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Traders, residents urge govt to drop road-widening scheme
A mausoleum on the border where citizens of India, Pak pray together
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Patwari dismissed for tampering with records
Vegetable, fruit prices soar in city
Mess workers sans salary for 4 months
District Revenue Department’s income goes up
Shopkeepers make hay as stamp papers in short supply
6 booked for attempt to murder
In-laws booked for setting woman on fire
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Traders, residents urge govt to drop road-widening scheme
Amritsar, July 3 Political leaders, cutting across party lines, today took part in the protest, which entered seventh day today. BJP leaders Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, Baldev Raj Chawla and many councillors and Congress leaders OP Soni, Darbari Lal and others participated in the protest. Various trader associations also lent their support to the affected shopkeepers and residents as Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal president Amrit Lal Jain raised slogans against the road-widening plan. On the other hand, the Land Acquisition Department sent a rickshaw carrying public address system to the block and announced to vacate 140 shops and residences till July 5. Acting on a petition filed by city resident Manmohan Singh, the Punjab and Haryana High Court took cognisance of a massive congestion on the road opposite the Jallianwala Bagh, which leads to the Golden Temple. The HC issued notice of motion to Deputy Commissioner, Municipal Commissioner and Executive Officer of the Amritsar Improvement Trust and directed them to explain why the road-widening project in the area could not be executed. In 1998, the administration had conceptualised the Jallianwala Bagh road-widening scheme. According to the scheme, the 1.5 km road stretch opposite the Jallianwala Bagh till Ghee Mandi was supposed to be widened up to 40 feet so as to ease congestion on the way to the Golden Temple. The HC had also questioned the delay in the road-widening project even as compensation to the tune of Rs 8.98 crore was already awarded to around 105 affected property owners on the stretch. The HC also took notice of the old buildings, which were in a deplorable condition on the both sides of the route. The administration had issued notices to the residents and traders to safely transport their goods to alternative safer places, but due to political intervention, the authorities failed to take possession of the required land, despite awarding compensation. Now after a notice by the high court to the district administration recently, the traders were issued notices to vacate their shops by July 5. The traders alleged that they have been receiving threatening calls every day from the land mafia, which had already purchased properties behind their shops. Improvement Trust chairman Sandeep Rishi said the Trust had offered the traders and residents two alternative sites to shift their businesses and residences - one at Jahajgarh and the other at Mall Mandi area - on reserved rates, but the traders did not respond. He reiterated his offer to rehabilitate the traders and residents.
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A mausoleum on the border where citizens of India, Pak pray together
Amritsar, July 3 Devotees from both the sides come to offer prayers and pay obeisance at the place every Thursday. As the Indian nationals can offer prayers inside the "dargah", the devotees from the other side have to be contended with offering prayers from outside it. The devotees from Pakistan, accompanied by rangers, are stopped a few metres short of the mausoleum along a barbed fence installed for that purpose. While the citizens of both the countries are only a few metres away from each other with only a two-and-half-feet high fence dividing them, they are not allowed to talk to each other. BSF jawans guard the place. “It was never like that a few decades ago. Till the war in 1971, Pakistanis were allowed to pay obeisance inside the place, but afterwards restrictions were imposed,” said a resident. With rising political tensions and most importantly because of drug smuggling, even the Indian nationals - both men and women - are not allowed to enter and leave the place without being frisked. Even metal detectors have been installed at the place. Sheikh Brahm, a contemporary of first Sikh Master Guru Nanak Dev, was a Muslim Peer residing at Pakpattan where both had met. The legend has it that Sheikh Brahm was so impressed by Guru Nanak Dev that he became his disciple. A large number of Hindus and Sikhs are among the devotees who visit the "dargah" every week. “We have been coming here for decades now,” said Tara Singh, a devotee. The dargah also seems to be a symbol of communal harmony where Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims pray together. Satnam Singh Pattu, president of the Dargah Management Committee, said, “Residents of the area have great respect and devotion from the place. Apart from Thursdays, hundreds of devotees come to attend two bi-annual congregations held here.” BSF officials said they allowed devotees inside the shrine after 10 am and they could be there till 5pm when the gates were closed for another week. “Every visitor has to be frisked and no cameras or mobile phones are allowed,” said a jawan, adding that even large number of BSF officials visit the place every week.
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Patwari dismissed for tampering with records
Amritsar, July 3 He was dismissed from service under the Punjab Civil Services Rule following an inquiry conducted by an SDM-level officer, which was ordered by District Magistrate-cum-Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal. Earlier, a probe conducted by a DSP-rank official, posted in the Amritsar (Rural) police, had absolved him of the charges though he had admitted tampering with the records. Perturbed over this, the DC has also written to the SSP (Vigilance) to hold an investigation in the case and initiate action against the erring DSP. In the letter, he said it became clear that the DSP concluded the investigations in the favour of the patwari under some influence. He said the investigating officer even did not bother to compare the revenue records from the Sadar Kanungo Branch before declaring him innocent. The Deputy Commissioner revealed that the accused patwari during his posting in Chatiwind tehsil, Amritsar-II, had tampered with the revenue records pertaining to year 2007-08. The probe conducted by the SDM pointed out that Darshan Singh had made some illegal additions and cuttings in the revenue records. He pointed out that as the revenue records remained in the custody of the patwari, his involvement in the tampering could not be ruled out. He said the tampering with the government record was a serious offence and it had also caused financial loss to the state exchequer. He said the probe conducted by the SDM found him guilty. He said Darshan Singh failed to prove his innocence during the personal hearing accorded to him to present his case.
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Vegetable, fruit prices soar in city
The rains had resulted in the increase in vegetable and fruit prices, as the transportation system in neighbouring states had been hit badly, which had delayed the regular supply of fruits and vegetables to the city, said a vegetable merchant, Sukhdev Singh. The prices of vegetables have increased by about 35 to 50 per cent during the last fortnight. Onion and tomatoes, compulsory ingredients in almost all dishes, have seen their prices escalating. The price of tomatoes, which is used regularly in Indian meals, has shot up by Rs 20 per kg. People at the retail vegetable market in Rambagh complained that even though they were shelling out more money to purchase vegetables, the vegetables were not fresh. Harish, a vegetable vendor, said the number of customers coming to the market had gone down, besides, the customers had been buying fruits and vegetables in less quantity.
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Mess workers sans salary for 4 months
Amritsar, July 3 In a press note issued today, the mess workers committee has demanded from the Directorate of Research and Medical Education to issue instructions for the disbursal of their salaries. A mess worker, Baldev Singh, said around 50 workers were working in various messes running for students. The workers are having hard time because of the non-payment of their salaries. Another worker, Raj Rani Babbar, said the mess workers were being paid Rs 2,500 per month. The government had revised the pay to Rs 3,200, but they had not yet received the revised salaries. She said the mess workers be given the minimum wage of Rs 6,570 as announced by the Labour Commission. As the the salary of mess workers was quite less the government should not have any problem in sanctioning the fund for the same.
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Basic amenities in a shambles at Jahajgarh
Amritsar, July 3 A prime location on the GT road, the area is a veritable picture of filth and administrative indifference. Understandably, the Improvement Trust did not get any buyer even for a shop in the market in the two public auctions held during the past six months. A majority of the roads inside the market are in a deplorable condition as they have not been repaired for a long time. The accumulated water on the pot-holed roads has turned into a slush. The Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) had constructed the commercial market with an objective to shift the transporters of the city to this spacious area. Parminder Singh, who runs a shop in the area, said the trust seemed to have forgotten about the upkeep of the market. He said the condition of the roads remained the same as its sewerage system was erroneous. The lack of upkeep and repair of the market was the reason due to which the market failed to attract major transporters, he said. A majority of the shops deal in used spare parts of abandoned vehicles, he added. Harjit Singh, a visitor to the market, said the roads were not in a drivable condition, making their visits to procure material very difficult. The planned market has good infrastructure in shape of wide roads and parks, which no other market in the city can match. However, indifferent attitude of the authorities had tuned it into a filthy spot in the city, Harjit alleged. The parks in the area are also in a shambles. The well-planned market has a number of green belts. Almost all of them are not properly maintained. Overgrown vegetation and encroachments have turned the green belts into unhygienic spots. Many shanties have come up in the green belt. Going a step ahead, many of the green belts have turned into dumping grounds. Harish Dhawan, another shopkeeper, said unable to find adequate customers, he had turned his shop into a godown. He said the place had become a favourite spot for stray cattle and dogs besides becoming a breeding ground for an epidemic anytime. "The life is virtually miserable due to the stench emanating from the dumping ground, which has also become a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies and poisonous insects," he added. The built-up shop-cum-flats at Jahajgarh had already been put up twice for auction by the Improvement Trust, but nobody came for the bidding. Buyers remained undecided for the seven built-up booths build under the Truck Stand Scheme at a reserve price of Rs 10.45 lakh each besides 10 built-up shop-cum-flats (SCFs) at a reserve price of Rs 28.90 lakh each and seven booking agencies on 302-sq-yd each and other seven on 373 square yard. When contacted, Improvement Trust Chairman Sandeep Rishi said he could not comment on the condition of the civic amenities in the market as the scheme was handed over to the Municipal Corporation and it was responsible for its upkeep. He, however, accepted that the non-development and high collector rate were the major problems. Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora said, "The scheme was handed over to the MC some time ago and the laying of sewerage is already underway. Besides, de-silting is also being carried out. Once these works are over, the work of laying the road will be taken up."
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District Revenue Department’s income goes up
Amritsar, July 3 District Revenue Officer (DRO) Mukesh Kumar today claimed that Amritsar had become the only district to contribute over Rs 300 crore in the state treasury. The local revenue department had pocketed Rs 244 crore in 2011-12 . The Revenue Department has divided the district into 10 entities to smoothly conduct its affairs. These entities are Amritsar -1, Amritsar - 2, Ajnala, Baba Bakala, Majitha, Attari, Lopoke, Ramdass, Tarsikka and Jandiala. The record collection is being seen as a result of the opportunity given by the government to people to convert their power of attorney into registered land deed, the deadline for which was extended on more than one occasion. The DRO said the farad centre were opened in various parts of the district to access farads of properties. He added that the online registration of the properties expedited the process. The district Revenue Department was given the revenue collection target of Rs 295 crore for the last financial year. The local Revenue Department has seen its revenue getting double in the past three years. The department had earned Rs 198 crore In 2011-12. In 2010-11, it had earned Rs 172 crore. The reason behind the big leap in revenue collection is the planning and framing up of rules by the government. To increase its revenue generation from the registration of properties, the state government has fixed revenue collection target from each district. The new property registration rules were implemented from April 1, according to which the original owner of a property must be physically present with the buyer at the time of the registration to announce that he or she has received the value of the property and endorse its transfer in the name of the new buyer. Similarly, a buyer must also disclose the source of the money. The rules sent the real estate investors and financiers in a tizzy, who flocked the Revenue Department in large numbers. The amended rules were to be implemented last year, however, following protests and requests by real estate investors and dealers, the state government offered relaxation in the implementation of the new rules for some months. The relaxation period was extended thrice and it ended on March 31. The judiciary and the government are discouraging the sale and purchase of properties through the power of attorney to bring transparency in property transactions and plug loopholes in the system to prevent the investment of black money in the real estate sector. A real estate agent ,Harpinder Singh Walia, said," The sale and purchase of property through the power of attorney deprived the government of its share of taxes while the people are investing unaccounted wealth in the real estate sector. On the one hand, these people were multiplying their investment and on the other they were raising speculative prices. " He said registering a property with the Revenue Department required a hefty amount whereas a power of attorney used to come for a few thousands of rupees. Now, the change in the rules has slowed down the property transactions in the city. Another reason behind the surge in revenue collection is 1 per cent increase in the registration charges. However, there is a reprieve for women buyers in the urban area as they can deposit three per cent fee in both cases on the registration of land. The maximum limit of registration fee has been fixed at one per cent of Rs 2 crore and a buyer procuring property above this would have the advantage of shelling out only Rs 2 lakh as registration fee.
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Declining rupee hits Indo-Pak trade, over 800 porters suffer
Amritsar, July 3 There are already reports of a decline in the import of cement and gypsum while it is feared that
the imports may witness a further drop in the coming days. The trade between India and Pakistan through this route is carried out in
dollars. Sukhdev Singh (28), who has been loading and unloading bags of merchandise for the past seven years, said the trade was closed for the past one week. He earns Rs 200 everyday. “Being a daily wage earner, my earnings has come down to a fraction since the plying of goods trains stopped between India and Pakistan,” he added. He supports a family of six, including his old parents and two daughters. He said a majority of porters here were from border villages located around Attari. Porters at the Amritsar rail cargo facility are a harried lot as the trade between India and Pakistan via the rail route has come to a naught as no fresh consignment came in the past one week. Another porter, Balbir Singh of Neshta village, said he was finding it difficult to eke out the living in absence of work. With no fresh consignment arriving at the rail cargo, the demand for work has come down as few hands are needed to transport the merchandise placed in the godowns at the rail cargo. Responsible for upbringing his three school-going children, he felt a little reprieve that his wife, who is engaged in stitching work, adds to the family income. Manjit Singh, another porter, said he had been working at the cargo facility for the past 20 years. He recalled that the plying of goods trains between India and Pakistan had decreased during the Kargil war. “Then, the situation was entirely different as the bilateral relations between the the nations were at its low,” he recalled. But the situation was completely different now as India and Pakistan are having a cordial relation and going for the confidence building measures (CBMs) one after another," he added. He said the plight of porters should be taken into account as over a period of time the number of porters has grown
manifold. All-India Cement Importers Association chief MPS Chatha said they had stopped placing fresh orders in view of declining rupee value. “Whatever goods are being imported now are a part of the orders placed in the past. While no merchandise has arrived through the rail route from Pakistan for the last five to seven days, the goods imported through road have also declined.” He said he had not placed any new order for the last 10 days. Other importers also echoed the similar views. Notably, the import of cement from Pakistan via the rail route had come to a halt in November 2012 after traders in Pakistan stopped sending consignments to India in view of repeated instances of heroin seizure in the rail cargo. The cement imports had been stopped twice in 2012 as in August, 2012, Indian traders had stopped the import of cement for the same reason. The trade started after a month when the Pakistani authorities started using metallic seals on wagons.
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Shopkeepers make hay as stamp papers in short supply
Amritsar, July 3 The shortage has turned to the advantage of the stamp paper sellers as they are charging for stamp papers. Gurbhej Singh, a member of the Mission Aagaaj, an NGO, said the scarcity had turned to the disadvantage of the common man. He alleged that stamp papers of the value of Rs 100 were being sold for Rs 200. He said if the customer were not willing to spend more, the shopkeepers refuse to give them stamp papers. Advocates at the district courts too rued that the stamp papers of the value of Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 50 and Rs 100 were not
easily available. They said these stamp papers of smaller denomination were required for notary documents and signing of various agreements. "While most of the stamp paper sellers generally deny having these stamp papers, few sell them if a higher price is offered," said Bachan Singh, a resident of Nangal village. The general public has demanded that the administration should ensure that such a situation did not arises in future. The district treasury here requires stamp papers of around Rs 2.5 crore every month. Stamp papers are printed at Nasik and then they are brought to Ludhiana treasury from where these are distributed to the district treasuries. Officials at the treasury said the demand for stamp papers has already been sent and the shortage would end soon. While there is a shortage of stamp papers of smaller denomination, stamp papers of larger denomination are easily available.
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6 booked for attempt to murder
Amritsar, July 3 Among those booked include Raju, Goldy, Para, all resident of Nikka Singh Colony. Happy and two other unidentified persons have also been booked. The police has registered a case in this connection. No arrest has been made so far. The police said both the groups were trying reach on a compromise and when they failed so, Vikram filed a compliant with the police following which a case has been registered. He said efforts were afoot to nab the
culprits. — TNS
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In-laws booked for setting woman on fire
Amritsar, July 3 He alleged after two months of marriage her in-laws started harassing her for bringing dowry as per their expectations. He said his daughter used to tell them that her in-laws were demanding dowry. He stated that yesterday he received a call from Salinder Singh that Amandeep was got badly burnt in an accident. She was rushed to the hospital where the doctors said she suffered over 60 per cent burn injuries and her condition was serious. He alleged his daughter was set on fire by her in-laws. The police had booked victim's husband Salinder Singh, brother-in- law Kulwinder Singh, Kulwinder's wife Kuldeep Kaur and the victim’s father-in-law Gulzar Singh in this connection. No arrest has been made so far as the accused are on the run. 4 held for possessing liquor, drugs The police has arrested four persons for allegedly possessing liquor and habit-forming drugs. The accused has been identified as Sarabjit Singh of Bagge Kalan village, Gurbachan Singh of Tungpai, Batala road, Vinod Kumar of Ram Avenue and Rajvir Singh of Pehalwan Wali Gali. While the police recovered 1,100 intoxicant capsules and tablets from Sarabjit Singh, it seized 108 litre of illicit liquor and 100 capsules from Gurbachan Singh. The also impounded his car. Vinod Kumaar and Rajvir Singh were held with 132 bottles of wine and 150 capsules respectively. Separate cases under the NDPS and Excise Act have been registered against them.
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The agitating occupants of around 140 shops and houses, facing displacement to pave way for the widening of an approach road to the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh via Ghee Mandi and Bazar Sanduka, today urged the government to drop the scheme.
Amritsar, July 3