Jalandhar, October 10
With safai karamcharis adamant to go on strike from Friday, the MC authorities held several meetings with their representatives to persuade them not to observe strike against the solid waste management plant.

Earlier in the day, a meeting of representatives of safai karamcharis and the MC authorities, including Mayor Sunil Jyoti, Commissioner MS Chhatwal and Senior Deputy Mayor Kamaljit Singh Bhatia, was held at the Mayor's house for an hour in the morning.

Another meeting, which continued for over three hours three hours, was held at the DC office. Punjab Chief Parliamentary Secretary for cooperation KD Bhandari, Akali city chief Gurcharan Singh Channi and BJP district president Subash Sood were also present at the meetings.

The safai karamcharis representatives, including Chander, Pawan Bawa, Ashok Bbheel, Pawan Agnihotri, Vikram Kalyan and Rajinder Sabharwal, were told that their genuine demands which had already been accepted in principle, would soon be implemented. Efforts of the MC authorites were on to pursade safai karamcharis till the filing of this news-item.

Besides, they were also told that the solid waste management plant would provide jobs to more persons from the Valmiki community as safai karamchairs, so they should not worry about that.

Meanwhile, several organisations, including District Bar Association and Nakodar Road Shopkeepers Association, came forward in support of setting up of the plant in public interest without any further delay.

Jalandhar, October 10
A month after the outbreak of cholera in the Garha area that claimed five lives and saw about 600 people falling ill, things in the area are seeing a dramatic and uncomfortable reversal to the former state after an initial bout of administrative action.

Despite strong recommendations of punitive action against the (Garha) area plot-owners and a complete review of sewerage pipelines in the city slums and other sensitive areas, as per a report compiled by a committee formed by the former DC, no punitive action has been initiated against any of the plot-owners or erring officials (who failed to check the outbreak in time) so far.

While as many as 60 illegal connections had been cut and MC teams had been put on the job to plug various leaks, sources allege that residents have yet again started greasing the palms of officials to restore illegal water connections which were previously cut by the administration and the MC.

Talking to The Tribune Arun Jain, husband of ward 33 councillor Neerja Jain, said, "It's all back to what it was previously. It is even worse now. A number of illegal or contaminating water connections, which had previously been cut, have been restored again. Not a single plot-owner has been punished. A single plot has 50 residents using one tap. The entire cycle is repeating. MC workers haven't even bothered to stop the faulty connections being restored."

Ward number 32 councillor Satya's husband Kirpal Pali also confirmed that many connections were being restored again, which pose a huge risk to residents. "We thought at least the big outbreak would result in some stern action against plot-owners or the ouster of unhygienic tenants from the area, but not an iota of action has been initiated against any of them."

Both councillors have also brought the issue to the notice of the MC authorities a number of times, but to no avail.

Talking to The Tribune, some residents, especially those with plot-owners as their neighbours, said, "They are giving connections by charging thousands of rupees from people asking for them. One can't survive without water and now that the media glare is off, residents are back to getting illegal water connections."

MC sources, however, denied the restoration of old connections or money being accepted for them.

Deputy Commissioner Vijay Rujam, while talking to The Tribune, said, "I am aware about the issue and it is on our priority list. I have written to the Civil Surgeon and the MC on Monday and the departments have been given a 10-day deadline to rectify things."

Speaking on what is being done to prevent former connections from being restored, the DC said, the departments have been strongly instructed to get their act together and serious note will be taken of any non-compliance.

MC Commissioner Manpreet Chatwal said, "I am not thoroughly updated on the issue just as yet, but we will certainly be taking action against any wrong-doers. It shall be ensured that no contaminated water supply makes way to residents and funds will also be ensured wherever required for setting up new pipelines."

Jalandhar, October 10
A number of city residents, especially from the northern areas, staged a dharna near the Ram Nagar level crossing in support of their demand for the immediate construction of the much-publicised railway under bridge (RUB) at Chandan Nagar.

The protesters staged the dharna under the aegis of the Chamber of Northern Welfare Societies.

The Chamber representatives Raj Kumar Sharma said, "The protests will continue till the start of the RUB construction, as one-fourth of the city population was facing a lot of inconvenience in the absence of any RUB or ROB on any of the four level crossings located in the northern part of the city. Despite making the promise of constructing the RUB during the Assembly elections in 2007 and 2012, nothing has been done on the ground so far."

Other protesters Harinder Negi and Varinder Mohindru said, "The next dharna will be held at Sodal Chowk on October 25 from 12 noon to 1.30 pm."

Sharma said, "If the construction is not started soon, they may also intensify their agitation by observing 'rail roko' and holding demonstration outside the residence of Chief Parliamentary Secretary for Cooperation Krishan Dev Bhandari, also local MLA.

Jalandhar, October 10
Led by leaders of the CPI (ML), relatives and friends of many UK residents protested at the visa centre of the British Embassy here and also sent a request to the British High Commission, demanding that the proposed pilot scheme targeted at visitors from six countries, including India, of making a visa bond of 3000 pounds mandatory for every visitor from India going to the UK should not be implemented.

The proposal for the pilot scheme, which became public in June this year, had caused furore across the country, as UK has a huge Indian diaspora.

Addressing the gathering, CPI (ML) spokesman Ajmer Singh Samra stated that the proposed imposition of 3000 pounds bond scheme on the visitors from India was discriminatory and smacked of racism. “If implemented, this scheme will create a lot of problem for the people of India, who want to visit the UK to attend functions and other social events. It will put a lot of burden on the middle-class families, who cannot afford to deposit 3000 pounds,” he claimed.

Indians are London’s largest non-white ethnic minority group. Notably, presently about 1.5 million people from Punjab are residing in UK, of which 80 per cent are from Jalandhar. Besides, about 30000 people from Jalandhar alone visit UK on a monthly basis. Rough estimates say that over 40,000 Indians are studying in the UK, and with the new era of the UK-India trade, the number of Indian businessmen visiting the UK could grow manifold.

Meanwhile, the president of the NRI Sabha, Punjab, Jasvir Singh Gill, said that 80 per cent of the Indians in the UK were primarily from Jalandhar and nearby areas. "When the visa is issued after proper scrutiny and laid-down procedures, why this Visa Bond?" he asked. Many of the family members of Gill also reside in the UK.

A regular visitor to the UK Paramjit Singh Raipur said, “If a middle-class family of five persons has to attend a marriage in the UK, from where will it arrange money in excess of Rs 14 lakh to furnish the visa bond. If someone want to meet his/her relatives in the UK and cannot afford to furnish visa bond, he/she would be left with no option but to be in touch with the relatives telephonically."

Speaking in a similar vein, PS Narangpuri, a frequent visitor to the UK, said that furnishing visa bond of 3,000 pounds will be unaffordable for many. "This kind of a discriminatory attitude with India is unfortunate. In case, the decision of the British government is implemented, scores of Indian's would be deprived of visiting the UK for the want of funds."

Jalandhar, October 10
Members of the Sant Prem Singh Indian Overseas Sports and Cultural Association have alleged an attempt to grab the land of a stadium being run by them at the Fatehgarh village for the past 13 years.

They have alleged that some village residents interested to foil their efforts have laid false claim on the stadium land and have currently rendered it unusable for sports purposes.

Addressing a press meet here today, Pritam Singh Narangpur, an NRI and president of the association, said the five acre land for the stadium had been handed over to the association from the joint panchayat of the Fatehpur and Sikri villages (in Kapurthala district) on 17 February 1998. About, 15-20 NRIs were part of the club.

“The land was deep, unkempt and full of pits. We invested Rs 45 lakh to level the land and also invested for the turf, fixtures, rooms, etc for the stadium. It played a pivotal role in promoting sports and holding cultural meets in the village, which we used to hold in India every year after specially coming from our respective countries abroad,” said Pritam Singh Narangpur, one of the member of the association.

The members of the association have NRIs from UK, the US, Canada among other countries.

“But in recent times, the new village panchayat made an appeal in the Kapurthala court against us and asking that the stadium be emptied by us. In 2006-07, another group filed a similar appeal. The appeal has been dismissed by the court but the party still does not want to leave claim over the stadium. Recently, the angles for the sheds in the stadium were also damaged by them and iron sheets stolen. They now plant fodder on the land. Things can’t go on normally as long as they continue to stake a claim on the land,” said Narangpur.

Peeved, he said some of the sports lovers and students’ parents from the villages also made a complaint at the the Begowal police station against these parties but so far no action has been initiated by the police.

Narangpur said while the government exhorts NRIs to come to Punjab and send their children here as well, incidents like these act as a big dampener for them. “We have been holding events which have boosted sports and given youth in the villages a bridge with their culture and sports but the treatment being meted out to us has left us disillusioned. All we want is that the administration should ensure the use of the land for the noble purpose of sports and culture rather than the useless pursuits our detractors want them for.”

Rajinder Singh, one of the appellants against the change of the use of the land for stadium, said, “The village did not give the land to the NRIs. This is the only common land available to both the villages and if any family needs extra land to set up houses, this land is the only option. There is ample room for sports in the school ground. They hold events there if they want. The village’s prime land should remain with the village.”

PHAGWARA, OCTOBER 10
Expecting the Phagwara Municipal Corporation to clear encroachments from public property may be asking for too much as the civic body is not even able to evict encroachers from properties under its direct control.

The police is illegally occupying the council’s guest house for the past 20 years despite being asked to move out.

The office of the DSP, presently the SP office, is functioning from the guest house of the corporation. But given the power that the police yields no authority in the corporation has been able to get the premises vacated.

It has been learnt that the previous Nagar Council had passed resolutions and submitted a memorandum to the Punjab DGP and principal secretary, Local Bodies, more than six years ago to initiate the necessary steps to get the guesthouse vacated.

Although the new police complex, including offices and residences, had been constructed near Gurdwara Sukhchain Sahib, the police does not seem in a mood to vacate the guest house.

SP Phagwara Gursewak Singh Brar expressed his ignorance saying he joined his duty in this office recently and moreover the NC never asked him to vacate the guest house.

MC executive officer Adarsh Sharma said the matter was being taken at the highest level.

Another significant occupation, which the corporation has not been able to do anything, is on a large portion of the council premises by city club for the past 36 years. Its lease expired in 1976.

The city club, which is headed by Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, who is a permanent president of the club, was paying a token rent of Re 1 to the council till 12 years ago when the then NC president Kharaiti Lal Gaba hiked it to Rs 100 per month, whereas the present market rate of the area is more than Rs 1 lakh per month.

Also, the club is renewing its lease nor considering increasing the lease rent. On the other hand Municipal Corporation seemed to be failed to remove illegal encroahments on its and as MC has to depend upon the police force assistance to remove the encroachments, but the police itself is encroaching upon the guest house of the Corporation and how can police assistance be expected.

Jalandhar, October 10
The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) set up its local team here today. District president Subhash Sood announced the general secretaries namely Raman Pubby and Subhash Bhagat.

Raju Mago, Ashwini Garg, Puneet Shukla and Usha Kala have been designated as vice-presidents. Rajan Arora, Anila Kala, Raj Kumar Bhalla, Neelam Salwan, Urmil Kapoor and Pawan Suri have been appointed as the district secretaries. Ram Lubhaya Kapoor and Bhagat Manohar Lal have been elected as treasurer and district media officers, respectively.

Rajeev Dhingra and Sukhraj Kaur have been declared as the presidents of Yuva Morcha and Mahila Morcha, respectively. Surinder Seth, Bhagwant Prabhakar and Pawan Vashisht have been declared as the presidents of circles 1, 2 and 3, respectively.

Jalandhar, October 10
Rangoli Competition was organised by Delhi Public School, Jalandhar, between the senior and junior section under among its four houses namely Carnation, Daffodil, Lavender and Orchid. The theme of this competition was ‘Indian Heritage’. Around 36 students from the school participated in this event under their respective houses. All the houses gave wings to their creativity and imagination and created spectacular Rangoli patterns using dry and rice colours. Principal Asha Kumar appreciated the efforts of the students.

Chart-making competition

The Department of Commerce of KMV Collegiate Senior Secondary School organised a chart-making competition on the theme of ‘Logo Making’. The competition received an enthused voluntary response from the young scholars.

New courses approved

A meeting of the board of management of newly established Community College under the scheme of the Government of India was held at Mehr Chand Polytechnic, Jalandhar, in which two new courses- Auto Electrician and Software Development were approved. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Seth Kundan Lal Aggarwal Ji, a renowned industrialist. Principal-cum-coordinator of the newly formed Community College apprised all the members about the scheme comprehensively. The principal also informed that the AICTE has already released first Installment of the grant to the extent of Rs 26.06 lakh. He also informed that 56 students in both the courses have already been admitted and moreover, the classes have also started.