Amritsar, October 16
The cash-strapped Municipal Corporation has yet again failed to foot the pay bills of its staff.

Taking to an agitational path, the MC employees, under the banner of the Amritsar MC Sanjhi Sangharsh Committee, served a 72-hour ultimatum to the authorities to clear their salary bills besides other benefits, mutually agreed to in the past.

They raised slogans against the authorities and the government today and threatened to shun work indefinitely, if their demands were not met before the lapse of the notice period.

The MC is facing difficulties in generating funds as its sources of revenue are restricted and the state government has declined to help it out of the crisis.

Harjinder Walia, the MC workers’ spokesperson, said that it was agreed upon last month that the salaries would be disbursed by the seventh of every month, but even after half of this month had lapsed, wages were not deposited in their accounts.

Earlier, the employees had registered their protest last month, too, when the MC could not pay their salaries. Their cause was supported by senior deputy mayor Avtar Singh Trukkanwala and deputy mayor Avinash Jolly, too.

A similar situation had arisen in April, too, when payment of the MC staff’s wages got delayed and the corporation staff observed a total strike and the system collapsed for a few days. The deadlock ended only after the direct intervention of the Local Bodies Ministry, which had released their salaries on the persuasion of Bakshi Ram Arora, the mayor.

The MC workers argued that when the government repeatedly announced that there was no dearth of funds for Amritsar, then why were their wages not paid on time. Surinder Tona, general secretary of the MC Workers Union, said the festive season was approaching and they had been denied their wages. “It had happened earlier, too. Now again, we will have no choice but to shun work,” he said.

Bakshi Ram Arora, the mayor, said they had limited funds. The VAT payback got delayed this month, too. They had briefed the Local Bodies Ministry about the situation, he added.

Amritsar, October 16
Private moneylenders are charging an exorbitant rate of interest to fund monetary requirements of people ahead of Diwali.

A majority of these moneylenders are history-sheeters, bullies of different areas and low-wrung politicians. Ahead of Diwali, many people are in need of money to meet sudden domestic expenses.

The moneylenders are charging the rates of interest on their whims and do not mind exploiting the compulsions of borrowers. It appears that the authorities have no control over these financiers.

The greed of moneylenders climbs higher to finance the vice of gambling ahead of the festival of lights. They hike their rate of interest astronomically. Many of them charge the rate of interest on a daily basis.

An informed person, on condition of anonymity, said these days, the amount to be financed was also put up for auction. Elaborating the procedure, he said the interested persons gather at a place to get the amount, for instance Rs 1 lakh, from a financier. One by one, they spell out the amount they would pay over and above it and the person quoting the maximum amount would get the money and he would have to repay the entire amount within 24 hours.

He said financiers got the maximum money and they described it as legitimate on the ground that high risk was involved as a majority of the persons borrowing money would invest it in gambling. If they win, it was easy to get the amount back; otherwise, it would be an uphill task.

Earlier, moneylenders used to employ musclemen to recover the amount, but now the latter have turned financiers themselves.

Though the exact volume of business could not be estimated, the turnover could be in crores of rupees. The unauthorised trade has created a law and order problem in different parts of the city many times in the past. The goons, in order to recover their money, take law into their own hands. They create a ruckus on the city roads blatantly.

Over a time, some areas of the city have earned notoriety for witnessing brawls and a ruckus. As a precautionary measure, the police deploys its men and intensify patrolling in these areas to nip the trouble in the bud if any clandestine deal goes haywire.

For the rest of the year, these persons finance people’’s monetary needs at a rate of interest as low as three per cent to a maximum of 10 per cent per month. The rate is fixed after assessing the need of the person. Greater the need, higher the interest. However, the object being mortgaged also fixes the rate of interest. For instance, a gold object being mortgaged will attract a low rate of interest.

A few years back, the district administration had to issue a warning to unauthorised private moneylenders to desist from lending money.

According to the Punjab Prohibition of Private Money Lending Act, 2007, non-bailable warrants can be issued against violators. They could face 10 years in jail, Rs 5 lakh fine or both, simultaneously. Only authorised lenders registered with the state and the Union Government, financial corporations or co-operative societies can lend money.

Amritsar, October 16
Non-payment of dues turned out to be a knotty affair for the police. The MC staff snapped the water and sewerage connections of C division police station last evening.

It has been learnt that the police station owed bills amounting to Rs 3.32 lakh as water and sewerage charges. The bills were lying pending for the past six years.

Confirming the development, SDO, Water and Sewerage Supply Department, Avtar Singh said many notices were sent to the police station, but in vain. “We had repeatedly asked them to clear their dues for the past many years, but the department didn’t bother to respond. At last, we had to terminate its supply line of water and sewerage, according to law,” he said.

Amritsar, October 16
The Health Department collected 15 samples of milk and its products from Sultanwind Road area here today as part of its drive against substandard food during the current festive season.

The department has collected a total of 61 samples during the current month, including those collected today. The department had first seized around 5 quintal of spurious khoya and then busted an illegal factory from where over 100 quintal of sweets were seized.

Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon, said, “We will collect more samples in the coming days. Officials of the department are on their toes to curb sale of substandard sweets during festivals.”

The sale of food products, especially sweets, increases many folds during festivals. To meet the increased demand, unscrupulous elements set up illegal factories where substandard sweets are manufactured.

Investigations by the department have revealed that the illegal sweets manufacturer in the Mustafabad area, who was busted two days ago, did not have the required registration or licences for running the business.

Kahlon said, “The entire stock of sweets, which cost around Rs 20 lakh, has been sealed and samples have been sent for testing.” He said the unhygienic conditions at the factory, which was being run from a residence, forced them to confiscate sweets.

He said rats and cobwebs were in abundance on the premises. “Even utensils used for preparation of sweets were not clean. The owner could not produce any medical examination certificates of cooks which are mandatory under the Food Safety and Standards Act,” he added.

The seizure of such a huge quantity of substandard sweets in the local market has once again brought to light the fact that all is not well within the food industry. Kahlon said residents would have to become more aware of the problem of substandard food being sold openly in the market.

Amritsar, October 16
Canadian revenue Minister Kerry Lynne D Findlay paid obeisance at Golden Temple, along with an official of Canadian High Commission from New Delhi, here today. She also visited Guru Ram Dass Langar Hall (community kitchen) on the premises of Darbar Sahib. She showed keen interest in Sikh history.

Manjit Singh, secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee along with Daljit Singh Dedi and Mahinder Singh Ahli, additional secretaries, honoured the minister with a siropa (robe of honour), a model of the Golden Temple and a set of religious books.

Speaking to mediapersons, Kerry said it was for the first time she visited the Darbar Sahib and found it very peaceful place. “I hope to visit again,” she added. Kerry said there were only two per cent Sikhs in Canada, but they had contributed a lot for the development of the country. She was impressed with the service at the community kitchen where lakhs of devotees partook langar.

Amritsar, October 16
The incidents of snatchings and robberies are continuing unabated in the city while the Police Department has failed miserably to check the menace so far.

While the memory of the sensational Rs 22-lakh robbery from the roadways workshop is still fresh in the minds of the local residents, in yet another incident, a dry-fruit trader was looted by three unidentified armed persons. The incident occurred in the posh Rani Ka Bagh area. Mukesh Sachchar, a resident of the area, said that he was returning home from his dry-fruit shop in the Majith Mandi area. He said he had reached near his house when some motorcycle-borne youths intercepted him. They thrashed him and took his bag, containing around Rs 1.50 lakh besides other valuables and documents. They also took away his scooter (PB-02-BS-1966).

The cantonment police have registered a case under Sections 382 and 34, IPC, against three unidentified persons.

The police said they had managed to get the CCTV footage of a neighbouring house, which is located just a few metres from the spot. Police officials were suspecting an insider’s hand in the robbery as the accused knew that Mukesh had a payment of Rs 1.50 lakh with him. Mukesh told the police that he was to hand over the payment to a trader and he had decided to bring the money home instead of keeping it in his shop.

The police officials said they were investigating the matter and the culprits would be arrested soon.

A couple of days ago, two motorcycle-borne youths had snatched an expensive mobile of a student of Khalsa College, when she just came out of the college. She was calling her relatives to pick her up, when the accused came from behind and snatched her mobile.

The police authorities said efforts were afoot to arrest the culprits. They said the police arrested the snatchers, but they re-started their criminal activities after coming out of the jail.

Amritsar, October 16
The Sadar police have booked around 50 persons for allegedly creating hurdles in peaceful possession of a property mortgaged to Indian Overseas Bank and threatening to commit suicide by pouring kerosene oil in connection with the incident, which occurred here on September 24 this year.

A high drama was witnessed near SG Enclave, located on Majitha Road, when officials of the administration and Indian Overseas Bank reached the spot for physical possession of a residential plot, which was mortgaged to the bank.

Among those booked include Sachin Arora, his wife Gauri Arora, Sharda Arora, Atul Kapoor, Ajay Narula, besides others. A case under Sections 309, 511, 353, 186 and 34 of the IPC has been registered in this regard. The case was registered following a complaint lodged by the Tehsildar, Amritsar–II, who accompanied officials of the bank as per the court orders to take the possession of the said property.

According to the information, Sahin along with his two other relatives had mortgaged the said plot with Indian Overseas Bank. Due to non-payment of the outstanding loan, the bank started proceedings for selling the property in a public auction. The Tehsildar said when officials reached the spot the accused changed the nature of the property by creating a wall as per the map of the property submitted to the bank while applying for the loan.

A complaint was lodged with the local police, which after a probe, registered a case of fraud against Sachin and his two partners in 2012. Their anticipatory bails were rejected by a local court and the matter is being re-investigated by the police. In September this year, Debt Recovery Tribunal-II, Chandigarh, ordered the Tehsildar to demolish the wall constructed on the property and deliver the possession to the person, who purchased the property during an auction.

When the bank officials along with Tehsildar went to the spot on September 24, Gauri Arora poured kerosene over herself and threatened to commit suicide while Sachin and others also created hurdles in the possession of the plot.

Amritsar, October 16
A delegation of students of Chintpurni Medical College, Pathankot, met Governor Shiv Raj Patil in Chandigarh today to apprise him of their issue. The students are protesting for shifting them to other recognised medical colleges in state after their parent college was de-recognised by the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Members of the delegation stated that Governor had promised them all help. Meanwhile students continued their chain hunger strike for the eighth day today with two students observing fast.

The students have so far met various senior leaders, including Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who had assured to get back to them. Even others, including Medical Education and Research Minister Anil Joshi, had promised to get the matter solved.

In a recent development, Vice-Chairman, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, had summoned officials of the MCI and Baba Farid University of Health Sciences and instructed them to coordinate with each other to solve the issue within next seven days.

The students said Chintpurni Medical College had robbed their parents of their hard-earned money as it had failed to provide the necessary infrastructure and staff due to which it was de-recognised by the MCI.

Students said they would continue their protest till the final outcome. They took out a candle light march on roads in the city today in the evening to garner public support for their cause.

Amritsar, October 16
Two students of Guru Nanak Dev University were adjudged best speakers at Prof BM Johri Rolling Shield Paper Presentation Contest, which was held in New Delhi.

The main topic of the event organised by the Delhi University Botanical Society (DUBS) at the Department of Botany, University of Delhi, was “Does climate change influence food and energy security”.

Sixteen teams from various universities across North India participated in the contest. Two students of the Department of Botanical and Environmental Science, Palak Bakshi and Ambika Sharma, were adjudged the best speakers on the occasion. Dr MM Johri (retd) from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, presided over the function. He also awarded trophies to the winners.