Electricity poles damaged:  On Majitha road, two electricity poles near the Power Colony got tilted due to heavy rains today. The PSPCL was to be blamed as it did not make the base strong. Further, the work to widen the road by the MC caused these poles to tilt. This led to traffic jams for hours. The police had to divert the traffic. Till the filing of this report, the PSPCL employees were trying to put these poles back to their original place.

Amritsar, August 22
Heavy rains threw life out of gear in the holy city today. It also exposed the inefficiency and tall claims of Amritsar Municipal Corporation’s de-silting drive of the drains.

Water entered houses in several localities and almost all the roads in the city got waterlogged due to the rain. In the absence of proper drainage system and no mechanism to pump out water, commuters were the worst affected. Lot of commuters got stranded in the middle of the flooded roads as their vehicles broke down midway.

Even the elevated road, known as the lifeline of the holy city, was down with water-logging.

Though the MC had proposed to introduce super suckers during the last rains, nothing actually materialised on the ground.

The MC bragged about its special sewerage de-silting plan worth Rs 10 lakh in June last. MC Commissioner Dharampal Gupta had said this special 51-day cleanliness drive was initiated to clear passage in all channels, road berms, water and sewage drains.

As a result of heavy rains today, the dirty water spilled over from drains located alongside houses and shops. Shopkeepers said these conditions had hit their business and had exposing them to various diseases.

The condition in the walled city area was also pathetic. Having an obsolete British-era sewerage system, the roads were flooded with rainwater and sewer.

There were pools of dirty water near Alpha Mall, in posh areas like Ranjit Avenue, Lawrence Road, Crystal Chowk.

Residents also complained of knee-deep water in areas including Sultanwind, Jawahar Nagar, Mustafabad, Kundian Wala Khuh, Havelian, Karampura, Faizpura, Dhupai, Bhagtanwala, Gilwali Gate, Anngarh, Mohkampura, Rasulpur Kallar and Indira Colony on the Batala Road (near Verka).

Amritsar, August 22
A student of Class VII was allegedly beaten up by the principal of Prabhakar Senior Secondary School in Amritsar. And when the father of the child reported the matter to the police, the principal reportedly disallowed his elder son, studying in Class X, from entering the school.

The Chehartta police had registered a DDR against Rajesh Prabhakar, principal of Prabhakar Senior Secondary School, on a complaint made by Sanjay Sharma, father of the kids.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Sanjay Sharma said, “My son, Vishav Sharma, fell ill on August 17 and he was leaving the school after taking permission from the class teacher. The principal was standing at the gate. He beat up Vishav without enquiring anything,” said Sharma.

He added that Vishav was not allowed to leave the school. Vishab’s elder brother Rishab reported the matter to the parents who later brought the children and got him admitted to a hospital. Sharma alleged that the school principal asked the peon to check the fever of the boy who did so by merely holding his hand.

“When the peon told the Principal that boy did not have fever, the school head asked the peon to beat the boy again to know where he was going,” alleged Sharma adding that how could the principal did not get Vishab examined from a doctor when the kid reported illness.

Sanjay Sharma further said, “When Rishab went to school on August 21, the principal disallowed him from entering the school and handed him a letter instructing me to refrain from sending my wards to the school.”

Rajesh Prabhakar refuted the allegations saying that Sharma was unnecessarily harassing him. “I did not beat up the kid. I just told him to drink Limca and sit in the class.”

When asked about the allegations of disallowing Rishab from entering the school, he said, “The step was taken as a precautionary measure. Sharma who is lawyer might have levelled more allegations against me if I had allowed the elder one to attend the school.” He alleged that as the father of the children is a lawyer, he is harassing the school management.

Meanwhile, the Amritsar Bar Association coming to the support of Sanjay Sharma has asked the district administration to take notice of the incident. Association president Pradeep Kumar Saini said, “The association will resort to agitation if action is not taken against the principal and the school.”

Amritsar, August 22
The Amritsar Rural police arrested two smugglers following an encounter on the Jandiala-Tarn Taran road on Wednesday evening.

A sub-inspector was injured in the encounter and was rushed to a hospital, it is learnt.

It is learnt, the Kartarpur police has been chasing the notorious smugglers, identified Charanjit Singh of Jhabal, Gurjit Singh of Hawelian, Surjit Singh of Bhikhiwind and Kashmir Singh of Majitha area, who were in a car driving towards Amritsar.

But the accused left their car behind and ran towards the Tarn Taran side taking the Jandiala-Tarn Taran bypass road.

When the police tried to catch the culprits, they fired at the Kartarpur police personnel. The police team retaliated. A sub-inspector of Kartarpur police, identified as Shiv Kumar, was injured in the encounter. He sustained a bullet injury in the arm.

While Charanjit Singh and Gurjit Singh were arrested, Surjit Singh and Kashmir Singh managed to flee.

After getting information, the Jandiala police reached the spot and took the custody of the accused.

Preet Paul Virk, SSP, Amritsar rural, said the police seized a country-made pistol and the car from the spot. He said the accused might have thrown the narcotics on their way. A manhunt has been launched to nab the remaining two criminals.

Amritsar, August 22
The Amritsar rural police nabbed a notorious gangster Aju Masih near Rayya following a shootout on Tuesday evening. The Beas police had received a tip-off that Masih, wanted in six criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion and kidnapping cases, had arrived home at Guru Ram Dass Nagar.

He was declared a proclaimed offender by the district courts in the murder case. The Beas police conducted a raid in the Guru Ram Dass Nagar area. As the police gheraoed the area, the accused got a wind of it and tried to escape from the spot. But the police chased him down.

“When Aju Masih found himself gheraoed from sides, he took out a country-made pistol and fired at the police personnel, who narrowly escaped in the attack,” said Preet Paul Singh Virk, Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar rural police. The police retaliated by firing back. The shootout ended a little later with the policemen overpowering the accused, said the SSP.

The police seized a .32 bore country-made pistol besides two live cartridges and one kilogram of narcotic powder from his possession.

The police has registered a case under Section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder), and relevant sections of the Arms Act and NDPS Act against Aju on the statement of Harkrishan Singh, SHO, Beas police station.

Virk said further investigation was going on against Masih. The police has also launched a manhunt to nab his remaining accomplices who has been on the run since his arrest.

The police has also arrested one of their accomplices Gurpreet Singh. The police has registered a case under relevant sections of the NDPS Act against him.

Amritsar, August 22
The couple’s suicide attempt case has taken a dramatic turn as the woman in the case has approached the local court alleging that she was raped by the youth and was forced to swallow some poisonous substance. The incident happened a few days ago in Ranjit Avenue. Rana Jang Bahadur and the woman were found unconscious.

Notably, the court has ordered a medical examination of the woman. The test reportedly confirmed intercourse.

A case of kidnapping and rape has been registered against three persons, including Rana Jang Bahadur, at Rambagh police station here.

The other two accused are Rana’s brother Mandeep Singh and his friend Tarunbir Singh. They have been booked under Sections 366, 376 and 294 of the IPC.

The victim in her complaint to the police said on August 15, when she alighted at Amritsar bus stand, Rana, who was in a Bolero, came to her and said her mother had come to Amritsar to buy medicines at Dr Didar Singh Hospital at Model Town and she had asked him to bring her to the hospital.

As the accused was known to her, she sat in the vehicle. She alleged the accused took her toward Ajnala and gave her cold drink. She said she fell unconscious following which Rana raped her.

After this, the accused took her to the spot where they were found unconscious.

A few minutes later, Tarunbir along with an unidentified person arrived at the spot. They changed the car. She said Rana then took her to Loharaka road side and then again brought her to the same spot. She said he made her swallow some tablets after which she started vomiting. She said the accused said neither he would live nor let her live.

She further alleged that Mandeep Singh, brother of Rana, took her signatures on blank papers and also took nude pictures of hers.

Advocate Jaswinder Singh Darshi, the victim’s counsel, said the police, which was reluctant to register a case under some political pressure, lodged the complaint only after the intervention of the court.

The police authorities said the matter was under investigations. They said the case has been registered on the statement of the girl. The accused are absconding.

Amritsar, August 22
Over 500 teachers associated with around 40 government-aided schools here have not been paid salaries for the past four months. The reason according to them is that the treasury branch of the government did not receive instructions to release 95 per cent grant-in-aid to a majority of the aided schools.

If these teachers are to be believed, the identical situation prevailed in all 484 schools of the state which are aided by the government while affecting over 10,000 teachers.

The teachers resented that the obsolete policy matters were a hindrance to even meet the rest of the gap of five per cent grant by school managements.

Taking note of the inordinate delay in getting salaries, promotion policies, filling up vacant positions, pension benefits or other allowances like medical and house rent, the teachers demanded that they should be absorbed in the mainstream.

Aided schools have been running since Partition. From 1967, the aided schools were getting grant on the basis of the Delhi pattern. But as the situation changed, the Delhi government introduced amendments in the policy matters and placed the aided school teachers on a par with government school teachers. Some other state governments like Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal have absorbed their respective aided school staff in the mainstream and deputed them in the government schools. But it was not to be in the case of the Punjab government’s policy.

The repercussions of this lapse resulted in discrimination meted out to them in terms of extending benefits, salary scales and other benefactor allowances.

Ajay Chauhan, an aggrieved teacher and press secretary to the Punjab State Aided School Teachers and Other Employees Union, said the salaries of teachers could not be released since March as the Treasury Department had not been instructed to release them yet.

“Despite Supreme Court orders which went in our favour, we just received repeated assurances by the government. No steps could ever be initiated to redress the grievances of these teachers. In June 2003, the government immediately stopped the right to pension after retirement and stopped filling up vacant posts. As a result, over 50 per cent posts are lying vacant in aided schools,” he said.

Endorsing the views, Jagjit Singh Gujral, secretary of the union, said: “If the government fills the vacant posts, nearly 4,500 to 5,000, it will have to bear Rs 250 crore to Rs 300 crore extra burden yearly. So takeover of aided schools’ trained staff will not only help in streamlining the education system, but will also be beneficiary for the teachers”.

“Till date, all the efforts to bring our matter to the notice of the Chief Minister or the Education Minister bore no positive results,” he added.

Minister Speak
I just came to know about the non-payment of their salaries only through you. I will intervene in the matter positively tomorrow to know the exact cause of the delay. About adopting them with government schools, I will also deliberate about technicalities involved in this process.

— Sikandar Singh Malooka, State Education Minister

Amritsar, August 22
On the initiative of Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Amritsar (east) MLA Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, Punjab Forest Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani has approved a major Holy City Environmental Park project for her constituency.

The park would come up at a huge chunk of land 4-km-long and 150-yard-wide alongside the UBDC canal between Taranwala Pul and Sultanwaind.

The project would come up at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore. While Rs 1.5 crore would be borne by the custodian Forest Department, the rest of the amount would be arranged from MPLAD funds and CPS discretionary funds.

Giving information about the project, Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu said the Forest Minister was kind enough to immediately approve the proposal that she took up with him at a meeting in Chandigarh.

Dr Sidhu said the park would come up at the unutilised land alongside the UBDC canal. She said beautiful medicinal, environmental and ornamental trees and plants would be grown in the park, which would be properly fenced from all the four sides.

She said proper walking paths would be laid in the park so that people could come and enjoy the beauty of nature in clean and fresh environment. She said the park would be a great asset for the Amritsar (East) constituency, which had no such infrastructure in the past.

Dr Sidhu said the Forest Department had also agreed to maintain the park after it was fully developed.

Amritsar, August 22
A hostel block for postgraduate girl students was inaugurated at the Shri Guru Ram Dass Institute of Medical Sciences and Research at Vallah near here today.

Dr Gita Sharma, director of the institute, said the hostel complex had 48 rooms for the students. She said at present, the institute had 53 students in postgraduate courses.

The inauguration ceremony was presided over by SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar. He said the medical institute had completed the formalities for increasing the seats in postgraduate courses.

He said the institute was a boon for the local residents as medical services were provided at nominal costs. The others present on the occasion included SGPC member Rajinder Singh Mehta, trustees Joginder Singh and Dr Baldev Singh Aulakh and secretary AP Singh.

Amritsar, August 22
Khalsa College of Law Amritsar (KCLA) today took to flying start with inaugural academic session 2012-13 classes beginning on the campus following prayers.

Dr Daljit Singh, a renowned professor of law and principal, Khalsa College, said while addressing the inaugural classes of law that the subject was emerging as most sought-after career option in wake of rising awareness of legal rights in society.

He viewed that the corporate world was also looking for legal experts in wake of new issues emerging in trade, commerce and company affairs.

“The Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC) is committed to providing best of the legal education to border area students and will help the institution to emerge as the Centre of Excellence in law education by adopting latest legal frame-work. Apart from theoretical knowledge, the emphasis will also be on practical application of law by training through moot courts and different courts at the district and High Court level,” he said. — TNS

Amritsar, August 22
A woman had to call the police today to ask her neighbours to divert their rainwater outflow pipes to stop water from entering her home in Ranjit Avenue.

A police party reached her home and asked her neighbours to divert the pipes in two hours.

Sawinder Gill said as she woke up in the morning, she saw water coming out from electricity sockets and other places in the ceiling.

“When I tried talking to the neighbours, they did not pay any heed. I told them that if they are converting there place into a hospital, they should not cause trouble to the neighbours,” said Sawinder.

“The police asked my neighbours to rectify the problem so that water does not enter my house,” she said.

Amritsar, August 22
Former district health officer Dr Ashwani Sondhi was today honoured by the Mulajam Welfare Manch at the local Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Civil Hospital. Dr Sodhi has been promoted to the post of assistant civil surgeon at Nwa Sehar.

Dr Sondhi said: “It is because of the dedication of the employees here that the civil hospital is considered one of the best government hospitals in the state.”

Rakesh Kumar, chairman of the manch, said: “It was because of the tireless services rendered by Dr Sondhi during his short stay here that the working of the department has improved a lot.”

The staff congratulated Dr Sondhi for his promotion.

Others present on the occasion included SMO Sushma Sondhi, manch president Rajwant Singh, Dr Chander Mohan and Aklesh Kumar.

Amritsar, August 22
The banking operation was hit partially as hundreds of employees and officers of the nationalised banks observed a full-day strike today and held a rally in the Hall bazaar area in support of their demands, including compassionate appointments, revise house loan scheme, improvement in pension scheme, defined and regulatory working hours amounting to five-day banking.

The countrywide two-day strike call was given by United Forum of Bank Union.

Ravi Razdan, secretary, Punjab Bank Employees Federation, Amritsar, said they were against the arbitrary guidelines like unilateral implementation of Kandelwal Committee recommendations, outsourcing of bank jobs and closure of rural branches.

The Kandelwal Committee has recommended that instead of industry-wise wage service conditions, it should be bank-wise conditions, based on profitability and productivity. The bankers are opposed to these recommendations. The panel has also suggested outsourcing regular jobs, transferring any employee anywhere, raising the educational qualification bar from matriculation to graduation for clerical staff. “All these decisions are anti-trade. Banks are closing down its branches in the rural areas,” they said.

Roop Lal Mehra, federation president, said instead of recruiting permanent staff against permanent jobs, bank managements are outsourcing the jobs. The employees engaged on contractual basis are further exploited and paid a meagre amount as wages with no job guarantee. We demand adequate recruitment by reviving the banking services recruitment board at the earliest,” he said.

Meanwhile, the bankers made fervent appeal to their customers to bear the inconvenience in support of their genuine cause.