NEIGHBOURHOOD

304 students walk proud with degrees

Dera Bassi, April 8
A total of 304 engineering students received degrees during the ninth annual convocation of Sri Sukhmani Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dera Bassi, here today. Chaudhry Swarna Ram, Punjab Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister presided over.

College principal Dr GN Verma presented the annual report of the college.

The minister motivated the students to step out of restricted thinking and explore various opportunities available. He also advised the students to work hard and take part in co-curricular activities along with academics. Cash prizes worth Rs 60,000 were given for outstanding performance in academics, along with certificates of distinction of merit and mementos were given to meritorious students. — OC

Fatehgarh Sahib, April 8
The pen down strike by employees of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) entered into the third day here today.

Besides some local union leaders, former minister and Congress leader from Sirhind Harbans Lal also came to support the agitating employees. Harbans Lal said the government was not serious in giving its ears to the grievances of government employees, who resort to protests almost every day in various parts of Punjab.

District president of the NRHM Employees Union Harnal Singh said the employees had been working round-the-clock for a meagre salary between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 per month. He added that the strike would continue if the government failed to accept their demands.

District vice president of the union Vicky Verma, secretary Harshdeep Singh, Jasveer Kaur and members of other local unions were also present. 

Fatehgarh Sahib, April 8
The health department officials, on a tip-off provided by the police, seized five-quintal spurious pickle being sold by some roadside vendors on the GT Road at Sirhind here today.

Health department authorities said the packed pickle, bearing addresses of Delhi-based manufacturers, seems to be unfit for human consumption.

The health authorities said the addresses of manufacturers seem to be fake or non-existent, as attempts to reach the manufacturers on phone provide futile.

The pickle seems to be impure and its samples have been obtained, which would be sent for tests in laboratory.

The health department had seized and destroyed a large quantity of pickle being made under unhygienic

conditions at a pickle factory in Sirhind last month. Police officials said if the samples of seized pickle failed then necessary action would be initiated against those involved in playing with the health of people. 

Patiala, April 8
Bir Devinder Singh, former Deputy Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, today said Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption was the manifestation of pent-up feelings of Indian people. Devinder said the failure on part of the successive governments to root out corruption had forced Anna Hazare to begin fast unto death. He added that Anna Hazare’s indefinite fast had the potential to transform the movement into a civil war. The PSEB Engineers’ Association, too, has come out in support of the social activist. President of the association HS Bedi and general secretary Bhupinder Singh appealed to leaders spearheading the movement that the fight should not end unless a proper and thorough framework was established for eradicating the menace.

Bassi Pathana: Various social organisations and NGOs have expressed solidarity with Anna Hazare. Amardeep Singh Dharni, leading lawyer of the town, and president, District Bar Association, Fatehgarh Sahib, said lawyers would spread awareness about the Lokpal Bill. He urged people to join the battle against corruption.

Ambala, April 8
A resident of Chandigarh was stabbed to death at Mandour village near Ambala City today afternoon.

The relatives of the victim blocked Ambala-Hisar road near polytechnic chowk to protest against police inaction.

According to sources, the victim Pishori Lal had come to meet his brother-in-law Baldev Raj at Mandour village this morning.

There was a dispute over a piece of land between Baldev Raj and a resident of the village. Pishori Lal was accompanying his brother-in-law when the clash occurred.

The unidentified assailants started throwing stones on them. In the meantime one of the assailants stabbed Pishori with a sharp-edged weapon. The victim was taken to a local civil hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The relatives alleged that they had informed the Baldev Nagar Police Station and Panjokhra Police Station when Pishori Lal was being beaten up. But the police didn’t reach the site despite repeated requests. They said that they had also informed the Superintendent of Police (SP), but none of them took the matter seriously. They said Pishori Lal could have been saved if the police had reached on time.

The irked relatives of the victim ransacked a Gypsy of Panjokhra Police Station.

Later, when the Additional SP Devender Yadav assured the agitated crowed that the guilty police officials would be suspended only then the blockade was removed.

The relatives of the deceased demanded that a case under Section 302 should be registered. 

Ambala, April 8
Villagers living close to Banodi Sugar Mill near Naraingarh have demanded action against the mill for allegedly causing pollution through the water draining from the mill and smoke coming out of the chimneys.

Anuradha Chauhan, sarpanch of the village, said residents of Shahzadpur Majra and Bhud were adversely affected due to this. The matter had been taken up with officials of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board several times, but no action had been taken.

The mill management, meanwhile, said the water disposed of from the mill was released through a water-treatment plant installed in the mill.

Residents alleged that the effluents were having high amount of suspended solids, dissolved solids, chloride sulphate, nitrates, calcium and magnesium, which pose a threat to the health of the residents of the area.

The presence of the effluents in water affects the crops when used for irrigation.

According to Chauhan, hundreds of students are studying in two schools near the mill and there is always the danger of epidemic outbreak due to the large quantity of polluted water accumulating around these schools and thrown into the nearby river. A memorandum in this regard was handed over to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during a rally held at Naraingarh in January this year, but no action has been taken.

However, some officials of the Regional Board assured the residents to look into the grievances.

Mohali, April 8
The police today crackdown a blind murder case after arresting two persons, in which a taxi driver Amarjit Singh was found murdered and the body was found near Siswan village on Wednesday.

The police arrested Gobindpal Singh, a resident of Batala and recovered the vehicle that had fake number plate from him.

However, on a tip-off, the police arrested another accused Vinod Kumar, a resident of Desu Majra.

Mohali SSP GS Bhullar said Amarjit Singh, a resident of Nurpur Bedi, was working as a taxi driver at a Kharar-based taxi stand. He said on April 5, Amarjit called his taxi owner around 4 pm and told him that he had some known clients who had planned to go to Delhi. Subsequently, the taxi driver took them to Delhi in his car.

The police said, next morning when the taxi owner Jaswinder Singh tried to call Amarjit on his phone it was switched off.

Bhullar said preliminary investigation revealed that Gobindpal Singh had called Amarjit Singh from a mobile to hire his taxi for Delhi. On the last call details of the Amarjit Singh, the police got vital clues and trapped him from Batala. During interrogation, Gobindpal confessed his crime and also revealed that Vinod Kumar was living in a rented accommodation at Kharar and was also involved in the crime.

SSP said Vinod ran a chemist shop in Desu Majra. Recently, he set his shop on fire to take claims. The accused had admitted that Amarjit was taken to Siswan by Gobindpal on the pretext of picking up a passenger. Where they offered him “kheer” laced with some intoxicant substance. After eating it Amarjit got unconscious and accused killed him and threw his body in the fields and fled.

Mullanpur SHO GP Singh said the accused were produced in the court today and were sent to police remand.

Mohali, April 8
With the arrest of five persons, the police today claimed to have busted a gang of robbers, who were planning to commit robbery in Mohali district on March 29.

The police recovered three pistols, .32 bore with six live cartridges and one iron rod from their possession. A country-made .32 bore with two empty shells was also recovered from the residence of Jagjit Singh at Garhshankar. The accused have been identified as Kulvir Singh, alias Nana, a resident of Bhago Majra village, Sohana; Gurnam Singh, a resident of Lasara village, Phillaur, Jalandhar; Jagjit Singh, alias Jiti, a resident of Garhshankar, Hoshiarpur; Avdesh Kumar Dubey, who was posted as a clerk, military headquarters, NR Area transit camp at Behlana, and Sukvinder Singh, a resident of Balongi.

Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police GS Bhullar stated a CIA team led by Sub-Inspector Gurcharan Singh laid a naka at the Desu Majra bus stand for checking in connection with the semifinal match of the World Cup. They got a tip-off that the accused, along with weapons were present in the showrooms opposite Gulmohar Complex, Kharar, and were planning to commit robbery in the area.

Bhullar said the police team conducted a raid and arrested the accused with deadly weapons. However, one of the accused, Sukhwinder Singh managed to flee in the darkness.

The police official said in the preliminary investigations, the accused confessed that the pistols were brought by Avdesh Kumar Dubey. — TNS

Chandigarh, April 8
An all-round performance by Shubham Chand (52 runs, 3 wickets) helped BTS Cricket Academy defeat Shri Shri Cricket Academy by two wickets in the fifth match of third U-15 Dr DD Sharma All-India Cricket Tournament on the BTS ground in Sector 48 here today.

After winning the toss, Shri Shri Cricket Academy decided to bat first and were all out at 269 runs in their stipulated 40 overs. Abhishek Sharma 58, Sagar Sharma 54 and Rajat 42 were the main scorers. For BTS, Neeraj and Shubham Chand took three and two wickets, respectively. Chasing a victory target of 270, BTS scored 273 for 8 in 38.5 overs. Uvraj Singh Gill (56), Shubham Chand (52) and Satyam (42) were the main scores. For Shri Shri, Sagar Sharma (2 for 51) and Resham (2 for 24) were the main wicket takers.

In the second match, Madan Lal Cricket Academy (Delhi) defeated Kanishka Cricket Academy (Gwalior) by six wickets. Scores Kanishka Cricket Academy: 165 for 10 wickets in 38 overs; Madan Lal Cricket Academy: 166 for 4 wickets in 23.5 overs. 

Chandigarh, April 8
More than 80 junior golfers from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Chandigarh will tee off at the SEPTA golf course in Chandi Mandir on April 9 for the first CGA Junior Golf Tournament for 2011.

This tournament is an initiative launched by the Chandigarh Golf Association to promote golf among junior golfers of the region. To be played on a stroke-play basis, the tournament will see U-17 boys and girls of the region in action on the greens.

A special category E has been created for 5-7-year-old kids. Categories A, B, C and D will play 36 holes and Category E will play only 18 holes. There will be separate prizes for girls and boys in each category.

Trophies will be distributed among winners and runners-up of the tournament and participation certificates will be awarded to all players. For the convenience of participating players, the CGA has created a separate section on its web site www.chandigarhgolfassociation.com for the draw, results and merit list. All participants will be given golf balls, caps and hand towels. A dress code is to be adhered to by the participants during the tournament. Parents will be allowed in the spectator gallery of the course at a minimum distance of 50 yards from the playing group.