Concrete barricade outside the house of Congress MLA OP Soni in Amritsar. Photo: Sameer Sehgal

The structure built to house the security guards of BJP MLA Anil Joshi located adjacent to the house in Amritsar. Photo: Sameer Sehgal

The special room built inside the house of the Minister for Social Welfare, Punjab, Luxmi Kanta Chawla, in Amritsar. Photo: Sameer Sehgal

The exceptions

• The Minister for Social Welfare Luxmi Kanta Chawla and MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, however, are the exceptions here. Despite the fact that Chawla has got a smaller accommodation, she has made special provision in the lobby of the first floor of her house in Tunda Talab area for her guards.
• Similarly, the entire security squad of Navjot Singh Sidhu lives inside the premises of his palatial residence on the Mall Road.

Amritsar, December 11
The Amritsar (rural) police has arrested Kabul Singh, Baldev Singh Deba, Mohinder Singh, Balbir Singh, Nirvail Singh and Mandeep Singh for allegedly smuggling fake currency in the garb of transport goods from Pakistan.

The accused had links with Kamaljit Singh and Sunil Kumar, who were arrested on December 3 by Lopoke police.

SSP (rural) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said the culprits smuggled consignment through the Attari-Wagah road route. "The total counterfeit currency in the denomination of Rs 1,000 notes amounting to Rs 5.43 lakh and one and a half kg of heroin has been seized from their possession.

It is for the first time that the two key players of this group-Kabul Singh and Baldev Singh Deba have been caught. Kabul Singh was the main coordinator who had established connection on the other side of the border. He used to receive money under hawala here and operated through his links in Pakistan to smuggle fake currency and heroin.

Baldev Singh Deba has been identified as a truck driver who used to frequent Pakistan through Attari-Wagah joint check post. He acted as a conduit between the smugglers to deliver the fake currency and heroin from Pakistan," he said.

"We will now conduct a joint interrogation in collaboration with the other agencies, including the Customs department to find out about their roots here and across the border," he added.

SSP (Rural) said based on the information from the two accused arrested at Lopoke, likewise, the police party laid a naka at Pul Nehr Bedwal.

Yesterday, four persons on two motorcycles were intercepted. Kabul Singh of Pakka village had 500 gram of heroin, Mohinder Singh carried fake currency of Rs 1 lakh, Nirvail Singh and Mandeep Singh were found in possession of separate bundles of counterfeit notes of Rs 1.45 and 1.5 lakh, respectively. Their accomplices Balbir Singh Billa of Amritsar and Baldev Singh Deba of Naushehra were found in possession of 500 gram heroin each.

Earlier, the Lopoke police had seized 250 gram of heroin worth Rs 1.25 crore in the international market and Rs 1.38 lakh in counterfeit currency from Kamaljit Singh of Kot Atma Ram here and Sunil Kumar, a resident of Lopoke village.

They were caught at a naka laid near a canal at Boparai Kalan village, while they were bringing the consignment from the border village of Naushehra Dhalla.

Recently, the Border Security Force (BSF) jawans had seized 5 kg of heroin and fake currency notes of Rs 9.80 lakh, which were thrown into the Indian side of the border by an unidentified Pakistan smuggler.

Kamaljit Singh and Sunil Kumar were released on bail from the Amritsar Central Jail, where they were lodged in separate cases, recently. They got to know each other in jail and decided to jump into illegal trade to make fast buck.

During search, the police seized 200 gram of heroin and Rs 49,000 in fake currency from Kamaljit Singh and 50 g of heroin and Rs 89,000 fake currency notes from Sunil Kumar. The fake currency was in Rs 1,000 denomination, which was smuggled from Pakistan through the porous Indo-Pak border.

Two separate cases have been registered against the accused under Section 489-A of the IPC and Sections 22, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act.

Amritsar, December 11
A mere five per cent of the 150 hotels in city have acquired a fire safety certificate from the fire department. Only those hotels who either have constructed the buildings recently or needed the certificate to get their businesses listed on the hotels' 'star ratings' fulfil all the safety norms.

Considering the fact that a large number of tourists from abroad as well as other parts of the country visit the city, safety of its hotels from any hazard becomes of paramount importance. Most of the hotels are located around the Golden Temple, which are the most congested areas with narrow lanes. Fire brigade vehicles can have a tough time trying to enter these busy lanes.

Moreover, the Fire Office is also not equipped with smaller fire tenders especially designed to penetrate through these narrow lanes. Even the fire hydrants used to supply water to the fire brigade vehicles are either missing or non-functional.

In a recent incident in which fire erupted at shops near Mahan Singh Gate, the fire brigade vehicles had failed to even replenish the water stock in them. Hence these had to get water from a long distance.

The Hotels and Restaurants Association president Randeep Singh said, "We have decided to call a meeting of the members of the association to motivate them to install the necessary fire safety equipments." He said as none of the authorities were serious in implementing the fire safety norms, people have failed in taking any initiative. "They have never inspected any hotel or commercial building to know about the fire safety measures. Even the government buildings do not fulfil the norms," he said.

Association general secretary APS Chawla said, "Before asking people to acquire fire safety equipment, the government must ensure that fire hydrants are installed at all crucial points. Alarms can only detect the fire. Ultimately the fire department will have to bring it under control. But where will they get water from." He admitted that only new and big hotels have installed all the fire safety equipments.

Chief Fire Officer, Tarlochan Singh said, "As per our records only five per cent of the hotels have acquired no objection certificates from us."

Talking about the hoteliers' allegations that the Fire Department does not conduct inspections, Tarlochan Singh said the hoteliers do not let them inspect the hotels using their "influence".

As per our records only five per cent of the hotels have acquired a no objection certificates from us. About the hoteliers' allegations that the Fire Department does not conduct inspections, the hoteliers do not let us inspect the hotels using their influence. — Tarlochan Singh, chief fire officer

Amritsar, December 11
The controversy over a sarpanch slapping a teacher in Muktsar is yet to die down that a cop slapping another school teacher has been reported.

The teacher Robin was allegedly involved in a brawl and a cop slapped him after they entered into a verbal duel. Later realising that he is a teacher the Cantonment police cops did not book him in the case and let him go today.

The teacher was accused of creating ruckus outside a school here. Following a brawl at the school gate with the in-charge of Cantonment police station Mangal Singh who in turn allegedly slapped Robin, little knowing that he was a teacher with some other school.

Robin had gained entry to the school premises showing himself as a student of the school and later got engaged in a brawl with the police officer on-duty. The police, however, refrained from registering a complaint against him.

Mangal Singh was looking after the security of the school during a students' fete organised in the premises of Senior Study School, here today. The brawl took place after Mangal Singh objected to Robin standing outside the school gate and asked him to leave.

SHO of Cantonment police station, Sukhdev Singh, who later enquired into the whole incident, said Robin had wrongly said that he was a student of the school and had tried to fool a cop. "This was the reason which had infuriated Mangal Singh and following a verbal dual between them, Mangal Singh slapped him. Later, he said his identity as a teacher with some other private school, so we resolved the matter amicably and no case was registered," he said.

Amritsar, December 11
Salwinder Kaur (65) travelled all the way from a border village, Behadwal, to the city to sell jams, pickles, corn flour and other eatables, which she had prepared at home. This was for the first time that this housewife dabbled in any commercial venture.

As a member of Guru Ramdas’ Self Help Group she came to the city to sell products to add to her income. She said throughout her life she had been grinding corn, preparing pappad, wariyan and achar for domestic use. She said changing circumstances at home and society forced her to join the new movement which arrived at her village a couple of months back.

She thanked Dr Rajinder Singh of Save Planet Society (SPS), an NGO, for giving her the opportunity to earn better. But what she didn’t know that it was made possible due to NABARD’s SHG scheme.

Similarly, Harpreet Kaur, 17, of another border village, Vaniye Ke, also joined the SHG to support tumbling family income. She is a student of Class XI in Guru Ram Das School and is the eldest of four siblings. She said snacks and eatables they sell were prepared at home; besides, the ingredients were cultivated by her father on his 2-acre farm. Both Salwinder and Harpreet said their groups were yet to receive financial assistance as their groups were formed about four months back.

Member of SHG, Madhoke village, Rupinder Kaur, said members of her group embroider Phulkari and wari which are used in women apparels, also as dining tables covers and bed sheets. She said her group had got financial assistance of Rs 50,000 from the NABARD.

Amritsar, December 11
More than 6,000 aspirants gathered at Khalsa College here on Saturday to participate in the ongoing Air Force recruitment drive. The candidates appeared for written and physical tests for the post of airmen (non-technical).

The interviews and medical examinations of the selected candidates were conducted on Sunday. HPS Gill, Deputy Director of Zila Sainik Welfare Office, Amritsar, said the recruitment drive attracted a ‘huge response’ from the youngsters.

Talking to The Tribune Prabhupal Singh from Patiala said, “Joining Indian Air Force is a dream that I have cherished since my childhood. I have come here a day before as I didn’t want to be late.”

He added that it is after a long time that the Air Force has organised a recruitment rally here.

Jatin Khurana, another candidate, said, “One of my cousins is already in the Air Force. He often narrates his experiences to me, which has strengthened my interest to join the Air Force.”

Most of the candidates expressed that unlike Army, where more stress is given on physical tests, the Air Force is inclined towards educational qualification of a candidate.

Samarpreet Singh said, “In Air Force only those who clear the written exam are tested on physical barometer whereas in the Army the first barrier is to cross the physical tests.”

He added that to join the Air Force one has to complete a track of 1.6 km in 8 minutes, whereas to join the Army one requires completed the same in five-and- half minutes.

Some of the candidates expressed that their ultimate objective is to be commissioned officers.

Yugraj Singh, an aspirant, said, “The opportunities for Airmen to get to the post of commissioned officer, if they qualify prescribed examinations during their career, also exist in the Air Force. That is the reason why I have chosen to join the Air Force.”

Amritsar, December 11
To promote energy efficiency, C-quest capital green ventures,a private limited company, in collaboration with Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s (BEE) of India would provide compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) to about 2.30 lakh households in the holy city.

Amritsar is the first city in Punjab where the scheme ‘Bachat Lamp Yojna’ has been launched, wherein energy efficient bulbs would be provided at very subsidised rates.

In Amritsar it has been launched from Amritsar East Division. The company has collaborated with Saroj Sareen Associates which would distribute CFL bulbs in exchange of working incandescent bulbs at Rs 15 only.