Jalandhar, August 10
Nearly three dozen students and teachers of a local private school sustained injuries when the schoolbus they were travelling in overturned at nearby Bulandpur village after its driver reportedly tried to save a cyclist.

The authorities at Hemkunt Public School, however, claimed that only about a dozen students and teachers received injuries in the accident.

The accident took place at about 8 am when the bus was on its way to the Pathankot road-based school after picking up students and teachers from their homes.

As it reached a point near Bulandpur village, a girl cyclist came in the way all of a sudden and driver Bittu tried to save her by turning the vehicle to a side.

But the bus overturned in an open space along the road resulting in bruises and injuries to about 35 students and teachers.

Residents of Bulandpur village rescued the victims trapped inside the bus after hearing their shrieks.

Though, most of the students and teachers received minor injuries, Jobanpreet Singh, an eigth class student was admitted to a hospital with serious injuries.

The school management made arrangements for ferrying the injured to their homes after first aid and for requisite treatment at two Pathankot chowk-based hospitals.

Jalandhar, August 10
If the post-MC poll developments in the city are an indication, the Shiromani Akali Dal seems to be gearing up for a break-off with its alliance partner BJP and preparing for an independent fight in the coming years.

Despite having won a clear majority in the civic polls, the party has been roping in those independents, who defeated BJP candidates in their respective wards. The move has created ripples within the BJP circle with senior leaders and workers considering it as a violation of the coalition dharma.

Even before the district administration was to officially declare the result, Sunanda Malhotra, an independent candidate from Ward 44, who had won the contest defeating BJP’s Varinder Kumar Arora, was inducted into the party ceremoniously. The function was addressed by former SAD minister and in-charge of the election committee, Sewa Singh Sekhwan.

Even yesterday, Joginder Singh Tony, an independent candidate from Ward 35, who defeated BJP’s Gurbaksh Mintu was also taken into the party fold.

Since Mintu is said to be closely associated with local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia who had even got him the ticket replacing Subhash Sood, the attack seems to be rather a straight one.

Not just the BJP, even few SAD leaders have been condemning such moves saying that this could lead to more chances of rift between the two parties.

“We need to instead build up faith with our partner for a better working. Each and every step needs to be taken cautiously foreseeing its repercussion on the party relations instead of doing anything in haste”, said a senior SAD leader.

Another newly elected Akali councillor pointed out, “There was no need of taking in the independent councillors for increasing our number. We already had a clear majority with 33 seats in all and five MLAs. Such an action is only going to add to problems at a later stage.”

Earlier too the leaders of the two parties had not appreciated a move of SAD acting president Sukhbir Badal to visit the house of industrialist Sheetal Vij, soon after he had contested for MLA’s seat from Jalandhar Central and lost to BJP’s Manoranjan Kalia.

A yet another decision of the Akalis to take away Jalandhar South wards in its kitty for MC polls had not been appreciated by the BJP workers. They had in fact held dharnas in front of the residence of Jalandhar South BJP MLA Bhagat Chunni Lal and office of party’s district president Shiv Dyal Chugh.

The move was being seen as the Akalis’ attempt to gain a hold in the constituency, sideline the BJP MLA and help Kartarpur SAD MLA Avinash Chander become a strong contender from the assembly segment in the next Vidhan Sabha polls. The attempt so far seems to have worked out as well.

Meanwhile, the BJP councillors will be getting together for the first time after winning the MC polls tomorrow at a hotel here where state president Rajinder Bhandari will address them. Similarly, Sukhbir Badal is also expected here tomorrow for a similar meeting.

Hoshiarpur, August 10
Minister for Forest and Wild Life, Punjab, Tikshan Sud today convened a meeting of the forest officers of Hoshiarpur, Dasuya and Garhshankar forest division here.

He instructed them to plant various saplings of ornamental plants on the government land near Bhangi choe and Gautam Nagar for beautifying the area and to make it pollution free.

While the officers of the drainage department were instructed to remove the encroachments from the areas, sewerage department men have been told to channelise the water being drained out in the Bhangi choe and arrange plantation of grass around it.

Strict instructions were issued to the officers of the forest department to take effective steps to completely stop the illegal felling of trees and poaching activities in their areas.

The forest department would provide as many as 40 lakh saplings of various trees to the farmers on subsidised rates.

Besides, 20 lakh saplings would also be planted around educational institutions, Army complexes, paramedical forces and non-government institutions during the ongoing season.

More than 35 lakh saplings would also be planted through forest department agencies, village forest committees and private organisations, said Sud.

Jalandhar, August 10
Emotions ran high as scores of Punjabi youth and their parents, who have been victims of unauthorised travel agents, watched the movie Kaafila, based on the issue of illegal immigration, at Narinder cinema hall here today.

The crew of the movie, including protagonist Amitoj Mann, watched the film along with the viewers at the theatre balcony.

Also watching the show were the representatives of Lok Bhalai Party who have created a movement for getting the trapped youth back to their homes.

As the movie picturised, the inhuman conditions, which the youth faced after getting caught midway of their destination, the families could relate it to the trauma faced by them recently.

Watching the movie was Balwinder Singh from Sultanpur Lodhi who had lost his 29-year-old son Bhupinder Singh last month.

“My son was to move to the UK in August last year but the agent got him landed at Ukraine. He was caught there and put behind bars. He is then said to have committed suicide”, he said while saying that the movie was closely related to the problems, which his son had to encounter.

Amit Kumar, who had a political asylum at Spain and was sent back a few months back, too said the movie had revived the tortures that he underwent during his two-year shuttling between various locations at Africa before reaching his destination.

Jalandhar, August 10
Drug smuggling across the border is on the decline, claims IG, Frontier Headquarters, BSF, Arvind Ranjan.

Addressing a press conference here today, the IG said the decline in the drug smuggling was due to the efforts of the force in locating the easily accessible points and increased vigil.

He said the night vision and hand-held thermal devices had helped in stepping up the vigil.

The IG said as many as 48 kg of heroine, which was being smuggled across the frontier border, had been seized in the past seven months. The volume of drugs that was recovered last year was 74 kg.

The IG announced that the force was organising inter-frontier basketball, handball, volleyball and kabaddi competitions on the BSF campus in Jalandhar Cantonment from August 13 to 17.

He said players of international and national repute would be participating in the event.

Nawanshahr, August 10
The activists of the Human Empowerment League for People, (HELP) submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner here today.

The memorandum, addressed to the Prime Minister, was submitted to mark the International Day of the World Indigenous People (August 9).

In the memorandum, the members demanded the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006, to stop all evictions, drop false criminal charges against human rights demanders and prosecute all those responsible for human rights violations in Adivasi areas.

Hoshiarpur, August 10
The state BSP chief Avtar Singh Karimpuri has said the party unit launch a massive agitation against the SAD (B)-BJP government for its ‘anti-people policies’.

Addressing party workers here on Friday afternoon, he strongly condemned the four toll-plazas installed on Balachaur-Dasuya and Hoshiarpur-Tanda roads.

“It’s causing great inconvenience to commuters. Besides, it has also hit the business of private taxi owners.

The party would launch an agitation to get these toll barriers removed,” he added.

“Congress, SAD and BJP are trying to create hatred among the people in the name of religion. People of Punjab have suffered badly for over a decade due to this,” he alleged.

He also accused SAD-BJP of adopting corrupt practices to get their candidates elected in the recently-held civic body poll. The BSP leader demanded a re-election in Patiala.