Ludhiana, November 22
A probe report has exonerated former sarpanch of Pabbian village near Jagroan from the charge misuse of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The probe was conducted by the Block Development Panchayat Officer (BDPO).

Jagshir Singh, RTI activist and a resident of same village, had levelled allegations of misuse of funds against former sarpanch Mohinder Kaur and her husband Hakam Singh.

Jagshir said Hakam Singh lives in a sprawling mansion and still worked as a MGNREGA employee.

The complainant quoted: “Major Singh, a resident of the village, who is visually impaired, has been shown as a daily-wage earner under MGNREGA, card number 105).”

Jagshir Singh mentioned that a 100-year-old ex-servicemen, several migrants labourers, who were having two job cards, and a depot holder also benefited from the scheme.

Following his complaint, the administration marked an inquiry. The probe report that was tabled recently stated that Hakam Singh worked under the scheme and he was paid accordingly.

Sources in the department said there was not guideline which state that well-off cannot work under MGNREGA on daily basis.

The report states that visually impaired Major Singh belongs to a below poverty line family. Though he was issued a card number 105, he neither worked nor received any payment under the scheme.

On 100-year-old Amar Singh obtaining a job card, the report states that any person who is over 18 years can ask for the job card.

In the report, it was admitted that ex-serviceman Dogar Singh receives government pension. The report states that his name is correct as per the MGNREGA guidelines.

The former sarpanch issued job cards following BDPO's instruction but there was no receipt to substantiate that how and when the job cards were issued, the report states.

Navneet Joshi, BDPO, admitted that two job cards were issued in some cases, which was a violation of MGNREGA guidelines. Double job cards were issued due to sarpanch's mistake, stated the BDPO. However, the issuing of double job card to a single person did not led to any financial loss, reads the report.

The former sarpanch said she had mistakenly issued two job cards.

“The allegations levelled against the former sarpanch turned out to be true, but she has been let off. BDPO Navneet Joshi admitted that the then sarpanch had committed a mistake by issuing two job cards on one name, but why no action has been taken against the culprit," said Jagshir Singh.

Ludhiana, November 22
In a desperate bid to generate revenue from compounding of unauthorised colonies, plots and properties located in unauthorised colonies, the Punjab Government has extended the last date for the submission of applications for the compounding of unlicensed colonies and plots to December 13.

As per the amended instructions, the individual plot/property holders can submit their applications for compounding of plots/properties in unlicensed colonies till December 13 with 10 per cent extra fee while the developers will have to pay 25 per cent extra for the regularisation of their colonies within the extended period. The extension in last date for compounding of colonies and properties has come for the third time after the date was first extended to November 5, then again to November 15 (with extra compounding fee of 10 and 25 per cent for individual applicants and developers respectively) while the government had permitted submission of applications with a penalty of 20 per cent and 50 per cent for the two categories of applicants till December 2.

With the extension of the date for filing of applications for compounding (with extra fee) having been extended yet again, it was not known whether the government will permit submission of applications with penalty of 20 and 50 per cent beyond this date.

“The revised instructions do not say anything about acceptance of applications beyond December 13 and we are in the process of seeking clarification from the government,” said an official of the Housing and Urban Development, Punjab.

Having fallen short of the targeted revenue collection of Rs 1,000 crore from compounding fee for thousands of unlicensed colonies across the state and lakhs of plot and property owners in such colonies, the state government has not only been extending the date for submission of applications repeatedly but significant concessions have also been announced in composition fee for the covered area.

The composition fee for residential buildings in unauthorised colonies had been reduced from Rs 12.50 per square feet to Rs 5 within the municipal limit and Rs 2.50 per square feet outside the city limits. The industrial buildings would have to pay a lower composition fee of Rs 12.50 and Rs 5 per square feet for within and outside the MC limits as against Rs 25 per square feet while the fee for institutional buildings was cut down from Rs 25 to Rs 12.50 per square feet irrespective of their location.

An official said repeated extension in the last date has come as a stumbling block.

“There is a sense of uncertainty among the stake holders due to frequent extensions in the date and relief in compounding fee. We shall now be flooded with applications for refunds from the applicants,” the official said.

Samrala, November 22
A son allegedly killed his father in a fit of rage at Kotla Shamshpur village near here. The accused hit his father with a stick on his head. The Samrala police have registered a case and arrested the accused. The deceased was identified as 60-year-old Hari Singh, a resident of Kotla Shamshpur village.

In his statement to the police, the elder son of the deceased said his father was an alcoholic. On Thursday evening, he entered the prayer room of his brother. His brother, Harpal Singh, objected to it they entered into a scuffle.

Harpal Singh took out a stick and attacked his father repeatedly on his head. Hari Singh was rushed to the Samrala Civil Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

Samrala SHO said they had registered a case on the statement of Jaswinder Singh against Harpal Singh. The police have arrested Harpal.

Ludhiana, November 22
The Offset Printers’ Association has decided to hike the prices from December 1. Paper mills are facing shortage of domestic fibre and its impact on the wood prices. Wood is being transported across the length and breadth of the country and is defying the generally accepted practice of procurement from the catchment area. Also, for the first time, import of wood has become a reality. This cost push has been compounded by the increase in prices of speciality chemicals, energy, transport and logistics, making it difficult for them to operate smoothly.

In view of this and in line with market scenario updates, the Offset Printers’ Association has decided to increase prices for all uncoated high brights and creamwove papers by Rs 2,000 PMT gross. For copiers, poster paper, sunlit cartridge, ledger and BCB, this increase will be Rs 1,500 PMT gross. These increases will be effective from December 1, 2013.

Paper mills have already increased the prices by 12 per cent in September and now with this increase of about 15 per cent in the current prices, the paper products, like notebooks, corrugated and duplex boxes, labels and other stationery items are set to become costlier.

Kushal Jain, vice-president of the association, said the prices of stationary would be increased by 15 per cent to cover the additional inputs cost. The increase would affect hosiery boxes, sweets boxes, packaging, note books, school books, stationery and other printed goods.

Kamal Chopra, general secretary of the association, said it was the third revision in prices this year. The government should control the prices of paper, he said.

Ludhiana, November 22
General Manager of the Northern Railways VK Gupta today blamed the state government for the delay in most of the major infrastructural projects like railway overbridges (ROBs) and railway underpasses at different places in Punjab.

During his brief visit at the railway station after the inspection of Ludhiana-Ferozepur section, he said the state government or the district authorities had to provide alternative roads/passages for movement of traffic before construction of ROBs or underpasses could be taken in hand. "Many railway projects have been delayed as drawings and designs cannot be finalised unless the sites are handed over to the Railways," he said.

Gupta admitted that as far as the ROB being constructed in place of Lakkar Pul was concerned, some delay had been caused at the level of Railways as final designs and alignments were delayed due to certain technical reasons. He claimed that the ongoing work on the ROB would be completed soon and it would be thrown open to public at the most in the next six months.

The General Manager said efforts were being made to provide best possible healthcare facilities to the railway employees and pensioners. But presently, the beneficiaries are facing some problems due to the shortage of specialist doctors at sub-divisional hospitals and railway health units. "We are in the process of recruiting specialist doctors and medical facilities of the desired level will be available to the employees and pensioners soon."

During his stay of around 20 minutes at the railway station, Gupta met deputations of the Northern Railway Pensioners, Poorvanchal Association and the Knitwear Club who discussed various issues related to the Railways with the visiting dignitary.

Top railway officials and staff remained on tenterhooks as the GM special train arrived more than two hours behind schedule from Ferozepur. Platform, number 5 where the special train was to arrive, wore a festive look with a red carpet and the entire platform spruced up for the visit of the VVIP.

Ludhiana, November 22
The installation of cemented girders on Lakkar Bridge will commence tomorrow. Earlier on October 19, the contractor could not carry out the work because the Railways had failed to get the clearance from the Commissioner (Railway Safety), New Delhi.

The girders will be installed on a 35-metre stretch. The tracks on the stretch will remain closed from 12 pm to 2 pm and then from 2.30 pm till 4 pm tomorrow.

The contractor said they would complete the work tomorrow. "We have hired three cranes and specialised manpower for carrying out the work," said the contractor. On October 19, the contractor had suffered losses to the tune of Rs 10 lakh as he had hired additional equipment and specialised manpower for the work.

It is learnt that to install the cemented girders on the entire stretch of Lakkar Bridge (located on top of the the railway tracks), a total of four such closures are required. "Three closures are required to complete the project."

The sloppy handling of the Lakkar Bridge project by the staff of the municipal corporation, Punjab Public Works Department and Northern Railways has resulted in a four-fold increase in cost as compared to what was originally envisaged. When the project was initiated, its cost was estimated at Rs 13 crore, a figure that has now increased to about Rs 58 crore. Even though the upward ramps of the 933.162-metre bridge from the direction of the Civil Lines and Reikhy cinema side have been constructed, the portion on top of the railway tracks is yet to 
be completed.

Ludhiana, November 22
The city is known for its hosiery industry. The origin of the industry can be traced back to 1902 and after passing through various phases, it earned recognition worldwide. But it is facing many challenges and struggling for its survival due to heavy taxation and increase in production cost.

Narender Sood, a 75-year-old industrialist, said people, who migrated here after the Partition, set up small units at the backyard of their houses.

Going down memory lane, he said he remembered his father telling him tales of the origin of the knitwear industry in the city. "The first knitwear unit was set up in 1903. The industry got a boost during the World War-II. The industry expanded during 1950-1980 and the diversification took place after 1980," he said.

"The business that grew from Rs 100 crore in the seventies is estimated at Rs 10,000 crore at present. The city contributes to 95 per cent of country's woollens. The industry uses various kinds of yarns," said Darshan Dawar, president of the Knitwear Club.

Presently, the knitwear industry is going through a rough patch. A number of units have shut down due to heavy taxation and unfavourable conditions.

There are 12,000 knitwear units in the city that provide employment to over 4 lakh people. Three years ago, the number of units stood at 14,000. Increase in the rate of taxation and power charges are cited as the main reasons behind the closure of units.

"Hike in power charges and heavy taxation have led to the downfall of the knitwear industry. The power rates have been raised arbitrarily and the small units are unable to bear the burden, leading to their closure," said Sumesh Dhingra, a knitwear unit owner.

The industry is also facing a shortage of labour. "Due to the Central government's schemes like MGNREGA, migrants have returned to the city. The government should open skill training centres for the youth," said Dharampal Sabharwal, another small manufacturer from Bajwa Nagar.

"We are working hard to sustain but are not given any facilities from the government. Many small manufacturers are switching to other professions," said Inderjit Singh, another knitwear manufacturer.

Ludhiana, November 22
The washing of fabrics had landed the city's knitwear units in trouble in the past after the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) served notices on them. Fearing action, the industry has demanded that it should be kept out of the purview of the board.

The PPCB had directed the units operating in congested areas to install treatment plants before pumping water into sewer. Following which, a memorandum was submitted to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal during his visit to the city.

Darshan Dawar, president of the Knitwear Club, said, "We have not violated the rules as we do not use chemicals. We have written to the PPCB and also the ministry urging them to keep the industry out of the purview of the PPCB. Jeevan Ram, a knitwear unit owner from Sunder Nagar, said he had been issued a notice by the board and had been asked to treat water before flowing it into the sewer. "I do not use chemicals," he said.

Officials of the PPCB said the chemicals used by the units clogged the sewer. The biological oxygen demand (BOD) of many units is 200/litre against the norms of 30/litre, which bear testimony to the violation. The units have been told to treat water before pumping it into the sewer," said the PPCB senior official. 

Ludhiana, November 22
To make sure that maximum number of residents are able to file their property tax returns before November 30, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has tied up with HDFC Bank where residents can go and file the returns.

Residents will also be able to file their returns at its 16 sub-zonal offices. The new facilities will start from Wednesday onwards. People filing their returns before November 30 will get a rebate of 10 per cent.

At present, the MC has identified four branches of HDFC Bank and it plans to take the number to at least 10.

"Though the branches have been identified, they have not been finalised yet. Only the Mall Road branch of HDFC Bank has been finalised, besides the other three branches where we want to start the service will be finalised shortly. Our main aim is to identify those branches where the residents can easily file their returns. The final list of the bank branches will be uploaded on our website www.mcludhiana.gov.in. The residents will not have to pay anything extra if they file their the returns at HDFC Bank branches," said MC Additional Commissioner Isha Kalia.

To deal with the heavy rush of residents at MC offices, the officials are urging councillors to organise camps in their respective wards.

Akali councillor from ward number 59, Tanvir Singh Dhaliwal, said they would be organising a camp in their area.

MC Commissioner Rahul Tiwari said the MC offices would remain open on November 23 and November 24. "We want to accommodate maximum number of residents and which is why our offices will remain open on Saturday and Sunday," said Tiwari.

At the MC's Zone-D office located in Sarabha Nagar, the staff will issue tokens till 4.30 pm instead of 1.30 pm.

Ludhiana, November 22
The Senior Citizens' Home at Sarabha Nagar has been found to be deficient in matter of hygiene of the food served to the inmates. Food Safety Officer Manoj Khosla stated this while taking to The Tribune today.

The contractor at the Senior Citizens' Home has been given 15 days' time to comply with the food safety norms. Today a team of the health department led by Khosla under the directions of Civil Surgeon Subhash Batta collected samples from the home.

A sample of 'karhi' and another sample of 'sawaiyan' were collected after receiving complaints that the quality of food served to the inmates was not good. Later, the team instructed the contractor to maintain proper hygiene in the kitchen. The cooks were told to use headgears and aprons while cooking food. They were instructed to pare their nails. The contractor was told to take adequate anti-rodent measures and also get fly-catchers installed in the kitchen.

"Today, we saw people other than the cooks milling around in the kitchen. We have issued instructions to the contractor that he should put up a notice clearly stating that apart from cooks, no one else will be allowed in the kitchen," said Khosla.

The team also had issues with the storage of food items like pulses and cereals which were found to be kept in open packets. The team told the contractor to store raw materials in airtight jars so that they do not get spoilt or contaminated. "We also asked the contractor to ensure that oil, as a cooking medium, is not reused," said Khosla.

The contractor has been asked to get the medical examination of the cooks conducted within a fortnight and has also been told about the food safety licence. 

Jagraon, November 22
The police have arrested two proclaimed offenders wanted in criminal cases. The accused have been identified as Manjit Singh, alias Money of Sarabha village, and Jagmohan Singh, alias Mohna of Lamme Jatpura village.

Jagraon proclaimed wing in charge ASI Jaspal Chopra said Manjit Singh was arrested by a police party near Dhaipi village following a tip off while Jagmohan Singh was arrested by another police team near Bijnal village.

"Manjit Singh, alias Money, was wanted in a theft case registered against him in July 2009 at the Jodhan police station whereas Jagmohan Singh, alias Mohna, was wanted in an assault case registered against him at the Hathur police station in June 2009," said ASI Jaspal Chopra. The ASI said both the accused had been on the run for four years.

The police presented the accused in a local court which sent them to judicial remand. 

Ludhiana, November 22
A 19- year-old youth was crushed to death by a speeding truck at Gill Road today. The deceased was identified as Karamjit Singh.

The incident took place this afternoon when the victim was returning home after attending his college.

Eyewitnesses said a speeding vehicle hit the youth's motorcycle.

The victim lost control and fell on the road. Before he could regain control, the speeding truck ran over him. He died on the spot. Karamjit Singh was studying in a college at Phagwara.

He used to drive down to bus stand on his motorcycle from where he used to catch the bus.

The truck driver managed to flee the scene. The police have registered a case against him under Section 304 of the IPC. — TNS

Khanna, November 22
The Khanna police claimed to have cracked a murder case with the arrest of two persons. Thirty-five-year old Tanveer, a resident of Bank Colony, was found murdered and on November 17.

The accused have been identified as Ashwin Khanna, alias Ashu, and Amanjeet, alias Mantu, both residents of Khanna.

The police have recovered a .32-bore revolver, 10 live cartridges and a used cartridge used in the crime. The police also recovered a Rado wristwatch, two mobile phones and documents of a property. The accused sold the laptop of the deceased.

Addressing a press conference here today, SP (D), Khanna, Rajwinder Singh Sohal, said the deceased and the accused were drug addicts.

The accused shot dead Tanveer when the trio was consuming liquor and smack. After killing Tanveer, the accused dragged him to the basement of the house and set the body on fire after pouring kerosene on it.

The SP said the police came to know about the murder when Jagdeep Singh, a cousin of the deceased, went to his house to see him and found the gate of the house locked from inside. When he scaled the boundary wall and entered in the house, he found Tanveer’s body was in the basement. He informed the police.

The accused took away some goods from the deceased’s house. They sold his laptop in Baraily to buy smack.

the case
Thirty-five-year old Tanveer, a resident of Bank Colony, was found murdered and on November 17. The accused have been identified as Ashwin Khanna, alias Ashu, and Amanjeet, alias Mantu, both residents of Khanna.

Ludhiana, November 22
Kundan Vidya Mandir (KVM), Civil Lines, registered a six-wicket victory against Saraswati Modern School, Hambran Road branch, to secure the third place in the Ludhiana Sahodaya School Complex Cricket Tournament being organised at Green Land Convent School Stadium, GT Road, Manj Phagowal, on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar road today.

After winning the toss, Saraswati Modern School scored 94 runs losing nine wickets in the allotted 20 overs. The main contributions came through Naveen (25), Prince Kanda (20) and Piyush (14).

For KVM, Anmol Sharma Danny bowled four overs and took two wickets for 17 runs while Dipin Chitkara too got two wickets for 10 runs in three overs.

Saraswati Modern School failed to defend the score as KVM made the required runs in 14 overs losing four wickets. Parul Mehndiratta scored 31 runs off 23 balls while Dipin Chitkara made 17 off 12 balls and Hartejsavi contributed 13 runs to help KVM romp home victorious.

For Saraswati Modern School, Prince Kanda and Sajan shared two wickets each after conceding 14 and 29 runs, respectively.

In the second semifinals played yesterday, Spring Dale Public School defeated Saraswati Modern School by three wickets. Saraswati Modern School scored 129 runs for the loss of nine wickets in which the main contributors were Chitesh and Piyush who scored 60 and 22 runs, respectively.

The main wicket-taker for Spring Dale Public School was Harminder who chipped in with four wickets in his quota of four overs after giving away 18 runs.

Spring Dale Public School succeeded in chasing the target in 16 overs after losing seven wickets. Gursewak top scored with 38 runs while Gianinder and Ramandeep contributed 36 and 34 runs, respectively. For the losing side, Akash and Naveen got one wicket each.