Hoshiarpur, July 5
Despite its tall claims on continuing development activities in the state, the Punjab Government has not allotted any funds for the current financial year to carry on the scheme meant to provide 100 per cent water supply to all the localities in Hoshiarpur town.

As a result of which, ongoing work of the extension and augmentation scheme under the municipal development fund has come to a standstill.

The previous Congress government had introduced this Rs 8-crore scheme for providing potable water to the city during the last financial year, for which it had provided Rs 1 crore under the municipal development fund to the Water Supply and Sewerage Board for executing the work.

Besides, the municipal council had provided Rs 30 lakh as its share and Rs 7.68 lakh had been given by the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board for this purpose.

Executive engineer of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board Ravinder Kumar Aggarwal said under this project eight deep tubewells had to be installed in different localities of the town and has to lay 114.64 km long pipeline to achieve the target of 100 per cent water supply.

According to him, Rs 2.40 crore had been spent so far to bore four deep tubewells and to lay 39 km-long pipeline, of which Rs 1.40 crore had been received from the above agencies.

The board had a liability of Rs 1 crore of contractors now. On account of non-availability of funds the board had stopped its activities to complete this venture.

Municipal council executive officer Sandeep Tiwari said 60 to 70 per cent areas of the town had been covered under the water supply scheme. There were 22,300 water supply and 18,700 sewerage connections which fetched an annual income of about Rs 2 crore.

But according to the policy introduced by the previous Congress government, about 25 per cent of the connection holders having houses up to five marlas had been exempted from paying water and sewerage charges.

Besides, about 25 per cent of the connection holders had obtained stay orders from the Punjab and Haryana High Court due to recovery of enhanced rates of water supply and sewerage charges from 2003 onwards by the MC.

On account of this, the income of the council from these sources had declined sharply. The council had 55 tubewells of which 54 were in operation. The council had to make payment of electricity bills for the tubewells.

Jalandhar, July 5
In a strange development, a head constable today accused the Nawanshahr district police of shielding assailants at the behest of ruling SAD MLA from Banga Mohan Lal.

While Mohan Lal could not be contacted despite repeated attempts, Nawanshahr DSP (D) Narinder Bedi denied any political pressure in the case.

Bedi told The Tribune that the matter was being looked into. According to preliminary reports, there was a violent clash between two groups in the village and cross FIRs of attempt to murder (section 307, IPC) were lodged against both the parites after getting MLRs in this regard, he said, claiming that justice would be done without any pressure.

Head constable Girdhari Lal, posted as reader with RI Thakur Singh in Nawanshahr police lines, alleged while talking to media persons here today that he and his younger brother Jarnail Singh had been attacked with sharpedged weapons by Atma Ram and his associates with the intention to kill them after forcibly entering their elder brother Som Nath’s house at Kataria village falling under Behram police station on June 13 at 7 pm.

Severely injured in the attack, Girdhari Lal and Jarnail Singh were taken to the Banga civil hospital for treatment, he alleged, adding that the police nabbed Atma Ram and his associates but they were released by the police allegedly at the behest of the Banga MLA. Later Atma Ram and his associates inflicted injuries on their bodies themselves to register cases against them, he alleged, adding that subsequently they came to hospital for admission at 10 pm.

Following this the police registered cross-FIRs at the MLA’s behest, he accused. He said that even the MLA exerted pressure on rgw SMO for his early release.

Girdhari Lal said that his father Punnu Ram was a Congressman and sarpanch of Kataria village. That was why they were attacked at the behest of the SAD MLA, he alleged, adding the police was now shielding the assailants at the MLA’s behest.

Batala, July 5
Two unmarried girls, Baljit Kaur (22), daughter of Kartar Singh, and Rajwinder Kaur (21), daughter of late Vir Singh, both residents of Hasanpura village, had run away from their houses with the intention to marry each other. This was disclosed by Batala senior superintendent of police R.N. Dhoke while talking to media persons here today.

However, they came back to Batala. Baljit Kaur, who had become bridegroom with her hair cut, was not ready to go back to her parental house, while Rajwinder Kaur went to her parents’ house.

On the refusal of Baljit Kaur to go back to her parental house, the matter was reported to DSP (city) Dharamvir, who, along with SHO Sukhbir Singh of Batala Sadar police station, reached the village and advised the parties to come to his office. Today morning both the parties reached his office. The police took them to the court of the SDM. But on the way Baljit Kaur slashed her wrists. She was brought to the Batala civil hospital for treatment.

Thereafter both the girls were produced before the SDM where Rajwinder Kaur stated that she wanted to go back to her parental house. However, a case was registered against Baljit Kaur for an attempt to commit suicide at the Civil Lines police station and she was remanded in judicial custody till July 19 by the ilaqa magistrate.

Hoshiarpur, July 5
The mortal remains of soldier Raghubir Singh of 4 Dogra were consigned to the flames with full military honour at his native Kutubpur village in Hoshiarpur district yesterday. Raghubir Singh laid down his life while battling in the Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier his body, wrapped in the National Flag, was brought to his village where floral tributes were paid by District Sainik Welfare Board deputy director Col H.P. Singh and others. A contingent of the Punjab police fired in the air and reversed their firearms.

Meanwhile, the body of sepoy Rajinder Singh of 9 JAK Rifle of 28 Division of 53 Infantry was expected to reach his native Passi Kandi village. Rajinder Singh died while fighting terrorists at C. Ridge post in Jammu and Kashmir.

Chandigarh, July 5
Ask him what he’d like to be called and the nickname rolls of his tongue as do the Punjabi songs. “Call me Mehso (pronounced Mess-oh),” says Mehsopuria. This British-born music sensation’s first album ‘The Album’ was ranked as the top-selling debut international bhangra album of 2004. 
While blogs dedicated to bhangra music may like to call him a one-album wonder, Mehso has proved his detractors wrong by releasing his second album, ‘Warrior’ in April this year to worldwide success.

In Chandigarh for a day and brought to the city by Big FM, for which he performed live for two hours today, Mehso’s down-to-earth demeanour surprises many. Especially since the artiste has been catapulted to seventh heaven by his Indian fans, whom he calls by far the “wildest and craziest”. Mehsopuria is Punjabi but no one knows his real name, (even his younger brother, a percussionist, is called 2Dark!). His ‘musical name’ is a creative derivative from his village name, Mehsumpur, in Punjab. “I wanted to represent my roots. My name is a statement for me,” he declares. It is a statement that also percolates to his music. “It is like a heartbeat for me. It is about life and living,” he says. Mehso is clear that bhangra is not just about Punjab since its vigorous beats are already a part of mainstream music.

In his bid to make bhangra more international, Mehso says he is constantly evolving his music and introducing new sounds. For his second album he has collaborated with Hollywood (an Atlanta-based rapper) to create a fusion-track, Patna. “Crunk (taken from crazy-drunk) originated in South America in 2001. An off-spring of Hip-Hop, we created something new called Bhrunk-a combination of bhangra and crunk,” he smiles. 
Mehso writes his own lyrics and composes his own music, but what is interesting is that the lyrics are in Punjabi.

“I learnt how to read and write the language early in life. I graduated to learning kirtans but in 1983 when I met Surjit Bindrakhia, my favourite singer, I knew I had found my calling,” he explains.

His beliefs today have led him to his most exciting project yet. “It is a kirtan album which I plan to release in November to coincide with Guru’s birthday,” he says. Mehso believes this is his most difficult work because “one cannot change the words of Gurbani”. The profits from this album will be donated to charity,he says.

But his faith does not just stop here. ‘Warrior’ is, he believes, a blessing that has come to him via his grandfather’s deeds. “During Partition days my grandfather escorted a Muslim family of our village to the border. The title is in reverence to what my grandfather did.” For him, it is his faith that makes his music go around. 

Hoshiarpur, July 5
The District Consumer Forum headed by its president P. D. Goel and members A. S. Jauhar and Vandna Chowdhary has ordered the Nainowal Jattan Cooperative Agricultural Service Society Limited (NJCASSL) to pay Rs 1,23,900, Rs 1,09,000 and Rs 38,695 respectively to Jarnail Singh, Darbara Singh and Pardeep Kaur, all residents of Nainowal Jattan village, along with interest at rate of 9 per cent per annum till payments are made within a month. The forum ordered that the NJCASSL will bear litigation costs of Rs 1000 in each case.

As per the complaint by Jarnail Singh, Darbara Singh and Pardeep Kaur they stated that they deposited Rs 1.05 lakh, Rs 1 lakh and Rs 35,500 respectively with the society. After the date of maturity when they approached the the NJCASSL to return the amount along with the interest, but to no avail.

They also brought the matter to the notice of the higher authorities of the NJCASSL, but it failed to return the matured amounts after the due dates.

The NJCASSL took the plea that the complainants had deposited the amounts in question during the tenure of Secretary of the NJCASSL, Mohinder Singh, who did not hand over the records to the new management and that the FDRs in question might have been procured by the complainants by manipulation or in connivance with the then secretary of the society.

The consumer forum held that since there was a relationship of a master and servant between the NJCASSL and the then secretary Mohinder Singh and master is liable for the act of the servant and principal is liable for the act of the agent, therefore the NJCASSL cannot escape the liability to return the amount to the complainants.

Hoshiarpur, July 5
As many as 40 students were selected during on campus interviews conducted by Maruti Udyog Limited. Pt. J. R. Government Polytechnic College and director technical education and industrial training, Punjab and Chandigarh organised the interviews here today. Students of Mechanical and Automobile Engineering trades of 27 polytechnic colleges participated in this campus interview. Rachna Kaur, principal said students from polytechnics of Punjab Rajasthan and Haryana appeared for the test. L. K. Gupta, deputy general manager, MUL, said the company will conduct on campus interviews at Pt. J. R. Government Polytechnic College every year.