Jalandhar, August 18
The district health authorities are on their toes as the fear of outbreak of water-borne diseases or even an epidemic looms large here as the rainwater has accumulated in different parts of the city.

Uninhibited undergrowth and stinking heaps of garbage that dot every nook and corner are posing a major health hazard to the residents in the city and its surrounding areas.

Water accumulated in pits and low-lying areas has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. Rainwater which has been contaminating potable water in different residential colonies across the city is endangering human health.

Slush on a road in Transport Nagar; (right) the road near Qazi Mandi in Jalandhar is full of garbage. Tribune Photographs

Inadequate measures

• Following the recent rains that flooded the residential colonies, especially in the low-lying areas, the Health Department swung into action and started distributing chlorine tables in a door-to-door campaign
• Despite this, there are reports that residents are getting supply of muddy and contaminated drinking water in Gurunanakpura and a few other areas
• Residents of the area have demanded intervention of their municipal councillors to raise the issue in the house during the civic body meeting

Jalandhar, August 18
Having the distinction of being one of the oldest bar associations of India and the biggest in Punjab, 128-year-old District Bar Association of Jalandhar (DBAJ) has reared many an icons in the field of politics and judiciary, of both national and international repute.

The bar came into existence in 1845.

A rare and proud moment for the bar was the elevation of one of its member, Justice Yakub Ali Khan, to the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1975. The Bar which started with about 60 members in 1918, proudly boasts of having 1,750 members on its roll today.

“Originally the civil courts of Jalandhar were located between Hoshiarpur Adda crossing and Tanda Road crossing. The area is still known as Mohalla Kacherian. Then the courts were shifted to a building near Hotel Plaza. The present courts in the New Court area were shifted here in 1960. Presently, 29 courts are running from the new Judicial Complex constructed in 2004,” said Ved Vyas (89), the oldest member registered with the Bar since 1949.

Among the first legal luminaries of the bar was Spencer who started practicing here in 1875 and was known as an erudite scholar of international repute. Another name to reckon with was Justice Acchru Ram, the judge at the Lahore High Court before the partition, who was made the Custodian General of India after independence. Justice Surjit Singh Sandhawalia served as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and also served as the Governor of Punjab in 1983. Presently Justice S.S Nijjar is serving as a judge in the Supreme Court of India.

The Bar has grown tremendously due to the fact that Jalandhar is the largest NRI belt in Punjab. Hundreds of cases relating to NRIs’ matrimonial and land grabbing disputes are going on in the District and Sessions Courts.

“Around 40 per cent of the cases registered here are related to NRIs and industrial disputes only. Two separate courts have been constituted to deal with these two in the district,” said Mandeep Singh Sachdeva, president, District Bar Association of Jalandhar.

But the picture is not all rosy as it may seem to be.

Many lawyers operate from makeshift chambers constructed on the area of the old court complex. The district authorities have failed to provide any suitable place for their chambers.

The New Courts complex is devoid of litigants’ shed and canteen. Women lawyers have stopped showing any interest in the bar elections for the past few years. 

Jalandhar, August 18
With the Indian government deciding to confer on him the prestigious Arjuna Award for sporting excellence, golfing prodigy Gaganjit Bhullar recently added yet another feather on his cap.

The first golfer from the state to get the Arjuna Award, accolades from fans and elders across the nation and abroad are pouring in since the word about the award got out.

Bhullar, Asia's number two and world's number 130, fiercely pursues his love for the game. The Tribune talked to Bhullar on how it feels to be an Arjuna Awardee, the progress of the gentleman's game in the country and more.

Reacting to the government's decision to honour him with the award and being the first golfer from the state to have bagged it (Jeev Milkha Singh being from Chandigarh), Bhullar said, "It indeed feels great. Punjab is a rich state and I have grown up adoring my own golfing heroes since childhood. It feels blessed to be the first one in 
the state receiving the award. I feel privileged to be in a position where I could be an inspiration for the youth."

When asked golf is not a very popular game and how to get youngsters attracted to it, especially in the state, he said, "Indeed it is not the common man's game. It is normally perceived to be a sport largely pursued by the higher class. But it is slowly picking up. Involving the youth might play a very important role in it."

"But from the stories I have heard and based on the general scenario, today's youth largely lack discipline. That needs to change, because the sport demands lots of it. They need to emulate and read from the lives of old-school golfers."

Whether he thinks the relative lagging behind of the sport is also owing to lack of infrastructure and an effective mechanism to hunt golfing talent, he quipped, "Golf has been introduced in the 2016 Olympics. So its growth is different than other games. Punjab has some great golf courses. It will take sometime building more. Though it is true the state doesn't have too many plans for the juniors but things are changing slowly."

"Cricket is India's first love and golf is nowhere near it. But India recently got a 24-hour golf channel. After cricket, it's the first sport to get a two-hour channel for itself and that speaks volumes about its popularity," he added.

Giving message to the youth, the young golfer said, "Golf teaches a lot in life. Youths planning to pursue it got to be armed with hard work and discipline. My request for the next generation is to work hard and golf will spring sweet surprises at them."

Bhullar has played 15 tournaments this year and shall be playing the Omega Masters in Switzerland.

Jalandhar, August 18
A 35-year-old man suffering from tuberculosis was found abandoned today near the city railway station here.

Amit, the victim, was found in a pitiable condition by a local NGO and was later admitted to the Civil Hospital. He told the NGO that he worked as a scrap picker and was staying in a rented accommodation with his brother Akshay at Baldev Nagar in the city.

He was found lying on the roadside and had not eaten anything for the past three days.

Witnesses said Amit had been dropped by a PCR while he himself said the police picked him up first from Baldev Nagar area.

Talking to The Tribune, Surinder Saini, member of Child Helpline, said, “We found him abandoned near a hotel adjoining the railway station. No one bothered to take him to hospital for days. He was unable to move and had developed bedsores.

He had been urinating at the same place where he was lying due to which no one went near him.”

Jalandhar, August 18
Mati Ke Lal, the acclaimed film of documentary film maker Sanjay Kak, will be screened at the local Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall on August 25.

Kulwinder Singh, director of ‘People’s Voice’ and Amolak Singh, head of ‘Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch’, in a press statement released here, said Sanjay Kak would be present during the screening to address audience at the hall.

He will participate in a discussion following the screening of the film.

The film screening will be presided over by Comrade Gandharva Sen Kochar, senior trustee, Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall and general secretary Dr Raghubir Kaur.

A day prior to the screening at Jalandhar, the film will be screened at Shanti Bhawan, Barnala, by the Sant Ram Udasi Yadgari Committee.

On August 25, after the screening at the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall at 11 am, the film will be screened at the Punjabi Bhawan, Ludhiana, at 5 pm in the evening.

Director Sanjay Kak will be present to address the audience at all these places.

Jalandhar, August 18
A day after her husband Nathpal and her minor son Amit Kumar were arrested on the charge of Vicky’s murder, Nathpal’s wife Shanti Rani has alleged that her husband and her son had been falsely implicated in the case as a part of a deep-rooted conspiracy.

Nathpal is the complainant and an eyewitness in his relative Vijay Kumar Dhilwan’s murder case, who was allegedly shot dead by an Akali councillor from ward number 11, Balbir Singh Bittu, during violence after the Vienna incident a few years ago. The hearing into the case is on.

Shanti said “My husband was being approached by Bittu’s men, who offered him a huge amount for changing his statement in Vijay’s murder case to save Bittu. But he did not agree to that. So, he has been now implicated in a false case of Vicky’s murder at his behest.”

Nathpal and 17-year-old Amit had gone to bring dal from a dhaba near Rama Mandi on August 16 at around 9 pm. On their return, Bittu’s driver Raj Kumar Jhona and Vicky rammed their motorcycle into Nathpal’s motorcycle. At this, Jhona and Nathpal started fighting with each other. Meanwhile, another vehicle, with several persons on board, reached there. Getting whiff of a conspiracy, Nathpal immediately called the police control room and Rama Mandi police and ran for shelter, leaving his motorcycle behind, she added

Shanti further said “When the Rama Mandi police reached there, we asked them to take action against Jhona and Vicky. Instead, they advised us to go home and said they would take appropriate action.”

She added “The Rama Mandi police came to our home after some time and took my husband along on the pretext of taking him to the spot, but later said he had killed Vicky.”

Jalandhar, August 18
The laidback attitude of the district administration can be assessed from its official website, which has posted obsolete information dating back to as old as a decade.

Most columns on the website jalandhar.nic.in have not been revised ever since they were posted. One of the most glaring mistakes on the website is that Anurag Verma has been shown as the Divisional Commissioner, whereas the officer got transferred more than a year back. His charge went to SR Ladhar, who too has moved, with the post now going to R Venkatratnam.

Further, a column on District Sainik Welfare Office mentions Lt Col Manmohan Singh as the Deputy Director whereas his position too had been taken over by Lt Col Harvinder Singh about over a year ago.

What is even more startling is that the list of cinema halls mentions the names of Joti Cinema, Naaz Theatre, Lal Rattan Cinema and Friends Theatre, all of which have closed down since the past several years. Further, most numbers given in the public utility services are not working at all. The list of key contacts mentions one contact as ‘octroi superintendent in MC’ while the post has been abolished.

The column ‘District at a glance’ has all obsolete data, with the population figures of 2001 census, animal husbandry of 1999-2000, agriculture, irrigation, education, industry, roads, health and electricity all dating back to 2003, which have not been upgraded ever since. The fact file of the District Consumer forum mentioned in the website has details from 1995 to May 2002 with no update on it.

The officials of the National Informatics Centre, when contacted, said they were helpless since the departments were not providing the necessary data for update, despite reminders. Since all departments now had their own websites, they were planning to add links to the departments, the officials added. 

Jalandhar, August 18
With a view to educate people about the RTI Act 2005 and help filing RTI applications free of cost, the BJP RTI Cell, Punjab, opened a RTI kiosk in Jalandhar today. Giving information, in-charge of the kiosk Vipan Sharma, who is state executive member, BJP RTI Cell, Punjab, said the kiosk would also facilitate people in getting information as how to use the RTI Act in their day-to-day life. They would also hold seminars on RTI Act 2005 in the city, he added.

"The RTI Act is a very good tool to eradicate corruption at grassroots level. Any person, irrespective of caste, creed or political affiliation can step into the kiosk and get help in any form regarding the RTI Act 2005", he said.

State convener of the BJP RTI cell Manit Malhotra said “After seeing the initial response, we will be opening kiosks in the whole state".

He claimed it was the first of its kind initiative by any political or social organisation. The BJP leaders present on the occasion were Arun Khurana, Puneet Shukla, Ajay Joshi, Rajan Arora, Surinder Seth, Advocate Sanjeev Bali, Purshotam Happy, KS Arora and Mandeep Jassal.

Jalandhar, August 18
Aiming for excellence and global citizenship, Cambridge International School, Phagwara, organised its first International Educational tour, in which 29 students, along with principal Jorawar Singh and two teachers, Manju Verma and Taranum Bymra, went on a trip to NASA, USA.