J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

Tackling Traffic Chaos
Committee identifies 450 trouble spots
Nawanshahr, January 19
With a view to streamlining traffic in the town, the Traffic Management Committee constituted by Deputy Commissioner Gurkirat Kirpal Singh today conducted a survey to identify the traffic bottlenecks. During the survey, officials of the Punjab State Electricity Board, the Municipal Council, the BSNL and Connectm, etc. led by DSP Satpal Singh Bhangu, identified about 450 telephone and electricity poles as well as permanent and temporary encroachments causing hindrance in the smooth flow of traffic on the main roads and chowks in the town.

‘Artificial’ LPG shortage causes public outburst
Hoshiarpur, January 19
The LPG consumers of Hoshiarpur have been facing acute shortage of cooking gas for the past one month in the bone-biting chill, which has proved to be a blessing in disguise for the agency holders of LPG, who have been exploiting consumers for minting money, by selling it in the black market.

I got land on the moon!
Shinder Kumar Jhangra is the owner of a piece of land on the moon, located in Area E-5, Quadrant Foxtrot, Lot Number 424/0875, 20 squares south and 6 squares east of the extreme northwest corner of the recognised Lunar Chart
Nawanshahr, January 19
Technology sometimes steals poetry out of our dreams. Who could have imagined that “Chalo dildar chalo, chand ke paar chalo …,” the famous melody from “Pakeezah” would someday turn into a boring, literal reality. It isn’t a joke if one really believes in the claim being made by the Moon Estates which is selling land on the moon.

Abducted boy recovered
Batala, Janury 19
The district police has recovered a boy within four days of his abduction. While talking to mediapersons here today SSP Dinesh Partap Singh said that on January 15 Surain Singh, son of Mangal Singh of Khehra Kalan Village under Ghanie ke Banger police station, recorded his statement with the SHO of the Ghanie ke Banger police station that his grandson Yadwinder Singh, Yadu (12 years), came from school at about 3.30 pm and went out to play after leaving his schoolbag at home.

‘Cool’ Going For Feathered Friends

Two herons use their fluffy layers of feathers to beat the chill. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

Dharna by Thein Dam employees
Pathankot, January 19
More than 1,000 employees of the Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thein Dam) sat on dharna in support of their demands before the office of the Chief Engineer at Shahpur Kandi, 14 km from here, today. CTU Punjab leader Mangat Ram Pasla, while addressing the employees’ rally, alleged that wrong policies of the Union government were responsible for the increase in the prices of essential commodities in the country.

Left parties rally against inflation
Hoshiarpur, January 19
Activists of the CPM and CPI, led by Principal Joginder Singh, Sathi Jagdish Singh Chokha, Kuldip Singh, Rajinder Kaur Chokha, Gurbax Singh Soos and Jeet Singh, staged dharnas and rallies in protest against the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and anti-people policies of the UPA government at the Tehsil complex, here today.

Tackling Traffic Chaos
Committee identifies 450 trouble spots
Parmod Bharti

Nawanshahr, January 19
With a view to streamlining traffic in the town, the Traffic Management Committee constituted by Deputy Commissioner Gurkirat Kirpal Singh today conducted a survey to identify the traffic bottlenecks. During the survey, officials of the Punjab State Electricity Board, the Municipal Council, the BSNL and Connectm, etc. led by DSP Satpal Singh Bhangu, identified about 450 telephone and electricity poles as well as permanent and temporary encroachments causing hindrance in the smooth flow of traffic on the main roads and chowks in the town.

Bhangu told The Tribune that during the drive launched for ensuring a smooth flow of traffic in the town by the traffic police, it was felt that the proper traffic management was not possible without launching comprehensive and concerted efforts by all the departments concerned.

So the point was discussed with the Deputy Commissioner who constituted the Traffic Management Committee consisting of officials of the different departments and directed them to prepare a comprehensive master plan for removing encroachments and other traffic bottlenecks.

The Deputy Commissioner said the administration was quite serious and determined to launch an anti-encroachment drive soon. The drive would not only help in giving a facelift to the town but would also solve the grave problem of traffic chaos, especially on the main roads and chowks.

‘Artificial’ LPG shortage causes public outburst
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, January 19
The LPG consumers of Hoshiarpur have been facing acute shortage of cooking gas for the past one month in the bone-biting chill, which has proved to be a blessing in disguise for the agency holders of LPG, who have been exploiting consumers for minting money, by selling it in the black market.

The chilly weather has tremendously increased the consumption of LPG cooking gas, but in spite of improving the supply of LPG cylinders, the management of the bottling plant of the Mandiala unit has failed in fulfilling the requirement accordingly.

In a sizeable family, a filled LPG cylinder is being consumed within 10 to 12 days whereas in normal weather, it is exhausted within 18 to 20 days.

According to the spokesman of LPG gas agency holders, the fresh booking for a filled cylinder is being done after 21 days. Though the agency holders assure fresh supply after a week of its booking, they fail to fulfill their promises under various pretexts.

A social activist, Amarjit Singh Amar said almost all the families are fully dependent on LPG cooking gas for preparing food. Firewood, coal and kerosene are either unavailable according to the need or available on exorbitant rates, which are beyond the reach of the common man.

President of the Social Democratic Party of India, Jai Gopal Dhiman said in the dense fog and chilly weather, hundreds of consumers of LPG staged dharnas and demonstrations in front of the office of Chabewal gas agency and bottling plant of HPCL Mandiala, yesterday, to lodge their protest for not getting regular supply of cooking gas. A deputation of the LPG consumers led by him also met the Deputy Commissioner here today and apprised him of the role of LPG agency holders and HPCL bottling plant Mandiala in creating an artificial shortage of LPG for selling the same in the black market.

Deputy Commissioner Megh Raj warned the agency holders not to harass consumers and arrange regular supply.

Talking to this correspondent, Megh Raj said he had deputed Additional Deputy Commissioner (general) Harminder Singh to make physical verification of the record of agency holders to ascertain their role in creating artificial shortage. In case any agency holder was found guilty, strict action would be taken against him.

I got land on the moon!
Shinder Kumar Jhangra is the owner of a piece of land on the moon, located in Area E-5, Quadrant Foxtrot, Lot Number 424/0875, 20 squares south and 6 squares east of the extreme northwest corner of the recognised Lunar Chart
Parmod Bharti

Nawanshahr, January 19
Technology sometimes steals poetry out of our dreams. Who could have imagined that “Chalo dildar chalo, chand ke paar chalo …,” the famous melody from “Pakeezah” would someday turn into a boring, literal reality. It isn’t a joke if one really believes in the claim being made by the Moon Estates which is selling land on the moon.

You can purchase a plot of one acre of extra-terrestrial land from MoonEstates.com Ltd. by just paying Rs 2,000. Besides the moon, it claims to have exclusive rights for reselling celestial property on mars and venus as well.

Moon Estates further claims that the declaration of ownership was initially filed at the San Francisco office and then filed with the USA, the USSR and the General Assembly of the UNO.

A transcript of this declaration is included in every property purchased. On this basis, we have purchased land from Dennis M. Hope in good faith and in turn selling it in good faith.

It appears strange, but it is true that Shinder Kumar Jangra, a resident of nearby Rahon, has purchased one-acre land on the moon. He has received a “lunar deed” in his name declaring that he is the owner of a piece of land on the moon, located in Area E-5, Quadrant Foxtrot, Lot Number 424/0875, 20 squares south and 6 squares east of the extreme northwest corner of the recognised Lunar Chart.

Besides, he has also received documents like lunar constitution - bill of rights, declaration of ownership, lunar mineral rights, lunar map, etc. from Francis P. Williams, lunar ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Jangra, while showing the documents to The Tribune, said one day while searching websites on the internet, he suddenly found the website and after going through the details, he deposited money in their bank account for purchasing a piece of land and he was surprised to receive documents which said he was the owner of the land on the moon.

“I don’t know whether I’m going to live on the moon or not, whenever it becomes a reality, but I just take pride in the fact that residents of the moon would remember Shinder Kumar Jangra of Punjab as the owner of this particular piece of land,” quipped Jangra.

Abducted boy recovered
Our Correspondent

Batala, Janury 19
The district police has recovered a boy within four days of his abduction. While talking to mediapersons here today SSP Dinesh Partap Singh said that on January 15 Surain Singh, son of Mangal Singh of Khehra Kalan Village under Ghanie ke Banger police station, recorded his statement with the SHO of the Ghanie ke Banger police station that his grandson Yadwinder Singh, Yadu (12 years), came from school at about 3.30 pm and went out to play after leaving his schoolbag at home.

But he did not return home.

After initial inquiry an FIR was registered on January 18 under section 365, IPC. During investigation it came to light that Kulwant Singh, alias Balla, son of Ajit Singh of Talwandi Nahar, might have abducted the child. Kulwant Singh was apprehended and during interrogation he confessed that he abducted the child on January 15.

Dharna by Thein Dam employees
Our Correspondent

Pathankot, January 19
More than 1,000 employees of the Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thein Dam) sat on dharna in support of their demands before the office of the Chief Engineer at Shahpur Kandi, 14 km from here, today. CTU Punjab leader Mangat Ram Pasla, while addressing the employees’ rally, alleged that wrong policies of the Union government were responsible for the increase in the prices of essential commodities in the country.

Criticising the anti-labour policy of the state government, he said it was strange that despite assurances, the government had not implemented its decision on the pay commission to the workers in accordance with the recommendations. He demanded immediate release of the pension to the workers of the Thein Dam who had retired during 2005.

He said the Shahpur Kandi barrage project had been in the doldrums for the past 15 years. He said the ministers of the SAD-BJP government had been giving false assurances to the public about solving their problems. He alleged that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had also cheated them by denying them one more special increment which he had announced in the presence of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in March 2001.

Left parties rally against inflation

Hoshiarpur, January 19
Activists of the CPM and CPI, led by Principal Joginder Singh, Sathi Jagdish Singh Chokha, Kuldip Singh, Rajinder Kaur Chokha, Gurbax Singh Soos and Jeet Singh, staged dharnas and rallies in protest against the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and anti-people policies of the UPA government at the Tehsil complex, here today.

Addressing the rally, all the speakers condemned the UPA government for its complete failure in controlling the price hike of essential commodities causing a setback to the monthly budget of the common man. — OC