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Forum asks Jet Airways to pay US $460 for loss of luggage
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Youth dies as scooter collides with truck
Dialogue on reconciliation between India, Pakistan next year: Gunbir Singh
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Parking scenario turns grimmer in city
Amritsar, October 20 While the state government has been contemplating to make Amritsar a world-class tourist destination and the Deputy Chief Minister mulling to introduce robotic parking here, most of the key localities here are still crying for basic parking facilities. In the absence of any proper system in place, haphazard parking is witnessed in the entire walled city, especially the most frequented areas such as Mall Road, Lawrence Road, Crystal Chowk and Queen's Road. When the police department conceptualised the idea of engaging private players for towing away the wrongly parked vehicles a couple of months ago, the residents were a delighted lot. They felt it was necessary to deal with the parking problem in the holy city.
Had this move been implemented in its letter and spirit, it would have helped generating revenue, it would have helped teach the violators a lesson. The police department has engaged as many as eight private hydraulic tow-away vehicles which are seldom performing their job. There are no organised parking spaces in major commercial areas such as Lawrence Road, Nehru Shopping Complex, Mall Road, Queens Road and Hall Bazaar as a result of which people park their vehicles on the streets. Even as parking lots have been designated in Lawrence Road, Nehru Shopping Complex, the normal traffic flow gets disturbed due to haphazard parking of vehicles. Some of the shopkeepers have encroached upon the parking lots meant for four-wheelers at the Nehru Shopping Complex by erecting temporary billboards which the police has not bothered to remove. The scenario remains messy as ever on the roadside opposite Crystal Chowk on Mall Road, outside the shops on Albert Road and on GT Road opposite the bus stand and railway station. Most of the vehicles are parked along the roads, thereby reducing the effective road width. This causes traffic congestion, time loss, and inconvenience to tourists. Organised parking facility is available only at the Golden Temple and Gurudwara Shaheedan. But even this is inadequate. At the wholesale markets in Katra Sher Singh, Bagh Akalian, Cheel Mandi and Bakarwala Ghee Mandi, transporters load and unload on the roadside creating traffic congestion. In the absence of any check, the city residents too have developed a tendency of parking on the streets. This can be seen at the parking lots in Court Road, ICICI Bank-Mall Road and Telephone Exchange. The Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhya Parking lot, which has been constructed by the MC to decongest traffic in the city, especially Hall Bazaar and areas surrounding it, usually remains vacant as people refrain from walking longer distances to reach the markets. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Navjot Singh said, "I took over the charge recently. I am chalking out a phase-wise plan to streamline the parking scenario. Locations such as the Golden Temple, Lawrence Road and Crystal Chowk will be my priority. We just engaged a Jalandhar-based tow-away crane firm which would be pressed into service in key areas of the city." Situation worsens
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Forum asks Jet Airways to pay US $460 for loss of luggage
Amritsar, October 20 The consumer forum has also directed the airline
to pay Rs 2,000 as litigation expenses to the complainant. Kanta Arora, a resident of Jhujhar Singh Avenue, had filed a complaint that she booked a Jet Airways flight from Amritsar to London via New Delhi on July 12 last year and return ticket from London to New Delhi for November 11 last year and from New Delhi to Amritsar on November 22. She further said she was carrying a luggage bag weighing about 23 kilograms. After landing at the local Raja Sansi Airport she was informed that her bag could not be traced, she complained. The complainant said there was an Apple mobile phone, cash, gift items, dry fruit, woolen clothes and other belongings amounting to Rs 50,000 in the bag. She had sought Rs 50,000 for loss of luggage and compensation to the tune of Rs 25,000. In response, Jet Airways said it would pay Rs 450 compensation for per kilogram of lost luggage, thus making it Rs 10,350 in total. The airlines said the complainant had refused the compensation. The counsel for the complainant said the airline was offering compensation at rate applicable to domestic flights and not international flights. The forum said the airline ought to pay US $20 per kilogram for delay, damage or loss of luggage. The consumer forum further directed that the complainant was entitled to US $460 or its equivalent in Indian
currency. Lost in transit
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Shootout: Man, his accomplices booked
Amritsar, October 20 Harpreet Singh Bholi, who had sustained serious injuries caused by the splinters of .12 bore bullet, allegedly fired from Jatinder Singh Raju's rifle, is the first cousin of SAD leader. Contrary to the yesterday's claim by Harjit Kaur, mother of goldsmith Jatinder Singh Raju, that the property dispute was reason behind the incident, Arun Sharma, SHO Sultanwind police station said the clash occurred following an argument over payment of chit fund committee. He said a case under Section 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (causing grievous hurt) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and 25/27/54/59 Arms Act has been registered against him. He said nobody from the other side had come forward to register a complaint while Jatinder Singh Raju was still absconding. Baljit Singh told the police that his cousin Harpreet Singh along with Sajjan Singh was going to the latter's house for bringing the payment of chit fund committee when Raju had a dispute with them and fired at the duo with his .12 bore rifle which led to the injuries to around five persons. According to police, Harpreet sustained as many as 30 injuries caused by the splinters. Harpreet is undergoing treatment at a private hospital where his condition is stated to be stable. Harjit Kaur, mother of Jatinder Singh, told the police that over two dozen persons headed by Baljit Singh and Sajjan Singh had attacked Jatinder and indiscriminately fired in the air. The SHO said preliminary investigations did not found any impression of firing while the opposite group was yet to record their statements to the police.
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Youth dies as scooter collides with truck
Amritsar, October 20 According to information, Manish was returning home from the main GT Road when the incident took place. Reports said the truck had got stuck in the middle of the elevated road due to some technical snag. Manish possibly could not control his scooter after seeing the stationary truck and hit it from behind. His vehicle struck right beneath the truck and he died on the spot, said the police sources. Ironically, while the victim’s body remained stuck beneath the truck, the police teams reached very late on the spot due to certain jurisdiction dispute, it has been learnt. The elevated roads falls under the jurisdiction of two police stations— the B-division and Mohkampura police station. It has also been learnt that even though Assistant Commissioner of Police, Gaurav Garg reached the spot within half an hour of the mishap, the officials of two police stations were arguing over jurisdiction while pointing out that the area falls in the jurisdiction of other police station.
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Industrialists resent commercial tax
Amritsar, October 20 An entrepreneur Kamal Dalmia said the industries had been burdened with the high 3 per cent commercial tax. While the tax may be feasible at commercial outlets which has minimum 15 to 20 square feet to area spread over few hundred square feet. On the other hand, industries are spread across 200 square yards to acres. Citing his own example he said one of his units was on an acre and another was functioning on 3,000 square yards. He said the government has made provisions for residential and commercial while omitting industries in the property tax. Members of the Laghu Udyog Bharti (LUB) met Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi and submitted a memorandum drawing the attention of the government. They demanded amendment in the Punjab Municipal Corporation (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2013. Dr JP Singh, General Secretary, LUB, said unaffordable land rates were being charged to industries, which was locality commercial collector rate and is sky high. “The commercial units and industrial units are not comparable in anyway as normally, industries are in 1,000 to 4,000 square yards area or more.” He said the rate of land in industrial focal points set by the state government was Rs 4,000 per square metre, which was quite reasonable. “Hence, it is demanded to incorporate a new category for industry in the Punjab Municipal Corporation (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2013. Besides, all industrial units located anywhere in the municipal corporation area should not be calculated more than fixed rates for industrial focal point.
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India may be declared polio-free by 2015: Polio panel chief
Amritsar, October 20 National Polio Plus Committee Chairman Deepak Kapoor and Director Health and Family Welfare Punjab Dr Ashok Nayyar were among the prominent speakers in the orientation programme. Speaking on the occasion Deepak Kapoor said India as expected would be declared a polio-free nation by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2015. He said no case of polio had been reported from any part of the country after January 2011. He said the successful implementation of the polio eradication programme had achieved the target. Dr Nayyar said they had also set up the year round polio immunisation at the Attari-Wagah checkpost and the Attari railway station to immunise children coming from Pakistan. He said the country was at a threat of transportation of polio virus from Pakistan as polio immunisation programme there had not been such successful as in India. A large number of delegates from Himachal Pardesh, Jammu Kashmir, Delhi and Punjab participated in the programme. Dr PS Malhotra, president of the club, Dr Pawan Gupta, District Governor, Rotary Club and Dr GS Chawla were also present on the occasion. Dr PS Malhotra said the Rotary International along with National Polio Surveillance project provided technical and logistic assistance to the
programme.
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Adhere to promotion policies, employees’ organisation tells govt
Amritsar, October 20 Speaking on the occasion state president of the organisation Karnail Singh Saini said the employees were required to make aware about the rights and duties. He said the employees must not refrain from demanding what was rightfully theirs. The conference was also attended by members of Punjab Ophthalmic Officers Association and Punjab Health Employees Welfare Association. Association General Secretary Surinder Kumar Sharma said the system of contractual employment in the government offices should be stopped as it led to exploitation of the workers. He said the government must also adhere to the promotion policies of the respective departments so that they didn't have to initiate strikes to get promotions. “Promotions help in motivating employees so that they can perform public functions in a better way,” said Sharma. The meeting was also attended by other prominent leaders, Uma Kant Tiwari and Sanjeev Kumar
Anand.
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Dialogue on reconciliation between India, Pakistan next year: Gunbir Singh
Amritsar, October 20 The two-day event covered Environment and Education as the focus areas for collaboration in the fiscal 2013-14. He said the round table for Environment consisted of a select group from India drawn from World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) India, EcoAmritsar and their stakeholders, namely, Architects Association of India (AAI) and Missionaries of Khudai Khitmatgaran (MKK). The Pakistan Punjab side consisted of delegates from WWF, Klimatech Environmental Club, Lahore Conservation Society and Lahore University of Management Sciences, he said. “The waters of Punjab are shared by both sides of the Radcliffe line. Similarly, the environment knows no boundaries, whether it is the air, the avian wealth or the climatic conditions," these viewpoints were forwarded by Gunbir Singh. He said representatives from Mumbai and Karachi also deliberated on the Mangrove situation and other ecological issues in their respective areas. The participants from both countries were invited to share the environmental realities as well as their best practices. Major discussions were centred around rainwater harvesting, river basin study, solid waste management, mangroves depletion and responsible citizenship. The presenters shared the inputs and insights that they have been able to gather in their respective areas of expertise. Sarbjot Singh Behl of AAI, PS Bhatty of MKK and Tarundeep Singh of EcoAmritsar gave presentations in their fields. EcoAmritsar initiatives, especially in the realm of community cleanup and awareness campaigns, found favour both with the Pakistan delegation as well as the Mumbai representatives. EcoAmritsar expressed satisfaction with the meeting, “The CDR interaction shall be held in three round tables, the first of which happened in Mumbai. The next meetings have been requested for Lahore and Amritsar.”
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Man alleges plot grabbed by land mafia
Amritsar, October 20 Balkar Singh, the victim, in a press conference held at the local Communist Party (Marxist) office today alleged that Major Singh grabbed a plot located in Rajinder Nagar area belonging to his niece Manveen Kaur, an NRI, after forging the documents with the help of the SAD leader. Balkar said he procured a plot measuring 250 square yards in Rajinder Nagar area for his divorced sister Prakash Kaur. He said later Prakash Kaur transferred the plot in the name of her daughter Manveen Kaur who is currently studying in England. He said due to certain reasons, she could not construct the boundary walls of the plot which Major Singh was not trying to grab with the open help of SAD leader. He said the accused got water connection installed from Municipal Corporation by producing a fabricating sale deed which has been prepared from a fake power of attorney. “The sale deed document produced by Major Singh contains the description of Manveen’s plot,” Balkar Singh pointed out. Communist leaders, including Rattan Singh Randhawa of Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, Jagar Singh Karampura, secretary city unit of CPM besides others, urged the Police Commissioner to carry a probe in a transparent manner and bring the accused to book. Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh said that an enquiry has been marked to ACP (East) Gaurav Garg in this connection. He said prompt action would be taken whoever found to be guilty in the case. Major Singh could not be contacted for his comments.
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The on-duty policemen usually do not call the tow-away vehicles assuming that the job is outsourced by the department to private hands.