Amritsar, October 31
A day after a BJP leader entered into a brawl with an ASI deputed with the traffic wing, the city witnessed another incident in which several persons, including a political leader from the ruling party, allegedly thrashed a head constable of a PCR team. An ACP rank official, it is learnt, tried to strike a compromise between the cop and the political leader, who was yet to be arrested.

Besides the Akali sarpanch, identified as Balkar Singh of Chhajgarh village, the Gate Hakima police booked his brother, Bajinder Singh of Nawa Kot, nephew Gurbhej Singh of the Damganj area and Sukhdev Singh of the Bhadar Kali Temple area and Jasbir Singh. The police have arrested Sukhdev Singh in this connection.

The incident occurred when the police arrested a youth for allegedly snatching Rs 4,000 from another youth, identified as Yuvraj Singh, a resident of Ishwar Nagar of old chungi, Tarn Taran road. He works as a collection agent for a private firm.

According to details, Yuvraj Singh along with his friend, Balwinder Singh, was going towards Harkrishan Public School near Bhagtanwala when several persons travelling on two motorcycles intercepted him and snatched Rs 4,000 from him. They immediately reported the matter to the Gate Hakima police. However, when they were returning, they located one of the snatchers identified as Sukhdev Singh. They informed a nearby PCR team that arrested him and recovered keys of motorcycles from him. The police brought him to the police station.

Meanwhile, Bajinder Singh came to the police station and started using abusive language and entered into a verbal spat with the complainant and his companions. Hardeep Singh, head constable, objected to this and asked him to refrain from abusing the victims.

“Instead of restraining himself, he attacked the head constable, tore his uniform and fell his turban. He also sustained a minor injury on his face,” said Sushil Kumar, SHO, Gate Hakima police. He said he was caught by the police on the spot. A few hours later, Balkar Singh also reached the police station and created a scene. He started abusing the police officials. Repeated pleas to pacify him proved futile, said the SHO. He said preliminary investigations revealed that another person, who was accompanying Sukhdev Singh during the snatching incident, was Gurbhej Singh, who is a nephew of Balkar Singh.

A case under section various sections of the IPC has been registered in this connection. Sushil said Sukhdev Singh had been arrested while Bajinder and Balkar Singh were set free till the enquiry was completed. An ACP-rank official is investigating the incident.

Amritsar, October 31
A day after the BJP-led NDA government announced Rs 5 lakh per family for the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the All-India Terrorist Victims Association has said that they should also be considered families affected by militancy, who were still struggling to settle down.

Though the association welcomed the Union Government’s latest decision, it pointed out that the Ministry of Home Affairs failed to take notice of the proposal sent by the Punjab Government for issuing a relief package worth Rs 781 crore to the terrorism-hit families.

Dr BR Hastir, chairman of the All-India Terrorist Victims Association, in a statement issued here today, pointed out that in 2006, the Punjab Government had passed a resolution granting a relief package to the tune of Rs 781 crore to the militancy-hit families. In 2009, Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal had taken up the matter with the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. Later, reminders were sent to the central government in 2010 and 2011 also.

Senior BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla urged the Prime Minister to take a sympathetic view towards around 25,000 families that lost their bread-winners in the black days of militancy in Punjab. She said the government should also release a relief package for them as they were also the responsibility of the state as well as the central governments.

Congress MLA and vice-chairman of the National Scheduled Castes Commission Rajkumar Verka echoed the same sentiments. He said the Punjab Government should stop thinking about terrorists. Instead, it should do something for the victims who lost their loved ones during the heyday of terrorism. He said the state government was busy in securing the release of terrorists lodged in various jails, but it was doing nothing for the militancy victims.

Amritsar, October 31
The local unit of the BJP organised ‘Run for Unity’ on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the first Home Minister of the country, Sardar Vallabhbai Patel. The event started from the party office, Shaheed Harbans Lal Khanna Samarak. District president of the party Naresh Sharma flagged off the run.

The Local Bodies Minister, Anil Joshi, the Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, the mayor, Bakshi Ram Arora, the former mayor, Shwait Malik, and several other party leaders were present on the occasion.

Addressing the party workers, Sharma said the country was celebrating the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as National Integration Day. Apart from BJP leaders and workers, school students also participated in the run.

Amritsar, October 31
On the directions of the state government, the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) is mulling over a proposal to set up a permanent firecracker market at New Amritsar locality.

The district authorities were invariably on tenterhooks ahead of Diwali as the firecracker traders impressed upon providing space to set up stalls. As a result, the authorities concerned are on a lookout for a suitable place to establish the firecracker market.

Besides, it is a long-pending demand of traders to provide a permanent market according to the rules of the Explosives Act to save them from the last time blues.

Earlier, firecracker stalls used come up at IDH Market, near bus stand, and at congested Pappar Wala Bazaar, near the Golden Temple, inside the Walled city. However, these markets were shifted to Jahajgarh in 2000 after a massive fire broke out at IDH Market in which material worth crores of rupees perished and loss of human life was also reported in 1999.

The market at Jahajgarh was found to be violating the Explosives Act norms as a filling station was situated in its vicinity. Later, it was declared unfit for a firecracker market.

Chairman of the Amritsar Improvement Trust, Sandeep Rishi, said the process to establish a permanent firecracker market had been initiated. He said as per the plan it would be established at the same place where temporary market was set up before this Diwali. Only 30 sites for raising shops would be allotted to those traders, who had valid documents under the Explosives Act, he added.

He said it would be ensured that the market fulfilled all mandatory norms. Besides, adequate parking, underground water reservoir and other fire fighting arrangements would be made available at the site.

Amritsar, October 31
In a significant step, the district administration in association with the Health Department resumed the de-addiction drive at Maqboolpura locality here today.

A team of doctors from Swami Vivekanand De-addiction Centre, located at Government Medical College (GMC) here, visited the area and distributed free medicines to patients. A private hospital located on Mehta Road has offered a room on its premises for running a temporary de-addiction centre. A team of doctors from the GMC will check patients for two hours every day.

Master Ajit Singh, a social worker, who heads the de-addiction campaign in the area, said youths could visit the new centre and avail free medication and treatment. In case a patient required admission to the hospital, he would be provided free treatment. He said as many as 25 youth approached doctors at the centre today. With continuous operations, their number could grow, he added.

Earlier too, the administration had opened a temporary de-addiction centre in the locality, but it was shut after nine months of operation due to shortage of the staff as well as medicines leaving the drug addicts in the lurch. The residents of Maqboolpura area located on the outskirts of the city cannot afford to visit Swami Vivekanand De-addiction Centre due to their poor economic conditions.

Rampant drug abuse in the region has taken a toll on this locality also. The temporary de-addiction centre had come as a boon for the area as it was catering to 262 patients, who used to visit the centre for medicines and counselling. It was not only benefitting people in Maqboolpura, but was also drawing patients from nearby villages, located on Mehta and Jalandhar Road. The centre started its operations in January last year and was shut in August. After its closure, patients had no option except to visit the de-addiction centre at the GMC. They expressed their inability to afford the treatment, which cost Rs 2,100 approximately, due to poor economic conditions. They also had to shell out money for commuting to the centre.

Amritsar, October 31
The MC has received over 1,000 suggestions from people belonging to different walks of life, including some from overseas, on whether illegal hotels, guest houses or religious inns around the Golden Temple should be regularised.

The MC Commissioner, Pardeep Sabharwal, said a public notice was issued to invite objections, if any, and also an advisory from the residents by October 30.

In 2010, a local resident, Sarbjit Singh Verka, had challenged the functioning of illegal hospitality units around the Golden Temple in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the case is still pending for final verdict.

The next date of hearing in the case is December 19.

On behalf of the Senior Town Planner of the Municipal Corporation, Hemant Batra, the MC has sought public opinion on the matter before proceeding on its next course of action.

A list of 125 hotels, guest houses and inns has been prepared by the MC. After getting a nod from the general house, this list was sent to the state government with an advisory to formulate a ‘one-time settlement’ policy by relaxing the norms.

These hospitality units never complied with the building bylaws 2010, but the plea taken in the matter was that since these units were in a location, which had a century-old topography, they should be regularised according to the building norms of 1976.

The MC’s proposal was still under consideration with the state government. Sources said legal opinion would be sought before placing the proposal before the high court.

Sabharwal said the suggestions received would be scrutinised soon before making a final opinion about these illegal units. “We are bound by the HC directions and want to do our homework before preparing the report that is to be submitted during the next date of hearing in the court,” he said.

About the ‘one-time settlement policy’, mayor Bakshi Ram Arora said there was no response from the government’s side over the proposal that was sent by the MC twice, i.e. on August 11 and September 11. “It would be finalised at the government level only. After seeking legal opinion, the proposal may be submitted for a final nod from the high court,” he said.

Amritsar, October 31
The police have been put on a high alert keeping in view the bandh call given by several Sikh organisations, including the All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF), for tomorrow.

Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh said nobody would be allowed to indulge in unlawful activities. Five hundred policemen have been requisitioned from Punjab Armed Police and Indian Reserve Battalion for maintaining law and order in the holy city, he added.

He said ACPs would be on road and SHOs would be accompanying the agitators. Senior police officials would also remain on their toes to thwart any untoward incident.

Security has been beefed up at Amritsar railway station and inter-state bus terminus, besides other vital places in the city. Police officials headed by police commissioner were holding meetings till late evening to cover every security aspect.

Officials said they were in touch with leaders of Sikh organisations, who had promised a peaceful march during the bandh. The AISSF and Sikh Student Federation (Mehta) had given a state-wide bandh call to protest against the 1984 anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. They said even after 30 years of the riots, the victims were still awaiting justice.

Private educational institutes have already declared a holiday tomorrow while officials of the government’s Education Department said they had not received any orders from the authorities for closing schools on November 1.

Amritsar, October 31
The birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel was celebrated as Rashtirya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) with patriotic fervour and enthusiasm at DAV International School here today. Led by Principal Anjana Gupta, the celebrations began with a morning assembly on the theme of unity. The function was presided over by DEO (Secondary Education) Satinderbir Singh. The school Principal welcomed the chief guest. Students of Class VI spoke about achievements of Sardar Patel at the assembly. They also presented a play which highlighted the eventful life of Sardar Patel. Students also pledged to dedicate themselves to preserve the unity and security of the nation.

Students also participated in a ‘Run for unity’ organised on the occasion. They carried the message of peace, unity, and integrity. In his address, chief guest Satinderbir Singh exhorted students to follow the footsteps of leaders like Sardar Patel. Other activities which include collage making, poster making, painting, singing jingles, yoga, kho-kho, kabbadi, debate and online quiz were also organised during the function. As many as 700 students from 27 schools of the district, affiliated to CBSE, PSEB and ICSE participated and exhibited their talent in these activities.

Amritsar, October 31
Teachers and students were awarded at a function, held at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Mall Road, here today. These teachers and students were involved in several activities conducted under directives from the Punjab School Education Board.

Municipal Commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal, who was the chief guest at the function, felicitated 30 students and 30 teachers of the school. They were involved in activities like debate, poster making, painting, cleanliness awareness rally, quiz competition, classrooms and lab cleanliness competitions, which were related to Swachh Bharat drive.

While addressing students, Sabharwal said, “India will shine bright on the world map only if students contribute themselves by heart for the Swachh Bharat mission.”

Principal of the school, Mandeep Kaur, said it was essential to keep our surroundings clean and hygienic, which was a prerequisite to stay physically and mentally fit.

Speaking on the occasion, Meenakshi said teaching should not be perceived as a professional job, but as a self satisfactory task intended for the improvement of civilisation. Kawal Inder Kaur said, “A man can develop good character only by inculcating moral/ethical values in life.”

The stage was managed by Ravinder Kaur Atwal and Jatinder Kaur. The event organiser, Rashmi Bindra, thanked the guests.

Amritsar, October 31
Terming the three month extension for getting illegal colonies regularised as farce, the District Congress Committee (rural) has criticised Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi for failing to meet expectations of property dealers.

DCC (rural) president Gurjit Singh Aujla said the minister must get the extension for at least one year. “The minister has three months time. He must get the extension for obtaining NOC enhanced to another nine months,” Aujla said adding that three months were not sufficient as files moved at a slow pace in government offices.

Members of the DCC also paid homage to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in a meeting organised here today.

Meanwhile Aujla has been appointed as senior vice- president, Punjab, of the All India Jat Maha Sabha, by its president Capt Amarinder Singh. Other appointments made in All India Jat Maha Sabha include Jagbir Singh Sandhu as vice- president, Satinder Singh Majitha, Balwinder Singh and Mahabir Singh as general secretaries, Harjinder Singh Sahgna, Jugraj Singh Gumtala, Jasbir Singh and Kulbir Singh Khiala as secretaries. — TNS