Jalandhar, April 11
The son of MC councillor Guwinder Kaur, Navneet, who had been declared a proclaimed offender (PO) by a court in a case way back in 2007 was arrested by the police today.

Navneet was brought from the New Delhi airport, from where he was scheduled to take a flight abroad. ACP West RPS Sandhu said a case had been registered against him at the division number 5 police station when he had entered a shop and tried to attack one Gagan Dua with sharp-edged weapons.

He had been booked under Sections 323, 324 and 317 of the IPC.

Ever since the episode, Navneet had absconded. He was declared a PO by the court in 2010.

Gurwinder Kaur is a Congress councillor from ward 44. Her husband Kuldip Mintu represented the same ward in the previous term. 

Policemen show fake voter ID cards in Jalandhar on Thursday. Tribune photos: Malkiat singh

Involvement of government staff likely

The DCP said the arrest of seven persons could just be a tip of the iceberg. He has not ruled out the involvement of government staff of various departments. “More revelations are likely to come as we go deeper, verify each document and investigate further,” he said.

Fake holograms on voter IDs

A close glance of the voter ID cards recovered in the case showed that even the holograms used were fake ones. The silver hologram had Punjab Government printed on it instead of the Election Commission and were without any unique serial number. The design, lamination and first look of the hologram were such that anyone could be taken for a ride. Interestingly, most voter ID cards were those for the Jalandhar (North) constituency.

Jalandhar, April 11
The row over the bus fare hike at St Joseph's School was finally resolved here on Wednesday, as the school authorities agreed to roll back the hike and reduced it to Rs 1,000 from the initial bus fare of Rs 1,500, which had caused much anger among parents.

The decision was finalised at a meeting of the school administration with the DTO Dalwinderjit Singh and parents.

While the school bus operator had reportedly been adamant on the issue of decrease in bus fares during a previous meeting and requests by parents as well as the school principal, the softening of the stand is being credited to repeated protests by parents as well as the intervention of a school representative, who coaxed the transporter to agree for a decrease in the bus fare.

With the fare finally being fixed at Rs 1,000, the week-long row on the issue, which saw dharnas, jams and chaos at the school as well as the DTO’s office, has finally been resolved.

Speaking on the issue, Sanjay Sehgal, adviser member, RTI and Grievances Cell of the Punjab Congress Committee as well as a parent, who had initially speeded up the issue by taking it up with the DC, said with the consistent hike at regular intervals for the past few months, the school's bus fares were the highest in the city. This was causing concern among parents.

“But with the matter being resolved now, parents can finally heave a sigh of relief. We are at ease now, with the fares finally being reduced,” he added.

Jalandhar, April 11
Flaying the Parkash Singh Badal-led SAD-BJP government for the steep hike in power tariff, representatives of various organisations are planning to launch a strong agitation on the lines of their recently concluded protest against the property tax.

Ravindra Dhir	Sukhwinder Kotli

State president of the Vayapar Sena Ravindra Dhir said an average 9.06 per cent power tariff hike had put an extra burden on the residents, in general, and the industrialists and traders, in particular.

Demanding an immediate rollback of the hiked power tariff, Congress leader Rajinder Beri said a strong protest would soon be started in the city after an emergency meeting of the partymen in this regard.

Similarly, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state general secretary Sukhwinder Kotli said, “If the increased power tariff hike is not rolled back, his party will gherao CM Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal on the issue of steep hike in power tariff. The programme for their gherao will soon be finalised.”

Beri said, “The Badal government has been putting extra burden on the residents, especially ever since it came to power again last year. Firstly, it imposed huge property tax but later it forced to lower the same after strong protests and now it has increased the power tariff.”

Meanwhile, Dhir, who successful launched a city-wide protest against the property tax as president of the Mahanagar Sangharsh Committee (MSC), a conglomerate of various trader and industrialist organisations, said a meeting of various bodies, including representatives of housing societies, would soon be called to chalk out the agitation programme against the increased power tariff.

Dhir said the inordinate hike in power tariff second time in the past few months had put an extra burden on people.

Beri and Dhir said the Badal government had presented a tax-free budget, but was putting burden on the Punjabis in one or the other way by imposing new taxes and increasing the power tariff.

Kapurthala: Former Bhlolath MLA Sukhpal Khaira condemned the cruel joke played on the Punjabis in the shape of a Goa gift by enormously increasing power tariff from 9-13 per cent and demanded its immediate rollback.

“The real motive of the SAD-BJP in holding a ‘Chintin-Shivir’ stands exposed with a steep hike in electricity tariff. This huge increase in power tariff is bound to have harrowing effects on the already burdened people of the state,” he added.

Khaira further stated, “As we are aware, a 9.2 per cent increase has been made in domestic as well as commercial tariffs, while a back-breaking 12.73 per cent burden has been put on an already dilapidated industry of Punjab. Instead of providing regular or surplus electricity, the junior Badal has given a body blow and horrific shock to all sections of society.”

The former Congress MLA said, “The domestic and commercial consumers are bound to be adversely affected by this unbearable increase. The worst-hit will be the industrial sector. Needless to mention, the industry of Punjab has already taken flight to other states in the recent years owing to poor infrastructure, poor attitude and even poorer power supply. But this massive increase of 12.73 per cent will send shock waves to the industry.”

“The Badal government also stands badly exposed, as nothing concrete or fruitful transpired at the Goa ‘Chintin-Shivir’, other than further burdening the people. Only recently the government imposed a fee on poor girl students of class 9-12 in government schools. Similarly, the charges of the OPD, surgery and medicines in government hospitals have been hiked.”

“Completely ignoring the poor economic plight of the state and its people, the Akalis chose to embark on a fun and frolic tour of Goa, which was not only non-productive but also amounted to rubbing salt on the wounds of aggrieved Punjabis,” he added.

Khaira further stated, “Keeping in view the inflation and the critical financial position of the government which is unable to pay salaries and pensions to its employees, an immediate rollback of tariffs be made. In case the government fails to withdraw this increase, the Congress will resort to a mass agitation on the issue.” 

Jalandhar, April 11
The Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) management has warned the striking employees of disciplinary action if they marked their presence in the attendance registers while on protest.

In a circular issued to all departmental heads, the PIMS Director Principal Kulbir Kaur said the Medical Superintendent had brought to her notice that lab technicians, clerical staff and other employees, who are on strike since April 1, have been marking their presence at their respective departments while not performing duty. All department heads were directed in the circular to submit the information of Class III employees to the Medical Superintendent or the responsible would lie with them.

An employee who is not working should not be allowed to mark his presence, the circular further stated, adding that if anyone tried to do so it would be treated as tampering with official records. Those on duty will not be obstructed such as those at operation theatre, nursing section or other wings, the circular reads.

Jalandhar, April 11
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) to refund Rs 6,193 to an applicant for allotment of plot at the Urban Estate and pay a compensation of Rs 2,000.

In his complaint, KC Suman, a resident of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, said he had deposited Rs 750 in October 1971 and Rs 3,250 on September 24, 1983 for allotment of a plot but was never allotted one due to a lengthy litigation between the authorities and him.

He said an amount of Rs 4,000 had been deposited by the complainant for allotment of a plot but they failed either to allot a plot or to refund the amount to him till date. Then he got issued a legal notice in July 2010.

A counsel for the PUDA said the complainant had deposited the amount but his complaint was dismissed in May 1998. He said the complainant never demanded the amount till 2010 and was rather litigating the matter before various courts for allotment of the plot.

“However, a bank draft of Rs 6,193 on September 2, 1998 was sent to the complainant but the same was returned by him. He is not entitled to any interest on the amount deposited,” the reply stated.

The forum concluded, “Upon service of legal notice, the PUDA asked for certain particulars but the complainant never submitted the same. PUDA should have at least refunded the amount to the complainant without any delay after the legal notice in 2010.”