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SAD, BJP wards the only beneficiary
ASI’s sons assaults SSP’s gunman
‘Casualness’ leads to suspension of DTO office clerk
2-yr-old girl abandoned at rly station
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Man arrested for killing wife
MC employees block traffic over appointment issue
Traffic moves at a snail’s pace as members of the Nigam Safai Mazdur Union hold demonstration by parking machinery of the Municipal Corporation at PNB Chowk in Jalandhar on Monday. Photo: Sarabjit Singh
Finally, govt medical insurance scheme to reach special children
Construction firm faces hurdles to complete flyover work
Tardy pace of flyover construction work and ill-manned traffic add to chaos on a stretch between PAP Chowk and Rama Mandi Chowk in Jalandhar. Photo Sarabjit Singh
Burglars strike at Urban Estate house, decamp with gold
Police launches drive to check inflow of firearms
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SAD, BJP wards the only beneficiary
Jalandhar, May 14 *The wards which have been included in the lists include 4 (BJP), 5 (BJP), 20 (BJP), 28 (BJP), 31 (SAD), 32 (BJP), 33 (BJP), 35 (BJP), 42 (BJP), 43 (SAD), 44 (BJP), 47 (SAD), 48 (BJP), 52 (BJP), 54 (SAD) and 59 (BJP). Most of the works pertain to road
relaying. Barring a few general works, almost the entire amount out of the Rs 19 crore grant it has received from the Local Bodies Department in the past few days is likely to be spent on works to be executed in wards currently represented only by the SAD-BJP councillors. The list includes road works in Santokhpura colony falling in Ward number 5 represented by BJP councillor Sunil Jyoti. It also includes at least four works in Ward number 20 represented by Mayor Rakesh Rathour. Of these, two projects are to be taken up in Deen Dyal Upadhaya Nagar, where the Mayor has his private residence. The list of works includes road repair in Makhdoompura, again falling in BJP councillor Joginder Singh Tony’s ward. The wards which have been included in the lists include 4 (BJP), 5 (BJP), 20 (BJP), 28 (BJP), 31 (SAD), 32 (BJP), 33 (BJP), 35 (BJP), 42 (BJP), 43 (SAD), 44 (BJP), 47 (SAD), 48 (BJP), 52 (BJP), 54 (SAD) and 59 (BJP). Most of the works pertain to road relaying. The lists have been prepared constituency-wise after the consent on the MLAs and councillors of the ruling parties. Insiders revealed that the spadework for list preparation had been done almost a month ahead of the disbursement of the grants. Claiming it to be a pick-and-choose-policy, Congress councillors have said it was a sheer discrimination against the residents of their wards. “Rather than prioritising the grant based on the need, the ruling party was indulging in politicising the issue which goes against the interest of the common man,” claimed the Leader of Opposition Jagdish Raja. Congress councillor Rajinder Beri too claimed that there were certain areas including Chogitti and Model House where the residents were suffering from shortage of water. “Instead of utilising the funds for any such more important works, those ruling the MC were busy recarpeting roads in their own wards which already are in good condition.” Kulwinder Singh, SE (B&R), said, “Such partisan attitude never comes to our mind. We have simply prepared a list of road work which is pending in areas where sewage work is over, irrespective of the fact as to which party the colony falls under.” |
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ASI’s sons assaults SSP’s gunman
Jalandhar, May 14 Ranjit Singh, who has been arrested, and his brother Gurmeet Singh, are sons of Assistant Sub-Inspector Ram Singh. The incident took place inside Police Lines at 11.50 pm on Sunday. Residing at Police Lines, the gunman, identified as Gurdeep Singh, who was undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital, alleged that on Sunday night when he came to park his vehicle, he found the brothers, also staying at Police Lines, along with their accomplices in an inebriated state. And they had parked their vehicle in the middle of the road, he added. “When I requested them to free the passage, they started arguing and thrashed me with bottles and bricks,” Gurdeep Singh alleged. A case under Section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the IPC was registered at New Baradari police station. SHO Vijay Kumar said Ranjit has been arrested and three others were at large.
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‘Casualness’ leads to suspension of DTO office clerk
Jalandhar, May 14
The officer said he suspended Kanta Rani, who had been handling cash at the cash window, after finding her violating several norms. “The employee did not maintain any cash chest. She was putting the amount in her own bag and could not differentiate between her personal and official cash when questioned about the same,” the IAS officer alleged. The second charge levelled against her was that she did not deposit the cash collected at the counter on Friday till 4:30 pm today even as she was supposed to do it this morning, it being the next working day. The third and the most vital ground against her was that she had reportedly not got her account details reconciled with the amount sent in treasury since the past six months, even as she was supposed to get it done at the end of every month. “It is a very serious lapse on her part. She was supposed to settle all variations. I checked the office of secretary at Regional Transport Authority and found that the accounts had been reconciled till April 30 last, in accordance with the norms”, the STC and his Deputy Controller Finance and Auditing Anil Arora claimed. They added that they had even contacted the District Transport Officer in this record who claimed that he had joined just 10 days back. Asked if the shortage of staff was to be blamed, Harjeet Singh said that no such excuse could be given for such negligence. “The services of the staff have to be optimally utilised”, he said while adding that he was in the process of taking permission from the state government for enrolling staff on DC rates for 27 DTO offices and five RTA offices across the state.The transport commissioner added that he was in the city to check whether the latest e-governance reforms implemented by the government including online registration, online payment of taxes and filling of applications for learner’s driving licences by principals of educational institutes were being followed.
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2-yr-old girl abandoned at rly station
Jalandhar, May 14
Officials of the Government Railway Police after searching for her parents took the girl into their custody. The girl was later produced before the local court and the magistrate ordered the police to send the girl to an orphanage. Satish Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector, said the girl is also speech and hearing impaired. He said the girl was abandoned by her parents due to her physical and other disabilities. “As per the court’s order, she was sent to Guru Nanak Anath Ashram in Rama Mandi,” he added.
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Man arrested for killing wife
Phagwara, May 14 Phagwara SP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said the accused was evading arrest since November 26. He said Narinder was nabbed by the Satnampura police. Raj Rani was allegedly set afire by the trio. She succumbed to burns on November 25.
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MC employees block traffic over appointment issue
Jalandhar, May 14 As many as 27 of the 301 gardeners have been issued appointment letters, of whom the kin of the union members have been unduly included, the employees alleged. Gardeners with various residence societies who are still awaiting their appointment said their cases had even been recommended by their respective councillors, but to no avail. There has been ruckus in the MC office since the past fortnight ever since the issue of appointments started. Members of various unions have blocked the entrances to the office, gheraoed officials and even indulged in mud-slinging against the officials and members of their rival unions over the issue. President of Nigam Safai Mazdur Union Chandan Garewal claimed that he suspected foul play in the appointments. Commissioner Viney Bublani said he would look into all the complaints.
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Finally, govt medical insurance scheme to reach special children
Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, May 14 While the central government scheme was available since long, due to lack of awareness and a passive district committee, parents of special children were not being able to avail its benefits so far. But after a delegation of intellectuals brought the laxities to the fore, things finally seem to be looking up. A delegation comprising some eminent social and educational activists as well as parents of special children aired grievances to the Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, Priyank Bharti, on Friday, regarding the non-performance of the Local Level Committee (LLC) meant to monitor the implementation of national schemes for special children. Issues of the non-implementation of the Nirmaya Health Medical Scheme (under this Rs 100 crore central government scheme, the health insurance of special children is covered and they are entitled to medical treatment up to Rs 1 lakh) and the absence of any of the city hospitals on the panel of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), were taken up with the DC. The delegation also took up the issue of allocation of guardianship for special children, which involves a special procedure for which the DC is the certifying authority. The DC instructed the District Social Security Officer (DSSO) to change and appoint Ranjana Bansal as member of the LLC and Prayas Special School. He also asked the DSSO to verify and forward all cases (of persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities) for the Nirmaya Health Medical Scheme. While children recommended for treatment by the SSA were earlier required to go to Ludhiana, their treatment and hospitalisation will now be done in Jalandhar, following the DC’s assurance to take up the issue with the State Education and Medical Secretary for empanelling of the Jalandhar-based Oberoi Hospital. Parents going for guardianship of their children with special needs will not have to run from pillar to post now as all these cases will be received by the District Social Security Officer, Jalandhar. While the DC had 30 guardianship demands already pending with him, no action could be taken so far because the LLC (which is supposed to hold meetings every three months) was inactive. Amarjit Singh Anand, delegation member and state disability activist as well as Zonal Secretary North, PARIVAAR, said, “It is an extremely happy occasion for us. A huge burden has been taken off our shoulders and our children will now finally get what they deserve.” Other members who were a part of the delegation, included, social activist Parminder Beri, Dr Brett Mayfield (from the Smith Institute of American Special Education), Dr HS Oberoi (Oberoi Hospital), S Arvinder Singh (parent), Opinder Kaur (mother of special child). * The applications for medical insurance under the Nirmaya Health Scheme have already started pouring in. So far over 45 applications have been received. But disability activists worry that due to lack of awareness, very few special children’s parents are aware of the benefits. * Circulars will be issued to parents across the district and to SSA activists to keep them informed about the scheme. * For more information on the issue, activist Amarjit Singh Anand can be contacted on his number 094170-06059.
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Construction firm faces hurdles to complete flyover work
Jalandhar, May 14 The work is getting delayed due to the slow progress of removing the hurdles, which were cited by the construction company before the district administration. SK Diwan, project manager, Soma Infrastructure Limited, a construction company that is carrying out the work on the GT Road, said, “They had apprised the authorities concerned to provide land alongside the road, which was necessary to speed up the construction work of a flyover. But till date nothing fruitful has been done”. He said encroachments and certain religious structures at Rama Mandi Chowk and reluctance of police officials at PAP Chowk to man the traffic are the main hurdles in the ongoing construction work of a flyover. He said the issue of defence land has also been hanging fire. “If defence land is handed over to the construction company, then we can at least make a service path, which will help ease the traffic congestion and will also help speed up the construction work”. He said the construction work may take a year to complete if the hurdles are cleared immediately. He urged the authorities to sort out the pending issues to speed up the work. Furthermore, slow pace of construction has been adding to traffic chaos. Everyday, long traffic jams are being witnessed from PAP Chowk to Rama Mandi Chowk. Gourav Kumar, a daily commuter from Jalandhar to Phagwara, said, “It takes at least half an hour to cover a distance from PAP to Rama Mandi Chowk. Even the traffic police is insufficient to man the traffic.” Sources in the traffic police said the department faces shortage of staff. Komal Bhardwaj, a resident, said the traffic police should ban buses to stop at PAP Chowk and Rama Mandi Chowk to ease the traffic situation. Iqbal Singh Sandhu, SDM-I, said, “The district administration has already approved the proposal to remove two religious structures situated near Rama Mandi and in the coming few days”.
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Burglars strike at Urban Estate house, decamp with gold
Jalandhar May 14 Finger print experts along with the police have started the investigation. One held with opium The Maqsoodan police arrested a man with 500 grams of opium. Acting on a tip-off, the police party laid a trap and arrested the accused, identified as Kashmir Singh of Mattu village in Muktsar. The police said the accused was on his way to supply the contraband in the nearby localities. The police is exploring the local links of the accused.
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Police launches drive to check inflow of firearms
Jalandhar, May 14 The decision was taken in a meeting attended by the senior police officials from the police, Government Railway Police, CID and certain other government security agencies a few days back. Deputy Commissioner of Police Tulsi Ram revealed that a sudden rise in the crime rate and incidents of shooting in three months have made the police revamp security arrangements in and around the city. He said 11 cases have been registered under the Arms Act in last four months and nine firearms (eight pistols and a revolver) were seized from the criminals. He said investigations conducted in these cases showed that a majority of the firearms seized from the criminals were country made and were smuggled into the city. To curb the inflow of firearms, the police has roped in the security agencies including the GRP, CID to launch a special derive across the district. Admitting that the snatching incidents have also increased, the DCP claimed that the drug addicts are behind the incidents. The police have now started drive against the drug peddlers and drug addicts so the snatching incidents could be stopped, Ram said.
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Employees of the Municipal Corporation today blocked traffic in front of the main entrance to the complex using three wheelers, JCB machines and other official machinery demonstrating against the alleged foul means being used during the ongoing regular appointment of gardeners.
The construction work of a flyover at Rama Mandi Chowk, a part of six-laning project of the National Highway Authority of India
(NHAI), has been hanging fire for the past several months. The work is getting delayed due to the slow progress of removing the hurdles, which were cited by the construction company before the district administration.
Burglars struck at a house in Urban Estate-I last night and decamped with gold and foreign currency worth lakhs of rupees.
House owner Parminder Kaur said she along with her family members had gone out of station. “When we returned this morning, we found the locks of the main door broken and the whole house ransacked. Burglars took away took away 400 grams of gold and some foreign currency.”
