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MC gets EC nod, projects back on track
General Attariwala memorial faces govt apathy
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Nine arrested on gambling charge
NSCs in place of stipend, junior resident docs cry foul
from
schools
Man shot at, hurt
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MC gets EC nod, projects back on track
Amritsar, February 6 Kusumjit Sidhu, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, has issued a clarification regarding the post-poll applicability of the model code of conduct in Punjab. Besides review and execution of ongoing projects and review-tour with field officers, except for the officers who were on election duty, the EC has allowed the MC to call for bids and award contracts for new development projects. A senior AMC official said the process of main projects, including city bus service, proposed ramp of the elevated road, work on circular road, besides other sewerage and road projects, hung in balance due to the poll code of conduct. "The announcement of Assembly election's schedule came as a surprise, as the date was earlier than expected. Since, we were not prepared for it, we did not chalk out alternate plans. Complying with the orders of the EC, we had to stall all the works pertaining to various projects. We have also suffered revenue loss in crores during one and a half month. With the officials put on election duties, the MC could not recover the dues of house tax or water tax during this period," he said. AMC Commissioner Dharampal Gupta said the MC is yet to get EC's formal communication in this regard. "EC's announcement will certainly help streamline development works. Several important projects, including introduction of low-floor city bus service and the magnetic pods under the Public Rapid Transport System, got stalled midway because these projects were to be executed in collaboration with the state-level officials. For the past over one month, no meeting could be conducted owing to the model code of conduct. In a way, everything came to a standstill", he said.
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General Attariwala memorial faces govt apathy
Amritsar, February 6 People complain lack of cleanliness and damaged lights at the memorial. Manjit Singh, a resident of Chheharta, said neglected memorial sends a wrong message to the visitors from across the nation and abroad. He said greenbelts around the memorial needed attention. Col Harinder Singh, general secretary, General Sardar Sham Singh Attariwala Trust, said maintenance of the memorial and replacement of electrical fittings were urgently required. He said the road from the city up to Attari was to be named after General Sham Singh Attariwala, a gallant commander in the army of legendary Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Besides, the name of Attari railway station was also to be named after the General who sacrificed his life while fighting the British. He said a clumsy look of the memorial leaves a bad impression on the domestic and international tourists. The India gate and the statue of General Attariwala on a mounted horse was formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on January 17, 2010. He said the trust has brought the demands to the notice of the Chief Minister the same year, but these remained unimplemented. The trust will hold the 166th martyrdom day of the General on February
10.
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Parking
woes offices
Amritsar, February 6 Parking is a major problem in the district courts complex and Deputy Commissioner's Office complex, where most of the public offices (treasury, suvidha centre, patwar khana and many others) are located. In the absence of adequate space, city residents park their vehicles wherever they find any place outside these complexes. Vehicles parked on the roads in haphazard manner also disrupt the normal flow of traffic. Sultan Singh, an advocate at the district courts complex, said, "There are more than 1,000 advocates, the same numbers of clerks and many other people working at this complex." The parking space inside the courts complex is not enough to accommodate vehicles of the people working here, he said. Another advocate Gurpal Singh said, "The proposed advocates' champers complex has a provision of a parking floor. But till it comes up, advocates are forced to park their vehicles on roadsides." The roads from Kacheri Chowk towards Hartej Hospital, Hartej hospital to army cantonment gate and from cantonment gate to Kacheri Chowk, where most of the public offices are located, are
always crowded with parked vehicles. Even illegal parking lots have come up in the area, where operators charge money at their free will. Usually people are charged Rs 10 to 20 for parking their vehicles on these illegal slots. Importantly, the operators do not even give a guarantee of the safety of the vehicles. There are queues of vehicles parked outside the offices of Irrigation and Sewerage and Water Supply. Amandeep Sharma, a visitor to Suvidha centre, said, "Considering the law and order situation in the city, there should be well guarded public parking lots inside the office premises. All these lots should charge nominal fees." Even outside the Amritsar Central Jail, visitors going to meet the inmates do not have a place to park their vehicles. In the absence of any official parking, the visitors park their vehicles on roadsides. A private entrepreneur in area too has opened up a parking slot at his private property to earn some money.
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Nine arrested on gambling charge
Amritsar, February 6 ASI Satnam Singh of the CIA staff said the police acted after receiving a tip-off. "A case under relevant sections of the Gambling Act has been registered against the accused with the police station B division," he said. Those booked have been identified as Gagandip Singh, Vishal Kumar, Manoj Kumar Des Raj, Jagtar Singh, Vaneet Dass, Deepak Sharma, Daljit Singh and Bikramjit. The one, who absconded, has been identified as Rajesh Kumar. Rs
10,000 snatched
Snatchers decamped with Rs 10000 cash and two gold rings from a woman, who has come along with her husband to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. Woman's husband Harish Kumar, a resident of Yamuna Nagar, has lodged a complaint with the police that unidentified motorcycle-borne persons snatched his wife's purse, which contained Rs 10,000 cash, two gold rings, ATM card, voter I-D card. The police said a case under relevant sections of the IPC has been registered in this regard. "The complainant has also provided the police with some details of the registration number of the motorbike. The search is on to nab the thieves," the police said.
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NSCs in place of stipend, junior resident docs cry foul
Amritsar, February 6 "We expected that after a long and tough battle, we will get our dues. But strangely we were handed over these NSCs," said a student. Students were given these certificates amounting to Rs 3000 recently. Students said they have been forced to borrow money for their basic needs as they have not got their rightful dues. Prior to the state assembly elections, the junior resident doctors at the college fought a tough and a long battle to make the government promise release of dues. A member of Junior Resident Doctors' Association's executive body, on the condition of anonymity, said, "The amount is not such that the state government needs a month and half for arranging funds. We do not understand why they are taking this much time even as they had promised to release the funds." The junior doctors had initiated the protest stating that some of them have not got their dues for the last eight to nine months. The students were paid a stipend of nearly Rs 23,000 per month for their services as junior resident doctors. Meanwhile, GMC Principal Dr SS Shergill said, "Every thing has been done under the government regulations. As the students did not have a GPF and CPF numbers, they were issued these certificates." About the release of stipend to the students, Dr Shergill said, "We are in touch with the state government. Hopefully, they will get the dues till February 25."
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state of parks
Amritsar, February 6 Today this park is hardly visited by people. A 20 feet high bronze statue of this great warrior, the most important feature of the park, lies in a bad shape. The half broken boundary walls do not serve the very purpose it was built for and the greenery has vanished much to the dismay of the people living here. Like all other parks of the city, this park too has also been turned into a dumping yard. There is no iron grill covering the park. Residents alleged those were stolen by drug addicts who reside in the nearby slums. “We are scared to enter this park because of rodents and wild grasses. We might get some infection or an allergy as the park is not maintained properly,” said Sapandeep Kaur, a resident. Residents said the condition of the park is an insult to the great Sikh warrior who was the founder of Ramgarhia misl (clan) in and around Riarki area of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Batala. Rajmohinder Singh, a resident who stays close to the park, said the foundation of the statue was laid with great fanfare by political leaders and members of the Ramgarhia community 20 years ago. Now, he said, the bigwigs do not care much about the leader or the memorial park. He said Jassa Singh’s contribution cannot be ignored. He had fortified and constructed the fort of Ram Rauni in Amritsar. His misl (clan) had more than 5,000 cavalry, and always helped Dal Khalsa whenever Afghanis or Mughals attacked. He occupied the area to the north of Amritsar between the Ravi and Beas and added Jalandhar region and Kangra hill areas to his estate. Residents here expect authorities concerned to rework on this garden
and to develop it as a tourist spot.
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Then and now
Amritsar, February 6 With two malls running successfully since two years and another to be launched by the Tata Group, Amritsar loves to buy Guccis, Body Shop, Calvin Kline and MAC. Guess and Apple too have made their entry recently and the youth is lapping it up. “This is just the beginning. Seventy per cent of the upcoming Trillium Mall has been occupied by international brands and there is more to come. Mall culture has changed the face of city’s shopping habit,” said Amritpal Singh, store manager, Apple. Barring a few, prominent brands have already entered the Indian market. “People are conscious about what they wear, where they dine and who they are seen with. Brands are defining the way of life here and it’s not just about clothes and accessories, it is about food, cars and everything else. One doesn’t need to go to Delhi to shop for your favourite brand,” said Jitendrapal Singh, store manager, Guess. The main shopping area of old Amritsar is the Hall Bazaar, where one can find almost everything. These wholesale markets have been here since ages. From jewellery, clothes, utility items to traditional items like pappar, warian, dry fruits, and Punjabi juttis-everything has its own bazaar and their loyal clientèles. The narrow lanes and somber tuck-in counters churn out crores daily. These establishments are run by generations. “Ninety per cent of these shops here have been in business for over fifty years. People know that it’s a wholesale market and they will get best deals. Business here is based on personal interaction,” said Harpreet Singh, who runs Ujjagar Singh Karam Singh Pappar and Warian in Kathuian bazaar. NRIs and tourists visit these old markets to get traditional things at right prices. Tourists bring the best business here as they do not get such traditional things in malls, said the shop owners. Bhuvan Arjun, businessman, said, “The mall culture has not affected our business as we have loyal clientèles. The footfall has been constant and we have customers from every nook and corner of the city, even Pathakot and Gurdaspur. Also, not everyone wants to shop from malls. Customers know where to get best deals.”
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Sports star Jagdeep honoured
Amritsar, February 6 He had improved his previous record of 2.11 metres which he had set in 2005. The College Principal Dr Daljit Singh felicitated Jagdeep in his office in presence of sports in-charge, Bachan Pal Singh. Jagdeep was also declared the Best Athlete of the meet. Jagdeep is all set to participate in In-door Asian Games to be held in China. Dr Daljit Singh said that college honoured Jagdeep with a merit certificate for excellence in the sports throughout the year. He said they also provide coaching and sports infrastructure to aid the athlete. Jagdeep is now concentrating on the next edition of the Asian Games. The trials for the same are starting shortly and he wants to give his hundred per cent for the national camp to be held In Patiala. He had already earned a cash prize of Rs 20,000 for his achievements, said Bachanpal Singh.
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from
schools
Amritsar, February 6 A Class 10+1 Commerce student Gurnoor Kaur was selected for her excellent academic performance in the Secondary School Examination conducted by the CBSE for the academic year 2010-11. She was also selected to witness the Republic Day Parade from the Prime Minister’s Box at Rajpath. The HRD ministry invited selected meritorious students to watch the parade. Gurnoor Kaur, one of the three toppers of Class X from Panchkula region, was selected by the CBSE for this honour. The school Principal Dr Dharam Veer Singh felicitated Gurnoor and said it was a proud moment for the school when its student was invited by the ministry to watch the parade. He said, “She is an excellent orator and brought laurels to the school by winning many inter-school debate and declamation contests.”
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Man shot at, hurt
Amritsar, February 6 According to information, he was returning home when a bullet accidentally hit him. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital and was discharged after being administered medical aid. The accused have been identified but no arrest has been made in
this regard. Dinesh Singh, in-charge of the concern police station, said a case under Section 307 has been registered. “Jaswinder was not involved in the fight. The altercation occurred between Dilpreet Singh and the accused,” Dinesh Singh said. According to police, more than one person was involved in the incidentthat took place today. “We have identified two accused who involved in the fight. We have found out that the accused were drug addicts. We are raiding their hideouts and will nab them soon,” Dinesh Singh said.
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