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AIT to plant 20,000 saplings
Threat to fl0ra,
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After long wait, food plaza finally functional at railway station
Better Amritsar:
Heritage infrastructure—I
Resident wins law suit against insurance firm
AAP holds meet to strengthen base
Mobile phone, charas seized from jail inmates
Six free plastic surgeries performed
2 booked for molestation
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AIT to plant 20,000 saplings
Amritsar, July 13 Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi inaugurated the project by planting the saplings in the Ranjeet Avenue area. Joshi, while training his guns at the NGOs and political leaders, challenged them to plant saplings and maintain them while the government would provide land and the saplings. He said instead of cribbing and criticising the government, they must be part of the development projects. Apart from NGOs, senior BJP leader Lakshmi Kanta Chawla and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dr Navjot Sidhu have openly come out against the axing of trees. While the NGOs claimed that the felling of trees was indiscriminate in nature, Chawla opposed the "indiscriminate" chopping of trees in Amritsar. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dr Sidhu has also criticised the move and even approached Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on the issue. Upset over the chopping of trees, Dr Sidhu even demanded back the Rs 1 crore contributed by her husband for augmenting the green cover in the city during his stint as the Amritsar MP. Meanwhile, AIT Superintendent Engineer Bharat Bhushan Sharma said the AIT would incur an expenditure of Rs 40 lakh with two year maintenance cost of trees and its guards. He said in any case there was a loss of saplings, these would be replaced. Sharma also said the trees chopped for development projects were in hundreds but the minister directed them to plant more saplings. He said under the project, saplings over 10 feet high would be planted. These saplings are being planted at Ranjeet Avenue, New Amritsar and Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Mall Mandi scheme area.
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MC staff set ablaze refuse at Ram Bagh
GS Paul Tribune News Service
Amritsar, July 13 Spread over 84 acres of land, this garden came into existence in 1818 as the summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. There are a number of rare trees in the Ram Bagh, which normally grow in the Himalayas and Nilgiri Hills. Some of these trees date back even two centuries. However, today this precious flora of the garden is facing a threat because the MC men burn the refuse beneath them. Even as the BJP-led Central Government has put Amritsar into the category of National Heritage City Scheme and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal too intended to transform Amritsar into a heritage-look city, yet the holy city's heritage site has been turning into garbage yard. The issue was brought to the notice of the authorities umpteen times but in vain. Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora's camp office is located on the panorama located within the Bagh. He passes through this stretch daily to attend his pre-lunch session with the MC officials but the dismal state of affairs prevailing in Ram Bagh could never catch his fancy. The residents who stroll here in the morning and evening hours complained that they come to the Bagh for fresh air but it has become the other way round. "The MC men routinely burn the garbage in Ram Bagh, little realising the damage they cause to the environment," said Naresh Johar. The residents complained that it was a routine exercise of the MC's safai karamcharis who collect the refuse from the adjoining shops or whatever filth scattered on the roads and dump it in the Company Bagh. Later, they burn it to save their efforts. Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora said, "Stern action would be taken against the Municipal Corporation staff who burn the garbage. It is a serious issue which needs to be monitored intensively."
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After long wait, food plaza finally functional at railway station
Amritsar, July 13 A Mumbai-based company, Sunshine Caterers Private Limited, got the contract to run the food plaza at the station here. Its general manager Manish Aggarwal along with GRP inspector Dharminder Kalyan inaugurated the plaza. It has been a long pending demand of tourists and visitors at the railway station that there was no regular quality outlet serving multi-cuisine food at the railway station. The footfall at the railway station is increasing day by day. As many as 130 trains arrive and depart from the Amritsar railway station every day. It records a daily footfall of over 30,000. Food Plaza Project Manager NK Sharma said, "The railways released the power connection after the company deposited the refundable security amount of Rs 6.20 lakh with the Ferozepur division of the Northern Railways under whose control the local railway station falls." He said the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) approved rate list of the food items. Earlier, there was some misunderstanding over the depositing of security fee as the food plazas belonging to the IRCTC are not charged any security fee while the railway does charge the same." Earlier, the owner of the company had inaugurated the plaza which was asked to shut down for non-compliance of formalities. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Upjeet Singh said, "The plaza operator did not submit the fitness certificates of its employees and the written permission from the IRCTC. The company, entrusted with the operation of the plaza, had inaugurated it despite securing a power connection. However, the plaza was shut down after the railway authorities objected to it." Food plaza is operating from over 2,250 square feet area (250 square yards). The IRCTC has conceived four food plazas at the railway stations in Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Ambala. Of these, the food plaza at Chandigarh has already started functioning. Keeping in view the high number of tourists visiting the Golden Temple, the Union Government had announced Rs 10 crore for the development of the railway station last year. Under the plan, state-of-the-art infrastructure would be provided at the railway station. It will have a retiring room, a VIP lounge, waiting room, VIP parking lot and a circulating area. Installation of an escalator at platform number 1 of the railway station was already underway.
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Encroachments near hospital hits movement of ambulances hard
Amritsar, July 13 The eateries and other businesses have come up on the entire stretch alongside the hospital. Even at the entrance point to the hospital, the encroachments can be seen. As the people walk on the road when the footpaths have been encroached upon, the vehicles, especially ambulances, have to slow down and sometimes wait for the commuters to give passage. A visitor, Gurnam Singh, said, "The passage to the hospitals should be free of encroachments and any other hindrances. If the local administration cannot free the encroached footpaths in the entire city, at least those near the hospital should be vacated." Another visitor Sukhpal Singh said, "The old and the ill need free footpaths. Every time after the rain when the roads get water-logged, people have to get wet to reach the hospitals because the footpaths are not free. "The hospital authorities, on the other hand, stated that freeing the footpaths and roads from encroachers is the responsibility of the Municipal Corporation and the police. "The doctors cannot be expected to go and fight the encroachers. They do feel bad about these encroachments but they cannot do anything unless the police or the MC initiates action," said an official.
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Family alleges ‘false’ drug case against son
Amritsar, July 13 Prem Singh, a shopkeeper and the father of the victim, said his son, Sunny, was falsely implicated by the CIA staff of the Tarn Taran police who picked him from the Landa Bazaar market. He alleged after three days, the police framed him in a drug case saying that they had confiscated 500gm of smack from his possession. Taking a serious note of this, Verka immediately directed the IG Border Range Ishwar Chander to hold an impartial probe by an IPS officer. Prem Singh alleged that his son was picked up by the police on June 26 evening from the shop. For the next two days they did not tell the family why he had been arrested. Later, the police registered a case under the NDPS Act against him for allegedly possessing 500gm of smack. He said they came to know about this after news was published showing his arrest from near Gurdwara Takkar Sahib. The shopkeepers of the Landa Bazaar market came in support of the family and claimed that the family has a clean image.
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Better Amritsar:
Heritage infrastructure—I Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service
Amritsar, July 13 The place with old architectural buildings and narrow streets, what people call as the ‘Walled City’, has its wall fast crumbling as the archaeological preservers and the administration have chosen to ignore it. The wall has collapsed at many places. At others, people have set up illegal shops making it hardly visible to an outsider. The historic wall with 12 gates is believed to have been built during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Even as there had been efforts to preserve historical places such as Gobindgarh Fort and Ram Bagh, heritage lovers rue that the wall has been neglected. Now, the construction to rebuild Ramghariya Gate at Chattiwind Chownk has been initiated. But, the slow pace of work has been exposed as Darwaja Ramgarhia and Darwaja Ahluwalia were given a green signal for construction by the Municipal Corporation on January 17, 2003. The two gates were believed to be demolished after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The rich heritage was vandalised when the Sikh leadership was totally demoralised after the annexation of Punjab by the British following the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Though the British administration had tried to reconstruct some of the historical gates, they named most of the sites after English administrators. A map of the Municipal Committee, Amritsar, published before the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh depicts 12 historical gates, including Darwaza Ramgarhia and Darwaza Ahluwalia. On the basis of the clues found in the two old maps of the Amritsar Corporation (1849 and 1947), it has been revealed that Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia Federation lobbied with the MC for raising these gates again. The two associations — Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia Federation and Sultan-ul-Quam Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Memorial Society — had joined hands for the construction of these two gates, which used to protect the city from invaders during the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The names of Chatiwind Gate and Gheo Mandi Gate had been changed to their original and historical names — Ramgarhia Gate and Ahluwalia Gate — as per the unanimous decision of the Municipal Corporation. Besides, the historic wall has disappeared at many places. If everything goes on like this, we would soon find it nowhere but in history books. Not only the wall, but many gates in it have vanished over the years. Bhagtanwala, Lohgarh, Gheo Mandi, Shera wala and Ram Bagh have gates only as a last word to their names but in reality gates they no longer exist. Pillars at Hakima Wala and Sulatanwind intersections remind the existence of these gates, which once stood over these places.
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Resident wins law suit against insurance firm
Amritsar, July 13 The forum set aside the reason submitted by the insurance company for repudiating the claim, which stated that the owner had failed to inform the company about the theft within 48 hours of the incident. Sandeep Kumar Dhir, a resident of Rani Ka Bagh, had filed a complaint against Oriental Insurance Company stating that he had got his Hyundai Santro car insured from the company. The car was stolen from his residence on December 14, 2012. He claimed that after informing the police, he brought the incident to the notice of an agent of the company. He stated that in August 2013, he received a letter from the company stating that his claim was denied as he had failed to inform the company immediately after the theft. The insurance company in its reply stated that they were informed about the incident after two months of its happening and as such the claim was rightly repudiated because the owner has to report the theft within 48 hours. The forum observed that the investigator appointed by the insurance company had in his report submitted that the theft case was genuine. The forum said the opposite party had wrongly repudiated the entire claim of the complainant on the above said ground. Fact file
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Traffic policemen bear scorching heat in the absence of canopies
Amritsar, July 13 With constant power cuts, the traffic signals become dysfunctional. The traffic police, including young women police officials who were included in the traffic wing, have to stand in direct sunshine to control the traffic. “It is very difficult to stand in the sunshine during hot summer days. The city is witnessing prolonged and unscheduled power cuts. Traffic lights also stop functioning due to this. For how long a person can stand at the chowk in this scorching heat,” said a woman police official. Another official pleading anonymity said in the past, they were provided with temporary umbrellas, but that too was not the solution of the problem. “We need permanent canopies at all chowks, which can save us from heat and rains,” he said. ADCP (Traffic) Shailender Shelly said he was aware of the problem. “Concerned over the genuine problem, we are going to install permanent canopies just like beat boxes, which are being constructed in different areas under the beat foot patrolling system. Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh has taken keen interest in the problem and he has given his nod to the plan,” he said.
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AAP holds meet to strengthen base
Amritsar, July 13 District convener Ashok Talwar said the vision of the AAP was to make the nation free from the clutches of corrupt politicians and break the unholy capitalist-politician nexus, which has plunged the Indian economy into deep crises. Whether UPA or NDA, both the alliances had exploited the people,
he added. “Both parties had filled their personal coffers with millions of rupees. The BJP, which used to raise hue and cry against the UPA over the issues of FDI in retail and defence, inflation and privatisation of Railways, has suddenly taken a U-turn after coming to power and has started promoting the same old policies,” he said. “One month working of BJP-led government was enough to open the eyes of the public who have been lured to vote for ‘Acche Din’. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal did not mince words while boasting about his plans for 24 hour power supply but the reality is that the public is forced to live in dark amidst frequent power cuts and soaring mercury. Industry has virtually collapsed in the state due to power cuts and high rates of taxes,” said Gurbhej Singh.
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Mobile phone, charas seized from jail inmates
Amritsar, July 13 The charas was recovered from Sonu alias
Pattha, son of Kala Singh, a resident of Mullechak area, Sultanwind, Amritsar. A case under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, 20, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act and 42 of the Prisoner Act has been registered with the Cantonment police station. He was in jail since May 21 in an NDPS Act case registered with the Sultanwind police station. A mobile phone was found from the possession of another undertrial Kashmir Singh alias
Bau, son of Sajjan Singh, resident of Narwala, Tarn Taran. Superintendent Sharma said Kashmir Singh was caught by the State Special Operation Cell under the NDPS Act and an FIR under Sections 21, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act was registered against him in 2013. He has been in jail since November 21, 2013. A case under Section 420 of the IPC and 42 and 52-A of the Prisoner Act has been registered with the Cantonment police station.
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Six free plastic surgeries performed
Amritsar, July 13 Other patients included Lakhwinder Kaur, a 39-year old woman from Baba Bakala with post burn contraction of neck, Ajay from Pathankot, Bharat Bhushan, Navpreet and Jeevan Singh. Dr Avtar Singh said a common misconception about plastic surgery was that it is a cosmetic surgery for beautification. Plastic surgeon Dr Ravi Mahajan explained that the surgery was mainly about correction of body parts to make them functional, aesthetic and sometimes to improve postural defects. These deformities may be caused due to accidents, including burns, attacks, natural disasters, besides birth defects and even post cancer when
the cancerous region is amputated from the body, he said.
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2 booked for molestation
Amritsar, July 13 In the first instance, a married woman of Chhina village complained to the Jandiala police that the she was alone at home as her husband had gone to a dairy to deliver milk. She alleged that the accused entered the house and started molesting her. She resisted his attempt following which he allegedly assaulted her. She immediately raised an alarm after which he fled. The police has registered a case under Sections 354 and 452 of the IPC against him while no arrest has been made so far. In another incident, a 14-year-old girl stated to the police that the accused Kulwant Singh barged into her house and started sexually assaulting her. She saved herself from his clutches and fled. The police have registered a case under Sections 354 and 451 of the
IPC. — TNS
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construction of various development projects, including the ambitious Metro bus project, Amritsar Improvement Trust
today kicked off a project under which 20,000 saplings would be planted to compensate for the loss of the green belt.
