J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

1,300 pc increase in Gurdaspur trust’s budget
Gurdaspur, March 24
It seems to be incredible but it is true. The Gurdaspur Improvement Trust has registered a staggering 1,300 per cent increase in its budget plans for the financial year 2011-12 as compared to last year’s budget. The budget was pegged at Rs 5 crore for the last financial year but the same has now been increased to Rs 65 crore. What has come in handy for the trust mandarins is a particular scheme, which has proved to be the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs.

Badal’s sangat darshan postponed
Nawanshahr, March 24
The sangat darshan programme scheduled to be organised on March 27 here by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has been postponed to March 28. Earlier, it was a point of discussion that the sangat darshan proramme by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at Nawanshahr on March 27 had been scheduled to counter the rally being organised by Manpreet Badal to launch his political party at Khatkar Kalan.

2 dowry cases registered
Hoshiarpur, March 24
Two cases of allegedly beating and torturing women for more dowry were registered at Model Town and city police stations here last evening. According to the polices, Kiran Kumari, wife of Ravi Kakar of the local Mohalla Kamalpur, in her complaint to the police stated that she was married with Ravi Kakar on October 14, 2009. During her marriage her parents gave sufficient dowry and Rs 5 lakh to her husband. But after marriage Ravi Kakar used to beat and harass her for more dowry.

Scan centre machine sealed
Batala, March 24
An ultrasound machine at the Baba Deep Singh Hospital, Alliwal Road, Batala, was sealed after a Civil Hospital team found discrepancies in hospital records. Dr Mohinder Singh, Senior Medical Officer (SMO), Civil Hospital, Batala along with a team from Gurdaspur, including District Planning Officer Dr Jagjivan Ram, sealed the machine at the hospital, run by Dr Mohan Pal Singh.

1,300 pc increase in Gurdaspur trust’s budget
Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, March 24
It seems to be incredible but it is true. The Gurdaspur Improvement Trust has registered a staggering 1,300 per cent increase in its budget plans for the financial year 2011-12 as compared to last year’s budget. The budget was pegged at Rs 5 crore for the last financial year but the same has now been increased to Rs 65 crore. What has come in handy for the trust mandarins is a particular scheme, which has proved to be the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs.

The trust acquired 84.77 acres of land in 2005 on the Tibri road for development purposes and named the area as scheme No 7. However, the scheme got caught in a legal quagmire with a section of residents challenging the acquisition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. For six years the case dragged on in the court and the all the well laid out plans of the trust came to a naught.

However, on December 15 last year, the petition of the residents was quashed by the court, following which the trust took possession of the scheme on December 23 with the help of the police.

The scheme, which has 478 plots of dimensions ranging between 150 to 500 yards, 41 shop- cum- offices and 20 booths, was advertised in local newspapers following which the Trust collected an amount of Rs 60 crore as Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) from hundreds of residents. The bus stand, which at present is sandwiched between the busy Dak Khana and Jahaz chowks, will also be moved to a new site within the scheme.

Once the bus stand, at present controlled by the Zila Parishad, is shifted within scheme no 7, it will fall within the jurisdiction of the Trust which will auction shops, falling within the precincts of the bus stand, to raise resources. Several parks, green spaces and houses for economically weaker sections of society will also be constructed in the scheme. An area of 5.10 acres has been earmarked for construction of houses for the underprivileged.

Developmental work in the form of construction of roads, laying of sewerage pipes and setting up streetlights will commence after March 31.

A beaming Ravinder Verma, chairman of the trust, said, “We have never had it so good. The scheme, which has been renamed as New Gurdaspur, has changed the fortunes of the trust. Moreover with the shifting of the bus stand, residents will heave a sigh of relief as the traffic flow will reduce drastically in inner parts of the town.”

Badal’s sangat darshan postponed
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, March 24
The sangat darshan programme scheduled to be organised on March 27 here by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has been postponed to March 28. Earlier, it was a point of discussion that the sangat darshan proramme by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at Nawanshahr on March 27 had been scheduled to counter the rally being organised by Manpreet Badal to launch his political party at Khatkar Kalan.

Manpreet Badal organised a meeting of his supporters at Khatkar Kalan on Wednesday evening to take stock of the arrangements for the rally scheduled to be organised on March 27.

Meanwhile, the civil and police administrations, which are yet to heave a sigh of relief from the exhaustive exercise of making elaborate arrangements for the recently concluded massive rallies by the major political parties at Khatkar Kalan on March 23, are on their heels to make security and other arrangements for the rally being organised by Manpeet Badal on March 27 at Khatkar Kalan and the sangat darshan programmes of the Chief Minister scheduled to be organised at Nawanshahr on March 28, at Balachaur on March 30 and at Saroya on March 31.

Deputy Commissioner Shruti Singh organised a meeting of officials of different departments for giving a final shape to the arrangements.

2 dowry cases registered
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, March 24
Two cases of allegedly beating and torturing women for more dowry were registered at Model Town and city police stations here last evening. According to the polices, Kiran Kumari, wife of Ravi Kakar of the local Mohalla Kamalpur, in her complaint to the police stated that she was married with Ravi Kakar on October 14, 2009. During her marriage her parents gave sufficient dowry and Rs 5 lakh to her husband. But after marriage Ravi Kakar used to beat and harass her for more dowry.

On March 17, 2010, she alongwith her husband went to the USA and returned to India on March 17, 2011. On reaching here Ravi Kakar started beating, maltreating and harassing her for more dowry. When she showed her helplessness to fulfil his desire, he threw her out of the house and also threatened to kill her. The Model Town police has booked Ravi Kakar under Sections 498 A, 323 and 506 of the IPC.

The city police has booked Danesh Dhanna and Kisan Kant, son of Amar Nath of New Delhi, under Sections 406, 498 A and 34 of the IPC for allegedly torturing and maltreating Manju Bala, daughter of Tilak Raj Verma of the local Hari Nagar, for more dowry.

Scan centre machine sealed

Batala, March 24
An ultrasound machine at the Baba Deep Singh Hospital, Alliwal Road, Batala, was sealed after a Civil Hospital team found discrepancies in hospital records. Dr Mohinder Singh, Senior Medical Officer (SMO), Civil Hospital, Batala along with a team from Gurdaspur, including District Planning Officer Dr Jagjivan Ram, sealed the machine at the hospital, run by Dr Mohan Pal Singh.

Gurdaspur Civil Surgeon Dr Dalip Kumar constituted a team on March 5. The hospital was issued a show-cause notice to which Dr Mohan Pal Singh admitted the mistake, asserted the SMO. The meeting of the advisory committee decided to seal the machine for 12 weeks. — OC