Kapurthala, April 17
The ongoing agitation of Rail Coach Factory (RCF) workers finally turned violent today. It also led to the change in the factory’s management with its General Manager asked to go on a leave by the Railway Board.

This morning, the factory workers manhandled some officers at the Shell Assembly Shop, in the process injuring over twelve security personnel of the Punjab Police and Railway Protection Force. The workers had started throwing bricks at the security personnel when they reportedly tried to rescue the RCF officers.

SHO of the Sadar Police Station Mr Balbir Singh, had to get the wounds on his head stitched.

As the RCF General Manager, Mr Yashpal Gupta, proceeds on leave, the Railway Board has given additional charge of the General Manager to Mr Partap Srivastva, presently Additional Member, Production Unit, of the Railway Board. Mr Srivastava is expected to take charge from tomorrow onwards.

The attack on policemen led to the deployment of additional reinforcements of the Punjab Police led by DSPs Diljinder Singh Dhillon and Bahadur Singh to control the situation.

The SDM, Mr A.K. Sikka, also reached the spot.

Mr Dhillon said cases would be registered against the accused responsible for attack on the police personnel.

Meanwhile, the RCF officers refused to enter the factory apprehending violence, and supplies of power, water, LPG, CO2, and air to compressors were stopped by the management for security reasons.

Trouble arose when the workers gheraoed Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer Gaurav Aggarval at the Shell Shop demanding the cancellation of the transfer orders of Harninder Singh, a technician.

The workers alleged that Harninder Singh was being victimised by the management as he was an eyewitness in the complaint against Chief Workshop Engineer, Mr Balram Singh. A complaint in this regard was lodged with the police by a union leader, Mr Brij Mohan.

Talking to mediapersons on today’s incident, Mr Yashpal Gupta claimed that Mr Balram Singh, who reached the spot to rescue Mr Aggarwal, was also attacked by the agitated workers and his car was overturned. “Both the officers were rescued by the security personnel who were also injured by the workers,” Mr Gupta added.

He claimed that seven more officers, including three Deputy Chief Engineers, CME D. A. Ananad, AWM D. K. Thakur, CPO Amitabh Sinha, WM Yogesh Kumar were also injured in the melee.

On the other hand, union leaders alleged that the management had created the unrest among the employees.

Mr Brij Mohan and Mr Jaswant Singh, both RCF union leaders, alleged that the General Manager was responsible for the tense situation in the factory, as he had adopted a “dictatorial attitude since he joined the factory on April 20 last year”. They alleged that workers were being victimised for participating in the agitation.

The leaders said that the Railway Board had convened a meeting of the Joint Consultative Machinery in New Delhi tomorrow.

The union leaders claimed that they had not received any copy of the Railway Board letter regarding the dropping of the proposal declaring the RCF a PSU.

The union leaders even alleged that Harninder Singh was attacked with sharp-edged weapons by some unidentified persons in the factory at 9.30 am and he had to be hospitalised.

They said that the agitation would continue till the Railway Board did not send a written communiqué that the proposal of converting the RCF into a PSU was dropped.

Jalandhar, April 17
Levelling allegations of harassment against the administration, victims of 1984 riots staged a dharna in front of the ADC’s office here this afternoon.

The protest began after a few riot-affected victims, who had been waiting for ADC, Mr M.S. Kainth, went to his office, requesting for a prompt action for completing the official formalities. The protesters alleged that the officer had asked them to wait outside and not to press for urgency. At this, the riot victims got infuriated.

They claimed that they had been making several rounds to the office. They also claimed that they had been sitting outside the office since the morning and were still being asked to wait.

One of the protesters, Mr Bhajan Singh, a 76-year-old riot victim who had come from Amritsar, said he had lost his red card number 241 and wanted a duplicate copy of the same from Jalandhar, where he had first settled after migrating from Mumbai during the riots.

He said now the card was ready, but he had been “waiting for the officer since the morning to simply get it signed when he got a rude reply from the ADC”.

His son, Mr Sarabjit Singh, also a riot victim, was unable to get compensation from Amritsar, as a duplicate copy of his red card to be issued from Jalandhar was allegedly not given to him. “My application has been making rounds from one room to another in this complex for the past one month, as the officers here have been dilly-dallying,” he alleged.

Ms Vijyanti Kumar, a resident of Dera Preet Nagar, said she was a red-card holder and had migrated to Jalandhar after riots, but she was “not being given compensation”.

She alleged that despite the fact that she had presented all documents and applied for the compensation on February 28 well in time, she was surprised when she did not find her name in the list. She added that she had been requesting the officials to solve her problem, but to no avail.

Mr Balwinder Singh, a resident of Arjun Singh Nagar near Damoria Bridge, alleged that the files in the administrative complex were not moving till the employees were given some bribe. He, too, had lost his red card number 385 and had asked for a duplicate copy of the same. He alleged that he had been refused this card earlier also, as an employee working in the SDM office had said that his name did not figure in the register.

He alleged that his name was ‘found’ only when the employee was ‘paid’ some amount. The riot victim added that he had filed an application for getting its duplicate copy one and a half month ago, but to no avail.

Mr Jaspal Singh from Guru Nanak Nagar, too, was sitting outside the ADC office, awaiting the completion of formalities for getting a duplicate copy of the red card.

Ms Gurwant Kaur, another riot victim, who had shifted to Jalandhar from Mumbai in 1984, said that she was earlier not aware of any compensation being given by the government and had applied for the same after the deadline. She said she was there to plead before the officer to ensure the disbursal of compensation even to those who had applied late.

The ADC denied having caused any harassment or having spoken rudely to the riot victims. He claimed that he had told them to wait for a minute at which they had got enraged. 

Jalandhar, April 17
The sale of wheat in the grain markets of the districts kept its pace despite a boycott call by three major farmers’ unions today.

The Bhartiya Kisan Unions (Rajowal, Lakhowal and Ekta) had given a two-day call for a boycott of the anaj mandis.

The farmers at the grain markets claimed they were unaware of the boycott and the procurement process went without any hindrance.

Chairman of the Market Committee Rajinder Pal Singh Randhawa said procurement in the mandis under him went on smoothly and there was no effect of the boycott call.

He claimed that over the past five days, 40,000 quintals of wheat had been procured by various agencies. “Today, 1,143 tonne of wheat was procured in the Jalandhar Urban Dana Mandi, Phantom Ganj, Kartarpur, Alampur Bagga, Naugajja, Sarai Khas, Khaira majja, Kohara, and Lambra mandis under the Market Committee, as compared to 1,000 tonnes procured yesterday.”

He said major agencies like Punsgrain, FCI, Markfed, Warehousing Corporation and some private agencies were buying wheat at a brisk pace.

According to information, private agencies have purchased 13,077 quintals at prices ranging between 660 and Rs 700 per quintal which is higher than the MSP fixed by the government, this is Rs 650 per quintal.

District Mandi Officer Bakshi Avtar Singh said there was no effect of the boycott call on the procurement process. “The farmers coming to the mandis for the selling their produce did not know about the boycott call,” he said. The officer claimed that till today, 1,24,948 tonnes of wheat had arrived in the markets in the district, out of which, 1,23,705 tonnes had been purchased by various agencies.

He said that private agencies had purchased wheat at Rs 660 and 675 per quintal, more than the government MSP.

Jalandhar, April 17
Six political parties are going to meet in the state capital on Wednesday to float a third front, President of the Lok Bhalai Party Balwant Singh Ramoowalia told mediapersons here today.

He was in the city to address members of the Conductors’ Union affiliated with the party.

On the union, Mr Ramoowalia said his party would take up issues like absence of promotions, forced retirements and others in support of the employees.

He blamed “vested interests indulging in corruption” for the losses in profit-making venture like Punjab Roadways, which he claimed was running under profit but was shown otherwise for the sake of privatisation.

He said the venture should be given on lease or contract. He alleged that the roadways was being projected as a failure to help private bus owners, most of whom were politicians and ministers, he added.

The leader of the Lok Bhalai Party said the people were coming in support of his party in a “big way” and claimed that the electorate would chose the third front this time.

Jalandhar, April 17
Various city colleges affiliated to Guru Nanak Dev University are likely to enrol African students from the coming session. Just back from Ethiopia and Nairobi after holding an education fair organised by the university, the six college principals today said they were able to make scores of registrations for their respective colleges during the 10-day trip.

The college principals had reportedly done a lot of homework before leaving for the fair. Colourful, glossy brochures had also been prepared by the colleges for each course that was to be ‘marketed’ abroad.

During the trip that concluded yesterday, the principals interacted with the African students and their parents, telling them about the prospects of getting enrolled in various vocational courses available in the colleges, infrastructure available and fee structure.

Those who had attended the education fair were Dr Sucharita, Principal of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Dr Satish Kapoor, Principal of Lyallpur Khalsa College, Mr M.L. Aeri, Principal of DAV College, Ms P.P. Sharma, Principal of Hans Raj Mahila Mahavidyalya, Mr R.P. Bhardwaj, Principal of Doaba College, and Ms Rita Bawa, Principal of Kanya Maha Vidyala. Dr R.S. Bawa, Registrar, Dr Amarjit Singh Dua, Dean, College Development Council, and a distance education officer had led the trip that also included principals of various colleges in Amritsar and Mukandpur.

Dr Kapoor said the college was able to make nearly 35 registrations from African students. He said courses in computer science, physiotherapy and commerce had drawn a good response.

He said admissions would be conducted after the university ratified a system to work out equivalence in education system there and here. “In Africa, an 8+4+4 system is followed, unlike our usual 10+2+3 system,” he said. The principal added that the fee structure would be changed marginally for those students, as they did not have much paying capacity.

Dr Sucharita said Apeejay College had registered nearly 22 students. She said courses in multimedia, applied arts, computer science and physiotherapy had got a good response.

She added that she felt that the college would have to modify its existing fee structure for African students to attract more students, as most people in African countries were poverty stricken. 

Phagwara, April 17
Engineers at the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) have cautioned that the lack of manpower in thermal powerhouses of the state could lead to a drastic fall in power generation.

Highlighting problems like increased tripping and equipment failures due to reduced maintenance, the PSEB Engineers’ Association has also warned against extensive damage to the equipments.

in the last financial year, there were reportedly several “narrow escapes” wherein boilers and turbines at the PSEB thermal plants were saved from major damage.

Members of the association alleged that the PSEB thermal stations of 2120 MW, having a current capital of Rs 8,480 crore replacement value, were being entrusted with untrained technical personnel in gross violation of the Indian Electricity Rules, 1956.

They said these rules had laid down stringent provisions for technical qualifications, and training of powerhouse personnel in hydro as well as thermal power plants.

Besides, the PSEB hydro power houses have an asset value of Rs 5,705 crore. They are also being mostly run by unqualified and untrained engineers, thereby exposing costly equipment to grave risk, the members added.

In a public hearing last month before the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC), the engineers’ association had pleaded for additional technical manpower to operate and maintain the thermal and hydro power stations.

They had cautioned that under-staffing could not be stretched beyond limits, and during the summer months, it would not be possible to maintain the same level of generation as in the past.

Jalandhar, April 17
The Municipal Corporation (MC) today razed 400 more structures in the Bhargo Camp area in its ongoing drive to remove encroachments in the area. Meanwhile, a section of the residents sat on a dharna to protest against the drive.

The MC, on its part, said it had given Rs 2,000 per family that had lost its sanitation facilities. The residents had to go without electricity and power supply for the third day today. — TNS