Security at ATMs: Banks refuse to learn lessons from frauds 
Amritsar, December 1
The ATM frauds are back in the city and the banks are turning a blind eye towards them. The banks are yet to boost the security of the ATMs despite the police cautioning them.

Inspector ‘sheltered’ gang members arrested in murder case 
Amritsar, December 2
The interrogation of members of the Jujhar gang, allegedly involved in a number of criminal cases including the sensational murder of a trader in August, has brought the role of a police inspector under scanner.

Amritsar, December 2
The issue relating to the emergency ambulance services 108 has triggered a political battle over the issue of taking credit.

A day after the local unit of Youth Congress workers pasted a picture of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alongside that of CM Punjab Parkash Singh Badal on an ambulance attached with Dial 108 service, a group of Shiromani Youth Akali Dal (Badal) today installed the pictures of CM Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on Centre-run institutions, which included the railway station, "in retaliation".

The camp of former Health Minister Luxmi Kanta Chawla insisted that even as it was not necessary to carry the photo of either CM or the PM, if someone’s photograph has to be carried, no one else but former minister Chawla deserves to have the honour of having her photo placed on these ambulances, as it was her sole initiative to make this service effective and efficient. Nevertheless, reacting to yesterday’s ultimatum of Youth Congress workers about replacing the picture of the CM with that of the PM on all the ambulances run under 108 service, the Akali youth argued that it was the Centre’s liability to fund the development projects as the state government pays crores in the form of taxes to the Centre.

“It is not a privilege but a liability of the Centre to pay back to the citizens of the state in the form of grants for public utility services in lieu of the heavy taxes they pay. It was not proper for the youth Congress workers to stoop that low by insisting on carrying the pictures of the PM while ignoring the contributions of CM Badal, who was voted to power by the citizens five times. If the Congress workers do not refrain from such moves, we would be compelled to pay them back in the same coin,” said Mandeep Singh Manna, general secretary of Shiromani Youth Akali Dal.

Taking strong exception to the pictures of CM Badal on the ambulances, several local Congress workers, who initiated the move of pasting PM’s picture yesterday at an ambulance parked at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, stated this service was dedicated to the people of Punjab. It was funded by the Union government under the National Rural Health Mission and the present state government has been misguiding the citizens with a view to grab votes on flimsy credits, they stated.

* A day after the local unit of Youth Congress workers pasted a picture of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alongside that of CM Punjab Parkash Singh Badal on an ambulance attached with Dial 108 service, a group of Shiromani Youth Akali Dal (Badal) today installed the pictures of CM Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on Centre-run institutions, which included the railway station in retaliation

Parties speak
"Over the ambulance seervice, the state government has been misguiding the citizens with a view to grab votes on flimsy credits" — Youth Cong activists

"It was the Centre’s liability to fund the development projects as the state government pays crores in the form of taxes to the Centre" — Youth Akali Dal activists

"Even as it was not necessary to carry the photo of either CM or the PM on these ambulances, if someone’s photograph has to be carried, no one else but former minister Chawla deserves to have the honour as it was her sole initiative to make this service effective and efficient" — Supporters of ex-minister laxmi Kanta Chawla

Residents would get to see three matches of the 3rd World Cup Kabaddi at Guru Nanak Stadium on December 4. Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal said as many as six teams would arrive here to lock horns for three matches.

Guru Nanak Stadum is the venue for World Cup Kabaddi matches in Amritsar. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Amritsar, December 1
The ATM frauds are back in the city and the banks are turning a blind eye towards them. The banks are yet to boost the security of the ATMs despite the police cautioning them.

While looking into the modus operandi of the ATM frauds, the most common and convenient way was to exchange the original card of the client with an identical card. This becomes easy to materialise when strangers too gain entry at the same time. Just two days back, Manmatha Sarangi, a tourist from Cuttack, was duped of Rs 75,000 from his account by an unknown person, who offered to help while she had difficulty in the cash withdrawal process. The crook used his card and withdrew an amount of Rs 5,000 but handed her back another identical card.

Later, the offender continued to withdraw money through victim’s ATM card in Amritsar and Jalandhar. Even as the e-division police has registered a case under Sections 420/379 of the IPC and 66 of the IT Act in this matter, the accused is still at large as the ATM’s CCTV cameras were lying defunct.

Police department has made it mandatory for banks to install CCTV cameras at their branches and ATMs. This will help the cops in investigation in case of any mishap.

According to a survey conducted by the DCP Sat Pal Joshi, at least 30 ATMs of Punjab and Sind Bank besides 16 ATMs of Amritsar Central Cooperative Bank are without the cameras.

In another act which came to light, most of the doors of the ATM cabins were found without proper locks. In absence of any security guard, the unscrupulous elements gain an easy entry into ATM cabins and get ample time to misappropriate the money withdrawing mechanism. It was reportedly noticed this lapse was found with ATMs of the nationalised banks apparently due to their complicated policy matters.

Amritsar, December 2
The interrogation of members of the Jujhar gang, allegedly involved in a number of criminal cases including the sensational murder of a trader in August, has brought the role of a police inspector under scanner.

It may be recalled that the city police has arrested Vikramjit Singh and Mehtab Singh in connection with the looting and murder of Manish Khanna, a cloth trader who was shot dead in August.

Their main accomplice in the crime, identified as Harpal Singh, had already been killed during a police encounter in Gurdaspur.

Vikramjit has been brought on a production warrant by the Sadar police in connection with the murder case.

Police sources said the accused told the police that they used to take shelter at the police inspector’s house after they committed any crime.

Police Commissioner Ram Singh said though there is no formal complaint in this regard, he had asked Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Kaustubh Sharma to look into this.

Former Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla has also asked the Police Commissioner to investigate into this.

The sources said the accused had stayed at the residence of the said police official after committing the crime. 

Amritsar, December 2
At a time when the state government is busy finding a route connecting the railway station and the Golden Temple for its ambitious public rapid transport system (PRTS) project, heritage experts and traders of Ram Bagh Bazaar have come out against the government’s proposed route plan featuring the historic road, which was used by Maharaja Ranjit Singh to visit the Golden Temple.

They said the government must look for an alternate plan.

The authorities have changed the route plan twice since the PRTS project was announced.

Heritage experts said it was the same route from where legendary Maharaja Ranjit Singh used to commute from his Summer Palace in Ram Bagh to Harmandar Sahib. Construction of an elevated road for the passage of magnetic pods over the road would ruin the historical character of the road.

Echoing similar views, Prof Balvinder Singh, conservation planner and head of Sri Guru Ramdas School of Planning in GNDU, said a Union Government-appointed the National Commission on Urbanisation in its reports published in 1988 said neither an elevated road, flyover nor road widening scheme should be allowed in the old historic towns because it will destroy streetscape, skyline and traditional street pattern.

Similar views were expressed by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), with its headquarter in Paris, in its charter for the conservation of historic towns and urban areas in its guidelines issued in 1987. It had stated against any such activity in old historic town which destroy the historic character of the area and the town, he informed.

He said before any such intervention, the government authorities must refer these documents if they want to change the character of such historic towns.

Balwinder Sharma, president, Bazaar Ram Bagh Traders Association, said a delegation of the association would meet the officials of the Punjab Infrastructure Board which has called objections and opinions up to December 12 from the people through advertisements in newspapers published on November 27.

He said construction of an elevated road on the road inside Shera Wala Gate has not only killed its skyline but also its business. Hence, the government now should utilise that road to route the PRTS.

Tirlok Nath, a trader of the area, said a good number of shopkeepers here were those who were rehabilitated in the late 50s after they arrived here as refugees after the Partition.

He said the market was very popular among the devotees coming to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. He suggested that operationalisation of magnetic pod would mean that the visitors would not halt at the bazaar and it would reduce their business.

RTI activist Naresh Johar said it was strange that a year after laying the foundation stone of the PRTS project, the Punjab Infrastructure Board has called objections and opinions from people. He said the PRTS would not be economically viable for passengers.

* Heritage experts say the road passing through the Ram Bagh bazaar is the same route from where legendary Maharaja Ranjit Singh used to commute from his Summer Palace to Harmandar Sahib. Construction of an elevated road for the passage of magnetic pods over the road would ruin the historical character of the road, they add.

* They say the government must look for an alternate plan

* The authorities have changed the route plan twice since the PRTS project was announced

What is being done on ground
The MC had hired private trolleys to lift and transport the garbage from various parts of the city to the designated dumping grounds. However, they were also not doing their job properly. Each garbage collector is supposed to make at least three rounds to transport the garbage to the designated dumping site at Bhaktanwala daily. They try to finish it off in just one round by dumping the garbage somewhere nearby and set it ablaze to dispose it of.

Amritsar, December 2
Malwa Senior Secondary team won the Sri Guru Hargobind Junior Hockey Gold Cup on Sunday. The tournament was organised by Baba Pallaha Sports Club at Butala village. As many as 16 teams from Punjab participated in the tournament. The three-day event attracted spectators not only from the host village but also from neighbouring villages and towns.

The host village team was the runner-up. A friendly match was also organised between the girls of BBK DAV College, Amritsar and the senior players (above 45 years).

A native of the village Jaspreet Kaur who went on to become a national hockey player was awarded Inderbir Kaur Memorial Award, which is awarded every year to a star player of the district.

The late Inderbir Kaur was a native of the village, who was a leading basketball player.

A colourful cultural programme was held on the concluding day in which there were giddha and bhangra performances by the village youth. Entertaining games like musical chairs, matka race and spoon-lemon race were also held.

According to Swaran Kaur Bal, an active organiser of the event, the club is annually holding the sports festival to wean away youth from the clutches of drugs and introducing them to sports.

She thanked the NRI families of the village who supported the tournament.

More than 100 players from different age groups are members of this sports club who receive proper and free training from senior players of the club.

Amritsar, December 2
Twenty six of persons from the region competing for the title of Mr Singh International to be held on December 16 at Khalsa College International Public School in Amritsar, gathered at the new building venue for the old age home run by Chief Khalsa Diwan at GT Road. The occasion was grooming sessions for the upcoming event, which aims at spreading cultural awareness and responsibility amongst youngsters of Punjab.

Mr Singh International aspirants at a grooming session in Amritsar on Sunday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

After selecting aspiring talented persons from across the nation, the event organisers Akal Purakh Ki Fauj have organised grooming sessions for the participants to boost confidence levels amongst the contenders.

“The grooming classes aim at providing and building a strong personality through communicative and interactive sessions. Attributes like posture, confidence, clean linguistics and ramp walk have been included in sessions," said Jaswinder Singh Advocate, president, Akal Purakh Ki Fauj.

The auditions for the event were held in November on the Chief Khalsa Diwan premises and saw hundreds of aspiring youth from across Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, UP, Delhi and many more states turning up for the primary round.

The candidates were judged on the basis of a personal profile and impromptu acts. The shortlisted candidates will now be further groomed by professionals so as to refine their skills for the grand finale.

Amritsar, December 2
The Kisan Sangarsh Committee has announced a protest march in Bhindi Saida village near Ajnala on December 5 and a protest rally outside the IG police office on December 10.

Satnam Singh Pannu, president of the committee, after a meeting of the association today said police had failed to control land-grabbing incidents in the said village. He said the culprit was a politically connected criminal, against whom various cases had been registered.

He alleged that the police had failed to arrest those indulging in criminal activities like land-grabbing and threatening people. Pannu said farmers would stage a protest in the village to demand arrest of the accused. He said if the police failed to arrest the criminals, the association would hold a protest rally outside the office of the Inspector General of Police on December 10.

The committee stated that it would oppose land-grabbing attempts in the area with its full might.