Unidentified man killed in road mishap
Amritsar, September 19
An unidentified man was killed after he was hit by an unidentified vehicle in the Jandiala area. The police has registered a case under Sections 304-A and 279 of the IPC against unidentified persons in this regard.

The accused in police custody in Amritsar on Thursday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Amritsar, September 19
Around 20 persons, allegedly involved in drug peddling and bootlegging, have been put behind bars. The police had recovered a huge quantity of narcotic material, besides illicit liquor from several of them.

In the Amritsar rural area, the anti narcotics cell nabbed Surjit Singh of Cheete Kalan with 500 capsules and as many tablets of habit-forming drugs. Among others who were nabbed with narcotic substances include Partap Singh of Loharka Kalan (100 gm intoxicant powder), Shamsher Singh and Harpreet Singh of Amarkot (with 200 gm and 220 gm of narcotic powder), Nishan Singh of Bhakna Kalan, Sukhwinder Singh of Basarke Bhaini and Shivraj singh of Dhanoekalan (600 tablets, 300 tablets, 95 capsules, respectively). Heera Masih was nabbed with 7 gm heroin.

The rural police also arrested five alleged bootleggers Mukhtar Singh of Loharka Kalan, Bikramjit Singh of Rampura Colony, Davinder Singh of Chogawan, Surjit Singh and Dilbagh Singh of Chak Mishri Khan.

Meanwhile, the city police has arrested Deepak Kumar of Gilwali Gate (5 gm heroin), Sarabjit Singh of Damganj (10 gm smack), Rupinder Singh of Sultanwind (100 gm intoxicant powder), while Arvinder Singh of Baba Bhuri wali, Tarn Taran road and Buri of Gujjarpura were nabbed with 20 and 40 bottles of illicit liquor, respectively.

Amritsar, September 19
The shocking incident wherein stray dogs had mauled a patient's body two days ago has once again brought to the fore the dog menace at government hospitals in the city. The reasons for their abundance include broken outer walls of hospital complexes and scattered garbage on which these canines feed.

The TB Sanatorium Complex has its walls broken at various points, making it easy for stray animals to sneak in. Packs of canines can be spotted at various places in the large complex, including out patients wards.

As most of the buildings at the sanatorium are worn out and not being used these days, the canines have a vast area at their disposal. In Government Medical College where the shocking incident had happened two days ago, the dogs seem to roam around freely.

Hostel residents said dogs often barge into their living areas. Patients, too, reported that stray dogs and cats sneak into wards during night as doors and windows are broken at a number of places.

However, patients and their attendants too have the habit of throwing food leftover at places around the buildings and dogs come looking for these. Even there have been reports of sweepers throwing garbage in the open many a time.

“The place is filled with dogs. The Municipal Corporation must do something to solve the problems,” said Joginder Singh, attendant of a patient admitted to a hospital. Not only hospitals, even localities in the city have a large number of stray dogs roaming there. In July this year, a four-year-old child had a narrow escape as dogs attacked him outside his home in the Rani ka Bagh area. 

Amritsar, September 19
The 3-day Zonal Youth Festival of educational colleges affiliated to the Guru Nanak Dev University began here today at the Dashmesh Auditorium with great enthusiasm. More than 400 students-artists from affiliated colleges of the university are participating in 24 items of music, theatre, dance, literary and fine Arts. The festival will conclude on September 21.

Dr PK Sehajpal, dean, Students Welfare, inaugurated the festival by lighting candles. Dr Jagjit Kaur, director, Youth Welfare, welcomed the chief guest and students. She detailed the activities and achievements of the department and also honoured Dr Sehajpal with a memento.

Dr Sehajpal said sports and cultural activities were the integral part of student life. He said the students should participate in these activities along with their studies for the overall development of their personality. He congratulated Dr Jagjit Kaur for winning the overall championship trophy last year in the North Zone Youth Festival. He hoped that the university would win it again.

Today, the fest began with competitions such as group shabad/bhajan, group song, folk song, geet/gazal and fine arts.

On September 20, the students will compete for fancy dress, mimicry, skit, poetical symposium, elocution, debate, on-the-spot painting, cartooning, poster making, collage and slogan writing competitions at various stages from 9.30 am onwards.

On the concluding day i.e. on September 21, the competitions of geet, gidha, rangoli, quiz and phulkari will be held from 10 am onwards.

Amritsar, September 19
The Government Medical College here disposed of a body which could have been preserved for years, provided the refrigeration room at the dead house of the Department of Anatomy worked perfectly. The faulty refrigeration chambers resulted in a loss to the students as the dead bodies could not be used for longer durations for educational purposes, which otherwise could be used if the machine is working properly.

The dead bodies at the college are preserved for educational purposes of the medical students. In the absence of refrigeration chambers, the dead bodies start decomposing after 7-10 days thus requiring their burial.

The refrigeration chamber helps in maintaining the cold temperature of four degree Celsius. However, as the system has come of its age, the ice slabs and fans are being used for the purpose.

The department has already sent a proposal for replacement of the machine which requires an expenditure of around Rs 33 lakh. In the past six months the machine has become out of order twice.

Head of department Dr Ravi Kant said, “Even when the bodies are buried, the skelton is taken out from the ground after six months and is used for educational purposes.” He said that if the chambers were working properly they could preserve the body for years.

The department has also requested for a separate air-conditioned vehicle for bringing dead bodies from the residences of whosoever pledges it after death. “A lot many NGOs and even private individuals transport dead bodies on their own but sometimes people are so poor that they cannot afford it,” said Dr Ravi Kant.

Amritsar, September 19
The fashion industry might run on the whims and fancies of the metro crowd, but people from small towns are the ones running the show behind the ramp. Selling creativity and clothes on a hanger, the young designers capitalise on the limited opportunities, an outing under the arc lights, rubbing shoulders with the big names of the Indian fashion industry.

A view of ‘Terra Cotta jewellery’ designed by city based designers, Raman-Gureena Arora, in Amritsar on Thursday. Tribune photographs

Some from the city are a fine example.

Being featured at the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) every year, some beginners have turned their luck and fashion abilities to maximum advantage, coming with their own fashion labels and ideas. Giving the city a taste of homegrown designer labels, these students of fashion have already made an impressionable start.

Like the designer duo of Raman-Gureena Arora, who had a sell-out at group shows and exhibitions in city with their terracotta designer pieces. Studying fashion designing from INIFD, the two got down to sell innovative statement pieces at a time when gold prices are sky high.

“We make terracotta pieces at home studio, which is a task in itself. After initial reluctance with the acceptance issues since Amritsar clientele loves its gold and diamond pieces, we decided to try out. And we sold all the pieces. Since then we have created a good clientele for our jewellery,” says Gureena.

Working with colourful, delicate and beautiful statement pieces, the two designers plan to go professional with their own label once they graduate.

There are others in league, Priya Tulli, another fashion student who had her designs showcased at LFW, too is working on her own label already. Coming from humble background, the girl from Gurdaspur has taken inspiration from designers like Sabyasachi Mukerjee, who she believes were from small towns and still managed to change the face of Indian fashion.

“Like every fashion graduate in the country, I too want to become a brand in fashion industry and this could be my beginning,” says Tulli. Believing that there has been a drastic change in the definition of fashion over the years, Priya is all about simplicity.

“It’s not about what label you wear or how much make up or accessories you wear. A simple jeans and tee is a fashion statement today. So, I too like to keep it simple.” But that doesn’t mean compromise on creativity or innovation, she says.

Guncha Chopra, another young designer who was a part of LFW’s GENEXT showcase, too has her own label running called Haniche. Providing Indian and Western formals at a budgeted price, she is all about fashion that doesn’t come with heavy tag.

Neelu Gauri, the centre head for INIFD, Amritsar, believes that the city has become a hub of budding and innovative fashion designers.

She says, “Contrary to the common perception that the city has limited fashion sensibilities, I think that the fashion students here put in extra hard work to get their due. The big cities have a lot of exposure and opportunities, but to make things work in a small city is commendable. Most of their labels and designs have got recognised for the detailing and creative inputs. With this momentum going, I think Amritsar will soon have the best designer labels at its behest.”

Tarn Taran, September 19
Hundreds of employees under the banner of ‘Sanjha Mulazam Morcha’ held a rally here today against the unannounced financial emergency debarring employees from withdrawing them their monthly salary and other withdrawals. Employees from the education, health, besides workers of mid-day meal and ASHA took part in the rally.

Jarmanjit Singh, state president of the Mulazam Manch, Punjab, suggested the state government to avoid unplanned and unnecessary expenditure. The Morcha in resolutions passed in the rally resolved for filling of all the vacant posts besides doing promotions for the better performance of the departments.

The workers also marched in the town and presented a memorandum to the district authorities. — OC

Amritsar, September 19
International Day for Ozone Layer Protection was observed by Mission Aagaaz. Deepak Babbar, executive director, Mission Aagaaz, said, “September 16 every year is observed as ‘World Ozone Day’ to show concern towards ozone layer that is depleting over the years.”

Educating school students members of Mission Aagaaz discussed about gases like CFC or carbon dioxide being used in modern appliances like air-conditioners, refrigerators, fire extinguishers etc which are responsible for the depletion of ozone layer.

On the occasion, the school students pledged to take care of the eco system. Earlier, Mission Aagaaz had urged Kahan Singh Pannu as well as Rajat Aggarwal the erstwhile DCs, Amritsar, who had assured to take stringent steps to reduce the emissions to the maximum, however till date no initiative has been taken by the District Administration.

“Several governments till date have only shown interest in promoting MNCs and their businesses while the environment is degrading day by day. They have done nothing to curb the harmful emissions that damage the ozone layer especially the gases from ACs /refrigerators and other sources,” said Rameshwar Dutta, an eco-volunteer from the city.