Phagwara, August 1
The “lazy” attitude of the Punjab police came to the fore once again when they failed to notice a dead body lying in a parked truck for over 16 hours near Dashmesh Nagar on the national highway here.

According to information, it were some shopkeepers from the nearby area who noticed the foul smell emanating from the truck and informed the police on Friday morning. They told the police that the truck was parked at its place at around 3 pm on Thursday.

When police officials, including Phagwara DSP H.P.S. Khakh and SHO (city) Amrik Singh Chahal, reached the spot, they were surprised to find a body wrapped in tarpaulin in the truck.

Khakh said the deceased had been identified as truck driver Sarup Singh of Fatehgarh Churian and the truck belonged to Jyoti Transport Company of Amritsar.

Khakh said prima facie it was suspected that some highway robbers must have taken lift in the truck and had killed the driver before decamping with material worth Rs 7 lakh.

Transport company owner Gurjeet Singh said, “On the morning of July 30, Sarup had loaded a consignment to be delivered to some parties in Subhapur and Jalandhar.” He said the driver disappeared along with the truck and he lodged a missing report with the police on the evening of July 30.

To a query why the police could not notice it since the truck had been parked for 16 hours, DSP Khakh said the matter would be inquired and explanation had already been sought from the PCR men, highway patrolling personnel and cops on night duty.

He said the truck’s indicators were on and it might have been thought it had been parked due to some fault. “Besides, we didn’t receive any wireless message from the Amritsar police,” he added.

Meanwhile, Amritsar SSP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh could not be contacted. However, SHO Navjot Singh claimed that the report of the missing truck and driver was lodged with the police station on Friday only.

Nawanshahr, August 1
Dental-care equipment belonging to the mini-primary health centre (PHC), Pojewal, in the district has been found lying abandoned in a room used as store in the Krishna Temple of the village, thanks to the negligence of the health department officials.

The dental-care equipment worth lakhs of rupees can be seen covered with dust and rust in the room. According to a villager, Tarsem Kataria, the equipment was discovered by labourers working on the temple premises when they opened the room to get some window grills from there.

It is learnt from sources that about eight years ago a dental surgeon was posted at the mini-PHC, Pojewal, and for providing better dental-care facilities to the residents of the backward Kandi area, a dental chair along with the other necessary equipment was provided to the mini-PHC.

As there were only two rooms available in the PHC, the Krishana Mandir Parbandhak Committee provided a room on the temple premises to set up a dental-care unit. But after some time the dental surgeon was transferred from there and since then the dental-care equipment is lying abandoned there.

“Ironically, it seems, that no authority of the health department bothered to check the stock, that is why the equipment worth lakhs has been lying unused.

Civil surgeon Dr Kuldip Kaur Sahni, when contacted on the phone, said she was not aware of it. She would ask the SMO concerned to report and put the equipment to use.

Hoshiarpur, August 1
A project of sustainable agriculture and management of natural resources for ensuing food security and environment quality has been launched in micro-watershed, Bhadiar, Hoshiarpur, by Dr M.S. Swaminathan of Research Foundation, Chennai, and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, in collaboration with an NGO, Shubh Karman Society, Hoshiarpur.

Disclosing this in a press release here this evening, NGO chairman Rashpal Singh said a memorandum of understanding for this purpose was signed between executive director of MSSRF A.M. Gokhle and PAU director of research P.S. Manhas and Shubh Karman Society secretary Parwinder Singh.

The purpose of this five-year duration project is to develop and implement sustainable and replicable approaches for bio-industrial watershed and to enhance opportunities for livelihood. This project is being implemented in five agro-ecological zones of India, including the states of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. The financial support is being provided by the Jamsedji Tata Trust, Mumbai, for this project.

In addition to various technological and social intervention, a village knowledge centre will also be established which will act as the hub of knowledge for this micro-watershed which covers three villages of Pandori, Dangori and Bhadiar.

A six-member team, including principal investigator of PAU department of soil Dr K.L. Khera, extension specialist from the PAU side Dr Manmohanjit Singh and a team from the Shubh Karman Society, including chairman Rashpal Singh, secretary Parminder Singh and Gulzar Singh, has been constituted for coordination.

Jalandhar, August 1
Punjab local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia today revealed that the city bus service in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar would be operational soon and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would inaugurate the service at Jalandhar on August 17.

“It was a dream project to provide the best basic amenities in Punjab and as a pilot project, the city bus service will be inaugurated at Jalandhar by the Chief Minister followed by the inauguration in other two cities,” Kalia told reporters.

Modern bus stand sheds would be built and route for the modernised low-floor buses had also been finalised, he added.

During his proposed visit to Jalandhar, the Chief Minister would also announce a special grant for the development of the district, Kalia said without disclosing the exact amount of the grant to be released. — PTI

Jalandhar, August 1
Surveillance and Target Acquisition (SATA) Regiment, the oldest surveillance unit of the Indian Army, celebrated its 85th Raising Day in the western sector today.

The regiment, also called “Alma Mater of Locators”, was raised in 1924 at the School of Artillery in Kakul (now in Pakistan) as 1st Survey Section Royal Indian Artillery and was re-organised as Ist Survey Battery in 1941 and later as Ist Survey Regiment in 1942.

At the time of partition one battery from the regiment was allotted to the Pakistan Army.

On the occasion, all ranks reaffirmed their resolve to uphold the rich traditions and saga of excellence of the regiment. The regiment has participated in all operations since raising, including World War II (Burma), Hyderabad Police Action in 1948, Indo-China war, 1962, (NEFA sector), Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971 (western front) and has also participated in Operation Bluestar in Punjab in 1984 and Operation Rakshak, Operation Vijay. — UNI

Hoshiarpur, August 1
Samples of 15 quintals under preparation and 19 quintals prepared suspected adulterated gur seized by the district health department from the factory of Sham Lal at Chagran village on July 7, 2008, have been declared adulterated by the public analyst, Chandigarh. The said stock of gur was seized after the health department was tipped-off about the sale of adulterated gur by the factory owner.

District health officer Dr M.L. Puri said according to the report of the public analyst, Chandigarh, presence of non-permissible chemicals had been found in the gur. On the order of the civil surgeon, Hoshiarpur, the entire seized stock of gur was destroyed by setting it ablaze today, said Puri. — OC

Hoshiarpur, August 1
After investigating into the suicide case of Kuldip Kaur, daughter of Hazara Singh of Vakhli under Pihowa police station, the Bhulowal police has registered a case under sections 306 and 34 of the IPC against the former’s stepson Sukhdev Singh, a son of Jagdish Kumar, and Shinder, wife of Jassi of Shamchaurasi, for allegedly raising false allegation of illicit relations of the deceased. The allegation had compelled her to commit suicide on May 15, 2008.

According to police sources, Kuldip Kaur’s brother Balbir Singh alleged that the step-son of his sister Sukhdev Singh and Shinder allegedly propagated about the illicit relations of Kuldip Kaur. Feeling insulted, on May 15 she committed suicide by taking some poisonous substance for which the police launched proceedings under section 174 of the CrPC. After investigating the complaint, the police has registered a case.

Hoshiarpur, August 1
Four motorcycle-borne youths snatched Rs 38,000 from employees of a gas agency near Kangmahi village last evening.

According to the police, the employees of Bhela Gas Agency, Hariana, Sumesh, a son of Des Raj, of Kukanet, and Surjit Pal, a son of Jyoti Ram of Fatowal Dhade, were returning to the agency office on a tractor-trailer after delivering liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders in the adjoining villages.

When they reached near Kangmahi, four youths on two motorcycle standing on the roadside, signalled them to stop.

When they stopped their tractor-trailer, the youths snatched the cash from them and fled on their motorcycles.

The Hariana police is investigating the case.