Traffic diverted on Jalandhar bypass

Those commuting on the Jalandhar bypass had to go through a harrowing time as members of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan Non-Teaching Employees' Union, Punjab, blocked the bypass to lodge their protest on Saturday. The protesters were demanding regular pay scales. The traffic was diverted from Sahnewal towards Dehlon side. The diversion lasted for 15 minutes. One of the commuters said the general public should not be put to inconvenience.

Ludhiana, September 22
The city police will conduct brain mapping of four suspects who were involved in killing of a 33- year-old contractor at Peeru Banda Colony in Salem Tabri last year.

The development took place recently after the victim’s father, Jarnail Singh, filed a case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging that the police was hand-in-glove with the accused who killed his son Bhupinder Singh.

The communiqué of Police Commissioner Ishwar Singh, the copy of which is in possession of The Tribune, states that brain mapping of the accused is being conducted.

The complaints lodged by Jarnail Singh, 71-year-old former soldier of Sikh Regiment who left the force during Operation Blue Star in 1984, recently led to the suspension of the station house officer of Salem Tabri and an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) deployed in the CIA.

Jarnail Singh says instead of fighting against the enemy sitting across the border, he is fighting with the faulty system that is sheltering the accused. He is particularly critical to the residents of Peeru Banda Colony who turned their back when his 33-year-old son was shot dead. The incident took place at around 7 am. Though a majority of residents of Peeru Banda Colony saw the assailants, none of them could muster the courage to identify the accused. “It is an insensitive city. No one stand for the weak and poor. My son was shot dead and the entire colony saw the incident, but no one told the police about the killers,” said Jarnail Singh.

“What you think how these goons and gangsters are made. The police patronises them and teach them the intricacies of the law. These anti- social elements work as a money-making machine for policemen. My son was killed in broad daylight and the police failed to nab the accused,” said Jarnial Singh.

Recalling the ill-fated day, Jarnail Singh, a resident of Jawand Vihar Colony, said: “My servant rushed to the house and informed me that my son was shot at. I rushed to the spot and saw the blood-soaked body of my son. The residents had surrounded the body. I asked them about the killer, but none of them told me anything.”

The victim befriended goons living in the Salem Tabri area. He invested money along with the goons to take the annual contract of vehicle parking in the New Sabzi Mandi area. On September 28 last year, Bhupinder entered into a heated argument with the goons. In a fit of rage, one of the assailants pulled out his gun and shot Bhupinder from a point-blank range. 

Ludhiana, September 22
Though all eyes are on the Senate elections tomorrow, but past records show that reforms in education systems is last on the agenda of the candidates.

Out of the 65 candidates contesting in of the graduates' constituency and 20 in the teachers' constituency, none has a visible manifesto to show any substantial aim and goal to pursue reforms in education system.

The track record of senators shows that how the prestigious post was being used claim travel and daily allowances. The record of travel and daily allowances of a senator that was procured through the Right To Information (RTI) Act shows that a professor had pocketed a whopping Rs 4.5 lakh in the form of TA, DA bills from university in past your years. Except attending Senate meetings, the senator did not take any step to uplift the standard of education.

The huge amount of TA, DA bills has exposed the double standard of the senators. While the lecturers hired on ad hoc basis are complaining of poor salaries, the senators are enjoying the benefits of TA-DA worth lakhs.

Such is the craze for the post that professors spend lavishly to woo voters. The vested interests have already made inroads to manipulate the Senate elections the.

"It's a plum post and offers both power and money. Stakes are high for this post. While a senior professor and a principal had thrown a dinner at Satluj Club, his rival candidate had arranged dinner at an upmarket resort to woo voters. The post of a senator become political and no longer serves the purpose for which it was meant," said a senior professor requesting anonymity.

There are three main groups that have come to govern the affairs of the university in the past two decades or so. The groups can be broadly classified as the Congress, the RSS and the Arya Samaj group. It is believed that unfair means like bogus votes are often used to capture power.

There are a large number of life voters and individual verification of every voter is not possible before elections.

It is also alleged that some prominent private educational managements pressurise their staff to campaign for their candidates during the Senate election. 

Ludhiana, September 22
The fate of 85 candidates, who are contesting the Panjab University Senate elections for teachers and graduates constituencies, would be decided tomorrow.

Nearly six lakh voters would elect the senators in the graduates’ constituency and around 800 voters in the teachers’ constituency. A total of 65 candidates are in the fray in the graduates constituency and 20 in the teachers’ constituency.

Hectic lobbying was witnessed today as candidates were busy sending bulk message to persuade the voters. A poster war was also witnessed on the college walls and the busy intersection of the city. However, no case of defacing of public property has been registered so far.

Besides poster war, candidates are also indulging in tent war. Naresh Gaur, who is contesting in the graduates constancy, has claimed to have put up 250 tents in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to woo voters. Barely 24 hours before the all-important elections, the candidates were busy in dinner diplomacies. Dinners were thrown at elite community clubs and restaurants of the city to woo voters.

Contrary to the pervious election held in 2008, the contestants are expecting heavy turnout this time. The voting percentage in the polls held in 2008 was only 15 per cent.

Security has been beefed up at the polling stations, including the SCD Government College for Boys, Arya College, GGN Khalsa College, Guru Nanak Model Town, DD Jain College and Ramgarhia College. 

Sahnewal, September 22
Those commuting on the Jalandhar bypass had to go through a harrowing time as members of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan Non-Teaching Employees’ Union, Punjab, blocked the bypass to lodge their protest today.

The protesters were demanding regular pay scales. The traffic was diverted from Sahnewal towards Dehlon side.

The diversion lasted for 15 minutes.

One of the commuters said the general public should not be put to inconvenience. "I had to reach Ludhiana for an important business transaction, but got late due to the protest. The teachers should have staged a dharna in front of the higher authorities," he stated.

"I had to wait for hours under the scorching sun. The blockade was lifted following the police's intervention," said a commuter.

"Having escaped the mess from Sahnewal, we got caught up on the canal road, one side of which is under construction. Those riding two-wheelers and cycles were the worst affected," he added.

"I waited for the bus for nearly an hour as I had to attend my classes in

Ludhiana, but since the bus did not come, I had to return home," said a student of Dhadhari Kalan.

My friends kept waiting at Giaspura and Sherpur Chowk for the bus, but on learning about the strike they, too, returned home. 

Ludhiana, September 22
Life seems to have taken a U-turn for newly elected Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria. From a municipal councillor to the first citizen of the state’s richest civic body, seems to be a long journey for him.

Yesterday, Gohalwaria had reached the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation’s Zone -A office located near Mata Rani Chowk on his grey coloured Toyota Innova SUV, only to return back in the same SUV, but white in colour and “Mayor” flag installed in the front.

He even got a battery of officials to his service, which includes a personal assistant, an official driver, besides several others.

Even when Gohalwaria reached the ground floor of the Zone A building, there was a huge rush of his “supporters” who were seen requesting him to visit their offices. However, he agreed politely.

At a time when most of the politicians forget God, Harcharan did not forget bow down in front of his official chair in his Zone-A office. He even recited gurbani before sitting on his official vehicle, which surprised many.

His son Amanjot Singh Gohalwaria is happy that his father has unanimously been elected as the Mayor “What else would one want? Everyone knows that my father has been working hard for residents of his ward as well as for the Shiromani Akali Dal for several decades. And I am thankful to God that my father has been elected as the Mayor,” Amanjot said while speaking to The Tribune.

After his election, he has been busy attending several functions. 

Ludhiana, September 22
The Kisan Mela at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) concluded today. The mela witnessed a huge turnout. The event saw the participation of a 10-member delegation of Nuffield Global

Agri-Scholars from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland in addition to a mammoth gathering of farmers.

A group of students from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has also come here.

"The mela is also organised in southern states, but we have never received such a response from farmers," said Urvashi, a student of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

Chief guest Dr RP Dua, assistant director-general (Food and Fodder Crops), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), also appreciated the large-scale participation of Punjab farmers in the PAU Kisan Mela.

"Farmers work with great dedication and devotion to increase the food grain production, which is evident from the record production of paddy and wheat in 2011," said Dr RP Dua.

He stated that the challenges of climate change, depleting water resources and nutrient deficiencies in various crops needed to be addressed by farm experts for agri-sustainability. Meanwhile, Dr Mangal Singh Sandhu, director of agriculture, Punjab, said the university was putting in efforts to increase the area under vegetables and pulses for diversification. Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, advised the farmers to use water and agro-chemicals judiciously.

He advised the farmers to go in for auxiliary occupations like bee-keeping, mushroom cultivation and nursery raising.

A number of publishing houses had put up stalls at the Kisan Mela.

Ludhiana, September 22
Pashu Palan Mela of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, concluded today.

Dr BS Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, inaugurated the mela. The mela received a good response. To develop livestock professions, the university is extending its services, support, know-how and training to every economic category.

He said farmers should come forward to establish self-help groups.

Dr Ranjodhan Singh Sahota, director, extension education, said a few departments were providing services for rearing livestock.

The college of fisheries displayed different varieties of fish such as carp fish, cat fish, ornamental fish and ducks. The College of Dairy Science and Technology displayed value-added milk products. A special hoof trimming demonstration was also given by veterinary medicine department. 

Ludhiana, Septemnber 22
No fresh cases of dengue and swine flu have been reported from Ludhiana district today. However, a team of the Anti-Larva Wing of the health department sprayed pyrephum and timophos in the areas from where confirmed dengue cases have been reported.

District epidemiologist Dr Puneet Juneja said,"A team of the Anti-Larva Wing sprayed pyrephum and timophos in the areas from where confirmed dengue patients have been reported so far. The houses of confirmed dengue patients and also 10 houses adjoining them were sprayed. Today the Model Town, Chaura Bazar and Field Ganj areas were sprayed."

It has been observed that whenever fogging is done as a preventive measure for dengue and malaria, people close their windows and doors of their houses.

Officers of the health department said these should not be closed and smoke should be allowed to enter the houses. 

Ludhiana, September 22
After the drive against illegal auto-rickshaws, a section of auto-rickshaw drivers are now up in arms against those auto-rickshaw drivers who have no permit to run the vehicle in Ludhiana.

The LPG and CNG Auto-rickshaw Welfare Society organised a meeting here today. At the meeting, the move of the traffic police to remove the illegal (jugaru) auto-rickshaws from the roads of Ludhiana was welcomed.

Now, the LPG and CNG Auto-rickshaw Welfare Society is seeking the same action against the auto-rickshaw drivers who are not authorised to run their vehicle in the city.

"Many auto-rickshaws registered in Jagraon, Khanna, and other periphery towns are running without any check in the city. They have no permit to run the vehicle in city but they are doing so under the nose of the traffic police.

Our society decided to meet Swapan Sharma, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) to get these auto-rickshaws off the road too,” said Kanoj Parkash, general secretary of the LPG and CNG Auto-rickshaw Welfare Society.

Meanwhile, Jaspal Singh, Islam-Ganj president of the welfare society, said, "There are very few points in the city from where we can pick up the passengers.

The traffic police has to identify the places from where they pick up and drop the passengers". Members of the society these diesel-run auto-rickshaw drivers mixed kerosene oil with diesel which is hazardous for human health. 

Doraha,September 22
With an aim to support and promote sports among school students,The Punjab Education Department organised Zone-Level BasketballCompetition of Sahnewal region for boys and girls at Doraha Public School.

In the two-day tournament, matches for girls in the age groups of under-14, under-17 and under-19 were held.

Eight teams from different schools of the region competed for the top honours. In the under-14 age group, the host school Doraha Public School defeated Sacred Heart Convent School, Sahnewal, in the final. Though it was a close match, but the host team played with full zeal to counter the offences of the opponent team and remained victorious in the end. In the same age category, Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School (SGHPS), Doraha, secured the third position.

In the under-17 age group, Doraha Public School was again victorious by defeating Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School (SGHPS), Doraha to claim the top position. Nanakana Sahib Public School, Budhewal, bagged the third position.

Continuing the trend as done by their juniors, the under-19 age team of DOPS won the tournament by eliminating Tagore International School, Sahnewal, to claim the top spot. Ryan International School, Ludhiana, stood third.

Ludhiana, September 22
GTB Public School, Dakha, blanked Sutlej Public School, Rahon Road Branch 3-0 to come out as champions in the Inter-School Zonal Football Tournament for boys U-14 (PAU Zone) organised by the district education department that concluded at Bhartiya Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Kitchlu Nagar branch, here, today.

After wasting a couple of scoring chances in the initial moments of the title clash match, GTB, Dakha, boys surged ahead in the 14th minute through a goal scored by Sahibjot Singh.

Sutlej Public School players tried hard to score the equaliser but failed to take advantage of the opportunities and the score sheet remained 1-0 in favour of Dakha lads.

In the second half too, GTB School, Dakha, dominated the proceedings and gave no chance to Sutlej Public School to succeed in their attempts to restore the parity