J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

Finally, residents hope to get a sound sleep
Jalandhar, June 4
Facing fury of the mobs and remaining tense for over 12 days, the city residents today heaved a sigh of relief after followers of Dera Sachkhand Ballan bid a tearful adieu to Sant Ramanand who was shot dead by certain assailants in Vienna (Austria) on May 24.

• Peaceful bandh in Nawanshahr

Mall scam: CVO recommends action against MC officials
Amritsar, June 4
The Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), Local Bodies, has indicted officials of the Municipal Town Planning Department of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation recommending strict action against the accused officials in the infamous Novelty-Omaxe mall scam causing a huge loss to the state exchequer.

Billboards removed
Amritsar, June 4
The MC authorities today swung into action and removed the billboards and hoardings on various commercial and residential buildings surrounding the Golden Temple complex here today.

Wall collapse leaves 2 dead
Hoshiarpur, June 4
Two labourers were killed when a wall of Government Elementary School, Fafial, about 20 km from here, collapsed and fell on them this afternoon. The victims were taking rest by the side of the wall.

Finally, residents hope to get a sound sleep
Bipin Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 4
Facing fury of the mobs and remaining tense for over 12 days, the city residents today heaved a sigh of relief after followers of Dera Sachkhand Ballan bid a tearful adieu to Sant Ramanand who was shot dead by certain assailants in Vienna (Austria) on May 24.

Though no untoward incident was reported in Jalandhar and its neighbouring districts, there was an uneasy calm in Jalandhar, Hoshiapur, Phagwara, Phillaur, Kapurthala and other cities.

Apprehending violence by the dera followers, while the general public avoided coming out of their houses, businessmen kept their business establishments closed.

A visit by the Tribune team to various places, especially troubled areas including Model Town, Bhargav Camp, Kishanpura, Boottan Mandi, Mithoo Basti, Rama Mandi, Dhakoha and the Cantonment area revealed that residents preferred to stay indoors till the cremation of the saint.

Shopkeepers were seen operating from shops with the shutters midway. Certain people even observed a bandh and opened their establishments in the evening.

Tulsi Das, a shopkeeper in Boottan Mandi, claimed that he suffered huge losses in the three days of curfew in the city. “I could do some business after the administration gave a six-hour relaxation in the curfew,” he claimed.

Reeta Rani, a resident of Sarabha Nagar, was of the view that she would be able to stroll after dinner along with her complete family without any fear from today onwards.

“Earlier we were restricted to the inner streets but hopefully things would change now,” she said.

Ishwar Singh, a constable said he would now finally be able to stay with his family and have a sound sleep. “The cops have grown immensely tired after long and odd hours of continuous job after the problem started in the city,” he added.

Peaceful bandh in Nawanshahr

Nawanshahr, June 4
A peaceful bandh was observed in the town to pay tributes to the slain Sant Ramanand on the occasion of his funeral today. Activists of the Sri Guru Ravidass Mandir Prabhandhak Committee and the Sri Guru Ravidass Naujwan Sabha observed a two-minute silence to pay tributes to the sant. An akhand path would be organised tomorrow. — OC

Mall scam: CVO recommends action against MC officials
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 4
The Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), Local Bodies, has indicted officials of the Municipal Town Planning Department of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation recommending strict action against the accused officials in the infamous Novelty-Omaxe mall scam causing a huge loss to the state exchequer.

However, whether action would be taken or not by the authorities concerned is yet to be seen as the CVO had recommended registration of a criminal case, besides suspending their services with immediate effect and taking punitive action against the mall owner for constructing the building in violation of the sanctioned plan.

It is pertinent to mention here that the change of land use for the building in question was granted for 3,449.45 sq yd, but the owners had started construction on 4,258.06 sq yd illegally without depositing any land use change charge and getting the map cleared of excessive land allegedly in connivance with corporation officials. The government had asked the MC to take the final approval from the government after any amendment in the scheme for the inclusion of street and expanding the land under the mall by combining commercial and residential plots. The government had asked to take approval from the Ministry of Environment and Forest. However, these instructions were never followed, it was alleged.

Social activist S.S. Sharma, who had raised the issue, alleged that land worth crores, adjoining the mall on Lawrence Road was grabbed by the owners of the mall in connivance with the corporation officials as the building plan and map were cleared by the Municipal Town Planning Department by filing forged reports, he alleged. Pointing finger on the involvement of a minister, Sharma alleged that instead of taking any action, a minister of the ruling party asked the authorities to take the final approval from the government and get the street transferred to the project regularised by the corporation house meeting. He said the corporation authorities were under pressure to regularise the building.

MC Commissioner D.P.S. Kharbanda said the matter was under the consideration of the government and now the final approval would have to be given by the house.

Tribune Impact
Billboards removed
Sanjay Bumbroo/TNS

Amritsar, June 4
The MC authorities today swung into action and removed the billboards and hoardings on various commercial and residential buildings surrounding the Golden Temple complex here today. The action came after the publication of a news item in these columns today about the public hue and cry over the re-erecting of hoardings by a leading publisher and a hotelier near the shrine.

Earlier, the corporation had pulled down the advertising billboards, but the commercial establishments while defying the orders of the authorities again put up the boards forcing the administration to act once again. The corporation has warned the violators that punitive action would be taken.

Meanwhile, Harbhajan Singh, proprietor of Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh, alleged that the MC was targeting his hoarding and no action was being taken against others who had also put up similar boards.

Wall collapse leaves 2 dead
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, June 4
Two labourers were killed when a wall of Government Elementary School, Fafial, about 20 km from here, collapsed and fell on them this afternoon. The victims were taking rest by the side of the wall.

The labourers died on the spot. Their bodies were retrieved from the debris by school staff and residents of the area. The victims have been identified as Chanan Ram of the same village and Narinder of Bakharpur, presently residing in the same village.

The bodies have been sent to the local Civil Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Rs 60,000 stolen

Some miscreants stole Rs 60,000 from the boot of a scooter at Tagore Nagar this afternoon.

According to police sources, Gurharbant Singh of the local Tagore Nagar, today withdrew Rs 60,000 from the State Bank of India, near local bus stand, and put the cash in the boot of the scooter. He came to his house and after parking his scooter went inside. When he returned after sometime, he found the lock of boot of the scooter broken and cash lying in it missing.