Jalandhar, December 12
The district administration and the Municipal Corporation (MC) have plans to broaden the scope of the City Bus project in Jalandhar by introducing as many as 128 fleets of buses which will ply on 13 routes. Currently, there are only 15 buses which are running only on four routes for the past nearly four and a half years.

A meeting in this regard was convened by Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairman, Jalandhar City Transport Services, Varun Roojam. At the meeting, an exhaustive plan for the re-launch of the bus service was discussed. The DC said, “It has been decided that the new fleet will include mini-buses for shorter routes which would be shuttling more frequently in the same direction.”

At present, only large buses are operating which move very slowly on congested roads and near turns. These have also often been found getting caught in traffic jams.

The MC officials, who had got a detailed project report for expanding the City Bus prepared through a consultant, got it cleared by the Deputy Commissioner. “These will now go to the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) and will finally be approved by a core committee headed by the Punjab Chief Minister,” said MC Commissioner Manpreet Singh Chhatwal.

The MC had hired a consultancy fee for identifying new, viable routes for the City Bus service. The agreement has been made with ICRA Management Consultancy Services for an amount of Rs 14 lakh.

The only glitch that the administration now is facing is a pending litigation of the Gas Authority of India (GAIL), which was to set up a CNG plant in the city. While the previous project was to come to a halt in August 16, it was extended owing to delay in the setting up of the gas plant. There have been directions that the new City Bus project is to be run on CNG. The DC said, “I have held a meeting with the GAIL officials who have said that the next date of hearing in the court is on December 16 and the matter is about to get closed. We will proceed accordingly.”

Route 1: Rama Mandi to Kartarpur (20 km) via PAP Chowk, BMC Chowk, Guru Nanak Mission Chowk, Nakodar Chowk, Football Chowk, Adarsh Nagar, Workshop Chowk, DAV College, Maqsudan, Suranussi and Bidhipur railway crossing.

Route 2: Railway Station to Rama Mandi (8.5 km) via Madan Flour Mill Chowk, Jawahar Nagar, Government Senior Secondary School Nehru Garden, Shastri Market Chowk, General Post Office, Namdev Chowk, BMC Chowk, bus stand, BSF Chowk and PAP Chowk.

Route 3: Ring route (28 km) From bus stand to Garha Road, PIMS, SGL Charitable Hospital, Urban Estate Phase 2 railway crossing, Vasant Vihar Extension, Mithapur Road, Wadala Chowk, Guru Ravidass Chowk, Babrik Chowk, 120-feet road, Canal Crossing (Kapurthala Road), Babu Labh Singh Nagar, Workshop Chowk, HMV College, DAV College, Sabzi Mandi, Maqsudan, Focal Point, Saipur, Sodal Temple, Doaba Chowk, Pathankot crossing, GT Road, PAP Chowk, BSF Chowk.

Route 4: Bus stand to Kishangarh (15 km) via bus stand, BMC Chowk, Namdev Chowk, General Post Office, Shastri Market Chowk, Madan Flour Mill, Railway Station, Kishanpura Chowk, Domoria Flyover, Doaba College, KMV College, Pathankot crossing, Sarabha Nagar, Sarmastpur and Kishangarh.

Route 5: Bus stand to Kartarpur (17 km) via BMC Chowk, Namdev Chowk, GPO, Company Bagh, Jyoti Chowk, Basti Adda Chowk, Jail Chowk, Patel Chowk, Workshop Chowk, DAV College, Maqsudan, Suranussi and Bidhipur railway crossing.

Route 6: Bus stand to Verka Milk Plant (12 km) via PAP Chowk, Chugitti bypass, GT Road, Lawrence International School, Hoshiarpur road crossing, Pathankot crossing, Focal Point, Gadaipur and Salempur Musalmana.

Route 7: Bus stand to Jandu Singha (13 km) via Lyallpur Khalsa College, PAP Chowk, Chugitti bypass, Ladhewali Road, Hoshiarpur road, Hazara and Kangniwal.

Route 8: Bus stand to LPU (15 km) via Lyallpur Khalsa College, PAP Chowk, Rama Mandi Chowk, DPS School, Paragpur, Haveli and Lovely Professional University.

Route 9: Bus stand to Jamsher (14 km) via Punjab Roadways depot, PIMS, SGL, Urban Estate Phase-I, water treatment plant, Pholariwal and Dhina.

Route 10: Bus stand to Lambra (10 km) via City Hospital, Guru Gobind Singh Stadium, Milk Bar Chowk, Link Road, Ravidass Chowk, Buta Mandi and Wadala Chowk.

Route 11: Bus stand to St Soldier College (10 km) via BMC Chowk, Company Bagh, Jyoti Chowk, Nakodar Chowk, Ravidass Chowk, Babrik Chowk and Basti Danishmandan.

Route 12: Bus stand to LPU via Paragpur (10 km) via Lyallpur Khalsa College, Cantonment Road, Mall Road, Jindan Road, Dasehra Ground, Jain National High School, Paragpur, GT Road crossing.

Route 13: Rama Mandi to Jalandhar Kunj (15 km) via PAP Chowk, bus stand, BMC Chowk, Guru Nanak Mission Chowk, Nakodar Chowk, Football Chowk, Adarsh Nagar, Kapurthala Chowk, Sports College and Leather Complex.

Jalandhar, December 12
Four ninth standard students of Innocent Hearts School, Green Model Town, were taken ill at the school today after a student sprayed the contents of a spray can containing a chemical substance in the classroom, causing nausea, bad throat and breathlessness among his classmates.

The school authorities immediately acted against the erring student by recommending disciplinary action against him.

The incident took place this morning when one of the students, while showing the can, which he had brought from his home, to his classmates, sprayed it, causing all four to get sick.

While the attending doctor of the school was immediately called, the incident was also brought to the notice of the parents by the school authorities.

Principal Dhiraj Banati, while acknowledging the incident, alleged that the mishap took place in the morning, but solely because of a student who brought in a spray can with him to the school. A substance released during spraying was inhaled by students while they were playing with it. Strong disciplinary action has been recommended against the ninth standard student who brought the can. He may also face ouster. The cases of the rest of the three students of the same class have also been sent for review to the school disciplinary committee (comprising the school’s senior faculty).”

Meanwhile sources reported that the students fell so ill that they had to be revived with the aid of oxygen masks, the school principal denied the same.

“The school doctor was immediately brought in and the students were given first-aid. They only complained of a bad throat and irritation for some time, but were fine later and attended classes throughout the day. However, we do not permit students bringing such cans or articles to schools. A precedent will be set with strict action against the erring student. The parents of the student were also informed about the same immediately and they acknowledged his mistake,” Banati added.

Jalandhar, December 12
The district health department today caught an unqualified doctor performing abortion at Manpreet Nursing Home and Clinic in the city.

The authorities sealed the nursing home, besides confiscating the equipment used in the abortion, a press note issued by the Civil Surgeon, Dr RL Bassan, stated.

The press note stated that following a tip-off, a team of health officials, comprising Dr Gurmeet Kaur Duggal, District Family Welfare officer, Dr Aruna, Assistant Civil Surgeon, and other experts conducted a surprise raid at the nursing home and clinic and found Dr Gurinder Kaur, a GAMS doctor, conducting abortion at the place.

Dr Bassan revealed that the accused doctor was neither qualified to conduct the MTP nor was she a registered practitioner.

Health officials called the police and the statements of patients and doctors were recorded. The patient admitted to having come to the hospital for pregnancy termination, Dr Bassan said.

The Civil Surgeon revealed that the case would be sent to the PNDT Committee for seeking the requisite action against the doctor.

Jalandhar, December 12
Scores of patients undergoing treatment in different wards and their attendants were put to a great hardship on the second day of the pen-down strike by the doctors and faculty of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) that announced an indefinite strike from Friday, here today.

After assembling in the main lobby of the PIMS building, the doctors, including woman doctors, held a meeting on the fifth floor and later gave a memorandum of their demands to the director of the PIMS Society, constituted by the Congress-led Punjab Government in 1994.

The striking medicos in the memorandum have asked the management to release their salaries for the past over five months.

They complained that the PIMS had failed to release salaries of paramedical staff (two months), nursing staff (two to three months) and Class IV employees (six months).

Ironically, the post-dated salary cheques (November 20, 2013) issued by the PIMS management to the doctors against their salaries were dishonoured by the bank due to insufficient funds.

A visit by Jalandhar Tribune team to the hospital revealed that a majority of the bed wards in the medicine and surgical wards were unoccupied, while there were hardly any doctors to attend emergency cases.

As there was no registration of new patients, the entire complex witnessed a deserted look.

The patients, who visited the hospital for review, had to return disappointed and unattended even after coming from far-flung areas.

“I came from Sodal Road for review, but the nurses who attended me and dressed my wounds told me to return as the doctors were on strike,” claimed Satya Devi, a patient.

Similar were the comments of Ranjit Singh, a resident of Kala Sanghia village, whose father was admitted in the surgical ward for the past five days.

The PIMS director-cum-principal, Dr Kulbir Kaur claimed to have informed the management about the doctors' strike and promised that the salaries would be released shortly. She, however, remained silent on the salary cheques disnonouring incident.

“I am hopeful that things will settle down soon as the management is doing its best to place the things in order,” claimed Dr Kaur.

Jalandhar, December 12
In the wake of the recent acid attacks on women, the city police have asked the acid suppliers and dealers to furnish a report of buyers by email to the security branch of the Commissionerate Office on a daily basis.

ADCP-1 Naresh Dogra held a meeting in this regard with the shopkeepers selling acids and told them to maintain a register with details of the buyers, including their name, address, photo, ID card, thumb impression, date of purchase and quantity of the purchase.

Dogra said there were about 40 to 50 shops of acid in Jalandhar supplying it to tanneries and other industry on a regular basis. “We have given them the copies of order under Section 144 of the CrPC. We have told them to furnish a detailed report every 15 days,” he said, adding that non-compliers would be dealt with seriously.

He added that there had been problem in solving the cases in the acid attack cases, as most culprits came with their faces covered as was in Model Town recently. “Such a step will prove handy,” he added.

Jalandhar, December 12
Finally, the Municipal Corporation Jalandhar (MCJ) has prepared a list of over 60 buildings constructed illegally in various parts of the city.

Commissioner Manpreet Singh Chhatwal told mediapersons today that the illegally constructed buildings would soon be demolished as per the law.

“We will hire professional private contractors to demolish the illegally constructed buildings and the entire money spent for razing such buildings will be charged from the owners of the buildings,” He added.

Chhatwal said, “We are going to call tenders from private professional contractors for demolishing the illegal buildings by giving advertisements in leading dailies.”

In reply to a question, Chhatwal said, "An action will be taken against all the illegal constructions, including those buildings against which Senior Deputy Mayor Kamaljit Singh Bhatia, mentioned in his three-page letter submitted to me on November 19."

According to the list several illegal shops are located in Sanjay Gandhi Nagar of Sector 2, BDA Enclave, Santokh Pura, Vikaspuri and Amritsar Byepass of Sector 3. Two illegal constructions on Kamal Palace road, several shops at Sehdev Market in Sector 9, an illegal shop near Ram Garments in Model Town and two hospitals at Guru Ravidass Nagar in Sector 11, a triple-storey building near a petrol pump on the Kapurthala road and a palace in Sector 17 have also been included in the list of illegal constructions. 

Jalandhar, December 12
The Centre for Human Rights Initiative, Training and Research Association (CHITRA) in partnership with the Navjiwan Charitable Society, celebrated the International Human Rights Day here.

Major General SS Rana (retired) inaugurated the function. He stressed the need for human rights for the progress of the society to stop violation especially against women and equal rights for the marginalised sections of the society.

Prof Varinder Singh spoke about various articles of human rights and their importance in the constitution. Co-convener, CHITRA, KS Nagra, spoke on the importance of the universal declaration of human rights.

Activist SK Kapoor enlightened participants about human rights emphasising that thoughtful citizens also pay heed to their duties along with rights, which also helps in safeguarding the rights of others.

Father Antony, The Navjiwan Society read the message of UN Secretary General Ban-ki-Moon on the occasion. A tribute was also paid to South African President and human rights legend Nelson Mandela. 

Phagwara, December 12
For creating awareness regarding pneumonia, especially during the winter season, Bara Pind, community health centre (CHC), today organised a special lecture for students of Senior Secondary School (Girls), Dosanjh Kalan, under the guidance of Senior Medical Officer Balwinder Singh Kahlon.

Dr Om Badhan, Medical Officer, informed the students that children and elderly persons were more vulnerable to the disease due to weak immunity.

“Pneumonia is a type of lung infection with symptoms of cough, high fever and difficulty in breathing,” he said. Dr Badhan said if proper treatment was not provided, the disease could prove fatal.

Dr Badhan advised the students to have healthy diet for strong immunity and contacting doctor immediately if they have similar symptoms. Block Extension Educator Preetinder Singh said around 40 lakh people in the world died every year due to this disease. Principal Satya Devi, vice-principal Manohar Lal, and lecturers Dashvir Kaur, Harvinder Kumari and Gurbax Kaur were also present on the occasion. 

Jalandhar, December 12
While Municipal Corporation Jalandhar (MCJ) has collected over Rs 18 crore as property tax so far, traders are up in arms against high rates of the tax for commercial buildings.

Deciding to restart their agitation in support of their demands of exempting residential premises, vacant plots and levying tax on commercial buildings on the basis of their measurement instead of collector rates, the traders will observe half-day strike at Phagwara Gate and surrounding markets tomorrow.

"As a part of their agitation, the shopkeepers of Phagwara Gate and nearby markets will keep their shops closed from 9 am to 12 noon on Friday in support of their demands, subsequently the decision of intensifying the stir will be taken on that day itself," added the shopkeepers.

A decision in this regard was taken in an emergent meeting of the representatives of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Industrialists and Traders held at Geeta Mandir near Football Chowk on Monday.

JAC members met Joshi at Chief Parliamentary Secretary for Cooperation Krishan Dev Bhandari's residence in the presence of Municipal Corporation Commissioner Manpreet Singh Chhatwal.

The traders demanded to reduce property tax on commercial buildings from current three per cent to 1.5 per cent. 

Jalandhar, December 12
There were reports of firing in the posh Shakti Nagar here last midnight.

Businessman Ashok Sikka reported that he and his family had just returned home after attending a function when he heard gunshots outside his house. A windowpane of the house got broken in the process.

SHO Division Number 2 police station said though there were Close Circuit Television cameras fitted outside the house, these only showed a car stopping but the number could not be recorded. “The family does not suspect anyone. We have registered a case under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act. We are investigating the matter and hope to get some positive results soon,” said the police.

Phagwara, December 12
The Sadar Police Phagwara has booked and arrested a travel agent, identified as Avtar Singh, of Jassowal village, under various Sections of the IPC on the charges of duping a village woman, Harjinder Kaur, of Palahai village of Rs 18.5 lakh on the pretext of sending her son Amrik Singh to Canada.

Harjinder, in her complaint lodged before the police, alleged that the accused came in their contact in the year 2009 and made a deal of Rs 18.5 lakh to send her son abroad. She gave Rs 2.5 lakh as advance money to him and later he took Rs 3 lakh and the passport of her son on December 15, 2009. She told the police that the accused came to them and told about the confirmation of the visa and took Rs 13 lakh more from them and told them that her son Amrik's Canada ticket was booked for January 7, 2010.

The complainant alleged that her son, along with the accused, went to Delhi on the scheduled date, but returned empty-handed, as the accused told them about the cancellation of his flight. She alleged that till now neither the accused could send her son abroad nor had returned her money.

The accused was produced before the local Judicial Magistrate, who sent him in police remand for three days for further interrogation.