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Old, rickety structures to face axe: DC
CCTV project not implemented in city yet
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Cameras lying defunct at Civil Surgeon’s office
City’s air connectivity to get a boost
Multi-discipline sports complex gets Deputy CM’s nod
Woman shot dead by BSF near border
15-year-old girl killed in road mishap
Colonisers rue govt’s new policy
Bid to open new avenues for Indian printers
From sChools and Colleges
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Old, rickety structures to face axe: DC
Amritsar, July 10 The MC Commissioner has called for an emergency meeting and said that weather permitting, three buildings, which were in a dilapidated state, could be demolished shortly, as the tenure of the vacation notices, already served on the occupants, had
lapsed today. During the latest survey conduced a couple of days ago, the MC’s Municipal Town Planning department had identified 136 such crumbling structures in the walled city area. The occupants of these buildings were being served notices to either get their dilapidated structures properly repaired or vacate
these buildings to move to safer places. Hundreds of such old dilapidated buildings are waiting for the repeat of the disaster in areas like Dharam Singh market, Katra Ahluwalia Bazaar, Namak Mandi, Gali Chhajju and Guru Bazaar Pratap Bazaar, Cheel Mandi, Ghantagarh, Haveli Zamadara. Many such buildings are located adjacent to or on way to Jallianwala Bagh and the Golden Temple, which is visited by over one lakh tourists daily. MC Commissioner Bhupinder Singh said, at present, the three buildings located inside the walled city area needed immediate attention. “These buildings have rickety projections which can fall anytime. Within a day or two, we would be demolishing these, as the residents’ safety would be our priority in any case,” he said. Elaborating, senior town planner Hemant Batra said many of these buildings had been occupied by the tenants for the past many decades. The occupants were also operating their businesses from these buildings located in busy bazaars. The only hitch before taking any rigorous action is that a majority of the occupants of these buildings have obtained stay orders from the court following their tussle with the owners of the properties, he said.
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CCTV project not implemented in city yet
Amritsar, July 10 The project, which was aimed to be completed in a span of just a year, was announced by Member Parliament Navjot Singh Sidhu in the presence of the then Police Commissioner RP Mittal and former Improvement Trust chairman Sanjeev Khanna, with much fanfare in June 2011. Lately, the Deputy Chief Minister’s ambitious move to make Amritsar a "safe city" by installing CCTV cameras here had hit the headlines, but till date, nothing seems to be moving on the ground. Earlier, it was contended that the project was delayed due to the announcement of the SGPC elections, but even after the assembly elections, followed by the civic elections, no thought was spared to implement this most-sought-after project in the city, if the deplorable crime graph is anything to go by. During initial planning, the task was entrusted to the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT), which was supposed to fund the project, costing about Rs 5.5 crore, but later on, it got stalled due to red tape. Meanwhile, the respective tenures of police commissioner Mittal and AIT chairperson Khanna had ended, but the project could not see the light of the day. Nonetheless, the onus ultimately fell on the police department. As per the government’s instructions, the Amritsar police department had submitted a report with the Office of the DGP at Chandigarh after gauging the vital requirements of the project like identifying the important locations, but the reply is awaited. ADCP-II Amrik Singh Pawar said the police had identified around 52 key points and a report regarding the requirement of tentative number of cameras had already been conveyed to the government. "We have already done our part of the job and modalities are being finalised at the government level. We had submitted our requirements and the report regarding the vital points and intersections, where these were to be installed and the Home Department has already initiated ground work on installing CCTV cameras in Amritsar City,” he said. Considering the spurt in crime in the city, the project was an utmost necessity at this point of time. A vital tool
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Cameras lying defunct at Civil Surgeon’s office
Amritsar, July 10 The Civil Surgeon's office complex had CCTV cameras monitoring the birth and death registering office, Suwida Centre, Civil Surgeon staff office, main entrance and outside the office. However, the apathy of the administration has resulted in these cameras going defunct one after other. Interestingly, the first blow to the enthusiastic project by former Civil Surgeon Dr MS Randhawa was received on the very first day of the installation, as the LCD screen to monitor the cameras was stolen within a few hours of the installation. Dr Randhawa had come up with the novel idea of installing these cameras to curb corruption at the office. Hence, he had got six cameras installed in March last year. About the reasons why the project had failed, an office employee said, "Some employees in the office feel uneasy when the camera is looking at them. It forced people to remain on their seats during working hours, besides curbing underhand dealings, at least inside the office." With the change in guard, as no attempts were made to continue the project initiated by a predecessor, the cameras were destined to go defunct sooner or later. The general public has often complained about the ongoing corruption among employees at the office. In such a situation, the cameras can help in providing fair and free services to the general public. "At least employees would have some fear that somebody is watching them. Moreover, as the footage can be recorded, it can also help in ascertaining complaints made against employees by the general public," said a visitor Surinder Kumar.
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City’s air connectivity to get a boost
Amritsar, July 10 Tour and travel agents see a tremendous scope of expanding religious and leisure tourism by linking Amritsar with Patna, Nanded, Jammu, Kangra, Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. Ashwani Kumar Gupta of a tour and travel company said a large number of NRIs on pilgrimage to the Golden Temple inquired about flights to Patna, where Takht Sri Patna Sahib is situated and Maharashtra’s Nanded, where Takht Sri Hazur Sahib is located. He said flights connecting these two prominent takhts with the holy city could see light of the day once parking and landing charges were nominal. Besides, it would bolster the trade as industrialists and traders from the region had trade ties across Bihar and Maharashtra and they could save precious time by air travel. Likewise, there is a great demand for a flight to Jammu, which has Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in its adjoining Trikuta hills. In addition to this, prominent local medical hospitals receive patients from Jammu and surrounding areas to get specialised treatment. Many enquiries for flights between Amritsar and Jammu are received to provide them safe and swift treatment. Another travel agent, Amandeep Singh, said lowering of charges could be beneficial in connecting Amritsar with Rajasthan which had many historic sites. He elaborated that the number of foreign tourists to the holy city was increasing and they compulsorily visited Rajasthan. Linking Amritsar with Rajasthan would further bolster the flow of tourists here. Himachal Pradesh is another popular tourist circuit on the country’s atlas. “Though the hilly state shares boundary with Punjab, it does not have an air link with Amritsar”, he quipped. There has been an increase in the number of domestic flights which has boosted the footfall at the airport in the past three years. It is anticipated that once the AAI implemented the discount on landing and parking charges to the airlines connecting small cities, it would do wonders for the airport. The domestic footfall has surged by more than 80 per cent at the airport in the past three years and it was expected to maintain the upward trend with the implementation of the proposed incentive. The Amritsar airport recorded a domestic footfall of nearly 5.52 lakh during the fiscal 2012-2013, which was 4.94 lakh in 2011-2012. It was a big leap from 2010- 2011 when the footfall was 2.96 lakh. Airport Director Suneel Dutt said the Amritsar airport, with modern infrastructure, architecture and equipment, offered state-of-the-art amenities to the airlines and global ambience to the passengers. The total area was increased to 31,000 sm, which would provide
adequate space for multiple arrivals and security holds. Four aerobridges were incorporated at
the airport a few years back for the convenience of passengers so that they did not have to go through the ordeal of travelling in coaches to board their planes.
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Multi-discipline sports complex gets Deputy CM’s nod
Amritsar, July 10 District Sports Officer Harpaljit Kaur confirmed this and stated that an aquatic centre, comprising an Olympics-size swimming pool and a diving pool, equipped with a spectator gallery for about 2,000 persons and VIP parking, would also be established at the complex. She elaborated that the indoor games arena would comprise a multipurpose indoor hall which could host socio-cultural events, with a seating capacity of 7,500. She said the outdoor stadium would have a 400-m athletic track, kabaddi, long jump, shot put, javelin throw, discus throw, high jump and hammer throw facilities. In the stadium, there would be a seating capacity of 23,000 for kabaddi and around 13,000 for other games. The outdoor games stadium will have four lawn tennis courts and one stadium each for hand ball and basket ball, besides three courts for volleyball. In the complex, 2,000 cars and 16 buses could be parked. A food court, a sports mall, a hostel-cum-residential complex for 200 players and coaches would also be set up as part of the complex, Harpaljit added. She said the multi-purpose sports stadium was one of the seven International sports stadiums to be raised by the state government. A design had been finalised by the Amritsar Improvement Trust and 15 acres of land had been spared for the project, she said. The SAD-BJP government is developing Amritsar as the sports hub of the state with the purpose to create facilities to host important sports events, besides providing a world-class sports infrastructure to the budding players. Harpaljit said the stadium would play a significant role in promoting sports culture in Amritsar and adjoining rural areas by providing top-class sports infrastructure and coaching facilities.
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‘An instinctive journey became experience of a lifetime’
Amritsar, July 10 “It was never a planned trip, I just took off with one of my friends on my bike and did not stop until we reached Bhutan,” said Paran, who has earlier travelled to Khardung La Pass, the highest motorable road in the world, on his bike. “We drove in all weather conditions, 24/7, taking halts just for food and checking our two-wheeler,” he adds. Taking an unknown route, Paran and his companion travelled through the interiors of Punjab, NCR, UP, Bihar, West Bengal and north-east to reach Bhutan. Stocking up for the trip with medical supplies, tools and emergency kits, and his camera, the boys made sure to soak in all that was wild. “All that we depended upon were our instincts. There were rain damaged roads, connecting bridges, off roading, camping and many such experiences that we enjoyed. It was an amazing sight, knowing India from closer perspective and to experience the unknown,” he added. And by that he means injuries, fatigue, break downs and surviving on minimal.
Braving the challenges that a journey like this would normally bring, Paran enjoyed every moment of difficulty. “We drove through the naxal areas in Assam during night, which was dangerous. But the excitement of the journey could not be matched. We also met a fellow biker, who was travelling from Bangalore to Leh and stopped only when required,” he said. Once in Bhutan, Paran said he fell in love with the natural beauty and the passion with which its citizen preserved it from falling prey to globalisation. “Since Bhutan is a global biodiversity hotspot, the government is quite proactive in preserving the natural heritage. The country is one of the most outstanding eco-regions of the world and its citizens respect its forests and nature,” he explained. While on the go, Paran also managed to trek up the Taktshang Goemba or the Tiger’s Nest monastery, located on a 900-mt high cliff. The only hiccup in his entire journey was to get permits to visit some conserved forest areas. “It is a tourist-friendly country but does not compromise on its natural resources while entertaining the guests.
One has to pay US $250 to enter the country but for Indians, the fee is relaxed,” Paran added. A wanderer by passion, Paran undertakes two-three adventure trips in a year, while going for only the toughest terrains. His next is a road trip to the Saach Pass, 175 km from Dalhousie. “It is a dangerous track, 4,500 m above the sea level and with narrow, un-metalled and rain-damaged roads. It will be an exciting journey to make,” he signed off, still on a high with his Bhutanese experience.
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Woman succumbs to burn injuries
Amritsar, July 10 Alleging police inaction, the victim's family today staged a protest outside the post-mortem house. They blocked the main Majitha Road and demanded immediate arrest of the two accused, Darshna and Anita. They also alleged that the investigating officers, Harjit Singh and Malook Singh, had demanded Rs 1 lakh as bribe from them for arresting the culprits. They also sought their immediate suspension. Happy, a resident of Batala and the victim's brother, alleged that for 19 days, the police had not arrested Darshna and Anita. “Since the incident, the family was either making rounds of the police station or the hospital, where her sister had been admitted for treatment,” he said, alleging that his father, who was a junk dealer, had sold everything for the treatment of Rita. It may be recalled that a minor dispute over the throwing of garbage took an ugly turn when Rita was set on fire by her neighbours on June 22. Rita gave her statement before the Judicial Magistrate (First Class), following which a case under Sections 307 (attempt of murder) and 34 IPC had been registered against the accused women. She had stated to the police that the accused called her inside their house and blamed her for disposing of garbage in front of their houses. She alleged that first they brutally thrashed her with a wooden bat and later poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze. They then threw her out of the house, she alleged. After hearing her cries, people of the area called an ambulance and rushed her to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. Later, she was shifted to a private hospital. Amrik Singh Pawar, ADCP (City-II), who along with other police officials reached the spot, said the attempt to murder case had now been converted into murder case. He said the accused had fled after the incident and raids were being conducted to nab the culprits. Over the bribe allegations, he said investigation would be carried out to ascertain the truth.
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Woman shot dead by BSF near border
Amritsar, July 10 The Ramdass police has lodged an FIR in this connection following a complaint filed by MS Khichi, Assistant Commissioner, 63 battalion of the BSF. He said even after repeated warnings, the unidentified woman continued to move towards the border, following which the jawans opened fire, killing her on the spot. BSF officials said they had informed their Pakistani counterparts, who refused to accept her body. He said they had given the picture of the woman to Pakistan rangers for identification, while the body was sent for post mortem examination. The Ramdass police has registered a case under Sections 3, 34, 20 of the Indian Passport Act and 14 Foreign Act in this connection.
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15-year-old girl killed in road mishap
Amritsar, July 10 Narinder and his daughter were going towards the Nawan Kot area while the auto ("Chhota Hathi") was coming from the opposite side. The police authorities said the speeding auto went out of control and hit the motorcycle head on. Amandeep Kaur lost her balance and fell from the flyover. She died on the spot. The girl's father fell on the road along with motorcycle.
Major Singh, the auto driver, was arrested. Found dead
An unidentified person was found dead near Gurudwara Baba Atal Rai near the Golden Temple complex. The police authorities said they were yet to identify the deceased, as no identification was found from his clothes. They said the deceased seemed to be a devotee, who might have come to pay obeisance at the shrine. He said action had been taken under the Criminal Procedure Code.
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Health Dept team seals two illegal oil factories
Amritsar, July 10 District Health Officer Shivkaran Singh Kahlon said 400 cans of 5 litre each containing soya, chilly and tomato sauce were recovered from a factory owned by Deepak Kumar. The department collected five samples of sauces from the shop and sealed the factory. Kahlon said selling food items without the manufacturer’s label, batch number, packing date etc is illegal. He said substandard noodles were also recovered from the factory. The department had earlier too busted a factory by Deepak Kumar but he had lately changed the place of manufacturing and continued the illegal business, said Kahlon. The team also discovered an edible oil seed press in Gurjarpura area near Gilwali gate. The team found manufacturer’s labels with place of manufacturing written as Jaipur and Indore. The labels of Kiran Mustard Oil, with manufacturing address of Indore and Goldstar Mustard Oil, Jaipur, were also seized from the place. Kahlon said Durga Ji Enterprises, managed by Rajinder Kumar, was pressing seeds locally but selling it using labels of far-off manufacturers. The factory was sealed and three samples of oil were collected from the place. Dr Kahlon said show cause notices had been served to both the factories and their premises were sealed. All eight samples collected from both the factories were sent for testing, he added.
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Refresher course in Health & Life Sciences inaugurated at GNDU
Amritsar, July 10 Prof Bamezai, in his inaugural address, lauded the contribution of the Academic Staff Colleges in the all-round development of the faculty over the years. He said ASCs must also take initiative to include practical training as an integral part of such courses. He said the teachers in the present era had to rise to the occasion and act as a role model for the students in particular and the society in general in all respects. He also lamented the declining moral and ethical values in the society and said teachers could play a significant in stemming the rot. In the first session, Prof Bamezai delivered a talk on "Role of Genome in Life Sciences and Human Health". He explained how the complex human system had evolved from a simple micro-organism in time context. While concluding the session, he said strong associations needed to be established to unravel the hidden mysteries of life. Prof AJS Bhanwer from the Department of Human Genetics and Course Co-ordinator, acquainted the participants about the thrust area of the course. He also talked about the latest developments in the field of human genetics. Prof Jaspal Singh Sandhu, Director, Academic Staff College, welcomed the chief guest while Dr Mohan Kumar proposed the vote of thanks.
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Colonisers rue govt’s new policy
Amritsar, July 10 The communiqué stated that the compounding fee, which is collected from the colonisers and the development charges, which are collected from the property buyers, have been raised unproportionately for regularising the unapproved colonies. District President of the Association SK Vashisht said high compounding fee and development charges would hit the colonisers and end users. He said the real estate industry was under recession in the state in general and Amritsar in particular. He said a comparison between the compounding fee and development charges for unlicensed colonies, which were developed before August 17, 2007, and those developed after it, were unreasonably high as well as unrealistic.
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Bid to open new avenues for Indian printers
Amritsar, July 10 He said the association signed an agreement with Expo Centre Sharjah in this regard recently. The IPAMA joined hands with Sharjah (UAE) to promote printing and packing industry of Amritsar. He claimed that the holy city had already become a hub of printing, packing and binding machinery and was fulfilling 50 per cent demand of the packing machinery of India. More than 250 units are operational in Amritsar. Also, India is one of the leading exporters of machineries used in making newspaper, he added.
— TNS
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From sChools and Colleges
1,800 students secure placements
More than 1,800 students of Amritsar College of Engineering and Technology (ACET) secured placements with more than 200 companies at a campus recruitment drive recently. Amit Sharma, Managing Director, ACET, said 94 students were selected by TCS and the highest pay package of Rs 10 lakh was offered by Data 64 company for its cyber crime cell. He said mechanical, civil and electrical engineering students were placed in GVK Power Limited, Cinda Engineering and Construction Private Limited, Modi Group, Luminous, Sonalika, Daikin Air Conditioning and Volvo Eicher. Besides, IT companies like TCS, Infosys, Accenture, Polaris software, Dell Services, Wipro Technologies, HCL Technologies and AoN Hewitt recruited the students.
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Amritsar, July 10