J A L A N D H A R

Govt to fill vacant posts
May exempt water, sewerage bills on five-marla plots
Phagwara, May 21
The state government would soon fill the vacant posts, including of Executive Officers by promoting some officers. The government is also considering exempting water and sewerage bills on five-marla plots. Punjab Local Bodies Minister Chaudhary Jagjit Singh said this at a press conference in the office of Improvement Trust Chairman here today.

67 per cent children administered polio drops
Jalandhar/Phagwara, May 21
Nearly 67 per cent of an estimated 2.98 lakh children below five years of age were administered polio drops by the volunteers from the Punjab Health Department, private hospitals and NGOs in the district today.

Seven of robbers’ gang held
Kapurthala, May 21
The Sultanpur Lohdi police today claimed to have arrested seven members of a 18-member gang of robbers allegedly involved in a major heist in Amritsar last year.

NRI robbed of Rs 3.25 lakh
Kapurthala, May 21
Three unidentified youth robbed an NRI, Mr Gurmail Singh, of Rs 3,25000 near Alaudipur village this afternoon.

Govt to fill vacant posts
May exempt water, sewerage bills on five-marla plots
Tribune News Service

Phagwara, May 21
The state government would soon fill the vacant posts, including of Executive Officers by promoting some officers. The government is also considering exempting water and sewerage bills on five-marla plots. Punjab Local Bodies Minister Chaudhary Jagjit Singh said this at a press conference in the office of Improvement Trust Chairman here today.

It is notable that till now, neither the state government could get detailed reports-cum-recommendations from “officers group”, headed by the Chief Secretary, to fill the vacancies in various departments, including the posts of 29 Executive Officers in Municipal Committees and Improvement Trusts, nor it had been able to get the report of a sub-committee headed by the Principal Secretary, Local Bodies Department, to exempt water supply and sewerage bills on five-marla plots or houses.

The minister was here to lay the foundation stones of drinking water supply, sewerage and sewage treatment plant at Phagwara and Palahi village.

Chaudhary Jagjit Singh said Rs 25 crore would be spent on providing water supply and sewerage to the total population of the town, while Rs 20 crore would be spent on a treatment plant in nearby Palahi village and another treatment plant would be set up at Hadiabad, a sub-town. 

Replying to a query, the minister reiterated his commitment to abolish octroi by the end of June “at all costs” and claimed that the government had arranged alternative funds.

Chaudhary Jagjit Singh refused to comment on the controversy between the Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, and Congress Working Committee member, Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar. He claimed that the decision of the state government to install industries by the Reliance Group was “justified” and added that the government was also trying to attract Tatas to set up industries in Punjab.

The minister also refused to comment on the showcause notices issued by the PPCC President, Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, to three ministerial colleagues for issuing statements against Jagmeet Singh Brar.

On the newly-launched door-to-door garbage collection scheme, the minister said it was up to the municipalities to allot contracts to private contractors for the job.

Chaudhary Jagjit Singh said all 124 towns of the state would soon have cent percent drinking water facility and 39 towns would have a sewerage system. He said Ludhiana, Phillaur, Phagwara and Jalandhar would be covered under the Sutlej Action Plan of Rs 229.38 crore.

Later, the minister also addressed a rally at Hargobind Nagar and condemned the Akalis for criticising the policies of the Congress-led state government.

He alleged that the Akalis had “always tried to bargain with big industrial houses interested in establishing mega projects in the state”.

He further alleged that the Akalis also tried to become partners in these projects.

Chaudhary Jagjit Singh also paid tributes to the late Prime Minister, Mr Rajiv Gandhi, describing him as the architect of modern technology in India. Present on the occasion were the local MLA, Mr Joginder Singh Mann, Nagar Council President, Mr Malkiat Singh Ragbotra, Improvement Trust Chairman, Mr Balbir Raja Sodhi, Deputy Director, Local Bodies, Ms Sarojini Sharda.

Those absent from the function were the former Chairman of the Improvement Trust, Mr Harjit Singh Parmar, along with his supporters and the Market Committee Chairman, Mr Jaspreet Singh Satti.

67 per cent children administered polio drops
Tribune Reporters

Jalandhar/Phagwara, May 21
Nearly 67 per cent of an estimated 2.98 lakh children below five years of age were administered polio drops by the volunteers from the Punjab Health Department, private hospitals and NGOs in the district today.

As many as 1,333 booths were set up and 5,400 health workers and volunteers were deputed to administer polio drops to children.

Twentyfour mobile teams and 29 transit teams were also deployed for making the project a success, Dr Avtaar Singh Jaarewal, the Civil Surgeon, who inaugurated the second phase of the campaign at the local Civil Hospital, said.

“Sixtyseven per cent of the targeted children were covered today. The teams would also visit homes of people during the next two days to achieve cent per cent target, which is 2,98,810 children of the district,” Dr Jarewal said.

A number of social organisations, including the Lions Club and Child Helpline also participated in the campaign.

Meanwhile, in Phagwara, as many as 31,000 children under the age of five were administered pulse polio drops.

The Phagwara administration had put up 44 booths in urban areas and 102 booths in rural areas. Besides, three mobile vans were also pressed into service.

Earlier, the Local Bodies Minister, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, inaugurated the pulse polio campaign by administering polio drops to some children in the local Civil Hospital.

The Phagwara Senior Medical Officer (SMO), Dr Yash Mitra, had appealed people to make the polio eradication drive a success by cooperating with the health department authorities in getting their children immunised.

“As a result of the effective steps taken up by the Kapurthala Health Department, no polio case has been detected in the district for the past three years,” Dr Mitra said.

Seven of robbers’ gang held
Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, May 21
The Sultanpur Lohdi police today claimed to have arrested seven members of a 18-member gang of robbers allegedly involved in a major heist in Amritsar last year.

The arrests were made in the jungles near Jhalleiwala village after a tip-off.

The police claimed that the accused were part of the Rs 30 lakh robbery on November 7 at a jewellery shop on Batala Road in Verka Chowk of Amritsar.

It claimed that the accused were planning to rob a house in Fauji Colony village in Sultanpur Lodhi.

The gang, it added, was active in Tarn Taran, Jeera, Kapurthala and Jalandhar.

NRI robbed of Rs 3.25 lakh

Kapurthala, May 21
Three unidentified youth robbed an NRI, Mr Gurmail Singh, of Rs 3,25000 near Alaudipur village this afternoon.

According to the police, three youth riding a motorcycle and covering their faces looted Gurmail Singh, a resident of Sangojla village, when he, along with a relative, was going towards Kapurthala in his car. The assailants waylaid the car and fled away after snatching the bag containing cash.

The robbers were not carrying any firearms. They were carrying a baseball bat and a baton, said the police. — TNS