Jalandhar, August 11
Sukwinder Singh, a France-based NRI, suspected to be suffering from swine flu, was admitted to Civil Hospital here today.

Sukwinder Singh reported of fever and cold-like symptoms and was immediately rushed to the hospital.

District Health Officer, Civil Hospital, Dr Rooplal said the samples of the patient has been sent to the NICD, New Delhi. “The reports would be here soon,” he added.

The patient reached New Delhi on August 4 and then he came to Jalandhar to
meet his relatives.

“It was after coming here that he reported of continuous fever and that we brought him to the hospital,” said one of his relative.

Amritsar, August 11
With the central and the state governments across the country pressing the panic button to meet the situation arising out of pandemic of swine flu, which has taken 8 lives in Maharashtra and Chennai, residents of the holy city are finding it difficult to stock vitamin C tablets which have gone off the shelves as a result of short supply.

It has been advised to take vitamin C to boost immunity against flu. Some of the chemists, who received the demand for the tablets, said they have asked the pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide sufficient deliveries.

The shortage of protective masks was also reported in various parts of the city but government officials claimed that they were fully geared up to meet any eventuality.

The Civil Surgeon Office, which is monitoring the swine flu situation, recently received some stocks of Tamiflu tablets as a preventive measure to check the virus.

According to the officials supervising the preventive measures with regard to the spread of the virus said the Civil Hospital has been fully equipped with the requisite testing laboratory to detect the virus.

The Punjab Government has released advertisement in various English and vernacular dailies to create awareness among the public and advised them not to panic but to take adequate precautionary measures to avoid any complication.

The government has appointed a state nodal officer with hotline and mobile phones throughout all the districts of the state and advised the people to contact the nearest district-level control room seeking advice in case of any symptoms which closely resemble the deadly virus.

The state Health Department has issued do’s and don’ts for the suspected patients and advised the people not to make any personal contact by shaking of hands, embracing or kissing.

In an advisory the department has also cautioned the people against self-medication besides not to spit in the open.

The department has also issued a long advisory for educational institutions by suggesting that in case of similar symptoms among the teaching faculty and students they should be advised to stay at home for seven to 10 days and not to attend the school till they are cured.

It further pointed out that in case the institution has a hostel, the management must ensure that all the students should wear masks.

Meanwhile a large number of tourists and pilgrims visiting the city to pay obeisance at Golden Temple were seen wearing the masks and avoid contact with people as large number of devotees throng the holy shrine daily.

Pathankot, August 11
Seventeen persons, including 12 BSF jawans, sustained injuries when a private bus of Rohtak Transport Company collided head on with a bus carrying 40 BSF jawans, including an Assistant Commandant, of 198 Battalion near Rachhpalwa, 22 km from here on the Pathankot-Amritsar road today.

According to the police, a private bus (JK-02-L-8624) carrying BSF jawans, was on its way from Poonch (J&K) to Sri Ganganagar.

As the bus of the BSF reached near Rachhpalwa, a private bus (PB-02-AK-9912) of Rohtak Transport Company coming from the opposite side hit the bus injuring the jawans, while five other passengers also sustained injuries.

The condition of Assistant Commandant K.K. Yadav is said to be critical. All the injured have been admitted to the local Civil Hospital.

The passengers of another bus who were injured in accident are Bagga Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Kuldip Singh, Rattan Singh and J. Singh.

Jalandhar, August 11
Entrepreneurs of the district are up in arms against the government regarding poor power supply to their units and a mandatory third off-day, a week from today.

At a meeting held at the office of the Federation of Jalandhar Industrial and Traders Associations in the Industrial area here this afternoon, those present, castigated the PSEB for forcing another cut on them at a time when they were already affected by the two-day weekly offs.

Members from 16 associations and unions attended the meeting. Gursharan Singh, president of the federation, said instead of coming to our aid, the board has asked them to keep their units closed for a third day. How are we supposed to work or complete our orders during the remaining days?

During our talks in the past, the government has been assuring us that power cuts would be a thing of the past and Punjab would race on the road to further industrial prosperity. How is that possible in such a scenario, he questioned.

This fresh cut will surely sound the death knell of the industry in the state, since with no power and no concessions, doing business in the state is a losing proposition, he pointed out.

The fresh directive also forbids them to run their units after 5 pm. The board could have announced it earlier so they could have been prepared for the crisis. This move will result in losses worth crores, Gursharan added.

Worst affected are the units that have export orders in hand. Since getting such orders at the time of the global meltdown is a big achievement, failure to dispatch them in time will not only result in cancellation, the finished goods would add to their inventory, he said. Gursharan warned of a statewide agitation in case the power situation did not improve within the next few days.

Amritsar, August 11
Two murders in a single night have rocked the city wherein a minor girl was hacked to death by a boy for resisting his advances, while an unidentified body was found dumped near Bhagtanwala grain market last night.

Puja (16), a student of class X and resident of Indira Colony, was hacked to death allegedly by Vinod Kumar, alias Modi, of the same area along with his friend Sunny when she and her cousin were sitting on rooftop.

Parshotam Kumar, a cousin of deceased, also sustained serious injuries as he tried to rescue her from them.

However, she succumbed to her injuries on the way to hospital. The police has registered a case under section 302, IPC, on the complaint of Parshotam.

SHO Prabhjot Singh of C-Division police station said the accused used to tease Puja earlier also and the family of the deceased had complained to the family of accused Vinod a number of times.

He kept the grudge against the girl and was in search of an opportunity to take the revenge. Both the accused had been arrested, the SHO confirmed.

In another incident, the police has recovered the body of an unidentified person from near Bhagatanwala grain market.

The accused had poured acid on his face and other parts of the body in order to conceal the identity of the deceased.

On August 2 Jasbir Kaur breathed her last. After the death of Jasbir Kaur, she came to know that Harjinder Singh and his father allegedly made her consume poison.

Hoshiarpur, August 11
Providing relief to Surjit Kaur, widow of constable Balwinder Lal of Bajachak village, the District Consumer Forum, comprising its president P.D. Goel and members A.S. Jauhar and Vandna Chaowdhary, ordered United India Insurance Company Limited (UIICL) to pay the insured amount of the policy of her husband, who died in an accident, to the former along with interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum.

The forum told the UIICL to pay Rs 1,000 as litigation expenses to Surjit Kaur. Surjit Kaur had filed a complaint in which she stated that the UIICL had illegally repudiated the claim of the policy of her husband.

The insurance company raised the defence that it was Balwinder Singh, who was insured and not Balwinder Lal.

The forum held that the close scrutiny of the communication/correspondance addressed by the SSP, Kapurthala, to the insurance company established on record that Balwinder Lal, son of Piare Lal of Bajachak village, was enlisted as constable in the Police Department with effect from April 1, 1992, and was allotted No 1507 KPT, died in a road accident on June 17, 2004.

It was also proved that as per office record of the office of the SSP, Kapurthala, deceased Balwinder Lal was insured under personal accident policy and Rs 150 were being paid from his salary on account of premium.

It was also proved on record that the regimental number given to an employee remained the same till his retirement or death.

The DC, Hoshiarpur, had also addressed a communication to the SSP, Kapurthala, that after conducting the enquiry by the SDM, Dasuya, it came to light that Balwinder Lal of Bajachak village died on June 17, 2004.

It was proved on record that employer of Balwinder Lal had categorically stated that Balwinder Lal (No 1507) was inadvertently quoted as Balwinder Singh (No 1507).

Thus, it could legitimately be concluded that Balwinder Lal died in a road accident on June 17, 2004, and his name was inadvertently quoted as Balwinder Singh (No 1507) in the insurance policy.