Amritsar, February 26
Union Railway Minister Pawan Bansal’s maiden railway budget has got thumbs up from holy city residents.

The announcements of new trains and better connectivity have been lapped up by residents.

With the Railway Minister announcing a new train from Amritsar to Lal Kuan in Uttarakhand, residents, especially farmers from the district, felt that they would benefit immensely.

Balkar Singh, a farmer, said, “The area (Lal Kuan) has a sizeable population of Punjabi farmers. It will help them keep connected with the homeland.”

Punjabi farmers in large numbers operate agricultural and dairy farms in Uttarakhand.

The residents though welcomed the proposal of a new train between Chandigarh and Amritsar, they said that it might not become very popular as the route increases the distance between the two cities.

Naveen Puri, an advocate, who frequents between the two cities said, “There is no direct rail route between Amritsar and Chandigarh. The train would have to go through Ludhiana which increases the distance by around 80 kilometres.”

The Railways had previously started Amritsar-Chandigarh Duronto Express which failed to get good response from passengers. The train which was later given halts at Jalandhar and Ludhiana was renamed Amritsar-Chandigarh express.

A student, Vandana said, “The train takes more than five hours to complete the journey between Amritsar and Chandigarh, whereas an early morning bus completes the same journey in three-and-a-half hours.” She said it would have been better if a new direct rail link between Amritsar and Chandigarh was established.

Residents have also welcomed the increase frequency of trains between Amritsar and Indore from once a week to twice a week. The businessmen and tourists have welcomed the proposed rail link between Amritsar and Ferozepur which would shorten the distance between Amritsar and Mumbai by 240 kilometres.

“Besides faster delivery of goods and decrease in transport costs, tourists too would spend less time travelling,” said a shopkeeper, Amanpreet Singh, who have relatives in Mumbai.

But the Railway Minister failed to acknowledge city residents’ aspiration for a direct connectivity between Amritsar and Anandpur Sahib.

The residents wished fulfillment of promises soon.

Former Deputy Station Superintendent, NS Gabria, said, “It will be the best budget for the city if everything what the railway minister has announced is implemented on the ground.” He said normally it takes years for the governments to fulfil their promises.

Resident Gurpal Singh said, “Though it seems good for the general public, it is a populist budget.” He said the minister contradicted himself when he did not increase the fares but increased charges for services (tatkal, reservation and cancellation).

Dr Sandeep Aggarwal said increase in charges for services would impact the common man.

Advocate Kuljit Singh said five per cent increase in freight charges would further hit the business community. He said increase in charges would ultimately be passed on to common man.

It can be the best budget for the city if everything what the railway minister has announced is implemented on the ground. Normally, it takes years for the governments to fulfil their promises.

NS Gabria, Former Deputy station superintendent

The area (Lal Kuan) has a sizeable population of Punjabi farmers. The train between Amritsar and Lal Kuan will help us keep connected with our homeland.

Balkar Singh, Farmer

Five per cent increase in freight charges would further hit the business community. He said increase in charges would ultimately be passed on to common man.

Kuljit Singh, Lawyer

Amritsar, February 26
The Municipal Corporation today formed a four-member inquiry committee to decide on the fate of the park in Pratap Nagar, which has not been set up even after 26 years.

The park was part of the blueprint of the Town Planning (TP) scheme number 75 which was approved in 1987.

Residents had said the park, if set up, would serve as a green lung for Pratap Nagar, New Partap Nagar, Sant Avenue, Gokal Ka Bagh, Azad Nagar, New Azad Nagar, Tirath Nagar, Pritam Nagar and Amrik Singh Colony on the GT Road near Maqboolpura.

Municipal and Town Planner Des Raj, a member of the committee, said eight persons appeared and gave their suggestions and objections in the matter.

He said the next date of hearing has been fixed on March 6.

In total, 26 objections/suggestions had been received, he said.

Thanks to lackadaisical approach of the Municipal Corporation and alleged connivance of its officials with the land mafia, a plot of 2,200 square yards originally meant for the park was encroached partially and later it got entangled in a court tussle.

It is alleged that the kin of some officials of the local bodies department have raised their homes on an area, meant for the park.

Unauthorised ownership of the same plot has seen change of many hands. Residential dwellings have already been raised on a portion of the land leaving just about 1,000 square yards of vacant land. Over a period of time, the price of this prime property has gone up manifold.

In a letter to Sub-Divisional Magistrate-1 on May 7, 2010, a copy of which is with the Amritsar Tribune, the Municipal Town Planner had said, “As per the layout plan of the TP scheme number 75, the area falling under khasra number 1984 has been shown as a park. Three dwellings have been raised on the place while about 1,200 square yards of land was lying vacant.”

The MTP, expressing threat from the land mafia, requested that mutation of the remaining vacant land must be done in the name of the Municipal Corporation.

Earlier, the MTP in a letter number 2299 written on March 1, 2001 to Local Government, Chandigarh, mentioned the total area of the park as 1,645 square yards. It said permanent encroachments have been raised on about 645 square yards while the remaining 1,000 square yards have been sold in the open market. Besides, permanent encroachments have gobbled up about 450 square yards area of the road along the park.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on a Civil Writ Petition (CWP) 18428 of 2008 directed the Local Government on March 23, 2011, to decide on the park within five months after taking the opinion of common public and stakeholders. Following which, the then Municipal Corporation Commissioner DP Gupta constituted a four-member inquiry committee to listen to public grievances and resolve the matter.

The Municipal Corporation issued a public notice through advertisements in newspapers in some dailies on December 8, 2012, inviting objections/suggestions for setting up the approved park on the place within 30 days.

The Municipal Town Planner said at present only 1,200 square yard of open area is available which is in the possession of the government. He said the same plot was earlier owned by one Kulwant Rai and subsequently sold between two persons. He said the park could not be established as an unauthorised structure had come up on the land. He said another structure had come up on 1,200 square yards of vacant land, but it was eventually demolished.

He informed that once the inquiry was completed then its report would be submitted to the MC Commissioner who would place it in the House. After it gets approval from the House, it would be forwarded to the government for the final call.

Amritsar, February 26
As seizure of mobile phones and drugs from the Amritsar Central Jail continues unabated, the role of the jail staff has come under the lens.

The suspicion has grown since the jail warder has been suspended following his alleged involvement in providing heroin to a jail inmate, serving life imprisonment for a murder.

The police has booked jail warder Avtar Singh and inmate Harjinder Singh under relevant sections of the NDPS Act and carrying out the investigation.

As much as 143 gm of heroin was seized from the inmate. He had hidden it under his socks. Importantly, he had met the warder a few minutes before he was nabbed with the heroin.

On October 25 last year, Rajiv Kumar, a safai sewak in the jail, was arrested when he allegedly tried to pass on 12 gm of smack to a jail inmate. The Cantonment police had booked him under Sections 22, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act.

Jail officials said Rajiv was engaged as a safai sewak only a few days back. He was hired on compassionate grounds after his father, who was employed in the jail, had died.

“It is very likely that he was to sneak in drugs for some inmate lodged in the jail in lieu of money,” the jail officials had said.

Jail Superintendent Amrik Singh Waraich though did not wish to question the integrity of the staff, he admitted that despite strict vigil, mobile phones and narcotics are seized every day.

“We try to be extra vigil but sometimes lapses occur. The role of jail staff in aforesaid case is under investigation,” he said.

Amritsar, February 26
In a major initiative aimed at augmenting green cover along the Amritsar-Jalandhar GT Road, Baba Sewa Singh Khadur Sahibwale launched a plantation drive at Tangra near here today.

Under the drive, peepal trees were planted along the GT Road in the presence of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank Limited chairman Charanjit Singh Chadha, IRS Paramjeet Singh and Additional Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Rishi.

The green drive holds great significance in view of the fact that hundreds of trees were chopped during the widening of Amritsar-Jalandhar highway. Now, Baba Sewa Singh has taken the initiative to not only plant saplings along the highway, but also to maintain them.

He has set a target of planting 1,000 trees on the Amritsar-Jalandhar road. Range officer Jagdish Singh was also present on the occasion.

This is not the first time that Baba Sewa Singh has embarked upon a green drive. He has done unparalleled work in the field of environment, for which he has been even awarded Padma Shri. Till now, he has planted around 2.5 lakh trees on different stretches of the road measuring 250 km.

He has 10 water tankers with each having a capacity of 10,000 litres and an army of volunteers who water these plants at regular intervals. Besides, he had also launched a drive to augment green cover in 100 villages of the state every year.

Under the project, they plant at least two trees, preferably neem and jamun, in every household. The project had turned out to be a huge success with around 35,000 trees being planted in 76 villages in Punjab in the very first year of the drive.

His volunteers are targeting plantation of at least 500 trees in each village, which would make a total of 50,000 trees in 100 villages every year. Baba Sewa Singh has spread his green drive to other states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan too, planting trees along the highways there as well.

Amritsar, February 26
As many as 543 persons have received help from the District Legal Services Authority in the form of free legal aid since November 2011, said District and Sessions Judge HS Madaan during a meeting of the DLSA here today.

He said the DLSA has provided free legal aid to 5,984 persons since its inception. Madaan hailed the role of the legal authority for serving people who could not afford legal services.

He said besides providing free legal aid, the authority also organises monthly lok adalats for speeding up the justice delivery process.

Madaan said the authority has so far organised 809 lok adalats in which 1.62 lakh cases have been settled.

Amritsar, February 26
Accused of misbehaving with journalists during the British Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent visit to the holy city, sub-inspector Gurpreet Singh Chhapa has been shifted to the Police Lines.

IG Border Range RP Mittal has marked an inquiry into the matter.

IG Border Range RP Mittal, DC Rajat Aggarwal, Police Commissioner Ram Singh and SSP Preet Paul Singh Virk hold a joint meeting with a group of journalists today in this regard.

The journalists have alleged that some policemen barred them from going ahead during the British PM’s visit, but permitted foreign mediapersons to go through the same route.

Amritsar, February 26
The Guru Nanak Dev University has declared the results of MA (Media Studies & Production) semester-I and III; MA (Religious Studies) semester-I and III; MA (Commercial Arts) semester-I; MTM semester-I; MSc (Zoology) semester-I; MSc (Botany) semester-I; BSc (Home Science) semester-I; BA (English honours) semester-I; BFST semester-I; and BFA semester-I.

The examinations were conducted in December last year.

Amritsar, February 26
A seminar on road safety and traffic awareness was held at Shri Ram Ashram Public School today. Traffic Marshal Surinder Pal Singh, traffic educational cell in charge Paramjit Singh and assistant sub-inspector Joginder Singh were the resource persons. Surinder made the students aware about the traffic rules and guided them to take precautions to avoid accidents.