Staff crunch hits crime investigations
Amritsar, March 27
Shortage of staff is adversely affecting investigation of various criminal cases here. Senior police authorities deny the same but a spurt in crime points towards this direction.

Love from pakistan
Performing sewa and wishing peace
Amritsar, March 27
He polished shoes for peace. Pakistan's Deputy Attorney General Muhammad Khurshid Khan believed that selfless service can work wonders. Even that can melt the differences across borders.

Two robbed of Rs 81,000
Amritsar, March 27
Two persons were looted in the city. In the first incident, a woman's purse was snatched by two motorcycle-borne youths on Lawrence Road. Geeta Juneja, a resident of Meerut, in her complaint with the police, said she was traveling on a cycle rickshaw this afternoon when two youths came on a motorcycle, snatched her purse and sped away.

No stopping Duronto’S loss-making journey
Amritsar, March 27
Even as the eight-month-old Amritsar-Chandigarh Duronto Express continues to suffer losses, but the railway authorities have failed to accept the popular demand of en route halts at Jalandhar and Ludhiana.

Civil Surgeon Office to install new LCD screen 
Amritsar, March 27
There has been no breakthrough in the case of theft of LCD screen from surveillance control room inside the Civil Surgeon Office.

Students win Texquest 2012
Amritsar, March 27
A team of three students comprising Kushgradhi, Priyanshu Raj and Preet Kamal, of BTech (Textile Chemistry) in the Department of Applied Chemical Sciences and Technology of the Guru Nanak Dev University, won first position in ‘Texquest 2012’ held at the Institute of Chemical Technology, (ICT), Mumbai.

Jewellers’ strike enters 11th day
Amritsar, March 27
The strike by jewellers’ associations entered 11th day today. As many as 13 members of various jewellers' associations took part in the relay hunger strike, which was held for the first day, as part of the ongoing countrywide strike. The call for the strike was given by the All-Indian Gems and Jeweller Trade Federation.

Amritsar, March 27
The executive committee of the Guru Nanak Dev University Teachers Association (GNDUTA) has decided to launch a comprehensive academic battle against the 'biased' attitude of the authorities by holding a three-day protest march from March 28. The decision was taken during an emergency meeting held here today.

Balwinder Singh, president of GNDUTA, said, "The rotten university administration has forced us to lodge our mass discontent. It has been three long years but the things are moving from bad to worse. The earlier agitation lasting for 17 days was suspended after the Vice Chancellor gave in writing to take concrete and conclusive action. But nothing had happened after that," he said.

Teachers resented the unnecessary tinkering with the specified rules and guidelines, irrational subjectivity in academic and promotional issues, defying merit for egoistical interests, discriminatory treatment to teachers and taking illogical and hasty decisions.

They were dejected with a change in the eligibility dates of promotion, dictatorial decision to enhance class strength to 100, undue compromises with the API scorecard, denial of study leave, WiFi provisions, border area allowance to teachers of regional campuses, impending cloud of uncertainty on the promotion policy of the teachers governed by AICTE rules, insecure environment on the campus.

"Overdue arrears of the teachers have been denied on the pretext of financial strain on university. If that is the case, then why did the university go in for undue investment at the Sultanpur Lodhi campus," said Balwinder Singh.

Amritsar, March 27
A tip-off on a flour mill selling rodent-infested flour was enough for the Amritsar Municipal Corporation’s health wing to swing into action.

The health team, led by Health Officer Dr Yogesh Arora, today raided Devgun Flour Mill on the Majitha road and two bakeries located on the Maqbool road. A visit to the flour mill revealed startling facts. Sacks of flour were stored in a dingy storeroom full of rats.

When the health team asked about the licence, the proprietor could not produce it on the spot.

“We received information from a consumer that a rat was found in the sack of flour he purchased from the mill. Leaving nothing to chance, we instantly decided to visit the mill. We found find the most dismal and unhealthy conditions in the mill. The mill was found to be flouting guidelines on storage of items,” said Dr Yogesh.

Dr Yogesh said a notice would be served upon the proprietors of the flour mill. Since they could not produce the mandatory licence to run the mill, they would be taken to task. “I will also submit my report to the MC Commissioner to take further action”, he said.

The MC’s health team also raided Blue Bakers on the Maqbool road and found unhealthy conditions at the spot. The workers were found to be preparing bakery items with bare hands and in most unhygienic conditions.

Amritsar, March 27
Three of the 15 samples collected from five popular food joints on January 18 in city have failed the tests. The failed samples belong to Crystal hotel and Kesda Da Dhaba.

The health teams had collected samples of 15 different food items from the five food joints; Beera Chicken, Crystal hotel and restaurant, The Brothers’ and Bharawan Da Dhaba and Kesar Da Dhaba.

All the joints are popular among residents and tourists because of their culinary expertise.

District Food Officer Dr Pradeep Singh Kahlon said, “We have received the reports from laboratory in Ghaziabad. As per the reports, three samples collected from two of the food joints have failed.”

He said the department is yet to send a communique to the said food joints regarding the samples. “We are going to send them a letter after which they can opt for re-testing of the samples,” said Kahlon.

As per procedure whenever a sample is collected from food joints, the officials take four specimens of each item, one of which is sent for testing and other three are preserved as evidence.

Food joints can opt for re-testing of one of the preserved specimen. If the specimen again fails the test, the establishment can be fined as per the procedure.

Amritsar, March 27
Shortage of staff is adversely affecting investigation of various criminal cases here. Senior police authorities deny the same but a spurt in crime points towards this direction. A number of cases especially of dacoity and robbery over last year have reached dead ends and the accused are still far from the clutches of police reportedly due to this problem as the officials concerned could find enough time for investigations.

Major reason is that policemen have been reduced to mere security guards deputed with politicians for whom they have become mere status symbols. “Had they been deputed in police stations, it would have helped in better policing,” a police official said on the condition of anonymity. “We are really short of the requisite staff and no doubt it also affects in terms of delay of the investigations of crime incidents in the city. Even before we can probe a case, another incident occurs and the police officials have to move to that case,” he said.

“Staff shortage has hampered investigation of cases. We are over burdened,” another police official said.

“As far as time-bound investigations are concerned, our men have to sometimes work 24X7 without a break or food,” he said.

The police force deputed with various police stations finds it difficult to hold regular patrolling and nakas in their respective areas to control crime. This is also seen as a major reason for a spurt in petty crimes, including snatchings and thefts. “We are blamed for failure to control crime, but no one can see the hardships we face,” said a senior police official. “I don’t think there are any cases where investigations have been hampered in any way. In a majority of cases we have a good record. We have sufficient staff,” says Police commissioner RP Mittal.

Amritsar, March 27
He polished shoes for peace. Pakistan's Deputy Attorney General Muhammad Khurshid Khan believed that selfless service can work wonders. Even that can melt the differences across borders.

Paying obeisance at the Golden Temple and wishing for harmony and peace between India and Pakistan, Khan denounced violent activities in the world.

True to his popularity in doing sewa at Sikh shrines in Pakistan, Khan dusted and polished shoes of devotees at the Joda Ghar at the Golden Temple.

A part of a Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association delegation, which arrived in India on March 21, Khan today arrived here from New Delhi. "During me stay in the holy city, I will do sewa at Joda Ghar (volunteer service of cleaning shoes) at the Golden Temple daily. Besides, I will visit Durgiana Temple tomorrow, a church on Sunday and Mosque on Friday," he said.

Khan has been involved in volunteer service in various gurdwaras in Pakistan and India to oppose the kidnapping of three Sikh men by Taliban militants in Peshawar in 2010.

Of these abducted Sikhs, one Jaspal Singh was murdered. "It is not limited to atonement and purging for sins of my community members, but it's the way to spread communal harmony," he added.

"Being a Pakistani, a Mohammedan and a Pathan, I feel it is my duty to remove the misconception of terrorism tag attached to these names," he said.

He added that inhuman actions of some frenzied people in the name of Taliban had damaged and tarnished Pakistan's "pluralistic" heritage where Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities live together with the Muslim community. He said it was unfair to tarnish a whole community for the sins of a few.

Reluctant to form any kind of organisation to spread the message of peace, he believed that anybody from India and Pakistan could join him. He said his objective was to continue the tradition of paying obeisance at Sikh shrines which started from Peshawar's Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh two years back.

Amritsar, March 27
Two persons were looted in the city. In the first incident, a woman's purse was snatched by two motorcycle-borne youths on Lawrence Road. Geeta Juneja, a resident of Meerut, in her complaint with the police, said she was traveling on a cycle rickshaw this afternoon when two youths came on a motorcycle, snatched her purse and sped away.

The purse contained Rs 1200 cash, a mobile handset and an ATM card, she said.

A case has been registered with the Lawrence Road police post.

In second incident, Parveen Kumar, a resident o Krishna Square, was looted when he was returning home after closing his shop located at IDH market.

In his complaint, he said around seven unknown person armed with baseballs and swords intercepted him on the way. "They forcibly took away my Activa scooter and Rs 80,000 cash, my laptop and some important documents", he said.

No arrest has been made in this case. The police said a case has been registered under Sections 379-B, 148 and 149 of the IPC.

Drugs recovered

Meanwhile, the police arrested two persons with prohibited drugs. In first case, the police arrested Veeru, a resident of Gujjarpura, and recovered 1050 toxic capsules of Parvon Spas. In another case, Kabir Singh was arrested with 950 capsules of Parvon Spas. Cases under Sections 21, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act have been registered against them.

Dowry case

Gaganpreet Kaur, a resident of Guru Nanak Dass Nagar has lodged a complaint against her in-laws for harassing her for bringing inadequate dowry. In her complaint registered against Kanwaljit Singh, Maninder Kaur, Charanjit, Harwant Singh, all residents of Chheharta, she has alleged that they had demanded a motorcycle and when her parents could not fulfill their demand, they forcibly threw her out of their home. A case under Sections 406 and 498-A of the IPC has been registered against the four. No arrest has been made so far.

Amritsar, March 27
Even as the eight-month-old Amritsar-Chandigarh Duronto Express continues to suffer losses, but the railway authorities have failed to accept the popular demand of en route halts at Jalandhar and Ludhiana.

Sources in the Ferozepur zone of the Northern Railway stated that the total operational loss suffered by the Railways since the introduction of the Duronto in August last has touched around Rs 7 crore. Its average occupancy had also not gone above 40 per cent, they shared.

It is learnt that, the railway authorities, too, have written to the Railway Ministry. However, the recently released rail Budget for the fiscal 2012-2013 remained silent on the Amritsar-Chandigarh Duronto, which discouraged many residents.

Communist leader Amarjit Singh Assal, who had initiated an agitation against the Railways for delay in starting the Duronto train, said odd timing was the major reason behind its non-profitability. He said the present timing was suitable only for city dwellers and the railway authorities had not spared a thought for passengers from rural areas who has to stay overnight to catch the train at 5.25 am. He opined that its timing must be rationalised to accommodate passengers even from remote areas. He added that if the railway authorities did not review its timings then once again they would be forced to hold agitation.

Dr AL Adlakha said being a Duronto train it ran point-to-point with no stoppages in between. En route falls two leading cities of the state Jalandhar and Ludhiana, which are also not connected to the state capital by train. Adequate passengers could be taken from these two stations to turn it profitable. For technical reasons it could be converted into a Jan Shatabdi or in any other category to offer stoppages at Jalandhar and Ludhiana.

Navjot Singh Sidhu, MP, and former Social Welfare Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla have already voiced their demands for additional stoppages for the train.

The train was started with a seating capacity of 145 in two air-conditioned coaches and 1,251 in 12 non-AC coaches. Five coaches were withdrawn in December. Now it has a seating capacity of 928 passengers.

There is no dearth of travellers on the route is evident from the popularity of the buses that ply on it. Most of the passengers prefer air-conditioned coaches run by private operators, which are packed to capacity everyday.

n The total operational loss suffered by the Railways since the introduction of the Duronto in August last has touched around Rs 7 crore. Its average occupancy had also not gone above 40 per cent, reveal sources in Ferozepur zone of Northern Railway

Amritsar, March 27
There has been no breakthrough in the case of theft of LCD screen from surveillance control room inside the Civil Surgeon Office.

The LCD screen, installed for monitoring various CCTV cameras, was stolen within hours of its installation. The thieves had reportedly entered through a window to steal the electronic device. Later the office had also lodged a complaint with the police.

In a recent move, the Civil Surgeon Office had installed CCTV cameras at various places including birth and death registering office, Suwida Centre, civil surgeon staff office, main entrance and outside main office.

Civil Surgeon Dr Manjit Singh Randhawa said, "We are investigating as to who stole the device. The move to buy a new screen has been initiated." He said the office has not abandoned the project as it is extremely necessary to improve public dealing at the office.

Employees believed that the theft could a mischief of some insider to hinder the project.

Randhawa said he has also instructed the officials to maintain a register of visitors at the office complex. "This would help keep a check on all those visiting the office premises, besides keeping a check on agents."

The monitoring project was a brainchild of Dr Randhawa with an aim to improve public dealing of the employees and increase efficiency of the staff.