Monday, October 26, 1998
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P U N J A B | |
Monday, October 26, 1998 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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All
parties urged Measures
to eradicate corruption |
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 Akali leaders oppose
Miscreants
beat up |
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Congress, BSP woo CPI JALANDHAR, Oct 25 — The Congress and the BSP in Punjab are wooing the CPI to forge an alliance for the forthcoming Adampur assembly byelections even though the CPI is not committing itself to either. Custodial death evokes
resentment Removing
bureaucratic hurdles FCI
may sell paddy in open market Case
against councillor Literacy
drive in jail Paramedical
staff threaten dharna Two
boys kidnapped, released Photographers
resent sales tax |
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All parties urged to join Khalsa
tercentenary celebrations CHANDIGARH, Oct 25 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today urged all political parties and social and religious organisations to participate in the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa in 1999. The Chief Minister who presided over an Anandpur Sahib Foundation meeting, said the foundation had been set up to celebrate this prestigious event at the "global level". He thanked the Government of India for setting up a national panel for the celebrations with several other states following suit. The Prime Minister has convened a meeting of the national committee for November 5 where the Punjab Government and the Anandpur Sahib Foundation will plead for the clearance of various proposals concerning the celebrations already submitted to New Delhi. A Khalsa Express (an exhibition on rails ) will be introduced on the day of celebrations. The train will disseminate the message of Sikh gurus on evolving a new social order based on liberty, equality and fraternity. The tercentenary train will have 15 coaches. Punjab expects the Centre to bear the cost. A Sarb Sanjhi Gurbani concert will be organised in which eminent artistes like Lata Mangeshkar and Jagjit Singh have been requested to recite shabad and sacred hymns. Various suggestions were put forth by the members and the Chief Minister assured them to take the necessary action. Mr Tarlochan Singh, chairman, Delhi Tourism Corporation, said Victoria Albert Museum had planned an exhibition of Sikh relics in London, Toronto and Washington next year. It was resolved that the British High Commission may be requested to bring this exhibition to India next year and give an opportunity to the people of this country to have a glimpse of these relics. Earlier, Mr Barjinder
Singh Hamdard, chairman of the executive committee, gave
an account of the activities undertaken by the
foundation. |
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Man,
nature 'interdependent' CHANDIGARH, Oct 25 — Religion has a major role in solving the ecological crisis being confronted by the people world over. Presenting her paper 'Sikhism and Environmental Ethics,' at the concluding day of the Khalsa tercentenary seminar organised by the Institute of Sikh Studies at Kathala Gurdwara here today, Ms Surjit Kaur of Pune said that environment was directly connected with religion. "Whenever, it comes to morality or any other inner dilemma we turn to religion. Then how can we afford to keep environment out of ambit of religion?" she asked. Tracing the roots of the contemporary environmental crisis to about 2000 years ago, Ms Surjit Kaur said the crisis had been the outcome of an assumption that man was supreme and all other objects in the world had been created by God for him. Even almost all religions treat ethics on a man-to-man basis. But the case was different as far as Sikhism was concerned whereby the relation between man and the whole of earth was perceived,which was evident from what Guru Nanak had said: "Sail pathar me jant upaya." She said that man and nature were interdependent and man should not do any harm to nature through its acts as the Sikh gurus had told us to love everything on earth. Presenting a paper on the theme, Khalsa: its role in 21st Century, Dr Balkar Singh said there was no place for 'deras' in Sikhism. He said instead what was the need of the hour was a missionary spirit among the Sikhs to spread the message of the Gurus. He dubbed the 21st century as a challenge before the Sikhs," Our entity would be in peril if we fail to frame the issues for the coming times, particularly when the contemporary age was that of cultural dominance, ". While delivering her paper on the theme, Khalsa: its role in the 21st century, Dr Sukhjeet Kaur said it was the Khalsa only which could redeem mankind from the all pervasive consumerism and materialism in the 21st century as these were major impediments in the way of spiritual attainment. Commenting on the role of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Akal Takht and the World Sikh Council in the 21st century, Dr Sukhjeet Kaur said being confined to four states of UP, Punjab, Himachal and Haryana, the SGPC had not been able to guide the Panth at this point. She said the role of Akal Takht Jathedar has to be deliberated upon as the post was a nominated one. Referring to the World Sikh Council she said a lot of mud-slinging among the priests had brought a bad name to the religion. In his paper on the theme, Prof Gurmukh Singh said the Khalsa had a sublime message in the 21st century for all mankind that all are one and descended from the same God. In the changed scenario, Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh had been destined to rule over the minds of the people and not by winning elections or capturing seats in legislatures. For the gigantic task of helping the people all over the world in realising the need for spiritual resurgence, we must prepare the youth to take this responsibility. In his paper on the theme, Brig Gurdip Singh, mainly touched on the issues of indifference of the Sikh youth and alienation of Sikh youth. He asked why wise men among the Sikhs have made themselves irrelevant, and left their duties to granthis? He expressed concern over the non-following of tenets of Sikhism by Sikh youth. Dr Birendra Kaur, in her paper 'Just don't do it', said that the Sikhs had been drifting away from the path shown by the Gurus. "We have once again been enslaved by the age-old irrelevant customs from which the Gurus had freed us," she lamented. While presenting his paper, Gen. Jaswant Singh, stressed on the need for shunning the old methods of farming by Punjabis and advocated that they should go in for diversification. This was pertinent especially when the intake of the Sikhs into the Army has dropped from 31 per cent to a mere 7 per cent, he said while urging the affluent members of the community to provide job opportunities to weaker members. A paper of the US-based Sikh saint Harbhajan Singh Yogi, was read out on the occasion, others who spoke included Mr Harjinder Singh Khalsa, Mr Gurbaksh Singh, Alice Basarke and Gajinder Singh Sethi. In a resolution passed at the seminar, participants criticised the move of the Union Minister of Human Resource Development to impose 'majority way of life' and culture on the minorities in the name of nationalism. The resolution said if allowed to proceed it would strangulate the religious, cultural and ethnical values of the minorities. It also said the legal,
cultural and ethnic rights as had been granted under
Article 30 of the Constitution should be protected and
should never allowed to be violated as it would amount to
infringement on the rights of the state. |
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Measures to eradicate corruption CHANDIGARH, Oct 25 — Punjab bureaucrats are to deliberate on ways and means to eradicate corruption from the politico-administrative system at a meeting with the Chief Secretary here tomorrow. For most of the senior bureaucrats it has been a busy week-end having been circulated "theme papers" on the subject of corruption to study, thus enabling them to participate openly and effectively in the meeting convened for the purpose. Corruption has become a household word in the corridors of power. It is also all pervasive. The coalition partners, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP), are not unaware of the issue which has been aired at their respective party platforms and behind closed doors without any tangible results. The two partners have listed corruption at number 2 on the common minimum programme agenda. Having fought the February 1997 assembly poll on the "corruption plank", the SAD-BJP government finds itself in a snare when it comes to dealing with the menace. The Chief Minister at an "open house" with a select band of administrative secretaries has talked of corruption and sought suggestions on refurbishing the image of the government, which keeps drawing a flak all the time. That "heart-to-heart" meeting was followed by the one held by the Chief Secretary. Consequently, it was decided to take on corruption "at the official level", sources said. The Chief Secretary decided to depute three bureaucrats to prepare a theme paper — an essay, if you please — on corruption so that all could put their heads together to meet corruption head on. The three officers are Mr B.R. Bajaj, Mr R.N. Gupta and Mr K.R. Lakhanpal. With Divali holidays intervening, the three could not get together. Therefore, instead of a joint paper the Chief Secretary received three papers. Corruption is neither new nor unknown. The question is where and how to make a beginning. The papers make interesting reading. Mr Bajaj has gone to the extent of quoting foreigners. He has come up with a formula to describe corruption. He calls it C=M+D-A. In other words, it is corruption equal to monopoly plus discretion minus accountability. Combating corruption is a difficult and sensitive issue and requires support from all quarters. Mr Bajaj sounds sceptical when he says "many national political leaders, who support such efforts (combating corruption) in principle are hesitant to undertake them in practice". Having talked of the hypothesis and other related aspects his essay says "combating corruption, therefore, begins with designing better systems. Monopolies must be reduced or carefully regulated. Official discretion must be clarified. Transparency must be enhanced. The probability of being caught, as well as the penalties for corruption (for both givers and takers) must increase". Corruption is not a problem of the government alone; the private sector is part of it. Therefore, it has to be a part of the solution as well. Corruption has become systematic and fighting it will have to be beyond implementing liberal economic policies, enacting better laws, reducing the number and complexity of regulations and providing more training. However, helpful these steps may be, what is required is "administering a shock to disturb corrupt equilibrium", the paper reads. His philosophical approach studies the genesis of corruption and stresses on reform of the system through an economic approach and great political sensitivity. For Mr Gupta the main issues are "efficiency, effectiveness and ethics" in the government. He has mentioned "places" in the administration associated with corruption. These are the "cutting edge" where there is government monopoly in say "services or regulatory laws" or where "discretion" is available to functionaries or where there is "lack of accountability" at all levels. Then there is corruption in "internal transactions", say between treasury and a particular department. Then corruption breeds where "purchases" and "services" are involved "subsidies and grants" are often outstripped by demand. These give way to corrupt practices. Therefore, his suggestions are that while tackling key areas, backup has to be in the form of supportive administrative measures. "A complex hierarchy without distinct job and decision responsibilities makes it difficult to bring accountability or fix responsibility for mala fide, mishandling". Stability of tenure and transfers have also been mentioned by Mr Gupta. Fixing the minimum period will be in order. Unsystematic transfers create problems. He has suggestions on the areas identified by him. The single file system will also help. But then for all things to happen there is needed the will — bureaucratic and of political executive. Mr Gupta has touched upon the subject of reorganisation of the vigilance set-up. The general impression being that while innocent are greatly harassed, the "cream" gets away. His strong view is to recast vigilance on the pattern of the Central Vigilance Commission system and placing investigative wing under the CVC, breaking stranglehold of typical police system and making the set-up multi-dimensional. There should be constant association of administrative departments with vigilance work through formation of Joint Secretary-level committees. For transparency right to information has been suggested. Certain amendments to the service conduct rules are also required. Mr Lakhanpal has also written on almost same lines as has Mr Gupta. The former has made five pertinent points and elaborated on those. These five points pertain to the "personnel policy". These include recruitment, posting and transfer. The second is regarding citizens' charter, a concept evolved at the Chief Secretaries' meeting in New Delhi on November 20, 1996, and endorsed at the Chief Ministers' conference on May 27, 1997. The charter will be for departments with public interface. The third point is in respect of purchases in departments and nexus between officials and suppliers. Privatisation and offering contractual jobs is the fourth point and delegation of powers and decentralised administration is the last. Will the Monday exercise result in a tangible action plan? Will "big" fish be fried as Mr Bajan has suggested or will it be yet another exercise in futility? It is 18 months now. There is no news of any one getting the Maharaja Ranjit Singh award (Rs 50,000; 30,000; and 20,000) to be given to officers and officials of "exemplary honesty and integrity". This was stated emphatically by Mr Parkash Singh Badal during his speech at the Chief Ministers' conference in New Delhi on May 24, 1997, where an action plan for effective and responsive administration was discussed. That too has remained an all-India paper exercise, despite the Cabinet Secretary having evolved certain code of conduct way back on November 20, 1996, at a Chief Secretaries' meeting. With corruption having
come on the centre-stage in Punjab people look forward to
some action. |
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Akali leaders oppose 'Kairon influence' AMRITSAR, Oct 25 — The rising influence of the Kairon family in this border district may bring dissident Akali leaders of the Majha region on a single platform to oppose SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal's alleged attempts of promoting nepotism at their cost. Resentment prevails among senior party leaders for being ignored. They alleged they had no say either in the party fora or in the administration. Mr Manjinder Singh Behla, a senior leader of the SAD in the Majha region joined the Congress two days ago. Though Mr Behla was not active in the Akali Dal these days yet he was considered one of the seniormost leaders of the Majha region as he represented the Tarn Taran Assembly thrice in the past and remained a Parliamentary Secretary during the first ministry of Mr Badal. He had also won twice on the SAD ticket. Mr Prem Singh Lalpura, a former MLA was expelled from the party for six years as he refused to take oath as an MP to protest against the induction of Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal into the Central Ministry. There were "disturbing" reports about Mr Major Singh Uboke, a former MP, who had been ignored by the party while allotting the ticket twice in the past. He was being wooed by Mr Lalpura and other dissident SAD leaders. Mr Uboke while talking to TNS admitted that he was approached by Mr Lalpura and other SAD dissident leaders. However, he said that instead of leaving the party he would voice his protest at the party fora. He added that he would attend the death anniversary of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist, at Khalra on November 8. The platform was likely to be used to criticise the present SAD leadership for its alleged callous attitude towards senior leaders of the party. Workers of the Majha region alleged that Mr Badal depended more on the Kairon family while deciding the party matters in this region than on senior party leaders. On the other hand, Bhai
Manjit Singh had also organised a march from Bhure Kone
to Akal Takht on Divali. Though Bhai Manjit Singh claimed
that it was an awareness campaign, sources close to him
were of the view that he wanted to muster political power
in this region to checkmate Mr Badal. |
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Removing bureaucratic hurdles Machhiwara (Ludhiana district): "Sangat darshan" is an old tradition in Punjab. But in the district of Ludhiana, it has gone mod: computers have been pressed into service to monitor the grievances of the public and to ensure their timely redressal. Launched by the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, after the Akali-BJP combine won a massive victory in the state assembly elections last year, as a formal measure of thanksgiving to the people, the ritual has now been instutionalised. All Deputy Commissioners, accompanied by the district police chief, civil surgeon, SDM, patwari and other district officials hold court in the rural areas every week to listen to the grievances of the people and provide quick relief. In some areas, including Ludhiana, it seems to have begun to produce results. Mr Badal may have, therefore, stumbled upon an effective tool for taming what has come to be perceived as the "bureaucratic mafia". If implemented honestly, sincerely and diligently the "sangat darshan" programme has the potential of changing the face of officialdom in Punjab. In government offices located in the massive civil secretariat building at Chandigarh and as also those housed in old, dilapidated buildings across the length and breadth of the state, things move at a snail's pace. "Babus have their own system of functioning", says a harassed common man. "There is no sense of urgency. They seem to take a perverse pleasure in making you run from pillar to post. The attitude is seldom sympathetic. Invariably, their attempt is not how to help a common citizen but to ensure that there is obstacle every step of the way... Delay and procrastination breed corruption. A harassed and frustrated man is, therefore, forced to grease the palm of officials to get even routine things done. This, in turn, tarnishes the image of the government, shakes his faith in the system and causes alienation among the masses." And if there is a complaint against an official, they close ranks. The seniors always end up defending their juniors. "The bureaucrats, therefore, seem to function like members of an exclusive club... a law unto themselves, adept at inventing excuses, deflecting criticism, derailing enquiries and hence, answerable to none but themselves. Little wonder, they have acquired the image of Bihar-type mafia..." But at "sangat darshan" programmes, things do not always work out to the advantage of the babus". People are there to challenge their claims and falsify the excuses. Mr Arun Goel, Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana, who goes to these weekly meetings armed with his laptop computer, says he invariably tries to check the assertions of the officials against the complaints of the people. In most cases, the complaints lodged at gatherings are correct. "It is another matter that many a time, the complainant is not fully aware of the facts and does not quite know how to highlight a particular issue," says Mr Goel. "But that is not his fault." The computerise "sangat darshan" ensures a very close and minute monitoring of complaints. It keeps the officials concerned on their toes. It also ensure a date-bound work delivery. Usually, if there is a complaint, its copies are addressed by the complainant to the Chief Minister, the minister in-charge, the Chief Secretary and the police chief in addition to the district administration. This, in turn, sets off file movement in several offices on the same complaint. By introducing computers, the multiplicity of the complaints has been curbed. Since the entire data relating to a complaint is fed into the computer, whenever there is a query, the latest position is known in a jiffy. The habitual complainants, after a few initial attempts, have begun to keep from "sangat darshan" programmes. They are easily exposed. It is the same story as regards false complainants. "I make it a point to warn a complainant as well as the official that an FIR will be lodged against the erring side", says Mr Goel. "This usually sobers up the people concerned. In one village, a man insisted that there was no mandi for paddy procurement while the food officials said that there was one and produced figures to assert that a certain quantity of paddy had been procured. A physical verification was ordered but the complainant slipped away... He had made the complaint merely to settle an old score with the food official." In another village, a woman in tears related her tale of woe against the police. She narrated how her husband had been implicated in a false murder case and wanted compensation from the government. But when the Deputy Commissioner enquired from those present at the "sangat darshan", none supported her version. Close questioning soon revealed that her husband had actually committed the murder over a land dispute. "I would have never been able to come to the right conclusion had I remained confined to my office at Ludhiana," points out Mr Goel. This also highlights the
need for judicial officers too to go to villages to
settle disputes and dispense justice. "The old
British colonial judicial system is not always able to
dispense justice quickly and correctly. We must take a
closer look at the Indian system where panchayats used to
settle village disputes", he says. |
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FCI may sell paddy in open market BATHINDA, Oct 25 — The FCI authorities have sent a proposal to the Centre for selling four lakh tonnes of paddy lying in the open market in Punjab. Official sources said the Centre was actively considering the proposal and would allow the FCI authorities to dispose of paddy in the open market shortly. The sources said about 6 lakh MT of paddy belonging to the FCI was lying in godowns in Punjab unmilled for the past one year and with the resources available with it, it would be able to get only 2 lakh MT of paddy milled from rice millers. They said due to its non-milling in specified time this paddy had come down qualitywise and had been branded as 'beyond rejection limit' stock. Now this stock could only be sold in the open market to the private traders and rice mill owners. Mr D.P. Reddy, Senior Regional Manager, FCI, told TNS that unlike last year, the FCI was strictly adhering to the specifications laid down for paddy procurement. He said there was no storage problem for the procured paddy in the current season as every month 6 to 7 lakh MT of wheat and rice was being sent to other states from the godowns of Punjab. He said the FCI had so far purchased 15 lakh MT paddy in Punjab which was more than its target of 40 per cent of the total paddy to be procured by all government agencies. He said as many as seven FCI officials had been suspended for irregularities in the purchase of paddy. Mr Kirpa Shanker Saroj, Additional Managing Director, Markfed, told TNS that his agency was procuring paddy according to its target. He said no relaxation in the specifications was being given during procurement and two officials had been suspended for committing irregularities. Markfed would procure about 18 per cent of the total quantity of paddy he added. MUKTSAR (TNS): Mr D.P. Reddy, Senior Regional Manager, FCI, has issued a warning to the officials associated with paddy procurement that they should not harass farmers while making purchases. According to a press note issued here today, Mr K.A.P. Sinha, Additional Deputy Commissioner, said the warning was issued by Mr Reddy after making a tour of different grain markets of the district and listening to the grievances of the farmers. He said more than 2 lakh MT of paddy had been procured by different government agencies so far in the district and the target of 3 lakh MT would be achieved shortly. He stated that after
receiving complaints, the Assa Buttar purchase centre had
been given to the FCI on October 17 after taking it from
the Punjab Warehousing Corporation. |
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Miscreants beat up social workers JALANDHAR, Oct 25 (PTI) — A number of women social workers were injured, some of them seriously, when they were beaten up by certain persons at the residence of Manav Jain here yesterday. They had reportedly gone there to bring about a rapprochement between Manav Jain and his estranged wife. As many as 10 women who had accompanied Jain's wife Ekta to her in-laws house for a pre-arranged meeting with them were beaten up by certain persons allegedly at Manav Jain's instigation, district BJP women wing president Sudesh Khanna told reporters here today. Ekta's mother Vijay Jain and three other women were admitted to the local Civil Hospital. The women were assaulted with swords, hockeys and iron rods, Ms Khanna said. While Vijay Jain was still in a state of shock and unable to talk to reporters, Ritu Gulati (60) received 10 stitches on her head. Manav Jain was not available for comments as he, along with brother Vikas Jain and another relative Ashiwni Jain had been arrested by the police. According to PSS, P.S. Gill, a case under Sections 342, 506, 324 and 323 of the IPC had been registered. Asked why Section 307, IPC, was not included, Mr Gill said the FIR would be duly modified once the medico-legal report was received. The victims alleged that the police was initially reluctant to file an FIR and misbehaved with them. Besides, doctors at the Civil Hospital also agreed to treat the injured only after the PSS was approached, they said. Ekta's father Rich Kumar
Jain alleged that his daughter was being harassed since
her marriage last year over dowry demands.
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Congress, BSP woo CPI JALANDHAR, Oct 25 (PTI) — The Congress and the BSP in Punjab are wooing the CPI to forge an alliance for the forthcoming Adampur assembly byelections even though the CPI is not committing itself to either. While Capt Amarinder Singh (Cong) said he was still hopeful of the Left support, state BSP president C.D. Singh Kamboj claimed that both Left parties, the CPI and the CPM had already promised to support party candidate Vidhwant Kaur. The Left parties in keeping with the stand of their national leaders have no other option but to support the Congress as they are dutybound to consolidate the secular vote bank and defeat communal forces like the Shiromani Akali Dal SAD and the BJP, Capt Amarinder Singh said. He claimed the CPI and the CPM, at their recent national conclaves, had declared their support to the Congress "to deliver the country from the BJP regime. The same principle is valid in Punjab too". However, the BSP claims the Left parties would not support the Congress, particularly as the latter had foiled plans for a joint alliance to counter the SAD-BJP combine. The CPI, which wields
considerable influence in the constituency of 1.20 lakh
electorate, has passed a resolution urging its state
leadership to field Mr Kulwant Singh, who has represented
Adampur earlier. |
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Punjab
CPI plans agitation BATHINDA, Oct 25 — The Punjab CPI has decided to launch an agitation against the state government for its failure to check the price rise and the deteriorating economic conditions of farmers and farm labourers. In a press note issued here today, Mr Jagjit Singh, district secretary of the CPI, said a big rally would be held in the first week of December here which would be addressed by former Union Agriculture Minister Chaturantan Misra.Workers' meetings would be held in every district in November and a march would be taken out in about 250 villages of Punjab. The rally aimed at would
be pressing the state government to grant special
concessions to agriculturists as in the industrial
sector, besides relief on loans taken from banks and
commission agents. |
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Craft
teachers not paid salaries AMRITSAR, Oct 25 — More than 150 craft teachers of the Social Welfare Advisory Board posted in the border belt, including Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Ferozepore districts, had not been paid salaries for the past one year. In a communication to the Chief Minister, former MLA and patron of the Punjab Istri Sabha said the salaries were not paid to these teachers as the state government had failed to contribute its share while the Central Government had already released its share of 67 per cent of the salaries. The women employees who
were not paid salaries had been attending to their duties
regularly. |
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Hindi film scene annoys Sikhs JALANDHAR, Oct 25 (UNI) — Activists of the Khalsa Naujawan Sabha from Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar today held a demonstration demanding the deletion of the scene from Hindi movie "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", alleging it contained derogatory reference to the Sikh community. The activists went to the
office of a local newspaper to voice their protest and
raise the demand. |
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Ranjit Sagar Dam to be ready by mid '99 MADHOPUR, Oct 25 (UNI) — The Ranjit Sagar Dam, one of India’s largest multipurpose river valley projects, will be commissioned in the middle of next year, almost 20 years after it was proposed, Chief Engineer Kuljit Singh has said. Mr Kuljit Singh said Rs 280869 crore had been spent on the project till July-end. He said the first in the series of four power units of 150 MW each was likely to be commissioned in May next and the remaining three units commissioned at an interval of one month each. Besides, generating 1509
million units of electricity per year, channelised water
from the dam would provide additional irrigation to 3.48
lakh hectares. Mr Kuljit Singh said the project would
recover its entire cost of over Rs 3000 crore in four
years after commissioning with the annual accrual of Rs
300 crore from the sale of energy and Rs 550 crore on
account of an increase in industrial and agriculture
products due to increased power and irrigation
facilities. |
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Bridge on Sau khud by November 22 ROPAR, Oct 25 — A 27-km-long stretch on the Ropar-Nurpur Bedi road will become an all-weather road with the completion of a six-span bridge on Sau khud by November 22 next. This was stated by Mr Harmail Singh Tohra, PWD Minister, Punjab while addressing a function at Abiana village, 15 km from here, today, after inaugurating four bridges at lower Garbagha, upper Garbagha, Bhatton and Amanpur villages. Mr K.S. Sidhu, Deputy
Commissioner, said 15 bridges would be completed by
November 30 next at a cost of Rs 15 crore in the
district. |
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Literacy
drive in jail PATIALA, Oct 25 — A literacy campaign was launched by Ashi, a social welfare organisation, in the Central Jail here yesterday. Dr Kulwant Kaur, a social worker, said the inmates should get educated so that they could be rehabilitated early. Swami Arvind Anand delivered a religious discourse on the occasion. The District and Sessions Judge, Mr KS Grewal, said with the help of the jail staff and several social welfare organisations, the inmates could be reformed early. Mrs Sukhwinder Khanna, president, Ashi, said the association was devoted to the cause of spreading literacy. She also announced that Ashi would give Rs 11,000 for the jail library and a TV set for women inmates. A cultural programme was
presented by women inmates.
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Ex-servicemen
hold rally SANGRUR, Oct 25 — A district-level rally of ex-servicemen was organised by Scindia Horse in the cantonment area here today. Over 1700 ex-servicemen, including 300 war widows, participated in the rally, according to Col. SK Joshi, Commanding Officer, Scinda Horse. Ex-servicemen from Nabha subdivision also participated. With 160 years of traditions behind it, Scindia Horse has 26 battle honours to its credit. It is the first-regiment to be given the President's Colours in 1961. Brig Omit Sarkar, Commander, 1 Armoured Brigade was the chief guest. Addressing the rally, Brigadier Sarkar explained various facilities available for the resettlement of ex-servicemen. Mr Anirudh Tewari, Deputy Commissioner, explained in detail the various schemes of the Punjab Government for the welfare of ex-servicemen. As many as 90 blankets, 25 shawls, five tri-cycles and 25 sewing machines were distributed among war widows, the handicapped and ex-servicemen. A blood donation camp was
also organised. As many as 55 persons donated blood. |
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Custodial death evokes resentment FAZILKA, Oct 25 — The case regarding the death of Bhagwan Singh (38) of Jhuge Lal Singh village in police custody, has taken a new turn as there is no history of chest pain of the deceased as mentioned by police officials, according to the post-mortem report. The death was due to a neurogenic shock on the scrotum and the testicles of the deceased man. The post-mortem examination was conducted by a three-member panel of doctors led by Dr V.K. Mujral, SMO, Civil Hospital here, under the supervision of Mr Darshan Singh, SDM, Abohar, last evening. It was filmed by a video camera in the presence of relatives of Bhagwan Singh. According to a report, there was abrasion on lips, besides injuries on delicate organs, which proved fatal. Bhagwan Singh along with his nephew, Jarnail Singh was arrested on Friday by a Sadar police party on the charge of playing satta. He was allegedly tortured and was admitted to the local Civil Hospital yesterday where he died after half an hour. The custodial death of
Bhagwan Singh has evoked resentment among villagers and
family members of the deceased. They have sent telegrams
to Mr Parkash Singh Badal, the Chief Justice of the
Punjab and Haryana High Court, senior police and civil
administration officers, demanding the suspension and
arrest of the guilty persons. |
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Case against councillor TARN TARAN, Oct 25 — The local police has registered a case under Section 420 and 120-B of the IPC against three persons, including Santosh Jhamb, a local Municipal Councillor, and her husband, Satish Jhamb, a Lecturer of the local Government Senior Secondary School, for defrauding residents of the town in the name of "committees". The police has registered a case on the complaint of Mr J.S. Wadhera, Principal of the school in which Satish Jhamb is a teacher. The third accused is
Sawarn Kaur, mother of Santosh Jhamb. |
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SGPC
to promote communal harmony FATEHGARH SAHIB — Oct 25 — All religions were equal and the SGPC would make efforts to promote communal harmony during the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of Khalsa said, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra president, SGPC while addressing a large gathering at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib today. An 'amrit abhilakhi Khalsa chetna march' was flagged of by Harmel Singh Tohra, Minister, P.W.D, for Chamkaur Sahib on the occasion. Talking to mediapersons Mr Tohra said a nationwide campaign would be launched against the use of intoxicants and it would be ensured that a majority of Sikhs were baptised as part of the celebrations. He said the philosophy of the Gurus was not limited to any particular community but was is a message for the entire universe. He called upon the people to dedicate his services for the tercentenary celebrations. He appreciated the role of the Punjab Government for providing funds for the development of the birth place of the panth. He said five Khalsa chetna marches from the birth places of 'Panj Piaras' will be taken out separately and all these five marches will conclude at Anandpur Sahib. These marches will be dedicated to the 'Panj Piaras'. Mr T.R. Sarangal, Deputy
Commissioner, Paramraj Singh Dhaliwal, SSP, supervised
the arrangements for the Khalsa chetna March. Thousands
of Sikhs in their tractor-trailers, buses, trucks, cars
etc. accompanied the chetna march. |
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Photographers resent sales tax JALANDHAR, Oct 25 — The Punjab Photographers Association has demanded the withdrawal of a notification for the imposition of sales tax on photographers. Talking to reporters here yesterday, association leaders said they were already paying 10 per cent tax on photo equipments and thus, the proposed additional tax was unjustified. General secretary Vinod Beri said since Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh had exempted photographers from the tax, the Punjab government should also follow suit. The state government had
imposed sales tax, in 1995 also but had later withdrawn
it after protests by photographers. |
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Paramedical staff threaten dharna FEROZEPORE, Oct 25 — Members of the Paramedical and Health Employees Union have threatened to hold a march, stage a dharna and gherao state ministers during the Adampur byelection, if their demands are not accepted by the government. Addressing a rally of paramedical employees in front of the local Civil Hospital here yesterday the union leaders condemned the statement of the Finance Minister, Punjab, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, that the grant of bonus to employees was not on the agenda of the government. They alleged that Mr
Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, and other leaders
had said several times that the demands of the employees
which include abolition of the Punjab Health Corporation
Systems and the payment of bonus and medical allowance
would be accepted. But, the Akali leaders now seemed to
be going back on their promises. |
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Two
boys kidnapped, released LUDHIANA, Oct 25 — Two young boys, Gurjeet Singh and Amit Gupta, were kidnapped at gunpoint by three unidentified persons last night. According to Mr Prithipal Singh Virk, Superintendent of Police, the culprits signalled a Maruti Zen to stop near a cinema hall in Sarabha Nagar and looted the two occupants. They forcibly took away the car along with the occupant and headed towards Khanna on the GT Road. One of the kidnapped boys,
Amit Gupta, was pushed out of the car a 60 km from here,
near Sirhind, and the other was released near the
Punjab-Haryana border at Shambhu. However the abductors
took away the car.
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HOSHIARPUR, Oct 25 (UNI) — Farmers blocked traffic for more than two hours near Kot Fatuhi village on the Mahilpur-Phagwara road today for the second day, protesting against the non-purchase of paddy by the FCI. Led by BKU (Lakhowal) Mahilpur block president Tarsem Singh, the agitating farmers claimed that the FCI was not making any purchase of paddy in Kot Fatuhi, Katarain and Soond Mandis. The blockade, which began around 11 a.m. was lifted after 2 p.m. when Garhshankar SDM Pritam Singh intervened and assured that their paddy would be purchased. The officer asked FCI Area Manager to make the necessary arrangements for paddy purchase. The farmers blocked
traffic at the same place for one and a half hour last
evening. |
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