Amritsar, June 4
The teachers of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) have a reason to rejoice. The Punjab Government has released their arrears as per revised pay scales under the Sixth Pay Commission.

The Registrar, GNDU, Dr Inderjit Singh, said these arrears were from January 1, 2006.

Several teachers under the banner of the Guru Nanak Dev University Teachers Association (GNDUTA) had been sitting on a hunger strike for the past 12 days in protest against the non-payment of their dues and had met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal this evening.

Confirming the development, Registrar Dr Inderjit Singh said an amount of Rs 24 crore had been electronically transferred to the GNDU account this morning. "The payments will be transferred to teachers' accounts shortly. Around 400 teachers will benefit under this head. An amount between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 10 lakh each will be paid to the teachers, depending upon their eligibility criteria," he said.

While detailing, Dr Inderjit Singh said the payment got delayed because of technical reasons on the part of the government only.

"Till the closing of the financial year on March 31, the arrears of the teachers could not be transferred to their accounts. The issue was taken up by Vice-Chancellor Prof AS Brar in May with the state Finance Department, because the arrears have to be paid in the new financial year of 2013-2014 by the DPI office. The amount was further diverted to the Higher Education Department, before being finaly released.

Dr Inderjit said very shortly arrears of the increased salary would be given to all the teachers and administration had already geared up for the process.

Meanwhile, Prof Brar thanked the Punjab Government for clearing the payment of arrears of teachers. "The university had earnestly taken up the case of release of payment of arrears to the teachers and had been pursuing it from time to time. The Principal Secretary (Finance) informed us on May 20 at 6 pm that the file has been cleared by the Finance Department and now we are certain to get the required grant from the Punjab Government to pay the arrears to all the teachers," he said.

Amritsar, June 4
Six members of a family, including four minor children, received serious burns in an explosion, sparked by a leaking cooking gas (LPG) cylinder, at their house in the Maqboolpura area this afternoon.

According to doctors, the condition of minor children is serious as one of them received 90 per cent burns, while the rest of three got burns between 65-70 per cent. They have been put under treatment at the Sri Guru Ram Dass Institute of Medical Science and Research.

The injured children have been identified as two-and-a-half-year-old Ranbir, his one-year-old brother Aman, four-year-old Shiv and six-year-old Luxmi.

The two other persons who received minor burns are Chhindo, grandmother of the children, and her daughter Jyoti (25), mother of Ranbir and Aman. The family does petty labour jobs.

Dr AP Singh, additional secretary of the Sri Guru Ram Das Trust, said, "The children did not get timely aid, but we are trying our best to save them.”

The blast took place at around 2 pm after a leakage developed in the gas pipe fitted to the cylinder. After hearing the blast and shouts, their neighbours rushed to the spot and immediately got the injured shifted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital.

The doctors attending upon them stated that the injured were shifted to the Sri Guru Ram Dass Institute of Medical Science and Research against the medical advice. Dr KS Sidhu, Medical Superintendent of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, said, “The burns of children were serious in nature, but against our wishes kin of victims got them shifted to the Sri Guru Ram Dass Institute of Medical Science and Research.”

According to the SHO, Maqboolpura police station, Iqbal Singh, a report has been lodged. “The women were preparing food, while the children were playing nearby when the explosion took place,” he said.

Amritsar, June 4
Even as food samples collected from eating joints around the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) have failed tests, no action has been taken to improve the quality of food served in them.

Passengers complain that quality of food served in them has not improved. The Health Department had during a recent raid seized eatables with expiry date already lapsed from various shops.

Passengers said most of the shopkeepers take advantage of the helplessness of passenger. “Shopkeepers here know that passengers do not have much options. People will have to buy from any of the shops on the premises as they have time constraint,” said Joginder Garg, a passenger.

Shops alongside the outer wall of the bus stand sell cut fruits and bakery items kept in the open. Passengers are seen buying food items from these roadside shops without knowing that these might cause health hazards.

Another visitor, Lal Chand said, “The administration must take strict action against shopkeepers who are fleecing people and selling substandard food items.” He said repeated inspections of the shops after short intervals of time might help solve the problem.

Passengers also complain of the lack of sufficient water coolers at the place.

Meanwhile, District Health Officer Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon said they would conduct another raid on the place in view of the complaints by the people. He said the department was working hard so that people could get quality food products.

He said legal action had been initiated against shopkeepers whose samples had failed or who had expired food items in their stocks. He said samples would again be collected soon and habitual offenders would be punished severely as per the law.

Amritsar, June 4
The city police broke its silence in the Rs 67.5 lakh robbery case and announced arrest of three persons, including a woman, while identifying two others, who are still at large.

The main accused, Varun Gupta, who snatched the amount on gunpoint from two families a couple of days ago, is still at large. Varun Gupta, who is stated to be the owner of the Mohali-based Kang Global Educational Institute, had duped the two families by giving them false assurance of getting their wards seats in medical institutes.

In police investigation, it was revealed that at least 10 persons were involved in the looting instance.

Meanwhile, those arrested have been identified as Sukhbir Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Paramjit Kaur, whereas Besides Varun, alongwith two others Amrinder Singh and Harjinder Singh have been absconding.

Last evening, Parmjit Kaur was arrested from the Daburjee bus stand, through whom her son Amrinder Singh could be arrested. It was on a tip-off that a naka was laid near the Verka phatak from where the police arrested Sukhwinder Singh and Sukhbir Singh travelling in a Honda City car (without number).

Police Commissioner Ram Singh said the arrested accused had admitted to their involvement in the crime and every efforts were being made to arrest the absconding accused in the case.

The city police has registered a case under Sections 420 (cheating), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death) and 34 of the IPC against Mohali-based Kang Global Education Company and five unidentified persons in this connection.

Amritsar, June 4
Even as various city-based organisations observe World Environment Day tomorrow, the ongoing practise of burning crop residues in the rural belt, especially surrounding the holy city, coupled with occasional burning and removing of trees and shrubs within the town to pave way for development works or commercial purpose, is wreaking havoc on the flora and fauna here.

Recently, many trees, shrubs and green vegetation on the stretch of the Airport road from Hartej Nursing Home to the Gumtala bypass were found burnt. This move by unidentified persons has infuriated the city-based environmentalists and vigilant citizens, but the response of the local authorities is casual.

“International bodies have floated various days dedicated to nature and environment to make the public aware about the deteriorating environment conditions. However, it is important that the message is well taken and implemented in real life,” said Dr AL Adlakha. “Over the years, various educational institutes and organisations have dabbled in holding rallies and seminars, but its impact will only be visible in the long run,” he said.

Several trees on the Mall road and surrounding lanes fell one by one. It was shown that they fell naturally, but it was not the case, averred Executive Director of Mission Aagaaz Deepak Babbar. He said owners of showrooms deliberately burnt garbage around trees to make their base weak so that they eventually fall. He claimed that the trees that obstructed the façade of these showrooms were chosen. He favoured strict implementation of law to curb the menace of burning trees, shrubs and vegetation.

Earlier, in the name of progress, trees were uprooted at Durgiana Temple, Saifuddin Kitchlew chowk to raise a flyover, at Rajasansi to widen the Airport road and at the Tarawala pul to raise a new flyover.

Environmentalists are of the view that the urban green vegetation plays a vital role in the ecology of human habitats, as these filter air, water, sunlight, provide shelter to animals and recreational area to people. They moderate local climate and assist in conserving energy.

He said a meeting was organised by Mission Aagaaz in this regard to mark World Environment Day. The members reviewed the progress made by the government in promoting the green cover and curbing anti-environment activities like burning of field waste by farmers and a large-scale burning of wild grass in the city.

He said the civic authorities were requested to curb the practise of burning waste. He said fully grown trees were being cut or burnt mercilessly and opined that until and unless a concrete policy was formulated to protect the trees, there would be no fun of planting new saplings, as they, in no way, could match the abilities and functions of fully grown trees.

“We mark this day as a protest against the mindless and brutal attitude of the residents of the city. Although the children have developed sensitivity towards green lungs and other precious natural resources, elders are still little conscious about the environment,” said Gurbhej Singh Sandhu, general secretary of the mission.

However, in this scenario of indifferent approach, Baba Sewa Singh Khadur Sahib Wale stands out for his magnanimous contribution towards environment. He has been instrumental in planting trees and till now, he has planted three lakh saplings covering the area of 300 km, including roads, public places and gardens across the state. He said environment deterioration was a major concern.

It is noted that Kaar Sewa Khadur Sahib launched a campaign for environment conservation in 1999 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Angad Dev (2004). Under this drive, different varieties of trees have been planted besides roads, in parks, public places and villages of Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in allegiance with the government as well as NGO.

The organisation is motivating the community to plant the traditionally important trees like banyan, neem, peepal, Indian rosewood, arjuna, chakrasia, alstonia, toon, putranjiva, mulberry, ashoka, Persian lilac, Mahogany, Pongamioa pinnata, Phycus, Kulifarm, Bottle-Palm, Maulsari, Indian laburnum, Kachnar, Royal Gold Mohur, Jatropha, Lagestonia, yellow bells etc.

Amritsar, June 4
To beat the sweltering heat of summer, a large number of city residents are making a beeline for popular tourist spots.

The Kashmir Valley, being one of the most preferred destinations, has always witnessed a heavy rush of tourists. Cool climate and scenic beauty of the place has made it a hit this season as well. Ladakh has also become a tourists’ haven with its unexplored and virgin locations. “Most of the people prefer to travel by road to Ladakh, as they don’t want to miss out on an adventurous road trip,” says Gunbir Singh of Divine Destination. Kasauli, Dalhousie and Dharamsala are favourite among those who want a weekend getaway.

Manali and Goa also stay abuzz with tourists throughout the year. In summers, a lot of people prefer to visit religious places like Vaishno Devi, Badrinath, Kedarnath and Haridwar.

Europe hits the chart when it comes to international holidays. “Europe has cold climate and with countries like Spain offering cheaper tourism, an overseas holiday comes a bit easy on pocket,” says Ashok Daniel, Assistant Manager, Dove Travels. “Apart from that, Mauritius and Far East are much preferred destinations for those wanting to soak up the sun on beach,” he adds.

A cruise along popular international port cities is a hit with honeymooners.

Planning a holiday and travelling can be demanding during summers. “Pre-planning of a holiday is very important, especially in case of international travel. If you plan your holiday in advance, it can cut the cost in terms of air travels, hotel and lodging. You can save a lot of money this way and also avoid the last-minute stress,” says Daniel.

Amritsar, June 4
All is not well in the ruling alliance in Amritsar, as another incident of friction between the SAD and BJP has come to fore.

Firstly, the MC house meeting had to be postponed, as SAD councillors had accused the BJP of ignoring them. In another instance, SAD workers had burnt the effigy of BJP MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu, accusing her of bias.

The controversy gained momentum when the SAD councillors objected to the authority’s favourable approach being extended to BJP councillors when it comes to development of the wards.

A day prior to the MC’s general house meeting on May 31, the SAD councillors raised the issue of autocratic and biased attitude of the authorities towards the BJP councillors while allocating funds for carrying out development works in their wards. Following this discrepancy, City Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora had to put off the meeting for an indefinite period.

SAD councillor and Senior Deputy Mayor Avtar Singh Trukkanwala had even raised questions over the integrity of the MC officials and accused them of having a biased approach.

In the backdrop of this move, during the last budget session held on March 20, it was the SAD lobby that criticised the system prevailing in the MC’s working.

The SAD councillors ‘categorically’ accused those officials of the MC department ‘by name’ who were reportedly involved in corrupt practises in connivance with the contractors entrusted with the task of carrying out essential services in certain wards.

The SAD councillors raised fingers on the functioning of sewerage, municipal town planning, land and house tax, sanitation, and birth/death certification departments.

Showing concern over the poor garbage lifting and disposing scenario, Senior Deputy Mayor Avtar Singh Trukkanwala said the directions given by the Mayor or Commissioner were never followed.

He pointed out that the regular safai karamcharis who got government pay scales had further engaged temporary workers for Rs 2,000-Rs 2,500 to perform the job in their place and the MC authorities had been silent over the issue.

He also raised questions over the integrity of the house tax and MTP officials, who terrorise residents and ‘compensate’ only after savouring hefty bribe from them. “No accountability was ever fixed over the official concerned despite repeated appeals,” he said.

Similarly, SAD Councillor Surinder Singh Sultanwind resented that in the absence of any follow-up, the issue of ‘obliging’ certain advertisement mafia by a former Mayor and Commissioner was buried.

He said the councillors were never taken into confidence while framing any policy matters in their respective wards.

The councillors also said private trolley operators engaged in lifting garbage siphoned off the diesel by curtailing their rounds in connivance with sanitation inspectors.

City Mayor and senior BJP leader Bakshi Ram Arora said the objections raised by SAD councillors had been taken into account and MC Commissioner had been told to conduct an in-depth inquiry into the allegations being raised over the officials of certain MC wings. 

Amritsar, June 4
In view of the increasing and overwhelming importance of spoken and communicative English in today’s world, the CKD Institute of Management and Technology, in collaboration with English World, organised a free language training workshop on the institute premises.

Titled ‘AAKAAR 2013’, the workshop was inaugurated by president of Chief Khalsa Diwan Charanjit Singh Chadha. He was also the chief guest on the occasion.

This meticulously designed workshop included activities like on-the-spot English vocabulary training, pronunciation, voice modulation and accent.

The event was conducted by renowned language expert Vikram Khanna, who has a vast and rich experience in language training.

The Principal of the institute, Dr HS Sandhu, said the workshop was very informative. “Since there was a judicious blend of pictures and video clips to demonstrate and impart linguistic skills, it managed to attract the attention of students and teachers. This will help them hone their communication skills.”

The event was followed by a valedictory session, which was presided over by Secretary Santokh Singh Sethi and the guest of honour, Dr Dharamveer Singh, Director, Education. —TNS