Amritsar, July 29
Kulwant Singh, a resident of Pandori Waraich village, was shot dead, while two persons were injured when a youth opened fire at them late last evening. The injured have been identified as Manohar Lal and Sukhwinder Singh.

Baljit Singh, son of the deceased, told the police that they were standing at a vacant place in the village when Sonu and Baba opened fire and shot his father dead.

He said they were sleeping on the roof when rumours spread that armed persons had attacked the village. He said the residents started gathering and he along with his father also came out of the house and went to a vacant place near the house. He said Sonu started firing from his .12-bore rifle.

“I immediately shouted and asked Sonu to not to fire as my father was standing there. However, instead of relenting, they fired two more shots, one of which hit my father who immediately fell down,” Baljit said. Manohar Lal and Sukhwinder Singh, who were standing near his father, also got injured.

He said they were rushed to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital where doctors declared Kulwant Singh dead.

Baljit alleged that Sonu and Baba deliberately fired at his father in order to settle old scores. He said during the panchayat elections his family had supported the opposite group and since then Sonu and Baba were nursing a grudge against them.

Yadwinder Singh, SHO, Kamboh police station, said a case under Sections 302, 307 and 34 of the IPC and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered against Sonu and Baba. He said raids were being conducted to nab the accused, who had been on the run since the incident.

Amritsar, July 29
The row between the Municipal Corporation (MC) authorities and its staff ended after the MC started the process of payment of dues to the staff in a phased manner.

The Commissioner, MC, DPS Kharbanda, today released the first instalment of their arrears of the dearness allowance (DA).

Meanwhile, according to the DCFA Department, a total of Rs 33 crore is required to clear the dues of its all staff member.

It has been learnt that the Commissioner has ordered the staff concerned to initiate the process of clearing arrears of all the employees by August 15.

Later, the MC Commissioner also held a meeting with the representatives of the Bank of India to commence the loan procedure. Nonetheless, the agitating employees unanimously decided to not to go on strike after they were promised clearance of their DA arrears from 51-58 per cent, besides uniform, mobile allowance, etc.

Various organisations, including Nagar Nigam Tal Mel Dal, Municipal Corporation Workers' Union (AITUC), Safai Mazdoor Union (Bitta) and Nagar Nigam Karamchari Dal, were fighting for the cause.

Surinder Tona, general secretary of Municipal Corporation Workers' Union, Amritsar, said the move would benefit over 1,500 employees, out of the total 4,500, working in various departments.

"The cheques would be deposited in their respective accounts in a few days' period. We are delighted at this development as the arrears had not been paid for the past over 10 months. The uniform allowance had never been raised since 1995. Similarly, the mobile and the medical allowances were not being paid. We also demanded the promotion criteria for Class IV and Class III employees, to which the Commissioner has assured us that a policy would be devised very soon to redress these grievances," he said.

We have made a partial payment of DA arrears to some staff members and the rest of them, too, would be getting their arrears as the case may be. Today, a healthy meeting was held with the Bank of India representatives regarding Rs 50-crore loan, which the MC is raising by mortgaging Guru Nanak Bhawan. There was some technical hitch in the evaluation of the property, which was to be cleared with them. The bank had evaluated the property at Rs 30 crore, whereas its actual value comes to around Rs 80 crore. At the end of the discussion, I was able to convince them and now doors are open for us to ask for an amount of Rs 50 crore as loan. A similar meeting has been scheduled with HUDCO, from where we are going to raise another amount of Rs 100 crore as loan.
— DPS Kharbanda, Commissioner, MC

Amritsar, July 29
A man, Sukhjit Singh (29), was found murdered at his residence in Mahaar village, falling under the Rajasansi police station in the Amritsar (Rural) police district, here today.

Sukhjit Singh's throat was slit, while there were injury marks on his head and other body parts also.

Rashpal Singh, SHO, Rajasansi police station, said though the family members suspected that he was killed by unidentified robbers, the police was suspecting the role of an insider in the murder.

The police had recovered about Rs 24 lakh from the residence, while there were no sign of entering of any person from outside.

Sukhjit had been adopted by his maternal uncle. His uncle and aunt both had died. The deceased had a lot of property and agricultural land in his name. He was living alone as he was a divorcee.

A few days ago his biological parents and other family members came there to live with him.

“The investigations are under progress and we hope to crack the case soon. We have found definite clues in the case,” said Rashpal Singh.

Amritsar, July 29
The house tax sub-committee of the Municipal Corporation (MC) has been successful in getting a whopping amount of Rs 55 lakh as pending house tax amount from the Alpha One Mall authorities.

After getting a nod from MC Commissioner DPS Kharbanda, a team of the House Tax Department, led by Superintendent Shushant Bhatia, went to the mall located on the Amritsar-Jalandhar GT road here this afternoon. According to information, Alpha One Mall, which came into existence around four years ago, has a liability to pay house tax of Rs 1.35 crore per annum, but for the current year, it paid just Rs 80 lakh only.

After scrutinising the house tax defaulters’ list, it was found that in the case of Alpha One Mall, there were gross discrepancies in the rent deed process too.

The House Tax Department had summoned as many as 93 tenants of Alpha One Mall to submit their rent deeds. Astonishingly, only eight cared to respond, whereas the remaining 83 evaded it.

Questions were being raised over the functioning of the House Tax Department when the then team, comprising Superintendent Jaswinder Singh and Inspector Pardeep Kumar, had "accepted" the lesser house tax amount for the current period (2012-2013) and "overlooked" the balance amount of Rs 50 lakh.

It was only after getting directions from MC Commissioner DPS Kharbanda that Superintendent Bhatia intervened, despite the fact that the area of Alpha One Mall does not come under his purview.

In the backdrop of this development, it was viewed that during 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, it was Bhatia who could get the full amount of Rs 1.35 crore during that period.

This was enough for the sub-committee to react.

Surinder Sultanwind, SAD councillor, who is one of the members of the house tax sub-committee, said it was the weakness of the earlier house tax staff that Alpha One Mall enjoyed immunity.

“Whatever may be the circumstances, the house tax staff cannot escape from accepting its failure to get the house tax in full from Alpha One Mall. Anyway, Alpha One management was given a grace period for depositing its tax, the limit of which was to expire today. It was gracious on its management’s part that it paid the balance amount of Rs 55 lakh. After assessing its records, several shortcomings were noticed in its rental agreements with its tenants too. The mall management has committed to clarify it by next Friday.

Amritsar, July 29
Students of private schools and their parents today took a sigh of relief as the school transport operators today resumed operations after two-day strike.

Office-bearers of the School Van Auto-Rickshaw Union held meetings with District Transport Officer (DTO)Angrej Singh on the directions of Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal.

A leader of the union, Manohar Mannan, said the union called off the strike and decided to amicably resolve the issue by holding talks with officials. He said during the talks between the DTO and the union, it was decided that the union would prepare a memorandum containing demands to be submitted to the government through the district administration.

The Deputy Commissioner said the union members raised the issue of big fine on vehicles and frequent impounding of vehicles not having registration number of the state. He said bringing down of taxes was a policy decision and any decision over it can only be taken by the state government. Besides, the DTO has been directed to crosscheck the antecedents of the vehicles from those districts where they had got the registeration numbers. After thorough checking and evaluating their carriage condition these vehicles must be allowed to be plied on roads.

Amritsar, July 29
Contrary to the claims of the police department, incidents of snatching continue unabated in the district.

While a number of incidents have been reported in the Amritsar rural belt area in the recent past, the situation is no better in the city.

In a recent case, two unidentified motorcycle-borne youths snatched over Rs 4,000 from two employees of a petrol pump at gunpoint. Balbir Singh, an employee of Raja Kisan Sewa Kendra Petrol Pump located in Pandori Waraich village, told the police that the unidentified youths first got petrol worth Rs 400 filled in their motorcycle and then took out a pistol and snatched Rs 4,195 from the attendants there.

On Saturday, three unidentified persons caught hold of Deepak Kumar of Majitha and snatched his purse. He was returning home from Ajnala side on his motorcycle when he stopped to answer nature's call. The accused, armed with sharp-edged weapons, came from behind, caught hold of him and snatched his purse and fled away. In a similar incident, three armed persons robbed a mobile phone from a car mechanic Gurpreet Singh who was returning home located in Bohru village on July 26.

On July 18, three government school teachers were robbed off around Rs 10,000 by three motorcycle-borne youths who were armed with datar (a sharp-edged weapon) near Khatrai Kalan village. The teachers were returning home after closing of school located in Vichhoa village.

On July 15, a goldsmith was robbed off the jewellery near Chawinda Devi village in the Kathunangal area.

The situation is no better in city areas. Chheharta has witnessed two snatching incidents in the past couple of days. A woman, identified as Sukhbir Kaur of Hoshiar Nagar, was returning home along with her husband after meeting their relatives in the Guru Ki Wadali area when three persons attacked and injured them and took away her earrings.

Despite it being a cognisable incident, the Chheharta police was yet to register a complaint while claiming that the victims had not lodged a formal complaint in this regard.

In yet another incident, two persons snatched the earrings of Mukesh Rani of Kot Khalsa area. One of the accused was identified by the onlookers and subsequently he was arrested. He was identified as Lakhdev Singh of Indira Colony in Kot Khalsa. His accomplice is yet to be arrested.

The police stations of respective areas were dithering on registering cases, it has been learnt.

The city police, however, has adopted a novel way of reducing snatchings by clubbing the various cases in a single old FIR. Recently, three snatching incidents were reported in Old Jail Road, Lawrence Rroad and Ranjit Avenue. But all the cases were merged into a single FIR while suspecting that these instances were carried out by the same group of persons.

Earlier, the city police had adopted the similar tactics too. A senior citizen and Delhi resident was robbed near Bhandari bridge by unidentified persons. He had written to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal when the police insisted to club the case with an old FIR. The police later registered a separate FIR in this connection.

A police official said the police usually adopted the practice of clubbing different cases as per the Criminal Procedure Code if it suspects the involvement of same gang in the incident. He said the police department had initiated various steps, including launching PCR teams, night patrolling etc to curb the crime rate in the city. He claimed that the snatchings have climbed down considerably.

SSP Amritsar (Rural) Manmohan Singh said they were concentrating on this and a special campaign would be launched to nab the culprits.

Amritsar, July 29
Two youths have fallen victim to the panic wave that has engulfed the city following the rumours of the arrival of a gang which chops off limbs of people.

One of youths was thrashed by people and later tied to a tree in the New Hamidpura colony, located on the Amritsar-Attari road here.

According to information, colony residents, who were conducting "thikri pehra" (night community patrolling) got panicky after the power of the area was shut down. They later found Ghanshayam coming towards the colony and they caught him.

When he said nothing on questioning, he was thrashed by residents. He was later handed over to the police.

Similarly, in another instance a youth, Kaka Singh, of Bilaspur, was held captive by the people. He was tied to a tree by residents, who also thrashed him brutally. The residents informed the Gharinda police, which reportedly came in the morning and got him free from them.

Sukwhinder Singh, DSP, Attari, said the unnecessary panic due to baseless rumours had resulted in these incidents. He said the Gharinda police had booked the residents, who had beaten up the two victims, who were later found to be mentally unsound.

Amritsar, July 29
All India Pingalwara Charitable Society, a shelter home for the mentally challenged, handicapped, sick, elderly and the destitute, will hold a five-day-long programme to mark the 21st death anniversary of its founder Bhagat Puran Singh from August 1.

Dr Inderjit Kaur, president of the society, said a medical team of cancer specialists from England-based organisation involved in cancer treatment would hold free of cost medical camps for the inmates of Pingalwara on August 1 and for other patients on August 2.

The camps will be held at its office at Manawala village. Patients could also avail other tests like blood sugar, ECG memography and others.

An akhand path of Guru Granth Sahib will start at its GT Road office on August 3 while a blood donation camp will also be held. An exhibition of handicrafts prepared by its inmates, natural farming and artificial limbs for handicapped would be showcased on the occasion.

Dr Jai Roop Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, would release a book on Bhagat Puran Singh's life "Pyar Dia Tanda" penned by Dr Inderjjit Kaur on August 4.

On the concluding day, bhog of akhand path would be performed and hazuri ragi of the Golden Temple would offer kirtan.

Amritsar, July 29
The ayurveda system of medicine has its own methodology for diagnosing diseases on the basis of vat, pitt, kaff and ayurgenomics (amalgamation of ayurveda and genome).

This was said by Prof BK Thelma of Delhi University who is also on the advisory panel of the Prime Minister of India. She was here to deliver lecture on genetics of complex traits during the refresher course in health and life sciences (food technology, nutrition, home sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, sports medicine, physiotherapy, bio-sciences and physical education).

The refresher course was organised by Academic Staff College (ASC) of Guru Nanak Dev University.

Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu, director, Academic Staff College, welcomed the chief guest and introduced the teacher participants. Dr AJS Bhanwer, course coordinator and professor of the Department of Human Genetics spoke in details about the ongoing course.

Prof Thelma said the concept of personalised medicine was available in “Charka Samhita” in 1500 BC. She said it was a holistic Indian traditional system of medicine which emphasised on treatment of cause rather than symptoms. She said contemporary lifestyle was the rootcause for diseases.

Talking about the advances in medical genetics and how they are relevant to translational medicine, she said everyone was talking about advances in the field of technology people hardly spoke how it would benefit the masses.

Dr Thelma discussed her recent work done on rheumatoid arthritis on the basis of ayurveda and SNP analysis. The lifestyle changes need to be balanced to treat all morbidities, she concluded.

In another lecture, eminent scientist Dr Parthap P Majumder, director, National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kolkata, said the burden of oral cancer in India was because of a heavy consumption of tobacco, alcohol and caffeine.

He also talked about the genes which play a pivotal role in oral cancer pathology. He along with his team has discovered five new genes involved in cancer susceptibility.

He said with the invention of impact vaccine in 20th and 21st centuries, various epidemic infectious diseases had been eradicated. These are small pox, diphtheria, polio among others. He said the need of hour was to start awareness campaigns by NGOs to educate the people, especially those living in slum areas and to teach them about their personal hygiene. 

Amritsar, July 29
Twenty four students of Spring Dale Senior School have secured highest grades in the Educational Assessment Australia (EAA) of the University of New South Wales, Australia, and Macmillan Publishers India Limited.

In the Educational Assessment Australia (EAA), the Spring Dale Senior School students competed with students from Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and UAE in English, mathematics, science and computer skills in International Assessment for Indian Schools (IAIS) 2012.

Meanwhile, 22 Spring Dale students participated in the National Creativity Olympiad and National Test of Emotional Intelligence, Derek O'Brien's Faster, Smarter and Better Challenge Quiz 2012, Third International Olympiad and Saviours 8th Environment Competition and won a cash prize of Rs 1,000 each for securing all-India ranking in the National Creativity Olympiad and National Test of Emotional Intelligence.

Aryaman Aggarwal of Class IV received a cash prize of Rs 5,100 for his performance in the Twelfth National Cyber Olympiad and Saviours 8th Environment Competition.

In the Olympiads, Sanchit Khanna of Class II secured eighth international rank in the Third International English Olympiad and a second state in the same, Agamjot Singh of Class IV bagged the ninth international rank and first state rank in the second level of the Twelfth National Cyber Olympiad.

Gursimar Singh Miglani, a student of Class V secured 64th international rank and second state rank, Class II student Agamveer Singh secured 73th international rank and first state rank in the second level of the Twelfth National Cyber Olympiad.

Ishaan Marwaha of Class III secured 36th International rank in the Third International English Olympiad.

Aryaman Aggarwal bagged the 94th international rank and seventh state rank in the Twelfth National Cyber Olympiad, besides securing National Merit One, State Merit One and City Merit One in the Saviours eighth Environment Competition.

Amritsar, July 29
With the rise in the number of pilgrims, the Shri Durgiana Committee (SDC) is constructing a state-of-the-art serai comprising 39 rooms near the city railway station.

Named Shri Lakshami Narayan Yatri Niwas, the centrally air-conditioned serai would be run at no-profit and no-loss basis for the benefit of pilgrims.

The stretch of road near railway station adjacent to Gol Bagh has seen many hotels coming up on it. However, the serai would be the first place from a charitable religious society.

SDC spokesperson Harish Taneja said the five-storey inn with a basement is likely to be finished at the end of this year. He said though no rent had been fixed so far but the charges would be nominal as the committee would intend to recover only charges levied on services, power and maintenance.

Being constructed over a chunk of 150 square yards of land, a parking lot was in existence at the same site earlier. The Durgiana Mandir Committee in its Rs 11.45 crore annual budget for the current fiscal (2013-2014) had kept an estimated cost of Rs 1.45 crore for Shri Lakshami Narayan Yatri Niwas while Rs 26 lakh had already been spent on it.

The Yatri Niwas would be the second inn under the management of the SDC as it was already running Dhanwant Kaur Dharamshala in the periphery of Shri Durgiana Temple. The dharamshala has been a symbol of communal harmony besides providing shelter to devotees at nominal rates.

Mata Dhanwant Kaur, who belonged to Rai Bahadur family of Lahore, got the dharamshala built and had donated it to Shri Durgiana Temple in 1945.

The dharamshala has a large hall and 40 rooms where 450 to 500 devotees can stay. There are five air-conditioned rooms and three rooms fitted with air coolers in the inn.

Devotees can stay there for a maximum of three days and Rs 30 is charged per person per night. Bedding is also provided by paying extra while air-conditioned double bedroom comes for Rs 450,

People who cannot afford high rates in the market for social functions like ring ceremonies can arrange such functions in the same inn by paying a sum of Rs 300 only and Rs 400 for holding marriages.

The foundation stone of Durgiana Temple was laid by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya in 1925.

Lakshmi Narayan Temple is the central place in the Durgiana complex.

The interior of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir and Darshani Deori is as per the Indian tradition of art and design. The mural paintings on the walls of the temple belong to the Kangra school of art. The temple has gold-plated domes and spires. 

Amritsar, July 29
A kirtan darbar was organised on the auspicious occasion of Gurpurab last evening. The event began with a grand procession of Sri Guru Granth Sahib from Chief Khalsa Diwan Gurdwara to the carpeted Darbar Hall.

Exponents of Sikh religion Bhai Harjinder Singh Srinagar Wale, Bhai Joginder Singh Riar, Bhai Ravinder Singh Hajoori Ragi, Golden Temple, Bhai Rajinder Singh Jaap chanted the shabads and filled the air with spirituality.

Director Dharam Veer Singh welcomed the guests and congratulated the management, teachers and guests on the Gurpurab celebration.Kirtan Darbar featured exhibition with special theme of reflecting the life of Sri Guru Harkrishan Sahib. Giani Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib and Giani Maall Singh, head granthi, Golden Temple, were present on the occasion.