Khanna, November 26
Residents of Khanna are paying the price of the Jamalpur double murder incident. The chair of the Khanna police chief (SSP-Khanna) has been lying vacant for nearly two months.

After the murder of two Dalit brothers in a fake encounter at Jamalpur on September 27, the then SSP Harsha Bansal was suspended. The SSP- Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurmeet Singh Chauhan, has been holding the additional charge of SSP-Khanna ever since.

Many residents, investigation on whose complaints was going on at a snail’s pace, have complained that in the absence of a dedicated SSP, the lower-rung police staff are harassing them by demanding bribe.

“Where should we complain? There is no one to address our grouse,” said a complainant outside the office of SSP-Khanna.

The residents said SSP Harsh Bansal became a political causality. They complained that politicians made Harsh Bansal a scapegoat in order to save their skin.

The residents of Machhiwara staged a dharna and blocked the Neelo Bridge in support of Bansal. They claimed that Bansal was transferred as he had cracked the whip on sand mafia.

Around 10 complaints are received daily at the office of SSP-Khanna. The SSP-Fatehgarh Sahib visits Khanna for a day or two a week to mark the complaints. Sources said on several occasions, the police officials took complaints to Fatehgarh Sahib for marking.

“Although the SP (H) and the SP (D) have been posted at Khanna and they look into some complaints in the absence of the SSP, some serious issues are required to be addressed by the SSP only,” said a police officer posted at Khanna.

Ludhiana, November 26
Instructions to schools regarding the “Safe School Vehicle” drive have remained on paper only. The Education Department officials do not appear to be keen on making the drive a success.

The District Education Officer (DEO) issued instructions to all schools of the district on November 14, asking them to install traffic signs outside the main gates. The DEO wrote to all government, government-aided schools and those affiliated to CBSE, ICSE and the PSEB.

The letter reads the schools have to install boards carrying traffic signs within a week and report to the office. If a school fails to follow the instructions, then the department will take action against it, reads the letter.

A large number of schools have not yet displayed the traffic signs outside their main gates. The Education Department officials have not taken any action against them. The department does not have any record of schools that have followed the instructions.

Yesterday, the District Transport Officer extended the last date for the implementation of the instructions till December 15.

Paramjeet Kaur, District Education Officer, said: “Earlier, we have written to the schools to install the boards. Now, the last date for installing traffic signboards has been extended. We have again asked the schools to install the board”.

In the absence of traffic signboards outside GMT School, a 12-year-old schoolgirl was killed in a road accident on the Jalandhar Bypass on November 15. She was crossing the road in front of the school when a speeding car hit her.

Ludhiana, November 26
Residents of Ward Number 41 have accused the MC authorities of “biased” attitude towards their problems. They say no funds have been released to the ward.

The problem of rainwater accumulating in the low-lying areas has persisted for the past more than four decades. The MC has failed to provide respite to the local residents.

The ward consists of areas, including New Hargobindnagar, New Kidwai Nagar and Janakpuri. An uncovered nullah passing through the ward remains the major cause of concern.

Pinki Bansal, Congress Councillor the wards represented by the Congress councillors had remained in utter neglect.

“On the interior wards, Rs 50 lakh is spent annually while on the outer wards, the grant is almost double. There is a general quota in which councillors get anything from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 5 crore, depending on his/her influence. This is absolutely unjustified,” said Bansal.

She said the Congress had released Rs 16 crore to cover the nullah but no step had been initiated yet.

Ludhiana, November 26
Continuing its drive against temporary encroachments in the city, the tehbazari wing of the Municipal Corporation removed encroachments from Jawahar Nagar Camp and Chaupati.

The tehbazari wing officials, along with the 
president of the Chaura Bazar, visited the market. They urged the shopkeepers to remove the encroachments on their own. Jasdev Sekhon, Suprintendent, Zone B, said it was made clear to the shopkeepers if they did not remove the stocks kept outside their shops on their own, then the MC would take action. The president of the Shopkeepers’ Association will not intervene in such cases.

At around 5:15 pm, the tehbazari officials were asked to assemble outside the Zone A office to be briefed on a “secret” encroachment-removal drive. Satwant Singh, Additional Commissioner and in charge of tehbazari, said the drive would be continued in the coming days. All congested points will be cleared at any cost, he added.

“We want shopkeepers to clear the public roads on their own or else we will take stern action,” said Satwant Singh.

Late evening, rehris and stocks kept outside shops were removed from the Field Ganj area.

Ludhiana, November 26
A 45-year-old woman was killed after she was hit by a train near Sunet village while she was crossing the railway track this morning. The deceased has been identified as Kamaldeep Kaur, a resident of the Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar area.

She was going to a gurdwara at around 7:20 am.

According to an eyewitness, the Ludhiana-Ferozepur Sutlej Express hit the victim and threw her away from the tracks. She died on the spot.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) handed the dead body to the family of the deceased after a post-mortem examination. The police filed a case under section 174 of the CrPC and initiated investigation.

According to information, the victim’s husband had died in a road accident a few months ago. She is survived by a 16-year-old daughter. 

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Ludhiana, November 26
With new modes of communications and accessibility of information available at the click of the mouse, government school teachers are finding the ‘archaic’ concept of holding seminars as unviable and outdated. The teachers’ bodies think that holding of seminar is a futile exercise and gross wastage of funds worth crores of rupees.

Office-bearers of the Anti Copying Teachers’ Front wrote to the Education Department to stop conducting the seminars and implement new techniques to upgrade the education standard in state.

Sukhdarshan Singh, president, Anti Copying Teachers’ Front, stated that the seminars were outdated practice to enhance the knowledge of teachers. “It is only wastage of time and resources. I have been attending seminars from last several years. There is nothing to learn. The Education Department conducts these seminars to settle the grant received from various government agencies for the up gradation of the deteriorating education standards. But the seminars till date could not help much.”

“The government has installed the EDUSAT setup in all the senior secondary schools. A variety of lectures broadcast on EDUSAT for students. On the similar lines, the Education Department has started delivering lectures or other training on the EDUSAT system,” said Ravinder Kumar, general secretary of the front.

Earlier, the Education Department used to organise seminars for teachers during holidays. The teachers’ unions opposed the decision of the government and got the schedule of seminars changed. Now, the department conducts the seminar on working days. The teachers leave the classes for three to five days making the students suffer.

Ludhiana, November 26
On the concluding day of a 17-day literacy camp for the underprivileged and out-of-school children, students of the New GMT College of Education visited Guru Ram Das Dharamshala at Salem Tabri here today. The camp was initiated to teach them literate.

A batch of 50 students went to teach 25 children every day. In all, 200 students taught the children during the camp.

Paramjit Kaur from the college said the camp was organised every year for a noble cause. She said underprivileged children and even adults, who were illiterate, along with school drop outs and out-of-school children were educated during the camp.

Most of them can’t even sign or lack even the basic knowledge about addition and subtraction. “So, we start from the basics before teaching them the advanced versions,” she said.

The idea of organising the camp is also to inculcate the values of teaching without prejudice amongst budding teachers, and also to teach for the good cause.

Another teacher said teaching the underprivileged gave them the satisfaction that they were helping a section of society to be independent, which opens doors for their further development and progress.

Bhupinder Kaur from the college said they also organised a nukkad natak on the concluding day of the camp to motivate children to study. 

Ludhiana, November 26
City team stood first in the state-level maths and science quiz competition organised by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Authority, Punjab, at Kapurthala yesterday. Teams from 22 districts participated in the competition.

The team comprised Menka Bhatti, Kamalpreet Kaur and Gurvinder Singh from Government School at Sehas Rudka village in the district. The teams competing at the state-level had reached here after winning the competitions at block as well district-level competitions.

DEO, secondary, Paramjit Kaur Chahal congratulated the students. District science supervisor (DSS) Varinder Kaur said such competitions increase the interest of the students in science and mathematics. The students were given a cash prize of Rs 5,100. 

Ludhiana, November 26
The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has successfully come up with a low cost indigenous greenhouse hydroponics technology (soil-less vegetable raising) for higher vegetable yields and lower water and nutrient consumption. Director of Research, PAU, Dr Balwinder Singh inaugurated the technology today.

The technology has been developed using recirculation system on the pattern of USA and European countries.

Dr VP Sethi, professor and head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, PAU, has been instrumental in designing and developing the indigenous technology under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) project.

Dr Sethi informed that the technology had been developed with two years of continuous efforts and experimentation. In this method, plants are grown in suitable size pots filled with porous root media, having properties similar to soil. A balanced solution of water and nutrients is premixed in a dossier system and pumped to each plant intermittently in a controlled manner, thereby, enhancing the crop yield many times in much lesser space as compared to conventional soil based greenhouse and polyhouse cultivation.

“Most importantly, use of this technology significantly lowers the cost of pesticides and nutrients apart from limiting the use of precious water that saves about 90 per cent water. The main feature of this soil-less technology is that it eliminates the problems of all soil-borne pathogens,” Dr Sethi highlighted.

At present, cucumber, tomato and capsicum crops, which have attained fruiting stage in less than six weeks after transplant, are being tested under
this technology. 

Mandi Ahmedgarh, November 26
The fast-depleting water table in the state, especially in Ludhiana and Sangrur districts, has drawn the attention of NGOs being run by Punjabis settled abroad.

NRIs led by Dr Rajwant Singh, the president of EcoSikh, an organisation having its headquarters at Washington DC in the USA, have launched a coordinated awareness movement on finding that the food bowl of India, i.e. Punjab, was turning drier day by day.

Comparing the water resources with banking, the organisation has warned that water has become a stressed asset and if the overdraft was not repaid soon, nature — the central bank of all resources — will stop the supplies forever.

The NGO has been organising awareness camps and workshops besides “Green Nagar Kirtans” under the supervision of Punjab convener Ranjodh Singh.

Dr Rajwant Singh said educating people about causes and consequences of depletion of water table was no more a political issue. Massive awareness campaigns were the need of the hour, he said.

Comprehending that agriculture was the worst-affected sector of the economy, the NRIs feel the future of Punjab was in jeopardy.

EcoSikh has been seeking the cooperation of local organisations in its crusade. Literature and banners displayed by the organisation suggest methods to avoid overuse of groundwater, which include shifting to use of river water, conservation of water resources and planting vegetations that require low water supply.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, November 26
Welcoming the Prime Minister’s clarion call for a “Swachh Bharat”, non-resident Indians hailing from the region have advocated putting the responsibility of carrying on the campaign on the shoulders of elected representatives and civic body officials.

This will yield prompt and better results, they say.

Pretima Sharma, an NRI from Sydney in Australia, said: “While officials of various departments can prevent littering in their surroundings, legislators, councilors, panches and executive officers of municipal bodies should be entrusted with the ultimate responsibility of getting the area under their jurisdiction clean.”

Vikram Joshi, an NRI hailing from the town, said Indians settled in foreign countries were delighted to see the changes that had taken place following 
the launch of the Clean Indian mission.

“Now, when bigwigs including owners of big corporate houses have come forward to contribute to the movement, we expect to see a transformed and clean India soon,” said Joshi.

Gurdeep Singh Grewal, a social activist settled in British Columbia, Canada, who hails from Phallewal village, said the recently elected Punjabi Mayors and councillors in British Columbia had shown an inclination towards following Modi’s ideas.

“Most NRIs from Punjab, including elected representatives here, are keeping themselves updated about the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on social media,” said Grewal. 

Ludhiana, November 26
The non-teaching employees’ union of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, which is going to poll tomorrow, will witness a straight contest between two groups represented by Rajinder Singh and his namesake Rajinder Kumar.

With just a day left for the election, both groups held rallies on the campus to woo the staff. While Kumar appealed to the staff to vote in favour of the symbol of “motorcycle”, Singh requested the voters to go for the “torch”.

Rajinder Singh introduced his whole team to the non-teaching employees and said he would make every possible effort to redress their long-pending demands.

During the other rally, Rajinder Kumar said sincere efforts would be made to fill all vacant posts. The pending issue of providing appointment letters to clerks would also be taken up before the authorities, he said.

Ludhiana, November 26
Spring Dale Senior Secondary Public School observed Communal Harmony Week for spreading the message of oneness and national integration.

A lecture on communal harmony was delivered during the morning assembly. National flags were distributed among the students. The managing director, Avinash Kaur Walia, motivated the students to respect the Tricolour. — TNS

Jagraon, November 26
The Congress has finally removed party leader Jagdarshan Kaur from the post of observer for the upcoming municipal council elections in the town. Former Muktsar Sahib MLA Harnirpal Singh Kukku has been appointed the observer in her place.

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) general secretary Major Singh Bhaini confirmed the development.

Jagdarshan Kaur had been facing strong opposition from local party leaders. The opposition was visible during two monthly meetings of the local unit of the Congress, where several leaders and workers openly revolted against her. During the last meeting, they did not even let her address the party workers.

During a press conference recently, the local leaders led by Pritam Singh Akhara had urged the party high command to project a local Congress leader as the party candidate from the Jagraon constituency for the next state Assembly elections instead of sending a “parachute” candidate to the constituency.

Jagdarshan Kaur, in fact, had sought the party ticket from Jagraon during the last Assembly elections, and the local leaders reportedly feared that she has been projecting herself as the candidate for the next poll. 

Ludhiana, November 26
The city police will bring the 10-member gang of robbers, who were arrested by the Patiala police, to the city for interrogation in connection with the murder case of Ludhiana MLA Simarjeet Singh Bain’s father- in-law.

Besides the murder of Sohan Singh Lambardar, father-in-law of Ludhiana MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains, at his house in Noorpur village on December 23, 2011, the gang members identified as Guddu Nath, Suraj alias Taufiq, Chand, Dhola alias Vishal, Sewak, Pilla, Rohit alias Makkho alias Ranjit, Dilbar, Husan and Mota alias Gufran were behind several other robberies taken place in various parts of the city.

The gang members used to roam around in an area in the disguise of beggars or balloon sellers. After identifying their targets, they used to attack the victim during the wee hours. After leaving their victims badly injured, the gang members used to rob the house and fled the spot.

The police have seized two pistols, six cartridges, iron rods and gold ornaments and cash worth Rs 45 lakh from their possession.

The death of Lambardar remained a mystery for nearly three years. The murder had became a poll issue with MLA Simarjeet, who had parted ways with the SAD, targeted the government over the rising crime incidents in the state and its failure to crack the case.

Sohan was living in his house alone after the death of his wife. He owned a petrol station and used to keep cash at home.

It is suspected that the gang members may have got know that Sohan was living alone.

They had trespassed into his house during the wee hours and attacked him with wooden logs. Besides, Rs 1.5 lakh in cash and gold ornaments worth lakhs, the accused had also taken away Lambardar’s double-barrel gun.

Ludhiana, November 26
Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Punjab convener of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), along with AAP’s Ludhiana convenor Ahbaab Grewal, handed over a cheque of Rs 1 lakh to Jaspal Singh, the father of the two AAP volunteers, who were killed in an alleged fake encounter by the Punjab Police in the Jamalpur area of Ludhiana in September 27.

“Family members of the two young brothers who were killed in a fake encounter at the instigation of an SAD leader are still in deep mourning. Though the money cannot compensate for the loss of young lives, it might help them tie over the financial crisis which plagues the family at the loss of their breadwinners,” said Chotepur today.

Ahbaab Grewal said: “We will continue to fight for justice to the slain volunteers and will keep up our struggle until the power crazy ruling govt has been ousted from Punjab.”

Chandigarh/Ludhiana, November 26
Within a span of three months, three deaths have been reported from three families. While these families were unknown to each other, interestingly they had one thing in common — their children suffering from thalassaemia died after opting for bone marrow transplant under similar circumstances and at the same institute — Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), Ludhiana.

The three families, two from Chandigarh and one from Mandi Gobindgarh, gathered today here and said three children aged 7, 11 and 17 years died between September 3 and November 5 this year.

Inderpreet Singh, father of seven-year-old Harleen, opted for her bone marrow transplant for permanent cure of thalassaemia, a facility available at a few centres in the country, after doctors at the CMCH allegedly assured him that they would look for a stem cell donor.

“We were told that they found a donor in Kolkata via an NGO, Datri. For the new transplant, the doctor destroyed the existing cells from her body but at the eleventh hour told us that the donor refused to do the same. Afterwards, despite efforts Harleen’s original cells could not be retained and she died of infection on November 5,” he said.

Vijay Kumar from Panchkula, the father of 17-year-old Nishant who died following the BMT at the CMCH, with tears in his eyes, said: “Though the doctors performed the transplant on my son, he suffered severe infection within a few days of the transplant. We were not told that such complications could arise after the transplant. We lost him as we made a mistake of trusting the doctors there.”

CRIME

Miscreants snatch earrings

Two motorcycle-borne miscreants snatched earrings from a woman at Ragbir Park in the Haibowal area of city. Gurminder Kaur, a resident of Haibowal, stated in the police complaint that she was heading towards her home after shopping in a market. When she reached near Ragbir Park, two miscreants came on a motorcycle and snatched her earrings.

2 drug peddlers held

The city police arrested two drug peddlers in two cases and recovered narcotics from their possession. In the first case, the police team searched a motorcycle-borne youth at the Toll Plaza near the Ladhowal area and recovered 25 gm of heroin from him. The accused has been identified as Avinash Kumar, a resident of Guru Nanakpura, Jalandhar. While the Slaemtabri police arrested a person and recovered 12 gm of heroine from his possession. The accused has been identified as Raman Kumar, a resident of
Azad Nagar.

Youth dies in road accident

Jagraon: A youth in his twenties died after the motorcycle he was riding on was hit by an unknown vehicle on the Ludhiana-Bathinda highway late last evening. The accident took place near Halwara village. The deceased has been identified as Balwinder Singh (25), a resident of Halwara village near Gurusar Sudhar. — TNS

Ludhiana, November 26
As Australian cricketer Phil Hughes suffered a severe blow on his head and slipped into coma during a domestic match in Sydney, yesterday, local cricketers in the city are a worried lot over the fact that how the ball hit the player through his helmet.

Phil, who was wearing a protective batting helmet, was hit on the head by a bouncer.

Subsequently, the cricketer was operated upon and reported to be still in a critical condition.

The cricketers of yester years, Chaman Lal Malhotra and Sham Lal recalled when Sunil Gavasakar, G Vishwanath and many others used to play without any protective gear, facing the “fiery bowling battery” from West Indies like Andy Roberts.

“Nowadays, pitches are made conducive for fast bowling and moreover, the quality of cricket balls is also improved, posing danger to a batsman,” opined Malhotra and Lal who played in the Ranji Trophy Championship during the 1960s and 1970s.

Current Punjab Ranji players from Ludhiana Geetansh Khera, Baltej Singh and Deepak Bansal along with upcoming and talented boys Anil Sihag, Sunny Pandey, Ankit Pursharthy, Amritpal Singh and Sandeep Singh (who represented Punjab in national tournaments) joined their seniors in praying for the speedy recovery of Australian cricket player Phil Hughes.