Amritsar, November 4
Drunken brawls marred Diwali celebrations even as no major burn injuries were reported at the Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital. Hospital staff members remained on their toes all through the Diwali night as six medico-legal cases came to the hospital during night.

They had to conduct alcohol examination on a number of persons, including five policemen, who were brought from different city areas. "Six medico-legal cases were reported on Diwali after 8 pm and four had came in the day," said a hospital employee.

Even as the hospital was closed because of Diwali, the emergency block saw rush of injured patients and their attendants because of these brawls. The employees had to attend to other half a dozen people with minor injuries during the night.

Even two of the cases were referred to Government Medical College because of the severity of their injuries. Similar cases were also reported at many private hospitals in the city, but there number could not be ascertained.

"Most of these kinds of the injured people are treated at the hospital nearest to the place of occurrence of the incident," said another employee.

However, number of drunken brawls on Diwali night has decreased this year in comparison to the Diwali last year. As many as 19 medico-legal cases were reported at the hospital last Diwali.

Senior Medical Officer Dr Balbir Singh Dhillon said, "The number of such incidents increases on festival days as people have a habit to celebrate festivals by consuming alcohol." He said on the other hand no burn injuries were reported at the hospital.

Amritsar, November 4
With the Punjab and Haryana High Court cracking a whip on the Municipal Corporation (MC) for its failure to check unregulated growth of hotels, lodges and guest houses, the MC has initiated a survey to check NOCs, licences under the Serai Act and other permissions secured by hotels situated in the walled city.

The Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and judge Augustine George Masih, hearing a civil writ petition (CWP) - 14900-2010 Sarabjit Singh versus state of Punjab and others, directed the MC Commissioner and its Senior Town Planner to personally appear on the next date of hearing on November 25.

Petitioner Sarabjit Singh placed photographs as evidence to buttress his point that despite the high court orders, dated July 20, 2012, directing the MC that no fresh building plan be sanctioned till further orders, several such establishments were being raised.

He mentioned that the authorities were not clear about the exact number of hotels around the Golden Temple. “The APIO-cum-Licence Superintendent of the Municipal Corporation had informed that there were 14 hotels, serais, and guest houses in and around Galliara vide letter dated February 17, 2010. On the other hand, during the hearing of this petition the then Deputy Commissioner had stated in his reply that there are 21 hotels/inns in the area abutting on the Galiara and in nearby lanes on May 23, 2013.

In response to his RTI, the Municipal Town Planner stated that that there were 105 hotels, serais, guest houses in the walled city area on July 30, 2012.

He stated that although notices were issued to many under-construction buildings to stop violations, but these were not heeded to and now these illegal commercial buildings were near completion. He claimed that during a visit to streets near the Golden Temple he came to know that at present more than 50 hotel buildings were under fresh construction despite the fact that the court had restrained them to do so.

The petitioner claimed that most of these buildings belonged to high-profile persons of Amritsar, including top political leaders.

He pointed out that about two months back on the directions of the high court the MC demolished shops to widen a road to the Golden Temple from Ghee Mandi and it was now found out that hotel buildings had come up on the road.

When contacted, MC Commissioner DPS Kharbanda said all 15 hotels abutting on the Golden Temple premises have been issued show-cause notices and owners of four of these had stay orders. He informed that 11 of these did not have any kind of NOC or appropriate documents and their claims and objections had been rejected. He said now these hotels would be issued final notification that these could not operate without possessing a licence under the Serai Act from the police and other documents.

He said the staff concerned had been asked to conduct a survey on which hotels have NOCs and sanctioned buildings plans and only those would be allowed to operate. He shared that the report of the survey would be submitted within five days at his office.

Amritsar, November 4
The contractual workers of Government Medical College (GMC) here have called off their strike after assurance from the Medical Education and Research Minister of taking up their case with the state government.

The contractual workers - staff nurses and paramedical employees - joined their respective duties in the college hospital today. The workers have also given a letter to the college authorities about ending their stir.

The contractual workers had been protesting for the regularisation of their services for the last 18 days. The workers held a meeting with Cabinet minister Anil Joshi, where in he asked them to join their duties in view of the inconvenience caused to the general public.

Association leader Surinder Sharma said, “The matter is in purview of the Cabinet minister and as such after his assurance we have decided to call off the protest.” He said the workers were hopeful that their services would be regularised.

The contractual workers would also be meeting Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on November 8 to discuss the issue, he said.

Amritsar, November 4
A raiding police party was attacked by several relatives of a bootlegger, Gurdeep Singh, a resident of the Khandwala area, yesterday.

Head constable Labh Singh stated in his complaint that he along with head constable Amarjit Singh and head constable Pawan Kumar had gone to arrest Gurdeep when his brother Ravinder Singh, alias Kala, along with his half a dozen accomplices attacked the police party. He said they tore the uniform of Amarjit Singh and manhandled them.

Dilbagh Singh, in charge of the Ghanupur police chowki, who was asked to enquire into the incident, said a case under Sections 353, 186 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against them, while no arrest was made so far as the accused were on the run.

He said Gurdeep Singh was wanted in a case in which 221 bottles of liquor being smuggled into the city area were seized.

Meanwhile, in a similar instance a head constable Jang Bahadur was manhandled by a resident of Nangal Guru village, Rajbir Singh, while he was performing his duty at Ghah Mandi, Jandiala chowk. He alleged that he had asked Rajbir Singh to move aside in a crowded area. He said Rajbir Singh entered in a verbal duel with him and later manhandled him, due to which his turban fell down. The Janidala police (Amritsar rural police) has booked Rajbir Singh, while no arrest has been made 
so far.

Amritsar, November 4
A man, apparently a beggar, was killed when a speeding motorcycle hit him near a woollen mill, near the Putlighar area.

The motorcycle-borne unidentified youths fled from the scene leaving their vehicle on the scene. The Islamabad police station has registered a case in this connection while the body of the victim has been kept in the mortuary for identification.

The police said the deceased, who used to roam in the area, was going for begging when a motorcycle coming from the opposite side hit him. He got critical injuries that led to his death.

The police had impounded the vehicle and investigation was under progress to identify the accused on the basis of the documents related to the vehicle, it added.

Amritsar, November 4
Huge quantity of liquor meant for sale in the rural belt only is being illegally smuggled into urban areas, if the recent cases are anything to go by.

On October 30, the police has nabbed two persons with 50 boxes of liquor being smuggled into a city area on the Majitha road while around a week ago a police party had come under attack when it had signalled a vehicle to stop in the Guru Ki Wadali area in Chheharta. It has arrested three bootleggers in the incident while seizing 11 boxes of liquor from their possession. One of their accomplices, however, managed to escape.

If the police authorities are to be believed, the basic reason for this is the difference of selling rates in the rural belt and the city areas. The price of liquor is a little cheaper in the rural areas as compare to the urban areas.

Further, in rural areas, number of residents prefer to consume country made liquor and are involved in manufacturing liquor by putting up small illegal distillery units. Due to this, liquor contractors having their vends in rural areas suffer losses and, therefore, prefer to smuggle it into urban areas.

This has also become a bone of contention between liquor contractors in urban and rural areas. Last year, a couple of such instances had occurred in which musclemen of liquor contractors had clashed.

A liquor contractor, who was allegedly involved in such clashes, was recently arrested by the city police in connection with the murderous attack on a car spare parts owner.

HS Brar, ADCP (Crime), said smuggling of liquor from the rural belt to the urban areas was not new but it had seen a spurt in the recent past. The Police Department had arrested a number of persons and seized huge quantity of liquor from their possession. Not only this, certain bootleggers were also involved in smuggling alcohol meant for making adulterated liquor to the urban areas.

He said the Police Department was serious over the issue and would leave no stone unturned to stem the same.

Ironically, these liquor contractors and their musclemen also have patronage of political parties due to which they usually went scot-free in the past.

However, police officials claim that things have changed now as the government had launched a drive against drug addiction.

Amritsar, November 4
Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of the Fraser Valley, Canada, to promote scholarly activities and international understanding.

Ajaib Singh Brar, Vice-Chancellor, GNDU, and Mark D Evered, president and vice-chancellor, University of the Fraser Valley, signed the MoU.

Under the MoU, both universities agreed to enter an academic partnership within the context of global integration and aim to cultivate international professionals.

Coordinators would be designated by the universities who shall manage the development and conduct of the joint activities. These coordinators would be responsible for the evaluation of activities under the MoU, as per the practices of their respective institutions.

The agreement would be valid for a period of three years, but may be renewed or extended by mutual consent expressed in writing.

Professor Brar said the main objectives of the MoU would be to develop the articulation/transfer agreements and to organise cooperative academic activities like conferences, seminars, symposia or lectures.

“The MoU is intended to take full advantage of educational resources at both institutions. The idea was to exchange faculty, publications, researchers and students possessing common research interests,” he said.

While expressing gratitude to Professor Brar, Dr Evered hoped that the move would benefit both countries in a long way.

He said the University of the Fraser Valley was a beautiful campus located just east of Vancouver and has its campuses in Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Mission and regional centres in Hope and Agassiz. “Our university is a public post-secondary institution fully accredited by the Ministry of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology of British Columbia.

It is also a full member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada that represents and provides services to all publically recognised universities in Canada.

The university, which focuses on teaching excellence, has an intake capacity of about 15 thousand students annually,” he said.

Earlier, the delegation of the Canada university also visited various departments of the GNDU and appreciated its clean and green campus equipped with the state-of-the -art infrastructure.

Prof MS Hundal, Dean, Academic Affairs; Dr Inderjit Singh, Registrar; Prof PK Sehajpal, Dean, Students’ Welfare; Prof Rajinderjit Kaur Puar, Dean, College Development Council; Dr RK Mahajan, Professor in charge (Examinations); Dr TS Benipal, Director, Research, Dr AJS Bhanwer, Professor in charge (Public Relations), and other senior faculty members from the University of the Fraser Valley were among those others present on the occasion.

Amritsar, November 4
Though a number of awareness campaigns promoting green Diwali are conducted, residents are still to learn it in its true letter and spirit, as they continued to burst firecrackers on Diwali, causing harm to the environment as well as health of people.

Though officials of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) claimed that the pollution level has decreased as compare to the previous year, it was still at the higher side.

‘True’ to their known ‘spirits’, residents of holy city continue to burn crackers late in the night beyond the stipulated period.

Despite the fact that various NGOs and citizens concerned had given a call of a green and pollution-free Diwali, residents continue with their zeal to light fircrackers.

A firecracker seller said like always, firecrackers worth crores were sold a day before Diwali.

He said administration’s delay in granting nod to shops could not hamper the spirits of the local residents who continue to throng places where the crackers were being sold.

However, patients with respiratory problems remained at the receiving end as they complained uneasiness in breathing due to pollution, especially during the evening hours.

Balbir Singh Dhillon, Senior Medical Officer, Civil Hospital, said a number of patients who suffered asthmatic attacks have approached various hospitals for treatment.

He said as per the Central Pollution Control Board study, 90 per cent of the firecrackers violate the noise pollution norms.

He said there was an urgent need to spread awareness among residents regarding the health hazards of bursting crackers. Though several NGOs are doing the same, it needed to be intensified.

GS Majithia, an official of the local PPCB office, said though the exact quantum of pollution would be cleared in the next couple of days, it was on the decreasing side as compare to the previous years.

He said with the efforts of the PPCB, the SGPC authorities had also decreased the timings for fireworks at the Golden Temple that was famous across the world due to which the pollution level around it has also come down.

Jalandhar, November 4
The thrill of Diwali festivities was short-lived for a businessman’s family at Mandi Road near the Jalandhar city railway station as his house got caught in a major fire early this morning, with seven of the family members admitted to hospitals.

The family was asleep at around 2:30 am when a security guard, deployed at an ATM in front of the house, noticed fire and smoke and immediately called the fire emergency number. Two fire extinguishers reached the house and found that a few persons were struggling to come out of it, while the rest were either unconscious or coughing badly due to the smoke.

While one fire tender was used to douse the flames emanating from the house, the other was used to rush the injured to Civil Hospital. After taking preliminary treatment at Trauma Centre here, the family took its injured kin to a private hospital.

Victims of burn injuries being treated at various hospitals in Jalandhar on Monday. Tribune photos

Among those who sustained deep burns are Ritu (25), a student of PCM SD College for Women, and her mother Neena Rani. Ritu’s brother Saurabh said doctors said she had sustained 50 per cent burns with deep wounds in her hands, feet and back. “My mother who was trying to save her family, too, has had deep burns in her hands and feet. My nephew Ishant (9) has his nasal passage badly choked owing to smoke. The doctors have had to operate upon him,” he said.

The other four who were hospitalised were Saurabh’s wife Shruti, his brother Gopal, brother’s wife Payal and father Dogal Mal. Saurabh said the four had been discharged after short treatment. “I was saved as I was sleeping on the top floor. Those on the first floor were the ones more seriously injured. I do not know how it all happened. When I was woken up, the power in the house was gone and it was pitch dark all around,” he added.

The fire officials, too, said that they got a call from the ATM security guard. They said the cause of the fire could not be ascertained. The family owned a mobile phone store and service centre on the ground floor with house on two floors atop.

There has been a lot of material loss as many goods were charred.

Meanwhile, 45 firemen equipped with 11 fire engines remained on their toes on Diwali night in the city as fire incidents were also reported from 13 other places. Luckily, no one sustained any burn injuries in these fire incidents. ADFO Kashmira Singh and sub-fire officer (SFO) Rajendra Sharma said, “Fire also broke out at 13 other places on Diwali night. No one sustained any burn injuries in these incidents, as these had broken out either in vacant plots or rooftop of various premises.” Prominent places where minor fire incidents broke out on Diwali night included Natha Di Bageechi on Old Jail Road, Khurla Kingra, Coal Depot near Jhandia Wale Peer on Basti Road, at the rooftop of a house located opposite the house of deputy mayor Arvinder Kaur Oberoi at Nayan Bazar in Pacca Bagh and Krishan Nagar near SD College.

Amritsar, November 4
State BJP president Kamal Sharma during a visit to city said no talks were going on with the SAD over the exchange of the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.

“There is still time to the elections and, as such, no talks are going on in this regard,” said Sharma, while he paid a personal visit to state BJP vice-president Rajinder Mohan Singh Chinna.

Talking about MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, he said: “Sidhu is a popular leader and he has been the MP thrice.”

He added that whosoever would contest the Amritsar seat from the SAD-BJP, would win it comfortably.

While replying to a question about threat to BJP Leader Narendera Modi during his visit to Moga for an upcoming rally, Sharma said: “His security should be increased. However, we are assured that the state government will make all arrangements for the purpose."

Amritsar, November 4
Two unidentified motorcycle-borne youths snatched the purse of a woman who was going on her Activa vehicle near Lawrence school here.

Sawita Arora, the victim, in her complaint lodged with the police alleged that the miscreants came from behind and sped away after snatching her purse containing Rs 35,000, one mobile phone and other important documents.

The police has registered a case under Section 382, IPC, in this regard. — TNS