Nawanshahr, April 18
Terming the sacking of principal of Hindu Kanya College, Kapurthala, Dr Vandana Shukla, as ‘vindictive and malafide’, the principals' association of non-government colleges affiliated to Guru Nanak Dev University has urged the vice-chancellor and DPI (colleges), Punjab, to intervene and cancel the termination orders.

In a release issued to the press, the principals’ body alleged that president of the college managing committee, Tilak Raj Aggarwal and director Gulshan Yadav have hatched a conspiracy against Shukla.

“The duo are misusing their office to fulfill their ulterior motives,” said Nirmal Pandhi and Dr Jaspal Singh Randhawa, president and general secretary of the association, respectively. “Even the termination orders have been issued without sanction of the managing committee. It’s against the university calendar service ordinances”, claimed Randhawa.

The association has also demanded a high-level vigilance inquiry into the ‘misdeeds’ of the president and college director. If the government fails to order an inquiry within 15 days, the association would file a public interest litigation in the Punjab & Haryana High Court, it further said.

Terming the practice of creating the seat of director as "extra constitutional", the body has also sought framing of norms to abolish the post created by the college managing committee. 

Jalandhar, April 18
Even as the PWD has commenced the project on the construction of railway overbridge (ROB) across the Lyallpur Khalsa College crossing, residents of the area are demanding that the design of the bridge be looked into again so that it becomes more of a convenience than a hassle.

The residents are demanding that the passage down the bridge across the lines should not be cut off, the length of the bridge be increased across the BMC chowk and the width of the bridge be increased to make it at least six-lane. As per the current plan, the four-lane bridge will end at Narindra Cinema.

The residents are pressing for the construction to come up as an elevated road rather than an overbridge so that the passage below it and across the line should remain open for use by cyclists, school buggies and two-wheelers. The PWD, however, has plans to close it down and create few slip roads under the bridge in between the pillars on either sides for movement of slow traffic without any connectivity across the lines.

Residents of Jalandhar cantonment, Ranjit Nagar and Defence Colony have given their written representations in this regard to the local bodies minister, MLAs and PWD (B&R) minister highlighting the problem of residents of various colonies across the lines who would have no choice but to ascend and descend the overbridge and repeat the same a number of times a day.

“The pedestrians, schoolchildren, aged and physically challenged persons will face a lot of problems. All unmechanised vehicles, including bicycles, buggies, vendors and rickshaws, will have to ply with speeding four-wheelers, including heavy trucks, on the 7.5 metre half side of the bridge leading to perpetual traffic jams and accidents. More than 4,000 buses that are entering and leaving the bus stand daily as of now will also be sharing the same ROB (having lesser width than the existing road) with the rest of the traffic of the town,” Ajit Mahindroo, Bharat Bhushan and other residents have written.

Some residents have also pointed out that rather than ending the bridge at Narindra Cinema, it should be extended up to BMC Chowk with one leg ending at chowk itself on Cool Road, the other one diverting towards Mahavir Marg and the third one going on up to Hotel Leo Fort or even further. “If we continue with the existing plan, the BMC Chowk lights will act as a major hurdle for the speeding traffic. If we make three arms of the bridge, the traffic wiil remain streamlined even ahead. Those going towards courts will be able to take a slip road down the BMC Chowk towards right. This way BMC Chowk can become a spiral junction, the way they have it near AIMS in Delhi,” opined Virinder Sharma, a resident.

Desh Bhagat, owner of a commercial site on the GT Road, said, “I agree that the road is very congested and it needs a traffic management solution but by constructing an overbridge, the PWD will be taking all its problems from road to the bridge (of course minus the crossing). The Nakodar line is not a very busy one. The DMU passes through the line on fixed hours hardly eight to 10 times a day. The passage is open for the rest of the day. That is why I am insisting on getting an elevated road here so that traffic could move on across the lines down the bridge as well. If the government is spending money, let it be spend in a worthwhile manner with a future planning,” he stressed.

But PWD SE Ram Pal confirmed the plan, “After we complete the bridge, the railway authorities will close the crossing. As per the current status, the bridge will end up at Narindra Cinema.”

The residents have yet another grouse that the PWD has been insisting for taking away some portion of War Memorial to widen a proposed slip road below the bridge from bus stand towards Police Lines, near Hotel International, and up on the bridge, especially for buses and other vehicles coming from the bus stand side. 

Amritsar, April 18
The Government Railway Police today held a Nigerian, Foster Ghinedu, with a fake visa when he was going to Pakistan through Samjhauta Express at Atari railway station. The police has registered a case under relevant sections.

Ghinedu arrived at Atari through a Delhi train and was to leave for Pakistan in Samjhauta Express when he was caught.

The immigration authorities found that the Indian visa of the Nigerian had already expired in February. However, he had fraudulently overwritten the expiry date to September 8.

The Pakistan visa of the accused was also found to be fake. He was remanded in a one-day police custody.

Nawanshahr, April 18
Residents of Blood Donors Colony, developed on the outskirts of the nearby Sloh village, rue that not even a single penny has been spent on the development of the colony either by the panchayat or the municipal council so far.

Narrating their tale of woes, Blood Donors Colony Welfare Society president Satish Kumar told said that about 80 houses had been built in the colony, which was carved out in the area falling under Sloh village.

The colony falls under the purview of the Sloh panchayat, Satish Kumar said, adding that though about two years ago, the municipal limits were increased and since then the registration of land in the colony had been done on par with the rates fixed for urban property.

The residents had to get their building plans approved from the municipal council and pay the development charges. Besides, the electricity and telephone connections were also being provided to them under the urban category.

But as the colony was yet to be included into any municipal ward of the town, the council was not undertaking any development activity in the colony.

The association had been collecting funds from the residents for basic amenities like streets, streetlights, etc in the colony, said Satish Kumar, urging the authorities concerned to bring the colony under the jurisdiction of the council by merging it in a municipal ward.

Thus, the municipal council could initiate the process of providing basic amenities like sewerage and drinking water supply to the colony, he pleaded.