Amritsar, September 6
Though the residents of the city today heaved a sigh of relief when the rain that had been continuing for a couple of days stopped, a migrant, identified as Parkash Yadav, lost his life after the roof of their rented accommodation collapsed late last evening.

The incident occurred in Mahindra Colony near the Judge Nagar area late last evening. Yadav along with two other migrants, Jatinder Yadav and Ramesh Yadav, was present at his home when the incident took place. Jatinder and Ramesh were seriously injured while Parkash was declared brought dead by the doctors. It took around one and a half hours to retrieve Parkash from the debris. The rescue operation continued for over two hours.

Yesterday, there were as many as seven deaths on a single day with five incidents of buildings collapsing being reported in the city. Five of a family died in Jassonangal village after the roof of a kutcha house collapsed due to incessant rain. A minor girl died in the Chhota Haripura area and an elderly woman was killed after the iron girder of a portion of a house fell on her in the Preet Vihar area on Airport road.

The repititive incidents have exposed the chinks in the Fire Brigade Department, which remains ill-equipped as ever. Lack of modern gadgets and vehicles to remove and dismantle the debris coupled with shortage of manpower have been badly affecting the functioning of one of the most important departments.

With the number of high-rise buildings increasing in the city day by day, the Fire Brigade Department will find it difficult to handle the rescue operations in case of any disaster.

Sources in the department said, on condition of anonymity, that there were only 50 employees working in the department at present against a population of around 15 lakh in the district. The manpower had decreased considerably in the past while the government failed to appoint bolster it. In the name of equipment, the department has only traditional gadgets to remove debris, he said.

“Though with all our limitations, we try our best to rescue trapped persons in case of any disaster, it will not be inappropriate to say that we will face a tough challenge, if a major incident occurs,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Capt Amarinder Singh, on Saturday expressed grief over the loss of precious lives in Amritsar and other parts of the state during the past few days.

Expressing his condolences to the bereaved families of Amritsar’s Jassonangal village and another in Dhalla village in Batala, Capt Amarinder Singh said that he shared their grief. He said it was sad and tragic that so many people lost their lives due to house collapse caused by incessant rains. He asked the local party leaders to reach out to the affected people for any assistance they might need.

Capt Amarinder Singh regretted the huge damage caused to the crops by heavy rains across the state. He said the government should conduct special girdawri for assessing the damage to the crops and provide adequate compensation to the farmers. 

Amritsar, September 6
As the World Kabbadi League enters the next phase, the excitement, too, has peaked. The traditionally rural sport has become an exciting competitive sporting event, thanks to a dose of glamour.

Enjoying their share of the competition is the team from across the border, Lahore Lions. The Sports Board Punjab’s team led by Babar Waseem Gujjar has already played in Delhi and will now face singer Yo Yo Honey Singh’s team, Yo Yo Tigers, in their their next match in Ludhiana. Crossing over from Wagah, on their way to Ludhiana, the team seemed all prepared to win post their loss against Khalsa Warriors.

Thrilled at being a part of the event, team manager Mohammed Ashiq Ul said such sporting events were required to push the game to a higher level and rescue it from being a neglected sport. He along with coach Ghulam Abbas Butt also said that the World Kabbadi League was not just a sporting event, but also an opportunity for players from India and Pakistan to bond and strengthen friendship.

“Pakistan players have played kabbadi earlier as well in India and since both the sides have cultural similarities, kabbadi is popular in both the countries,” he said. Some of players, who have their roots in Punjab, have also expressed their desire to visit their ancestral villages. Meanwhile, Pakistan, too, will host the final leg of the World Kabbadi League and preparations are already on for it. 

Amritsar, September 6
Though the Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal, has set March 2015 as the deadline for the completion of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project, incessant rains during the past three days have slowed down the progress of the project.

With the widening of roads, the government has asked Powercom authorities to shift the power lines by erecting electricity poles. It asked them to complete the work soon so that the construction of BRTS could be expedited. However, the continuous rains forced the Powercom authorities to stall the work midway.

Though the work of erecting poles and shifting power lines resumed today, the PSPCL authorities admitted that the work had taken a hit due to incessant rains.

“Due to dampness in earth because of rains, we could not continue our work. It has become difficult to erect the poles till the land dries up to hold the poles. Though we have resumed work today because the sun came out, it will take a couple of days to pick pace,” said NS Bal, Superintending Engineer, a Powercom official.

At present, the work on the project is underway on the GT road and the Batala road. A couple of poles fell down because the earth could not hold the poles due to dampness. Sources in the department said that there were clear instructions from the government to finish the work soon.

Sukhbir Badal, who was in the city yesterday, had set the deadline for the project worth Rs 333 crore by March 2015. The project includes construction of seven corridors at important geographical locations. Officials informed Sukhbir Badal that the five corridors would be completed by March 2015. It would take another six months to complete the remaining two corridors due to shifting of power transmission lines. 

Amritsar, September 6
Various Sikh groups today paid rich tributes to human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who had gone missing in September 1995. Khalra’s family had accused the Punjab Police of his murder.

A function in this regard was held at a gurdwara in the Kabir Park area here today. Khalra’s wife, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, who had fought a long legal battle to bring the guilty police officers to book, was honoured by representatives of the Dal Khalsa and others organisations.

The family had accused armed commandos of the Tarn Taran police for abducting Khalra from outside his house on September 6, 1995. Though there was no official admission of his abduction, a court had lately convicted a few police officials in the abduction case.

While addressing the gathering, Paramjit Kaur Khalra narrated how her husband was “abducted and killed” by Tarn Taran policemen. She alleged that the orders were carried out on the specific orders of the then SSP, Ajit Singh Sandhu.

She said her husband was eliminated by the police force and the political lobby, who were afraid of being exposed for committing excesses against the Sikhs. She vowed to continue the mission upheld by her husband for justice and truth.

The Dal Khalsa spokesperson, Kanwar Pal Singh, said the voice of Khalra was silenced forever because he became the voice of the voiceless. He said the contribution and sacrifice of Khalra was unique as he was struggling to get justice for the persons who were abducted, tortured, eliminated and cremated as unidentified bodies by the Punjab Police and other security forces.

He asserted that the abduction and killing of Khalra was done at the behest of then DGP, KPS Gill, who had escaped the long arm of the law.

Referring to the Akali Dal inducting former policeman Izhar Alam into its rank and file, he said perpetrators of human rights abuses had found a safe haven in all mainstream parties, be it the SAD, the Congress or the BJP.

Resolutions were passed seeking an impartial and a comprehensive investigation into the gross human rights violations, abductions and cremations by the then police officials in the state, during the 1980s and 1990s. The meeting also sought the release of Sikh detainees, languishing in various jails. The gathering rued that the present-day SAD-BJP government was no different from the then tyrannical rule of the Congress. The government was patronising and siding with human rights violators.

SAD (Panch Pardhani) leader Baldev Singh Sirsa and Dalbir Singh, patron of Khalra Mission Organisation, were also present.

Amritsar, September 6
The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) in a first has released congratulatory letters to students, who scored above 80 per cent marks in the matriculation and X+II examinations.

Insiders say, some officials in order to appease their political masters, devised the way as the certificates do not bear the name or signature of any board official like secretary or chairman. Generally all certificates carry signatures of the board’s secretary.

These certificates, which are yellow in colour, carry the name of the Chief Minister in bold letters on the top.

After mentioning the name of students, these letters read, “I (CM) am glad to learn that you have earned laurels for you and your family by bagging so and so marks. I hope that you will continue to work hard to earn more marks in future as well. I am present to contribute for your bright future.”

Former Principal of a government school, Kulwant Singh Ankhi, said though it was for the first time such letters were issued by the board, but these seemed to be politically motivated. In case, the board offered some benefit to students then it was good, but it seemed to be inclining towards a political party, he said adding that it would set a wrong precedent.

Ankhi said external pressure must not be exerted on impressionable minds of children. Earlier, photographs of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal were pasted on bicycles. Besides, course syllabus was used to advertise the works done during the regime of the Akali-BJP government like the Atta-Dal Scheme, free power to farmers, 200 units of freee power to the Scheduled Castes and others.

However, he said, there was no word from the government on implementing its announcement of Rs 2,500 monthly stipend to students, who scored above 80 per cent marks.

District Congress Committee (rural) president Gurjeet Singh Aujala said it was intriguing that signatures of authorised persons were missing which clearly pointed towards a political motivated move. He questioned that what kind of benefits congratulatory letters carry for students.

“Once they start looking for a job, will they be given extra marks during interviews?” He said these letters were for the meritorious students of the government schools, a majority of whom hailed from a low-income background.

These students must be given economic benefits to help realise their dreams, he added. 

Amritsar, September 6
The opening day of the month-long theatre festival by Manch Rangmanch at Punjab Natshala began with a dose of reality. What’s more important – success or family? A basic question that most of this generation of high-fliers are struggling to find an answer to. A play, “Kis Thag Ne Luteya Sheher Mera”, inspired by “Daur”, a Hindi novel written by Dr Mamta Kalia, took a deep look at the generation-gap conflicts deeply.

Story of a small-town family, a couple who has only one motive to live for – that their sons become achievers. They want to turn their unfulfilled dreams into reality through their wards for which they put their sons in the maddening race of the ultra-modern age. To achieve this, they are always ready to extend their moral and monetary support, so that their wards may achieve the peak of glory in every walk of life.

While the sons grow up to be successful in their careers, they gradually get detached from their ageing parents. Finding their own lives in the fast lanes of big cities and becoming a part of globalisation, they leave their parents behind to fend for themselves.

Directed by Kewal Dhaliwal and performed by artistes of Manch Rangmanch, the play brings to surface the most common problem faced by parents and children alike. The sad and gloomy aspect of this rat race is highlighted when their wards achieve high ranks, go a long way frantically while their parents lag behind.

As for the festival, every weekend in September will have two consecutive shows of different plays directed by Shiromani Natakkar Kewal Dhaliwal. Dr Swarajbir’s “Tasveeran”, a Punjabi production based on the Koma Gata Maru incident by Kewal Dhaliwal, will also be staged. 

Amritsar, September 6
The annual National Conference of Ocular Trauma was held at Sri Guru Ramdas Institute of Medical Sciences and Research here under the aegis of the Punjab Medical Council (PMC). As many as 500 delegates from India and abroad attended the conference said Dr Gurinder Singh Grewal, president of the PMC.

Dr Grewal stressed on the need of timely intervention to prevent damage to the eyes because of trauma. He also laid emphasis on the ethical medical practices. On the occasion, Dr Geeta Sharma, Director Principal of Sri Guru Ramdas Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Joginder Singh and Dr AP Singh welcomed delegates.

Dr Quresh Maskati, president of the All-India Opthalmological Society, in his address highlighted the amplitude of blindness because of diabetes and need of interventions to control its cause. Thirty five research papers on various aspects of ocular trauma were presented during the seminar.

Dr MS Boparai, Air-Vice Marshal (retired) and Dr HS Dua from Nottingham University England delivered the key note addresses. Prominent among those present on the occasion include Padam Shri Dr Daljit Singh, Dr JS Thind, Dr D Ramamurthy from Chennai, Dr P Bhasin and Dr Lalit Verma. 

Amritsar, September 6
The Industrial Estate Entrepreneurs Association, Chheharta, has accused officials of the Power Corporation of supplying misleading and false information to the Deputy Chief Minister about a grievance reported to him by the association.

Association president Kuljinder Singh said they had reported various grievances, including non release of a connection for a water pump in the Industrial Development Colony, in a complaint written to the chief engineer of the Power Corporation on July 21.

Kuljinder said a copy of the complaint was also sent to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on the same day. The association received a reply via an email from the Deputy Chief Minister, which stated, “The work of water supply connection has been completed on September 3 and supply has been restored.”

Members of the association, including Kuljinder Singh, Deepak Suri, Nitin Sagar, Ranjit Singh, said no connection was released till date and officials of the Power Corporation had given bogus facts to the Deputy Chief Minister.

The association members showed the place where the power meter was supposed to be installed for the water supply connection. They would soon make a representation before the Deputy Chief Minister and apprise him about the ground reality, said members of the association.

Kuljinder said the connection had not been released despite submitting all necessary documents and several representations by the association before officials of the Power Corporation.

The association members stated that the corporation was unnecessarily harassing the industrialists. “We request the Deputy Chief Minister to order an inquiry into the circumstances under which he was given false information,” said Kuljinder. 

Amritsar, September 6
A lineman posted with the Powercom Department was electrocuted to death near Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh here today. The deceased was identified as Laxmi Chand. He was repairing the power line when he got electrocuted.

According to police authorities, though the PSPCL employees had disconnected the main power supply connection, somebody started the generator without disconnecting the main supply of his complex, which resulted in reversing the current and led to the electrocution of Laxmi Chand. The police have initiated action under the Criminal Procedure code. 

Amritsar, September 6
A joint delegation of educationists from the United States and Japan are on a 10-day visit to Punjab as a part of the Dhillon Marty Foundation Community Week, organised every year. The delegates visited Khalsa College and Guru Nanak Dev University here today.

Faculty members from renowned universities, including Universities of Stanford, Oregon, Rhode Island of the USA and Universities of Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan, are part of the delegation.

Coordinator of the delegation, Sonia Dhillon Marty, said the visit was a part of their programme for studying cultures and educational instruction methods used around the world.

Delegates also took a round of the historic Khalsa College along with the Principal, Dr Mehal Singh. They praised the architectural design of the college.

Sonia said, “The Dhillon Marty Foundation is organising Community Week for the last three consecutive years for which a different country is chosen each year. Earlier, the Community Week was held in the USA and Japan.”

She said the foundation would be holding design competitions to choose the best sanitation designs suiting local needs. During this year’s community week they were focusing on sanitation facilities in Punjab, she added.

She said the foundation provides opportunities for artists, architects and designers to contribute to society by participating in different projects, promotes social transformation through action, leadership and generosity and supports the exploration of best practices. This year the foundation was studying the problems relating to sanitation in Punjab and trying to find out their solution, she added.

Later, speaking at a press conference, faculty members from University of Tokyo, Prof Kengo Kuma, Associate Prof Jun Sato, Asst Prof Ko Nakamura, Associate Prof Yuko Hayashi from Yamaguchi University, Prof Miwako Hosoda from Seisa University and Associate Prof Teppei Fujiwara from Yokohama National University, shared their experiences about their visits to various monuments in Punjab.

The faculty members from University of Tokyo said Guru Nanak Dev University and Khalsa College were discussing the possibility of sending students, who topped in chemistry, from both the institutions to Japan. Prof Kengo Kuma said the programme would be in the form of a full scholarship, which would also cover all living expenses.

Amritsar, September 6
The District Transport Office earned Rs 20.29 lakh from online auction of 81 fancy numbers here recently.

Among its bidders was an MLA, who got the 0003 registration number at a cost of Rs 1.94 lakh. The local Transport Office earned the highest revenue from the bidding of 1313 number, for which the reserve price was Rs 10,000, but it galloped to Rs 1.94 lakh. Registeration number 11 fetched Rs 1,00,500.

Amritsar, September 6
The city police have booked three persons for allegedly abducting a girl after luring her for marriage.

Among those booked include Sukhwinder Singh, his brother Ramandeep Singh and their father, Jaswant Singh, all residents of Khojkipur village, Vairowal (Tarn Taran). A case has been registered against them.

The victim in her statement to the police alleged that the accused abducted her from her house on September 1 when she was alone. She said they took her to their brother’s home in Ludhiana on the pretext of marriage, adding that when she refused to marry without the consent of her parents, they tried to pressurise her. She said she did not bow to their pressure. While returning to Amritsar, she met her family at Jalandhar railway station and narrated the whole incident to them.

Amritsar, September 6
A state-level reconstructive camp for leprosy patients was organised at Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital here today. As many as 15 surgeries on patients were conducted during the camp.

Director, Health and Family Welfare, Dr Karanjit Singh, inaugurated the camp. He said, “People are still unaware of the fact that leprosy can be cured without causing any disability if treatment is started at an early stage.”

“People still believe in the myth that leprosy is the God’s way of punishing you for grave sins. Society in general too has should treat leprosy patients with more sensitivity,” added Dr Karanjit.

He said surgeries conducted today were free of cost. These would improve the quality of life of the patients, who were rendered physical disabled, as they did not start treatment at the right time.

Dr Karanjit said patients suffering from leprosy need to continue their medication as long as the doctor advised them to do so. He said government was providing facilities to leprosy patients, which includes artificial limbs. Civil Surgeon, Dr Rajiv Bhalla, Deputy Medical Commissioner, Dr Prabhdeep Kaur, Senior Medical Officer, Dr Hardeep Singh Ghai, District Leprosy Officer, Dr Jyotika Kalsi and Dr Rashmi Vij were also present on the occasion. 

The change of land use policy, declaration of roads in the residential areas as commercial ones, population explosion and limitless production of motor vehicles capped by paralytic regulatory administration has destroyed the comfortable life in Amritsar city. During the last three decades, footpaths have almost vanished. They have been removed to widen roads. While planning new colonies they do not figure anywhere. So the pedestrians and habitual walkers have been excluded from the civic planning and comfort altogether. Almost all big cities of the world like London, Manila, including Chandigarh and New Delhi, give equal importance to the motorists and the pedestrians. Civic bodies in these cities have maintained footpaths, which are even better than roads. The government should give prime importance to footpaths in the city planning, and restore and maintain them properly.