Jalandhar, August 8
As many as 19 persons were challaned during anti-tobacco raids by a team of health officials in the city.

A team of health officials, comprising Assistant Health Officer Dr Tarsem Singh and Food Safety Officers Harjot Singh and Sukhrao Singh, raided key public places in the city and caught many public smokers unawares.

The awareness regarding tobacco consumption-related ailments and laws is little, both in the general public and the official cadres.

The fact that not much is done to nail the tobacco demon by the authorities has also allowed the ill to grow into a huge threat, with all classes and age groups falling prey to the addiction, as was noticed during the drive today too.

Talking to The Tribune, health officials said, “The health teams raided the vicinity of the Civil Hospital and the tehsil complex. While two people were caught smoking near the Civil Hospital, the rest 17 offenders were nailed in and around the tehsil complex.”

While the Tobacco Control Act holds that a maximum of Rs 200 fine can be imposed on offenders caught smoking in public, the health teams collected a fine of Rs 3,200 from the 19 offenders challaned today.

Officials said some of the smokers were poor and some bidi smokers did not even have more than Rs 50 with them so they were let off by charging relatively lesser amounts.

Jalandhar, August 8
The dilly-dallying on the part of the Municipal Corporation (MC) authorities to renovate the Nehru Garden has cost it Rs 55 lakh more.

The estimates in the Detail Project Report (DPR) of the work, which were earlier pegged at Rs 3.29 crore, have now jumped to Rs 3.84 crore following recent revision of scheduled rates of the PWD on the basis of which an amendment has been made by the B&R officials.

This is for the second time that the DPR is being revised. Revised estimates had been passed earlier as well during the tenure of Joint Commissioner Rahul Bhandari.

Jalandhar, August 8
The complaints of the non-resident Indians (NRIs) would be disposed of in a time-bound manner. Moreover, to make the grievances redress system for NRIs more transparent, responsibility of the police officials handling their cases would be fixed, said Inspector-General (IG) of Police, NRI Affairs Wing, Gurpreet Deo.

Deo was interacting with mediapersons during a convention organised to redress complaints of NRIs from Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts at the PAP Complex today.

She said two Superintendent of Police (SP)-rank officers had been attached with the wing to deal with the complaints “by and against” the NRIs. She disclosed that besides emailing the complaint on www.nri.pbpolice@gmail.com, any NRI who needed advice on any matter for registering a police complaint could contact at a round-the-clock helpline mobile number 98153-13123.

Deo disclosed that more than 2,000 complaints (civil and criminal) of NRIs had been received by the NRI Affairs Wing of the Punjab Police till date since its inception. While over 500 were reported at the IG office, over 800 at the six NRI police stations.

More than 100 complaints were related to NRIs’ abandoned wives in abroad. Trailed by Italy, Canada topped the list of abandoned wives, while the USA fell at the third position.

The officer, however, claimed that the state lacked adequate infrastructure for training policemen to deal with the NRIs-related problems. To provide a 15-day orientation training to the police officials, dealing with the NRI issues, district-level training schools were opened across the state.

Expressing her satisfaction over the functioning of the NRI Wing, Deo pointed out that the conventions, where the complainants and the cops came at a common platform, had been proving of a great help.

Revealing that many cases, relating to the NRIs, found solution on their way to the conventions, Deo stressed on the need to educating the complainants about the facilities and the system introduced for their welfare.

Jalandhar, August 8
The conventions organised to redress grievances of non-resident Indians (NRIs) seem to give not much relief to the young girls, allegedly deserted by their in-laws just months after their marriages.

In hope of some relief and justice, the deserted wives of NRIs, who have been attending various sangat darshans, conventions and conferences, are repeatedly facing disappointment.

From the agony of Tajinder Kaur, resident of Dasuya, and Sukhjit Kaur of Hoshiarpur, who today attended a convention organised by the NRI Affairs Wing of the Punjab Police at the PAP Complex today, the plight of scores of other deserted women could be well imagined.

Deserted young women, who attended the convention where the Inspector-General of Police, NRI Affairs, Punjab, Gurpreet Deo, took up complaints of NRIs from Kapurthal and Jalandhar districts today, narrated their tales of woes.

A teacher by profession, Tajinder Kaur, lamented that the Hoshiarpur police had been pressuring her family members to settle the case with a compromise instead of grilling her father-in-law and mother-in-law.

The police had already booked her Spain-based NRI husband Amanpreet Singh of Salehrian village in Mukerian, Hoshiapur, but no action was taken against his parents.

Tajinder Kaur claims to have taken up her case with Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal at a similar function organised at a restaurant located on the GT Road recently, but to no avail.

Holding her tears, Sukhjit Kaur of New Deep Nagar, Hoshiarpur, lamented that her in-laws started demanding dowry soon after her marriage with Gursewak Singh, an NRI.

“Gursewak left for Lebanon just after four months of marriage and his parents started harassing me. They even thrashed me resulting in a miscarriage,” alleged Sukhjit Kaur in a chocked voice.

Though the IG assured NRIs and their victims of early redress of their complaints, the assurance did not gave any happiness to tham as they claim that police officials at the lower level defy orders of their superiors.

More than 43 complaints were redressed at the convention. A majority of the complaints were relating to property and matrimonial disputes.

Jalandhar, August 8
The city police today claimed to have nabbed five drug peddlers and recovered 785 gm of intoxicant powder from them.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), West, Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu said acting on tip-offs, the peddlers were nabbed from different parts of 
the city.

Sunny of the Kot Sadik locality was nabbed with 110 gm of powder. Mandeepm alias Mani, of the Bhargo Camp locality, was nabbed with 125 gm of powder. 170 gm of intoxicant powder was recovered from Sukhwinder, alias Babbu, of Gillan village in Lambra. Rakesh Kumar of the Basti Gujjan area was held with 180 gm of powder. Ravi was arrested with 200 gm of intoxicant powder.

Jalandhar, August 8
An elderly person was reportedly hit by a train near the Domoria bridge railway crossing here late last evening. He sustained serious head injuries and was taken to the Civil Hospital, where he breathed his last after a few hours.

The police said the deceased was roaming near the railway tracks when a train coming from the back hit him and he fell away from the tracks. The deceased has not been identified yet. The police initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC.

Jalandhar, August 8
A monetary help received recently by her US-based brother through a Department of Posts transaction proved to be lucky for Nawanshahr-based widow Rita Rani. The woman, who makes her two ends meet by stitching clothes, today won an LCD TV in the scheme being jointly promoted by the department and Western Union Money Transfer.

She along with her daughter Manpreet Saroya was at the General Post Office (GPO) to receive the gift. Rita said her husband passed away four years back in Italy.

Surinder Kaur, a city resident, is also a draw winner. She won a mobile phone as a part of the same scheme. YS Rathor, Senior Superintendent, Post Offices, Jalandhar Division, and Ratinjay Mishra, Business Development Officer for Western Union, said nearly 400 transactions were being made each month under the scheme.

Jalandhar, August 8
The 10-day “Freshmen Induction- 2012” programme of Lovely Professional University (LPU) concluded today.

A live performance by music band ‘Raga Boyz’ from Pakistan took thousands of freshers to the ecstatic state. Talented and artistic sons of Ustad Hamid Ali Khan, Wali, Inam and Nayab presented the harmonies of classical fusion to keep each and every one spellbound throughout their rhythmic pour.

Hailing from Pakistan and representing the ninth generation of the “Patiala Gharana” of classical music, the group of these world-famous great vocalists and instrumentalists also sing and compose for Bollywood movies. Raga Boyz has recently made its Bollywood debut with a song, “Mann Qunto Maula”, for the movie. “Maximum”, while Wali Hamid Ali is one of the music directors in the same movie.

During their visit, they said, “Music has no boundaries, whether it is India or Pakistan. Both the countries are one as far as music is concerned, as music flows endlessly when it is welcomed by its lovers. We are certain that all the obstacles, if any, in the smooth path of India-Pakistan friendship, will be removed through such harmonious blends. Moreover, these are the only two countries which have been commonly and passionately following the rhythms of classical singing and dancing since ages.”

LPU’s Pro-Chancellor Rashmi Mittal said, “The programme is an ice-breaking session for the thousands of newly admitted students every year before the start of new session so that they may get smoothly absorbed into the university’s environment.”

Jalandhar, August 8
Accusing the St Soldier College of Education, situated at the Jalandhar-Amritsar bypass, of harassing a student aspiring to pursue B.Ed, a parent of the student said today that the college was demanding more fees than that prescribed by it.

Harinder Pal Singh Kalsi, resident of Batala, approached the college authorities for the admission of his daughter Manpreet Kaur in B.Ed, but ended up filing a complaint against the institution with Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti.

The father of the student said he first spoke to the college authorities about the admission fees for B.Ed and was told that they need to bring Rs 60,000 in total for the course. “The college authorities asked us to deposit the fees today between 9 am to 11 am. However, when we approached the college authorities today, they demanded Rs 70,000 claiming that the admission will be held under the management quota seats, else she would not be admitted,” he added.

“We had arranged Rs 60,000 with utmost difficulty and the last minute change in the fees would waste one precious year of my daughter. The college authorities denied admission to my daughter, which is sheer harassment,” he added.

The parents of the student demanded strict action against the college authorities. “The college authorities made a fool of us by first demanding Rs 60,000 and then asking for Rs 70,000 and that, too, in the management quota. We have already given a written complaint to the Deputy Commissioner and seek justice in the case,” he added.