Jalandhar, October 3
On the last day of the deadline to remove encroachments, it seems that 250 shopkeepers of Sheikhan Bazaar have made up their mind to clear permanent encroachments, though reluctantly, to obey the notice served on them by the Municipal Corporation on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

While walking through the narrow alleys of this bazaar, one can see the shopkeepers, along with labourers, dismantling plinths/raised platforms (tharas) with hammers.

Though the process of this micro demolition hasn’t gained momentum, nearly all shopkeepers are ready to toe the line, with their own justifications.

While talking to The Tribune, Bazaar Sheikhan Traders Association president Varinder Singh Goldy said, “Almost every shop owner is ready to begin demolitions as per the MC notice. But due to recession in the beginning of this year and the festival season, we demand that the authorities should extend this span. It is not possible for us to carry out large-scale renovations in this short period. Unplanned and rapid demolition of these multi-storey structures can cause large-scale property loss.”

But some shopkeepers demand halt of this anti-encroachment campaign by citing some relevant technical reasons. While sharing the grievances, Bazaar Shiekhan Traders Association chairman Om Parkash Midha said, “In 1975, then MC Chairman Ajit Singh Jhika allowed cemented plinths and sheds. They visited Chaura Bazaar of Ludhiana along with traders of this market and were inspired by the pattern of shops there. It was on his permission that we constructed permanent plinths and sheds.

“Shopkeepers were provided with cement and other materials at controlled rates by the corporation at that time. The corporation even paid labour charges of some shopkeepers,” added Midha.

All the representatives demanded that before the demolition of permanent encroachments, the authorities must make permanent arrangements for temporary encroachments. “We have demanded development of a parking lot and to clear temporary encroachments made by roadside vendors,” trader Baljinder Jeet Singh said.

The Assistant Town Planner of the MC issued notices to shopkeepers on June 15 to clear encroachments within three days, to which shopkeepers never paid heed. A team of the corporation visited the market four days back and marked the actual limits of every shop.

Amritsar, October 3
Hailing the SAD-BJP government for “providing conducive business environment that has attracted investments worth several thousand crores in the state,” Shiromani Youth Akali Dal patron and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia has sought to censure former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh for trying to rake up “non-issues” and criticise the ruling combine “just to make his presence felt” in the media.

Reacting to Capt Amarinder Singh’s statement on Bathinda refinery, Majithia alleged that the former Congress government in the state had not been able to create favourable business environment and due to poor negotiations with NRI tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, the refinery project had almost got stalled, whereas Parkash Singh Badal-led government renegotiated the deal and the refinery project got wings.

Majithia said the setting up of the project would provide job opportunities to more than one lakh people.

Majithia said 40 per cent work on the refinery project has been completed.

Batala, October 3
An amount of Rs 23 lakh was looted from the branch of the State Bank of Patiala, Shastri Nagar, here today.

While talking to mediapersons at the spot, branch manager P.K. Rishi said head cashier Hardeep Singh took out Rs 23 lakh from the chest of the bank in a bag to feed the ATM and placed the bag on the desk to close the chest door. In the meantime, a clean-shaven person slipped away from the bank premises with the bag containing cash. Strangely, neither Hardeep Singh nor any other employee raised the alarm or sounded the hooter. It was further noticed that at the time of the incident, the bank guard had gone to the toilet.

Getting information at 11 am, the police sealed the bank premises and started investigation. The involvement of insiders in the theft was the big question. The police has registered a case under section 380 of the IPC which means that it was a case of simple theft without the use of any force or show of weapon. The police, however, did not disclose further detail.

Hoshiarpur, October 3
Drugged by their servant on October 1, S.S. Malhan, retired DIG of the BSF, and his wife Santosh Malhan regained consciousness this morning in a private hospital. After getting normalcy, the couple were shifted to their residence.

Their domestic Nepali servant decamped with diamond and gold jewelry, Rs 55,000 cash and three mobile phones.

S.S. Malhan and his wife said the servant directly approached them 15 days ago after reading an advertisement given by them in a daily newspaper. He was about 45-year-old and had mentioned his name as Gopal Giri of Badla Chantara Dukuta village, district Gulmi, Nepal.

The police station adjoining to Nepal border had been informed alongwith his photographs to nab him.

Tarn Taran, October 3
The lackadaisical attitude of the police to have a breakthrough in the murder of a newly married girl and injuring her husband on the Jandiala-Chabal bypass late last evening, has invited the ire of residents of the town.

After committing the crime the murderers robbed all the gold ornaments of the couple and threw their bodies in the bushes on the roadside.

The deceased girl has been identified as Rajwant Kaur (20), whereas her husband Manbir Singh, who was seriously injured, has been admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar, where his condition was stated to be out of danger.

City SHO Jaspal Singh, however, came up with an excuse that he was not in the town last night. “I hope we would reach the killers soon,” he maintained.

According to information received here, the couple, residents of the local Muradpur locality, were coming back after attending the last rites of a relative at Majjupur. As soon as they reached near Molsaury Resorts they were made to stop by the robbers who attacked the girl with sharp-edged weapons and killed her. When the husband tried to save her, he was also attacked and injured.