Stray dogs injure six-year-old
Amritsar, April 3
Stray dogs attacked a child on Wednesday. Husanpreet (6), a resident of Baserke village was attacked by seven to eight dogs. He was seriously injured in the incident. The timely intervention of his father saved his life.

Amritsar, April 3
Former Chief Minister and Congress candidate Captain Amarinder Singh today said he would like to see Amritsar emerge as one of the best cities with world-class infrastructure, besides expanding the border trade and reviving the declining industrial sector.

In an exclusive interview to The Tribune, the Captain shares his vision for the border constituency.

What is your vision for the holy city? Will you set up your base here?

During my term as Chief Minister between 2002 and 2007 I had prepared a detailed blueprint for overall development of the Amritsar city 2025. Unfortunately, the Akalis, after us, virtually consigned that project to the dustbin. However, I would like to add that the network of flyovers like the one that directly takes you to Golden Temple was constructed during my tenure. Of course, I will set up base here also. I will have both a residence and an office for the people of the constituency to approach me anytime they need.

You have been accused of being inaccessible to the common man?

I have been in politics for the last 47 years and have won seven elections straight. If I wasn't accessible, why would the people vote for me?

Many areas of the city are still grappling to get access to basic amenities like clean drinking water and proper sewerage system. How do you intend to address it?

I have spelled it out in the blueprint I referred to. However, I also understand that a lot has changed since then and we will need to revise certain things. If you study that project, you will realise how it would have changed the face of the city. However, the SAD-BJP government has miserably failed to address these issues. The Centre is ready to facilitate funds for development projects but the state government is not able to generate money for matching grants.

Drug addiction among youth is rampant in Amritsar, whether it is in urban or rural areas. What are your plans to curb drug abuse and bring them into mainstream?

This is a tragedy of humongous proportions. First of all, we need to provide jobs to the youth so that they are not in a situation where they fall prey to this menace. Second, we need to deal with the drug traffickers firmly. Unfortunately, there are Akali leaders who are patronising the drug trade. It is a multi-pronged approach that we need to adopt to curb and confront this problem.

What will be your roadmap to develop the city into a tourism hub in the true sense of the word? Successive state governments have promised it, but failed to deliver.

You should appreciate that we took the initiative of de-congesting the surroundings of the Golden Temple by constructing the Golden Temple corridor. We constructed the flyover. Darbar Sahib remains a global attraction. We need to provide infrastructure. However, with that, we need to ensure that the city progresses. It is an integrated process. I don't see any reason why tourism can't be promoted here, as religious tourism is an absolute possibility. A large number of people land up in the city to pray and pay respects at the Golden Temple and Durgiana Mandir.

Once a hub of trade and industry, Amritsar now has hardly any major industry left due to government policies. How do you plan to revive the industry?

I absolutely agree with you. Industry has almost shut and moved out of Amritsar. We really need to sit and think over it. Honestly, we can't have a magic wand to bring it back instantly. For that, we need to build up the confidence of the investors. Besides, we need to provide good infrastructure. But as of now, this government fails on both the counts.

Though crores of rupees have been spent on building great infrastructure at the Amritsar airport, still it doesn't have adequate air connectivity. What steps will you initiate to address this issue?

The Akalis, for multiple reasons, the major one being to let down former MP Navjot Sidhu, did everything to prove him a failure. At the same time, they wanted to shift all the air traffic out of Amritsar. When the state government is not interested, you can well imagine what should be the condition of the airport as their interests lie elsewhere.

Your predecessor Navjot Singh Sidhu had vociferously taken up the matter for granting heritage status to Amritsar in Parliament. Will you also pursue it?

Of course, I will walk an extra mile to do whatever is good and in the interest of the Holy City. Now that I will have the chance to directly represent Amritsar, I will definitely want it to become one of the best cities. Rather, I want to add, Amritsar does not really need to be awarded the heritage status. It is already a Heritage City. It is symbolic and representative of a great and glorious heritage we are all proud of.

The border areas present a picture of utter neglect with the people having no access to basic amenities like healthcare, education, roads and drinking water. How do you plan to ensure their all-round development?

You know the UPA-I and UPA-II have brought rights based welfare schemes. Like with Right to Food, it will ensure that nobody sleeps on an empty stomach. While each and every area will be included into these schemes, including the border areas, I will still endeavour that the border areas get extra concession for the locational disadvantage that they suffer.

Border farmers having their land across the fence have been a harried lot for decades now, as they can't cultivate their land properly. Will you take up their demand for adequate compensation?

Yes, definitely. They deserve to be compensated. We need to acknowledge and honour their contribution towards securing the borders of the country. I will not only try but ensure that they get adequate compensation for the land that is outside the fence.

Indo-Pak trade plays a key role in the constituency's economy. How will you address the issues of trading community like poor rail cargo facility in Amritsar?

You should remember that it was during my government that I had initiated people to people contact between two parts of Punjab. I led a delegation also to the other side of Punjab. Amritsar was an important trading centre. I want the relationship between India and Pakistan to improve so that there is enough confidence for trade and other exchange. In fact, Amritsar trade can look up to not only Pakistan but the entire Central Asia as well.

fact file

* Born on March 11, 1942

* Schooling: Welham Boys’ School, Lawrence School, Sanawar, The Doon School

* Joined Army in 1963 and resigned in 1966

* Elected to LS in 1980

* Resigned from Congress and LS after Operation Bluestar in 1984

* Served as the PPCC president from 1999 to 2002

* Served as Chief Minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007

* Currently, an MLA from Patiala Assembly constituency an President of the All-India Jat Mahasabha 

Amritsar, April 3
There are about 40,000 auto-rickshaw drivers, who were recently up in arms against the city bus service launched recently, and their families are to play a key role in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Awaiting passengers, auto-rickshaws are seen parked outside the bus stand in Amritsar. A tribune photograph

Though there are some auto unions in the district but among them the Amritsar Auto-Rickshaw Welfare Union headed by Ram Sharan Pal is considered to be the most influential.

A protest was organised by them against the ruling SAD-BJP government on February 28. During the protest, they had vowed to vote against the ruling coalition.

Although several issues concerning the auto drivers in the city were raised but the issue which prompted them was the introduction of the city bus service. They had stopped city buses at several places and stood in front of these buses to express their displeasure.

Ram Sharan Pal, who is a member of the core committee of the PPP, said the livelihood of auto drivers was in danger. He said many roads in the city had been declared out of bound for auto-rickshaws but the city buses with their massive size were being permitted to ply on these roads.

He said the auto drivers were being prevented from ferrying tourists from the Golden Temple while the other vehicles were being allowed.

He said the current government placed numerous restrictions and taxes from time to time. He added that the annual road tax was increased from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,400 per auto-rickshaw.

While no effort was made to assist the auto-rickshaws to modernise their vehicles by offering them soft loans to buy new autos, despite assurances the municipal corporation failed to provide parking stands for autos in the city.

Ram Sharan Pal said since his party, the PPP, had entered into an alliance with the Congress, they would support the Congress in the Lok Sabha election.

Harinder Singh, an auto-rickshaw driver, said restrictions were disturbing their livelihood while successive governments failed to rein in spiralling inflation. "It was extremely painful that the government was encouraging trade of one section, in this case the buses. On the other hand, it has no planning to sustain the other trade. In this case, the autos would be adversely impacted by it," he said. 

Amritsar, April 3
Resentment is brewing in the medical fraternity as the district election office has put many of them on poll duty for the coming elections. In a goof-up, the principal of the Government Medical College was also assigned poll duty.

However, as per the latest reports, the administration has removed the names of the Principal Dr Santokh Singh and many other senior faculty members from the list.

While talking to The Tribune, Dr Santokh Singh said: “The Deputy Commissioner had issued instructions for the removal of names of many faculty members from the list of employees assigned election duty.” He said after the recent instructions, only four to five faculty members have been assigned election duty.

As per instructions from the administration, at least 50 of the total 80 employees at Government Dental College and Hospital have been assigned poll duty. Those assigned duties include senior doctors and ministerial staff employees.

Jagdish Thakur, General Secretary, Punjab State Ministerial Staff Union, said, “The administration can assign duties to clerks, we have no problems with that. But the doctors should be spared the duty as it will affect the medical services.”

He said medical services would be affected on April 29 when employees would be issued election material and April 30 when elections would be held. He said, “The doctors should be spared as elections this time are sensitive and doctors might be needed for emergency.”

Civil Surgeon Dr Usha Bansal said though no doctors with the Health Department has been assigned election duty, the technical staff has been asked to join duty. She said the department has requested the Deputy Commissioner to waive the duty for the technical staff too as it might affect essential services. 

Amritsar, April 3
After a fraudster, posing as an employee of the Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital, duped a patient, the lack of security at the hospital has came to light once again.

Though the hospital is equipped with CCTV cameras, a fraudster posing as an employee of the hospital duped Kanta Kumari, a patient, of Rs 200 on the pretext of bringing her medicines. The man was standing besides the patient when a doctor prescribed her eye drops. The fraudsters took her into confidence stating that he could bring the medicine at a lower cost.

Later, the woman brought the matter into the notice of the hospital staff as the man did not return. The hospital authorities checked the video footage and found that he was not an employee. "The footage was not clear but it gave a vague idea about the man," said an employee.

Fraudsters befooling public at the hospital is not uncommon. It is because of this that the hospital authorities have displayed warnings at various places in the hospital to caution patients. One of these warning read, "Patients should only send persons known to them to bring medicines."

Patients are also required to stay away from such people. The security at the hospital is required to be stepped up. At present, the hospital has only eight security guards, who work round-the-clock in three shifts.

The hospital has four entry points and the security guards are not able to keep a watch on all the entry points. When contacted, Senior Medical Officer Dr Balbir Singh Dhillon refused to comment on the issue, stating that only senior officials of the department could issue a press statement.

Meanwhile, Civil Surgeon Dr Usha Bansal said if there was a need for more security personnel, the SMO could hire them using funds from user charges collected from patients. 

Amritsar, April 3
Stray dogs attacked a child on Wednesday. Husanpreet (6), a resident of Baserke village was attacked by seven to eight dogs. He was seriously injured in the incident. The timely intervention of his father saved his life.

The child was admitted to a private hospital. Last year, a four-year-old child was attacked by stray dogs in the Rani Ka Bagh area. Several deaths have been reported in the district due to dog bite. A man was killed by dogs near Majitha last year.

Meanwhile, the administration has failed to initiate a drive for sterilisation of stray dogs. Even the Health Department is not having the required number of anti-rabies vaccines as the state Health Department had issued instructions to seal the entire stock of anti-rabies vaccine last month.

The decision to seal stocks was taken after a person died at a government in Patiala after an anti-rabies vaccine was administered to him. However, over 30 dogs had died under mysterious circumstances last year. “What the general public can do? They will simply try to poison stray dogs fearing that they might attack their children,” a resident said.

Civil Surgeon Dr Usha Bansal said, “Anti-rabies vaccines are not available as the department has asked not to use the existing lot.” She said they had not received fresh instructions on the issue. 

Amritsar, April 3
Congress councillor Raj Kanwal Preet Singh Lucky, the leader of opposition in the MC House, dubbed the MC budget as a bundle of lies. In a press release issued here today, he said the municipal corporation (MC) would pass Rs 389.22 crore budget for the next financial year tomorrow whereas the MC's income was Rs 281.88 crore. He said Rs 107.34 crore would be arranged by advances from banks and other union government agencies.

He said Rs 91 crore would be kept for development works, which was almost equal to the loan to be taken. He said Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora must inform the residents how the funds generated through property tax would be utilised.

He regretted that projects like solid waste management plant could not see the light of the day. 

Amritsar, April 3
Don’t be aggressive, instead go creative. It seems that youngsters have a new tool to combat social evils. Using popular street art forms like graffiti, young artists in the city have found a creative way for social activism.

Not just a form of self-expression, street art forms are being pursued by amateur artists to fight against drug abuse and crime against women. City-based artist Goerge Emanuel recently created a graffiti on a wall outside a shop at the 100-feet road near Sultanwind. Goerge’s artwork has a hidden message.

“It signifies how we all control our lives and can be reckless with it. I believe visuals have better effect on people and to be creative with a purpose makes preaching more funny,’ says the artist. During the three days he took to complete the graffiti, he was joined by various onlookers, mostly youngsters. “While I was busy with may work, many youngsters come to me and remained there for long out of curiosity. It was a big achievement for me considering the fact that they would have been busy gambling or taking drugs," he says.

Well, he is not new to the concept of wall writings as it has been, probably, the oldest mode of campaigning and marketing in our country. “Graffiti is the simplest form of expression yet it has been misunderstood and clichéd,” says Arnav Kapoor, an art student at Government College of Art, Chandigarh. Sharing a passion for the art, Arnav says the concept needed support in the city. “Graffiti has always been portrayed as rebellious and destructive. Its not about turning walls into random love slam books but an art with a message. Graffiti is creative, inspirational as well as fun,” he says. Arnav tells about the Anna Hazare movement and the AAP’s poll campaign where street art forms were utilised.

Agrees George, who runs an NGO, teaching children graffiti and street art forms, said, “The art has a silent message. I experienced it as an art student during a protest. Instead of holding strikes and shouting slogans, I created a series of cartoons and posted them on the notice board. It proved to be much move more effective.” 

Amritsar, April 3
Sham Lal Gandhi, a labourer, filed his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate today. He is contesting elections for the third time in five years.

Sham Lal Gandhi submits his nomination papers at the Deputy Commissioner’s office; and (below right) returns after filing nomination papers in Amritsar on Thursday. Tribune photographs

He fought for the first time in the 2009 general election as an independent candidate and got 1,494 votes. During the 2012 Assembly elections, he contested from the ticket of the Bhartiya Chetanya Party.

Sham Lal pedalled his way to Deputy Commissioner’s office along with his wife Sarita, whom he married six months ago. He has Rs 500 in his bank account. He belongs to the SC category and had to shell out Rs 12,500 as security, which his family pooled in to see him contest the elections.

Apart from his wife, he supports his mother and his father, who is a rickshaw puller by profession. He has five brothers and two sisters. Of the five brothers, three are living with him.

Dressed in khadi and supporting a Gandhi cap, Sham Lal follows the Gandhian philosophy. After filing nomination papers, he was given two bodyguards while he campaigns on his bicycle. He says today's leaders are taking the people for a ride.

Though he contested his maiden election in 2009, he dabbled into public life in 2007 as he took upon himself the task of spreading awareness about Mahatma Gandhi's ideals. He used to set out every day on his cycle to different colonies in the city to propagate the message of non-violence and communal harmony. Just about five-feet tall, Sham Lal says though he has not read many books on Gandhi, it was a film on Gandhi, which inspired him to follow the philosophy of the Father of Nation.

"Often, people used to make fun of me, thinking that I am a freak. Over the years people have started understanding me," Sham Lal says. 

Amritsar, April 3
Activists of the Mission Aagaaz, an NGO dedicated for the cause of the environment, protested against the rampant chopping of trees from Bhandari Bridge to Chheharta in the name of development today.

"The mindless axing of trees has left the GT road without any green cover," said Gurbhej Singh, general secretary of the organisation. He said a large number of tres were planted under the Go Green Go Clean campaign for which BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu had provided Rs 1 crore.

"In replacement of these trees, the government is contemplating to plant palm trees, which is an alien variety and cannot be compared with fully grown sheesham, mulberry, peepal, banyan and other varieties of trees," he said.He said though the government acted in a haste while cutting the trees, nothing had been done to remove the encroachments. Sacred trees like peepal and banyan were cut mercilessly despite the fact that the state government had resolved to declare these trees as heritage trees, Gurbhej said. — TNS 

Bathinda, April 3
Exercising your franchise will no more be a mundane affair, with the District Election Office making elaborate plans to ensure that casting votes becomes a fun -filled and memorable affair.

From holding “chhabeels” to garlanding first voters of the day to putting- “May I help-desks” to presenting bouquets and giving appreciation certificates to the first-time voters, voting on April 30 will be a totally new experience at the polling booths in Bathinda.

Additional District Election Officer Sonali Giri said work was also going on to roll out a voters’ awareness rath yatra that will comprise a couple of vehicles to motivate people to vote. “Earlier, we had decided to ask one of the big industrial houses of city to help us out with the exercise. The industrial houses have, however, extended their sponsorship. The vehicles participating in the yatra are being readied and will be rolled out after April 12. The motivating yatra will continue till the time state goes on poll,” she said.

The yatra will carry exhibition on wheels depicting the history and importance of right to vote. It will also run a signature campaign wherein people can pledge their support to the voting exercise in the form of their signatures taken on a flex panel.

Yatra will move in all the urban local bodies of district and especially in those areas wherein polling booths have registered less than 70 per cent voters’ turn out during last the Lok Sabha elections.

In 2009, Bathinda urban recorded the least voting percentage of 66.52 per cent. The Election Office has identified 29 such polling booths in the district. Interestingly, most of the booths are from posh localities of the urban pockets as well as that from the cantonment area.

At 20 polling booths in the city, less than 70 per cent polling was registered in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. The percentage varied from 50 to 65 per cent at all the 20 polling stations in Bathinda urban.

The same figure was mere 2 to 3 per cent in the three polling stations of Bhagu village wherein the armed forces personnel and their families are registered as voters. At four other polling stations in Bhagu, 5 to 11 per cent voter percentage was registered.

Similarly, in the city area of Talwandi Sabo the voting was registered at 36.68 per cent, while at village Jatri it was registered at 66.82 per cent.

The election staff reasoned that most of the urban voters from posh colonies do not want to stand in queue in summers to cast votes. “The rural voters are more responsible in this aspect,” he observed.