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GNDU teachers' hunger strike enters 11th day, assn flays VC
Relaxing norms for excavation of brick earth boosts construction
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Kin of women councillors call the shots in MC affairs
12 held with narcotics, illicit liquor
5-yr-old girl raped by youth
3 booked for pilfering rice
Shalimar
gambling case
One killed in road accident
Sharry Mann comes calling for promotion of his film
Month-long summer camp begins at art gallery
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GNDU teachers' hunger strike enters 11th day, assn flays VC
Amritsar, June 2 The teachers are expected to meet Badal on June 4. Nonetheless, president of Guru Nanak Dev University Teachers’ Association (GNDUTA) Davinder Singh Johal and executive member Rajinder Singh Sandhu sat on a chain hunger strike staged against the university authorities’ towards their demands, which included delay in disbursing benefits to them under the Sixth Pay Commission. Many teachers from the GNDU and its constituent colleges marked their presence at the venue near the Putlighar chowk. Dr Davinder and Dr Lakhwinder Singh, general secretary, GNDUTA, said the autocratic style of the Vice-Chancellor (VC) has not only harmed the interest of teachers but also adversely affected the ranking and reputation of the university. The most serious example of his autocratic working is the introduction of the Credit-Based Evaluation System of examination without proper discussion and approval in academic bodies at the department, faculty and the university level. There was utter chaos and confusion about the system, they said. "Some of the departments are following absolute grading system whereas others are employing the relative grading system. There is no clear cut and standing instructions from the university,” Dr Davinder said. "This system is being enforced through ad hoc orders of the VC which often contradict with each other. For instance, a letter was circulated on May 8, 2013, to the head of the departments regarding the number of courses in which a student may fail and yet get promoted to the next semester. Now, another letter issued on May 31, 2013, has completely reversed these instructions. Such a style of working has caused not only huge financial drain but has also done serious damage to the reputation of the university,” Dr Davinder added. Dr Lakhwinder said the introduction of the Credit-Based Evaluation System without proper deliberations had thrown the GNDU out of phase with other universities of the state, putting students at disadvantage. “There are too many lapses and contradictions in the system. The association will call upon the VC to hold a public debate on the shortcomings of this system at any time and place. The system put our students to disadvantage of scores when they have to compete with other universities of the state and the region,” he added.
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Relaxing norms for excavation of brick earth boosts construction
Amritsar, June 2 Amritsar Brick-Kiln Owners’ Association president Mukesh Nanda said construction business had revived in the region which was severely hit following the ban on earth excavation. “Even low volume of sales have jumped up and the demand has picked up,” he said. Earlier, the market was hit by shortage of construction material and subsequent skyrocketing prices. People have shelved their construction plans and only those who could not postpone it for unavoidable reasons were involved in the same. Simarjit Singh, a resident of Loharka road, said he had been constructing his house when the price of bricks increased unexpectedly. “Suppliers complained of no supply from local brick kilns. Then they arranged the same from Bathinda, Sangrur and other parts of Malwa. Subsequently, they announced that the stock received from Malwa were also exhausted and they arranged the same from Rajasthan,” he said. Simarjit added that as a result the cost of bricks also rose but they could not afford to desert the construction midway. Nanda said prices have settled down for now and sales have reached a normal level. He said kilns here remain operational for six months, from April to June and October to December, in a year. On further fall of price of bricks, he said nothing could be said with certainty as labour prices had also been increased by nearly Rs 250 per 1,000 bricks since October 2012. District Mining Officer Dharam Pal Bhagat, who is also the General Manager, Department of Industries and Commerce, said brick-kilns had been allowed earth excavation on two hectares and into 1.5m after getting certificate of approval and permit for the same. However, earth excavation for bricks over two hectares would require the EMP clearance. For EMP clearance, a district-level committee has been constituted. The committee is headed by Deputy Commissioner and its other members are SDM, District Forest Officer, environment engineers of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), Drainage Department, PWD, Irrigation and the district Mining Officer is its Member Secretary. Residents desirous of constructing their homes had heaved a sigh of relief as escalating sand prices in the city were already on the downward trend. Earlier, many development and private construction works had been hampered, as the rate of bricks remained unabated. The high prices forced many people to halt construction and repair works. Earlier, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 18 had imposed a ban on mining without environment clearance in all operational quarries less than 5 hectares. The order is in tandem with the Supreme Court order of February 27. It says that permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forests was mandatory for the quarrying of minor minerals on land less than 5 hectares. It prompted the government to form EMP committees at the district level to provide environment clearance.
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Kin of women councillors call the shots in MC affairs
Amritsar, June 2 These women councillors are influenced by male members of the family. Out of the office, the male family members are holding forts in the respective wards and women are merely confined to the four walls of their house. An insider said: “Most of the women had got ticket because their husbands and sons were aspirants but the ward was reserved for female candidates. As such, once these women were elected, their husbands or sons come forward.” He said most of these women were new in politics. The system had come under criticism from employees of the Municipal Corporation as they protested that family members of the elected female councillors unduly pressurise them. The employees also held a protest on Friday and demanded that unelected husbands and sons should not question. “A few people who are not even elected, try to pressurise us. Though elected members and even the public have a right to question us, we would not tolerate unruly behaviour of family members of councillors any more,” said an employee. For the past some time, many of the councillors have started raising voice against the working style and corruption of employees inside meetings and in public. Municipal Corporation Commissioner Bhupinder Singh said: “We have instructed employees that only elected members should be allowed inside the meeting hall.” He said, however, they were soon going to allow the public to witness meetings and there should be no issue if a family member sits at the back and watches the meeting proceedings.
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12 held with narcotics, illicit liquor
Amritsar, June 2 The Chheharata police has arrested four persons - Jagdip Singh of Model Town, Jatinder Singh of Guru Arjun Dev Nagar, Suny Kumar of Hetram Colony, Nariangarh, and Sagar Kumar of Model Town. The police confiscated 75 gm heroin from them. Among other accused, Manjit Singh of Guru Nanak Pura was arrested with 720 capsules of habit-forming drugs. Gurpreet Singh was held with 230 capsules and Kashmir Singh with 200 capsules. Besides, the city police has nabbed Tarsem Singh and Ravinder Singh, both residents of Harike, Tarn Taran with 500 bottles of illicit liquor. The anti-narcotic cell of the Amritsar police (rural) has also arrested Kala Singh of Fattewal village. The police recovered 750 capsules and 800 tablets of habit-forming drugs from his possession.
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5-yr-old girl raped by youth
Amritsar, June 2 The victim had gone to the shop for buying
some sweets. The incident came to light when the mother of the victim went to the shop searching for her as she failed to return home. Father of the victim told the police that he had three daughters and
the victim was his second daughter. He said last evening his wife gave her Rs 5 for buying
some sweets. "When my daughter failed to return after sometime, my wife went
to the shop. She heard cries of a girl from a room located in the backside of the shop," he said, adding that his wife was shocked to see that their daughter was raped by
the accused. He said she immediately raised an alarm following which the accused fled away. Yadwinder Singh, SHO, Kamboh police station, said a case under Sections 376, 511, of the IPC
has been registered against Sonu. SHO Yadwinder Singh said that raids were being conducted at various places to nab the culprit who was at large after committing the crime.
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3 booked for pilfering rice
Amritsar, June 2 Amrik Singh Bajwa, a contractor with Road Movement Food Corporation India and a resident of the Ranjit Avenue area, said he had loaded 400 bags (198 quintals) of rice on the truck of Jit Singh for transporting the same to the FCI/FSD, Srinagar. He alleged that he along with other two unidentified persons pilfered the rice and mixed it with poor quality rice. A probe was conducted by ACP (Central) in the case. After their recommendation, a case under Sections 407, 420, 467, 468, 471, 477 and 120-B, IPC, has been registered against the accused. No arrest had been made in the case till now, said the police.
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Shalimar
gambling case PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service
Amritsar, June 2 The charge sheet was drafted after the ADGP asked the city police to send it for further action against the erring policemen as per the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeals) Rules, 1970 on the basis of the investigations carried out by the IG (crime), SS Chauhan. The IG after completing the probe had indicted the policemen for not performing their duty and submitted his findings to the Principal Secretary, Home Affairs and Justice, in December 2012. He had recommended a departmental action against the guilty police officials for violating the discipline of the police department. While concluding the enquiry, the copy of which is with The Tribune, S S Chauhan had said that though ADCP Bahadur Singh and ACP Jaswant Singh did not have any role in embezzling the cash recovered from the spot, it had been found that they had not performed their duty despite being present on the spot. “However, it was proved that Inspector Jagbir Singh, head constable Shamsher Singh, head constable Jasbir Singh, reader ACP, head constable Suba Singh, gunman of the ACP (traffic), had taken the money from the people present in the party on the pretext of their personal search and had not returned the money. They misbehaved with the persons, ignored the senior officers and pressurised the subordinates,” the report stated. It further pointed out that the act had adversely affected the image of the police among the common masses. About of amount siphoned off during the raid, Chauhan said though complete details of the cash pilfered could not be given, as per the rough estimates, about Rs 40 lakh were recovered from about 200 men and women who had participated in the gambling party. A senior police official while confirming the development said the charge sheet had been sent to the ADGP (crime) for further action. However, he refused to divulge into the details of the report.
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Construction of structure in park draws the ire of residents
Amritsar, June 2 The Amritsar Tribune team today found the labourers engaged in raising a concrete structure in the park while no official of the federation was around. According to the rules and regulations, raising a concrete structure in the park violates the building norms and defeats the very purpose of providing green lungs to the city. The park, which was jointly set up by the Ramgarhia community and the Improvement Trust about two decades ago, was built in the memory of Maharaja Jassa Singh Ramgarhia. Set up on the NH-1, the park educates the visitors about the role of Maharaja Jassa Singh, who had valiantly fought against invaders with his limited resources. The residents said the condition of the park must be improved to give a befitting tribute to the Sikh warrior who was the founder of the Ramgarhia misl in and around Riarki area of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Batala. A 20-feet-high bronze statue of the warrior was revived by the state government in its previous stint. The half-broken boundary walls were repaired. The residents demanded that the park must be a soothing treat for the thousands of residents, who daily cross over the park to pay an obeisance at the Golden Temple and go out of the city. Besides, it is the biggest park for several localities situated around it. However, another major grouse of the residents is that the park remains enveloped with dust for much of the time due to the industrial units near the park and heavy flow of traffic on the NH-1. They said dust and the lack of cleanliness on its approaching road discourage residents from visiting it frequently. The residents said iron grills of the park were stolen by drug addicts, residing in the nearby slums. The residents said the foundation of the statue was laid with a great fanfare by political leaders with an eye on the vote bank of the community about 20 years ago. They said Maharaja's contribution cannot be ignored as he had fortified and constructed the fort of Ram Rauni in Amritsar and always contributed in Dal Khalsa whenever Afghans invaded. He occupied the area north to Amritsar, between the Ravi and the Beas, and added Jalandhar region and Kangra hill areas to his estate. When contacted, Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia Federation press secretary Satinder Singh Virdi said the objective of the construction was to raise another pedestal to shift the 20-foot statue of Jassa Singh Ramgharia here. He said the view of the statue had been eclipsed by the construction of elevated road. He said as per the new plan, the statue would now be facing the other direction of the highway (road leading to Jalandhar). He said persons with vested interests fuelled the rumours of constructing a building, which was entirely wrong. When asked if the federation had sought any permission from the authorities to bring the change, he replied that the federation was mandated by the Improvement Trust to maintain it over a decade ago and there was no need for a fresh permission. When contacted, Municipal Corporation (MC) Commissioner Bhupinder Singh said the construction of any concrete structure in the public park was a violation of the norms and it would be dealt with sternly. He said the Municipal Town Planning department, a wing of the MC, had been intimated about it and a notice would be issued to the people responsible for it.
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Schoolchildren from Kashmir visit Amritsar
Amritsar, June 2 He was part of the delegation that included 27 student belonging to terrorism-affected families. All courtesy the Indian Army, who has organised the educational tour under its “Operation Sadhbhavna". The aim of the tour is to enlighten the students about the vibrant and colourful culture of the nation. Accompanied by their three teachers from Kandi-Magam (Kupwara district) in Kashmir valley, they visited places of significance in the holy city today. The students also visited the Jallianwala Bagh, Verka Milk Plant and GNDU where the students got motivation to shape their future. Later, they watched the retreat ceremony at the Attari-Wagah joint check post. "I want to be a dentist and would like to serve the Army. This is my maiden visit outside Kashmir. We had gone through such a suffering at our native place in Vodhpur that we could never imagine, even in our wildest dream, of any future. Now, after interacting with the students and the teachers of the university, I can see the light on the other side of the tunnel. I would like study in Amritsar as I have learnt that the holy city is having some good dental institutions. I also enquired about the admission process in GNDU," he said. Equally excited was Rashid Reyaz Teli, a Class X student of Government Boys' High School, Magam, Kashmir. "I had seen the Golden Temple in pictures and television but could savour its ambience only today. I had read about the Jallianwala Bagh, but could only feel its significance after visiting it. I also want to be a doctor to serve the humanity," he expressed. Major Jaideep Singh Chaudhury, official in charge of the tour, said 80 per cent of the students belonged terrorism-affected families while 20 per cent were from the below poverty line. The purpose behind the trip was to provide them an opportunity to feel the rich heritage and cultural grandeur of the country and to give them a glimpse of the development achieved by other states in the fields of technology, education, agriculture ," he said. Meanwhile, Major Chaudhary said, " I must say we have been able to bring 70 per cent change in their mindset. These children have seen such a tough time that they could never think of shaping their future in a constructive way. But, the Army through its mission can help the children in diverting their minds to constructive activities." The students are expected to meet the President of India on June 4 and thereafter witness the passing-out parade at Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. The Students are also likely to visit Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie.
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Amritsar, June 2 The police has identified the driver of the SUV. The accused has been identified as Ajit Singh of Qadian. A case under Section 304-A, 279 and 427 of the IPC has been registered against him. No arrest has been made so far. —TNS
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Sharry Mann comes calling for promotion of his film
Amritsar, June 2 “This is a romantic film, which is a popular genre in the Punjabi cinema. It tells the story of a humble, rooted village guy, who struggles to adapt to the fast city life for love,” shared Sharry. While Sherry plays the lead role, southern actress Niharika will play his lady love. The film also stars Binnu Dhillon, Rana Ranbir and is directed by Aditya Sood. Hoping to repeat his "Yaar Anmulle" success with his first Punjabi film, Sharry shared his weight of expectations. “I got instant recognition and fame with "Yaar Anmulle" and realised what an artist can achieve if supported by fans. I never really thought of a plan to switch over from singing to acting, but always wanted to try it. The movie will show will show, if I have a long acting career or not.” Sharry also gave a live performance at Alpha one in the evening as a part of the ground promotions for his film. Singing, though, remains his first love. “I am singing an writing my own songs since I was in Class IV,” he said. “Many people had asked me to do films. I was waiting for the good script and now I am ready with the movie. I hope the audience would like my work,” he signed off. The film is going to releases on June 14.
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Month-long summer camp begins at art gallery
Amritsar, June 2 The regular staff and some local artists will take painting classes. Dancing and performing arts like theatre, classical dance will also be taught during the camp. "The summer camp aims at developing skills that cannot be taught in a classroom. The motive is to hone the skills of children and adults. All the activities are on offer at nominal fee," said Rajindra Mohan Singh Chinna, president, Indian Academy of Fine Arts.
A cultural evening was planned for the visitors and guests as a Japanese dance and a folk dance from Punjab were performed by the artistes.
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Amritsar, June 2
Amritsar, June 2
Apart from the summer camp, an exhibition-cum-sale of the paintings and sculptures opened at the art gallery . The recent increase in enthusiasm and interest of people in arts have prompted the gallery to organise such exhibition.