Jalandhar, June 29
A local youth was charred to death when a goods carrier (Tata Ace) he was driving accidentally caught fire on the Domoria railway over bridge (ROB) adjacent to the city railway station this morning.

The deceased has been identified as Vijay Pal (30), resident of Jagat Pura. He was survived by two-year-old son and wife.

The accident took place a few yards away from the deceased’s home at 10.45 am. Residents, while holding police responsible for the incident, alleged that despite the vehicle catching fire and the victim shouting for help, the policemen, who had laid a naka near the spot, instead of saving the victim opted to remain busy challaning the traffic violators.

Annoyed over the callous attitude of the police personnel and the late arrival of fire tenders, scores of people reached the spot and indulged in vandalism.

Two fire tender drivers Sunil Dutt and Jagtar Singh were manhandled by the furious mobs, who were later admitted to a private hospital. Angry residents smashed windowpanes of fire tenders and attempted to damage the ambulance carrying the body of Vijay Pal.

Initially, the police faced difficulty in managing the furious residents indulging in vandalism, but later more police force was called to control the mob.

Mukesh, an eyewitness, alleged that when the vehicle (PB 08 BW 9472) caught fire, he immediately apprised the police personnel, who had installed a naka beneath the ROB, of the incident. “But instead of listening to me, the policemen behaved rudely and remained busy in issuing challans and said call at toll-free number of the fire station,” he alleged, adding that he later made a number of calls to the Police Control Room and fire station, and then officials reached the spot, but it was too late.

“I can still recall the scene when Vijay was trying to escape from the vehicle, but he had tied a seatbelt hence couldn’t come out of the burning vehicle and was burnt alive,” Ravi, another eyewitness said.

The deceased’s relatives rued that had the police personnel and fire tender officials paid heed to their repeated requests, Vijay could have been saved.

The crowed turned more violent when the burnt body was being transported to a hospital. Residents immediately gathered beneath the ROB and started throwing stones at the vehicle, due to which windowpanes of various vehicles were smashed.Enraged residents did not even spare a vehicle carrying a newly married couple and threw stones at the same. Fortunately, the occupants did not sustain any injury.

The crowed also manhandled some rickshaw-pullers and two-wheeler riders, who tried to cross near the ROB.

Meanwhile, the residents staged a dharna beneath the ROB and raised anti-police slogans. They demanded strict action against the police personnel who did not reach the spot and remained mute spectators, despite repeated requests of help by them. A large posse of police force reached the spot and pacified the protesters.

DCP Sarabjit Singh, when contacted, said he would inquire the matter thoroughly and if he found any truth in the allegation being levelled against the policemen by the residents, he would take a strict action against them.

Jalandhar, June 29
While the deadline for the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Project in the city is just a fortnight away, most of the issues pertaining to it remain unresolved.

While neighbouring city Ludhiana has already taken a lead by starting door-to-door collection for the A to Z company through the Municipal Corporation’s own employees, the decision on whether the collection would be done by the employees of the corporation or the company remains pending in Jalandhar.

Since the contractors at Ludhiana will be installing only the manure-based plant, they have no objections to the collection being done by the MC staff. However, the Jindal Co, with which an agreement has been made for the city, will also be producing fuel at the plant to be set up at Jamsher village. The company is said to have been insisting on door-to-door collection by its own staff for it wants the garbage to retain maximum energy-producing components for more generation of fuel.

Even as the deadline for starting of the project in the city falls on July 15, its implementation is likely to be problematic for the MC employees have been opposing the project tooth and nail. Ashok Bheel of the Safai Karamchari Sangharsh Morcha maintains, “The CM, Deputy CM and then Local Bodies Minister Tikshan Sud had agreed to their demand of allowing door-to-door collection by the MC staff in a meeting on October 30, 2011, in Chandigarh. If the government backtracks on its commitment, we will go on a strike again.”

Insiders tell that the conditions laid down before the company by the cluster head committee of the project in the city clearly allows it to collect garbage on its own, which implies that the MC officials cannot force upon the company to deploy the corporation staff for the same, further adding to the complexity of the issue. The new project can also face opposition from the existing plant operators at Wariana village.

On the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, a committee, led by the Chief Engineer, Local Bodies, VP Singh, visited the garbage dumping site at Wariana yesterday wherein it asked the officials to ensure complying with certain regulations while disposing of the waste.

Jalandhar, June 29
Sucheta Kalia, the board manager of the local depot of the Punjab School Education Board, was booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act by the CIA staff here.

She was pocketing fees in thousands of rupees deposited by students submitting PSEB compartment forms of Class X and XII.

While the CIA staff, on Wednesday, had raided a school board office running from a residence near the local Adarsh Nagar Park, they had arrested a man, identified as Anil Kumar, who was issuing receipts in back date and pocketing the fee money, thus received.

The fee was being received for the submission of PSEB compartment examination forms of Class X and XII on Wednesday even though the last date of form submission was June 25.

The police had recovered receipts signed by board manager Sucheta Kalia and cash worth thousands of rupees.

While the students were being charged Rs 500, only Rs 100 was being shown on record, while the rest was being pocketed. Sucheta has been absconding for the past two days.

Naresh Dogra ADCP, CIA, said, “We are conducting regular raids to nab the culprit. Her house and other probable locations were also raided today but we could not trace her. The police shall be raiding other probable locations. Sucheta and Anil Kumar were working in connivance.” 

Jalandhar, June 29
Several NRI families hailing from the city and its periphery today held a meeting with NRI Sabha members to jointly oppose the proposal of the Central Government to impose 12.36 per cent service tax on the fee paid by the NRIs for sending money to India from July 1.

As per the new service tax rules, services provided by a bank, NBFC or money transfer agents to the NRIs will be treated as a service provided in India and the fee for such services will be taxed at 12.36 per cent.

Several NRIs, including Mandeep Singh of Australia and Ravinder Kumar of Saudi Arabia, claimed that the majority of those sending money were those who had chosen to live apart from their loved ones for sustaining their families back home through remittances sent on regular intervals. NRIs demanded withdrawal of the decision. They also submitted their representation to the Sabha chairman, 

Jalandhar, June 29
The issue of the family of labourers being rescued from a potato farm at Ghug village has become a bone contention between the district administration and activists of the Pendu Mazdoor Union (PMU) with both parties leveling allegations and counter allegations each other.

The PMU today made a written complaint to the Chief Justice, Punjab and Haryana High Court; chief secretary, Punjab Government; Chief secretary, home ministry; Punjab State Human Rights Commission and Divisional Commissioner, Jalandhar, regarding the role of the district administration in resolving the case.

In the complaint letter today, PMU activists alleged that the district administration had been favouring the employers because they are relatives of a Punjab cabinet minister and the administration’s role be looked into.

Notably, the move came a day after SDM-II, Jalandhar Isha Kalia submitted a report to the DC (on June 28) stating that the members of the said family (labourer couple Hari Parsad and Maya along with their four children) were not subjected to child labour or bonded labour, contrary to the claims of the union.

The SDM-II had also said the complaint of the PMU was motivated.

A task force lead by Naib Tehsildar, Bhogpur, had raided a farm at Ghug village on the complaint of the activists of PMU to the SDM-II, on June 23 and rescued a family of farm labourers that they belived were bonded. SDM-II Isha Kalia visited the farm on June 25, along with a team including the labour inspector, police party and doctors.

The PMU alleged that she had attempted to pressurize the labourers into an agreement with the employers and the PMU submitted a complaint in this regard to the Deputy Commissioner on June 26.

The SDM, however, denied the allegations and said the labourer family was neither beaten, nor were they victims of bonded labourer. She submitted a report in this regard to the DC on June 28.

Jalandhar, June 29
City residents heaved a sigh of relief as oil companies announced a cut of Rs 2.46 per litre in the petrol prices. This is the second decline in the petrol prices announced this month.

Now, normal petrol in the city would cost Rs 75.90 a litre while the premium petrol would be available at Rs 78.33 per litre. However, earlier the residents had to shelve Rs 78.36 a litre in the city.

The residents demanded that the Punjab Government should also reduce 27.5 per cent VAT on petrol, hence reducing the burden on the common man.

J.P. Khanna, president, Punjab Petroleum Dealers Association, said the state government has imposed a total tax of 30.25 per cent, which is the highest in the country. “In Punjab, there is a VAT of 27.5 per cent on petrol with 10 per cent surcharge and Re 1 cess on a litre of petrol, which takes the total tax to 30.25 per cent. Leave reducing VAT, even if the state government reduces the additional taxes, petrol prices would easily come down by Rs 3.50 to Rs 4 per litre”, he added.

Khanna also added that if the Central Government can ensure slashing of petrol prices, why not the Punjab Government? “The Punjab Government is earning huge revenue out of this tax on petrol but still the total turnover of Punjab is less than that of Haryana, where petrol is cheaper. People from Punjab prefer to get petrol from bordering districts of Haryana instead of Punjab, which is why the total revenue of the state has been on a decline”, Khanna said.

“We have brought the proposal of reducing the additional taxes on petrol before the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Punjab, A Venu Prasad and have been urging with the state government to moot this plan. If implemented, it would come as a big relief for the common man in Punjab,” Khanna added.