Jalandhar, November 24
The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has issued closure notices to two electroplating units for not complying with the guidelines.

The closures orders were issued after a team of the board officials found these units functional without mandatory permission from the government.

A senior official of the board revealed that the electroplating units - - Palak Industries on Sodal road and R Laxmi Electroplating at Sanjay Gandhi Nagar - have been issued closure orders. The duo were asked to closedown after a team of board officials from Patiala found them operating without the approval of the site appraisal committee (SAC).

It is mandatory of an industrial unit to get permission from the SAC, set up by the state government, before seeking permission to operate from the board. The units were neither having the SAC approval nor the no objection certificate form the board, another official revealed.

Moreover, these units had not joined the common effluent treatment plant in Ludhiana. The board has also asked PowerCom to disconnect their power connections with immediate effect. The units were already exiting and had changed the nature of production without completing the required formalities. SP Garg, senior environmental engineer of the board, said the erring industries had been asked to clear their position before the board team on Monday. 

Jalandhar, November 24
Thousands of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and CSS teachers rallied across prominent city chowks in support of their demands today.

Walking across the streets during peak hours in the afternoon, about 5,000 teachers gathered at Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall, making way through Press Club, Company Bagh Chowk, Jyoti Chowk Nakodar Chowk and BMC Chowk. Their hour-long rally caused inconvenience to commuters as they had to wait for the rally to pass on before they could move further. Teachers of the SSA/RMSA Teachers' Union met at the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall today in support of their demands, including regularisation of teachers and pays on par with the regular teachers of the Punjab Education Department.

Didar Singh, state president of the union, while criticising the "anti-farmer, anti-labourer and anti-employees" policies of the government, said: "If the government fails to find a solution to the demands of the 13,500 teachers of the SSA, the RMSA and the CSS before the upcoming assembly elections, it should be prepared for a befitting response from the teachers."

Speaking on the issue of traffic, president of the union Didar Singh said, "Our rally is always peaceful. We never disrupt peace. Our protest is against the government and not the people. The CM promises something and later back off. It's the state government's task to get a go ahead for the respective schemes and issues from the Centre, not ours. This is the only way for us to make ourselves heard."

Jalandhar, November 24
Terming the levying of wealth tax on agricultural land in urban areas as unnecessary burden and illogical decision of the Central government, farmers today threatened to launch a state-wide protest.

More than 15 farmers of the area who had been served notices to pay wealth tax on the their agricultural land situated within the eight kilometre radius of the Municipality and Cantonment Board today told to the newsmen that the Central government has played a cruel joke with farmers.

Referring to the budget speech of the then Finance Minster Manmohan Singh in 1992, Rajinder Singh Nagra, a local farmer alleged that the FM in his speech stated that agricultural was the foundation stone of the national economy and no strategy of economic development could succeed in the country if it does not ensure rapid growth of production and employment in the agriculture sector.

However, the government has levied wealth tax on the agricultural land situated in urban areas. “Though our agricultural land is situated in the urban area, the FM could have exempted the same from the wealth tax as we are also equally contributing as other agriculturist of the rural areas,” Singh alleged, adding that the FM termed the urban agricultural land as “non-productive” which was illogical.

If one acre is worth Rs 1 crore, then a farmer has to pay one per cent wealth tax .i.e. Rs 1 lakh per year. How can a farmer pay tax who earns below Rs 1 lakh, Gurdip Singh, another urban farmer rued.

Farmers rued that on the one had the government had been levying wealth tax on agricultural land situated in the urban area, but has excluded the land held by industrialist in urban areas for a period of two years and the land held as stock in trade by colonizers and businessmen.

“Our appeals have also been dismissed by the Income Tax Tribunal and the High Court,” said another farmer, adding that now they had moved the Supreme Court. 

Jalandhar, November 24
Come 2012 and city residents are likely to crossover between the old and the new city areas through the much-awaited Domoria railway overbridge (ROB).

While the work to lay the eight pre-fabricated structures is over, the Railways is in the process of starting the construction of a concrete slab atop the two spans of the bridge. Senior engineers of the Railways visited the site today to assess the progress and chalk out further plan.

Giving details, SE (B&R) MC Kulwinder Singh said the Railways would start putting slabs in a day or two. “The process will take three to four weeks within which other works, including erecting of crash barriers, streetlights and bitumen laying will start,” 
he added.

The MC is also in the process of making its preparations. “We too will begin our work. We will soon start the work on laying bitumen and installing streetlights on the ramp areas,” the SE said claiming that the new deadline was January 2012.

The key issue has been as to whether the politicians from the ruling party would be able to get a chance to lay the foundation stone of the bridge, the construction of which has been on since the past 12 years. Since the area falls in the Jalandhar North constituency, BJP MLA KD Bhandari and Mayor Rakesh Rathour have been desperately awaiting its completion to garner mileage ahead of the assembly polls.

Jalandhar, November 24
A woman of Malko village near Lambra, Manjit Kaur, has accused the police of inaction and charged it with sheltering the accused, who allegedly injured her 12-year-old son.

She alleged that instead of taking action against the accused, Shiv Dayal, the sarpanch of Malko village, the police had registering a false case against her husband. She also accused the police of mentally torturing her daughters.

On November 6, Shiv Dayal along with his family indulged in heated arguments with Manjit’s husband over parking of a vehicle.

In the process, the accused allegedly attacked her son leaving him injured. Manjit alleged that the sarpanch and his accomplices barged into her house and started beating up my husband and son. Manjit said she also informed the police about the attack.

“A few days later, we were shocked to know that instead of paying heed to our complaint, the police has registered a case under Section 452 of the IPC against my husband, Paramjit, who is a taxi driver,” she said.

Manjit said now policemen often visit their house and behave rudely with them “A few days ago, cops again came to my house and when they didn’t find my husband, they misbehaved with my daughters. They even threatened to take my daughters to the police station.”

“My daughters are so depressed that they have been skipping school,” she said.

When contacted, SHO of the Lambra police station Paramjit Singh said: “We know how to investigate the case and are doing so. He also said the police did no misbehave with Manjit’s daughters. 

Jalandhar, November 24
Trials for the junior national hockey (U-19) which began at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium here today saw a low turnout following which all those who came for trials were declared selected.

As many as 27 girls from Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Badal and Bathinda reached the stadium for trials this morning. The tournament would be held from December 1 to 12 at Sonepat in Haryana.

Owing to a low turnout, the next phase of trials would now be held on Monday as another batch of girls who are presently playing in the State Hockey Championship (U-19) at Ludhiana would be part of the tournament.

Talking to Jalandhar Tribune, office secretary of the Hockey Punjab Kulbir Saini said the coaching camp for the tournament would begin from Monday after the arrival of the players of state hockey championship. “The turnout was less today, but the number of players will increase on Monday as we are expecting some 12-plus girls. Once they are here, we will select the best players for the junior national hockey tournament,” he added.

“Now, the Hockey Punjab will conduct the trials for boys on November 29 at Surjit Hockey Stadium,” he said.

Saini added the Hockey Punjab was keen for a good show at the junior national hockey which would see the best women teams in action. Even the selected girls also expressed their desire of making the most of this golden opportunity.

Ramandeep Kaur from the sports wing, Kairon, said: “I have already participated in the U-16 and U-17 national hockey and this would be another feather in my cap. Today was a golden chance for us and a lot depends on the final list of the players to be released on Monday.”

Meenu Bala, a student of Government Senior Secondary School, Badal, too said the apprehensions of the selection faded away with low turnout. “I am a fullback and will utilise this moment to make a mark,” she added.

Yesterday, the Hockey Punjab conducted the selection trials of boys and girls for the sub-junior national hockey tournament at the Surjit Hockey Stadium to be held from November 26 to 30.