Jalandhar, July 17
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum on Tuesday asked the district transport officer (DTO) to appear before it on August 6.

She has been asked to explain in person as to why action should not be taken against her under section 27 of the Consumers Protection Act for non-compliance of orders passed by the court on March 30.

The orders pertain to issuing of a fancy registration number to a Mercedez Benz car owner, refunding of Rs 16,730 charged as extra road tax and paying a compensation of Rs 20,000 for causing mental agony to the owner.

The forum directed the DTO to charge road tax fee of both cars as per rates applicable on the date when the registration was applied.

They asked the officer to issue registration number for the Mercedes Benz car as PB-08-AY-0011 within one month’s time, the compliance to which has still not been done.

In his complaint, Inderjit Singh, a resident of New Jawahar Nagar here, had written that he had purchased a Mercedes Benz car on July 15, 2004, and a Skoda car on April 4, 2005.

He said he had applied for fancy numbers 0011 and 0009 for his two cars. The DTO had issued challan for Rs 3,000 to be deposited in a bank as fancy number charges and another challan for Rs 10,200 as road tax fee for Mercedes car.

For the Skoda car, he was issued a challan for Rs 10,000 as fancy number fee and other challan for Rs 10,240 as road tax. But despite repeated visits, he was not issued the car numbers.

His appeal was heard by the High Court on February 9, 2006, and an order was passed five months later to release the numbers. But the DTO asked him to deposit an extra road tax at 2 per cent of the value of the cars.

He said while he was issued number 0009 for the Skoda car after depositing Rs 16,730 as road tax to avoid police challans, the officer also agreed to issue a number 0011 in the AY series as per court orders but demanded an extra road tax for the same as per new rules.

The consumer demanded refunding of extra tax deposited for the Skoda car while also a waiver of extra tax on his Mercedes car.

The forum issued the orders on Tuesday. The DTO, in a previous hearing, had submitted in writing that her office had decided to appeal against the orders of the forum before the state commission at Chandigarh.

“Then DTO Jasbir Singh, a PCS officer, has filed an appeal before the commission in Chandigarh in his individual capacity,” she said.

The officer also pleaded that any further decision may not be taken till the matter was decided by the state commission in this regard.

In the judgement passed on March 30, forum president M.M. Bhalla and member Surinder Mittal had asked the Punjab transport secretary to hold an inquiry into the matter.

The inquiry was aimed at pinpointing negligent officials and recovering the sum so incurred by the government from them.

Jalandhar, July 17
Thousands of teachers from government schools across the state who have not received their salaries for the past two months are planning to launch a widespread agitation shortly in case their payments are further delayed.

Members of Government Teachers’ Union Punjab said it was getting extremely difficult for them to even bear the daily expenses.

The members also pointed out that the worst-hit were the teachers who are the sole bread winner of their family.

Revealing future strategy, Mahinder Ram Phuglana of Punjab Subordinate Services Federation said, “We will submit a memorandum to the deputy commissioner on July 19. A meeting would be held at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall on Sunday to protest against government’s callous attitude.”

Phillaur, July 17
More than one thousand farmers residing in the surrounding areas of the Sutlej river have threatened road blockade if the state government goes ahead with the acquisition of their land.

In a meeting held at Sutlej club Phillaur today, former minister Ch Santokh Singh warned the SAD-BJP Government to make things clear about the measurement of land around the river.

If it fails to do so, the farmers would launch road blockade after five days, he added.

He said with the government planning to start a project on the land (about five thousand acres), the revenue department officials have started measurement of the land.

Fearing the project would render many farmers homeless, he claimed no such attempts of the government would be tolerated.

He alleged no official was ready to tell the truth about the measurement. Meanwhile, it has been learnt that no written orders had been issued to any department regarding this matter and only verbal dictates had been communicated to the junior staff.

According to the sources, the revenue department was working out the compensation package for the land owners to start the project as soon as possible.

When contacted, Phillaur SDM Pritam Singh said, “There was no proposal to acquire the land of any farmer. The revenue department was only identifying the government’s land to make sure about the recovery of ‘lagans’ of the lands.”

Hoshiarpur, July 17
Activists of Bhartiya Janshakti Party (BJSP) held a demonstration here on Sunday to protest against state government’s ‘irresponsible handling’ of religious conflicts.

Led by their district in charge Rajiv Dogra and other leaders including district vice-president Shashi Ohri, general secretary Nand Kishore and city chief Mukesh Sharma, the activists burnt the effigy of Punjab government at bus stand chowk.

Addressing the protesters, Dogra said despite religious tension in many areas, the government has done nothing to defuse it.