SPECIAL COVERAGE
CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI


THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

MC POLLS
Family dispute: Uncle, nephew fight it out in Ward 13
Jalandhar, June 2
Flags of the Congress, the SAD and the BJP atop showrooms of candidates from Ward 13 Vijay Dakoha and Rohit Kumar Vicky in Jalandhar The dispute between two brothers based in Dakoha here has come out in the open with their families contesting against one other.
Flags of the Congress, the SAD and the BJP atop showrooms of candidates from Ward 13 Vijay Dakoha and Rohit Kumar Vicky in Jalandhar. Photo: Sarabjit Singh

WARD WATCH: ward no 31
Residents want well-maintained parks, proper drainage system
Jalandhar, June 2
Broken concrete benches in a park at New Baradari Waterlogging and underdeveloped parks are some of the major problems faced by residents of Ward 31 for the past many years.


Broken concrete benches in a park at New Baradari


EARLIER STORIES



No respite from heat wave 

Rickshaw pullers take a nap under a tree on a hot Saturday afternoon in Jalandhar
Rickshaw pullers take a nap under a tree on a hot Saturday afternoon in Jalandhar. Photo: Sarabjit Singh

ward no 32
Broken roads, defunct streetlights major problems
Jalandhar, June 2
Broken roads and damaged streets give a bumpy ride to commuters in this ward. Open dumping ground in front of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) welcomes visitors on Garha Road separating Wards 32 and 33.

Municipal Committee in SAD-BJP’s pocket; no liquor parties this time
Shahkot, June 2
Following the withdrawal of 13 Congress candidates from the Municipal Committee elections in Shahkot, residents are happy that the political parties won’t need to go the liquor way to lure voters.

BJP expels 3 rebel candidates
Jalandhar, June 2
Taking action against rebels, the BJP has expelled three party leaders, including a sitting councillor.

Training session for poll staff
Jalandhar, June 2
The returning officers for the Municipal Corporation elections today organised a training session for the polling staff.

Students of the Army College of Nursing perform bhangra during the annual day function in Jalandhar Cantonment on Saturday Annual day at Army college of Nursing
Jalandhar, June 2
Army College of Nursing, Jalandhar Cantt, celebrated its 7th annual day here on Friday. Major General SK Agarwal, Chief of Staff, Vajra Corps and chairman of the Army College of Nursing was the chief guest on the occasion.
Students of the Army College of Nursing perform bhangra during the annual day function in Jalandhar Cantonment on Saturday. Tribune Photo: Malkiat Singh

1 held in Prince murder case
Jalandhar June 2
The city police has arrested one of the accused in Prince murder case. The police said hunt was on to nab the remaining three accused who were on the run since the murder.

City residents term cut in petrol prices inadequate
Jalandhar June 2
Evan as the oil companies slashed the petrol prices by nearly Rs 2 a litre, city residents termed it inadequate and said the oil companies should go for a complete rollback.

 





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MC POLLS
Family dispute: Uncle, nephew fight it out in Ward 13
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Vijay Dakoha is contesting on the Congress ticket from Ward 13 whereas his elder brother Mulakh Raj's son Rohit Kumar Vicky (right) is the SAD nominee from the same ward
Vijay Dakoha is contesting on the Congress ticket from Ward 13 whereas his elder brother Mulakh Raj's son Rohit Kumar Vicky (right) is the SAD nominee from the same ward.

Jalandhar, June 2
The dispute between two brothers based in Dakoha here has come out in the open with their families contesting against one other as candidates of rival parties from Ward 13 in the forthcoming civic polls.

Younger brother Vijay Dakoha is contesting on the Congress ticket whereas his elder brother Mulakh Raj's son Rohit Kumar Vicky is the SAD nominee from the same ward.

The entire family had been with the Congress till the last few months. Mulakh Raj had unsuccessfully contested on the Congress ticket from the ward in 1997. For the next consecutive two terms, Vijay's wife Bimla Rani had been the councillor from the ward. As the Congress ticket went to Vijay this time, his elder brother chose to jump into the Akali wagon to seek a ticket for his son.

Both uncle and his nephew have filed papers from the common address - House No. 36, Dakoha - which is their ancestral property. The brothers lived in the same house till Vijay shifted to a nearby (House No 54). Both the houses have been bedecked with buntings, flags and hoardings of the respective parties they are now affiliated to.

The brothers had been running a common business dealing in paints, sanitary ware and iron rods. The twosome had a common showroom at Rama Mandi, which now stands separated by a wall. Even their workplace tells the story of their differences as they, too, have been covered with separate hoardings of candidates and party flags.

Vijay, who is 10 years younger to his brother Mulakh Raj, blamed him for joining the SAD to settle personal scores. "We have been a Congress family for years. I wonder why he shifted his loyalty," he said.

Krishna, Vicky's mother, said: "It's difficult going around the ward campaigning for my son when everyone has the same question to ask. They make me sit and start talking about our differences."

Mulakh Raj quips: "I prefer to keep mum and not utter a word about our family dispute. Everyone around is already aware of the sequence of incidents that led to the differences between me and Vijay."

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WARD WATCH: ward no 31
Residents want well-maintained parks, proper drainage system
Bipin Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service

Heaps of garbage dumped in a park at Master Tara Singh Nagar in Ward 31 in Jalandhar
Heaps of garbage dumped in a park at Master Tara Singh Nagar in Ward 31 in Jalandhar. Photos: Sarabjit Singh

Jalandhar, June 2
Waterlogging and underdeveloped parks are some of the major problems faced by residents of Ward 31 for the past many years.

Light showers are enough to inundate the streets and roads of Ranjeet Nagar and New Baradari, while residents of Defence Colony, Shakti Sadan and Hargobind Nagar feel cut off from their surroundings due to the Jalandhar City-Nakodar railway track passing through the ward.

Even as the New Baradri area has been developed by PUDA and a majority of its residents are government officials, including judicial officers, they are forced to live in unhygienic conditions. The parks in the area are not properly maintained.

The misleading road crossing under a railway overbridge (ROB) adjoining Khalsa College have put Defence Colony residents to inconvenience. They have to take a detour of almost 500 metres to reach their destination. Moreover, heaps of garbage and solid waste can be seen dumped in almost every area of the ward.

Areas in ward

Post and Telegraph Colony, Master Tara Singh Nagar, Neta Jee Park, Ranjeet Nagar, Mazal Nagar, Police Lines, New Baradari, Defence Colony, Atwal House, Shakti Sadan and Hargobind Nagar.

Councillor speak

Sitting municipal councillor Raminder Kaur Dhinsa's husband claimed that the MC had spent Rs 9 crore for development in the ward. He claimed the councillor managed to get a financial assistance of Rs 3.69 crore from the Central government for Astroturf at the PAP complex. A plan has been chalked out for setting up a plant for rainwater harvesting to get rid the problem of waterlogging. Work for the development of parks is in progress. However, the Railways has not entertained a proposal for the construction of subways under the rail line, he added.

Residents speak

  • Traffic congestion is a main problem faced by residents of this ward. The problem should be redressed with proper regularisation of vehicular traffic. The area councillor and the district administration have hardly made any efforts to solve the waterlogging problem in low-lying areas of the ward. — Dr Sanjiv Sharma, a resident of Master Tara Singh Nagar
  • Most of the parks and lawns in the ward are ill-maintained. There is no free space for morning walkers. Moreover, most of the swings and other equipment for recreational purpose in the parks are in a sorry state. Wild growth has taken over every nook and corner of the area. — Dinesh Kumar, a resident of Defence Colony

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ward no 32
Broken roads, defunct streetlights major problems
Bipin Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service

Garbage dumped near PIMS; and (below) broken swings in a park at Chhoti Baradari in Ward 32 in Jalandhar
Garbage dumped near PIMS; and (below) broken swings in a park at Chhoti Baradari in Ward 32 in Jalandhar. Photos: Sarabjit Singh
Garbage dumped near PIMS; and (below) broken swings in a park at Chhoti Baradari in Ward 32 in Jalandhar

Jalandhar, June 2
Broken roads and damaged streets give a bumpy ride to commuters in this ward. Open dumping ground in front of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) welcomes visitors on Garha Road separating Wards 32 and 33.

The Garha-Cantonment road is also in a bad shape. Large potholes and wild growth along the road put the motorists to inconvenience.

Swings in a park at Chhoti Baradri-I, developed by PUDA, are also broken and can lead to mishaps.

Instead of removing wild growth on vacant land adjacent to PIMS, the authorities concerned prefer to burn it, leading to air pollution.

The Urban Estate area is also facing the problem of waterlogging at some places.

Garbage dumps can be seen at various places and defunct streetlights in Urban Estate is a regular phenomenon.

The main road leading to Urban Estate is damaged for the past over a decade and the authorities have turned a blind eye to it.

Area in ward

Hardyal Nagar, Jaswant Nagar, Village Garha, Chhoti Baradari-I, Village Sonana and Urban Estate.

Councillor Speak

Councillor Kirpal Pali said: "I am not aware of the exact amount spend in the ward. There is no problem in the ward. Many projects have been completed and work on some is still on."

Residents speak

  • The areas along the roads should be spruced up and ornamental plants should be planted to make the area more beautiful. — Sidharth Sharma, a resident of Urban Estate
  • The MC has failed to check the stray dog menace in the area. We are constantly living under fear. Besides, there has been a spurt in crime incidents due to defunct streetlights. — Rajinder, a resident of Jaswant Nagar

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Municipal Committee in SAD-BJP’s pocket; no liquor parties this time
Nikhil Bhardwaj

Shahkot, June 2
Following the withdrawal of 13 Congress candidates from the Municipal Committee elections in Shahkot, residents are happy that the political parties won’t need to go the liquor way to lure voters.

The Shahkot MC has 13 wards and 11 SAD-BJP candidates have been declared winners unopposed. Only two independent candidates from two wards have not withdrawn their papers, but sources said both these independent contenders would support the SAD-BJP in polls.

In the last Municipal Committee elections in 2005, candidates had allegedly distributed a huge amount of liquor to residents and had organized booze parties in their wards.

Sources said some candidates had spent more than Rs 10 lakh on booze parties.

Satpal Sharma, a senior citizen, said he was very happy when he came to know about the withdrawal of nominations. “Now candidates won’t need to distribute liquor. In the last MC elections, candidates had used liquor in their wards like anything. Even the voters, who did not drink, had accepted liquor as an election gift,” he said.

Kanchan, a housewife, echoed similar views. She said the candidates would not indulge in shrewd practices of distributing liquor or drugs to lure voters. “In the last polls, I had seen youths indulging in brawls with the supporters of rival parties after attending the booze parties,” she claimed.

Even candidates heaved a sigh of relief saying that they won’t have to spend lakhs of rupees to woo voters. “In every election, a candidate has to spend on distributing free food and liquor, but now we don’t need to spend on these practices,” a candidate, requesting anonymity, said.

Some sections of people are annoyed over the development. Those who are annoyed include caterers, sweetmeat makers, dhol walas and DJ owners. They felt disappointed as their contracts have been cancelled following the withdrawal of Congress candidates.

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BJP expels 3 rebel candidates
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

MLA and BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia welcomes a Congress worker into the BJP fold in Jalandhar on Saturday
MLA and BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia welcomes a Congress worker into the BJP fold in Jalandhar on Saturday. Tribune Photo: Malkiat Singh

Jalandhar, June 2
Taking action against rebels, the BJP has expelled three party leaders, including a sitting councillor.

The BJP has expelled Darshan Lal Bhagat, who is the MC councillor from Ward 59 and had been denied party ticket this time. After denial of ticket, he chose to contest elections as an independent candidate. Another BJP leader Ashok Gandhi, whose wife Nirmal Gandhi is contesting polls from Ward 14 against BJP candidate Manjit Kaur, has been expelled.

Similarly, office-bearer of the party Sudesh Bhagat, contesting from Ward 50 against Deputy Mayor Parvesh Tangri, too, has been expelled from the party's primary membership.

The SAD has also issued warnings to its rebel candidates. Action is likely against Sahib Singh Dhillon and Partap Singh from Ward 8, Mandeep Jassal from Ward 13, Bhagat Singh, Mahinder Singh Goli, Joginder Singh Jogi and Gurmeet Singh Pappi from Ward 43 and Inderjeet Singh Sonu from Ward 56.

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Training session for poll staff
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 2
The returning officers for the Municipal Corporation elections today organised a training session for the polling staff.

The training was held at different venues, including Red Cross Bhawan, Veterinary Polyclinic and Lyallpur Khalsa College. Polling teams were formed for various booths and procedures to be followed for election were explained to them. The next training is scheduled for June 6 when the staff would be given a hands-on training on electronic voting machines.

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Annual day at Army college of Nursing
Our Correspondent

Jalandhar, June 2
Army College of Nursing, Jalandhar Cantt, celebrated its 7th annual day here on Friday. Major General SK Agarwal, Chief of Staff, Vajra Corps and chairman of the Army College of Nursing was the chief guest on the occasion.

The function was also attended by senior officers of the Army as well as civil dignitaries from various hospitals and principals of contemporary nursing colleges under the university.

Army College of Nursing was established in August 2005 by the Army for imparting quality nursing education to the female wards of serving and retired Army personnel at an affordable cost. The college has already carved a niche for itself professionally as well as in extracurricular activities.

The students who have passed out from 2009 onwards have performed exceedingly well and are well placed. Thirty seven students have joined the armed forces as officers and nursing officers. Ten students have assumed the appointment of clinical instructor in the Army College of Nursing.

A well choreographed cultural programme organised by the students with popular song numbers, group dances and skits was the high mark of the annual day function. Various folk dances, including Marathi, Western, gidda and patriotic songs were the attraction of the evening. The audience was spellbound by the multifaceted talent exhibited by students.

Dolly Aggarwal, deputy chairperson, Vajra Family Welfare Organisation, distributed prizes to the meritorious students.

Addressing the gathering, Major General SK Agarwal highlighted the role of nursing profession as one of the noblest and stressed upon the relevance of all round development of students in today's world.

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1 held in Prince murder case
Nikhil Bhardwaj

Jalandhar June 2
The city police has arrested one of the accused in Prince murder case. The police said hunt was on to nab the remaining three accused who were on the run since the murder.

The accused has been identified as Ranvir Singh Sandhu, a resident of Gobind Nagar in the Basti Sheikh locality.

The accused was arrested from Makhu near Ferozepur on Friday late evening following a tip-off.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (West) Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu said the accused was hiding in an abandoned plot in Makhu.

During preliminary investigation, the accused revealed that he was not at the spot when his Prince was shot. Ranvir said he was being named in the FIR due to some old enmity, the ACP said.

Prince, owner of a mobile phone shop in Raj Nagar, was shot dead by a gang of armed miscreants on May 7 night.

The shooters also left three others, including a passer-by, injured before fleeing.

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City residents term cut in petrol prices inadequate
Nikhil Bhardwaj

Jalandhar June 2
Evan as the oil companies slashed the petrol prices by nearly Rs 2 a litre, city residents termed it inadequate and said the oil companies should go for a complete rollback.

Jalandhar residents felt cheated over the marginal decline in petrol prices and sudden jump in the gold prices.

Kanav Sharma, a local businessman, said the government had played a cruel joke with the people by declining petrol prices by Rs 2 only, "Despite rising inflation, the government hardly seems concerned for the common man. Such inadequate decline will not serve any purpose," he added.

Goldy, an employee with a private company said: "This marginal decline in petrol prices will serve no purpose."

"Recently, the government had hiked the petrol prices by 7.50 per litre. There should be a complete rollback in petrol prices, said Gaurav Sama, a government employee.

Gold out of reach

Gold which is considered as a safe haven asset for the common man hit an all-time high after it crossed the Rs 30,000 mark per 10 gm on Saturday. City residents also say the common man cannot even think of buying gold. However the experts believe that the sudden rise in the gold prices would benefit gold stockists.

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