Amritsar, March 21
Burglars strike at six shops located in a street in the Ghaa Mandi area and decamped with about Rs 25,000, besides goods lying inside them by breaking open their locks last night.

A police team from the Kotwali police station reached the spot and started investigation.

The incident came to light this morning when the owners of the shops, who reside in a nearby locality, found the locks of their shops broken and goods lying inside them scattered.

However, the thieves could not find much in the shops. But they decamped with a rooter pump worth Rs 55,000 and Rs 25,000 from Navroj diesel pump repair shop and several Exide batteries from neighbouring Satyam battery shop.

Vikram Singh Nikka, owner of Navroj diesel pump repair shop, said he had Rs 25,000 in the cash box. He said he had closed his shop at about 10 pm.

“At about 7 in the morning, I received a call that locks of my shops have been broken. I found the goods lying in the shop scattered and the cash and a pump missing from shop,” said Vikram.

ASI Avtar Singh, investigation officer, said a case was been registered and investigations launched.

Amritsar, March 21
With the arrest of Harpal Singh, resident of Dharad village, the Beas police today claimed to have busted a gang of truck snatchers.

According to information, the gang used to take away a loaded truck by tying up the driver and cleaner on gun point and then sell the same in the market.

While Harpal was arrested, his accomplice, identified as Shera, resident of Talwandi Dogra village, and two other unidentified persons managed to escape.

A case under Sections 392 and 341 of the IPC and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered against them.

Harikrishan Singh, SHO, Beas police station, revealed that the police was holding a naka near Baba Bakala road diversion when it received a tip-off that the gang members were coming towards Amritsar from the Jalandhar side. Three days back, the members of the gang had snatched a truck (PB-08-E-9755), laden with iron. They had unloaded the iron somewhere and were looking for a customer to sell the truck.

Amritsar, March 21
The threat of collapse of the garbage collection system looms large over the holy city if the bitterness between employees and the firm engaged for the job is any indication.

Hundreds of employees of Antony Waste Handling Company alleged that they had not been paid wages on the committed dates for the past several months. They also resented that they were not administered immunisation vaccines, which were otherwise mandatory under the law to keep them fit.

“Despite the fact that the management has committed in writing to give the salaries by the 10th of every month, yet we have not received the wages for March till date. Secondly, the anti-employee attitude of the management can well be gauged from the fact that it has deducted the four-day wage of those employees who went on leave to cast their votes for the Assembly elections on January 31,” they said.

Moreover, almost 30 per cent of the garbage lifting vehicles are out of order and the rest are in a bad shape.

According to information, when the Municipal Corporation (MC) entered into an agreement with Antony Waste Handling Company in 2009, there were 50 motor pickup vehicles for collecting door-to-door garbage. At present, only 42 are in order and rest of them are lying in the workshop for repair. Similarly, there were 10 compactors. Now, only five are in service. Out of five tippers, two are non-functional and out of 10 garbage lifters (709 DP), six are out of service.

The management stated that all these problems happened as the MC had not paid the amount committed under the agreement since October last. This amounted to about Rs 40 lakh per month.

The firm’s manager, Manjinder Singh, though agreed that some vehicles were out of service for need of repair, but denied that the firm was having an anti-employee attitude.

“All these problems occurred because due to financial closing the MC did not pay us the amount due since October. That’s why the wages of the employees too got delayed. But it is a temporary phase, the whole process would be streamlined once we receive the amount. About the vehicles, out of 50, the eight are out of order at the moment and four of them need engine overhauling. It is a time-consuming exercise, but we are trying our best to put them in order soon,” he assured.

About the wage deductions, Manjinder Singh said, “It is totally baseless to say that their wages were deducted because they took leave on the election date. I have clarified to the Deputy Commissioner then that their wages have been deducted as a punishment because they remained absent for over a week when they called for strike. Ours is a public utility service and if it gets hampered, the guilty would have to pay the price”, he clarified.

Nevertheless, the ultimate sufferers are the residents only, who are compelled to live under most unhygienic conditions because the door-to-door garbage lifting service has not been regular for the past six months due to these shortcomings.

PS Bhatty, secretary of NGO Pollution Control Committee said with the defeat of the firm’s commitment to make the city garbage-free, ultimately the citizens would suffer.

An information under the RTI, dated March 13, 2012, has testified that the payment Rs 11.80 crore has been made to the firm up to October, 2011, only.

“What is the use of paying such a huge public money to the firm when at the end of the day, the disruption of services for one reason or the other is the order of the day. Earlier also the row between the management and employees of the firm had stalled the garbage-lifting job for a week. Now, the same situation would arise just because there has been no constant check of the MC,” said Bhatty.

Amritsar, March 21
The state government has incurred losses running in crores as the strike of gold ornament merchants entered its fifth-day today. A jeweller Anil Kumar Jain said business has been crippled due to the strike. Shops at the city’s traditional gold market Guru Bazar and Civil Lines area remained closed. Members of various gold jewellery associations kept the shutters of their shops down for the fifth consecutive day and also held a protest march, on the call of the All India Gems and Jeweller Trade Federation.

Normally full of hustle and bustle, the gold ornament market Guru Bazar wore a deserted look today. Holding banners and raising slogans against the Congress-run UPA government, ornament traders and manufacturers held a protest march in Sultanwind area.

“Traders, artisans and the state government have been incurring huge losses due to the strike,” said Jain. He said closure of the shops means no sale and similarly no work for the artisans. Thus, government’s collection of VAT also came down.

A trader Vinod Mehta alleged that the union government’s announcement that the proposed one per cent excise duty on non-branded gold jewellery will not be charged from goldsmiths and artisans but the same will have to be paid by the manufacturers was a ploy and a mere eyewash. He said categories of both professionals were interlinked and taxing and leaving other will not make much of a difference.

A gold artisan Parminder Singh of Sultanwind area said the news that the artisans who manufacture jewellery for others on job-work basis need not obtain registration gave them relief. He said the artisans following the announcement of the union budget. He said as a majority of the artisans were not literate making it difficult to deal with the department concerned or keep accounts. The government had clarified that small artisans and goldsmiths who only manufactured jewellery for others on job-work need not register with the central excise authorities.

A merchant Charanjit Arora said the onus of payment of duty lies on the principal manufacturer. He said the duty will have to be paid by the manufacturers of jewellery, and accounts will also be maintained. He said effective excise duty on jewellery can be in the range of Rs 90 per 10 gram. He said the manufacturers will have to employ accountants which will add more tax burden. Besides, the government had doubled import duty on gold to four per cent, he rued.

Amritsar, March 21
The house tax recovery squad of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation today sealed two liquor vends and several other properties as their owners had failed to deposit the house tax due to them.

AMC Superintendent, House Tax wing, Shushant Bhatia, accompanied by tax inspectors Darshan Singh and Gurpreet Bhatia first conducted raided a liquor vend in the market opposite the Sultanwind Road. The liquor vend was sealed after the owners failed to pay Rs 1.5 crore as tax.

Another raid was conducted at a liquor shop at Sandhu Market. The owners owed Rs 75,000 as house tax.

The AMC team had to visit the liquor vend on the Sultanwind road again in the evening after coming to know that the official seal was tempered with and re-sealed the vend. Bhatia said there are 132 liquor vends under the AMC limit. "Out of these, 109 were on our list of defaulters," he said.

Other properties which were sealed today included seven shops at Partap Bazaar a lather workshop, tailor shop and a factory on the Sultanwind road. A Photocopy shop opposite Alpha One Mall too was sealed for failure of its owners in furnishing Rs 65,000 as tax.

The Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) office which was sealed for not furnishing the house tax, yesterday was allowed to open the office today after furnishing a part payment. The PWSSB has to pay Rs 17.38 lakh to the AMC as house tax.

Amritsar, March 21
A conference on 'Aadhunik Punjabi galp: Navay rujhaan' was organised by the School of Punjabi Studies of Guru Nanak Dev University here today. More than 20 writers of Punjabi literature were present on the occasion.

In his presidential remarks, Prof Brar said, “Students should develop creative abilities and avoid cramming. The teachers should develop confidence in the students through knowledge. The university will provide state-of-the-art infrastructure and an education friendly atmosphere on the university campus,” he said.

“Over the last three years more than 170 crore have been spent to create infrastructure. The Department of Comparative Studies will also be established shortly,” he said. Dr Jaswinder Singh delivered the key note address. Dr Sukhdev Singh Khara, head of the department, presided over the second session while the third session on contemporary Punjabi story was presided over by famous story writer Dr Waryam Singh Sandhu. Dr Dhanwant kaur, Dr Baldev Singh Dhaliwal and Dr Paramjit Kaur Sidhu also delivered lectures in this session. Dr Ajmer Singh Aulakh and Dr Baldev Singh Sadaknama were honoured by the School of Punjabi Studies of the University.

Dr Paramjit Singh Sidhu, Dr Harbhajan Singh Bhatia, Dr Kawaljit Kaur Jassal, Dr Gurmit Singh, Dr Sohinderbir Singh, Dr Harchand Singh Bedi, Dr Harjit Kaur and Dr Darya.––TNS

Amritsar, March 21
The report of post-mortem of Vineeta, wife of serving Lt Colonel Santosh Wankhede, have clarified that the deceased was not raped.

The police is yet to find any clear motive behind the murder. Earlier, the police had suspected the loot and rape might have been the motive behind the gruesome killing of 28-year-old Vineeta who was strangled to death. The victim’s body was found in a semi-nude condition. The police had suspected that she may have resisted the attempts of the miscreants to rape her after which she was strangled to death. The almirahs in the house were also reported to be opened. However, after investigations, the valuables were found to be intact and only a pendent of the victim was missing from the spot, the police officials had told. “After the post-mortem reports we don’t have any specific lead in the case,” said a police official.

Wankhede is away to Maharashtra for the last rites of his wife. “We are waiting for him to return to find some more clues in the case,” said the police official. Vineeta was found dead in the quarters at Manekshaw Enclave on Ram Tirath road on March 15.

Amritsar, March 21
The 26th foundation day of the gurdwara in the premises of Guru Nanak Dev University was celebrated today. Swami Bhrahmdev Udasi was conferred with ‘Bhai Nand Lal Goya Sanmaan 2011’ by University registrar Dr Inderjit Singh for his research and writings on the role and contribution of Udasi Panth in the Sikh society. The university students also organised an exhibition showcasing publications of classical and creative world literature.

Prof Jagdish Singh, Director, Naad Pargaas, Puratan Janam Saakhi by Harpal Singh Pannu, Patiala. ––TNS

Amritsar, March 21
Guru Nanak Dev University has released the admission schedule for the 2012-13 academic session. Varsity registrar Dr Inderjit Singh said the admissions will be held up to July 16, without late fees and with the approval of the head of the department till July 20.

Admission can also be sought with the permission of the Dean, Academic Affairs up to July 25 and with the permission of the vice-chancellor till August 1. From August 2 to 8 with the late fees of Rs 5,000 and subject to the approval of the Syndicate of the university.

Dr Singh said for the departmental students who get promoted to the next classes, their admissions be done till July 11 and with the late fees of Rs 200 with the approval of the head of department, it would be accepted from July 12 to 18.

With late fees of Rs 500 along with the approval of Dean, Academic Affairs, admission can be sought from July 19 to 25.

With the late fee of Rs 1,000 and the approval of the Vice Chancellor, admission forms will be accepted from students from July 26 to August 6.

Students can be admitted from August 8 to 16 with the approval of the Syndicated with the late fees of Rs 5,000.

Amritsar, March 21
DLF Pramerica Life Insurance Company Ltd (DPLI) collected Rs 9 crore as premium from Amritsar. The firm collected Rs 70 crore as premium from Punjab in the fiscal year 2011-2012.

Executive vice-president, DPLI, and the head, Agency Sales, Maninder Singh Sood, said the response was encouraging towards the company which had launched its operations in the city three years ago. He said business was likely to grow manifold in the forthcoming financial year.

He said the company was present in over 20 cities across Punjab. The company’s expansion strategy will focus on penetrating into the region. —TNS

Amritsar, March 21
The health department authorities have seized the medicine stock of two medical stores found to be operating without a licence in Bhindi Saida near here. Drug inspectors Bableen Kaur, Anupam Kalia and Amarpal Singh along with the police party conducted raids at the shops.

Drug Inspector Bableen Kaur said Deepu medical store and Dashmesh Medical store were found operating without a licence. She said the team seized medicines from the two shops.

She said five more medical stores in the area were inspected but no irregularities were found. She said a challan has been filed in the local courts. She said the owners of both the shops are absconding.