Phagwara, November 1
A drunken man, Balbir Ram, killed his rickshaw-puller friend, Rampal, in a fit of rage as Rampal refused to repay him borrowed money and did not take him to his village on his rickshaw.

DSP H.P.S. Khakh said Balbir Ram of Khangura village killed Rampal by hitting him on his head with an iron rod. Rampal (50) had been found murdered at a house in Chahal Nagar, falling under city police station, on October 23.

On October 22 both Rampal and Balbir Ram consumed liquor at an “ahata,” following which they went to the house in Chahal Nagar where they again had drinks.

After drinking, Balbir Ram asked Rampal to pay the borrowed money but Rampal refused to do so. He then asked him to drop him at his village on his rickshaw but Rampal expressed his inability saying that he had taken excessive drink and would not be able to pull rickshaw.

At this, he hit Rampal on his head with a rod lying there and fled away after jumping over the wall, the DSP added.

An empty “quarter” of liquor, glasses Rampal’s voter ID-card were recovered from the spot. The photocopies of the voter ID-card were provided to policemen to get information from the nearby liquor vends and “ahatas” about when and with whom the man had last visited their place.

A worker at an “ahata” told the police that Rampal had drinks with another person on October 22 and took a quarter of bottle with them. Following which, the police picked up Balbir Ram, who confessed to have committed the crime, Khakh added.

Ram Pal had been temporarily living at an NRI Santokh Singh’s house in Chahal Nagar for past some time after some dispute with his family living in the Santokhpura locality.

Rampal used to take the NRI’s granddaughter to tuition in the evening on his rickshaw. When he did not go to NRI’s daughter Jaswinder Kaur’s house to take her daughter to tuition for two consecutive days, she went to the house to know the reason.

Jalandhar, November 1
The district traffic police has proposed to the municipal corporation to declare the road from the BMC Chowk to the administrative complex as the tow-away zone.

If the proposal gets a nod, this will be the fourth tow-away road in the city.

The idea is said to have been pondered upon especially because of the increasing volume of traffic along the road due to the blockage of the other exit route from the city owing to the construction of the ROB on the Lyallpur Khalsa College railway crossing.

“All VIPs entering and moving out of the city have been taking the route from BSF Chowk to BMC Chowk. All public utility offices, including the offices of the divisional commissioner, DC, SSP office and district courts, also fall on the road, which often gets choked due to haphazardly parked cars,” said senior traffic police functionaries.

“We need to discipline the visitors so that they park cars only in the designated areas to ensure smooth movement along the road. This is also necessitated because of an increasing pressure on the road owing to diversion on the route. We are thinking on these lines”, said mayor Rakesh Rathore.

Incidentally, the offices of the PUDA and LIC also fall on this road.

The initial proposal to divert the buses on this route till the construction of the flyover has also been cancelled as of now. This, despite the fact that the railway crossing along the connecting Ladowali Road has been doubled clearing a major traffic snarl, “We cannot move the buses across the BMC Chowk. It already remains so congested right till the tri-junction of the courts area. We cannot make it worse,” said the traffic police officials.

As of now, the buses have been taking a tedious route which includes a detour around the war memorial, following the police lines road and crossing the narrow passage near the construction site of the flyover to move out of the city.

Meanwhile, the traffic police has asked all those indulging in over-speeding and rash driving along national highways falling in the Jalandhar district to tow their line. The senior traffic police officials have passed instructions to the lower-rung staff on carrying out proper working of the highway patrolling and ambulance services along all highways including GT Road, Hoshiarpur Road, Pathankot Road and Nakodar Road.

“Radar-fitted vehicles would be stationed at some distances and all those found over-speeding would be challaned on the spot. The concerned DSPs and SHOs of the areas will be asked to continuously monitor the working of the speed surveillance system and punish the violators,” said SP traffic Rajpal Sandhu.

Jalandhar, November 1
Dal Khalsa has demanded seventy percent reservation in jobs for Punjabis in the industries of the state.

Demanding job quota on the pattern of Maharashtra, Dal Khalsa president Harcharanjeet Singh Dhami said it would not be tolerated that the jobs for Punjabis are being snatched away by migrants.

Dhami also sought a ban for outsiders on the purchase of land in Punjab on the pattern of Himachal, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttaranchal.

Dal Khalsa carried out a ‘Punjab Jagau March’ (Awareness March) from Hoshiarpur to Jalandhar on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the state.

The march started from Kalgidhar Gurdwara in Hoshiarpur and culminated at Gurdwara Nauvi Patshahi at Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar in Jalandhar.

Nawanshahr, November 1
The district Congress has virtually “forgotten” to observe Sankalp Divas to mark the death anniversary of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi here on Friday.

Most of the local Congress leaders and workers when contacted on phone for information regarding any programme scheduled for observing Sankalp Divas, expressed their unawareness about it.

When they were reminded that the death anniversary of the late Prime Minister was being observed as Sankalp Divas, they said that it was the responsibility of the district president to follow the guidelines issued by the party high command.

They had not got any information about it, they added.

Kuldip Singh Rana, district Congress president, when contacted on phone, said Sankalp Divas would be organised at Punjab Mata Vidhyawati Bhawan at 2 pm and tributes would be paid to Indira Gandhi. But no such programme was organised at the venue on the scheduled time.

When the district president was again contacted in the evening, he said earlier he was in Chandigarh and he returned from there at about 3 pm to his native village Jadla and Sankalp Divas was observed at the village. A number of Congress leaders and workers gathered there, he claimed.

Political pundits here have been attributing the whole episode to the prevailing factionalism in the district Congress. Though the Congress managed to win the recently concluded municipal poll with a thumping majority, but in the election to the post of municipal council president the factionalism has again surfaced in the local Congress unit.

Amritsar, November 1
Director research and medical education (DRME) Dr J S Dalal today made a surprise visit at the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital and newly-constructed multi-specialty ward besides other government run hospitals, including the children ward and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital here.

During the checking he found cleanliness and hygienic conditions in several of the wards at the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital unsatisfactory. He immediately reprimanded the concerned doctors and other staff present on the occasion.

He also directed medical superintendent, Dr R P S Boparai to make routine checks in the hospitals.

The DRME also found medical representatives of various pharmaceutical companies meeting with the doctors and roaming around in the hospital premises prior to the timings fixed for the meeting by the hospital authorities.

He asked them to refrain from visiting the hospitals before 2 pm in the afternoon as fixed by authorities.

According to sources, several doctors were also found absent from their OPDs. However, Dr Dalal, when contacted, denied this and said the doctors were carrying out their routine check-ups in their respective medical wards.

He said he would bring all the shortcomings into the notice of the higher authorities besides calling for explanations from the doctors and staff of wards where he found the conditions unsatisfactory. Talking to The Tribune, he said no one would be spared for irresponsible behaviour.

Amritsar, November 1
The national youth festival would be held at Amritsar from January 12-16 next year in which more than 3,000 participants from various states and union territories would participate.

Citing details, minister for sports and animal husbandry Gulzar Singh Ranike said in total 18 events would be held and top teams would be given cash prizes.

Apart from it, two students from each state would be given national awards. He said this would be for first time that a national youth festival would be held in Punjab.

The minister said the festival would give students an opportunity to showcase their traditional and ethnic specialties. Ranike was here to preside over the prize distribution function of youth festival at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Mall Road, on Friday. The students of various schools presented bhangra, gidha, folk songs, ghazals and folk dances at the festival.

The minister said the state government was making serious efforts to preserve and maintain the rich cultural heritage. Ranike exhorted the students to come forward to save the folk arts facing extinction.

Speaking on the occasion, Hridyapal Kaur, director youth welfare, said the state government was making efforts for revival of the youth welfare department.