said the Supreme Court was worried over the backlogs and was taking steps to make sure that justice is delivered on time and pendent cases are reduced. He said a judge who is supposed to hear 500 cases in a month is hearing above 5,000 cases. “A multi-pronged strategy is required to tackle the problem and we want more cooperation from state governments to deal with the situation,’’ said Justice Jain.

Khalsa College Governing Council Honorary Secretary Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina earlier welcomed the guests and said the students must take motivation from Justice Jain and Justice Jasbir who, hailing from humble backgrounds, worked hard in life to achieve greater heights.

Khalsa College principal Dr Daljit Singh read out the annual report of the college and also encouraged the students to work hard in life.

Justice Jasbir Singh addressing the students and teachers of the college encouraged the students to develop a sense of discipline and commitment to achieve bigger roles in life.

He appreciated the 119-year-old Khalsa College’s role in the field of education. He also said the role of a teacher is most important as he/she could influence many students through his/her guidance. Khalsa College Government Council Vice President Charanjit Singh Chadha offered the vote of thanks.

Among others were present additional Joint Secretaries Harminder Singh, Joint secretaries Ajmer Singh Heir, JS Sethi, Sardul Singh Manan, Dr Santokh Singh, Principal Khalsa College of Education JS Dhillon, Principal Khalsa College Chawinda Devi Dr PS Dua and Registrar Prof Baljinder Singh. 

Amritsar, December 3
The protesting junior resident doctors at the Government Medical College today set up a parallel OPD (Out Patient Department) system to see the patients who were facing problem in getting the medical services because of the strike by the doctors.

The Junior Resident Doctors Association (JRDA) on this occasion distributed free medicines to the patients. More than 250 patients were treated at the free medical camp organised by the JRDA with help from Sewa Bharti, an NGO, outside the Guru Nanak Dev hospital.

The JRDA Vice President, Vivek Tomar, said, “The patients were facing inconvenience because of the strike. We have never intended to disturb the services for the poor. We have decided to see patients while on protest.”

He added that the junior doctors are adamant to fight the battle till the end. “We would try to meet the Chief Minister tomorrow. If he accepts our demands we would called off the strike then and there.”

The JDRA in order to support of the general public also distributed eatables among the patients admitted to the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. 

Amritsar, December 3
"Festival of Multiple Intelligences" was held today at the DAV International School which highlighted that every child is talented.

The students of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School began the programme by singing Shabad. An American educator Stephen Rudolph, while addressing the students, asserted that some children are born talented and some have to be groomed. The need is to know their aptitudes, interests and talents. One can easily achieve the target by choosing the right path.

Various students from different institutions performed on this occasion. The students of DAV Public School presented welcome song and the students of Holy Heart Presidency School danced on the song ‘Tare Zameen Par’. Students of Bhavans SL Public School performed Rajasthani dance. Qwali of DAV International School enthralled the audience and this performance marked the end of the Festival of Multiple Intelligences.

Principal Anjana Gupta expressed her profound gratitude to all the dignitaries for making this event a great success. She also appreciated the students for their wonderful performances. The event was concluded with the National Anthem.

In another function held at DAV International School, Dhrupad, exponent from West Bengal, Anita Singh Mahapatra and her visually impaired counterpart from Pakistan, Aliya Rasheed, performed in the musical feast organised by the SPIC MACAY yesterday night.