Amritsar, December 15
Narrow city roads, especially in the walled city, are facing congestion but shopkeepers have turned a blind eye towards the problem. They added into the problem by encroaching upon these roads, increasing congestion.

The authorities rued that despite their best efforts, the drive against encroachment had yielded no results as shopkeepers put up resistance. Traffic crawls at the roads in the centuries-old walled city and lanes and by-lanes of unplanned localities, leading to frequent traffic jams due to illegal occupation of roads by shopkeepers. Undoubtedly, this holds true for the majority of the city as it has over 400 unplanned colonies.

A majority of the roads in these colonies are less than 20-feet wide. Kartar Singh, a resident of Nagina Avenue on Majitha road, said he had shifted out of the walled city over a decade ago in search of wide lanes with the convenience of plenty of space for parking of vehicles. He recalled that initially the situation was good as there were a few houses in the locality where he lived but with the passage of time, more and more houses came up, along with more shops. He said soon the locality became a mixed use area with a plenty of shops. A majority of shopkeepers placed their material on the road in order to attract customers, which resulted in congestion on the road.

The situation is deplorable in the walled city. The movement of vehicles at the Katra Jai Mal Singh area, Chowk Farid, Bazaar Tahli Sahib, Cash Dhara Bazaar, Telephone Exchange Chowk, Shastri Market, Guru Bazaar is deplorable.A resident of Katra Dullo, Vikas Mehra, said the traffic condition was extremely precarious in his area like other parts of the walled city. He said a majority of sweetmeat makers and others using hearths to cook eatables have placed these hearths on the roads.

Amritsar, December 15
If the high-security Amritsar Central Jail authorities devise one way to prevent the smuggling of narcotics inside the jail, the inmates have other "countless" methods to sneak in contrabands. Recently, a prisoner tried to push in drugs while concealing it in groundnuts. Notably, the Central Jail authorities have installed gadgets like X-ray machines to search the inmates. However, the new innovative ways devised by the prisoners have perplexed the jail officials.

In a similar incident, an inmate concealed narcotic powder under his foot with the help of surgical tape. Earlier, too, the prisoners and their relatives devised novel ways to sneak in drugs. From a tennis ball stuffed with narcotic powder, which relatives threw over the prison walls, they were found hiding drugs in vegetables like onion, capsicum and personal care item such as soaps.

Recently, a visitor tried to smuggle poppy husk and other narcotic powder into the jail by concealing it in a diaper meant for infants. Before this, a jail inmate, identified as Narinder Singh, concealed a packet of contraband in his rectum.

Meanwhile, the jail authorities have confiscated around six gms of heroin from two jail inmates, identified as Sukhchain Singh of Ferozepur, and Partap Singh of Chak Mishri Khan village (Lopoke).

While Sukhchain Singh was arrested under the NDPS Act for possessing narcotics, Partap Singh was facing trial in a murder case.

Amritsar, December 15
Rajmohan Gandhi, a renowned scholar and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, was in Amritsar to launch his latest book, "Punjab-A history from Aurangzeb to Mountbatten". Tracing 240 years of the history of Punjab, the book reflects on Punjab in the times of Aurangzeb, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the British.

Gandhi, a noted biographer of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, who was travelling through this city after paying a brief visit to Pakistan, shared, "I did not have any agenda behind writing this book. Also, I didn't want to propound any thesis. My aim was to recapture the times and the history of Punjab for those who wish to know it." Gandhi was on a trip to Pakistan to introduce his book. "Strange it may sound, but people in Pakistan look towards India and Punjab specifically with a certain amount of curiosity and empathy.

They were fascinated and quite excited about the content of the book since it talks about the undivided Punjab. There has not been many books describing historical and cultural upheavals of Punjab in Pakistan and so the people are interested in knowing about our shared history. I received an overwhelming response," he said.

The book, a result of three years labour in India, Pakistan and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, narrates a 240-year story of undivided Punjab, beginning with the death of Aurangzeb and ending with the Partition.

Admitting that he has been living in the past for quite some time now, Gandhi said Punjab was always an epicenter of power. "A lot of challenges we are facing today are connected with those times. We cannot understand the modern India or modern Pakistan unless we understand the history of undivided Punjab," he says.

He said a lot of people in Pakistan consider the Maharaja Ranjit Singh's era a positive one. "They consider it as the best period in the history of Punjab. I believe that the people the artists, scholars, businessman and the youth can offer the solution of the discord between the two countries. You cannot expect the sudden rise of a charismatic political leader who provide solution to the problems.

Amritsar, December 15
The city police have booked around 10 persons for allegedly clashing with a fast food shop owner and damaging his shop last evening. Among those, who were booked, are Ravi Shukla, Shiva Shukla, Kalu alias Gujjar, Kunwar, Sonu, Panku, all residents of Dashmesh Nagar, located near Jora Phatak area, and four unidentified persons.

The police said a case under Sections 232, 324, 380, 427, 506, 148, 149 of the IPC has been registered following a complaint by the victim, Jagdeep Singh, a resident of Sundar Nagar, on Shivala road.

Jagdeep alleged that the accused led by Ravi Shukla and Shiva Shukla barged into his shop and took out Rs 6,800 from the locker. He said when he resisted, they entered into fight with him and ransacked the shop. He said the culprits ran away after threatening to kill him.

Amritsar, December 15
With the arrest of two persons, the Civil Lines police today claimed to have cracked the robbery case, in which three armed persons snatched three ATM cards from a retired teacher in the Ranjit Avenue area and later debited over Rs one lakh from his bank accounts.

The accused were identified as Sukhwinder Singh of Tung Pai, Batala road, and Manjit Singh of New Tung Bala, Batala road. The incident took place on December 5 when Balkar Singh, a retired teacher and a resident of Haer village, was returning home.

Balkar Singh, stated to the police that he was on his motorcycle near the D block of the Ranjit Avenue when an unknown person signalled him to stop for a lift. As soon as he stopped his motorcycle, two more unidentified persons came and snatched his ATM cards at gunpoint. He alleged that the accused threatened to kill him and asked him to tell the PIN of the ATM cards. He said they, later, withdrew Rs 40,000 each from his two accounts and Rs 22,500 from his third account.

The police had registered a case under Sections 382, 34 of the IPC and 25/54/59 of Arms Act against the accused. Nishan Singh, in charge Ranjit Avenue police chowki, said with the help of the CCTV footage, the police identified the accused and launched a manhunt to nab them.

He said both the accused were wanted in many cases of loot, bootlegging and drug peddling. He said the accused were produced in the court, which sent them to three day police custody.

“We are yet to identify their third accomplice, weapon used in the crime and recovered the money they withdrew,” said Nishan Singh.

Amritsar, December 15
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed ICICI Bank to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh to a local resident for misplacing original sale deed copies of his property, which he had submitted to the bank for securing a housing loan.

The forum has also directed the bank to pay Rs 2,000 as litigation expenses and lodge an FIR with the police about the loss of documents, issue public notice in a local newspaper, obtain two certified copies of the aforesaid sale deeds from the office of the Sub Registrar. The forum also instructed the bank to issue a certificate to the complainant that original sale deeds had been lost at their end.

Earlier, Dr Lakhbir Singh, a resident of Sandhya Enclave here, had filed a complaint before the forum on July 1, 2012, stating that he had secured a housing loan from ICICI Bank (home loan division), Mall Road, twice by depositing two original sale deeds pertaining to his property at Abadi Sandhu Enclave, Majitha Road, Amritsar, by way of equitable mortgage.

Dr Lakhbir said after returning the entire loan amount, he asked the bank to return original sale deeds, which he had deposited as security. He alleged that the bank failed to return the original sale deeds though he was issued a no dues certificate. He said in spite of various representations to the bank for the original sale deeds, bank officials failed to take action on his request.

The ICICI Bank in its reply denied that the complainant had ever deposited the said sale deeds. The bank said the complainant had not produced any receipt showing deposit of the alleged sale deeds with the bank.

The forum observed that the plea of the opposite party that the complainant had deposited only photocopies of the aforesaid sale deeds and not original sale deeds with the bank was not tenable as no equitable mortgage could be affected on the basis of photocopies. The forum stated that equitable mortgage could only be affected by depositing original sale deeds with the bank.

It also took into account a letter written to the complainant on May 14, 2012, in which the bank had admitted that aforesaid documents ie two original sale deeds were not traceable at their end. It was stated in the letter that the bank would initiate steps for obtaining certified duplicate copies of the documents.

Amritsar, December 15
A two day Punjab State Dental Conference, hosted by city-based Indian Dental Association (IDA) Chapter, concluded here today. Speakers and delegates from Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh participated in the conference.

Organising Secretary, Dr Sanjiv Sharma, said the conference helped dental practitioners know about the latest techniques, which had evolved recently in the field.

A few well-known dentists like Dr PD Joshi, Dr Rumpa Wig and Dr SP Aggarwal presented key note papers on the concluding day. As many as 163 research papers were presented during the conference.

Dr Nitin Verma of the IDA, Amritsar, said the conference was attended by around 1,200 delegates from across the country. A trade fair, in which dental equipments and clothing were exhibited, was also organised on the occasion.

Amritsar, December 15
Spring Blossoms School organised ‘Carnival 2013’ here today. The theme of the carnival - ‘In Harmony with Nature’ - had been chosen to sensitise children towards environment and to make them realise the importance of living in harmony with others.

Students of Spring Blossoms School participate in Carnival-2013 in Amritsar on Sunday. A Tribune photograph

Spring Blossoms School director Sahiljeet Singh Sandhu inaugurated the show. The greatest attraction of the event was the carnival parade. Tableaus depicting flora and fauna - plant and animal life on land, air and in water were part of the parade.

The carnival parade also passed through main roads and localities of the city to garner people’s support in educating children about drug menace by highlighting the case of Maqboolpura locality and motivating them for saving planet. Children dressed up as animals, plants and other theme-related creations entertained participants. Children holding banners sat on tableaus and encouraged the public to join hands in saving environment.

Colourful stalls with different kinds of games lured the city residents. Mouth-watering delicacies served at the eateries stalls were an added attraction of the carnival. At the ‘do it yourself’ stall, children made various decorative pieces on their own. At ‘sweet memories stall’, theme-based pictures of children were clicked.

Principal Anupama Mehra said the purpose of holding the carnival was to develop the spirit of humanity and sensitivity towards their environment among little ones. “A festival will be no occasion for enjoying with friends unless we share our joys with the lesser privileged ones,” she added.

Director Kirat Sandhu Cheema appreciated the efforts of teachers and children. He said the school had dedicated the carnival to the cause of saving earth.

Amritsar, December 15
Is it an advantage to be a Punjabi in the films ? The statement by actor Jas Bhatia reflects the common sentiments of the artistes from Punjab in the entertainment industry. Jas, who has been sharing screen with Farhan Akhtar in the recent biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, said his gradual success in the film industry was due to his Punjabi roots, which gave that extra required push to make his mark.

Jas started with soft, youth oriented, peppy films like ‘I Don’t Love You’ and gradually moved on to better films like ‘Mausam’, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’. “Most of my characters have been Punjabi. The fact that I am one of the few turbaned actors in Bollywood has helped,” says the young actor. He said most successful actors in the industry were either Khans or Punjabis. “The Punjabi genes come with the right physical and creative attributes for the entertainment industry. Look at the recent successful artistes from Punjab like Kapil Sharma, who have proved that Punjabis have got the right attitude,” said the actor.

Jas has recently signed a YRF film and is also shooting for it. He said, “All I can say for now is that it stars Govinda, Ranvir Singh and Ali Zafar. It’s a romatic film with doses of action.”

As he moves from one big banner film to another, Jas is also seen in the Sahara One daily drama 'Firangi Bahu'. “It’s a great concept for a daily soap. For the first time a Western actor is playing a lead role in an Indian television drama. I play the parallel lead in the show,” said Jas.

For Jas, who comes from a business family, acting was not in his genes, but in his talent. “I used to mimic and act in school plays. I always dreamt of becoming a famous star while watching television. I am glad that today, I am a part of my dream,” said the actor.

Three films old, Jas feels it’s a good time to be a part of the industry. “Young actors, newcomers are being given good roles, challenging characters and a chance to work with big banners. Eventually, if your work is good, you’ll get noticed, especially now, when there is so much space for everyone,” added Jas.

Amritsar, December 15
A city-based elderly couple Jarnail Singh and Gurmeet Kaur continue to improve their performance in veterans athletics meets. A former commission agent dealing in grains, Jarnail Singh (62), stood first in 5-km walk as he covered the distance in 32:39:06 in the veterans athletics meet concluded recently. Earlier, he secured the second place in the 5-km walk in a time period of 34:30:21.

Jarnail first stint was in the 32nd Punjab Masters Athletics Championship held at Banga last year. He stood second in the 800-m race. He was placed first in the 5,000-m walk. He secured third position in the 10-km marathon, organised by the Rehabilitation and Settlement Organisation, here in April this year. He has also participated in the half marathons in Delhi and Jalandhar.

His wife Gurmeet Kaur stood second in shot put by flinging the metal ball at a distance of 3.70 metres. In discus throw, she was able to cover a distance of 9.25 metres. Last year, she secured the first position in the shot put event. A retired physical education and yoga teacher from Central School, Gurmeet stood second in the 3-km walk event. She said she had played the game in the school and coached many players while in service. After retiring from the service in 2011, she continued her association with games along with her husband.

A confident Jarnail Singh is a symbol of emulation for the young as well as veterans. Following his passion for walking and running, Jarnail Singh, who worked as a commission agent at the Bhagtanwala grain market, chose to run in marathons. Revealing the secret of his success, he said his simple lifestyle and eating habits had made it possible for him to run long distances at this age.

Jarnail said, “When I was working at the Grain Market, I used to cover about 10-km distance between my residence and workplace on foot. This continued for many years.” He said, “This is the best possible way to reduce pollution and maintain good health.”

Hailing from Hashimpura village in Ajnala subdivision, Jarnail shifted to the city in 1985. His water intake is very high. “I like to drink as much water as possible,” he said.

Amritsar, December 15
Over ten teams will vie for honours at the six-day 11th All India Maharaja Ranjit Singh Junior Gold Cup Hockey Tournament for Boys, which will kick off from Guru Nanak Dev University hockey ground tomorrow.

The six-day 11th All India Maharaja Ranjit Singh Senior (B grade) Gold Cup Hockey Tournament will also begin tomorrow.

SAI ASC Danapur (Bihar), Guru Gobind Singh Sports College, Lucknow, Punjab National Bank, Delhi, Nehru Hockey Society Delhi, Chandigarh Academy Sector-42, Surjit Hockey Academy Jalandhar, Sports School Jalandhar, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Hockey Academy, Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib Hockey Academy, Amritsar XI have confirmed their participation in the event. Tournament director Balwinder Singh Shammi said the victorious team would get cash reward of Rs 51,000 while the runners up would get Rs 31,000. He said Pakistan Punjab’s women hockey team would play matches. — TNS