Phagwara, May 3
More than 15,000 proclaimed offenders (POs) in the state were still at large, while more than 700 POs were still wanted in Kapurthala district, said Rakesh Aggarwal, senior superintendent of police, Kapurthala, while talking to newsmen after addressing several village sarpanches and panches at the local KG Resorts and prominent citizens of the town in the local City Club here.

The SSP said police had launched a special drive to nab the POs. He inspired police officials to nab the POs and added that successful police officials would be rewarded by the DGP who will nab 5 POs, IG will honour those police officials who will nab 3 POs and SSPs will honour those police officials who will nab one PO.

Aggarwal said that eight criminal cases were still pending untraced in the Kapurthala district. Commenting upon the traffic problem, the SSP said that police would actively work to provide better parking places in the crowded town by removing illegal encroachments.

He said a 10-member traffic advisory committee would be set up in which five officials of departments concerned and five prominent citizens of the town would be included.

Replying a question regarding overburdening of the police personnel for mental stress, SSP said that different entertainment programmes would be provided for cops, besides conducting of meditation, yoga and laughter programmes. He ensured that he would visit Phagwara once in a week positively to remove the grievances and problems of the people.

When asked about reaching time on the spot of any incident, he disclosed that PCR teams should reach within five minutes in urban areas and ten minutes in the villages after receiving the information of any incident.

Earlier, addressing rural and urban gathering of the sub-division, SSP Aggarwal instructed police officials to give due respect to the visitors in all police stations. DSP HPS Khakh and other police officials were also present on the occasion.

Jalandhar, May 3
Two final-year students of the Instrumentation and Control Engineering Department, Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT), have developed a lawn water sprinkler robot that has been programmed to check wastage of water and distribute it uniformly.

The students, Amandeep Singh Kalra and Akshay Katyal, have designed the conical-shaped robot with the assistance of their robotics laboratory in charge Kuldeep Singh Nagla. The students said the robot could also be utilised in small as well as big lawns, nurseries, stadiums, turfs and even for showering water on flower pots placed in the lawn.

Explaining the functioning of 2.5-foot-high automated structure, they said it consisted of a mobile system fitted with programmable logic controller and sophisticated sensors.

“It is very user-friendly as it can easily be programmed according to the geographic conditions of the area. The sprinkler has been fitted over the head of the robot while a shower has been attached on one side of the chassis. An infrared sensor has been used to sense a flower pot,” explained Kalra.

Explaining multiple uses of the machines, he explained: “One of the advantages of this robot is that the wastage of water can be stopped and uniform distribution of the water may be achieved in the lawn. Another advantage is that one can programme the robot on the basis of time - morning and evening - or on the basis of the availability of the water. In the busy office and indoor lawns it may be programmed as per convenient time schedule. Another advantage is that it may be used to sprinkle pesticides in the lawns,” Kalra added.

The students said they faced many problems in achieving their goal. “A very simple and rugged gear system has been used to perform in rough and spongy terrains of grass lawns. We had to spend nearly Rs 10,000 to complete the project with half of the amount coming from the institute,” they said.

Nagla said this was yet another achievement of the robotics laboratory after completion of an underwater robot and a domestic robot. He said the water-sprinkler robot could further be modified to wireless system by using solar system. It could also be modified to intelligent robot using moisture sensors with which it would sprinkle water on the dry and needy area of the lawn, he said, adding that it could further be modified to a large size for irrigation purposes as well. He revealed that the robot had one limitation that it had to carry a heavy water hose along with it and requires huge power during its trajectory planning.

Nagla said he had been invited for demonstrating an underwater robot for navigation of tunnels at the Ranjit Sagar Dam. Institute director Moin Uddin and head of department R. Jha have congratulated the students and their guide for their achievement.

Kapurthala, May 3
In a significant judgement, the Kapurthala District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum directed National Insurance Company to pay a consumer the insured amount of Rs 25,902 after deducting depreciation charges as per terms of the policy for a stolen Bajaj Chetak scooter with 12 per cent interest per annum from the date of filing of the complaint till realisation.

The forum further directed the insurance company to pay consumer Shama Sobti, proprietor of RG Industries, Aujla Road, here Rs 2,000 as cost of litigation and Rs 1,000 as compensation for mental tension and harassment.

Forum president A.K. Sharma and members Sushma Handoo and Sudha Sharma observed after hearing the arguments of the complainant’s counsel Mukesh Gupta and insurance company’s counsel Ashok Anand that the rejection of the complaint’s claim amounted to deficiency in service on the part of the insurance company.

The counsel for the complainant argued that the complainant had insured a Bajaj Chetak scooter (PB-09-F-9478) with National Insurance Company, Sultanpur Road, near Jagatjit cinema here for Rs 25,902 with effect from January 2005. Later the scooter was stolen on October 4, 2005, and a DDR was lodged at the city police station.

The insurance company was informed about the theft of the scooter but it repudiated the claim which amounted to deficiency in service on the part of the insurance company.

On the other hand, the counsel for the company argued that after receiving intimation about the theft of the scooter, surveyor and loss assessor A.K. Sodhi was deputed to investigate the matter. During investigation, it was observed that the scooter was unlocked and unattended at the time of the theft.

The counsel further argued that the complainant had violated the terms and conditions of the policy under which proper care was to be given to the insured scooter. That was why, the insurance company rejected the claim of the complainant.

In the five-page judgement, the forum observed that the insurance company failed to prove by producing any document on record that the complaint had violated any condition.

Jalandhar, May 3
Heat is on for a keen contest between the two warring groups of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU), elections to which are scheduled to be held on May 13 at Lyallpur Khalsa College here.

It actually seemed so during a press conference conducted today by the members of the ruling Brar-Walia-Jagwant group. The members distributed pamphlets in which scathing remarks have been passed on the members of their rival Hundal-Tewari group.

The pamphlet reads, “We have always spoken truth - nailing lies of the opponents…..Your decision will become easy, if you go down the memory lane and recall who was president PCCTU when grants were freezed at Rs 72 crore, cut in grants was imposed, pension rules of July 9, 2002 were notified, plus two classes were shifted and DPEs and librarians were kept out of career advancement scheme”.

Further more, the members listed their successes as - 50 per cent DA merger orders, move to reduce retirement age from 60 to 58 defeated, DA increased from 11 per cent to 29 per cent, restoration of 95 per cent salary deficit grant and lifted of ban on recruitment expected in budget, paper work ready for inclusion of arrears from January 1, 1996 to February 28, 1999 in the budget, pension issue revived and Rs 1.2 crore additional amount released.

Further more, the group has even being showing the supporters hopes from the newly formed government in the state.

A Tribune team found out that residents of more than nine colonies on Banga, Hargobind Nagar and Hoshiarpur roads are leading a miserable life, courtesy indifferent attitude of the nagar council authorities.

“The town lacks basic amenities. There’s no civic infrastructure,” said a resident here. Dusty and potholed roads cut through these colonies. The situation worsens during rainy season when residents have to wade through knee-deep water. There’s hardly any drainage system. The bumpy roads pose accident risk, said a Shivpuri resident.

Jalandhar, May 3
Sahara India Pariwar today announced the launching of Sahara Care House, a single window platform for NRIs enabling one-point easy access for over 60 support and care services for themselves, their families and friends in India.

CEO of Sahara Care House and International Business of Sahara India Pariwar Romi Datta said that in Punjab the services would be provided through centres in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Bathinda, Khanna, Ludhiana, Patiala and Chandigarh. He said that over 107 relationship ambassadors of the group were employed in the state that accounted for 50 per cent of the NRI population.

Jalandhar, May 3
The ‘Goggles Festival Summer-2007’ took off at the Himalya Opticals in Model Town here today with a photo session studded with pretty models.

A vast range of goggles and sunglasses of well known brands have been displayed at the showroom.

Amardeep Singh, the manager of the showroom, said that the festival has been designed to help people in selection of suitable sunglasses from a vast range available at the place.

“We have displayed an array of brands of sunglasses so that people could not only select them according to their choice but, could also get their eyes protected from blazing sun.

We hope that people would like to have a look at them during the ongoing festival.

The range of goggles start from Rs 900 and goes up to Rs 15,000,” said Amardeep Singh.

It is unfortunate that our honourable elected representatives of today, unlike their predecessors, have only one agenda i.e. to remain in power and would not mind sacrificing the interest of the nation provided no harm comes to their own interest.

Without giving adequate thought to the following pertinent issues connected with reservations in the prestigious national institutions like IITs and IIMs, the Central government and the complete legislature is bent upon creating an awkward situation in the country which would not only considerably dilute the high standards at these institutions but would also create as wedge between the general and the reserved category and thus divide the nation. Our worthy Members of Parliament are not concerned on the effect of this reservation policy on the quality of education and who don’t fall under the reserved category.

So I think there was only one remedy for the people i.e. to knock at the doors of judiciary.

Under the circumstances the judiciary by intervening has saved the situation and thus acted as a saviour.

Brig D.S. Ahluwalia (retd), Jalandhar