Jalandhar, January 24
A grain market will be set up in Jalandhar cantonment Vidhan Sabha constituency. The process to acquire 12 acres of land to set up the market has begun.

“We hope that the construction work will begin in next two to three months,” said Akali MLA Jagbir Singh Brar, who represents the constituency.

Brar said on the instructions given by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the Punjab Mandi Board had earmarked the money for the market.

In absence of the grain market in the area, people from some of the villages adjacent to the cantonment had to go to Phagwara to sell their food grains.

Asked about the development plan chalked out for the constituency, Brar said his priorities were to provide potable water and to improve infrastructure in the schools, besides providing sewer system in the vast area of cantonment.

“We have spent Rs 3.5 crore to set up water works in five villages, including Badhiana, Salarpur, Raipur, Johlan and Dhada,” he said.

Besides, water works were being set up in 10 other villages, including Kot Kalan, Kot Khurad, Hazara, Bolina and Parasnpur, to provide potable water to people.

Science blocks have been provided at five schools in villages, including Hazrara, Raipur, Girls School Pattran, Uchha and Kotli Rath Singh, Brar said, adding on each block Rs 45 lakh had been spent.

He said Rs 60 crore had been approved for a sewer system in the Rama Mandi, Waring, Pragpur, Deepnagar, Nangal Shama, Chokha and other adjoining localities falling within the corporation limit in the cantonment constituency.

He said the work on the flyover, that was earlier going at the slow pace, near Khalsa College, has been expedited and other bridge would be constructed near BMC with an a cost of Rs 25 crore.

Jalandhar, January 24
The municipal corporation, Jalandhar is at loggerheads with the PUDA for non-payment of its sewage disposal bills to the tune of Rs 1.25 crore for the Urban Estate locality.

While the corporation officials claim that PUDA has to pay the amount as 50 per cent sharing charges of the disposal cost, the officials of the PUDA argue that they have already made the requisite payment. The two parties have been corresponding with each other by shooting off a volley of letters.

The superintending engineer (O&M) of the MC VP Singh said PUDA has to pay up the cost and services for connecting the area with the main sewer lines and discharging the waste towards its Pholariwal treatment plant. “They have to bear the cost by any means,” he asserted.

Additional chief administrator-cum-estate officer of PUDA Harbir Singh, however, said, “I have given the MC a reply that we do not owe a single penny to them. We have already paid the amount.”

But the SE (O&M) contradicts, “No, we have not received any money. They are yet to pay up. I have received a letter from them but since they are not ready to pay up, we will now take up the matter at the highest level, may be with the principal secretary, urban development.”

Meanwhile, another bone of contention between the two departments, the issue of the payment of Rs 30 lakh as the disposal charges for Chhoti Baradari area, is likely to get resolved.

The PUDA officer said, “We have told our senior officials in Chandigarh that we owe them only 30 lakh.” It is learnt that the colony residents will have to bear the brunt for the dues are likely to be collected from them.

The municipal corporation officials are currently on a recovery spree. The SE said, “We have been publishing the list of defaulters in the newspapers, following which 50 per cent of them are paying up. We have collected Rs 12 crore, though the budget target is Rs 18 crore. We are Rs 2.5 crore up from the last year’s collection.”

Some other government departments including police are also yet to make the payment for sewage disposal in Police Lines locality.

Jalandhar, January 24
Members of the Punjab Police Wallon Training Prapat Berozgar Union today held a protest in front of the office of the DC.

They demanded that they be given priority in the next recruitment of police personnel being conducted by the state government.

Union president Pradeep Singh said the government should consider applications of the over 400 youths who got two months’ training at the Punjab Police Training Centre at Jahan Khelan in Hoshiarpur.

During this period, they were trained in the use of various weapons besides other tactics of the police, he said.

Amritsar, January 24
As many as three persons of a family were killed while four others, including a woman and a minor girl, had a narrow escape when a speeding jeep fell into a rain and sewerage water channel outside Bhakna village on Amritsar- Attari road here late last night.

Those killed were identified as Puran Singh of Malluwal village, Jiwan Singh of Adaliwal near Rajasansi and his son Daddo.

According to the information, the victims were returning to their Adaliwal village after meeting their relatives in Malluwal village when the incident took place. Puran Singh and Jiwan Singh died on the spot.

Hazara Singh, Moko and Baby, who escaped unhurt, managed to come out of damaged vehicle after breaking the window panes.

They called their relatives over a phone and told them about the mishap. The villagers immediately rushed to spot and took out the bodies of Puran and Jiwan.

However, the body of Daddo could not be traced due to darkness and was dragged out in the morning.

It is learnt that the Daddo, who is a driver, had brought the vehicle without the knowledge of his owner and he was in hurry to return the vehicle.

The two guards at Bhakna Kalan bus stop said the Scorpio vehicle (PB-02-AP-2707) was being driven at high speed by Daddo.

He lost control of the vehicle and fell into the sewerage channel. The police initiated the action while the bodies of the deceased were handed over the family members.

Amritsar, January 24
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would unfurl the Tricolour during the Republic Day function to be held at the Guru Nanak Stadium at Gandhi grounds here on January 26. Strict security cover has been enforced in and around the venue.

Leaving nothing to chance, the police pressed in a dog squad to look for any fissile material while policemen were deployed in full strength.

As many as three contigents of the Amritsar police, two of Majitha police, one of Home Guards and four of NCC, besides nine school band teams would be the attraction of the parade.

GS Grewal, IG, Government Railway Police (GRP), Punjab, said before the Republic Day celebrations security was beefed up at all railway stations across the state.

In order to keep a close watch on activities in stations, CCTVs were being used. Besides, platforms, waiting halls and godowns were being closely observed.

Tarn Taran, January 24
The police has claimed to have solved the murder of 22-year-old Avtar Singh by arresting his younger brother Gurpreet Singh (20) and his friend Jagjit Singh of Kairowal village, five km from here.

Avtar was found murdered in the fields of his farm house on January 12. A case under section 302, 34 of the IPC was registered on the statement of the Gurpreet Singh, who alleged that his brother was murdered by some unidentified persons.

Talking to mediapersons here today, SSP Harinder Singh Chahal said a special investigating team was formed by the police under the supervision of SP (Detective) Malwinder Singh Sidhu.

The team found Gurpreet Singh and his friend Jagjit Singh allegedly responsible for the murder. The SSP said the accused have confessed to their crime.

Revealing the cause of the murder, the SSP said Gurpreet had taken an amount of Rs 50,000 from the arthia and he feared that if his elder brother came to know about the matter he would either beat him up or turn him out of the house.

So Gurpreet in connivance with his friend on the night of January 11 served him food with intoxicants and then brought him to the fields where they murdered him with sharp-edged weapons.

He said due to anti-worker policies of the officer, several workers of the union have been facing problems.

During the protest, Kumar asked the agitating members of the union to come to Ferozpore on January 27 to sort out the problems.