Amritsar, July 6
A delegation of hoteliers today met Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Inderbir Singh Bolaria for resolving the issue of several hotels, inns, guest houses around the Golden Temple and inside the walled city, which have come under the Municipal Corporation’s (MC) radar.

The MC authorities have given an ultimatum to as many as 131 hotels, inns and guest houses, around the Golden Temple, which have either been operating illegally or not complying with the building bylaws. The matter is to be tabled before the High Court Bench on August 22.

President of the Federation of Hotel and Guest House, Surinder Singh, said the Punjab and Haryana High Court was being misled by certain unscrupulous elements, who were terming certain hotels and guest houses illegal.

He said, “As a matter of fact, not even an inch of public land has been encroached upon by any of these hoteliers till date. If the MC carried on with its plan to demolish these hotels or guest houses, tourism will be hit in Amritsar. The number of visitors coming to the city to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple is close to 1.5 lakh. These hotels and guest houses provide them accommodation at economical rates. If these hotels are sealed or demolished by the MC, it will be difficult for the existing hotel infrastructure to accommodate such a heavy influx of visitors at reasonable rates.”

Amritsar, July 6
It seems to be a long wait to see an escalator operational at the local railway station. Technicians and workforce have installed the set-up on platform number one of the railway station, but it is far off from the state of utilisation. However, railway sources stated that it would be made functional in August as necessary power equipments and engines were yet to be installed.

Passengers and visitors, especially aged and physically challenged, are suffering as they have to walk more to board a train. The construction wing of the Northern Railways floated tender for the civil work for installation of escalator on platform number one and other miscellaneous and allied work at Amritsar railway station on July 8 last year. Tender bids were opened on August 20, 2013. As per the tender, the work was to be completed in three months of the opening of the tender.

The sources in the Railways stated that the work was anticipated to be finished by February as it was started in December.

The escalator project was already running four months behind the schedule and it is expected to be delayed by another month.

Even as the Indian Railways has time and again made tall promises of turning the Amritsar railway station into a world-class facility, the ongoing work to install the escalator on the premises has been painstaking slow, causing inconvenience to the commuters.

The Railways started installation work of the escalator in December.

A vendor on a platform, on a condition of anonymity, said the civil work to facilitate installation of the escalator had earlier been stalled for many months.

Since a staircase connecting platform number one with the rest of the platforms was lying closed, passengers had to walk more and cross two bridges to reach across. Many passengers, in order to avoid a long walk along with heavy luggage, are risking lives by crossing railway lines.

The Northern Railways, Ferozepur Division, initiated the process of providing world-class facilities under the Railways International Tourist Destination Programme. According to the plan, escalators were to be installed in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Jammu, besides Amritsar. The holy city is the first among these railway stations to get the facility installed.

The Railways hired a private consultant to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) in May to construct state-of-the-art facilities at the local railway station at a cost of Rs 12 crore. The Union Ministries of Tourism and Railways were to share the cost of the project.

Under the project, the railway station will have a retiring room, a VIP lounge, a waiting room, a waiting hall, a parking area and a circulating area etc. The facilities will be added to the Amritsar railway station from where over 130 trains arrive and depart. It records a daily footfall of around 30,000 passengers.

Amritsar, July 6
The Amritsar rural police have booked as many as 10 persons for allegedly kidnapping an elderly person and destroying a property in Kammoke village, falling under the Beas police station area here. The incident occurred on the intervening night of July 4 and 5.

Sarabjit Singh, a resident of Kammoke village, stated to the police that in April 2012 his brother purchased 4 kanal land at Rs 4.50 lakh, which had three constructed rooms. He alleged that on the intervening night of July 4-5, the accused, who were armed with weapons, demolished the structure and boundary walls of the house. He said his uncle Sarwan Singh, a resident of Arjanmaga village, was sleeping in a room, was kidnapped by the accused. Till now he was untraceable. He said the accused also took away cement bags and threatened to kill them if anybody came forward.

Among those who have been booked include Bachitar Singh, Guriqbal Singh, Simarjit Singh, Dalbir Singh, Lakhwinder Singh, Kulwant Singh, Mukhtar Singh, Jagsir Singh, Roop Singh and Kaka. All the accused were armed with firearms, sharp-edged weapons and sticks.

Balwinder Singh, SHO, Beas police station, said a case under Sections 365, 379, 427, 506, 148, 149 of the IPC and 25/54/59 of the Arms Act has been registered against the accused. He said three accused, Jagsir Singh, Jaswinder Singh and Amanpreet Singh had been arrested and raids were being conducted to arrest the remaining culprits. The allegations of kidnapping of Sarwan Singh were doubtful. Further investigations were under progress and efforts were on to trace Sarwan Singh, added the SHO.

Amritsar, July 6
The Voice of Tobacco Victims, a state-level anti-tobacco campaign, has demanded that the state government increase the tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products in its upcoming Budget to 70 per cent. During the previous budget of the state government, the VAT on tobacco products was increased from 22.5 to 55 per cent. However, the decision was reversed after a few months. Presently 22.5 per cent VAT is applicable on tobacco products.

A patron of the Voice of Tobacco Victims, Dr Prahlad Duggal, said, “We demand that the VAT should be increased from the existing 22.5 to 70 per cent.” He said the marketing studies of tobacco products had earlier indicated that increased prices due to increased taxes could help reduce the consumption. Dr Duggal said as the state government had initiated many steps to curb the demand and supply of drugs, it should treat tobacco products as damaging as any other narcotics substance.

He praised Union Home Minister Harsh Vardhan for writing to the Union Finance Minister to raise tax on tobacco products in the upcoming budget. Vardan had also appealed to the state governments to increase the taxes.

Dr Duggal stated: “According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (2010), 27.5 crore people in India consume tobacco in some or the other form of which 2.5 crore are in Punjab.” “More than 33 per cent consumers of tobacco are at a risk of dying early due to diseases associated with it. Even children are taking to the substance and if no steps are taken, it will have very serious consequences,” said Duggal.

A recent study conducted by Public Health Specialists for the WHO and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, whose findings were released on May 29 this year by the Union Health Minister, stated that the total economic costs attributable to the treatment of all diseases attributable to tobacco use in India in 2011 for persons aged 35-69 years amounted to Rs 1,04,500 crore. Direct medical costs amounted to Rs 16,800 crore and associated indirect morbidity cost Rs 14,700 crore. The cost from premature mortality was estimated at Rs 73,000 crore. — TNS

Amritsar, July 6
Police officials are holding meetings with the residents of various localities for strengthening the beat foot patrolling system in the city, which has witnessed a spate in criminal activities like snatchings recently.

The police have merged the PCR teams with the beat foot patrolling system thereby increasing the number of policemen in a particular beat, besides including newly recruited women policemen. These women policemen will be posted at beat boxes wherein people can approach with their problems. As many as 1,100 policemen have been put at the disposal of the renewed system, which will be implemented in their beats concerned.

“We are getting the beat boxes constructed, which will act as mini police stations. The women policemen will listen to problems of the people, who approach them. They will take appropriate action as per the complaint and inform their higher officials according to the requirement,” said Parampal Singh, ADCP (city-I).

Police officials in the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and SHOs have been continuously holding meetings at police stations concerned. “The main aim of these meetings is to make the public aware about the functions of the beat foot patrolling and motivate them to cooperate with police officials in order to nail the criminal elements in society,” said ADCP.

The police have also constituted a 12-member team comprising prominent residents of a particular beat area. Police officials have been demarking the areas where PCR teams would be placed and the areas where beat boxes would be constructed. Around 98 beat boxes would be built in the city. The most vulnerable points would be made halt points, where the PCR teams would remain present round-the-clock, added the ADCP.

In addition to maintaining law and order in their beats, policemen under beat foot patrolling would also prepare a list of drug addicts, who would be motivated and counselled for de-addiction.

Amritsar, July 6
The city police today claimed to have solved the blind murder case in which an elderly woman was stabbed to death by unidentified youth a couple of days ago. The accused was identified as Harkishan Singh, a resident of the same area. He allegedly had a one-sided affair with the daughter-in-law of the deceased, Raj Rani (60), who was stabbed to death on the intervening night of July 1 and 2.

Sarabjit Singh, SHO, Kotwali police station, said following preliminary investigations the police team zeroed in on several persons living in the neighbourhood of the deceased, including Harkishan. During interrogation, Harkishan confessed to his crime, added the SHO.

He said Raj Rani used offensive language against Harkishan, who was a friend of her two sons, Harish Kumar and Gulshan Kumar. He even accompanied Gulshan to Rajasansi, where he had put up a stall during a fair. While returning, he procured a sharp- edged weapon from a shop, which has been recovered. “We have received the CCTV footage from the shop from where Harkishan had procured the weapon,” said the SHO.

Investigations revealed that Harkishan had a soft corner for the daughter-in-law of the deceased. A couple of days before her murder, Raj Rani had allegedly beaten her daughter-in-law in a quarrel after which she had gone to her parents’ home. This had also enraged the accused, who lived just a few metres away from the victim’s home. However, the SHO denied that the deceased’s daughter-in-law had any inclination towards the accused.

On day of the incident, Harkishan knew that Raj Rani was alone at home. After leaving Gulshan at Rajasansi he returned after buying a sharp-edged weapon from a shop. He gained entry to the house from the roof and went back to his house after committing the crime.

Amritsar, July 6
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Birla Sun Life Insurance to refund the premium paid by a local resident, subject to the deduction of proportionate risk premium for the period of cover and other costs pertaining to stamp duty and medical examination of the insured.

The forum has also directed the company to pay Rs 2,000 as litigation expenses.

Earlier Raghubir Singh, a resident of Sehkaria Enclave had filed a complaint against Birla Sun Life Insurance Company stating that he was lured to buy an insurance policy by an agent of the company. He paid Rs 50,000 for the same. He further stated that after getting the policy documents, he came to know that terms and conditions mentioned in the policy varied from those stated to him earlier.

The complainant said he had approached the company office and asked for the cancellation of the policy. He was assured that the company would make a fixed deposit of the amount for two months and would transfer the amount.

The company in its reply stated that the complainant had failed to state as to what conditions were in variance to the terms and conditions informed to the complainant at the time of obtaining the insurance policy.

The company further stated that the complainant was competent to opt for any amendment in the policy within the free-look period of 15 days from the date of receipt of the policy. The complainant had failed to submit request for cancellation of the policy within the free-look period as such the request of the complainant for cancellation of the policy was declined.

The forum observed that the complainant had received the policy documents on August 20, 2012 and he had returned the same to the agent. The forum stated that the company has not stated that the said agent is not authorised to accept the documents on behalf of the company. The forum stated that it is a well-settled law that principal is liable for the act done by its agent in the course of its official business.

Amritsar, July 6
The police have arrested nine persons including a woman on the charges of drug peddling and bootlegging.

During a raid conducted in Chhapa Ram Singh village,the city rural police have recovered 300 litres of illicit liquor. The police have arrested Baljit Kaur,while her husband, Bhupinder Singh managed to escape.

The city rural police also nabbed Sukhwinder Singh of Tarsikka with 200 gm of narcotic powder. Harjinder Singh of Ramdiwali village and Lakhbir Singh of Kathunangal were nabbed with 5 gm of heroin each. Baldev Singh of Maga Sarai was held with 260 intoxicant capsules.

Meanwhile the city police have arrested Gurpreet Singh of Chamrang Road with 10gm of heroin, while Hira Singh of Basarke village and Baljeet Singh of Kot Khalsa were held with 20 bottles and 30 litres of illicit liquor.

Amritsar, July 6
Members of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Naujwan Sabha, Punjab, on Sunday held a meeting and flayed rampant drug addiction, escalated study fee and unemployment in the state.

Manbir Singh Milkha, president of the sabha, said, “University and college fee is being hiked annually, causing the study out of reach of the middle and low income groups. But the government is not taking cognisance of it.”

“The state government has failed to create enough jobs in industrial and agriculture sectors resulting in large scale unemployment.” He added.

Amritsar, July 6
Department of Applied Sciences of Amritsar Engineering College, organised a PTU sponsored 5-day Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on “Numerical Techniques for Engineers” which concluded on Saturday.

The programme was conducted to cater to the needs for introducing different solutions and modelling techniques for solution of engineering problems in various disciplines. Experts in different fields from institutes like Guru Nanak Engineering College Ludhiana, Beant Engineering College Gurdaspur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College of Engineering and Technology Ferozepur, Lovely Professional University etc shared their knowledge and expertise with the participants.

The programme was inaugurated by Dr Dilbagh Singh, Head, Department of Instrumentation Engineering, NIT Jalandhar. Chairman and CEO of the college Amit Sharma appreciated the efforts of the faculty.

Amritsar, July 6
Kewal Singh,a student of class VII stood first in the religious examination conducted by Sarhad-e-Punjab Sports Club at Government Senior Secondary School, Chheharta.

Anil Kumar and Harvinder Singh stood second and third, respectively. Winners were given medals and certificates.

With a view to inculcate religious education, the Club on Saturday held a religious examination in which students from Class VI to VIII drawn from various schools participated.

Students were apprised about the significance of the Sikh religion and the Sikh history.

Addressing students, Gurinder Singh Matto, club president, said apart sports, the club would take steps to instill religious education in students to wean them away from drugs.