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| Wednesday,
June 13, 2001, Chandigarh, India
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No nuclear plant at
Drauli: CM Patran (Patiala) , June 12 A proposal to build a nuclear plant at Drauli village had generated a wave of protest by people of the region, with as many as 25 panchayats supporting the issue and deciding to fight against any such proposal. The proposal was mooted by the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB). The Chief Minister said no funds had been allocated for the plant, and there was not even proposal before the government in this connection. When the Chief Minister’ s attention was drawn to the fact that the Chairman of the PSEB had repeatedly made statements on the issue, and that a Central team had also recently conducted a survey of the proposed site, the Finance Minister, replying on Mr Badal’s behalf, said, “They must have conducted a survey at a preliminary stage but we are not going to establish any such thing.” Mr Badal, when questioned about the recent controversy regarding the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) with some members protesting against the style of functioning of its Chairman Ravinderpal Singh Sidhu, he said the matter had been brought to the notice of the government. He said all persons concerned were being summoned for a meeting in Chandigarh shortly, and the matter was likely to be solved soon. The Chief Minister, when questioned about the crisis created with the issuance of non-bailable warrants against Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Kewal Singh, said the matter would be tackled by the Sikh high priests and the SGPC. Regarding a news item claiming that compensation had been given to those whose crops had caught fire, he said he would get the matter investigated. He said the government had on its part had increased the compensation amount for those whose crops had caught fire due to electrical faults from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per acre. Deputy Commissioner Jasbir Singh Bir said the administration was also giving compensation to those whose crops had caught fire due to some other reasons. The Chief Minister, when questioned about the demand of the people of the area to make Patran a subdivision, said the issue would be considered in due course. On being reminded that he had made such a promise earlier also and that Dera Bassi and Baghapurana had been made subdivisions, he said the proposal had to be discussed at various levels before being finalised by the Cabinet. Meanwhile, around Rs 3 crore have been disbursed at the sangat darshan programmes. While Rs 1.60 crore have been disbursed from the Rural Development Fund and Rs 60 lakh from the Urban Development Fund, of which, Rs 45 lakh is to be spent on the sewerage by the Patran Municipal Committee. Besides this, Rs 34 lakh have been given for school buildings and Rs 10 lakh for water supply schemes. Local legislator Gurdev Singh Sandhu, who was earlier aligned with the Tohra faction but had later switched sides, was also present at the programme, besides Akali leader Surjit Singh
Rakhra. |
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Need for reform movement Amritsar, June 12 Two days after the notice, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar, Akal Takht, pointed out that liquor and money was distributed among voters during the SGPC elections. To mark the ‘ghallughara divas’ (genocide day), Jathedar Vedanti also emphasised on the need to bring ‘true Sikhs’ in the forefront to manage Sikh shrines. Earlier, in an open letter to the SGPC members, Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar, Takht Damdama Sahib (against whom non-bailable warrants have been issued) had stated that there was hardly any SGPC member whose entire family was ‘Gursikh’. A ‘purchase scam’ by the Takht Kesgarh management has recently hit the headlines. There is concrete evidence that the management made purchase worth lakhs from a bogus firm. A high-level inquiry has already been ordered on the directions of Mr Talwandi. These instances show that another gurdwara reform movement is needed. The letter of the SGPC Secretary itself, reveals that most employees of the SGPC have failed to adhere to Sikh principles. Many SGPC members and Akali leaders, including those from the ruling faction, have said either the Singh Sabha movement or a gurdwara reform movement be launched. It may be mentioned here that the Shiromani Akali Dal was an offshoot of the gurdwara reform movement. The Akali Dal was formed on December 14, 1920. In November, 1920, representatives of various sections of the Sikh community formed a 175-member committee called the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee which declared itself a purely religious body for management of Sikh shrines. Initially, the Akali Dal emerged as a militant wing of the SGPC. The British Government enacted the Gurdwara Act in 1925 and to give statutory status to the SGPC. However, with passage of time, degeneration seems to have crept into great Sikh institutions for which present leaders (of various factions) are squarely responsible. The recent controversy on the ‘hukamnama’ (edict) issued by the Sikh clergy on messers Jeewan Singh Chattar Singh, private publishers of Guru Granth Sahib has led to an unsavoury situation. It is for the first time that the SGPC chief has criticised the Sikh clergy for pronouncing a mild ‘tankhah’ (punishment for religious misconduct). Akal Takht is considered the supreme authority and an adverse remark against an edict issued by it is undoubtedly tantamount to contempt. However, the Sikh clergy dares not to question the authority of Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, the reason being, it is being forced to play a second fiddle to politicians in the present circumstances. |
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SHSAD urges Giani Kewal Singh to step down Jalandhar, June 12 The SHSAD has also asked the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President to call a meeting of the executive and remove the Jathedar in case he fails to step down voluntarily. Referring to an appeal for
Panthic unity by the Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Mr Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, the secretary-general of the party, said here today that the appeal carried no weight since Jathedar Vedanti had shown a “partisan” attitude in some cases. Mr Bhaur said unity among the
Panthic groups headed by Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, Mr Jasbir Singh Rode and Mr Kuldip Singh Wadala was in the offing and an announcement in this regard was likely to be made in two or three days. |
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Kewal Singh meets Vedanti Amritsar, June 12 After the meeting, the Akal Takht chief left for Vara village in Gurdaspur district to attend a religious function organised by Mr Narinder Singh, a close associate of SGPC chief Jagdev Singh Talwandi. According to a report from Gurdaspur, Mr Talwandi who, too, was present in the function at Vara village did not hold any separate meeting with the Akal Takht chief. The report said that due to rain the function was shifted from Vara to Dinanagar. Giani Joginder Singh, however, did not enter the venue of the function at Dinanagar which was a marriage palace. According to reports, the Jathedar took this step keeping in view a directive issued by former head of Akal Takht Bhai Ranjit Singh banning the “parkash” unveiling of the holy Guru Granth Sahib in marriage palaces. Mr Talwandi, however, attended this function at the marriage palace.
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BJP for unity between Tohra, Badal factions Chandigarh, June 12 Interestingly, the BJP has no ill-feeling against the Tohra faction, the top brass of which misses no opportunity to take potshots at it. Mr Jaiswal said the Congress was an anti- Punjab organisation which could be wiped out from the state through a united fight by pro- Punjab political organisations. However, the BJP would not discuss the unity issue with the head of the Shiromani Akali Dal ( SAD), Mr Parkash Singh Badal. “It is his ( Mr Badal) party’s internal affair and not our subject”, Mr Jaiswal said when asked whether his party would take up the issue of rapproachement between the two Akali factions with Mr Badal. “As a leader of the SAD-BJP alliance, Mr Badal has been given a free hand by the BJP to enter into an electoral alliance with any other party like the BSP ”, Mr Jaiswal said. However, he would have to give seats to the new partner from his own party’s share, he clarified. “ We are a small player in the alliance and can’t afford to give seats to any new partner from our share”, he said. Mr Jaiswal said the BJP wanted to assure farmers that their paddy would be procured come what may. The Union Government headed by Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee would extend its full support in this connection. By procuring paddy and wheat during the last season, the SAD-BJP alliance had proved that a “disinformation” campaign was launched by the Congress that the farmers’ produce would not be lifted by the government. He said the BJP had decided to organise a farmers’ conference at Budhlada in Mansa district on July 6. It would be addressed by Mr Jana Krishnamurthi, head of the BJP. He said the BJP Ministers and party office-bearers had been told to extend full support to the political conferences being organised by the SAD at various places. He said Mr Badal would be requested to declare these as SAD-BJP conferences. The BJP had supported the proposal on proxy vote for serving army men. A request would be made to the Prime Minister to effect amendments to the relevant rules by Parliament. The state unit had also supported the demand for “one rank, one pension” voiced by ex-servicemen from time to time. The party would publish material to make its activists aware of various development works carried out in the state in the past four years. A committee had been set up to publish pamphlets in this connection. The BJP also reviewed the party’s activities vis-a-vis the coming Assembly elections in the 23 constituencies from which the party would contest this time. “Though we will try to have some more seats from Mr Badal, we have already started electoral preparations in the 23 constituencies”, Mr Jaiswal said. |
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Check crime, involve people Chandigarh, June 12 Apparently, the Chief Minister was not amused at media reports about growing incidence of violent urban crime, cyber crime, white collar crime, smuggling of both human beings and drugs, growing network of underworld dons and attempts by disruptive elements to organise agitations and demonstrations at a time when the state is heading for its Assembly elections in a few months.
Though the police claimed that the overall crime situation in the state was
under control, yet there are certain grey areas which may have been a cause of concern not only for the political leadership but also for the police administration. One of the major problems projected before the Chief Minister at various “sangat darshan” programmes has been the problem of human smuggling. Some cases pertaining to Punjabi youth languishing in Pakistani jails after their “illegal attempts “ to get into one European nation or the other were thwarted by the authorities there, had come before the Chief Minister. Though the menace of human smuggling has been nothing new to Punjab but the wider and larger ramifications it has assumed during the past few years have been causing concern to the state. Hundreds of households
have been shattered in the fond hope of getting one member of their family abroad through “illegitimate” means. A majority of these families had fallen victim to nefarious activities of
manpower or human smugglers operating throughout the state unchecked and uncontrolled. The other issue that is repeatedly brought to the notice of the Chief Minister has been the growing trend of looting of cash from liquor vends, petrol pumps and even commission agents in rural and remote areas. There have been stray instances where even people who got Voluntary Retirement from Service (VRS) from a nationalised bank or got the payment for their crop were attacked by armed robbers. Such incidents, may be far and few, give people sense of insecurity and
helplessness. The Chief Minister made it clear that this impression must be dispelled and strong preventive confidence-building measures should be initiated. Of late there have been some criticism of the police for increase in custodial deaths. More than a dozen cases have already been reported in the past one year. One of the major worries for the government could be the agitations and demonstrations by pro-farmer organisations, including Bharati Kisan Union. Though the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal takes pride in identifying itself as a party of farmers, yet the number of agitations, which start from villages and spread to subdivision, district and ultimately state level have been also on the
rise. The government may want that such agitations should not be allowed to grow and problem should be tackled, handled and resolved without allowing local issues to snowball into a major issue. The worry of the ruling alliance is that disruptive elements may exploit the heightened political activity because of the ensuing elections. Sophistication in crime, including cyber crime and growing trend of white collar crime may be other areas of concern for the state administration. The Chief Minister also cautioned the police officers against the lure of land grabbing or the activities of the grabbers. |
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Chohan seeks pre-arrest bail Chandigarh, June 12 Mr Justice V.K. Jhanji of the High Court had last month ordered the Indian
Government to issue him documents to travel home to India after the government counsel had stated that no case was registered against him anywhere in the country. A former Punjab minister, Jagjit Singh Chohan had fled the country two decades ago after raising the separatist demand. Settled in London since, he had been trying for any Indian passport to travel home in Punjab, arguing that he had not surrendered his Indian citizenship nor acquired British nationality. In his application, filed in the court registry today, Dr Chohan sought the anticipatory bail, apprehending he might be arrested in some false case on arrival in India. UNI |
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Another tubectomy death suspected Bathinda, June 12 Ms Laxmi, a resident of the city, who had gone to the local Civil Hospital for a tubectomy operation on May 29, died under mysterious circumstances yesterday at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. Her death is suspected to have been caused by the alleged negligence of the doctor who had performed the operation. Though the Civil Hospital authorities denied the charges of the relatives of the deceased, her body was not cremated even after 24 hours of her death. It was brought here today after a post-mortem examination was done at Government Rajindra Medical College, Patiala, where she was admitted on Saturday. The ambulance in which the body was brought here today was not allowed to move by agitated neighbours of the deceased. The driver of the ambulance reportedly moved out of the vehicle and left it near the home of the deceased. A mob had gheraoed the ambulance and was demanding copies of the post-mortem reports of the deceased. It was learnt that the deceased was operated upon by one of the doctors of the Civil Hospital on May 29. The deceased developed complications thereafter and was readmitted to the Civil Hospital, where doctors referred her to Government Medical College, Patiala, where she died yesterday. The neighbours demanded an inquiry into the death. They raised slogans at the residence of the doctor, who had performed the operation. They also demanded legal action against the doctor. The police authorities had to intervene to disperse the crowd. Informed sources said the husband of the deceased and a few relatives had gone to meet senior police and civil officials to demand legal action against the alleged negligence of the doctor. The doctor had not reached her residence till late this evening. She had gone to Patiala alongwith the patient when she was referred to the hospital there. Police sources said procedural action under Section 174, IPC, had been taken at the Patiala police station. |
Cong leaders meet party observer Hoshiarpur, June 12 Talking to mediapersons Mrs Shaktawat said keeping in view the forthcoming elections in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress had constituted three high-powered committees for each state to gear up workers, frame policies according to the situation in states and strengthen the party. She said Mr Manmohan Singh, former Finance Minister, Mr Ashok Gehlote, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Mr Virbhadra Singh, former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, and Mr Joginder Makwana, former union minister, were the other members of the committee for Punjab. Mrs Shaktawat said Mr Makwana had already visited the state and met almost all Congress leaders. She had visited Chandigarh and Gurdaspur and found that the people were frustrated by the functioning of the SAD-BJP government. She alleged that the state government had failed to deliver during its four years rule and now ministers were distributing government money at sangat darshan programmes to influence voters. |
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‘No meeting held between Brar, Virbhadra’ Chandigarh, June 12 A report that appeared in a section of Press in this connection had no basis, he added. Mr Singla said Mr Brar had informed the party head office here on the phone that he had not visited Solan for quite a long time. So, there was no question of holding a meeting with Mr Virbhadra Singh. Meanwhile, Capt Amarinder Singh, president of the PPCC, has convened a meeting of party office-bearers, MLAs, MPs and other senior leaders here on June 15. Mr Moti Lal Vora, treasurer of the All-India Congress Committee, will address the meeting. The party has termed the announcement of the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, regarding the giving of Rs 100 crore as relief to farmers for damage to paddy last year as a farce. Mr Singla said the Badal government had not fulfilled even a single promise so far. He said this compensation would be given only to supporters of the Shiromani Akali Dal. He said the Rs 3,000 per acre compensation announced by Mr Badal was meagre in view of the rising prices of farm inputs. He ridiculed the Badal government for giving a cheque for just Rs 2 to a farmer in Talwandi Sabo subdivision as compensation for damaged paddy. He said the Badal government should stop playing “jokes” on the farming community. |
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Zaffarwal Badal’s stooge: Chandumajra Mansa, June 12 He said there would be three main contenders in the next Punjab Assembly elections — the SAD-BJP combine, the Congress and the “Panthic Morcha”, of which his party would be a major partner. He alleged that Wassan Singh Zaffarwal was a stooge of Mr Badal and playing his game. He criticised the “pick-and-choose policy” of the Badal government and said all former terrorists who wished to return and live peacefully should be allowed to do so. At the rally, a resolution was passed asking Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar, Takht Damdama Sahib, to step down on moral grounds. Among others who addressed the rally were Mr Tek Singh Dhanaula, president, SHSAD Sangrur unit, Mr Rajinder Singh Tohra, president, Patiala unit, Mr Gurdeep Singh Deep, president, Mansa unit, Mr Gurvinder Singh Mansahia, vice-president, Mansa unit, Mr Ajit Singh Bhangu, president, District Bar Association, Mansa, and Mr Kulwinder Singh Behniwal, member, executive committee, Punjab.
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AISSF
campaign to strengthen base Faridkot, June 12 |
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SAD to honour participants of morchas Bathinda, June 12 He said Cabinet ministers belonging to the district would give citation and other honours to the participants of
morchas. |
Villagers ridicule CM’s remarks Patran (Patiala), June 12 Nothing has been done for these farmers by successive governments. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who presided over a ‘sangat darshan’ programme here today, did nothing but announce empty sops as the Ghaggar remains untamed. When questioned on the issue Mr Badal said he would ask the Secretary, Irrigation to visit the area and suggest measures to tackle the issue. The response has been met by widespread condemnation from the people of the area. ‘’ Does the Chief Minister still have to get the problem studied by his officers’’, asked Amarjit Singh of Patran. He said it was strange that the Chief Minister was making such a statement when he had ordered a high-level team of officers, including his Principal Secretary, the Financial Commissioner, Revenue and the Secretary, Irrigation to tour the entire area during the monsoon season two years back to suggest remedial measures. The team had then announced that a scheme would be formulated to establish bandhs on both sides of the Ghaggar to ensure it did not breach or flood adjoining areas. The case had also been sent to the Nabard. While some funds were released to widen and lay embankments on the Sagra Para, a rivulet which causes immense damage during the monsoons, nothing has been done to tackle the flooding caused by the Ghaggar. Villagers alleged that the entire government machinery was indifferent various flood-related problems being faced by the people of the area.
" It is only during the pre-monsoon season that some announcements of flood protection works are made, but virtually nothing is done at the groundlevel
", they alleged. Buttressing their claim, they said the point at which the Ghaggar passed beneath the Bhakra canal at Khanauri was yet to be desilted to ensure mud did not block passage of the river during the rainy season. Similarly, they said no decision had been taken over opening of the Batisdara near Khanauri, whereby flood waters of the Ghaggar could be diverted through the natural channel to ensure a natural lake was not caused at Khanauri. The syphons below the Bhakra canal cannot take the load of the water that collects at the point in the monsoons. The Chief Minister, questioned about the desilting work at Khanauri, said the work would be done before the advent of the monsoons. He said besides work being done on the Sagra Para, the government was also releasing Rs 10 lakh for taking up flood protection works at the Jhambhowala choe. He said villagers of the area would provide labour for the project. Villagers attending the ‘sangat darshan’ are, however, not satisfied by the announcements saying measures should be taken to solve the problem of flooding in the area permanently.’’ When they came to us in 1997, they said ‘tusi Congress chak do, asin Ghaggar chak davange’. We did what they wanted but our hopes have been belied,’’ lamented Narinder Singh. |
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Chandpuri recalls heroic victory Ferozepore, June 12 In an exclusive interview with this
correspondent at 4 Jat officers’ mess, Brigadier Chandpuri (retd),
who was Company Commander of the 23rd Battalion of the Punjab Regiment
deployed to man the Longewala post, fondly remembered the eventful
intervening night of December 4 and 5, 1971, when thousands of
soldiers of 51 Infantry Brigade of the Pakistani army, supported by an
armoured division of 60 tanks attacked the post. “It was a very
cold and long night”, a nostalgic Brigadier Chandpuri said. “We
were aware of the strategic importance of the Longewala post, which
was 18 km inside the Indian territory and 103 km from Jaisalmer, where
was available the only source of water in the nearby area. If I had
deserted the post, I would have been court-martialled. “We decided
that come what may, we would stick to our guns and fight till the last
drop of our blood,” he recalled. “Although we were adequately
stocked and well-equipped, we were no match for the enemy, as it was
numerically 30 times stronger than us in respect of men and machine”,
he said. Brigadier Chandpuri asserted that the enemy's plan was
good but the execution was poor as they tried to pump in Bangladeshi
troops. He said in an operation of this magnitude, it was surprising
that Pakistan’s Air Force did not give support. He said that on the
morning of December 5, as dawn broke, the Indian Air Force did a
splendid job and played havoc with the enemy’s artillery. Brigadier
Chandpuri said Dutta’s brother, Flying Officer Deepak Dutta, was
part of the air force squadron which took part in the operation. About
the sequence of events depicted in “Border”, he said although some
events were twisted, on the whole it was a praiseworthy effort on the
part of J.P. Dutta. Brigadier Chandpuri, who was awarded the Maha Vir
Chakra for the valour and bravery he displayed in Longewala, gave
credit to the warriors of 23rd Battalion and the Indian Air Force for
fashioning the Indian victory. About the recent Tehelka episode, he
admitted that there were some black sheep in the organisation, but the
Army on the whole was disciplined and dedicated. |
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Concern over Golden Temple ‘kar seva’ Amritsar, June 12 The “kar seva”, which had been started on June 6, was immediately put under observation after experts pointed towards the threat to the original design of the beautiful floor. In addition to the rare stone inlay that could lose its intricate design during the uprooting, if carried out in bad manner. Objections were raised by a seven-member delegation of the Environment Improvement Society that submitted a memorandum to the Jathedar, Akal Takht, SGPC President Jagdev Singh Talwandi, Secretary, Dr Gurbachan Singh Bachan and General Secretary Ms Kiranjot Kaur in this regard. Headed by Dr Joginder Singh Jolly, general secretary of the society, the memorandum pointed out the lack of professionalism in the “kar seva”. However, Dr Bachan said the “kar seva” was being monitored and assured that no harm would done to the flooring. Meanwhile, cracks have appeared on the “parikarma ” around the sarovar, where kar seva had been carried out. |
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Transformer shifting: dharna enters 2nd day Sarai Amanat Khan (Tarn Taran), June 12 The villagers have been sitting on dharna since the midnight of June 10-11, when they came to know that the transformer is being shifted from their area to Chabbal substation. As the PSEB authorities removed the transformer people gathered at the sub-station. The PSEB authorities had to rushed to the spot to pacify the people. The dharna continued today. Dr Gurinder Pal Singh Sahota, SDM, failed to pacify the villagers, Mr Parshotam Singh Cheema, Mr Amrik Singh Manakpura, AISSF leader, Mr Baljinder Singh Gandiwind and others addressed the villagers and opposed the move. The people have decided to continue their protest till they are not given assurance by the authorities concerned. Dr Sahota told mediapersons that he would pass on the views of the agitators to Mr Gulzar Singh Ranike, Minister of State for Agriculture, who represented the Attari Vidhan Sabha constituency. |
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Monkey bites four persons Bathinda, June 12 The monkey has been active in the Lakhi Ram street, Heera Chowk, Gali Sabun Wali and the adjoining Sirki Bazar of the city since Friday last. It becomes active in the early morning hours and the evening. Puneet Arora, Shimla Malhotra, Usha Rani and Subhash Chand have been bitten by monkey. They have opted for anti-rabies vaccination. Residents of the Lakhi Ram Street alleged that one of the residents, fed the monkey which had reportedly become friendly with him. When the residents planned to intoxicate the monkey, he allegedly refused to do so. Another resident Chander Mohan Ruby said the residents had contacted the municipal authorities, police headquarters and the forest officials. Only the forest officials turned up but returned empty handed, he added. Meanwhile the monkey injured one more resident, Vishal Kumar, at the Kila Mubaraq in the city today. Volunteers of the Sahara Jan Sewa tried to locate the monkey in the fort, but their efforts proved futile. The district forest officials when contacted said they had deputed two guards to capture the monkey. Mr Vijay Goel, president of the Sahara Jan Sewa, said the health officials should arrange for anti-rabies vaccination for the victims. |
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BJP MLA faces ‘threat to life’ Amritsar, June 12 One such target is reportedly Ms Laxmi Kanta Chawla, a BJP MLA, who has already been provided with CRPF security and a bullet-proof vehicle. According to sources, Ms Chawla has been asked not to stick to her schedule, for instance, with regard to holding of public meetings. The sources said Ms Chawla had to leave for Chandigarh in the wake of the threat perception. The security forces also told her to change her route while coming to and going from Amritsar. However, Mr Rajesh Jaiswal, SP (City), denied that any Babbar Khalsa activist or human bomb had sneaked into Punjab. |
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Major scales Kedar Dome peak Abohar, June 12 A remotely located peak, Kedar Dome, is surrounded by Kirti and Gangotri glaciers about 30 km from Gangotri. The peak stands among the group of mountains like a dome. An Army team, led by Major Kulwant S. Dhami, officiating Principal, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, and five NIM-trained EME personnel, was flagged off by Lt-Gen S.K. Jain in the last week of May. The team was accompanied by Subedar Laxman Singh Negi, an NIM instructor. Members of the team told this correspondent on return that by making a base camp at Gaumukh, ABC at upper part of Tapovan, Camp I at Kirti Bamak, at the base of mountains, camp II on the South/West ridge, the team scaled the peak in adverse weather conditions. Major Dhami climbed the peak along with Subedar Laxman Singh Negi and N.K. Santosh. Major Dhami descended by skiing down from Kedar Dome (20,800 ft) to 15200 ft. |
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Man rescued from tank after 24 hours Fazilka, June 12 Today, a gardner of the adjoining municipal council park noticed the shirt and cycle of Hari Ram lying at the base of the tank. He raised an alarm, as a result of which employees of the board, the municipal council and the fire brigade reached the spot. They peeped into the tank and found Hari Ram alive. He was rescued and rushed to the local Civil Hospital, where he was stated to be out of danger. When this correspondent met Hari Ram, he said in a feeble tone that he had prayed all the time while he was trapped in the tank. Luckily, the tank which is usually filled to the brim, contained water up to a depth of 3 feet only due to some defect in the sluice valve of the water pump motor. |
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Property case: Dang for transfer of bail plea Amritsar, June 12 Mr Dang has alleged that Mr Sarbjit Singh is embroiled in a case of cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property. The case is about a piece of land located in Ghanupur village near Chheharta in Amritsar. |
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College student dies in mishap Fazilka, June 12 |
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3 killed as car rams into tree Barnala, June 12 According to reports, the incident occurred when the driver of a Maruti car lost control of the vehicle. The car was coming from Hardwar and going to Diwan Khera village in Ferozepore district. The deceased have been identified as Mulkh Raj, Shanti Devi and
Brahmavati. |
Farmers seek credit cards Jalandhar, June 12 More than 150 small farmers, led by Mr Ranjit Singh, secretary of the union, met the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Parveen Kumar, and urged him to direct nationalised banks to organise special camps since the cards were not issued to small farmers living in Rampur Araian, Dole, Beedlan, Jhuggian, Rampur Gujran, Madhepur, Biharipur Parjian, Veran, Dharmedian Channa, Goguwal, Lohgarh, Khurlapur and Singhpur villages. They said private financiers in villages were charging much higher interest rates than that of the banks. “Though the state government has announced that every farmer will be provided with a Krishi Credit Card, but no bank official has ever visited villages under the Mand area in Nakodar and Shahkot subdivisions so far,” Mr Ranjit Singh alleged. Small farmers, therefore, had to accept the terms and conditions of the private financiers, he added. Mr Parveen Kumar has assured the farmers that he would direct the banks concerned to organise special camps in these areas within 15 days.
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BKU seeks hike in crop compensation Patiala, June 12 Stating this, Mr Manjit Singh Kadian, the union general secretary, said due to inadequate number of electricity poles in villages, the wires get connected with each other even when low velocity wind blows. As a result of this, about 6000 acres got wasted. He was addressing a rally of the union here today Mr Kadian said less than eight hours of electricity supply was being provided to the tubewells and these was occasion tripping. He added that the board should allow 12-hour continuous supply to all agriculture tubewells. The union members demanded equal supply of power to villagers as was being provided to the urban community without any discrimination. The leaders also demanded immediate allotment of power connections to the tubewells whose test reports had been submitted by the farmers, apart from the connections lying pending since 1990. Mr Kadian said the board must give permission for re-installation of the burnt transformers within 48 hours while replacing and damaged lines within the next 12 hours. The union members also asked for increase in load of meters because of the reduced level of water. If the demands were not net at the earliest, then the decision for the next rally would be declared during the meeting scheduled to be held at Ludhiana on June 15. |
Increase power supply to farmers : BJP Chandigarh, June 12 Briefing mediapersons about the issues taken up at the meeting convened to review the achievements of the party on the completion of Mr Brij Lal Rinwa’s one year as President of the state unit, a spokesman for the BJP said Mr Rinwa had been authorised to take up the issue of lowering tariff rates for the domestic and small-scale industrial sector with the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. The party also passed a resolution urging the state government to increase power supply to the agriculture sector for the transplantation of the paddy crop. This demand reflects a complete turnabout in the BJP’s stand which, at one time, was urging the Badal government to withdraw the facility of free power to the agriculture sector. The spokesman said the party was eagerly awaiting the report of a three-member committee set up for the rationalisation of house tax on commercial and industrial units, octroi rates and sewerage and drinking water charges. He said at present the party’s view was that octroi should continue till a viable substitute was found to fund development projects in the urban areas. The party passed a resolution thanking Mr Badal for allocating a Rajya Sabha seat to the BJP. |
Appointment letters not issued Bathinda, June 12 The test was conducted in November last year and the result of the competitive exam was declared in January this year. A total of 687 candidates were declared selected by the BSNL. The candidates were subsequently issued selection letters but have not been issued appointment letters yet. Mr Raj Kumar, president of the Selected TTA association, said in a statement issued here today that no information had been given to the selected candidates as to when the appointment letters would be issued. The candidates were feeling harassed, he said. Mr Gurvinder Singh, secretary of the association, said the candidates were apprehensive about the procedure being followed. Members of the association had met Mr Kiranjeet Singh, member of the Punjab Telecom Advisory Committee, who had assured bringing the matter to the notice of the Union Communication Minister. |
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Employees resent new office hours Fatehgarh Sahib Employees’ leaders say the timing is hard for women employees as they have to discharge household chores. As the timing of the headquarters remain unchanged no communication is possible with offices here before 9 a.m. and after 2 p.m. They add the change in the timing instead of saving the staff from intense heat exposes them to it. Since the majority of officers commute they find it difficult to reach at 7 a.m. Information from headquarters starts coming in after 9 a.m. The women officers have to stay back after office hours for meetings which go on till late evenings. Those who come for the registration of their vehicles have to come twice. Banks transact challans from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Even withdrawals take place after 11 a.m. By the time their documents are ready it is closing time for the offices. It has been noticed that office staff wait for public to show up till 9 a.m. However the Deputy commissioner feels it isn’t time for a review of the timings yet. He is hopeful that the public would get used to the new schedule. The schedule of official meetings will be changed, he adds. |
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GM
(Telecom) gets award Ferozepore, June 12 Talking to this reporter, Mr Julka asserted that keeping pace with the latest developments in the Information Technology, the department was now offering all new facilities like Internet mobile service and ISDN video phone. He said the department was fully geared up to provide all these facilities at customer’s door step. Mr Julka said in the past two years, the BSNL had released more than 80,000 telephone connections, which indicated a growth of 100 per cent. About STD services in the area, Mr Julka said the service had improved drastically with the installation of latest OFC, PCM and UHF systems, and about 1,500 STD/PCOs had been sanctioned in the recent past. One could now get a licence for a PCO a day after he had applied for it, he added. About telephone facilities in the rural areas, Mr Julka said such facilities had been provided in every village of the district. In addition to these services, the BSNL would soon start mobile services (GSM) for which, 7,000 lines had been allotted to the Ferozepore telecom circle, he added. The latest being offered by the BSNL was “Internet dhaba”. In the first stage 300 lines had been approved, which would be extendable to 1,200 lines depending on the requirement and the usage, Mr Julka said, adding that according to the guidelines these Internet dhabas would be set up at all block headquarters and the selection criteria for it would be the same as for the new PCO allotment. Free Internet access would be permitted at rural block headquarters and at urban blocks. 1,500 hours per annum access would be offered free of cost. According to Mr Julka, the existing PCO could also be upgraded as the Internet PCO and the telephone lines for the Internet access would be provided on demand. The ISDN video phone services, which has already been commissioned in Abohar, would soon be introduced in Ferozepore, Moga, Muktsar and Faridkot. The Department of Telecommunications keeping in mind the problem usually faced by consumers at the time of depositing bills, had entered into an agreement with the Punjab and Sind Bank and now it would be possible to deposit bills at approved counters of the bank, Mr Julka said. He would ensure that the clearance windows remained open on Sundays and weekends for the convenience of the customers, he added. |
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BSNL union’s conference begins Amritsar, June 12 Inaugurating the conference, Mr R.L. Moudgil, all-India organising secretary, BSNLEU, demanded the immediate launch of mobile phone service, video conferencing and other services by the BSNL. The wireless in local loop phones should also be introduced, he said. Mr Balbir Singh, circle secretary, Punjab, while addressing the workers, condemned the Central Government’s policy of privatisation of profit-making public sector undertakings . “The decision of the government to disinvest the VSNL and the MTNL is nothing but a surrender before MNCs under the dictates of the World Bank and the IMF,” he said. Mr Ashok Kumar, convener, Central Government Employees Coordination Committee, claimed that the Railways and other departments were also facing the threat of privatisation. Mr Dev Raj, chairman of the coordination committee, Mr Tarsem Singh, district secretary, Ferozepore, and Mr S.K. Sharma, district secretary, Chandigarh, also addressed the workers. The employees demanded allowing value-added services to the
BSNL, job security, pension to employees and pay scales on a par with the
MTNL, according to Mr Sarbjeet Singh, district secretary, BSNL Employees Union. |
5 washermen booked for assaulting MC men Pathankot, June 12 According to police sources, Mr Roop Lal said on June 10 that he along with some employees of the council had gone to the ghats and requested Kamal Kumar, Raj Kumar, Harjinder Kumar, Rajinder Kumar and Vicky to remove the encroachment on the municipal council land, but they were allegedly attacked by the above persons and got injured. A case has been registered under various sections, of the IPC. A deputation of the municipal employees today met the SDM, Mr K.K. Garg, and presented a memorandum in this regard. In another case the SSP, Gurdaspur, Mr Sukhdev Singh, has directed the authorities of division No.1 to register a criminal case against Vijay Kohli, Mohinder Singh and Joginder Singh, all residents of Sujanpur under various sections of the IPC. According to sources, Mohinder Singh, Surinder Singh and Surinder Kaur had lodged a complaint with the SSP that they own a piece of land at Sujanpur. Earlier, they were residing at Sujanpur but for the past more than 30 years they had settled in Delhi. The complaintants alleged that the accused in connivance with revenue officials have sold the land on fake sale deed. After an enquiry the SSP directed the authorities to register a case against the accused. |
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Gang selling Army cement busted, 1 held Bathinda, June 12 The sources said following a tip-off, the police raided some places and arrested Gursewak Singh with 50 bags of grade 43 cement. The grade 43 cement is exclusively meant for use in the construction of military buildings. The suspect had allegedly been selling the cement in this district for the past 25 years. He was taking the cement to sell it to a contractor identified as Ashok, alias Doctor. The SSP said a case had been registered. |
Punjab to recruit 7,000 teachers Moga, June 12 This was stated by Mr Tota Singh, Education Minister, at the opening ceremony of new science block of government school at Bukkanwala village yesterday. He said the government would ensure that there was no shortage of teachers in government schools. The government was committed to raise the standard of schools all over the state, he
added. The minister said the government proposed to curb incidents of copying in examinations and take stern action against students and teachers fond guilty of it. |
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32 teachers attending
in-service training Patiala, June 12 The course, which began on June 2, was inaugurated by Brig Chiranjiv Singh Harika, Chairman, Vidyalaya Management Committee. Speaking on the occasion, Brigadier Harika urged the PETs to shape and mould the young children by strengthening their moral character. Mr H.S. Puri, Venue Director, said that every effort had been made to provide opportunity to the PETs to interact with experts in the field of sports and allied sciences, like physiology, sports psychology, diet and nutrition, physiotheraphy, sports medicine and general training. He added that special aerobic and yoga classes have also been arranged. |
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PUTA to intensify stir against VC Patiala, June 12 PUTA had earlier announced that it would not issue any statement or conduct any programme for one week following the advice of the Chief Minister that both groups should exercise restraint. In a statement here PUTA president Dr Bhupinder Singh Khaira and secretary Balwinder Singh said a meeting of the executive reviewed the situation on the campus since the meeting with the Chief Minister. They alleged that the Vice-Chancellor continued to victimise teachers siding with PUTA. Giving examples, they said promotion had been denied to Dr Jaswinder Singh, Mr Gurinder Singh Randhawa and Mrs Jaswinder Kaur Mangat. Listing the other cases of victimisation, PUTA leaders said the Vice-Chancellor had also not withdrawn the show-cause notices issued to PUTA leaders Suchha Singh Gill and U.C. Singh, nor withdrawn the censoring on PUTA president and secretary. The leaders said the university had also not restored Prof Bhupinder Singh Khaira, who was also the president of PUTA, as head of the department of Correspondence Studies. |
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Memo to CM for upgradation of school Amritsar, June 12 The memorandum was submitted by the residents of Indira Colony, Udham Singh Nagar, Gurbax Nagar, Nawankot, Daim Ganj, Meharpura, Waryam Singh Nagar, Dhapai road, Haripura and Islamabad. Memoranda have also been sent to the Secretary, Punjab, the Education Department, the Director, Public Instructions (colleges), and the District Education Officer. |
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