Centre approves STP for city
Jalandhar, March 3
The Union Government has approved a prestigious project of the Punjab Government for setting up a sewage treatment plant (STP) in the city. The National River Conservation Directorate of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has given administrative approval and expenditure sanction for the "sewerage and STP works in Jalandhar" for checking flow of pollutants in the Sutlej under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP). Under Secretary to the Government of India C Uppili has informed Principal Secretary, Punjab Local Bodies, Satish Chandra regarding the approval of the scheme.

Life through ages at science city
Jalandhar, March 3
Thousands of visitors to the Pushpa Gujral Science City (PGSC) will be witness to a multi-crore 'Life Panorama', showcasing evolvement of life on earth and a 'Railway Gallery' depicting sophisticated railway technology from across the globe on March 19. "The Life Panorama - Life Through Ages" will provide the visitors an insight of into the evolution of life on earth. The panorama, divided into 16 sections, will demonstrate major events right from Big Bang, origin of life, multi-cellular animals, plants, dinosaurs and prehistoric man to modern man through 2D and 3D models.

Drunken youths damage vehicles
Jalandhar, March 3
The Bhargo Camp police has booked two persons for setting a motorcycle afire and damaging three cars after some drunken youths indulged in violence at Avtar Nagar here last night.

Canada-based NRI duped of Rs 10 lakh
Jalandhar, March 3
A Canada-based non-resident Indian (NRI) alleged that someone had withdrawn more Rs 10 lakh from the mutual fund of his father by opening a bogus bank account in his father's name.

Thieves strike at cloth shop
Kapurthala, March 3
Thieves struck at a cloth shop at Radopur Arian village near Nadala and decamped with clothes worth over Rs 50,000. The police said the thieves demolished the wall of the shop for committing the theft on Friday night.

KS Makhan granted bail
Jalandhar, March 3
The Additional District and Sessions Judge today granted bail to Punjabi singer KS Makhan after he furnished a security bond of Rs 50,000. The singer was also directed not to leave the country without the court’s permission.

Students bid adieu to their seniors Phagwara, March 3 Students of graduate and postgraduate classes bid farewell to their seniors at a farewell party "Jashan-e-Widai" organised on the Mohan Lal Uppal DAV College campus. The winners strike a pose during the farewell party at Mohan Lal Uppal DAV College in Phagwara. Photo: Ashok Kaura

Association flays Centre for bank reforms
Jalandhar, March 3
The All India Bank Employees’ Association has condemned the Union Government for adopting bank reforms. Addressing the inaugural session of the 12th conference of the All India Bank of Baroda Employees’ Coordination Committee here today, general secretary of the Association CH Venkatachalam stated that the reforms were not in the larger interests of the bank employees.

Lack of quorum forces MC to postpone budget meeting
Kapurthala, March 3
The budget meeting of the Sultanpur Lodhi Municipal Council (MC) has been postponed due to lack of quorum. MC chief Dinesh Dhir had convened a meeting of the council to pass the annual budget on Friday, but only six councillors were present in the meeting.

Students perform dance during a function at Police DAV Public School; and (right) students of Government Polytechnic College for Girls, Jalandhar, in a cheerful mood after winning the overall trophy on the concluding day of the Inter-polytechnic Youth Festival in Jalandhar on Saturday. Tribune Photos: Malkiat Singh

Centre approves STP for city
Dharmendra Joshi
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 3
The Union Government has approved a prestigious project of the Punjab Government for setting up a sewage treatment plant (STP) in the city. The National River Conservation Directorate of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has given administrative approval and expenditure sanction for the "sewerage and STP works in Jalandhar" for checking flow of pollutants in the Sutlej under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP).

Under Secretary to the Government of India C Uppili has informed Principal Secretary, Punjab Local Bodies, Satish Chandra regarding the approval of the scheme.

In the three page letter, a copy of which is with The Tribune, Uppili informed the Local Bodies Department regarding the administrative approval for the scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 212.07 crore.

The cost of the project will be shared by the Centre and the state governments. While the centre will contribute Rs 127.71 crore, the state will pay Rs 84.36 crore.

Any project cost overrun, for whatsoever reasons, is to be met entirely by the state government. The project will be completed by December 2014, within three years from the date of sanction.

Two detailed project reports (DPRs) regarding the scheme were sent by Punjab Government to the union ministry for approval on October 19, 2009, and January 29, 2010.

The project was not cleared during the first meeting of the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) held on December 12, 2010. On this, the then Punjab Local Bodies Minister, Manoranjan Kalia, met then Union Minister of State for Finance Pawan Bansal to raise the issue regarding the prestigious project for the city. Subsequently, the DPRs were approved during the second meeting of the EFC held on November 14, 2011.

The entire city will be covered in this project. Currently, the sewerage lines have been laid in 70 per cent area of thee city under Municipal Corporation.

Life through ages at science city
To also have Railway Gallery showcasing models of different trains across the globe
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 3
Thousands of visitors to the Pushpa Gujral Science City (PGSC) will be witness to a multi-crore 'Life Panorama', showcasing evolvement of life on earth and a 'Railway Gallery' depicting sophisticated railway technology from across the globe on March 19.

"The Life Panorama - Life Through Ages" will provide the visitors an insight of into the evolution of life on earth. The panorama, divided into 16 sections, will demonstrate major events right from Big Bang, origin of life, multi-cellular animals, plants, dinosaurs and prehistoric man to modern man through 2D and 3D models. The gallery is being setup at a cost of Rs 2 corer.

The state-of-the-art gallery on Railways would inform people about intricate railway technology from across the globe. The gallery will have working models and dioramas on Bullet Train of Japan, Magnetic levitation train of Shanghai, Metro of New Delhi, narrow gauge train between Kalka and Shimla and the tough track between Jammu and Srinagar. A panoramic scene of the Shatabdi Express with models of ticket collector, guard and station master will be displayed. Information kiosks which have already been set up will provide interesting facts, milestones and history of railways.

Apart from technological details, visitors will also get to see panoramic views of trains operating in hills, ridges, curvy tracks and other difficult terrains. The models of trains, tracks and mountainous regions have already been setup.

The gallery was being set up in collaboration with the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, at a cost of Rs 90 lakh. "More than 250 students of different technical institutes will participate in the opening ceremony of the panorama and the railway gallery,"said Science City director general RS Khandpur.

The Climate Change Theatre is almost ready for public and it is likely to open in April or May, said Ashni Kumar, an official of the Science City. The Climate Change Theatre is equipped with a multi-screen theatre that will outline serious and contemporary challenges of climate change.

Drunken youths damage vehicles
Nikhil Bhardwaj

Jalandhar, March 3
The Bhargo Camp police has booked two persons for setting a motorcycle afire and damaging three cars after some drunken youths indulged in violence at Avtar Nagar here last night.

The incident took place when two youths were consuming liquor at a tavern. Tavern owner Babbu alleged that two youths who were already having drinks were joined by another youth and they suddenly entered into a scuffle. “When I urged them not to fight in the tavern, they ransacked the premises. The youths then set a motorbike parked outside the tavern a fire and also broke windowpanes of three cars.

The station house officer, Bhargo Camp police station, said the youths were booked under Sections 323, 427, 435, 436 and 506 of IPC and raids were on to nab them.

Canada-based NRI duped of Rs 10 lakh
Our Correspondent

Jalandhar, March 3
A Canada-based non-resident Indian (NRI) alleged that someone had withdrawn more Rs 10 lakh from the mutual fund of his father by opening a bogus bank account in his father's name.

Harinder Paul Singh of Madar village near here told to newsmen that his father Sarabjit Singh Chahl had invested in mutual funds through a city-based private bank in 2007. However, he recently came to know that the funds have been redeemed by someone by opening a bogus bank account in the name of his father in a private bank in Ludhiana. The NRI alleged that the mutual funds were to mature in January this year, but his father died in October 2009 and he had made him the nominee.

"When I went to withdraw the money, I was surprised to know that mutual funds have already been redeemed in 2010 from a private bank in Ludhiana," he said.

"It was clear from the CCTV footage of the bank that a person in his 30s had withdrawn the money," he alleged."

He claimed that he had also complained to the Jalandhar Police

Commissioner who had marked the inquiry to the ADCP (Headquarters).

Thieves strike at cloth shop
Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, March 3
Thieves struck at a cloth shop at Radopur Arian village near Nadala and decamped with clothes worth over Rs 50,000. The police said the thieves demolished the wall of the shop for committing the theft on Friday night.

An FIR has been registered against the unknown persons at the concerned police station.

Meanwhile, some residents of the village handed over a thief to the police after catching him while making an attempt to commit theft at an abandoned house. The police did not rule out the possibility of his hand behind the theft at the cloth shop.

KS Makhan granted bail
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 3
The Additional District and Sessions Judge today granted bail to Punjabi singer KS Makhan after he furnished a security bond of Rs 50,000. The singer was also directed not to leave the country without the court’s permission.

Makhan was accused in a drug trafficking case and had landed behind bars on Friday evening after he failed to complete formalities before seeking bail.

He appeared in the court in connection with a case registered against him under the NDPS Act in 2006 at the Nakodar police station.

Students bid adieu to their seniors
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, March 3
Students of graduate and postgraduate classes bid farewell to their seniors at a farewell party "Jashan-e-Widai" organised on the Mohan Lal Uppal DAV College campus.

In the opening ceremony, host students extended a floral welcome to principal Dr RK Mahajan, staff members as well as the outgoing students. Addressing the students, the principal wished them good luck for the university examinations.

Pooja and Ashish Bawa were declared Mr and Miss DAV. The title of Mr Personality and Miss Personality were conferred upon Surjit abd Rajwinder.

The host students also gave away mementoes as a token of love to their seniors and staff members.

Association flays Centre for bank reforms
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 3
The All India Bank Employees’ Association has condemned the Union Government for adopting bank reforms. Addressing the inaugural session of the 12th conference of the All India Bank of Baroda Employees’ Coordination Committee here today, general secretary of the Association CH Venkatachalam stated that the reforms were not in the larger interests of the bank employees.

Flaying the Centre for seeking loan from World Bank to increase the capital in the banks, he said the Centre would have to accept the conditions of the World Bank at the time of sanctioning loan. The Association general secretary also condemned the policies of the centre for merger of banks. He urged the centre to withdraw these policies.

Expressing his views, the AIBEA president Rajen Nagar stressed that licences should not be given to industrial houses to open new banks in the country. Around 300 delegates and observers from across the country participated in the conference.

Lack of quorum forces MC to postpone budget meeting
Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, March 3
The budget meeting of the Sultanpur Lodhi Municipal Council (MC) has been postponed due to lack of quorum. MC chief Dinesh Dhir had convened a meeting of the council to pass the annual budget on Friday, but only six councillors were present in the meeting.

Meanwhile, MC vice-president JS Cheema told newsmen that he and some other councillors boycotted the meeting as the MC chief had not carried development works in their wards.

As a result, MC executive officer SK Aggarwal postponed the meeting due to lack of quorum.