Amritsar, September 11
The Municipal Corporation (MC) wakes up to the insanitary conditions prevailing in the city and ropes in school students to sensitise the residents on maintaining cleanliness.

The local body has listed around 50 schools in the city, which participated in the MC drive by spreading message among the residents to keep their surroundings hygienic.

Under the guidance of MC Commissioner Dharampal Gupta, Health Officer Dr Yogesh Arora and officials of the Sanitary Wing of the corporation accompanied the awareness walk by schoolchildren and their teachers, which passed through various key points of the city.

Dr Yogesh Arora said thousands of schoolchildren were part of the campaign. “The moot idea was to involve the residents in keeping their surroundings clean. Children were the best mode to attract their attention,” he said.

Around 300 children from DAV Public School, Lawrence Road, were also part of the rally which passed through Lawrence Road. Principal Dr Neera Sharma viewed that since Amritsar is being projected as an international city and lakhs of tourists visit the Golden Temple daily, it becomes every citizen’s responsibility to make sure that it should be neat and tidy. “The visitors who come from across the globe here should take along with them a positive impression when they go back, so that they should tell others about their soothing experience,” she said.

Khalsa College Public School (KCPS) lifted garbage and swept the school campus and even the sides of the GT Road outside the school’s front gate. Principal Sarvjit Kaur Brar said on the initiation of the MC, the drive was aimed to inculcate among the students the sense of keeping the surroundings clean.

Similarly, children from Guru Harkrishan Senior Secondary Public School contributed their bit in the drive. The students of Class XI and XII under the supervision of their in charge teachers Renu Ahuja and Nishchint Kahlon, conducted cleanliness awareness rally. School Principal Dr Dharamvir Duggal viewed that Amritsar is a pious city and the natives of this place should share liability to make it neat and clean. “We prepared banners and posters depicting messages to do so,” he said.

Dharampal Gupta, Commissioner, MC, said with all constraints, the MC team along with other government departments concerned had been endeavouring to make the holy city garbage-free. “It would be a continuous process. None other, but children could attract residents toward this cause, that’s why I had personally communicated to each and every school to spare time for this campaign and they did it. We have also joined hands with other government wings like the Horticulture Department, which is taking care of any wild weeds or Congress grass on the roadsides. Then there is the Sewerage Department, which assures that there should not be any blockage which could obstruct the storm-water drainage, etc,” he said.

Amritsar, September 11
The district Health Department has so far reported two suspected dengue cases, samples of whom have been sent to the microbiology lab of the Government Medical College here.

Civil Surgeon Dr Yash Mitra said the reports were yet not received. He said the cases were reported from the Verka and Majitha road areas. He said the department had taken all measures to ensure medical services to the patients.

District Epidemiologist Dr Charanjit Singh said, “We have got the anti-mosquito medicines sprayed in the homes of the suspected patients. Even 50 homes surrounding their respective residences were covered so that the disease does not spread.” He said private hospitals had been instructed to bring any suspected case of dengue to the notice of the Health Department immediately.

Dr Charanjit Singh said the number of malaria cases in the district had gone down substantially owning partially to the steps taken by the department and partially to the lesser rains this season. He said the department had witnessed only 18 malaria cases this year. During the previous season around 119 cases were reported.

“The district administration had been requested earlier to make various departments take necessary measures to check mosquito breeding, which has paid back,” said Dr Charanjit Singh, adding that larvae was detected at a few places after which insecticides were sprayed to check their growth.

He said the department had sufficient stock of insecticides to spray. “We have all the arrangements made. But still people need to make sure that water does not stagnate in and around their homes,” he said, adding that a special ward of dengue patients had been set at the Civil Hospital. He said the hospital had also procured a machine to separate platelets from other components of the blood, which were usually required for dengue patients.

Amritsar, September 11
The much-awaited solid waste management plant continues to hang fire as the case is pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC).

Distressed by the delay in the project, even Amritsar MP Navjot Sidhu and his wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu had opened a front against their own government and attended the court hearing recently while urging it to expedite the case.

The court has fixed September 18 as the next date of hearing, while summoning the Commissioner, MC, and other officers concerned to appear personally.

Earlier, Sidhu had even threatened to sit on a stir if the government failed to comply with the high court’s ultimatum to finalise the solid waste management plant by October 31 last year.

The solid waste management plant, which was conceptualised in 2008, got stalled with all courtesy to the disagreement between local bodies. Consequently, the matter was dragged to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In 2009, the preliminary phase of the garbage lifting and dumping was awarded to a Mumbai-based company, Antony Waste Handling Pvt Ltd, which, too, refused to do the job recently.

The company had then challenged the awarding of the final phase project work (installation of the solid waste management plant) to another firm, AKS Company, in the court. Apparently, under pressure, the the Local Bodies Department had to cancel the job awarded in 2009. In turn, the AKS firm approached the Supreme Court against the move.

While pronouncing the status quo motion, the Supreme Court sent back the case to the high court to take appropriate action.

In 2011, the HC directed the state government authorities to finalise the matter before October 31, at its own level.

Since the local authorities failed to find any breakthrough, the HC again had to intervene. The hearing got deferred umpteen times, but taking cognisance of Sidhu’s petition and another petition filed by a local NGO, Punjab Pollution Control Committee, about the dismal state of sanitary affairs prevailing in the holy city, the HC summoned the officials concerned.

Fingers raised at tendering process

The Rs 80-crore project, under the JNNURM, was launched as per the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, by hoards of politicians, including Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The project would have processed the holy city garbage into eco bricks and green fuel, but it was not to be. Even then, fingers were raised at the tendering process and its allotment to bidders, whose technical eligibility was in doubt. Some Local Bodies Department officials, preferring anonymity, said the specifications of work were even altered to make them eligible.

CVO came in picture

The Central Vigilance Office (CVO) was consequently asked to investigate the lacunae by the Minister for Local Government. The role of various officials, financial irregularities and administrative discrepancies emerged in the preliminary investigation conducted by the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of the Local Bodies Department.

In its detailed probe report, submitted on October 3, 2009, the CVO stated that not only the tenders, but also the bids were not evaluated properly. The inquiry report was first buried and later reviewed again in October, 2010.

Present scenario

The partial phase of garbage lifting and dumping at the designated place took off in 2009. At present, the Mumbai-based company, Antony Waste Handling Pvt Ltd, too, has withdrawn its machinery due to the non-payment of its dues amounting to over Rs 1.5 crore. The MC with its scant resources has been finding it difficult to lift the garbage. Until the solid waste processing plant is installed, the stink of holy city would tend to escalate.

official speak
We are helpless in this matter because it’s court’s verdict. Since the matter is so sensitive, the haste may go waste. We have been directed to appear before the court on September 18. Before that, we are doing our level best to make city neat and clean.

— Dharampal Gupta, Commissioner, MC

Amritsar, September 11
With the conclusion of the three-day migratory round of the polio immunisation drive, the Health Department has covered more children than it had targeted.

District Immunisation Officer Dr Rajan Verma said 1,09,132 children were administered polio drops during the drive. He said the department had targeted to administer polio drops to 1,05,743 children in 1,58,458 households. He said instead 1,61,343 houses were covered.

He thanked the general public for cooperating with the teams of the department for making immunisation drive a success. The department had formed 606 teams to cover children of the migratory labourers.

He said the teams had covered each and every construction site, brick-kiln, factory premises and other places which were inhabited by migratory labourers.

Amritsar, September 11
The Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board (PHTPB) has started the restoration of sites falling on the route of the Heritage Walk and beautification of its surroundings to popularise it among the tourists.

Battling with perennial problem of garbage cleaning, hanging loose cables and power transformers, the board has now decided to tackle these problems one by one.

Project Manager, PHTPB, AR Mishra said the board had deposited a sum of over Rs 30 lakh with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to shift an electricity transformer from Chaurasti Atari Chowk to Katra Mohar Singh. Similarly, a transformer at Katra Ahluwalia will be shifted to the Dharam Singh market.

Restoring many out of the 14 heritage places on the route of the walk is another major priority. The board officials are busy designing the look to be given to these places. However, even before this the major task is to get no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the caretaker and owners of the places to be restored.

One of the most significant heritage spots is a historic gurdwara administered by the SGPC at Chaurasti Attari Chowk. The board has received the NOC to refurbish it. The gurdwara is associated with Guru Hargobind Sahib. In Punjabi Attari means plinth or a higher place from the ground and it is believed that the Guruji used to sit over there.

It has also got approval to restore nearly 240-year-old Sangalwala Akhara, situated on the fringes of the Golden Temple. A centre of Udasin cult, the akhara is considered a storehouse of Hindi religious literature written in the Gurmukhi script.

It received the NOC from the Durgiana Committee to restore Thakurdwara Dariana Mal. Built during the reign of legendary Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the temple houses a Radha Krishan temple and is known for beautiful frescoes, finely engraved doors.

Proprietor of famous Jallebiyan Wala shop Sanjeev Sharma has given NOC to refurbish the exterior of his shop. The popularity of the dessert earned the name for the intersection as Jallebiyan Wala Chowk. Besides, the area was once the hub of export houses supplying green tea, shawls and textile to the Central Asia.

In charge of the Heritage Walk Harpreet Kaur Bhullar said Darshani Deori located in Mai Sewan Da Bazaar had already been restored. Darshani Deori once offered the glimpse of the Golden Temple to the people emerging from the town. As a mark of respect a small gurdwara is situated at the place. Resplendent in murals and wall paintings, it still offers a fresh look.

She said the patches of road around Baba Bohar, an old banyan tree, standing in the middle of a narrow intersection and near Taksal (mint) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, had been paved with tiles. While the work on the road in front of Thakurdwara Dariana Mal was in progress.

She said the project had been finalised and tenders would be floated soon to invite bids from the firms with expertise in carrying out restoration work. She said apart from the board, the Asian Development Bank would provide funds.

Amritsar, September 11
The building of the ENT Hospital, affiliated with Government Medical College, is in a dilapidated condition and needs immediate attention. The worst are the washrooms meant for the public use. Even as fittings are broken, water runs continuously from the taps.

The wild growth surrounding the hospital is another big problem. “It does not look nice for a hospital to have such a wild growth around it,” said a visitor, Ram Singh. He said the hospital doctors must point it out to the staff concerned so that it could be cleared.

A waste bin put on the front door of the hospital overflows. The waste is also thrown outside it. “Even as the litter is a problem of the entire city, but still the MC must make arrangements to lift the garbage from hospitals on priority basis,” said another visitor, Sujata Kaul.

Visitors said bad washrooms, overflowing garbage and wild growth reflected badly on the reputation of the institution. They expressed that though medical services at the hospital were much better than other government institutions, but still the hospital needed to concentrate on the services for the patients and their attendants.

The corridor of a portion of the building has rubbles scattered all around it. Visitors said the government must take immediate steps to start repairs of the building.

The broken doors and shattered windowpanes narrate the story of apathy of the state machinery towards the hospital building. Visitors said more rooms for the patients and offices for the doctors should be constructed at the hospital.

The hospital apart from treating the ENT problems of the general public, also acts as a training institute for the students of Government Medical College.

Amritsar, September 11
Many residents paid tributes to Shaheed Sardar Nanak Singh on his birth anniversary today. They paid floral tributes at the statue of the martyr at Shaheed Sardar Nanak Singh Marg, Ranjit Avenue. The birth anniversary was celebrated by the foundation formed in his name.

Covered by a glass to prevent dirt or birds’ droppings to spoil the statue, its sanctity has been maintained by a team of the foundation. Caretakers Parminder Sandhu and Ashish Kakkar said, “The motive is to perpetuate the memory of the sacrifice of lesser known Nanak Singh in the generations to come.”

Born on this day in 1903, Shaheed Sardar Nanak Singh was a known figure of a part of Punjab, now in Pakistan. He felt that the Muslims were part of India and was strongly against the idea of Partition.

A dynamic police inspector with the British police, he was awarded 29 commendation certificates. He left his police career when he was ordered to open fire on an unarmed procession of freedom lovers in Sargodha, now in Pakistan. As punishment, he was transferred to Dhera Ghazi Khan, a tribal area in the North-West frontier, because he refused to be part of another incident, identical to the Jallianwala Bagh.

Ultimately, he gave up his job and started legal practice. He established himself as a successful advocate and fought to defend prisoners of the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj), started by Subhas Chandra Bose and General Mohan Singh.

He died on March 5, 1947, at the age of 43, while saving 600 students of DAV College, Multan. These students were taking part in a peaceful procession against the Partition of India, while they came under attack from religious fanatics.

Amritsar, September 11
The police has arrested two persons with illicit liquor in separate instances. The Gate Hakima police nabbed Vinod Kumar, alias Labba , resident of Dam Ganj Dhpai road, and recovered 42 bottles of illicit liquor.

In another instance, the Cantonment police arrested Kaku, alias Lakhwinder Singh, resident of Kot Khalsa, for possessing 13 bottles of illicit liquor.

The police has been registered cases under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act against the two.

In the third instance, the police recovered 21 bottles of illicit liquor, but failed to arrest the owner, identified as Chand, resident of the Noori Mohalla area.

A cases has been registered under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act.

Amritsar, September 11
The re-launch of Duronto Express as Amritsar-Chandigarh Superfast Express has been hailed by the city residents who feel that the train offers a comfortable ride at the minimum price as compared to other modes of road transport.

Swarn Singh, an employee, said: “Travelling by train is invariably more comfortable than by bus and car”. He said moderate cost was its another attractive feature.

He said he often travelled to Chandigarh for carrying out various departmental works at the state capital. “The train covers the distance between Amritsar and Chandigarh in four hours and 25 minutes and will reach Chandigarh at 9:45 am. One can commute to his/her workplace in time and finish job and return by the evening,” he added.

Kulwant Singh, another passenger, said: “Amritsar-Chandigarh Duronto Express had been running into losses since its inception but it took a lot of time for the Railway authorities to re-launch it as a superfast express”.

“Even then no publicity campaign was initiated to inform the public at large regarding its halts at Jalandhar and Ludhiana,” he said.

He welcomed the move of dropping mandatory breakfast and dinner from the passenger fare, which brought down the fare as well.

Varinder, a student, said: “The fare is economical as a large number of educated unemployed youth travel to Chandigarh for taking different competitive examinations there”.

He said fare for Amritsar to Chandigarh was Rs 91 per person for non-AC, which was affordable.

He felt that halts at two vital stations en-route was a welcome move but the Railways must attempt to increase the speed to curtail the time consumption. Duronto was re-christened as a superfast express after it evoked poor response from the passengers who were demanding that the train should be given halts en-route to Chandigarh at Jalandhar and Ludhiana. The Railway authorities gave in to people’s demand after finding Duronto incurring losses due to low occupancy.

Dilbagh Singh, another passenger, said: “There are plenty of bus services between Amritsar and Chandigarh. Various categories of AC buses charging between Rs 300 and Rs 320, while ordinary buses charging nearly Rs 170 per person offer transport facilities to passengers. However, they are no match to the comfortability of train. The train journey is safer than travelling by road”.

Railway officials felt that though only 347 passengers travelled from Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana to Chandigarh on the first day of the superfast express, they anticipated the occupancy to pick up the pace with more and more people coming to know about its stoppages at Jalandhar and Ludhiana.

They expected the number of Chandigarh-bound passengers to rise, specifically from Jalandhar and Ludhiana.