Jalandhar, January 30
The sangat darshan of Punjab Minister for Local Bodies Manoranjan Kalia at Birring village, near here, today ran into controversy as the area councillor and his supporters boycotted its proceedings for not getting any invitation by the authorities.

This was the first sangat darshan of Kalia in this part of Jalandhar Cantonment after delimitation. The sangat darshan was held in Ward 12 of Birring village, which belongs to opposition Congress.

While the SAD-BJP councillors of the nearby wards took the centre stage in running the show, the stall of the Congress councillor of Ward 12, Jasvir Kaur, wore a deserted look.

Talking to The Tribune, Jasvir Kaur termed this as height of political discrimination and an anti-opposition party act. “It is disgusting that while the sangat darshan was being held in my ward and I was not invited. This clearly shows the anti-Congress stance of the ruling SAD-BJP combine,” she said.

She added that even the district administration and the Municipal Corporation, too, didn’t bother to invite her on the occasion. “It seems that both administration as well as the Municipal Corporation are working under the influence of the ruling combine. This incident has exposed the mindset of the state government,” she maintained.

Earlier during the day, people faced inconvenience in getting their forms attested, as the councillor of the ward did not turn up. Later the administration had to sought the nambardar of the area for the purpose. Even the ruling combine councillors of the nearby wards, Manjinder Singh Chatha and Balbir Singh Bittu, too, came late, adding to the problems of the residents.

However, when contacted in this regard, both the administration as well as the Municipal Corporation ended up passing the buck.

Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti said generally they invited the councillors of the nearby areas, but it was the duty of the Municipal Corporation to check that the councillors were invited. “Next time we would take extra care to invite all councillors to the sangat darshan,” he assured.

Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation Vinay Bublani maintained that Bharti should have ensured that invitations were sent to one and all. “He should have checked who all were being invited,” he quipped.

Kalia announced a sewerage-laying project worth Rs 43 crore at Ward 12 and its adjoining areas and said the work on it would start in February. The minister also assured that the residents would get potable drinking water within 10 days as the government had sanctioned Rs 1 crore for it.

Meanwhile, the residents availed themselves of the benefits of sangat darshan and 1,550 ration cards were made, 550 driving licences and 125 old age pension forms were filled and 50 SC/BC certificate were issued.

Amritsar, January 30
Students and staff members of Citizens Forum Vidyamandir, being run for the children of drug addicts, organised an awareness rally on the menace of drugs and corruption on the death anniversary of Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi at the historic Jallianwala Bagh here today.

They along with women residents of the Maqboolpura locality, where the school is located, initiated the rally. Holding placards, having slogans in Punjabi against drug addiction, its serious fallouts on individuals and families and corruption, they went places before concluding their rally at the Jallianwala Bagh.

Meanwhile, the district administration held a ceremony at the Jallianwala Bagh to pay tributes to the Father of the nation.

Among others, Health Minister Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, former Governor of Kerala R.L. Bhatia and Deputy Commissioner K.S. Pannu paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.

Nawanshahr: Tributes were paid to Father of Nation Mahatama Gandhi on Anti-Leprosy Day observed by the District Leprosy Society at Doaba Kushat Ashram here on Sunday to commemorate his death anniversary.

Dr H.S. Gill, District Leprosy Officer, distributed medicines and fruits among the inmates of the ashram.

Jalandhar, January 30
It was a bad day for music lovers in the city. The elaborate ceremony to commemorate Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, which the Harivallabh Sangeet Mahasabha had promised for the day, turned out to be a damp squib.

The ceremony was supposed to begin at 3 pm at the Harivallabh Bhawan. At 3.30 pm, the bhawan lay completely bare. Just a few dried-up marigold strings (probably there since the Harivallabh pratiyogita days) hung at the entrance of the bhawan. Save for two posters carrying Pandit Joshi’s photographs and announcing the ceremony, the floor and walls lay totally bare.

Mahasabha general secretary Purnima Beri said the delay was caused because the tent man did not turn up on time. But the event would start shortly.

The event finally began an hour and a half later, after hurried makeshift arrangements. The lamp was lit. Pandit Joshi’s accomplishments were talked about by Kulwinderdeep Kaur as Pardeep Puri played the violin gently in the background.

Of an entire list of artistes who were supposed to turn up on the occasion, — Pandit Ramakant, Kale Ram and Mohan Malsiani, Pardeep Puri and Prof B.S. Narang — only Puri and Prof Narang turned up. Prof Narang presented a bhajan and Raag Basant.

The ceremony ended with vice-president Arun Kapoor sharing his thoughts on the maestro. About 60-70 people were present, if it wasn’t for them, the even would not have been possible.

Speaking about the issue, Beri said, “I was there, but I wasn’t arranging things this time. I am not blaming anyone. It was surprising for me too. The ceremony was planned as an obeisance where everyone was supposed to be present. Certain members of the mahasabha had to ensure that the artistes turned up. Some of the artistes were even aware of it, they still didn’t come. One of them called up to tell he was out of town, the rest didn’t even bother. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi had to be remembered..”

Jalandhar, January 30
The Punjab Police has constituted a special investigating team (SIT) to crack further links of the two dreaded criminals who were gunned gown in an encounter with a team of the CIA staff of the Jalandhar (Rural) police at Chhota-Bhagela village, near Mehatpur, last night.

Though senior police officials, including DIG Varinder Kumar and SSP Ashish Chaudhary, who were camping in Nakodar till last midnight, remained tight-lipped on the issue till this noon, the Director-General of Police, P.S. Gill briefed mediapersons about the encounter.

The DGP claimed that a SIT had been constituted under the leadership of the DSP, Nakodar, Rajinder Singh, to nab other accomplices of Dharminder Singh, alias Bhinda, and Jagrup Singh, alias Ruby. Moreover, the police was also in touch with the police of neighbouring states, including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, to get information regarding criminal cases registered in these states against the gang.

Gill said the Punjab Police had been trailing the gang for the last over five months and was also in contact with the CBI and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to know their overseas links.

Meanwhile, the bodies of the criminals were handed over to their families after postmortem at the Civil Hospital, Nakodar. — TNS