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| Monday,
February 24, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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Over 2,000 farmers await relief Gurdaspur, February 23 The Border Security Force for security reasons allows farmers to cultivate the land during the day only and that too for specific period. Cultivation of fields cannot be done according to schedule. Cultivation of land requires women of the families also but women hesitate to participate in the cultivation of land in the area. The central government in view of the difficulties of the farmers declared Rs 2500 per acre compensation for land falling beyond the border fence. Even first instalment of compensation was released by the Centre last year. The revenue staff visited villages to distribute the compensation. The Congress after assuming charge of the state government directed the Revenue Department of the state to withhold such payments. Therefore, payments particularly of the farmers who could not be available to the Revenue staff when they visited the villages for relief distribution were left without payment. Mr Dalip Singh, former Sarpanch and resident of Chauntra border village said that half of the farmers still were waiting for the payment of compensation. Similar is the plight of farmers having fields across the border fence in the border district. Mr Dalip Singh said that the Centre had not so far released the compensation for the current year. He said that there were many farmers who earned a living from fields across the border fence and were forced to line in want. |
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Clash in SGPC complex shameful: Tohra Phagwara, February 23 Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, General Secretary, SHSAD, here today blamed all parties for it. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, said he should have resolved the issue amicably. Even the issue of two UK-based women demanding to take part in the “sukhasan” of Guru Granth Sahib in the Golden Temple should have been settled peacefully. Under the influence of Mr Prakash Singh Badal, SAD (B) President, who had handpicked Vedanti as Jathedar, he was ignoring issues, he alleged. Professor Chandumajra flayed TADA against Mr Simranjit Singh Mann (SAD (A) president and Lok Sabha member. Mr Badal, whose party was partner in the NDA government should clarify his stand on this, he demanded. Professor Chandumajra said his party would launch “jaatak laambandi” (public mobilisation) drive against excesses of Central and state governments and hold conferences at Dhanaula in Sangrur district on March 3, at Cheema Mandi in Sunam district on March 16, at Anandpur Sahib on March 18 and at Khatkarkalan on March 23. The party’s meeting will be held at Ludhiana on March 4 for further programme, he informed. |
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Sikhs flay clash Chandigarh, February 23 The meeting condemned the incident and blamed the President of SAD, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, the SGPC task force and the AISSF (Mehta) group, who it alleged all are working under the directions of the RSS chief, Mr K.S. Sudarshan. It also felt that norms of Sikhism and its traditions had been thrown to the wind by the Jathedars of Akal Takht and other Takhts and the President of the SGPC, as part of a larger conspiracy of the RSS. The February 22 incident, said a press note, was an act in frustration. The meeting demanded that Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar, Akal Takht and Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar, Takht Kesgarh Sahib, should resign on moral grounds so that the authority and sanctity of the Takhts could be maintained. It appealed the Sikhs to support and participate in this “revivalist” movement in restoring the sanctity of Sikh institutions. |
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Vedanti under pressure to resign Amritsar, February 23 Meanwhile, the SKP today criticised the SGPC for singling out Prof Manjit Singh for action. The leaders of the
SKP, who addressed a press conference here reiterated that their struggle would continue till the removal of Jathedar Vedanti. |
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Violence: DGP blames SGPC Verowal (Tarn Taran), February 23 Mr Bhullar was addressing mediapersons today when he had come here to inaugurate a building of a police station at
Verowal. Mr Chander Shekhar, IG (Border Range), Amritsar, Mr G.S. Bhullar, DIG (Border Range), and Ms Shashi
Prabha, SSP, Majitha, were also present on the occasion. The DGP said the ISI was sending smack and other drugs through Jammu and Kashmir border in Punjab. Mr Bhullar announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh for the furniture of the Verowal police station. |
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NCM Chairman to dispel minorities’ fears Amritsar, February 23 After inaugurating conference block of the Chief Khalsa Dewan, Mr Tarlochan Singh, said here yesterday that due to certain recent unfortunate developments the minorities perceived a threat but asserted that he would try to instill confidence and security amongst them. He pointed out that the country’s strength was based on its unity in diversity and communal harmony. He added that the minorities should understand their responsibility and not be carried away by the false propaganda of the forces of fundamentalism. Quoting from reports he said that rural areas in India were the perfect example of communal harmony and added that some fringe elements in religious communities in the urban areas had been trying to drive a wedge between people for the petty political goals. Mr Tarlochan Singh pointed out that he would favour dialogue among various representatives of religious communities, both majority and minority, so that their differences if any could be removed across the table. He said that in India a large section of population lived in harmony and had tremendous goodwill for each other. On recent developments in the international arena where threat of war was looming large Mr Tarlochan Singh said that India, must lead to prevent the war. He suggested that all political and religious leaders should maintain restraint to maintain communal harmony. Mr Tarlochan Singh said that he was invited leaders of various Kashmiri migrants living in Delhi and elsewhere on March 3 to hear their problems so that modalities could be worked out for their return to homes as they were facing hardships in camps and felt that they needed to go back to the state which was fast returning to normalcy. He has also called a meeting of all state minority commissions on March 8 in Delhi to work in complete coordination and to understand the problems faced by these commissions. Earlier addressing a gathering of the Chief Khalsa Dewan, he urged the Sikh leaders to provide quality education in their institutions as he felt that the education was not given due importance in the state. He said that Punjab had suffered immensely and new thrust is required to rebuild the state through economic revival. He was honoured at a function organised by the Sant Singh Sukh Singh Educational Society. |
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Move on radio station for distance education Phagwara, February 23 The HRD Ministry, the Distance Education Council, the UGC, had promised liberal grants and asked every state to establish at least one open university, he said. The Guru Nanak university will soon introduce new courses in MCA (three years) MBA (two years) B.Ed. (two years) and M.Ed. under distance education programme, after NCTE’s approval, disclosed the VC. Similarly, a BA (Hons, School) course in social sciences would also be started from the next academic session, declared Dr S.P. Singh. The UGC had got an all-India license for putting international journals on website bearing the cost and supplying this material to universities and colleges free of cost in the country, he disclosed. This would save a huge amount, he claimed, this would save Rs 80 lakh the varsity spends annually on journals and it would be spent on text books for students under the new UGC scheme informed the VC. |
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Front opposes new education policy Bathinda, February 23 Major Kumar said here today that there was nothing new in the ‘new’ policy and it seemed to be drafted only to discourage the poor from getting education. He said as in the case of other departments, the policy of globalisation, privatisation and contract employees were being pushed into the department. The new policy aims to increase the fees and funds being charged from the students of the government schools manifolds, which would increase the dropout rate, he added. He said no appointments were being made in the department and mere change of signboards from ‘primary’ to ‘elementary’ schools would not serve any purpose. He said even senior officers and teachers were not sure that how would the new system improve the state of education after it was changed to two-tier system, from the present four-tier system. He alleged that all these steps were mere eyewash and would only increase the workload of the teachers, without bringing out any qualitative improvement. Some other speakers, including Mr Madan Pal Bhagta, district president, Mr Major Singh, Mr Jagmeet Singh, while addressing the gathering said the management of the government schools was being handed over to the committees formed by political parties and with the change in governments, they would also change. They alleged that this would adversely affect the teaching environment in the state-run schools. Some of the speakers opined that while comparing the results of the state-run schools with the private schools, the workload, non-teaching duties and clerical work being taken from the government teachers should also be taken into consideration. Mr Bagga Singh, spokesman, Association for Democratic Rights (AFDR), said blind privatisation of government departments was against the interests of the country. He said even as the right to education had been declared a fundamental right, the poor were being denied the same due to wrong policies of the government. Mr Manpreet Singh, spokesman of the Shaheed Pirthipal Singh Randhawa Yadgaari Committee also addressed the gathering. |
Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s kin flays move on Iraq Sangrur, February 23 The convention was organised by the Sangrur district unit of the AFDR. It was presided over by a presidium comprising Mr Hari Singh Tark, Prof Jagmohan Singh, Dr Tejwant Mann, Dr Pritam Saini and Mr Amrik Singh. More than 100 AFDR activists participated. Prof Jagmohan Singh said the USA was imposing a war on Iraq. He said besides this, America wanted to capture oil resources of Iraq. Prof Jagmohan Singh said worldwide opposition of America, for possible attack on Iraq, had sent a message to America that people of the world were against the US move. Mr Tarsem Lal, Mr Sawaranjit Singh, Dr Tejwant Mann, Dr Pritam Saini, Mr Hari Singh Tark, Mr Hardev Singh Rathi, Mr Karam Singh Barsat and Mr Dr Darshan Kherri also addressed the convention. Mr Amrik Singh,
AFDR, district president, proposed a vote of thanks. |
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Proud to be framed under
TADA: Mann Phagwara, February 23 Having a dig at tainted leaders facing charges of corruption and involvement in sex scandals, Mr Mann asserted that he would have felt let down had he been framed for Bofors kickbacks. Coffins scam or for beef-eating. To speak for the freedom of Sikhs was a matter of pride and I would face trial, said an undaunted Mann. Designated Judge S.N. Dhingra of a Delhi court had charged Mann under Section 124(A) for sedition and Section 4(2) of TADA for supporting disruptive activities through his speech of April 7, 1991, at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi. However, Mr Mann alleged that the Centre was trying to gag minorities and raking up the issue after 11 years exposing the BJP-led Union Government. Judiciary was also busy penalising minorities, especially Sikhs and Muslims, by handing down harsh judgements, he alleged. Would it also take suo motu cognisance of the speeches made by various leaders of Vishwa Hindu Parishad at the Dharam Sansad meeting in New Delhi yesterday demanding renaming India a Hindustan and declaring to subjugate minorities to a Hindu Rashtra, he questioned. Meanwhile, party’s general secretaries Jaskaran Singh Kahan Singhwala and Dr Harjinder Jakhu criticised the framing of Mr Mann under TADA. Innocent Sikhs like Prof Davinderpal Singh Bhullar were being given death sentence and clean and patriotic Sikh leaders like Mann were being framed under the repealed TADA, they said. Those guilty of Sikh and Muslim carnages in 1984 and 2002 in Delhi and Gujarat were being let off, they rued. |
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NGOs to be involved in health care Bathinda, February 23 The authorities are planning camps in the colonies like Kheta Singh Basti, Sucha Singh Nagar, Gopal Nagar, Janta Nagar and Jogi Nagar to identify the patients suffering from these diseases. Sources said that during medical camp held by the authorities in these colonies some days ago, 320 patients were examined and out of these 275 were found to be suffering from one of these diseases. It is learnt that the health authorities would hold more surveys. It could not be ascertained whether the ash of thermal plant or the NFL plant was the only cause of disease among residents of these colonies. Mr S.K. Goyal, Civil Surgeon said the authorities were thinking about taking the help of the NGOs in treating the patients of these colonies. He said he could not comment on the cause of disease of patients in these areas. |
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NGO for AIDS awareness Bathinda, February 23 Dr Surinder Singla, Deputy Project Director, Punjab AIDS Control Society stated this here today. He said 40 per cent population in Punjab was totally ignorant about the disease, while majority of those who know about it were misinformed. He said earlier the people were asked to adopt safe behaviour in social life to prevent spreading of the disease, while now they were being asked to have responsible behaviour. Mr Sukhpal Singh Gill, Project Director of the society, and Special Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, said the NGOs involved in AIDS awareness campaign should not adopt it for getting publicity. He said in place of adopting means for outdoing each other for getting the media coverage, the NGOs should cooperate to generate awareness so that number of HIV positive persons should be minimised. Earlier, Mr Gill started the Mass Movement, an organisation formed by a group of women of the Malwa region with the aim to make AIDS awareness programme a mass movement. Ms Raj Gupta, president, Mass Movement, said the aim of the organisation was to reach maximum people. She said the AIDS education should be made part of higher school curriculum. Artistes of ‘Nrutyasala,’ a troupe from Orissa, under the direction of Mr Chitranjan Sahni, performed various dances. |
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Facelift for Hussainiwala memorial Ferozepore, February 23 To meet the deadline, the agencies, which have been assigned the job, have been carrying out their work on a war-footing so that they could make the Hussainiwala memorial worth seeing when people visit here on March 23 to pay tributes to their heroes. Known as ‘Burning Flame of Inqalab’, the memorial was constructed on the site where the bodies of these three martyrs were cremated. After Partition, Hussainiwala fell into Pakistani territory. In view of the sentiments of the countrymen to have this place in India, a pact of exchange of territories was signed by the Government of India and Pakistan in 1960 and in exchange of Hussainiwala, some areas of Fazilka sub-division were transferred to Pakistan. But the memorial site could not be beautified due to negligence of successive governments at the Centre and state. During the previous SAD-BJP regime, then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal laid the foundation stone of “Shan-e-Hind” gate, just opposite to the gate constructed by the Pakistani government on its own territory. Last year, the then Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.R. Ladhar, took up the matter with the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, for beautification of the memorial. The project was made and cleared within no time and the work for it was started immediately after that. The Punjab Government also earmarked adequate funds for the beautification project. Mr D.P. Reddi, Chief Administrator, PUDA, who visited the site and held a meeting with senior officials of the region on Friday, said while the first phase of beautification work including installation of life-size bronze metal statues of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, setting up of a VIP stage, widening of road from Sutlej bridge to the memorial, land scaping, open air theatre, and over all beautification of memorial site, would be completed by March 23, the second phase would be completed by December 31. A trust created by the Punjab Government had been monitoring the beautification work, he added. |
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Bhan: spend more on charity than poll Moonak (Sunam), February 23 Mr Justice Bhan was addressing a conference “Ankit-2003” of the Region VII of the District 321-F of the Lions International at Aggarwal Dharamshala here last night. Mr Justice Bhan said as the Lions Club was a service club, so its members should do duties in an honourable way without thinking about victory or defeat. On a visit to his native village, Moonak, Mr Justice Bhan said, “I have spent nine years of my early life in this village and have many memories of my school days with me. So I also get nostalgic whenever I come to this place.” Mr Darshan Kumar Monga, District Governor of the Lions Club (321-F), said selfless service to society was their motto. In view of this, the club member always helped the suffering humanity during natural calamities and on other several occasions. Among others who also addressed the gathering included Mr D.K. Sood, Immediate Past District Governor and Mr Vinod Kumar Singla, region chairman of the Region VII. Mr Justice Ashok Bhan and Mr Darshan Kumar Monga gave away the prizes to the office-bearers of Lions clubs. |
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Centre uncooperative, says Dikshit Jalandhar, February 23 Talking to reporters here today, Ms Dikshit alleged that keeping in view the forthcoming Assembly elections in Delhi, the BJP-led Central Government was creating hurdles implementation of various development projects. Claiming to gain majority in the HP elections, she said the Congress would form government in Himachal Pradesh on its own. “In fact, the people of HP have given full response to the poll rallies addressed by AICC President Sonia Gandhi as compared to those addressed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee recently,” she said. She alleged that the Modi government had hatched a conspiracy to involve two Punjab ministers in a sex scandal to defame the Congress. |
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Dang’s allegations baseless: SSP Amritsar, February 23 In a statement here today, he said Mr Dang’s allegations were baseless as he has not bothered to varify statements of a student, Suresh Reha, who still had the collected money in possession. He said the decision not to send the money to Gujarat was taken by the students as the teaching and non-teaching staff had not contributed to the fund. |
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Twelve girls married off Sangrur, February 23 Ms Bhattal also presided over a free medical check-up camp at Lehragaga today which was organised by the Lehragaga Niwasi Sabha, Sangrur. Medicines were also distributed among the poor patients free of cost. Blood sugar tests and ECG tests were also conducted at the camp. Ms Bhattal also announced a grant of Rs 50,000 to the Sabha and asked the non-government organisations to actively take part in the social works and activities for the welfare of society. |
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Blood donors save mother, child Bathinda, February 23 Mr Ramesh Mehta, president of the NGO, said here today Ms Reshma Devi needed blood after the delivery of a child. He said volunteers of the NGO were called and they donated blood to save the life of the mother and the baby. He said the blood bank of the Civil Hospital here faced an acute shortage of blood and urged the donors to donate blood. |
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PSEB employee electrocuted Bathinda, February 23 Representatives of the Technical Services Union (TSU) in a press note here today alleged the several mishaps had been reported due to the shortage of equipment. The press note alleged that the PSEB had not been issuing technical kits to the employees and their demands had not been attended to. Mourning the death of their colleague, TSU men demanded compensation for the affected family and said the non issuance of working kits to the employees should be probed. |
Vigilance squads to ‘help’ farmers Moga, February 23 Deputy Commissioner Usha R. Sharma while reviewing arrangements of procurement of the wheat with the senior officers of the district and that of the procurement agencies, said that all steps were being finalised to ensure smooth procurement. She directed the Muktsar Market Committee for taking special arrangements to improve the “deteriorating condition” of the marketing yards.
PTI
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Rice-sheller owner held Jalandhar, February 23 Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, in a press statement issued here today, said officials of the Punjab Agro Industries Corporation (PAIC) here had submitted a complaint that Jai Jagdambay Trading Company, Phillaur, had been entrusted with the contract for extracting rice out of 32,401 bags of paddy worth about Rs 61.82 lakh through an agreement on October 24, 2001. The complainant further said the miller was to be provided government subsidy to the tune of Rs 20 lakh on account of extraction of rice from the paddy. Contrary to the terms of the agreement, the rice-sheller owner failed to supply rice by the set deadline of August 14, 2002. “Despite repeated reminders to him in this regard, he refused to comply with the
contractual obligations so far, thus, causing a loss of Rs 62 lakh to the state government,” the complaint said. The SSP further said a case was registered against Dinesh Kumar, under Sections 406, 420 of the IPC on Saturday. Mr Varinder Kumar said during the course of investigation it was found that Jai Jagdambay Trading Company did not have its own shelling unit and it had taken a rice-sheller on lease in Phillaur. The firm using illicit means had disposed off the paddy worth Rs 62 lakh in the market about one and a half years back, thus, duping the procurement agency. Dinesh Kumar was arrested from the premises of the firm today morning on the charges of cheating and
misappropriating the crop owned by the Punjab Agro Industries Corporation. |
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8th century idol stolen Sangrur, February 23 The statue’s value had been estimated at several crores of rupees when it was discovered beneath the earth in local fields in 1980. The discovery had then led to excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India which resulted in the discovery of some more ancient articles in the area. The three-feet long and two-feet wide idol was then cemented on the temple wall on popular demand of the locals. The layer of the cement was
discovered broken and the idol missing this morning. The police has registered a case. |
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2 held,
250 gm smack seized Jalandhar, February 23 Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, in a press statement here today, said following a tip-off, the police set up naka near Lamba Pind chowk here and intercepted two persons, including a woman. Their search led to the recovery of 250 gm of smack. They were identified as Satti Bali and Saroja of the Qazi Mandi locality. Interrogation of the arrested revealed that they hailed from Chennai and had been in Jalandhar for the past two years. They used to buy smack from Sunil in Manalwar Bazaar of Ghaziabad at the rate of Rs 150 per gram and later sold it to drug addicts for Rs 300 a gram. The arrested persons were being produced in the court. Further investigation of the case had been entrusted to Naresh Kumar, DSP. |
Inter-college contest results Nabha, February 23 The morning session was presided over by Mr Ashok Logri, Assistant Director (Colleges), who gave away prizes to winners of poem-recitation competition. The evening session displayed the rich cultural heritage of Punjab. Prof Surinder Bir Singh Sethi, a former Deputy Director (Colleges), Punjab, distributed the prizes. The results are: poem recitation: Rasik (first), Tirath Singh (second) and Kiranpal Kaur (third). Trophy — State College of Education, Patiala; folk songs: Satwant Singh (first), Dolly (second) and Jiwan Khan (third); geet ghazal: Gurpreet Singh (first), Sandeep Kaur (second) and Kavita (third). Trophy — State College of Education, Patiala; traditional costume: Kiranpal Kaur (first), Laxmi (second) and Raminder Kaur (third); and fancy dress: Rasik (first) and Gurjit Kaur (second). The overall trophy went to the State College of Education, Patiala. |
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Alumni meeting Chandigarh, February 23 The Dean of the college, Dr M.S. Tiwana, says that besides festivities, a technical symposium will be held. The key speaker will be Dr S.S. Johl, Agriculture Adviser and vice-chairman of the Punjab Planning Board. |
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