Amritsar, August 8
Though the police have recovered five-year-old Harvanshibir Singh, who was abducted from the Ranjit Avenue area in the city a couple of days ago, they are yet to arrest the culprits behind the abduction of the boy.

The police yesterday released two of the four suspects in the case and launched a massive manhunt to arrest the culprits, who were still out of the reach of the police.

Around 2,000 policemen were working day and night to crack the case and ensure the safe return of the boy. Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh was personally supervising the developments and holding meetings with police officials. Search operations were launched in various parts of the city and a huge pressure was built up on the suspects, who later abandoned the child on a rickshaw at Guru Nanak Avenue on Majitha road.

Parampal Singh, ADCP City, said their main priority was the safe return of the child and they would leave no stone unturned now to identify and arrest the culprits. We are working on various theories and angles to crack the case. He said that at the moment it was difficult to tell the motive behind the kidnapping, which left the family shell-shocked and put the Police Department on their toes. Relatives of the victim said the boy was still under shock and was not talking much to anyone except the family members. They said he was not in a position to meet the outsiders.

Harvanshbir Singh (5) was abducted from outside his home by four motorcycle-borne youths in broad daylight. His parents, Harpinder Singh and Navjot Kaur, are government schoolteachers and were at work at Patti in Tarn Taran when the incident took place. The couple has been living in a rented accommodation for the past four months after they shifted from their native village in Patti for better education of their child.

Various political leaders, including Cabinet Minister Anil Joshi and Raj Kumar Verka, national vice-chairman of the SC Commission, visited the home of the aggrieved parents and had expressed their solidarity with the family.

Amritsar, August 8
After the successful streamlining of traffic chaos on the busy Bhandari Bridge, considered as the lifeline of the holy city, the Traffic Police has now replicated the same feature towards the Gol Bagh side of the bridge by putting up fixed cones to provide separate lanes to manually driven rickshaws and carts, two-wheelers, four-wheelers and heavy vehicles.

The bridge witnesses maximum traffic in the city, particularly during the peak hours in the morning and the evening.

The bridge connects the old walled city with the rest of the city. It witnesses huge rush and traffic chaos as people use the bridge for reaching the bus stand and for going towards Jalandhar. It is also used to enter the walled city through the Hall Gate area. The new addition will regulate the traffic coming from the Golden Temple and the walled city.

Earlier, the attempt was to regulate the traffic coming from Crystal Chowk side. “Usually the traffic moves in four to five lanes of the bridge, which leads to congestion during peak hours. We have made three lanes. Two-wheelers and rickshaws will move from the left lane while four-wheelers will move in the central and the right lane. We have taken this step on a trial basis. If it succeeds, we will make it a permanent feature,” said an official involved in traffic regulation.

However, commuters are perturbed at the delay in repairing a portion of the Bhandari railway overbridge, which had caved in as a heavy sand-laden truck passed on it.

Head of the engineering wing of the railways in Amritsar Jasbir Singh said a team from the bridge workshop at Jalandhar collected the measurement of the beams of the cantilever bridge. He said after preparing the structure at the workshop, it would be transported and installed here.

However, the slack approach of the government agencies came to the fore, as no attempt was made to repair the portion in six months. The state government’s tall claim of providing world-class infrastructure in the holy city also fell flat.

Bhandari Bridge, popularly known as ‘Uccha Pul’, was built in 1955. According to the RITES company which had studied the immense load being borne by the bridge, around 1.64 lakh vehicles pass through this bridge in 24 hours. This led to frequent traffic jams. Due to this, pollution level also increases manifold in the area around the bridge.

The attempt to widen the bridge, as the traffic flow on the key link increased manifold following the construction of the elevated road, came to a naught.

Various attempts to expand its capacity could not succeed. A three-member technical team of the railways had visited the bridge in February 2011 to study the feasibility of widening it, but later rejected the proposal on the ground that the iron angles, which separated the main bridge from the pedestrian path on both sides could not be removed as it was a cantilever bridge.

Instead, they had mooted the idea of construction of a new bridge by demolishing it. However, the government handed over the responsibility to the Amritsar Improvement Trust to identify an alternate site for a parallel bridge.

Amritsar, August 8
Affluent business houses and politically well-connected transporters are using the busy road outside Hall Gate as illegal bus stand. AC coach buses, which ferry passengers to and fro from Delhi and Chandigarh from the city, and video coach buses for Jammu and Katra are parked here.

This practice has become a nightmare for the daily commuters and pilgrims as they have a tough time crossing the stretch as these buses pick and drop their passengers here. Most of these buses are luxury coaches, which ferry passengers to and fro from Chandigarh.

Passengers board and alight from buses while these are being parked on the road. The commuters are left with no other option except to wait for the road to clear.

The road on Bhandari Bridge, a vital link between the walled city with Civil Lines area, leads to inside Hall Gate, which further goes up to the Golden Temple. Keeping in view the vantage location of the bridge, the road receives maximum volume of traffic. Apart from the general public, VIPs and VVIPs visiting the Golden Temple also travel through this road.

Strange enough, no authority — the traffic police, the District Transport Office and the Municipal Corporation — ever bothered to check activities of transporters. Apparently, the strong clout of influential transporters has left the authorities concerned powerless.

The Hall Gate road and Bhandari Bridge serve as a link for the entire city as a majority of pilgrims and tourists, who pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and visit Jallianwala Bagh, traverse this stretch of the road.

A shopkeeper, Surinder Singh, said, “Recurrent traffic congestion leaves a bad impression on the pilgrims coming not only from the country, but also from other parts of the world.” He said, “Our sincere efforts must be towards making their pilgrimage as comfortable as possible.”

Private transporters are parking their vehicles outside the railway station also. They are running to and fro bus service for Delhi. Some private transporters are parking their passenger buses at the Cinema Hall at busy Ram Bagh Chowk as its building was razed. Failure of the authorities concerned to reign in the violators has contributed to increase in violations of rules.

An MC official said the corporation auctioned a portion of the old vegetable market lying unused outside Hall Gate to a private bidder. He said in case there was any violation of rules then the authorities concerned must take stock of the situation and act as per the law.

District Transport Officer Lovejeet Kalsi said unauthorised parking of vehicles on these roads was already in her notice. “Many departments are involved in this task. After taking up several issues with officials concerned, I will take action against parking of these vehicles,” added the DTO.

Amritsar, August 8
A chronic drug addict, Kuldeepak Singh, lodged in Amritsar Central Jail tried to commit suicide by slashing his wrists by sharpening a spoon. Kuldeepak Singh, a resident of Kajikot village in Tarn Taran, was admitted in phase-I of the de-addiction centre inside the jail premises.

RK Sharma, Superintendent, Jail, while giving details said that the addict was arrested by the Tarn Taran police on July 27 for allegedly possessing narcotic substances and was sent to judicial custody. He was found to be an acute drug addict and, therefore, he was admitted to the de-addiction centre for treatment.

During the phase-I, there are some restrictions imposed on an inmate. He was not allowed to visit anywhere without a security guard; otherwise he could again fall in the trap of drug abuse. However, the inmate was opposing it. As the withdrawal symptoms appeared, he become violent and tried to move out of the de-addiction centre. In this attempt, he tried to slash his wrists with the help of a sharpened spoon.

Sharma said with timely action by the jail staff, he could not harm himself and sustained a minor injury on his hand. He was treated by the doctors inside the jail. However, as the matter was serious, we lodged a complaint with the Cantonment police station against Kuldeepak Singh.

The Cantonment police have registered a case under Section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of the Indian Penal Code and 42 of Prisoner Act. has been registered against him.

Amritsar, August 8
The Amritsar rural police have recovered a two-year-old child within hours of his mysterious disappearance and arrested his father for allegedly abandoning him in a gurdwara deliberately.

The accused, identified as Dilbagh Singh, a resident of Kohali village, did this to teach a lesson to his wife and in-laws.

Jasdeep Singh, SSP, Amritsar rural, while giving details said that Kulwinder Kaur, wife of the accused, lodged a complaint with the Lopoke police that her husband took her son, Husandeep Singh, with him and when he returned, her son was not with him. She alleged that she tried to enquire about her son, but Dilbagh did not tell her anything.

After receiving a complaint, the police arrested Dilbagh Singh and during interrogation he said that he had abandoned the child at Gurdwara Baba Budha Sahib. The SSP said a police team was immediately dispatched to the shrine and it recovered the boy. He was handed over to his mother while the police have registered a case under Section 317 of the IPC against Dilbagh Singh.

Amritsar, August 8
The celebration of the brother-sister bond has turned into a grand affair with rakhis going trendy, cool, even expensive. While most stick to the trendy, yet cheaper versions of rakhi, some have gone a step ahead and prefer that the symbolic rakhi is made of gold and silver.

The markets are flooded with chocolate candy gift baskets in Amritsar on Friday

“Made from sterling silver charms tied with crimson-coloured waxed cotton thread, these minimal rakhis actually serve a dual purpose and can be reused after the festival — one can be used as a bookmark, another is a pin/tie-clip, and still another can be used as a pendant,” says Amrita Kapoor, a city-based accessory designer, who put up her collection of designer rakhis at a recent exhibition. Whether it’s a variety of threads studded with gemstones, diamonds or even gold and silver motifs, the expensive rakhis at jewellery stores and hi-end brand outlets offer a lifelong bond.

The markets are awash with emerging trends “The gold rakhis are not very popular, given the high price range, but we do have some exclusive clientele for such expensive rakhis,” says Anurag Kapoor, store manager of a popular jewellery brand in the city. Designer labels, too, have put up exclusive rakhis made in precious stones and gold and silver filigree. Online Pop Up Studios, too, are offering special rakhis by popular designers, ranging from Rs 700- Rs 20,000.

The other, lesser exclusive versions of trendy rakhis include a wide range of threads with booti, feng shui and chandan or sandalwood motifs. A whole lot of people opt for the ‘chandan’ rakhi, which emits a heady fragrance. Stone-embellished rakhis and special rakhis like Hanuman Chalisa, Rangraksha, Omeya, Good- luck rakhi and Morpankh rakhi are also a hit with the sisters. For those who respect the simplicity of the festival, traditional mouli, or red and yellow thread rakhi, also known as kalava, which is extensively used as a part of Hindu customs and rituals, is a favourite.

Some city bakers are also offering sumptuous edible rakhis in chocolate and fruity flavours. “The concept of edible rakhis is quite popular, especially with children. The frozen rakhis with fruit toppings or digital printing are available only on order since they have lesser durability,” says Ananya Arora, a city-based baker.

E-rakhis or online rakhi cards are a hit with those who are divided by geography. Celebrate the tradition by sending e-rakhi with a meaningful or customised message or order a rakhi gift through online delivery services. Other than e-cards and rakhis, the World Wide Web also gives the opportunity to the brother-sister duo to share a few moments of emotions or fun.

Amritsar, August 8
People of Punjabi origin, who returned from the Kashmir valley after terrorism was at its peak in 1990, demanded that their monthly cash assistance be raised from Rs 2,000 to Rs 6,600.

Kashmir Palayankarta Samiti has now shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding enhancement of the monthly allowance. President of the samiti, JL Mehta, said, the group of displaced Punjabi people were being paid Rs 2,000 allowance per family. He said it was insufficient and paltry. The allowance must be paid at par with the amount being given by Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir governments, he added.

He claimed that it was gross injustice as displaced persons from Kashmir valley, who settled in Jammu, Chandigarh and Delhi, were being paid a monthly allowance of Rs 6,600 per family. He demanded that the government should give them allowance at par with the victims of anti-Sikh riots. General secretary of the Kashmir Palayankarta Samiti, Punjab, Rajinder Bhatia, said the number of these internally displaced people was declining as some of them had died, while some girls were married to other places. He said when they had returned from the Valley, leaving behind houses and shops, there were 250 of them over two decades ago. Now, there were only 180 members in their group.

He said as per the rules, they were paid Rs 500 allowance per member, which could not exceed more than four members in a family. He lamented that the government never bothered to enhance this meager allowance. A samiti member and resident of Sirkibanda, Vimal Seth, said the method of releasing allowance was cumbersome. He said it was very embarrassing and tiresome to visit government offices in the district court in the first week of every month and return empty handed.

He recalled how he, along with his elder brother, had painstakingly established a provision store in the Valley. “Years of efforts had started delivering good results when militancy gained momentum and its horrible impact was visible,” he added. He said he, along with his wife and two small daughters, returned to his native town with a bleak future.

Amritsar, August 8
The city police have arrested six persons in four separate cases for allegedly possessing narcotic substances and illicit liquor. Division A police nabbed Manjit Singh of Mohkampura with 25 gm heroin while Lucky Sharma of Chamiari village, now residing at Sandhu Colony, and Karanjit Singh of Chouhan village, now living at Gobind Nagar, Kot Khalsa, were arrested and 200gm of intoxicant powder was recovered from each in separate incidents.

Similarly Gurdev Singh and Prabhjot Singh of Gujarpura were held by the Division C police for allegedly possessing 294 intoxicant tablets. The police also impounded the motorcycle on which they were travelling.

The police have registered separate cases under relevant sections of the NDPS Act against the culprits and started further investigations.

The Islamabad police arrested Kewal Krishan of Khuh Bhalianwala with 12 bottles of illicit liquor. The Sultanwind police seized 25 boxes of illegal liquor of different brands from a car while the unidentified accused, driving the car, fled from the spot leaving the vehicle behind. — TNS

Amritsar, August 8
The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) has chalked out a state-level action plan for launching an agitation for fulfillment of their demands. The union will hold a rally at Talwandi Sabo on August 13.

The PCCTU in a statement here today said it planned to protest against the anti-education and anti-teachers’ policies of the state government. Elaborating on the agitation plan, PCCTU general secretary, Prof HS Walia, said work would be stopped for two hours on college campuses on August 13. A rally would be held at Talwandi Sabo. He added that teachers working in the non-government affiliated colleges located in Bathinda, Sangrur, Patiala, Muktsar and Fazilka along with state executive members would proceed on mass casual leave to attend the rally.

Further, the teachers from the rest of the districts other than mentioned above would cease work for two hours (11am to 1 pm) in their respective colleges on the day of the rally. “It has also been planned that the Teachers’ Day (September 05, 2014) will be observed as Black Day,” added Walia.

PCCTU president, Prof Kuldeep Singh and vice-president, Prof Jagwant Singh, said unwarranted delay in the acceptance of demands and indifferent and callous attitude of the state government towards the problems faced by college teachers had compelled them to lodge an agitation.

They added that the grant meant for the payment of salary was not being released by the government since May 2013. As a result teachers and other staff had not been paid their salaries for the last three to 15 months. Around 50 per cent of the affiliated colleges in the state were on the brink of closure. — TNS