750 gm heroin seized from 80-year-old smuggler
Amritsar, March 14
Alert BSF personnel today arrested an 80-year-old Indian smuggler and confiscated 750 gm of heroin worth about Rs 4 crore in the international market, besides a gold-plated wrist watch.

Amritsar, March 14
The Municipal Corporation (MC) is in a fix as the Congress leaders sought permission to put up hoardings to greet their new PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa in the city on March 16. While the MC is attributing its denial to the HC ruling, the Congress leaders contend that when the ruling alliance could do it in the past to welcome its leaders, why they can’t they do it. They accused the MC of applying different yardsticks for different people.

Referring to the recent cases registered against SAD leader for erecting hoardings allegedly on the instance of the Deputy Chief Minister, they termed it as an eyewash and a deliberate move to discourage the Opposition from placing hoardings. The E-Division police station has booked SAD leader Harpreet Singh, alias Happy, a resident of Lawrence Road, under Section 3 of the Punjab Prevention of Defacement of Property Ordinance-1977.

The Congress men declared that they would place the hoardings to welcome their newly appointee chief, even if the administration book them.

Looking at the past, in a clear violation of high court orders, the SAD-BJP leaders went overboard to make their “presence” felt by putting up hoardings and banners when their leaders paid visit to the holy city.

The ruling SAD supporters had recently put up hoardings to greet newly inducted Cabinet Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike on his arrival to the city.

Before that, the SAD leaders did not refrain from defacing the city by erecting huge hoardings to welcome their newly constituted Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee members during their visit to the city.

BJP leaders too did not lag behind. Earlier, to welcome the BJP state chief Kamal Sharma, the saffron party occupied almost every nook and corner of the city with huge billboards and hoardings.

They had not even spared the roundabouts and the statues of freedom fighters, as a number of hoardings were affixed on the statue of Shaheed Udham Singh, installed at the Hall Gate roundabout.

During the visit of Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley here, the historic Hall Gate donned the look of a “poster gate”, as the majority of its portion was encroached by political hoardings depicting pictures of BJP leaders with folded hands. Political hoardings were erected on the road dividers and the roundabouts and can no more be termed as legal because these distract commuters, attention. Still, these enjoy immunity from the MC’s anti-hoarding drive.

Congress leader Gurinder Rishi said, “It is strange that the MC authorities denied us permission to erect hoardings when we went to seek permission ahead of the arrival of our party chief. I have regards for the HC guidelines and could have understand had the authorities not adopted double standards. The recent registration of the case against a SAD leader was a mere eyewash. It was a political stunt just ahead of our chief’s scheduled visit to Amritsar. “We are not afraid of getting booked and will erect hoardings strategically and are ready for arrest, if the authorities do,” he said.

How can I give them permission to violate the HC orders? Moreover, recently a case was registered against a SAD leader. How can they call it double standards when the Deputy CM himself had ordered to register a case against his own party men after he got infuriated over hoardings during his recent visit here. If the Congress men, too, would violate the HC orders, they, too, would have to face the music
— Bhupinder Singh, Commissioner, MC

Amritsar, March 14
Three rape cases were reported in the district in past 24 hours, in which the police booked five persons, out of which only one person was arrested.

Besides, a molestation case has also been registered in which three persons have been booked, while no arrest has been made.

A resident of Mohan Bhandaria village in her compliant to the Ramdass police alleged that she had been sexually abused by Chanchal Sharma of the same village and an unidentified person for the last one year. She said she was married to Heera Singh of Mohan Bhandaria village. Her husband had taken a flour mill from accused Chanchal Sharma on contract.

She said last year when she had gone to the flour mill, she was offered tea laced with some intoxicant by Chanchal Sharma and the other unidentified person. She said she fell unconscious after taking tea and taking advantage of this the duo raped her and made a video on their mobile phone. She said the duo continue to rape her after blackmailing her.

The victim said on the intervening night of February 17-18 when she woke up to go to washroom Chanchal Sharma pulled her and forcibly took her to the flour mill where he again committed the crime.

Fed up of this she instead of returning home went to her parents' house and did not return. She later narrated her tale of woes to her husband and they filed a complaint with the police.

Kuldeep Raj, investigating officer, said a case under Section 376 of the IPC was registered against Chanchal Sharma and the other unidentified person, who have been evading arrest since the registration of case.

In another instance, the Gharinda police booked Pawan Kumar of Gharinda village and Kabal Singh of Rania village for allegedly raping a woman of the same village.

The victim in her complaint to the police alleged that Pawan used to come to their house. She alleged that on March 8 when she was alone, Pawan came with Kabal Singh and tried to sexually abuse her.

Sukhdev Singh, investigating officer, said a case under Sections 376, 511 and 506 of the IPC was registered. He said Pawan Kumar had been arrested, while raids were being conducted to nab Kabal Singh.

In the third instance, a migrant from Uttar Pradesh in her complaint to the police alleged that she was raped by the owner of the house where her family lived on rent. She alleged that Bhaag Singh, the owner, entered her room in the afternoon and committed the crime after gagging her. The Chheharta police registered a rape case against Bhaag Singh, who is still at large.

Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Roop Singh, all resident of Chainpur, have been booked for molesting a girl. The victim's mother in her complaint to the Rajasansi police alleged that she had gone to pay obeisance at a gurdwara while her 15-year-old daughter was alone at home. She alleged that the three accused entered her house and molested her daughter. A case under Sections 354 and 453 of the IPC has been registered.

Amritsar, March 14
Stopping drug peddlers from indulging in the illegal trade proved costly for a resident of Noori Mohalla, located near the Bhagtanwala grain market, as she was assaulted by several drug peddlers of the area.

The C-Division police has booked eight persons, including a woman, in this connection, while no arrest has been made so far.

Those booked are Bau, Muda, Rishi, Chand, Sethi, Leda, Darjan and Lallo, wife of Chand, all residents of the same locality.

The victim, Simmy, in her complaint to the police alleged that the accused, who were armed with sharp-edged weapons, barged into her house, thrashed and injured her. She was going to fill water from a tap fixed on the main gate of the house. She alleged the accused also ransacked her house. She was rushed to a hospital after she sustained injuries.

She alleged that Bau, the main accused, used to sell drugs in the locality and her family had tried to stop him from doing so.

Following the complaint, the police has registered a case under Sections 452, 232, 427, 148 and 149 of the IPC, said assistant sub-inspector Mangat Ram, who has been investigating the case. He said all the accused had been absconding since the registration of the case and raids were being conducted to nab them.

Amritsar, March 14
Alert BSF personnel today arrested an 80-year-old Indian smuggler and confiscated 750 gm of heroin worth about Rs 4 crore in the international market, besides a gold-plated wrist watch.

The contraband was hidden in the iron handle of the garden hoe. The accused, identified as Dayal Singh, had painted the iron handle with a wooden colour to fool the BSF jawans.

As per the details given by the BSF authorities in a press note issued here, the heroin was filled in the iron handle fitted with a cap. A gold-plated wrist watch, Seiko 5, placed near a starter of a tubewell, was also seized from him. The seizure was made near Mohinder border outpost.

Aditya Mishra, IG, BSF, said Dayal Singh had his agriculture land across the border fence and he entered the area for farming purpose after completing the necessary formalities such as registering his entry at the gate.

Amritsar, March 14
Alleging gross discrimination meted out to wards having Congress councillors, several Congress councillors today criticised the Mayor’s weekly cleanliness and grievances redressal drive.

Terming it as a farce exercise, being carried to garner public attention through media, Congress councillor Raj Kanwal Lucky viewed that the ground realities were as bad as before.

“Come to my Ward 10. Here the residents cry for safe drinking water, sewerage system streetlights and roads. Even last evening, I was just informed to join the cleanliness drive, which was scheduled to be carried out in my ward from a gurdwara located in Nehru Colony. Led by Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora, the whole battery of MC officials and BJP supporters came just for a walk and within half an hour they left the place without bothering to listen to the actual problems being faced by residents of my ward,” he said.

“No checking for defunct streetlights is done in my ward. Recently, I intimated the MC authorities twice through letters dated February 28, 2013, and March 13, 2013, about the problem, but in vain,” he complained.

Another Congress councillor Gurinder Rishi said the Mayor’s 100-day cleanliness drive was nothing but just a political stunt.

“The MC is passing through a very bad phase financially. In the absence of funds, there could be no development. This cleanliness drive is just a move to divert the residents’ attention from the shortcomings and the ruling alliance’s inability to revamp the infrastructure and provide good living standards, as they promised during the elections. In my Ward 24, I have been funding development works from my own pocket. That’s why I had opted to forego the salary given to me as a councillor,” he said.

“What to talk of development, till date, they could not even execute the chlorination of drinking water, fogging, etc, forcing the residents to live in unhygienic conditions,” he said.

On the other hand Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora said, “I straightaway deny all the allegations of the Opposition. It is the tendency of the Opposition leaders to criticise the ruling government. It was only our development agenda which had brought us again to power with thumping majority. It is not denied that we are facing financial crunch, but we are trying our level best to provide reasonably good living conditions to our residents. Every Thursday is dedicated to listening to the problems of residents of some areas and it is a successful move. It is a sort of survey which let us know about the ground realities only. We are committed to our assurances and promises we made during the elections,” he said.

Amritsar, March 14
A major relief has been provided to the residents as the Municipal Corporation, Amritsar, has initiated to keep them updated about the birth and death pleas through SMS service on their mobile phones.

The MC is also in the process of going for the digitisation of records. Gone are the days when the residents had to stand in long queues to get the birth or death certificates, viewed Assistant Commissioner Surinder Singh, the one who conceptualised the idea.

During the initial stage, the MC has entered into a contract with a software firm which would able be to reach at least 50,000 applicants and the MC would have to bear an expense of Rs 25 per message. Every month six to eight thousands applicants apply for birth or death certificates.

According to him, the applicants’ file numbers would be fed in the system, which would keep the track record of each applicant.

As soon as the applicant’s documents are completed, he would be intimated through an SMS his mobile number registered with the department.

“The main motive is to bring efficiency as well as transparency in the system. According to the norm, either of the certificates, if current, should be delivered to the recipient within two days and while the earlier ones within five days. The problem was that in the absence of any direct communication to the recipient, they had to come all the way to the office and stand in queue just to enquire about the status of the documents they had applied for. We have introduced the SMS system which would not only hold the officer accountable to get the documents prepared within the stipulated time frame but also curb the menace of bribery”, he said.

The Municipal Corporation is awaiting the nod from the government to get the records digitised.

The department in charge Dr Vijay Sharma said, “It has already been approved in the house meeting and the proposal to digitise the data. We are waiting approval for the govermnment. It would take around six months to scan the details and put the whole record in electronic format”, he said. 

Amritsar, March 14
Members of the Devi Sahai Khanna Family Dharmarth Trust today accused an MLA of usurping land belonging to a shrine.

In a press conference held here today they stated that the Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted a stay in favour of the trust, which had been the real owner of the land having over 150-year-old Shivalya temple.

Gautam Khanna, a member of the trust, said the land belongs to the trust formed by his forefathers. He said the relatives of the MLA at his behest pulled down the wall in order to grab the property. He alleged that about four years ago the close kin of the MLA illegally occupied a 250 yards of the land and now they had pulled down a shed and wall and grabbed about 2,500 yards belonging to the temple trust.

Vikram Negi, advocate of the trust, said despite the stay orders granted by the high court, the MLA and his relatives continued with their illegal activity. He said a contempt of court had been filed in this regard.

The MLA could not be contacted even after repeated attempts.

Amritsar, March 14
BBK DAV College for Women, organised its annual convocation here today. As many as 1,100 graduates and post graduates students of arts, commerce, science, economics, computer science, journalism and mass communication, media studies and production, multimedia and design streams were awarded degrees on the occasion.

The college principal Dr Neelam Kamra exhorted the students to continue learning throughout their life and to follow the path of truth, morality and hard work. She also read the annual report of the college, highlighting achievements of the college in the spheres of academics, sports and co-curricular activities.

On this occasion Dr DN Reddy, Chairman, Recruitment and Assessment Centre, DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Government of India was the chief guest. Addressing the students he said there was a need to develop learning-centric environment, which would help in bringing innovation for further growth and development of the Nation.

Dr SR Arora, secretary, DAV College Managing Committee, New Delhi, presided over the function and released college magazine 'Shachi'.

Amritsar, March 14
The Civil Lines police has nabbed two persons who were allegedly involved in stealing vehicles. The alleged accused would steal and then sell the vehicles after forging documents.

The police has recovered a stolen motorcycle from their possession. The accused have been identified as Jaspal Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran and now residing at Mohan Nagar, Verka and Dalip Panday of Sharma Colony located on Tarn Taran road.

A case under Sections 379, 411, 420, 468, 471, 34 of the IPC has been registered against them at the Civil Lines police station.

Amritsar, March 14
The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna scheme has brought medical care in the reach of common populace, stated a few of the patients admitted at Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital. But at the same time, there have been reports about a few private hospitals trying to mint money by indulging in insurance scams.

The district authorities had earlier removed two such hospitals from the list of institutions empanelled under the RSBY after they were found guilty of supplying wrong information about the medical condition of the patients admitted with them.

Under RSBY, the BPL families are entitled to a medical insurance of upto Rs 30,000 by paying a single time premium of Rs 30 only. Balbir Singh, a resident of Khandwala under going treatment for severe throat infection at civil hospital said, “The scheme is very beneficial for poor people like us as we can not afford to get treatment by paying from our own pocket.”

Another patient at civil hospital, Gurdeep Kaur said elderly people like her were ignored in poor families when it came to costly medication. She said that scheme was good and people like her should be brought under its ambit.

Deputy Medical Commissioner Prabhdeep Kaur said the patients could avail the medical services from either the government hospitals or the private hospitals empanelled on the list. She said that civil hospital alone had treated around 250 people in the current year.

Dr Prabhdeep admitted that there had been instances wherein hospitals had tried to fool poor people and even the insurance companies by indulging in wrongful activities. “But a fool proof mechanism and stronger punishments for the guilty are helping in implementing the scheme in its true spirit,” she said.

Hospital’s Senior Medical Officer Dr Balbir Singh Dhillon said that the hospital was planning to organise a RSBY camp soon to create awareness about the scheme and for registration of more BPL families. The hospital had got a prestigious health care award for serving maximum number of patients under the RSBY scheme. 

Amritsar, March 14
AK Thukral, professor at the Department of Botanical & Environmental Sciences and Director of Research, GNDU, has been elected fellow of the International Association of Computer Science and Information Technology (IACSIT), Singapore.

IACSIT is a registered international scientific association of distinguished scholars comprising faculty deans, department heads, professors, research scientists and engineers etc. engaged in the application of computer sciences to interdisciplinary research in the state-of-the-art methodologies.

IACSIT has elected 23 fellows throughout the world.

Dr Thukral is one of the earliest computer literates of the country. In the year 1975, he developed expertise in computer programming in FORTRAN-IV, the only programming language developed at that time. At that time there were less than 10 computers in India and each computer occupied the space of a room.

Dr Thukral did his PhD at BITS, Pilani, in 1980 and joined Guru Nanak Dev University the same year. He has developed statistical software for use of PhD students in biology at the university. With as many as 100 research papers published, and 2 books edited, he is also a fellow of the Linnean Society of London, and National Environmental Science Academy. He has also been awarded Prof P N Mehra award, and other numerous awards for his contributions to the environmental sciences.