Phagwara, April 18
An alleged scandal of selling of blankets, clothes and other ration items, donated to a 'disabled’s home' situated on Hoshiarpur road in Phagwara, came to light here today.

The information gathered by the Tribune revealed that Brij Mohan, manager of the 'disabled’s home', in connivance with the other officials of the home, allegedly used to sell donated blankets, clothes etc to two residents of Jalandhar, identified as Irfan Khan and Manav Dua, who also owned a cloth shop in Gunjapir area of Jalandhar.

It was also revealed that Irfan Khan and Manav Dua were allegedly seen loading donated blankets, clothes etc in a truck (PB-09-9963) parked adjacent to the wall of the home.

It was reported that said buyers of the 'donated consignment' had allegedly paid Rs 56,500 in cash and a cheque for Rs 7,500 to the manager of the home.

They came in contact with home officials through one Jagga of Jalandhar, who was a regular buyer of blankets, clothes etc from the said home, said the sources.

When some shopkeepers of the area questioned him about the consignment to be taken, the duo from Jalandhar said they were taking the consignment for donation after purchasing it from here to a disabled’s home in Jalandhar.

But when the home's officials were contacted, they denied the allegations and said the money earned by way of selling these items was being deposited in the 'disabled’s home trust account.

When contacted, the Phagwara DSP H.P.S. Khakh pleaded ignorance about the said sale of donated items by the 'home' officials. However, he assured that he would conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter.

Kapurthala, April 18
The Rail Coach Factory (RCF) will export forty more coaches, valued at Rs 30 crore, to Senegal and Mali during the current financial year of 2007-08.

This was stated by RCF general manager S.K. Suri while talking to mediapersons on the occasion of the 52nd Railway Week celebrations.

The week is being celebrated to commemorate the beginning of railways in India on April 16, 1853, when the first train made its inaugural run from Boribandar to Thane in Maharashtra.

Suri said the RCF had already exported as many as 30 MG day coaches, valued at Rs. 20 crore, to Senegal and Mali.

Suri said the RCF had produced a coach fitted with a biodegradable toilet which would segregate the muck, water and gas to keep environment clean at railway stations and tracks.

He said the trial run of the coach had begun and in case the experiment succeeded, the toilets in the coaches would be fitted with a biodegradable system.

Listing the achievements of the RCF, Suri said the factory surpassed the production target from 1,266 coaches to 1,319 coaches during the past financial year and the production target for the current financial year was set at 1,435 coaches.

Suri said the expansion of the RCF was underway in which a wheel shop, costing Rs 68 crore would be set up. Also, the expansion of production capacity to 1,400 coaches annually at the cost of Rs 55 crore and setting up of a centre of excellence in design at the cost of Rs 10 crore would be completed within a year.

In reply to a question about manufacturing of metro coaches, Suri said the RCF had entered into an agreement with a Spanish firm which participated in the global bidding to manufacture the metro coaches for Delhi and other metros and if the firm succeeded in fetching the order, the RCF would manufacture 100 metro coaches.

“RCF is increasing the capacity of berths from 75 to 81 in all three-tier AC coaches. Further, the Railway had decided to increase the number of coaches from 18 to 24 and unreserved coaches from four to six in the long-distance trains to accommodate the rising number of passengers,” said Suri.

Hoshiarpur, April 18
A bag containing Rs 5 lakh was stolen from a car parked near Ambey Valley guest house in the Civil Line area last night.

According to car owner Gurpreet Singh of Bihala village, he parked his car in front of the Ambe Valley guest house and went inside in connection with for some work.

But on return, he found the car’s windowpane broken and the bag containing Rs 5 lakh stolen. The police has registered a case under section 379 of the IPC.

Jalandhar, April 18
In view of recent robberies in and around several banks and petrol pumps, the police has asked the representatives of the banks and petrol pumps to instal close circuit television cameras in their premises to avoid such incidents.

SSP Arpit Shukla and SP City II Amar Singh Chahal in a specially called meeting advised over 70 representatives of different banks and about 20 representatives of Petroleum Products Dealers’ Association to instal electronic surveillance equipment, including CCTV cameras, in their premises.