Expansion of platform in limbo
Amritsar, February 13
Number of trains and passengers has swelled at one-and-a-half century old Amritsar Railway Station. But it has been waiting for adding more new platforms for the past several decades.

A view of the partially constructed platform; and (right) an unclean track at the Amritsar railway station. Photos: Vishal Kumar

Shortage of staff hits university work
Amritsar, February 13
A meeting of the executive committee of the Officers Association of Guru Nanak Dev University was held under the presidentship of Renu Puri to discuss the issues confronting university officers.

Leftists continue hunger strike
Amritsar, February 13
The chain hunger strike launched by Communist parties entered the fourth day today. The leftists were protesting against the high inflation, which has broken common man’s back besides other issues concerning the people.

Amritsar, February 13
The state government has sanctioned Rs 15 crore for carrying out development works in the city. Out of this, Rs 9 crore has been received by the municipal corporation and the remaining funds are expected to be received soon.

This was stated by City Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora. "These funds will be utilised through the feedback received from the MLAs for their respective constituency," he said.

Officials said out of the development works worth Rs 9 crore, a sum of Rs 40 lakhs had been spared for maintenance, repair or installing tube wells, Rs 83 lakh for roads, Rs 52 lakh for streetlights and Rs 40 lakh for Fire Brigade Department.

Besides, works worth Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh for each ward, too were, in the pipeline to be executed. These works are being carried out on the basis of recommendations of the respective councillors. The tenders for the works have already been allotted.

The funds for these development works are expected to be disbursed before the model code of conduct is implemented for the Lok Sabha elections after getting a mandatory nod from the F&CC (Finance and Contract Committee).

After scrapping the old pattern of Rs 50,000 per ward scheme, the MC had already endorsed the disbursal of grant to the tune of Rs 11 lakh for each of the 65 wards. This implied that the holy city needed at least Rs 7.15 crore to implement this planning. Under the new format, every ward was entitled to have Rs 5 lakh each for civil work, operation and maintenance (O&M), and Rs 1 lakh for rectifying streetlights and maintenance of parks in their wards.

The MC authorities had approved 87 proposals of development works lying pending which included repair or roads, CC flooring, tubewell and sewer repair etc.

Mayor Arora said works worth Rs 1,241 crore were on the agenda of the state government for Amritsar. "Recently, works worth Rs 600 crore to be executed under the JNNURM head have got the Centre's nod. The soon to be introduced bus service on the BRTS pattern would transform the whole infrastructure of Amritsar because it would require state-of-the-art dedicated road tracks and numbers of flyovers would be built for the purpose," he told. 

Amritsar, February 13
The municipal corporation (MC) has framed a policy according to which no official will hold on to a post for more than three years. The move is aimed at bringing in more transparency and efficiency in the MC functioning. The SAD councillors were already up in arms against two officials, recently, who were on the same post for the past almost a decade.

The insiders attribute it to the political patronage being enjoyed by certain officials. They have also been instrumental in creating stagnation in the departments.

Otherwise, the Municipal Act norms demand that the employees should not be posted on one post for more than three years particularly revenue generation and public dealing. Cocking a snook at rules, staff members have been sticking to their chairs. The issue was raised many a time during the budget and general house session by Senior Deputy Mayor Avtar Singh Trukkanwala and other SAD councillors.

Prominent members of the House had raised the issue that the MC’s inadequate recovery target and rampant illegal construction were there because of such employees who have been posted on the same seats for years together. They pointed out some of the employees ‘by name’ who would turn a blind eye towards the offenders, either due to political or their own interests.

They opined that if shuffling was done in letter and in spirit, the MC could recover five times more revenue.

According to information, the A-1 clerical wing has encroached upon the civil, streetlights, house tax, MTP, advertisement, water supply, operation and maintenance departments. 

Amritsar, February 13
Number of trains and passengers has swelled at one-and-a-half century old Amritsar Railway Station. But it has been waiting for adding more new platforms for the past several decades.

Built in 1859 by the British, the station requires a spacious area for servicing trains and reducing congestion. No new platform has been added to the station for the past many decades. However, the number of trains is steadily rising.

Over 130 trains arrive and depart from the city railway station daily while it witnesses a footfall of over 30,000 passengers.

As a result, the authorities at the Railway Station have to keep many trains waiting at nearby railway stations for want of vacant platforms. Ultimately, thousands of passengers, including tourists, have to endure pangs of waiting at nearby railway stations or at secluded places.

The passengers are obviously annoyed with the Railway authorities due to this inconvenience. A retail apparels trader, Surjit Singh, said, he travels to Delhi every Saturday night to procure material for the week. He generally takes the train back on Sunday afternoon. Normally it is Hirakund, which departs from the Delhi Railway Station at 3:15 pm for Amritsar and reaches at around 11 pm, he said. He rued that normally the train was kept waiting at Manawala station for some time. Passengers, who travel in Sachkhand Super Express trains and other trains, which run on the Amritsar-Jammu railway line, share similar grievances.

On the top of it, the Shatabdi Express and Swaran Shatabdi Express are stationed on platform No. 1 for longer hours. It irks vendors as they lose customers. However, the authorities citing availability of limited space and costly interior in wagons of these trains hold it inescapable.

A social activist Naresh Johar’s RTI plea reveals that the expansion plan for the platform No. 6 and 7 at the railway station was held up after non-approval by the Signal Inter-locking Plan (SIP). The RTI stated that the expected cost of the project was Rs 5 crore, out of which over Rs 31.75 lakh was invested at the site in 2009. However, the project was abandoned after non-approval of the SIP.

Johar said it reflected badly on the part of a professional body like the Railways that it had undertaken the project without getting all approvals. He feared that the project cost would also escalate. He said the project was also crucial for traffic management in the city.

Currently, trains are parked at platforms close to railway link road, which is experiencing heavy rush of autos, cycle rickshaws, taxis and other vehicles. On the other hand, passengers avoid crossing over to Gol Bagh side where platform No. 6 and 7 would be located. Hence, a small number of rickshaws are seen parked outside railway station while major chunk of the road is occupied by trucks parked by nearby automobile workshops. The road is also dirty.

Incidentally, walled city, which falls close to Gol Bagh side, has a population of 4.50 lakh as per the 2011 census. Johar said, “It is a matter of concern that the then Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced in the 2009 railway budget that the Amritsar Railway Station will be among the 50 stations in India to be developed as a world-class service provider stations.”

Apart from the budgetary allocation, the Centre had also prepared a plan to upgrade this station in 2006. However, nothing constructive has taken place till date. Railway officials in the Engineering Wing said the file had again been forwarded to the head office for approval and the project of raising new platforms was in pipeline. Besides, process of installing escalator at the railway station was underway, they added. 

Amritsar, February 13
A meeting of the executive committee of the
Officers Association of Guru Nanak Dev University was held under the presidentship of Renu Puri to discuss the issues confronting university officers.

Dr Rajesh Kalia, Deputy Registrar and secretary of the association, apprised members about the acute shortage of the staff. He urged the university authorities to expedite the process of recruitment and promotions at the earliest so that university work, particularly the Examination Wing, did not suffer due to the shortage of staff.

He said the work had almost doubled due to semester system.

Kalia said contractual clerk-cum-junior data entry operators left after the expiry of their term, but the relieved staff was not replaced with either fresh recruitment or promotions.

This had escalated work pressure tremendously. He urged the authorities to address the problem of staff shortage on priority basis. To press for the acceptance of their demands, Dr Kalia said a general body meeting would be held on February 21.

Tirath Singh, vice-president, Mukesh Sharma, joint secretary, Sham Mohan, treasurer and all the executive members of the association were also present in the meeting.

Amritsar, February 13
The chain hunger strike launched by Communist parties entered the fourth day today. The leftists were protesting against the high inflation, which has broken common man’s back besides other issues concerning the people.

They demanded in decrease the power rates to Rs 2 per unit for domestic connections, Rs 3 and Rs 4 per unit for industrial and commercial power connections respectively.

A senior community leader and CPI district secretary Amarjit Singh Asal said Communist parties also want old age pension to be increased to Rs 3,000 besides withdrawal of property and other taxes levied in the name of regularising properties.

He said a protest rally would be organised in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office on February 24 to press the government for acceptance their demands. Ansal said the Punjab government had imposed VAT on domestic LPG cylinders, which was totally unfair. 

Amritsar, February 13
A local NGO, Jhansi Rani Society, organised a drug de-addiction awareness programme today in collaboration with Border Security Force (BSF) at Kakkar village here.

Former cabinet minister and senior BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla, besides BSF commandant Satish Kumar was the chief guest on the occasion. While addressing people, Chawla said drug addiction had ruined many families and young generation of Punjab. She said the easy availability of drugs and intoxicants aided the menace to spread its tentacles in every nook and corner of the state at an alarming rate. She called upon the people to rise above their vested interests and launch a movement to eradicate this menace from society.

Commandant Satish Kumar said the BSF was always on a high alert and thwarted many smuggling attempts from across the border fence. He said society was also to be made aware against the drug abuse. Children should be educated from the school level about the ill effects of drugs on health and society, he added. Youth should take a pledge against this menace, said Satish.

Alfaz Theatre group staged a play highlighting the drug problem. Sarpanches of various villages, who participated in the programme, also pledged to launch drives in their respective villages against drug abuse. 

Jalandhar, February 13
Nearly seven years after the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Avenue scheme had been floated by the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT), it is now that a few of the 500 allottees have started the construction work here.

This too happened after the JIT allowed the owners to construct a basement in the plots which are otherwise at a 15-foot depth from the ground level. Since the scheme had been started at the fag end of the Congress regime, the successive SAD-BJP governments have taken little interest in it.

It is now after a gap of more than six and a half years that the JIT began providing basic amenities by laying roads and installing streetlights. There are just four built-up houses in the scheme area which was earlier a site for brick kilns. Owing to a lower plinth level, most allottees either sold off the plots or kept waiting for the JIT to do land filling at the site.

Even now after the JIT allowed the basement, plot owners are not fully convinced. Satpal Singh, who has just started constructing a house, said he was not made completely aware of the basement norms of the JIT.

“I covered the entire 200 sq yard plot at the basement. After I was done with it, officials told me that I could cover only 100 sq yards. Now, I have been told to close 50 per cent of it when I have already invested Rs 25 lakh on the basement. With this much amount, I would have been done with my first floor construction as well,” he said.

Ranjit Singh, another house owner, said it was now after seven years of scheme that the JIT had finally started giving some amenities. He said the vacant plots were being used by the MC staff to dump the city’s waste which had made the life of his family miserable. “With just about a few houses around, we feel a little insecure and want the JIT to be liberal with norms so that the plot owners quickly build up their houses,” he said.

JIT SE Mukul Soni said there was a limit to the area for covering the basement. “The area covered varies with the plot sizes,” he said.

The scheme had been started in 2007 by the then JIT Chairman Tajinder Singh Bittu. It was earlier named Yadvindra Enclave, but at the time of the allotment, it was changed to its present name.

The JIT had earlier started issuing notices for the levying of non-construction charges to the plot owners who got the waiver through the consumer forum.

Amritsar, February 13
A special lecture on the resourceful fakirs was organised by the Department of History of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) here today. The lecture was delivered by eminent Pakistani historian, Dr Fakir Syed Aijazuddin, at the Guru Nanak Bhawan Auditorium.

GNDU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ajaib Singh Brar, presided over the event. Prof MS Hundal, Dean, Academic Affairs, introduced the guest speaker to students. Prof Bir Good Gill, head of the department, welcomed the chief guest and others. Prof Sulakhan Singh from the Department of History presented a vote of thanks.

Dr Syed said his ancestors served in the Court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, lion of Punjab. He said the Maharaja had deputed his ancestor, Fakir Aijazuddin, as his spokesperson on all matters relating to foreign affairs, to conduct negotiations with the British, neighbours in the east and the Afghans in the west.

He said the level of confidence the Maharaja had in Aijazuddin could be gauged from the fact that for almost 30 years -- from 1810 until the death of Maharaja in 1839 -- there was no diplomatic negotiation or treaty that was concluded without Aijazuddin's involvement. His services were also valuable to Ranjit Singh's successor Maharajas -- Kharak Singh, Naunihal Singh and Sher Singh, he added.

Dr Syed said his ancestors, two other Fakir brothers, who were an integral part of the Sikh Court of Lahore, were Fakir Imamuddin (keeper of the Gobindgarh Fort, Amritsar) and his younger brother Fakir Nuruddin (member of the Regency Council for Maharaja Duleep Singh). They also rendered their service, he added.

He said he himself had published a number of books on this period of Punjab history. The first was Pahari paintings and Sikh Portraits in the Lahore Museum (1977), a catalogue of the miniature paintings collection in the Lahore Museum. The counterpart to it was in the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh, added Dr Syed.

While expressing his happiness to be at Guru Nanak Dev University, Dr Syed said he had a long-term association with the university and was also a distance learning student of the university. He said he would be happy to render his services in the field of research.

Prof Brar said Fakir Syed Aijazuddin was Pakistan's foremost Art Historian and recipient of the Order of British Empire. He said he belonged to the illustrious family of fakir brothers of Lahore, who occupied positions of eminence in Maharaja Ranjit Singh's reign.

Prof Brar also honoured Dr Fakir Syed Aijazuddin with shawl and a memento. A large number of faculty members and students were also present on the occasion. Dr Syed also replied to the queries of students.

Amritsar, February 13
A deputation of Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) specialist doctors association, led by its president, Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal, met Medical Education and Research Minister Anil Joshi here today to apprise him of the problems faced by the cadre. The association members said many of the PCMS specialist doctors, who had done senior residency and were eligible for promotion to the post of assistant professors in Government Medical Colleges, were being ignored.

Dr Sohal said with the state government working on a policy to restrict the maximum age for entry to Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) as assistant professor at 50 years, many a senior doctors, who were eligible would never get a chance to enter medical colleges.

He said even after the increase of retirement age for the GMC faculty to 62 years, doctors were at the receiving end as the department promotion committee had not met in the last 8 years.

Amritsar, February 13
The district consumer redressal forum has directed a private insurance company to refund Rs 75,000 to a local complainant within one month which he had paid as premium for buying an insurance. The forum has also directed the company to pay litigation expenses of Rs 2000.

Earlier Kawaljit Singh, a resident of Guru Amardass Avenue, had filed a complaint against DLF Pramerica Life Insurance Company that an employee of the opposite party had approached him who persuaded him to buy an insurance plan with 20-year term and guaranteed returns of 15.5 per cent annually.

He said he paid the money vide a cheque and received a receipt for it on September 18, 2012. He said that the company failed to deliver the original insurance policy documents to him till date. He said the original policy documents were not issued despite his repeated requests.

The company in its reply stated that policy documents were issued in September 2012 and were sent to the complainant through a courier service but the documents were returned with reason as “No service”. Thereafter, the policy documents were sent through speed post. The complainant submitted a written request at the Amritsar branch that he had not received the policy documents. It was denied that the complainant approached the opposite party on a number of occasions. The forum held that the company could not furnish the details as to when and to whom the policy documents were delivered.

The forum stated that it was the duty of the opposite party to prove that the policy documents were delivered to the complainant against a proper receipt and signatures. The forum held the company deficient in service and told it to return the full amount paid as premium.

Amritsar, February 13
The annual celebrated day of love will have everybody on toes as usual. The romantics are busy pleasing their partners while others are trying to win them over. Just as love, business, too, seems to be blooming with special V-Day goodies in demand.

While most flower shops saw a sell out despite being overstocked, a single flower bud burnt a hole in the pocket of the buyer with prices as high as Rs 80 for a single rose. Other usual Valentine specials include exotic flowers, chocolates and customised love messages. Chocolates being a sure hit with lovers, customized chocolates with love messages inn flavour like strawberry, plum, wine and resin are popular picks. "We get maximum orders for customised chocolates and cakes with message on Valentine's Day. This time around, the specifics include picture cakes," says Ram Kumar, who works in a popular bakery in the city.

For the extravagant ones, designer studios and boutique brands make special Valentines offers. If you couldn't say it with a rose, a Gucci or Manish Malhotra can help!

Amritsar, February 13
The crowned king of laughter, Rajeev Goldy, a resident of Mohali, who claimed the title of PTC Laughter Da Master at Khalsa College grounds in Amritsar on January 24, received a brand new car. He overcame his competition after clearing auditions, studio episodes and the grand finale.

For Rajeev, the experience of achieving the title was a tough challenge and winning the car extended celebrations. Rajeev's overnight celebrity status has already won him offers from various media and production houses.

Rajiee M Shinde, Director and CEO- PTC Network, said, “Laughter Da Master” had created a benchmark not just in reality shows, but also in Punjabi films. Former winners had got acclamation across the Punjabi movie industry and bagged offers from major production houses, he added.

He said as compared to the last year, participants’ had taken the show viewership a notch higher this year. “By presenting our winner with another perk is a way to celebrate his win,” he added.

Amritsar, February 13
An old enmity between two groups belonging to the ruling party took an ugly turn when they clashed with each other at Meharbanpura village in Jandiala Guru near here last evening.

One person, identified as Judgepreet Singh, a resident of same village, died on the spot after sustaining bullet injury in his chest. Over half-a-dozen persons were also injured in the incident.

The police have booked around 12 persons in the murder case. Among those booked include Gurpal Singh, his wife Balwinder Kaur, Gursharan Singh, Manbir Singh, Navjot Singh, Kirpal Singh, Jasbir Singh, all residents of Meharbanpura, Sandeep Singh of Wadala Johal, Shagundeep Singh of Devidaspura and three unidentified persons.

Kulbir Singh, the complainant told the police that he had bought a new motorcycle and was returning to the village when Gurpal Singh hit his bike with his SUVs.

He said he returned home and narrated the incident to his family members, who along with the village sarpanch Sawinder Singh went to the residence of Gurpal Singh to complain about the incident. He said a verbal dual ensued, which prompted them to return home.

Kulbir said instead of relenting, the accused followed them and attacked them with sharp-edged weapons. He alleged the accused fired shots with a .12 bore rifle, which hit Judgepreet’s chest, killing him on the spot. He said around eight persons sustained injuries caused by bullet splinters. The injured were under treatment at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital.

Among those injured include Davinder Singh, Ranbir Singh, Pardeep Singh, Tarsem Singh, Shingara Singh, Harsharan Singh, Kashmir Singh and Mukhtar Singh.

SHO Ravinder Singh said the incident was a result of an old enmity between the two groups. He said raids were being conducted to nab culprits, who were on the run. 

Amritsar, February 13
The city police here today have managed to re-arrest the jail inmate who had escaped from the court complex during a hearing in his case here yesterday.

However, the escape has once again brought to light the fact that instances of prisoners giving a slip to the police while being produced in the court continue unabated.

The police have already booked a head constable for dereliction in performing his duties while escorting a jail inmate who escaped from to the court complex.

Gurwinder Singh, alias Mota, a resident of Pandori waraich village, was arrested by the police for bootlegging and drug peddling. He dodged the police party belonging to Amritsar rural police when they removed his handcuffs to produce him before the court of the Judicial Magistrate, first class, for hearing in a case.

After the completion of hearing, he ran away from the police custody. Along with him, the police also booked head constable Baljinder Singh for negligence of duty. A case under Sections 223 and 224, IPC, has been arrested in this regard.

The Civil Lines police authorities today revealed that within 24 hours the accused was re-arrested by the police. He was also wanted in the murder case.

This is not the sole case of a prisoner’s escape. The courts and hospitals have become an easy route for jail inmates to escape from police custody, if recent instances are anything to go by.

A couple of months ago, a notorious criminal, Gurmukh Singh, who was wanted in around a dozen cases of dacoity, robbery and NDPS cases, slipped from police custody from the Ajnala civil court. According to police officials, as the police team was going to handcuff him, he pushed the cops and ran away from the court premises.

According to police authorities, criminals take the advantage whenever they were freed from handcuffs before appearance in the court. “It is mandatory to remove the handcuffs before appearance in the court. This gives them ample chance to them owing to the crowd in the court premises,” said a police official. The experts blame the absence of foolproof security. 

Amritsar, February 13
The Amritsar rural police today claimed to have arrested both the persons allegedly involved in the killing a local youth, Karundeep Singh, outside a marriage resort a couple of days ago.

Ranjit Singh, alilas Rana, a notorious gangster and his accomplice, Judgebir Singh, were on the run since the incident. Karundeep was shot dead after a dispute between them.

According to police authorities, the deceased, who is a resident of the Roop Nagar area near Bhagtanwala, was a friend of the accused, Rana and Judgebir. The pistol used in the crime was also illegal. Jastinder Singh, DSP, while confirming their arrest, said that the police had also recovered the pistol used in the crime besides six live cartridges. The accused would be produced in the court tomorrow and the police would seek their remand for further investigations, he added.

It has been learnt that Rana, infamous as Rana Kandhowali, a resident of Kandhowali village falling in Majitha was wanted in many criminal cases registered in Amritsar and its adjoining areas. He was also involved in a firing incident that occurred in the local Dhapai area in April last year.

The police had arrested Rana and his accomplice, Jagroop Singh Roopa, of Romana village at that time.

They fired at the police party, which had laid a Naka near Dhapai following a tip-off, when it signalled him to stop. Both the accused managed to secure bail and recently came out of the jail. 

Amritsar, February 13
In a shocking incident, a teenage girl was stabbed to death by a youth as she did not pay heed to his advances and refused his friendship proposal.

The incident occurred near Dhanoe Kalan village here this afternoon when the victim, identified as Sandeep Kaur (17), a resident of the Dhanoe Kalan village, was returning home from her school.

The accused, identified as Jaswant Singh of same village, has been on run since the brutal murder. According to the police, he slit her throat besides stabbing her in the stomach and chest.

Nirmal Singh, SHO, Gharinda police station, confirmed the incident that the a case under Section 302, IPC, had been registered against Jaswant Singh following the incident while raids were being conducted to arrest him. Accordind to details, Sandeep Kaur studied in Shaheed Baba Deep Singh School at Bachiwind village and used to return home around 2 pm.

"Their house in located on the village outskirts. As soon as she moved towards her house, Jaswant intercepted her. Before she could understand what was happening, the accused attacked her with a sharp-edged knife and stabbed her in her stomach and chest and later slit her throat leading to her death on the spot," said Nirmal Singh.

He said Jaswant had proposed friendship to the girl which she refused and did not respond to his repeated advances. Agitated over this, he took the extreme step and killed her.