Amritsar, June 9
At last, the Amritsar Municipal Corporation has revived the online facility of depositing property tax. The service was lying defunct for quite some time and the residents had complained about it but to no avail. The issue was highlighted through these columns on May 7 under the heading, "Online submission through MC website lying defunct."

Taking cognisance of the lapse, the MC has restored the service on its official website www.amritsarmunicipalcorporation.com for accepting applications 
for depositing property tax for 2013-14.

The MC has tied up with two banks -- HDFC and Axis -- for the purpose. The residents can pay their dues through debit card or credit card, on the lines of online shopping. The good news is that there are no transaction charges for the card users.

The move was implemented in December to expedite property-tax collection. A web portal was developed which facilitates the applicants in filing their property tax on the lines of filing an income-tax return. But later, it lay defunct. It was a relief to those residents who have constraints in moving out physically and long queues irked them.

Though the state government is working on a new property-tax policy after getting feedback from different quarters, but it will be applicable from the next year, that is 2014-2015. The Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi has given a clear message that the deadline for depositing the property tax is June 30.

It has been learnt that the MC does not have to make any payment to the banks for their gesture and also nothing will be charged by the banks from the applicants.

The MC has bifurcated the city into eight zones. It has identified 3 lakh units, including around 40,000 commercial ones, in Amritsar's urban area that comes under the ambit of property tax. Still, there are around 2,00,000 residents (both in the residential and the commercial categories) who have yet to pay their dues.

MC Commissioner Pradeep Sabharwal said that the online facility would yield good results. "The door-to-door survey by our teams showed that residents were enthusiastic to pay taxes, but were reluctant to come physically to pay taxes. The online deposit, being a computerised process, is a more transparent process because it saves the applicants' details in the server," he said.

Guidelines For payment gateway, any bank Master/VISA credit/ debit card can be used. For the debit card, the card holder is advised to ensure the card has been enabled for online transaction. For better view/resolution, use Google Chrome or Mozilla firefox. Fill the form only in lower case or upper case. Before login create your account using your mobile number. Once the mobile number is registered, you can be ready for the login. You have to be registered only once for paying different categories of property tax, for property/house no. Fill all data which you have, don't skip mandatory entries blank; otherwise you won't be able to complete the procedure successfully. Take a printout (if possible) of the receipt that is generated after the online payment is over. Once you complete the entire process, log out from there.

Amritsar, June 9
At a meeting of the District Health Society today, the Deputy Commissioner, Ravi Bhagat, told drug inspectors to inspect grocery shops in rural areas that are selling habit-forming drugs.

The grocery shops selling habit-forming drugs to the rural population are a common sight in many of the villages. Bhagat said the drug inspectors must take action so that the illegal practice can be stopped.

During the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner reviewed reports about various health schemes and their progress in the district. He said the department must initiate efforts to train midwives who do not have proper knowledge in their field.

Bhagat said that curbing the sale of habit-forming drugs at the grocery shops is crucial to make the district a drug-free area. He said that strict action should be taken against the shopkeepers who were selling these drugs.

Amritsar, June 9
Reflecting the tears and the laughter of the entertainment industry, the usual sufferings of a life under spotlight, "Arsho", an upcoming film will present a different take on the entertainment industry.

The small screen’s renowned actor and model Dakssh Ajit Singh and Mannat Singh play the lead pair in the film. The stars in tow, director Shapinder Pal Singh came calling to the city to promote the film. " 'Arsho will unveil glossy tears of the entertainment industry," he said while introducing the film.

Addressing mediapersons during an interaction with the press on a promotional tour for the film, Shapinder Singh said it was the first film of Punjabi cinema wherein the actress was the film’s hero. "A woman-oriented film, "Arsho" revolves around the life of a singer named Arsho, the role that Mannat Singh has played. Most of the Punjabi films have singers-turned-actors, but there has been no Punjabi film that has shown the true shades of a singer-couple's life,” he said, adding that "Arsho" closely depicts the life of a singing couple. "It will bring out many secrets of a celebrity couple’s life. The film also shows Punjabi culture of the East and West Punjab," he added.

Speaking at the event, Mannat Singh said that playing the character of Arsho was a challenge for her. “I had to work hard for many months to get under the skin of the character. Arsho is a woman who sings and dances wonderfully. When life throws challenges at her, she falls into the abyss of alcohol and abuses men,” she said.

Actor Dakssh Singh plays the character of Deep who sings with Arsho and both are together known as Arshdeep. When the couple is on the stage, it's cordial and emotional, but as soon as they descend the stage, they are completely different people. He said that these characters would unmask many secrets of the entertainment world. “It is the first time when the audience will see me in a completely different role,” he said.

Dakssh Singh has written all songs of the film and has sung them with Mannat Singh and renowned singer Shafaqat Ali Khan. Saying that the film is different from the usual song-dance-comedy routine in Punjabi films, the duo hopes that the film will succeed at the box office.

Amritsar, June 9
In a major catch, the Cantonment police today arrested two persons and seized 5 kg of heroin valued at Rs 25 crore in the international market from their possession. Those arrested were identified as Harjinder Singh of Bhohlian village in the Rajasansi area and Harjinder Singh, alias Jhinda, from the Ramdass police station area.

According to police authorities, they were arrested during a naka on the Loharka road following a tip-off. The accused are suspected to have close links with Pakistan-based smugglers. Further investigations are under progress to ascertain the area from where the contraband was smuggled into the country besides its source. A police official said that they would also look at the angle that who were they going to deliver the consignment. — OC

Amritsar, June 9
The Amritsar rural police have arrested one person in connection with the murder of an elderly man, Mukhtiar Singh, a resident of Kot Khehra village on the night of June 7.

The police have booked three persons identified as Amrik Singh and his two sons, Harwinder Singh and Balwinder Singh, of the same village. Ved Parkash, SHO, Tarsikka police, confirmed that the police have booked Amrik Singh in this regard while his two sons were missing.

Mukhtiar Singh was murdered over a property dispute. Gurwinder Singh, grandson of the deceased, said his grandmother, Parkash Kaur, had mortgaged three kanals of her land to the accused. He said the accused had been digging up soil from the land and putting it in their fields. When they objected to this, the culprits entered into a brawl and beat up Mukhtiar Singh who later succumbed to his injuries. A case has been registered. — TNS

Amritsar, June 9
Even as the city figured as the 14th most polluted city in the world in a survey conducted by an international agency, many unscrupulous pollution check centres continue to issue pollution under control (PUC) certificates without even examining the vehicles.

Vidhya Sagar, who recently settled in the city from the Andhra Pradesh, said, “I visited a pollution check centre in the city and left the engine of my car on so that the operator there could check the emission level and provide me the certificate. The person there, however, did not even get up from his chair. He clicked the picture of my car, filled the details and provided me the PUC certificate.”

It was shocking that these centres were running their operations with carelessness and insincerity, he said.

“Another shock came when I saw the receipt. It was a manual receipt that has no authenticity,” he said.

He doubted if the centre possessed proper equipment to check the pollution level of vehicles.

Caring little about the hazardous effects of auto emissions, the pollution check centres are doing no good to the city and its commuters, said social activist Prem Sagar.

He said these centres ought to check the vehicles and see whether the emission levels are under the permissible limits.

A traffic police official said, “Whenever we check the documents of the vehicles emitting high levels of pollutants, we are amazed to see that most of them possess the PUC certificate.”

These pollution check centres are easily recognisable as they have a Maruti van without engine parked by the roadside.

DTO Rajat Oberoi said at present he did not know how many licenses for operating pollution check centres had been issued. He said since the anomaly had been brought to his notice, he would instruct the motor vehicle inspector to randomly check these centres.

Amritsar, June 9
Some armed persons allegedly demolished the walls of an under construction showroom in New Kapoor Nagar area at Sultanwind Road in wee hours yesterday.

The police today booked around 14 persons in this connection. Among those booked include Charanjit Singh and Harminder Singh alias Heera of Galib village, Neeta and Harbhej Singh of Bhindian village.

Nawal Kapoor, owner of the property and resident of Race Course Road, stated to the police that the lintel was to be constructed and he was in discussion with the building contractor when the armed accused barged into the property and demolished the four walls with the help of JCB machines.

He alleged that when security guard Ramesh tried to stop them, the accused started beating him up and snatched his phone.

“I and my building contractor Daljit Singh also tried to intervene, but one of the accused Neeta fired a shot in our direction with an intention to kill,” said Nawal, adding that the accused wanted to usurp the plot.

Nawal alleged the culprits had earlier attacked building contractor Daljit Singh and a case of attempt to murder was registered in this connection at the Verka police station.

SHO, Sultanwind police station, Arun Sharma, said as per the initial investigations, the complainant was the real owner having all the documents and possession of the land.

He said the prime accused Charanjit Singh was a notorious person and wanted to illegally grab the property.

A case under Sections 307, 382, 457, 447, 427, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Court and 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered against Charanjit and his accomplices, he added.

The SHO said the accused were at large and raids were being conducted to nab them. — TNS

Amritsar, June 9
An Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) of the Bank of India at railway station got burnt after a possible short-circuit this morning.

Fire Station Officer Krishan Kumar Kakkar said a fire tender was sent to the spot after receiving the call. He said the fire was completely doused in a brief time. The bank's loss may be to the tune of about Rs 8.5 lakh, he added.

Amritsar, June 9
Hundreds of farmers staged a protest outside the canal office to highlight the problems they are facing such as unavailability of canal water for seasonal crops except paddy and water theft by influential persons.

They raised the question that while the state government exhorts the farmers to break the paddy-wheat monoculture and go for diversification, the schedule of canal water supply and electricity supply is still made keeping in view the paddy crop.

The farmers said many of the canals in areas, especially Ajnala, have not seen water flowing into them since decades.

Rattan Singh Randhawa of the Border Area Sangarsh Committee, who led the protest, said, “Farmers are forced to draw ground water as water in canals has not been supplied for ages.”

He said the government must ensure that the canal water is provided to farmers during all seasons in adequate quantity.

“The water in canals was supplied last night. Farmers have to grow nurseries for paddy, besides irrigating fodder,” he said, adding that even the Irrigation Department no longer lets water in drains, which used to help in ground water recharge.

The farmers complained that a few influential farmers indulge in theft of water during the peak paddy season and as a result, poor farmers suffer.

Randhawa said they had demanded that theft of water be stopped immediately.

Meanwhile, the officials of the Irrigation Department assured the farmers to find solutions to their problems. They have called a meeting with farmer leaders to discuss their problems on June 12.

Amritsar, June 9
Family members of Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Kot Harnam Dass, who reportedly died in police custody in Jalandhar, staged a protest dharna outside a private hospital located on Majitha Road here today.

He was admitted to the hospital for some ailment when he was picked up by the Jalandhar police in connection with the seizure of 1 kg heroin from two persons.

The two accused had told the police that they had procured the consignment from Sukhwinder Singh.

The family members alleged that the police picked him up with connivance of the hospital staff, which had not discharged him.

ACP North, Balkar Singh, said the allegations leveled by the family members were being verified. The police have reportedly seized the records of the hospital, besides taking the CCTV footage.

Rajinder Singh Chhina, younger brother of the deceased, said his brother had to undergo an operation in his leg.

Yesterday morning, they came to know that the Jalandhar rural police had arrested Sukhwinder Singh in connection with heroin seizure case in Goraya.

“How the police can arrest him when he was undergoing treatment in the hospital,” he said.

Today, they received a call from the Jalandhar police that Sukhwinder had died in the hospital following a cardiac arrest during investigations, he said.

The family members demanded action against the police officials who took him from the hospital and also against the hospital authorities for their alleged involvement. 

Amritsar, June 9
The city police have arrested six persons for allegedly possessing narcotic substances and illicit liquor.

Those arrested were identified as Bhupinder Singh of Kot Khalsa, Kawaljit Singh of Dhapai village, Ajay Kumar of Faizpura, Gurjant Singh of Jalalpur village, Vikramjit Singh Bhatti of Khu Kandian Wala situated at Batala Road and Kuldeep Singh of Vishal Vihar located at Batala Road.

The Chheharta police arrested Bhupinder with 75 intoxicant tablets while Kawaljit was arrested by the Sultanwind police with 48 bottles of English liquor.

The Civil Lines police arrested Ajay Kumar with 50 gm of narcotic powder. Gurjant Singh, Vikram Singh and Kuldeep Singh were held with 100, 150 and 150 intoxicant tablets respectively by the Sadar police.