The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Aged woman duped of Rs 4 lakh Cops take 10 months to register FIR Dharmendra Joshi Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 9 It took as many as 10 months for the district police to register an FIR on a complaint by an aged woman. Kamlesh Bhatia, of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, alleged in her complaint submitted to the concerned police station number four as DDR 284 A on April 2, 2008, that an authorised small saving agent Naresh Kumar fraudulently misappropriated her joint monthly income scheme (MIS) deposit account in connivance with the concerned postal officials by forging signatures and thus defrauded her of Rs 4,37,800. It was on February 4 this year that the district police finally decide to register the complaint made 10 months ago and that too after consistently being pressed for it by the aggrieved woman. The FIR was registered against the agent Naresh Kumar, the then senior post master of Jalandhar, the then assistant post master of Saheed Udham Singh Nagar and concerned clerk of GPO under sections 406, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120 B of IPC. However, no arrest has been made so far. Interestingly, when contacted, Nirmal Singh, the SHO concerned told The Tribune the matter was being investigated and the police was in the process of seizing the concerned record. Further action would be taken after completion of the investigation, he added. At the same time, he said the postal department told him that complainant Kamlesh Bhatia held joint accounts with her late father Dev Raj Bhatia and the latter had reinvested the money in his son’s name before his death. Rubbishing this, the complainant said as per the rules of the postal department, a premature amount can be released only with the written consent of both the depositors or with the written consent of the survivor. Further, to withdraw the money, the depositor is required to be present or he may send his passbook with an application for withdrawal properly filled and signed by the depositor and as per government rules, agents cannot act as messengers for withdrawal nor can they identify the depositor, she added. Moreover, according to section 269 (T) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, any amount above Rs 20,000 is to be paid by crossed cheques only. In case of reinvestment, the depositor has to fill the application and then the particulars of redeposition are to be written in place of cheque number. A retired government teacher, Kamlesh on verification, came to know that on June 3, 2003 and nearby dates, accused Naresh Kumar, without due consent, approval or authority, had withdrawn the amount by getting the identification done through some agent, Kamlesh stated in her complaint. She further alleged that the officials of the department of posts, acting in connivance with Naresh Kumar, gave him cash amount in place of cheque without the availability of SB-3 forms (account opening form), any statutory endorsement on the warrants of payment and without the production of the passbook. Further, the reinvestment should have been in the name of the same depositors, she added.
	PUDA Scheme Applicants receive refund drafts, but invalid ones Deepkamal Kaur/TNS Jalandhar, February 9 The applicants of the PUDA’s housing scheme who had been awaiting refund for the last two years were pleasantly surprised this weekend as some of them started receiving drafts for refund of its demand survey conducted way back in 2003. But their joy was short-lived as they found that their drafts being seven-month-old are invalid. A Nawanshahr-based CA, Yogesh Kumar, said it was on Saturday that he received a draft but he found it to be invalid since it had crossed the six-month validity period. “One of my neighbourers Rishi Tejpal and a couple of my friends also received a draft on the same day. But all of us have the same common problem. Since the PUDA and the HDFC Bank need to revalidate a number of drafts in Nawanshahr, they should hold a camp here in a liaison to solve our problem. “Since it is the PUDA and bank authorities who are at fault, they should reach out to us rather that we approaching them one by one and commuting to Jalandhar. Besides, there are many like my brother Manish Kumar who are yet to receive the refunds,” he rued. Another Nawanhshahr resident, Sushma Saini, said it was at 5.30 pm on Saturday that she received the draft to the tune of Rs 3,000 in the name of her daughter Era Saini. “I was a bit relieved to receive it but it was later in the evening that someone pointed out that the draft dated July 9, 2008 is invalid and that we would have to get it made afresh,” she said. Sushma, who works in the blood bank there, said she herself was an applicant and her draft to the tune of Rs 2,500 was pending. Jaspal Singh Gidda, also from Nawanshahr, said he, too, was awaiting drafts in the name of his wife and brother. PUDA estate officer Harbir Singh said the problem of the applicants would be rectified in a few days. He said he had asked the bank officials to send the drafts through registered post rather than by courier. He said he had issued directions of compliance to the officials warning them of getting blacklisted in case they did not follow them.
	Girl from Assam languishing at station for 15 days Bipin Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 9 Allegedly abandoned by certain youths after being allured from Khunadpur district in Assam, a teenaged girl with injuries has been languishing at the Jalandhar railway station for almost 15 days. Barely able to stand on her legs, the agony of Divya is that she has no control over her urine and stool and is on the mercy of a kind-hearted tea-vendor, Umesh, at platform no 4 at the station. Suffering from injuries in her spinal-cord and legs, she was found unconscious in a DMU train three days before Republic Day by railway employees during shunting. The girl, with whatever Hindi she knew, recalled that Riti Kishan, a neighbourer in Khunadpur, lured her to Haryana almost a month ago. She was kept in captivity by two friends of Riti Kishan --- Akash Deep and Gambhir. The girl said she was living with her mom after the death of her father a couple of years ago in Assam. Umesh, who has been looking after Divya and has provided her clothing, claimed that she wants to go back to home. “I have been providing her food and other goods of necessity since after she came here. Though she is unable to communicate properly, I have assured her to send back home after she recovers from her injuries,” he said. Interestingly, the railway authorities and the railway police were unaware of the injured girl.
	Tribune Impact At last, post office shifts to new building Parmod Bharti Nawanshahr, February 9 At last, the local post office has been shifted to the new building constructed in the District Administrative Complex. After inaugurating the new post office building here today, Jaswinder Singh, postmaster general (PMG), Punjab, said the ultra-modern facilities like e-post, e-money orders, Western Union Money transfer and web-based services would be provided here. The services would virtually prove a boon to the NRIs belonging to the region, he added. It is worthwhile here to mention that though the construction work of the new post office building was completed early last year, the post office authorities have been finding it difficult to make it operational due to inordinate delay in getting power, sewerage and drinking water connections. After facing a lot of difficulties in getting power connection, the post office authorities had to face the dilly-dallying approach by the local municipal council in releasing sewerage and water supply connections. Due to inordinate delay in providing basic civic amenities, the post office employees were forced to work in the dilapidated old post office building that too in the unsanitary conditions as in the absence of proper drainage system, the filthy water often accumulated in the old post office building. In December last year, The Tribune highlighted the issue prominently. After publication of the news, the municipal authorities were pulled up by the then deputy commissioner Nilkanth Avhad and were asked to accelerate the process of equipping the new building with the requisite civic amenities.
	SAD, BJP activists perform langar sewa Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 9 Members of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the Amritsar West assembly segment, led by BJP’s state secretary Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, performed langar sewa (community service) at the Golden Temple today. Staff and students of Khalsa schools and colleges falling in the constituency also participated in the langar sewa, initiated by Surinder Kaur Badal, wife of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Chhina said all devotees gathered at Bhai Gurdas Hall and were joined by another group led by member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) from the area Jaswinder Singh Advocate. Earlier, he said, the participants chopped green vegetables and prepared raw material to be cooked for breakfast at the langar hall last evening. Reciting the name of the Almighty, they proceeded from Bhai Gurdas Hall to the Golden Temple in the form of a religious procession in the morning and prepared lunch and dinner for thousands of devotees visiting Harmandar Sahib from all over the country. Chhina said a 1,000 litre water purifier worth Rs 4.50 lakh was donated by the sangat besides grocery items and vegetables.
	Guru Ravidass Jayanti SGPC holds special Gurbani kirtan Amritsar, February 9 The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) celebrated the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidass by holding a special Gurbani kirtan at the Diwan hall of Gurdwara Manji Sahib on the Golden Temple complex today. Jathedar, Akal Takht, Giani Gurbachan Singh said about 40 hymns of Bhagat Ravidass were enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib. He said hymns of Bhagat Ravidass inspired human beings to industriously perform in their chosen professions besides dedicatedly reciting the name of the Almighty. Avtar Singh, president, SGPC, said the life of Bhagat Ravidass was worth emulating for the mankind. Hazoori raagi jathas of the Golden Temple, kavishers and dhadhi jathas performed the kirtan. Office-bearers of the Bhagat Ravidas Ji Sewa Samiti, Roorki, including Chander Bhan, president, Jai Prakash, Satyapal, Ashish Kumar, Sia Das and Megh Singh, all members, were honoured with siropas. Hoshiarpur: Member of Rajya Sabha and BSP chief of Punjab unit Avtaar Singh Karimpuri extended greetings on the occassion of Guru Ravidass Jayanti here. — TNS/OC