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Cop’s wife gangraped
21-year-old raped by boyfriend
Man’s body found from friend’s house
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Cash-starved MC finds
no voice in poll campaign
Rebel Cong leader alleges victimisation
Development agenda down in the dumps
ward no 1
ward no 54
keeping cool
An elderly man offers water to Independent candidate from Ward number 9 Neetu Mahajan and her supporters. Photo: Sameer Sehgal
Tourist robbed
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Cop’s wife gangraped
Amritsar, June 3 The victim hails from Gurdaspur and had come to the city to live with her niece. One of the three accused was known to her. They allegedly followed her from Gurdaspur. The accused have been identified as Kamal Sharma, who is also a head constable and a resident of Police Lines, Gurdaspur, and two other unidentified accused. A case under Section 376, 382, 323, 506 and 34 IPC and 25/54/59 Arms Act has been registered in this regard. In her statement to the police, the victim alleged that at 8.15 PM the accused barged into their house and pushed her in a room. The accused locked her niece Madhvi in another room. She alleged the accused beat her, tore her clothes and raped her one by one. She alleged the culprits threatened to kill her and her husband while pointing a pistol over her head. They also threatened to throw acid on her face if she told anyone about the incident. Parvesh Chopra, SHO B-division police station and investigating officer said medical examination of the victim has been conducted. He said the accused Kamal Sharma was also a head constable and lives in the same locality. Two families were known to each other.
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21-year-old raped by boyfriend
Amritsar, June 3 The Cantonment police has booked Aman Kapoor and his family members, including father Ashok Kapoor, mother Sunita Kapoor and sister Shamma in this connection. They are on the run since the registration of case. The victim in her complaint to the police alleged that she had an affair with Aman who also introduced her to his family. She said his family had earlier given approved of their relationship. She alleged during the six-month courtship, Aman developed physical relations with her. She alleged on May 23 he took her to Jalandhar and then to Jammu by train saying he will marry her. She said they stayed in a hotel where the accused raped her. However, after returning to the city, he refused to marry her and did not answer her repeated queries. Shiv Nath, the investigating officer said a case under Section 376, 120-B IPC has been registered against Aman and his family members following a written complaint by the victim. He said when the police teams went to Aman’s house they found the gates locked. He said raids were on at their suspected hideouts.
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Man’s body found from friend’s house
Amritsar, June 3 Pankaj used to visit Asha’s house and had been missing for last three days. When foul smell began emanating form Asha’s house, the residents informed the Islambad police which reached the spot. SHO Dilbagh Singh said action under Section 174 CrPC has been initiated. “We are yet to find out whether Pankaj was given the poisonous substance or he committed suicide. Everything will become clear after the post-mortem examination,” said Dilbagh Singh.
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Cash-starved MC finds
no voice in poll campaign
Amritsar, June 3 Notably, neither the candidates belonging to the ruling alliance nor the opposition parties are raising issues highlighting the poor economic condition of the corporation. This despite the fact that over fifty per cent of the proposed Rs 239 crore budget for this fiscal year will go into paying the salary of its employees only. Associate Professor of Business Dr Varinder Bhatia wondered that the politicians were not saying anything on the resource crunch being experienced by the Amritsar Municipal Corporation. He said the vital issue was being sidelined while frivolous ones dominate. “Like all Municipal Corporations in the country, the AMC is dependent on external funding in the form of grants from government and agencies like the World Bank and Japan Bank for developmental pursuits.” At present, work to provide sewerage facility to a large part of the city is being undertaken following financial advance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). International funding agencies will come forward in case local bodies expedite their financial reforms, he said. He said the AMC may not be an exception to it till issues like tapping of capital market for fund mobilisation, promoting e-governance, transparency, time-bound delivery of public utility services are taken seriously by the councillors. Flaying the new trend to sell properties for funds, Dr Bhatia termed it killing of recourses. He stressed that revenue collection mechanism should be streamlined to increase income instead. In comparison to China, he said Indian local bodies generate only one per cent of the revenue as compared to 23 per cent in China.
He said time has come that political parties train their councillors for financial planning and the voters must become aware to question their ambitious leaders. He suggested that people should seek information regarding urban development works in their areas through the Right to Information Act. District Congress Committee president Jugal Kishore Sharma said a state-level committee of the PPCC has prepared a performa on these lines but it is yet to reach his office. He said major issues on which they are seeking votes are lack of proper civic amenities in the city especially in the slum areas. He said development being done in the city is merely a publicity gimmick by the SAD-BJP. The CPI district secretary Amarjit Singh Assal said his party has fielded 14 candidates and the onus to attack policies whether economic or development and financial health of the corporation and measures to improve it lies on the major opposition party. The BJP district president Anand Sharma said his party has entered the election fray on the agenda of development achieved during the past five years. When asked of any attempt to raise issues concerning the Corporation’s income, Sharma said certainly stress in the next term would be to tone up commercial collection.
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Rebel Cong leader alleges victimisation
Amritsar, June 3 He said he will approach the Apex Court, Punjab and Haryana High Court besides National and State Human Rights Commission for Justice in this regard. He said he will also meet Speaker Lok Sabha and vice-chairman of the Rajya Sabha to urge them to constitute a parliamentary committee to probe into the vendetta cases in Majha region especially the Majitha constituency. He said he will urge them to appoint only those MPs who were in the opposition to the present ruling government of the SAD-BJP combine. Addressing the media, he said, Kamboh police headed by SHO Jagjit Singh had forcibly entered his ancestral home without any search warrants. He alleged the police barged into the bedroom area as well. He said the police raided the house on the pretext of arresting Jagwinder Pal Singh Jagga and Akashdeep Singh (both relatives of Lalli Majithia) despite the fact that they have not been living in Majitha since January 2010. He alleged that this is all being done to harass his family at the behest of his traditional rival and the SAD leader. He said all these acts are a mockery of the “so called commitment” of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Punjab Vidhan Sabha denying any acts of political vendetta against his opponents. “There is great threat to life as they could go to any extent to unleash vendetta and eliminate their political rivals,” he feared. He said time has come that political parties train their councillors for financial planning and the voters must become aware to question their ambitious leaders. He suggested that people should seek information regarding urban development works in their areas through the Right to Information Act. District Congress Committee president Jugal Kishore Sharma said a state-level committee of the PPCC has prepared a performa on these lines but it is yet to reach his office. He said major issues on which they are seeking votes are lack of proper civic amenities in the city especially in the slum areas. He said development being done in the city is merely a publicity gimmick by the SAD-BJP. The CPI district secretary Amarjit Singh Assal said his party has fielded 14 candidates and the onus to attack policies whether economic or development and financial health of the corporation and measures to improve it lies on the major opposition party. The BJP district president Anand Sharma said his party has entered the election fray on the agenda of development achieved during the past five years.
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Development agenda down in the dumps
Amritsar, June 3 A huge pit was seen dug in the middle of a street leading to Azad Nagar. The residents say it has been a week since the pit was done to rectify a water leakage problem. Around four-feet deep open pit poses grave danger for commuters as MC workers have failed to repair it so far. The residents complain that the pace of public works is very slow. They said MC vehicles rarely come to the area to lift garbage.
They rue that the low lying area gets water logged during rains,” said a resident. Councillor speak The Mayor has deliberately ignored our area. The funds meant for us were diverted to other areas from where the BJP or SAD candidates were elected. We do have many problems as we were being discriminated against. I had been a councillor from this area for a record 20 years. But fund crunch is the biggest problem before us. I have got a ticket from the Congress this time. — Surinder Chaudhary Residents speak We do face many problems. The area has bad condition of the streets besides garbage scattered all around. The MC should send vehicles regularly to lift garbage. The streets should also be re-carpeted. — Pritam Singh We do face many problems. The area has bad streets besides garbage scattered all around. The MC should send vehicles regularly to lift garbage. The streets should also be re-carpeted. — Vinay Mahaja
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Residents await basic amenities of an urban life
Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service
Amritsar, June 3 Several areas of the ward are located on the Amritsar-Attari road. Making the city bus service operational is a long pending demand of the residents to link them with the main city. Areas under the ward are Naraingarh, Kirkariwali Gali, Gurbaksh Nagar, Kirpa Nagar, Baba Deep Singh Nagar, Harkrishan Nagar, Satkartar Nagar, Bhalla colony, Professor Avenue, Crown Avenue, Shakti Nagar, Vaishno Colony, Milap Avenue, Master Avenue and others. Though some localities have got sewerage channels, brick lane roads and concrete roads but a number of them have been keenly awaiting these basic civic amenities. Residents are happy as work to lay sewerage channel on the link road from the GT Road to Ghanupur Kale started over a month back. Work to provide civic amenities to these areas has been tardy so far. As an impact of unplanned rapid urbanisation many houses have been raised near and even under high tension wires without pursuing the procedure laid in the Municipal Town Planning rules. For instance, a mason was electrocuted while fixing tiles on the roof of a house from the high tension 66-KV wires dangling over the rooftop in Bhalla Colony in March. Residents speak I shifted my residence from Bhalla colony to Master Avenue to ensure basic amenities like sewerage, streetlights and brick-lane road. Without sewerage and streetlights, my family faced great difficulties. Overflowing of septic tanks and draining out of water from houses on to the street had made their routine life agonising. — Paramjit Singh Since work to lay sewerage on the main road has been initiated, a long pending demand of the residents has been met. When the city bus service starts, residents will get a cheap way to commute between the city and their localities. — Jagdeep Singh
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Here growth needs a solid base
PK Jaiswar/tns
The vegetable market in this part of the ward generates garbage on a daily basis and authorities concerned have failed to clean the area. The residents of the area complain that lifting of garbage is the main problem in many parts of the ward. MC employees set the garbage on fire instead of lifting it thus leading to pollution.
As far as cleanliness of the area is concerned, residents allege no MC employee visits the area to clean the roads while they have to spend from their own pockets to de-silt sewerage pipes. Shortage of water supply is another factor which haunts the residents. Many residents have installed submersible pumps for water while those who have government supply are not satisfied at all. “Water supply from the government does not have enough pressure due to which residents are forced to install electricity motors to pump water,” said Anuradha, a resident. “We are poor but have to spend from our pockets for the laying of sewerage pipes. Some of the houses have water connections while the government has not provides water supply connections to several others,” says Kamla Devi, a resident. “We have katcha houses and the government should provide us concrete houses, says Chander Mohan, a resident.
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Sunny side of politics: Candidates sweat it out on campaign trail
Neha Saini Tribune News Service
Amritsar, June 3 As the day begins, so does election activity. Most part of the poll campaigning has to be completed in the peak hours of the day. “The day temperature has reached an all time high this season and it is very difficult to go out in the sun,” says Sanjeev Khanna, who is campaigning for his wife Madhu Khanna from Ward No 9. “You can’t help it,” he says. Constantly running a campaign for 12 hours a day, their only respite from the heat comes in the afternoon. “We take a break between 2 and 4 pm when the temperature is high, to refresh our energy levels. But mostly, there is no escape from the heat during campaigning. On top of that, you have to oblige by having dozen cups of tea or coffee during the door-to-door campaigns. Speeches and physical activity increases dehydration,” says the BJP candidate Madhu Khanna. Ranjan Aggarwal, 50, Congress candidate from Ward No 8 too is struggling with the heat but has no qualms about it. “There is no time to rest, one has to give a 100 per cent during the poll campaigning. Sun or no sun, my day starts at six in the morning and ends after 11 in the night,” he says. Drinking loads of water and putting up chabeel is his way to keep energy levels at an all time high. “Health is not an issue here, though excessive heat wave is taxing for the body,” he says. Neetu Mahajan, an Independent candidate from Ward No 9 too keeps fighting fit during the daytime campaigning by gulping down gallons of water and eating light. “There are loads of activities one has to be a part of during polls and since it shows your commitment level. Even during a break, meeting people and planning ahead keeps one busy.” She functions from home during the afternoon to escape the scorching heat, but says outdoor campaigning during summers is very demanding. “I keep my stock of water and energy drinks full during the campaigning,” she says.
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Amritsar, June 3 The Civil Lines police has lodged a complaint against two unidentified youth under Section 382 of the IPC in this connection. Saibi alleged that the accused came on a scooter and fled after snatching her purse. she said her purse had a digital camera, a mobile phone of Apple make, a gold ring and keys to her house. — TNS
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“Garbage heaps are scattered by the stray cows and dogs as a result it can be seen all around,” said a resident. The residents complain that the sewerage system in the area also needs to be upgraded.
Amritsar, June 3