Jalandhar, June 22
Incidents of cutting of ATMs with gas-cutters and making attempts to break open these machines with other metods have been haunting the Doaba region for the past year.

The region has witnessed several such cases in the past in which miscreants either looted cash from ATMs or made attempts to break open ATMs.

However, the Punjab Police have failed to get a lead even in a single such case. Interestingly, in most of the cases, miscreants were caught by the CCTV cameras installed inside the ATM room. Still, the police have failed to solve a majority of the cases.

The latest target of the miscreants was the ATM of the Union Bank of India in the Bashirpura locality on June 18. Here, too, miscreants were caught on the CCTV camera, but the police has still not able to identify the accused.

ACP, DD Sharma said the accused were caught on the CCTV camera and the police had made some progress in this regard. “We have almost identified the accused and after confirming their identities, accused will be nabbed,” the ACP added.

The ACP, however, refused to share the identification details, citing security reasons.

In almost all cases, robbers chose to target ATMs of Punjab National Bank only and at all ATMs, no security guard was deployed by the bank. This is despite police issuing strict instructions to close the ATMs if these are not being guarded by any security guard.

Jalandhar, June 22
“It seems like a nightmare. I do not know when it will end,” said an upset Tilak Raj, father of 22-year-old Jatinder Kumar, who is stranded in Iraq for the past few days.

While calling his father on Sunday evening, Jatinder informed him that he was hidden with six people in a small room in Shere-e-Matoh area in Iraq. “He informed me that his company’s manager came to him and refused to accept their resignation and to return their passports. He also said that he did not have enough ration and might die of hunger if not rescued by the security forces within a few days,” said Tilak Raj.

Like Jatinder Kumar, 158 more youths from Jalandhar are stranded in various parts of the conflict zone of Iraq. Although some of them are regularly in touch with their families here over phone, many of them have not called them since June 15, the day violence broke out in Mosul.

According to the family of Surjeet Menka, hailing from Churewali village of Adampur, his last call came on June 15 in which he said that some unidentified people with their faces covered had held them hostage and were taking them to an unidentified location. “Along with Surjeet, another boy from Adampur was also suspected to have been kidnapped from Mosul," said Pawan Kumar Tinu, SAD MLA from Adampur.

Families are criticising the government for not taking concrete steps to ensure the successful evacuation of their boys from the conflict zone. “I have informed the Government of India about the exact location of my son which is very near to Baghdad. They are concentrating only on the Indians caught in the conflict zone where they can do nothing, as the area has been held captive by the ISIL militants who have disconnected it from the outside world. At least , they should have done something to get the Indians out from the areas near to the conflict zone,” said Budh Ram, father of Balwinder Singh.

The district administration seems to have been trying its best to lend a helping hand to these families and the Deputy Commissioner himself is visiting these families.

“The DC came to my house and asked the whereabouts of my son. I told him that I would inform him after asking my son. In the evening, after taking the address, I called the patwari, who told me to speak to the tehsildar who again told me to give it to the patwari. No one till date has taken the address of my son," said Balwinder Rana, father of Kamaljit Singh, hailing from Khojkipur village in Jalandhar.

According to DC KK Yadav, the administration is facing a huge challenge in identifying the exact location of these youths in Iraq, as most of them have gone through unregistered agents. “Most of them have gone through unregistered agents and it is taking a lot of time to reach to their families and find the exact location of the boys. Presently, we have managed to find 159 people from the district and most of them are in touch with their families over the phone,” said Yadav.

He also said that the most disturbing part in the whole situation was that most of the youths from the district were the sole bread earners of their families.

Jalandhar, June 22
After entering the city, one gets a suffocating feeling as if he has entered into a jungle of concrete. Unlike Chandigarh, where rows of lush green trees planted on the either side of the road, greet the commuters giving some whiff of fresh air, things are totally opposite here.

The deplorable state of the green cover near Patel Chowk in Jalandhar. Photos: Sarabjit Singh

It is difficult for a visitor to spot a shady tree under which he can stand for a while and take some easy breath. Even the ones that are already there have no clean platforms where one can think of making a stopover.

If you want to park your vehicle in the market area, you will find three-four cars already jostling for a shade under the one or two trees planted there.

The scenario itself explains that while 33 per cent of the area should be under the forest cover, including 6 per cent of the marshy area, to have a balanced eco system, the city has a highly dismal 0.38 per cent forest area.

Most of the plantation can be seen only in the Cantonment area. The city ranks third last among all districts in the forest cover table. The adjoining Hoshiarpur district is at the top of the chart with 20.29 per cent of area under green cover.

A trimmed palm tree near Maqsudan Chowk

City’s forest cover is 10 times lower than that of the entire state, which too has just 3.5 per cent green cover.

According to statistics, while Punjab has a total area of 50,362 sq km, there is no dense forest here. The area under moderate forest cover is 736 sq km and under open forests is 1,028 sq km.

While the total area under forest cover in Punjab is 1,764 sq km, it should have ideally stood around 17,000 sq km.

“The clear-cut negligence on the part of the government is bringing about disturbing environment fluctuations. Had there been a proper green cover, it would have helped in absorbing the harmful radiation and had allowed only soft heat through,” said Lakhbir Singh of NGO Pahal.

Attack on green belt

Over 100 trees of different varieties, including banyan, neem, acacia, peepal and eucalyptus are in the process of being uprooted in the 70-kanal land, which earlier housed the old DC and SSP office.

Anoop Watts of NGO Jalandhar Citizens’ Welfare Society, said, “The decision of the PUDA to convert the site for commercial purpose can prove to be detrimental for the environment. While there have been world-level summits on environment conservation, it is shocking to know that our local authorities are hell-bent on axing the trees. There already is so much pollution in the city and maintaining green belts has become all the more important.”

Landscapist SPS Dosanjh too has said, “The site falls in the heart of the city where there is no oxygen buffer at all. The land can be easily converted into a public park on the lines similar to the Hyde Park of London. I can help the officials in plantations and landscaping of the site, if they are interested.”

A similar attempt is on at the Burlton Park, which is being converted into a world-class cricket stadium. The project is awaiting a clearance from an environment committee.

MC’s negligent attitude

Even as there are 10 Municipal Corporations across Punjab, there is not even a single qualified landscape officer posted in any one of them. The horticulture wing is working under the B&R Department, which perhaps has no interest in improving plantations.

The Municipal Corporation’s project to renovate Nehru Garden has taken more than six years. Having remained a barren for all this while, it is only now that some plantation has been done.

The condition of Rose Garden and the nursery at Burlton Park is no better. It has been more than eight years since the MC held any plant or flower show in the city.

The MC has also failed to develop the green belt under the Lyallpur Khalsa College flyover, a project which was started more than four years ago.

Money spent on greenery

Even as the allocation of grants by the MC for developing green belts for the previous financial year was around Rs 2 crore, only Rs 6 lakh was spent for the purpose. Further, the allocation for developing parks was Rs 3 crore, while the civic authorities spent only Rs 3.31 lakh.

Gardeners’ demand

Gardeners have been long demanding regularisation of their services. However, their demand has been ignored. There are mohalla committees, who have been paying the salaries to the gardeners kept for maintenance of parks, after making collection from the residents.

“Our job is primarily confined to maintaining gardens at officers’ houses. We are called for erected flags or making flowery entrances or making bouquets whenever some dignitary comes,” he said.

Involvement of NGOs

While the civic authorities and National Highway Authority of India have been indiscriminately uprooting trees along highways and other areas for construction purposes, a re-plantation committed by them is seldom done.

Engaged in tree plantation since 22 years, NGO Pahal claims to have planted as many as 5 lakh trees. Lakhbir Singh of the NGO claims that of these as many as 3 lakh trees are alive. He said saplings were available free of cost for the farmers from the Forest Department but the scheme has not been much promoted. There are several other NGOs such as Samvedna Jagriti, which have been distributing saplings. Environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal too has been doing a commendable job in the region by being involved in various plantation activities.

Attempt to plant palm trees

The civic authorities got full-fledged palm trees transplanted along roadsides near the Amritsar bypass, Garha Road and Cantonment Road. Unfortunately, most of these trees have died as the climate here has not been conducive.

Some of the trees were uprooted due to storms while others due the reckless attitude of some residents.

Experts have said that Palm is not a tree suitable as per the local climate. JS Bilga, retired XEN, Horticulture, MC, and a noted landscape consultant, has pointed out, “Palm trees are ideally planted in a green belt or a shady corner in clusters. The whole idea of plantation in a divider is to create pollution buffers and to block the glare of vehicles coming from the opposite side at night. Palms cannot serve any of these purposes as they have long thin stems that cannot be pruned.”

He suggested, “The MC should have instead planted kaner, nivium, indicum, dwarf varieties of bougainvillea or phycus, which are perfectly suited. The dwarf varieties require to be pruned just once in a year.”

Lakhbir has suggested that the best trees for roadside plantation are those with good timber, fruit or medicinal value. He said sheesham, mango, neem and mulberry are ideal for such plantation and they also attract birds.

Alstonia plantation should be discouraged as it has nothing to offer, he added.

Jalandhar, June 22
City girl Sonali Kaul, a student of the St Soliders Law College has topped in the LLB course of Guru Nanak Dev University in the fifth semester.

By securing 78 per cent marks, she has bagged the first position for the fifth consecutive time.

Born and brought up in a poor family, her aspirations to be a lawyer sprung up from hardships she underwent during her childhood.

“My father was an auto rickshaw driver. He bought the auto rickshaw but was unable to pay the second instalment of the vehicle on time. The dealer from whom it was bought just took it away. We hired a lawyer and spent a big chunk of our money to fight the case. We stayed without food so that we could get the vehicle back but the case is still pending.”

“I shall study hard to complete my law degree and for the judicial services to ensure justice for poor in the judicial system. Cases of the poor are not fought properly. They are delayed usually. Fast track courts are not really that fast. But there are many people intending to bring about a change and I want to be one among them. This is the prime reason I have opted for law,” she said.

Sonali’s father now drives hired vehicles, her mother is a housewife.

She also gives credit to the St Soldiers Group of Institutions and principal of the St Soldiers Law College for giving her entire fee concession for the remaining time of her studies.

Speaking about how she managed so far, she said, “My father has an income of around Rs 5,000 per month and I have also given tuitions to nearly 15 students, from 1st standard to BA. That is how my studies have been managed.” — TNS

Jalandhar, June 22
Kushagar, a student of Class XII (non-medical) of Swami Sant Dass Public School, Jalandhar, has cleared the NEST (National Entrance Screening Test) and has got all India rank 82.

He is the only student in the city to have cleared the test.

NEST is a compulsory test for students seeking admission to National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneshwar and University of Mumbai - Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CBS), Mumbai.

Kushagar, whose father Rajkumar Arora is a bank employee and mother Archana Arora is a teacher, always wanted to be a scientist but never imagined he would make it in the top 100 in his very first attempt.

“I have always watched discovery channel and science-related shows. I am interested in science in how things work. I am very glad to have cleared the test. Under this, my entire cost of studies shall be borne by the government and I won’t have to pay a single penny. In fact I will get Rs 5,000 per month as scholarship from the government and an additional Rs 20,000 per year. The duration of my course can also be extended depending upon whether I want to pursue a P hd,” he said.

Speaking about his inspiration in studies, Kushagar said his parents’ help and efforts had been his greatest source of inspiration throughout his studies.

While he has scored good marks all through his schooling, he said during his examinations he had been studying for 10 to 12 hours a day.

He says National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, will be his chosen place to study.

Both NISER and UM-DAE CBS were set up by the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India in 2007.

Their mandate is to train scientific manpower for carrying out cutting edge scientific research and for providing inputs to scientific programmes of the Department of Atomic Energy and other applied science institutions in the country.

The test is conducted in 45 cities (70 venues) across India.

Jalandhar, June 22
Demanding that the Rs 40-crore income collected by the Municipal Corporation (MC) Jalandhar from residents of various illegal colonies across the city by way of the regularisation policy of the state government be used for their development, residents of various localities and their councillors have started raising their voice on the issue.

While the civic body authorities have been maintaining that the funds so collected were still frozen and that they cannot use these till they get directions for the same from the Local Bodies Department, residents have been demanding that a quick decision be taken on the issue for their welfare.

Sharanjit Singh, a resident of Ekta Nagar, said bad roads had made the lives of his family hellish ever since he shifted there. “Now that we have paid the development charges to the MC, it should ensure that our area gets spruced up with parks, streetlights and all other civic amenities."

Congress councillor Balraj Thakur has said, “The authorities have been claiming that they are yet to return some dues to the residents of colonies that came up prior to 1995, who had paid up the amount but were exempted later. There should not be an iota of doubt that that the amount to be returned is just about Rs 40 lakh, which is just one-hundredth of the amount collected. So the excuse does not fit in the case.”

The residents have been saying that the funds so collected be used only in their areas and not for development in the rest of the city.

Mayor Sunil Jyoti, however, has said that since it was a pre-requisite that at least 75 per cent property owners and the coloniser of the area give their dues only then that colony could be declared regular. “As far as I know, there would be very few such colonies which would have met the condition. I am in talks with the town planning officials and Local Bodies Department officials on how to go about the whole issue,” he said.

Jalandhar, June 22
The state executive committee of the PSEB Engineers' Association has decided to discontinue the “work to rule” in view of the positive response from the Punjab Government towards their demands.

As per information, on Saturday, the association convened a meeting to review their ongoing agitation.

Taking into account the interests of power consumers, particularly from agriculture sector, in wake of the ongoing paddy season and government’s positive response, the executive committee has decided to meet Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to apprise him of the steps that should to be initiated immediately to ensure cheap and uninterrupted power supply to the consumers.

Association president Baldev Singh Sran said they had received a written communication from the office of Secretary, Power that Sukhbir Badal, who holds the portfolio of Power Ministry, has invited the association for a meeting on July 7 to discuss and resolve the issues raised by engineers.

“Our association had objected to the extension given by the Punjab Government to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited’s (PSPCL) KD Chaudhri. But now, the state government has not extended the term of director (generation), PSPCL, G S Chhabra, after he attained the age of 62 years. The government has also initiated the selection process for the appointment of director (commercial), director (distribution) and director (finance) along with director (generation) of the

PSPCL, as all these officers have completed their terms,” he added.

Association general secretary Sanjeev Sood said the executive committee is of the firm view that in the interest of the power sector, instead of the two cadres of engineers being created through separate recruitments by both the power utilities of State - PSPCL and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL), a common cadre on the lines of BBMB/PSEB, as envisaged in Tripartite Agreement, must be created so as to have better coordination between the PSPCL and the PSTCL for the smooth and efficient functioning of the power sector.

“The association demands that the pay scales of the newly recruited assistant engineers should be equal to that of the already working assistant engineers. Offering lower pay scales than the regular scale of assistant engineers in the case of new recruitment would be akin to exploitation of qualified unemployed youth of Punjab,” said Sran.

Sran said the association would stress for expediting the construction of the 1320-MW thermal plant at Mukerian and the house reforms initiatives for lowering the power cost so that sufficient power is provided to the consumers without any further tariff hike.

“The executive committee has decided to hold regional/zonal meetings in the next fortnight to apprise the cadre about these developments. We are hopeful that Sukhbir Badal will resolve all the issues raised by the association,” said Sood.

Jalandhar, June 22
Two youths riding an Activa scooter snatched the purse of a girl in the Mai Heeran Gate area here today.

The victim, Rajni, a resident of Dada Colony, said she had gone to market to buy some household items. The moment she parked her scooter in front of a shop, the youths suddenly pounced on her and snatched her purse.

The victim said her purse contained Rs 5,000, two mobile phones and some important documents. She told the police that the snatchers had not covered their faces. “I couldn’t note the registration number of their scooter. The moment the snatchers pounced on me, I panicked and raised an alarm for help. By the time, people gathered for help, the snatchers managed to escape from the spot,” the victim said.

Cops of police division No. 3 reached the spot and started investigation.

A case under Section 382 of the IPC has been registered at the police division No. 3.