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Death toll rises to 10
Badal orders safety audit of industrial units
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From petty trader to business tycoon
NDRF personnel look for survivors under the debris at the disaster site in Jalandhar. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh
Labourers seek help from Bihar CM
No MLA’s poll expenses touched Rs 16 lakh
Shift 11 convicts: Minister
BJP keeps Kalia out of civic poll panel
5 Nihangs injured in clash
Directions issued to Punjabi University
PU orders probe against Ludhiana college
Notice issued to Sadique
HC issues notice on CPS appointments
Akali sarpanch among 9 booked for murder
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Death toll rises to 10
The rescue operation for removing debris from the site gained momentum today morning, a few hours ahead of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's visit to the site at 2.15 pm. While six bodies had been extricated so far, four had been spotted under the collapsed building by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel. Efforts were on to extricate them. Two bodies were extricated on Monday while four were pulled out from the debris today.
The Army and NDRF teams also succeeded in rescuing three workers alive from the debris between 10.30 pm on Monday and 6.58 am on Tuesday. Satinder Kumar, a labourer, was rescued at 10.30 pm yesterday after remaining trapped for about 23 hours. Two more migrants, Vinod and Vir Davinder, were brought out at 5.40 am and 6.58 am, respectively, today. The rescue work continued entire Monday night but for two hours when it was halted at 2 pm due to rain.
As many as six JCB machines, 14 tippers and 150 Jalandhar Municipal Corporation men are engaged in removing the rubble. Municipal Commissioner BS Dhaliwal said, "It will take at least three more days to remove the debris."
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Badal orders safety audit of industrial units
Jalandhar, April 17
Officials of the departments of Industries and Local Bodies would conduct the exercise to avert such industrial mishaps in the future. The aim, he said, would be to ascertain defects in buildings. "The safety audit will be a regular feature in the future. Industrialists will be responsible for negligence leading to such mishaps….The guilty won't be spared," he said while talking to mediapersons at the mishap site. Putting the death toll at six, the Chief Minister said 60 persons had been taken out by the rescue contingent comprising 180 National Disaster Response Force jawans, 50 Army personnel and 750 Punjab Armed Police jawans. Besides, several social organisations and NGOs were engaged in rescue work. As many as 50 of the injured had already been discharged after first aid, Badal said. The Punjab Government has already announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the relatives of the deceased, Rs 65,000 for those seriously injured and Rs 45,000 for those who sustained minor injuries. Badal was accompanied by Revenue and Rehabilitation Minister Ajit Singh Kohar, KD Bhandari, Sohan Singh Thandal and Mohinder Kaur Josh (all Chief Parliamentary Secretaries). "I have been shaken by this incident. The guilty will not be spared," he said. Badal, who got to know about the tragedy when he was in Nanded, also announced two more inquiries into the mishap in addition to the one being conducted by Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner Anurag Verma. He said one inquiry would be conducted by a police team led by SP Navjot Singh Mahal while the other would be done jointly by Lt Gen BS Dhaliwal (Retd), technical adviser to Punjab Government and the head of Civil Engineering Department at PEC University, Chandigarh, and PWD (B&R) Engineer-in-Chief RP Singh. "While the police probe will determine criminal aspect, if any, the technical inquiry will look into the flaws and shortcomings which led to the collapse of the building. All enquiries will be completed within 20 days," the Chief Minister said. Badal also announced that the state-level disaster management committee would be strengthened further so as to make it far more efficient and result-oriented. He also announced to set up a National Disaster Rapid Force Centre in Punjab on an area of 50 to 60 acres to accommodate sufficient number of NDRF companies, which could be utilised to combat any natural calamity.
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From petty trader to business tycoon
Jalandhar, April 17 After this, he started his own blanket manufacturing unit in Jalandhar from where he started exporting goods to Germany and other foreign countries. The units spun from one to as many as 10 in a matter of 10 to 15 years, with a few catering to blankets and other producing bed linen and foot mattresses. Even as Shital was in police custody today, his foot mattress manufacturing factory, located two units next to the collapsed building, remained operational. He owns factory numbers four to nine, 11, 13, 14 and 81-C (the collapsed building) at the Focal Point in Jalandhar. Shital forayed into cable business six years ago and his brand, ‘Hulchul’, enjoys considerable monopoly in the city. He is also the president of Devi Talab Mandir management committee for the past nearly eight years. He shifted from his old accommodation at Industrial Area to the posh Lajpat Nagar here less than a decade ago. His also launched a Hindi daily a few months back. Shital Vij in 2-day police custody A city court on Tuesday remanded Shital Fibres owner Shital Vij (in pic) to two-day police custody. He was arrested after the registration of an FIR against him under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and sections concerned of the Prevention of Corruption Act on Monday evening.
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Labourers seek help from Bihar CM
Jalandhar, April 17 Scores of labourers and their families who have been waiting endlessly at the site to see their loved ones alive or dead echoed the same sentiment: "Our CM Nitish Kumar should immediately come and help us in keeping our demands in front of the Punjab Government." The migrants, who were sitting in groups and attending to phone calls from their respective villages, maintained that they were not even getting a chance to see the faces of the bodies that were being dug out. "We are helpless. The police, administration and the factory owners are non-cooperative, which is aggravating out frustration," a labourer said. Manjit Kumar, a labourer whose 30-year-old uncle lay trapped in the rubble, said: "If Nitish Kumar visits us, at least our demands will be heard. After all, we have the right to perform last rites of our loved ones. But, we are afraid the matter is being hushed up. Probably, we would not even get to see our family members for the last time." Joginder Yadav, another migrant whose young nephew Rahul was trapped under the debris, went to the extent of saying that had it been some Punjabis trapped there, the approach of the state government in dealing with the situation would have been different. "Look at the pace of the rescue work. Only the Army is making serious efforts. The nearby residents didn't even visit the site as it were only the Biharis who were trapped inside," he said. The labourers threatened to launch an agitation if the administration and the police did not co-operate. "In case they continue with their present attitude, we will be left with no option but to file a case against the factory owner," a labourer said.
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Believe it or not
Chandigarh, April 17 While Akali rebel-turned-Independent Simarjit Singh Bains, who won from Atam Nagar, Ludhiana, spent the most (Rs 13,24,001), Virsa Singh Valtoha (Khem Karan) spent a meager Rs 2,69,596 on his campaign. Says Punjab Election Watch, an NGO whose activists studied the expenditure declaration of 109 MLAs, on an average, each of these MLAs spent only Rs 6,77,887, which is 42 per cent of the permissible limit of Rs 16 lakh. Karan Kaur from Muktsar was the second biggest spender with a poll expenditutre of Rs 13,23,443, followed by Joginder Pal Jain from Moga (Rs 12,26,842). Adesh Partap Singh Kairon from Patti is among those to have spent the least. He has declared that he incurred an expenditure of Rs 2,86,582 on campaigning. Navtej Singh from Sultanpur Lodhi has put the expenditure at Rs 3,28,631. On an average, BJP candidates spent Rs 7.8 lakh each, the Congress candidates Rs 4.70 lakh and SAD nominees Rs 5.95 lakh. Only 31 candidates have declared that they spent Rs 8 lakh on campaigning, that is 50 per cent of the permissible limit. Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu of Talwandi Sabo spent a maximum of Rs 5 lakh on public meetings out of a total expenditure of Rs 7 lakh, Darshan Singh Shivalik of Ludhiana spent Rs 9 lakh on the media out of a total expenditure of Rs 11 lakh, Joginder Pal Jain of Moga spent a maximum of Rs 5 lakh on his campaign workers and Ajit Inder Singh of Mansa spent Rs 7.8 lakh oncampaign vehicles
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Shift 11 convicts: Minister
Patiala, April 17 The orders mean that some notorious drug dealers in jail for serious offences such as murder will be sent to prisons of their choice as per their convenience. The Jails Department has decided to review the decision. Highly placed sources said the Jails Minister had recommended the transfer of 11 convicts last week. “These convicts were sent back to jails from where they were earlier shifted following complaints that they were trying to operate from inside the jails ”, the sources said. Most of them enjoyed political patronage, they alleged. The convicts ordered to be shifted are Sandeep Singh (Nabha to Hoshiarpur), Amrik Singh (Ludhiana to Patiala), Amandeep Singh (Patiala to Kapurthala), Gurdev Singh (Kapurthala to Nabha), Saurabh Ghai (Hoshiarpur to Kapurthala), Ramesh Kumar Jindal (Muktsar to Ferozepur) and Jagga Singh (Nabha to Faridkot or Ferozepur). Mehnga Singh, Tirlok Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Sardul Singh have been ordered to be shifted to the Central Jail, Patiala. Another prisoner has been ordered to be shifted to the Hoshiarpur jail. Jail officials said they received a communiqué from the Jails Minister in this regard almost a fortnight back. “Jagga Singh, who was shifted from the Ferozepur jail for running a drug cartel from inside the jail premises, has been ordered to be shifted back”, they said. Despite the minister's recommendation, jail officials in Ferozepur have refused to take him back. Another drug dealer from Patiala has been sent to the Kapurthala jail. Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, who is abroad, was not available for comment. His political secretary Parminder Singh said he would be back next week. When contacted, Shashi Kant said he had cancelled the orders on shifting convicts. “I will talk to the minister and order an inquiry into the matter.”
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BJP keeps Kalia out of civic poll panel
Chandigarh, April 17 Observers said Joshi was the natural choice to head the Amritsar committee being a legislator from the city and Madan Mohan Mittal had been given charge of Ludhiana because of his management skills, especially with local BJP leaders not faring well at the hustings. However, they felt the party, which had denied a Cabinet berth to Kalia, could have used him to good effect in Jalandhar with most of the development in the city having occurred during his stint as minister earlier. Jyani, a legislator from Fazilka, was a surprise choice to head the Patiala committee, the sources said. Party president Ashwani Sharma, who will monitor all the four committees, has appointed new district presidents for Batala and Abohar. After the exit of senior leader Jagdish Sahni from Batala the party has decided to appoint youth leader Ashok Moudgil as district president. Sita Ram has been appointed president of the Abohar district unit. Om Prakash Anarya of Amritsar has been appointed state convener of the BJP Mazdoor Mahasangh cell.
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5 Nihangs injured in clash
Bathinda, April 17 Talwandi Sabo SHO Paramjit Singh said those hospitalised were being treated for splinter injuries. They were identified as Jeet Singh of Karnal, Mehal Singh of Sangrur, Sukhwinder Singh of Nagra village near Sunam, Baba Bahadur Singh of Boparai village near Ludhiana and Harjinder Singh of Amritsar. Those booked are Jaspal Jassa of Talwandi Sabo, his brother Sukhwinder, their father Jugraj Singh, Baldev Singh of Dhoti village near Amritsar, Darshan Singh of Patiala, Arjun Dev of Mehma Sirja village in Bathinda, Chamkaur Singh of Seka village in Barnala and Dinesh Rai of Rewari in Haryana.The incident occurred near Gill Dhaba that is owned by a
Nihang.
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Directions issued to Punjabi University
Chandigarh, April 17 The Bench, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover, directed the varsity to submit its point-wise response to the allegations. The PIL will now come up for hearing on May 23.The direction came during the resumed hearing of the PIL filed by Santosh Kumari and four other unemployed lecturers. They are seeking direction to the varsity to review the selections and appointments made by the former Vice-Chancellor during his tenure from August 2001 to November 2007. — TNS
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PU orders probe against Ludhiana college
Chandigarh, April 17 Compartment examinations were held in the college on March 29 and 30 and on April 1 when PU staff went to collect the answer sheets, college staff denied of having any such answer sheets with them. On April 7 when the PU staff went to collect other answer sheets, they were informed answer sheets of compartment exams were also lying with the college and on April 8, the answer sheets were collected from the college. The answer sheets were to be delivered by before April 3.
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Notice issued to Sadique
Chandigarh, April 17 In his poll petition, petitioner SAD-BJP candidate DS Guru claimed that Sadique was a Muslim and hence not eligible to contest from the constituency that is reserved for the Scheduled Castes. The petitioner alleged a voter had raised an objection in this regard before the Returning Officer but the latter had refused to consider it.
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HC issues notice on CPS appointments
Chandigarh, April 17 The notice to the MLAs and the State of Punjab was issued today by the Division Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and
Justice Mahesh Grover for July 3 on a petition filed by advocate Jagmohan Singh Bhatti. The petitioner is also seeking directions for restraining the Finance Department from bearing the expenses of "illegal appointments, which are in violation of the 91st Amendment, 2004, of the Constitution of India". Directions have also
been sought for the withdrawal of all the facilities extended to the MLAs
"in the interest of the state, its people and its state exchequer."
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Akali sarpanch among 9 booked for murder
Patiala, April 17
Before kidnapping, the sarpanch and his son openly fired in the air to scare onlookers. The police was unaware of the incident till Monday morning when the victim was found abandoned near Baran village in a critically condition by his relatives. He was rushed to a private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The deceased has been identified as Tejinder Singh (30), a resident of Ranjit Nagar here. He is survived by his wife and a two-year-old daughter. Victim’s cousin Jagjit Singh said, “When I was going to drop Tejinder at his home, a motorcycle hit my car near Seona road and we had a verbal spat with the biker. Suddenly, some of his friends reached the spot and started hitting us. A little later, Harbans Singh accompanied by his son and others also reached the spot in two cars and fired in the air twice. They started hitting us and forcibly put Tejinder in their car. I managed to escape from the spot.” Tripuri SHO Karan Sher Singh said that the victim died due to injuries inflicted using a screwdriver or a poker. “We are yet to arrest the accused”, he said. Family members and relatives of the victim alleged that the police had failed to act even after kidnappers fired shots and openly kidnapped Tejinder. “Police is shielding the accused as the main accused is very close to a former MLA and with his connivance the accused are absconding along with their weapons,” alleged relatives of Tejinder, who was the only son of his parents. The police has registered a case under Sections 302, 364, 309, 148, 149 and the Arms Act against Jatinder Singh, his brother Sapinder Singh, Gurdeep Singh, Bhajan Singh, Harpreet Singh, Harbans Singh Lang, Amritpal Singh, Gursewak Singh, Dharampal Singh and Harpreet Singh.
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The death toll in the Jalandhar building collapse incident has risen to 10 while the count of those rescued from the rubble has touched 60. A number of workers were still feared trapped inside even as rescue operations were on.
The rescue operation for removing debris from the site gained momentum today morning, a few hours ahead of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's visit to the site at 2.15 pm.
Behind bars after the factory collapse incident that led to the death of several
labourers, industrial unit owner Shital Vij is said to have started his career as a trader for a blanket manufacturing factory in Ludhiana. Vij's father himself owned a small factory that manufactured vests in Jalandhar industrial area.
Jalandhar, April 17
But amid the ups, there have been several downs as well. He faced DRI raids on his factory premises following complaints against him. Fire incidents were reported in his factories almost every year since 2008. He unsuccessfully contested the 2007 assembly elections as an Independent declaring assets worth Rs 220 crore.
The Punjab BJP has formed election management committees for the forthcoming municipal corporation elections in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala. The party has chosen to give charge to ministers to head various committees for each corporation. Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal will head the Ludhiana committee, Bhagat Chunni Lal the Jalandhar committee, Anil Joshi the Amritsar committee and Surjit Kumar Jyani the Patiala committee.
