Jalandhar, October 3
The recent decision of the state government, to allot shops and houses to 1984 riot victims in Ludhiana, has drawn flak from victims across the region. The riot victims termed this decision as ‘step-motherly’ and demanded similar facilities on the lines of Ludhiana.

A delegation of the 1984 Sikh Parvasi Sangarsh Committee, Punjab, under the aegis of General Secretary of the committee, Advocate Manmohan Saluja met Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti and forwarded a memorandum to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in this regard.

Talking to The Tribune, advocate Saluja said the decision should have been implemented to all the entire riot affected families across the state. “Why should the decision be confined to Ludhiana only, when riot affected families are settled everywhere in the state?”, he questioned.

It might be noted that there are approximately 3,000 riot affected families in Jalandhar and its periphery.

“The decision of the state government has disheartened us. After losing my property in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, we are dependent on consecutive governments for assistance but all we get is mere promises. The government should implement this decision for all riot affected families”, said Kuldeep Singh, a riot victim.

Earlier, in the year 2000, the state government had issued directions to PUDA to invite applications from the 1984 riot victims for LIG/MIG flats but the project never saw the light of the day. As many as 417 riot affected families had applied for flats with PUDA at that time.

Advocate Saluja further highlighted that some years back, riot-affected families were allotted LIG units by the PUDA at Phagwara but they were later occupied by the CRPF. “The PUDA authorities charged rent from the CRPF even though the flats were meant for riot victims.

Even the Badal government, after coming to power, formulated a sub-committee of ministers for the rehabilitation of Sikh migrants. A meeting under the chairmanship of Punjab minister for local bodies Manoranjan Kalia was announced but no facility has been announced till date. “Our repeated attempts to highlight our problems all these years have turned futile”, he said.

Phagwara, October 3
Technical Education Minister Swarna Ram inaugurated a new ambulance at the Civil Hospital in Phagwara yesterday.

The minister, in the presence of Kapurthala Civil Surgeon Dr Harinder Singh and Senior Medical Officer Phagwara Dr Rajiv Gupta, also inaugurated a new generator at the hospital, worth Rs 5 lakh.

He also inaugurated power hotline provided to the hospital for round-the-clock-power supply.

Later, the minister flagged off an awareness rally to educate people about leprosy on Leprosy Day.

Swarana Ram also instructed the Civil Surgon Kapurthala to make early arrangements to install a cell seperator machine in Phagwara Civil Hospital to facilitate the people specially patients suffering from viral fever and dengue with low pletelets cells.

Phagwara, October 3
Six persons were killed in different road mishaps in Phagwara, Nakodar, Tarn Taran and Hoshiarpur since yesterday.

In Phagwara, Tek Chand of Hadiabad, who was riding a scooter, died after being hit by a private bus of Dhaliwal Transport Co (PB-32F-4881) on Saturday afternoon. The police said bus driver Baljit Singh was bringing Chand to local Virk Hospital, but the deceased succumbed to injuries on the way. The passersby held the driver responsible for the accident and beat him up. Baljit was admitted to the local Civil Hospital. The police is investigating the matter.

Two occupants of a Swift car were killed on the spot when their car collided with a Mahindra jeep near bein on Nakodar-Jalandhar road yesterday afternoon. The deceased were identified as Gagan Jain and Sat Paul of Shahkot. The police has registered a case against the Mahindra driver.

In third mishap, a cyclist, identified as Kewal Ram of Pharala village, was killed on the spot while his pillion rider brother Paramjit sustained injuries, when their cycle they were riding was hit by a speeding truck near Bahar Majara village on Phagwara-Banga road on Saturday. The truck driver sped away.

Tarn Taran: Dilbag Singh (32) of village Dadehar Sahib died after his motorcycle slipped on the road and crashed into a tree near Sarhali late last evening. The Chohla Sahib police has lodged a report under section 174 of the CrPC.

Hoshiarpur: Sarup Singh of Khuda was crushed to death by an unknown speeding vehicle last evening. According to police sources, Sarup was carrying goods on his rehra to Budabar. On the way, some unknown speeding vehicle hit his rehra near Punkhuh, due to which he died on the spot.

After hitting him, the driver, along with his vehicle, fled from the scene. The Hajipur police has registered a case under sections 279 and 304 A of the IPC in this connection.

Phagwara, October 3
Karamjit Kaur, married in Jalandhar, has accused her husband and mother-in-law of torture for dowry. Mother of a daughter and son, Karamjit was refused entry to her in-laws’ house after she returned from her paternal home at Chachoki village in Phagwara. In-laws had been pressurising Karamjit to bring Rs 4 lakh to send it to their daughter, who needed money to purchase land in New Zealand, where she was residing.

She alleged that her husband Charanjit Singh and mother-in-law even told her to bring the money or reside with her parents.

Karamjit, in the presence of her brother Sarabjit, alleged that though she filed an application with the Phagwara police on September 28, nothing was initiated till now. The case is now pending with the police. — OC