Amritsar, March 13
The recent deaths of two teenagers in the Anngarh area in a blast at an illegal firecracker unit being run by an SPO has once again brought the focus on the illegal and unauthorised firework factories running under the very nose of the civil and police administration and raised many questions over the government’s functioning in the city.

Infamous for bootlegging and drug addiction, Anngarh is also known as mini Sivakasi of Amritsar due to a large number of illegal pyrotechnics (fireworks) and cracker units being run with impunity. (Sivakasi is a city in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu where hundreds of units manufacture firecrackers). The number swells further as many small-scale units come up during Divali season.

A large number of children and women, all lacking basic training, are involved in the manufacture of crackers in these units, operating from their dingy houses in Anngarh and its surrounding areas.

Exposed to constant risk as they are, the administration has totally failed to come out with any plan to save the young lives being consumed by illegal manufacturers using inflammable material.

A leading social activist said all this happened due to the patronage of political goons who had a clout in the civil and police administration in running the cracker units with the sanction from the explosives department of the Government of India.

A resident (on condition of anonymity) of the area said several dons had sprung up in the area and had been controlling the trade with political patronage while the police and administration looked the other way.

It is pertinent to mention that during the past three years, the police has registered only a dozen cases in this regard, while investigations have not followed.

All rules governing the manufacturing of fireworks were being flouted with impunity.

The government must come out with a foolproof plan to engage the young children for purposeful earning of their livelihood by patronising the cracker manufacturing in the city as it has provided employment to a large number of young persons in the area. According to an estimates, this illegal trade does annual business of Rs 2 crore.

Amritsar, March 13
In the absence of “adequate accommodation” in the SGPC-run inns, 1,200 members of the Gondia Anandpur-Amritsar Sikh Yatra Sewa Samiti and the Bir Khalsa Sewa Dal, Nagpur, did not stay overnight after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple.

Inder Kumar Hemraj Rahi, chief sewadar, Yatra Sewa Samiti, said all the members came from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Orissa. He alleged that they were denied accommodation last year as well following which they decided not to stay here for the night as a mark of their silent protest.

He said the group contributed 1,100 bottles of blood in the blood donation camp held at Anandpur Sahib on Hola Mohalla.

He said for the past three years they had been visiting the holiest Sikh shrine in the world by hiring a special train from the Indian Railways. Free travel was made available to the pilgrims in the 15-coach train after a payment of Rs 30 lakh.

The special train chugged out from Gondia (Madhya Pradesh) on March 8 and reached Anandpur Sahib on March 10. On the night of March 11 it left Anandpur Sahib and reached Amritsar the next morning. After paying obeisance at Harmandar Sahib, it set out on the return journey the same night, he added.

He said, their groups had jointly been visiting Amritsar for the past 17 years but three years ago they decided to hire a train to visit other holy shrines of the Sikhs.

Kuldip Singh Bawa, in charge sarai, could not be contacted despite repeated efforts.

Amritsar, March 13
Amanpreet Singh, a student of Delhi Public School, has made the city proud by getting selected for the prestigious interim scholarship programme of one month in Japan.

He is the only student from the holy city and one of the top 10 students to be selected from the north zone by the Indian Chapter of the Youth for Understanding International (YFUI), a global body, for Japan and prepare an assessment of his experience there.

Two students each made it to the scholarship programme to Japan from Jalandhar, Patiala and Ludhiana, while only one student each was selected at the tough preliminaries from Shimla, Delhi and Amritsar, making it a team of 10 from India

Talking to the media after his return from New Delhi, Amanpreet said in order to have a better interaction with the Japanese way of life he learnt their language in the Capital city. He said he had to write articles on a number of current issues, including femicide, which lead to his selection.

Amritsar, March 13
Niche area of excellence, a Central Government-funded scheme, along with Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, organised a field seminar on the rice residue management using happy seeder at Machhiwala village, Ramdas, recently.

Dr S.S. Gosal, Additional Director Research, PAU, presided over the function. H.S. Sidhu briefed farmers on the functioning of the machine as it could directly be drilled into combine-harvested paddy fields without burning the rice straw. 

Besides sowing the seed, it could spread the rice straw on surface of fields, which further get decomposed when the wheat crop is irrigated. Dr Gurjit Singh told the farmers that happy seeder would not only conserve the soil moisture but also improve the beneficial micro flora of the soil. 

About 650 acres of land was sown with happy seeder in the area adjoining Ramdas, which is the maximum in the state.

Dr Yadvinder Singh said it saved nearly Rs 2,000 in comparison to other methods.

Amritsar, March 13
The Punjab Shaheed Bhagat Singh Naujwan Sabha and the Punjab Student Federation here today said they would continue their agitation over alleged tampering of the original structure of Jallianwala Bagh.

Demanding installation of Udham Singh’s statue, besides keeping his belongings in the museum, sabha general secretary Pargat Singh and PSF general secretary Gurjinder Singh Randhawa said they would hold a state-level convention in which eight organisations, including the sabha, the PSF, the PSU and the Bharat Naujwan Sabha, would participate to discuss the future course of action on the issue.

Pargat said the historic garden should be handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for its preservation. He said a committee should be constituted, which should include sabha members, youth organizations, besides different NGOs.

Meanwhile, Pargat said they would make a human chain to mark the martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on March 23. 

He said the chain would commence from the statue of Udham Singh at Hall Gate and end at Jallianwala Bagh where they would pay tributes to him.

Amritsar, March 13
The Chinmaya Mission here has achieved a unique distinction of spreading a spiritual message to all segments of society, besides embarking upon social responsibilities to uplift the city people, both spiritually and social empowerment.

The mission, which completes 10 years of its existence in the holy city, has created a niche among the awakened people, besides lending a helping hand to the poor sections of society.

The main feature of the mission is the setting up of Vanprastha Sansthan for the senior citizens. Mohindru said they organised regular meetings and interactions with the 60-plus generation and added that these camps were conducted by specialists from the Central Chinmaya Vanprastha Sansthan, Allahabad. 

He said special emphasis was being given to the generation-next for which the Chinmaya Yuva Kendra had been established. He said the youngsters participated in a quiz contest and said the kendra organised “face examination tension free” for the students.

The president said the Chinmaya Mission’s world chief Swami Tejomayananda would launch the construction of Chinmaya Ashram on March 15 to commemorate 10 glorious years in the city.

He said the ashram would include a temple complex, a community and meditation hall, a library, a reading hall and a vocational training centre in the Ranjit Avenue complex.

Amritsar, March 13
Avid cricket fan and kite-maker Jagmohan Kanojia has made a 4-inch long and 3-inch wide kite in a glass bottle with one inch mouth. He has prepared a kite on Tricolour with the picture of Virender Sehwag imposed on it after he made the national record of scoring the fastest century off 60 balls. 

In order to felicitate the Nawab of Najafgarh, Kanojia, in his inimitable style, prepared the kite in a bottle. Earlier, he had made a kite with the picture of US President Barrack Obama imposed on it in a 500-watt electric bulb. 

He has made a tiniest kite of 2.5 mm. His devotion towards fading art of kite making could be gauged from the fact that he constructed a water tank at his house, a nameplate at the entrance of his residence and a mirror in the kite shape.

He also wears a gold locket of kite shape. He has handed over kites in bottles to Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh.

A strong votary of planting saplings, he recorded his name in the Limca Book of Records by growing a 32-foot papaya tree in his kitchen garden in 2000. Currently, he has grown a 17-foot high rose plant.

Amritsar, March 13
“We should take inspiration and encouragement from the parents of Pinki, the main protagonist of the short documentary ‘Smile Pinki’ which recently won the Oscar,” says Dr Amandeep Kaur of Amandeep Hospital, one of the hospitals of Punjab which has collaborated with Smile Train, an NGO involved in providing free surgeries to patients born with cleft lips and palates.

Amandeep Hospital has been associated with Smile Train since 2004 and has operated about 1,850 patients since then. Dr Ravi Mahajan, the team leader of the hospital, rued that many families were still hesitant of taking this free opportunity .

Talking about the mission, he said the hospital, along with Smile Train, visited people in villages to find out the patients and bore all the expenditure of their transport. He said it also compensated their wages.

Amritsar, March 13
Classical musicians should also be given a chance to perform at reality shows which would help in promoting India’s traditional musical instruments and talent as the present-day generation is largely unaware of the richness of Indian classical music which has captivated huge audiences across the globe.

These sentiments were echoed by world renowned artistes during the four-day 105th raag sabha organised at the Durgiana Temple by the Laxmi Narayaran Raag Sabha here recently.

A majority of the artistes felt that Indian classical music would, once again, achieve its pristine glory if the young audiences continued to flock the concerts in India and abroad.

They said they were pleased to note that youngsters were coming in large numbers to listen to the ancient Indian music which had won many hearts during the medieval ages and now in the 21st century.

Awarded with the National Kumar Gandharva award (2006), Lifetime Achievement award (2001), Sahara - Lifetime Achievement award (2001) and Aditya Vikram Birla Kalakiran Puraskar (1999), artiste Ronu Majumdar said the government and the corporate sector must join hands to promote the immensely rich traditions of Indian music which had seen its pinnacle during the pre-partition times.

He said he started his career and learnt the flute from his father late Dr Bhanu Majumdar and added that he would not make his art commercial and continue to play flute at the appreciative concerts in the country and abroad.

Bhola Nath Mishra (vocalist), Ram Kumar Mishra (tabla), Prof Alankar Singh (vocalist), Dr M. Narmada (violinist) and Navdeep Chakravarty were among the other leading artistes who performed at the sammelan.

Mishra enthralled the audience with his rendition of Raag Maarwa and thumri and the audience erupted with applause with his classical vocal numbers on the occasion of Holi - “Mohe rang mat dalo Kanha.. Mohe laaj laage”. He was accompanied by Mehmud Dholpuri on harmonium and Pt Ram Kumar Mishra on tabla. Later, violinist Dr Narmada regaled the audience.

Amritsar, March 13
Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD), the oldest Sikh institution, has acquired prime land on the Ram Tirath road to construct an old-age home at a cost of Rs 1.75 crore to restore the self-respect and prestige of senior citizens. The proposed old-age home would come up at the backside of the Central Orphanage where Shaheed Udham Singh had studied.

The foundation stone of the old-age home was laid on January 26 by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. As per the design prepared by the CKD, the proposed five-storey building has 56 ultra-modern rooms with facilities like a common room, a recreation room, a library and a lift. 

It is surrounded by serene and placid surroundings. Excellent and hygienic food facilities will be provided in the home. World-class comfortable furniture will be provided keeping in view the old age and various medical problems. A doctor will also be available round the clock. 

Another project of the CKD, presently under construction, is the seven-storey Chief Khalsa Diwan Prachar Kendra on the land donated by Mata Laj Kaur of Mumbai.

The CKD has built Guru Arjan Dev Auditorium at the GT Road School at a cost of Rs 60 lakh. It is constructed on ultra-modern lines and has a capacity of about 300 people. The auditorium is centrally air-conditioned with adjustable seats with fire alarm.

Amritsar, March 13
A two-day workshop on "Integrated infrastructure and planning contemporary best practices" began here today at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) in collaboration with the Institute of Spatial Planning Environment and Research (ISPER), Panchkula.

Research director Prof Dr S.S. Chahal presided over the function, while former chief town planner of Punjab Prof J.S. Ghuman, delivered the keynote address. More than 80 delegates are participating in the workshop.

Ghuman said the infrastructure was widely used in the planning profession and there was a need to widen the scope of town and country planning. He said the planning process in Punjab was initiated with the planning of improvement of the urban road system of Jalandhar. 

He suggested a P3 formula for efficient planning of the cities, which stood for politics, planning and public participation and added that this formula could be the key to success for any development plan in the country.

Stressing the need of integration of the city development plan, Ghuman said updating of city planning should be done keeping in view the demands of contemporary modern society. 

Welcoming the first batch of master in infrastructural planning (MIP), he said they would have better opportunities to act as planners, coordinators and managers in infrastructure planning.

Earlier, Chahal shared his experiences of Ludhiana and Chandigarh. He said the quality of infrastructure in Chandigarh and Ludhiana was not comparable. He said Chandigarh was well planned and met the future requirements of public. 

He said the need of the hour was to plan the existing historical cities with modern point of view, without disturbing the historical aspect of the cities. He expressed his concern over the demolition of historical buildings in the name of development.

Amritsar, March 13
Established in the British period, B-Block Railway Colony reflects as city within the city. The place is enchanting, thanks to a large sports stadium - home for all budding players from kabaddi to cricket as well as indoor games like chess and table tennis - and a club within the stadium. 

The place also houses a primary school, a theatre, besides a hospital to provide medical facilities to about 5,000 railway persons and their families.

The colony is located ahead of the historic Guru Gobind Singh Fort, not far off from Amritsar railway station.

Of course, this B-Block Railway Colony continues to remain one of the landmarks of the historic city.

The colony originally had single-storey houses. Lately, two-storey houses have also sprung up. It is a large colony humming with life and a couple of cultural activities. Railway people have always been known for their skills in music and dance.

The colony has produced a large number of excellent football, hockey, volleyball, ping-pong, badminton, cricket and chess players, besides some good bhangra dancers.

The Railway Club also has an excellent library. It remains open for the members from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Creative skills of its residents in kitchen gardening brought fame to the colony as it is treat to roam on its roads with greenery all around.

Amritsar, March 13
Activists of the Kisan Sangharsh Committee (KSC) burnt the effigies of the Central and Punjab Governments for their alleged anti-farmer policies on the GT Road here today.

KSC state president Satnam Singh Pannu announced that farmers would court arrest from March 24.

The agitating farmers blocked traffic on the Amritsar-Jalandhar GT Road near Jandiala Guru.

They demanded revocation of the cases registered against farmers during the protests, writing off all advances to farmers and cancellation of the Electricity Act, 2003, so that the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) could not be privatised.

Pannu recalled that as per the agreement reached between the state government and the farmers on June 30, 2007, it was decided that bills of agriculture tubewells worth Rs 100 crore would be waived off and cases registered against them during protests withdrawn. However, even after two years, nothing had been done in this direction, he rued.

Comparing the state of affairs with Haryana, Pannu said the government there had waived off Rs 1,600 crore farm tubewell bills of the farmers.

Students were given long lab sessions to understand and become proficient in the upcoming technology which forms an integral part of the working of washing machines, microwaves, renal and cardiac monitors, mobile phones and pace makers, power windows and auto-brake system in the vehicles. 

The valedictory session of the workshop was presided over by executive director Mridula Bhardwaj and managing director Rajesh Bhardwaj. — TNS

He added that a fire engine of the Sewa Samiti joined them at the spot. Concerted efforts put out the raging flames which had been raring to spread to the nearby locality. 

The roof of the godown, made completely of wooden logs was burnt down. Kumar said it was very difficult to ascertain the exact cause of the fire. However, people blamed it to short circuit. He said no loss to life was reported. — TNS