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Rattan Singh Randhawa : CPI
M (Punjab) candidate for the Amritsar LS seat shares his vision for the city with Amritsar Tribune
AAP releases vision document
Hike in milk price draws residents’ ire
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44th annual sports prize distribution function at Guru Nanak Dev varsity
‘Disco Singh’ star cast in city on promotional tour
NGO distributes cheques among widows of Maqboolpura
Insurance company to pay Rs 73,501 for rejecting
mediclaim
Election posters deface public property
IT Dept penalises gaushala
Campus
notes
49,859 administered polio drops |
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Crusade against corruption on his mind
GS Paul Tribune News Service
Amritsar, April 6 Influenced by the philosophy of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Randhawa hails from Deobath village (Tarn Taran) and leads the regional group under the banner of the Border Area Sangharsh Committee to take on the erring babus, protest against police action against the underprivileged section, irregularity in transferring title deeds of properties, galloping education fee of students and faulty policy matters of the state as well as the Central governments which has burdened the farming community.
In an exclusive interaction with the Amritsar Tribune, Rattan Singh Randhawa shares his vision about bringing about changes in the dilapidated administrative set -up. What is your vision for the city? Amritsar is being projected as a future international city like London or Paris. This is nothing but a political gimmick. Our worthy politicians who govern us look the other way when it comes to providing better healthcare, education or civic amenities in the holy city. It is a pity that because of the Golden Temple being located here, the holy city is on the global map but the quality of life for the residents here is still a distant dream. People are compelled to drink unsafe water, put up with dilapidated sewerage system and ill maintained road infrastructure. All this has made their life hell, especially when it rains. What steps would you initiate to address the problems? The sewerage system which is being revamped under the JAICA project in Amritsar is running at a slow pace. I intend to expedite it. For safe drinking water, a water treatment plant here is a must. Other important constituents include the health and education expenses which are going beyond the reach of the common man. The reason for this is that both these sectors are governed by a handful of multinationals. In 1982, there was free provision for diet for the patients at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital here. Why couldn’t it be sustained? The reason was that the subsidy given on diet was withdrawn. For students, I will try to streamline the fee structure. In 1978, I had spearheaded a movement with like-minded students at Khalsa College, forcing the college management to roll back the excess fee charged from the students. There is need to launch stiff agitation against such unjustified practices. What advantages do you feel you have, being a local resident? I was born and brought up here. I can gauge the pulse of the holy city much better, unlike my opponents, be it Arun Jaitley or Captain Amarinder Singh, who have only bookish knowledge about Amritsar. Our campaign or roadshow may be devoid of glamour but it is our sheer determination to provide clean governance devoid of corruption which would lead us to the hearts of the residents. How would you address the farmers' issues, especially the border area farmers who have their land beyond the Indo-Pak border fence as they face difficulty in tilling their land properly? I am keen to revive the old legacy of a prosperous Punjab and it’s possible if the Swaminathan Farming Commission of India’s recommendations are implemented here. The border area farmers suffered a dent during the days of militancy. Education and health facilities are far from the reach of border villages. There is a lack of irrigation and drinking water supply. A mere compensation of Rs 3,000 per acre to farmers whose land falls beyond the Indo-Pak border was nothing but a political stunt. It should at least have been Rs 10,000, if we consider the price index. Similarly, the border areas present a picture of utter neglect with the people having no access to basic amenities like healthcare, education, roads and drinking water. All these issues should be tabled in the Lok Sabha prominently because it is a national issue. Drug addiction among the youth is rampant in the state, whether it is in the urban or rural areas. What are your plans to curb drug abuse and bring them into the mainstream? Seventy per cent of the youth in Punjab, especially those hailing from the border belt, are drug addicts. The reason for this is that there are lack of opportunities for them and out of frustration or to make easy money, they adopt a path that is not socially viable. Unemployment is a major reason for this vice. Amritsar, once known as an industrial hub, now no longer enjoys this reputation due to vested interests of our politicians and heavy tax burdens. Our efforts would be to gauge the chances of revival of the small-scale industry by implementing the subsidy package for them, by trying to establishing agro-based industry in the rural belt and including the self-help groups to initiate some cooperative trade plan. This would generate employment opportunities which would prevent the youth from taking a wrong step. There is also a dire need to establish drug rehabilitation centres. What are your chances of winning the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat? Win or no win, we are determined to proceed as per our ideology of providing clean governance and streamlining the public distribution system. Any government may take over the reins, but we would always be there to ensure the implementation of the policies as per the law. Even in present times, our modus operandi is quite simple. People approach us to tell about government officials asking for bribe. We directly ask the erring official to desist from this practice. If he agrees, then it is okay. Otherwise, our activists gherao the office concerned and compel him to be in his limits. It works wonders in a majority of the cases. Till now, I have made corrupt officials return over Rs 10 lakh in bribe and must have saved around Rs 1.5 crore by discouraging the babus to take bribe. Don’t you think that your crusade against big shots like the Congress and SAD-BJP would have been more effective had the left parties shared a single platform? I am ready to sign a blank paper in support of the CPI if something could be worked out at the level of our state leadership. We would not take a single moment in quitting in favour of the CPI candidate Amarjit Singh Asal, if the CPI withdraws its support for the Congress. How could the Congress’ ill-conceived vested political interests be justified by the CPI, that they consented to support PPP candidate Manpreet Badal in Bathinda? It’s double standards. It has proved that the CPI has defended the class collaborating parties like the Congress at the cost of the interests of the masses. Vast sectors like health, education, civic amenities are governed by a handful of multinationals whose interests are watched by the Congress as well as the SAD-BJP alliance governments. Fact file Born on September 25, 1955 at Deobath village (Tarn Taran)
Vision for Amritsar Amritsar is being projected as a future international city like London or Paris. This is nothing but a political gimmick. Our worthy politicians who govern us look the other way when it comes to providing better healthcare, education or civic amenities in the holy city. The holy city is on the global map but the quality of life for the residents here is still a distant dream. People are compelled to drink unsafe water, put up with dilapidated sewerage system and ill maintained road infrastructure. All this has made their life hell.
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AAP releases vision document
Amritsar, April 6 He dared Congress candidate Capt Amarinder Singh and BJP leader Arun Jaitley to join him and walk in localities and bazaars of Amaritsar to know the development that has taken place in the city in the past decade. "I meet people for nearly 8-10 hours every day. I invite guests from Delhi and Patiala and ask them to know the real Amritsar," he said while releasing his vision document. Dr Daljit Singh said problems of the city could only be solved by a resident of the city. In the vision document, Dr Singh outlined the problems he intended to solve. "Electricity to run trains can be generated by solid waste," he pointed out. He raised the issues of safe and potable drinking water and better schooling by utilising existing government schools. He spoke about the revival of the industry and upgrading farming techniques. "Being in medical profession, I came across a lot of people who told about the pitiable condition in which they were being forced to live due to the lack of vision of politicians. “Three per cent of the population affected by drugs is below 10 years of age. This is worrisome," he said while pointing out that the drug menace and alcoholism were a major problem.
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Hike in milk price draws residents’ ire
Amritsar, April 6 The residents are of the opinion that the government and the district administration should intervene to check the inrease in prices of such essential items. A resident of Akash Avenue, Harminder Singh Sodhi, recalled that the price for a glass of butter milk was hiked by Rs 5 last year and now once again there was a similar hike. A resident of Model Town, Avinash Chander, said the milk vendor in his area had hiked the milk price by Rs 3 per litre and the new price for a litre of milk was Rs 38. Keeping in view the past trend, the rate of milk would be increased to Rs 40 per litre this year, he said. He added that in his area, cheese price was hiked from Rs 240 to Rs 260 per kg and a kilogram of curd would now cost Rs 50 per kg instead of Rs 45 per kg. A resident of New Golden Avenue, Paramjit Singh, said milk was being sold at Rs 40 per litre in his area. He said the hike in the milk prices at the onset of summer season was a rude shock to the residents. He added the government should intervene to rationalise the price. He said when the government was providing various subsidies on cattle-rearing, it must have a say on price hike of milk and its products. A housewife, Sarita Mohindru, said the hike in the price of milk, following an agreement between two unions, signalled a kind of cartelisation. She said this would work as a precedent, which would be followed by others. She added the hike in the prices would have a chain effect as prices of other items would also increase. Satnam Singh, a mason, said providing modest food to family was the main objective for a bread winner belonging to a poor family and the question of nutrition was never in the equation.
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44th annual sports prize distribution function at Guru Nanak Dev varsity
Amritsar, April 6 Prof AS Brar, Vice-Chancellor, presided over the function. Padma Shri awardee Bahadur Singh Chouhan, an eminent Olympian, was the chief guest on the occasion. He presented prizes to the winners. Dr HS Randhawa, Deputy Director, Sports, read out the annual sports achievement report. Dr Gurdev Singh, Principal, Guru Nanak College, Phagwara, and president, Guru Nanak Dev University Sports Committee (men), welcomed the chief guests and others The All India Inter-University winners were honoured with Rs 12,000 each, the second position holder got Rs 10,000/- and the third position holders were awarded Rs 8,000/- each. DAV College, Amritsar, lifted the Guru Nanak Dev University Inter-College ‘A’ division overall general championship trophy (men) while Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, remained the runner-up. In the women section, BBK DAV College for Women, Amritsar, lifted the Guru Nanak Dev University Inter-College ‘A’ division overall general championship trophy while HMV, Jalandhar, remained the runner-up. Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Overall Championship Trophy for 2012-13 along with a cash prize of Rs 49,000 went to BBK DAV College for Women, Amritsar, while Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, finished second. In ‘B’ division SDSPM (W) College, Rayya, was the winner and BD Arya (G) College, Jalandhar Cantonment, was the runner-up in the women category. In ‘B’ division (men’s category) Khalsa Physical Education College, Heir, was the winner and SSM College, Dinanagar, runner-up. During 2013-14, the university teams (both men and women) bagged as many as 10 positions in international sports event in the Asia Cup Cricket held in Sri Lanka, Asian Grand Prix Championship held in Thailand and Asian Grand Prix Championship held in Japan. The university teams also won 309 positions in various disciplines in the All India Inter-University Competitions. Principals, head of the Physical Education Departments and sports personalities/coaches, who made exceptional contribution to university for winning MAKA Trophy, were also honoured on the occasion. Abhishek Verma, from the university campus was awarded Rs 25,000/- cash prize for getting position in Asian Grand Prix Championship held in Thailand and Asian Archery Championship held in Italy. Sneh Rana from BBKDAV College, Amritsar, was also awarded with Rs 25,000 for securing position in Asian Cup Cricket held in Sri Lanka. Dr Sarita, Principal, BD Arya College, Jalandhar, and vice-president, Guru Nanak Dev University Sports Committee (women), presented a vote of thanks. Prof PK Sehaj Pal, Dean, Students Welfare, Dr Inderjit Singh, Registar, Prof Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, head of the Punjab School of Economics, Prof AS Sidhu, Prof in charge, Press and Public Relation, and other university officials and coaches were also present at the on the occasion.
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‘Disco Singh’ star cast in city on promotional tour
Amritsar, April 6 The film, a venture of the PTC Motion Pictures, is slated for release on April 11 and has Surveen Chawla on its cast. For those who think it will be another comic caper love story, Diljit has some news. “It’s not a ‘rom com’, but a drama with a love story weaved in between. It has been made beautifully with all the aspects right from location, music choreography and dialogues, all turning a fresh leaf,” said Diljit. In city on the promotional tour of the film, the lead pair Diljit and Surveen, were all praise for the next big entertainer. Just like his earlier reel characters, this time too Diljit will be seen playing “Disco Singh”, with a bit of chutzpah. “I do it for my audience, who wants to see me playing different characters with some surprise elements,” said Diljit. This time his character is of a struggling singer, based in Delhi. The movie san foreign locales, but captures true desi essence on Delhi streets. Talking about his chemistry with director Anurag Singh, with whom he will be working third time post the sucess of “Jatt and Juliet 1 & 2”, Diljit said he did not think twice before saying yes to Anurag. “I said yes to “Disco Singh” just after Anurag told me the title and a single dialogue, which will be used as a punch line in the film, on a call. I need not hear the script even. That’s how much I trust him as an actor. He has great instincts and conceptualisation. The quirky title of the film too is his idea.” Confident about the film’s success, the actor shared that it has a formidable starcast to support a good script. Manoj Pahwa, Upasna Singh, Apoorva Arora, BN Sharma, Karamjit Anmol and Chandan Prabhakar are the other actors of the film. Ready to break the comedy king image, Diljit's next project is about 1984 riots. “It will be a dream project of me and Anurag. It’s a sensitive tale of a mother and son, who survive during the most brutal times.” Well, reads controversy, does it? “We are not making any statement or raking up issues with the film, but it’s an emotional story of two characters.” Where’s the controversy in that? he cleared.
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NGO distributes cheques among widows of Maqboolpura
Amritsar, April 6 He said the NGO was also inquiring into cases other widows in the locality to bring them under the pension cover. Master Ajit Sing, secretary of the Citizen’s Forum Vidyamandir School, said the NGO had expressed its willingness to fund the higher studies of brilliant students. Situated on the Amritsar-Jalandhar road, Maqboolpura has over the years earned disrepute, contrary to its meaning - “a place of eminence”. The area is known as a “locality of widows” as a large number of lives had been snuffed out due to rampant drug addiction. However, things started changing slowly after social activists, Brij Bedi and Master Ajit Singh, took it upon themselves to ensure that the future generations of Maqboolpura were safe and did not fall prey to the menace of addiction. They are giving education to the children of addicts in a Citizen’s Forum Vidyamandir School situated in the locality. The duo set up the Citizen Forum Vidya Mandir in the late 1990s to offer free education to children of drug addicts. The school started functioning from a small room at Master Ajit Singh’s place with 20 students.
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Insurance company to pay Rs 73,501 for rejecting
mediclaim
Amritsar, April 6 Earlier, Ajit Singh and his father Ranjodh Singh, residents of Ram Avenue, had filed a complaint against the Oriental Insurance Company stating that they were covered under the group mediclaim policy purchased by the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC). The complainants said during the validity of the said policy Ajit Singh was admitted at Akal Eye Hospital, Jalandhar, and underwent lasik laser
surgery. The complainants stated that Rs 73,501 was spent on the treatment. They alleged that the company rejected their medical claim on the ground that lasik laser treatment for removal of glasses was not covered under the terms and conditions of the group mediclaim policy. The Oriental Insurance Company in its reply stated that all the terms and conditions were duly disclosed to the SGPC, which had chosen the policy. The company said it was clearly mentioned in the terms and conditions of the policy that lasik laser treatment for removal of glasses would not be payable under group mediclaim policy. The forum stated that as per terms and conditions of the policy in Punjabi and English versions, the lasik laser operations had been specifically covered under clause 7 of the policy. Therefore, opposite party had wrongly repudiated the claim of the complainant, stated the forum. It further stated that interest would be payable from the date on which the complainant had filed the complaint before the Consumer Forum.
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Election posters deface public property
Amritsar, April 6 The residents complained that electioneering material pasted on the public property defaced it. A resident on the condition of anonymity said, “This is not the way to paste posters. It will be better if one or two posters instead of dozens of them are pasted to publicise the candidate.” Aam Aadmi Party has fielded a noted eye surgeon and philanthropist, Dr Daljit Singh, as its candidate from the constituency where BJP’s Arun Jaitley and Congresss’ Captain Amrinder Singh are also contesting elections.
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IT Dept penalises gaushala
Amritsar, April 6 He said the gaushala had been enjoying the benefit of not paying tax under Section 80 G for the past 40 years. “Levying of penalty is a rude jolt. Under the Pinjrapol Gaushala, as many as three shelters for cows are being run at Ghee Mandi, Focal Point and Manawala. All these three centres have a combined strength of 1,300 cows.” Batra said, of all these cows, only 190 were giving milk, which was given free of cost to the All India Pingalwara Charitable Society, Kusht Ashram at the Chabal road and other needy families with children. Advisor of the Pinjrapol Gaushala, Kamal Dalmia, said people handed-over injured and roaming cows at these shelters. He said Pinjrapol incurred Rs 75,000 for the ukeep of these cows daily. These expenses were met by donations and interest of deposits, he added.
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Ram Navami celebrated
Amritsar: Shri Ram Ashram Public School celebrated Ram Navami and Ashtami with religious fervour and gaiety. The event commenced with the chanting of devotional songs. Young artistes presented a play on Ashtami and Ram Navami. In a separate function, Shri Ram Ashram Senior Secondary School, Satnam Avenue, Batala Road, organised World Health Day. Students of Class IV held a special assembly and presented a skit, which highlighted the significance of balanced diet and harmful effects of fast food. Spring Dale student wins bronze in gymnastics A Class III student of Spring Dale Senior School, Krishna Arjun Bhatia, won a bronze medal in the 27th Open Sub-Junior National Gymnastic Championship held at Khelgaon Public School, Allahabad. He represented Punjab in the event. As many as 24 teams from different states participated in the championship. — TNS
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Amritsar, April 6
Amritsar is being projected as a future international city like London or Paris. This is nothing but a political gimmick. Our worthy politicians who govern us look the other way when it comes to providing better healthcare, education or civic amenities in the holy city. The holy city is on the global map but the quality of life for the residents here is still a distant dream. People are compelled to drink unsafe water, put up with dilapidated sewerage system and ill maintained road infrastructure. All this has made their life hell.