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Political Patronage Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, December 11 Corporation officials have already demarcated the land near the Wadala drain. Notices for vacating the land have been issued to 11 parties who have allegedly encroached upon the land which is worth several crores of rupees, but further action in the matter is being delayed due to backing being provided to the encroachers by a political bigwig. The frontal portion of the land, falling right on the main road, has shops given out on rent for running general store, machine repair business and other purposes. A rubber-tube manufacturing group is running a factory on a major chunk of land there. Some portion of the land is also being used as a makeshift accommodation by labourers working in and around the area. There are other portions of the disputed land, around which the alleged encroachers have constructed boundary walls but have not put to use. The MC officials claim that the land came in the territory of the corporation after its limits were extended on the road more than two decades back. Prior to that, the land was owned by the respective panchayat. The officials dealing with the case revealed that the ownership of the area was with certain property dealers who were rather working as a land mafia. “We would have initiated action by now had there been no political pressure on us,” they said. Those occupying the land are in a mood to contest the case. Surinder, who runs an STD booth at the site, said he had been giving out Rs 1,400 rent to “his landlord”. “The shop I am running is on khasra number 78. The MC officials claim it to be khasra number 77 which actually falls on the edge of their property. The MC officials are rather confused about its ownership. They came twice and have made two different demarcations, once calculating from the left side and on the second occasion from the right side,” he said. “The ‘owner of the shop’ already has the registration with him. To safeguard my equipment, I have already vacated the site and shifted it to another shop in the neighbourhood anticipating any loss, which the demolition being planned by the MC officials might cause,” he added. MC commissioner Vinay Bublani said, “I and mayor Rakesh Rathour had culled some old files trying to know details of the land owned by the MC. Finding this patch encroached, we served notices on 11 persons. We have given them time to respond. We will look into their representation. After satisfying the claimants, we will give them time to vacate, failing which we will get into action.” He denied any political patronage. “No one can openly support them, for they are all on the wrong foot,” he stressed.
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The lone rider
Jalandhar, December 11 The rickshaw, rather the monument, which is a combination of Sham Lal’s conviction, creativity, art of decorum, self respect and will to serve society. Sham Lal Sharma, alias Chachaji, was a contractor of canteens and cycle stands in cinema halls. But today he is the owner of the most luxurious rickshaw of the city. His rickshaw, which weighs three times than a normal rickshaw, is equipped with items as varied as an FM radio, television set, five national dailies, indicators, headlights, Maruti battery, fan, cold drinks and even a first-aid box. Mirrors, glass and creatively written poetry and slogans just add to the symbiotic glory of the setting. On being asked about the origin of this idea, Sham Lal replied, “I was a contractor of canteens and cycle stands in cinema halls. After the death of my wife in 1994, I lost my house and even close relatives. I was left with only this option. But I always wanted to make it up differently. So I turned up with my idea. It gives satisfaction when someone watches a cricket match or reads an English newspaper while travelling in my rickshaw. I charge fares which are equal to the ones charged by normal rickshaws. All this adds to the comfort level of my costumers.” He spent approximately Rs 23,000 on this rickshaw as compared to about Rs 6,500 spent on a normal rickshaw. As much as Rs 12,000 is the cost of newspapers with which he converts his rickshaw into a running mini-library since 2004. “Rickshaw number 5307 is one of the most popular items of the Gulab Devi Road area,” he said while pointing towards the number which has been allotted to him permanently by the municipal corporation. When asked about his popularity due to this unique idea, he said, “I always have a mobile phone with me. Customers do call me when he or she needs to go somewhere. Daily frequency of phone calls is three to four. Sometimes, I even need to give appointments. Some foreign tourists and some guides from metropolitans and hill stations have also had a jovial ride on my rickshaw.” “Some families take this rickshaw to bring ‘jot’ from Chintpurani or Jwalaji. It may be due to this reason that I never ask for money from my customers,” he added. He lost his wife due to uterus cancer, his home due to costly treatment, his dream of becoming a big businessman to mental depression and may be a will to buy a luxury car, with all these items inbuilt, to his empty pocket. But there is a lot of difference between his luxurious rickshaw and the pitiable life that he leads. With his cataract-affected eyes, he asks, “No one from my family pulled a rickshaw ever. Why am I here? Seven years back, an old lady kissed my forehead when I pulled her on my rickshaw without charging fare. She said to me that I will become a king, but I know this is my world, me and my rickshaw.” The multiple spaces of his plaque-loaded teeth playing peek-a-bow as he talks, he says, “I have all those problems like others. I have no voter ID, no ration card, no money for the treatment of my eyes, no family, I live in a garage….. I have no home.”
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VC ‘missing’ at PTU’s new home
Jalandhar, December 11 But the elegance and idle comfort of the room hang like heavy silence in the air prompting a question into the mind of anyone who happens to take a look at it. Who will operate from this new room on the first floor of the newly constructed PTU building which, at the moment, lies locked? There’s even a plate mentioning “vice-chancellor” outside the room. But the absence of another plate, which should have had his name mentioned on the top, leaves everyone speculating. The PTU has already started functioning from the new building. The secrecy branch of the examination section has already shifted all the records on the third floor there. The clerical staff of the branch too have started operating from the newly set-up work stations there. The entire office equipment, from the registrar and dean examination offices, will also reportedly shift to the new building tomorrow. The PTU authorities have already outsourced the security and house-keeping facilities. A small canteen has also started functioning, catering to the basic needs of the staff there. Tenders for a full-fledged canteen and bus service contracts have already been floated. The university authorities are said to have obtained a clearance from the environment ministry for getting the power connection. Till date, the electricity requirements have been met by means of a generator. The building has been set up in two parts. The front block, that has four floors, will function as an administrative block and the general block at the rear, which has eight floors. The exact sitting plan is yet to be finalised.
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All set for NRI convention today
Jalandhar, December 11 Former president and senior member Pritam Singh Narangpuri said the members wanted that the decisions in these courts should be out in three months, six months or may be even a year, whatever time is suitable, but most cases went on endlessly causing much harassment to the NRI community.
Narangpuri added, “We want the cases to be solved in the same district rather than being clubbed with the satellite districts. This will save the NRIs from being forced to shuttle between various towns and several departments to get the matter resolved.”
The sabha is planning to get its own building constructed. The land where the sabha building is currently situated was earlier with the divisional commissioner, Jalandhar, but has now been transferred to the sabha. Building plans have been finalised and tenders for allotment of construction work are being floated, reveal sabha members. The sabha convention scheduled for tomorrow has been sponsored by Punjab National Bank. MPs and ministers from Canada and England are expected to participate in the mega event. Sabha patron Surjit Singh Rakhra, president Kamaljit Singh Hayre and Punjab singer Pammi Bai will also attend the convention.
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City bus service: MC unveils hi-tech plans
Jalandhar, December 11 Providing conveyance to the troubled citizens, who had hitherto been searching for a convenient commuting option, the bus service is attracting passengers at a rapid rate. The number of commuters opting for the service has gone up to 8,000 per day from 4,000 in September this year. Started on August 17 with a total of four buses at that time, the municipal corporation is providing service to the passengers with a fleet of 16 buses. The bus service covers four major routes in the city, though demand from other routes is rising rapidly. The total distance covered by the buses in initial days was around 700 km which has now risen to 2,800 km daily. The progress percentage in the registration of permanent bus passes also narrates the same story. The progress percentage saw an increase of nearly 100 per cent in October and then nearly 150 per cent in November. The facility to issue passes is being provided at 10
different locations. “We are going to establish at least 83 bus queue shelters in the city. These will be equipped with public information system which will display the location of the bus and its expected time of arrival. Buses will be equipped with the global positioning system. All this would be controlled through the server in the control room of the city bus service. People can enjoy this service within coming weeks,” said municipal corporation joint commissioner Rahul Gupta. “As there is a continuous increase in demand, we are going to expand the network of the bus service in the coming months and also add more number of buses in the fleet,” he added.
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Campus crooks watch out, LPU all set to hit a technical high
Jalandhar, December 11 The cameras will be put up outside the campus gates, on the grounds, in classrooms, corridors, hostels, canteens, laboratories, examination halls, seminar halls and auditoriums. University officials also plan to set up a control room from where the day-long activities at various places would be watched on television and run through to check any untoward incident. Disclosing this, corporate relations director Aman Mittal said any untoward incident, of valuables going missing, etc. or any other immoral mischief would get recorded automatically and would remain saved for a few days. “We have thousands of students, hundreds of faculty members, a huge chunk of non-teaching employees and scores of outsiders on our campus at any given point of time. With such a huge strength, chances of unlikely incidents occurring on the campus also remain high. But with the system in place, a hidden eye will ensure safety of our students and staff,” he said. He said, “Our control room will be our complaint centre for any such incident. Students and staff members can lodge any complaint of the sort. Through our CCTVs, we would be able to get back to the time and place of the event, ascertain the facts and bring the guilty to book.” Mittal added that the system would also help them keep watch on the teaching practices followed in the class. “In case, we find that a teacher is unable to handle the class, we can immediately summon him or her,” he said. In a bid to make the campus high-tech, the LPU authorities also plan to have e-notices. “There will be no need to get multiple copies of a notice printed and pasted on notice boards. Instead, we will have LCD or plasma screens in all departments and continue to flash any notice of a holiday, examination or any other activity through it,” he said. The university had earlier issued smart cards to the students and staff. The cards are being currently used for attendance and library use only. “We are planning to use them even as money cards. We are getting in touch with banks for the purpose. The parents will be able to get some money deposited in the cards of their wards. The students will then be able to use it for depositing fee, paying library fines, funds, canteen bills and other payments. Students will have no excuses of no money available with them for footing various bills,” he said. In a yet another tech-savvy move, to ensure no book lifting from the library, the authorities have inserted certain electro-magnetic markers inside all books. “In case a student tries to come out without getting the book duly issued, he will be caught by the beep of the alarm at the exit door,” he revealed.
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Students raise voice against terrorism
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, December 11 Youth fest winners
Students of Guru Nanak Khalsa Girls College, Sang Dhesian, bagged various positions in the inter-zonal youth festival held at Guru Nanak Dev University. Gurpreet secured the first place in fancy dress, Manpreet the second position in histrionics, while “Sahiban”, a play written by Joginder Baharla, was adjudged third. Vice-chancellor Dr Jairup Singh gave away trophies to the students. Teachers’ workshop
A one-day teachers’ workshop was organised at St. Soldier College on Wednesday. Educationist Dr D.R. Vij was the chief guest. The topic of the workshop was “How to make the best of it”. About 100 students of classes XI and XII and graduation attended the workshop. Dr Vij addressed on adolescence age. Dr Vij said it was the duty of teachers to
understand the mind of students and develop positive approach among them. Process associates
A campus placement drive was organised by Wipro at the CT group of institutions, in which 10 graduates were selected as process associates for the customer contact centres for the technical as well as customer support at a package of Rs 1.66 lakh each. The selected candidates would join the organisation after the completion of their course. Campus placements
ICICI Prudential conducted campus placements for the students of MBA (2007-09 batch) at the Apeejay Institute of Management, Hoshiarpur Road, Jalandhar. Six students, Banmeet Singh, Abhishek Goyal, Deepti Duggal, Aditya Arora, Neeraj Gulati and Kanika Verma, were selected at an annual package of Rs 2.88 lakh each. Varsity toppers
Harpreet Kaur, a student of BA-III (hons) of KMV College, got the second place in Guru Nanak Dev University. Similarly, students of BA-II (hons) attained outstanding positions. The first position was achieved by Jyotika followed by Palak who stood second. The third position went to Puneet, while Sharanjeet and Mehak bagged the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
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Immediate steps needed to curb rise in
Jalandhar, December 11 The crash ratio per 10,000 vehicles is the highest in Fatehgarh Sahib and Roopnagar with 38.5 and 36.3 per cent, respectively. Deaths due to accidents were 2,900 in 2006 and 3,300 in 2007 as compared to 480 in 1980. Up to 2000, the death rate due to road accidents had risen up by 500 per cent. It is simply a question of will to implement the existing road rules and regulations. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) recently conducted a survey by taking 16,802 motorists and 3,014 cyclists as subjects. Pedestrian-crossing by 75 per cent, high-beam-headlight by 71 per cent, wrong parking by 65 per cent, wandering animals by 64 per cent and air/noise pollution, by 59 per cent of the total respondents, were cited as the major reasons. Mass campaigns are needed to educate people to overcome these traffic-rule violations. Strict rules (fine plus imprisonment) should be in existence. Use of mobile phones while driving is banned in India along with 39 other countries, but no one cares. There should be speed limits both for heavy and light vehicles not only on highways but also on other roads. Breath analysers/sensors should be installed at every checkpost. Margins on all roads should be marked with strips of white paint to avoid road mishaps during fog. Reflectors at speed breakers and bridges would help check accidents. All roads should be cleared of encroachments. Use of private vehicles should be discouraged. It’s only possible by promoting other means of transportation (both on local and inter-city routes) like buses, local buses, metros, etc. Trauma centres and first-aid-care units should be established at every district headquarters.
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‘Naturescapes’ on display
from Sunday Jalandhar, December 11 Born in Dhudike in Moga district, Kanwaljit Singh has produced wonderful studies of nature close-up with precise aesthetic sense. He has an eye to study the colour composition of different lines and patterns. Kanwaljit Singh has captured beauty of his surroundings. His first exhibition “Frozen Frames” in 1997 was well received by art critics. The second exhibition “Meri Dharti Mere Lok” in Toronto, Canada, Vancouver and Surrey attracted large crowds. A senior news reader with Jalandhar Doordarshan, Kanwaljit Singh’s poetry, based on slide shows “Zindgi Dian Ruttan Hanere Vich Bathera Tur Liya Hai” and “Birkh Tainu Arz Karda Hai” had got a large applaud from the audience. A product of Fine Arts College, Chandigarh, Taljit Singh has a distinct style of painting. Having to his credit over 500 paintings of different series, including architecture, dreams and abstracts, Taljit Singh is a keen musician. His present work of nature is also inspired by his surroundings.
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SSA to conduct science, math exams for classes V, VIII
Jalandhar, December 11 The students of class V will appear for mathematics exam, while those of class VIII will appear for science and maths both. Both exams are primarily aimed at increasing the knowledge and clearing the basic fundamentals of students in these subjects. And in an attempt to receive maximum response in the exam, the SSA authorities have announced a cash prize for the first three positions at the district level. The winner at the district level would receive a cash prize of Rs 2,100, followed by Rs 1,500 and a third prize of 1,000. At the state level, the prize money will be Rs 5,100 for the first position, Rs 4,100 for the second and Rs 3,100 for the third position. District education officer (secondary) Harinder Sahni said, “We have witnessed that the students usually face problem in these subjects. And keeping this factor in mind we are conducting this exam. We have already asked the teachers concerned to include as many teachers as they can.” “As both classes are crucial for further stepping into senior classes, therefore these exams would definitely pay rich dividends to the students of these classes,” said Sahni. The mathematics exam of class V would include basic arithmetic, geometry and much more. While the exam of class VIII students would include physics, biology and chemistry and that of mathematics will comprise compound interest, profit and loss and currency conversion. Sahni said, “The exams will indeed help us in achieving our target of increasing the knowledge base of the students at grassroots level.”
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