Nawanshahr, March 1
With the busting of an inter-state gang of robbers, the district police has not only achieved a major breakthrough in combating crimes at various places in Nawanshahr, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur districts but has also helped boost the “confidence building measures" for strengthening Indo-Pak trade as members of a delegation from the Pakistan Foundary Association, Lahore, were also among the victims of the gang.

Giving details SSP Narinder Bhargav told mediapersons here today that the police acting on a tip off had put up a naka led by the SHO, Banga(Sadar), near Kahma village on Monday evening.

The police party succeeded in nabbing four members of the gang identified as Tarlochan Singh of Hariana Jattan village, Paramjit Singh alias Pamma, a resident of Mohalla Bedian, Mehli Gate, Phagwara, Harjinder Singh alias Jinder of Luteran Kalan village near Adampur (Jalandhar) and Sukhvinder Singh alias Sukha of Mahalla Baba Gadhian, Phagwara, when a car in which they were travelling, was intercepted.

During interogation it came to light that the gang was also wanted in the case of robbing Pakistani traders -- Jamir Ahmad Meo, Tariq Mohammad and Mirza Mohammad Yusuf Beg of Lahore near Dhahan village situated on Jalandhar-Nawanshahr-Chandigarh Highway on February 15. The traders had come here to attend a convention hosted by the Indian Foundary Association in Chandigarh from February 11 to13.

The police recovered two country-made pistols, an air pistol and five mobile phones from the gang members, said the SSP, adding that investigation was going on.

Trader Jamir Ahmad Meo thanked SSP Narinder Bhargav over telephone from Lahore for the help rendered to the delegation members from Pakistan by the district police.

While sharing his experience with The Tribune over phone from Lahore, Jamir lauded the efficiency shown by the police, especially the SSP, Narinder Bhargav, and the DSP, Banga, Jasbir Singh Rai.

“It would go a long way in strengthening confidence-building measures between the two countries,” said Jamir, adding that the incident was discussed with other members of the Pakistan Foundary Association and they appreciated the gesture of the police as well as the people. 

Hoshiarpur, March 1
To celebrate the diamond jubilee of the Employees State Insurance (ESI) Scheme, a seminar, “IP is VIP”, was organised under the presidentship of Dr Neelam Sidhu, in charge of the ESI Hospital here on Saturday.

In her address, Dr Sidhu stated that as part of diamond jubilee year celebration, illumination of ESI establishments had been done and it would continue up to March 1. Special cleaning and dusting drive had been launched in these establishments, which would continue for the whole year, added Dr Sidhu.

She stated that special medical camps were being organised in hospital and dispensaries for the insured persons. Apart from this, special drive had been launched with the help of the Shri Ram Charit Manas Parchar Mandal, an NGO, to detect cataract cases.

In his address, Dr Ajay Bagga, SMO, disclosed that the ESI Scheme had the largest number of medical and paramedical personnel working under one umbrella in the country, even larger than the Railways, armed forces and Central Government health services. He stated that personnel working in the ESI hospitals consider every IP, i.e. insured person, as a VIP (very important person) because they get the salaries from the contributions made by them.

Dr Bagga disclosed that 60 years’ anniversary call for special celebrations because the ESI Corporation had grown like a banyan tree rooting deeper in the soil with each passing day with numerous branches outstretched in a canopy to protect the worker from all the risks at work place to help and support the family in the times of illness, accidents and death.

While paying rich tributes to Jawahar Lal Nehru, first Prime Minister of India, Dr Bagga stated that Nehru was a great visionary who launched the ESI Scheme in 1952 at Kanpur.

Hoshiarpur, March 1
As many as 593 applications were received by various departments in the district from public for getting information under the RTI Act from January 1 to December 31, 2010.

This was disclosed by Deputy Commissioner Dharam Dutt Tarnach while addressing a seminar organised by the district administration to make awareness for the RTI Act here. He said 373 applications under Section 6 (3) of the RTI Act had been sent to the departments concerned for disposal, whereas 220 had directly been disposed of by his office.

He said to make people aware of the RTI Act-2005, seminars were being organised throughout the district.

The Programme Officer of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration, Chandigarh, who specially came here for participating in the seminar, said the Act had been introduced in 65 countries in the world, but it had proved very affective in India. The World Bank had also appreciated its utility. — OC

Hoshiarpur, March 1
Illicit relations of a newly wed wife compelled her husband to commit suicide here yesterday.

According to police sources Kaushaliya Devi of Mohalla Adamwal stated in her complaint to the police that her son Ram Sarup was married to Kulwinder Kaur of Sagranwali village, PS Bhogpur, four months ago. Soon after the marriage Ram Sarup came to know about the illicit relations of his wife with Manjit Singh of Phagwara.