Fly-by-night companies take people for ride
LUDHIANA, Sept 20 — Unscrupulous activities by local non-banking financial companies have caused loss to several unsuspecting persons here. Some firms doing money business closed abruptly without any notice.

Badal to meet PM next month
NEW DELHI, Sept 20 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, will meet the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, next month to discuss issues raised by the SAD and press for a solution to them.

CM rules out cabinet expansion in near future
FEROZEPORE, Sept 20 — The SAD President and Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has ruled out the expansion of his cabinet in the near feature.

Akali leader Jallo booked
KAPURTHALA, Sept 20 — The police here has registered a criminal case against Akali leader Major (retd) Narinder Singh Jallo on the charge of intimidating a government officer and causing obstruction in official work.

Speed post service

Two held for murder

'Kale kachhewale' gang busted

"Naam simran" need of hour"

SAD-BJP wins MC byelection

5 die in tractor mishap

Depot holder, 2 others held

Kuldip Singh upholds People’s Commission
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Sept 20 — Justice Kuldip Singh, Chairman, World Sikh Council, has said that "we are ready to wind up the People’s Commission if government enhances the jurisdiction of the state Human Rights Commission."

Talking to newsmen at Akal Takht here yesterday, Justice Kuldip Singh said it was "unfortunate" that the state Human Rights Commission had no jurisdiction on a year-old cases of human rights violation.

"Everything in the judiciary is time bound", hence the cases of cremating the unidentified bodies and violation of human rights which occurred during the Congress regime could not be filed.

He said the commissions like the People’s Commission had a definite role to play in highlighting the cases of human rights violations. The People’s Commission was not the first such commission, many more commissions had been constituted to highlight the cases of human rights violation in various parts of the country which had done a commendable job. When his attention was drawn to Mr Parkash Singh Badal’s statement that there was no need of a "parallel" commission, he said "Mr Parkash Singh Badal forgets every time. May be he is busy discharging responsibilities of the Chief Minister's post. The state Human Rights Commission had no jurisdiction on year-old cases of human rights violation," he said.

He agreed with the observation of a newsman that the state Human Rights Commission had been constituted on his recommendation. However, he asked if the state commission had no jurisdiction to enlist cases of human rights violation which occurred during the Congress regime, where was one to go?"

He said his comments, on the validity of constituting the People’s Commission could amount to contempt of court as the case was to come up for hearing in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 25.

He agreed with a newsman that the state government had failed in keeping its election promise to constitute a commission to highlight police excesses during the previous government.

He said the aim of the People’s Commission was to get compensation to kith and kin of those killed by the police in 'fake encounters'. He said the killing of those responsible for massacres of innocent people did not come under jurisdiction of the People’s Commission. It would highlight killings of innocent persons and cases of human rights violation irrespective of caste creed and religion. He further said in many cases the Supreme Court had directed the state government to pay up compensation in lakhs to kin of those kidnapped or killed by the police.

Fly-by-night companies take people for ride

LUDHIANA, Sept 20 (UNI) — Unscrupulous activities by local non-banking financial companies (NBFC) have caused loss to several unsuspecting persons here.

Some firms doing money business closed abruptly without any prior notice. Nearly 12 NFBCs have bunked during the past 10 months in the city, duping 2,170 investors of over Rs five crore, according to Senior Superintendent of Police ( SSP) Dinkar Gupta.

Police investigations have revealed that most of these fly-by-night operators were able to fox a large number of gullible investors because of an almost non-existent regulations on their start-up, operation and management. Many small investors like pensioners and retired persons saw their life income go up in smoke without any relief because there was no practical method which could enable them get back their investments, he told UNI.

Invariably, investors are tempted to deposit their life-savings in these companies because of an incredibly high rate of returns. "But it is amazing that even retired army officers and IAS officers invest in these alluring schemes floated by such unreliable companies," he said, adding that police investigations always revealed that the track record, reputation and managerial ability of most promoters of such companies were "unproved and dubious’’.

Expressing helplessness of the police in giving relief to investors in spite of occasional crackdown on such operators by its economic offices wing, the SSP said the police at the most can register a case, book the offenders and put the case for trial in court for judicial verdict. "But this does not act as sufficient deterrent to the operators because promoters of such companies often sell off their assets even before the court begins trial of the cases registered against them. In these circumstances, police is not in a position to help "befooled investors get back their deposits,’’ he pointed out.

The district police chief suggested that the Punjab government should enact a legislation on the pattern of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra where assets of such dubious companies were attached soon after filing of such cases. The state government must acquire the powers to take necessary action against chit fund operators, business concerns and individuals who floated dubious schemes to tempt the public, all moveable and immovable properties of such companies, procured in the name of financial establishment by its promoters and directors out of public deposits, should be attached by a government order, he added.

The government could also appoint a competent authority to exercise control over the attached properties of such operators till the time the court gave its verdict, he added.

Giving details of the NBFCs which cheated people of their investments in the city, the SSP said "Greenways Project’’ topped the list of 12 companies which packed up and left. It allegedly deprived 300 investors of Rs two crore during its one-year operation from January, 1997 to January this year.

Mr Gupta said "Hoffland Finance’’ and "JVG Finance’’ reportedly cheated 150 and 300 investors of Rs one crore each respectively.

Anil Kumar Dhanda, Durinder Kumar and D.P. Singh, the respective chairman, managing director and manager of "Greenways Project,’’ which operated under nine different names through its 80 branches in the country, had been arrested in March this year, this company lured the public with its invest card scheme, promising 24 to 36 per cent interests per year.

The police officer said Col (retd) Harbaksh Singh and Harinder Singh Pannu, who worked as manager and employee of "Hoffland Finance’’ in the city, too, had been arrested after it shut its office in the city defrauding people of their one crore deposits.

Vikash Sharma and Amandeep Singh, field officers of "JVG Finance,’’ were arrested last month after the company ran away in September last year. Investigation into the "JVG’’ affairs, he added, had been entrusted to the Central Bureau of Investigation on the direction of the Supreme Court. Twelve cases have been registered, so far, against "JVG Finance’’ and majority of its 125 branches in the country have closed and assets sold off by the company, he added.

Mr Gupta said even after the Reserve Bank of India imposed restrictions on "JVG Finance’’ in accepting and renewing of matured deposits on October 16 last year as the company continued to do business with false assurance.

While "Hoffland’’ allegedly duped 150 investors of their Rs one crore during its five-month operation from October, last year to February, this year, "Bharat Green’’ Finance defrauded its 150 investors of Rs nine lakh during the same period of operation in the city.

The SSP said’’ SPG Greenland Plantation’’ shut shop here in seven months, depriving 200 investors of Rs 20 lakh from September, 1997 of March this year, while "Bee Ell India’’ duped its 200 investors of Rs 10 lakh during its 10 month operation from June, 1997 to March, this year, "Rookland’’ defrauded 80 investors of Rs 15 lakh in 14 months from March, last year to April this year and "Nittl Finance’’duped 35 investors of Rs 10 lakh in less than a year, he added.

He said Ashma Finance and Investment, which had been operating since 1987-88, also closed shop in June, last year, leaving 210 investors poorer by Rs 15 lakh.

Cases against all 12 companies had been registered and several arrests made, he added.

Jawans take lead in plantation
from Praful Chander Nagpal

FAZILKA: The Army formations posted at Fazilka have realised the need of preventing environment pollution and growing trees. The Army's ecological cell with Col N.M. Shanker, chairman of local unit, has taken the lead by planting over 10,000 saplings in about two years.

The notable feature of the plantation is that the Army has made an open, arid area into an arboreal wonder.

According to Brig R.A. Singh, Station Commander, about 200 acres of land under control of Army personnel are being transformed into a green belt. About 10,000 varieties of saplings, most of them ornamental, would be grown in the next two years to achieve target of 20,000 trees.

Unlike the majority of plantation projects, the difference in plantation by Armymen is that thrust is laid on timely watering, pesticide spraying and proper nutrition for saplings. For this purpose, two teams of Army jawans have been constituted to meet plant requirements.

Col Prabhat Prakash and Lt-Col Pankaj Sinha are monitoring the plantation. As a result of their efforts more than 90 p.c. of the planted saplings have grown into shrubs and trees. Besides converting the cantonment area into green belt, the area remains 20 Celsius cooler than the surrounding areas. In the scorching summer, heat, this provide a respite from heat, says Colonel Shanker.

With increasing greenery the jawans have also taken the initiative of hanging nests on tree branches to attract birds. Peacocks and other birds have made this green area their abode.

Rain brings woes to cotton growers
Tribune News Service

BATHINDA, Sept 20 — Heavy rain over the past three days in the Malwa belt (cotton-growing area) of Punjab has caused heavy damage to the standing cotton crop.

Cotton growers have yet to come out of the shock of heavy losses they suffered on account of the sudden and severe attack of American bollworm (Heliothis) a few days back.

The hopes of the cotton growers to get a good crop this year, after a period of five years of failure, have been dashed to the ground due to the untimely rain.

The Agriculture Department sources say the rain has affected about 10 to 12 per cent cotton crop in the fields. They fear that if rain continues, the production will touch its lowest ebb in Punjab which was once known as "the bowl of white gold".

After the attack of American bollworm, the department has revised its estimate of the total production of cotton in the state. It states that the production will be about 15 lakh bales against the initial estimate of 22 lakh bales. With heavy rain lashing the region for the past three days, agriculture experts say it might be another rotten season for cotton growers.

Earlier, the cotton growers had suffered due to the non-availability of uncertified cotton seed in the market at the time of sowing. The unprecedented long spell of heat too had burnt the plants and forced the farmers to sow cotton for the third time in many pockets of Punjab.

Cotton experts fear the rain will boost the attack of the American bollworm. In such a cloudy weather no spray of insecticide proves effective.

The rain has also damaged the paddy brought in the grain markets and other purchase centres by the farmers for selling it to government agencies. The paddy crop, which was ready for harvesting, has also been damaged by the untimely rain.

Badal to meet PM next month
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Sept 20 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, will meet the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, next month to discuss issues raised by the SAD and press for a solution to them.

Speaking at a function organised by the Punjabi Industrial Society here last night to honour the Chief Minister and the president of the SGPC, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Mr Badal said all issues raised by the SAD within the purview of the Constitution.

He said the Prime Minister had assured him that he would discuss the issues after he returned from abroad on September 30.

He said the issues like according a second language status to Punjabi, exemption to Sikh women from wearing helmets and gurdwara land disputes should be sorted out by the state government on a priority basis.

Mr Tohra, meanwhile, reiterated his demand for the setting up of a “scrutiny commission” to fix responsibility on parties and groups responsible for the 1984 riots.

CM rules out cabinet expansion
in near future
From Our Correspondent

FEROZEPORE, Sept 20 — The SAD President and Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has ruled out the expansion of his cabinet in the near feature.

Talking to reporters at the residence of the Minister of State for Cooperation and Sainik Welfare, Punjab, Mr J.S. Sekhon, he categorically said there was no such plan.

Mr Badal, who had come here to attend the bhog ceremony of sarpanch Mohinder Singh Bedi of Kutubgarh Bhatta, accused media of indulging in "false" propaganda that there was a conflict between the SAD and the BJP.
Regarding the long-pending issues of Punjab, he said these had been taken up several times with the BJP-led government at the Centre.

Advocating a federal structure in the country, Mr Badal said the present system of democracy had failed. Now many other parties supported the demand of the SAD for a federal system and the giving of more powers to the states.

Regarding the strike by rice-millers, Mr Badal said he had spoken to Union Minister Surjit Singh Barnala who had said he would "do something" to redress the grievances of the millers.

Dal (M) to hold 'Punjab jagao' rally tomorrow

CHANDIGARH, Sept 20 (PTI) — Akali Dal Mann today charged the Akali Dal-BJP Government with having failed on all fronts including corruption, economic situation, and getting the state’s demands pertaining to river waters, territory and language met by the Centre.

Addressing a press conference here party president Simranjeet Singh Mann said that the party would organise a "Punjab jagao rally’’ here on Tuesday so that people of Punjab rise to the occasion and defeat all moves of the Badal Government and the BJP-led coalition at the Centre to "scuttle the progress of Punjab and its enterprising people".

He said Mr Badal's silence on various issues, outright rejection by BJP of various state level issues. The spectre of nuclear war in South Asia and its fallout in Punjab, international admonition of India, inflationary trends, a lackadaisical bureaucracy without direction, corrupt leadership and no change in police administration had already proved calamitous for the Punjabis.

Mr Mann said the Chief Minister should suspend his former Principal Secretary, Bikramjit Singh, who is alleged to have acquired assets disproportionate to his income. He also demanded removal of fencing along the Pakistan border as farmers faced problems, issuance of his passport and regretted that Delhi had ended second language status for Punjabi.

He demanded a plebiscite in Kashmir stating people should be given an option either to remain in India or Pakistan or remain neutral. He described as bad, attempts to dismiss the Rabri Devi Government in Bihar.

Mr Simranjeet Singh Mann also demanded an unequivocal apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi for Operation Bluestar ordered by the then Indira Gandhi Government.

Answering newsmen’s questions at a press conference here today, Mr Mann said if the Congress could apologise to Muslims for the demolition of the Babri Masjid why could not the party apologise to the Sikhs.

He said Sonia Gandhi should apologise on behalf of the Congress in Parliament as that was the forum where an apology was expected. Her apology during the proposed visit to Golden Temple would be "welcome", he added.

Asked if the SGPC or his party would accord a welcome to Sonia Gandhi in case she apologised, Mr Mann reserved comments, saying let the apology come.

Regarding the BJP’s claim that it gave shelter to Sikhs after the October 1984 riots, he said the BJP had a vested interest in giving shelter as they wanted to capitalise on the assassination of Indira Gandhi by trying to come to the political forefront.

The first train plied on Attari section: official
From Our Correspondents

PHAGWARA, Sept 20 — Contrary to general view, it was the Attari-Amritsar section of Northern Railways where the first train of country had plied in 1862 AD.

The run on the Bombay-Thane section followed in 1872 AD, a full decade later.

This historical perspective was set right today by Mr Narinder Kumar Goyal, Divisional Railway Manager, Ferozepore division, while addressing a function here.

Phillaur: The Railways would soon introduce an auxiliary warning system through radios to caution train drivers about the red signal in time, Mr Goyal said. He said this would be introduced first on the New Delhi-Mathura rail section.

Mr Goyal said two gangmen who found five bombs on the Samba-Jammu Tawi section would soon be honoured.

Ministerial staff extend strike
From Our Correspondent

PATIALA, Sept 20 — The Punjab State Ministerial Services Union has decided to extend its four-day pen-down strike up to September 27.

The union remained on strike from September 15 to 18 but keeping in view the ‘adamant’ attitude of the state government towards its ‘genuine’ demands the strike has been extended, said Mr Rattan Gautam local district president of the union in a statement here today.

Ministerial staff is demanding a change in designation of a clerk to that of an assistant and a basic pay scale of Rs 4550 for the post, time-bound promotion and better pay structure for office superintendent, registrar etc.

Mr Gautam said the four-day strike was a big success and work in all government departments remained paralysed. He said that now the employees would sit on dharnas outside their respective offices.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Ministerial Qualified Assistant Association has decided to boycott this extended strike by ministerial staff.

In a separate statement, Mr Bachittar Singh, general secretary said that the assistants' association had earlier supported the pen-down strike of the ministerial staff but now, owing to certain differences of opinion between the two, the assistants' association had decided to keep away from the strike and attend office.

Akali leader Jallo booked
From Our Correspondent

KAPURTHALA, Sept 20 (UNI) — The police here has registered a criminal case against Akali leader Major (retd) Narinder Singh Jallo on the charge of intimidating a government officer and causing obstruction in official work.

In a complaint lodged with the police, Assistant Commissioner (Public Grievances) Ajmer Singh alleged that Major Jallo barged into his office for some work on September 16 and when asked to wait, he misbehaved and threatened him and caused obstruction in the official work. The police has registered a case under Section 186, 353 and 506 of the IPC against Major Jallo.

Major Jallo, however, refuted the charges levelled against him. He said a month ago, Punjab Governor had forwarded an application of Major Gurdit Singh for granting financial help to the Chief Minister, who, in turn forwarded it to the district administration . He said he took up the application of Major Gurdit Singh with the Deputy Commissioner who asked him to contact Mr Ajmer Singh. He alleged that instead of taking action on the application,the officer misbehaved with him and asked employees of his office to push him out of the office. Major Jallo said he had sent a telegram to the Chief Minister and brought the matter to notice of the Deputy Commissioner also.

Action sought against dowry seekers
From Our Correspondent

AMRITSAR, Sept 20 — A former CPI MLA, Mrs Vimla Dang, has demanded deterrent action against one Anuj Khanna for demanding dowry even before his marriage to Vaishali fixed for September 22. Members of the Punjab Istri Sabha have already complained to the SSP seeking suitable action against the boy and his parents.

Mrs Dang, in a press note issued here yesterday, said Anuj Khanna, who runs a software business on the Cooper Road, had got engaged to Vaishali, daughter of Mr Raman Gulati, and the marriage was fixed for September 22.

After the engagement the girl's parents gave lavish gifts and organised a party on which a large sum was spent. Anuj also took Rs 40,000 in cash from the girl's parents for expanding his business.

Now just a few days before the marriage, Anuj's parents have damanded huge dowry, including gold jewellery, and sought that the reception of the barat be held at a five-star hotel here.

The delegation of the sabha tried to persuade the boy's family not to pressurise the family of the girl, as cards had been printed and all arrangements made. It was not possible to change the venue at this stage.

Mrs Dang lamented that unbending attitude of the boy's family had created a difficult situation for the middle-class Gulati family.

Varsity staff's plea to Governor
From Our Correspondent

PATIALA, Sept 20 — Opposing the decision of the Punjab Government to ban recruitment in Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and Punjab University here, a large number of heads of teaching and administrative departments have urged the Punjab Governor and Chancellor of the two universities to intervene and save the autonomy of these educational institutions.

In a signed representation addressed to Lt Gen B.K.N. Chhibber the university officials felt that the government decision to ban recruitments erodes the university autonomy and would reduce the de facto status of university to a government department.

The officials also said the reasons on which the recruitment ban has been slammed were baseless. Meanwhile, reliable sources in the two universities stated that the said ban of the government was entirely against the rules. The universities were not bothered much with this ban. Highly placed officials question the validity of the ban citing that the renowned educationist who framed the universities constitution gave it an autonomous status to keep it free from such political interference.

Speed post service for Punjab districts
From Our Correspondent

PHILLAUR, Sept 20 — All district headquarters of Punjab will be linked through speed post service with the state capital by next week. This was stated by Mr Jaspaul Singh, Business Development Manager, Postal Circle (Punjab), here yesterday.

He said speed post service was functional at Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar had also been introduced at Patiala, Khanna, Mandi Gobindgarh and Phagwara.

Twenty towns were connected through satellite money order service with Jalandhar and Ludhiana, he said, and added that computerisation of registration and sorting of all postal mail would soon be launched at Ludhiana.

SAD-BJP wins MC byelection
Tribune News Service

JALANDHAR, Sept 20 — Byelection to the Municipal Corporation ward No 29 was won by the Akali-BJP alliance nominee Mr Manmohan Singh here today.

Mr Manmohan Singh defeated his rival Mr Manjit Singh (Congress) by 1925 votes. The Congress alleged booth-capturing and bogus voting by the Akali-BJP.

Earlier this ward was represented by a Congress man, who recently was murdered leading to the byelection.

Two held for murder
Tribune News Service

JALANDHAR, Sept 20 — Mr Paramjit Singh Gill, SSP claimed here today, that two persons involved in a murder were arrested. The body of the victim was also dug from their house.

The police started investigation, on the complaint of Mr Surjit Singh, son of the victim.

The victim Mr Santhok Singh was living in Nurpur with his son-in-law Major Singh when he was murdered and body buried in the house of Major Singh. While the police has arrested Kulbir Kaur and Major Singh. The other two accused Baba Oma and his follower Kulbir Singh were absconding.

A case against the accused under Sections 302, 201, 34 of the IPC had been registered, said the SSP.

5 die in tractor mishap
From Our Correspondent

PATHANKOT, Sept 21 — Five persons, including three women and a child were killed and four others injured seriously when a tractor-trailer they were travelling in fell into a khud near Sunder Chak village on the Kathlaur main road near here. The dead have been identified as Sukho Devi, Bishno Devi, and Kaushalya Devi, Khazan Chand and Neha.

The trailer carrying them was returning after the conclusion of ‘Nirankari sammelan’ on Saturday evening. There were 80 persons in the trailer. Many persons including children and women, escaped when the incident occurred.

According to Dr A.S. Jamwal, SMO Civil Hospital, 26 injured persons were admitted in civil hospital for treatment.

'Kale kachhewale' gang busted
From Our Correspondent

 MOGA, Sept 20 — The police claims to have busted a gang of "kale kachhewale" operating in the district following the arrest of seven of its members and has recovered from their possession a large number of sharp-edged weapons.

Stating this here today, SSP Satish Kumar Asthana said the district police on a tip-off, raided the hideouts of the gang at Charik village under the Baghapurana police station here and arrested all members of the gang.

They were later identified as Gaja Nand of Kenera village (MP), Panju, John and Dalip Bhopal, Jabaria of Gwalior and Haran and Padri of Guna district (MP).

A case under Sections 458/380, IPC, has been registered against them.

Depot holder, 2 others held
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Sept 20 — The police today arrested a depot holder and his two accomplices allegedly for selling kerosene on the black market.

In a press note, Mr Gurdev Singh Sahota, district police chief, said that the accused were making the ration kerosene (blue colour) colourless with a chemical.

The police also seized 3800 litres of kerosene from the accused. Darshan Lal, a depot holder, Joginder Yadav, of Madhubani district (Bihar) and Brijmohan, of Gopal Nagar, Amritsar. All have been booked under Section 420 of the IPC and Section 7 of the EC Act added the SSP.

"Naam simran" need of hour"
From Our Correspondent

PHILLAUR, Sept 20 — 'Naam Simran' was the need of the hour at this juncture, so inspired by Naamdhari Sant Satguru Jagjit Singh, while talking to the Tribune before addressing a religious congregation at Virk village in Phillaur subdivision today.

Satguru said the service of humanity was satsang, love, patience, and of sacrifice.

However, he refused to comment on the tussle between Jathedars, Mrs Sonia Gandhi's Punjab visit, Nirankari mission and said 'I would not comment upon political issues'. He said that 'Naam Simran' had power to face any situation. Later he inaugurated Naamdhari dharamshala at Virk village and addressed hundreds of Namdharis. Mr Bharpur Singh Balbir, Mr Tirlochan Singh Soondh, Mr Amarjit Singh and Mr Nirmal Singh were also present.