Jalandhar, March 28
While the Congress leadership is desperate to pinpoint the factors responsible for the party’s poll debacle in Doaba, particularly in respect to seats falling in Jalandhar district, differences among Congress leaders of Jalandhar came to the fore during their luncheon meeting at the residence of senior Congress leader Amarjit Singh Samra yesterday.

Senior Congress leaders, including former ministers Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Avtar Henry and Rana Gurjit Singh, reportedly cornered Mayor Surinder Mahey and allegedly held him responsible for the Congress defeat during their verbal dual in the presence of leader of opposition in the Vidhan Sabha Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.

Bhattal and other Congress leaders converged at Samra’s house along with party leaders, including Iqbal Singh, secretary, AICC, and Arun Walia, president, district unit of the Congress.

The dual flared up when Mahey reportedly asked Bhattal that he could spearhead the Congress to victory in the forthcoming civic poll, at least on 45 seats, if the ticket distribution in respect of 50 seats is left at his discretion.

At this, Rana Gurjit Singh reacted and taunted the Mayor that as a “close aide” of Chaudary Jagjit Singh he should think about defence of the latter. At this, the Mayor also reportedly got anguished and blamed Rana Gurjit Singh that Chaudary Jagjit Singh always tried to dominate other Congressmen.

On the other hand, Henry intervened by saying that Chaudhary Jagjit Singh had himself admitted recently that the Mayor had not helped him in the Assembly elections.

When contacted, Henry, however, said it was a “small matter.”

Kaypee took up the matter of “insult” to the statue of the late Beant Singh, while some other leaders, including a councillor sided with the camp opposing the Mayor, who reportedly left the place in a huff without having his lunch.

Bhattal, it was learnt, had tried to pacify the warring leaders, but her efforts failed.

Jalandhar, March 28
The Khalra Mission Organisation today organised a protest march in the city, demading scrapping of clause 5 of the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004.

The march started from Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall and culminated at District Administrative Complex where representatives of the organisation addressed the protesters.

Speaking on the occasion, chief of the mission Harmandeep Singh Sarhali and its patron Bibi Paramjeet Kaur Khalra, said the government should scrap the clause for protecting water rights of Punjab. The SAD had included it in its election manifesto also, they added.

Jalandhar, March 28
The District Administrative Complex seems to be jinxed as far as the working of its elevator is concerned. It did not function in the first two years of its installation. It became operative only in July after which it has again been going out of order quite often.

The lift was found to be out of order this morning as well. The public visiting the building had to find it hard to climb up the stairs to reach various offices.

Accessibility remained a problem for many since important departments, including the employment exchange and the welfare and labour department, are situated on the third floor. The second floor houses other important departments, including the office of the additional district transport officer, the district consumer redressal forum, the election office and the languages department.

Employees of the grievances forum that falls near the gate of the elevator said they had not seen the lift operating after Friday.

The slackness on the part of the officials to get the elevator repaired proved to be a harrowing experience for the senior citizens and physically challenged.

Septuagenarian Balwant Singh said he had come all the way from Mithapur Chowk to gather some information from the languages department. Sitting on the steps after climbing up to the first floor, he said he was taking some rest so that he could gather some energy to reach up on the second floor.

Not just the visitors, even physically challenged employees working in different departments within the administrative complex found it difficult to make rounds up and down.

ADC (G) S.P.S. Marar said he was not aware of the problem and he would get it checked tomorrow.

Amritsar, March 28
A trader committed suicide by jumping before a train two days ago. The body was found near Guru Teg Bahadar Hospital here.

However, the matter came to light when his suicide note reached newspaper offices by post today.

According to the suicide note, victim Vijay Kalia, a resident of Moon Avenue, alleged that he was kept in a room for over a month and was beaten up by his family. He alleged that he was never given proper food.

Nawanshahr, March 28
The Doaba Cooperative Sugar Mills will be shifted from its present location and the land would be sold to raise funds for setting up an ultramodern sugar mill, said MLA Jatinder Singh Kariha.

He was speaking at a farmers’ training camp organised by the district agriculture department here today.

Apart from the new unit, there will be enough land for parking of tracker-trailers, added the MLA. Located at a prime land in the town, the shifting of the sugar unit will solve several traffic-related problems, especially during cane crushing season, he said.