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Residents irked as parks turn into unauthorised parking lots
tribune impact
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waste treatment plant
MGN school contests MC’s claim
Owners of 10 shops fined for not removing stagnant water
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Residents irked as parks turn into unauthorised parking lots
Jalandhar, September 13 A regular jog or a walk in the park has become a far-fetched dream. Residents rue that even entering the park is a nightmarish thought now. The fact that the park is in an unkempt state is evident from the garbage which fills the park. Illegally-parked vehicles and encroachers irk the residents who have stopped coming to the park. The jogging track running across the park is broken and ill-maintained and even the flowerbeds in the park are full of garbage. Garbage dumps lie next to a small temple beneath a tree at the entrance of the park. Outside the park, trucks and oil carriers are parked throughout the day. As these carry “highly inflammable” material, they pose danger to the people of the area. The outer boundary is dotted with stains of paan because of a paan shop located here. Rajat Mohindru, a member of the BJP and a resident of the area says, “The park used to be much bigger in size till sometime back but some of its land was included in a road-widening project. A part of the park was also allocated to set up an electricity office next to it. Now there’s no dearth of trees but people use it as a shelter and sleep here. The space next to it serves as a full-time parking. Oil-filling activities go on throughout the day sometimes.” Surinder, another resident says, “About 20 years ago this was a glorious place where women and families could walk around without fear. Now we are scared to even enter it. Big vehicles parked here block the visibility of traffic coming from the other side of the road. We are left with no option but to go to Partap Bagh instead. Even the road right outside it is dirty and stinks. There aren’t many options that we are left
with.” Another resident, Kamlesh, says, “While the men are busy with their business, the women are the worst-affected due to this problem. We need a place closer home that should be easy for us to walk to. Since the deterioration of this park, I haven’t been going to any other place because they are too far.” The blame game is on between authorities when it comes to the upkeep of the park. Ward no 30 councillor Rajinder Beri blames it on the opposition. “The MC had earmarked money to initiate projects but tenders were never invited for the work to be completed. We did our bit as two years ago, the place was renovated. I am aware of how grave the problem is. Truckers sleep and even bathe at the park. Women feel unsafe to enter it. Another problem is that the area’s society doesn’t come forward. MC is ready to provide the park with a gardener and other solutions will also be thought out but none of the society members take an initiative.” “An estimated sum of Rs 4 lakh was earmarked for the park this July. We hope to start the work on it by the first week of October,” he added. |
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tribune impact
Jalandhar, September 13 This direction was passed on to MCJ Commissioner BS Dhaliwal and executive officers (EOs) of councils falling under the jurisdiction of Jalandhar. Jalandhar Tribune had carried a news item on Monday highlighting rampant violations of the model code of conduct ahead of the SGPC elections. Bharti also sought a list of hoardings, authorised or unauthorised. He said the Punjab and Haryana High Court had already issued strict instructions to remove the unauthorised hoardings. He also directed officials concerned to submit a certificate stating that unauthorised hoardings had been removed from their areas. Bharti said, “The Police Commissioner and SSP Rural had been asked to provide help, if needed, to remove these hoardings.” All SDMs have also been asked to provide required help in removing such hoardings, the DC said, adding that lax attitude would not be tolerated in this regard. |
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Mishaps no deterrent, many still
follow the danger track
Jalandhar, September 13 Even, requests by Government Railway Police (GRP) to the public to exercise caution had have no effect. During a visit to the railway station, Jalandhar Tribune team found a number of passengers using tracks to reach other platforms. Even children, women and aged persons did not hesitate in crossing tracks on foot instead of using an overbridge to reach from one platform to the other. Importantly, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), a majority of times, doesn’t take action against those flouting rules, who can otherwise be booked under Section 147 of the
Railway Act. official Speak ‘24/7 vigil not possible’
We have booked such persons but we cannot keep an eye on the track round the
clock. — amit prakash sharma,
rpf inspector |
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waste treatment plant
Jalandhar, September 13 While approving the bid for the same, the authorities seem to have ignored reports that such a mechanism leads to the release of harmful carcinogenic emissions like dioxins. The officials are unmindful of the fact that a similar project on at Okhla for the treatment of refuse collected from New Delhi and its suburbs is already facing legal opposition from environmentalists as well as residents. As per the present plan, door-to-door garbage will be collected, segregated and transported to the dumping site, where it will be processed to produce electricity. The unused garbage material will be used as filling material for certain sites. A Request for Proposal (RFP) document of IL&FS has been finalised and a Letter of Intent has been issued to the lowest bidder M/s Jindal Urban Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd, the same company which has got the contract for Okhla. Gopal Krishna, representing a Delhi-based NGO ToxicsWatch Alliace, who has been spearheading the campaign, says there could be contamination of intoxicants in milk as well which would show up as abnormalities in the generations to come. The activist said, “It is a tried, tested technology, which failed. Its adoption despite a history of consistent failures reveals environmental lawlessness in the country. Our governments are perhaps after the subsidy money which is equivalent to Rs 3 crore for every MW of power produced that too at the cost of health of the residents. Yashwant Chauhan of IL&FS refused to comment. Asked if the incineration technology was being used, he said, “Please ask the MC officials. I am busy in a meeting.” Mayor Rakesh Rathour said the firm would set up a plant to generate refuse-derived power.
‘Known risks involved’
Dioxins, released during burning of waste, have been used for chemical warfare in Vietnam crippling residents with unknown diseases for the past 50
years. — gopal krishna, NGO Toxicswatch alliance |
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MGN school contests MC’s claim
Jalandhar, September 13 The MGN Chairman, JS Pasricha, has produced the notification dated August 14, 2000, in this regard. He has claimed that his institute had got exemption for the same from the Assistant Commissioner, MC, for years 1995-96 to 1999-2000 after examining of the audit report of school accounts. “The MC has been imposing house tax and some of schools were even paying it in ignorance whereas, charitable educational institutes need not pay any such tax,” Pasricha claimed. The school had even filed a civil writ petition in this regard in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2008. The court had ordered on January 29, 2009, “The petition is allowed in terms of judgment passed in CWP No. 3257 of 2008 titled CT Public School vs State of Punjab and Others.” In the CT Public School case, the orders read, “The petition is allowed to the extent that the matter is remanded back to the assessing authority under the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976. The petitioner would be at liberty to file a consolidated claim alongwith documents before the authority within three weeks from today. The assessing authority will consider the various aspects of the case in the context of the documents placed before it and pass a speaking order while assigning reasons in accordance with law”. Imposition of house tax
MGN chairman claims the MC has been imposing house tax and some of schools were even paying it in ignorance whereas, charitable educational institutes need not pay any such tax |
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Owners of 10 shops fined for not removing stagnant water
Jalandhar, September 13 Dr Varinder Kalia, health officer, MC, said shopkeepers of Chadha Tyre Market, Purusharthi Tyre Market, Fish Market and Basti Adda Market had been challaned or issued warnings. He said three rounds of fogging have been conducted in the entire city. The MC has five shoulder-mounted and seven vehicle-mounted fogging machines. Even as the MC has got five new vehicle-mounted fogging machines, these have not been put to use as three-wheelers for the purpose have not yet been provided. |
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Hockey tourney for veterans
Jalandhar, September 13 It was held at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium. The championship is sponsored by Gold Gym, which has decided to honour veterans and best players with special rebates on gym packages. Pargat Singh, Director, Sports, Punjab, who was also part of the championship, inaugurated the championship amidst much fanfare. On Sunday, the inaugural match saw Tracer Club defeating the veterans of Jonex Club by 14-11 margin. Veterans would now gather on September 18 to conduct a match in the memory of Olympian Mahinder Singh Munshi on the occasion of his death anniversary. The match would be held between Surjit XI and Olympian Mahinder Munshi team. Avtar Singh Pinka, the coach of Surjit Hockey Academy, who played from Jonex Club, lauded the efforts and said such matches between veterans help budding players pick best hockey skills. “We want to showcase style and techniques of playing hockey to budding players of Surjit Hockey Academy and girls of the Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Nehru Garden. Such friendly veteran matches not only create a healthy ambiance for players but also teach them basic values of team spirit,” said Avtar Singh. While Olympian Rajinder Singh termed this initiative as a much needed boost for hockey at the grass roots level. “Leading international hockey teams like Holland, Germany and Australia conduct such veterans’ leagues in which not only players but their entire family take part,” he said. |
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