The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	14 new dengue cases in city Count reaches 16, health dept chalks out plan to tackle disease Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 The much-awaited dengue test reports have confirmed 14 new dengue patients in the city, thereby taking the dengue count in the city to 16. The district health department had received reports of Mac-Elisa tests conducted on 25 suspected dengue patients today. Prior to this, the health authorities had confirmed only two dengue patients in the city. Confirming the reports, the Civil Sugeon Dr Avtar Singh Jarewal said, “The number of dengue patients has reached 16.” The health authorities have identified 79 suspected cases. The reports of another 15 suspected cases are awaited, said Jarewal. In a review of its dengue control measures, the health department has divided city into four separate zones for the purpose of ensuring timely identification of dengue cases. Each team has six members; one sanitary inspector, one laboratory technicians and four multipurpose health workers in each team, they have been assigned the duty of collecting the blood samples of suspected cases admitted to private hospitals in their respective areas. The District Epidemiologist, Dr Charanjit Singh, said, “The idea is to get the dengue patients identified as soon as possible. As the teams would collect samples by the evening, these would be sent to the microbiology lab at the Government Medical College, the next day.” The Government Medical College is the only medical institution in city with a facility to conduct the Mac-Elisa or the dengue confirmatory test. Dr Charanjit Singh said that on a request forwarded by the health department, the college has decided to conduct the test two days in a week. The college was previously conducting these tests only one day in a week. The district epidemiologist informed that the health department would arrange for anti-larvae spray within the 100 metres radius of the residences of each confirmed dengue patient. “Besides an anti-larvae team is already checking various localities and institutions for presence of the larvae,” he said. Talking about the need of fogging in city, the Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Dharam Pal Gupta said, “The fogging in various areas of the city has already been done by the corporation. Most of the areas have already been covered.”
	Crime file Accidental fire injures security guard The accused is also a security guard at a jewellery shop on the Mall road Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 There was panic among the people in the Mall road area today evening when an accidental fire from the gun of a private security guard, Onkar Singh, standing outside a jewellery house, injured another security guard Jagwinder Singh. The latter too had been hired by the owner of an adjacent showroom. The bullet hit Jagwinder in his foot when Onkar Singh, the accused, was handing over his gun to him. As per available information, Onkar Singh was going to the washroom and wanted Jagwinder to guard his gun for the time being. The injured guard was immediately shifted to a private hospital in the vicinity. Though working at two different shops, the two guards had met just a few seconds before the accidental fire. Onkar Singh said that he had joined his duty only yesterday and he was innocent. “There was no motive to fire at Jagwinder Singh. I barely know him. We had met for the first time yesterday,” he said, adding that he was going to the washroom located on the upper floor of the shopping mall, when the accident occurred The police authorities said they were recording the statements of the two guards. As per the preliminary investigations, it has been found that the shot was fired accidentally. A case would be registered after further investigations, the police added.
	Illegal sale of firecrackers on in city Owners of provision stores selling combustible material surreptitiously Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 Even as the Amritsar police Commissionerate has not issued a single licence under the Explosives Act to traders to sell firecrackers, combustible material is easily available at provision stores and cosmetics shops in the city. Wholesale firecracker shops at Jahajgarh have not opened officially yet, but firecrackers of all sizes and varieties can be procured from these shops. The Tribune team visited some of these shops today and it was noticed that many shopkeepers were selling firecrackers surreptitiously. Police Commissioner RP Mittal said the police was keeping a close watch on illegal hoarding and storage of firecrackers. He said raids were being conducted to check the illegal practice. He said many illegal stores were raided recently. He said his office had received application forms from 15 traders for opening of shops at the Patakha Market in Jahajgarh. The decision on the same will be decided tomorrow. He added that about 10 shops would not be granted licences as they do not did not fulfil the safety norms established under the Explosives Act. President of the Amritsar Fire Works Association (AFWA) Harish Dhawan said if they were granted licences by tomorrow morning, they would be able to set up their shops by the evening. He said they were already suffering loss as they were not able to set up their shops ahead of Diwali. Last year, the High Court had allowed the association to operate firecrackers shops from the Patakha Market in Jahajgarh for a certain period ahead of Diwali.
	Ludhiana residents robbed of Rs 80,000 Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 Two unidentified persons robbed two Ludhiana residents of cash at gunpoint late last evening. A case under Section 382 and 34 of the IPC and 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered against unidentified miscreants. Jatinder Sachdeva, a resident of New Hargobind Nagar, Ludhiana, said he alongwith Satbir Singh were in the city on a business trip. While returning to the railway station two unidentified persons armed with pistols intercepted them and robbed them of their briefcases containing having Rs 50,000 and Rs 30,000, respectively.
	Couple booked for duping girl Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 The Civil Lines police has booked an employee of a private insurance company and his wife for allegedly duping a girl of Ranjit Avenue. In her statement, the victim alleged that the accused couple had also been threatening her. The victim, in her mid-twenties, whose parents had died a long time ago, stated that in November last year, she and her younger sister had gone to the private insurance company located at Ranjit Avenue for depositing the premium. They gave the two cheques for Rs 50,000 each to accused Vishal Sharma, an employee of the company. The accused noted down her mobile number and started sending SMSes to her. They came close to each other. She said the accused took her to Dalhousie and they tied the nuptial knot and made physical relations. The victim said the accused had told her that he was not married. The complainant alleged that the accused took Rs 8.10 lakh and a gold biscuit worth Rs 2.45 lakh from. She said he also promised to take her to a foreign country for which he required money. However, after a few days of the marriage and taking money, the accused started avoiding her, she alleged. Later she came to know that Vishal was already married to Bhawna. When she asked Vishal about this, he threatened to divorce her got himself transferred at Nawanshahr. The victim said when she asked him to return the money, he and his wife started threatening her.
	Hardly a healthy practice! Residents react to changing pictures on ambulances under Emergency Response Services Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 For a change, the ambulances under project Emergency Responses Services (ERS), plying in the city now bear the pictures of Punjab Health Minister Satpal Gosain. Earlier, when the Sewa ambulances, popularly known as ‘108’ were launched, they had the pictures of Gosain’s predecessor, Laxmi Kanta Chawla. However, Chawla’s pictures were later removed after the media published reports terming the act as a political gimmick aimed at harnessing mileage in the forthcoming Assembly elections. In the current situation, with a fleet of emergency vehicles displaying Gosain’s picture, it seems the minister is playing the same card to build his image as was done by his predecessor. Commenting on the issue, Amit Kumar, a student said, “By these kinds of acts, the political leaders try to take credit for services for which public money has been spent.” Providing services is their duty at which most of them have failed, he said, adding had the minister spent money from his own pocket, he was eligible to paste his picture. Another resident, Harpreet Kaur said, “With change in ‘rulers’, pictures would always change. If the Congress wins the next elections, these pictures would once again change.” She added that even the money spent on changing of pictures is spent from the state exchequer when it serves no purpose. Gurbhaj Singh of Mission Aagaaj, an NGO, said, “These pictures satiate the political leader’s personal ego rather than serving any political means. Is it not their duty to work for the welfare of the public when they have been chosen by voters for the same purpose?” Brij Bedi, a social activist, said, “It would have been better if instead of the picture of the minister, the photograph of our heroes as Bhagat Singh or Mahatma Gandhi were pasted. The money spent on such services is tax-payers’ money and not the government’s.” He added that if a minister wants his picture to be pasted, he should pay from his own pocket.
	Portraying the plight of deserted brides of Punjab Anu Peshawaria gives advice to those marrying NRIs Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 An eminent Immigration specialist in the US and founder of the USA-Seva Legal Aid Foundation, a free legal aid service for the Indians in the US, Anu Peshwaria has come out in support of deserted brides of Punjab by their NRI husbands. She depicts their plight in her new book “Lives on the brink - bridging the chasm between two great nations, India and United States”. Anu, Kiran Bedi’s younger sister, was at the Guru Nanak Dev University for the book launch function of her new book which narrated the heart-rending tale of three gullible and innocent brides whose dreams and life had been shattered after marrying NRI husbands. She had made some suggestions to the government and the families keen to marry their daughters off to NRIs to keep these in mind to ensure a safe future for their daughters. She said the cheated and battered women have to begin from scratch in an alien country. Also working as a legal advisor to the Embassy of India, Washington DC, Anu stated that the population of NRIs in the US was more than two million NRI population in the US and surprisingly, 90 per cent of the women cheated refuse to come back from the US. She said there were two reasons for it. One was the fear of social stigma back home and the second was the feeling of being more empowered in the US since a woman was entitled to 50 per cent of her husband’s property as per the Community Property Law. She demanded the enactment of a similar law in India. She said that she had handed over a copy of the book to Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, to put across her point of view to the concerned government level. Earlier, she had written a book, ‘Immigrant’s Dream’, which addresses the problem of brides from India married to NRI husbands. Anu was born and brought up, along with her three sisters, in the holy city. All the four sisters did their schooling at the Sacred Heart School, Amritsar. Anu recalled that “Didi (Kiran) after becoming an officer took me to Delhi to provide me with the best of education available at that time”. An accomplished sportswoman, she had represented India in the Wimbledon as a junior tennis champion. She vividly remembered practising at the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Tennis Complex in Ram Bagh, popularly known as Company Bagh. She said that she loved to visit Amritsar and that she made a point to come here at once a year.
	Police martyrs remembered Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 Rich tributes were paid to police officials and jawans, who laid down their lives during the heights of terrorism in Punjab, at a special function organised to mark Police Commemoration Day at the Amritsar rural police lines here today. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Inderbir Singh Bularia was the chief guest on the occasion. While addressing the gathering, Bularia said one should not forget the police martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their country. Jasdeep Singh, SP (headquarter), Amritsar rural police district, read out the names of policemen who were killed fighting insurgents in various parts of the country. A guard of honour was also presented by jawans. Two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to police martyrs. The family members of martyrs were also honoured on the occasion. Bularia distributed cheques worth Rs 2 lakh to 137 families of police martyrs residing in the areas falling under Amritsar rural police district. He also listened to the grievances of the families of the police martyrs.
	UDKF sweeps GND University employees’ association election Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 The University Democratic Karamchari Front (UDKF) has won all 17 posts in the elections to the Guru Nanak Dev University (non-teaching) Employees Association held on Thursday. The elections for the union were simultaneously held on the GND University campus here and at the regional centres in Gurdaspur and Jalandhar. Hardeep Singh of the UDKF was elected president of the association. He defeated Jagir Singh of the Democratic Employees Front (DEF) by a margin of 227 votes. Aman Kumar of the UDKF was elected as the vice-president, Balvir Singh secretary, Manpreet Singh joint secretary, Hardeep Singh secretary (public relations) and Mandeep Singh as cashier. The UDKF’s Avtar Singh, Surjit Singh, Surinder Kumar, Satbir Singh, Hardeep Singh, Gurdev Singh, Jyoti Parshad, Tejwant Singh, Nirmal Singh and Rajinder Singh were elected as executive members.