Jalandhar, July 27
Heavy rain coupled with high velocity wind today wreaked havoc in many city areas. As a result of the winds not only a number of trees were uprooted but also power lines snapped from a 
number of places.

The rain showers, which began at 11:30 am, continued for nearly two hours. Several trees along roadsides were uprooted thereby creating problems for the commuters. A car parked in Udham Singh Nagar got damaged as a tree and an electricity pole fell over it. Another tree fell near Avtar Nagar where a transformer fell on the pole damaging power lines wires and snapping power .

Meanwhile, heavy rain alongwith high velocity winds brought a lot of problems for Phagwara residents. Few days ago the Nagar Council had cleared the blocked sewerage in the Hargobind Nagar locality. The waste was still lying in the colony and as a result of storm it was scattered on the colony road, thereby making it impossible for the residents to walk on.

The rain water entered into a number of houses in the absence of proper drainage system. 

Jalandhar, July 27
It took almost eight months for the district revenue officer-cum-state assistant public information officer to deliver information sought by an applicant under the RTI Act. Though the application was received by the office on November 15 last year, they failed to deliver it within prescribed time period, finally delivering it on July 12 this year.

Under the application Sanjay Singh Sehgal, former vice-president of the District Congress Committee, had asked for the details on the duty assigned to government school and college teachers for conducting Vidhan Sabha poll.

Going by the documentation, the revenue officer committed even a bigger blunder as the information compiled and properly presented had reached his office from the deputy commissioner-cum-district election office on December 4 last year, but it was retained and not passed to the applicant for another seven months.

In the reply, it was stated that 24 teachers from Phillaur, 23 from Noormahal, 17 from Jalandhar South, six from Lohian, three teachers each from Adampur and Jalandhar Cantonment, two each from Nakodar and Jalandhar Central and one from Jalandhar North have been assigned the poll duties. According to the reply, science and mathematics teachers from high and senior secondary schools were also not spared from poll duty.

Declaring the information received on July 12 this year as completely irrelevant, Sehgal said that he had sought it earlier for the interest of underprivileged students studying in government schools, who were forced to miss their classes, as their teachers were on poll duty for over a month. 
Sehgal stated that on the basis of the information, he had planned to request the deputy commissioner and election authorities to exempt the teachers from poll duty as the annual examination of the students were drawing nearer.

He added that this information was of no use now as Vidhan Sabha elections were over. 

Chabbewal, July 27
In a letter written to the Punjab Chief Minister, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal has recommended for carrying out special development works to the tune of Rs 6.5 crore in Shamchaurasi segment of Phillaur parliamentary constituency. In a press release here today, Atwal said the development works include health, education and basic requirements.

Earlier, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Punjab, Mohinder Kaur Josh, representing the Shamchaurasi segment in state assembly, raised the above said issues before the Deputy Speaker following which the latter had immediately instructed the Deputy Commissioner D. K. Tiwari for identification of these works. According to the information Rs 15.75 lakh for the machines and apparatus for the community health centre, Rs 1.85 crore for the construction of footpaths, street lights and roads, Rs 13.50 lakh for the pump-sets and laying pipe lines for water supply, Rs 17 lakh for the repairs of buildings of various schools and Rs 4 crore for the construction of roads would be required. — OC

Hoshiarpur, July 27
District drug inspector seized 50,000 capsules of Parvoproxyvon, 264 bottles of Corex cough syrup, 1,050 injections of Norphine from a chemist shop here on Friday. Civil Surgeon, Hoshiarpur, Dr Kamaljeet Kaur stated the raid was conducted as part of the campaign launched by Punjab Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla against drug abuse.The owner of the shop, Associate Medicos, could not produce the bills of these drugs which were stored illegally, she said. Legal proceedings had been initiated.

Jalandhar, July 27
The department of posts has started a new public service for which it has tied up with ICICI Prudential for accepting premium, announced postmaster general of Punjab region, Jaswinder Singh, in a press conference here today.

He said the department was collaborating with various private companies for dispensing their services. “Outlets for disbursement of loans against security for HDFC Bank have been opened at various post offices,” he said.

Regarding violation of Income Tax Act at the general post office by doling out of cash payments above an amount of Rs 20,000 to the customers, he said he was aware of the problem and the department was taking strict action against the erring officials.

Jaswinder said even as volume of routine post was down by 30 per cent, it was picking up as most official post was delivered by this channel. Speed post still was the most revenue fetching service of the department, he added.

He further said the service such as distributing prasad from Tirupathi and Ajmer Sharif would be extended to this region as well soon. 

Phagwara, July 27
Scribes here have strongly condemned the ‘manhandling’ of mediapersons by CRPF persons at Jalandhar late last night. During the meeting sympathy was expressed with jorunos who were mercilessly beaten up by CRPF jawans allegedly in the presence of police officials. The members also urged the Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal and DGP NPS Aulakh to immediately intervene in the matter. The meeting described the ‘CRPF act’ as an open attack on freedom of the Press. — OC

Jalandhar, July 27
Several candidates are expected to file their nomination papers tomorrow, especially after the election commission declared that candidates were no longer required to file NOCs from the municipal corporation along with their nomination papers.