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| Monday, July 3, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
Rinwa stakes party’s claim to
CM’s post Punjab debt ‘increasing’ PSEB policy hits supply to
villages ‘Save PSEB from
bankruptcy’ Anti-hijacking squad for Rajasansi |
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BJP against free power to farmers,
says Tandon
Brick-kiln owners’ strike
hits labourers Punjab allots Rs 3 lakh a year to
paraplegic centre Tension at Hadiabad over tank
issue Militancy victims cry for jobs Local cold drinks use popular
brand names Proposal to lease octroi posts
flayed Major does his village proud Tributes paid to Capt R.S. Garcha Move to shift library decried Cleanliness drive Improvement Trust gets land back Berms on major roads to be
fortified Enraged bull kills youth
Suspected migrants injure 2 of
family
|
Rinwa stakes party’s
claim to CM’s post FEROZEPORE, July 2 — In an unexpected development, the Punjab BJP president, Mr Brij Lal Rinwa, today staked party’s claim to the Chief Minister’s post. Besides, Mr Rinwa sought 50 per cent share of seats in the state Assembly. Addressing a press conference here this afternoon, Mr Rinwa asked the BJP activists to work hard to corner maximum number of seats in the state Assembly during the next Vidhan Sabha election. He however, clarified that the BJP was not trying to distance itself from the Akali Dal, its coalition partner in the state Assembly. He added that by staking claim to the Chief Minister’s post, the BJP only aspired to grow politically. Asked how the BJP could stake claim to such a top post, given its limited strength in the Assembly, Mr Rinwa said that the party activists were working hard to extend its support base in Punjab. “There is nothing controversial in my statement. It only reflects the emotions of the party”, he said. Reiterating his faith in the Akali Dal-BJP combine, Mr Rinwa sought to clarify that his party was not aiming to form a future government on its own. Adding that the coalition era had ushered in the state politics, he said that none of the two parties were in position to form government independently. Although he admitted that difference between the two parties persisted at the grassroots level, he said that these were mainly of local nature. Mr Rinwa, who earlier was accorded a reception by the party workers here this morning, assured the BJP activists to get their grievances against the Akali Dal ministers redressed. He announced that the Akali Dal president, Mr Parkash Singh Badal has assured him to constitute district level coordination committees of the two parties to iron out differences. Mr Rinwa, who earlier was grilled by the resentful BJP workers, who accused the Akali ministers of meting out step-motherly treatment to them said, “These committees shall be shortly constituted to hammer out ideological differences”. Replying to a question, he said that the Akali Dal was still considering to review the decision to provide free power to the farmers. He denied that the party had failed to press upon the Akali Dal to roll back free power package to the farmers. To a question, whether
he would ask his Baagri-speaking compatriots to declare
Punjabi as their mother tongue during the ongoing census,
Mr Rinwa said that those, who actually speak Punjabi
within their families should do so. Denying that his
statement asking the Hindus in the state to declare
Punjabi as their mother tongue was politically motivated,
Mr Rinwa said that his statement was directed to the
Punjabi speaking Hindus. He added that the political
situation in the state had changed from the pre-Punjabi
Suba days, when the Arya Samaj and the Jana Sangh had
asked Hindus to declare Hindi as their language. |
Rinwa for release of detainees AMRITSAR, July 2 — Mr Brij Lal Rinwa, Punjab BJP Chief, advocated the release of detainees languishing in jails for many years. He also demanded speeding up of trial of the accused and release of those found innocent. Mr L.K. Advani Union Home Minister’s announcement regarding the release of detainees sometime back had invited opposition from BJP party circles. The statement from the BJP state chief comes at a time when the issue of autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir is finding a few supporters in the BJP. Similar type of autonomy is being demanded for Punjab in the shape of Anandpur Sahib resolution of 1973. On the autonomy issue Mr Rinwa said all demands under the autonomy issue should only be considered within the framework of the constitution. However he favoured federal structure to facilitate the states to generate and utilise own resources. He said the BJP would
fight the elections with the SAD as its partner.
“But” he said, this time a Chief Minister of
the Bharatiya Janata Party is expected. On the power
scenario the BJP President opposed the grant of
electricity free of cost to farmers while urban
population was burdened with higher tariff. He suggested
that the SAD government should evolve some other subsidy
for the rural sector to tide over the crisis by which the
Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) was facing a loss
of Rs 300 crore. “Most of the loss could be safely
attributed to power theft which would be the main thrust
area to be rectified on priority”, he added. |
Punjab debt
‘increasing’ BATHINDA, July 2 — The PPCC General Secretary, Mr Harminder Singh Jassi, today said the SAD-BJP combine government in Punjab was burdening the State with loans without carrying out any development. Talking to TNS here, Mr Jassi said the loan liability on Punjab was about Rs 12,000 crore in 1997 when the SAD-BJP Government took over the affairs of the State. The loan liability of State at present was about Rs 32,000 crore. Mr Jassi pointed out that the Punjab Government was taking loans from the governmental and private financial institutions on the pretext of carrying out development activities, but in reality the money was going into the pockets of “certain persons”. He further pointed out the Punjab Government had sold off pieces of government land to private persons, pledged government buildings to the financial institutions as a security against loans. He had taken huge loans from banks at a very high rate of interest but these steps could not take out the Punjab Government from the financial crises it had been facing for the past two years. He condemned the hike in electricity tariff and said that it would be taxing for consumers to use electricity at such a high rate. He added that the Congress party might launch an agitation against the irrational hike. Mr Jassi said the Punjab
Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, had failed to
check corruption in the State. |
PSEB policy hits supply to
villages ROPAR, July 2 — The new policy of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), to reduce the limit of load allowed to rural residential areas has hit electric supply in these areas. The PSEB authorities have ordered all officials of the sub-stations, manning the electricity supply in the rural areas, to cut the power supply of load on their system increases more than 25 per cent of the prescribed limit. Earlier 40 per cent of overload was allowed as per the norms of the PSEB. Due to it most of the rural residential areas in the district had been getting just 2-3 hour power supply per day since last one month. The sources told that as per the Punjab Government instructions for the paddy season, the PSEB authorities give an uninterrupted three-phase supply for tubewells from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., every day. However, to limit the loss due to providing free electricity the supply is reduced to 2- phase after 2 p.m. The tubewell motors fail to function in this two-phase supply. The farmers who want to operate tubewells even after 2 p.m. then resort to the theft of electricity. They use the condensers to convert the two-phase supply to three-phase, to run tubewell motors. This increases the load on the system and as per new instructions, the PSEB authorities on sub-stations administer a cut of power supply when the load increases beyond 25 per cent. The rural people blame the PSEB authorities for the nightmare. They allege that the PSEB authorities have restored to easy way out to check the power theft. Due to their inability to check the power theft they are making-people suffer by reducing the overload limit to 25 per cent. They also say that these unannounced cuts in their area due to the reduction in the overload limit has compounded the problems of rural residential areas which were already suffering due to official cuts and the breakage of transmission lines. BATHINDA: The Janata Dal (United) Punjab unit today urged the state government to withdraw the hike made in the electricity tariff immediately. In a press note issued here today Mr Bhupinder Sharma, vice-president, Janata Dal (U) Punjab unit said that hike in electricity tariff would put unnecessary burden on the people who were already feeling the pinch of unnecessary taxes imposed on the items of the daily use. Mr Sharma pointed out that the Punjab State Electricity Board could avoid raising of the tariff by checking rampant corruption in this organisation and weeding out commission system in purchases. He added that the facility of free electricity extended to the farmers by the Punjab government was the major reason for the loss of the PSEB. He said that the
management should be efficient to eradicate corruption in
the board. |
‘Save PSEB from
bankruptcy’ PATIALA, July 2 — The PSEB Engineers Association has come down strongly on the decision of the board to hike tariff between 8 and 9 per cent by saying that such a decision will send the board towards total bankruptcy. In a press release the association disputed the claims of the board chairman who has said that Rs175 crore would be realised in anti-theft measures. The association said that ‘theft’ in the board could only be stopped if strong measures like setting up a special police force, giving magisterial powers to PSEB checking squads and setting up designated courts are taken. This, the association added, was not being done by the board management.The association claimed that due to the increase in tariff the rate of return would be minus 30 per cent, while the mandatory rate of return, as envisaged in the Electricity Act, should be 3 per cent per annum. The association has alleged that the PSEB had favoured the industrial lobby by keeping the Industrial tariff at a very low level. The association said
that the domestic hike was totally illogical, adding that
if a domestic consumer consumes 300 units of electricity
per month the bill will be Rs 670, but if 301 units of
power are consumed the bill will shoot up to Rs 873. The
association said that for consuming just one more unit
the domestic consumer will have to dole out Rs 203. The
association has urged the Governor to intervene. |
Anti-hijacking squad for Rajasansi Amritsar, July 2 (UNI) — The Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Mr Chaman Lal Gupta said today that taking into account the past history of the Raja Sansi Airport, an anti-hijacking squad of the National Security Guards (NSG) would be stationed at the airport. He said Raja Sansi Airport was one of the most sensitive airports in the country so an anti-hijacking team needed to be stationed here. This had become all the more necessary as now this airport was being upgraded as an international one, he added. The minister said that this matter would be taken up with the Union Home Ministry. He said as was the case with other airports in the country, the security of Rajasansi would be handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Regarding the upgradation of the Raja Sansi Airport, Mr Gupta said it was amongst the seven airports being upgraded to an international status. The Central Government had already approved the plan for the upgradation of this airport, he added. Mr Gupta disclosed that in the first phase of upgradation of Rajasansi, a sum of Rs 79.6 crore would be spent by the Centre. This phase would start soon after the Airport Authority of India submits its survey report to the Civil Aviation Ministry, he added. Mr Gupta said Rs 20
lakhs would be spent for providing better facilities to
the passengers at Raja Sansi. The minister held a meeting
with airport officials here yesterday to review the
security and passenger facilities. |
BJP against free power to farmers,
says Tandon SAS NAGAR, July 2 — The Local Minister of Punjab, Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, today said the Punjab unit of the BJP was opposed to giving free power to the farmers and the issue would again be taken up with the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. Mr Tandon, who was addressing a press conference here, however, added that the Akali-BJP alliance in Punjab was going strong. He said the alliance would field its candidates in the forthcoming elections to the SAS Nagar municipal Council. He said the civic bodies in the state were in poor state as the revenue of Rs 60 crore earned from octroi collection last year had been spent by the state government. In future an arrangement was being made to assure that the revenue earned from octroi collection was spent on the betterment of the civic bodies. Mr Atma Ram Kumar, state
convener of the Backward Morcha, was also present on the
occasion. |
Brick-kiln owners’ strike
hits labourers FATEHGARH SAHIB, July 2 — The rates of the bricks in the district have shot up due to the strike of brick-kiln owners in the district. Ongoing development projects as well as private construction work have been affected by the strike. The rate have gone up to Rs 1,700 for thousand bricks from earlier rate of Rs 1,200. Labourers, who have been rendered jobless, are the worst hit. The brick-kiln owners, however, maintained that the indifferent attitude of the government had forced them to adopt this path as in spite of repeated representations no one had bothered to discuss their demands. While talking to The Tribune, Mr Purshotam Singla, district president of the Brick-Klin Owners Association, said government had increased sales tax by 76 per cent within one-and-a-half-year on bricks and such an increase had not been made on any other item in the state. He said they were always under the threat of the Bonded Labour Act and Factory Act as due to these Acts the so-called union leaders blackmailed them. He clarified that the kiln labour was paid in advance and was not kept within any boundary wall nor any security guards were deployed for them. He demanded that a special Act on the pattern of one for coal mine workers should be there for brick kiln labourers also. He added that the brick kiln industry “is a seasonal one and the workers work on contract basis for few months so it is not possible to deduct their provident fund under the Factory Act”. He expressed concern over the increase in the rates of bricks as well as its effect on labour. More than 1 lakh workers have become jobless due to the closure of kilns. He said from July 7 the sale of bricks would also be stopped in the district for an indefinite period. He urged the government to accept the genuine demands. Meanwhile, Mr B.S.
Sadah, Deputy Commissioner, has assured that the
development projects in the district would not suffer
because of the shortage of bricks and that no one would
be allowed to increase the rates the bricks on his own.
He said raids would be conducted and strict action would
be taken against the hoarders. |
Punjab allots Rs 3 lakh a year
to paraplegic centre CHANDIGARH, July 2 — The Punjab Government will provide budgetary support of Rs 3 lakh annually to the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre (PPC), Mohali. The Director Sainik Welfare, Punjab, Brig K. S. Kahlon (retd), said provision for this purpose had been made in the government's budget under the planned expenditure head. Notification for the same has been issued following grant of approval for the monetary support by the Chief Minister. The Punjab Government had earlier allocated a plot measuring about 10 acres in Mohali as a permanent site for setting up the centre. The PPC has an annual outlay of about Rs 12 lakh, but keeping in view the spiralling costs, sources add that the centre has been in some difficulty. Funds for its operation were allocated from grants by the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. Besides board and lodging of inmates and their families, the PPC's expenditure includes rehabilitation measures, procurement of training aids and recreational means and medical facilities. The centre has several workshops where inmates and their family members can work and produce items of common use, including hosiery items. The PPC was established in 1978 for the rehabilitation of paraplegic and tetraplegic ex-servicemen with a view to motivating them to become self-supporting citizens by providing them suitable vocational training and medical care. The centre at present
houses 19 inmates, including seven from Punjab, three
each from Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, two from
Nepal and one each from Haryana, Rajasthan, Assam and
West Bengal. |
Tension at Hadiabad over tank
issue PHAGWARA, July 2 — After a lull of 11 days, tension at nearby Hadiabad over the issue of a dry tank adjoining two religious places belonging to two principal communities erupted today again with both sides indulging in heavy brick-batting and accusing each other of triggering off trouble. One trick hit Inspector Harbhajan Swaroop, SHO, City Police Station. However, he escaped unhurt. At least six other persons were hit by brickbats. They also did not sustain any injury. The Supreme Court in its ruling of 1991 had decreed the dry tank (talab) to be a public place used particularly for religious festivals. The apex court had forbidden alteration in its status. It has become a bone of contention between activists of Swami Shankar Nath Parbat Math and Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Earlier, a four-day stand-off took place between both sides from June 15 to June 19. An abortive agreement of June 16 saw a communal face-off. But again an eight-member committee was set up on June 19 to defuse the situation. Even two arbitrators were included in it. The trouble started today again when new construction was started. In violation both of the panel decision and the apex court ruling. While Mr Ram Kumar Chaddha, member, Math Committee, alleged that the gurdwara committee had started construction on the topmost step of the staris of the tank, Prof Piara Singh, President, Gurdwara Committee, alleged that math activists had demolished stairs of the gurdwara. However, the Math Committee denied it. Mr Chaddha said it was agreed to remove debris from the tank to beautify it. However, when the debris was being removed, Mr Piara Singh threw a brick which became the flashpoint. Mr Piara Singh also denied it and alleged that stones were pelted by the rival side. The math activists held a rally inside the math hall, Swami Ganga Nandji, Head of the math, while addressing it, opposed any type of new construction in the talab and pleaded with both sides to keep up brotherly bonds by honouring the apex court’s ruling. Meanwhile, local DSP Satinder Singh is camping at the site with police force, including riot squads. However the civil administration was conspicuous by its absence till 12 noon even though tension had boiled up at 8.30 a.m. It was only at 12.10 p.m. that Mulk Raj Naib Tehsildar arrived at the scene. Meanwhile a four member
committee comprising Mr Ashok Uppal and Mr Ram Kumar
Chaddha (representing the math) and Mr Sukhwinder Singh
Kamboj, Mr Sarbjit Singh (representing the gurdwara) had
started negotiations with the DSP and Naib Tehsildar Mulk
Raj to defuse the situation. |
Militancy victims cry for jobs AMRITSAR, July 2 — “We are being refused jobs by the government” is what fiftyfive terrorist-affected families, which had gathered here yesterday at Shivpuri Chowk as a mark of protest, had to say. They were wearing black badges bearing black flags and held a march. The jobs have been reportedly refused on the pretext of late submission of applications by the aggrieved families who have lost their near and dear ones in terrorist violence that started in the early eighties. While sustained efforts by public representatives like Mr Laxmi Kanta Chawla, BJP MLA, and veteran CPI leader, Mr Satya Pal Dang, had pressurised the government to increase the pension amount from Rs 250 to Rs 2,500 a month, jobs, however, are still eluding them. One reason behind the delay in applications, which according to Ms Chawla has become a favourite whipping horse for the government to refuse employment to these needy, are that when these families migrated to other places because of fear they remained ignorant about the rehabilitation schemes. In some cases the eldest girl was not allowed to work by the families because of a conventional mindset and the boy because of not fulfilling the age criterion or the academic qualifications had to wait causing the delay in the submission of applications and subsequently the refusal of jobs. Ms Chawla, who spearheaded the protest march, decried the “partisan attitude” of the government in declaring Army deserters of 1984 as “dharam faujis” and participants in Akali morchas as freedom fighters: The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting on June 7 in Chandigarh. She disfavoured the benefits extended to them in the form of job reservations, free bus passes, reservations in professional courses and the announcement of a grant of Rs 1 lakh to each family for its rehabilitation. She accused the government of being partial to a particular community and ignoring the genuine problems of families affected by terrorism. There are more than 80 cases in Amritsar of which in many cases the candidates are becoming overaged. Take the case of Asha Dolly whose brother Miceael was shot dead by terrorists. The family fled the village after the tragedy in 1992 at Meri Megha Patti. They returned in 1997 and applied for a job but were refused by the Deputy Commissioner’s office on the grounds of being overaged. Dolly (36) having a degree in nursing takes the rounds of the DC’s office to plead her case. She has ailing parents to look after. Similarly, Raj Rani
whose husband Balkrishan and three family members were
killed by a gang on March 13, 1988, at Mandipura Balia
village, was refused a job in 1988. Her only son,
Bhupinder Kumar, was also refused a job in 1995 and have
been pleading their cases. |
Local cold drinks use popular
brand names FEROZEPORE, July 2 — Certain local factories that manufacture cold drinks have allegedly been cheating consumers by selling their locally manufactured products under brand names of popular drinks. The spurious cold drinks are being sold not only in the town but are also being marketed in the surrounding villages. According to reports received yesterday, the Sub Divisional Magistrate, Mr D.P.S. Kharbanda, along with two officials from the Department of Health, on a tip off that spurious cold drinks were being sold in the villages, visited Arifke village on June27. The shopkeepers concerned told the team that they had been getting the supply of filled bottles from the city-based M/s Subhash Chander Sharma Cold Drink Factory. On visiting the factory, the team members found that soda water bottles were being filled with coloured water similar to the cold drinks of popular brands. The team took some samples and these have been sent for laboratory tests. Besides, the city police station SHO has been directed by the team to take action against the factory under the police rules. Meanwhile, Mr Kharbanda in his report, submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Kulbir Singh Sidhu, alleged that the factory concerned was manufacturing spurious’ cold drinks. He has requested the Deputy Commissioner to direct the Civil Surgeon, Ferozepore to depute doctors to check and gather samples from the cold drink factories across the district. Mr Kharbanda pointed out in his report no sample had been taken till now by any doctor or by the District Health Officer under the Food Adulteration Act. The SDM has also directed police and health officials to locate the factories engaged in the manufacturing of spurious cold drinks and take necessary action according to the rules. Team also visited
another city-based factory — Bulandi Soda Water
Factory. It was found that the factory used to sell its
Cola-type cold drink in soda water bottles. The team also
took samples from some bottles from there to take
necessary action under the Food Adulteration Act. |
Proposal to lease octroi posts
flayed FAZILKA, July 2 — Mr Madal Lal Kapoor, President, Punjab Beopar Mandal, in a telephonic statement from Bathinda yesterday criticised the move of the Municipal Council, Fazilka, to lease the Fazilka octroi post to private contractors again. He said Mr Ashok Gulbadhar, President, Beopar Mandal, Fazilka and Mr Satish Kumar Dhingra, organising secretary Punjab unit, had informed him that the council had a tentative proposal to auction the octroi on July 14. He said any such move would be opposed by the mandal as the lease of the octroi to private contractors was terminated after a prolonged agitation in May. He threatened to launch an agitation to safeguard the interest of the traders. Mr Kapoor claimed that the newly constructed Beopar Mandal complex at Bathinda was the largest office of traders in the northern region. He also flayed the Punjab Government for hiking power tariff for the fourth time. Mr Gulbadhar, and Mr
Dhingra, in a statement, said if the municipal council
proposed to lease the octroi to private contractors they
would lodge their protest with Mr Surjit Kumar Jyani,
Forest Minister, Punjab, who represents Fazilka in the
Assembly. |
Major does his village proud PINDI (GURDASPUR), July 2 — Maj Balwinder Singh Bajwa has done this tiny village proud by sacrificing his life for the nation while fighting militants and anti-national elements in strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir. Kulhama village of Thanjmarg district in the valley was attacked by heavily armed militants on June 22. Fierce fighting started between the separatists and jawans of 34 Rashtriya Rifles, led by ‘Rummy’ Bajwa, as the Major was known back home. The terrain was difficult and Major Bajwa suffered serious injuries in a grenade attack by the other side. But he refused to lay down his arms or leave his comrades alone in the battlefield. He continued fighting, repulsing the attack, and forced the militants to flee. But before they fled, one of the bullets fired by them pierced through his head and proved to be fatal. “We are proud of him. We don’t want anything in return,” said Mr Iqbal Singh Bajwa, father of Major Bajwa, while talking to TNS during the bhog ceremony of his son here today. Without allowing his tears to roll down, Mr Bajwa said,” This is what he should have done. It was his duty and he performed it meticulously. I have no remorse for having sent my son to the armed forces. It is our tradition. It is our third generation which is serving armed forces, to which we are committed.” Mr Bajwa himself retired as a Divisional Commandant of the Punjab Home Guards. His father was a Havaldar in the Indian Army while his younger son, Parminder, is also a Major in the Army. Born on December 9, 1962, Major Bajwa was inclined to join the armed forces right from his childhood and started preparations in that direction at an early stage. After doing his graduation from Government College, Gurdaspur, he joined the Indian Military Academy in January, 1985, and got commissioned into the 313 Field Regiment as Second Lieutenant. Immediately after joining, he proved his mettle at the world’s highest battlefield, the Siachen Glacier, after joining the 8 JAK Li Leading Company as Operation Officer and captured the famous Bana Post by launching an effective assault and was awarded with the Northern Army Commander Commendation Card. Later, he played an important role while posted at Pinagala in Sikkim with the Artillery Brigade and later as Battery Commander with 210 Rocket Regiment. He got posted to the Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir and he was commanding a company in the Beerwah area in Budgan district as part of the Victor Force at the time of his death. Major Bajwa is survived by his wife, Raminder Bajwa and two sons, Gaurav and Karan. Unable to bear to shock , Major Bajwa’s father-in-law is fighting for life in a Gurdaspur hospital. Mr B. Vikram, the Deputy
Commissioner, said the district administration had
decided to erect a gate in memory of Major Bajwa. A road
would also be named after him in his native village. He
said it would be better if the construction of the gate
was supervised by the village panchayat, which on its own
is still undecided as to what to do to perpetuate the
memory of the brave son of the soil. Tributes paid to Capt R.S. Garcha JALANDHAR, July 2—Capt Roopinder Singh Garcha, who had laid down his life fighting ultras in Jammu and Kashmir on June 30, was cremated with full military honours at the local Model Town cremation ground here today. Young Captain Garcha was a son of Lieut-Col J. S. Garcha (retd.), a resident of Ravinder Nagar locality. He died in a bomb explosion caused by militants whom he was chasing in the Potgampur area near Srinagar along with two other officers, who were also injured. Born in 1974, Captain Garcha was a brilliant science student at the local Lyallpur Khalsa College and got a commission in the Army in September, 1996. Ironically his parents were planning his marriage before he died. A large number of civil
and army officials, social workers and politicians paid
tributes to Captain Garcha. Floral tributes were paid to
the brave soldier by Major-General D. Nargowal, Chief of
Staff, Brig P.K. Chakravarti, Mr Raminder Singh,
officiating Deputy Commissioner. |
Move to shift library decried SANGRUR, July 2 — The vice-president of the Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (Sekhon), Dr Tejwant Mann, has termed the move of the state government to shift the Sangrur District Library from its own building to a 100 years-old building as a deliberate “conspiracy” to close the library in the wake of shortage of funds and staff. Talking to TNS here today, Dr Mann, while opposing this move, further said writers, scholars and intellectuals would not allow the government this time also to shift the library from its building, as they had done earlier when a deputy commissioner occupied this building and set up his office there. At that time, bowing to the pressure the deputy commissioner vacated the building. Then library was shifted in the building a few years ago, he added. Dr Mann said the present building of the library had been constructed with lakhs of rupees on the demand of local writers and citizens. He said nobody could stop the perishing of rare and valuable books, manuscripts, record files of the erstwhile Jind state and rare photograph albums, if the library was shifted from here to an old building. Dr Mann said the
government wanted to shift the library from its present
location only to set up few government offices there. |
Cleanliness drive KHARAR: The local Municipal Council has launched a drive to clear up all the storm water drains in the town. The drive, which was inaugurated by the Kharar Subdivisional Magistrate Mr Devinder Singh, here on June 26, will conclude on July 10. The Council Executive Officer Mr Gian Chand Gupta, has said the drive is conducted every year. The safai karamcharis have started uprooting congress grass and other wild vegetation. Heaps of garbage, waste material and malba will also be removed during the drive, he added. Meanwhile the leader of Opposition in the Council Mr Charanjit Singh has termed the drive as a mere eyewash and paper work”. He said none of the elected municipal councillors was invited to the inauguration function of the drive. “The main motive
behind the drive is to get cheap publicity and not to
improve sanitary conditions in the township,”
alleged Mr Singh. The deplorable sanitary conditions
could lead to the outbreak of an epidemic here, he added. |
Improvement Trust gets land back AMRITSAR, July 2 — After winning a legal battle which had dragged on for more than 30 years, the Improvement Trust swung into a action to take possession of the 8,200 sq yd of land leased to B.R. Modern School on Court Road. The premises had functioned as an illegal interrogation centre for the police, who had also established a police chowki in the area. After encountering hiccups in the form of police opposition, Mr Ram Aroa Bakshi, Chairman of the Improvement Trust, intervened to smoothen out the matters. The land is valued at over Rs 25 crore. A board proclaiming “hotel site for sale” undersigned by the trust has also been put up. The auction of the site
would commence within two months, the Chairman said. |
Berms on major roads to be
fortified PATIALA, July 2 — Berms on all major highways in the state will be fortified within one month and 2250 km of new roads will be laid by the year end. This was disclosed by Mr Ajiab Singh Mukhmailpur, Minister for PWD, at a function held at the urban estate here today. Mr Mukhmailpur said in the next phase, berms on all link roads in the state would be strengthened and added that work on fortifying berms on the Patiala-Chandigarh road would be completed within two days. He informed that during last year, 20 km of roads were laid in each Vidhan Sabha constituency of the state and 7000 km of link roads were re-laid at a cost of Rs 567 crore. Mr Mukhmailpur said the Punjab State Infrastructure Development Board had collected Rs 1700 crore from various agencies to four-lane major roads of the state and also to build bridges at various points. He assured that the work of four-laning of roads would be completed by 2002. Mr Mukhmailpur added that Rs 8 crore were earmarked to construct a 33-foot wide and 1-km long overbridge near the thickly-populated 22 number Phatak area of the town. He made it clear that
the Centre had yet to pay the state’s share of Rs
240 crore per year, which accrued from the cess on
petroleum and diesel products and the state government
would be taking up this issue with the Central Government
soon. |
Enraged bull kills youth PATIALA, July 2 — In a bizarre incident, 29-year-old Daya Shanker was killed after a bull stomped on his chest in the crowded Darshani Gate area of the old town. Daya Shanker, oblivious to the fate awaiting him, was going with his brother Shiv Shanker to buy some utensils. Mid-way, the two brothers froze on seeing two bulls violently fighting in the midst of the narrow lane. Being in a hurry, they tried to side-step the fighting bulls, but one of the bulls got enraged and attacked Daya Shanker with all its ferocity and forced him to lie down on the road. It stomped its feet on Daya Shanker's chest repeatedly. The public by this time collected in the area and tried to resuscitate a dying Daya Shanker, but to no avail. He was taken to Government Rajindra Hospital, where the doctors declared him brought dead. Daya Shanker was a
migrant labourer. A case under Section 174, Crpc, has
been registered by the Kotwali police station here. |
One dies of electrocution CHANDIGARH, July 2 — A resident of Colony No. 4, Ram Bilas (35), died of electrocution last night. According to information, Ram Bilas, a resident of jhuggi no. JH 18, slept late last night after switching on the fan. When he did not wake up in the morning, his nephew got worried and alerted his neighbours. Ultimately, the door was
broken and he was found lying dead on the fan. |
44 Emergency victims
honoured BATALA, July 2 — The local unit of the BJP today organised a function at Kila Mandi here to honour those persons who had spent 10 months in jail during the Emergency. Mr Tarun Chugh, press secretary of the BJP, Punjab, was the chief guest on the occasion. Fortyfour persons of
Batala were honoured on the occasion, five of them
posthumously namely — Dev Bhushan Ji, Baldev Mitter
Kansra, Mulakh Raj Bhatia , Krishan Dev Mahajan and Pt
Mulakh Raj. Too close for comfort SAS NAGAR, July 2 — Dr S.S. Dhaliwal, a Technical Director of the State Urban Development Authority of Punjab, has conducted a special study on Municipal Administration, with the Naya Nangal and Nangal Town civic bodies as models. Dr Dhaliwal found that existence of two civic bodies close to each other was causing loss to the government. Dr Dhaliwal was awarded
a doctorate for his thesis by Panjab University past
year. He is also writing a book on urban slums in Punjab. Reform move PHAGWARA, July 2 — The general body meeting of local Aggarwal Sabha today decided against giving or getting sweets packets on occasion of girls’ marriages. Presided over by Mr
Sudarshan Goel, the maiden meeting also resolved to open
a school. |
Suspected migrants injure 2 of
family JALANDHAR July 2 — Fear has gripped residents of Kalia Colony on the outskirts of the city. An armed group of suspected migrant labourers struck early this morning. They attacked a family with iron rods, fired some shots and left two of the family members injured . Armed with iron rods, hand pump handles and revolvers a group of 10 Hindi -speaking miscreants went to the house of Ram Kishan at 12.30 a.m. through a half-constructed house, while the family was asleep. As soon as Baldev Ram, one of the six brothers of Ram Kishan woke up and tried to raise an alarm, the gang started attacking them with iron rods and lathis and later fired some shots from a countrymade revolver. One of the shots hit Baldev Ram in his chest, while another stray bullet pierced through the ribs of his father Pritam Dass. “What infuriated them to attack us was our effort to raise an alarm. But none of the neighbours came to our help at the first instance,” said Pritam Dass, who has been admitted to the local Sacred Hearth Hospital along with Baldev Ram. The condition of both father and son was stated to be out of danger. He said the attackers were so ruthless that they did not spare anyone in the family and beat them up mercilessly. The weapons used in the crime are generally used by members of denotified tribes such as Pardhis and Bawarais, who have increased their activities in the city outskirts and other parts of the district. For past about one and half months Pardhis have become more active than Bawarais. Meanwhile, residents of these colonies have demanded security from the administration. Mr Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Nakodar Road, said he and his family have been having sleepless nights following recent spurt in these attacks. The police authorities had launched, a campaign called “Sahayata” to register the existing 2.5 lakh migrant labourers and the recent entrants. Similarly, Manjit Kaur
of Guru Ram Dass Colony said there should be a proper
process of screening of makeshift “deras”, set
up by migrants in almost all open spaces of the city
outskirts.She said her biggest fear was the way such
gangs attack people. |
2 women held for smuggling
drugs BATHINDA, July 2 — The district police has arrested two women who were indulging in the smuggling and sale of narcotics in this region. Dr Jatinder Jain, SSP, in a press note issued here today, said that two women — Binder Kaur and Tej Kaur — had allegedly started indulging in these illegal activities after their husbands were arrested for smuggling and sent to jail. He added that 250 gm of
opium and 85 kg of poppy husk was recovered from the
possession of Binder Kaur, while 61 kilogram of poppy
husk was recovered from the possession of Tej Kaur. Both
accused has been sent to jail. |
Pilgrims hurt PHILLAUR, July 2
—Twenty pilgrims, including women and children,
sustained injuries when a Gurgaon-bound bus carrying them
collided with a truck near Phillaur on the GT Road on
Sunday. They were returning from Vaishno Devi. The
injured were admitted to a local hospital. In another
mishap, five persons were injured when the car in which
they were travelling was hit by a Tata Sumo near Phillaur
on Sunday. |
Baba involved in satta held BATHINDA, July 2 — Baba Jasbir Das of Lehra Begha village in the district who used to tell the lucky number to people buying lotteries landed himself in jail. In a press note issued here yesterday, Mr Jatinder Kumar, Jain SSP, said the Baba had been befooling people for a long time and used to earn about Rs 30,000 daily by telling them the lucky number that could fetch a fortune for than. Mr Jain said the Baba
had bought a motor cycle and a mobile phone and had a
duplicate driving licence with his photograph in police
dress. On coming to know about his dubious activities,
the police arrested him immediately. |
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