Jalandhar, December 9
February 1: Rahul, a student of Class III of St Soldier Senior Secondary School, was crushed to death at the busy Chick-Chick chowk. Rahul along with his schoolmates was travelling in an auto-rickshaw when the tragedy struck.

December 6: Raminder, a student of Class I of MGN School, lost his life when he was on his way to the school in an auto-rickshaw. The accident occurred in the Jyoti Nagar area.

The parents lost their sons due to the rash and negligent driving of auto-rickshaw drivers.

The second accident in a year due to the negligence of auto-rickshaw drivers has virtually caught the city police napping and has also put a question mark on the traffic management here.

The unbridled auto-rickshaws are ruling the city roads, while the district administration has gone into a deep slumber. The traffic police swings into action only after auto-rickshaw drivers claim human lives in accidents or indulge into scuffles.

The traffic wing of the city police reactivated the drive against auto-rickshaws for overloading and challaned 45 offenders on Friday.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sukhdev Singh claimed that the drive was launched to enforce traffic rules. The violators were being heavily fined for repeating offences.

A survey by The Tribune revealed that neither the police, nor parents had learnt any lesson from the tragedies. The auto-rickshaw drivers were seen ferrying students and other passengers beyond the capacity of their vehicles.

In a race to pick more passengers and take their turns first, auto-rickshaw drivers flout traffic rules and often meet with accidents, claims Surinder Mittal, a Model Town resident.

He added that the damaged roads with deep potholes had been giving open invitation to such tragedies.

Holding the Municipal Corporation equally responsible for not maintaining the roads, Mittal demanded action against the civic body authorities.

Phagwara, December 9
Three persons, including one woman, were killed and six others sustained injuries in three different mishaps in and around the town during the last 24 hours.

A rickshaw-puller, Ram Kumar, was killed when his rickshaw was hit by a speeding vehicle near Mauli village on the national highway between Phagwara and Goraya last night. The police has registered a case.

In the second mishap, a woman, Charanjit Kaur, resident of nearby Jamalpur village, was killed, while six others, including two girls and a child, sustained injuries, when a Tata-407 carrying them overturned near Chachrari village on the national highway late last night. All were returning to their village after attending a marriage ceremony in Goraya. The injured, including Bimmo, Amar Chand, Neetu, Nand Kishore and Kali, were admitted to different hospitals, the police said. The accident occurred when the Tata-407 driver lost control over the vehicle.

In the third mishap, an unidentified middle-aged man fell down from a running train near the railway station last night. He died on the spot. The in charge of the Government Railway Police, Pawitra Singh, said the body of the deceased was kept in the mortuary of the Civil Hospital for identification.

Jalandhar, December 9
One person was seriously injured and some others received minor injuries in a clash between two groups in the Nizatam Nagar locality this afternoon.

Members of both the groups used sharp-edged weapons, hockey sticks and baseball bats in the clash and also damaged some vehicles parked near the spot.

The city police has rounded up 10 persons for their involvement in the clash and has initiated proceedings to register a case at the Division No 5 police station in this regard.

The trouble started when Anita Rani of Nizatam Nagar and a "notorious criminal" Shiboo Lahoria entered into a scuffle over an old case and Ravi Chhabra, a close associate of the woman, came to her defence. Irked over his interference, Shiboo attacked Ravi with a sharp-edged weapon injuring him seriously.

As the news of the attack spread, aides of Shiboo and Ravi assembled at the spot and resorted to a clash.

In a statement to the police, Anita Rani alleged that Shiboo stopped her in the locality and after threatening her asked her to withdraw a case she had filed against him under Sections 452 of the IPC for forcibly intruding into her house and attacking her and her family members. The case is said to be on the last stage in the court and the judgement is awaited.

She alleged that Shiboo had been trying to pressurise her for the withdrawal of the case and when she refused to do so Shiboo slapped her publically.

Rajinder Kumar, Station House Officer, claimed to have rushed the injured to the hospital and rounded up 10 members of both the groups for their involvement in the clash.

There were rumours that some gunshots were also fired in the air, but the police denied any such happening. No case was registered till the filing of the report.

Jalandhar, December 9
The final match of women in the ongoing World Kabaddi Cup is scheduled to be held at the newly renovated Guru Gobind Singh Stadium here on December 13.

Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti said arrangements for seating of 10,000 spectators had already been made. The match would begin at 5.30 pm and would be held in floodlights. Popular Punjabi folk singer Nachhatar Gill and other artistes would regale the audiences.

Bhagat Chunni Lal, Local Bodies Minister, would be the chief guest. Cabinet ministers Sarwan Singh Phillaur and Ajit Singh Kohar and Chief Parliament Secretaries Avinash Chander, KD Bhandari and Pawan Kumar Tinu would be the guests of honour.

The newly renovated stadium would be segregated into various sections, including those for VVIPs, media, Municipal Corporation, Municipal Councils and sarpanches of villages. The DC said the newly set-up media centre would have computer network with Internet facility in it. He said arrangements for smooth movement of traffic were also being made. The routes and time for plying of buses on the day was also being rescheduled accordingly.

He said 17 committees had been set up for coordination for the programme, which included decoration of the ground, media and sound provision, security, traffic, barricading, parking, transportation, medical facilities, seating plan, power, refreshment, drinking water facility, cleanliness and utilities.

Jalandhar, December 9
Traffic snarls have become a routine on almost every road in the city. While the Rama Mandi, PAP and Chogitti chowks on the national highway in the city witness traffic jams a number of times, same is the condition of the roads around Kishanpura Chowk, railway road and on Old Circular Road consisting Mai Hiran Gate, Phagwara Gate, Company Bagh, Jyoti Chowk and Jail Road.

Inadequate parking lots, deployment of negligible number of traffic policemen for effective handling of the situation, increasing number of vehicles day by day, lack of proper traffic sense among public, temporary encroachments by shopkeepers and halting buses and auto-rickshaws on unauthorised places for taking passengers are the main reasons for traffic snarls.

According to information, there are only three proper parking lots near Narinder Cinema, PNB Chowk and Milap Chowk in the city. The Municipal Corporation (MC) has declared several roadsides as parking lots, but all are not sufficient for the city residents to park their vehicles.

Thus, they are left with no option, but to park their vehicles haphazardly, which creates hindrance in the smooth flow of traffic. As a result, the vehicles move at a snail’s pace.

Further, the negligible number of traffic policemen, as compared to the current population of the city that has been pegged at 13 lakh, is aggravating the problem of traffic jams.

Currently there are around 140 traffic policemen in the Jalandhar Commissionerate that too less than the sanctioned 146 posts. The 146 posts were sanctioned in 1982 when the city population was only 7 lakh.

The main reason for the problem of traffic jams at the PAP and Rama Mandi chowks is the halting of buses. Similarly, the construction of a flyover at the Chogitti chowk is creating hurdles in the smooth flow of traffic.

Further, there is no respite from traffic jams at Old Circular Road, despite banning the entry of vehicles bigger than the size of a jeep during the daytime. Temporary encroachments by shopkeepers and lack of parking lots on the road are the main reason for that.

(Clockwise from left) Traffic jams at Nakodar Chowk, PAP Chowk and Mai Hiran Gate in Jalandhar. Photos: Sarabjit Singh

Tips for preventing traffic snarls

• A social activist, Rajat Mohindru, suggests several steps for preventing traffic snarls.
• Several feet wide footpaths exist on various roads. They should be either be abolished or reduced to 1 foot or 2 feet to widen the roads for the smooth flow of traffic.
• The public transport system should be strengthened on the lines of Chandigarh to reduce personal vehicles on roads.
• The residents should develop traffic sense and obey traffic rules. Shopkeepers should also not put their goods on the roads. 

Official Speak

Jalandhar, December 9
Lt Col Manmohan Singh (retd) is a rare personality armed with full zeal for life and an unending quest for knowledge.

This academically oriented soldier is all set to complete his master’s in Urdu at the age of 78. This is his eight master’s degree after attaining degrees like the M.Sc (Physics), Masters in Defence Studies, MA (English), MA (Economics), MA (History), MA (Public Administration).

He is the longest serving government official for having put in 56 years and 10 months in the government service.

Normally, people sit in the comforts of their cozy homes after their retirement at the age of 58 but what makes this Colonel different is his ‘never say die’ approach towards life.

He was the only officer of the Punjab government who was conferred the state award twice while being in state government service during past about 25 years. He was granted 16 extensions in the government service in a row between 1992 and 2012 after superannuation which in itself was rare case.

Manmohan gets elated when he mentions with pride his feat of being the ‘longest serving officer’ and being ratified by the Guiness Book Authorities.

“May be, I am the longest serving government officer. This is being confirmed by the Guiness Book of World Record’s officials,” said Manmohan Singh adding that his name was recommended by the authorities for the ‘Padma Shri’ award for a second time this year for this contribution towards the society.

Manmohan feels that his biggest achievement was that his rapport with the district administration, army authorities, police, public and private sector authorities had resulted in facilitation of employment for over 10,700 ex servicemen, their widows and dependents.

“Over 50 percent of 37,000 youths trained by me landed them into various government jobs. When I look back, I feel proud,” said Manmohan Singh who, was credited with ‘revamping’ working of the local office of the Sainik Welfare Department as he introduced a number of facilities and infrastructure-training area, gymnasium, more classrooms, central lecture hall, a library, integrated vocational training centre with a lab, a hostel and a cafeteria at the place.

“Nowadays, I am pursuing my Masters’ in Urdu and at the same time, I am busy in coaching students who aspire to join army or civil services. My passion about gardening is what is keeping me alive. At this age, I am as fit as a fiddle. The secret to my good health is that I always think positive and keep myself busy accomplishing one or the other task, “said Col Manmohan.

Referring to his entry in the government service, Manmohan said it was the zeal to work for the nation which pushed him ahead.

“I got the opportunity during the 1962 war and I lapped it up. I joined as a Commissioned Officer in the Short Service Commission of the Indian Army and never looked back. I joined the Sainik Welfare Board in 1987 as a Deputy Director and served the board till July this year. I think the most satisfying moment came when I decided in 2008 that I will be serving the department with a token salary of Rs 1 per month,” said Col Manmohan Singh.

Phagwara, December 9
Two unidentified masked motorcyclists snatched gold earrings from an old woman, Shanti Devi Bhanot, when she was sitting outside her house in Adarsh Nagar here last afternoon. The police has registered a case.

In another incident, a shop, Tiewal General Store, at Hargobind Nagar, behind Elite Cinema, was burgled in the wee hours today. The shop owner, Titu Tiewal, was informed by a neighbour early this morning. Locks of the shop were found lying behind a telephone junction box and the shutter of the shop was found opened. The miscreants took away valuables and cash from the shop.

Meanwhile, burglars made an unsuccessful attempt to broke open the locks of another shop, Bansal General Store, situated near Tiewal General Store. The police has registered a case.

Jalandhar, December 9
As many as 33 singers enthralled the audience during Rafi Musical Nite, held under the aegis of the Bharat Natya Sangeet Kala Mandir, an NGO, at Red Cross Bhawan on last evening.

The NGO founder and general secretary, Padam Roshan, said over 33 singers, including Bollywood music director Surendra Kohli, "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" runner-up Bhanu Pratap and Ranjana, enthralled the audience with their melodious voices during the nite.

The NGO's patrons Prof BS Narang and Dr Pritpal Singh, additional director Gurdeep Singh, organising secretary HR Malhotra, legal adviser SK Julka and sitarist Dr Varinder Kumar were present.

Singers from teenagers to aged persons of 76 years participated in the 25th nite organised in the memory of the legendary Bollywood singer from Punjab.

Jalandhar, December 9
The family members of a BSF employee, who had gone missing for the past nearly eight months, have been running from pillar to post to know about his whereabouts.

Desh Raj, a resident of Ekta Vihar Colony, Rama Mandi, left to his place of posting in Tripura on April 28 but did not reach his destination. He was a sweeper with the BSF’s unit deployed in Tripura and on his way back to rejoin the duty.

Narrating the sequence of events, Gurmeet Kaur, wife of the victim, revealed that Desh Raj boarded Howrah Mail from Jalandhar Railway Station on April 28 night and was in her contact till he reached Lucknow on April 29 morning. After couple of hours, his mobile phone went out of reach and finally was switched off.

Gurmeet Kaur said she had informed the head of her husband’s unit about the incident but till date no help had come from their end. She said repeated telephone calls and representation to the BSF authorities has disappointed her.

“I even travelled to Tripura, and then Rajashtan where the unit shifted later but to no avail. A police complaint was also lodged at the Government Railway Police at Jalandhar but my efforts to locate Desh Raj have gone down the drain.”