A damaged rickshaw in the accident; (below) an injured child being consoled by her mother at a hospital in Jalandhar

Jalandhar, October 25
Eight persons, including women and a child, were injured after a rashly driven Scorpio hit them near Doaba Chowk late last night.

After the accident, furious crowd beat up the driver and badly damaged the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was reportedly drunk. Had the police not reached the spot on time, angry crowd would have harshly beaten up the driver.

As per the information, the driver reportedly lost control over the vehicle after two Activa-borne children came before the vehicle and as a result, the vehicle hit whatever came its way.

The incident occurred at 9 pm last night when the black Scorpio, being driven by a Begowal-based person Kuldip Singh, first hit a jalebi vendor Raju and Ravi Shakar at the Doaba chowk and later crushed a rickshaw-puller Onkar. Ravi sustained serious injuries, while Raju had escaped with minor injuries only.

Amit and his sister, Sonam, who were eating jalebi were also injured by the Scorpio. The duo was rushed to the Devi Talab Charitable hospital and were said to be out of danger.

Later the driver hit Amit, his sister Nisha and their mother standing near the chowk.

The trio sustained injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The driver said he was driving rashly as he had to reach the Civil Hospital where his relative was admitted in the emergency ward.

SHO police division No. 8 Naresh Joshi said a compromise was reached between the Scorpio driver andthe injured people.

Jalandhar, October 25
An ailing man, sick of the constant burring noise in his backyard, has written in vain to the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to rescue him from the wood sawing unit’s noises which are aggravating his health.

Bhupinder Singh Saini (45), a resident of the Gujja Peer Road area, says he had complained to the pollution control board in July this year, complaining about the industrial wood-sawing unit running at the rear of his home. But so far the department hasn’t done anything to rid him of the constant trouble.

Diagnosed with brain tumour and having been operated upon for it on July 31, Saini says he is presently suffering from Ependymoma and his cancer is presently at stage 3.

“I am presently undergoing radiotherapy and do not know how long I shall live, but the irony is that even now, I can’t have peace. We have been telling the unit owner at the back of our home about the trouble we are having because of the constant whirring of his tools for the past few years. Many times, there are big booming sounds coming from the sawing of big pieces of wood. At times, the sawing happened uninterrupted for over 20 hours a day. Even though the hours have reduced from seven to 10 hours a day after our repeated requests, the unit still runs and the noises disturb us. I have been told that disturbances and tension will aggravate my state.”

“We have requested the owner with folded hands, have complained to the pollution department, but so far there has been no respite. The front and back open spaces in our house lie covered in saw dust. It has also aggravated my nephew’s health in the past, with he developing breathing trouble. After our initial complaint to the pollution department, my father again visited the department with the request to get the unit removed, but he was told that the matter could only be solved at the DC’s level. The only thing left is that we complain to the police,” he added.

Saini also said that despite this being a residential area, a commercial unit was being allowed to run there.

Superintending Engineer, PPCB, Nazar Singh Manshahia, said, “So far I am not aware of any such complaint. But one of the most unfortunate things about such complaints is that residents, rather than preferring to complain to the MC, first come to us. The foremost problem in the area is how has a commercial or industrial unit being allowed to run. In the first place, it should never have received permission to be set up. Secondly, the electricity department should have cut the electricity connection of a unit which is consuming electricity as much as a commercial connection. Lastly, for the pollution issues, we can be approached. The prime responsibility lies with the MC. We can’t be called for every mistake of theirs.”

“Still for the problems being faced by the said resident, we shall check the place and take notice of the issue,” he added.

Jalandhar, October 25
In the 16-year-old minor girl’s missing case, the city police have finally registered a kidnapping case.

Shivani, a resident of Adda Hoshiarpur and a student of class X at MGN School, had reportedly gone missing from her school. Her parents had alleged that the police had not been making serious efforts to trace her.

Naresh Joshi, SHO, police division No. 8, said the police had registered a case under Section 363/366 of the Indian Penal Code against unidentified persons.

Rani, mother of the girl, had yesterday also met the SHO and had sought the registration of a kidnapping case.

On September 18, my daughter had gone to the school in an auto-rickshaw, but she didn’t return home.

The auto driver had confirmed that he had dropped Shivani at the school.

Since that day, we have been running from pillar to post get a kidnapping case registered, the girl’s mother said.

The girl’s mother, who expressed satisfaction over the registration of the kidnapping case against unknown persons, had yesterday also alleged that the police was not playing a satisfactory role in tracing her.

The SHO said the girl’s mother had told the police about some suspected miscreants of the locality and the police would, accordingly, inquire their role into the matter. If during questioning, the role of suspects comes to light, action would be taken accordingly, the SHO added.

Jalandhar, October 25
It was a great deal of harassment for commuters, as a confrontation between a car driver and Punjab Roadways bus staff led to a traffic jam on the Amritsar bypass here today.

The jam continued for around half an hour and was lifted following the intervention of the police.

An eye-witness said a few youngsters in a car beat up a conductor of a Punjab Roadways bus. In protest, the Punjab Roadways bus crew with other colleagues staged a traffic jam.

The Punjab Roadways employees were seeking a case to be registered in this regard.

The SHO of Police Division No. 1, Navdeep Singh, said they did not receive any written complaint regarding the matter.

However, the issue was said to have been resolved mutually.

He said the traffic jam was lifted following the intervention of the police.

When the Punjab Roadways Employees Union was contacted for its comments, it said they were unaware of the incident. Union representative Kulwant Singh said he did not know anything relating to the incident.

Speaking to Jalandhar Tribune, commuters said it was sheer harassment going to Amritsar today, as they have stuck in the traffic jam. They were looking for speedy action by the police to resolve the issue so that they could reach their destination on time.

Jalandhar, October 25
While the disability sector in the state in general and the district in particular has languished for long under the burden of unfulfilled promises and lack of infrastructure for the disabled in schools and other public places, a recent opportunity has come as a hope for them.

In support of their long-pending demand for passing the new Disability Rights Bill, the members of the disability sector in the city plan to meet Congress MP Santokh Chaudhary in the coming days.

Chaudhary, who was made a member (one of the two from Punjab) of the National Standing Committee for Social Justice on September 26, is one of the 31 members of the committee from across the country. The other member from Punjab is Sadhu Singh, the AAP MP from Faridkot.

While the activists have worried for long that despite a large number of children and adults in the disability sector, proper infrastructure and rights have eluded them in the district, the prime focus at the coming meeting will be to press for the passing of the Disability Bill 2014 - aimed at freeing the disabled from the handicaps of a lax administrative set-up.

Disability activist Amarjit Singh Anand said, "We have been a part of many meetings concerning the Disability Bill ever since it was envisioned in 2011. While I have interacted with disability activists from many other states as well, Punjab is backward when it comes to supporting and providing infrastructure to the disabled. The district has also massively suffered due to that."

"But the local MP being chosen a member of the standing committee brings hope for us. There are various aspects where the disability sector lags behind, both in Jalandhar and Punjab. But the most important issue we are planning to take up with the MP is that the Disability Rights Bill be passed this year. It will cover most of the problems being faced by those who are a part of the sector," he added.

Congress leader and Jalandhar MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh said, "I have had a word with the NGOs and activists in the disability sector and plan to meet them next week. Although none of the meetings of the national standing committee have taken place so far, I am going to raise the issue concerning the sector whenever the meeting takes place. While the feedback from the disability sector will be taken into account, the data at the government level shall also be studied to check the amount of work which has been done or needs to be done."

Meanwhile, the prime grievances of the activists of the sector include total lack of medical, educational and public infrastructure for people with any kind of handicap. While there are very few schools for people with special needs in the district, even those present lack generous backing by the government and suffer from irregular grants.

The activists complain that while insurance schemes for the employees run in the city, the ones meant for the disabled aren't properly pursued. Anand says in the past decade, only 10 to 12 disabled persons in the district might have received the benefits of insurance schemes run by the government for the disabled while the rest languish without medical insurance.

Also, neither schools nor public buildings, malls or government offices have special facilities for the disabled. The Disability Rights Bill will intends to solve the aforesaid problems.

Jalandhar, October 25
A recent circular issued by the Directorate General of Service Tax regarding the levying of 12.36 per cent service tax on remittances sent by the NRIs through money changers has come as a big worry not just for the Indian living abroad but also the companies which are in the business.

The directorate, which is a part of the Department of Revenue, Union Ministry of Finance, has already issued a circular in this regard which reached the money changing companies here. The owners of the companies said this would lead to a cut in their commission and discourage the NRIs from sending home any money as the amount remitted here would be taxed before it is withdrawn.

The money changers said the orders are to be complied with for remittances sent from October 20 onwards. They, however, said there still are issues which are being discussed by the company officials at the directorate level for more clarity regarding the implementation of the orders.

The NRIs in the region are perturbed over the announcement. NRI Sabha chairman Jasvir Singh Gill said the circular has come as a setback for the NRIs who strive hard while living away from their families and make much effort to save every penny to send it back home. "We stand by our NRI brethren on the issue and even plan to hold a press conference along with the money changers next week if the decision is not withdrawn," he said.

"Such a decision by the Centre would straightway lead to promoting of hawala transactions as no one would want such a huge amount of tax to be levied on their already taxed money abroad," he said.

Pritam Singh Narangpuri, another NRI, said, "It is a shattering news for the entire NRI community here. Supposing an NRI sends back Rs 1 lakh after two or three months, the government would be straight away taking Rs 12,360 from his account, which I believe is too much. The government must rethink on the issue and change its stand".

Amritsar, October 25
The joint forum constituted by four communist parties, including the CPI, CPI (M), CPM, CPI (ML) Liberation, carried out a jatha march here today. The forum was demanding abolition of property tax, enhancement in old-age pension, raising the minimum wages of labour class people etc.

The march, which started from Jallianwala Bagh, passed through various bazaars of the city. Members of the forum raised slogans against the government. Leaders of communist parties paid rich tributes at the historic Jallianwala Bagh. The jatha marched towards Jhabal area after passing through Patahpur, Ibban, Bohru, Khairdeenke and Thatha village.

The march was a part of the series of agitations being organised in various parts of the state from October 25 to 30. Four marches commenced from four historic places — Jallianwala Bagh, Hussainiwala, Khatkar Kalan and Sunam — in the state today. These marches would pass through various bazaars, villages, towns and cities of their respective regions. A state-level rally would also be organised at Ludhiana on October 28.

Speaking on the occasion, leaders of various parties criticised the SAD-BJP government for its indifferent attitude towards the genuine demands of the people. They said there was a need to strengthen the public sector by parting off with the policies of privatisation and liberalisation adopted by the consecutive governments in the state as well as the Centre.

Jalandhar, October 25
A fancy dress competition was organised at the Rainbow Wing of MGN Public School, Adarsh Nagar, for nursery students. They showcased big issues through their dresses. Their attire represented global warming, tree plantations, saying no to drugs and junk food, the plight of J & K flood victims, traffic rules etc.

Phagwara, October 25
Two unidentified persons were killed in separate mishaps around Phagwara last night. One person was run over by a train when he was crossing the railway lines near local railway station last night.

In the second incident, an unidentified middle-aged man was run over by a speeding vehicle on the national highway here last night. The police have registered cases and sent the bodies to the local Civil Hospital for a postmortem examination.