|
|
|
|
Rain belies MC’s preparedness
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Proposal to categorise city heritage buildings
Amritsar, September 15 Guru Ram Dass School of Planning’s head Balvinder Singh has proposed a heritage cell to the municipal corporation for the listing of heritage buildings and their conservation.
Food Safety Act
Seven arrested under NDPS Act
College girl raped; accused at large
Assault case
Seminar highlights importance of physics
Declamation contest held
|
|
Rain belies MC’s preparedness
Amritsar, September 15 With the city submerged in rainwater and the sewer water drainage system getting choked, commuters had to face a tough time, as they had to wade through knee-deep water. The elevated road, connecting the Amritsar-Jalandhar GT Road, also witnessed waterlogging. MC men were spotted draining stagnant water at the entry point of the elevated road through motorised pumps. Ravleen Kaur, a student of the GNDU, said she had to face a tough situation while negotiating her way to the university. “I got stuck as my scooter did not move in knee-deep water on the roads,” she said. The AMC’s special sewerage de-silting plan, worth Rs 10 lakh in June last, bore no results. The 51-day cleanliness drive, which had been initiated in the city to clear passage in all channels, road berms, water drains and sewerage system, had promised the residents a problem-free scenario, both in their houses and on the roads. It, however, turned out to be a farce exercise, with dirty water spilling over from drains along their houses or shops and roads inundated with water. This was the scene prevailing in posh areas like Ranjit Avenue, Crystal Chowk, Lawrence road, Mall road. Inside the walled city area at Katra Jaimal Singh and Katra Ahluwalia, traders rued that due to the collapse of the sewerage system, water remained stagnant opposite their shops, which hampered their business. They had affixed wooden blocks at the entrance of their shops to prevent the rainwater from entering their shops. Waterlogged passages could be seen in Lohgarh, Kot Atma Ram, Katra Alhuwalia area, Katra Baghian, Katra Bhai sant Singh, Bombay wala Khu, Chhati Khui, , Namak Mandi, Gali Chhajju and Guru Bazaar Pratap Bazaar, Cheel Mandi, Ghantagarh, Haveli Zamadara were almost identical.
|
|
When he faced legend called Amitabh Bachchan
Amritsar, September 15 “I believe KBC is all about your luck. I took my shot for the very first time, with just one SMS and got selected for the auditions. People have been trying for the last 10 years, not once but constantly and still have not made it. It’s about getting lucky at the right time,” says Surteg, who was the youngest among the initial lot of contestants on the show. A student of engineering from the Beant College of Engineering and Technology, the Amritsar guy won Rs 6,40,000 on the show. But one could have all the luck in the world and still need the intellect to make it to the hot seat. “Getting on the show is no cakewalk. There are several screening rounds that one has to clear even after the initial SMS stage. You have to answer a set of three impromptu questions before being called for the auditions, where you have to undergo several filtration tests. Only then can one be part of the fastest finger first,” he explains. Well, once you get there, it’s just you and your dreams.“I have been following the KBC for a long time. It is a show which gives everyone an equal opportunity to realise their dreams and that, too, on their own credit,” says Surteg. It was his dream to meet Amitabh Bachchan. I wanted to do bhangra with him, which I did and he was very sporting. I was quite nervous, more so because I was sitting in front of Amitabh Bachchan. He is a very down to earth and warm person, and I felt easy with him after a while,” he recollected. The interesting part, though, is not the bhangra bit, but Surteg’s reply when Amitabh asked him what he would do with if he becomes a crorepati. “I told him I would love to buy an open jeep and a bullet. What else could you expect from a young Punjabi guy? I know it sounds a bit weird, but I had to be honest. I didn’t quite have big dreams, but just wanted to have some fun,” he comes out straight. With the winning amount in hand now, he would use it for his higher education. “I keep a tab on latest happenings, news and current events.” Though he walked out before he hit the crore mark, Surteg is happy to have set an example. “People mostly associate Punjabis’ success on reality television with singing and performing arts. But I hope post my stint, more people from Amritsar would try to be part of something that requires intellect,” he says.
|
|
Proposal to categorise city heritage buildings
Amritsar, September 15 MC Commissioner Dharam Pal Gupta has hailed the step and invited Dr Balvinder Singh for a thorough discussion of the proposal. “The earlier listing of the heritage buildings in the city, which are numerous, is very unprofessional. We have proposed to put the heritage buildings into primary, secondary and tertiary zones,” said Singh, adding that the primary zone would had buildings which have not yet been changed. In the secondary zone, we would have buildings which very much have a character of heritage buildings, but some changes have been made over the years, he said, adding that the proposed heritage cell would also have a conservation advisor, who would advise on matters of conservation. “All heritage buildings, including private ones, would have to consult the cell before initiating any renovation or construction,” he said. The old architectural style of most of the buildings had already been damaged to much extent because of the mindless construction by non-experts in the field. He said the cell would scientifically document all buildings in the entire city. “The thing is that we do not have criteria for heritage buildings at present. The Delhi Master plan, on the other hand, does have it. We need to be more sensitive towards our heritage buildings,” said Singh. Dharam Pal Gupta said, “It is a great effort on part of Dr Balvinder Singh to have drafted such a wonderful proposal. The Municipal Corporation would certainly like to go for such a cell to conserve the heritage.”
|
|
Maharaja Ranjit Singh panorama fails to attract tourists
Amritsar, September 15 Tasked with managing civic affairs, the Municipal Corporation is currently managing the affairs of the panorama. As a result, untrained staff has been deployed to look after its day-to-day affairs. Experts say the fault lies in it. Interestingly, the officials who were specifically trained for running the panorama never got the opportunity to manage it. It is learnt that hardly a month before the opening of the panorama for public viewing, a three-member team from the city comprising Raman Kumar, keeper of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum in the historic Ram Bagh, two officials from the Tourism Department, district tourism officer Balraj Singh and clerk Gurbaksh Singh, had undergone a fortnight-long training at the National Science Museum, New Delhi. Of these, Gurbaksh Singh has retired, while the services of other two were never called for running the panorama. Balraj Singh accepted that he, along with two officials, had taken training in Delhi and had also visited the panorama at Kurukshetra for gaining operational skills. He refused to comment that this was the primary reason of it not being so popular among the public. Set up at a cost of Rs 5 crore at the historic Ram Bagh Gardens, Maharaja’s summer palace, here six years ago, the panorama has failed to attract visitors who throng in thousands to the holy city daily. It is learnt that the civic body has given additional charge to an SDO, whose original field is managing roads and sewerage. The foundation of the panorama was laid by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on November 18, 2001, on the bicentenary of the coronation of legendary Maharaja Ranjit Singh. However, the sincerity to the cause soon gave way to casual approach as no plan was adopted to popularise it among tourists. This is perhaps the major reason that the government failed to divert the large number of tourists visiting the holy city to the panorama. SDO Sandeep Singh, in charge of the panorama, said it was a fact that his professional qualification did not qualify him to manage a panorama, still the Municipal Corporation had given him the responsibility and he was trying his best to popularise it. He said before his joining the panorama five years ago, its income was about Rs 25,000 monthly and it was now hovering between Rs 65,000 and Rs 75,000 for the past eight months in this year. He said the average monthly footfall of about 15,000 people was being recorded at the panorama. However, considering the number of tourists visiting the holy city, which was counted among the top 10 tourist destinations in the world, the figure was unimpressive. A major portion of the visitors remained schoolchildren. As per norms, students coming in the group were charged Rs 2 per student. Otherwise, an individual student was charged only Rs 5. The panorama is getting monthly power bill of nearly Rs 90,000 during the period of summer. Besides, there is a fixed financial liability in paying salary to six security guards, five gardeners, three attendants, two safai karamcharis and a supervisor. Another major anomaly is that the authorities never bothered to put up signboards of the panorama at key destinations like the Golden Temple, Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport and the railway station in order to promote it among tourists. The SDO said: “The panorama is not for the commercial purpose, but it serves as an inspiration. It attempts to recreate the life of the legendary Maharaja through rare pictures and mannequins. The panorama showcases the glimpses of various battles (spread over 40 years) fought by him. It is spread over 20 kanals of land in the protected area of Ram Bagh, while the main structure extends over 2,500 sq m”. The history
The foundation stone of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama was laid by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on November 18, 2001, on the bicentenary of the coronation of legendary Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The anomaly
The authorities never bothered to put up signboards of the panorama at key destinations like the Golden Temple, Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport and the railway station in order to promote it among tourists
|
|
|
Food joints told to get registered
Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service
Amritsar, September 15 The instructions were issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, which became operational in the state after August 8, 2011. Civil Surgeon Dr Yash Mitra said it had been seen that not all food businesses had shown interest in getting these registered or obtaining licences as per the law. “Those who have still not followed the orders have been asked to do so at the earliest. If the businesses failed to respond now, strict action would be initiated.” District Health Officer Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon said all food businesses, including temporary stalls and karyana stores selling food ingredients, were required to register themselves. “The food businesses with an annual turnover of up to Rs 12 lakh are required to register, while those establishments with annual turnover exceeding Rs 12 lakh are required to obtain a licence,” said Kahlon. The guidelines are also binding on those distributing foods at religious or social gatherings. Even those engaged in the activities related to manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, import, catering are required to get registered or obtain licences as per the procedure. Kahlon said, “The waiters and cooks working at all these eateries would also be asked to submit their medical examination reports. This is in view of several diseases that might be transmitted to the people eating at these places.”
|
|
Seven arrested under NDPS Act
Amritsar, September 15 According to Balbir Singh and Ashwani Kumar, officials of the rural narcotics cell, three persons, Rajinder Singh, Bal Krishan and Varinder Kumar, have been arrested for possessing narcotics and intoxicant capsules. The police recovered 1,110 capsules “Parvan Spas” from Rajinder. From Bal Krishan and Varinder Kumar, the police recovered 7,000 capsules of “Parvan Spas” and 22,000 capsules of “Daksaavan”. Separate cases under Section 21-61-85 under the NDPS Act have been registered against the accused. In another raid conducted by the Jandiala police, Jaswinder Singh was arrested, while his accomplice managed to dodge the police. According to Gurnam Singh, in charge of the Bandala police station, the absconded one had been identified as Mahabir Singh. “We could recover only 150 gm of intoxicant powder from Gunam. We are sure to confiscate more narcotics after interrogating him,” he said. Similarly, Satnam Singh and Manjit Singh, allegedly dealing in illicit liquor, too, absconded but the two police parties of Tasrika and Lopoke could confiscate 30,000 ml of illicit liquor from Satnam Singh’s place and 7500 ml from Manjit Singh’s hideout. Meanwhile, the Chattiwind police arrested Dilbagh Singh and recovered 7500 ml of illicit liquor. Dilbagh was later released on bail. The urban police has arrested two persons in separate raids. Those arrested have been identified as Sitar Masih, alias Ghoni and Sashi Kumar. According to the police, 250 gm of intoxicant powder was recovered from Sitar and 120 gm from Sashi. Separate cases under the NDPS Act have been registered against the accused with the B-Division and Sadar police stations, respectively.
|
|
College girl raped; accused at large
Amritsar, September 15 The accused was identified as Simarjit Singh and is at large. He was booked under Sections 363/366/376/506 at the Cantonment police station. The accused is pursuing B.Tech course from a local college and was reportedly known to the girl since their school days. According to information, the incident occurred on September 13 when the girl left for her home on her scooter after finishing her college class. Some distance away from her college, the accused intercepted her and forcibly took her to a house located on the Batala road to commit the crime. Confirming the incident, investigating officer Prabhjit Singh said the accused was a resident of Ranjit Avenue and was known to the victim. As per the girl’s statement, on September 13 at about 4 pm, she was on her way back after college hours when the accused stopped her. He forcibly occupied the driving seat of her scooter and drove her towards a paying guest accommodation of his friend on the Batala road. “The victim said the boy used to propose her repeatedly on earlier occasions too, but she declined to accept it. After committing the crime, the accused dropped her back in the city, but threatened to get her eliminated, if she revealed the incident to anybody. We have registered a complaint and our teams are raiding various places to nab him,” he said.
|
|
Digital art works showcased at exhibition
Amritsar, September 15 The exhibition of over 20 works display creatively crafted pieces of art using digital media like computer, etc. Adopting different softwares to innovate and visualise their thoughts and turn them into impressive display work, Harmeet is among a few artists from the city working with technology. “It is not as easy as it may sound. Learning software functions is easy, but using them to give shape to your thoughts is not. It requires a lot of time and understanding,” he said. Harmeet’s works include collages made by using bits and pieces of different photographs and synchronising them into one. Some other displays include photographs, drawings, sketches et al. Harmeet believes that creating art using digital media is like watching poetry. “One has to bring together all the elements as visioned, otherwise it is just another complicated abstract,” he said. While big cities are hub of modern techniques and technological art forms, Harmeet said in few more years, smaller cities, too, would boom with techno-savvy art forms. “Extensive work is being done by upcoming artists in digital medium of art and I am sure that more artists will adopt the futuristic art form.” Meanwhile, the exhibition at SG Thakar Singh Art Gallery will remain open till September 19.
|
|
Zonal youth festival begins at GND varsity
Amritsar, September 15 The students would present around 34 items of music, theatre, dance, literary and fine arts in the festival, which would conclude on September 18. Bakhtawar Singh, SDM, Tarn Taran, inaugurated the festival. Shakti Bhatia, senior town planner from Patiala, was the guest of honour on the occasion. Dr Jagjit Kaur, director, Youth Welfare, welcomed the chief guest and student-artists. The competition started with folk dance, bhangra followed by group shabad/bhajan, group song Indian, skit, mimicry, var gayan, kavishri, fine arts and fulkari making. Bakhtawar, while addressing the student-artists, said these festivals were important for the overall development of students. Fancy dress, mime, one-act play, folk orchestra, folk song, geet/ghazal, elocution, debate and quiz competitions will be organised tomorrow.
|
|
Family accuses police of inaction
Amritsar, September 15 She said the incident had occurred near Raipur Kalan when a few persons had stopped their car and assaulted them. — TNS
|
|
Seminar highlights importance of physics
Amritsar, September 15 He was speaking at a seminar organised by Homi Bhabha Physics Society at Khalsa College today. He also highlighted the growing career opportunities in the subject and narrated the interesting aspects of physics to understand our world and universe. He was earlier welcomed by Dr Daljit Singh, principal of Khalsa College, who said the motive behind organising the seminar was to apprise the students of the latest developments in the subject. Dr Khanna also said the career prospectus were bright for physics students in the country as well as abroad. Dr Taminder Singh, convener of the society, proposed the vote of thanks. Head of the Department Dr Harvinder Kaur, Dr Gurpartap Singh, Prof Gursharan Kaur and Prof Iqbal Singh and a large number of students were also present on the occasion.
|
|
Declamation contest held
Amritsar, September 15 Youth Congress leader Vikas Soni was the chief guest and the judge of the function. Prof Baldev Sachdeva, vice-principal, of the host college, welcomed Vikas Soni with a shawl and a bouquet. Vikas shared his valuable thoughts on the role and the present status of women in our society. He quoted examples from the life of a few well-established and renowned women of society and said women were in no way inferior to men. Students of the NSS shared their thoughts on various issues and put forward some much-needed encouraging thoughts for the betterment of society. Besides, the students were guided on the uses and benefits of the RTI and how to avail information through this Act. Prof Sandeep Kumar, Prof Arif Nazir and Prof Balram Yadav were the key organisers of the contest. At the end of the event, Vikas distributed certificates and mementos among the winners.
|
|
| 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 | |
Normal life in Amritsar was thrown out of gear after two days of rainfall, leaving all approach roads to the key destinations, including the Golden Temple, blocked.
