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Have connections, will encroach
Visitors irked as computers develop snag at transport office
Sour Notes |
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5 quintal of substandard polybags seized
Amritsar Development Authority, an orphaned baby
Anganwadi workers stage protest
Mission Aagaaz pitches in to save heritage structures
Computer course for non-teaching staff begins
Medical lab technicians agitate in front of Civil Surgeon’s office
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Have connections, will encroach
Amritsar, September 14 The Tribune team took a random round of the city only to find that influential politicians, police pickets and renowned private health institutions have been utilising and altering the public land as per their “convenience” without any guilt and fear. They have become a headache for the authorities because of their ‘positions and connections’. A substantial number of pickets for private and police security guards, allotted to the VVIPs, have sprung up prominently on public land and even parks located in the residential colonies like Basant Avenue, Green Avenue and Medical Enclave. The prominent politicians here have encroached upon the common service-lanes and even main roads to accommodate their bodyguards. One of them has even made a “pucca” accommodation for his security men on the road itself. The residents living in the locality have complained that these security guards do their daily chores in the open. “Obviously, it is a great nuisance when you find them standing in the park all the time. It has become difficult for us to pass through, especially for the women, it is a great inconvenience,” said a resident of the locality, preferring anonymity. Yet another glaring encroachment was witnessed on the main circular road leading towards Ranjit Avenue and the Green Avenue localities. The authorities of the two private medical institutions located on the Ranjit Avenue side have illegally opened an additional approach through a green belt situated towards the back side of their institutions. The residents have also urged the authorities to immediately close these illegal entrances leading to the main road and restore the green belt. “It is indeed ironical that the authorities too looked the other way and allowed permanent structures and establishments to come up on pavements, roads and even in the earmarked green belts”, expressed a resident of Ranjit Avenue. The police administration, too, does not lag behind when it comes to grabbing public land for their ‘official’ purpose. A portion of the Amritsar-Wagah GT Road in Chheharta has been encroached upon to establish a police post in the middle of the road. Similarly, other police posts located on the Taranwala pul, Ranjit Avenue and Kabir park have grabbed the green belt to set up their offices, which cannot be termed as ‘legal’ in any court of law. Coming down heavily on authorities here, the high court has directed them take immediate measures to remove these encroachments on a war footing and without delay to give a cleaner and greener look to the holy city, but in vain. Perhaps due to the immunity they enjoy, other commercial establishments too have sprung up in the area under the very nose of the authorities. Numerous car driving schools have encroached upon public paths to operate their business from the roadside. Various NGOs and social organisations, which had taken up cudgels with the administration, the police and the AMC, have suggested a crackdown on the encroachers’ mafia, which, allegedly in collusion with corrupt officials, has taken over government land and roads to run their roadside business in a highly organised and blatant manner.
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Visitors irked as computers develop snag at transport office
Amarjit Singh of Chamiyari village in Ajnala sub-division said he specially came to the city to get papers of his recently procured truck but was shocked to hear that the computers were not working. A daily-wager, Amarjit said the department should have made alternative arrangements to provide service to the people, who had come from far flung areas. Another visitor Balraj Singh said he was native of Bhaikiwaind village and came to apply for the driving licence of heavy vehicles. Gesturing towards the group of agitating people, he said majority of them were employees, small-time shopkeepers and daily wagers who had come here. He said despite paying money, the services remain unsatisfactory. District Transport Officer Vimal Setia accepted that the software did not work for nearly three hours in the morning. He said the department was concerned about the inconvenience caused to the public. Officials immediately swung into action and also sought cooperation of the public. He said at present live integration of online transaction during working hours was going on. However, it was creating troubles in the software. The National Informative Centre (NIC) recently uploaded the software for online registration of vehicles. He said currently the transport office was being integrated online with State Bank of India, motor vehicle dealer, District Treasury Officer and Accounts General. He informed that besides the office was being linked online with heads of Amritsar Government Medical College, SR Government College for Women and Registrar of Guru Nanak Dev University.
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Sour Notes
Amritsar, September 14 And the fact that the heart of Punjab does not have a single alternative music band playing in the city makes things worse. Hear it from the horse’s mouth. “Amritsar has a lot of youngsters who are into rock and western classical music. But no platform for them to promote their talent,” says Dipin Raj, a city musician. Playing fusion music for past seven years now, Dipin has his own band called Baap of Bands with five members but he is the only one from city. “All the other members are from Ludhiana and Jallandhar,” he says. And the reason for this is, “We don’t have a band culture here. Rock and alternative forms of music are becoming very popular with Indians But not in this part of the world,” he mentions. Well, sounds like it. They have performed gigs at Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, done rap, Punjabi, Sufi and rock, participated in various music festivals. But in Amritsar, he stands alone. “Here we are used to the Punjabi and bhangra style music. People like anything traditional, but not our kind of music,” he says. Similar views are shared by Vishal Khosla, another vocalist and musician from city. “Apart from several independent musicians, we don’t have any music bands since the culture is missing. Even the solo musicians are reluctant to come up with a group.” And audience, mind it, is not the problem here. “People are interested in trying out good music, but the motivation is missing. Once they listen to the music they will fall in love with it, sing along. But not ready to work on it,” shares Siddharth Arora, a BCom final year student who loves to play soft rock. We do have audience but that’s not enough,” he adds. Finances and lack of any proper platform is responsible for such a step-fatherly treatment. “I had once performed in Amritsar with my band in a self-financed show and we had a packed house. But nothing after that,” says Dipin, who has featured in several singing reality shows as well “It becomes tough to monetary support yourself after a while. I too tried forming a group but couldn’t sustain it. There are lots of youngsters who are picking up on the experimental music but are not able to take it up after a certain level,” says Vishal who has dome masters in classical music as well. This has prompted most of them to either turn to popular music or perform gigs outside the city. “We are not demoralized yet. I am trying to collaborate with some of the other musicians from city to form a club which can serve our purpose,” says Dipin.
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5 quintal of substandard polybags seized
Amritsar, September 14 Arora said the team confiscated around five quintals of substandard polybags adding that the transporter would be penalised as per law. “We were informed that he received prohibited carry bags from Delhi. He used to supply these polybags to other shops in various parts of the city. We are now trying to gain information about his clients, so that the whole lot could be taken into custody,” he said while informing that an FIR too would be lodged against the transporter. It is to mention that it was the second major raid by the MC team. A week ago, the MC health team had confiscated an equal quantity of substandard carry bags from different markets of the city. It is to mention that as per the Punjab Plastic Carry Bags (Manufacture, Usage and Disposal) Control Act-2005, there is a blanket ban on polythene bags below 30 microns in width, having dimensions less than 8X12 inches or not complying with the specified colours.
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Amritsar Development Authority, an orphaned baby
Amritsar, September 14 Since the introduction of the Amritsar Master Plan in March, the ADA has passed only four private colonies to be established as per the established norms in the district. These colonies would come up on Fatehgarh Churriyn road, Majitha road and GT Road. The ADA is headed by a Chief Administrator. However, since the constitution of the ADA following government notification on July 16, 2007, it has not got a regular Chief Administrator. Officials from other departments have been given additional charge. At present, Chief Administrator of the Jalandhar Development Authority (JDA) Praveen Kumar is given the additional charge of the ADA. Interestingly, the next vital official, Additional Chief Administrator was also lying vacant. A key official, the post has got land acquisition and regulatory powers under the Punjab Apartment and Properties Regulatory Act. Next rank in hierarchy is Estate Officer. This post is also lying vacant. Against the sanctioned strength of eight SDOs, the PUDA is functioning with six. Another vital post of Senior Account Officer was also lying vacant and the same official posted at JDA has got the additional charge. Initially, the importance given to the ADA, which could be gauged from the fact that its first meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Chandigarh in November 2008, seemed to have vanished. The ADA was formed to implement the master plan so that to give thrust to a planned city with all components working in tandem to make the city a vibrant commercial and religious tourist hub. Chief Administrator of the Jalandhar Development Authority Praveen Kumar said that there was shortage of some staff and the request has been forwarded to the government to fill it immediately. He added that PUDA officials could look after the ADA as jurisdiction was the same. Besides, the PUDA also look after the government land under the policy of Optimum Utilisation of Government Land (OUGL) and the ADA was regulatory body. He said separate office and officials for the ADA would be needed if the work increases in the future.
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Anganwadi workers stage protest
Amritsar, September 14 Their demands included a Haryana-type pattern for special allowances for helpers and workers to the tune of Rs 2,500 and Rs 5,000, respectively, relaxation of the age limit the employees, preferring anganwadi employees for ETT and ANM posts on the basis of their experience and instant recruitment for vacant Class IV posts. They also demanded technologically sound working spaces and upkeep of basic amenities. Federation president Hargobind Kaur said that they would intensify the agitation in days to come. “We have been given a cold shoulder by the government for a long time now. If our demands are not taken seriously this time, we plan to strengthen the agitation and intensify the protest,” she said.
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Mission Aagaaz pitches in to save heritage structures
Amritsar, September 14 Mission Aagaaz general secretary Gurbhej Singh Sandhu said a counsel has been engaged to file the PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He added that once the government’s plan was implemented, the model residential structures of the British era would be erased forever. In a letter to CM Parkash Singh Badal he said that the Akali government had invariably stressed upon reviving the depleting green forest cover and boosting plantation campaigns. However, the razing of the British-era kothis would spell doom for hundreds of decades-old trees. The Irrigation Department has 16 kothis spread over an area of about 31 acres and the locality is also known as Canal Colony. He said callous attitude towards the green cover had given a fatal blow to the huge forest area that once Punjab had. The gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that at present we were left with about 3 per cent forest cover. Earlier, he recalled, in 2008, a huge green cover consisting of 452 trees at Dr Vidyasagar Mental Hospital, Amritsar was axed to pave way to raise a five-star hotel and a multi-storey commercial complex.
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Computer course for non-teaching staff begins
Amritsar, September 14 The Registrar said the use of computer is very important for efficient working. “The aim of the university is to computerise its whole functioning. Efforts are made to make all information about education and university programmes to the students through internet only. Besides this, the examination formality would also be made easy through the use of computer. All these things could only be possible if the whole lot of our staff learn to use computers. HS Bhinder, Deputy Registrar and course coordinator, said his earnest efforts during this course would be to provide maximum theory and practical knowledge about the working of the computer. Dr Sandip Sharma also gave lecture on the operating system and computer networking.
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Medical lab technicians agitate in front of Civil Surgeon’s office
Amritsar, September 14 They raised slogans against state government for about two hours. Addressing the agitators, Kashmir Singh Kang, the general secretary of the association said that the government had deliberately turned a blind eye towards their genuine demands. Baldev Singh Jhander, the senior vice-president of the association said that their demands included house-rent allowance, risk allowance, besides the regularisation of contract employees. He said that as their jobs pose multiple health hazards, they are entitled to a risk allowance. He said the employees who are put on emergency duties in the hospitals are required to be given accommodation free of cost but in our case we are charged 5 per cent of our pay for that. The association also demanded recruitment of senior Lab technicians in the newly-formed districts too. Among others who addressed the gathering included Malkiat Singh Bhatti, Kashmir Singh Kang, Satpal Singh, Jagtar singh Dhillon, Sukhwinder Randhawa etc. They threatened to intensify their agitation if the government failed to pay heed to their demands.
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Even though the Amritsar Municipal Corporation (AMC) has taken a proactive stand on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to identify large-scale encroachments in various parts of the holy
city.
Amritsar, September 14
After observing a pen-down strike for three days, the activists of the Medical Laboratory Technicians Association today held a agitation in front of the Civil Surgeon’s office to impress upon the Punjab government to fulfil their demands, including that of revising the pay scales.
Amritsar, September 14
