Jalandhar, October 14
The Jalandhar (Rural) police nabbed a drug peddler and recovered 500 gm of heroin, worth Rs 2.5 crore in the international market, from him today.

Acting on a tip-off, the Special Staff and the CIA staff of the police jointly laid a trap at Kalyanpur village, near Lambra, and intercepted a motorcyclist. During his search the police recovered 500 gm of heroin from him.

Gurmit Singh, SP (Detective) said the drug peddler was identified as Manjinder Singh, alias Bawa, a resident of Lohar village in Tarn Taran district.

The SP said the motorcyclist tried to spead away when was intercepted by the police at the naka, but was nabbed after a long chase by another police party that was deployed in plain cloths adjacent to Samirpur Chowk at some distance.

During questioning, the drug peddler revealed that he was working for Raghubir Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran, and had to supply the contraband to some agents in Nakodar.

The drug peddler was carrying two pouches (10 gm each) as samples, while the rest of the contraband was kept in his pockets, the SP added. The police also impounded a motorcycle (PB-63-0565) he was using in the crime.

The drug peddler had been involved in the trade since long, but was arrested for the first time.

A case under various provisions of the NDPA Act was registered against Manjinder Singh at the Lambra police station.

Jalandhar, October 14
Two days after a nil response to PUDA’s commercial site, the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) today managed to get a good response to nearly 25 constructed booths, the auction for which was held at the Red Cross Bhawan today. Even as final calculations are yet to be made, the officials have put the total amount of the sold property to be close to Rs 4.5 crore.

Of all the properties, the 11 booths in Guru Amar Dass Nagar got the best response. The property fetched the JIT three times the amount it had fixed as the reserve price. Even as the reserve price for the booths measuring 2 marla and 45 sq feet was fixed as Rs 5,33,532, these booths went for an amount in the range of Rs 15 lakh.

The reserve price for 11 booths in Surya Enclave, measuring 203 sq feet, was fixed at Rs 10,98,300. Even these booths went for more than double the amount in the range of Rs 22 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. The reserve price for six booths in Guru Gobind Singh Avenue, measuring 1 marla 93 sq feet sq feet was fixed at Rs 18,66,240. Only three of these booths were sold seeing a less encouraging response as these went on bids ranging between Rs 20 lakh to Rs 22 lakh.

Auction for 11 plots falling in Maharaja Ranjit Singh Avenue was also scheduled for today. The reserve price for plots measuring 500 sq feet was fixed at Rs 14,630 per sq yard. Because of a poor response, the auction of all the plots was put off.

Deputy Controller Finance and Auditing, JIT, Inder Mohan Narula, said that even as clear-cut calculations would be done on Monday, after payments from all bidders, he estimated the total amount to be Rs 4.5 crore.

The auction was especially planned today at a short notice so that the amount collected could be handed over to the Municipal Corporation for various development works in the city ahead of the assembly polls. Those who attended the auction included Chairman Baljit Singh Neelamahal, Executive Officer Jatinder Singh, and trustees Buta Singh Sachdeva, Shiv Dyal Chugh and Gopal Mian.

Jalandhar, October 14
Pandemonium prevailed in the MC House today as councillors of the Opposition today accused the Mayor of deliberately neglecting development works in their wards. As the meeting was on, the Councillor of Ward number 8, Nirmal Singh Nimma, stood up on the table claiming that he was not being allowed to speak on the matter. He said that works to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore had been approved in his ward since the past three years but these had not started as yet.

As he said this, a BJP councillor and a close aide of the Mayor, Sunil Jyoti, asked him to sit down. This infuriated the Opposition councillors. Mahesh Puri, Congress Councillor of Ward 27, came on to side with Nimma on the issue. At this, the councillors of the ruling party claimed that the Congress Mayor in the previous regime had also dealt with them in a similar manner.

The Congress councillors, including Kuljit Babbi and Rajinder Beri, then asked them to check old records to see that works to the tune of Rs 4 crore had then been done in the wards of KD Bhandari, now a BJP MLA and Kuldip Oberoi, a councillor of the SAD. The fireworks continued for a good 20 minutes before Mayor Rakesh Rathour managed to get them all to settle down.

The Opposition councillors today kept the Mayor on the defensive as they posed certain direct questions on the floor of the House.

The Leader of the Opposition Jagdish Raj Raja asked him as to how white lining was done in front of his residence. The Mayor replied, saying, “I did not tell any official to do that. I think they have done it on their own.”

He hit with a second question, “Nearly 89 safai karamcharis have been awaiting their regularisation. Is the issue being politicised by you as there has been a change in the ministry since then?” The Mayor denied it clarifying that an approval from the legal department was pending in the case.

He came up with a third tough question, “How are you going to arrange for Rs 135 crore which includes Rs 15 crore backlog payments of contractors? Are we only going to rely on loans?” Mayor came back saying, “We have been having talks in this regard with the concerned minister as well as the CM. We are also speeding up our recoveries of house tax and sewage and water bills, to make for the funds.

Jalandhar October 14
Despite their husbands staying abroad and they living here for the past many years, the spirit and enthusiasm of celebrating Karva Chauth is no less for these women.

These married women, whose husbands are living abroad, still consider the day of Karva Chauth as the most precious one. Though there is a sad feeling of living apart, but every woman has her own way to celebrate the occasion.

As per the ritual, women have to break the fast after seeing the face of her husband through “Karva”. But the women whose husbands are living abroad break their fast in their own ways.

Rajni Gandhi, whose husband has been living in Italy for the past 12 years, said they got married 11 years ago and since then she had been keeping fast on Karva Chauth for the wellbeing and prosperity of her husband.

“In 11 years, only once did I celebrate Karva Chauth along with my husband and rest of them without him. This year too I will be celebrating Karva Chauth without my husband.”

She feels that the mood of celebration enhances when woman celebrates the fast with her husband at home and it emotionally pinches when the husband is away on that special occasion.

She has a very interesting way of breaking the fast. She says, “When moon rises, I open my laptop, switch on the Internet and see the photo of my husband through a web cam. It gives me a lot of satisfaction and the feelings of being together with my husband.”

Sandeep, resident of Phagwara, whose husband has been living in Bahrain from the last four years, says, “She breaks her fast after keeping her husband’s photo in front of her. For the last four years, I have been keeping fast in the absence of my husband.”

Monica, whose husband has been living in Dubai for the last three years, echoed similar views and said, “Ever since their marriage, only once was her husband present at home during Karva Chauth and at that time they both observed fast. Now for the last two years, she has alone been celebrating the occasion.

She said, “When women keep fast, wear colourful attires and ornaments on Karva Chauth, it gives them an immense feeling of happiness if their husbands remain in front of their eyes.”

Jalandhar, October 14
The PG Department of commerce and business administration, Kanya Maha Vidyalaya, organised a placement opportunities programme for the commerce students of the college.

Paramjeet Kaur, Manager CSR, Knowledge ICON (a unit of Dream Weavers group), guided students about selection criteria and various requisites to get a job. — TNS

Jalandhar, October 14
Following the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court for providing protection to a runaway couple, the Deputy Commissioner today held a meeting of officials from the city and rural police and the district social welfare group.

The Commissioner of Police, senior Superintendent of Police, District Social Welfare Officer and District Sainik Welfare Officer comprised the committee. They ensured a protection centre for the runaway couples in the Sainik Welfare House, Jalandhar.

Priyank Bharti, the DC, said two rooms have been allocated to the couples in the welfare house. The DC and head of the committee asked the officials of other departments to send the couple directly to the protection centre instead of wasting time for getting permission from the committee members or other senior officials.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in the Asha vs the State of Haryana case, has issued direction to the government for making a committee that will provide security to the runaway couples.