Jalandhar, February 18
An under-construction house collapsed at Sunshine Enclave near Ladhewali this evening, injuring two labourers.

The three-storeyed house, which was being constructed by a local property dealer for sale purposes, did not have any beams and the floors just had a four-inch slab with little material inserted for strengthening purpose.

The labourers had a miraculous escape as they could have even come down under the falling debris had they been working down. Incidentally, the Bal Krishan and Rakesh were on the upper portion of the building which only partly tilted. Both suffered injuries on their knees and feet while being rescued.

Inspector Sarabjit Singh, who resides in the same colony, was among the first few persons to get the report. He immediately sounded the police authorities concerned, who rushed constables to the spot to rescue the labourers.

Jalandhar (Central) MLA Manoranjan Kalia, SDM-1 Neeraj Kumar, ADCP-1 Naresh Dogra and ACP Central Jasvir Rai reached the spot. The two injured labourers were taken by the Rama Mandi police 
to hospital.

Assistant Town Planner of MC Lakhbir Singh, too, went to the spot to check any untoward incident.

The ADCP said it had been found that the building was being built by DS Sethi of SNM Property Linkers. “We will get the matter investigated and take action against any person found guilty of negligence,” he said.

Jalandhar, February 18
To implement the plastic waste management rules of the Central Pollution Control Board, the Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, has decided to fix the rates for the sale of plastic bags being given out to customers at supermarkets and departmental stores.

A proposal in this regard will be mooted through the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) that will meet on February 21. As per the proposal, the plastic bags for supermarkets with a weight of up to 2 kg are to be sold at Re 1 per bag, those with up to 3 kg for Rs 2 per bag, 5 kg for Rs 3 per bag and 10 kg for Rs 4 per bag.

For department stores and lifestyle categories, the small capacity plastic bags are to be given out at Rs 3 per bag, of medium capacity at Rs 5 per bag and of large size at Rs 7 per bag. The matter has already been cleared in the MC House meeting on July 9 last and is now to get approval of the F&CC.

As per the Plastic and Waste (Management Handling) Rules 2011, "No carry bag shall be made available free of cost by the retailers to consumers. The municipal authorities concerned may by notification determine the minimum price for carry bags to encourage the reuse to minimise plastic waste generation."

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the MC authorities have planned to hold another F&CC meeting in a gap of less than a fortnight to clear the various tenders of road construction received by it. The last meeting was held on February 8.

The MC has also proposed to have a separate five-member team, headed by an engineer for the projects. The team is being hired on contract for a year with a budgetary proposal of Rs 21.72 lakh. The team will overview the implementation of projects, including Integrated Slum Housing Development Scheme, Rajiv Awas Yojna, Chandan Nagar RUB, sports hub at the Burlton Park, food court-cum-3G fish aquarium, night shelters, beautification of Nehru Garden, slaughter house, Sulabh Shauchalaya and landscaping and beautification of various chowks, green belts and parks.

The team will have a project engineer, a CA, patwari, data entry operator and road-roller driver. The MC has also sought approval for overhaul of power connection at an amount of Rs 1.38 crore for the purchase of a generator set, electricity panel, DJ, cables and transformer.

The road works which are to be cleared include those of Defence Colony, Raja Garden, Mann Colony, Bank Enclave, Punjabi Bagh, Green Park, Birring, Mithapur and several other localities.

Jalandhar, February 18
BJP leaders and workers who had remained quite dormant in this SAD stronghold during the last Lok Sabha polls are seemingly quite upbeat this time over Narendra Modi rally at Jagraon.

A march organised by the SC Morcha of the BJP led to traffic jam in Jalandhar on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Sarabjit Singh

Be it with regard to the number of hoardings or activities of various party cells, the BJP has been drawing much attention in the city. The party has already inaugurated NaMo Chai Chaupals and held Chai pe Charcha programmes.

It has several programmes lined up for the week, including a padyatra by the SC Morcha tomorrow, a cycle rally by the minority cell, a motorcycle rally by the Yuva Morcha on Thursday and a car rally by the industry and vyapar cell on February 21. The party has formed 45 cells and even started their activities. The Congress has just formed three cells, including those of human rights, the OBC and urban development, while the SAD is yet to create any jatha.

The enthusiasm of the BJP leaders at the local level has surprised even the leaders from its alliance partner. Being an Akali seat, even the SAD leaders said the vigour this time was extraordinary. “We just hope that it lasts longer and does not end with the conclusion of Modi’s rally on February 23”, commented a senior SAD leader.”

BJP district president Subhash Sud said, “Our party is making all out efforts across the state. We have been holding two meetings of our party mandals daily. We intend to sustain the momentum even post-rally.”

District SAD unit without office-bearers

Even as the 2014 parliamentary elections are round the corner, the Jalandhar district of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) is headless. In the wake of the fact that after the re-appointment of Sukhbir Badal as party president on September 4 last year, the new body of the SAD is yet to be announced, the Jalandhar (Rural and Urban) units could not be constituted.

The matter assumes political significance considering the fact that a proper party unit with the president and the office-bearers is one of the essential catalysts for undertaking the election campaign vigorously.

According to the local Akali leaders, the formation of the unit was a must to manage efficiently the different tasks during the election. However, fearing disciplinary action, they are refraining from speaking on record on the issue. Many of the senior SAD leaders in Jalandhar said the party president should announce the state body without any delay, thereby paving the way for the formation of the district units. Its alliance partner BJP not only has proper district body in place, but has also constituted separate cells of the party, including industry, IT, human rights and the RTI cell.

No takers for NaMo tea

Chai Pe Charcha with Modi — the much hyped campaign of the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi did not get much response in the city so far. The two ‘NaMo tea stalls’ in the city were found selling tea without anyone having Chai Pe Charcha. A visit to the stalls, one near the BSF Chowk and the other near Mehr Chand ITI, shared that the discussion about Modi was not planned as a daily affair but just for a day to attract media attention. The stalls so far have missed the youth action and the thoughtful discussions. All who were seen enjoying tea at the ‘NaMo tea stall’ so far were migrant labourers. (Withcontributions by Deepkamal Kaur, Umesh and Rachna Khaira)

Jalandhar, February 18
The three main chowks in the city - Shri Ram Chowk at the Company Bagh intersection, Luv Kush Chowk and Maharishi Balmiki Chowk at the busy Jyoti Market area - are a neglected lot these days.

Luv Kush Chowk in Jalandhar need attention

What to talk of landscaping, these rotaries have weeds growing on them and are becoming an eyesore to anyone passing through these places.

The fountain of Shri Ram Chowk has not been working for the past so many months. Although constructed just outside the main gate of the Municipal Corporation (MC) building, it has failed to attract the attention of the department responsible for its maintenance. The blue tiles are covered with a lot of filth and most of these are broken. Even the water inside the fountain is lying stagnant for many months, posing serious health problems.

The most pathetic situation is that of Maharishi Balmiki Chowk in the busy Jyoti market area. Although given the name of Maharishi Balmiki, it is crying for attention for years. The name of the saint has almost fallen. The globe has stopped moving for the past so many months and the saint’s name written on it has almost faded. Even the outer layer of the boundary wall is falling off, leaving behind huge ugly patches. There are bushes growing on the wall that need to be cut.

“The rotaries that have been given the name of famous saints and prominent dignitaries should be treated like temples and should be cleaned and maintained everyday. But unfortunately, no one is bothered about their maintenance and have left them in the lurch. This is just like showing disrespect to the personality after whom these roundabouts have been named,” said Vikas Rana, a student.

Luv Kush Chowk is one of the biggest chowks in the city. Here a lot of traffic jams are seen. It is also in a very pathetic state as the outer railing is completely broken. The tiles and the outer boundary wall have almost fallen on the road. The paint of the chowk has also faded and the lights installed at various points on the jumbo structure are missing.

“Either the corporation should maintain it or should demolish it. What is the use of having such giant chowks if they only add to traffic congestion? Many cities, like Chandigarh, give maintenance contract to big corporate houses. The corporation can also get some money or at least maintain it by doing the same,” said Nandini Aggarwal, a local resident.

Kulvinder Singh, Superintending Engineer, Municipal Corporation, said due care is taken to maintain these chowks, as a lot of religious processions take places pass through this place in a year. “We do maintain them regularly, as we have many processions in a given year. Still, we will look into the matter and try to maintain these chowks which require immediate care,” said Kulwinder Singh.

Sources in the corporation also revealed that so many times the corporation had thought of narrowing some of the roundabouts in the city to ease traffic, but due to some community and religious issues, the proposal was not even put on paper. Also, the corporation is hesitant to auction these rotaries due to communal issues. In this scenario, many other roundabouts of the city are also missing out on their maintenance.

Jalandhar, February 18
Donkey menace has plagued the city badly and is annoying residents in most of the congested areas here.

Presently, around 700 donkey owners, mostly migrant workers, have encroached upon open areas inside various residential localities. They are working as small-time loaders in these areas and transport building and other materials on donkey's back to narrow lanes of the city. During the non-working time, they let loose their animals who, by braying loudly, irritate residents.

Despite repeated requests by residents, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has done nothing to move them out from residential areas.

The biggest problem is in the Pratap Bagh area, where more than 100 donkeys could be seen anytime in the day standing near huge piles of garbage scattered inside the abandoned parking lot of the MC, which is being used as a garbage dump for ward Nos. 18, 27, 19, 29 and some parts of 30 also. This is one of the biggest garbage dumps inside the city and is situated in the centre of Pratap Bagh. Also, there is a deserted swimming pool of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) across the road. Huge piles of building materials thrown by trucks cover the road and also cause inconvenience to the residents.

"The braying is a complete nuisance. I am staying here for the past 10 years and the problem is increasing every day. These donkeys don't stop braying even in the night. In winters, the problem aggravates, as these donkeys, being tied in open area, bray loudly due to the bone-chilling cold," said Kiran Thakur, a resident of Pratap Bagh.

Residents also said that most of the time, migrants burn the garbage piles and also create a lot of pollution in the area. "When they are not doing loading work, they pick and choose materials like plastic, paper etc from garbage dumps, scatter the whole garbage across the road and create a lot of nuisance in the locality," said Gurtirath Singh, another resident.

Dr Gursharan Bedi, president, People for Animal (PFA), an NGO, confirmed that according to Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, all animals who are working or being used by human beings for various works should be provided adequate food and shelter by the owners, the violation of which is a punishable law. "They cannot make them work the whole day and then tie them openly in the night without giving them proper food. This is a punishable offence," he said.

In the absence of any check by the district administration, the donkey menace has scattered across many localities of the city like Chaugitti, Basti Sheikh, Basti Bawa Khel and Danishmanda and the outskirts of the city. "Most of the city has become a stable and we are living the life of an animal with huge dumps of garbage, congestion, foul smell and now the donkeys encroaching residential colonies. The administration must do something to stop this nuisance," said Suman Sehgal, councillor from Ward No. 18. She also said that when she met Dr Virender Kaalia, Health Officer, regarding curbing this menace from her ward, he handed her a bottle of phenyl and asked her to spray it near her house.

Dr Kaalia, meanwhile, showed ignorance in the matter and said he was busy with the arrangements of a religious function and would check the ground situation whenever he got time.

Jalandhar, February 18
The Punjab Technical University (PTU) today declared its BTech first semester results and list of toppers.

Kamalpreet Kaur, BTech (physics) student of the BBSBEC, Fatehgarh Sahib, scored 91.6 per cent and bagged the first position. Ajay Kumar, BTech (physics) student of the GIET, Khanna, scored 90.53 per cent and stood second; while Sachin Sharma, BTech (physics) student of the CGCTC, Mohali, and Rajbir Kaur, BTech (physics) student of the AIET, Faridkot, scored 88.67per cent and shared the third position.

Ashpreet Kaur, BTech (chemistry) student of the GVIET, Ram Nagar, Banur, scored 88.53per cent and bagged the first position. Shreya Papneja, BTech (chemistry) student of the CGCTC, Mohali, scored 88.13 per cent and stood second; while Akash Kumar Mittal, BTech (chemistry) student of the CEC, Landran, scored 86.53 per cent and came third.

Dr Rajneesh Arora, Vice-Chancellor, PTU, said, “It is very heartening to note that students from small towns and villages are performing well and outsmarting their counterparts living in bigger cities academically. Besides studies, I want all students to excel in other spheres of life as well and become successful citizens or entrepreneurs.”

Jaspal Singh, Controller of Examinations, PTU, said, “The PTU had announced examination reforms a few months ago and declaring results timely was one of the main points therein. I congratulate everyone in the examinations department for meeting the deadline adds to the reputation of the university.”

Jalandhar, February 18
The teams of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Kapurthala have stormed into the semifinals of the 66th Punjab State Senior Football Championship, here today. The event is going on at the Guru Gobind Singh Stadium.

Earlier, in the first quarterfinal match, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar beat Mohali 3-2. Jaspreet Singh of the winning team scored two goals in the match. In the second quarterfinal between Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur, the former beat the latter 4-1. In the last match, hosts beat Tarn Taran 3-0. Manpreet Singh scored two goals for the winning team.

Among the guests was Satwant Singh Bains who announced Rs 11,000 while Gurmail Singh announced a cash reward of Rs 20,000 for the association. Inderjit Singh, president of the District Football Association and secretary Sudesh Vaish were also present on the occasion.

Jalandhar, February 18
The BSF Senior Secondary School organised a farewell party for class XII students on the school premises. Students of class XI wished the outgoing batch good luck for their board exams.

Students presented a cultural programme comprising various dances, songs and a skit. — TNS