Jalandhar, July 2
Charges of nepotism and ignoring the schedule castes and women candidates by the BJP are flying thick following the appointment of chairpersons of improvement trust in the state.

The government notified the orders of the appointment of 14 IT chairmen on June 29. The choice of candidates has led to internal bickering within the BJP since those who made the cut include close relatives and supporters ignoring the claim of deserving workers who had stood by the party through thick and thin.

Party sources said the non-inclusion of SC candidates despite acknowledging the fact that alienation of this community had cost the party dear in the parliamentary polls was surprising.

This despite the fact that a statement had been made by top bosses after the two-day meeting of the party held in Jalandhar on June 24 that measures would be initiated to woo back the community in the state.

Has the political situation changed in more than a week to go back on its declaration, asks a senior leader.

The leaders have adjusted their relatives and cronies at the cost of those who rightfully deserve to hold public offices for services rendered. If this is the state of affairs in the cadre-based BJP, surely things are down the hill for the saffron outfit, the sources pointed out.

“And what about women? Are assertions of ensuring 33 per cent reservations for women in the polity just rhetoric,” questions another leader.

The sources said the disgruntlement in the party would further grow in the coming days in case steps were not taken to address the hopes and aspirations of the rank and file.

Jalandhar, July 2
Almost nine months of the death of his son, Naveen Saxena, father of Vishwas Saxena, who allegedly died due to the negligence of doctors in a private hospital, has been running from pillar to post for justice.

Vishwas (17) allegedly died because of dengue while undergoing treatment in Patel Hospital on September 14 last year.

Holding a bag containing documents relating to the death of his only son, Naveen has not only approached the senior officials in the civil and police administration but also appealed to the Chief Minister and the Heath Minister to seek action against the hospital for treating his son causally. Saxena has even approached the Union Health Ministry.

In his representation to the different officials, Saxena alleged that Vishwas, a class XII student, died because of the negligence of the hospital. He alleged that the hospital kept them in the dark by not making them aware of the sharply depleting blood platelet count, while Vishwas was admitted in the ICU.

He alleged that BAMS doctors instead of MBBS, MD or MS doctors attended to his son while he was in acute pain. His tests, including X-Ray and ultra sound and CT scans, were not conducted in time nor was he shifted to some other hospital, Saxena claimed.

The hospital kept demanding money from him before declaring his son dead, he alleged.

Saxena has been demanding registration of a case of negligence and professional misconduct against the hospital and doctors.

When contacted, hospital director Dr B.S. Chopra denied the allegations claiming that the man had been trying to tarnish the image of his hospital.

When asked, whether a BAMS doctor working in the hospital was competent to treat a dengue patient, Dr Chopra said a BAMS doctor could attend a patient under the guidance of MBBS doctors. He, however, claimed that the case was in a consumer court and refused to comment further.

Kapurthala, July 2
Two persons, including a woman, died and three others were injured in a road accident on the Kapurthala-Nakodar Road in Kala Sanghia village here last evening.

According to information, a Kapurthala resident, Mohinder Pal was riding a motorcycle, with his mother-in-law, wife and son riding pillion with him, towards Nakodar when it was hit by a car approaching from the opposite direction.

Mohinder Pal and his mother-in-law, Sudama, died in the accident while his wife, Sona, and 2-year-old son sustained serious injuries. The car occupant also sustained injuries in the accident. The injured are still hospitalised.

The bodies were handed over to the families after postmortem examination at the local civil hospital. The police has impounded the vehicles involved in the accident and case of rash and negligent driving has been registered at the Sadar police station.

Man robbed of cash at gunpoint

Jalandhar:Two youths allegedly robbed a resident of the Danish Manda locality of cash and a mobile phone set at gunpoint on Wednesday night.

The incident occurred when Kishan Kumar along with his family was on the way home from the railway station and two youths stopped them with a pistol in the Basti Sekh locality. The youths pointed the gun at them and directed him to hand over the valuables and cash to them.

In his complaint to the police, Kishan said the miscreants took away Rs 10,000 and a mobile phone set from him. The youths have been identified as Jatin and Sukha of Basti Sekh. A case has been registered.

Jalandhar, July 2

Manu Seen

His performances have been lauded by the likes of Dr Balamurlikrishnan. First timers compliment him on how easy it is to develop an affinity with him and critics laud him for his strict adherence to the purity and virtuosity of the ragas. His sweet soulful rendition of ragas and characteristic style make Manu Seen one of the finest sitar players that the city has produced.

Born and brought up in Jalandhar, Manu began his education in music through tabla and vocal lessons from his father, legendary Punjab Gharana maestro Ustad Lachman Singh Seen. Spending his early years in the training of Indian classical music, amidst kite-flying escapades, his love for the sitar first came to the fore when Manu played a recorded version of the sargam he took out on the sitar while his father was away to his college (where he taught music). 

An immensely happy Lachaman Singh made sure that his son’s sitar lessons begin at once.Spending 8-10 hours in riyaaz, Manu found the pleasure which none of the instruments could give him.

Manu began performing at musical gatherings at home, sometimes even playing to the likes of Ustad Zakir Hussain.

Gaining popularity he first performed at the Baba Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan in the children’s category when he was in class XI.

His recital in Raag Baageshwari got him wide acclaim.

During a prize distribution function at Doaba College, from where he did his BA, he won so many prizes that even three pair of hands weren’t enough to carry them. His mother, Shakuntala Devi, had to tie them all in a shawl to carry them home.

In 1987 when he was pursuing his MA at DAV College, Jalandhar, he won the all-India level AIR competition and thus began his journey as a radio artiste.

Hard times came when he had to join the Apeejay College of Fine Arts as a tabla instructor.

Missing out on the sitar, in December 1990, he decided that whatever the circumstances he won’t let the sitarist in him suffer.

He worked as a tabla instructor at Dev Samaj College, Chandigarh, and as a professor in music at DAV College, Jalalabad, but also kept delivering sitar performances on TV and radio.

In December 1992, he took to sitar as a full time vocation and joined AIR, Jalandhar, as a sitarist.

In 1993, the environment at his home took a hit and motivation level was all-time low as his father was not keeping well.

It was during this period that he stumbled upon an LP record by sitar maestro Ustad Shahid Parvez of the Etawah Gharana, accompanied by Ustad Zakir Hussain on the tabla.

He was smitten by the ustad’s sitar and wrote to him expressing a wish to be his disciple.

Given the green signal by the ustad, he visited his house at Dhayari village, near Pune, in 1994. He played the Bilaskhani Todi to the maestro. In December that year Ustad Parvez visited his house in Jalandhar and gave him his first lessons. From that year on Manu started getting lessons from the ustad, visiting him twice a year, till 2000.

Making his first trip abroad in 2001, he has never looked back since then. Manu is loved by audiences in India and across the world (America, Canada, Europe and Indonesia). Also an A grade artiste in radio and TV he has given performances at national TV channels in countries like Canada.

He teaches music to his myriad disciples and his son Rishabh, also deft at the sitar and child prodigy himself.

What do you think of the state of classical music in Punjab?

Audiences need to be more sensitive to it. Patience is required. raagas are like a story, they’d love them, provided they listen.Message to the audience.Stay close to your culture

Jalandhar, July 2
The onset of monsoons has led to an increase in the prices of vegetables and decrease in the prices of fruits. Among vegetables, the price of tomato witnessed a steep hike of Rs 10 and the vegetable is now available at Rs 25 per kg.

Potato is available at Rs 12 per kg against last week’s price of Rs 10.

Local vendors maintained that the increase in the tomato prices is due to the onset of monsoons in the region. “Tomato is prone to decay in the rainy season. As a result, there is a hike in its prices,” said a vendor.

Lemon, which was available at Rs 80 last week, is now available at Rs 60 per kg. The decrease in the price of lemon is due to a fall in the mercury. The prices of onion did not witness any change. At present onion is available at Rs 12 per kg.

Among fruits, consumers can tickle their taste buds with different varieties of mangoes available at reasonable prices between Rs 25 and Rs 30 per kg.

Apart from this, jamun has also reached the market. At present jamun is available at Rs 80 per kg. On the other hand, plums are available at Rs 60 per kg. The prices of litchi have witnessed no change in the past one week and remain at Rs 50 per kg.

Meanwhile, the consumers will now have to bear an increase in fuel prices as well. Now petrol is available at Rs 49.05 per litre and diesel at Rs 32.32. Consumers will have to shell out a relatively higher price in the state owing to a VAT of 27.5 per cent. 

Jalandhar, July 2
A delegation of the National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks and Credit Societies (NAFCUB) led by its president H.K. Patil called on Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on June 28 and handed over a memorandum, which included demand to delete Section 80 P (4) of the Income Tax Act so as to restore the deductions that were available to them under section 80 P (1) prior to 2006-07.

NAFCUB vice-president Jagdish Mehta, its directors K.K. Sharma and K.D. Vora and chief executive D. Krishna were also part of the delegation. Patil explained to the Finance Minister the heterogeneous nature of geographical distribution of the cooperative banks with 85 per cent of the banks being located in just five states. It was important that the urban cooperative banks should be strengthened, he added. However, the introduction of the section 80 P (4) has hampered the growth of these banks as their capital formation had slowed down considerably, he added.

Concurring wit the viewpoint of the delegation that the cooperative banks had important role to play, the Finance Minister said he would consider the submission made by the delegation. — TNS

Jalandhar, July 2
City residents turned up at a camp organised by the HDFC Bank currency chest, Ludhiana, for exchange of soiled and mutilated currency notes in Vijay Nagar here.

More than 100 persons exchanged their mutilated and soiled currency of all denominations worth Rs 10 lakh in the camp.

Rajpal Singh, state head, wholesale banking operations, inaugurated the camp.

He said more such camps would be organised in Jalandhar and nearby stations for the benefit of general public in the coming days. — TNS