Jalandhar, February 7
Maximum three online applications for passports may be submitted through an email in a day at the three Passport Sewa Kendras (PSKs) working for the Regional Passport Office in Jalandhar. Similarly maximum four online applications may be submitted through a computer in a day from now onwards.

Regional Passport Officer (RPO) Perneet Singh said, “These steps came into force from today and have been taken to discourage travel agents.”

Formally inaugurated by Joint Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi on October 24, the three PSKs have been successfully working since then at Eminent Mall, near Guru Nanak Mission Chowk, in Jalandhar (PSK I), at Aman Plaza, near Nakodar Chowk, in Jalandhar (PSK II), and at Arora Galaxy Tower, near bus stand, in Hoshairpur (PSK III).

Perneet Singh said, “It has come to his notice that mostly travel agents used to take benefit of online submission of passport application and taking appointment for submitting documents etc.”

“That is why, it has been decided to set a maximum limit of submission of forms and taking appointments for submitting documents to three through an email and and four through a computer in a day,” he added.

“Further several other steps have been taken to streamline the work with effect from February 7 itself,” Perneet Singh said. “Now the maximum limit of submitting forms and taking appointments through PSKs has been increased from 550 to 1,200 daily.”

Earlier, 200 forms could be submitted at the PSK I and II each and 150 at PSK III. Now 400 forms could be submitted at each of the three PSKs, he added.

Further the area restriction had also been removed. Now applicants from any of the four districts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr of the Doaba region that falls under the Jalandhar RPO could submit their online application at any of the three PSKs after opening website www.passportindia.gov.in and then clicking at appointment folder, he added.

Earlier, applicants of Jalandhar district were allowed to submit online applications at the PSK I, those of Kapurthala and Nawanshahr districts at PSK II and the applicants of Hoshiarpur district at PSK III only. The work at the PSKs had been outsourced to Tata Consultancy Services.

Elaborating, Perneet Singh said, “After submission of forms, the applicant is given appointment of 45 minutes on a particular day for submitting his documents. “His documents are scanned and fingerprints and photos taken at the PSK concerned during his appointment,” he added.

“Further the verification officer of the passport office verifies the documents. After the verification of documents, the application is referred to the granting officer of the passport office.”

“If there is requirement of police verification of the applicant, the same is referred online to the Police Department. If there is no need of police verification after checking whether the applicant has been blacklisted or deported, the passport is sent for printing through the system on the spot and the same is provided to the applicant within a week,” he added.

“Police report is not required if passport is sought for a minor or it is re-applied within three years of its expiry,” the RPO said.

Jalandhar, February 7
The city police today arrested a youth with 100 gm of heroin. The value of the seized contraband is said to be around Rs 50 lakh in the international market.

The arrested youth has been identified as Parminder Singh, alias Laddi, resident of Block B, Jalandhar Kunj, here. The police claimed that Parminder Singh was a student of BA-II in some private college here and has been in the notorious business since long.

Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) Jasbir Singh said in charge of the bus stand police station Naresh Kumar along with a police party had laid a naka near the All-India Radio (AIR) Station for routine checking. When the policemen signalled a youth to stop for checking, he tried to flee, but was caught.

The ACP said on search the policemen recovered 100 gm of heroin from his trousers’ pocket and Parminder Singh confessed that he was on his way to supply the contraband to his clients.

The ACP said during preliminary investigation Parminder Singh confessed that he used to buy heroin from some smugglers of the Nayiya chowk in Amritsar. Parminder Singh had links with notorious criminal Sukhwinder Singh, alias Sukha, who is lodged in Kapurthala Central Jail on various charges, including murder, kidnapping, loot, etc.

Parminder Singh told the police that earlier also he brought heroin from Amritsar, which he supplied to Deepa of Kadua Khurd village and Rimpa of Sunad Kalan village in Goraya.

The ACP claimed that Parminder Singh had been supplying heroin to school and college students since long. “We have been exploring his links with local smugglers and accordingly raids will be conducted to nab them,” the ACP stated.

Jalandhar, February 7
The derailment of a coach of the Jammu-bound Shalimar Express (14645) near Kala Bakra railway station on Sunday was not an act of sabotage. Railway Protection Force (RPF) IG Hara Nand stated this during his visit to the city railway station here on today.

The coach got derailed as a tyre was lying on the railway track. A case under Sections 147 and 153 of the PR Act was also registered against unknown persons at the Chakki Bank RPF post.

The IG said, “The tyre might have accidentally fallen from a running truck on the road adjacent to the rail track.”

A major mishap on the Jalandhar-Jammu railway track was averted on Sunday as a coach of the Shalimar Express (14645) derailed near the Kala Bakra railway station in the wee hours on Sunday.

Luckily no one was hurt in the derailment, which occurred at around 1.50 am. Sensing some object on the railway track, the driver of the train had immediately applied emergency brakes.

A three-member committee was also constituted to look into the causes of the derailment. The committee, having Senior Divisional Operating Manager as one of its members, was asked to submit its report within three days to the Ferozepur Division Railway Manager (DRM). 

Jalandhar, February 7
Political leaders have so far promised to construct over bridges at various intersection on the GT Road to reduce traffic congestion, particularly at the PAP and Ram Mandi chowks. These claims, however, seem to be misleading as no effort has been made to improve the condition here.

The police officers said the department has shortage of staffs and therefore it is difficult to cater to a population of nearly 12 lakh besides those VVIPs, VIPs, bureaucrats and politicians crossing the GT road daily.

Population and VIP are not the onlyreason for huge traffic jams here. Construction work for widening the GT Road has been going on at a snail's pace which has aggravated the issue. Bitumen, used during construct of the road, has peeled off and deep potholes have covered the road.

Moreover, vehicles are parked haphazard at these chowks which further causes congestion.

Sources alleged the traffic police officers stationed here receive bribes instead of registering cases against the violators. Instead of solving traffic problems, some police officer aggravate the problem, alleged Tejprakash, a Rama Mandi resident.

The project manager of Soma Infrastructure Limited, a construction company that is carrying out work at the GT Road, said certain religious structures at Rama Mandi chowk and reluctance of police officials at the PAP chowk are the main reasons of traffic congestion on this stretch. Unscheduled bus stoppages at the PAP and the Rama Mandi chowks are also a reason, he added.

At the PAP chowk the company had built a bus stand for buses heading towards Amritsar. They have also constructed a slip road for traffic heading towards Phagwara from Amritsar. These have helped in reducing traffic congestion here to some extent, he added.

Jalandhar, February 7
The Sunday incident where eight people were bitten by a dog near Jyoti Chowk area has once again brought the problem of dog menace to the fore.

Terming the Sunday incident as unfortunate, Mayor Rakesh Rathour said the sterilisation campaign would soon be restarted to check the menace. Dog catchers would also be reactivated in their job of catching the stray dogs, he said, adding that various places in the city would be identified to keep the stray dogs after catching them.

Microbiologist Dr Alfred could not provide any data on average dog bite cases as he claimed to be in a meeting on Monday evening. However, sources in the Civil Hospital said an average of 20 cases was reported daily. Most of the dog bite cases come from Jalandhar and its adjoining areas. Several rabies cases have also been 
registered, said the hospital sources.

Meanwhile, flaying the Municipal Corporation Jalandhar for not checking the stray dog menace, Nayay Morcha Punjab President Arun Sharma Pappu said if Municipal Corporation Jalandhar did not solve the issue immediately, he along with his supporters would hold a demonstration outside its office.

Interestingly there is not even a single locality in the city which is without stray dogs. 

y Experts say, municipalities used to kill stray animals (mainly dogs). But since 1992, it became illegal for municipalities to kill stray dogs. The Animal Welfare Board of India has laid down a code of conduct for municipalities with regard to stray dogs. Sections 428 and 429 of the IPC makes it a cognisable offence to maim or cause injury to any animal above the value of Rs 10.