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Sarai Act 1867
Continuous Rain
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Heavy rain throws life out of gear in city
City boy breaks Aussie police bastion, fulfils his dream on foreign
shores
Traffic cop injured
12-year-old sodomised after kidnapping
Four held for misbehaving with health employees
Yoga camp for cops held
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Illegal hotels around Golden Temple City court summons 42 defaulters GS Paul Tribune News Service
Amritsar, September 4 The functioning of hundreds of hotels, guest houses and religious inns, including the SGPC-run Guru Gobind Singh NRI Yatri Niwas, was challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court by a local resident, Sarbjit Singh Verka, in 2010. Pleading before the high court that the holy city was an ancient holy city, having over a century-old topography, the owners had said that the existing municipal building laws should not be imposed on them and that their establishments should be regularised, according to the old pattern of law. The legality of the existence of these units could be challenged as most of these units are operating without licences under the Sarai Act 1867. Influential people having political connections had built a majority of these commercial structures, violating building bylaws, fire safety and pollution and parking norms and the Sarai Act 1867 as well. Though under the Act, the penalty clause is restricted to a fine of a paltry sum of Rs 20 only, according to the law, it is mandatory to obtain a licence under the Act, if the property is to be used for a commercial purpose. Since the Sarai Act 1867 comes under the jurisdiction of the Police Commissionerate system, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Bikram Pal Singh Bhatty was assigned the task of taking suitable action under the Sarai Act 1867 against the defaulters. An affidavit in this regard was submitted with the high court, too. Bhatty confirmed that the police could hold the owners of such units liable to abide by the clauses as described under the Sarai Act 1867 only. A survey was conducted by the Kotwali and Galliara police and a ‘qalandar’ (a sort of legal report) was prepared against those proprietors, who never obtained the licences under the Sarai Act 1867. These were submitted with the local court by the police, on the basis of which the judicial magistrate had issued the summons. President of Federation of Hotels and Guest House Association of Amritsar Surinder Singh Gandhi confirmed that the summons had been issued under clauses 5 and 14. “This Act belonging to the British era has become obsolete. Therefore, we will appeal before the high court,” he said. Excerpts from the Sarai Act 1867, Clause 5
Lodgers, etc, not to be received in sarais until registered: The keeper of any sarai or any other person shall not receive any lodger or allow any person, cattle, sheep, elephant, camel or other animal, or any vehicle, to halt or be placed in such sarai until the name and residence of the keeper thereof shall have been registered as by this Act. Clause 14
Penalty for infringing Act or regulations: If the keeper of a sarai offend against any of the provisions of this Act or any of the regulations made in pursuance of this Act, he shall for every such offence be liable on conviction before any Magistrate to a penalty not exceeding 20 rupees, and to a further penalty not exceeding one rupee a day for every day during which the offence continues.
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23-year-old youth dies as building collapses
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, September 4 The deceased was identified as Khushal, who was the only son of his parents, Jugal Kishore (52) and Seema (48), who sustained minor injuries. The incident occurred at around 3 am. The fire brigade soon reached the spot. While Jugal Kishore and Seema were rescued by people, it took around half an hour for the fire brigade to pull out Khushal from the debris. He was taken to a hospital in a police vehicle where the doctors declared him brought dead. Sadiq Masih, fire brigade officer, confirmed that the incident occurred due to incessant rain since yesterday. Police authorities said that the Municipal Corporation had declared around half a dozen buildings in the area as unsafe and had asked the inhabitants of these buildings to vacate the properties. However, the residents were not willing to do so, which ultimately led to the incident. Khushal used to work in a cloth shop while Jugal Kishore works as a tailor. The family did not want any police action in the case, said the police authorities. This is not the sole instance of its kind. Several lives were lost due to collapse of century-old buildings last year also. This year because there was less rain due to a weak monsoon, no such incident was reported in the city till recently. Now, continuous heavy rain for the past couple of days has brought the focus back to unsafe buildings, especially in the walled city area.
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City residents lap up monsoon fun, heavy showers bring cheer
Amritsar, September 4 With the temperature dropping significantly, the rainfall saved many from heat flashes. The Met Department’s prediction of a continued rain spell through the weekend has brought in more cheer. “Finally, the monsoon is upon us. The dry spell was becoming too much to bear,” said Anuj Sharma, a resident of Joshi Colony. As the patchy rains spoiled the monsoon for all, people seem to be making the most of the recent rains. “It looked like the monsoon gave us a go-by, says Amreek Virk, a businessman from the city. “It’s good to have a break from the sultry weather. A few more rainy days wouldn’t hurt,” he said. Even the power cuts do not seem to be as much of a problem now. “We have no power since morning, but the cool weather has made it bearable. The rains are a respite because we are restricted mostly indoors due to hot weather,” says Amrita Kapoor, a resident of Kabir Park. As the roads disappeared in the floods, the roadside vends became hotspots as people enjoyed hot cups of tea. Some even celebrated by relishing ‘pakoras’ and ‘samosas’. Sahil Saini celebrated the rains by taking a day off from work and enjoying outdoors in the rains. “I missed taking rounds of Lawrance Road, enjoying some ‘jalebis’ and enjoying the cool breeze due to the monsoon playing hide-and-seek.Thanks to the sudden rain spell, I had a fair share of monsoon fun,” he said.
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Heavy rain throws life out of gear in city
Amritsar, September 4 The situation is worse in the walled city area as it has still the same obsolete sewerage system. All approach roads to key destinations, including the Golden Temple, remained choked till the evening here. The residents complained of rain water entering their houses and flooding of streets thus forcing them to stay at their homes. The water also spilled over from drains on to roads. Shopkeepers said their business was hit as the most of the residents preferred staying indoors. The traders at Katra Jaimal Singh and Katra Ahluwalia rued that water accumulated opposite their shops, which hampered their business. “We have fixed wooden blocks at the entrance to prevent the rainwater from entering our shops, but it is a futile exercise,” said Subhash Arora, a cloth merchant. The residents also complained of knee-deep water in Putlighar, Sultanwind, Jawahar Nagar, Mustafabad, Gilwali Gate, Anngarh, Mohkampura and Rasulpur Kallar areas. It was no better in the Civil Lines area too. Even the elevated road, known as the lifeline of the holy city, was water-logged. Pools of dirty water led to massive traffic jams near Alpha Mall, in posh areas like Ranjit Avenue, Lawrence Road, Crystal Chowk, Majitha Road, MM Malviya Road, Mall Road, Tailor Road, railway station and bus stand. The commuters were stuck-up in the middle of roads inundated with rain water after their vehicles stopped midway. However, it was a field day for mechanics as they were the most sought after. Many of them brought tools to offer on-the-spot roadside assistance and remained occupied till the evening. Chairperson of various NGOs and a social activist, Gurmeet Singh Bablu, said he along with other residents of the city were awaiting the fulfillment of the Deputy Chief Minister’s plan to make the holy city like London or Paris. “I wonder if he has ever visited Amritsar during rainy season. The situation we are in during rains, will be enough to give him the real picture and help him change his priorities. The residents here cry for basic facilities like efficient sewerage and water drainage system at first instance,” he said. While endorsing Bablu’s views, another resident, Parbodh C Bali, blamed the locals for disturbing the natural topography of the city by encroaching upon the public land. “A majority of the residents, including traders have illegally concertized their surroundings leaving a little passage for the drainage of rain water. Rehriwalas and owner of kiosks on roadsides let the refuse flow on roads, which leads to choking of drains,” he said.
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Waterlogged road hampers patients’ movement
Amritsar, September 4 The visitors have to wade through the road, inundated with rain water, to reach to the hospital. Water collects frequently on this road as it has been paved on a low lying surface. Water from surrounding areas too comes on the road, thus turning it into a pond. The patients cannot go inside the hospital without spoiling their shoes and clothes. The sick and old ones fear falling on the road as they cannot watch their step while wading through dirty water. The visitors demanded that the road should be relaid after raising the level of the surface. A nearby shop owner said, “The problem has been there for years, but the administration has not done anything. Even after little showers the place turns into a pool.” The chemists outside the hospital complained that waterlogging was affecting their business. “The patients have to purchase various things frequently. In such conditions it is difficult for them to come to our shops,” said another shopkeeper. The employees of the hospital complained that sewerage system of the area was old and got choked often. “Sometimes even when there is no rain, sewerage water flows on the road turning it into a pool,” said an employee. Senior Medical Officer of the hospital, Dr Hardeep Singh Ghai, said, “The waterlogging problem has been brought to the notice of the authorities of the Municipal Corporation.” He said the hospital had complained about the problem on various occasions. The local administration would find a solution soon, he added.
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City boy breaks Aussie police bastion, fulfils his dream on foreign
shores
Amritsar, September 4 Breaking the news, Vikramjit’s father, Tejinderjit Singh, who runs his business in the city, said Vikramjit was one of the two Punjabis recruited for the squad. “It was a proud moment for us indeed to have our son being honoured for his skills,” he said. “The entire family, including his mother and sister, went to join him on his special day in Melbourne,” he added. Coming from a family of ex-servicemen, his grandfather and uncle, both retired from the Indian Army. Tejinderjit says Vikramjit, too, aspired to join the forces. “It took us by surprise that he would achieve his dream on foreign shores.” Vikramjit went to Australia to study in 2007. He pursued a diploma in community welfare work and worked as a team leader at a disability centre for four years before sitting for the entrance examination for the state police force. “He had to go through an elaborate screening procedure, including physical, psychological and medical endurance tests, for over three months before being recruited for the job,” said Tejinderjit. Though Vikramjit wanted to get into Customs or the border security force, he was content as a PSO. His wife, Navjot Kaur Walia, too, works as an age-care specialist in Melbourne. “Incidently, both the husband and the wife sat for the State Police Examination. But Navjot Kaur was rejected for being “too soft” for the job during the psychological analysis,” said
Tejinderjit.
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Preservation work goes at snail’s pace
Unlikely to be thrown open to public by September-end as announced by Sukhbir Badal PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service
Amritsar, September 4 The unfinished conservation work has left the Punjab Tourism Minister, Sohan Singh Thandal, unsatisfied, who along with Navjotpal Singh, Director, Tourism and Culture, Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat and officials from the Tourism Department visited the site today. Even the approach road to the fort is still to be constructed while preservation work of half of the structures on the premises of the historic fort is yet to start. There is no point in throwing the fort open to the public with half of the buildings still under conservation, said the officials, accompanying the minister, on condition of anonymity. Bhagat said the final decision on opening the historic monument to the public was yet to be taken. He said Cabinet Minister Thandal was likely to brief the Deputy Chief Minister, after which a decision would be taken by the government. Named after the 10th Sikh Master, Guru Gobind Singh, the Gobindgarh Fort belongs to the legendary Sikh ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The fort remained in the possession of the British Indian Army for over 150 years and in the occupation of the Indian Army afterwards. The historic monument was handed over to the civil administration by the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, in 2006 and for the past eight years, the preservation work is going on at the site, although at a snail’’s pace. The fort was built in 1760 by the Bhangi Misl, one of the 12 Sikh misls, and was known as Bhangian Da Qilla. Later, it was conquered by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who made a pucca fort and named it after the 10th Sikh Master. It came under the control of the British Army in 1849 after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and since 1948, it was occupied by the Indian Army. The historic fort contains the residential complex of General O’’ Dyer, Phansi Ghar, Toshakhana and a few other structures. Besides the central government, the Asian Development Bank is providing funds for the preservation work of the monument, which has already crossed the deadlines. Thandal while visiting the site asked the authorities to speed up the conservation work and complete it soon. Meanwhile, Thandal also visited the Golden Temple Entrance Plaza, the Town Hall, the Samadh of Sham Singh Attari, the Summer Palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh at Ram Bagh and the Amritsar Central Jail, where he listened to the grievances of the jail inmates. He also checked the food being provided to the inmates in the central jail. He also visited the site where the New Amritsar central jail is being constructed at a cost of Rs 132 crore. He said that modern signboards giving information about various tourist destinations would be installed to guide the tourists coming from across the country and foreign shores.
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Cleanliness drive: Municipal Corporation in top gear; SGPC silent over the move
Amritsar, September 4 Apparently, peeved by the unhygienic conditions in and around the Galliara and blaming the MC of being negligent in performing its duties, the SGPC president, Avtar Singh Makkar, had conducted meetings with SGPC officials. He had announced on August 26 with much fanfare to take up the cleanliness drive at the Shiromani Committee level from September 1. A dedicated task force was also to be constituted to take care of the drive. Ironically, following the announcement, the MC officials, led by Commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal, had given a call to join hands with the SGPC’s move. The SGPC president had then remarked that since the MC had failed in performing its duties, the drive would be headed by the SGPC only, with or without the MC. The SGPC had also given a clarion call to the residents living in the vicinity of the Golden Temple to help in its mission to maintain the cleanliness. The residents had expected that with the SGPC taking up the cudgels, the results would be much better, but that was not to be. Earlier, the SGPC president said the cleanliness drive could not be started in the wake of the Parkash Utsav of Shri Guru Granth Sahib on September 1. The staff and officials would be busy with the preparations for the grand occasion, he added. However, till date, the SGPC’s drive has not seen the light of the day. On the other hand, the MC team, under the supervision of Commissioner Sabharwal, has been on toes to maintain cleanliness and sanitation in streets leading to the Golden Temple. Health officer, Dr Charanjit Singh, said the cleanliness drive would be conducted daily from Hall Gate to the Golden Temple, from the Golden Temple to Sikandari Gate, Galliara, Malka, But Chowk to Sheranwala Gate and from Jallianwala Bagh to Ghee Mandi Chowk. The MC had introduced extra workforce and machinery yesterday to expedite the cleanliness operation. According to information, the MC pressed into service at least four new tractor-trolleys, 10 rickshaws, two auto-rickshaws, five hand carts and 18 new dustbins. Besides, 30 safai karamcharis were deputed to take care of this particular area. The SGPC spokesperson, Kulwinder Singh, said, “There has been a delay in launching the cleanliness drive because the sanitation machinery like three garbage lifting trolleys with jacks, besides other supporting equipments, are yet to be arranged.”
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Luvdale student best NCC cadet
Amritsar, September 4 He excelled in academics and physical endurance as well. He was given this award for his outstanding performance in various fields of NCC training such as firing, drill and map reading. The director of the school, Brig GS Sandhu, congratulated Karanbir for his achievement and applauded his hardwork and dedication. He wished him all the best for his future endeavors and also encouraged other students to work hard for achieving excellence.
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Traffic cop injured
Amritsar, September 4 According to information, constable Manoj Kumar posted with the traffic police signalled them to stop at the naka. But instead of stopping the bike, they tried to speed away. In the attempt they hit the constable, who broke his leg. The two youth also fell from their motorcycle. However, they managed to flee after picking up their bike. A police team chased and arrested the duo. Necessary action would be taken against both the culprits, said the police.
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12-year-old sodomised after kidnapping
Amritsar, September 4 The victim, who is a student, in his statement to the police alleged that he was going to his school when the accused, identified as Wazir, who is his neighbourer, came on a SUV vehicle near the Polytechnic College and bundled him in the vehicle. He alleged that the accused injected him with something after closing his mouth, following which he fell unconscious and did not know what happened thereafter. The victim was found abandoned near Paradise Enclave on the Amritsar-Attari bypass road in a semi conscious condition by a local resident. He was later admitted to a private hospital. When the victim regained conscious, he called his family members. While narrating the incident to his family members he said he was having pain in his private parts. He was later referred to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. The doctors attending him confirmed that he was sodomised, said Dilbagh Singh, investigating officer and in charge, Ghanupura Kale police post. He said following the victim’s statement the police have registered a complaint under Sections 363, 377 and 34 of the IPC against Wazir and his two unidentified accomplices.
— TNS
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Four held for misbehaving with health employees
Amritsar, September 4 Among those who were arrested today include Deepak, Happy, Ravi and Ajay of street No. 5, Haripura area. The number of persons arrested by the city police so far in the case has gone upto six, which includes Dr Ashwani Narang, owner of
the hospital. Investigating officer Lakhwinder Singh said more arrests were likely to be made in the case. He said the accused identified through photographs published in the media would be arrested soon. A team of the Health Department, headed by Dr Rajiv Bhalla, Civil Surgeon, and Dr RS Buttar, health and family welfare officer, had to face unruly behaviour when they had gone to inspect the hospital following the death of two women during caesarean operation. The accused used abusive language against the inspection team and obstructed it in performing government duty. A case was later registered against the culprits after a protest lodged by the Health Department. The employees of the Health Department had gone on protest after the alleged police inaction in arresting the culprits. The police first arrested Dr Narang and Vinay Kumar Bobby yesterday.
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Yoga camp for cops held
Amritsar, September 4 Surjit Singh said the policemen should adopt yoga to make their lives better and healthy. He said they should not see it as a burden. It was a perfect way to achieve a high-fitness level, improving the efficiency of the body.
— TNS
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