Jalandhar, February 4
They passed B&R work worth Rs 60 crore in the MC House. The Jalandhar Mayor and councillors of the ruling party are now pushing for expedition of the tendering process so that the work orders for the same be sanctioned well ahead of the imposition of the code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections.

The House meeting was held on January 24. As many as 140 works primarily pertaining to roads were cleared therein. Work worth Rs 10 crore for sewage, tubewell installation and streetlights have also been cleared. Since the city roads are in a deplorable condition, politicians of the ruling alliance want that the work should begin well before execution of the model code or it could all be held up for at least the next three months.

Leaders of the ruling SAD-BJP alliance also want that the work should somehow get started so that they can at least get credit for the same or else, they would have to face the wrath of the voters and the Opposition who would not spare them for not providing them proper civic amenities.

The proceedings of the meeting have been sent to the state government for approval. In anticipation of clearing of the work, the authorities have already floated tenders. A major hindrance came when the contractors earlier refused to respond to the tenders, demanding that a clause regarding third party inspection by PWD officials for checking quality of work be done away with.

Mayor Sunil Jyoti, keen that the work be cleared at the earliest, last week had a meeting with the contractors, convincing them to participate, while assuring them that not just the PWD but in fact all agencies approved by the MC could hold a third party inspection.

Jyoti said, “The contractors were wary of the PWD officials taking a lot of time in holding inspections and submitting their reports to the MC, feeling that under such circumstances, their payments could get delayed. We told them that any of the listed authorised agencies including private firms could be deployed for inspection and that their payments would not get blocked again. Now they have started submitting tenders.”

MC officials have started opening tenders and have announced a meeting of the Finance and Contracts Committee on February 10 so that the work orders could be passed in the next few days. The meeting cannot be held prior to this as the MC Commissioner Manpreet Singh Chhatwal is on leave till February 9.

Jyoti said, “I am keeping my fingers crossed. I have set the schedule in such a way that the work gets started at the contractors' end before the implementation of the code. Once that is done, the work can go on even during elections. The weather will be conducive by then and the roads can be carpeted.”

The House meeting was held on January 24. As many as 140 works primarily pertaining to roads were cleared therein. Politicians of the ruling alliance want that the work should begin well before execution of the model code or it could all be held up for at least the next three months

Jalandhar, February 4
It has been barely a week since the tehbazari wing of the MC lifted wheeled carts from a chaupati at Adarsh Nagar. While the dust settles, a sub-committee formed to decide the matter has regularised these vendors, asking them to pay Rs 3,000 per cart to the MC every month.

The chaupati is back in the market since Sunday evening. Action had come after state BJP vice-president and councillor Ravi Mahendru had raised the issue in the January 24 MC House meeting regarding levying of Rs 4,000 per cart from the vendors in the market by the staff. He said the chaupati had been running illegally from the site and had been doing brisk business in the evenings.

While Mahendru raised the issue, he, despite being a ruling party councillor, was not inducted in the sub-committee. A sub-committee member and BJP councillor Arjun Pappi said, “The sub-committee has decided that all 14 carts be allowed and a fee of Rs 3,000 be levied on them every month. This way, the MC would be earning Rs 42,000 as fixed income from the site. It has been ordered that the cart owners would not sub-let their vends. These would bear plates with names, phone numbers and licence numbers. The space is liable for evacuation, depending on MC's bidding.”

Mahendru is unhappy. “My idea was to break the monopoly of a select band in the area that has given these carts on contract. The authorities should have gone for an open auction,” he said.

Jalandhar, February 4
The administration is busy patting its back for making the district a smoke-free zone. Still, hundreds of children are at risk. The threat comes from various health hazards due to mushrooming of various fast food vendors outside and even inside the schools' premises.

Hooked to junk food, many children have taken a fancy to what is being peddled by roadside vendors. Till date, neither the health department nor the school authorities have found a way to tackle them.

"We are helpless in this case as most of these vendors keep on shifting places every few days. Most of them are not even registered with the health department. Due to this, it sometimes becomes very difficult to catch them or impose a fine on them. Many a time in the past, we have urged the education department to prevent them from selling eatables outside the school campus," said Dr RL Bassan, Civil Surgeon.

Despite the mid-day meal programme running in government schools, their students are the most affected. The most shocking example is that of the Government Girls Senior Secondary School at Nehru Garden, where many street vendors can be seen selling unhygienic and stale food inside the school premises. Surprisingly, neither the health department bothered to check the quality of these eatables, nor did the school authorities bother to ask the health department to do that.

"Mid Day Meal is served only to students till VIII standard. Those studying in classes IX to XII want something to eat. We do not have a canteen of our own. A small shop inside the premises only makes tea. Since it is a girls' school, we cannot allow them to go outside the school premises. So we have allowed these vendors to have stalls inside the school premises," confirmed Gurinderjit Kaur, principal, GGSSS, Nehru Garden.

She also said she never asked the health department to conduct a check on the quality of the eatables selling inside the school premises.

This menace is not restricted to government schools. Many private schools have also been suffering for long. "We have strict rules regarding regulating sale of junk food within the school premises. However, outside the campus, this menace is beyond control. Since the school is situated bang opposite the market, the stalls are located in the vicinity of the schools," said Father Peter of St Joseph's Boys School.

And child psychologists feel due to this, students are falling prey to various health and psychological disorders. "Due to this, they are getting used to wrong eating habits and disorders like stealing and lying at a young age. The administration should impose a complete ban on them," said Dr Kanchan Sandhu, nutritionist and dietician.

Seems like till the administration is comfortable with health hazards sitting pretty on the buffet menu. Meanwhile, these vendors pose a serious risk to hundreds of students in various schools and colleges of the district.

Bathinda, February 4
Close on the heels of alleged detection of bogus export shown by four Ludhiana firms to the tune of nearly Rs 4 crore, the Excise and Taxation Department has detected that a Jalandhar-based glass house showed bogus inter-state sale of over Rs 5 crore.

Inquiry officer of the department recommended registration of an FIR against the glass house owners and eight Tax Inspectors (TIs) and also recovery of loss of revenue from the latter.

Earlier, the department had indicted 10 TIs and had suspended them. One TI was dismissed on charges of helping business houses to show bogus inter-state sales.

The TIs deployed at various tax barriers across Punjab ‘helped’ the business houses in getting bogus exit slips of consignments to corroborate the export only on paper.

The Jalandhar firm showed export of two glass consignments worth Rs 2.61 crore and Rs 2.67 crore to claim VAT refund. If the firms sell their products in Punjab, they are supposed to pay up to 14 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) (depending on the nature of goods), and if they sell the same outside Punjab, they would pay just 1 per cent Central Sales Tax (CST).

The Commercial Tax Officer in Jaipur denied having shown any goods received by the Jaipur-based Asian Traders. Probe is underway to inquire into Jagdambay Sales' transactions. “We have written to higher authorities for registration of a case of cheating and under other sections against the business house,” Bangra said, adding these inspectors show eight non-existent vehicles crossing the barrier with fraudulent entries in their computer login. Owner of Ludhiana-based SK Bikes — Rajesh Kapoor has submitted papers to the Excise department. He has refuted allegations.

Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma said investigations are on and the guilty won’t be spared.

Phagwara, February 4
Despite tall claims made by the state government of introducing a daily bus service from Phagwara to the Chintpurni shrine, nothing has been done even six years after the announcement was made by former Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal.

The announcement was made by the former Transport Minister during the inauguration of the bus stand on January 16, 2008 in the presence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Though former Minister for Technical Education Swarana Ram had repeatedly urged the Transport Minister to implement this announcement, nothing has been done so far.

Meanwhile, the PRTC officials expressed their ignorance about any such announcement, saying the matter was related to the former officials.

According to sources, one such bus plying from Nakodar to Chintpurni via Phagwara in the year 2010 was caught without valid permit by the Himachal Transport Authorities.

The service was withdrawn after a few days. The Punjab Transport Department could not obtain a valid permit from its counterpart in adjoining Himachal Pradesh.

At present, pilgrims often depend on social and religious organisations which organise special bus service from Phagwara to Chintpurni.

Several bus drivers were seen halting their buses outside the Phagwara bus stand despite the prohibitory orders imposed by the Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Phagwara. 

Jalandhar, February 4
In order to regularise their services, free their arrested colleagues and get the false cases registered against their colleagues withdrawn, members of the Sarv Shikhiya Abhyan, Rashtari Madhmik Sikhiya Abhyan and CSS Teachers Union today organised a peace march which culminated at the residence of Punjab Minister Bhagat Chuni Lal. Besides, they also burnt the effigy of the state government.

President of the unin Ram Bhajan Chaudhary said, "Instead of regularising their services, the state government has been treating over 13,000 teachers and senior lab attendants as terrorists. This will not be tolerated at any cost."

''All the teachers and lab attendants will launch a state-wide campaign against the state government if their demands are not fulfilled," he said. 

Jalandhar, February 4
The cast and crew of an upcoming Punjabi film, “Kirpan-The Sword of Honour”, was in the city today to promote their flick. The film will release on February 7. The producer of the film, Rajinder Singh Banwait, said: "It's a youth oriented film. There have been Punjabi films that have been forgotten easily. But it will leave a lasting impact on the audience."

Director and writer of the film, Amrik Gill, said, "Kirpan depicts our culture and society. It raises social issues. It is a fully entertaining drama film. The film has eight songs, including a 'shabad' and traditional 'dhadhi' song."

Actresses Gurleen Chopra and Sameksha Singh were also present on the occasion. 

Jalandhar, February 4
The second week matches of the Educational Football League were held at Chak Muglani village. Chak Muglani is one of the satellite training centres where Youth Football Club, Rurka Kalan, imparts coaching to around 200 boys and girls below the age of 16 years.

A total of 17 matches were conducted in U-12, U-14 and U-16 age-groups at the mini stadium. The ‘most valuable player’ of every match was awarded a sports jersey. Similarly, players who did well in life skills workshop were also honoured.

President of the YFC, Rurka Kalan, Gurmangal Dass, said: ''Having already organised two editions of the Educational Football League for 2,000 underprivileged children, we have now taken this opportunity to use the power of football to change the lives of more children. We wish to emulate this league across the state. I hope more people come forward and support this charitable cause.''

In the U-12 category, Everwear FA, Jalandhar, won 1-0 against Soccer Stars FA, Kanha Dhesian, Bilga FA beat Narinder Singh Purewal FA 2-0, Khalsa FC defeated GNA Enterprises FA 2-1, Total Football Academy won 3-0 against YFC Rurka Kalan and World Welfare Wing FA and Master Subhdeviraj FA had a goalless draw.

In the U-14 category, Attari Academy beat Central Bank of India FA Goraya 3-0. Shankar FA had a comprehensive 4-0 victory against Kartar Singh Saraba FA, Capital Bank FA lost to Baba Dhyan Das FA by a solitary goal, Dashmesh Youth FA Chak Muglani pumped 5 goals past Baba Bhai Sadhu FA and Parmar FC Aluna Tola beat Jagbani FA 3-0. The derby match between Cocacola FA Rurka Kalan and YFC Rurka Kalan ended in a 4-0 victory for YFC Rurka Kalan.

In the U-16 category, Jonex FA beat YFC Bundala 2-0, Head Master Ujjagar Singh FA lose to Rabbi Darbar 1-0, Alive For Football Academy beat YFKC Kanha Dhesian 
2-0 and the match between Avon Cycles FA Ludhiana and Guru Nanak Sports Academy ended in a 1-1 draw.

The aim of the league is to promote football as a tool for sustainable development and save youth from drugs. The 1,200 registered players in the league are closely monitored in physical and technical areas. 

Jalandhar, February 4
In order to promote sports across rural India, Wital See Marketing Ltd, one of India's fastest growing business entities, is organising the 23rd edition of "Purewal Khed Mela". The Mela will be held on February 8 and 9 at Hakimpur village.

“Khed melas”, a one of its kind rural sports festival is organised to promote sports like kabaddi, wrestling, athletics, weightlifting and body building. Announcing the launch of "Khed Mela", Jyoti Narain, executive director, Wital See Marketing Limited, said, "Some of our most spectacular sporting stars have emerged from the country- side. We hope that one of the winners from this sporting carnival goes on to make the country proud."

Each sporting activity has separate categories for men and women athletes. "This event is also our way of monetarily encouraging the budding talent so that they do not suffer because of financial constraints,” said Jyoti Narain.—TNS

Jalandhar, February 4
Kamal Bunty of Reru village clinched the trophy of Vir Haqiqat Rai Annual Akhara Championship by defeating Amarjit Singh from Amritsar.

He was awarded Rs 21,000 along with a momento and shawl. This year, around 150 wrestlers in the age-group of 10 to 50 years from 15 akharas participated in the contest. The event was held at Mohan Singh Park.

The competition was held for various categories ranging from 50 to 100 kg. 

Phagwara, February 4
The Phagwara police have booked a girl from Khanna on charge of forgery.

The accused, identified as Rupinder Kaur, duped a Phagwara cloth merchant, Sham Sunder Gandhi, of Rs 14,80,000.

The complainant told the police that the accused contacted her and offered him a gold card of the HDFC Bank by opening a savings account in the bank on December 30, 2013. He gave her a cheque for Rs 199 from his cheque drawn on Allahabad Bank. Later, it came to his notice that Rs 14,80,000 was transferred to one of her account recently opened in the Khanna branch of Allahabad Bank. “After enquiring from the said bank, it came to light that the accused had fabricated the cheque,” he said.

“The police officials are investigating the case,” said SHO (City) Ravinder Singh.

The accused has been booked under the sections 420, 465, 468, 471 and 120B of the IPC. 

Jalandhar, February 4
The Basti Bawa Khel police today arrested one person with 250 gm of opium. The accused, Major Singh of Moju Khera, Haryana, was nabbed by the police near the Basti Mithu road.

"A case has been registered," said ACP (West) Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu.