Railways tightens noose around ticketcheckers

TARNTARAN: The theft of surveillance cameras installed after the 2015 terror attack in Dinanagar and absence of police at checkpoints in Tarn Taran district has locals worried.

“Soon after the terror attack in Dinanagar, the police fixed CCTV cameras in the border belt. But as the time passed, the cameras were stolen by thieves,” says Amarjit Singh of Amarkot village.

The Tarn Taran police had installed the cameras at different chowks of the border area to keep a vigil on criminal activities.

The people of the border belt, however, claim to be living in fear as they say police have failed to provide security to them with most checkpoints lying deserted. They add that various checkposts near the Indo-Pak border lie deserted. “There are more than 30,000 people living in the border belt of the district, but it is a sad state of affairs that we can’t see any functional checkpoint in the area,” said Amarjit Singh Mehta of Khemkaran.

The district shares approximately 90 km border with Pakistan.

Another resident of border area Karanbir Singh said, “The border area has been witnessing increase in criminal incidents like theft, snatching, rubbery, murders. Owing to that, people living on the border are apprehensive of an anticipated terror attack from the Pakistan side.”

“There must be 24x7 active check points at the vulnerable points near to the border so that the fear among the people is curtailed,” he added.

A visit to the border area by this correspondent revealed that there was no police deployment from Khemkaran police station to the BSF’s base, four km from the zero line.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, senior superintendent of police (SSP) DS Mann said on Saturday, “I called a special meeting of SHOs and DSPs concerned and instructed them to seal all vulnerable points of the border area with effective check point.”

He added: “The full security of the border belt will be secured within two days.” JALANDHAR: The newly imposed Goods and Service Tax (GST) has tightened its noose around the train ticket examiners (TTE) — infamous for pocketing bribe for vacant seats in trains.

The ministry of railways has directed the officials to maintain a daily database of details, including the extra charges and penalty imposed on passengers.

The ticket examiners will now be required to maintain a standard form, filling all particulars, including the excess fare imposed, details of which will be uploaded online on the daily basis.

Complying with the orders, the Ferozepur railway division has outsourced the work to a firm to upload details. The division has been asked to streamline the process by August 10. JALANDHAR: Taking a serious note of the non-appointment of an investigation officer in a drug case, a local court has ordered the police commissioner to initiate a departmental probe into the ‘careless attitude’ of Basti Bawa Khel police station house officer (SHO).

During the hearing of a bail plea of Sonu of Rattan Nagar, who was arrested by assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Jatinder Kumar of Basti Bawa Khel police station on April 24 for alleged possession of intoxicants, head constable Barjinder Kumar brought the records.

A case under section 22 of the NDPS Act was registered against Sonu.

Barjinder further told the court that investigating officer ASI Jatinder Kumar was trans- ferred from the police station on May 11 and the probe wasn’t handed over to any other investigating officer.

He also submitted to the court that as he was not the investigating officer of the case and cannot assist this court regarding the case.

Taking note of the fact that the SHO had sent a cop not related with the case, the court said, “It is sheer negligence and glaring lack of supervision on the part of the present SHO Basti Bawa Khel as he has not entrusted the investigation of the case to any other investigating officer despite the lapse of a period of more than one and half months since the transfer of Jatinder Kumar.”

“So this prima-facie shows a very careless attitude on the part of SHO in performing his official duty,” it added.

The court also directed the department of home and justice, director general of police (DGP), Punjab, and police commissioner to initiate a departmental inquiry against SHO.

Speaking to HT, SHO Naresh Kumar said that he is on leave and can’t comment on the issue.

Police commissioner PK Sinha said he has not seen the order and if court has directed to do so, same will be followed.

Sonu’s counsel Harsh Bhatt, meanwhile, said the court’s order was appreciable and claimed it will help speed up the trail in this case.