Punjab Diary: Abohar councillor shows the way

Abohar: Burdened with Rs 50-crore liabilities, the Abohar Municipal Corporation has sought public support to operate rain basera (night shelter). Earlier, it was run with the help of an NGO in a single room, but now it has been shifted to the MC Complex near the railway station. Yesterday councillor Narinder Verma handed over Rs 17,000, one-month salary, to Mayor Vimal Thatai and urged philanthropists to come forward.

Police caught off guard

Amritsar: The functioning of the Punjab Police came under the scanner once again as senior officers reportedly provided security to a judge, who was arrested recently. The man had been befooling officers by posing as a Delhi High Court’s Judge. Interestingly, the police never bothered to check his credentials. The accused was caught by an ACP-rank officer, whose wife is a Judicial Magistrate. As he asked the ACP to depute a PCR team near his house, the latter got suspicious and on verification, found his credentials to be forged.

Gearing for G20 meet

Amritsar: In order to hold a two-day G20 meet in the holy city, the government is sprucing up basic infrastructure with an investment of Rs 50 crore, but the traffic scenario seems to be unmanageable. Battered by daily traffic snarls, commuters say either the government should restrict movement of vehicles or come out with a route map during the G20 meet.The boundary walls of 80-acre Company Bagh are being repaired, which run parallel to the Mall, Malviya Road and Crystal Chowk.

New generation ‘fails’ loyalty test

Sangrur: After the change of government, Sangrur District Congress Committee (DCC) organised its first big event on December 22, when newly appointed DCC chief Dalvir Singh ‘Goldy’ took charge. The change was visible as those considered close to former minister Vijay Inder Singla changed goal posts. They were seen welcoming leaders, who do not have good relations with Singla. PCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also attended the function. “We had repeatedly told Singla that the new generation is not loyal, but he did not listen to us. Today, they are openly welcoming his detractors,” said a senior Congress leader.

Long wait for railway overbridge

Muktsar: Even nine years after the foundation stone of a railway overbridge in Muktsar city on Jalalabad Road was laid by former deputy CM Sukhbir Badal, the work is yet to complete. Now, residents have urged the Centre to send its team from Valsad, Gujarat, which completed the similar task in a record time of 20 days last year.

Relics of the Raj?

Gurdaspur: The moment minister Harjot Bains decided to change the nomenclature of Director Public Instruction (DPI), Schools, to Directorate of School Education, officials of some other departments said they too wanted certain changes. Health officials claimed a Civil Surgeon posted in a district is never a surgeon, the police said a Station House Officer (SHO) neither operates from a station nor from a house, again the police said Readers of the SSPs do not read anything hence they should be addressed as PAs and that policemen should not be addressed as ‘Darogas’. A witty officer said, “Some things in life are devoid of logic. Does the milkyway have any milk? So, let these relics of the Raj continue to dominate.”

Many claimants for MPLADS

Pathankot: Once news spread that MP Sunny Deol has nearly Rs 7 crore lying unspent in his MPLADS, several claimants surfaced. Villagers living near Keshopur wetland said the MP should give them money so that the entity can regain its lost glory. Amarjit Shastri, the judo coach who has produced 150-odd international judokas, said Deol should give his protégé Jasleen Saini some money so the player can compete in the Olympic qualifiers. The Red Cross De-addiction Centre said they needed a generator to calm the souls of addicts in summer. However, the moot question is when the actor will make an entry into his constituency. Or will it be ‘Tareek par tareek, tareek par tareek’? The moolah will follow only if he comes.

Contributed by Pawan Jaiswar, Neeraj Bagga, Parvesh Sharma, Archit Watts, Ravi Dhaliwal, Raj Sadosh