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Long-awaited rail link inaugurated
Inaugural trip fetches revenue of Rs 10K
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State govt contributed to delay in making rail link operational
Cops misbehave with Marar panchayat
Expansion of rail services sought
Minister of State for Railways KH Muniyappa discusses a point with former president of the PCC Virender Kataria at Abohar on Monday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma
Cop booked for cheating in promotion exam
Remove Capt as PCC chief, reiterates Kataria
Moga girl 2nd in PPMET
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Long-awaited rail link inaugurated
Fazilka, July 16 As the fully-loaded six bogies of the train carrying VIPs and passengers on board reached Fazilka, the enthusiastic crowd cheered the historical event. The train flagged off from Abohar by the Minister of State for Railways KH Muniyappa reached Fazilka about half an hour behind the schedule. As the train chugged out from Abohar railway station was welcomed at Burj Muhar, Chuhriwala Dhanna, Ghallu, Khui Khera and Jandwala Kharta stations with people dancing to drum beats. “Lakhs of residents of Fazilka and Abohar towns and surrounding areas have realised their long-cherished dream as the rail link between the two towns has become operational. The six-decade old demand has been met,” said Raj Kishore Kalra, spokesperson of the Sanjha Morcha that spearheaded a relay hunger strike movement at Fazilka. An all-religions prayer (sarv dharma prarthna) was performed at the railway station on the arrival of the train at around 12.45 pm. NGOs distributed ‘ladoos’ and Fazilka’s famous sweet ‘Tosha’ at the overcrowded platforms of Fazilka railway stations. A langar was also arranged on the occasion.
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Inaugural trip fetches revenue of Rs 10K
Abohar, July 16 Bharawan Bai of Dhaani Kadaka Singh complained that she along with six others of her family had to miss the train as it was quite difficult to board the train. Separate compartment for women should be earmarked, she said. Madan Lal Bhalotia and Pawan Nagori, members of the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee, Hanuman Dass Goyal, vice-president, Railway Passengers Association, and Teachers Club chairman Captain SK Dutta (retd) demanded that the train must have minimum of 10 coaches keeping in view the overwhelming response it got today. Some of the commuters carried the Congress party flags during the trains’ inaugural journey. The rail link provides direct connectivity between Abohar and Fazilka towns. Earlier, the rail connectivity between the two towns was via Bathinda and was immensely longer than the direct link of 42 km. The direct rail line would serve as an economical transport medium. The 54559-Bathinda-Abohar passenger train, which has been extended up to Fazilka will depart from Abohar at 11.05 am to reach Fazilka at 12.25 pm. On return journey, the 54560 passenger train will now originate from Fazilka at 12.45 pm to reach Abohar at 2.05 pm. It would continue its onward journey to reach Bathinda at 4.10 p.m.
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State govt contributed to delay in making rail link operational
Abohar, July 16 The last phase of construction of the rail track was held up till 2010 as the state government indulged in dilly-dallying tactics over handing over the possession of the land that was in the possession of former tenants of the Government Seed Farm in Abohar. Finally, SDM NS Brar got the land vacated under heavy security cover that included deploying anti-riot and bullet-proof vehicles. However, the Railways remained apathetic in commissioning the rail link for more than a year after its completion. Former Rajya Sabha member Virendra Kataria had initially proposed the rail link in 1994 stressing that it would pave the way to link Udhampur (J&K) and Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) cantonments. The Planning commission gave its nod in 1995. In 1998, the then Railway Minister Ram Bilas Paswan sanctioned Rs 32 crore to conduct the final survey and initiate the process for acquisition of land. In September 2004, the publication of a notification under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, set the project in motion to acquire land to lay the 42-km-long railway line between Abohar and Fazilka. The notification authorised the Fazilka SDM to acquire the land earmarked for the project in Ramkot, Choohriwala Dhanna, Beganwali, Awwa, Khippanwali, Sultanpura, Jandwala Kharta, Dangarkhera, Nihalkhera, Sureshwala, Heeranwali, Ghallu and Khuikhera villages. Some farmers, including tenants, who had been cultivating the land owned by the Government Seed Farm, were not ready to vacate the government land. They demanded compensation to which they were not entitled. The then SAD president, Parkash Singh Badal, promised during an election meeting on January 29, 2007, here that tenants belonging to Raisikh community, would be compensated. Later, as a chief minister, he released special ex-gratia grants to the tenants as rules forbid payment of compensation. The Public Works Department of the Northern Railway had published tender notices in various newspapers inviting offers for the construction of 8-km stretch of the railway link just five days before the Lok Sabha elections in May 2004. Though the process of acquisition had not been completed, the then Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar, laid the foundation stone for the project at Fazilka in the presence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Lok Sabha member Zora Singh Mann. Intriguingly, the demand for high-level inquiry as to how tenders for the project had been floated when the land was yet to be acquired was ignored.
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Cops misbehave with Marar panchayat
Faridkot, July 16 The protesting residents were demanding suspension of the SHO, who led the police party. Closing of the traffic due to protest for over two hours on this busy route posed immense hardships to bus passengers, the schoolchildren in autos and other residents of nearby areas. The protesting villagers squatted in the middle of the road at around 2 pm. Since it was the closing time of schools, school children, who were returning to their homes in auto-rickshaws, were left at the mercy of protesters. It is learnt that the protest was the consequence of a fight between two groups of youths in Marar village over a volleyball net, about a week ago. The police had booked members of both the groups in cross FIRs on July 11. It is alleged that one of the groups used its connections to pressurise the police to arrest the members of the rival group. On Saturday, a police party led by Sadiq SHO Baljit Singh reached the house of Binder Kaur, a panchayat member, to arrest her grandson and allegedly misbehaved with the panch and other female members of the family. To register their protest against the behaviour of the police, the village panchayat approached the SHO but he too misbehaved with members of the panchayat, alleged Harjinder Kaur, the sarpanch. However, SHO Baljit Singh refuted the allegations. Today, the panchayats and residents of Marar and adjoining villages approached the Faridkot MLA and the SSP. The latter assured them of taking necessary action and entrusted an inquiry into the incident to the DSP, Faridkot. However, the protesters moved to the main entry point of Faridkot and blocked the road traffic. The dharna was lifted only after some senior police officers and political leaders of the area assured of necessary action against the SHO and erring police officials in the next 24 hours. |
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Expansion of rail services sought
Abohar, July 16 The NGO demanded that the proposed Sriganganagar-Ferozepurintercity express be extended to Jammu via Amritsar to facilitate pilgrimage and trade activities. It was also submitted that besides converting the tri weekly12455/12456 Sarai Rohila (Delhi)-Sriganganagar AC express into a daily train, its halt be allowed at Shakur Basti (Delhi), Malout and Gidderbaha. The NGO sought the addition of more AC chair car to 12481/12482 Sriganganagar-Delhi intercity express to clear the ever pending waiting list. In another memorandum, Lokhit Sanjha Morcha urged Muniyappa to allow the stoppage of express trains at Ladhuka on the Jalalabad-Fazilka track as 40 villages are connected to this station.
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Kashmir rail link by
target date: Minister
Abohar, July 16 Muniyappa told TNS that work on the prestigious project had got delayed due to geological surprises, including seepage of water, encountered during tunneling in the fragile mountainous terrain. He said the project was a marvel as it consists of the world’s highest bridges and longest tunnels. The 11-km long tunnel was being constructed under the Pir Panjal range to connect the rail line with the valley. He described the rail project as the “most difficult” that had ever been taken in hand by the Indian railways. It was far more difficult than the rail line that China has laid up to Tibet. Muniyappa said the government was serious in completing the project within the stipulated time-frame but many hurdles cropped up due to the topography and the limited working season in hilly area. Tunneling has come as the biggest challenge as unexpected situations were being faced during the execution of work. He said the rail line was being constructed through the areas that had remained the hotbed of terrorism. However, residents of these areas were providing cooperation to the construction staff as the rail link would provide connectivity to the hinterland. General Manager of the Northern Railways, VK Gupta, said all trains running on the heritage Kalka-Shimla track were being converted into LED lighting system. So far, only one train has been provided LED lighting and the rest would be converted soon.
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Cop booked for cheating in promotion exam
Ferozepur, July 16 According to the information, Sukhjinder Singh (Roll no. 419) appeared in the B1 exam conducted by the police department. During the exam, the invigilator, sub-inspector Jatinder Singh, grew suspicious over the movements of
Sukhjinder, following which he was frisked. On checking, a Bluetooth device was recovered from his turban. A mobile phone was also seized from him. He had
hidden the same in his unmentionables. SHO Gurdeep Singh said Sukhjinder was being helped by two head constables, identified as Mohinder Singh and Jagtar Singh, who were solving the question paper at the backend and then communicating it to Sukhjinder on his mobile phone. The SHO said all the three cops involved in the act of using unfair means had been booked on the basis of the complaint lodged by DSP Jaswinder Singh, who was coordinating the exam. |
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Remove Capt as PCC chief, reiterates Kataria
Bathinda, July 16 Kataria said Amarinder had lost the moral right to lead the Congress in Punjab and as such he should resign. If he did not do so, the party high command should sack him. He said the Congress had first lost the assembly elections, then the municipal elections and now the Dasuya byelection. This, Kataria said, had demoralised the party rank and file. “There is a need to revamp the party, if the ruling alliance is to be taken head-on in the coming Lok Sabha elections,” Kataria added.
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Moga girl 2nd in PPMET
Faridkot, July 16 In the result announced today, Manpreet got 648 out of total 800 marks in the test. The second position also went to a girl of the same name. Scoring 640 marks, Manpreet Kaur of Langeana Khurd village in Moga, got the second position, followed by Preet of Batala who got 620 marks. In SC category, Indrani Verma of Amritsar, and in BC category, Mirru of Piranbagh village of Gurdaspur, got the first position.
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