Jalandhar, September 6
The delay in the proper implementation of the revised “atta-dal” scheme has come as a big headache for the Municipal Corporation (MC) councillors who are all gearing up to side with the poor residents in the form of open protests.

Some councillors said that none of the beneficiaries of the scheme in their area had got their blue cards since the scheme was launched in May this year. There are others saying that only some cards had been made. Some councillors also have this grouse that only wheat grains had come and there was no idea when they would be getting pulses over which the residents had been coming to them daily to check any update.

Congress councillor Balraj Thakur said there were nearly 300 beneficiaries in his area around Cheema Chowk. He said, “Not a single beneficiary had still got the card, leave aside the grains. They are all still waiting to get any new card under the revised scheme”.

BJP councillor Minta Kochhar from ward No. 27 said, “I have received 100 out of 300 cards in my area. I have kept the cards with myself and I am waiting for the remaining 200 to be prepared so that I distribute all at one go. In case, I distribute the first lot of 100 cards, the remaining people will be after my life.”

Congress councillor from ward No. 1 Desraj Jassal said he had even decided to hold a protest on the matter in front of the house of CPS and area legislator KD Bhandari on September 10. He even issued a press release on the matter. He said, “Even as the beneficiaries in my area have got a stock of 35 kg of wheat grain at Re 1 a kg, they were still waiting to get the stock of pulses. With no pulses, should they start making pinnis to consume wheat?”

District Food and Civil Supplies Controller Dr Rakesh Singla said he would check why no cards reached the beneficiaries in the areas as almost all 91,000 cards had been distributed. He added that no councillor had the power to keep the cards with himself. He should immediately distribute these to the beneficiaries. He also added that even as the PUNGRAIN inspectors had been engaged for distributing wheat to the beneficiaries, the pulses would soon be distributed via ration depots in the next few weeks. 

Jalandhar, September 6
A 45-year-old man was killed as the roof of his house collapsed at Basti Danishmandan late last night.

A singer by profession, Roshan Lal got crushed under the beam of the roof while he was asleep after 11 pm. His wife, Suman, and two teenage daughters, Simran and Shilpa, too, were lying asleep and got buried under the debris.

As this happened, the family’s shrieks woke up the neighbours, who immediately came to the rescue of the family. After much effort, they managed to take out the family from underneath the rubble. Since Roshan Lal was seriously injured, the neighbours called the 108 ambulance and rushed him to the Civil Hospital where he died.

Today, SDM-2 Varinder Pal Singh Bajwa and Congress councillor Sushil Rinku visited the house of the victims.

Rinku urged the SDM to arrange for some aid for the family that lost its solo bread-winner. The neighbours also demanded that his family should be given some help to recover from the loss and get rehabilitated.

Jalandhar, September 6
An employee of the Industrial Development Bank of India was looted of her purse by two bike-borne snatchers on Cool Road here today.

The victim, Nisha, a back office executive at the bank, said while she was heading home from the bank in the afternoon, two bike-borne miscreants pushed her from behind. After she fell, the miscreants snatched her purse and fled from the spot.

The victim said her purse contained Rs 600, ATM cards, important documents and some valuables. She saidt after she fell, she sustained some bruises on her body.

After she raised an alarm, the public gathered on the spot and chased the snatchers.

The police said one snatcher was nabbed by the public, while the other managed to flee from the spot.

The accused was identified as Neeraj (28), a resident of Abadpura. The police said efforts were being made to nab his accomplice.

Jalandhar, September 6
Kin of Rohit Sabharwal, who was stabbed to death at Haweli restaurant on the night of August 22, suspect that the main accused, Rohit Sharma, who also died after a few days of the attack in hospital, was killed by his own accomplices with the motive to registering a cross-murder case against Sabharwal’s friends.

“After Sabharwal died in attack, the main accused, Rohit Sharma, who also sustained some injuries in the fight, also died in a private hospital a few days later. We suspect that Sharma’s death was not due to the injuries, but he was deliberately killed by his own accomplices to register a cross-murder case against Sabharwal’s friends. The police should see the CCTV footage of Johal hospital to unearth whether the main accused was a victim of any conspiracy,” Sabharwal’s kin, Deepak and Ved, alleged.

They asserted that the Phagwara police were also playing a partisan role in the investigation. “When our boy (Sabharwal) was stabbed to death the Phagwara police registered murder case against only six accused, but when the main accused died, the police registered a case against 15 friends of Sabharwal. It seems that the police are hand in glove with the kin of the main accused,” Sabharwal’s kin also levelled allegation against DSP Phagwara Sukhwinder Singh for forcing them for a compromise.

“The other day we met Phagwara DSP Sukhwinder for inquiring about the arrest of the remaining accused, the DSP, instead of replying to our query, forced us to reach a compromise with the other party,” the kin further alleged.

They also demanded the registration of a case against the employee of Haweli restaurant who failed to prevent the fight inside the restaurant. “After the fight, Haweli employees cleaned all blood spots, an obvious evidence of murder, which is also a crime and the police should take legal action against them,” they said, demanding that to prevent the occurrence of such fights in future inside the restaurant premises, the police should make adequate security arrangements.

Sabharwal’s mother Santosh Rani said if the police did not cancel cross case against Sabharwal’s friends, and did not take action against the employees of Haweli restaurant within a week, she would sit on a fast unto death in front of the Haweli restaurant.

DSP Sukhwinder’s phone was, meanwhile, found switched off.

Jalandhar, September 6
Senior Congress leader and Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet today lashed out at the government for its failure to take advance flood control measures that has caused huge loss to crops besides life and property.

“It is an irony that Punjab suffers on both counts of drought and floods at the same time,” he said, while asking why the Punjab government does not think of measures to harvest the extra water and utilise it in water starved parts of the state.

He expressed surprise that even a little rain as low as 100 mm was enough to inundate and wreak havoc in Punjab and it was all because the government lacked the foresight to take preventive measures.

In a strong statement issued here today, Rana asked as to why floods took place every year in the state and caused unimaginable damage to crops, property and life. “Every year, this happens and the government washes its hands off with the ritual girdawri orders and that is the end of it,” he pointed out while suggesting that it should have drawn a long-term comprehensive action plan to tackle the problem of floods in the state.

The senior Congress leader said even a common man can identify the main problems like the silt and blocking of the water and drainage channels due to water hyacinth and other things. “At least the government could have cleaned these channels in the first instance,” he said, adding that even this much is not done and the result is that even a small spell of rainfall causes havoc.

He pointed out that cotton and paddy crops spread over thousands of acres of land across Punjab, particularly at places like Mansa, have already been damaged. “Now the government will order a ritual girdawari which will not yield anything and close the chapter,” he remarked, saying such half-hearted and short-term measures cannot counter such long term problems.

Rana said besides the entire crop getting damaged in a large area, the floods cause moisture that leads to discolouration of the paddy. He expressed concern over the basmati crop which is most likely to get discoloured and may not find buyers.

The Congress leader suggested that the Punjab government should hire some reputed and credible agency to prepare a long term action plan as how to prevent floods.

“This is quite possible and will not cost much money either but only requires the will and intent of the government which unfortunately it seems to be lacking,” he said.

Jalandhar, September 6
Santokh Singh Chaudhary, Member of Parliament, Jalandhar, visited the Greatway Model School to pay tributes to Lala Jagat Narain on the occasion of his death anniversary. A large number of prominent citizens along with students and teachers attended the function. While paying tributes, he highlighted the sacrifices made by him in the struggle for freedom and for bringing peace to the terrorism-ridden Punjab.

On this occasion, the children of the school presented many programmes highlighting the sacrifices made by the leaders of the country in the struggle for freedom. They also sang songs of patriotism.

Chaudhary appreciated the efforts of the school management in inculcating the spirit of nationalism among the students. He motivated the students to work hard to achieve their goals as the future of the country lies in their hands and they will be in a position to compete in global competition.

To inculcate the spirit of nationalism, he encouraged the students to read books on freedom fighters. He also urged the teachers to give importance to value system while teaching.

On the occasion, Chaudhary announced a grant for Rs 50,000 for the school library out of MPLADS fund.

Manoranjan Kalia, MLA and former minister, Rajinder Beri, president, DCC (Urban), Jalandhar, MD Sabbarwal, chairman of the school management committee and Gulshan Sabbarwal, principal of the school, also spoke. —TNS

Jalandhar, September 6
Former DGP, Punjab and Chairman of the Police Task Force, A A Sadiqui, today visited police Sanjh Kendras of city the police Commissionerate. He thoroughly checked the services being delivered to public under the Right to Service Act at Sanjh Kendras.

Sadiqui also interacted with several persons who had come to receive police services at Sanjh Kendras. He held a separate meeting with the officials of Sanjh Kendras and told them to deliver speedy services.—TNS

Jalandhar, September 6
Lovely Professional University (LPU) bestowed honours on its top researchers and faculty members at a function held yesterday.

Celebrations for thousands of university teachers was marked by inspiring speeches and cultural programme.

Thousands of Lovely Professional University teachers took the pledge individually, “I will at all time keep my skills updated with changes in technology and will be fully committed for the great mission of teaching. I will at all times exhibit warmth, sympathy and understanding and will never be prejudiced and judgmental.”

In turn, the LPU students paid reverence to teachers through a cultural programme, ‘Guru Vandana’ comprising national and international folk-dances.

NSS volunteers of Lovely Professional University also donated 100 units of blood to help the needy. Lovely Professional University Chancellor Ashok Mittal, Pro Chancellor Rashmi Mittal and specially invited guest Dr. Vijay Gupta, former Lovely Professional University Vice-Chancellor, made inspiring speeches. Dr Gupta inspired teachers to carry on their legacy of bringing forth the best citizens for global society.

Expecting splendid achievements from the teachers in the fields of research & development and teaching, Chancellor Mittal said, “Teachers play a key role in the life of their students. Our teachers should keep working hard to be considered the best minds not only in the country but all over the world also. I suggest teachers to be always ahead of time in their thinking so that our students can become global leaders. The need of the hour is to follow the ideology of world — known great Indian teachers and policy makers Chankaya and Dr Radha Krishnan.”

Illustrative, categorised separately for their research, teaching and co-curricular activities, 33 LPU teachers were honoured on the basis of their performance during the academic session 2013-14.

Adopting different quantitative and qualitative parameters of evaluation, students’ feedback and monthly appraisal, top faculty members were selected for Teacher Appreciation Awards.

Similarly, based on research papers published, research projects, and papers presented; researchers were identified for Research Appreciation Awards.

Dr PC Jena of Lovely School of Education said, “This honour is a great encouragement. I will continue working for the ultimate welfare of society. I would like to advise the teaching fraternity to be more close to the growing minds so as to make our students stand out differently among others.”