J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

4-yr-old dies in school, mob goes on rampage
Hoshiarpur, August 5
Infuriated over the death of a four-year-old student of Kidzee School, a mob went on the rampage here today and damaged flowerpots, sculpture and smashed windowpanes of the school building.

Big Booty
80 tolas gold, cash stolen from NRI’s house
Phagwara, August 5
Thieves struck at NRI Amar Chand’s house located at Chahal Nagar falling under the city police station here on Monday night.

Waterlogging is the perennial problem in the city. Even light showers are enough to wreak havoc on roads. — Photo by S.S. Chopra

Land row: BSP flays use of force on protesters
Jalandhar, August 5
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has condemned the force used by the police and the Army to suppress the mass movement and anger of the people over the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board land dispute.

DC revives sangat darshan programme
Nawanshahr, August 5
Deputy commissioner Nilkanth S. Avhad has revived the holding of weekly sangat darshan programme here immediately after assuming charge last month. He asked the officials of different departments to put in their sincere services to deal with the complaints of people in a time-bound manner.

Hansli nullah crosses danger mark 
Batala, August 5
A heavy rain lashed the district on Tuesday morning, inundating the low-lying areas of the town. Traffic was disrupted at many roads. The areas, including tehsil complex, outside Ohri Gate, Dharampura Colony, Circular Road, Sukha Singh Mehtab Singh Chowk, etc. remained choked with rainwater and sewage for hours.

Heavy rains have caused massive inundation in low-lying areas of Batala. — Photo by writer

Labourers hold rally, block traffic
Nawanshahr, August 5
Hundreds of migratory labourers organised a protest rally and blocked traffic at Chandigarh Chowk here on Tuesday against the charging of Rs 70 by the police for issuing verification cards to them. The agitation was held under the aegis of the Parvasi Mazdoor Union and the All-India Federation of Trade Unions (AIFTU).

4-yr-old dies in school, mob goes on rampage
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, August 5
Infuriated over the death of a four-year-old student of Kidzee School, a mob went on the rampage here today and damaged flowerpots, sculpture and smashed windowpanes of the school building.

2-year-old’s body found Hoshiarpur: The body of a two-year-old girl was found in the Bhangi choe on Monday. According to police sources, it is presumed that the baby had been washed away in a flood from some village along the choe. The body was sent to the civil hospital for a post-mortem examination. — OC

According to information, deceased Tushar was a resident of Central Town and it was his first day at the school.

The sources said the kid died under mysterious circumstances at around 8.50 am and the news of his death spread like a wild fire. His father immediately reached the school.

Meanwhile, a mob comprising the area residents assembled on the school premises and went on the rampage damaging school infrastructure. The police reached the spot and pacified them.

Later, SPs Opinderjit Singh Ghuman and Sushil Kumar recorded the statements of the school principal and staff members. According to school sources, Tushar had some physical problem.

However, Tushar’s father Amit denied that his son had any medical problem.

Interestingly, the family showed unwillingness to pursue the case and cremated the body.

Big Booty
80 tolas gold, cash stolen from NRI’s house
Tribune News Service

Land row: BSP flays use of force on protesters

Jalandhar, August 5
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has condemned the force used by the police and the Army to suppress the mass movement and anger of the people over the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board land dispute.

Narinder Kashyap, national general secretary of the party, said the people were only protesting the way the issue has been handled. “A non- issue has provided anti-social elements an opportunity to further drive a wedge between the Hindu- Muslim harmony,” he added.

He said a dialogue was the need of the hour and the state government should approach the Centre for a solution rather than calling in more troops. Mass movements can never be put down with bayonets as has been seen in the past, he pointed out. The Congress, BJP and the People’s Democratic Party are also to blame for the crisis engulfing the state since the present controversy is their creation. By remaining a mute spectator, the National Conference has also given its tacit support to the protesters in the valley, he alleged.

Commenting on the media reports that the SAD was open to an alliance with the BSP in the forthcoming polls, he said their party has not been formally approached by the Akalis in this context. “We will be in a position to comment only when we hear from the latter officially,” he added.

Kashyap also extended his condolences to those whose kin and kith had died in the stampede at Naina Devi temple. Such incidents are heart-rending and unfortunate since entire families had perished, he added. A national convention of the party would be held on August 9 at Lucknow that will be addressed by party chief Mayawati. — TNS

DC revives sangat darshan programme
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, August 5
Deputy commissioner Nilkanth S. Avhad has revived the holding of weekly sangat darshan programme here immediately after assuming charge last month. He asked the officials of different departments to put in their sincere services to deal with the complaints of people in a time-bound manner. Strict action would be taken against the officials found guilty of dereliction in disposing of the complaints filed by people, he said.

Besides, he appealed to the people not to submit false complaints. Action would be initiated against such complainants, he said.

As many as 35 complaints were heard by the deputy commissioner at the weekly sangat darshan programme held here on Tuesday. Out of these, 15 complaints were disposed of on the spot and the remaining were sent to the departments concerned for time-bound redress.

Hansli nullah crosses danger mark 
Balraj Mahajan

Batala, August 5
A heavy rain lashed the district on Tuesday morning, inundating the low-lying areas of the town. Traffic was disrupted at many roads.

The areas, including tehsil complex, outside Ohri Gate, Dharampura Colony, Circular Road, Sukha Singh Mehtab Singh Chowk, etc. remained choked with rainwater and sewage for hours. It became difficult for the pedestrians to reach their workplace. People panicked due to the rising water level in the Hansli nullah which is part of the 155-km long Kassur nullah.

When contacted, S.S. Grewal, executive engineer, drainage department, Gurdaspur, said the problem had aggravated due to growth of unwanted plants in the nullah bed. Grewal was unable to explain as to why preventive measures were not taken at the appropriate time.

He said solid waste pollution in the nullah was also responsible for the filling of the nullah in which water rose above danger mark.

However, the department concerned has pressed into service a drag line machine for cutting and removing the unwanted plants from the Hansli nullah.

It is interesting to note that there is only one drag line machine available for both Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts.

Labourers hold rally, block traffic

Nawanshahr, August 5
Hundreds of migratory labourers organised a protest rally and blocked traffic at Chandigarh Chowk here on Tuesday against the charging of Rs 70 by the police for issuing verification cards to them. The agitation was held under the aegis of the Parvasi Mazdoor Union and the All-India Federation of Trade Unions (AIFTU).

AIFTU Punjab vice-president Kulwinder Singh Warraich termed the move as an “arbitrary policy” of the police and said it was the duty of cops to verify whereabouts of labourers and no fee should be charged for it. They also threatened a gherao of the deputy commissioner’s office on August 10 if the police did not relent on the issue. — OC