3 youths thrash traffic policeman
Amritsar, June 20
A policeman deputed near the busy Interstate Bus Terminus to control traffic was allegedly thrashed by three youths. While two of the suspects were arrested, their accomplice escaped.

rope trick: Children enjoy a dip in a canal as the day temperature soars in Amritsar on Friday. Photo:Vishal Kumar

1.25 lakh blue card holders deprived of ration
Amritsar, June 20
As many as 1.25 lakh blue card holders in the district have not received stipulated quantity of grain under the SAD-BJP government’s flagship Atta-Dal scheme. Under the scheme, each card holder is entitled to wheat at Rs 1 per kg and dal at Rs 20 per kg. The maximum monthly limit of 35 kg for wheat was fixed per person. The limit for dal was pegged at 2.5 kg per household at Rs 20 per kg.

Govt sanctions Rs 17 lakh for repair of ACs
Amritsar, June 20
A day after the doctors at the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital refused to conduct operations due to non-functioning of air conditioners (ACs) in the operating theatre, the government has sanctioned funds for the repair of air-conditioning plants in the hospital and various other departments.

Man murdered over minor dispute
Amritsar, June 20
The Gate Hakima police have arrested two persons in connection with a murder case in which a man was critically injured by them. He was admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries last evening.

Husband, accomplice booked for killing woman
Amritsar, June 20
The Chheharta police have booked two persons for allegedly killing a woman and disposing of his body to destroy the evidence. Harjeet Kaur went missing after a dispute with her husband, Jagjit Singh of Havelian village, located near the India-Pakistan border. The couple was living at Harkrishan Nagar, Chheharta.

Man booked for abetting suicide
Amritsar, June 20
A day after a woman set herself ablaze, the city police have booked her husband in an abetment to suicide case. The victim, identified as Muskan, a resident of Dhapai area, succumbed to burn injuries at a private hospital here last evening. Following the statement of her mother, the police have booked her husband Rahul, a resident of Dhapai area.

Silver for KCW student in Taipei athletic meet
Amritsar, June 20
International-level athlete, Navjit Kaur Dhillon, a student of Khalsa College for Women (KCW), has done the city proud by winning a silver medal in discus throw and a bronze in shotput in the Junior Asian Athletics Meet, held at Taipei in Taiwan, recently. She was given a rousing welcome at the college by the principal, staff and students today.

 

 

Amritsar, June 20
With an aim to curb the increasing incidents of petty crimes, including snatchings, thefts and robberies, the city police is planning to start crime-mapping in the city areas.

With the help of this mechanism, the police will also pinpoint the crimes which are prevalent in a particular area before chalking out their strategy to curb these.

The step has been initiated following a spurt in the snatching incidents especially in the Civil Line areas. Even as a huge number of the drug addicts were suspected to be behind the snatching and the robbery incidents occurring in the past, the incidents continued unabated. In a recent instance, Sangeeta Oberai, a resident of NIT Campus, Jalandhar, was robbed by two unidentified motorcycle-borne youths. She along with her son, Deepakar, was travelling in a rickshaw near the Golden Avenue when the two youths came from behind and snatched her purse containing Rs 20,000 in cash besides other valuables.

Parampal Singh, ADCP City-I, said that with the information provided by local residents "we are going to identify the areas where these incidents are being reported on a regular basis. Petty crimes concern the localities directly; therefore the Police Department is concerned about curbing such incidents."

"Another benefit of crime-mapping will be that it will help in identifying areas where drug peddling is rampant. Though the city police have shortlisted several localities where the menace has assumed alarming proportions, yet inputs from the common people will be more helpful," said the ADCP.

There are several areas such as Anngarh, Chheharta, Guru Ki Wadali, Maqboolpura, Putlighar, Islamabad, Gawal Mandi where the problem of drug abuse is huge.

"After the exercise, we will devise a strategy to deal with these problems. Intensifying patrolling besides special nakas will also be put up to stem the crime rate and drug peddling," he added. 

Amritsar, June 20
The NRI affiars chairman, B Purusartha, directed the district development and panchayat officers (DDPOs) and block development and panchayat officer (BDPOs) of Amritsar and Tarn Taran to compile a list of addicts in villages falling under their jurisdiction so as to start their treatment for shunning addiction. 

The chairman today chaired a meeting with officials of various government departments from Amritsar and Tarn Taran, besides NGOs, over creating awareness against consumption of drugs and de-addiction of persons already in its grip. — TNS

Amritsar, June 20
Alarmed at cutting of a large number of trees in the city to facilitate the BRTS project, also known as the metro bus project, members of various NGOs along with BJP national vice-president Lakshmi Kanta Chawla started indefinite ‘Harit Satyagrah’ outside the Hall Gate today.

Members of various NGOs and senior BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla begin an indefinite ‘Harit Satyagrah’ outside the Hall Gate in Amritsar on Friday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

The NGOs, Mission Aagaaz, Voice of Amritsar, Jan Kalyan Sangathan, Lok Kalyan Samiti and Amritsar Vikas Manch, are participating in the satyagrah.

Members of the NGOs stated that it was an indefinite satyagrah, which would be held every day for an hour, from 10 am at different places in the holy city.

The NGOs would stage peaceful protests through satyagrah in front of the offices of the Mayor, MCA Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, ADC (D), Xen of PWD (B&R), AIT as well as Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi. The aim of the protest was to force officials to come out of their cool offices and experience the severity meted out to a common man in the absence of adequate green cover, said the members.

They stated that they would continue with the agitation until the government took a serious note of mindless cutting of trees in the name of development. They were not against development, but it should not be at the cost of green cover of the city, which is vital for the survival of living beings, added members.

Chawla said, “It is shocking that the government has given a nod to a mass slaughter of full grown trees without thinking about any alternative for saving them.” 

Amritsar, June 20
Officials of the Excise and Taxation Department recovered diamond studded gold ornaments and other forms of jewellery, valuing over Rs 78.37 lakh, from two youths, travelling in a Verna car, last night in the city.

Both courier boys were chased by officials’ right from the Chandigarh Airport to Amritsar, said the department’s mobile wing (Amritsar and Jalandhar ranges) director Hardeep Bhanwara.

She said the precious ornaments were brought by air from Mumbai to Chandigarh and were to be delivered at Jalandhar and Ludhiana, besides Amritsar. She said teams of the Excise and Taxation Department from Amritsar and Jalandhar were involved in the raid, besides 13 Punjab Police personnel.

She said the people carrying the merchandise could neither produce the sale and purchase bill nor had filed electronic information collection (EIC) at the department’s website to enable them to carry these in the state.

It appears to be a case of tax evasion. The dealers of the precious and costly objects did not inform the Excise and Taxation Department before transporting these items to Punjab. As per the excise and taxation laws of the state, any material worth more than Rs 2 lakh being transported in the state by road, rail or by air needed to be disclosed in advance to the Excise Department through the EIC available on its website.

Traders resort to these illegal practices to evade tax (a nominal 1.1 per cent on the value of the product). But if the tax violation is detected, the owners have to shell out a penalty of 51.1 per cent of the value of confiscated material.

The modus operandi of delivering the precious metals and stones seemed akin to the ‘angariya’ system in which private couriers are hired to deliver goods. 

Amritsar, June 20
A policeman deputed near the busy Interstate Bus Terminus to control traffic was allegedly thrashed by three youths. While two of the suspects were arrested, their accomplice escaped.

Those arrested were identified as Gurpreet Singh and his brother, Gurbhez Singh, residing near Bhapa High School, located on Majitha road. Their third accomplice, Sonu, escaped.

The incident occurred near the Mahan Singh gate when Gurpreet Singh, who was driving a tractor, tried to jump the red light. He was stopped by a Punjab home guard, Lakha Singh, deputed in the traffic police. Gurpreet Singh first entered allegedly in a verbal duel with the home guard and later assaulted him. He called his brother who along with Sonu came to the spot and they again attacked the home guard. When they tried to flee from the spot, they were caught by onlookers. Sonu, however, escaped from the scene. They were armed with a sharp- edged weapon which was seized from their possession. The police also impounded their tractor.

A case has been registered against them. 

Amritsar, June 20
As many as 1.25 lakh blue card holders in the district have not received stipulated quantity of grain under the SAD-BJP government’s flagship Atta-Dal scheme. Under the scheme, each card holder is entitled to wheat at Rs 1 per kg and dal at Rs 20 per kg. The maximum monthly limit of 35 kg for wheat was fixed per person. The limit for dal was pegged at 2.5 kg per household at Rs 20 per kg.

During the past six months, these beneficiaries received supply of wheat only in April.

A blue card holder from the Majitha road area rued the non-release of the subsidised ration. He said he had been procuring wheat flour at Rs 20 per kg from the open market to meet his family needs, which stretched his kitchen budget. He added that cereal and pulses were rarely given to them.

Another, blue card holder from inside the walled city lamented that subsidised ration was a relief to families like him in the high inflationary time. He added that his family was finding it tough to cope with expenditures with his meagre income.

Before the General Elections, Punjab was the first non-Congress state to implement the National Food Security Act after merging it with its own version of the Atta-Dal Scheme.

Officials were all set to distribute wheat and dal on six-month basis for the lot pertaining to December (2013) to May (2014), when the Election Commission of India directed the state government to distribute the food stock on a monthly basis. This disrupted the normal supply as the ration had come in big sacks and created a backlog.

District Food and Supplies Controller (DFSC), Amritsar, Tarwinder Singh Chopra, said the distribution of subsidised ration would be initiated shortly. On the delay in its distribution, he said the entire staff was pre-occupied in procurement of the wheat harvest, which started late on April 30 this year. He added that holders of new blue cards, which were made before the General Elections, would also get ration for the first time.

Amritsar, June 20
A day after the doctors at the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital refused to conduct operations due to non-functioning of air conditioners (ACs) in the operating theatre, the government has sanctioned funds for the repair of air-conditioning plants in the hospital and various other departments.

Doctors were facing a lot of problems or compelled to perform surgeries while sweating profusely, which increased a chance of passing on infection to the patient.The air conditioning plant at the hospital has been lying defunct for the past one-and-half year.

The operating theatre at the Government Medical College is located on the top floor of the building. There is no cross-ventilation facility in the operating theatre to avoid infections from outside. It makes the temperature inside the operating theatre unbearable along with a lot of humidity.

The hot weather, during the day time, becomes uncomfortable for the doctors, especially when they are wearing special suits while performing surgeries.

A couple of doctors and nurses fell semiconscious recently, due to excessive sweating and dehydration in the middle of the surgery. Officials of the Government Medical College have been writing to the authorities concerned, but to no avail. Air-conditioners in the mortuary of the Anatomy Department have also not been functioning for the past several months due to which bodies kept for educational purpose have to be disposed off.

Dr Santokh Singh, Principal of the GMC, said the government had sanctioned Rs 17 lakh for the repairs of air-conditioning plants at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Bebe Nanki Mother and Child Health Care Centre, the Anatomy Department, besides
other departments. He said he had asked the Public Health Department to start the repair work
by tomorrow.

Amritsar, June 20
The Gate Hakima police have arrested two persons in connection with a murder case in which a man was critically injured by them. He was admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries last evening.

The deceased, Jaswant Singh, and his son, Hardev Singh, both residents of Mullechak village, were injured with sharp-edged weapons after a clash with their neighbours over a minor issue of stagnating water.

Hardev Singh, son of the deceased, stated to police that a minor dispute erupted between the two families about a week ago over stagnating water in front of the house. The verbal duel soon took an ugly turn and the accused attacked them. He said the villagers intervened and took them to hospital where his father died.

The police have booked Bhinder Singh and four of his family members, including Jagga Singh, Sonu, Sandeep and Virdi, in the murder case. The police have arrested Sonu and Sandeep while the remaining accused are at large and raids were being carried out to arrest them, said Nirmal Singh, SHO, Gate Hakima police station. He said the body of the deceased was handed over to the family after a post-mortem examination. 

Amritsar, June 20
The Chheharta police have booked two persons for allegedly killing a woman and disposing of his body to destroy the evidence. Harjeet Kaur went missing after a dispute with her husband, Jagjit Singh of Havelian village, located near the India-Pakistan border. The couple was living at Harkrishan Nagar, Chheharta.

Jagir Singh, father of the victim, a resident of the Mohan Nagar area located on the Sultanwind road, stated to police that his daughter was married to the accused about nine years ago. After their marriage, the suspect used to assault her physically and harass her. He said Harjeet Kaur told them that Jagjit Singh had illicit relations with a woman living in the Hargobindpura area.

He said after her telephone call, he went to meet her daughter about three or four times. But he did not find her while the accused were also not giving a satisfactory reply to him. He suspected that the accused had killed his daughter and disposed of her body to cover up their crime. Besides Jagjit Singh, the police have booked Malkeet Singh of Tarsikka village under Sections 302, 201 and 34 of the IPC.

Sukhwinder Singh Randhawa, SHO, Chheharta police station, said raids were being were being conducted to nab the accused. He said the disappearance of Harjeet Kaur was mysterious and further investigations were under progress. — TNS

Amritsar, June 20
A day after a woman set herself ablaze, the city police have booked her husband in an abetment to suicide case. The victim, identified as Muskan, a resident of Dhapai area, succumbed to burn injuries at a private hospital here last evening. Following the statement of her mother, the police have booked her husband Rahul, a resident of Dhapai area.

The victim’s mother, Kamlesh, stated to the police that her daughter was married to Rahul ten years ago. Later, they came to know that Rahul was hooked to drugs. He used to thrash Muskan, alleged her mother. She said her daughter left the house when it became unbearable for her. She alleged that it was Rahul, who had poured kerosene on her daughter and set her ablaze, after beating her badly. Kamlesh alleged that the accused had threatened Muskan to kill her two children if she named him in the case.

The incident occurred on the Mall road area, where Muskan used to work as a domestic help. The victim’s mother said she was burnt badly before the nearby people could douse the flames. Muskan was rushed to a private hospital, where doctors said she suffered 85 per cent burns.

However, the police said Muskan in her statement before the magistrate had stated that she herself took the extreme step of ending her life. The police said a case under Section 306 of the IPC has been registered at the Civil Lines police station. Raids were being conducted to nab the accused, who was on the run since the incident, added the police. 

Amritsar, June 20
International-level athlete, Navjit Kaur Dhillon, a student of Khalsa College for Women (KCW), has done the city proud by winning a silver medal in discus throw and a bronze in shotput in the Junior Asian Athletics Meet, held at Taipei in Taiwan, recently. She was given a rousing welcome at the college by the principal, staff and students today.

A throughout champion, Navjit is now eyeing next Olympics to be held in Brazil in 2016. She said she had qualified for Junior World Athletics Meet to be held in the USA later this year. She said, “I am confident of my performance, which will enable me to qualify for the Olympics.”

A student of BA (first year), Navjit had already set a new national record in shotput, covering a distance of 15.89 metres at the Junior Federation Cup, which concluded in Chennai recently. Principal of Khalsa College for Women, Dr Sukhbir Kaur Mahal, congratulated Navjit for her performance. She said it was due to her hard work and guidance of her father, Jaspal Singh Dhillon, who himself was a coach, that she was rising in the higher echelons of sports. About her exercise regimen, she said she would start practicing for the forthcoming international sports event to be held in the US.