Monday, September 28, 1998
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P U N J A B | |
Monday, September 28, 1998 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Affiliation
to varsity Weapons
dumped by terrorists dug up Court
directs MC to maintain Rajbaha |
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Plan
to probe Netaji's Racket
in counterfeit |
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"Government
neglecting Kandi area " Pesticide
dealers go on strike Rs
670 crore dam money wasted Probe
ordered into land grab bid Ex-servicemen
to get better medicare MNCs
"corrupting Indian culture" Permanent
lok adalats set up in Amritsar |
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Affiliation to varsity row continues PATIALA, Sept 27 — The recently established Forum for Educational Action and Reform (FEAR) today alleged that the Punjabi University authorities were trying to dilute opposition to the decision to grant permission to sons of two deans to establish computer education colleges in the city by giving permission to two other private institutions besides the local Modi College here to start computer courses. In a statement here, the forum president, Dr Amarjit Singh Dhillon, who has been a former dean of the university, said while permission had been given to the Harkrishen Society to open a college at the Thikriwala Nagar here, a college in phase ten of Mohali had also been granted affiliation to start Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) and Bachelor in Computer Application (BCA) courses. He alleged that the forum felt that while permission had been granted to both private societies as part of a 'cover up operation', Modi College met the standards of infrastructure but it too should have not been given affiliation at this stage. "Dr Dhillon stated that a bad precedent had already been established by giving permission to colleges being run in buildings fit only for shops by relatives of dean, Colleges Dr Balkar Singh and Dean, Academic Affairs Dr B.S. Bhatia. He said grant of permission to further private institutions to start computer courses would result in mushroom growth of sub-standard institutions without any adequate facilities. He said this would only reduce the value of high sounding degrees in the academic world. The forum leader said the issue of deciding affiliation to vocational colleges running computer courses should have been done from the next academic session. He said this was necessary as the last date for new colleges applying for affiliation was October 1 of the preceding year whereas that for starting new courses was December 1 of the preceding year according to the university's own rules. He said further the entire issue of granting affiliation to new colleges of management and technology by the Punjabi University had to be seen from the legal point of view as it fell within the sphere of the Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar. "Dr Dhillon said the forum had also decided to write to the university Grants Commission, New Delhi that the norms laid down by the commission were not sidelined by universities. He said according to the latest UGC circular issued in 1994 any society applying for temporary affiliation should possess five acres of land in its own name besides having qualified staff possessing UGC grades. He said both private colleges with which relatives of the deans of the university were associated did not fulfil these conditions and could not be given temporary affiliation according to UGC guidelines. Dr Dhillon said in view of
these facts there was no way in which the university team
slated to reinspect both colleges on September 30 could
give its approval of the facilities provided by them. It
said while the College of Management and Technology (CMT)
with which the son of Dr Bhatia was associated had some
rooms with wooden partitions, the Patiala College of
Management and Training (PCMT) in which the son of Dr
Balkar Singh was involved had only two rooms. |
Weapons dumped by terrorists dug
up BATALA, Sept 27 — Mr Lok Nath Angara, chief of the Batala police district along with Mr Vivek Mishra SP (Operation), told mediapersons here last evening that the police has been informed that some arms and ammunition are dumped under the ground in the outskirts of Jodpur Sekhwan village. They belong to the terrorist outfit, the Dashmesh Regiment, which was headed by Sital Singh Mattewal. Sital Singh and certain other members of the group, including Rashpal Singh Pala of NATT, Kulwant Singh and Kanta of Jodpur Sekhwan, have since been killed in various encounters with the police. Two members of the group— Gurwant Singh and Guriqbal Singh, both of Rangar Nangal— and Sarabjit Singh Sabha of Jaito Sarja are at present staying in the USA and Canada, respectively. They are wanted by the police in a number of terrorist cases of killings, extortions etc. These two are aware of the existence of the buried weapons of their group and had revived their contacts in Pakistan to secure these arms. After receiving the information, a police party headed by Inspector Vikram Chand, SHO, Rangar Nangal police station, dug the suspected area and found an iron pipe filled with AK-47 rifles, magazines, cartridges, revolvers, grenades and rockets. A case under the explosives Act has been registered in this connection. This is the second
recovery of this kind based on information received from
civilians after the earlier one of December 1997 at
Dhadiala Nara village. |
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Terrorism will be next
‘millennium’s problem’ CHANDIGARH, Sept 27 — Terrorism is a "real war" by invisible armies. Propaganda is its oxygen and it breeds on the very soil it contaminates . These observations were made by Mr Jagmohan, a member of Parliament , while addressing a seminar on "Terrorism or undeclared war of attrition" organised by the Sanskritik Gaurav Sansthan here today . Mr Jagmohan, also a former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, said that "soft, permissive and a confused state of Indian minds" had contributed towards the growth of terrorist activities. Scores of human rights organisations have given air to such propaganda by twisting facts. The plight of Kashmiri Pandits is a real human rights problem . The member of Parliament said after 1947 a culture of superficiality had set in in the country."Our commitment to our values has become weak. We abet efforts by others to destabilise us", he said. More than 5000-year-old shared cultural heritage with Kashmir has not really been highlighted at any fora . The former Governor said terrorism was going to be the no. one problem in the 21st century. There are every chances of terrorists using chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons. Apart from groups with clear agendas, terrorist organisations with "moronic tendencies" have crept in which could prove to be a bigger threat. Earlier Mr Ved Marwaha, a former DGP, in his address also highlighted dangers of international terrorism. "The success of ‘Taliban’, the ‘Talibanisation’ of Pakistan and similar signs from the UAE and Saudi Arabia could also be warning signals", he said . Mr Marwaha said a new breed of terrorists, as young as 14 years, and motivated who have joined destructive forces would have to be taken note of. However, such movements could not be succeeding without local help. The government had to initiate economic and political steps . Mr Marwaha said terrorism was a threat not merely to the present but also to the future. It had to be treated not merely at the administrative level but also by means of public awareness. Mr P.C. Dogra , DGP of Punjab, in his presidential remarks said a law has to be enacted to protect the rights of policemen who perform duties during troubled times in states. While there was a lot of public support to wipe out terrorism in Punjab, the policemen were now being "hounded by all and sundry". He said nearly 150 officers were facing trials. As many as 20 were lodged in jails and there were 40 judicial enquiries pending. The people commissions were largely going to deliver one-sided judgements. In the absence of officers presenting themselves before the commissions and people giving "all sorts of false afffidavits", officers would be condemned . Condemning the police in people commissions could prove counter-productive in case terrorism returned to the state. There were, however, no takers for violence as militants were relying on those released from jails or who had jumped bails . The efforts of the ISI to destabilise the state were still on. One feature which was not highlighted during Punjab militancy was that 70 per cent of those killed by terrorists were from their own community which led to their alienation. Mr Dogra said there were approximately 35 to 40 "Khalistani"websites in Europe. One such site also operated from the city. Other speakers included Dr
Shiva Subramanya, a former scientist at NASA; Justice
D.V. Sehgal, a former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana
High Court, Air Marshal R.S. Bedi, Mr B.P. Singhal, a
member of Parliament, and Mr Ram Lal Gupta, an advocate. |
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Court directs MC to maintain
Rajbaha PATIALA, Sept 27 — Mr R.S. Sachdeva, Civil Judge, senior division, here has directed the state of Punjab, Municipal Corporation, Patiala and Secretary, Local Self-Government, Punjab, to earmark boundary of Rajbaha, a water channel, from Dukh Niwaran Sahib Gurdwara to Old Moti Bagh Palace, get encroachments removed and maintain it by having plants. Its misuse by owners of workshops, dhabas, rehris, shopkeepers and service stations should be stopped and arrangements be made to allow an uninterrupted flow of fresh water, he added. The Punjab Pollution Control Board here has been directed to take legal action against those who discharge effluents into the Rajbaha. The court made it clear that shortage of funds would not be an excuse for the maintenance of Rajbaha. The Municipal Corporation could approach the government for seeking funds. According to a copy of the order received here yesterday, a suit was filed by the Public Interest Litigation Aid Forum (PILAF), with permission of the court under Section 91, CPC. It was urged that the embankment of the channel was being misused by shopkeepers, dhabas and workshop owners, as they threw their waste and polluted its water. Refuting the contention of
the corporation that the PILAF cannot maintain this
action, the court observed that the present litigation
had been filed by the PILAF as a representative law suit
to bring to the notice of the court any mala fide action
on the part of the authorities. The PILAF was seeking the
implementation of the obligatory function to which the
opposite party failed to perform in respect of its
property. The Rajbaha in question was a glory of the city
and served the purpose of draining out the excess rain
water to save the city from floods. |
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Racket in counterfeit currency
unearthed CHANDIGARH, Sept 27 — The Dera Bassi police today claimed to have unearthed a racket in counterfeit currency with arrest of two residents of Uttar Pradesh from Zirakpur. Mr Kewal Kumar, SP (Detective), Patiala, said Laloo Ram, a resident of Badausa and Rajan Singh, a resident of Adhida (both from Uttar Pradesh) were arrested for allegedly counterfeiting currency following a tip-off. At least eight counterfeit currency notes of Rs 100 each were discovered from them. Of the total notes recovered, four bore the same number (6 EN 383258) and four others also bore an identical number (4 JAT 559192), sources said. The duo allegedly used a
photostat machine to produce fake currency notes. They
had also used the money to make purchases in Zirakpur
where a few shopkeepers got suspicious and informed the
police. |
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Plan to probe Netaji's death
formulated ROPAR, Sept 27 — An ambitious action plan has been drawn up and approved for establishing the truth about the mystery surrounding Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's disappearance. Under the plan a nationwide campaign will be launched from January 23 to March 21 next year under the command of a national steering committee. This was decided at a session of the two-day fourth all-India Netaji conference, being organised at the new Netaji School complex. The session was presided over by Sardar-e-Jang (a title given by Netaji) Col Pritam Singh of the INA late last evening. The session also decided to hold Netaji conference in all the state Capitals by December 31, besides setting up a publishing house in New Delhi for publishing literature on Netaji and the INA. It also decided that in the national steering committee, there shall be representatives from all states, members of Netaji's family, research scholars and veteran INA persons. Mr V.P. Saini, chairman of local Netaji Research Foundation, stated that it was a foregone conclusion that Netaji did not die in that alleged air crash. In view of this it was needed to take up seriously this matter. While Mr Debabratta Biswas, MP and general secretary of the All-India Forward Bloc, supporting Mr Saini, declared that if need be rallies processions, dharna and strikes for pressurising the central government would be organised. He further said that this all would be done at the all-India level in a planned and smooth manner. Mr N.P. Nayar, president of Netaji Smarak, Nidhi, Kerala, said that the people of Kerala were sour over the indifferent attitude of the Government of India towards this issue. Major Des Raj Singh from Meerut, while tracing the history of the attitude of the Congress and Nehru towards Netaji, held them responsible for the delay in unfolding the mystery surrounding Netaji's disappearance. Mr Brahama Nand Ashant from Gorakhpur (UP) demanded that all the documents which were lying under lock at Faizabad, should be made public. Mr P.S. Pathania, an INA veteran, stated that a majority of the INA people did not believe that Netaji died in that air crash. Col Pritam Singh, who was present at Saigon airport on August 17, 1945, when Netaji boarded the plane, said that he personally talked to Col Habibur Rehman who was the only Indian with Netaji at the time of the air crash, and did not find Habibur Rehman's version as correct and reliable. In another session today on 'Netaji's vision of Independent India: Our Duties', it was the unanimous opinion of the speaker that the present status of India was just opposite of what Netaji had dreamt of. They stated that Netaji had dreamt of a nation which was to be peaceful, prosperous, without any communal tensions and a great nation in all respect. Among others who also
spoke on the occasion included Swami Rajayogindra
Veerayyaswami from Karnataka, Dr Veeru Naidu from
Kanyakumari, Mr Kamal Dutta from Assam, Mr Vaidya Lingam
from Madurai, Dr Major H.R. Sharma and Mr Bhagwan Singh
Dagga from Amritsar, Mr Udey Singh and Dr Krishan from
Ropar. |
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DC,
SSP hold 'sangat darshan' SANGRUR, Sept 27 — Mr Anirudh Tewari, Deputy Commissioner, along with Mr Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota, Senior Superintendent of Police, Barnala, and Mr Hussan Lal, SDO, Civil, Dhuri, held a sangat darshan programme at Ghanauri village in Sherpur block of the district yesterday. Nearly 36 village panchayats of the area participated in the programme and brought to notice their problems faced by them in executing developmental activities in their respective areas. As many as 275 grievances were solved on the spot. Mr Tewari also directed
the District Food and Supplies Controller to ensure that
the village panchayats get the bricks for various
developmental activities at the rate fixed by the
district administration. He also stated that all
arrangements for paddy procurement in the district had
been completed. |
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Local buses reappear in Ludhiana LUDHIANA: After an absence of several years, the local bus service has made a quiet, if tentative, appearance on the roads of this mega city. Nearly half a dozen
private buses have begun to operate on certain key routes
in the city and its vicinity ferrying passengers to their
destinations in relative comfort and ease. These routes
include Ludhiana-Chowkiman via Agar Nagar, Ayali;
Baddowal-Dakha; Ludhiana Bus Stand to Kohara via Gill
Chowk-Khanpur-Jassar Paddi-Sahnewal; Ludhiana Bus Stand
to Apra via Jalandhar
Chowk-Bhattian-Ladowal-Phillaur-Kadiana; Ludhiana Bus
Stand to Lassara via Jalandhar
Chowk-Ladowal-Phillaur-Nagar-Apra; and Mini
Secretariat-Bharat Nagar-Jagraon Bridge-Railway
Station-Clock Tower, Purani Sabzi Mandi-Damoria
Pul-Kailash Chowk- It may sound strange but city residents have been without a local bus service for the past more than four years when the Municipal Corporation unceremoniously withdrew the few buses it had, as these were incurring heavy losses. The corporation had purchased a few used buses from the Punjab Roadways in order to save on investment. But the Roadways which itself was in deep financial trouble, instead of giving roadworthy buses, palmed off almost condemned buses to an unsuspecting corporation. Little wonder, these buses spent more time undergoing repairs in the workshops than operating on the roads. Mounting losses forced the corporation to finally take these buses off the road, leaving the hapless commuters to fend for themselves. This was the period during which the private auto rickshaws made their appearance on the roads. Their growth was phenomenal. According to one estimate, not less than 25,000 auto rickshaws are now operating in this city. Incidentally, most of them are unlicensed and unregistered with the local transport authorities. According to the local District Transport Officer, only 2,088 auto rickshaws in the city are licensed. There are doubts regarding their roadworthiness. Almost all of them have diesel engines but are run on kerosene. They have become a major source of air and noise pollution and congestion on the roads. Half-hearted attempts by the authorities in the past to discipline them have not produced any results. There have been threats of agitations, gheraos, dharnas and demonstrations, supported by certain local politicians, whenever the authorities tried to move against them. The auto rickshaws see the appearance of local buses as a threat to their existence. In the beginning, there were a few incidents when auto rickshaw drivers tried to intimidate and scare away bus drivers, but a stern warning from the district transport authorities had the desired effect. In all, 134 local bus
route permits have been issued to private bus operators
to ply in the city. But most of them have adopted a
wait-and-watch policy. They obviously wish to see the
fate and financial viability of the buses operating on
half a dozen routes in the city before making their next
move. |
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"Government neglecting Kandi area
" HOSHIARPUR, Sept 27 — The Punjab government was giving step-motherly treatment to the Hoshiarpur district and had ignored its development activities especially of the Kandi area due to ineffectiveness of SAD-BJP MLAs of the district. This was alleged by Mr Romesh Chander Dogra, former Minister of Punjab and MLA from Dasuya constituency of this district here yesterday. He alleged that the government had axed even the allocation of annual funds to the District Development and Planning Board. He said that Rs 17.40 crore had been allotted to the board in current financial year as against Rs 21.30 crore in last year. The allocation had been reduced by Rs 3.90 crore whereas it had been increased for other districts in the state. The allocation was made in the end of August 98 and the board had received only 25 per cent of the allocation so far. According to the sources, out of the total allocation, Rs 2.30 crore is for old age/widows/handicapped persons. Rs 2.61 crore for the welfare of Schedule Caste and Backward classes, Rs 2.83 crore for Municipal Councils, Rs 1.53 crore for Attendence Scholarship of Primary girl students, Rs 105.16 lakh for shagun scheme of Schedule Caste girls and Rs 1.51 crore for the rural water supply schemes. No allocation had been made for the construction of rooms for upgraded schools and repairs of schools’ buildings. No special fund has been provided for the development of the Kandi area except Rs 60 lakh for augmentation of rural works. The sources said that the board has provided Rs 2.22 crore for the disbursement of old age pensions, Rs 52 lakh for shagun scheme and Rs 1.25 crore for the welfare of Schedule Caste and backward classes. Mr Dogra pointed out that
during Congress rule in Punjab 10 to 15 lakh each was
provided to all the blocks in state quarterly for the
pavement of streets in rural areas. He said that six
water supply schemes were introduced in the Kandi area of
his constituency. He alleged that all SAD-BJP MLAs of the
district had no voice in the state cabinet due to which
the interest of Hoshiarpur district were being neglected.
He warned that Congress workers of the district would
launch an agitation if this step-motherly treatment was
not stopped. |
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Pesticide dealers go on strike ABOHAR, Sept 27 — All insecticides/pesticides dealers here observed complete strike on Saturday to protest against the registration of a case under the Essential Commodities Act against a distributor of a multinational company products. Official sources said on a complaint from a farmer the team of the Agriculture Department visited the showroom of the distributor and during checking of the record noted that some cash memos were neither signed by the distributor nor by the customer. Precautions for spraying were not printed overleaf of the bill though it was statutory under the rules. The cash memo was not countersigned by the department before use. When the team tried to challan the distributor the employees were allegedly manhandled. The special police cell formed to deal with such cases came into action. Earlier too another such case was registered against a dealer of an Indian manufacturing company for buying goods from an outsider without proper authorisation. The dealers alleged the department was harassing them as they had refused to grease the palm of some officials. The cotton growers had
been suffering heavy losses for past four/five years for
failure of the PAU and Agriculture Department in
supplying virus-free certified cotton seed and suggesting
adequate insecticide to deal with the American bollworm.
Now after a week of moisture Saturday brought sunshine
which was considered here good for spraying insecticide.
The shops were displayed the banners —
"insecticides now will be sold by the SDM and the
police, please excuse us". |
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Rs 670 crore dam money wasted GURDASPUR, Sept 27 — According to the accounts statement of the Ranjit Sagar Dam dated July 1998, out of the Rs 2494.31 crore spent so far, as much as Rs 670 crore approximately has gone down the drain and the management has no worthwhile explanation to justify the expenditure. As much as Rs 275 crore has been debited to suspense account, Rs 114 crore to unsanctioned estimates, Rs 98 crore to access estimates, Rs 133 crore as advance to suppliers and manufacturers and Rs 50 crore to tool and plant account. The wastage has been multiplying in spite of the fact that a separate department — the Revenue Recovery Department — with a huge staff is working on the dam site. Insiders, allege that the recovery staff hardly work and have deliberately avoided effecting adequate recovery , fearing that if they effect enough recoveries, they would be shifted. The wastage has been brought to the notice of the authorities several times but they have always turned a deaf ear. On other hand, the management is paying salaries to 15000 workers though only about one month's work is left. There is need of employing only three sections out of the 20 working on the dam site. The management has been repeatedly asked to shift the workers who have completed their job but in vain. Meanwhile, the power house
which has been completed still leaks. Two tenders of Rs
70 lakh each were floated for repair but in vain so far. |
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Probe ordered into land grab bid JALANDHAR, Sept 27 (UNI) — Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today ordered an inquiry into an alleged attempt to grab 84 acres of land on the city's outskirts by a land mafia which forcibly evicting several cultivators who have been tilling the land for the past several decades. An official press note quoting the Chief Minister said Mr Badal has asked Jalandhar Range Deputy Inspector-General of Police Suresh Arora to conduct the inquiry. The Chief Minister said the accused, whether an officer or a political person, would not be spared if found guilty. It said that a news item published in a Chandigarh English daily was brought to his notice during his visit to city today. Mr Badal took serious notice of it and ordered an on-the-spot inquiry into it. Cultivator Dalbir Singh had brought the case to the notice of Mr Arora late last month shortly after he took over as DIG of Jalandhar. The DIG had asked SSP
Paramjit Singh to conduct the probe and it was confirmed
by Mr Gill at the press conference he addressed here
yesterday. |
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Ex-servicemen to get better medicare GURDASPUR, Sept 27 — Brig R.K. Singh, Commanding Officer 9 Infantry Brigade addressing ex-servicemen rally at Dera Baba Nanak near Indo-Pakistan border in this district today said that Army had proposed to provide health care and canteen facilities at the doorsteps of ex-servicemen. Ambulance equipped with adequate medicines including life-saving medicines and mobile canteen would visit them at their door- steps four times a month, he added. Brig Singh said that a special campaign for recruitment in Army will be launched in due course in this district. The youngmen found unfit according to Army specifications would be provided training at the vocational training centre of the Brigade at Tibri cantonment. Training ranging from cycle repair to computer functioning will be provided at the centre. More than 1000 ex-servicemen participated in the rally. Maj Gen ABJ Jaini AVSM said that the ex-servicemen's rally held today was aimed at listening and redressing grievances of ex-servicemen. Mr Jagir Singh, Deputy Director District Sainik Welfare Board highlighted the scheme floated for the benefit of the ex-servicemen. An exhibition displaying working in bee-keeping and fish farming was a big draw on the occasion. Welcome was accorded to Pine Topchee Cycle Safari which was flagged off on September 9 from Meerut and reached at Dera Baba Nanak today after covering 1400 km. The safari will terminate tomorrow at Tibri cantonment near here. Medical and dental camps
were also held on the occasion. |
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die in mishap PHAGWARA, Sept 27 — Aman (32) and a boy (8) were crushed to death outside the local bus stand on the GT road here today in an accident between a scooter and a bus. The third occupant of the scooter Balwinder Singh was removed to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital to Ludhiana in a serious condition. The deceased could not be
identified. The injured scooterist belonged to Gill road
Ludhiana. |
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MNCs "corrupting Indian
culture" FAZILKA, Sept 27 — Dr Baldev Raj Chawla, Deputy Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, last night addressing a gathering here said that it was essential to adopt "Swadeshi" moment to inculcate patriotism. Deploring the setting up of multinational companies in India Dr Chawla observed that these companies would not do any good to Indians but siphon Indian wealth off to other countries by exploiting the Indian trade market. He alleged that the MNCs had no respect for Indian moral values. The Deputy Speaker revealed that a popular brand of desi ghee manufactured and marketed by an MNC was adulterated with tallow. Coca Cola company which had begun its business in India with only Rs 6.6 lakh had over the years siphoned off several crores of rupees. He disclosed that one bottle of Coca Cola available in market for Rs 9 to a consumer costs Rs 1.75 to the manufacturer. Apart from huge profits earned by such companies it is misutilised by so-called foreign missionaries to damage Indian culture. Dr Chawla flayed Pepsi project for "cheating" Punjabis as it had so far provided job to 50,000 Indians of which 50 per cent of them were to be Punjabis. Bickering amongst BJP
ranks came to fore at the function as Mr Bajrang Lal
Gupta, president, Municipal Council who was chairman of
the reception committee, Mr Surjit Kumar Jyani, local BJP
MLA and state Minister and Joginder Singh, former
Director of the CBI, who were patron and chairman of the
programme did not turn up at the function which was
organised by the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, Fazilka. |
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Facelift
for Guru Gobind Singh Marg DINA SAHIB (Moga), Sept 27 — Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal today said that Guru Gobind Singh Marg would be given a facelift before the tri-centenary celebrations of creation of Khalsa to be held at Sri Anandpur Sahib on April 13 next year. Addressing a gathering here on the occasion of 'Aatam ras march' being taken out by the International Kirtan Council to inculcate devotion towards Sikhism among people, Mr Badal said that work would start soon. He said there was a great need for building good character and people should follow the path shown by the 10th Guru. He stressed that parents should play a pivotal role in making children follow the path shown by Guru Gobind Singh. Regarding tri-centenary celebrations, he said that different political, religious and intellectual committees had been formed under the guidance of Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee to celebrate this occasion on the international as well national-level. He said that construction work of Sikh heritage museum in 40 acres of land would start at Sri Anandpur Sahib in November and it would take years to convert this historic town into the eighth wonder of the world. He said that the first phase of this 'wonder' would be complete before April next year. He said that the Punjab Government was developing all religious places in the state and the local historical Zafarnama gurdwara would also be developed. Jathedar Kewal Singh of
Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Mr Tota Singh, Punjab Education
Minister and Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, Speaker, Vidhan
Sabha also spoke on the occasion. |
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Swadeshi
manch gets rousing reception FEROZEPORE, Sept 27 — A rousing reception was given here today to members of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch which is currently undertaking a "swadeshi chetna yatra" in Punjab. Addressing a gathering, Mr Sharma apprised them about the ill-effects of the GATT Agreement which was signed seven years ago by the then government at the Centre. He added that the agreement had adversely affected trade, industry, economy and the farm sector. He alleged that people of the country were kept in the dark while signing the agreement. The BJP-led Central Government was going to sign an agreement with the WTO, he added, and said people of the country must be taken into confidence before signing the agreement. Mr Sharma asked the people not to buy products of multinational companies, which were a threat to the existence of Indian companies. If the Indians started giving a negative response to the products of these companies, they would ultimately have to leave the Indian market, he added. He further added that the
chetna yatra had started from Malerkotla on September 25
and would terminate at Jalandhar on October 2. |
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Rs
1,600 ‘anti-suicide’ allowance urged MOGA, Sept 27 — The All-India Youth Federation, celebrating the 92nd birthday of Sardar Bhagat Singh here today demanded employment for all unemployed youth listed in the employment exchange and over 17 years of age. In case they are not provided employment, a Rs 1600 unemployment allowance should be given to save them from frustration and suicide. It also demanded free-education upto plus two level, a teacher-pupil ratio of one by 22 and that all vacancies in the Education Department be filled immediately. It also sought a free travel concession in private as well as state buses for students, cheap hostel facilities and election of students' unions in institutions. This was stated here today
by a general secretary All India Youth Federation,
Punjab, Prithipal Singh Mari Mega while addressing a
press conference. |
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Permanent lok adalats set up in
Amritsar AMRITSAR, Sept 27 — A judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Justice H.S. Brar, while inaugurating two permanent lok adalats yesterday at the district courts complex here said that under the Legal Services Authority Act, over 21,369 cases were disposed of and the lok adalats had provided justice in more than 64,309 cases. Mr Justice Brar added that it should be the duty of the persons connected with the judiciary and lawyers to work for providing justice to the poor and other weaker sections of society. A number of seminars were held throughout the state to help create awareness for free legal aid and lok adalats, he added. The District and Sessions Judge, Mr K.S. Kauldhar, said that the local legal authority had provided free legal aid in 750 cases and 39 lok adalats were held where over 1,207 cases were dispensed with. The BJP MLA, Mrs Lakshmi
Kanta Chawla, welled on the need to strengthen the
judicial system to protect the poor and women from being
exploited. She suggested that senior judicial officers
should develop a mechanism for providing quick redressal
of grievances. |
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State-level
science
fair concludes LUDHIANA, Sept 27 — Children should be made to learn the social and moral values along with the latest scientific and technological education, said Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, Punjab, while addressing the concluding day function of the seventh state-level science fair organised by the Sarvhitkari Educational Society here today. Commenting on the deterioration in the social and political set-up in India during the past 50 years, he said that the leaders of today had failed to carve out a harmonious society that the martyrs and freedom fighters had dreamt of. During the science fair, competitions were held in the fields of model making, chart making, paper reading and quiz in which 500 students from 34 schools all over the state participated. The themes ranged from ecological balance, environment, pollution and energy to globalisation of communicating health and nutrition, food and solar appliances. The host team of Bharatiya
Vidya Mandir won the award for the overall best team. |
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