Jalandhar, January 10
Unmanned level crossings have claimed as many as 71 lives in 28 separate accidents, which have occurred in the railway network of the Ferozepur division alone, in the past six years.

The number of casualties has been more, perhaps because the railway authorities have not deployed any guards at 552 crossings, keeping them unmanned.

The revelation came in a reply from the CPIO of the Divisional Railways Manager, Ferozepur division, to an RTI application filed by local activist Rajinder Bhatia.

Nine persons became victims of accidents in the year 2010. As many as 16 persons died in four serious accidents, which occurred in 2009, with 36 getting injured.

The most tragic accident, involving the death of seven school students at Noormahal crossing, had occurred in 2009 itself, wherein 21 children even got injured.

Just one accident occurred in 2008, which was quite fatal, with all six occupants in a Maruti car losing their lives to it.

As many as seven tragic accidents occurred in 2007, resulting in 20 deaths, involving separate vehicles - a Tata Sumo, an Esteem car, a three-wheeler, a Scorpio, an Indica and a jeep.

A school bus had hit a train in Noormahal earlier, as well as in 2006, with three children dying and eight getting gravely injured. Two more accidents had taken place that year, one with a Tata Sumo and another with a tractor trolley. Year 2005, too, remained tragic with six accidents and as many as 12 deaths.

Gurdaspur, January 10
Irate lawyers have raised a banner of revolt against the proposed decision of the state government to create Pathankot district out of the existing Gurdaspur district, saying if the state government goes ahead with its proposed plan, the general public will be made to suffer.

Lawyers, owing allegiance to the Gurdaspur District Bar Association (GDBA), said they would resort to a massive agitation if the Punjab government went ahead with its decision of making Pathankot a district.

The incensed lawyers staged a protest rally in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office today, following which, they submitted a memorandum to DC Pirthi Chand.

Pathankot, which is a gateway to the neighbouring states like Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, is Punjab’s fifth largest city in terms of size and population, after Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala and many in the city scream out in favour of it being conferred with the district status.

Meanwhile, various social and religious organisations joined hands with the Gurdaspur Beopar Mandal and the GDBA to form a ‘Zila Bachao Sangharsh Committee’ in an attempt to ensure that the district retains its present status.

Beopar Mandal spokesman Anu Gandotra claimed, “If Pathankot is converted into a district, Gurdaspur, which is widely perceived to be a backward district, will be rendered even more backward with just the sub-tehsils of Dinanagar, Kalanaur, Kanhuwan and Naushera Majha Singh remaining in its fold.”

The lawyers have a reason to protest, say many of their ilk. Baltej Singh Saroya, former GDBA president, said, “Our contention is that an enormous amount of money goes into the creation of a new district, which has to be used for establishing new infrastructure. Since the state government is already burdened with a monthly debt of Rs 8,000 crore, the onus of setting up a new district will automatically fall on the shoulders of the common man, who will have to dig deep into his pockets to fulfill the aspirations of some politicians.”

SS Kahlon, who has been made convenor of the ‘Zila Bachao Sangharsh Committee’, claimed that for the last more than 150 years, Gurdaspur has remained a district and instead of focusing on Pathankot, the state government should improve the administrative infrastructure in the city.

On the other hand, Batala MLA Jagdeesh Raj Sahni has thrown a spanner into the works by insisting that his assembly segment Batala should be made a district. A livid Sahni has also threatened to sit on a fast unto death if Batala, which is already a police district, is not made into a revenue district.

Tarn Taran, January 10
The district police arrested five robbers at a field in Marrimegha village, 40 km from here, and recovered three country-made pistols with 13 live cartridges and two kirpans from them.

With the arrest, the police resolved the month-old mystery wherein a taxi driver went missing under mysterious circumstances.

SSP Preetpal Singh Virk, in a press conference organised here today, told newsmen that the accused have been identified as Satnam Singh Satta (son of Kabal Singh) and Satnam Singh (son of Surjan Singh), both of Marri Udhoke village, Shingara Singh of Bhikhiwind township, Angrej Singh of Maddar Mathra Bhagi and Pritpal Singh of Mundapind.

The SSP said a case under Sections 399 and 420 of the IPC has been registered against the accused at the Khalra police station.

The district police chief further said during preliminary interrogation, both Satnam Singh and Shingara Singh confessed to have killed Baj Singh, a taxi driver of the Bhikhiwind township when they snatched his Scorpio (No. PB- 10 BA, 0879) from him a month back.

The SSP said the accused first hired Baj Singh’s taxi, poisoned him and later strangulated him, finally throwing his body into the Rajasthan Canal near Mallanwala (Moga).

A case under Section 408 of the IPC had already been registered at the Bhikhiwind police station when Baj Singh went missing.

Tarn Taran, January 10
Hundreds of workers of some Dalit organisations blocked traffic here today by staging a dharna on the road, protesting against the alleged maltreatment meted out to their leader Randeep Gill by a police official.

The Dalit organisation has been demanding the suspension of the police official in question.

They served a threat to the administration that they would observe the “Tarn Taran Bandh” on January 21, in case their demand is not met in time.

Randeep Gill, while addressing workers on the occasion, said the in-charge of police post Dehra Sahib maltreated him when he had gone there concerning some case.

The representatives of Dalit organisations met the SSP and lifted their dharna when he assured them of justice. The residents were greatly inconvenienced due to the dharna.

Phagwara, January 10
Rajya Sabha MP Avinash Rai Khanna has urged the government to provide the right to vote to all Hindu and Sikh families, who migrated from Pakistan in 1947, in the assembly elections.

When these families have the right to vote in Lok Sabha elections why are they deprived of the right in the assembly elections.

Talking to The Tribune here yesterday, Khanna expressed his deep concern about the worsening condition of Hindus and Sikhs families residing in Pakistan.

He said hundreds of Hindu families, who shifted from Pakistan to places like Amritsar, Jalandhar, Khanna and Rajpura, were facing a lot of problems because they did not have the Indian citizenship.

He urged the Union Government to provide permanent citizenship to these families and demanded from the state government to bring these migrated families under the terrorism victim schemes.

Khanna, who headed a three-member party committee on the rehabilitation of Pakistan-based Hindus and Sikhs, said about 500 such families have fled from Pakistan following persecution by the Taliban and other such radical outfits in Pakistan.

The MP said he had met Union Minister Praneet Kaur on this issue and even raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha.