Jalandhar, August 30
The income tax authorities conducted raids on the premises of an in-vitro fertilisation hospital and three business houses here this afternoon.

The raids, which continued till late in the night, on Vardaan IVF Clinic and Medical Centre at Mota Singh Nagar, headed by Dr Vareesh Kumar, Mobile House at Phagwara Gate, Sondhi Travel Agent at Bombay Nagar and Lekh Raj Forging at Basti Sheikh, were, however, described as an “IT survey” by the income tax authorities.

Some computers and documents have been seized from Vardaan hospital and the business houses, sources in the IT department said.

The raids were conducted by a team of income tax officials led by additional income tax commissioner Sanjay Mishra and ordered by income tax commissioner A.P. Saxena.

“We are taking the relevant documents and other things in possession. It will be premature to say anything about the outcome of the survey at this moment. First, we have to complete our task,” said Mishra, who was busy in investigating the documents on the premises of a business house till 9 p.m.

Highly placed sources in the IT department revealed that the raids were being conducted to explore the possibility of low taxation and other irregularities.

The IT team raided the premises of the hospital and the business houses after doing complete “homework” on the basis of the income tax assessment filed by the owners of these organisations.

Hoshiarpur, August 30
The Punjab Pradesh Chemists Association (PPCA) has criticised the decision of Punjab health and family welfare minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla of appointing some government doctors against the vacant posts of drug inspector.

President and chief adviser of the PPCA Dr Surjit Mehta and Dr Dharambir Kapur, respectively, said here today that there was no justification for the appointment of a microbiologist doctor against the vacant post of drug inspector by the health minister.

According to the norms of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, only a person having B.Pharma or M.Pharma qualification can become a drug inspector. They urged the health minister to review her decision immediately.

They lamented that despite assurance by the Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal that the police would not check the shops of chemists, at some places it was still harassing chemists unnecessarily. To check chemists from selling banned intoxicating medicines, the PPCA had constituted an intelligence wing . On its report, six chemists in Mansa, five in Patiala, three in Sangrur, two each in Bhatinda and Hoshiarpur and one in Nawanshahar had been thrown out of the association. — OC

Jalandhar, August 30
Parents of the Punjabi youths stranded in Portugal and seeking immigration there, supported by members of the Lok Bhalai Party, today held a demonstration in front of the regional passport office here demanding that the youths be provided passports.

Working president of the party Avtar Singh Mullanpuri said while the government there had given a green signal to all youths there on allowing them immigration if they had valid passports, the Indian embassy was not supporting them by providing them with the required documents.

Mullanpuri said many youths reaching there for better avenues had either lost their passports or got fake ones by illegal travel agents. He said the Indian government must help them when the Portuguese were ready to accept them as their citizens.

Sardul Singh, father of one of the youths from Lohian, said his son Harjit Singh had gone to Portugal two years back. He said his son rang him up to tell that he had a ray of hope as the Portuguese government had given assurance of immigration to all those putting up there illegally. He said his son had also told him that there were hundreds of such youths trying to seek that opportunity.

Begowal resident Jaswinder Singh said he had been putting up in Portugal for the past 14 years. He said he too was upset with the attitude of the Indian embassy there for the officials refused to accept any application filed by his colleagues and friends trying to seek passport or other documents.

Supporting such cases, Ramandeep Singh Bharowal, general secretary of the party, said the Indian government should not hesitate from giving a helping hand to anyone trying to seek immigration there.

Hoshiarpur, August 30
After public furore, district magistrate D.K. Tiwari has prohibited chopping off of trees within the municipal limits till further orders with immediate effect. The orders were issued after residents complained that green trees were being cut by the MC. These orders will remain in force till September 15.

The district magistrate has constituted a committee comprising the assistant commissioner (general), a representative of the divisional forest officer and executive officer (EO) of the MC to enquire and review the list of trees allegedly being cut by the MC.

The DM has further directed the EO of the MC to ensure that the contractor to whom the work of felling the trees had been allocated, cannot chop off any tree till the enquiry is pending.