Tuesday, August 18, 1998
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P U N J A B | |
Tuesday, August 18, 1998 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Police
claim major breakthrough PCMSA
decries raids on hospitals, dispensaries |
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ASI
held for Dalit youth’s death |
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Piara Singh excommunicated Farmers
seek compensation for gas leak PSEB
stir called off as demands accepted Milkmen
go on strike PUTA
to boycott Joshi's visit 500
doctors to be recruited: Zira Badal
acting like Gidderbaha CM: Amarinder Punjab
should defer debt recovery: TDP PPSC
`violated' reservation policy |
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Freedom fighters feel let down PATIALA, Aug 15 — World War II veterans and gallantry award winners today feel they have not been able to get the independence which they had fought to achieve and protect. "This is not the independence we had dreamed of", said 80 years old Hari Singh, who fought in the North West Frontier and east Asia during World War 2 and later in the Indian National Army (INA), while talking to TNS at a ceremony in which war veterans were honoured by the 41 Armoured Division. Hari Singh, who expressed happiness at being honoured by 41 Armoured GOC Maj Gen PPS Bhandari, however, said the country had ignored and alienated INA veterans who were only given the status of freedom fighters in 1972. He said he had also not been eligible for Army pension as he had been discharged from service in 1946 after serving for nine years and six months while only those who had served for ten years were eligible for pension. Hari Singh lamented that the rich had grown richer and the poor poorer in independent India, adding that the moneyed class ruled the roost with the poor having no voice. Another veteran, Jaspal Singh said that ex-servicemen were not treated properly and no one followed the ideals espoused by the freedom fighters. Brigadier Sukhdev Singh, who won a Military Cross in 1946 in Indonesia, and later a Vir Chakra for his role in the Zojila pass operation in 1947 in Kashmir, said it was a tragedy that people were no longer interested in Independence Day celebrations. Brig Sukhdev Singh, who
was honoured at the official function held at the
Yadvindra Stadium here, said the function had been
reduced to a yearly ritual. "I wish they had a
special message for the youth and talked about the urgent
problems of the country like stemming population growth
and providing better health and education facilities to
the people. "None can feel proud of his country if
at one place there is luxury and right next door abject
poverty", he added. The veterans were however delighted that they had come in for honours by the Army and said such interaction should be held on other occasions also. Maj Gen Bhandari urged them to air their grievances and said the Army would try to mitigate them. Mrs Bubli Bhandari, wife of the GOC, presided over a separate function in which the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) honoured war-widows and listened to their grievances. Talking to TNS, Mrs Bhandari said the major problem widows faced was finding a job for their children. The widows themselves had mixed feelings on the occasion. While some said they would never send their children to the Army others said they were not averse to their children joining the Army. Talking to TNS, Baljit Kaur of Bhamour village in Fatehgarh Sahib, whose husband died at Ferozepore in 1971, said she was finding it hard to make ends meet as she was fighting a legal battle to retain her land. She said she was not in favour of sending her sons to the Army adding that while one was an agriculturist the other was a government teacher. "Anane (husband) ladai ladi, ananda ki mool paya", she says adding the pension of Rs 1,611 was too meagre to make ends meet". However, Mahinder Kaur, a resident of Bassi Pathana in Fatehgarh Sahib district, whose son died while fighting insurgency in Nagaland in 1985 says she is not averse to her younger son joining the Army. "I am too poor and the household cannot be run on the Rs 2,000 I receive as pension. I want that my younger son be adjusted in some job, she said. However, the most tragic case is of 23-year-old Poonam Bhardwaj also of Bassi Pathana, whose husband died in Srinagar in 1996. Talking to TNS, Poonam, who has a three-year-old daughter said she was on the lookout for a job as she did not want to be a burden on her parents She said that her in-laws had thrown her out of their house after the demise of her husband. Poonam said she had done a
course in stenography and had applied for the post of
stenographer in the Ropar Sainik Welfare Board but was
still awaiting a response from the board. |
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Police claim major breakthrough GURDASPUR, Aug 17 — The district police claim to have achieved a major breakthrough in identification of terrorists involved in the massacre of 35 innocent persons at Kalaban and Shatrundi in Chamba district with the arrests of Wali Mohammad alias Billa Gujjar, a resident of Baju Beg under Ghiar police station in Chamba district. According to Mr Gaurav Yadav, SSP the accused was arrested from the Dera of Faqir Mohammad near Hersian Pattan in this district. A search of the accused yielded 10 kg of gelatin, one pistol and 4 cartridges. Mr Yadav said they had secret information that the accused was a close associate of J&K militants of various terrorist outfits. Faqir Mohammad, from whose dera the accused was arrested, was also taken into police custody but was later let off. During preliminary interrogation the accused had disclosed that he was in contact with Bashir Ahmad, a suspected J&K militant, who would come to his house for food and shelter. Through him Bashir contacted Sharif Mohammad of Jalla village who agreed to collaborate with the terrorists for a sum of Rs 20,000. The meetings with the leader of the terrorist group which carried out the massacre were held on July 24 and July 30, the first time in the house of Sharif Mohammad. Sharif reached Kalaban a day before the massacre and was among the group of persons rounded up by the terrorists. He was later let off by the terrorists. He said the Chamba police had been able to identify the 4 persons used as collaborators by the terrorists. From their interrogation it appears that a group of 8 terrorists carried out the massacre. Of them 7 were foreigners while one was a Gujjar belonging to a village on the Chamba-J&K border. The district police chief
said that the accused had also played the role of
collaborator in the massacre of 5 persons in Padri
village in J&K on July 20. |
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Recheck
alters CET result CHANDIGARH, Aug 17 — Following a recheck of answer sheets ordered by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the ranking of all students who had taken the combined entrance test conducted by the Punjab Technical University, except Mr Ankur Garg, who had topped the list of successful candidates, has changed. This statement was made by counsel of the university before a Division Bench of the high court consisting of Chief Justice Arun B. Saharya and Mr Justice H.S. Bedi. When the university had declared the result, 7,968 students had qualified in the combined entrance test. However, after a recheck the total number of students who had qualified went up by 245 students Now the total list of successful candidates is 8,213. During the rechecking of answer sheets the marks of nearly 600 students were reduced. A student, Ms Pruchi Dewan, for example, was shown to have secured 154 marks in the result it had declared. After a recheck, her marks were reduced to 110. "We want to make it a test case," observed the Chief Justice, adding" "We want to get full details of her marks in each paper." Speaking for the Bench, the Chief Justice pointed out:"We are worried about those students who have not come to the court." The lapses in the preparation of the result were first highlighted by Mr Vivek Jain, one of the students who had taken the test. The university had awarded him 119 marks. Dissatisfied with the marks, he wrote to the university to given him details of each subject — physics, chemistry and mathematics. The university wrote to that his marks had increased from 119 to 151 marks. His rank in the merit list also went up. Still not satisfied with the marks awarded to him, Mr Vivek Jain had moved the high court through a writ petition urging that the university be directed to recheck the result. The high court had summoned the Registrar of the university and sought his explanation about the mistakes that had occurred in the preparation of the result. The university had volunteered to recheck 10 per cent of the total answer sheets. It checked objective type questions of physics, chemistry and mathematics and found that there were variations in the marks of several students. The high court was not satisfied with the change in the marks the university of certain students. It ordered the university to again check all objective-type questions of the 44,584 answer sheets. The university sought the court's permission today to declare the revised result now prepared. The Bench, however, directed the university to supply it certain more details and adjourned the case till Thursday. "We are keeping our
option open about getting the answer sheets checked by a
Lok Adalat," the Bench told counsel for the
university. |
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PCMSA decries raids on HOSHIARPUR, Aug 17 — The Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) association condemned the recent raid on government hospitals and dispensaries by the Health Minister, Punjab along with reporters. In a press note today Doctor Ajay Bagga, press secretary of the association, said that by doing so the minister might be able to hit headlines in newspapers but was in fact degrading himself as well as the medical profession. He said that the association was against private practice by the government doctors and was of the opinion that action should be taken against all those doctors who were indulging in open private practice. The association desires that working conditions in government institutes should be improved so that no doctor thought of doing private practice. Doctor Bagga said that the association would launch an agitation in the state if appropriate steps were not taken to improve working conditions in the rural health institutions in the state. He said that most of the buildings of the rural dispensaries were dilapidated and did not even have electricity and proper approach roads. Doctors have to work under great stress and strain. They are most unsatisfied and resentment prevailed among them. They said that Punjab government's claim that employees had been given much more than the central pattern was false. They have been given only truncated parity with their counterparts in the government health services. He said that doctors had not yet got what the government had recommended for them. The government is issuing vague directionless orders to the district heads regarding the implementation of the new pay scales and allowances. The government issued directions to the district heads that all PCMS doctors who had already been designated as SMO and had completed 10 or 12 years of regular service be placed now at 7 years of scale by the respective drawing and disbursing officers but while fixing this scale annual confidential reports for these years be taken into consideration. The association would like
to know how the respective officers could do this when
the annual confidential reports are not lying with them.
Thus the process fixation pay was being deliberately
delayed. All other government employees had got arrears
and getting salaries in new scales but it was being
denied to the PCMS doctors in slumber. |
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ASI held for Dalit
youth’s death ADAMPUR (Jalandhar), Aug 17 — There is resentment in the area against the death of a Dalit boy in police custody on August 14. Residents yesterday blocked traffic and pelted stones on the police station to pressure the police authorities or the district to register a case against an ASI. According to the deceased's brother, Gurdev, of Khurdpur, Satnam Singh, his younger brother was taken into police custody on August 14 by the Bhogpur police in connection with the theft of a tubewell motor. At the intervention of prominent villagers and the panchayat he was released later that evening. But the police returned along with the sarpanch of Chogran village and rearrested Satnam Singh and took him to Kothar police station. When the panchayat members of Khurdpur contacted the police station they were told by the police station in charge to come at around 6 p.m. Information of Satnam Singh's death however, reached the village at 5 p.m. on August 15. The angry villagers resorted to traffic blockades and pelted stones at the police station that same evening demanding that they be given Satnam Singh's body. Raising slogans against the police hundreds of them stormed into the police station to retrieve his body. The SSP, Mr Paramjit Singh Gill denied the custodial death of Satnam Singh saying he was run over by a Matador when he was trying to escape from police custody. However, a case has been registered against the ASI, Mr Rajinder Singh, and the Matador driver Jatinder Kumar under Section 304, 342 IPC and an interim report has been sent to the state human rights commission and National Human Rights Commission. Briefing the media in Jalandhar today the SSP, Mr Gill categorically stressed that people should not resort to dharnas or traffic blockades and approach against the police to get FIR's registered and said strict action would be taken against those who indulged in pressure tactics. Lauding the role of the police in the district he claimed that various cases had been promptly solved by the police. Contrary to the police claims however, villagers of Khurdpur alleged that Satnam Singh died to torture by the police and the story of his being hit by a Matador was a concocted one. PTI adds: An Assistant Sub-Inspector of police was arrested and a magisterial enquiry ordered today into the death of a Dalit youth, allegedly in police custody, last evening which sparked off violence in which a number of police personnel were injured, official sources said today. Cremation of the body of Satnam Singh, who allegedly died in police custody, went off peacefully in Adampur near here, where a violent mob damaged a police gypsy and tried to ransack the police station yesterday, sources told PTI. The inquiry was ordered on recommendation of Senior Superintendent of police P S Gill who denied that the youth died in custody. He said, however, that ASI Harjit Singh and the driver of the van were arrested today and a case under Section 342 (illegal custody) and 304 (death due to negligence) had been registered. "It was
a genuine case of accident as Satnam, who was being
brought to the police station on a scooter after he
confessed to the theft of a tubewell motor, was run over
by a speeding van when he got off the two-wheeler",
Mr Gill said. |
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Piara Singh excommunicated AMRITSAR, Aug 17 — The Sikh clergy today excommunicated one Piara Singh Bhaniarawala for proclaiming himself a Guru of the Sikh Panth and directed Sikhs not to visit his dera in Ropar district. By a 'Hukamnama' (religious edict), the Sikh clergy alleged that Piara Singh had been indulging in blasphemous act by describing himself as "dhan dhan Satguru Piara Singh". He was directed to depose
at Akal Takht today to clarify his position, but did not
respond. He was therefore being excommunicated from
Sikh-Panth and the Sikh sangat should keep a close watch
on his activities, and impress upon the civil and police
administration of Ropar district to withdraw security
guards provided to him so that he could not misuse them. The clarification submitted by one Balbir Singh Changiara was not found "satisfactory" and he was given another opportunity to clarify his stand within a month. Briefing newsmen after a four-hour long in-camera meeting on the top floor of Akal Takht, Bhai Ranjit Singh, Akal Takht chief, said that the explanations submitted by Mr Avtar Singh Dhami, Mr Amarjit Singh Sidhu, Mr Harjot Singh Khalsa, Mr Gurdev Singh, functionaries of the Gurdwara Freemantle San Francisco (USA), Bhai Jagjit Singh, granthi of this gurdwara and that of president — Mr Sikander Singh Jassar, vice-president — Gurbux Singh, Mr Manjit Singh — secretary, Mr Sikander Singh — treasurer, Bhai Gurpreet Singh and Bhai Manjit Singh both granthis of the Bakersfield Gurdwara, California were found satisfactory, and had been accepted. Bhai Ranjit Singh said that as directed, Mr Avtar Singh Hit had handed over the documents and possession of Bhai Sukho Khalsa Primary School building to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (DSGPC), which had been confirmed today by Mr Jaswant Singh Sethi and Mr Bhajan Singh Walia, president and general secretary, respectively, of this religious body. The application of Mr Hit for reinduction into the panthic fold would be entertained in accordance with 'gurmat maryada' and he would be called at Akal Takht to undergo 'tankhah'. Mr Atma Singh Lubana, another member of the DSGPC, also sought forgiveness and reinduction into the Sikh Panth. He will also be called to the Akal Takht. Prof Manjit Singh and Giani Kewal Singh, jathedars of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib respectively, were conspicuous by their absence. When asked about their absence, Bhai Ranjit Singh said that today's meeting was fixed in consultation with both of them . Letters on the letterhead of the Akal Takht were also sent. He regretted that they neither attended the meeting nor had sent any message. Giani Gurbachan Singh and Bhai Charan Singh, granthi of the Golden Temple were called to attend the meeting in their place. Giani Mohan Singh , head granthi of Golden Temple and Giani Bhagwan Singh, head granthi of Akal Takht also participated in the meeting. When pointed out that
certain Sikh leaders from Canada had pleaded that
jathedars of five Takhts (seats) including that of Patna
(Bihar) and Hazur Sahib at Nanded ( Maharashtra) should
jointly issue the 'hukamnama', Bhai Ranjit Singh said
there was no instance in Sikh history in which the
jathedars of all five Takhts had issued a 'Hukamnama'. |
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Farmers seek compensation for gas
leak CHANDIGARH, Aug 17 — A gas leak from a fertiliser unit near here has led to unrest among the villagers of Shatapgarh, Singhpura, Bhankerpur and Ramgarh Pudda. They want the factory management to install pollution control devices besides giving adequate compensation to the affected farmers. Besides this, the villagers want a pesticide project of Markfed — proposed to be relocated here from SAS Nagar — to be stalled. Several hundred residents of these villages , who suffered the gas leak do not want development at the cost of their health and prosperity. In a memorandum submitted to the Punjab Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, at his residence here this morning, the villagers raised the issue of repeated gas leaks in the past 10 years and lack of any action on the part of the state government against the management of the factory and compensation to the villagers. They said the lackadaisical attitude of the government had raised the hackles of the villagers who would now take matters into their own hands and get their grievances redressed. Besides a "rasta roko" stir, and gherao of ministers, the support of political parties of the state would be solicited. Talking to TNS, Mr Charan Singh, Sarpanch of Ramgarh Pudda, said they were running from pillar to post to get justice. In the latest episode, they had been taken aback by the announcement by Milkfed authorities that a plant manufacturing 15 pesticides would be relocated in this area. Although it has been announced the plant was fully air conditioned , yet they were apprehensive as their experience with the existing plant was not a good one, he added. Other villagers
accompanying him said they would not sit idle and would
not allow setting up of the new plant. |
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PSEB stir called off as demands
accepted CHANDIGARH, Aug 17 — After a day long meeting with the management of the Punjab State Electricity Board, the PSEB employees committee in a statement here today said that the management had agreed to pay arrears of pay revision in two instalments with the salary of August and September without pre audit. It also agreed to create 2150 posts of different categories of employees as per the work load norms. The board will also grant Rs 100 as risk allowance to linemen and Rs 50 to assistant linemen and Rs 100 as a shift duty allowance to the SSA and Rs 100 as a ledger keeping allowance to lower division clerks. The workcharged staff, having service of 10 years, would be regularised. The statement further said that the wage formulation committee would finalise its recommendations by November 30 and 117 posts of draftsmen, which were abolished, would be kept in abeyance till March 31 next year. The meeting was attended by Mr S.K. Tuteja, chairman of PSEB, Mr Baldev Singh Mann, administrative member, Mr Kirandeep Singh Bhullar, secretary and Mr R.P. Pandov, Director, Industrial Relations, from management side and Mr Mukhwant Singh Sidhu, Mr H.S. Minhas, Mr Surinder Singh, Mr Joginder Singh Jindu, Mr Mohinder Singh, Mr Amarjit Singh Sodhi, Mr Gurnam Singh Gill and Mr Manjit Singh Chahal from struggle committee side. The struggle committee has
called off its proposed strike on August 19 in the light
of demands accepted by the management today. |
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Puadhi cremated ROPAR, Aug 17 — Noted Punjabi writer and a member of the National Commission for Backward Classes Navtej Singh Puadhi, who died of heart attack at Chandigarh yesterday, was cremated this evening at his native village Bheora 4 km from here. Mr Gurnam Singh, son-in-law, of Puadhi, lit the pyre in the absence of his only son who lives in America. Puadhi is survived by two daughters, a son and wife. The cremation was attended by a large number of persons including Mr Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, a former Union Minister; Col Raminder Singh, Director, Sports, Punjab; Dr Madan Lal Hasija, Director, Languages, Punjab; Mrs Satwant Kaur Sandhu, MLA, Chamkaur Sahib; Mr H.J.S. Grewal, member secretary, Punjab State Backward Classes Commission; writers, journalists, advocates, besides friends nears and dears of Puadhi. There was resentment among some friends, nears and dears of Puadhi for not cremating him with state honours by the government. One of his friends, Mr N.S. Sitta, honorary secretary, Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, disclosed to the journalists that state honour to Mr Puadhi was not given though he personally approached to the office of Punjab Chief Secretary. He said that an officer of
the Chief Secretary's, office only conveyed to him that a
file had been put up in this regard. Later, what happened
with the file, he did not know, he added. |
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Milkmen go on strike MOGA, Aug 17 — Milkmen from all over this district, today observed a strike in protest against the proposed formation of a dairy board by the Punjab Government. They did not supply milk and those few who did, charged exorbitant rates. PHILLAUR:
Milkmen went on a state-level strike on Monday in protest
against the move to constitute a Punjab state dairy
development board. PHAGWARA:
Milkmen of this block observed a strike on Monday. |
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PUTA to boycott Joshi's visit PATIALA, Aug 17 — The Punjabi University Teachers Association today endorsed the decision of the Punjab Federation of University Teachers Associations (PFUTA) to do a social boycott of HRD Minister M.M. Joshi if he visits Punjab, because it was during his visit to Punjabi University, Patiala that university teachers were arrested while sitting on a peaceful dharna and were kept under police detention at Ghanour police station for six hours. In a statement issued here today, the PUTA also condemned the HRD ministry for announcing two sets of scales for university and college teachers, i.e. Rastogi Committee recommended scales with effect from 1.1.96 and another with effect from 27.8.98, knowing well that the university and college teachers throughout the country have opposed the Rastogi Committee recommendations tooth and nail. PUTA president, Dr B.S. Nanda and secretary Dr Jaswinder Singh said here tonight the Rastogi Committee scales were being thrust upon university and college teachers for a period of 2 years and 7 months simply to humiliate the teaching community and to avoid the payment of arrears to them with effect from 1.1.96. The PUTA leaders further said that the association had decided to support the strike by Federation of Central Universities Teachers Associations (FEDCUTA) from today and decided to respond to the calls of FEDCUTA along with that of AIFUCTO. Meanwhile, Punjabi
University teachers organised a rally today in front of
the Vice-Chancellor's office demanding immediate
acceptance and implementation of UGC pay-scales. Prof
B.S. Nanda, president PUTA, Dr Jaswinder Singh, secretary
PUTA and Dr G.S. Sekhon addressed the rally. |
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500 doctors to be recruited:
Zira LUDHIANA, Aug 17 — As many as 350 doctors had been recruited last year and 500 new doctors will be recruited this year in order to fill vacancies at various hospitals. This was stated by Mr Inderjit Singh Zira, Minister of State for Health, Family Welfare and Jails, while addressing a conference at Badowal village here today. He said the government was making efforts to provide modern health care facilities and that by 2000, the goal of "health for all" would be realised. Speaking about the achievements of the state government, he said the government had fulfilled 90 per cent of its promises. He said for the "shagun scheme", Rs 40 crore had already been spent from the state's coffers. He said the government had raised the amount given to the people belonging to the weaker sections for the construction of houses from Rs 15,000 to Rs 50,000. He also announced a grant
of Rs 1 lakh for the development of the village and Rs
25,000 for furniture in local schools. |
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March against price rise AMRITSAR, Aug 17 —
The Janata Dal and the Yuva Janata Dal today organised a
protest march from historic Jallianwala Bagh which
culminated at the Deputy Commissioner's officer against
inflation hike in bus fares and power tariff rampant
corruption in government offices and unemployment etc. Among those who addressed
the protest rally included Mr Vasneek Singh, Jaspal Singh
president and vice-president of Janata Dal respectively,
Dr Avtar Singh Sandhu, president, Yuva Janata Dal
Amritsar. |
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Badal acting like Gidderbaha CM:
Amarinder MANSA, Aug 17 — Capt Amarinder Singh, President, PPCC, while addressing the district-level rally today against the rise in prices said urban people, particularly the salaried class and the weaker sections, were its worst sufferers. He alleged that about 30 per cent of the state's textile industry had turned sick after the Akali government took over the reins of power and the hike in power tariffs had broken the back of industry. While addressing a press conference later, Capt Amarinder Singh said plans were afoot to spend Rs 700 crore in the home constituency of Mr Badal. He said Mr Badal was behaving as if he were the Chief Minister of Gidderbaha rather than of Punjab. He lamented that Thein dam couldn't reach its optimum capacity until the Shahpur Kandi reservoir was completed but the govt had not allocated funds for a reservoir at Shahpur Kandi. He said, Mr Badal and Mr Tohra were issuing contradictory statements on focal points with Mr Tohra saying focal points were worthless while Mr Badal wanted more of them. The Congress president
said a mere rejection of the Eradi Commission by the
Akali government would not be in the interests of the
state and the Chief Minister should talk to the concerned
states and the Centre for an amicable solution to the
problem. |
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122 police recruits pass out PHILLAUR, Aug 17 — The passing out parade of the Punjab Police Academy was held here today. Mr A.A. Siddiqui, Director of the Academy, took the salute. He spoke about the importance of moral values and respect for the law. Among others present were
Mr Chander Shekhar, Joint Director, Mr T.S. Dhillon,
Deputy Director and other officers of the Academy. Of the
122 recruits, 84 were from Punjab, 13 from Chandigarh, 14
from Andaman, 11 from the R.P.F. |
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Political Secretary to PPCC chief CHANDIGARH, Aug 17 — Mr Avtar Singh Katron has been appointed Political Secretary of Capt Amarinder Singh, President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, according to a party press note issued here today. Mr Lakhwinder Singh has
been appointed Chairman of the PPCC Backward Classes cell
and Mr Harinder Pal Singh Mann has been appointed
Chairman of the PPCC Kisan cell. |
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Press committee reconstituted CHANDIGARH, Aug 17 — The Punjab Government has reconstituted the Press Accreditation Committee under the chairmanship of Mr J.S. Kesar, Secretary, Information and Public Relations, Punjab, Mr Jagjit Puri, Director, Information and Public Relations, Punjab will be its member-secretary. As many as 37 journalists,
including editors and senior reporters of various papers,
have been taken as members of the committee, one of the
largest to be ever constituted. |
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Mattewal nominated Dean CHANDIGARH, Aug 17 —
Mr Hardev Singh Mattewal, a former Advocate-General of
Punjab has been nominated Dean, Faculty of Law, Guru
Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. His appointment is till
June 30, 2000. |
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Punjab should defer debt
recovery: TDP JALANDHAR, Aug 17 — Rajya Sabha member and kisan wing leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Dr Y. Shivaji demanded that the Punjab Government defer recovery of debts from farmers for two years, since the farmers of the state were resorting to suicides. Lashing out at the system he said that since the liberalisation period started eight years ago the reforms had not percolated down to the agriculture sector. Thus, canning and processing plants had not been started. Referring to the restrictions laid down by the government on cotton farmers, he said to safeguard the textile industry, the government was not allowing farmers to export raw cotton. This negative approach towards farmers was responsible for creating havoc in their economy. Rates would go up 20 per cent if this restriction was removed. On the other hand the
government should play a responsible role and punish
dealers and agents who supplied sub-standard seeds,
pesticides and fertilisers. The Punjab Government should
give appropriate assistance to the families of farmers
who had committed suicides, he said while briefing the
media here today. |
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Zila parishad staff hold dharna AMRITSAR, Aug 17 —
Employees of the zila parishad staged a dharna and held a
rally in front of the office of the Additional Deputy
Commissioner (Dev) here today in protest against the
non-payment of their salaries for July. Mr Lal Singh, convener,
Mulazam Action and Mr Sucha Singh, general secretary,
Government Teachers Union, addressed the rally. |
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Ayurvedic course entrance test PATIALA, Aug 17 — The entrance test to M.D. (Ayurvedic) course at Government Ayurvedic College, in the speciality of "dravyaguna" will be held on September 20. Stating this here today, Dr Balkar Singh, coordinator of the entrance test and Dean, College Development Council, said the prospectus would be available from August 18 on the university campus and the office of the Principal of the college. The last date for the receipt of applications was September 4, he added. Meanwhile, the Department of Geography, Punjabi University, will organise the 6th UGC refresher course for university and college lecturers from October 8 to 30, a release said. Thirty lecturers from various parts of the country are likely to participate. They will be imparted
training in conducting field work by organising a village
survey. |
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Pollution control executive panel AMRITSAR, Aug 17 — A general body meeting of the local Pollution Control Committee was held here today in which its Executive Committee was elected unanimously. Mr Mukhtar Singh Mahal and Mr Prabhdial Singh Randhawa have been elected its president and general secretary, respectively. The other office-bearers include Dr Sukhdev Singh (joint secretary), Mr Milkha Singh Bath and Mr Gurpreet Singh (vice-presidents) and Dr C.S. Cheema (treasurer). Executive committee members include Mr Rattan Singh, Mr Dhanjeet Singh, Mr Harbans Singh Bedi, Mr Harbans Singh Butter, Mr Kulwant Singh, Mr Raj Balbir Singh, Mr Randhir Singh and Dr Baljeet Singh Dhillon. Dr A.S. Sidhu has been appointed auditor. The meeting also decided
to hold a seminar on the dangers of pollution at
Antaryami Colony. |
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PPSC `violated' reservation
policy SAMRALA, Aug 17 — The Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) did not follow the reservation policies of the state government at the time of the selection of veterinary officers. This was stated by the Unemployed Veterinary Graduates Association, Punjab, here today. Dr N.P. Singh, general secretary of the association, told mediapersons that the PPSC had in an advertisement issued in January, advertised 182 posts of veterinary officer. Out of these, 37 posts were reserved for the Scheduled Caste and Schedule Tribes category. The interviews were conducted on June 19 at Patiala and the results declared on July 18 in which, instead of taking all 23 eligible SC/ST candidates, only 20 were declared selected. According to Dr N. P.
Singh representations had been presented to the Welfare
Minister, Punjab, Secretary, Welfare Department,
Secretary, Animal Husbandry Department and Chairman,
PPSC, in this regard. |
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Govt must assist ex-teachers,
says Congress PATIALA, Aug 17 — Senior Congress leader and former minister Brahm Mohindra today condemned the detention of discharged teachers by the Patiala police yesterday. In a statement here, Mr Brahm Mohindra said the state government was unnecessarily harassing discharged teachers who were fighting for their just rights. He also deplored the statement of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal that the Congress was responsible for their plight and that they should now go to the Congress party for redressal. The Congress leader called
upon the government to intervene in the matter and to
issue a fresh ordinance in the light of observations made
by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to create vacancies
with retrospective effect. |
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