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| Friday,
August 3, 2001, Chandigarh, India
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Confusion rife at interview centre Ludhiana, August 2 Most of the candidates and their parents complained that there was no enquiry counter from where they could confirm about the date and time of their interviews. Several candidates had come from Khanna, Samrala and Machhiwara and said they had not received any call letter for the interview but their names figured in the list pasted on a wall outside the centre. They said they wanted to know about the date when they would be called for interview but no one at the centre was listening to them. Some of the candidates said their parents had to take leave from their offices and commute frequently with them to the centre to confirm about their interview. However, when they came to the centre, the staff of the District Education Department refused to listen to their problems. The clerical staff did not allow them to enter the centre and get clarification, they said. Several candidates and parents were confused as a new list having names of more than 1,000 candidates was pasted on the wall close to the centre. The list, however, had no mention whether the candidates were eligible or not. The candidates said certain names which had been included in the list were of the candidates who had scored less than 44 per cent marks in Class XII,
which Besides, the students complained that the department had made no seating arrangement for them and they had to fear the scorching sun throughout the day. Candidates said they reached the centre at 9 am and interviews began at 10.30 am. The candidates were then told to fill some forms which again consumed a lot of time, they said. At 1 pm the centre was closed for a lunch break and till then interviews were conducted only for the candidates from freedom fighters and sports category. Nearly 49 candidates, who had applied under general category who had been waiting since 9 am were yet to appear for the interviews. The candidates also blamed the officers for not calling them in serial order. They said that because of the haphazard manner in which they were called inside they could not even go to the adjoining block to drink water. Meanwhile, interviews went on smoothly at the second centre at Government Senior Secondary School, Jawahar Nagar, where nearly 100 candidates in the general category were interviewed today.
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Conflicting claims on ‘rape’ Ludhiana, August 2 According to the police, Achhay Lal used to purchase milk from the parents of the victim. The two families had developed intimacy. On July 30, when Meena Devi came to fetch milk, she lured the victim to accompany her to play with her two children. However, Meena Devi allegedly handed her to some people who raped her and left her in the fields in village outskirts. She was spotted by some villagers and handed over to her family. The matter was reported to the police, which registered an FIR. Meena Devi was arrested by the police and the victim was referred to a hospital in Koom Kallan, where she is undergoing treatment. However, the activists of the Shiv Sena (Thangri) denied these charges and alleged that Achhay Lal’s wife had falsely been implicated. They alleged that the police had detained the entire family for the past three days. The police today denied that the family had been detained by the police. A police official said only Meena Devi had been arrested after an FIR was registered against her. The police official said Achhay Lal did come to see his wife during her detention, but he was not detained by the police. |
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‘STONE’ OF CONTENTION Ludhiana, August 2 Senior party colleagues of Mr Khalsa — acting president Mr Surjan Singh Thekedar, Mr Hira Singh Gabria and Mr Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, both MLAs and several SHSAD activists were present on the occasion. However, the district and MC officials, stayed away from the function, which had the potential of blowing up into a major political controversy. The foundation stone of the HUDCO-financed Rs 133 crore sewerage project, having the dubious distinction of having been laid three times and removed twice, was laid by Mr Khalsa in the colony, which falls in Dakha Assembly segment, represented by him. But even as Mr Khalsa was still present at the site, the area Councillor Ms Sukhwinder Kaur, a former loyalist of the SHSAD supremo Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra led a group of residents of the area and her supporters, dismantled the foundation stone and damaged the wall supporting the stone. There was virtual replay of the battle for political one ups-manship in the evening on the same day and the foundation stone, relaid by Mr Khalsa on the intervention of senior district and police officials, was again removed by the SAD-B activists, led by the Councillor and the party vice-president Mr Amarjit Singh Bhatia. Hectic efforts of the SHSAD legislator and his other party colleagues during past two days for bringing the culprits to book, came to a naught as most of the officials chose not to be caught in the cross firing between the political opponents. Mr Khalsa, who had also met the Punjab Assembly Speaker, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, to lodge a formal complaint of breach of privilege, was especially critical of the partisan role of the police. A defiant Mr Khalsa, while laying the foundation stone of the project for the third time, threatened that if the ruling party functionaries were not restrained and they committed any more mischievous acts, the SHSAD activists would retaliate by removing foundation stones of all major projects, laid by the ruling party functionaries all over the state. |
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STATE OF PARTIES Ludhiana, August 2 The district (urban) unit is headed by Mr Harbans Lal Sathi a local advocate, who is an RSS activist. He however, does not command much influence in the party. Mr Satpaul Gosain, Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, leads the other group in the local BJP unit and both Mr Gosain and Mr Sethi do not see eye to eye with each other. Mr Lajpat Rai, member Rajya Sabha and Mr Satparkash Chaudhry, former Mayor of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, represent other groups in the local BJP. Both these leaders are senior leaders of the party and the workers look towards them for directions. But they are lacking in the same. Mr Lajpat Rai was elected to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 1957 on Jansangh ticket and after that he switched over to the RSS and remained active in that organisation. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1998 and became active in the BJP organisations. He also has had differences with Mr Gosain who is otherwise aligned with Madan Mohan Mittal group in the state unit of the BJP. Mr Lajpat Rai was at one time siding with Mr Balramji Das Tandon but now party sources say that he is with the Mittal-Gosain group. Khushi Ram Sharma a respected leader of the BJP and was its president when he was gunned down by militants. After his death, the BJP’s local unit has not been able to have a very strong leader although Mr Gosain also has remained president of the unit. The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has been undertaking a number of development projects in the town and construction of Rs 35 crore project of elevated bridge from Jagraon Bridge to Chand Cinema on GT Road passing through the town is one such project. The BJP councillors have been opposing the construction of the bridge as it would hit the vote-bank of the party in the Vidhan Sabha and Municipal Corporation elections. Interestingly, the state leadership of the BJP has supported the project. Mr Balramji Das Tandon, who is Minister for Local Bodies has extended his support to the construction of the elevated bridge. As a mater of fact, the entire city is in favour of the elevated bridge as it would provide relief in the movement of traffic and traffic jams would be avoided. Mr Krishan Gupta is another senior leader of the BJP who had levelled certain allegations against Mr Lajpat Rai and he has been accommodated in the working committee of the Punjab BJP. This had annoyed Mr Lajpat Rai as he wanted Mr Gupta to be expelled from the party for his anti-party activities. Ludhiana has three urban Vidhan Sabha seats which the BJP has been contesting in the past. At present the BJP has only one seat of Ludhiana (East) from where Mr Satpaul Gosain was elected in 1992 and 1997 Vidhan Sabha elections. Mr Gosain will contest from Ludhiana (East) again on BJP ticket. But he is being opposed by certain other BJP activists who have staked their claims. Mr Gosain has been a popular leaders of the BJP and was known as ‘dharna leader’ but since his induction as Deputy Speaker, there is some resentment among his voters. His constituency has witnessed some of the kidnappings of children of the poor and the kidnapped children were also found dead in a few cases. Mr Gosain is now trying to win over the voters. He had also invited the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and organised a “sangat darshan”. Mr Badal doled out about Rs 3 crore in a day in his constituency. This was the first “sangat darshan” in an urban area in the state. Mr Ashok Loomba is another leader who is interested in getting the ticket from Ludhiana (East). Mr Loomba is a man with clean image and is comparatively younger. His father Mr Jagdish Parshad Loomba is also a BJP stalwart and is now Senior Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Corporation. Ludhiana (West) segment is the other urban seat from where the BJP has been fielding its candidate in the past. In 1997 election, this seat was given to the SAD candidate Mr Maheshinder Singh Grewal, on the personal intervention of Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Mr Grewal had won this seat with the support of the BJP and became a minister in the SAD-BJP government. However, he sided with Mr Tohra after the latter fell out with Mr Badal. Prof Rajinder Bhandari, a lecturer in Arya College is also a hot contender for this seat. He had contested against Mr Rakesh Pandey from Ludhiana (North) but had lost. The name of Mr Balramji Das Tandon, Local Bodies Minister, is also being mentioned for this seat and he has reportedly sounded some of the party activists. Mr Tandon was elected from Rajpura segment in 1997 elections. Mr Satparkash Chaudhry, former Mayor of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation is being considered as the most suitable candidate for the BJP ticket from Ludhiana (West). During his tenure as Mayor during the Congress regime, he never entered into any controversy and has a clean image. Mr Kamal Chatley, president, Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Ludhiana city is another aspirant for the ticket from Ludhiana (West). Ludhiana (North) has Mr Sunil Mehra, a councillor as a hot contender for the BJP ticket. He was given the ticket in 1997 elections but his candidature was rejected by the Returning Officer on technical grounds. Mr Mehra has the support of the Beopar Mandal and religious organisations. Mr Pran Nath Bhatia, leader of the BJP group in the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has emerged as a strong candidate from this seat. The party leadership at the state level also seems to be inclined towards Mr Bhatia. The functionaries of the Punjab BJP admit that their organisation is weak in this industrial hub of the state and they will have to work hard to win the seats. The BJP workers are also not very active at the moment and they need some morale booster. The moot question is who will provide this morale booster. The urbanites are not happy with the SAD-BJP combine in Punjab . The business community is also upset over the levy of heavy state taxes, including the exorbitant power tarrif. |
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Plantation scheme
fails to blossom Ludhiana, August 2 According to the Community corest Scheme, the plants are distributed free of cost by the Department of Forest among the villagers, panchayats, NGOs, schools, and these are to be planted at the panchayat lands, in schools and on any other common land. Mr Parwinder Singh, president, Youth Welfare Club, Hathoor village, and Mr Jagseer Singh, president, Youth Welfare Club, Lakha village, near Jagraon town, were in for a rude shock when they approached the Forest Department, Ludhiana, and were told frankly by the officials, “At present, there is no scheme of providing free plants to any organisation or individual, since the department has not received any grant from the district administration in this regard for the past three years.’’ Officials of the Forest Department said the department had distributed about 5.45 lakh plants in 1999-2000 and about 2.45 lakh plants during 2000-01 in the district, but the grants worth Rs 5.25 lakh and Rs 3. 94 lakh had not been released by the district administration for these years. “The department has been given a target of distributing 2.83 lakh plants this year in the district. However, the grant has not been released so far, though the monsoon season is almost over in the region,” they said. Mr Parwinder Singh said, “We have planted more than 3,000 plants on the club land during the past two years and are planning to plant another 2,000 plants this year, but we have not succeeded in getting the required free plants despite CM’s assurance in this regard at the time of sangat darshan at Raikot.” Interestingly, the club is patronised by Mr Ranjit Singh Talwandi, the renowned Akali leader of the region. “We have to lower the target of plantation due to lack of funds,” said an employee of the department on the condition of anonymity. The department nurseries were preparing plants in Mattewara, Doraha, Samrala, Ludhiana and Jagraon, but the response towards plantation drive was not satisfactory, said the officials. “If the present trend continued, the region would become a barren land with the continuous fall of water table in the district,” said another employee of the Forest Department. |
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‘Shriman ji Jai
Hind’ Ludhiana,
August 2 Bullying
by the policemen is a thing of past. Now each time you address a
policeman, he will respond with “Shriman ji Jai Hind”. The
policemen in the district have been directed to be courteous to the
general public. |
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AT THE CROSS ROADS FOR a long time I have been in search of smiling faces, but they are seen nowhere now. Everyone is lost in the labyrinths of his own problems, real or imaginary. He is looking for an exit but he finds himself at the dead end of all the roads of escape. Fretful, he curses others for the deplorable state he finds himself in, little realising that all this has been the result of his own doing. At a particular stage in his life, he overstretched his arm to pluck the moon. Nothing short of that could appease his ardent desires and wistful longings. There is need for unwinding and putting a balm on shredded nerves. Nothing appeals to persons engrossed in getting and spending. They have no time to spare for the trivialities of life. Life indeed is a serious affair but it is not a tragedy. At the most, it can be termed as a tragic comedy punctuated by comic relief now and then. It is certainly not a tale told by an idiot, signifying nothing. It is no use putting on one’s face, the mask of frowns and scowls. The original face, in its cheerful form, is the most sought-after visage. In social gatherings, individuals feel lost unless they come face to face with persons they are well-acquainted with. For them the rest of the assembly comprises strangers who are to be shunned by all means. They are considered a despicable lot who are always on the look out for harming others. Such cynics never realise that their attitude makes others feel out of place, if not miserable. Their taut faces and stiff attitude create an atmosphere that is sordid and squalid. A bit of bonhomie can do wonders in breaking the walls of indifference and antipathy. The flicker of a smile can dispel the gathering clouds of disenchantment. The point I am making is that most of us dislike coming out of the charmed circle of friends and relatives . Such a way of life makes individuals narrow-minded, rigid and intolerant. Nothing new can ever enter the dark caverns of prejudice. These self -centered human beings ultimately become asocial and incommunicable. Interestingly they do harm to society, not by doing something wrong but by not doing anything correct. Self-glorification results which ultimately thickens the walls of the prison house of make-believe. In streets and parks, particularly in offices, the person one comes in contact with is always on the defensive. The tendency is to ward off the outsider instead of giving him a helping hand. One who has come with a purpose needs a reassuring response from others. He is an individual like us, with an identity of his own. Sometimes we doubly bow before such a person when we learn that he is a celebrity or a dignitary. In such a situation, we reveal the meanness ingrained in our minds. Thus we respect not the person like us but the luminary unlike us. Smile to yourself in the mirror before leaving your house. Let this smile linger all through the day. The smile you kindle on the faces of others in this manner will also illumine the smile on the faces of the members of your family when you come back home. |
Residents demand construction of
road Ludhiana, August 2 Presenting their case before the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sandhu, at the weekly sangat darshan here today, they accused the corporation officials and the PSEB officials of connivance in allowing the installation of the transformer owned by a private firm (Beas Dyeing Unit) on the main road. The chairman of the Sunder Nagar Shopkeepers Association, an organisation of about 135 shopkeepers, which is spearheading the campaign for the construction of the road, said past every time when they approached the officials they were told that the work on the road would start soon. However, nothing had been done so far. On the other hand Mr Om Prakash Malhotra of the Beas Dyeing unit said they had no objection to the construction of the road and their unit was willing to cooperate. Admitting that the transformer was installed on the road, he said although the transformer belonged to them, it was the PSEB officials who had installed it there. Mr Malhotra said they were prepared to shift the transformer in case it created any hurdles for the construction of the road. The shopkeepers later told Ludhiana Tribune that the material meant for the construction of the road was lying there for the past several months. It was also leading to several problems for the shopkeepers, the consumers and the passers-by. The Deputy Commissioner assured the residents that the work on the construction of the road would start within three days. He also asked the PSEB officials to visit the site and verify whether the transformer installed there was really leading to any problems. |
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Removal of PSEB Chairman
demanded Ludhiana, August 2 Mr Inderjit Singh Pradhan, President of the chamber, said in a statement here today that a decision was taken at the meeting that more than one connection would be clubbed and a notification in this regard would be issued within 15 days. This had not happened so far. He pointed out that Mr D.S. Guru, Secretary, Industries, Punjab, held a meeting with industrialists and PSEB officers to review the implementation of the decisions of the meeting with the Chief Minister. Mr Guru also regretted the attitude of the PSEB and opposed the contents of the circular on clubbing of the connections. The PSEB was asked to issue a fresh circular but so far no such circular had been issued. Mr Pradhan charged that the PSEB Chairman had shown dismal performance and he had made arbitrary hikes in power tariff and various other charges levied. These had caused resentment in the industry and also adversely affected industrial production. The PSEB had levied an additional fuel surcharge of two paise per unit in April, 2000, hiked power tariff in August, 2000, followed by another upward revision of six paise per unit from April, 2001, and raised the advance consumption charges two to three times for all categories of consumers. The PSEB has also levied high consumption charges on domestic and commercial consumers whose bi-monthly electricity bill was more than Rs 2000 at the rate of 10 per cent surcharge. This was highly unwarranted and unjustified. On the other hand, the power supply position had worsened in the state, Mr Pradhan said. He said the situation called for immediate intervention of the Chief Minister and removal of the PSEB chairman. |
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Councillors flayed Fatehgarh Sahib, August 2 He said since the SAD-BJP candidate took over as the president of the council, the development work worth crores had been completed and the town had been converted into a model town. He said projects like installation of 50 sodium lights from Jyoti Swarup to the GT Road, Sirhind, laying of roads in the entire town, construction of two parks at Fatehgarh Sahib and Sirhind, construction of a community centre at a cost of Rs 22.50 lakh and work on a modern park at Sirhind worth Rs 10 lakh were in progress. He said what the Congress presidents could not do in 25 years, the BJP president had done in just one year. |
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Insurance training programme launched Ludhiana, August 2 While addressing a batch from the Punjab region, Mr P. Balasubramaniam, an HRD expert from the company headquarters, stressed the need for providing instantaneous and responsive services to the customers, whose expectations have increased in view of the competition from the MNCs. Earlier, Mr Bal Kishore, Regional Manager, Ludhiana, inaugurated the four-day programme of 180 executives of Punjab. |
Illicit liquor seized Jagraon, August 2 Case registered Mr Parmjinder Singh, a forest guard posted in the Sidhwanbet area, has complained that some
unidentified persons, who came in a tempo and a car at midnight, cut three trees planted between Burji No 174 and 176, and took these along with them. The police has registered a case under Section 379 of the IPC on his complaint.
SAHNEWAL Man beaten up Dalvir Singh of Heeran village has lodged a complaint with Sahnewal police that he was beaten up when he went to Katani Kalan village to get medicine for his brother. He alleged that Davinder Singh alias Bindo had beaten his as he wanted Rs 500 that he had given to him back. The complainant added that he was undergoing treatment at Civil Hospital, Koom Kalan. A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 323, 342 and 34 of the IPC.
Gamblers arrested In two separate cases, Sahnewal police arrested four persons, who were found gambling near PSEB Colony, on Wednesday evening. A sum of Rs 2,580 was recovered from Jasvir Singh and Jang Singh, and Rs 1,100 were recovered from Kuldip Kumar and Ashok Kumar of Sahnewal. Cases were registered against them under Sections 13, 3 and 67 of the Gambling Act.
Land misuse alleged Harkirat Singh Mangat of Katani Kalan village has lodged a complaint with Sahnewal police regarding the misuse of his land by Inderjit Singh of Model Town, Ludhiana, whom he had given the land on lease. He added that the accused had also tried to forcibly snatch bricks from him. A case has been registered under Sections 382 and 34 of the IPC.
SAMRALA 3 booked According to Mr Jatinder Pal Singh, Excise Inspector, a case has been registered under the Excise Act against Kamaljeet Singh of Bondal village, Haripal Singh of Sihala village and Sukhbir Singh of Kotala village for possessing illicit
liquor. The accused were later released on bail, he said. |
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Life term for killing wife Ludhiana, August 2 An FIR was lodged against the accused on June 17, 1997 at police station, Jagraon, on the statement of Suman wherein she had alleged that on June 16, 1997 her husband came in a drunken condition at home and picked up a fight with her. When her husband slapped her unnecessarily, she got humiliated and poured kerosene oil on herself to put an end to daily harassment. In drunken condition her husband lit the matchbox and set her ablaze. On raising a hue and cry, her father-in-law came there and doused the fire and admitted her to the hospital. Suman died after about five days due to burn injuries and the police arrested her husband. After hearing the arguments and pursuing the evidence on record, the judge observed that prosecution had succeeded to bring home the guilt and awarded severe punishment to accused. |
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2 booked for scuffle with MC staff Ludhiana, August 2 In the course of a demolition drive in the area, there was an altercation between the MC employees and Mr Grewal’s family members when the boundary wall of the house was being demolished. The family members of Mr Grewal contended that they had a court stay order against the demolition of the wall whereas the MC staff maintained that the stay was conditional. |
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Liquor seized Ludhiana, August 2 According to Mr Parampal Singh, AETC, Ludhiana II, an excise party, headed by Mr R.K. Grover, ETO (Excise) had laid a “naka” in the area after a secret tip off and search of the vehicle led to the recovery of foreign liquor. Narinder Singh was booked under Sections 61/1/14, Excise Act. |
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