Amritsar, August 1
A two-hour sudden shower in the morning came as surprise to the residents of the holy city, but it also exposed the inefficiency and tall claims of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation, which had carried out de-silting of drains recently.

Amritsar, August 1
With the Railways announcing installation of 5,000 automatic ticket-vending machines (ATVM) at various railway stations across the country, a city-based NGO and residents have sought adequate number of machines for the Amritsar railway station.

Amritsar Vikas Manch president Kulwant Singh Ankhi said, “There is a high tourist inflow in the city of the Golden Temple from across the country and the world. High-tech assistance required to make their journey comfortable.” He said long queues of passengers at current ticket windows discouraged passengers as they had to spend precious time in buying tickets. Many times trains left the station while they waited in a queue for buying a ticket.

The passengers seeking current ticket at the Amritsar railway station are a harried lot as they lament that the number of current ticket counters was inadequate keeping in view the high number of passenger turnout, he added.

Ankhi said the local railway station witnessed a footfall of over 30,000 visitors daily. Besides there was a large number of floating population visiting the city, which avoided station due to its non-dependable service.

A regular passenger, Jaspreet Singh, said, “I reach the station over an hour in advance just to buy a ticket. A regular scene of serpentine queues of people waiting for their turn at ticket counters greets me at the railway station.”

The authorities opine that the installation of the ATVM would enable swift clearance of the passenger backlog. The machine operated with a smart card and coins could meet the requirement of passengers here.

Railway officials said passengers would simply have to insert smart card into the ATVM and a ticket will be printed within seconds. Machines which can be operated by smart cards and coins are also available. They said smart cards would be issued by the Railways after getting a security deposit, which could be recharged. Officials said this had proved beneficial at small stations, where passengers travelled less distance. A passenger simply has to pay railway fare by inserting coins inside the machine and the ticket would be printed, added Railway officials. 

Amritsar, August 1
The recent school bus mishap, in which a student was killed and over 20 were injured, has once again brought to fore the deplorable condition of school transport and the need for fixing responsibility on someone for recurring accidents.

School buses ferrying students in the city continue to violate traffic norms, which puts at risk the lives of youngsters. This is continuing despite meetings between the district administration and school authorities on a number of occasions. There seems to be hardly any check on the state of buses, which are attached with schools.

Many school buses are overcrowded with the students. In some buses students can be seen standing or sitting at doorsteps, which is quite risky. Many school buses ply without a cleaner or a conductor. Drivers discharge duties of conductors as well. Rash and high speed driving, even on congested city roads, needs an immediate check.

Roshani Khanna, mother of two school-going children, said, whenever she asked a driver why he was speeding, the only reply she got was that he had to reach school on time. She did take up the matter with the school authorities, but they did not pay any heed.

“Buses and vans ferrying school students are in worn-out condition and violate norms. The lackadaisical attitude of the school managements, transport and traffic police authorities has certainly led to increase in mishaps,” added Roshani.

She recalled that seven-year-old student, Simranjit Kaur, was run over by a vehicle when the auto-rickshaw, which ferried the victim from her house to school and back, dropped her outside her residence in August last year.

A social activist, Naresh Johar, said it was strange that the semi-literate drivers were always held responsible for violation, but school managements were not entrusted the responsibility to keep a tab on violations. He said relevant laws were available to regulate school buses. According to traffic norms a driver of a school bus could be booked for driving related offences, while the school management, owner and principal could be held responsible for other violations. He added that even private vehicles like vans, cabs, auto-rickshaws and rickshaws, ferrying school children were bound to follow the safety measures.

“A number of private schools have come up in villages near the city as managements want to cut their investment on high land prices in the city. Risk of accidents has also increased,” he added. Many schools have narrow approaching roads.

“The authorities concerned have not been able to rein in erring drivers, owners of buses and vans. At the same time, rickety and worn-out vehicles, driven by inexperienced drivers are the root cause of accidents,” pointed out the civic activists.

Meanwhile, officials in the District Transport Office, said as per the Transport Department norms, drivers operating school buses or vans should possess heavy vehicle licences with a minimum of 10 years’ driving experience.

“The guidelines emphasise that buses and vans should not be overcrowded with students. But these vehicles continue to ply defying the safety norms,” said Resham Singh, grandfather of a school-going toddler.

The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), while granting approval for affiliation and category of associated schools, seeks affidavits containing 16 rules from school principals. However, sources in the department said officials only ensured that these schools submit the affidavit once in a year.

The PSEB norms maintain that those schools, which have any means of transportation, including van, auto, bus, must indicate their telephone and registration numbers on these vehicles. Fitness certificates of vehicles in drivable condition and valid permits have also to be submitted. Besides, these vehicles must have conductors and drivers, who must wear uniforms, possess valid licence, must have five years of driving experience, not have been challaned more than three times, names of school and routes must be displayed on these vehicles, besides availability of first aid box in the bus.

The District Education Officer (Secondary), Satinderbir Singh, said the department kept a check on transport facility of various schools, besides holding traffic awareness camps with the assistance of traffic policemen in schools.

Amritsar, August 1
Panther Artillery Brigade celebrated its golden jubilee today to mark the completion of 50 years of its Raising Day. The event was attended by previous commanders of the formation and war veterans. Col (retd) HS Kehlon, who had won the gallantry award for his bravery in 1971 war, was also present on the occasion. He shared his experience with the troops during the event.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held on the occasion to pay respect to soldiers, who laid down their lives for the country. A blood donation camp was also organised on July 28 in which officers, junior commissioned officers and jawans donated blood.

HQ 15 Artillery Brigade traces its origin from 37 Artillery Brigade, which was raised at Mathura on August 1, 1964. The history of the brigade is replete with the saga of unparalleled courage and professionalism of valiant gunners. Within a year of its raising, the brigade was actively involved in the 1965 war against Pakistan. The gunners of the brigade distinguished themselves in the intense artillery duels and were instrumental in ensuring success of all operations. Panther gunners distinguished themselves in the 1965 war and the 1971 war, when the 15 Infantry Division was assigned the task for defending politically sensitive towns of Amritsar and Dera Baba Nanak.

During the fierce conflicts, the gunners earned four Vir Chakras, five Sena Medals and three mentioned in Dispatches. 42 Field Regiment as part of the brigade was awarded the honour title Dera Baba Nanak. Gunners have left their mark in all operations in which they have participated. 

Amritsar, August 1
The traffic situation in city has always been out of control, whether the roadblocks, traffic snarls, parking irregularities or open flouting of traffic rules. Although the authorities have come into action with challaning sprees and regular check, public woes have been adding in count rather.

The traffic mismanagement needs an immediate solution, the public joined in hands with Voice of Amritsar, an NGO, to take out a protest rally against police highhandedness in managing mild offenders and letting regular offenders off easy. The march, which included eminent citizens and members and volunteers of VOA was lead from Kichlew Chowk towards the office of Police Commissioner. The members of VOA also presented a memorandum to improve the situation on road.

“We are all in a grey area till the traffic resolution rules out public harassment. One can easily observe that city roads are burdened with traffic and add to it the violations by auto rickshaws, trucks and heavy load traffic. They are usually the ones ridiculing the law, especially the unregistered ones. Even the traffic police end up harassing the commuters who may be on the wrong side of the law, but the major offenders are often let free. There are some grave parking issues as well as half of the city is dug up under BRTS corridors while the other half is encroached. This situation needs immediate action and solution,” said Dr Rakesh Sharma, president, Voice of Amritsar.

The memorandum presented to the Police commissioner addresses these concerns and suggests some pointers for smooth traffic flow. The demands include clear marking of ‘no parking and towing zones’ to rule out ambiguity, curbing encroachments and ensuring larger space for traffic on roads, diverting slow moving traffic like rickshaws and carts on busy routes, strict checking on traffic violations and regular offenders and sensitising officials towards dealing with offenders.

“It’s a ten point agenda that we have devised ‘keeping into account the harassment experienced while implementing the laws brutally. The outcome is more important that the agitation. We have been ensured by the commissioner that the authorities will be instructed to be more sensitive while checking the violations,” added Dr Sharma.

The volunteers of VOA will also be directly addressing and interacting with the level authorities, sharing information regarding the law and its proper implementation and avoiding any harassment. “We have also urged the authorities to re-think the blanket challan system and ensure that the penalty imposed should not be out of proportion to the quantum of offense,” he said.

With the public joining hands in participation, the rally comprised of volunteer-members and citizen forums including Seenu Arora, Indu Aurora, Neeta Mehra, Mandeep Singh, Jasjit Singh, Dr Jaspreet Grover, Manavdeep Singh and Kartik Sharma.

Amritsar, August 1
The division among the Guru Nanak Dev University GNDU Teachers’ Association (GNDUTA) teachers, over the authorities’ policy matters, has come to fore at a time when the new academic session was about to begin and admission process was on.

Meanwhile, the executive body of GNDU Teachers’ Association (GNDUTA) was dejected a lot when they were not allowed to meet the VC Prof AS Brar.

GNDUTA had already announced to visit the VC office daily from August 1 to 10 to persuade him to accept their demands. However, before the executive body could take any harsh step of protest, a meeting with VC was fixed for Monday.

On the other hand, a section of teachers have come out in support of the VC and criticised GNDUTA’s way of lodging protest. These included Dr. DS Sogi. Dr TS Banipal, Dr Kuldip Singh, Dr Sohinderbir Singh, Dr Shymal Koley, Dr Balmeet Singh and Dr Raminder Kaur and Dr Anish.

They felt that the call to hold protest or dharnas by GNDUTA would prove to be harmful for GNDU’s image and appealed to GNDUTA representatives not to embark upon path of agitation but resolve the issues, if any, through meaningful dialogue.

“The GNDU has less pending cases for promotions than other universities in the region in comparison. Besides, the GNDU’s functioning during the past few years have been very smooth and conducive for healthy academic atmosphere. It was because of this that there has been surge in the admission of highly meritorious students in this session”, they said.

Countering it, the executive committee of GNDUTA stated that some self-seeking teachers of the university have been justifying the undemocratic and anti-teacher attitude of the VC.

The committee stated that at a time when the entire teaching faculty of the GNDU has been reeling under several acts of injustice, like illegal changes in their dates of eligibility of promotion, rejection of deserving teachers, denial of increments for higher qualification, pick and choose in granting extension and lawlessness in the university. This section of teachers was busy in pleasing the VC and scuttling the struggle for justice.

The executive committee of GNDUTA went to meet the VC, but in an unprecedented move, the VC had posted a contingent of personnel from university security and Punjab police to stop them.

Secretary of GNDUTA Dr Lakhwinder Singh said, “It was an autocratic attitude of the VC. This is a matter of great regret and shame that the elected members of the GNDUTA were not allowed to meet the VC to know the progress on their charter of demands. We were stopped to enter the building and asked to seek appointment from the entrance only. Nonetheless, it would not only stop us from raising our voice. We were about to take stern decision but a meeting has been fixed for Monday,” he said. 

Amritsar, August 1
In a raid conducted at the prisoner’s ward at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital last evening, the police have recovered a bottle of whiskey, mobile phones, chargers and CDs from the possession of three under trials, who were admitted to the hospital.

The accused were identified as Gurdev Singh, Simratpreet Singh, and Jagdish Raj. They were lodged at Kapurthala jail and had come to Amritsar for seeking medical aid.

According to investigating officer ASI Jaspal Singh, it was a surprised checking as numerous complaints were received about prisoners having forbidden material with them.

“We have recovered a bottle of wine, one mobile phone and charger, besides around 15 CD from Gurdev, two mobile phones and two chargers from Simarpreet and one mobile with two SIMs of Airtel and Idea and two chargers from Jagdish Raj.

Case under Section 420 of the IPC, 42 of the Prisoner Act and 61/1/14 of the Excise Act was registered against the accused.

Amritsar, August 1
Even after a month, the police department is tight lipped over the fate of the enquiry in the case in which a youth of Mahal village was allegedly implicated in the false drug case by the police.

Kiran Bala, a resident of Mahal village, had accused the policemen of Kamboh police station, of framing her son Sanjiv Kumar in a false case of possessing 60 gm narcotic powder on July 3. She alleged that her son was picked from the house in the wee hours on June 2. She had produced a CCTV footage, which showed that Sanjiv was picked from the house while the police claimed that he was arrested from a naka, near Gaunsabad village. The police did not find any contraband from his possession at the time of his arrest. However, the police later showed his arrest from Gaunsabad village while claiming that narcotic powder was recovered from his possession.

IG Ishwar Chander constituted a special investigating team headed by DIG AK Mittal and asked to submit its report within three days.

DIG Mittal said he did not remember the case off hand. He said he had conducted probe in several cases and said this correspondent to contact SP headquarter Amritsar rural police in this regard.

Balbir Singh, SP headquarter Amritsar rural said he was not authorised to speak to media. SSP Amritsar rural was on leave therefore he could not be contacted.

Amritsar, August 1
The snatching instances continue unabated in the city as two more incidents of snatchings were reported in the city in past 24 hours.

In one of the incident, a Delhi resident who was going to pay obeisance at Golden Temple was targeted by the unidentified robbers. Gurcharan Kaur, a resident of Partap Nagar, New Delhi, stated to police that two motorcycle-borne unidentified youth snatched her hand bag containing expensive mobile, Rs 5,000 cash and important documents. She was travelling in an auto-rickshaw and the incident occurred near Dheengra Chowk.

In another incident, Rita Devi of Pawan Nagar area said that she was returning home after leaving her son to school when the motorcycle-borne youth snatched her gold ear ring. The accused fled the spot after snatchings.

The police have registered separate cases under Sections 382, 34 of the IPC at Kotwali and Rambagh police stations while no arrest has been made so far.

The rise in the incidents of snatching had created fear among the residents.