|
|
|
|
Bus crushes youth to death
Master thief dismantles ATM, decamps with cash
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Reeling hotel industry flays hike in service tax
Amritsar, March 18 The Amritsar's hotel industry has flayed the increase in service tax from 10 per cent to 12 per cent, announced during the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday.
Revengeful act? Police books ‘attackers’ of Faizpura
5 arrested with narcotics, stolen motorcycles
Hospital bears the marks of trainees’ indecency
Cool stuff
Perfect picture of neglect
Workshop on sleep disorder concludes
Polio drive
MC devises odour control measure
Union Budget dissatisfies real estate dealers
Cash-starved MC in another trap
World TB week starts today
|
|
Bus crushes youth to death
Amritsar, March 18 Identified as Rahul Sharma, a resident of Ram Nagar Colony, Islamabad, the youth was going on a motorcycle along with his mother Madhu Sharma. The minibus driver, identified as Jagir Singh of Sahnsra Kalan village near Ajnala, and the bus conductor, who has not been identified yet, fled the scene before the traffic cops arrived at the spot. The Kotwali police has slapped murder charge against the driver. The police said Rahul along with his mother were returning to their home from Sharifpura side on a motorcycle. As they reached near the elevated road ramp, the minibus, reportedly belonging to Kahlon Bus Service, hit them from behind. While Rahul fell in front of the bus, his mother fell on the left side. Before the minibus driver could understand anything, the bus ran over Rahul's head killing him on the spot. His mother also sustained minor injuries. The driver ran away from the spot leaving the bus. Eyewitnesses said the youth could have been saved had the driver applied brakes in time. They alleged that the minibus driver continuously blew pressure horn due to which the deceased lost balance and fell on the road. Deputy Commissioner of Police SP Joshi said action would be taken against the driver and conductor. He said preliminary investigations point out that Rahul could have been saved if the driver had stopped the bus. "Even though the driver knew that Rahul and has mother had fallen down, he did not apply brakes and stopped the bus. A manhunt has been launched to arrest both the driver and conductor," said the DCP. Fact file
|
|
Master thief dismantles ATM, decamps with cash
Amritsar, March 18 As there was no security guard present at the booth, the thief, having knowledge of ATM machines, took his time to commit the crime and made sure he leaves without being identified. The thief first disconnected the electricity wires, cut the wires of close circuit TV cameras and then broke open the machine. The CCTV cameras have the footage of the accused till he disconnected the wires of cameras. The police officials blamed the bank authorities for the lapse. The incident occurred between 1.00 am to 2.00 am. Amarjit Singh, SHO Verka police station, said the CCTV footage revealed that the accused had his face covered when he entered the booth. He said the accused also damaged the server of the machine. So it is taking time to find out the exact amount of money that was taken away from the machine, he added. "It was the negligence of the bank authorities which led to the incident. We had asked the bank authorities to depute a security guard at the booth. However, they did not listen. They only said they had requested their higher authorities and were yet to receive any response from them," said Amarjit Singh.. A case under Sections 458 and 380 of the IPC has been registered against unidentified miscreant on the statement of Sanjiv Sohi, manager of the SBI branch. He said further investigations were under progress. Taking advantage of lapses
|
|
Reeling hotel industry flays hike in service tax
Randeep Singh, president, Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHRA), said hotel and restaurants will have no other choice but to pass the hike on to tourists to meet the spurt in expenditure. Rents of rooms and cost of food being served in AC restaurants will go up. Hotel and restaurant owners were of the view that the industry, which flourished after the end of terrorism in the state, has been overburdened with taxes. APS Chatha of Hotel Sun City Tower said the sector was reeling under the burden of heavy taxes. A customer staying in AC room in a hotel and relishing food in an AC restaurant would have to pay about 33 per cent taxes. "High room rents and costly food would deter tourists to stay overnight in the holy city," Chatha said. It doesn't take more than a day to visit the Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and Durgiana Temple and watch the Beating the Retreat ceremony, he added. Piyush Chawla, general manager, Hotel Ritz, said there was no alternative but to increase the room rent and food prices in tandem with hike in service tax. He said a large number of dhabas, eating joints, traditional halwais do brisk business without coming under the preview of tax, but the organised units under the tourism industry were burdened with taxes. These hotel operators are of the view that Amritsar is the only city in the state which has a flourishing hotel industry. There about 200 hotels in Amritsar. Ludhiana is the second city in Punjab with a little over 50 hotels. All government initiated tourism projects to prolong the stay of tourists in the city are running behind schedule. These projects include restoration of Qila Gobindgarh, Ram Bagh. Pull Kanjari, though the renovation work had been completed, had failed to attract tourists as there is proper transportation from the city. Besides, both heritage and Panj Sarovar walks have also failed to draw tourists.
|
|
Revengeful act? Police books ‘attackers’ of Faizpura
Amritsar, March 18 The case has been registered on the complaint of ASI Amrik Singh, who was in charge of Faizpura chowki. He was reportedly injured in the attack. In his complaint, he said he was present in the chowki when he received information regarding an incident that had occurred in Theki Wali Gali located in the Faizpura area. However, he found the information to be false when he along with a police party reached the spot. He alleged that when the police party reached near Rattan Singh Chowk, about 35-40 persons armed with swords, sticks and bricks attacked the party leaving some of them injured. He said the officials had come at the spot and fired in the air to scatter the mob. They fled the scene immediately after the shots were fired. A case under Sections 333, 353, 186, 148 and 149 of the IPC has been registered in this connection. 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 residents who were carrying out night patrolling following spurt in snatchings and theft cases in the area.
|
|
5 arrested with narcotics, stolen motorcycles
Amritsar, March 18 Civil Lines police nabbed one Kuldip Singh, a resident of Nikka Singh Colony, Ram Tirath Road, with 100 grams of intoxicant powder and a stolen motorcycle. His accomplice, identified as Amandeep Singh of Purani Chungi, Chheharta, however managed to escape. The police has registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC and NDPS Act against them. In other two incidents, the city police arrested four persons for possessing narcotic powder and a motorcycle. Sukhdev Singh of Verka and Kashmir Singh of Batala Road were arrested with 200 grams of intoxicant powder and Rahul Sharma of Batala Road and Resham Singh of Tarn Taran were held with about 90 grams of smack and a motorcycle. Two cases have been registered at Rambagh and Sadar police stations.
|
|
Hospital bears the marks of trainees’ indecency
Amritsar, March 18 Indecent comments, double meaning couplets and graffiti are a common sight on these walls. "There is already so much written on these walls that every other student feels automatically prompted to comment on them," said a student when asked about the reason for the defacement. For students this might be a fun, but for visitors it reflects indecency and lack of mannerism among the students. Talking to The Tribune, a patient's attendant, Surinder Singh, said, "These comments do not look nice. The students should always keep in mind that their parents have sent them for studying and not defacing the walls." He said that the institution must take action against students to set an example for others. An employee of the institution said, "We cannot keep an eye on every student. At any times, students from more than half a dozen colleges come for training. In such a situation we cannot even identify the culprits." He said students themselves should act more responsibly and decently. He admitted that this act of students is certainly leaves a bad impression on visitors. Apart from the walls, the students have also defaced the doors and windows. Institute director Dr BL Goel said the authorities have pasted posters instructing students not to deface and damage the institute's property. He said, "Destroying, damaging or defacing institute's property is a punishable offence. Students have been warned."
|
|
Look fabulous in cotton this summer
Neha Saini Tribune News Service
Amritsar, March 18 Cotton Fab brings together weavers and handlooms all across India under the umbrella flagship of Rashtriya Sansnkriti Samaj Avom Sabhayata and offers handlooms from Andhra Pradesh, Lucknow, MP, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and many other states. On display is cotton, silk, bhagalpuri, chiken, banarasi and chanderi fabric. In prints the evergreen batik and block prints can be picked up with colourful designs and motifs from Gujarat and Rajasthan. Now, every fashionista knows that cotton can be trendy and comfortable option in sweltering summers. Go ethnic chic with traditional prints in suits and sarees and style them to your casual or formal wear. Lucknawi chiken work done to perfection in pastels, Jaipuri and Gujarati prints in bandhini, kota doriya, lavish lehenga-cholis with mirror work and colourful embroidery can deck up your summer wardrobe for sure. The price for fabrics varies between Rs 300 to Rs 5,000. From kurtas, tops, dupattas, scarfs, tunics, pants, jackets to shirts, the available has variety in terms of ethnic Indian weaves. Applique work and kantha work from West Bengal, soof, gudri and prints like ajrakh, dhar etc which usually people don't know about too are available. It's more of a craft than clothes. "It is not the usual designer clothes collection that most exhibitions offer. It's authentic workmanship that has been brought directly from the weavers to the customers," says Rajesh, organiser of Cotton Fab. The range extends from cotton to silk, kota and silk blends such as Mangalgiri, Poona, Sooti to chanderi, Bhagal puri silk which make for a perfect light summer wear. Combining comfort with style, the collection highlights a rich variety of patterns such as hand block prints, intricate needlework, embroidered motifs of phoolpatti from Aligarh, and famous tangail and jamdani weaves from West Bengal. The designs too have been blended to bring out a combined effect like Kota silk sari with benarasi border or hand painted kalamkari saris. Even for someone who is not into drapes, the saris are a perfect start, with their plain waves, subtle colours and simple motifs. "We have had successful runs in Chandigarh and Ludhiana exhibition of these saris and the clientele included grandmas to granddaughters. Apart from regular wearers, these saris were a hit with first-timers as well," says Rajesh. And if you are wondering whether this collector's item would come at a price, then don't worry. The range starts from Rs 450 and stretches to Rs 10,000. In the home furnishings, here you can pick kalamkari rugs, tablecloths, jute accessories and bags and chappals too. In accessories, handicraft lovers and collectors can shop for the famous lakh bangles from Jaipur, vibrantly embellished items like jewellery boxes and mirrors. Terracotta products and Hyderabadi pearls are also an attraction. Silver and white metal items too make for an attractive pick.
|
|
Perfect picture of neglect
Amritsar, March 18 The streets in the area are testimony to administration’s apathy. The residents revealed that because of inadequate and quality drinking water they are prone to water-borne diseases like diarrhoea and even hepatitis. Raj Kumar, a construction labourer from Guru Nanak Pura, said, “Though the road here has been freshly paved, it is in a bad shape.” The residents also complained about open drains that often stink. “The area needs a new sewerage system. The problem only aggravate during the monsoons,” said Jyoti Kumar, a maid. The standing water at open spaces is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. “People residing here often suffer from malaria and other diseases and on the top of it both the areas do not have any government hospital,” said Shankar Singh, a construction contractor. The bumpy road leading from Kot Khalsa to Guru Nanak Pura is a cause of concern for residents. Jagat Singh, a shopkeeper, said, “The dusty road is the biggest problem of the area. The dust causes serious health problems as well.” He added that because of the bad roads people are afraid to let their children play or even walk on the road. The garbage heaps on the streets and roads reveals that the municipal corporation employees are not cleaning the area regularly. “The heaps are piling up and stray animals even feed on these,” said Soma Devi, a housewife. She urged the government to lift the garbage dumps and clean the streets so that the people can live a healthy life. The residents even complained about the condition of schools here. Theysaid government primary schools in the area are also of no good. “These schools
|
|
Workshop on sleep disorder concludes
Amritsar, March 18 It was organised by department of ENT and Head Neck Surgery of Amandeep Hospital. As many as four live surgeries were conducted to rectify the sleep disorder of Obstructive Sleep Aponea (OSA). The doctors at the hospital observed that snoring is often accompanied with breathlessness for few moments during sleep which can be life threatening; causing heart or respiratory failure, irregular heart beating and increased resistance to insulin. Dr Prahlad Duggal, Head, Department of ENT, said, “The whole procedure, after diagnosis, involved use of new American Technology of Coblation-a bloodless surgery technique-where no bleeding or stitches is involved.” Dr Duggal said post operation patients stop snoring and lives a quality of life. This also saves him or her from developing heart and other diseases. The three-hour live surgery session on four patients were conducted collectively by Dr Duggal along with Dr Srinivas Kishore, ENT specialist from Hyderabad and Dr Navin Patel ENT specialist from Ahmedabad.
|
|
Polio drive
Amritsar, March 18 Flagging a rickshaw rally for creating awareness, Assistant Civil Surgeon Dr Arjun Dhawan said during the drive 1,06,191 children would be administer polio drops. He said the department has formed 588 teams for the purpose. would focus.
|
|
MC devises odour control measure
Amritsar, March 18 MC Health Officer Dr Yogesh Arora said effective microorganisms and herbal inoculums would be sprayed for odour control. This would be done during unloading of waste at municipal solid waste pit. “Various pollution control equipments, like the rotary dryers, will be installed here. These dryers, equipped with hot air generators, will burn the segregated solid waste. The emission will be passed through a 30-metre high chimney and it shall be further controlled with the help of bag filters and scrubber,” he said. Apart from this, flies and insects controlling mechanism will also be in place. “The flies will be restricted up to the maggot stage by using herbal sanitizers and repellents,”he said. “For pathogen control, a disciplined collection and transportation of garbage daily would ensure that,” he said. Dr Arora said after deliberations with the horticulture and forest department, plants would be planted around the site. Other precautionary measures are: the waste shall not be stored for more than 24 hours at the site; the stockpile height shall not exceed 8 ft; containers or bins must have proper covers; workers are to be provided with safety gears.
|
|
Union Budget dissatisfies real estate dealers
They felt that the introduction of TDS (tax deducted at source) on the procurement of over Rs 50 lakh worth property would dissuade major deals. Ramesh Arora of Nirvana Metcalfe, the company which is developing a township on Amritsar-Jalandhar GT Road, said the sector already undergoing a rough phase failed to find any positive cue in this budget. All builders will now come under the tax bracket. A property buyer has to deposit one per cent of the mount as tax if the deal exceeds Rs 50 lakh for urban properties and Rs 20 lakh for other areas. For Rs 1-crore transaction, a seller will receive Rs 99 lakh while Rs 1 lakh tax will be deposited by the buyer. He said the property rates in posh residential areas, which fall within bypass limits of the city, was so high that price of an accommodation on 125 square yards would exceed Rs 50 lakh. He said the TDS slab would further wean away the customers. Varindavan Gardens Director Jatinder Singh said high taxes would lead to evasion of norms as people would prefer to register their properties in parts. He said escalation in land and construction material rates would shoot up the prices of built-up houses. Another real estate agent, Harpinder Singh Walia, said the union government’s move would keep the speculators in check. He said the government’s decision to maintain one per cent relaxation on less than Rs 15 lakh house loan would keep the small investors in the market. He said the state government must bring down the registry rates on less than Rs 15 lakh property to provide relaxation to people in need of houses. The district administration had earmarked different rates for residential and commercial areas in the city. Citing the instance of New Golden Avenue, Walia said it is a mediocre locality but residential registry rate for a square yard of land is Rs 17,000 where as commercial rate is Rs 50,000. As per this, a new consumer of a 100 square yard plot in this locality has to shell out Rs 1.53 lakh in shape of stamp duty and other charges to get registry of the same land. Alpha G:Corp Managing Director Col RS Sodhi said, “The real estate sector, which is among the highest employment generators and affects every segment of India’s population, has repeatedly been asking for industry status. If that is finally facilitated now, it will give a much-needed boost to real estate sector and would augment the collective industrial output of the nation.”
|
|
Cash-starved MC in another trap
Amritsar, March 18 The government has doled out the facility to over 20,000 Class III and Class IV employees of five state corporations-Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Bhatinda. The employees under these corporations are to avail mobile allowance in the first phase while the rest of the four corporations-Moga, Phagwara, Mohali and Pathankot-would follow suit later. Sources said the Class III employees would get Rs 150 per month, while Class IV would get Rs 100 per month. There are over 2,000 Class III and 1,500 Class IV safai sewaks enrolled with the MC. It means the corporation has to bear an estimated burden of Rs 4.5 lakh per month. The cash starved MC for the past few weeks has embarked on sealing drive to meet its revenue target as its budget is running into a deficit of around Rs 3 to 2 crore per month. While the expenses to meet employees’ salaries, maintenance of infrastructures like roads, streetlights, petrol, come to around Rs 12 crore per month, its revenue stands between Rs 9 and 10 crore. A finance branch official, preferring anonymity, said implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission by the central government has already broken the nerve of the corporation. “It was a whopping 10 per cent increase in salaries across the board that gave the first jolt to the MC. Now, the latest announcement has given another. Earlier, only Class I or Class II officers were entitled for this allowance,” he said. MC Commissioner Dharmpal Gupta said, “The government’s direction will be implemented. It is true; we have to suffer an extra burden. But this decision has been taken to maintain better in-house connectivity. It will help in providing better services. The safai sewaks play a major role in maintaining hygiene of the city. Now, with the official mobile in their hands they can be reached at anytime. Even the residents will be able to trace them. About meeting the cash crunch, we are tightening the noose around tax defaulters and our teams are doing well to meet the target.
|
|
World TB week starts today
Amritsar, March 18 Axshya’s district coordinator Rajeev Choudhary said various programmes to create awareness among the general community, slum dwellers, prisoners, paramedical staff and members of NGOs have been planned. “We are organising seminars, cultural activities, NGO meets and candle march,” said district TB officer Dr Naresh Chawla adding that the programmes include organising seminars at Anand College of Nursing, Central Jail and at Maqboolpura slum area. He said a meeting of district TB forum would be held on March 22 to make suggestions on how to tackle the disease. The focus of the discussion would be on adopting new measures to create awareness about the facilities provided by government for control TB. Nukkad nataks by the team of Gurinder Makna would also be staged at various places, said Chawla.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Amritsar, March 18
Amritsar, March 18
Amritsar, March 18
Amritsar, March 18