Amritsar, October 5
The City police today claimed to have arrested a notorious gangster and smuggler, Bhupinder Singh, alias Sonu Kangla. He was wanted in as many as nine different cases, including drug peddling and attempt to murder. He was also involved in many clashes occurred in the city. The court has declared him a proclaimed offender in all the cases.

Bhupinder’s mother Dalbir Kaur is a sitting councillor from Ward 37. She has also been on the run following the registration of an attempt to murder case. They had attacked the police party which had arrived to nab Sonu Kangla in August.

HS Brar, ADCP (crime), informed that Sonu Kangla had formed a gang comprising of about a dozen of drug peddlers who used to sell smack and intoxicants in vulnerable areas where drug menace was rampant. These areas included Anngarh, Gujjarpura, Himmatpura, Maqboolpura, Haripura and Meharpura. He used to give Rs 1,000 per day to his accomplices for selling smack and heroin to youths.

He said the police had specific information on where he was hiding in the city.

“Yesterday, the police received a tip-off that the accused was coming towards Bhagtanwala grain market, following which a naka was laid. The police team intercepted a Skoda car (PB-02-AH-5299) in which he was travelling. During the search, the police seized 510 grams of smack, a China-made pistol besides two magazines containing 10 live rounds,” said Brar.

Preliminary investigations revealed that he had procured the pistol from one Tameem, a resident of Uttar Pradesh.

“He also had an Alto car (PB-09-N-3312), which he had given to his accomplices identified as Manav Singh and Arun Kumar, both residents of Himmatpura. Besides the car, the police team seized 130 grams smack and habit-forming drugs from the two accused near Sakatari Bagh,” the ADCP said.

Bhupinder was nabbed by the police on August 13, but was set free by his mother Dalbir Kaur along with residents of the Anngarh area. They attacked the police team, led by an ACP level officer, which had nabbed him. An attempt to murder case has been registered against him and his mother besides hundreds of unidentified persons in the area.

Dalbir Kaur and other residents of area which had attacked the police party have been on the run since the registration of the case.

ADCP HS Brar said the police was looking into the source of the contraband. “We are also looking into the cases registered against him in the neighbouring districts besides his property details,” said the ADCP said.

Amritsar, October 5
The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has asked the MC Commissioner and Additional Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar, to personally appear before the Commission as they did not care for its directions.

The PSHRC has directed the Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar, to file a reply regarding the rejoinder given by one Gurdas Chand, a resident of Azad Nagar area here.

Gurdas Chand along with other residents of the area had approached the Commission while alleging that several persons had illegally installed the machinery of hazardous nature, which was creating high level of pollution. They had submitted that the matter was reported to the Punjab Pollution Control Board and Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Amritsar, but no action was taken.

Taking cognisance, the Commission asked the DC to file a report in this connection. The DC reported that the PPCB had already issued a notice to the opposite party in this regard. The Commission then sought the status report from the PPCB which it failed to submit even after seven adjournments. In March 2011, the Commissioner ordered against PPCB authorities for not fixing the responsibility of official for his lackadaisical approach.

The DC submitted a report to the Commission on May 2011. This report was sent to the complainant for his objections and after receiving the objections on December 2011, it was forwarded to the DC for his comments. However, even after numerous adjournments the DC failed to give his comments.

Now, the Commission in its order pointed out that in spite of numerous adjournments, comments report from DC and Commissioner, MC, is still awaited since December 2011. As per previous order of the Commission, no disciplinary action against the responsible officer concerned for inordinate delay has been conveyed by them.

“Not caring for the directions given by the Commission is a serious matter. The DC Amritsar is therefore asked to direct the ADC concerned with this case and MC Commissioner to appear in persons before the Commission along with the report on the adjourned date ie December 20, 2012, failing which Commission will be compelled to take stern action against the delinquent (officers)”.

Amritsar, October 5
A delegation of the Directorate of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce, attended a seminar to discuss the problems of the knitting industry here today. The seminar was attended by a large number of representatives of various association involved in the industry.

The issue of Chinese-knitted fabrics imported in to the country, which is affecting the prospects of Indian manufacturers, was widely discussed during the seminar.

Vallah Verka Industrial Association president Pawan Mehra, “The Chinese are dumping their product at a very low cost. The cost of the Chinese fabric is equivalent to the cost of yarn in India.” He said in such a situation, the Indian manufacturers cannot be expected to compete with the imported goods.

He said as the prices of the Chinese goods are much lower, it would force the local manufacturers out of the business.

“This will render around 5 lakh workers unemployed. We want anti-dumping duty should be imposed on the Chinese fabric,” said Jatinder Sharma of the Yarn Dealers’ Association.

The associations have also decided to make a formal written request to the ministry for the imposition of duty. Ashok Arora, Deputy Director General, Foreign Trade, said he would forward the demand of the industry to the ministry.

Amritsar, October 5
The season’s shopping festivals are in full swing. Every weekend brings a new exhibition-cum-shopping fest to the city. The ongoing Amritsar shopping festival at Ranjit Avenue is one such stop.

The fortnight-long festival which began on September 27 highlights jewellery, clothes, footwear, home appliances, furnishings and décor items and has a kids zone with joyrides and games.

While the exhibition is going on for a week, there were some disappointments as well. Like the falling footfall, empty stalls and low sales. Some stall owners who have participated for the first time were disturbed at the lack of buyers. “The initial days brought in good crowd, but most of them just came to check out the stuff. The number of visitors is good but number of buyers is really bad,” shared Vijay, who has come with imitation jewellery from Jaipur. Also, he says, that the empty stalls have affected the turnout.

Another stall owner, Jairaj Singh, who is selling kitchen appliances, shares, “We are hoping that the weekend may get in more people. The sales have been quite low this time.”

But organiser Raju Arora is quite content with the response so far. “We had a grand opening with a wooden replica of the India Gate for an entrance. The stalls too offer a lot of variety. Amritsar is a tough market to sell as it has its own established local markets. But we have some attractions lined up for the last two days.”

As for the empty stalls, he explains, “Some of big brands that promised to participate backed out at the last moment. Even khadi and some of the handloom and handicraft brands pulled out. But as for the others, they are doing well.”

On display

The attractions include Punjabi-embroidered suits from Ludhiana, imitation jewellery from Jaipur and Gujarat, décor products from Mumbai and more. In the home furnishings, kalamkari rugs, tablecloths, jute accessories and bags and chappals drew crowd. In accessories, handicraft lovers and collectors can shop for the famous lakh bangles from Jaipur, vibrantly embellished items like jewellery boxes and mirrors, imitation beaded jewellery from Rajasthan and Gujarat were on display.

Terracotta products and Hyderabadi pearls are also an attraction. Silver and white metal items too make for an attractive pick. For home furnishings, handicrafts in wood and jute make for a collection. There are special stalls of Vaastu and numerology for some curious visitors.

Amritsar, October 5
The NSS unit of BBK DAV College for Women organised a camp in Qila Jeewan Singh village, whihc had been adopted by the college.

Jaspreet Bedi, programme officer of the NSS unit, said a workshop was conducted in the village’s Government High School where Harpreet Dhillon and Preeti from the Department of Home Science of the college elaborated the tye and dye technique to make village women make self-employed.

A seminar on legal literacy was also organised in collaboration with Legal Literacy Club of the college.

Dr Seema Jaitly, Head, Department of Sociology, Jaspreet Bedi, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Application gave lectures on legal cell, legal aid and privileges to general public and women.

Lecture on skin care and hair care was delivered by Simranjeet Kaur, Department of Cosmetology.

It was followed by interactive session where Head of School Rajinderpal Kaur and village sarpanch Baljit Kaur discussed problems of the village with NSS volunteers and programme officers.