Amritsar, September 25
Continuing its campaign of recovery of dues from defaulters, the Water and Sewerage Department of the Municipal Corporation (MC) today had to cut the connections of as many as six defaulters in different localities.

A team, led by Superintendent Pushpinder Singh, recovered Rs 9.30 lakh from defaulters. They used the public address system (normally used by the police to disburse mobs) besides drummers to shame the defaulters in their localities. Other members of the team were Superintendent Jaswinder Singh and meter readers Arun Kumar, Pardee and Satinder Singh.

Superintendent Pushpinder Singh said water and sewerage connections of Burger Hut, located opposite to Khalsa College, and Escort Printing Press, Joshi Pura Colony, were disconnected on account of being defaulter in paying the water and sewerage dues. Similarly, the connections of four residential premises - houses of Partap Singh in New Mohini Park, Balwinder Singh in Sewa Nagar, Surinder Singh in Ranjit Pura and Dinesh Kumar in Mohini Park - were disconnected.

Amritsar, September 25
The CIA staff has seized a huge quantity of illegal liquor and arrested one person in this connection, while his accomplice managed to flee.

The police has recovered around 3,600 litres of alcohol from their possession, while it has also impounded the truck (HR-55-K-0070) in which they were carrying the liquor.

The arrested person was identified as Kashmir Singh, alias Sheru, resident of Maagpur, Patiala. His accomplice, who fled away, was identified as Sukhdev Singh, resident of Shero, Tarn Taran.

Meanwhile, in its drive against drug peddlers and bootleggers, the city police arrested nine persons with narcotics and illicit liquor. Those arrested are Kanwaljit Singh of Fatian Wali Gali (150 gm narcotic powder), Resham Singh of Muradpura, Tarn Taran, Raja of Tarn Taran (30 gm smack), Varinder Singh of Tarn Taran (200 gm narcotic powder), Rahul Athwal (100 capsules), Kanwalijit of Majitha road (200 capsules), Davinder Singh of Kot Karnail Singh (5 gm heroin), Malkit Singh of Ghanupure Kale (200 capsules) and Daljit Singh of Kot Khalsa (13.6 litre illicit liquor).

Amritsar, September 25
While the Municipal Corporation (MC) has intensified its drive to recover house tax dues from the defaulters, but still there are around 20,000 defaulters in the list. The MC is aiming to recover these dues by December 31 and is in no mood to relent, despite the implementation of the property tax.

Around 3 lakh properties, which included around 30,000 commercial units, in Amritsar, having a population of approximately 11.27 lakhs, would be liable to pay the property tax. This would fill the MC coffers by up to Rs 60 crore per annum.

According to information, the property tax would be implemented from the session 2013-2014, whereas the house tax dues were lying pending for earlier period.

Besides, having almost Rs 10 crore as dead house tax arrears (may be because of properties exchanging many hands or from the government departments with whom payment has to be settled through book adjustment) there is another Rs 14 crore to be recovered by the end of this year.

In case of non-payment of the house tax, action could be initiated against the defaulters under Sections 137 and 138 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, and his/her movable/immovable property could be attached and put to auction as per rule.

Yesterday, a House Tax Department team, led by Superintendent Shushant Bhatia, sealed several properties for non-payment of house tax, which included Ramtez Furniture House in Prem Nagar, a Tata Mobile tower at Bharat Nagar, two shops on the Majitha road and a traveling agency. Thereafter, one godown at A Block, Ranjit Avenue, and a property dealer's office at B- Block were also sealed on same the account. Inspector Ashok Jhulka and clerk Sanjay Gupta accompanied the team.

A day before, five properties were sealed for the non-payment of house tax - a clinic at Tilak Nagar, mobile company tower at Krishan Nagar and three shops/booths at A and B blocks of Ranjit Avenue.

Superintendent Sushant Bhatia said besides this the defaulters had been duly informed in around 27 areas on the Batala road to pay up their house taxes on time.

DPS Kharbanda said though there was a small difference between the house tax and property tax norms. the residents should take it as their moral duty to pay the taxes because ultimately the collected amount would be used for providing basic amenities to the residents only.

"The implementation of property tax policy does not at all earn immunity to the defaulters who have not yet paid their house tax dues. We will go on with our recovery drive as it was planned. The list of the defaulters has been with us and they are liable to pay their dues, by all means. We will start the drive to collect property tax from today, wherein the residents themselves would assess their property taxes to be implemented on their properties," he said.

"These taxes will also earn us various Centre Government-sponsored projects, including those falling under the Jawahar lal Nehru Urban Rural Mission (JNNURM), as we will be in a better position to pool in the matching grant. We can also hope to perform our duties efficiently in terms of providing better road infrastructure, streetlights, water and sewerage connections, etc," he added.

Amritsar, September 25
The streets of the city are shrinking day by day due to encroachments. The latest being the Majitha road.

Even as crores of rupees are being spent to augment and revamp this most connected route, yet the negligent attitude of the Municipal Corporation (MC) has been spoiling all efforts. As the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital authorities have thrown open Bebe Nanki Mother and Child Care Centre, several illegal encroachments have come up around it.

Some traders have set up shops by building temporary structures around it with a view to cash in on the influx of patients into the centre.

It has been learnt that the hospital authorities have plans to open a separate entry and exit gate from here and people took no time to encroach upon the adjoining area. At present, four temporary kiosks have cropped up adjoining this boundary wall, besides a rickshaw stand, which is being operated from here in an illegal manner.

Their number will rise rapidly as it has been learnt that they have the backing of an official associated with a Cabinet minister's office.

"The anti-encroachment drive of the MC is nothing but an eyewash. Otherwise, had it been effective, people involving in encroachments would not have dared to indulge in the practice again. It is all political vote bank because of which we the citizens, who pay all kinds of taxes, have to pay the price," Naresh Johar, a Ram Bagh resident, said.

Nonetheless, if such an illegal operation of shops is allowed from here, it will cause inconvenience not only to the commuters, especially the pedestrians, but also to the traders, who have been operating from this area legally and paying all kinds of taxes to the civic authorities.

This is not the lone example. Take a round of the city and it takes no time to note that footpaths near the bus stand and the railway station have been occupied by cobblers, barbers, rehriwalas, fruit, vegetable and cigarette vendors.

The roads, even in the old walled city, which are wide enough to let traffic flow easily, have been reduced to half the size due to encroachments. Vendors have encroached on roadsides to such an extent that even a two- wheeler cannot pass through them.

"Ironically, if one visits the market near the Town Hall that houses the MC office, the over 30-ft wide road has been reduced to half due to encroachments on both sides," said Jagdish Singh, a Bagh Ramanand resident.

Estate Officer Vishal Vadhawan said a special anti-encroachment drive was on the cards shortly. "We have already removed some of these temporary encroachments on the same stretch, the rest of them would be removed soon," he said.

Minister for Research and Medical Education Anil Joshi

Amritsar, September 25
With local BJP MLA Anil Joshi taking charge as the Minister for Research and Medical Education, the employees of Government Medical College and the city residents have high expectations for the institution.

The institute is located in the Amritsar North constituency from where Joshi has emerged winner for two consecutive terms. As a large chunk of employees of the college are voters from his constituency, they feel that the minister must work to restore the reputation of the institute.

The college which had started as a medical school at Lahore in 1864 was subsequently shifted to the city in 1920. The medical school was then upgraded into medical college in 1943 and the first batch of MBBS graduates passed out in 1949.

The college was significantly expanded as many associate institutes were opened at different places in the city. The old-timers at the college say the institute had such a good reputation that former Chief Minster Partap Singh Kairon and his family were regular visitors and had even a room reserved for them for medical exigencies all the time.

The college has produced some of the best doctors in the world but is grappling with faculty shortage and financial constraints at present.

“The college had the potential to grow into a university. However, its growth was stunted as no strong leader from the area came into scene who could bat for the college,” said Balkaran Singh, a retired employee of the college.

He said Joshi could take the challenge and revamp the college.

At present, over 33 per cent of the faculty posts are lying vacant. The same is the case with the paramedical and other cadres. Recently, the college had lost to the SGPC-run medical college as the Medical Council of India declined to increase MBBS and PG seats citing infrastructure and faculty shortage.

However, the SGPC-run medical college managed to get the seats increased even as it is 15 years old. The city residents feel that the government apathy has resulted in the downfall of the premier institute, which resulted in mushrooming of a number of private hospitals.

“The government should chalk out a comprehensive plan to revamp the college by adding infrastructure and faculty,” said a senior faculty member.

Amritsar, September 25
The Islamabad police has nabbed Dimple Baba, the third accused in the murder case in which a youth Ramesh Kumar was beaten to death by four eunuchs.

The police has arrested three persons so far in this connection. The other two who have been arrested are Raji Baba and Lara Baba. Their fourth accomplice who was still evading arrest has been identified as Monika Baba.

The family members of the deceased had staged a protest while demanding registration of case under Section 302 of the IPC while the Islamabad police had registered a culpable homicide case not amounting to murder.

Ramesh Kumar was allegedly beaten to death by the accused after he refused to associate himself with them after his marriage. He used to work with them earlier.

The doctors who conducted the post-mortem examination of the deceased said fatal injuries inside the stomach led to the victim’s death. Following this, the case was converted to murder.

The police said raids were being conducted to nab Monika Baba who was still on run.

Amritsar, September 25
Three persons, including a woman, and a head constable lost their life in separate road accidents in the district in the past 24 hours.

Avinash Kaur, a resident of ward number 9 in Majitha, died when a tractor-trailer hit the two-wheeler she was riding along with her husband. Avinash died on the spot while her husband is fighting for life at the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital.

The victims were returning to their native village Ting Nangal after a medical check-up at Majitha.

The police registered a case under Section 304-A, 337, 338 and 427 of the IPC against the unidentified driver of the tractor-trailer on the statement of the deceased's son Vikas Nayar.

Head Constable Narinder Kumar who was posted in the city police lost his life while he was returning home from Jalalpura village on his motorcycle. The accident took place near Haria Majitha. He was hit by a tractor-trailer. The trolley driver, identified as Harpreet Singh, fled from the scene.

Hari Dev, a resident of Ranjit Avenue, was crushed to death when a speeding school van hit his vehicle.

Gurdial Singh, a resident of Ranjit Avenue and a relative of the deceased, said the driver of the school van who was driving recklessly hit Hari's vehicle near the Housing Board colony. The victim was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The police has arrested the van driver, identified as Sarabjit Singh of Vallah village, and a case under Section 304, 279 of the IPC has been registered in this connection.

Amritsar, September 25
The Rajasansi police has nabbed Bikka Masih, a resident of Dheedowal villagein Gurdaspur, who had allegedly slit his wife's throat.

Mamta, the victim, was found in a critical condition near the Rajasansi cremation ground. The incident took place a couple of days ago.

Confirming the development, Sukhdev Singh, Rajasansi SHO, said the accused was reportedly upset about the mysterious disappearance of his wife for six months before she resurfaced again. He said Bikka told the police that the victim was not giving any satisfactory reply for her disappearance and was adamant to return home. However, he refused to take her back.

He said the accused took the victim to her sister's residence in the Rajasansi area.

An altercation took place between them. Infuriated, he slit her throat with a sharp-edged weapon.

The victim was rescued by some villagers who informed the police and took her to hospital. The police said her condition was critical.

Amritsar, September 25
The C-division police station has booked an NRI woman and a local resident for allegedly duping three youths for sending them to Japan. The police registered a case following the statement of the three victims, identified as Pargat Singh of Chak Mishri Khan, Jagbir Singh and Lakhbir Singh.

They told the police that Sarabjit Kaur, who originally hails from Bandala village and now lives in Japan along with Jaginder Singh of Nagar Nigam Colony, allured them to send them to Japan and took Rs 8 lakh, Rs 1.96 lakh and Rs 6.5 lakh from them respectively.

In the second incident, Mandeep Singh of Guru Nanak Abadi in Verka was fleeced by Ludhiana-based four residents on the pretext of sending him to Canada. However, he smelt the rat well on time and managed to save his money from being transferred in the accounts of the accused, identified as Rajinder Kumar and Sanjiv, a resident of Sunder Nagar in Ludhiana district, Rajinder Kumar's driver and one Mr Gill.

In the third incident, the cantonment police has booked Vishal Parbhakar of Nawa Kot for allegedly cheating Avtar Singh of Islamabad area.

The accused reportedly took Rs 2.60 lakh from him for sending his son abroad. But he neither returned the money nor sent his son abroad, it was alleged.

The police has registered three separate cases against the culpritsunder various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). No arrest has been made so far in this connection, the police said.

Amritsar, September 25
Ten students of GNDU have been placed with IT multinational Infogain through campus placement which was held here recently.

Hardeep Singh, director placements, said the senior officials from Infogain conducted the selection process and arranged pre-placement talk for students from Amritsar, Jalandhar and Gurdaspur campuses and conducted written test, technical and HR interviews for all the eligible candidates.

He said Infogain has offered a salary package of Rs. 3.50 lakh per annum at the time of joining for the students. "With this, the total number of placements this session is 233. Different IT and software companies have confirmed their visit to GNDU for campus recruitments for the 2014 batch in October and November 2013. — TNS

Amritsar, September 25
A special screening of the film "Nooran" was organised at Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School. Punjabi actor and theatre artist Sohi and theatre actress Kul Sidhu played the protagonists in the directorial debut of Navtej Sandhu. The star cast and the director of movie were also present on the occasion.