Kapurthala, May 3
A BTech (mechanical) fourth semester student of the College of Engineering and Management was stabbed to death by his classmate on the college ground in broad daylight here today.

The student, Rajvir Singh of Khanke village of Kartarpur, who received injuries from a knife on his chest, was immediately rushed to the Civil Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

An eyewitness student identified the accused as Harpreet Singh, a B.Tech (computer science) fourth semester student and resident of Mohalla Ajit Avenue, Kapurthala. Harpreet Singh managed to flee with the knife.

The deceased, who belonged to an economically weak family and had lost his father sometime back, was putting up with his maternal uncle in Kapurthala. The police has registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC against Harpreet on the complaint of Rajvir’s uncle Charanjit Singh.

Charanjit Singh reported in the FIR that his nephew had gone to the college to appear for his examination and had asked him to pick him after the examination this afternoon. When he went there, he saw him sitting on the ground. Seconds later, a boy came, stabbed him, left him wounded and ran away.

The DSP, Sultanpur Lodhi, Mandeep Singh, said the twosome had indulged in a fight about a month back. Harpreet perhaps wanted to take revenge. He said the accused was on the run. “Adequate police force has been deployed on the campus since this afternoon,” he said.

Jalandhar, May 3
Divisional Commissioner SR Ladhar has called a meeting of senior officials of different government departments to discuss the issue of pollution in the historic Kali Bein rivulet. The meeting has been scheduled for May 5 and the officials, who have been asked to attend it, includes Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) Chairman Ravinder Singh, Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Shruti Singh, Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner DS Mangat and Superintending Engineer SP Garg.

Besides, Jalandhar Municipal Commissioner Vinay Bublani, renowned environmentalist and PPCB member Balbir Singh Seechewal and Punjab Leather Federation president Lt-Col (retd) JS Paul will be there in the meeting. According to information, the Divisional Commissioner has called the meeting to conduct deliberations on the present status of pollution in the Kali Bein.

About two weeks back, lakhs of fish in the Kali Bein rivulet at Sultanpur Lodhi were found dead after the water from the Mukerian hydel channel, from where it is released into the Bein, stopped reaching downstream. The polluted Sutlej water from the Harike convergence flowed back into the Bein and chemically polluted water proved fatal for the aquatic life.

Subsequently, volunteers, led by Balbir Singh Seechewal, started the drive to take out dead fishe from the Kali Bein. Perturbed with the development and the discharge of toxic waste into the Kali Bein at various points in the Kapurthla district, some days back Seechewal even met the Prime Minister expressing his concern over the increasing contamination of the historic Kali Bein.

Speaking to The Tribune, Seechewal said the sewerage treatment plant (STP) of Kapurthala was not operational, following which the untreated polluted water from Kapurthala and nearby villages was being discharged into the Kali Bein. "It is extremely unfortunate that the cleanliness of the polluted rivers of Punjab was to be completed by November, 2011, at a cost of about Rs 2,200 crore, but the same is incomplete till date," he rued.

Meanwhile, officials of the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) today paid a visit to the Leather Complex to find out if underground connections of the common outlet of the tanneries are attached to the sewerage or storm water sewerage. Yesterday, PPCB authorities had found that common outlet of the tanneries was connected with storm water sewerage, because of which the untreated waste was being discharged into the Kala Sanghian drain. Subsequently, the PPCB intimated the PSIEC authorities about this.

Jalandhar, May 3
Four Scheduled Caste (SC) students of the second semester of Bachelor of Tourism and Hotel Management in Doaba College are a harried lot. The college has not reportedly allowed them to appear for their two practical examination held yesterday and today for they have not paid their fee.

The students - Amit Kler, Kamaldeep Singh, Ferry Rattu and Sandeep Kumar - have alleged in their complaints given to Deputy Commissioner Shruti Singh, ADC (G) Praneet Bhardwaj and SDM-I Iqbal Singh Sandhu that the college was forcing them to pay fee and not accommodating them in the SC Post-matric Scholarship Scheme of the Union Government, for which they were entitled.

"While we had paid our fee for the first semester, we did not do it for the second semester for we got to know that SC students with family income less than Rs 2 lakh could be accommodated in the scheme and need not pay. But the college authorities are forcing us to pay and did not allow us to appear for the practical examination of housekeeping held yesterday and practical examination of communication skills held today," they alleged.

In his representation, Amit Kler said he had paid Rs 21,000 as first semester college fee and Rs 2,200 as the university fee and was issued roll number 10681200017. "I got to know about the scholarship scheme from the Global Awareness Trust and filled up form for the second semester admission under it on January 14, but the college superintendent refused to accept the form.

Today when they refused to allow me to take my second paper, I contacted the District Welfare Officer on the matter, who directed the Tehsil Welfare Officer to issue instructions to the college. I even approached SC Commission member Partap Singh Gardiwala, but the college authorities refused to budge."

Since the course is a self-financed one, it is not covered in the scheme. The boys have not fill up examination forms, so how can we let them take their exams. They were also required to fill up scholarship claims online which were to be verified, which they again failed to do.
— Naresh Dhiman, Principal, Doaba College

All courses run by the universities, irrespective of the fact whether they are self-financed, are covered under the scheme. If the students had not filled up forms, the college should have helped them with it. I have asked my Tehsil Welfare Officer to look into the matter.
— Rajinder Singh, District Welfare Officer

Jalandhar, May 3
Vishesh Sarangal, a city resident, has secured 473rd rank in the civil services exams conducted by the UPSC, the results of which were declared today. This was Sarngal’s second attempt at the exams.

A youth with degrees in both engineering and MBA, Sarangal has studied in premiere institutions, but his aspirations for a post in the administrative services has made him appear in the civil services exam for the second consecutive year.

While he has a degree in engineering from Thapar University, Patiala, he secured an MBA degree from IIT, Mumbai.

Talking to The Tribune Vishesh said, “While I made it to the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) last year, I wanted to better my rank this year so I get to the administrative services. I will hope for the best this time and if need be I will reappear next year.”

Vishesh said the only coaching he ever had was during the Class XI and XII and he had been studying on his own for all exams since then.

Vishesh’s father JR Sarangal is a DGM in a local bank. His mother Santosh Sarangal is a teacher at a government school and one of his sisters is a manager in a bank and another is a skin specialist.

His mother Santosh Sarangal said it was very happy occasion for the family and her son’s greatest asset was that he had always been very hardworking.

Jalandhar, May 3
It being the first day for the filing of nomination papers for the Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections, none of the 12 offices set up for receiving papers across the district received any papers today.

The entire staff of all the Returning Officers (ROs) remained on duty awaiting candidates. However, only a few party workers turned up, those, too, to collect the format of nomination forms.

The nomination forms have been largely replicated from the pattern taken up during the Assembly polls with all details to be attached regarding the applicant and his nominee regarding movable and immovable assets, crime record and NOCs from civic bodies concerned regarding liabilities on water bills, etc.

Interestingly, the candidates have also been asked to furnish details regarding any default amount with the telephone or mobile phone companies.

The CEO, Punjab, has come up with very interesting free symbols. These include traditional cot, slate, stethoscope, saw, streetlight pole, TV, shuttle cock, harmonium, letter box, sewing machine and dish antenna. The office of the ADC (D) Harminder Singh confirmed that there were no nomination papers filed today.

Jalandhar, May 3
Aman Saini and Preeti Saini, a couple from Mohalla Gobindgarh who took the Swarn Shatabdi from Delhi on Tuesday, said the train did not have the berth numbers mentioned on their tickets.

The couple was returning home after their Bangkok trip.

The couple said their ticket had seat number 69 and 70 of CE coach mentioned on it and they got the shock of their life as soon as they boarded the train.

“The coach had berths only till seat number 67. When we questioned the ticket collectors, they asked us to contact staff at the Delhi railway station which we could not since the train was set to move,” they said.

The couple showed tickets with “No space” marked on them by the ticket collector on duty. They also had a picture of the seat berth details pasted outside the coach which had their names.

“With our luggage, including the LCD that we purchased in Bangkok, we were made to contact one railway official or another. I and my wife were made to stand for about two hours. Exhausted, I asked for water but I was told that it could be served only once I was allotted a seat. I told them that I had paid Rs 1,200 for tickets but there was no help,” Aman said.

“Finally, we were allotted two tickets in separate coaches and we had no choice but to return home sitting separately for four-and-a-half hours,” he added.

“I have been repeatedly calling the railways helpline but I got no response from the other side,” he said.

A similar incident had happened with three elderly persons Hakumet Rai Saini (74), Rajinder Saini (72) and Hari Om Saini (67) who had tickets for three berths in CE coach on March 17 which did not exist from Delhi to Jalandhar in Swarn Shatabdi. Being senior citizens, they were later adjusted in another coach.

Ashok Salaria, Area Traffic Manager, Jalandhar, said he had not received any complaint in this regard.

Jalandhar, May 3
Five prominent citizens of the region were honoured on the occasion of Bhai Ghanaiya Divas at a ceremony held by the Bhai Ghanaiya Charitable Society on Wednesday here.

Those honoured were activists who have been instrumental in changing the lives of hundreds of people with their tireless efforts.

Among those honoured were Prof Bahadur Singh, Amarjit Singh Anand, Harinder Singh Suhana, Jot Jeevan Singh and Taranpreet Singh.

Prof Bahadur Singh is a doctor who has been motivating people to donate eyes for the past 15 years. He also runs a blood bank and has been instrumental in ensuring eyes for hundreds of people.

Amarjit Singh Anand is a disability activist who runs the Chanan Association for special children. He is an executive member of the Special Olympics and has been instrumental in spreading awareness about the rights of specially-abled who are still treated as a fringe group.

Harinder Singh Suhana runs the Akal Ashram where the elderly and destitute are provided shelter and care while Jot Jeevan Singh is a votary of Gurmat education and has worked with youth on the issue thus propagating a need for religious and Gurmat education. Taranpreet Singh runs a blood bank for the needy.

Established in 1925, the Bhai Ghanaiya Charitable Society has been holding a special event honouring eminent citizens on Bhai Ghanaiya Diwas (May 1) every year for the past 15 years.

President of the society Satpal Singh Siddiqui, Bhai Devinder Singh Khalsa Suhane Wale, Mahant Kahan Singh Guniana Mandi Wale were present on the occasion among others. 

Jalandhar, May 3
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was inked between Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, and CT Institute of Engineering, Management and Technology (CTIEMT), Shahpur, to promote research and faculty development programme.

Both are leading institutions in the field of higher and technical education. To promote academic and research cooperation and their development as centres of excellence of higher and technical education and scientific research, both institutions agreed to support each other in delivery of academic programmes and research activities through exchange of scientific and technical information, joint supervision of postgraduate and PhD students, undertaking collaborative research activities through participation in nationally and internationally-funded projects, jointly organise events such as seminars, workshops and conferences and training programmes.

They mutually agreed to identify various areas of interest and depute faculty as per requirements. Both the institutions will organise regular faculty interactions to promote research interaction and collaboration.

Prof SK Das, Director, NIT Jalandhar, Dr Ajay Kumar Sharma, Dean (Administration) NIT Jalandhar, Dr SB Kaith, Dean Planning & Development NIT, Dr SK Sinha, Dean Students Affairs NIT, Sarabjit S Bedi, Technical Advisor to Director NIT, S Charanjit Singh Channi, Chairman CT Group of Institutions and Dr Manoj Kumar, CT Group Director were present. The MoU was signed on the NIT Campus by Prof SK Das and Dr Manoj Kumar.

Prof Das said the initiative would be helpful for the development of students.

Charanjit Singh Channi, Chairman, CT Group of Institutions, said, “It gives us extreme pleasure to be associated with a leading university. The exchange programmes between the two organisations will bring a positive change that will be beneficial for the nation as well.”