Amritsar, June 8
Family members of Youth Congress (YC) leader Sukhraj Singh Bhagupur, allegedly killed by SAD activists before the Zila Parishad elections, have threatened to start an indefinite dharna in front of the Chief Minister's house if the accused are not arrested within 10 days. The family and the Congress has also accused Cabinet minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon of shielding the accused.

In a press conference here today, Sukhraj’s wife Manjinder Kaur announced, “We will sit on a dharna outside the Chief Minister's house indefinitely if all the accused are not arrested soon.” Sukraj was shot dead when he was coming out from a gurdwara after attending a religious congregation with his family on May 8.

Sukraj was contesting for the Nadaur block samiti seat in Patti tehsil of Tarn Taran district. The police had registered a case against five persons for his murder. Majinder Kaur said, “Adesh Partap Singh Kairon had assured them that all the accused would be arrested, but till now the promise has not been fulfilled." She said her husband fell victim to political "goondaism".

Senior Congress leader Harminder Singh Gill said, “The main accused, Sarwan Singh, and two others have still not been arrested. We demand that all the accused be arrested to provide justice to the family."

Gill alleged that Sarwan Singh and his brothers had already been declared proclaimed offenders in a forgery case and were wanted in three another cases.

He said, “Had the police arrested them in the earlier cases, the murder could have been avoided.” He said bowing to political pressure the police had not arrested the accused.

Fomer MLA and Congress leader Jasbir Singh Dimpa said they would not let Cabinet Minister Kairon enter his constituency if all the accused were not arrested. He said the Congress would not let Sukraj’s death go in vain and will oppose the terror let loose by the ruling party with all its might.

The conference was also attended by DCC (Urban) president Jugal Kishore Sharma, DCC (Rural) president Harpartap Singh Ajnala, DCC (Tarn Tarn) president Dr Dharmvir Agnihotri, Sukhinder Raj Singh Lali, Tarsem Singh DC, Sunil Datti and Karamjit Singh Rintu.

Amritsar, June 8
Members of the management and followers of the Seventh Day Adventise Church, GT Road, near the Rego bridge, today blocked the vehicular traffic on the GT Road to impress upon the authorities to register an FIR against the tenants of the church, who allegedly ransacked its property.

Priest of the church Rajeev Gill said the tenants beat him up and ransacked the church’s property last night as the church administration moved court to evacuate the premises. He said he had reported the matter to the nearest police station, but its response was lukewarm. He said agitated members of the church had no option but to hold a protest to make their voice heard.

The agitators lifted the blockade only after Assistant Commissioner of Police Gurnam Singh visited the spot and assured them that the an FIR has been registered.

Amritsar, June 8
The hot weather in the holy city took its toll on a tourist, who fell unconscious and died while returning after watching the retreat ceremony at the Attari-Wagah joint check post.

The deceased, identified as Sujata, had come in a tourist bus from Bangalore. She was rushed to a nearby private hospital where the doctors attending on her said she died due to sunstroke.

According to information, she had earlier visited Darbar Sahib, Jallianwala Bagh besides other tourist destination before going to Attari. 

Amritsar, June 8
Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Magistrate Rajat Aggarwal has banned the sale of sand in the district, barring three designated places. These three places where sand can be sold to public are Transport Nagar, Market Committee, Ajnala, and Grain Market, Rayya.

Rajat Aggarwal said the sale of sand by placing on the roadside is totally prohibited. The move would stop illegal sale of minor minerals. Heaps of sand on roadsides were a perennial traffic problem.

Amritsar, June 8
Medical services for the general public at government hospitals in the city are expected to be hit badly with the PCMS Association deciding to go an indefinite strike from Monday to protest against mass transfers of specialist doctors.

The association has decided to go on strike and stop providing Out Patient Department (OPD) services, medico-legal services and medical checkups of prisoners and undertrails. Many other works as issuance of handicapped and fitness certificates would also suffer.

However the association has decided to continue providing "dire emergency" services at the hospitals.

The medical fraternity is protesting against transfer of 523 specialist doctors in the state. The transfers have reportedly been made to strengthen around 100 health institutions in the state. As such all specialists working at four community health centres in the district have been transferred out.

Some of these, who have been transferred to far-off places, complained that the move would affect their families as they could not afford to stay away from home.

"It will not be possible for us to take children along as they have been admitted to schools at places we are working," said a doctor, adding that even husbands and wives have been transferred to separate places.

Members of the association said they would continue the protest until all unjustified transfers were cancelled and transfers were made only after keeping in consideration the set norms and rules.

The strike would hit the poorer sections of society who cannot afford treatment at private clinics and hospitals, which charge more fees than the public sector institutions.

Amritsar, June 8
The cantonment police has arrested four persons on gambling charges and recovered Rs 8,500 from their possession.

Those arrested were identified as Parshotam Singh of the Plaha Sahib road, Ajay Suri of Guru Amar Dass Avenue, Ajnala road, Bikram Singh of Hayer village and Baldev Singh of Chowk Dhapai. A case was registered under Sections 13,3 and 67 of the Gambling Act. They were later released on bail. — TNS

Amritsar, June 8
The general public coming to the district courts complex here is finding it difficult to get drinking water on the premises. The complex has a few water cooling machines and the area near the taps is filthy because of the garbage scattered around.

Only one drinking water station in front of the main entrance gate is catering to the needs of hundreds of visitors daily. Another station near the post office in the complex has three out of the four taps permanently closed.

Even the lawyers and other offices in the complex are dependent on the water supplied by private contractors for which they charge fees on monthly basis. The visitors to the complex rued that they have to buy cold water bottles from the eateries inside the premises to quench their thirst.

“Even these eateries are charging Rs 20 per bottle on the pretext that they are incurring expenses on cooling them,” said Sarwan Singh, a visitor. The visitors demanded that water cooling machines should be installed inside the premises for the use of general public. “Cold drinking water and shelter are the bare minimum necessities which every public office should have,” said Balwant Khera, another visitor.

The district courts complex is visited by over a thousands of advocates, their staff and visitors. Some visitors said that in view of the large rush of people, the place should have shelters and water coolers. 

Amritsar, June 8
Even as the state government is spending quite significantly on landscaping and preserving the historic buildings at Ram Bagh, but no effort has been made to maintain the rare varieties of trees dating back to the nineteenth century.

Many rare trees at Ram Bagh, where the summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh is located, are dying due in absence of treatment or burning of refuse around them.

Many rare trees which normally grow in the Himalayas and Nilgiri Hills are facing apathy of the Municipal Corporation.

A tree just outside Ram Bagh and opposite the residence of MC Commissioner which was burnt has fallen to the ground.

Burning of refuse at the bottom of trees has been highlighted in this newspaper but the authorities concerned have failed to take any action in this regard.

While traders are resorting to burning of trees on roadsides as they obstruct the view of their commercial establishments, the trees at the historic Ram Bagh Gardens are also facing the similar fate.

Spread over 84 acres of land, the garden came into existence in 1818 as the summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. However, today the flora of the garden is facing apathy of the authorities concerned.

INTACH member Dr Suresh Chohan said for the upkeep of these trees, a plan enlisting the names of rare trees, their benefits and the ways to preserve them was required. The similar plan was submitted to the Municipal Corporation about 10 years back but nothing concrete has come out.

The population of rats in the park has increased as people offer grains, pulses, jaggery and other eatables to birds and insects.

Referring to the old gingo biloba tree, he said it was used in making homoeopathic medicines.

Diospyrose cordifolia, commonly known as tendu, and akash neem are other trees used in preparing medicines.

MC Commissioner Bhupinder Singh said, “The issue of these rare trees has been brought to my notice. I will consult the Horticulture Department over the matter. The trees requiring treatment will be identified and will be given to the Horticulture Department.”

“The visitors will be educated not to throw eatables around these trees,” he added.

Amritsar, June 8
City-based industrial groups besides political leaders have welcomed the proposal to set up the Amritsar-Delhi-Kolkatta Industrial Corridor on the line of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.

Shawl Club India, an association of Woolmark Shawl Licensees in India, today welcomed the announcement of setting up of the Amritsar-Delhi-Kolkata Corridor by the Central government.

Its members said the Corridor would usher in a new era of development in Amritsar region.

Shawl Club India general secretary Piara Lal Seth thanked the Prime Minister for the bold step for having given green signal to the corridor. He said it would provide jobs for the youth and opportunities for the industry in the northern region, including Punjab.

“We had always been lobbying for the border area to be included in the corridor and the government finally agreed,’ he said, adding that new infrastructure was required for the industry to open a new market to grow as it had witnessed a decline after reaching a saturation point in the past.

Textile Manufacturers Association general secretary HS Makhni said India had about 4.88 crore small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which employed 8.11 crore people. The sector had the potential to grow at an exceptional rate to become one of the primary driver of the Indian economy as it was already contributing about nine per cent of the GDP and 36 per cent to the total exports, he added.

“The textile sector is the second largest employment provider after agriculture. The sector is facing acute problems from global markets, including China, and we need support from the government,” he said.

Gunbir Singh, member of the CII National Council on Public Policy, said the announcement to open the industrial corridor was a huge step which would augur well for Punjab.

Its rewards will be realised by not just inviting investment but also through creation of logistic infrastructure, product linkages, spurring economic growth and employment generation, he said.

Meanwhile, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) vice-president OP Soni welcomed the announcement to link the eastern and northern parts of the country. It was a long awaited demand of Amritsar trade and industry which would help boost the investment scenario, he said.

He said he along with a six-member delegation of industrialists from Amritsar had gone to apprise the Prime Minister of various demands which could benefit the entire region. The demand for a corridor between Amritsar and Kolkata and a railway line linking Amritsar and Ferozepur was also placed, he said.

BJP state vice-president Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina today said the corridor must be completed in a time-bound manner. He said the decision taken by the Centre was late but nevertheless it would help the backward border region to gain economically.

Chhina said the corridor should have been extended to Attari border, adding that the SAD-BJP government had taken up the matter with the Centre a number of times.

“It is sad to know that the project will take 10 more years to complete. The work must start immediately and it should be completed within two years,” he said. “Even as the Prime Minister belongs to the holy city, he has failed to undertake development in Amritsar.”

“The Prime Minister has failed to bring development works for Amritsar city where he was born and spent his childhood,” said Chhina.