Amritsar, March 17
Most of the passengers of Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express didn't know how to reach the holy city today.

With repair work on near the Amritsar railway station, the passengers of the train had to alight at Manawala railway station, around 12 km away from Amirtsar.

As the Railways did not make any arrangement to ferry the passengers, this 12-km journey became quite a hassle-ridden affair for them, especially for the national and international tourists who were coming to the city for the first time.

Auto-rickshaw drivers had a field day as they charged hefty amount of money to drop passengers at Amritsar railway station.

Though the Railways had announced the Amritsar-bound Shatabdi Express would terminate at Mannawala Railway Station, passengers didn't expect that there will be no proper arrangement of transportation.

A four-member group of tourists from Bordeaux (France), who came from Delhi to visit the Golden Temple, were shocked and annoyed at the careless approach of the Railways.

Annie, a member of the visiting group, said the Railways should have made alternate arrangement for ferrying passengers to drop them in the city. "Even auto-rickshaw operators used the opportunity to loot us," she added.

Another foreign tourist Marie thanked a local Harkamaljit Singh for giving them lift to the city.

Sandeep Singh and his wife Sheenam, who were coming here to meet parents, said passengers with kids and aged suffered the most. He wondered how could the Railways charge full fare from Delhi to Amritsar and not take the responsibility for the complete travel.

"The Rs 20 auto fare became Rs 100 per passenger," he remarked.

The railway authorities have decided to reschedule some trains due to the repair work near Amritsar yard today.

Consequently, Amritsar-Delhi Shatabdi terminated at Mannawala, while Amritsar-bound Shan-e-Punjab Express terminated at Jalandhar and returned to New Delhi from Jalandhar itself.

When contacted Northern Railway zone's Ferozepur division Divisional Railway Manager, Vishwesh Chaubey, said the Railways did not make any alternate arrangement to fetch the passengers. He added that passengers were informed about the termination point in advance. Besides, he said, for road transport, the authorities concerned were informed. He regretted inconvenience to passengers.

Amritsar, March 17
The city police on Saturday shifted the Faizpura police chowki in charge, Amrik Singh, following the protest by residents of Faizpura and Navi Abadi areas at Rattan Singh Chowk here on Friday.

Police Commissioner RP Mittal also deputed, Mohan Lal, ADCP City-II, to investigate into the matter.

Residents alleged that the Amrik Singh had released those seven persons, allegedly involved in snatchings and thefts in the area, who were handed over to the police by the residents.

RP Mittal confirming the development said we had verified the allegations levelled by the residents during the police-public meeting held yesterday.

"I had a meeting with senior police officials including ADCP City-II, ACP and SHO of the area. For the time being, he has been shifted to the Police Lines. Mohan Lal, ADCP, has been appointed to inquire into the case," he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that a large number of residents of the area held a protest at Rattan Singh Chowk on Thursday night following a clash with the police. The chowki in charge had fired four to five shots in the air.

They were alleging that the police instead of taking action against the alleged thieves, they harassed innocent citizens who were carrying out night patrolling following spurt in snatchings and theft cases in the area.

Following the police-public meeting, the Police Commissioner deputed 10 cops for night patrolling along with residents of the area.

Amritsar, March 17
Two days after the murder of serving army officer's wife, the police and army authorities are yet to find any definite clues in the case.

Vineeta Wankhede (28) was found strangled to death on Thursday at her residence in the high-security Manekshaw Enclave, a residential colony for Army officers, located on Ram Tirath Road.

She and her two-year-old daughter were present at the residence. Her husband Santosh Wankhede, a Lieutenant Colonel in 65th field battalion, had gone to Faridkot for a training programme.

She was strangled with a room heater wire that was found near the body from the spot. Her two-year-old daughter was sleeping in the adjoining room.

Police Commissioner RP Mittal along with the army authorities visited the enclave and interacted with the family members to get some clues in the case.

Going by the investigations conducted by the police so far, an insider's hand cannot be ruled out in the murder.

"The jewellery and cash stashed in the almirahs were intact. Only some of the jewellery worn by the deceased was missing. The body of the deceased was found in half-naked condition," said the Police Commissioner. The SIM card of the Vineeta's mobile phone was also missing.

"There are no signs of scuffle or forced entry into the house which also indicates the involvement of some insider. The accused had gained entry through back door if we go by the statements of the neighbours as there is tight security from the front. Further, the body of deceased was in semi-nude condition. The possibility of rape is there, but nothing could be said at this moment. We are waiting for the post-mortem report and investigating into all the possible angles which could have led to the murder," said Mittal.

The police sources revealed that the police has traced the call details of the deceased's mobile phone.

Amritsar, March 17
Traffic chaos is increasing with an increase in city population. With number of vehicles on roads witnessing a sharp increase, the strength of traffic police falls way short of managing the situation.

The traffic police is grappling with sever staff crunch and no efforts have been made to improve its strength.

There are only 125 traffic police personnel to streamline traffic on various roads in the city having a 10-lakh plus population.

This is one of the main reasons why traffic violations are rampant in the city.

Being a holy city and major tourist destination, it records a huge number of foot fall. Even VIPs' frequently visits to the city put an extra burden on the traffic police.

On an average 50,000 vehicles get registered with the District Transport Office every year.

Haphazard parking and rampant encroachments and presence of a large number of three-wheelers, rickshaws and non-motorised vehicles like horse carts aggravates traffic chaos.

Ironically, out of 125 employees, there are only four women. Traffic policemen usually 'avoid' stopping women, said a traffic policeman on the condition of anonymity.

The traffic police is also paralysed by the shortage of necessary infrastructure including alcometers and cranes. The only alcometer has been lying defunct and there are only two cranes to tow away the wrongly parked vehicles.

"We sent the alcometer for repair at Chandigarh. Now it has been sent to Ambala. But the company authorities have informed that it could not be repaired now. We have asked the authorities concerned to provide as many as 20 alcometers. Drunken driving is the main reason behind many road accidents," said ACP Traffic Karanjit Singh.

Amritsar, March 17
The LPG-run crematorium was used for the first time at Durgiana Mandir crematorium here today. A mock demonstration was held before actually cremating an unclaimed body.

PS Bhatty, president of NGO Pollution Control Committee, Satpal Mahajan, president Durgiana mandir committee and other members were present along with John Thomas, MD, Hi-Teck Engineering & Eco-Solution, the company that installed the plant, and his team members.

PS Bhatty, who has been associated with the project, and Satpal Mahajan jointly cremated the body by lighting the pyre inside the chamber.

Bhatty said it took 58 minutes to cremate the body that consumed about 10 kg of LPG. The cremation was carried out according to the Hindu rituals.

"It is the convenient and eco-friendly way of cremation. More and more people should adopt this method while cremating their near and dear ones," he said.

The district administration in collaboration with the Punjab Pollution Control Board initiated the process of installing three LPG-run crematoriums --- two in Amritsar and one in Tarn Taran.

Several modifications were introduced in the original design of the crematorium to accommodate the Hindu and Arya Samaj rituals.

Amritsar, March 17
Need we say again that girls have proved their mettle to change the rules of the game called life. Whether running a corporate setup or their home, scoring in Parliament or on field, their is nothing that the fairer sex can’t do. And celebrating that was the Sarhed-e-Punjab sports club’s annual programme Maan Dhiyan Da.

Honouring 180 girls from the city who have joined achievers’ club in their respective fields, the programme had the who’s who of the city coming in support of the girl child. Amongst the recipients of the honours were sports stars from the city, Manjit Kaur and Jaskaran Kaur Laddi.

If the message was to let them be, then Manjit Kaur was the perfect example. Winning an Arjuna Award at the age of 23, this athlete from Tarn Taran believes girls do best when under pressure. “Time and again girls have proved that when given perfect opportunity, they leave nothing to destiny. We have so many names in the Indian sports today, who have brought laurels for the country and have proved their point. I think girls are better with sports as they tend to work hard and never lack dedication.”

The 28-year-old sportsperson who won gold at the Asian and Commonwealth Games was honoured with Maan Punjab Da. Contrary to the popular belief, Manjit who is currently attending a national camp in Patiala, says that more girls are now taking up sports.

“We have better sponsorships coming our way, a healthy environment for excelling, more and more girls are joining sports. Earlier rural girls had no means or encouragement for taking up sports, but now with support coming our way, there is no stopping.”

Amidst the discussions about female foeticide, dowry deaths and abandon ing the girl child, these women stood for independent, successful women who have never backed down. “There is so much talk about saving the girl child and doing something constructive for them, but the first thing to do is to sensitise people about them. We have so many examples of women in our sports who have fought all odds, survived criticism and come out winning. Less talk and more action is the need of the hour,” says Jaskaran Kaur Laddi, coach of the Indian women kabbadi team. Tough words from a tough lady, Jaskaran says underestimating them is not going to work anymore. “Even in our field that demands highest levels of physical and mental strength, some raise doubts over our capabilities as women. But we let our work do the talking,” says the recipient of My Bhagho award from the Sarhed-e-Punjab sports club.

Amritsar, March 17
The visitors to the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital are displeased over missing taps, pipes in the hospital washrooms and the lack of cleanliness.

The washbasins without taps (as shown in the picture) bear testimony to management’s failure to provide basic amenities.

The sources said filth has chocked pipes in washrooms of the laboratories. The water hardly flows 24X7 in the taps as no efforts were made to repair leakages. The best the authority did is to wrap plastic sheets on leaking taps to stop wastage of water. Sarwan Singh, a visitor, said, “Water is wasted here everyday. The hospital must repair these leaking pipes and taps as soon as possible.”

The visitors said in some of the washrooms urinal pots do not have drain pipes. “Nobody would use the pots unless there is a pipe attached to it. The pots are of no use until pipes are fitted. A lot of money is spent on the pots already and a little more is required for the pipes,” said Rahul Sachdeva, another visitor.

The visitors also said the management must make sweepers accountable for not cleaning the washrooms. Samri Devi, a patient, said, “The hospital has employed so many sweepers. If they cannot clean the area then what is their use.” She said hospitals are expected to be hygienic.

Medical College principal Dr SS Shergill said he would ensure accountability of the workers. About the missing taps he said the hospital has installed these many a times but are stolen by thieves.

Tarn Taran, March 17
The district police, in its special move initiated against the drug peddlers, have arrested 24 accused and have seized 1.5 kg intoxicant powder, 3,000 drug tablets and 15 gms of heroin among others.

Sources said the accused were identified as Jasbir Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Lakhbir Singh, Gurlal Singh, Lakhwinder Singh, Gurwinder Singh, Parwinder Singh, Mandeep Singh, Mangal Singh, Amritpal Singh, Mukhtar Singh, Bhupinder Singh of Timmowal, Satnam Singh, Mantej Singh, Gursahib Singh, Pritpal Singh,Deepak Kumar, Jaspal Singh, Sukhbir Singh , Pargat Singh and others.

The police sources said cases under the NDPS Act have been registered against the accused by the concerned police stations.

The local SSP, Manminder Singh, has sought co-operation from the public.

Amritsar, March 17
Nursery students of Delhi Public School presented a cultural show to mark the occasion of their graduating to the primary section.

The school principal, Sangeeta Singh, presented the certificates to the nursery students at a beautiful graduation ceremony held at school premises.

Amritsar, March 17
If you are bored with daily Hindi soaps that seem to run the same story with different titles and characters here’s another option-switch to Punjabi daily soaps.

Popularity of Punjabi soaps is definitely rising, which was unimaginable about two years ago.

Today, the Punjabi TV series are all about serious issues, popular stars and some kitchen politics thrown in for the viewers. The improving standard of Punjabi cinemas has positively impacted television industry as well, feels Shivendra Mahal, who acted in movies like Mel Karade Rabba, Dharti and in serials like Tipu Sultan, Mahabharata. He believes that Punjabi television has come of age. “Professionalism and competition have changed the Punjabi entertainment industry. There are young talents, good productions and big budgets. Every once in a while, the entertainment industry witnesses a change and speaking of the Punjabi entertainment industry, it is time we too have our own popular daily soaps.”

Unlike Hindi dramas, these serials are mostly based on social issues specific to the Punjabi community. “It is not an extravagant fashion parade in the name of daily soaps that we see on popular channels these days. We have real characters, portraying real issues like NRI frauds, female discrimination and other social issues. Every viewer can relate to these stories,” says Pawandeep, an actor who has done half a dozen Punjabi serials on Doordarshan and other Punjabi channels.

"There is more to it when we say the production is different from run of the mill soaps," comes from director Indrajeet Arora, known for his popular soap Amanat on Zee.

Currently directing Kach Diyan Wangan, a daily soap for ETC Punjabi, Inderjit says, "First of all, the backdrop shifts from the swanky Mumbai studios to the fields and streets of Punjab. Then to further render a real feel to the story, women characters are not all decked up or covered with pancake make-ups. They don't conspire against each other. The background score, costumes, make-up, lighting, sound system, editing, cameras, the paraphernalia used is of the best quality. The idea is to offer the audience in Punjab a better and different experience."

Not just in Punjab, these serials have found audience with the NRI community as well. “We get mails of appreciation from Punjabis settled in Canada, US and UK. They can relate to the issues and situations shown in the serials and enjoy the look and feel of the characters,” says actor Satwant Kaur of Kach Diyan Wangan.

The Punjabi serials are riding high on the freshness they bring in.

Let’s hope they don’t turn into Punjabi avatars of their Hindi counterparts. 

Amritsar, March 17
Industrialists and traders of the border city hopes for the best as Anil Joshi, two-time Amritsar North MLA, gets the Industry and Commerce; Technical Training and Industrial training, businessmen portfolio.

Dr Varinder Bhatia from Economics department of DAV College felt that it was a golden opportunity for the local industries in general and vanishing industries in particular to work in unison to revive industry and trade.

He said Anil Joshi must strive to establish an economic think tank to put the industry on the path of guided development. He said “industries here must be established keeping in mind their markets in Pakistan and other countries in Central Asia.” He said local educated youths can find employment.

Dr Bhatia, who had been member of District Planning Board, said a blueprint for growth and development of the holy city is required immediately.

Punjab Beopar Mandal president Amrit Lal Jain said many city industries had vanished while several others were on the path of decline. He said these industries were textile, fans, carpet and processing. He stressed that the minister must try to waive off CST from Amritsar. He said industrialists from Chandigarh can sell their material in Punjab without paying any CST while Punjab-based industrialists have to pay 2 per cent CST on selling their merchandise to Chandigarh.

He said it was high time to convert the state from agri-economy into a business hub.

The Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association general secretary APS Chatha said at present, hospitality industry is the financial backbone of the city. Yet the government failed to lend any constructive support to it. He said tourism has been given industry status but power tariff is charged on commercial rate. Instead of support, the industry was battered with taxes charged by the state and central government, added. He said the minister must utilise his good offices to place Amritsar in a tourist circuit to yield optimum benefits of the industry.

CII Amritsar Zonal Council chairman Davinder Pal Singh said there were many grey areas, including infrastructural, which needed to be addressed urgently. He added that extension of freight corridor from Ludhiana to Amritsar and also to the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari would provide infrastructural advantage.

He urged the minister to pave way for communication through internet between industry and various government departments.

Shawl Club of India president PL Seth said combined annual share of shawl, stole and blanket industry of the city in domestic and international market was nearly Rs 1,000 crore per year. He said repeated requests for incorporating new courses to prepare youngsters as per the requirement on the industry remained unfulfilled.