Jalandhar, October 10
Following a meeting called by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal regarding various development projects on in the city with local MLAs and the Mayor last month, the pace of works for which he had laid the foundation stone eight months ago have all of a sudden started gaining momentum.

While the PWD got the construction work of Rs 41-crore Chandan Nagar RUB formally launched about a month ago, applications for the Rs 550-crore group housing scheme at the Old Jail site have been invited by PUDA from October 7. And now the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) is in the process of finalising the bid for the Rs 45-crore elevated project on Kapurthala Road.

The Trust has so far found the financial bid of Brahmaputra Infrastructures to be the lowest and is in the process of giving it a go-ahead for construction work in its forthcoming Trust meeting, likely to be held on October 17.

SE of JIT Mukul Soni said, “The bid amount is close to Rs 38 crore and after addition of more works, the overall construction cost is likely to come to Rs 45 crore.” The company, which is yet to get a final nod, is the one to have constructed the Lyallpur Khalsa College ROB and now the ROB near Science City on the Jalandhar-Kapurthala road.

The JIT, which is the executing agency for the Municipal Corporation (MC), had earlier estimated the project to be close to Rs 55 crore. It had been decided that the 80 per cent of the funding would be done with the help of the Central Government, which is yet to advance any amount, and the remaining 20 per cent by the JIT by way of selling properties which could either be Dhobi Ghat or near Partap Bagh.

JIT chairman Vinay Bublani, however, did not express any intention to sell either of the two Trust properties as of now. “We will not show any haste in disposing of our property for collating funds for construction. The Central Government will advance us some amount, may be Rs 20 crore, after which we will proceed with the construction work and then see which property is required to be sold. We will go ahead with the auction only if we get proper market rates for a property,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Shopkeepers Association of Basti Bawa Khel has been continuously lodging its protest, condemning the project.

The shopkeepers have been saying that the project would cause severe damage to their business. They had been suggesting the MC officials to go in for a four-lane road instead of an elevated one. Shopkeepers in the area had proposed that they were even ready to provide 30 to 35 feet land for the widening of the road.

Shot in the arm
The PWD has got the construction work of Rs 41-crore Chandan Nagar RUB started, applications for the Rs 550-crore group housing scheme at the Old Jail site have been invited. The Jalandhar Improvement Trust is in the process of finalising the bid for the Rs 45-crore elevated project on Kapurthala Road

Jalandhar, October 10
Auto dealers from across the district today held a major protest at the District Transport Office against the hike in the registration fee of the vehicles.

The dealers gave a memorandum to District Transport Officer RP Singh seeking withdrawal in the charges raised by the department. The state government has passed orders regarding the increase of registration charges of a two-wheeler from 5 per cent to 6 per cent and that of a four-wheeler from 6 per cent to 8 per cent.

The auto dealers have been resenting the move as they have said that this would adversely affect their business. Dealers GS Pruthi, Arun Raga, Arvinder Garg and Madhusudan said they were also losing all those clients who had got their automobiles booked earlier and were to yet to get the delivery of vehicles now. “They are fighting with us, saying they would not pay the enhanced charges or else their orders be cancelled. The hike in charges during the peak sale time of the year has damaged our business,” they said raising slogans against the state government.

The DTO said he would convey their resentment to the higher officials of his department.

Jalandhar, October 10
In yet another case exposing the plight of government hospitals in Punjab, a 17-year-old girl, Mehak, died due to the alleged negligence at the Civil Hospital in Kapurthala.

According to Gurdeep Singh, the girl’s father and a street vendor, she was brought to the hospital at around 12 noon and was in dire need of blood platelets. “The doctor attending to her told us to get two bottles of blood for transfusion. We went to the blood bank and asked for blood. The attendant told us to get the blood sample from the nurse attending to her,” said the grieving father.

He further stated that despite repeated requests neither the nurse nor the attendant at the blood bank filled the blood sample. “Both were continuously putting the responsibility on each other. Finding no way out, we finally took her to a private hospital, where we had to pay Rs 2,000 as against Rs 600 if she would have got transfusion at the Civil Hospital,” said the father. He also said that while the test done at the Civil Hospital showed her having 7.5 gm of blood, the test conducted at the private hospital showed around 4 gm of blood only.

Later due to her deteriorating condition, she was referred to Patel Hospital in Jalandhar, where she died on Friday. When contacted, Dr BS Chopra confirmed that she died of viral fever. “She was brought to us on Wednesday night and her condition was very serious. Her condition deteriorated fast in the last two days and she died of acute viral fever,” said Dr Chopra.

The family is now planning to register a police complaint against the authorities of the Civil Hospital in Kapurthala.

Jalandhar, October 10
A barber at Maqsudpur village in Kapurthala today stabbed a youth to death over an altercation over the style of his haircut. The reported fault of the client was that he refused to pay Rs 30 as charges for the haircut on the plea that the cut was not as what he had sought.

The deceased was identified as Sukhwinder Singh (20), while the accused was identified as Joga, a resident of a village in Kapurthala. Police sources said Sukhwinder had told Joga about the hairstyle he wanted to have. “After the barber finished his job, Sukhwinder, finding the haircut against what he had sought, turned angry and started rebuking the barber.”

The barber and the client then indulged in heated arguments which, in a few minutes, took the shape of a serious fight. In the melee, the barber brought a scissor from the saloon and stabbed Sukhwinder in the chest. Since the scissor got pitched directly into his heart, Sukhwinder died on the spot,” the police added.

Nearby shopkeepers immediately raised an alarm and informed the police. On reaching the spot, the police apprehended the accused barber. A case under Section 302 of the IPC has been registered against the accused.

Phagwara, October 10
A 42-year-old employee of the Railways was run over by a train near Mauli village level crossing on the Phagwara-Ludhiana rail section, the police said today.

The incident took place when the victim, identified as Partap Lal, was crossing the railway tracks unmindful of the approaching train, they said.

His body was found near the tracks yesterday.

Partap, who hailed from Khokala village in Rajasthan, was a railway gangman living in the Mauli railway quarters.

Jalandhar, October 10
During the festive season while the whole society feels elated and happy to help differently abled children by buying products like diyas and candles designed and made by them, in reality nothing goes to these poor artisans as their school authorities put all the money in their school fund that would later be used to develop their school infrastructure.

Such school although use these children for making high selling products like greeting cards, candles, diyas, pots and even involve them into packaging as part of their vocational training programme, in reality, they sell them off at much higher rates in places like high profile social clubs, business houses and even to the parents of such children. The poor artisans didn't even get a chance to feel the money earned by their hard efforts.

"The purpose of this activity is to provide vocational training to special children so that they can later become independent in their life and can earn a living if required. As we do not charge any money from them to buy raw material to make such products, we do not give them any share from the profit," said Meenu Shahi, Director, Udaan Special School.

While calling it a case of child labour, Karampal Singh Gill, President of the District Bar Association of Jalandhar said that any type of selling is taken as a commercial activity and hence children should not be involved into this. "As vocational training for such children starts at the age of 18 years, such schools have to either employ them as worker on some stipend or remuneration or they should keep it as a school property for display," said Gill.

He also said that instead of putting the profit in the school fund, it can be given to the parents of such children to make them feel proud of their special children. "They have to run the vocational training programmes as establishing process of small business units for these children. Their parents can come forward and do some initial investments for buying raw material," said Gill.

More shockingly, Prayas School for Mentally Challenged Children, running under the aegis of District Red Cross Society is also following the same practice since its inception even when most of its inmates are above 18 years of age. Some of the inmates are still involved in this 'vocational training' even at 35 years of age. "It never came to our mind. We have to discuss the issue in our next Board Meeting, "said Ranjana Bansal, Honorary Secretary, Prayas School for the Mentally Challenged Children.

Jalandhar, October 10
Members of the Christian community here have resented the printing of some text from the Bible on footballs. The footballs were being manufactured by a factory in the Basti area. The community members after coming to know about the issue gathered at the Police Commissioner office and submitted a complaint against the factory.

The community members handed over a football to the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP II) Harpreet Singh Mander. The Punjab Christian Movement president, Hamid Masih, also expressed his resentment over the matter.

Representatives of the United Christian Movement also held a press conference and demanded that factory should be sealed. The movement president Lal Chand said factory owner had tried to create disturbance by producing such footballs.

Meanwhile, the police conducted a raid at the factory and confiscated around 90 footballs.

The police said a case under Section 295 A of the IPC was registered against unidentified person and investigation was underway.

Jalandhar, October 10
A ten-day combined annual training camp of 2nd Punjab Girls' Battalion NCC today concluded at Trinity College.

The camp was conducted under the leadership of Col R Yadav with the assistance of the Associate NCC Officers (ANO), Army instructors and civil staff. This camp was attended by 443 NCC cadets from different colleges and schools of Doaba region along with cadets of other units of Jalandhar. Col R Yadav addressed to all the staff and cadets and highlighted the importance of duty and discipline which is the moto of NCC.

During this camp a lecture on traffic rules was conducted in which head constables Rajinder Kumar and Ramesh Kumar of traffic police, Jalandhar, gave a lecture on traffic rules. They were also taught map reading and various drills. —TNS

Jalandhar, October 10
A Sultanpur-based woman has allegedly that she was deserted by her Dubai-based husband. She alleged that her husband has also solemnised second marriage abroad and despite her submitting evidences to the Kapurthala police, no case has been registered against him and his kin, who helped him in solemnising second marriage.

Victim Rajwinder Kaur has now approached the DIG, Jalandhar Range, for justice. Earlier, she had approached Senior SSP of Kapurthala.

Although woman's husband, Jaswinder Singh Chaggar, a native of Phagwara and presently a resident of Dubai, was booked by the Sultanpur Lodhi police station under Sections 498 A, 406 of the IPC, but she's seeking registration of case against 11 others, including her father-in-law and mother-in-law.

"I got married to Jaswinder in December 2009, and he took me to Dubai same month where we got our marriage registered. My in-laws started torturing me when they came to know that I couldn't give birth to a child. They then sent me back to India in 2011. Initially I stayed at my husband's house in Phagwara for few months and later they shifted me to my parent's house in Sultanpur," alleged the victim.

She revealed that after she submitted a complaint to the SSP of Kapurthala in May 2014, and the SSP recommended inquiry to Women Cell, Kapurthala, incharge Jasmel Kaur. Jasmel in her report only recommended case against her husband Jasminder under Section 306, 498 A of the IPC, however, she refused to register case against 11 others, including parents of her husband.

Inquiry officer cited that role of NRI's kin couldn't be established so they were acquitted from allegations. "My in-laws kept making hollow promises that my husband will take me to Dubai soon. Now, I have come to know that my husband had solemnised second marriage with a Canadian resident. I had also apprised the Women Cell officer about the second marriage, but she refused to register case of second marriage against my husband and in-laws who were aware of all facts," asserted the victim.

Sources said now DIG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh had referred the case of the SSP of Kapurthala who later appointed SHO of the Sultanpur Lodhi police station as inquiry officer.

When contacted, SHO of the Sultanpur Lodhi, Sanbir Singh, said she had earlier leveled allegation of dowry harassment and police registered the case against her husband. Now, she was alleging that her husband had solemnised second marriage in Dubai, since the occurrence of marriage took place in Dubai, the police here cannot register that case.

About the allegation of delay in the proceedings, SHO said, FIR was registered in July this year and the police would submit challan in the court, then court would issue two arrest warrants followed by a final publication of notice, only then NRI can be declared PO.

Jalandhar, October 10
Even as the government offices opened for a day today during the ongoing holiday since the last fortnight, it was a lean day with very few visitors and relatively less staff.

Since the next two days are also going to be off on account of weekend, the visitors to the District Administrative complex perhaps would now prefer to come for their work on Monday. It was a below-normal rush of visitors even at the Suwidha Centre where too the applicants are likely to flock in the next week, which luckily has all working days.

There also was hardly any activity in the Municipal Corporation. Mayor Sunil Jyoti and Commissioner Manpreet Singh Chattwal did not attend offices. With Chattwal likely to proceed for his one and a half month long training programme, he is likely to attend the office just for another week or so. Joint Commissioner Anupam Kler too has been on leave since the past few weeks. With top heads remaining off work, it certainly had an effect on the staff of other branches as well.

Even as the fighting between the councillor groups of SAD and BJP is on and no House meeting has been held since January 24 (other than the 5 second budget meeting held on March 24), the Congress councillors have been planning a dummy meeting on coming Thursday to ridicule the ruling alliance. The Congress councillors led by Leader of the Opposition have been saying that they have been demanding the convening of a meeting since April last but the mayor had failed to pay a heed.

Jalandhar, October 10
The Executive Staff Union of the Food Corporation of India is sore over the non-fulfilment of their demands pertaining to their various social and welfare schemes.District Secretary of the FCI Raman Nehra said that their main demand was that the proposal for trifurcation of the FCI be shelved off. The other demands include giving percentage-based benefits by bringing categories III and IV on par with categories I and II in the FCI. The members have also demanded immediate approval and implementation of the new pension scheme as settled by various unions. They have also sought sanction of additional staff on increased workload and acceleration of recruitment process to overcome acute shortage of manpower.

Earlier, the union leaders led by district chairman Ramesh Siana had observed a protest by wearing black badges and holding lunch hour demonstrations.

Kapurthala, October 10
Sainik School, Kapurthala, today inaugurated its three-day 53rd annual athletic meet on the campus. The programme began with the hoisting of flag by principal Col Sudhanshu Arya. The students of 12 houses of the school held a march past, of which the popular school band was also a part.

In the 800m race, Kumar Saurabh stood first, followed by Manish and Jagjit. In high jump (junior category), Kumar Saurabh was again first, followed by Abhimanyu and Omkant. In 200m race, Saurabh again was the first to finish, followed by Roshan and Sumit. Kumar Saurabh won the fourth first prize 1,500 m race for juniors. He was trailed by Manish and Amkit.

In triple jump for seniors, Akashdeep was first, Arshpreet second and Nirpjit third. In javelin throw, Gursimran appeared first, and then Lovepreet and Raj Kumar. In shotput, Dilawar stood first, followed by Amkush and Deepak. In discus throw, Humraj, Joban and Sudesh won the first, second and third prizes, respectively.

In long jump, Sumit, Sumant and Mahinder were adjudged first, second and third, respectively. In 800m race, Ravi stood first, followed by Manish and Omvir. The meet was attended by headmistress Lieutenant Col Sumita Mishra, registrar Amit Kumar Dutt and all school teachers. Principal distributed certificates to the winners of the day.

Jalandhar, October 10
A 44-year-old man was found hanging from a tree at Nangal Khurd village near Jamsher. The police confirmed that it seemed a case of suicide and inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPc have been initiated. After villager spotted the body hanging from a tree, tension prevailed in the area.

The deceased has been identified as Snatan Mida. A native of West Bengal, he was presently living at Nangal Khurd village. Deceased was working at a cold store in a village.

Sukhdev Singh, Station House Officer, Sadar police station, said no foul play was suspected behind the death and it seemed that victim had committed suicide. "We have not recovered any suicide from the spot. Even deceased's friend's claimed Snatan was living in some tension since last night and he was talking about some unnatural things," he said.

Deceased's friends told the police, "Last night when Snatan had gone to answer nature's call and he had returned frightened. He was talking about evil spirits. We tried to pacify him but he continued to talk about them. In the meantime, he again went out. Today morning, we found him hanging from a tree."

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