Jalandhar, March 15
The police will launch a special campaign in Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur districts to minimise the death rate in accidents. Under the campaign, the person who informs about the accident will be honoured. This was stated by Narinder Pal Singh after taking over charge as the DIG, Jalandhar range.

Elaborating his point, the DIG said the public hesitated to inform the police about the accident in time because of the fear of harassment. As a result, the injured expires on the spot, whereas many of them could be saved if taken to hospital in time, he added.

“That is why, the campaign to encourage people to inform the police in time about the accident is being launched,” he said.

“As many as 52 lives were saved under this campaign in Ludhiana as they were evacuated after injuring in accidents and were taken to hospitals as the public informed the police in no time. Such informers were honoured every month there,” he added.

The DIG further said the police would start campaign to register migrant labourers.

Replying to a query, he said the police would start campaign in more efficient way in the districts falling under his jurisdiction.

He further said the public would be encouraged to get the record of their servants verified in order to avoid any trouble in the future.

In reply to a question, he said the police might think of taking action against those persons who would not inform the police about their servants.

Regarding the rise in the crime, especially of chain snatching and day-light robberies, he said the PCR team would be streamlined as it had been done in Ludhiana. He said coordination between different cells of the police department would be strengthened to increase the conviction rate.

Requesting the public to inform the police about the criminal activities, he said each citizen should feel free to share the information with the police and the identity of the informer would be kept secret.

“Every policeman is a civilian in uniform and every civilian is a policeman without uniform, so people should not hesitate to inform the police about criminal activities taken place around them to minimise them,” he said.

To a query about NRIs, SSP Arpit Shukla said a special cell for NRIs was working under his supervision. If any NRI has any type of problem, he may contact him directly, he added. SP (headquarters) S.K. Kalia was also present.

Chandigarh, March 15
Venue for the tercentenary celebrations of Guru Granth Sahib's consecration and Guru Gobind Singh's 'parlok gaman', Nanded in Maharastra will have medicinal and other plants. This step is being taken on the advice of a senior Punjab IAS Officer.

For the purpose of receiving "useful tips" from Punjab's Financial Commissioner-cum-Principal Secretary, Information and Public Relations, D.S. Jaspal, the organisers have already invited him over.

Approximately three-million pilgrims from across the world are religiously expected to visit Takht Sachkhand, Sri Hazur Sahib Gurdwara, Abchalnagar at Nanded for the celebrations scheduled to be held next year.

Jaspal has given his consent for the project. He has already "cloned" trees associated with the Sikh Gurus in this part of the region and has also been involved in the pictorial documentation of 48 Sikh shrines named after native species of trees in his book “Tryst with Trees - Punjab’s Sacred Heritage”.

Giving details, sources in the Punjab Government assert Jaspal has been invited by the Takht Hazur Sahib Trust for advising it on landscaping and beautifying the environs of the gurdwara.

In a communication to Jaspal, Maharashtra’s Director-General of Police-cum-Chairman of the Gurdwara's Administrative Committee Parvinder Singh Pasricha has asserted: “I understand you have developed clones of Dukh Bhanjani Beri and are making clones of other trees associated with the Sikh Gurus….We would also need some useful tips on landscaping and enhancing the greenery in the city.”

He has further asked Jaspal to advice them on raising medicinal plants around the gurdwaras in the city and has requested him to visit Mumbai along with Hoshiarpur's Conservator of Forests Harsh Kumar “as he has taken good lead under his dynamic leadership.”

The DGP has added that the trust has also undertaken projects from improving the infrastructure and its connectivity with other "major cities". The gurdwara complex has been re-developed.

Besides this, the Guru Granth Sahib Bhawan and a museum have been constructed.

Elaborating on the importance of the city in Sikhism, the sources assert Nanded is one of the four "high seats of authority of the Sikhs".

Tenth and the last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, had held his court and congregation in the city now included in the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

He had left for heavenly abode at Nanded and his ashes were buried in the gurdwara on the side of the river Godavari.

The Sikh mythology says the Guru rose to heaven from Nanded, along with his horse Dilbag.

The prime-time celebrations will begin with Takht Snan or holy bath on October 24 next year. Divali will be held the next day followed by a procession on October 26.

The Gurta-Gaddi or inception of Guru Granth Sahib will be celebrated on October 27 followed by 'parlok gaman' on October 30.

Jalandhar, March 15
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has directed the district administration to provide free education to Gurpreet and Tejvir, whose parents were killed in a roof collapse on Tuesday night, said the BJP here.

Krishan Dev Bhandari, BJP MLA Jalandhar North, brought the tragic incident to Badal’s notice during oath-taking ceremony in Chandigarh on Thursday and requested him to provide every possible help to the two brothers.

Subsequently, Badal directed the district administration not only to provide free education to the orphans but also Rs 50,000 as interim relief.

The BJP said the administration would bear the expenditure of their treatment.

It may be recalled Surinder Bittu, his wife Balbir Kaur and kids Manbir and Amarpreet were killed, whereas Gurpreet and Tejvir were hurt after their roof collapsed at Hardyal Nagar on Tuesady night. 

Kapurthala, March 15
The district police registered a case of cow slaughter against two residents of Muskbed village. The police has arrested one of the accused Nirbai Singh but his son is still at large.

An FIR was registered after several Hindu organisations demonstrated at the Hanuman chowk today. Naresh Pandit, state vice-president of the Bajrang Dal, and Jagdish Kataria, a spokesman for the Shiv Sena, led the protest against the police. When contacted, DSP A.S. Powar said the FIR had been registered but the allegations of cow slaughtering were yet to be verified.

Meanwhile, the police arrested a person on charges of making an attempt to rape his sister-in-law in Jaidpur village falling under the Bholath police station. The victim alleged in her complaint that her brother-in-law Manjeet Singh forcibly entered her house the previous night when she was alone at her house.

He tried to rape her, alleged the victim. However, the victim cried for help, subsequently several neighbours gathered.

Phagwara, March 15
An office of a finance company on the Banga road here was burgled last night.

According to an FIR by the complainant Jasbir Singh with the city police station, some persons entered the company and decamped with a cash of Rs 2.5 lakh.

Meanwhile, burglars broke into the house of Lalit Madan in Guru Harkrishan Nagar on Thursday and took away Rs 14,000 in cash.