The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Mohali family perishes in highway crash Our Correspondent Nawanshahr, November 13 As many as 5 persons, including four of a family, were killed, while one was injured in two separate road mishaps on the Nawanshahr-Jalandhar road during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. In an accident near Kahma village, a Maruti car going towards Jalandhar smashed head-on into a Tata 407 coming from the opposite direction, killing Sarabjit Singh (42) of Mohali and his wife Preetinder Kaur (38) on the spot. Their children, Jasleen Kaur (15) and Ekam (7), who were on the back seat, received serious injuries. While Jasleen succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital here, Ekam was referred to DMC, Ludhiana where he too reportedly succumbed to his injuries. The Banga police has registered a case against the Tata 407 driver Ninder Singh of Jalandhar. In yet another accident, a truck and a tractor-trailer collided near Mazari village. The truck cleaner Balbir Singh (20) died on the spot, while driver Ranjit Singh was injured.
	CCTVs couldn’t stop thieves Our Correspondent Pathankot, November 13 The Rs 2.8 lakh-theft at the railways booking room here has left the GRP scratching its head. What’s more alarming is that despite presence of CCTV cameras, the thieves were able to enter the booking room, break open the vault and decamp with the booty. It is also being said that the surveillance cams were not properly functioning and the burglars could have used this to their advantage. Meanwhile, the forensic experts visited the spot today to gather clues. They looked for fingerprints on the window panes and the cash box. However, sources revealed that the prints were not very clear. Also, at many places there were multiple prints. Sat Pal Singh SHO of GRP said the police was investigating the matter and the culprits would be soon brought to the book.
	Fertiliser Furore Govt to farmers: Don’t panic, you’ll get DAP within week Chander Parkash Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, November 13 Darbara Singh Guru, principal secretary to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, today assured the farmers of the district that they would be given DAP fertiliser in adequate quantity within a week. Guru was here today to hold a meeting of the district officials to review the position of availability of DAP fertiliser and the ongoing procurement of paddy. A large section of farmers of the district, to which agriculture minister Sucha Singh Langah belong, have been raising hue and cry over the fact that there is an acute shortage of DAP fertiliser, much needed by them for the sowing of wheat crop. They also alleged that a considerable part of DAP fertiliser, which was meant for Gurdaspur, had been diverted to other destination. Guru assured the farmers that they would be provided DAP fertiliser for using the same during the sowing of wheat crop as per their requirement. Earlier, Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, deputy commissioner, had apprised Guru of the feeling of farmers of the district that there would be shortage of DAP fertiliser for them. The deputy commissioner pointed out that adequate stock of DAP fertiliser could not reach the district within stipulated time as two rakes, which were carrying the fertiliser from Gujarat to districts, were derailed and hence the delay was caused in the delivery of sthe ame to farmers due to unavoidable reasons. He said Guru had disclosed that three rakes of DAP fertiliser, meant exclusively for the Gurdaspur district, would reach there within a week. He added that all the three rakes had left their originating point and were on way to the place. He said the district administration would ensure that requirement of the DAP fertiliser of the farmers of the district be fulfilled within a week. He said the district administration had carried out about 99 per cent procurement of paddy, which arrived in grain markets and purchase centres. The payment of the entire paddy stock, which had been procured by government agencies, had been made fully as per the prescribed norms. He said the procurement of paddy had been going on smoothly.
	AERB for directorate of radiation safety in every state PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 13 To tighten the noose on X-ray and other scan centers violating stringent radiation norms, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) wants to set up directorate of radiation safety (DRS) in every state. The board has called a meeting of principal secretaries of ministry of health and family welfare of all 28 states in January next year to discuss the modalities. R Kanan and VS Iyar, two AERB members, who conducted a surprise check at different scanning centres, including those opposite the government-run hospitals, in the holy city, said the concept of DRS is being introduced on directions of the Supreme Court which wants a regulatory authority to check the mushrooming growth of X-ray and scanning centers, especially in residential areas. The centres flouting the safety code are a serious health hazard, they added. Kanan said till now only Kerala has set up the DRS. In view of the delaying tactics by the state, the board has called an urged meeting of principal secretaries in Mumbai on January 9. The two team members, who ordered closure of an X-ray unit yesterday, were also unhappy over the quality of local-made X-ray machines which they said were substandard. “These machines are not up to mark and can emit dangerous cancer-causing rays,” said Kanan, adding that checks were a must on the manufacturers of these machines. It has also come to the fore that only one or two centers in the city are registered with the AERB. The rest are operating without any approval. Iyar said the board has prescribed guidelines to educate the staff and the patients by sticking stickers and other written material in rooms where X-ray scans are conducted. The team today visited Advance Diagnostic Centre and Nijjer Scan Centre and found the conditions there satisfactory. The team urged all the centres in the state to get themselves registered with the board to avoid penal action. “The erring centres have been given a month’s time to set things right. Our tem will inspect these centres again and those units not meeting the required parameters of safety and precaution would be asked to close down,” said the Mumbai officers. Meanwhile, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission has instructed the secretary of health and family welfare to take necessary action against the defaulting clinics after a petition was filed by Ravinder Kumar, president of All India Youth Association in this regard.
	Bikers among 3 killed in Hoshiarpur Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, November 13 Three persons were killed in two separate road accidents in the district since Wednesday night. According to police sources, two motorcyclists, identified as Jasbir Singh and Prabhjinder Singh, both residents of Bhopur Saidan, Gurdaspur, died when the motorcycle they were riding was crushed in a head-on collision of two trucks near Adda Garna Sahib last night. In another accident, Mandip Singh of Nurpur, Goraya, died and his friends Sandip Singh of Lachowal, Karamjot Singh of Jhawan, Sandip Singh of Kandali Narangpur and Manjit Singh were seriously wounded when their Esteem car, in which they were returning to their homes from Chandigarh, rammed into the divider of the road near Ram Colony Camp on the Hoshiarpur-Chandigarh road last night. All injured were admitted to the local Civil Hospital from where all, except Manjit Singh, were referred to DMC, Ludhiana. Manjit Singh, who received minor injuries, was discharged after first aid.
	Dullo hails Mohsina’s appointment Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, November 13 Hailing the appointment of Mohsina Kidwai as in charge. Punjab affairs, of the Congress, former president of the PPCC Shamsher Singh Dullo fully supported the acceptance of the resignation of Margaret Alva from the post of the AICC general secretary following her allegations of selling party ticket during the May assembly elections in Karnataka by the Congress high command. Talking to mediapersons at Kalichpur Kaloya, Mukerian, today, Dullo said the allegation of Margaret Alva could tarnish the image of the party, which had been functioning totally on democratic lines. To maintain discipline in the party, the acceptance of her resignation was a right step and would be an eyeopener for those party leaders who tried to create indiscipline on petty issues in the party. With the appointment of Mohsina Kidwai as in charge of party affairs of Punjab, the Congress would further strengthen in the state as she was a seasoned politician and already remained in touch with Punjab politics. Referring to the claims of development by the SAD-BJP government in Punjab, Dullo said Punjab was facing serious financial crisis and was only surviving on the grants of the central government. The state government was being run by the family of Parkash Singh Badal. All the decisions were being taken by his family members and state government officers were strictly following them. DAP fertiliser was not available at government agencies, whereas as huge stocks of it were available in the open market. Dullo inaugurated an eye check-up camp at a private school of the area.