 |
|
|
MC ELECTIONS
92 women, out of total 237 contestants, vying for councillor post in MC polls
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
It’s not easy being a councillor
PPP candidate distributes saplings
Gangster murdered by ring members
HMV students view transit of Venus
Woman, granddaughter sustain burns
|
||||||||||||||||
|
MC ELECTIONS
Jalandhar, June 6 From the residential areas, shops to markets and even trees, almost every second place in the city is painted with party colours. So much so that billboards have also been put up outside school buildings. But, surprisingly the desperate bid of the candidates to woo the electorate has not come under the scanner of the district election authorities. While during the recently held Assembly elections, strict action was initiated and show cause notices were issued against the violators, blatant defacement of the city in the MC elections has not invited anybody’s attention. A Jalandhar Tribune team visited different wards of the city and found that candidates have been openly indulging in defacement of houses, shops, markets and public places by sticking posters, stickers and buntings on them. In Ward 38 a direct fight is being witnessed between BJP sitting councillor Ravi Mahendru and Sakait Goraya Shetty of the Congress. The duo apart from giving a tough competition to each other in the MC elections are virtually participating in a race to cover the entire ward with their stickers, party flags and billboards. Even the residents maintained that right from day one both the candidates were seen acting one step ahead in reaching out to the masses and in sticking posters. “Probably our ward is severely gripped by MC elections fever. Like the Assembly elections, there should be some kind of strict measures and regulations for the candidates in the MC elections,” said the residents. Similar defacements were witnessed in Ward 31, where BJP candidate Ram Lubhaya Kapoor has put up a billboard on a tree, which faces his house. Indulging in the publicity war are other two candidates of the ward - Raminder Kaur Dhindsa (Independent candidate) and the sitting councillor of the ward and Kiran Sareen of the Congress. This ward, too, turned into a canvas of party colours, with each and every part of the colonies covered with flags, banners, hoardings and handouts of the candidates spread everywhere. Party workers of the candidates did not even leave the vehicles of the residents and have stuck stickers of the candidates on them. “Everyday we end up removing the stickers from the walls of the houses and our vehicles. When the candidates have already handed us their handouts, where is the need to stick stickers and deface the public property?” questioned Ajit Singh, a retired official. The war between two key contenders of Ward 12 - Soma Devi Hans of the Congress and Gurmej Kaur of the SAD - is actually a war of publicity between the duo. Party flags greet the residents these days as there has been no regular check on the defacement of public property during the MC elections. Even the old markets, such as Rainak Bazaar, Sheikhan Bazaar, Jyoti Chowk and Attari Bazaar, to the posh Model Town market, almost every area is flooded with party colours. At the Garha locality, Jaswant Nagar and Hardyal Nagar all that meets the eye is shades of party colours of the SAD, BJP and Congress. official speak We have directed the Returning Officers (ROs) to take action against any such model code of conduct violations. Further, we have been taking suo moto notice on the reports being published in the newspapers, but no formal complaints have reached us as of
now.
|
|
92 women, out of total 237 contestants, vying for councillor post in MC polls
Jalandhar, June 6 The Congress has taken a lead in giving ticket to six women candidates in wards not reserved for women. Neelam Gogi, Uma Beri and Aruna Arora from Ward 25, 30 and 55, respectively, are contesting from general wards. Surinder Kaur and Gurwinder Kaur of the Congress have been given ticket from SC wards, number 58 and 59, where both of them are contesting against four menfolk from rival parties. The Congress and BJP have both chosen to field women candidates from the posh general ward, number 34. While Sushma Gautam represents Congress, Kanchan Sharma is a BJP nominee. The SAD has fielded Simarjit Kaur from Ward 10, which is otherwise a general ward. The PPP, too, has fielded a woman candidate, Meena, from a general ward, number 53. There are some Independent candidates as well, like Roopa Bhagat, Bhargo Camp resident, from a general ward, number 50, and Jatinder Kaur, an Independent candidate from Ward 15, which too is general. Sitting councillor and Independent candidate from Ward 31 Raminder Kaur Dhindsa, too, is fighting from a general ward. Already a winner
Contestant Dalwinder Kaur Gandhi of the SAD from Ward 21 has already got elected unopposed as papers of her opponent Anita Seth of the Congress had been rejected. She will be a councillor for the first time, while her husband Kamaljit Gandhi was elected councillor in 2007. Seven women in fray from Ward 29
There are as many as seven women candidates who have filed papers from Ward 29. SAD candidate and former councillor Arvinder Kaur Oberoi has managed to get Jyoti, an Independent candidate, sit in her support. Rani Sharma has got Congress ticket from the ward, while Janta Dal United has Barkha Rani as the contestant. There are three Independent candidates - Shama Rani Sharma, Radhika Pathak and Sunita Rani. |
|
|
It’s not easy being a councillor
Jalandhar, June 6 He is one man who is expected to sign hundreds of documents daily related to police inquiries for passport, go along for giving statements necessary for getting marriage certificates, besides helping them get ration cards, birth and death certificates, SC certificates and getting water connections. Not just this, the councillor is also expected to join the average 8,000 families in their ward on their every happy occasion and grief moments. Being a next-door man, he is expected to make it to every marriage function and more importantly at all cremation and bhog ceremonies. Interestingly, the councillors are also expected to be counsellors and assist their residents in all matrimonial discords, property disputes and other police cases. The councillors tell that they have to be at the people’s service day and night if they get voted to power. “People want a quick response from our side. They get annoyed if we make them wait even for five minutes. At times, I am not able to complete my morning prayers, take bath, have breakfast or even tie a turban till 11 am as they keep on coming to meet me for one work or the other,” tells Kuljit Singh Babbi, Congress councillor for the past decade who is not in fray this time. “Even when I leave for my business, they would still keep on calling me. Calls keep on coming till late night. Family life gets much disturbed as we are left with no time to attend to the needs of the kids, parents or spouse. Of late, even banks want us to attest that a person is putting up at a given address. It is a thankless job,” he says. Shiv Dyal Chugh, another BJP councillor, too narrates a similar story. “It is a 24-hour job. However hard you work for the development of the ward, the credit will not come to you easily. One has to be totally free from all financial and family liabilities to enter into the job or else there are people who have made it a full-time occupation and draw regular earning out of it.” Interestingly, most councillors like Babbi or Chugh are financiers. Or else they are into property dealing like Arjun Pappi, Kamaljit Gandhi, Manjinder Chatha and Kirpal Singh Buti. |
|
|
MC POLLS
Jalandhar, June 6 In low-lying areas, residents face the problem of water-logging. Basti Peer Daad and leather complex road are the localities where residents have seen negligible development. During rains, roads in these localities turn into pool and are disconnected from the main road. The councillor has failed to complete the work of installing tubewells in Shastri Nagar and construction of manholes at the Chamber Main road in Basti Peer Daad. Areas in the ward
Jalandhar Vihar, Prime Enclave, Rajan Enclave, Prince Enclave, Town Villa, Residence Villa, Jalandhar Kunj, Anant Vihar, Paras Estate, Leather Complex, Rajan Nagar, New Rajan Nagar, Hitlor Colony, Bajwa Colony, Green Avenue, Tara Singh Avenue, Raja Garden, Shastri Nagar, part of Mithu Basti. Spending of allotted funds in five years
Roads Rs 2.24 crore Sewerage
Rs 52.38 lakh Streetlights Rs 43.05 lakh councillor speak The ward has more than 35 colonies, but development works are progressing at a slow pace due to meagre allotment of funds. I admit that clogging of sewerage is the biggest issue. That’s why I have kept the issue on my priority list and will take it up if I come to
power. resident speak Monsoons are round the corner. People living in the low-lying areas will again have to bear the brunt of road blockage due to the ineffective sewerage
system.
|
|
|
MC POLLS
Jalandhar, June 6 The other key issues of the ward are potholed roads, supply of contaminated water and some problem of garbage disposal and collection. The area councillor could not ensure the laying of sewerage in some parts of Basti Mithu. Even the replacement of sewerage line in the Islamabad area to Basti Mithu has also been pending for the last several months. The councillor admitted that her ward had two unauthorised colonies - Arjun Nagar and Krishna Nagar - where the civic amenities are almost lacking. She claimed after a long struggle she managed to initiate the work to place sewerage and water supply system there. Residents of Shaheed Baba Bachitar Singh Nagar have complaints of contaminated water supply, while the Krishna Nagar people are tired of water blocking, potholed roads and sewerage clogging issues. The quite visible achievement of the councillor was the erection of a skew bridge on DAV Canal to Gakhlan village which acted as an alternate, shorter route via 120-foot Road towards, Kapurthala, Amritsar or Pathankot. Areas in the ward
Krishan Nagar, JP Nagar, Harbans Nagar, New Harbans Nagar, Mithu Basti, Canal Colony, New Adarsh Nagar. Spending of allotted funds in five years
Roads Rs 2.02 crore councillor speak The development works in the illegal colonies have been affected due to the availability of meagre funds, but still I did my best to lay sewerage and provide adequate water supply to the residents. The construction of a skew bridge has connected the residents of the ward with the GT Road, who otherwise had to choose a longer
detour. residents speak If unauthorised colonies have already come up and people are dwelling there, the MC should provide funds to develop civic amenities
there.
|
|
|
ward no 44
Jalandhar, June 6 Residents of Ambedkar Nagar complained that they have been receiving contaminated water supply in the locality and the threat of outbreak of water-borne diseases looms large, but the area councillor has not paid heed to improve their plight. The councillor, however, said her ward had two slum areas, namely Lahorian Mohalla and Mochi Mohalla, but the MC had not been declaring these areas as slums, adding that until the areas would not be declared slums, the MC would not issue special grants meant to provide civic amenities to the dwellers. Residents of Manjit Nagar alleged that the roads were in bad shape and some streetlights often remain off. Sources revealed that the construction work of roads in some localities were stopped because of the non-payment to the contractors, but the MC had kept its eyes shut over the issue. The visible developments in the ward are installation of three tubewells, construction of a community hall and a health club. The ward also have a lush green cremation ground built with the cost of Rs 60 lakh. Areas in the Ward
Basti Guzan, Manjeet Nagar, Virdi Colony. Spending of allotted funds in five years
Roads Rs 1 crore Sewerage
Rs 28.86 lakh Streetlights Rs 25.73 lakh councillor speak Despite the formation of Slum Areas Committee, the chairman has not held even a single meeting, hence the issue of development of slum areas remained in limbo. A new tubewell will soon be installed to supply clean potable water. Development works to the tune of Rs 1 crore have already been
cleared.
|
|
|
ward no 45
Jalandhar, June 6 As many as four parks have come up on 200-metre stretch on the road, which have been well maintained. Despite spending crores on the beautification of parks, garbage dumps right across the road spoil the effort. councillor speak My ward has witnessed laying of sewerage system, beautification of roundabouts and construction of roads. The garbage dumping site on the 120-foot road will be converted into big complexes and malls and separate dumping points will be set up. A storm sewerage line will also be laid to prevent
water-logging.
|
|
|
PPP candidate distributes saplings
Jalandhar, June 6 Environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal attended the event. Dr Satbir said, “This move will go on for the next four months till the end of rainy season. Literature about society and trees will be also be distributed.” Dr Balbir Singh, chief eye surgeon of Akal Eye Hospital, said such steps could help improve environment. |
|
|
Travel agent arrested for fraud after 2 years
Jalandhar, June 6 Though the travel agent managed to settle his disputes with a majority of his victims through compromise, but still many cases stand registered against him. Paramjit Kaur, a Shamshabad resident, in March, 2010, had lodged an FIR against him at the ISBT police post alleging that Ohri duped her relatives of lakhs of rupees. A similar case was also registered against him on the complaint of Kulwant Saroya, a resident of Banga, in March, 2011. Nearly two dozen complaints had been lodged against Ohri, a resident of New Green Model Town, under Sections 406 and 420 of the IPC, claimed Balwinder Singh, investigating officer. Ohri who was today produced before a court and was remanded in judicial custody. |
|
Gangster murdered by ring members
Jalandhar, June 6 Preliminary investigation shows that Amandeep Singh, alias Sunny, was done to death by other members of a gang of criminals to which he belonged and his body was later dumped adjacent to nearby a farmhouse, Jhal Farm. The assailants reportedly slit Sunny’s throat with sharp-edged weapons and stabbed his head, face, arms and other body parts repeatedly. Inderjit Singh, Station House Officer, Kartarpur police station, revealed that Sunny and other members of the gang indulged in a scuffle over distribution of stolen goods that lead to his murder. The police had laid a trap to nab the murderers, he added. The body, having multiple injury marks, was noticed lying adjacent to the farmhouse by some passersby this morning. Receiving information from them, the police reached the spot and sent the body for postmortem at the Civil Hospital. A case of murder was registered against the unidentified assailants on the complaint of Gurnam Singh, father of the deceased. The police has also rounded up two suspects. |
|
HMV students view transit of Venus
Jalandhar, June 6 Students used safe methods like telescope, ball mirror reflecting method, pinhole camera and polaroid films filters provided by the Vigyan Prasar under the Union Department of Science and Technology to study the path of transit. The transit took place after Venus came in between the Sun and Earth in a straight line. During this time Venus passed in front of the Sun and the students witnessed a black dot passing across the bright disc of the Sun. In charge of the club Renuka Bhatti said, “The next transit of Venus will take place on December 11, 2117,” she added. — TNS |
|
Woman, granddaughter sustain burns
Jalandhar, June 6 The doctors referred them to DMC, Ludhiana, as their health deteriorated this morning. They are struggling for life and their condition is critical. The police has initiated proceeding on the statement of Jeevan Ram, son of Mohinder Kaur. Mohinder Kaur and Praveen were putting up alone for a long time, Surjit Singh, investigating officer, claimed. |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
