Jalandhar, December 21
Thousands of civilians living in and around Jalandhar cantonment are facing a lot of inconvenience as the Army has closed several roads for them during night.

Residents of the cantonment and surrounding areas, including NGO Swabhiman chairman Sunny Chauhan and its vice-chairman Balbir Bali, said the civilians living in cantonment and nearby 60 villages had been facing inconvenience for over two months as the Army had closed Garha, Sansarpur, Deep Nagar and Birring roads for civilians during night from 11 pm to 5 am.

Having already run from pillar to post for the reopening of the roads for civilians, the civilians have now started a signature campaign under the aegis of the NGO Swabhiman in support of their demand.

Bali said they would submit a memorandum to the authorities concerned after getting signatures of at least 1.5 lakh of the total nearly 4 lakh affected persons. They had also met DC Varun Rujam for his intervention in this regard about a week ago, he added.

Jalandhar cantonment vice-president Nishtha Goel, its former vice-president Avinash Chandra Sharma and several other councillors have already raised the matter at the cantonment board meeting, but to no avail.

Talking to The Tribune, Nishtha Goel said the civilians were facing problems due to the closure of these roads, especially in case of an emergency. Despite raising the issue of reopening the roads for civilians, the Army authorities were paying no heed to our genuine demand, she added.

Jalandhar cantonment MLA Pargat Singh has also taken up the issue at the cantonment board meeting, but its president Brigadier-cum-sub-area commander IJS Chauhan was not in favour of reopening these roads for civilians during night.

Talking to The Tribune, Pargat Singh said, “Following a negative response by the Army authorities, I have taken up the matter with the Chief Minister, who had directed the civilian authorities to get the matter solved at the earliest after raising the same with the Army authorities.”

Jalandhar, December 21
The ongoing legal battle between the NRI Sabha chief Jasvir Singh Gill and the owners of Curo High Street Mall over a 17-marla land turned ugly as members of both groups clashed today with three persons getting injured.

The groups clashed at the disputed site along the mall on 66-feet road. The DGM of the mall RK Sharma, Kamal Soni and a JCB operator Balwinder Singh got minor injuries and took treatment at the Civil Hospital.

They alleged that Jasvir Gill, his relative Jagvir and other persons attacked them with bricks, showing photos and video clips of the same.

Gill, on the other side, said the mall staff started attacking them and their labourers. “Our three persons got injured. We have sought the demarcation of the land, but it has still not been done,” he said.

Both groups have lodged a complaint at the Division Number 6 police station. The SHO said the matter was being investigated.

Jalandhar, December 21
Supporting the ongoing agitation of traders against the alleged high rates of property tax on commercial buildings, the Jalandhar district convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Joginder Singh Multani, and its executive body member Kamaldeep Singh started a hunger strike at Nehru Garden Chowk here today.

While two AAP activists started the hunger strike, its several supporters sat on a dharna in support of the traders’ demand. The AAP has taken permission for holding the dharna for three days. However, it is not sure for how many days the strike will continue.

AAP national working committee member Himanshu Pathak said, “People of Punjab are suffering a lot due to unemployment, drug addiction under political patronage and irrational taxes. We will start an agitation on these issues in Punjab on the lines of Delhi before the Assembly elections.”

Meanwhile, the ongoing agitation by traders entered its ninth day. As part of their ongoing strike by turns on the call given by the Industrial and Traders Joint Action Committee (JAC), the traders observed a half-day strike in the areas located from Madan Flour Mill Chowk to the Jalandhar city railway station and markets on the SD College road on Saturday.

Hundreds of shopkeepers, led by local Congress leader Sudesh Vij, and their other representatives, observed a half-day strike from 9 am to 12 noon in support of their demand of rationalising and simplifying property tax on commercial buildings.

The shopkeepers of these markets also staged a one-hour dharna from 11 am and held a protest rally in support of their demand.

JAC members Gursharan Singh (also president of the Industrial and Traders Association), Ravindra Dhir (also state chief of the Vayapar Sena), Raj Kumar Sharma (also chief of the Jalandhar Traders and Manufacturers Association) and local Congress leader Rajinder Beri flayed Parkash Singh Badal led Akali-BJP government for imposing a high property tax on commercial buildings.

Jalandhar, December 21
A six-year-long wait of Somnath on Saturday when he was united with his family by a Kerela-based charitable organisation. Somnath, 46, had left his house following a tussle with his employer in 2007.

"I left the city following an argument with my employer. I lived in stress during those days. I went to Delhi and started working there in a small restaurant. I didn't even inform my family about my whereabouts," said Somnath.

He worked there for a year and during a fateful night when he was returning from work, he met with an accident. "I had a partial memory loss at that time. I only remembered that I was taken to a hospital," said Somnath.

After that he did not knew how he landed in Trichur, Kerala. "We found him in a deplorable condition lying on the street. He was almost unconscious. His clothes were torn. We immediately took him to our centre and started his treatment," said Father George of the National Diocese of the Friends and Birds of the Air (FBA).

He stayed there for almost 3 years. Meanwhile, due to the organization's efforts, he started regaining his memory and recently during one of the sittings recalled that he was from the New Rattan Nagar area of Jalandhar. Immediately, the FBA contacted the Delhi diocese of their organisation. They contacted their Jalandhar chapter and checked the facts. After the verification, Somnath was brought to Jalandhar on Saturday and was united with his family. He has a wife, four daughters and a son.

"I am speechless. I don't know what to say at this moment. We tried our best to locate him but later considered him dead. It was like a rebirth to us," said Kamlesh Rani, Somnath's wife. She also thanked the FBA for bringing her husband home. 

Jalandhar, December 21
After Jalandhar was chosen by the World Health Organization (WHO) for a pilot project on road safety in 2011, commuters were hoping for the end of traffic woes.

However, the lack of coordination in the Traffic Police and Health departments, compelled the WHO to shift their project to Vizag in Andhra Pradesh recently. The commuters were left with a never-ending traffic congestion.

We found that none of the zebra crossings in the city are planned in the right way. The roads leading to the BMC Chowk have zebra crossings but none of them is fit for the movement of pedestrian as each of the zebra crossing has been obstructed by a huge divider. The MC seems to have constructed these dividers without understanding the need and concept of zebra crossings.

“This is a technical concept that was indeed overlooked by us but we will try to rectify it in our next study on roads. We will ensure that dividers do not cross the zebra lines. The existing ones should be reconstructed to felicitate a smooth movement of pedestrians,” said Kulvinder Singh, Additional commissioner, Technical, B&R, JMC.

Moreover, there are huge elevated ducts on almost all the important roads in the city. The BMC Chowk, Ladowaali Road, Jyoti Chowk and all busy roads in front of the Divisional Commissioner’s and the Deputy Commissioner’s office are having non-levelled ducts in the middle. Surprisingly, none of the senior officials of the district administration have noticed these faults.

Moreover, the traffic police have failed to provide respite to commuters due to their "inefficiency" in controlling illegal encroachments and freely moving wheel carts. Wheel carts parked on the Jyoti Chowk roundabout makes it difficult for commuters. The illegal auto stand on the chowk adds to the chaos.

Jalandhar, December 21
DC Varun Roojam paid a surprise visit to Government Elementary School, Garha, a school troubled by the kiosks selling tobacco products outside its premises for the past seven to eight years. The DC also reviewed the arrangements for mid-day meal at the school. Medical as well as police personnel accompanied the DC for immediate the challaning of the vendors selling tobacco products near the school.

The staff said the students were being adversely affected due to the selling of tobacco products outside the school. Relieving a sigh of relief, the staff said all the tobacco products were seized and challans were issued against the vendors.

Talking to The Tribune, the DC said, “Complaints had been received about the issue. Two of the vendors selling tobacco outside the school have been challaned. They will not be allowed to sell tobacco products outside the school.”

The DC said, “The present deadline for making the district smoke-free district is not December 25. The dates chosen by the government for the anti-tobacco campaigns are January 26 or August 15. There are no targets to make the district smoke free. The work on the prevention of tobacco use will continue and the project will be reviewed by the PGI.”

Meanwhile, the DC said no discrepancy was found in the arrangements for mid-day meal at the school and the functioning of the school was satisfactory. 

Jalandhar, December 21
Even as the strike of the Suwidha Centre staff ended yesterday and the work at the centre began today, most of the applicants remained at the receiving end and were a harassed lot. Though the staff was on present on duty, neither the Executive Magistrate nor the Medical Officer were on duty to attest or certify various documents, which included affidavits and licence applications, as it was Saturday today.

As a result, most of the applicants had to go back without having been able to get their work done. The centre will open on Monday and a huge rush of people is expected that day. The situation is likely to improve on Monday.

Jalandhar, December 21
Hailstorm in the evening increased cold here. The cold wave is likely to continue as rain with thunderstorm may occur on Sunday too. The sky will remain partly cloudy to cloudy.

Meanwhile, fog continued to throw normal life out of gear. According to the meteorological department, the minimum temperature was recorded at 8.5 degree Celsius whereas the maximum was recorded at 13.2 degree Celsius in and around Jalandhar today.

According to the forecast, et fog and mist will continue to engulf the city and surrounding areas during the first half of the day on Sunday.

Phagwara, December 21
The police have arrested the sixth accused in an infamous bank fraud case. The other accused, identified as Vikram Seth, Anil Goel, Janak Nandan, Subhash Mandal and Raj Gill, were arrested earlier. The sixth accused, Kuldip Singh, a former bank manager, surrendered before the court and was sent to two days' police remand. Meanwhile, Vikram Seth, a renowned industrialist and the alleged mastermind of the fraud, was granted bail. He in connivances with the former bank manager and four others cheated Bank of Baroda of Rs 3.60 crore by taking loans after showing fake documents.

Notably, the police had found transaction of more than Rs 1 crore into the account of UR Sales Pvt Ltd and B.L Seth Coal Ltd, Phagwara, which belongs to Vikram Seth. He was arrested under Sections 420,465,467,468,471 and 120B of the IPC.

Kuldip Singh and provisional officer Mohit Mahajan, were charged of giving loans of Rs 3.60 crores to four different industrial units of Goraya and Phagwara by mortgaging a duplicate registration deed of 11 kanals 18 marlas of land. 

Jalandhar, December 21
The Union Ministry of Culture has awarded Puneet Kumar Mishra, a BTech student of Lovely Professional University (LPU), a scholarship of Rs 1.2 lakh for being an ace theatre artiste.

Puneet Kumar Mishra is one among the 30 young theatre artistes of the country who won the scholarship this year. He will receive Rs 5,000 per month up to two years for undergoing training to develop folk theatre. He is known for championing social causes through his art at the state and the national levels.

He has performed at prestigious stages of the country such as Rabindra Manch, Kolkata, Bharat Kala Bhavan, Bhopal, Madhusudan Manch, Kolkata, Natyashala, Amritsar, Academy Manch, Kolkata and Bharat Rang Mahotsav, New Delhi.

Puneet has played more than 50 characters in his career. Aiming to join the National School of Drama after completing MTech at LPU, He wants to be recognised as versatile theatre actor.Congratulating Puneet, the university Pro-Chancellor, Rashmi Mittal, said, "The Ministry of Culture awards 400 scholarships every year to young artistes of the country. We hope that Puneet will prove himself ahead."