To ensure the efficacy of the public transport system and effective monitoring of all vehicles in the state, Punjab Government will introduce Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) system in all the passenger service vehicles (PSV) such as buses, mini buses, and taxis from August 1 onwards.
Besides, the State Government has also decided to link ‘One Bus, One Permit’ with the Vaahan portal.
The state Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, during the meeting to review the functioning of the offices of Regional Transport Authorities, directed to discontinue the OTP system while allowing permit holders to deposit Motor Vehicles Tax on a single click on Vahan Portal after all permits have been brought in ‘One Bus One Permit’ configuration. Enforcement should be stepped up for recovery of tax from defaulters, he added.
It was also decided to upload ‘Joint Time Tables’ on the web portal so as to ensure equal frequency and transparency in the public transport system of the State.
Expressing grave concern over the deaths in road accidents, the Minister instructed that a rod (iron angle) is necessary to be fitted at the rear side of Tipper Truck and other heavy vehicles. No such vehicle shall be passed by MVI unless the rod is fitted.
He also ordered regular inspections of all interstate barriers by the respective RTA secretaries.
Two persons with SFJ links held for pasting pro-Khalistan slogans
PNS / Chandigarh/Patiala
Four days after pro-khalistan poster was found pasted on the wall of Kali Mata Mandir, the Patiala Police on Tuesday cracked the case with the arrest of two persons linked with Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), said IG Patiala MS Chhina and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Deepak Pareek.
A poster of SFJ related to ‘Khalistan referendum’ was pasted on the back side wall of the temple on the intervening night of July 14 and 15. Those arrested have been identified as Harwinder Singh alias Prince and Prem Singh alias Prem alias Ekam. The police have also recovered 13 posters of SFJ related to Khalistan referendum, two Mobile phones and a Bike used for committing the offence.
The police officials said that technical investigations revealed that the poster was pasted by the Harwinder alias Prince and Prem after some foreign based anti-national elements lured them to perform such acts in lieu of money or through the offer of settling them abroad.
The SSP said that Harwinder Singh alias Prince worked in Malaysia for over two years, where he came in contact with some anti-national elements and after coming back from Malaysia he was still in contact with these persons through WhatsApp. Foreign handlers sent him the money through money transfer. The posters were placed at a predetermined location, and were picked by the accused from that location, SSP Pareek said adding that after receiving the posters and the money, the accused pasted the posters at four places including Cantonment area in Ambala, Aryan College in Rajpura, Kali Mata Temple in Patiala and on a traffic sign board near Sheetla Mata Temple, Bahadurgarh in Patiala.
The accused had also written pro-Khalistan slogans using spray paint on an under bridge in Rajpura, he added.