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50 stranded in J&K floods brought back home
City outfits donate essential items for victims of flood calamity in Valley
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12 students suspended for ragging
SGPC removes plaque with wrong information at Golden Temple
Retired BSF officials allege ill treatment at the hands of DIG
GMC hostels cry for attention
Youth assn accuses government college doctors of insensitivity
Shifting of students from Chintpurni Medical College
Separate administrative block underway at city airport
murder case
‘Tasveeran’ focuses on women’s stereotypes
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50 stranded in J&K floods brought back home
Amritsar, September 13 Bringing in the batch of survivors, SGPC’s special flight had mostly a skilled work force from Amritsar and its surrounding areas. Most of the people, grateful for their rescue, shared their near-death experience and the grim situation in Kashmir. “The entire state has turned into a watery grave for thousands pf people. Srinagar is still under water, some areas drowned under 25 ft of water. More than a 100 Punjabis and over a lakh Bihari labourers are still stranded with nowhere to go,” said Palwinder Singh from Jagdev Kalan village, who worked as a carpenter in Budgam. Palwinder and his co-workers, Mandeep Singh and Sakatar Singh, from Ajnala were stranded in Budgam for over a week. “The flooding was so quick that we didn’t have the time to get out safely. Some areas were drowned 50 ft under water, destroying property, houses and drowning many. We had to make our way through neck-deep water to take refuge in the local gurdwara. It is the only safe point at this time, offering langar and refuge to the affected,” he said. Agreed Mandeep, “Destruction is the word for Kashmir right now. The Dal Lake has expanded into the city, turning it into a city of lakes.” The survivors also blamed the local authorities in Kashmir for their inability to provide relief and aid in rescue operations. “No help was provided to us from the state government. The Army is the only hope for those stranded in the deluge. People are helplessly waiting to be rescued. We waited for five days, without food and water, and the locals, too, refused to shelter us. Some of us were told to go to the airport and fly back home. But at the airport, the authorities didn’t let us in and beat us up,” said Sakatar Singh. Balwinder Singh, another city resident, who has been working in Kashmir as a construction labourer for over 10 years, said that more than the floods, the fear of looting and spread of an epidemic due to a large number of dead bodies under water has become a matter of serious concern. “People are not leaving their homes, even in flooded areas, as cases of looting are now being reported. Workers like us have lost all our earnings and now we don’t know what will become of us. But we are glad to be home, safe and alive.” The SGPC has booked almost every flight over a few days in order to bring back more people.
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City outfits donate essential items for victims of flood calamity in Valley
Amritsar, September 13 Diocese of Amritsar under the patronage of the Church of North India despatched essential items, including rice, cereals, vegetables, bread, butter, jam, sugar, tea leaves, milk powder, edible oil, candles, spices, match boxes and other articles of daily use. Daniel B Das said a delegation of the diocese went to Sri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport to despatch the material in a direct flight to Srinagar. Meanwhile, the Chief Khalsa Diwan Charitable Society (CKDCS) today dispatched a truck loaded with 1,000 blankets after purchasing these from Amritsar-based Swadeshi Mill at a cost of Rs 5 lakh. After performing ardas, the consignment of blankets was flagged off to the Amritsar airport. CKDCS president Charanjit Singh Chadha expressed his deep shock and grief over the loss of precious lives and property of the people. He said the society would keep sending relief packages to the valley. Missionaries of Khudai Khidmatgaran (MKK) today again handed over articles of daily need to the Army for the flood victims at Poonch, Rajauri, Riasi, Avantipur and Srinagar. The district unit of the BJP today despatched a truck full of about 2,000 blankets to the valley.
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12 students suspended for ragging Amritsar, September 13 In an incident at about 1:45 am last night, MBBS second year students instructed the junior students to come out of their rooms. The security personnel, engaged by the college, immediately sent a message to senior college officials. As a few of the college officials reached there, the seniors students fled. However, the college authorities took a serious note of the incident and reported the matter to college Principal, Dr Santokh Singh. The authorities stated that action had been taken on the complaint of the security personnel and the junior students. The junior students reported that a few of the seniors were under the influence of alcohol. — TNS
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SGPC removes plaque with wrong information at Golden Temple
Amritsar, September 13 When The Tribune team visited the Golden Temple complex, it found that the plaque was removed from the gate and the place where it was installed is now plastered with cement. The Maharaja Sher Singh Gate also holds great significance due to the fact that the SGPC has preserved it as a memory of the Operation Bluestar. The gate bears a number of bullet marks of the Army operation carried out in 1984. The SGPC took off the plaque after Vigyan Singh, a resident of Sarhali, filed a petition with the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission, alleging that the management of the shrine has resorted to negligence and has given wrong information about the descendants of Maharaja Sher Singh, which is tantamount to distorting history. He also stated that this was leading to dissemination of wrong information among scores of pilgrims visiting the holy shrine daily. He said the SGPC, which is the mini-parliament of Sikhs, should have verified facts pertaining to Sikh history before putting them up for public display. When contacted, Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission Chairman MS Brar confirmed that the petition was filed with them. However, he said, it was later withdrawn as the “two sides reached an agreement”. On the other hand, Darbar Sahib manager Partap Singh admitted that they have removed the plaque after a mistake in it came to the fore, adding that it would be put up again after making the correction. He said he had no idea as to when this plaque was installed.
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Retired BSF officials allege ill treatment at the hands of DIG
Amritsar, September 13 Besides, they alleged that they were not provided a proper place for holding a recent meeting at Khasa. Perturbed over this, the All-India Ex-Para Military Personnel Association has shot a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and DIG, BSF, in New Delhi to ensure the implementation of the ministry’s orders in letter and in spirit. Nirmal Singh Mann, senior vice-president of the association, said in 2009, the Union Home Ministry had appointed DIG, BSF, at Khasa as the nodal officer for all ex-paramilitary forces personnel of Amritsar and surrounding districts, including Tarn Taran, Faridkot and Ferozepur. The ministry had directed the DIG, BSF, at Khasa to hold regular meetings for the welfare of the retired BSF officials. “However, it is strange that the DIG, BSF, Khasa, has so far held no meeting even after repeated requests,” said Mann who retired as Commandant, BSF. The association further rued that they met with ill treatment as they had to wait at the gate before being allowed entry on the premises of BSF headquarters at Khasa for a meeting scheduled for September 11. This despite the fact that the scheduled meeting was fixed for September 11 by BSF officials on August 28 and was later confirmed by the force on September 8. Mann alleged that this did not happen for the first time. Earlier, on March 2014, they were met with the same treatment. DIG, BSF, MF Farooqui could not be contacted even after repeated attempts.
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GMC hostels cry for attention
Amritsar, September 13 Some of the hostellers said the condition of the washrooms were worst than that at a bus stand. A student said they don’t get water in hostels when required. “Students are a harried lot as water supply is not regular,” he said. A girl student said the hostel mess is in a total mess. “Even dogs can be seen roaming around in the mess. The condition is worrisome but authorities are reluctant to solve the issues,” she said. A few hostllers stated that many of the toilets and washrooms in the hostels were also blocked. “The water doesn’t drain out instantly. If you want to take a bath you will have to do so while standing in a pool of water,” complained another student. In a visit to the hostels it was seen that hostel buildings wear a worn look. A few of the balconies are on the verge of collapse. “Even the students on the ground floor are afraid of coming out of their rooms with the fear that the balconies may fall on them,” said another student. The students complained that the hostel building is old and immediate need of repair. “Every time it rains, all the roofs start leaking,” said a hostller. Security issues
The students also complained of lack of security inside the campus. They claimed that a number of bikes from the campus have been stolen during the past years. “We are so afraid that we prefer to park our bikes inside the recreation rooms of the hostel,” a student said. In a meeting with the students recently, the
students had informed the secretary, Medical Education, about the various issues concerning them, who had assured to get all the problems solved. Students are a harassed lot
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Youth assn accuses government college doctors of insensitivity
Amritsar, September 13 The association members stated that even as the college authorities were claiming that there was no lapse on the part of the hospital employees, the patients had been thrown out many times. Ravinder Sultanwind, president of the association, said, “At least four patients were thrown out on separate instances by the hospital management. All these patients were beggars and they had nobody to take care of them.” He said the association had made efforts to get these patients re-admitted to the hospital. Even as the hospital has a provision to provide free medication to the patients who don’t have any family, the staff is often reluctant to take care of such patients. The association has demanded from the state government to take serious note of such instances. “We demand that an enquiry should be conducted in all these cases, which were even reported by newspapers,” he said.
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Shifting of students from Chintpurni Medical College Tribune News Service
Amritsar, September 13 Around 120 students admitted by the college in 2011 are on a warpath reasoning that there future would be ruined if they didn’t get degrees from a recognised college. The students stated that they had stopped attending the college around a month ago and started the protest. The parents complained that future of their children was in not in safe hands as the Medical Council of India had not given recognition to the college after 2011. They stated that they had been holding protest against the college management since then as the degree from the college would not be recognised. The parents rued that as pre regulations, students of colleges to which recognition have been stopped are shifted to other colleges. The parents further stated that the Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences had already written to the state government to allow shifting of these students to other colleges. Minister assures action in three days
In the meeting, Cabinet Minister Anil Joshi said he would ask the VC of Baba Farid University to look into the matter and fasten the procedure of shifting these students to other colleges. Joshi assured the parents that the matter would be sorted out in three days.
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Separate administrative block underway at city airport
Amritsar, September 13 Besides, the authority is demolishing the old structure which used to house the AAI offices. Amritsar airport, director, Suneel Dutt said the current phase of construction work was part of the mega development which was initiated here a few years ago. He said the building, which would house various offices, would be ready in the next six months. He ruled out that no construction would be carried out at the area after demolishing the old structure. He added that the space was suitably situated adjoining the main glass building. The director further said the space would be used for operational purposes but it would be kept for future expansion needs of the airport. The Union Government with an investment of about Rs 150 crore offered a state-of-the-art infrastructure at the Amritsar airport during the past nearly 10 years. It established the airport building in consonance with the contemporary architecture prevailing around the world. This entire development was carried out in two phases of a master plan to give the airport a new look with the objective of more passenger facilities and increased security. The airport boasts off state-of-the-art infrastructure and location of being close to the Central Asia. The airport, which used to command 500 passengers handling capacity, was developed to handle peak hour passenger handling capacity of 1,200 people, including 600 arrival and equal number for departure. The airport now boasts off the terminal building spread over 40,000 sq metres. This provides adequate space for multiple arrivals and security holds. Besides, the airlines operating from the airport get more space to run their business. There are two aerobridges in operation and remaining two was likely to be operationalised after they are fitted with necessary equipments. These aerobridges save the passengers from the ordeal of travelling in coaches to board their planes. These provide separate aerobridges for every flight, besides, stopping mingling of passengers of different flights and beef-up security. The AAI is under the process to install high-tech equipment to operationalise two more aerobridges. As per the blueprint of the Amritsar airport, it has got infrastructure for four aerobridges. The airport is currently handling entire airspace up to 25 nautical miles all around which will be extended sensing the growth of the airport and potential of the city up to 150 km all around. Highlights
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No headway in probe
PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service
Amritsar, September 13 The police also located some bricks from the bag in which her body was dumped. “The bricks belong to some nearby brickline which points that the woman in her mid-twenties can be from surrounding area,” said Sikander Singh, investigating officer and SHO, Chatiwind police station. Using voters list the police will find out the missing persons from the nearby villages in the recent past. It will help the police to identify the persons living in the outskirts of the villages. Earlier, the police met sarpanches of villages located in the close proximity of the spot where her body was found. The police urged the sarpanches to inform them if they found any woman missing in their respective areas. The police had registered a case under Sections 302, 201 of the IPC. Sikander Singh said they were working on different theories to crack the case.
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‘Tasveeran’ focuses on women’s stereotypes
Amritsar, September 13 It revolved around the stereotypes that women have to fight in order to do something they aspire to. The play was staged by Manch Rangmanch, a theatre group presided over by Kewal Dhaliwal. Caught in the tangle of family, peers, social norms and the duties of playing a mother, a wife or a daughter were touched upon through an excellent narrative and a story. The director of the play, Dhaliwal, said the play weaved in sensitive issues and emotions. “Swarajbir writes real stories, and “Tasveeran” is about a woman’s different roles, her aspirations — individually and socially. The stereotypes will prevail and it is difficult to break the shackles.” The weekend theatre festival continued with the spirit of art promotion and appreciation as the audience came in hordes.
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No footpaths in the city
The problem which residents of the city face is that there are hardly any footpaths and zebra crossings for the pedestrians to walk and to cross amid the heavy traffic. In fact, the posh roads of the city also lack footpaths and they are at present occupied by beggars or the encroachers. The MCA should build footpaths and zebra crossings and also check that they are not encroached upon. On some roads with heavy traffic like the Queen's Road, an underpass should be built so that the pedestrians can cross the road with ease. Ashish Joshi, Amritsar Need to tackle stray cattle menace
The news item "Stray animal menace continues unbated" in Amritsar Tribune on August 11 illustrated the problem of stray cattle. He has mentioned Pinjrapol Gaushala where stray animals are being rehabilitated. This write-up is conspicuous by the absence of mention of other significant gaushalas like the one at Ram Tirath and the other outside Lohgarh. Both charities are entirely dependent upon public donations. There are about 1,200 stray and abandoned cattle being fed and heeded to. There has always been a need to find a practical way out of the burgeoning stray cattle population which is a constant threat for commuters. The problem of abandoned cattle refuses to die for want of funds to run the gaushalas. The MC and the Animal Welfare Board need to be convinced to grant funds for this purpose. It is amazing the no effort has ever been made to make these animal shelters self-sufficient by proper utilisation of cow urine and dung. What is also not generally known is that part of an MP's area development fund is marked for animal welfare. The local MP needs to look into matter and give funds to the gaushalas. D Soshil Rattan,
Amritsar
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Stranded in J&K, struggling every minute to survive one of the worst floods, 50
persons reunited with their
families at Sri Guru Ramdass Ji International Airport.
Various city-based organisations today donated essential items for the victims of devastating floods in the Kashmir valley.
The SGPC has removed a plaque put up at the historic Maharaja Sher Singh Gate adjacent to Akal Takht in the Golden Temple complex after a plea was filed with the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission, stating that the plaque carries wrong information about the descendants of Maharaja Sher Singh.
Amritsar, September 13
Students of Chintpurni Medical College and Hospital, Pathankot, along with their parents met Medical Education and Research Minister Anil Joshi to request him to get the students shifted to other recognised medical colleges.
Around 120 students admitted by the college in 2011 are on a warpath
reasoning that there future would be ruined if they didn’t get degrees from a recognised college.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) is constructing a separate administrative block to house offices of the AAI and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security of India. This is being done under the final phase of modernisation and development work being carried out to establish state-of-the-art infrastructure at Sri Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport.
Known for his fearless writing and women-oriented plays, noted playwright Dr Swarajbir’s play, “Tasveeran”, was staged here today. The play, which primarily focuses on women and the issues faced by them in society, was directed by Kewal Dhaliwal.
