Amritsar, July 3
The police arrested the veterinary pharmacists, who were on a hunger strike outside the residence of Animal Husbandry Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike, in protest against the failure of the state government in providing them jobs as promised during the Assembly elections.

More than 30 pharmacists were taken into custody in order to scuttle the protest. Today was the third day of the hunger strike, in which two unemployed pharmacists Gurpreet Singh Nabha and Davinder Singh Malerkotla were representing the unemployed youths. It is pertinent to mention here that they had held hunger strike in Bathinda on January 22. However, Ranike persuaded them after government intervention and assured them to provide jobs within two months.

Ravinder Pheruman, president of the unemployed veterinary pharmacist union, alleged that the government failed to do so even after five months.

Meanwhile, the arrested pharmacists raised slogans against the government. The police was going to lodge a case against the pharmacists.

Gurmeet Singh, senior vice-president of the union, talking to The Tribune, said Gurpreet and Davinder would continue their strike in the police station also. He said tomorrow some other students would sit on the hunger strike. He said they would continue their agitation till their demands were met.

Ravinder Singh said ever since their completion of training, they were running from pillar to post for jobs. He said there were about 430 total students who passed out in 2001-2003 and 2004-06. The union has now decided to hold protests outside the DC office.

Jalandhar, July 3
An improvised Punjab State War Memorial is likely to be constructed on the Jalandhar cantonment road, courtesy joint efforts of the district administration and Vajra Corps. A decision tothis effect has been taken due to the ongoing construction of the railway over-bridge (ROB) which has eclipsed the existence of the memorial.

The memorial was constructed by the Improvement Trust at a cost of Rs 13 lakh in 1981.

Lieut-Col Manmohan Singh, Deputy Director of the District Sainik Welfare Office, said either the memorial would be built within the parameters of the Military Dairy Farm or the Army Driving School.

“As no worthwhile place was available with the district authorities, we have decided to construct it on the cantonment road as it is an easily accessible location,” he added.

Applications in this regard was recently sent to the Deputy Commissioner, the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation, the Executive Engineer of the PWD (B&R) and the Project Engineer.

The private contractors demolished the major portion of the boundary wall of the memorial due to the construction of the ROB recently. “Now, we would be utilising approximately two-three acres for the construction of the memorial,” said Lieut-Col Manmohan Singh.

Deputy Commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu said, “We require commitment of funds from the state government for the construction of the memorial at the proposed site.” 

Jalandhar, July 3
A couple in love, identified as Ranjit Kaur and Sukhwinder, both residents of Khanpur Dhadha village, committed suicide by jumping before a train on the Ludhiana-Nakodar track early this morning.

According to sources, the couple took the extreme step as their families were against the relationship because they belonged to different castes.

The families came to know about the incident when certain residents noticed the bodies on the railway line in Gandhra village at about 6 am. They subsequently informed the railway police and the bodies were removed from the track.

The bodies were handed over to the families after a postmortem examination in Nakodar civil hospital. The railway police has initiated inquest proceeding in the case.

Jalandhar, July 3
Over 15,000 scavengers of over 500 villages in different districts of Punjab have been crying foul for not being paid by the respective village panchayats for the past two years.

Up in arms against the state government, the scavengers of 10 districts today joined hands with the Pendu Mazdoor Union in Jalandhar and formed the Pendu Safai Mazdoor Union (PSMU), Punjab, to fight for their rights.

Talking to The Tribune, PSMU convener Prem Sarsar said the state government, for the cleanliness of villages in 2007, had assured them a payment of Rs 300 per panchayat for sanitation on monthly basis.

The government made payments to the panchayats only in the first year and there were no grants released to the panchayats for the monthly remuneration to the scavengers (safai karamcharis).

Union state President Tarsem Peter said over 15,000 scavengers, including women, a majority of them from Rajasthan, were not paid by their respective panchayats.

The families were shifted to Punjab in the early 80s and were earning their livelihood by opting the profession of scavengers in villages of Punjab.

Earlier the villagers used to give them scanty of foodgrains in lieu of their daily work but later the government decided to pay Rs 300 per month to each panchayat for the sanitation purpose in 2007, he claimed.

With the suspension of the grants to the panchayats, the scavengers had been facing hardships in earning livelihood to feed their families.

A majority of the scavengers were uneducated and even unaware of the fact that the government was paying each panchayat Rs 300 per month as expenditure for sanitation.

Puran Ram, a resident of Shankar village, who, along with his six family members, had shifted from Rajasthan in 1983, claimed that the panchayat had not paid him any remuneration. He said a local NGO, Navjeevan Society, had taken the initiative for the education of his children.

The union had demanded the minimum wages to the scavengers as per the government rules, their inclusion in the below poverty line list, separate board for them and funds for the education of their children, and job opportunities.

The union has decided to submit memorandams to all the Deputy Commissioners on July 23. The next course of action would be decided after a meeting, claimed Peter.

Hoshiarpur, July 3
The District Consumer Forum has imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 to be paid as compensation to Parson Textiles and ordered the former to refund Rs 530 paid as premium of the insurance policy with the interest rate of 9 per cent from the date of filling the complaint till realisation within one month.

Parsons Textiles had filed a complaint against the UIIC branch, Hoshiarpur, on the ground that some mistake occurred in their insurance policy and on their request the company partly rectified the mistake.

On December 3, 2008, the company in its letter informed them that their policy would be cancelled with effect from December 19, 2008.

As per the terms and conditions of the policy, insurance is a contract which can be cancelled by the company by giving notice in writing. As per the insurance company, a letter was written to Parson Textiles and thereafter the policy was cancelled and refund of Rs 530 was sent to the latter.

The forum held that the contract between the parties was always bilateral. The insurance company failed to provide any evidence to prove that Parson Textiles received the cheque for Rs 530 enclosed with the letter dated January 8, 2009. Clause 6 of the terms and conditions of the policy is not applicable as it deals with termination of contract of carriage clause. — OC

Amritsar, July 3
Two migrant labourers were choked to death due to a gas leak in an ice factory in the nearby town of Rajasansi here today.

The deceased were identified as Chand Kesri (26), a resident of Partapgarh district (UP), and Lallu (40), a resident of Allahabad (UP). Te police has registered a case under section 304 of the IPC in this regard.

According to information available, Lallu, who had been working in Guru Nanak Ice Factory for the past several months, and his friend Chand Kesri, who was an employee in a nearby factory, were having lunch at the time of the incident.

Chand had come to his factory and Lallu had set the machine on the pressure mode in order to manufacture ice. According to information, the gas started leaking after some blast due to which the two were choked to death.

However, the family of Lallu, which was living on the upper floor of the factory, was rescued by residents of the area.

SHO Mahar Chand said the police was investigating whether any negligence on the part of the owner of the factory, Gurbachan Singh, had caused the accident. The bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families after post-mortem examinations. 

2 die in car-truck collision

Jalandhar, July 3
Two persons were killed in a head-on collision between a car and a truck on the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road at Jauhla village, near Rama Mandi, early this morning.

As per the police, Sumedh Madaan, a resident of Urban Estate, was on his way back to Jalandhar from Hoshiarpur in an Indica car when it collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction, leaving the driver dead on the spot. Sumedh, sustained serious injuries and was admitted to a private hospital.

The doctors referred him to Ludhiana when his condition deteriorated, but he succumbed to the injuries on the way. The truck driver fled from the scene. The bodies were handed over to the families after post-mortem examinations. A case of rash and negligent driving has been registered against the truck driver at Sadar police station. — TNS