Jalandhar, August 17
The city finally got its local bus service on Sunday. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal formally launched the prestigious city bus service by travelling in a “blue line bus” from BMC Chowk to Namdev Chowk along with local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia and other prominent dignitaries.

The local bus service was started earlier in the city on several routes but was stopped over a decade back reportedly due to paucity of funds. Now the city buses will initially be started on four routes.

According to information, the “red line bus” will run from Rama Mandi to Maqsoodan via bus stand and Mahavir Marg, the “blue line bus” will start from Rama Mandi and cover the bus stand, Mahavir Marg, Basti Bawa Khel and Jalandhar Kunj, the “grey line bus” will run from the bus stand to Sat Guru Kabir Chowk via Guru Amar Dass Chowk, Masand Chowk, Manbro Chowk, Guru Ravi Dass Chowk and Guru Kabir Chowk and the “green line bus” will run from the railway station to Rama Mandi via GPO and the bus stand and vice versa.

Citizens complained that several prominent routes, including the one from Rama Mandi to Maqsoodan via PAP Chowk, Chugitti Chowk, Lamba Pind Chowk, Pathankot Chowk, Transport Nagar Chowk, Focal Point Chowk and Bhagat Singh Colony had been ignored.

However, speaking at a function at Red Cross Bhavan, mayor Rakesh Rathour claimed the bus service would be extended to several new areas. He said that the Domoria ROB would be completed by March 31 next year.

Manoranjan Kalia said that the corporation cities of Ludhiana and Amritsar would also be provided an efficient bus service soon.

Badal presented a cheque for Rs 101 crore to the Jalandhar municipal corporation for undertaking various development projects in the city.

He also announced that the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences on Garha Road would be made functional within the next three months and said it would provide medical facilities to the people at the rates prescribed by the PGI, Chandigarh.

Badal said the state government was already in touch with Sulabh International for the provision of public conveniences at places in both rural and urban areas.

Punjab BJP affairs in charge Balbir Punj, state BJP chief Rajinder Bhandari, BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, MLA Jagbir Singh Brar, besides senior journalists Barjinder Singh, Irvin Khanna and Chander Mohan, also spoke on the occasion.

Earlier, Badal laid the foundation stone of the Rs 42.60-crore railway over bridge (ROB) near Layalpur Khalsa College which would be completed within 18 months.

Phagwara, August 17
The police has arrested the baba of a dera (shrine) on the charge of rape. The police said today that Kuldip Ram, alias Baba Manku, of Dudhadari Dera at nearby Jamalpur village was arrested on the complaint of a  village woman.

The woman said in her complaint that she was a regular visitor to the shrine. She went to pay obeisance at the shrine yesterday as per her daily routine.

When she returned home, the baba of the dera, who was in an inebriated state, followed her to her home.

The complainant said she was all alone at her home as her husband was away while her children had gone to school.

She rued that on seeing her alone, the baba started making advances towards her, indulged in objectionable activities and outraged her modesty.

She wriggled out of his clutches after a huge effort. She later narrated her tale of woe to her family and the police.

The police booked the baba after registrering a case under different sections of the IPC, including rape. The baba has been sent to judicial lock-up. — PTI

Hoshiarpur, August 17
As many as 500 hectares of low-lying fields at Dhanoa, Begpur, Kalota, Motla, Kolian, Mehatabpur, Rara and Talli villages of Dasuya and Mukerian subdivisions in the district were inundated with floods in the Beas today.

The standing paddy crop, which is under up to 2 feet of flood water in these villages, is badly hit. Agricultural land at some places in Begpur, Rara, Talli and Dhanoa villages was eroded by flood water.

Dasuya SDM Rahul Chaba told The Tribune that though the Beas was swelling, the water was still below the danger point.

As per the reports of the drainage department, as many as 93,000 cusecs of water passed in the Beas in Dasuya subdivision. In the Pong Dam, the water level was still 14 feet below the normal level.

However, water from various tributaries of the Chakki river and from Sri Hargobindpur had joined the river, but it had not touched the Dhussi bandh yet.

Though there was no threat to the villages yet, inhabitants of the villages located along the Beas had been told to remain vigilant and make alternative arrangements for their safety.

Meanwhile, activists of the local Sri Ram Charit Manas Prachar Mandal, in collaboration with the health department, today organised a medical check-up camp in the Dhobi Ghat locality for the people of the flood-hit areas.

Amritsar, August 17
The deputy commissioners of Amritsar and Tarn Taran took stock of the water situation in their areas today despite reports of water receding.

Amritsar DC Kahan Singh Pannu said the residents of areas close to the Ravi had been asked to be vigilant and report if they noticed any excessive flow of water in the river.

He said on Saturday night the flow of water in the Ravi was measured to be 1.35 lakh cusecs and if water continued to recede with the same speed the level was likely to come to 85,000 cusecs by Monday morning. However, he ruled out any possibility of flood in the area at present.

Meanwhile, irrigation officials in the adjoining areas of Patti subdivision said the area was on high alert due to a heavy rainfall on August 14 and 15, but the water had now receded to a comfortable level.

BSF DIG Mohammad Aquil said the jawans were on alert and the personnel manning the BoPs on the international border had been asked to be watchful if they found any movement of anti-social elements due to floods. He said that the BSF was in constant touch with the irrigation and drainage departments.

Amritsar, August 17
Worried over the deepening political crisis in view of Pervez Musharraf’s indecisiveness to quit the presidential post, a Pakistani delegation, which had come here to participate in the annual candlelight vigil feature, has urged the Indians to pray for their country’s democratic stability.

Key member of the delegation and former member of the National Assembly of Pakistan Mohammad Pervaiz Malik, while talking to The Tribune said the hardening of the stand of the two ruling allies on the ouster of President Pervez Musharraf had added to political uncertainty and India’s good wishes were required to overcome the present political turmoil.

Malik said although important stake-holders in deciding the future of Pakistan, the countries like the USA, the UK and Saudi Arabia were working out an honourable solution to give a safe passage to the President and were trying to save him from the embarrassment of impeachment.

He said Musharraf must exit to save the country from plunging into a serious political chaos, threatening its stability.

The former MNA member and finance secretary to the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) said India and Pakistan must upgrade their relations and provide better visa facilities to give easy access to their citizens for visiting the neighbouring countries.

He said Pakistan had already undertaken to revamp its cargo complex on the Wagah side of the Pakistan border to boost the trade through the land route.

Batala, August 17
The Batala police arrested Gurpreet Singh, alias Minto, of Mirjajan village for cheating and duping a number of illiterate persons who went to the SBI ATM to withdraw money but did not know how to use the ATM card.

Stating this to mediapersons on Sunday, SSP Dr Naresh Arora said the accused used to wander near the ATM and cheat illiterate people who came to withdraw money.

He would offer to help them and in the process would note down the passwords. After the transaction, he would hand over duplicate ATM cards to the persons and retain the original cards.

By the time the persons went to another ATMs for the second transaction, Gurpreet would withdraw all the money from his account.

The accused duped at least 10 persons and withdrew over Rs 5 lakh from their accounts over a period of about four months.

Ten ATM cards and Rs 1.45 lakh were recovered from the accused after he was arrested in a case registered under section 420 of the IPC.