Badal encouraging idol worship: Mann
ROPAR, Aug 16 — Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), has opposed the construction of proposed 300-ft high Nishan-e-Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib.

Border villages unfurl Tricolour
AMRITSAR, Aug 16 — The entire border belt in this district yesterday came alive with the aged and the young joining hands to sing the National Anthem on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of Independence.

Promises to be fulfilled
CHANDIGARH, Aug 16 — The list of "landmark decisions" of the SAD-BJP government in Punjab under the "able" leadership of the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, is long and impressive.

Bathinda village to get unique project
BATHINDA, Aug 16 — Kaljharani, a remote village of Bathinda district, will soon emerge as a model place where youth will be equipped with tools and talent of various vocations of self-employment, creating openings of earnings for themselves at their doorstep.

Contradictory stand on raid flayed
JALANDHAR, Aug 16 — Mr Anil Datta, organising secretary of the Congress has demanded the resignation of either the Health Minister or his Minister of State over the contradictory stands taken by them on the recent raid on the civil hospital here.

Badal encouraging idol worship: Mann
From Our Correspondent

ROPAR, Aug 16 — Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), has opposed the construction of proposed 300-ft high Nishan-e-Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib.

The Nishan-e-Khalsa, with Central piece 'Khanda' (double-edged sword), is to be set up in connection with the celebrations of 300 years of the birth of the Khalsa Panth.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Mann said that on one hand Sikhs had been celebrating the tricentenary of the birth of the Khalsa which opposed idol worship, while on the other hand Mr Parkash Singh Badal had been pushing Sikhs towards idol worship by setting up Nishan-e-Khalsa on the pattern on 'Shiv Lingam'.

Mr Mann further said he was against the setting up or construction of all such buildings at Anandpur Sahib which would lead to idol worship. He said Mr Badal should give the political direction to the Sikhs for the prosperity of Sikh religion because without power, no religion can grow.

Mr Mann was here in connection with the preparations of 'Punjab Jagao Morcha' rally to be held at Chandigarh on September 22 by his party to expose the alleged failure of the Badal government at all levels.

The president of SAD (A) also demanded the resignation of Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, Union Minister for Fertilisers, on the issue of Udham Singh Nagar, as he was party to the Cabinet decision which decided the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar into Uttaranchal. He said Mr Barnala's stand in the past had also remained anti-Punjab on various issues, including the the construction of the SYL canal and entry of police into Golden Temple.

Mr Mann also suggested that Mr Badal should leave the BJP and run the government independently. He charged that Mr Badal had encouraged corruption in the state and posted 80 per cent corrupt officers on key posts by sidelining honest officers.

He said Mr G.S. Tohra was not a mass leader and his son-in-law, Mr Harmel Singh , was made a minister in the Akali government by ignoring many of those who had made sacrifices. He said the same was done in the case of Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, a minister in the Vajpayee government.

Mr Mann claimed that a third front could not be formed in the state without his party, which had some proposals from certain quarters in this regard but these could not be disclosed at this stage.

Border villages unfurl Tricolour

AMRITSAR, Aug 16 (UNI) — The entire border belt in this district yesterday came alive with the aged and the young joining hands to sing the National Anthem on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of Independence.

The National Tricolour was hoisted in a dozen villages along the border by the elders of the villages. The villages where Independence Day was celebrated were Bedisidhwan, Wan, Marimegha, Mahwa, Sahura, Saraghrah, Serai Amanat Khan, Kamaske, Ajnala, Lopoke, Naipal and Khuspur.

The flag - hoisting ceremony also marked the culmination of ‘Operation Sahyog’ launched last month by the local Panthers Division when the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Infantry Division, Major-Gen, Avtar Singh donated a chair for aged devotees at the Golden Temple here.

The motive of this operation was to bridge the gap between the residents of border villages and the Army and at the same time take note of their grievances and difficulties and put these before the civil administration.

During the month-long ‘Operation Sahyog’ the Army conducted a number of activities from planting trees to organising medical and veterinary camps in the border villages. Another motive of the operation was to strengthen the spirit of nationalism and patriotism among the villagers.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of the operation was that the state Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal sought Army help to construct a protective wall along the Ravi river between Ranian and Kakkar villages to prevent the river waters from submerging agricultural land. Working day and night, the Army engineers were successful in diverting the flow of the river and saving farmland.

During the operation, the Army also held cultural shows and inter-village sports competitions. The winning teams were given prizes yesterday on the occasion of the Independence Day by Army commanders. The Panthers Division also opened an ex-servicemen grievance cell here and decided to extend door-step canteen facilities to the ex-servicemen in their villages. The widows were given cash compensation from the Army relief fund.

Rs 30 cr for Punjab bus stands
From Our Correspondent

SAMRALA, Aug 16 — The Punjab Government has approved an ambitious Rs 30 crore project to construct new bus terminals in the state. This was disclosed here today by the Director, State Transport, Punjab, Mr K.B.S. Sidhu.

Mr Sidhu said that this decision was taken when the Chairman and Managing Director of HUDCO met the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal last week. Following this detailed discussions were held on Friday evening by the HUDCO team with top Punjab Government officials including the Chief Secretary, Mr R.S. Mann, Principal Secretary, Finance, Mr Rajan Kashyap, Principal Secretary to the CM, Mr R.I. Singh, Secretary Planning, Ms Kusumjit Sidhu and Director State Transport, Mr K.B.S. Sidhu.

According to Mr Sidhu, in the first phase, the project will take up development of existing bus stands at Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Phagwara, Ropar and Anandpur Sahib.

Hitherto bus stands under the management of Punjab Roadways had been functioning like government departments with the income derived from these by way of "adda fee" or rental/licence fee, being deposited in the state treasury. Similarly funds to develop and maintain bus stands were provided in the regular budget of the Transport Department.

Now, however, it is proposed to vest the management and development of bus stands in the Punjab Bus Stand Management Company Limited (PUNBUS), an entity owned wholly by the Punjab Government, said Mr Sidhu.

Mr Sidhu said that the decision to transfer the management and development of bus stands to this corporate body had earlier been taken by the government in order to raise institutional finance in a flexible manner. There is, however, no proposal to privatise this project, he added.

Mr Sidhu also said that the Department of Transport had engaged Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) for preparing a preliminary project report regarding the development of four bus stands at Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Phagwara on commercial lines.

The report of the consultants received recently had recommended the transfer of the bus stands to PUNBUS, he added.

The exact financial structure as well as the conceptual plans of PUNBUS are under consideration.

Promises to be fulfilled
By P.P.S. Gill
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 16 — The list of "landmark decisions" of the SAD-BJP government in Punjab under the "able" leadership of the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, is long and impressive.

"Peaceful" conduct and electoral "successes" in the past 18 months are often cited as an evidence of "popularity" of the government that "cares" and ensures "peace, prosperity and brotherhood". In a self-congratulatory tone it gloats over the acceptance of its "policies and programmes" by the people.

When it comes to ills in the body politic and administration, there could be no better target to apportion the blame than the Congress. The wrongs cannot be corrected overnight, the people are made to believe. A beginning has been made for a "haleemi raj" of Maharaja Ranjit Singh; have patience, show perseverance; shall succeed, are homilies handed down to the people.
When the SAD-BJP government claims it has fulfilled "95" per cent of the "promises" made to the people, one wonders which are the left out five per cent. A go-over of the "checklist" contained in the "common minimum programme", which "guides" the government policies raises a few questions.
Where is the "commission of inquiry" to "expose" the Congress' hand behind the violence in Punjab? On corruption, the commitment was that "it will be made mandatory for all legislators to declare their assets within 90 days of being elected. Any increase in their assets will have to be declared and accounted for annually." No one has heard anything on these two issues.

All cases of corruption were to be dealt with "expeditiously" and the "guilty" punished. At the same time, the Maharaja Ranjit Singh award was instituted to "honour" the capable and the honest officials. Either the corruption has ceased and thus no guilty has been punished; or the issue is so complex that no capable and honest official could be identified for the award. Where lies the truth? An ornament in the name of Lok Pal glitters!

A peoples' commission with no legal sanction or jurisdiction has come into being at the behest of several human rights organisations, which have formed an "umbrella" organisation: the committee for coordination on disappearances. Understandably, the government ignored it despite some old wounds having been scratched during its three-day sitting in Chandigarh last week. Even before the next sitting comes up at Ludhiana, there is an announcement of a parallel commission which has raised its voice as to "who will wipe the tears of widows of security personnel killed by terrorists"? The state has its own commission on human rights with limited functions. It is symbolic of state's concern for protecting, preserving human rights.

Given the blow hot, blow cold relationship between the two allies, when will the CMP in respect of "more powers" to states will be taken up with New Delhi? Has the government "actively" demanded the "implementation" of the main recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission (restoring balance of resources in favour of states, ending misuse of Article 356 and consulting the state on the choice of Governor)?

The outstanding disputes remain pending with the Centre. Which are the avenues of "peaceful political endeavour" used for redressal of the "grievances" of Punjab in respect of claim on river waters in accordance with riparian principles; inclusion of Chandigarh and other Punjabi speaking areas outside the state" etc?

In fact even, Eradi Tribunal hearings are on; the same could not be stopped by Punjab despite many visits to New Delhi by Mr Parkash Singh over the past months.

The Opposition may have been marginalised in the state in February 1997 Assembly poll and later in the parliamentary elections (including two by-elections). But it is still alive. However, change of guard in the Congress may not look impressive or pose a threat to the government. There are reports that the Congress was doning a "secular" image.

The AICC president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, has planned a visit to Amritsar later this year.

Best of efforts by politicians of all hues have not yet secured for the state key projects, including the Bathinda oil refinery.

Bathinda village to get unique project
Tribune News Service

BATHINDA, Aug 16 — Kaljharani, a remote village of Bathinda district, will soon emerge as a model place where youth will be equipped with tools and talent of various vocations of self-employment, creating openings of earnings for themselves at their doorstep.

This unique project of eradication and alleviation of poverty is expected to upgrade the quality of life of rural people with the active participation of Scheduled Caste families, farmers, craftsmen,working class and women. They will be provided financial and infrastructural support for setting up their own ventures in dairying , weaving, handloom operations, shop keeping, tractor repair workshop, sheep keeping etc.

The Chief Minister , Mr Parkash Singh Badal accompanied by officers concerned, visited the village today. He announced setting up of a 'building construction training centre' in the village at a cost of about Rs 25 lakh to train the youth in various technical skills in construction jobs like those of mason, carpenter, plumber and electrician. The centre would be first of its kind in the country.

The Chief Minister further said time has come when "instead of the people visiting officers, the officers will visit them." He asked the ADC and Liaison Officer of the Kaljharani Project to have an interface between the bank managers and the villagers.

Directions have been issued to the secretaries , heads of department and other senior officers to spend at least two days in the field interacting with the people for removal of their grievances. Similarly, district-level officers will work for four days in their offices and spend two days in villages after notifying their programmes.

Contradictory stand on raid flayed
Tribune News Service

JALANDHAR, Aug 16 — Mr Anil Datta, organising secretary of the Congress has demanded the resignation of either the Health Minister or his Minister of State over the contradictory stands taken by them on the recent raid on the civil hospital here.

While the Minister of State for Health has ordered a departmental inquiry against the erring doctors, the Health Minister, Mr Manoranjan Kalia, has come out in support of the doctor here, he said.

Scheme for free education
From Romesh Gupta

FARIDKOT: The District Red Cross Society has launched a special campaign to provide free education and other facilities to needy students irrespective of caste and creed on permanent basis in Faridkot district. Under the plan all types of books, stationery, fees and uniforms will be given to them.

As many as 1078 students from 82 educational institutions belonging to the fifth class to senior secondary classes had already availed the opportunity costing Rs 1.57 lakh.

A sum of Rs 600 as scholarships will be given to poor students to meet other expenses per annum. Similarly, a stipend of Rs 1200 will be paid to handicapped students on the same pattern.

The organisation has also donated water coolers and ceiling fans worth Rs 77,000 to various educational institutions during the past one month. It has also been decided to suitably reward those students who will remain on top in various disciplines like academic field, cultural activities and sports at the state and national level.

Directions have been issued to all the heads of schools to identify more such students to implement the plan effectively. According to Mr Gurinder Singh Grewal, Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of the society, the scheme is also under process to grant the same educational facilities to needy students of colleges.

The society was also seriously considering to render services to those who need technical and medical education free of cost.

The plan is shortly being sent to the Punjab Government for necessary funds.

Farmers pray at Akal Takht
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Aug 16 — Hundreds of farmers belonging to the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Mann) thronged Akal Takht here yesterday and performed ‘ardas’ for fighting the cause of the community as a number of farmers had already committed suicide due to alleged callous attitude of the central and respective state governments. They sought strength from the temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Later talking to the Press, the leaders said that the farmer was being exploited by the government.

Disappearance of labourer: probe sought
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Aug 16 — The Association for Democratic Rights (AFDR) has indicted the Punjab police for the alleged "disappearance" of a farm labourer from the alleged illegal custody of the police during the peak days of militancy in 1992.

According to a fact-finding report of the AFDR, released by Dr Parminder Singh, joint secretary of the association, one Balwinder Singh alias Binder, a farm labourer of Pakhopur village near Chohla Sahib, was taken into the alleged illegal custody when he committed a petty crime. The report further alleged while other culprits were let off by the police, Binder was kept in the illegal custody where he "disappeared" under mysterious circumstances. The association has demanded a high-level probe into the "disappearance" of Binder.

Other members of the committee included Yashpal Jhabal, Rajinder Singh (Kotkapura), Dr Mukhwinder Singh, Jarnail Singh and Balbir Singh.

Car, scooter thieves nabbed
From Our Correspondent

FATEHGARH SAHIB, Aug 16 — Gangs of car and scooter thieves has been busted during a special move to nab anti-social and criminal elements in the district.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Param Raj Singh Dhaliwal, SSP, said during a special naka at the Jakhwali bus stand, the police recovered five bags of poppy husk and an Ambassador car (DL-5CA-1534) and arrested Ranjit Singh resident of Kalemajra village.

Similarly, while patrolling, ASI Devinder Singh recovered a bag of poppy husk from Sher Singh of Brahman Majra and CIA Inspector Sohan Lal recovered poppy husk from Bhadalthuha village. The police has registered cases under the N.D.P.S. Act and arrested all the persons.

He said the Gobindgarh police had captured one stolen car (PB-03A-2566) from Pardeep Kumar resident of Gobindgarh and Rakesh Kumar of Gobindgarh. On investigation, the suspects revealed that they had also looted a wine shop at Kotla Bhajwara village and injured the salesman.

The Khamanon police nabbed a gang of scooter thieves with the arrest of Avtar Singh of Sandhari Majra, Jasbir Singh of Amrala, Sukhpal Singh of Todar Pur and recovered three stolen scooters, which were stolen from Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Mohali. This gang was also involved in snatching Rs 5000 from the salesman of wine shop at Khant village after stabbing him.

Congress leaders flay SAD policies
From Our Correspondent

BARNALA, Aug 16 — Three senior Congress leaders — Mr Gurcharan Singh Dadhahoor, AICC member and former MP, Mr Bachan Singh, former MLA, and Pandit Som Dutt, former Punjab Minister yesterday participated in an impressive function near the local Bhagat Singh Chowk to mark the 51st anniversary of India's freedom.

Addressing Congress workers Mr Dadhahoor regretted that the government of Mr Parkash Singh Badal was undoing popular decisions taken by the previous Congress government.

He said the Congress had in December, 1996 granted pension and gratuity benefits to private college teachers but the Badal government had failed to issue a notification to this effect.

Insurance union endorses stir call
From Our Correspondent

NAWANSHAHR, Aug 16 — The two-day session of the 29th divisional conference of North Zone Insurance Employees Association, Jalandhar division concluded here today after adopting a number of resolutions.

These included early wage revision through bilateral discussions, restoration of collective bargaining rights, reservation for women and opposing the opening up of the insurance sector to Indian or foreign monopoly capital.

The conference also endorsed the decision of the national platform of mass organisations for a one-day nation-wide strike on December 11. The conference also elected a 33-member divisional committee with Mr H.S. Baweja and Mr S. Kooner as its president and secretary respectively.

Rain water enters Hoshiarpur houses
From Our Correspondent

HOSHIARPUR, Aug 16 — Hoshiarpur and its surrounding areas experienced the heaviest rainfall of this season early this morning for more than two hours, causing a considerable fall in the temperature. As many as 118.02mm rainfall has been recorded by Flood Control Room officials during this period.

On account of poor sanitary conditions, choking of the Ganda nallah passing through the main bazars of the city and haphazard raising of the level of bazars and lanes, dirty and rain water entered shops and houses located on railway road, Red road, Katcha toba and Gaushala Bazar complex of the SSP's office. It caused a great inconvenience to the people.

The Bhangi choe adjoining the city was also flooded.

Most of the roads in the city which were already in a dilapidated condition, became worse.

Akalis ineffective in House, says Congress
Tribune News Service

JALANDHAR, Aug 16 — Mr Sant Ram Singla, general secretary of the Punjab Congress, has alleged that Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, Minister of State for Industry in the Union Cabinet, has not got any industrial project for the state.

Briefing mediapersons here yesterday, Mr Singla accused the state government of inaction regarding the long-pending demands of transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab, river waters dispute and transfer of Punjabi-speaking areas.

He said while Ms Jayalalitha is assertive in protecting the interests of her state, the Akali MPs were ineffective in raising vital issues and problems of the Punjabis in Parliament for redress.

In order to activate the party in the state, he said, the Congress would constitute committees in urban and rural areas by October 31.

BJP working panel meets on August 21
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Aug 16 — The BJP working committee will hold a meeting from August 21 to 23 in Jaipur to discuss how to establish a rapport between the working committee and the government, said Mrs Mridula Sinha, national vice-president of the party while addressing a press conference here today.

Mrs Sinha said that the BJP-led coalition would complete its full term at the Centre.

"The responsibility of running this coalition government rests not just on the BJP, but also on all other partners in the government which had extended their support to Mr Vajpayee," she said.

PF office distributes passbooks
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Aug 16 — The Employees Provident Fund Organisation, sub-regional office, Amritsar, today celebrated Independence Day by distributing passbooks, annual statements of accounts, pension payment orders and cheques to members of the provident fund here.

At the function, 1391 passbooks, 7748 account slips relating to 116 factories/establishments were distributed to the employers/representatives in addition to PPOs and five cheques of provident fund given to the widows of provident fund members.

Mr R.K. Kukreja, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, informed that from November 1995 till date, 2281 pensioners had been issued payment orders and were receiving pension every month.

Chakka jam leaders thank people, workers

CHANDIGARH, Aug 16— In a joint statement, the BSP state president, Col C.D.S. Kamboj (Retd) the CPM and CPI secretaries, Mr Balwant Singh and Dr Joginder Dayal, respectively, on Sunday thanked the workers, people of the state and staff of roadways for the "successful" "chakka jam" which passed off peacefully. The three leaders thanked the Janata Dal and the Punjab Bhalai Manch as well for their cooperation.

The call for "chakka" was to protest against rising prices and jacked up bus fares and power tariff.

The joint statement reiterated that the government should take steps to stop atrocities against the poor; withdraw false cases against BSP leaders and release them unconditionally; withdraw power hike and give free power up to 200 units to the poor among the domestic consumers withdraw bus fare hike; clear backlog of cases of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and ensure 27 per cent reservation to backward classes for all posts and in educational institutions.

The three wanted public distribution system streamlined and steps taken to "free" small farmers from the debt trap".

Rallies against price rise, government failure
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 16 — Members of the Janata Dal, the CPI and the CP(M) organised rallies and blocked vehicular traffic in different parts of the city today in protest against rising prices, anti-poor budget of the union government, deteriorating law and order situation and failure of the BJP-led Government at the Centre on all fronts.

A procession was taken out which moved through sectors 20,21 and 22.

The processionists were addressed, among others, by Mr Inderjit Singh Grewal, Mr H.S. Gambhir, Mr Rajendra Kashyap, Mr Devi Dyal Sharma, Mr Chander Sekhar, Mr R.S. Sandhu, Mr Balbir Singh and a few others.

They criticised Mr Surjit Singh Barnala for the failure of Food ministry to hold the price line. They also deprecated the Punjab Government for effecting a steep hike in the bus fares.

118 fair price shops for Sangrur
From Our Correspondent

BARNALA, Aug 16 — About 118 new government fair price shops will be opened in the urban areas/towns of the Sangrur district to improve the public distribution system.

This information was given to mediapersons here yesterday by Mr Chiranji Lal Garg, Punjab Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies at a press conference.

He said interviews were on to allot the 118 new fair price shops in urban areas of the district.

PESCO stitching centre faces closure

CHANDIGARH, Aug 16 (PTI) — The bullet proofing and uniform stitching centres of Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO) are on the verge of closure to the disadvantage of a large number of ex-servicemen, war widows and disabled personnel due to a recent change in the policy by Home and Defence ministries for grant of orders for bullet proofing of vehicles and stitching of uniforms.

PESCO Chairman and Managing Director Major Gen U.S. Sidhu (retd.) told PTI here today that around 200 persons employed directly and a large number of ex-servicemen and war widows would be adversely affected if the two units were closed.

He said that the two ministries in a change of policy have gone in for calling tenders for the two works. "It is not possible for us to compete with manufacturers by way of tenders", he said adding that PESCO being a non-profit organisation needed special dispensation.

Major Gen Sidhu said he along with MPs from Punjab, including Union Minister of State Sukhbir Singh Badal, met the Home and Defence ministers recently seeking special treatment to the ex-servicemen’s body, which was the first such institution to be set up in the country in 1978.

Major Gen Sidhu said PESCO has invested a substantial capital and resources for the creation of the auto workshop at Mohali near here. It also has a large work-force of ex-servicemen, he said adding that the workshop had a capacity to bullet-proof 30 vehicles per month.

He said PESCO charges between Rs two and Rs three lakh less for all types of vehicles as compared to the ordnance factory at Medak in Andhra Pradesh. The rates are also considerably lower than most of the civil agencies engaged in this work, he added.

Major Gen Sidhu said that the uniform stitching centre had been undertaking stitching of uniforms since 1989 when the Defence Ministry through the Directorate General of Resettlement started placing orders. PESCO opened stitching centres near Chandigarh and employed a large number of families, including of war widows, he added.

He said PESCO had executed orders worth Rs 18 crore so far and had stitched over 10 lakh pieces to the full satisfaction of the Defence Ministry and the armed forces. The unit has a capacity to stitch 30,000 to 40,000 uniforms monthly.

PESCO has urged the Defence Ministry to place orders for stitching six lakh pieces of Army uniforms immediately so that families of ex-servicemen and war widows were not retrenched.

Minister visits Singhpura village
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 1 6— Punjab minister Inderjit Singh Zira today met farmers at Singhpura village, about 20 km from Chandigarh who complained of damage to their fields due to a gas leakage from an agro-chemical plant located nearby.

The minister went round the fields which had been affected and asked farmers to call upon him at the office.

The Tribune had highlighted the problem of the farmers in its reports on August 14.

Mr Ranjit Singh, sarpanch of Singhpura village and Mr Charan Singh, sarpanch of Phuda village said approximately 125 acres of land had been affected. Most of the land belonged to farmers with small holdings.

A visit by The Tribune team revealed that top leaves of the paddy had gone brown as also of scores of poplar and eucalyptus trees in the vicinity of the plant.

Farmers alleged that the produce of paddy had gone down considerably. One of them said the pollution board should intervene.

SMO wanted by police
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 16 — The Nawanshahr police has issued a look out notice for Dr Mohinder Pal, a Senior Medical Officer (SMO) posted at ESI dispensary, Hoshiarpur, for allegedly publishing a poster against certain religious deities.

A case under Section 295 A and 153 A read with Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the medico, Mr Surinder Singh Sodhi, Senior Superintendent of Police , Nawanshahr, said in a press note here today.

He said that the SMO was evading arrest.

The SSP said any information about the movements of this wanted man could be conveyed on telephone numbers (21022, 21023, 21030, 20043 and 100 at Nawanshahr).

The identity of the informer would be kept secret, he added.