Amritsar, July 9
Passengers for second and general categories at Amritsar Railway Station have to face much inconvenience as the only public toilet at the station is lying defunct.

The waiting hall for ordinary passengers and a wall of toilet adjoining the hall were demolished about a fortnight ago. The Railway authorities would set up a new waiting hall and toilet there. However, a railway official on anonymity said, the floor of the waiting hall was re-laid about a year ago.

As per the new plan, a sophisticated hall would be built at the place complete with amenities like toilet and potable water. This time roof is also being demolished.

However, ad hoc approach of Railway authorities have left the people t urinate in the open. Passenger Bhajan Singh said before destroying the toilet set, the officials must have made an alternate arrangement.

Finding no place to relieve themselves, passengers and visitors started urinating in the open near the Station Superintendent Office. This has forced the officials to order making of a door which is expected to install within a day or two.

The situation turned grim as a number of trains were cancelled for flood in parts of Punjab. It resulted in deluge of stranded passengers on the platform who occupied every possible space on the floor for past three days. In absence of toilet, they were forced to relieve themselves in open and stationary trains.

The existing condition presents a deplorable picture for women passengers and visitors. The suitable place for them on platform is stationary train and that too depending upon its availability.

Another toilet set is in the waiting hall for the passengers travelling in first class. However, the entry is possible only on showing first class tickets.

Senior Railway officials said the lapse had occurred and they would build the new toilet as soon as possible. For reconstruction of the hall within a year they said it was the decision of higher ups and they could not comment on it.

Amritsar, July 9
A Municipal Corporation team, led by Gurdeep Singh Bhullar, Chief Sanitary Inspector, was allegedly attacked by several dairy owners and residents of Davinder Singh Nagar situated on the Tarn Taran Road area.

The police has registered a case against 13 persons for allegedly attacking and obstructing public servant in discharging his duties.

The residents were agitated over vacating the dairies and seizing of milch animals by the corporation authorities. According to corporation officials, about a dozen dairies were running in the area inside the corporation limits illegally and against the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. They said due to these dairies, the sewerage system gets blocked every now and then. The corporation received a number of complaints in this regard, they said.

The Sultalwind police have lodged a complaint under section 283, 353, 341, 186, 149 and 160 of Indian Penal Code, 68 police act, 8-B National Highway Act 1956 on the statements of Bhullar.

In the complaint, the Chief Sanitary Inspector said the accused had violated the orders of the High Court by establishing illegal dairies. When the corporation team tried to vacate these dairies on July 4 and July 8 the accused clashed with them. They forcibly freed the cattle from custody of corporation officials and later resorted to block the traffic on the road.

The police had to use minor force to pacify the residents and to get the traffic restored.

Those booked include Gurnam Singh, Raghbir Singh, Jaimal Singh, Jasbir Singh, Kulwant Singh, Balbir Singh, Gurlakat Singh, Darshan Singh, Chanan Singh, Ladi, Hardip Singh, Harjinder Singh and Nishan Singh, all residents of Davinder Nagar.

Amritsar, July 9
The plight of as many as 300 daily-wagers, working in the forest department, and their families, can be well imagined from the fact that they have not been paid their salaries for the last 11 months.

They run from pillar to post and repeatedly urge the officials of their department in this regard. But even this has failed to yield any fruit.

A deputation of daily-wagers, along with representatives of various employee organisations, met Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Satnam Singh.

Virsa Singh Chahal, General Secretary, Forest Workers Union, Punjab, said these workers were appointed under the Forest Development Agency and watershed schemes and were working without getting a single penny, while their families are virtually hand to mouth.

About 90 of them had been sacked, he added.

“No points for guessing how difficult it is for the families of these workers to survive. A daily wager works for the entire day so that his children can get two squares meal a day. Without salaries, it has become very hard to arrange a single meal, leave alone proper education,” said Chahal.

He said till now they were trying to raise their voice by expressing resentment through peaceful agitation. But now their patience is giving way and they are forced to intensify their protests so that their grievances could reach the government, he said.

These daily wagers have been working at five ranges of the Amritsar Forest Division, including Patti, Ajnala, Rayya, Amritsar and Tarn Taran.

Their work includes creating a nursery of plants, planting the new saplings and their upkeep, besides numbering these plants after every five years.

They also guard the trees on the banks of water channels, rivers and sides of main and link roads in Tarn Taran and Amritsar.

Chahal said they worked nine hours a day throughout the week.

DFO Satnam Singh said he would leave no stone unturned in getting their dues released as soon as possible. He immediately shot a communiqué to the authorities concerned apprising them of workers’ condition.

Amritsar, July 9
Following the recent agitation by the scholars in the wake of hike in the fee of various pre-PhD courses, Vice-Chancellor A.S. Brar here today clarified that the decision regarding fees structure would not be applicable on those research scholars who had enrolled themselves before the session 2010-11.

After having a meeting with the delegation of research scholars in his office, the VC said, “This enhancement had been decided by the UGC vide their notification released in August 2009, but his notification would be applicable to those aspirants for pre-PhD courses, who had enrolled themselves after July 2010,” he clarified.

This implies that the present candidates for various PhD courses would undergo pre-PhD courses with enhanced fee structure, as notified by the UGC.

However, the VC said the research scholars who had already submitted their PhD thesis cannot enroll themselves for this course.

Prof Brar said the students were invited for talks earlier also but they refused to come to the table. The students today, however, regretted their behaviour and actions.

Those scholars who are desirous to do the Pre-Ph.D. course can apply by July 14 through their Supervisor and the Head of the Department. This 15-credit course would be of one semester, he added.

The fee for this special course would be Rs 20,000 for the research scholars of sciences, Rs 15,000 for social sciences and Rs 5000 for the research scholars of Guru Nanak studies and Department of Punjabi.

Those students who had already done their MPhill, a fee of Rs 10,000 would be charged from students of sciences, Rs 7,500 from social sciences students and Rs 2,500 from the students of Department of Guru Nanak Studies and Department of Punjabi. This fee structure would be applied on those research scholars who had taken their admission before June 30, 2010.

Nevertheless, the CGPA of 6.75 is a must for the students of pre-PhD course. Those who would not be able to get this CGPA would be declared fail and their admission to PhD would be cancelled.

Amritsar, July 9
The apparent sour relations between the BJP and SAD came to light during the taking-over ceremony of the new Chairman of the Amritsar Improvement Trust. While the whole battery of the BJP leaders was present on the occasion when Sanjeev Khanna took over as the new Chairman of the trust, hardly any activist representing the SAD was seen there.

From the saffron party, prominent among those present were BJP MP Navjot Singh, state president Ashwani Sharma, minister Manoranjan Kalia and Mayor Shwet Malik to name a few.

Later, SAD activists held a meet at the Circuit House to show their resentment. They argued that the party was not “well-informed” and no proper invitation about any such occasion was sent to the party. They also show antipathy towards the BJP activists’ move of putting the SAD on the backstage during the arrival of the Queen’s Baton for the Commonwealth Games through the Wagah-Attari joint check post recently.

The senior SAD activists who came forward to protest included Upkar Singh Sandhu and Mandeep Singh Manna. They pointed out that such unpleasant gestures from the BJP side would tarnish the alliance pact and should not be ignored.

They stressed that a detailed report of ignoring SAD during the observances of state-level occasions would be brought to the notice of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia.

Those SAD leaders who supported the cause were councillor Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, Surinder Singh Sultanwind, Avtaar Singh, Pargat Singh Bhullar, Gurmej Singh Bobby, Avinash Jolly, Shamsher Singh Shera, Kashmir Singh Wadali, Jagchannan Singh, Rachhpal Singh and Jaskaran Singh.

Meanwhile, Navjot Singh Sidhu, in his address, said though it was late but a wise and appropriate decision. Without naming Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, Sidhu emphasised that the capabilities of a person should never be ignored while making appointments on such important posts.

It is evident to mention that Sidhu had even protested against the appointment of Chhina as the Chairman of the trust before party’s former supremo and also reportedly vowed not to enter the city till Chhina was removed from the post and it incidentally happened likewise.

Meanwhile, newly appointed Chairman Sanjeev Khanna while thanking the party for giving him a prominent responsibility said he would perform his duties with dedication and zeal in the interest of the holy city.

Amritsar, July 9
Guru Nanak Dev University would hold an eligibility test for admission to PhD degree courses for 2010-11 in certain subjects for which the online submission of applications would be accepted from July 10 to 23. The test would be conducted on August 8, 2010.

Dr A.K. Thukral, Director Research of the university, said the candidates with a master degree in the relevant or the allied subject with 55 per cent marks (50 per cent in case of SC/ST) would be eligible to appear in the test.

He said the minimum qualifying marks for the test have been fixed at 50 per cent. The syllabus for the eligibility test for admission to PhD programme would be the same as prescribed by the UGC-NET respective regulatory bodies.

He further said that there will be two question papers. The first paper would be of objective type of multiple choice questions of general awareness on the pattern of UGC-NET and will be compulsory and common to all candidates, while the second paper will be subject specific comprising short answers and objective type questions.

Amritsar, July 9
MM Singh Cheema, Member, All-India Congress Committee and Vice-President, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, has requested Congress President Sonia Gandhi to use the services of Dr Manohar Singh Gill, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports as Union Agriculture Minister.

In a communique to Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson United Progressive Alliance, Cheema suggested here that the holding of Commonwealth Games was in jeopardy three years back.

However, the situation had been amicably sorted out by Dr Gill. Now all the stadiums were ready as per world-class standards.

He opined that Punjab was a major contributor to the central food pool and in view of the global agriculture scenario, the agriculture community in India was in distress as it required a strong leader and visionary.

He said Dr Gill, in capacity of Development Commissioner, Punjab, was credited for pioneering Apni Mandis, Kisan Bhawans, Premix Link Roads and professional recruitments of market committee secretaries.

Amritsar, July 9
The Paramedical Staff and Health Workers Sangharsh Committee would organise a protest dharna and rally in the constituency of Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla in protest against non-fulfillment of their demands. The decision was taken during a meeting held here today.

Davinder Kumar Hato, a leader of the organisation, said hundreds of paramedical staff and health workers would demonstrate against the Health Minister on July 17. Their demands include implementation of recommendations of 6th Pay Commission, timely and regular salaries to family planning staff.