cool breeze: Devotees in a queue under fans in the scorching heat as they come to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Hospital garbage bin set ablaze
Amritsar, May 8
A large garbage bin placed by the Municipal Corporation (MC) at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital here was set on fire in the afternoon today. The MC had placed this garbage bin so that the waste could be transferred from it to the designated dumps instead of being burnt on the hospital premises.

A large garbage bin at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital set on fire by some unknown persons in Amritsar on Thursday. photo: vishal kumar

Sketches of three suspects released
Amritsar, May 8
The Amritsar rural police have issued sketches of three suspects allegedly involved in a snatching incident which occurred in the Beas area on April 30.

Blood donation camp held to mark Red Cross Day
Amritsar, May 8
The district Red Cross Society organised a blood donation camp at Red Cross Bhawan here today to mark World Red Cross Day. Deputy Commissioner-cum-chairman of the Red Cross Society, Ravi Bhagat, said 70 units of blood were collected during the camp.

People donate blood at a camp organised by the Red Cross Society in Amritsar on Thursday. Photo: RK soni

Congress leader booked for ‘fraud’
Amritsar, May 8
The Civil Lines police have booked a Congress leader, Ranjit Singh Chhajalwadi, and his wife for allegedly defrauding the family of a martyr who was in the Army and was part of the Army unit which was sent to Sri Lanka in 1987.

Oblivious: Rickshaw pullers enjoy a nap on a sunny day under the shade of a tree at Company Bagh garden in Amritsar on Thursday. photo: vishal kumar

Make it special to pamper her on Mother’s Day
Amritsar, May 7
It’s a never-ending job, keeps one busy 24/7 but is acknowledged only once a year. Being a mother is not about taking credit, it’s about taking responsibility. Nonetheless, a single day is enough to make it worth a year. As Mother’s Day approaches, here are some amazing ideas to make your mother feel special and stylish.

MNCs recruit GNDU students
Amritsar, May 8
As many as 324 students of the 2014-batch of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) have been given jobs by multinational companies at handsome pay packages even before the completion of their formal studies.

from schools & colleges
Oracle recruits Khalsa College students
Amritsar: Sumira Arora and Avleen Kaur, students of Khalsa College of Engineering and Technology (KCET), have been selected by IT company Oracle. Both of them are from the Department of Computer Science.

Amritsar, May 8
A section of pharmacists has criticised the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare's orders to transfer three chief pharmacists to stations outside the district. The Pharmacists Association alleged that the transfer orders had been issued with an ulterior motive and to breed corruption.

The department had released a list of 72 pharmacists who were promoted as chief pharmacists yesterday.

The Punjab State Pharmacists Association president Shamsher Singh Kohri said, "Seven among the 72 pharmacists were posted in Amritsar district. The district had eight vacant posts of chief pharmacist, but still three of them have been asked to join different districts."

Kohri said the SGTB hospital had two vacant posts, Mannawala one, Mental Hospital two, Lopoke one, Tarsikka one and the ESI vacant post. He said transfer orders of two pharmacists for Tarn Taran district and one for Kapurthala district were not required.

He added that apart from Amritsar, the chief pharmacists in other districts, too, have been transferred to other districts after promotions. He said an employee could perform his duties more effectively if he was not bothered about his family which was staying in some other city.

Kohri said, "It is for sure that the transferred employees will try every mean to get these transfers cancelled so as to perform duties at stations near to their homes. It seems that these transfers after promotions were made to force employees to initiate such efforts."

The pharmacists said the government should adopt the policy to appoint an employee near his home station if a post was vacant. The association further said that four posts of chief pharmacist in the district were still vacant and these transfers must be cancelled immediately. 

Amritsar, May 8
The massive drive undertaken by the municipal corporation to remove illegal agents from its Birth and Death Certificate branch some months ago seems to be delivering results.

Even as some of these agents could still be spotted loitering around the office premises, but they were sitting idle. The reason could apparently be that the authorities have revamped the process of issuing either of the certificates in a transparent manner and has fixed the responsibility of its officials at every stage.

Earlier, with the tardy process, the applicants fell prey to the middlemen easily and ended up paying underhand payments to shy away from the tedious official process.

There have been complaints about the harassment of applicants by the lower-rank staff. Sources said kickbacks between Rs 1,000 and upto Rs 15,000 used to be charged to get the applicants' files through.

Besides, numerous cases came to fore wherein the certificates issued carried wrong addresses or the names were misspelt. The rectification meant further harassment. The serpentine queues at the department's window proved it.

It has been learnt that a "special identification" is marked on the application form, which could indicate that the staff members should take "extra care" of these.

To stop nefarious practices, which were being adopted to grab illegal certificates, the authorities have repositioned its staff in the department.

Superintendent Shushant Bhatia said a diary number was being allotted to every applicant and officials had been made accountable at every stage.

After introduction of changes in the administration, there has been a massive decline in applications for both birth as well as death certificates. Earlier, there were around 200 applications daily, whereas now with the new official set-up, it is between 90 to 95 applicants in a day.

"With the issuance of circular to private hospitals, nursing homes and health institutes to be attentive in registering the antecedents of birth or death cases with correct date and time, the number of applicants will decline further. This implied that only genuine cases will approach the department,” opined Bhatia.

Amritsar, May 8
Among about 80 traders and exhibitors from Pakistan was Mohammad Azim Kasuri from Lahore. A textile trader he was immensely happy to visit the holy city of Amritsar from where his family hailed before Partition. "My grandfather, Shahid Mohammad, and father, Faqir Mohammad, were born near the mosque inside Hall Gate here. Their long-time wish to at least once pay a visit to the land of their ancestors remained unfulfilled as both of them passed away."

He said he had been trying to get a visa to visit India in general and Amritsar in particular for the past four years, adding that his fourth attempt this time proved a success as he got the visa to stay here for five days.

A visibly content Kasuri reflected that he would get solace only after visiting the area from where his family hailed. He urged the governments of India and Pakistan to clear visas of old persons with family roots across the border at the earliest.

Another visitor Muhammad Yaseen, vice-chairman, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Lahore, said his family also hailed from this town. He said this old tie was driving him to re-visit this part of country again and again. He felt that the governments of the two countries must work unitedly to engage people in trade, sports, culture and other activities.

Babar Iqbal, who has set up a stall of handicrafts made from wooden, brass and Onyx, said his family had migrated from India during Partition. He said he participated in trade exhibitions in various parts of India but now he was happy to visit the religious and cultural capital of East Punjab. "I have heard a lot about its cuisine and am looking forward to make most of the opportunity." He added that he had specifically brought handmade items of Onyx, a material which is found in the mines of Balochistan and objects carved out of it in Sindh.

Amritsar, May 8
Prominent Scheduled Castes leaders of the state, including Vidhan Sabha Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal and Cabinet Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike, have intervened to amicably sort out the dispute between the Valmiki sect and another group, Nath yogi dera, over the possession of Dhunna Sahib in ancient Valmiki temple.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court in its orders delivered last year had directed Superintendent of Police (SP) of Amritsar Rural Police to get the possession of Dhunna sahib in the ancient temple and to hand these over to Mahant Baldev Giri, who claims to lead the original Nath yogi dera which has its origin in the ancient India. Since the release of the order, the police had made 13 abortive attempts to take over the possession of the site.

Bhagwan Valmiki Dhunna Sahib Trust is led by its Chairman Om Prakash Gabbar, a political leader associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Atwal and Ranike held a meeting with leaders of all factions including, Gabbar, Baldev Giri and the Shri Durgiana Temple Committee.

Gabbar claimed the site to be a symbol of the Valmiki community in the country. He said the ashram of Bhagwan Valmiki was situated over there. He added that it was the same place where he had composed the "Ramayana" and offered refuge to Mata Sita after he was banished from Ayodhya by Lord Rama. Hence, it was also also the birth place of Luv and Kush.

Amritsar, May 8
The inadequate security arrangements at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital coupled with negligence on the part of security guards have resulted in a number of instances where prisoner-patients escape from the hospital.

An undertrial Vikramjit Singh, one among those who allegedly killed an Akali leader and his family members in 2002, reportedly escaped from Guru Nanak Dev Hospital on Wednesday. Sources said he dodged the Tarn Taran police guards with the excuse of visiting the toilet.

In the past, a number of such cases had surfaced when jail inmates adopted the same modus operandi. First they get themselves admitted to the hospital and thereafter, winning the confidence of the guards on duty, they give a slip.

Superintendent of Amritsar Central Jail, RK Sharma, said it was not only the lapse or negligence on the part of the guards, but also the inadequate arrangements at the hospital that led to the incident. The hospital lacks proper provision for prisoner-patients that is mandatory under the directives of the Health Ministry, which advocates having a separate ward with attached toilets.

Though the hospital has a separate ward for jail inmates, there are no in-built toilets. The inmates are taken to toilets of other wards. It’s from there that the inmates design their escape plans.

Superintendent Sharma said it was in violation of the directives issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. “We cannot deny a lapse on the part of the guards on duty. The policemen are attacked by the inmates or their gang members to facilitate the escape. As the hospital is always crowded, the threat multiplies,” he said. 

Amritsar, May 8
A Health Department team led by the District Health Officer, Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahon, conducted an inspection at the KFC fast food restaurant on a complaint filed by a local resident. The department had today received a complaint from a local resident who stated that a burger purchased by him had worms in it.

Dr Kahlon said that nine samples of various products were collected from KFC. He said the sealed samples had been sent to the food- testing laboratory at Chandigarh for quality tests. He said the department encouraged residents to come out with complaints and suggestions if they felt that substandard and poor quality food items were being sold in the city.

The department has also received the test reports about the 46 samples collected by it from various places in the city during month of March. Kahlon said that out of 46 samples, 23 had failed on quality parameters, according to the reports received by them.

Amritsar, May 8
Even as the Government Railway Police (GRP) have not registered any case regarding the brutal attack on a travel ticket examiner by some Nihang Sikhs (more than 48 hours have elapsed), the incident has brought to light the dismal security arrangements in the trains standing outside the Amritsar railway station or at Manawala while waiting for a green signal.

According to the GRP authorities, only 2 to 3 policemen are available for a train that has a minimum of 16 bogies. They said as per the requirement, they needed at least one policeman in each bogie.

“However, we have only a few policemen for guarding trains waiting for a signal at the railway station,” admitted Dharminder Kalyan, SHO GRP police station here.

“As a stopgap arrangement, the policemen deputed for security come out of their trains when it is stationed at a railway station or outside it to keep an eye on any mischievous activity,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that more than 100 trains depart and arrive at the Amritsar railway station every day and most of the times they have to wait at Manawala railway station or outside the Amritsar railway station, which has only 5 platforms. Until there is a green signal, trains sometimes have to wait for half an hour.

The security of these trains during late night has become a serious concern.

The SHO said they were yet to register a case as TTE Pawan Mehta, a resident of Faridabad, was still not fit enough to give any statement to the police.

“None of his colleagues are ready to give their statements. Therefore, we are waiting for him to be fit for recording the statement,” he said.

The TTE was attacked by two Nihangs in the Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express at Manawala railway station when they were trying to board the train after alighting from a passenger train waiting for a green signal there. The Shatabadi was also briefly halted at the railway station due to the incident.

Fact file

• The TTE was attacked by two Nihangs in the Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express at Manawala railway station when they were trying to board the train after alighting from a passenger train
• According to the GRP authorities, only 2 to 3 policemen are available for a train that has a minimum of 16 bogies

Amritsar, May 8
A large garbage bin placed by the Municipal Corporation (MC) at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital here was set on fire in the afternoon today. The MC had placed this garbage bin so that the waste could be transferred from it to the designated dumps instead of being burnt on the hospital premises.

Earlier, the waste was piled up in heaps at vacant places on the premises, which was later set on fire.

The complaints of burning of waste at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital and other hospitals often came up.

The placing of a large garbage bin could have saved the time and effort of the garbage collection teams. As the garbage bin is lifted atop the transportation vehicle with the help of machines available on the vehicle itself, it is very easy for the employees to transfer the garbage.

“It seems that some disgruntled employees at the hospital are trying to bring disrepute to the institutions by setting garbage on fire on repeated occasions. The officials have issued strict instructions to its employees not to burn the waste,” said a senior official at the hospital.

It was also seen that biomedical waste was mixed with the general waste that was burnt. Patients and employees have often complained of smoke and foul smell due to the fire.

“It seems that either those responsible for the act are not ready to listen to their seniors or the seniors have not conveyed the message properly,” said a hospital employee, adding that the repeated fires on the premises also pollute the environment.

Amritsar, May 8
The Amritsar rural police have issued sketches of three suspects allegedly involved in a snatching incident which occurred in the Beas area on April 30.

The police have registered a case at Beas police station against four unidentified persons in this connection without any further breakthrough. Police officials while releasing the sketches of the suspects said the gang had targeted a number of persons in Beas and was active in the rural belt.

While detailing the incident, he said four unidentified car-borne snatchers looted cash, gold earrings and a mobile phone from Poonam Kumari of Beas and her brother-in-law Sumeet Kumar on April 30 and a case under Sections 382, 148 and 149, IPC, was registered at Beas police station on May 1.

Dinesh Singh, DSP, Baba Bakala, said the victims were members of a polling party and were returning home after the poll when the accused intercepted them and committed the crime.

“On the basis of the statement of the victims, we have prepared the sketches of the three accused. We believe that the gang has been active in the area and repeatedly snatching valuables from passerbys,” he said.

He appealed to the residents to give a tip-off regarding the suspects and promised to keep their identity confidential. — TNS

Amritsar, May 8
The district Red Cross Society organised a blood donation camp at Red Cross Bhawan here today to mark World Red Cross Day. Deputy Commissioner-cum-chairman of the Red Cross Society, Ravi Bhagat, said 70 units of blood were collected during the camp.

The Red Cross Society runs a shelter home for children called Panghoora, a shelter home for homeless beggars called ‘Raen Basera’ and a 24-hour medicine shop that sells generic medicines.

Besides, the society also runs a district disability and rehabilitation centre, which provides free artificial limbs to differently abled persons. The society also runs a working women’s hostel where they are provided lodging facility at nominal costs.

The Association for Social Health India of Red Cross Society acts as counselling agency in cases of family disputes. The hospital welfare section of the society in the city identifies and helps poor and needy patients at government hospitals, besides providing sewing machines to women.

The society also funds marriages of destitute girls of Nari Niketan. A short stay centre for victims of social injustice is also managed by the society.

For all these services, the society is always in need of funds, which it tries to manage with its own resources that include parking slot charges at hospitals, a shop market, a computer training centre and a first-aid training centre.

Additional secretary of the society, Thakur Randhir Singh, said the society was trying hard to manage its expenses with the available resources. The society could prove more beneficial for people if there is easy availability of funds, said Thakur.

He said chairman of the society, Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat, had envisioned a senior citizens’ home in Amritsar. “The deputy commissioner has said as soon as suitable space for senior citizens’ home is found, it would be started,” said Thakur.

Amritsar, May 8
The Civil Lines police have booked a Congress leader, Ranjit Singh Chhajalwadi, and his wife for allegedly defrauding the family of a martyr who was in the Army and was part of the Army unit which was sent to Sri Lanka in 1987.

Balwinder Singh, the complainant and son of the martyr Darshan Singh, stated to the police that the government had allotted a gas agency in the name of his mother, Amarjit Kaur at Mohali.

He said the accused made an agreement with the family to give Rs 20,000 in advance and Rs 12,000 annually. However, he alleged that in 2012 the accused fraudulently transferred the gas agency in the name of his wife, Satwant Kaur.

Following his complaint, the police has registered a case under various sections of the IPC against Chhajalwadi and his wife while no arrest has been made so far.

Amritsar, May 7
It’s a never-ending job, keeps one busy 24/7 but is acknowledged only once a year. Being a mother is not about taking credit, it’s about taking responsibility. Nonetheless, a single day is enough to make it worth a year. As Mother’s Day approaches, here are some amazing ideas to make your mother feel special and stylish.

Designer surprise

Make your mother super stylish on this Mother's Day with designer jewellery and apparels. Choose from Satya Paul to Ritu Kumar, Manish Arora and Gaurav Chopra to make her look special and beautiful.

Add some charm to her closet by choosing from spring summer collections at House of Couture and Ruaab, multi-designer studios in the city. Masaba Sarees, or Classic Chic Satya Paul at Ranjit Avenue, the day will stand out and so will your mother.

There are also some statement jewellery pieces that make for a perfect Mother’s Day gift. Pernia' pop up collection offers designer jewellery by Anjana Gupta, Zarine and many more. For that timeless effect, go for some pearls and diamond bracelets or ear pieces. Ritu Wears at Lawrence Road has housed up special collection of statement jewellery pieces.

Concept cake this time

For the ones who believe in effort rather than expenses, some customary designer bakes too are available this Mother’s Day. Concept cakes are popular and an all time hit. "We have more than a dozen orders of concept cakes with something special on the likings or favourite activities of their mothers," said Parvez Arora from Chic Chocolate. — TNS

Amritsar, May 8
As many as 324 students of the 2014-batch of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) have been given jobs by multinational companies at handsome pay packages even before the completion of their formal studies.

About 158 students have been short-listed by Axis Bank and ITC Foods, Bengaluru. High profile companies like TCS, Trident, Amdocs, Capgemini, Axis Bank, SBI Life and Vardhman among others visited Guru Nanak Dev University for recruitment.

The highest salary package offered was Rs 9 lakh per annum by Trident to B Tech textile chemistry students. The average salary for various streams was Rs 2.80 lakh per annum.

It is also a matter of pride for GNDU that the multinational company TCS is recruiting maximum number of students in the north India from this campus since 2010.

Dean, Academic Affairs, Prof MS Hundal, said keeping in view the excellent placements, the university had been awarded the National Employability Award-2014 by Aspiring Minds.

“This award has been based on the performance of 2014-batch students, who performed well in AMCAT. The award has been given to top 10 per cent institutes of India. AMCAT is India's first employability assessment online test which focuses on entry-level jobs for freshers,” he said.

Hundal said it was a fresher's job test that gave exposure to students, which further help them find suitable jobs.

He said the AMCAT was conducted at Guru Nanak Dev University on August 10-11 for the students of B Tech (CSE/ECE), M Tech (CSE/software/communication systems) and MCA for all the three campuses and ASSM College.

Amritsar: Sumira Arora and Avleen Kaur, students of Khalsa College of Engineering and Technology (KCET), have been selected by IT company Oracle. Both of them are from the Department of Computer Science. They underwent a rigorous campus recruitment process and finally made it to the job. Khalsa College of Engineering and Technology principal Dr Amarpal Singh congratulated the selected students and wished them luck for a long professional life.