Jalandhar, September 2
A student of CT Public School, Maqsudan, was killed while his friend sustained serious injuries when a Maruti Esteem car, on which they were travelling, collided with a state-run bus on the busy GT Road near Pathankot bypass this evening.

The car occupants --- Gurleen Sharma, a resident of Ashok Nagar, Jalandhar, and Ramandeep Singh of Dogarwala Khuh in Kartarpur --- were students of Class 12 (Commerce stream) and were on their way towards Kartarpur.

Sources in the police revealed that the duo was coming after taking tuition class. Eyewitnesses revealed that the driver was driving the car at a very high speed and while over taking their vehicle hit with the bus from the side.

The impact of the accident was so high that after hitting the bus, the car swung in air and then took a U-turn and against collided head-on with the same bus. The car was badly damaged and the windowpanes of the bus also got smashed.

Some of the bus passengers also sustained minor injuries in the accident.

Hearing a loud thus, passersby and locals assembled at the spot and extricated the injured trapped inside the mangled remains of the car.

Critically injured Gurleen Sharma was rushed to a private hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead. His family members took the body without any postmortem examination of his body, ASI Mulkh Raj, the investigating officer of the case revealed.

Ramandeep Singh, who was admitted to another private hospital was referred to the Civil Hospital in the evening.

The police has rounded up the bus driver Kulwant Singh, a resident of Jandiaya village. Both the vehicles have been impounded. The police has initiated action in this regard but no case was registered till filing of the report.

Jalandhar, September 2
As many as 39 persons have lost their lives, while 38 sustained grievous injuries in accidents at various parts of the city in the past seven months.

The traffic wing of the police has identified 32 such points which are the most accident-prone sites in the city, termed as “black spots”.

A majority of these spots have been identified in the south-western part of the city while their number is less in the north-eastern part.

As per official records, 185 people died at these spots while 177 persons sustained fatal, 97 non-fatal and 167 minor injuries in 2010. Besides 39 deaths, 38 persons sustained fatal, 42 non-fatal and 45 minor injuries, till July 2011.

Though the city police claims to have succeeded in bringing down the rate of deaths to a record low, till July 2010, there were 141 deaths, 133 persons sustained fatal injuries, while 71 people suffered non-fatal and 133 minor injuries at these black spots.

Talking to the Tribune, Assistant Commissioner of Police (traffic), Diljinder Singh Dhillon, revealed that these black spots have turned into virtual death-traps due to their locations. While some fall near curbs on the busy road, the others are either at the intersection of two roads or link roads connecting the busy GT road and other main links to the city.

The ACP revealed that drunken driving, reluctance, over-speeding and violation of traffic rules are some of the major causes of accidents.

The ACP, however, revealed that there is not even a single black-spot in the middle of the city as the internal roads are heavily congested and the drivers do not accelerate their vehicles beyond a speed of 20-25 km per hour.

The city police hopes that the rate of accidents could further be lowered down with the enforcement of the “Road Safety-10”, a pilot project of the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched in the city with the assistance of the city police.

Dhillon said that the noose will be tightened around traffic violators with the enforcement of the project and the menace of drunken driving and over-speeding of vehicles will be curbed. The police is all set to press 22 alchometers and 22 radars into service in and around the city.

During the enforcement of the “Road Safety-10” project, the black spots will further be rectified, the ACP added. 

Near Work Shop

Y-Point Bhagat Singh Colony

DAV College to Suranussi

Adarsh Nagar Chowk

Opposite KMV College

Near Nakodar Chowk

Near APJ College

T-Point Khalsa School Nakodar Road

Near Ghah Mandi Chowk

Y-Point Evening College

Samra Chowk

City Hospital Chowk

Milk Bar Chowk

Manbro Chowk

Near Model Town Milk Dearian

T-Point Boota Pind

Satluj Chowk Near Bus Stand

Urban Estate Phase-2 Traffic Light

Pathankot Chowk

Transport Nagar Chowk Bypass

F Focal Point Chowk

Partap Pura 66`` (Futty) Road

Rama Mandi Chowk

Ravi Dass Chowk

Mata Rani Chowk

Nehar Pulli Basti Bawa Khel Kapurthala Road

Opposite Police Line

Opposite Khalsa College

T-Point Ladowali Road

Nangal Shama Chowk

Choggitti Chowk

Near Big Bazar GT Road Phagwaraxx

Jalandhar, September 2
The city may witness the garbage crisis anytime in the near future. The safai karamcharis of the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation apprehend that the garbage lifting services can be suspended anytime as there is not sufficient space in the solid waste management plant, the facility currently being used to process manure from the solid waste generated in the city.

Till today morning, the crisis of garbage lifting was looming large over the city, as the corporation workers suspended lifting of garbage by citing the above- mentioned reason.

“The management plant is operational in the same plot of land where it was started few years ago. However, the volume of city garbage is increasing with each passing day. We had halted our operations yesterday, as there was no space to dump the garbage in the plant. The corporation should either provide additional land to the plant or initiate rigorous campaigns to sensitise residents to generate less garbage,” said Ashok Dheer, general secretary, Nigam Safai Mazdoor Union.

Moreover, the authorities should also level the approach road leading to the treatment plant, he added.

On the other hand, Dherraj Ghai, owner of the treatment plant, claimed that there is enough space to accommodate the garbage generated in the city. “The operations were suspended as the corporation employees had unloaded a truck full of garbage in front of plant’s entrance. There was no issue of insufficient space. The plant is well equipped to accommodate the garbage generated in the city”, added Ghai.

Jalandhar, September 2
Tension prevailed at the famous and ancient Sodal Temple for second consecutive day here today following the ongoing tussle between religious groups of its management for the past many years.

The groups --- Sri Siddh Baba Sodal Trust and the Sodal Gurdwara Committee --- are at loggerhead over the ownership of the temple.

The brewing tension took an ugly turn last evening when both the groups entered into arguments over the allotment of tent sites for the ensuing annual Sodal fair. Soon their supporters joined them and there was a minor scuffle. The situation was defused with the timely intervention of the police.

ADCP (Headquarters) Navjot Singh Mahal and ADCP (City-I) RK Sharma, along with heavy police force pacified the irate members of both the groups.

Taking preventive measures, the district administration has deployed a strong posse of police in and around the temple and its surrounding area.

Jalandhar, September 2
People thronged the various government offices located in the district administrative complex, Jalandhar, which was opened after the hiatus of two days and would again remained close for the next four days, except coming Monday. Long queues of applicants, who came to get their documents issued and carry out pre-requisite formalities prior to the issuance of such documents, were seen at the counters of the various offices in the district administrative complex.

“I came here around 10 in the morning with my daughter to apply for her learning driving license. We are still waiting even two hours after standing in a queue”, said Harbir Kaur, a resident of Jalandhar city.

Besides Saturday and Sunday, there were state holidays on August 31(Id-ul-Fitr), September 1 (Parkash Purab Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji) and September 6 (Birthday of Baba Shri Chand Ji).

“As a good number of employees and citizens observe the religious days, the government should make alternative arrangements in such a scenario. Even if one or two working days fall in between serial holidays, given the attitude of employees, such working days automatically turned into a holiday as a good number of employees prefer to go on leave on these days. Apprehending that the same will happen coming Monday, we have rushed here to submit our documents”, said Somesh Sharma, who came to the transport office to complete formalities required for a driving license.

An employee at Suvidha Centre, requesting anonymity, revealed that around 750 applications related to various services were received today against around 400-500 applications received during routine days.

All the applicants came to the Suvidha Centre to do the document work pertaining to services ranging from learners or driving license, registration copies, marriage certificates, arms licenses, ration cards and self-declaration affidavits.

“Though the centre remains open on Saturday also, we didn’t entertain applications regarding learner’s licences and driving licenses, vehicle registration copies and affidavits on Saturday. Applications pertaining to these services comprise a good volume of total number of applications we received daily. Hence, though the centre would remain open tomorrow, but the number of applicants will be quite less”, said the employee. 

Jalandhar, September 2
Even as hundreds of residents and commuters continue to suffer from slaughter waste problem, the Cantonment Board, Municipal Corporation (MC) and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) are busy passing the buck.

The issue pertains to the illegal dumping of slaughter waste on the GT Road and adjacent to the main entrance to the cantonment, which in turn has become a nightmare for daily commuters as stench keep emanating from the dump. Bhoor Mandi area is situated exactly opposite to the dumping point.

The cantonment board authorities said they could not take action against the owners of slaughter houses as nobody was ready to come on record and that the dumping ground came under the jurisdiction of MC.

The MC authorities on the other hand clarified that they were not responsible for the GT Road as it either comes under the purview of the cantonment board or the NHAI. Even the NHAI also said it was not their job to ensure that the slaughter waste should be removed, rather it was the duty of the cantonment and MC authorities.

While the residents of Rama Mandi and cantonment maintain that it is the owners of slaughter houses of the Bhoor Mandi area who have been throwing the waste in the open, the Bhoor Mandi residents feigned ignorance about the issue.

And in the past some time this problem has become even more grave as people have been throwing the slaughter waste packed in sacks on one side of the GT Road, which has virtually filled that stretch with choking stench. “It is owing to the slaughter waste that stray dogs, pigs and kites keep wandering near this spot. And almost every fortnight atleast one stray dog gets killed on the busy GT road, which is unfortunately never removed as well,” said Harjinder Singh, a commuter.

The cantonment board authorities, however, said till some years ago they were taking strict action against the owners of slaughter houses in Bhoor Mandi area as then it was a legal business. “Earlier, we used to collect the slaughter waste and dump it properly. Now the slaughter business is being run illegally, which has led to this problem,” said the officials from the Sanitation Department.

In the past we have made complaints to the police to take action against people running illegal slaughter trade in their houses. Even today we have sent a complaint to the police in this regard. In fact till some years ago when it was a legal business, the erring owners of slaughter houses were fined up to Rs 5,000 for dumping waste in the open. Recently the cantonment board laid Rs 2 crore sewerage system in this low lying area but surprisingly they were not ready to take the connections. We have decided to ensure that everybody takes sewerage connection and pay the taxes. But as far as the dumping problem is concerned that stretch does not fall under our jurisdiction. — Vibha Sharma,CEO Cantonment Board

It is the cantonment board which is responsible for this mess and not the MC. This area does not fall under our jurisdiction — AS Dhaliwal, Superintending Engineer, O&M from MC

Jalandhar, September 2
As many as 5,000 lecturers from government, aided and unaided colleges across the state under the Punjab Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU), have decided to go on a mass casual leave on Teacher’s Day (September 5).

The college lecturers would gather at Sector 25, Chandigarh, and hold a mass protest against their long pending demand of release of arrears as per the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission and filling of vacant posts of lecturers in private colleges.

The district president of PCCTU, Dr Tejinder Virli, lambasted the SAD-BJP government for its anti-education policies and said this was one of the reasons why privatisation of education was taking place in the state. “After coming into power the SAD-BJP government shunted out the unaided college lecturers from the security of service in December 2007. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had assured us to include lecturers under this ambit but nothing was done,” he added.

He further said on February 2, 2010, the then education minister Upinderjit Kaur had in principle agreed to relax the norms for refresher courses for lecturers of private colleges on the lines of government colleges in the state. “It was assured that a letter in this regard will be released by the higher education department soon and till date we are awaiting a formal response from the government”, he added.

The union members also said despite announcing pension for lecturers in their election manifesto, the government failed to fulfil its promise. “We were assured that pension policy for the lecturers will be implemented on priority. However, this also turned out to be a false claim of the government,” Virli maintained. 

Jalandhar, September 2
The students of DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology (DAVIET) brought laurels to the institution by bagging the overall runners-up trophy in women’s category and winning third position in the men’s category in inter-college swimming competition. The competition was held at Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), Bhaddal, from August 24 to 25.