Phagwara, May 29
The burgeoning market of the stolen cars in Kathmandu is attracting the small and big car thieves.

Less fear, easy passage, sale of cars at hefty prices and that too without giving any authentication proof— these are the few factors that are luring thieves to try their luck.

As per sources, every month, around 2,000 vehicles are routed to Nepal by illegal means and are sold at throwaway prices, especially the cars bearing registration numbers of Punjab are the first choice.

Sources say the vehicles are first tested thoroughly in Delhi and after the necessary evaluation on the basis of condition, they are further dispatched with the price tag.

They also claimed that the thieves run the racket in nexus with the police posted at the border. The consignment is sent with five to ten cars in each trip. Before sending, the number plates are changed and the papers are tampered and forged. Senior police officials say the higher-segment cars like Honda and Lancer among others are available for a few lakh only.

The cars are pushed into Nepal via the Bhairvan and Sanauli border from where gang members take them to car markets, basically Kathmandu, for sale.

The main route followed for taking the cars to international border is Lucknow, Sitapur, Moradabad and Gorakhpur.

Sources in the police say the cars are usually not recovered because either they are pushed to Kathmandu or are disassembled into parts and then sold in markets. Senior police officials said they were conducting the investigations in this regard. However, they were yet to reach any conclusion, they added.

The police officials refused to divulge the names of two car thieves arrested recently and the place they belong to, saying it could hamper further proceedings of the case, as three more gang members are yet to be arrested.

The arrested members have been booked under Section 329 of the IPC.

Jalandhar, May 29
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum here has asked the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) to make payment of a claim to a resident who had to undergo bye-pass surgery.

The officials had earlier denied the claim saying that the policy covered such surgery for coronary artery disease only and the patient had got it done primary for valve replacement during which coronary artery disease was an accidental finding.

The complainant, Mr Narinder Krishna Malhotra, a resident of Hoshiarpur Road here, had taken the LIC’s Asha Deep Life Insurance policy on December 20, 1995, for an assured sum of Rs 1 lakh with recovering profits and accidental benefits.

The policy covers major diseases including coronary diseases for which bye-pass surgery is done, cancer and paralytic stroke leading to renal failure and permanent disability.

The complainant said that on September 20, 2001, he felt a pain in his left shoulder and joints. He said he was referred to Apollo Hospital, New Delhi. On November 5, 2001, he underwent an open heart bye-pass surgery for aortic valve replacement plus coronary bye-pass grafting surgery in the hospital after which he claimed benefit payable under Asha Deep policy.

However, the complainant’s claim was turned down by LIC, as the officials there said the claimant had gone for surgery of the valve and blockage of the artery was an accidental finding.

The complainant filed a suit demanding compensation to the tune of Rs 50,000 and 18 per cent interest on the claim amount from the date of the claim. He also demanded that the premium which he had to pay to keep the policy enforced be returned.

The LIC officials had replied that since the complainant had got the heart surgery for valve replacement with element of intervention in coronary artery, the surgery did not fulfill the policy conditions.

The complainant then submitted an affidavit by Dr S.K. Gupta, a heart surgeon, saying that the patient was subjected to heart bye-pass surgery for coronary artery disease and also for valve replacement by opening his heart.

He urged that it was a case of double treatment open heart by-pass surgery for removing obstruction in coronary artery and valve and not one case of valve replacement.

The forum, comprising Mr M.M. Bhalla, president, and Mr Surinder Mittal, member, decided the case in favour of the complainant.

It also relied upon the National Commission’s orders passed in 2005 which stated that whenever there was any dispute of insurance regarding interpretation of contract of insurance, the contract should be construed against company in case of any ambiguity.

The forum asked LIC to make the payment for the policy with 10 per cent interest from the date of repudiation till payment and Rs 2000 as the cost of litigation. It also directed the LIC officials to return the premium paid by the complainant after the date of eligibility for payment. 

Jalandhar, May 29
Demanding restoration of basic facilities at a post office in Basti Nau, sports goods traders and rubber chappal manufacturers from the area staged a dharna in front of the General Post Office here today.

The members demanded that the basic facilities, including registration services, money order services, telephone bill payment services and stamp sale services that had been withdrawn last week be restored at the post office of Basti Nau, which had been converted into finance mart last week.

Leading the protest, Mr Ravinder Dhir, a sports goods trader and president of a Basti Nau-based Sewa Samiti, said that the traders and residents were happy with the opening of new financial services such as savings bank and recurring account, but they wanted that the basic facilities should also be restored.

A representation, led by Mr Dhir, met the Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Mr N.R. Meena, and gave him memorandum of demands. They said that the migrant labourers working in the area who used money order facility to send money to their native places were also upset. They said that the speed post and registration services were also of much utility.

The sports goods traders said that in the absence of the basic postal facilities in their area, they were forced to go to Basti Gujan office situated in a crowded area which they found to be very difficult. 

Phagwara, May 29
Industrial focal units which were declared in Category II by the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), would now get an eight-hour uninterrupted power supply during the daytime from June 10.

Mr K.K. Vohra, Superintending Engineer, (Operation Circle, Jalandhar), PSEB, told this to a delegation of Punjab Chamber of Small Exporters, Phagwara, and Federation of Jalandhar Industrial and Traders Association during a meeting in Jalandhar here today. Mr Avtar Henry, Food and Civil Supplies Minister and Mr G.S. Gill, Engineer-in-Chief, PSEB, were also present.

Mr Vohra also assured the delegation that for the benefit of industrial units in Phagwara and Jalandhar, work on separating industrial and domestic loads was on and he hoped that it would be completed by June 10.

Mr A.K. Kohli, Senior Vice-President of the Punjab Chamber of Small Exporters, demanded the installation of a thermal power plant in Talwara to ease the power supply in industrial units in the state. 

Kapurthala, May 29
More than 12,508 hectares of land have been brought under the cultivation of vegetables during the year 2004-05 and 5,000 crates had been supplied on subsidy to vegetable growers for the better procurement of the produce.

Mr Raminder Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, said this in a press release here today.

In addition, more than 1,050 acres of land had been brought under cultivation for various fruits to bring in diversification and protect the underground water level, the release added.

Mr Raminder Singh added that there was a great scope for the cultivation of fruits like mango, guava, lemon, plum, beir and alu bukhara in the district and the farmers were being provided with the saplings on 50 per cent subsidy.

He added that Rs 1,200 were also being disbursed to the farmers as subsidy on every acre of land brought under the cultivation of fruits.