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bhagat singh trust A commercial building which has come up on a land allotted
at concessional rate to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Trust in
Jalandhar. Photo: Sarabjit Singh
ADCP’s phone ‘hacked’
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Portfolio
rejig?
Surjit Hockey Society has no objection to Pak teams’ participation
Police, labour department fail to take action in child labour cases
Heavy rush of patients at hospital
From schools & colleges
One rank, one pension on agenda at ex-servicemen’s rally on Sunday
Tributes paid to Shaheed Bhagat Singh
Regularisation of services demanded
Jewellery, iPhone snatched
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JIT fails to check land misuse
The redemption of a site on Old GT Road has been pending for 2 years Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, September 28 Despite clear-cut findings pertaining to the violation of allotment rules, the procedure for the redemption of land from the so-called social organisation, with city's leading industrialists as members, has not been started. The members have been allowed to mint money to the tune of several lakhs as rent from the 2 kanal, 1 marla and 86 sq feet property in BSF Colony here which was doled out for a reserve price of just Rs 1,99,150 on February 18, 1994. The JIT officials, who had reported not just violation pertaining to its use but also regarding building bylaws, seem to be silent on the matter owing to obvious reasons. An estimate committee of the Vidhan Sabha led by MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha had visited the site two years ago and had asked the officials of the JIT to report. SE JIT Mukul Soni said all violations had been reported but there had been no response from the committee on how to proceed further. "So we have not been able to act upon the matter," he said. Chairman of JIT Vinay Bublani also corroborated his statement, saying that the matter had been kept pending with the committee for two years. The issue had then even been raked up at a meeting of the JIT on February 21, 2011. The agenda item 264 of the meeting mentioned that the plot had been handed out to the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Trust to construct a health club for the welfare of the youth in the area. But the allottees had, instead, come up with a commercial complex and started making huge profits by renting out space to various private firms. The report further read, "During the construction of the building in 2006, the allottees covered much more area than that was permissible through the approved plan. The owners covered 7,019 sq feet area in the basement, more than 3,697 sq feet of the allowed 3,322 sq feet area. There has been a similar violation on the ground, first and second floor. While only a mumty had been allowed for the third floor that, too, in an area of 1,903 sq feet, the allottees went ahead to again cover 7,019 sq feet. There was no fourth floor in the sanctioned draft, but the violators covered 1,950 sq feet. There again was no fifth floor as per the plan, but the owners constructed a mumty, toilet and lift portion on this floor. Further, the agenda point clearly mentioned that the representatives of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Trust were sent notices on September 11, 2006, November 15, 2006, November 27, 2006 and again on March 16, 2007."
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ADCP’s phone ‘hacked’
Jalandhar, September 28 The matter came to light after a PTC channel reporter Kumar Sanjeev said that he got a call from his Chandigarh office that a police officer with the number 9592914104 had called there to give an input that there had been some major drug haul near Haveli and that a reporters’ team be sent there. “Since my office gave them my cell number, I soon got a call from the same number with the same message. Since I had Bhandal’s private number in my contact list, I got the number checked from Control Room to verify as to whose number it was since Haveli falls in the jurisdiction of the Kapurthala police. I was told that it was Bhandal’s number.” He further narrated, “When I called Bhandal on his private number and told him about the call received from his official number, he was taken aback. He told me that there had been similar hoax calls made even to the DGP’s office.” Bhandal, when contacted, confirmed the incident. He said, “These days the calls can even be made from computers. It seems to be some miscreant. We are finding it out.” ADCP II Parminder Singh Bhandal has been asked to investigate the matter. |
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Prominent BJP leaders fail to attend party function
Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, September 28 Neither did the BJP legislative party leader Bhagat Chunni Lal, who has just been divested of the charge and shifted to the less-important berth of Forest and Wildlife Preservation, turn up for a function held by the party at Circuit House nor did MLA Jalandhar (Central) Manoranjan Kalia, who had held the same portfolio in the previous SAD-BJP regime. Even Bhagat’s son Mahinder Bhagat, who has been often seen at political functions, was conspicuous by his absence. Joshi on his visit to Jalandhar, which is well-represented by the state-level BJP leaders, only had Chief Parliamentary Secretary KD Bhandari by his side. The seniors in the party clearly made a showdown by abstaining from the event. Even Joshi showed his discomfort on being quizzed about heartburn among some leaders and reshuffle just within the BJP, which more of seems to be an attempt of the alliance partner to label some ministers as non-performers. He just said, “I don’t think there has been any such sort of any issue. They must have got occupied with some other engagements. How does it really matter?” Mayor Sunil Jyoti, former Mayor and state general secretary Rakesh Rathour, made it to the event and even a press conference that followed. Kalia, who had been hoping to get adjusted in the cabinet after any reshuffle, too is said to be lying quite low. Asked about some bitterness prevailing among party bigwigs in Jalandhar, BJP district president Subhash Sud commented, “I don’t think so. I have had a word with Bhagat ji after his portfolio was changed. He does not consider it to be any downgrading. He still stands as the leader of the BJP legislatures. He is fine with it. He must be busy or else he would have made it.”
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Surjit Hockey Society has no objection to Pak teams’ participation
Jalandhar, September 28 “Arts and sports have played an immense role in propagating the peace process between the two countries. Whether we talk about candlelight vigil at the Wagah-Attari border, the participation of Pakistani sportsmen in Indian Premiere League (IPL) or artistes travelling across the border to share their work with people residing in both countries, their efforts to develop the camaraderie between millions of estranged Indians and Pakistanis is endless and many a time beyond belief. We should not halt the peace process but try hard to keep it moving in the right direction,” said LR Nayyar, working president, Surjit Hockey Society. The Pakistan’s men and women hockey team have confirmed their participation in the tournament subject to visa approval. The society members feel that the sportsmen who play for their country should not be dragged into appalling politics, as many had, at times, actually pushed the peace process from the parched land to a smooth "turf". Formidable obstacles remain towards achieving a lasting peace. Despite increasing people-to-people ties and tentative moves to ease barriers to commerce and travel, the security establishments on both sides still regard the other as enemies. The CBMs such as sporting and cultural ties helps in easing out the tensions between the two countries up to an extent. Meanwhile, Varun Roozam, Deputy Commissioner, who has recently taken over as the president of the Surjit Hockey Society, said in this 10-day hockey bonanza, apart from the cash prizes to be given in lakhs to players, spectators, who come to witness the tournament, would also get prizes like car, motor cycles and refrigerators etc. The spectators would get daily lucky coupons till October 18 at the entry gate of the stadium, while players and officials would be issued the lucky coupons on the day of their first match. Famous Punjabi folk singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh would entertain the spectators from 5.30 pm before the start of the final match on October 18. |
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Police, labour department fail to take action in child labour cases
Jalandhar, September 28 For those who are outraged by the inaction of the Jalandhar police/labour department in these very cases, the city’s history in tackling child labour cases is proof of inaction and piling complaints, which point towards officials keeping mum despite rising child labour cases being reported. From 2009 to June 2013, over 269 of the child labour cases have gone unpunished where employers were let off merely after being challaned. Out of these in the past three years, from January 2009 to February 2013, in over 7,000 raids conducted, 249 children (over 20 more were rescued in raids conducted in June 2013) were rescued and as many employers found violating the Child Labour Act and/or Juvenile Justice Act. Even challans were issued to only 120 erring employers while others were let off without any kind of punishment. The last time any FIRs were lodged in the city in cases of child labour was in June 2010, when cases were registered against six employers under Section 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act. However, these FIRs as well, came to nothing because the employers were let off shortly, without even being kept in custody. All of these employers walk free today and the police or the labour department have never attempted to reopen the cases. In the session 2009-10, six children were rescued and four of the violating employers challaned; in 2010-11, only 21 out of the 90 violators found were challaned; in 2011-12, 41 of the 83 violators were challaned and in 2012-February 2013, a mere 54 of the 70 violators found had been challaned. Even as the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000, and Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act (1986) clearly state that employing a child below the age of 14 years for a hazardous occupation is a punishable offence, children working in stitching, embroidery, moulding, sports goods units have never been attempted to be saved. The average of nabbing culprits and rescuing children of the labour department can also be gauged from the fact that even as last night 50 children were rescued (finally 44) in raids within one hour, formerly, the 7,145 raids conducted in the past three years only resulted in the rescue of 249 children. Activists have often also claimed that they do not want to tell the police or labour department about raids beforehand because then the information somehow reaches units. Meanwhile, activists like Shashi Sharma (petitioner of the raid yesterday) and Dinesh Kumar of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan allege that entire rackets of child traffickers are running from the city who are being allowed to thrive due to the inaction of the various authorities. Meanwhile, Jalandhar clearly has a more lax set of officials compare to other cities. While the over 40 children nabbed in Ludhiana in raids last night have all been taken to the child home in Jalandhar, the ADCP even after issuing statements of shifting the children to the Nari Niketan, handed them back to their guardians.
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Heavy rush of patients at hospital
Jalandhar, September 28 The number of patients at the camp (compared to daily OPDs) brought chaos to the hospital some patients were denied test altogether by the staff and had to wait for long for officials to intervene. No CT scan was conducted due to technical snags despite the fact that the authorities had been advertising this camp for weeks. Civil surgeon confirmed that while 2,100 patients were examined, over 700 people underwent various tests on the occasion. He also confirmed that CT scan machine developed a snag today. Meanwhile, the staff was not ready to handle the massive inflow of patients and the infrastructure was not enough. The patients kept on waiting for hours. The staff confirmed that due to a large number of patients, there was some chaos initially. The patients who came for CT scan have been given appointments in future, One of the staff members said, “Initially tests were being conducted but the compilation of reports of such a large number of patients got very tedious. Moreover, some of the patients refused to listen and said they couldn’t wait for long. Even as there was ample staff, the inflow of patients was more than the usual number.” CPS KD Bhandari inaugurated the two-day camp. Vinni Mahajan, Principal Secretary (Health) was also present on the occasion and she inspected the camp. Patients from the urban areas and villages like Bilga, Bara Pind, Jandiala, Mehatpur will be checked tomorrow.
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Dance competition
Children of KG-II at Mayor World School left everyone spellbound as they presented folk dances of India and a fusion of different dance forms. The magic of 70’s to 80’s was relived through retro style of dancing. All students of KG-II participated with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm. Pallavi, Jiya, Mehraab and Samiraa bagged the first prize. The second position was won by Aayan Vij, Dhnishta Vij, Drisha Jain. Musical programme
SPIC MACAY, Jalandhar chapter, organised a musical programme at BD Arya Girls' College, Jalandhar Cantt. Padma Shri Satish Vyas, renowned santoor maestro, interacted with the students of the music deptartemnt. Vyas was warmly welcomed. Here Vyas performed musical treat and Pandit Mukand Raj Deo was on tabla. On the occasion, Vyas interacted with the students and discussed various technicalities involved in music. Free dental camp
A seven-day free dental check-up camp started at St Soldier Divine Public School, Kapurthala road. Dental specialists Dr Amit and Dr Jasmine were welcomed by principal Balwinder Singh. On the first day, more than 175 students and teachers took benefit of the camp. The doctors made the participants aware about germ problems, cavity, pain in teeths. In the seven- day-long camp, more than 1,050 students , class IV employees, will be checked by the team. Parents appreciates the efforts of the school. Vice- chairperson Sangeeta Chopra said this would be the first-of-its-kind of camp in any educational institute that would be conducted for seven days . Bhagat Singh remembered
Continuing the tradition of celebrating the birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Lyallpur Khalsa College this year organised a function to commemorate the 106th birthday of the legend. Speaking on the occasion, Dr GS Samra said it was due to the sacrifice of such heroes that the nation got the freedom. Shaheed Bhagat Singh even today exercised a tremendous influence on the youngsters of the nation, he said. He further said the nation in general and the youngsters in particular should emulate him to fulfil his dream and realise his vision of independent India. Teachers, non-teaching staff and students were present on this occasion. Sports academy
Ivy World School, Jalandhar, launched a sports academy to bring world class expertise and spots techniques to all aspiring sportspersons of the city . This academy is the result of the effort by the Vasal Education Society in collaboration with KOOH Sports. Football greats like Paul Masefield, former English football team right back, and Michael O’Brian, international football coach, will train players and share their expertise. Paul Masefield has qualified in the English Football Association Professional Football Management Course and has been awarded the English Football Advanced Coaching Award. His star studded career includes participation in Birmingham City FC, Eire Preston North End FC, Limerick Town FC, Sing Tao Sports Club, Clementi Khalsa FC. Michael O’Brian has joined KOOH Sports as the international football coach. He handles the deployment of football programmes through football development centres throughout the country . Shavn Tait or Ajinkya Rahane will inaugurate the academy on October 6 during a prize distribution of the Inter-School Ivyian Kooh Sports Soccer Tournament. Ajit Gopalkrishanan will look after the cricket development centre that opens in India. The academy is open to all the children who are in the age group of 5-17 years.
— TNS |
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One rank, one pension on agenda at ex-servicemen’s rally on Sunday
Jalandhar, September 28 In the top agenda is Shahkot CSD, which was opened in 2003 with an approximate cost of 15 lakh and was named after late Major Surinder Singh, who died in Operation Pawan and was posthumously awarded Vir Chakra. Now, since the dependency figure of the canteen is only 3,500 as against the required 5,000, the HQ Western Command has decided to close it in case the dependency figure does not improve in the upcoming months. Since Shahkot is the convergence point for three district Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Moga and many villages around the area, the ex-servicemen in the area are a worried lot and have decided to raise the issue before the Army chief. "The canteen is doing very well with an average daily sale of Rs 80,000. We would request the Army authorities for the continuation of the CSD facility at Shahkot," said Surinder Singh Virdi of the Ex-Servicemen Welfare association, Shahkot. Scarcity of medicines in the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), long queues and stretched waiting period while availing treatment under ECHS will also be discussed with the higher authorities . "Even in case of an emergency, a patient needs to appear in person to take certain permissions, which may sometimes prove fatal to the patient. We want a special authorisation and an emergency policy should be incorporated in the ECHS guidelines to help patients and those who require urgent treatment," said Ex-Warrant Officer Samittar Singh Saini from
Adampur. |
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Tributes paid to Shaheed Bhagat Singh
Jalandhar, September 28 NK Arora, former Chief Secretary, Punjab, was the chief guest and Major General (retd) Manjit Singh presided over the function. The primary aim of the function was to honour the relatives of the martyr and pay tributes to him. Abahy Singh Sandhu, Bahagt Singh's nephew, Satya Sheel Rajguru, a relative of Rajguru, Vishal Nayyar, a relative of Sukhdev, Col (retd) Saurabh Sanyal, gradson of Shachindra Nath Sanyal, Dr NK Kalia, father of Captain Saurabh Kalia (Kargil war hero) and Maulana Habib-ur-Rahman Saani, grandson of Maulana Habib-ur-Rahman, were honoured on the occasion. Dignitaries paid tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh and patriotic songs were sung by college students on the occasion. Meanwhile, a condolence meeting of executive committee of the District Bar Association, Jalandhar was also held today. They payed tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives for the nation on September 26 terrorist attack at the police station and the Army camp in Jammu.
— TNS |
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Regularisation of services demanded
Jalandhar, September 28 He demanded that the government should regularise the services of all staff members. Like other government employees, the staff of Adarsh Schools should also be given medical leave and PF as well as group insurance facilities, he said. He said the student-teacher ratio should be maintained at 1:35 instead of 1:70.
— TNS |
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Jewellery, iPhone snatched
Phagwara, September 28 Cloth shop burgled A cloth merchant's shop in local Gaushala Bazar was burgled here in the wee hours today. The burglars came in a four-wheeler, broke the shutters and entered the cloth merchant’s shop. They took away valuables, including readymade garments , worth more than Rs 5 lakh. — OC
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Even seven years after the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) initiated a move against the local Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Trust for blatantly violating norms and putting a prime land on old GT Road, allotted for social welfare activities, to commercial use, officials have perhaps forgotten to act any further.
