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June 23, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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155 panchayats elected unopposed Ludhiana, June 22 He informed that a maximum of 44 panchayats have been elected unopposed in Ludhiana-II block, followed by 38 in Machhiwara block, 18 in Khanna block, 11 in Bet Sidhwan, 10 each in Samrala and Doraha blocks, six each in Pakhowal and Jagraon blocks, five in Dehlon, four in Raikot, and three in Ludhiana-I block. The lone exception is Sudhar block, where no panchayat has been elected unanimously. Elaborating further, Mr Verma informed that of the total 3,694 nominations for the posts of sarpanch, 1,558 candidates withdrew their nominations today and only 1,801 candidates remained in the fray. He said 4,321 candidates for the posts of panch have withdrawn their nomination papers leaving behind 8,348 candidates to contest for the posts. The Deputy Commissioner said a total of 3,694 candidates had submitted their nominations for the posts of sarpanch of 876 panchayats, out of which the nomination papers of 172 candidates were rejected after scrutiny. For the posts of panch, a total of 13,616 candidates had filed their nominations, of which 666 were rejected after scrutiny. Giving blockwise information after the withdrawal of nomination papers, he said in Ludhiana-I block, 172 candidates remained in the fray for the posts of sarpanch and 780 for panch; in Ludhiana II block, 293 for sarpanch and 1,261 for panch; in Dehlon, 156 candidates for sarpanch and 797 for panch; in Doraha, 102 for sarpanch and 597 for panch; in Jagraon, 134 for sarpanch and 662 for panch; in Khanna, 205 candidates for the posts of sarpanch and 732 for the posts of panch. Similarly, in Machhiwara, 157 candidates were in the fray for the posts of sarpanch and 594 for the posts of panch; in Pakhowal block, 112 candidates for sarpanch and 584 for panch; in Samrala, 120 for sarpanch and 621 for panch; in Sidhwan Bet, 187 for sarpanch and 898 for panch; in Sudhar Block, 65 for sarpanch and 287 for panch; and in Raikot, 98 for sarpanch and 535 for panch. The Deputy Commissioner also informed that after the withdrawal of nomination papers, the candidates have been allotted election symbols by the respective returning officers. He said sufficient security arrangements had been made for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the poll and required election material had also been acquired by the administration for further distribution. Mr Verma said the first round of rehearsal for the polling staff had been conducted and the second round would be conducted on June 24. He directed all candidates to abide by the directions of the State Election Commission. Mr Sumer Singh Gurjar, ADC(D), who is the Additional District Electoral Officer, informed that the counting of votes would be done immediately after the polling was over on June 29 and the results would be declared the same day. Khanna: Amidst the election of panchayats in Khanna block, the opposition today levelled charges of
favouritism to ruling party candidates at the behest of local Congress leaders against the administration. The local Akali leaders charged the administration with refusing to receive nomination papers of Akali candidates. They also alleged that their candidate for the post of sarpanch was yesterday picked up by the city police. Block Development and Panchayat Officer Kulwant Singh said villages for which the panchayats were elected unanimously included Ismile Pur, Ratan Heri, Gaji Pur, Mah Pur, Mehndi Pur, Chak Mafi, Mandiala Kalan, Asgari Pur, Kot, Gagar Majra, Kamman, Khurd, Kotla Dhak, Majri, Alluna Pallah, Aluna Miana and Deewa
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Unity and
disunity in SAD Ludhiana, June 22 At the time of split in the SAD and parting of ways by Mr Badal and Jathedar Tohra, Mr Hira Singh Gabria was heading the Ludhiana urban unit of the Akali Dal. Mr Gabria who is a former MLA is a close associate of Jathedar Tohra. At that time Mr Gabria and Mr Amarjit Singh Bhatia, vice-president, SAD, were having strong differences and Mr Avtar Singh Makkar was the senior vice president of the urban unit. As Mr Gabria went with Jathedar Tohra, Avtar Singh Makkar continued to work as acting president of the urban unit and was not made the official head of the unit by Mr Badal due to strong opposition by Mr Bhatia and his men. Both Mr Makkar and Mr Bhatia remained at loggerheads for the past five years and Mr Badal failed to resolve their differences. At one stage, Mr Bhatia even revolted against Mr Badal but he was persuaded to come back to the fold. Mr Badal did not want to lose Mr Bhatia he, being a member of the SGPC
Now when the two rival Akali Dals have united and under the agreement-status quo has to be restored- the situation prevailing before the split in the SAD, the struggle for capturing the Ludhiana urban unit has again started. Mr Gabria has already started mobilising his strength and workers and is organising meetings of his supporters. Interestingly Mr Bhatia has not given up the oppositions of Mr Makkar and has started supporting Mr Gabria. Mr Gabria has also support of some councillors of the municipal corporation who were elected on the akali ticket. Mr Makkar is also gearing up his workers to grab the post of the president of the urban unit. Mr Makkar is being supported by the Garcha group in the Akali Dal in Ludhiana. The struggle for survival in the local Akali unit after the unity is taking an interesting turn and will pose a serious problem for Mr Badal to settle the issue who could not do so during the past five years. However, the district’s rural unit does not pose much problem as Mr Dya Singh, a non-controversial leader, has been heading the same before the split in the Akali Dal. |
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Akali-backed men allege intimidation Ludhiana, June 22 Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Bikramjit Singh Khalsa, an ex MLA and Akali leader disclosed that in Gill village the papers of Ms Balwinder Kaur, a Congress supported candidate for the post of sarpanch, were rejected on June 20 on technical grounds. However, after political pressure from the ruling party her papers were accepted and she was allotted the election symbol also. He alleged that Mrs Balwinder Kaur was the wife of a former sarpanch Mr Gurcharan Singh, who allegedly owed a lot of money to the panchayat. Mr Khalsa claimed that Mrs Kaur was trying to threaten and intimidate her opponents with the support of the government. The Akali leader said, he had already brought the issue to the notice of the Chief Electoral Officer. |
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Tombstones
of poll promises Ludhiana, June 22 These stones aptly tell the story of successive regimes, whose representatives believe in announcing development projects for villages only to garner votes and then forget all about them after the elections. Such stones only remind residents of scores of villages of unfulfilled promises made by politicians for their personal gains. Two such foundation stones in Mandiala Kalan village, just adjacent to Manji Sahib Gurdwara along the GT Road, are reminders of forgotten promises. A foundation stone laid back in 1992 for a modern hospital stands in a pond as a sign of betrayal by the then Congress government. The second one, announcing the laying of a concrete road leading to a cremation ground by the SAD-BJP government two years ago, is no less a disappointment as the promise remains unfulfilled. Only a brick road has been constructed there, and that too is in bad shape. The first foundation stone on the cremation grounds announces the construction of a multi-facility Guru Hargobind Singh Memorial Hospital, Manji Sahib. It was laid on March 15, 1992, by the late Beant Singh, the then Chief Minister. Ironically, not even a single brick has been laid by three successive governments to fulfil the promise. The second stone, that was laid just next to the first one on December 24, 2001, announces the construction of a concrete road leading to a cremation ground. But today both stones stand abandoned near a pond. Neither a hospital has been constructed nor the road metalled till date. Villagers said there used to be an open space near this pond and in 1992, the then Congress government had laid the foundation stone for the hospital. But the
Similar is the story of a foundation stone at Leelan village, near Pakhowal, that announces the construction of a dispensary. It was laid by the then Technical Education Minister, Mr Jagdish Singh Garcha. Even after more than two years of the laying of the foundation stone, there is no sign of any construction. Another tale of betrayal is described by the foundation stone of Ramdasia dharamshala at Baniawal village in Mullanpur Dakha. Laid on November 6, 2000, by Mr Bikramjit Singh Khalsa, the then MLA, Dakha, it had promised the reconstruction of the inn. But it is yet to see the light of day. On May 15, 1999, the then Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, had laid the foundation stone for a bus stand at Alamgir village outside the historic Manji Sahib Gurdwara. Even though the management of the gurdwara had provided one acre for the construction of the bus stand, it is conspicuous by its absence. In another case, the residents of Jarkhar village are still awaiting the construction of a link road to Rania. The foundation stone for the road was laid by Mr Mal Singh Ghuman, a senior Akali leader and the then Chairman, Punjab Mandi Board, on September 9, 1999. The road was meant to shorten the distance between the two villages. Even after four years, a kutcha road greets visitors with a foundation stone in the background. “Nine years after laying of the foundation stone for the hospital in our village, a minister came and laid another stone for a concrete road leading to the cremation ground. But that promise has also not been fulfilled till date. With panchayat elections in mind, some candidates have made new promises. But who will fulfill the old ones? A politician will come, lay another foundation stone and disappear. I think this land has become a platform for ministers of various governments to compete with their rivals and take the villagers for a ride,” lamented a resident of Mandiala Kalan. A resident of Leelan village said villagers were waiting for a dispensary for several years as they had to take patients to other places in case of an emergency. But their hopes have been dashed. “Now we know that no hospital is going to come up here. Politicians have played politics with us, too,” he says dejectedly.
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Payal tops Class X exam Ludhiana, June 22 As many as 20 students have their names in the merit list released by the board. Of these five are from Atam Public School, four are from Bhartiya Vidya Mandir, Udham Singh Nagar, two each from Teja Singh Sutantar Memorial School, Senior National High School, Krishna Nagar and Dashmesh Public High School, Mehdiana Sahib. Just one student from government schools of the district has her name in the list. Obtaining 603 marks out of 650 marks, Payal has secured seventh position in the state. Sharing the second rank in the district and ninth in the state are Neeru Rani from Guru Nanak Model Senior Secondary School, Pardhan Nagar, and Sandeep Sharma from Bhartiya Vidya Mandir, Udham Singh Nagar, both scoring 601 marks. The third rank in the district has been grabbed by Harpreet Singh from Atam Public School with 597 marks. The fourth rank in the district has been shared by five students, all of whom have obtained 595 marks. The students are Paramjit Singh from Dashmesh Public High School, Mehdiana Sahib, Shikha Arora and Sugandha Sood, both from Atam Public School, Saurabh Goyal of Bhartiya Vidya Mandir and Sandeep Kaur from Teja Singh Sutantar Memorial School. The fifth rank in the district has been shared by three students, obtaining 594 marks. The students include Gurjinder Kaur from Nanakana Sahib Model High School, Janta Nagar, Amandeep Kaur from Senior National High School, Krishna Nagar, and Nikhil Gupta from Atam Public School. The sixth rank too has been shared by three students with 593 marks. The three names are Gurpreet Kaur from Sri Harkrishan Public School, Daba Road, Rajbir Kaur from Dashmesh Public High School, Mehdiana Sahib, and Varun from Atam Public Senior Secondary School. The last rank in the list of meritorius students has Ramandeep Kaur from Government High School, Sunet village, Aman Kundra and Shivani Sharma from Bhartiya Vidya Mandir, Rajvinder Kaur from Teja Singh, Sutantar Memorial School and Gurpreet Kaur from Senior National High School, Krishna Nagar. |
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Gurjot first in BCA exam Ludhiana, June 22 What makes Gurjot’s achievement even more commendable is the fact that she has outscored the second position holder by a margin of 27 marks whereas the difference between the 2nd position holder and the fifth position holder is of only four marks. Anureet Gill, another student from PCTE has stood eighth in the university securing 83 per cent marks. Deshraj Singh of APJIM Jalandhar has stood second and Gaurav Preet Singh of RIMT Mandi Gobindgarh, third in the same examination. Dr K.N.S. Kang, Director, PCTE, congratulating the students said that their efforts had borne fruits. Gurjot Kaur and Anureet were visibly happy about their result and both of them attributed their success to the able guidance and direction provided by their teachers. |
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Body of 15-yr-old boy retrieved Ludhiana, June 22 The six-member team of professional divers retrieved the body from under the Barrewal bridge at around 3 pm. Police sources said the relatives, who had resigned to fate broke down at the sight of the body. They had hoped that the boy might have been rescued by someone. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Gloom descended on Gandhi Colony, near the Model Town Extension area, soon after the news spread. The colony had been in a state of shock over the disappearance of the boy three days ago. The boy had gone to the canal for the first time. |
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SSP for coordination with UP, Bihar police In a detailed interview with Ludhiana Tribune, he has announced the launching of a child-woman helpline, fine-tuning of the existing schemes, stringent surveillance of police officers and coordination with the Bihar and Uttar Pradesh police to combat crime committed by migrant labourers. Following are the excerpts from the interview. Question: Ludhiana is often termed as the crime capital of the state. You joined here almost a fortnight ago. What has been your observation in this regard? Is this posting more challenging than any other in the past? Answer: I have served in bigger districts like Amritsar. But, yes, the posting as the Ludhiana SSP is definitely quite a challenging one. The city has a huge population and the police-public ratio is quite less. Then there is the problem of migrant labourers. It is this section of the population which has earned the city the dubious distinction. I plan to start from this problem only. I have gone around the city and held meetings with police officers and residents. I have found that if this segment is brought under surveillance, the crime rate can be controlled. Up to 150 labourers live in one large hall-like room called ‘vehras’. It is so easy for them to commit crime and run away to Bihar or Uttar Pradesh. Then there is the white-collar crime, especially economic offences. Crimes against capital, including fraud, cheating and forgery are also a major headache here. Q: How do you plan to handle these problems? A: I have studied the previous schemes. My plan is to take the help of the Bihar police in this direction. We will shortly introduce the system of filling the “stranger rolls” forms. These are provided in police rules only. Employers of labourers would be required to get them filled. The police station of the area would ensure that the details of each labourer are recorded. These would be sent for verification to the Bihar and Uttar Pradesh police and then the police can have the exact antecedents of labourers. Q: A drive to record the details of tenants in the city under the tenant-verification scheme was launched earlier. It failed to produce any results. A: Such a scheme cannot succeed without the active cooperation of the public. The employers of labourers would have to share some responsibility. The scheme involves immense paperwork. The police force is already under so much pressure and it would all depend on the response of the public. We are discussing another method to make the drive effective. We plan to take the employers into confidence so that they sent one month’s salary or even a half-month’s salary to the addresses mentioned by migrant labourers. This would make labourers give their true addresses. If he is named in some crime, we would know where to despatch the police party. Criminal elements would always have the impression that they are under observation. Q: Ludhiana is a city of stinking rich people. Some of them virtually try to use the power of money to achieve their ends. Hence, several of the white-collar crimes go undetected. How would you save the police force from such influences ? A: There is a need to further strengthen the Economic Offences Wing. I have decided to increase the staff in the wing. Supervision of the staff would also be intensified. As far as the influences you talk about, only the law of the land would prevail here. Every complaint would be dealt with strictly according to the law. I am allergic to corruption and warn any person indulging in this evil practice. Q: But the city police is struggling to remove the blemish of the VCD expose case in which two alleged satta operators had filmed more than 10 policemen taking bribe from them? A: Look, black sheep are in all professions. The police has taken strong action against these policemen. Further investigations are still under way. As I said, I don’t tolerate corruption or misuse of authority. You have seen that immediate action was taken against police officials who were helping a ‘wanted’ policemen after news reports exposed the case. I have given a clear message to the force. The punishment given to a policeman would be double than to a criminal if he indulges in criminal activities. Q: Transparency in police functioning took a beating recently. Mediapersons were denied access to information. What would be your policy towards the fourth estate? A: The police and the media have to work together for the eradication of evil in our society. I would expect mediapersons to continue exposing the wrongdoers and I would take action against them. I prefer transparency. I have deputed SP (D) Gurpreet Singh as the Press liaison officer. He would be available to the media daily from 3 pm to 3.30 pm for verification of any news. Q: The previous SSP, Mr H. S. Sidhu, had introduced several schemes which were well received by the public. Commendable features were the crackdown on beggars, duplicate CD business and the introduction of the PCR squad. What would be your policy regarding these schemes? A: The schemes would continue. We had cracked down heavily on the duplicate CD trade in Amritsar also. There would be no relaxation here. Beggary is a menace and has to be dealt with strongly. The police, in fact, invites social organisations to propose programmes to rehabilitate beggars. Putting them behind bars serves only half the purpose. The PCR squad has done a fine job, It just need some fine-tuning. Q: Traffic is a major problem in the city and violations of the traffic laws are galore. A: There cannot be any relaxation in this field. The High Court has ordered strict observance of the helmet and seat-belt law. I feel it is the SSP who has to set an example. If the SSP lets off a challaned person with a mere warning, he would demoralise the force. My sister was challaned in Amritsar for violating a traffic law. She had to pay the fine. Q: Are you introducing schemes for effective control of crime in the city? A: I am still settling down. There are a few things which I have decided to introduce. One would be to make the SHOs more accountable. They would be required to fill a self-appraisal forms every month. The forms would be verified by senior officers. On the basis of these forms, the ACRs would be written. This would ensure complete observation on them and the accountability would increase. Under the community policing scheme, I feel there is a need to provide a better platform for women and children. We propose to start helplines for this segment of society. They would have to dial a specific number to get any kind of police assistance. Under the computerisation scheme, all police stations in the city would be inter-connected with computers soon. I have given directions to the force regarding the ‘free registration of cases’. Only cases of theft or law and order complaints require immediate registration of the FIR. The cases regarding property disputes, white-collar crime and dowry complaints would require thorough probe before the registration of a case. Q: Any chance of reshuffle of police officers in the city ? A: I don’t have any immediate plans. I am observing the work of the SHOs and would wait for some time. I have also requested for the services of some inspectors. |
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Effigy of
‘cable mafia’ burnt Ludhiana, June 22 Mr Rajiv Mehra, president of the committee, said subscription rates should be uniform in the city. He said there were at least 4 lakh cable connections in the city and different rates, ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 350, were being charged from subscribers in different area. He exhorted the residents of different areas to join them in the protest. He said the protest would be intensified if their demands were not met. |
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Tributes
paid to Bhutani
Mandi Ahmedgarh, June 22 Prominent among those who paid their tributes were Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, President SGPC, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Cabinet Minister, Ms Surjit Kaur Barnala, Mr Nusrat Akram Khan Bagga, Mr Jagdish Singh Garcha, Mr Tota Singh, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Mr Baldev Singh Mann, and Mr Gobind Singh Kanjhala.
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‘Need
to enforce labour laws’ Ludhiana, June 22 He said the department had failed to secure the rights of the labourers, who were exploited by not being paid as per the Minimum Wages Act. Some factory owners simply did not maintain muster rolls, thus conveniently escape all responsibilities in case any eventuality happened. |
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Phone subscribers cry foul Amloh, June 22 Mr Baljit Singh Annian, vice-president, Block Anti-corruption Federation, has urged the BSNL to ensure the delivery of bills to the subscribers and open a counter here for provision of duplicate bills instead of forcing them to go to Mandi Gobindgarh.
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One killed Mandi Gobindgarh, June 22 |
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Woman dies in accident Ludhiana, June 22 Cash snatched: The division No. 7 police station on Saturday registered a case under Sections 323, 356, 506 and 34 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Swaranjit Singh, a resident of Cheema village, against Raju, Angrej and Amarjit, all residents of the Tajpur road. The complainant alleged that the accused beat him up on the road, threatened him and also snatched Rs 5,600 from him on Friday night. Dowry case: On the statement of Ms Inderjit Kaur, a resident of Shaheed Karnail Singh Nagar, the Sadar police has registered a case under Sections 406, 498-A and 34 of the IPC against her husband, Ravinder Singh, Gurmel Kaur, Paramjit Kaur, Shami and Mandeep Singh, all residents of Durga Nagar in New Janta Nagar. The woman alleged that the accused subjected her to mental torture and demanded more dowry from her. Case registered:
The Shimla Puri police on Saturday registered a case of sodomy under Section 377 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Sikandar Singh, a resident of Lohara village, against Jasbir Singh, a resident of the same village. The complainant alleged that the accused sodomised his son on Saturday. Beaten up:
The Koom Kalan police on Saturday registered a case of assault under Sections 341, 323, 506 and 34 of the IPC on the statement of Mr Rulda Singh, a resident of Koom Kalan Khurd village, against Surjit Singh, Pala and Kalu of the same village. The complainant alleged that the accused stopped him on the road, beat him up and threatened him. One arrested: The Division No. 1 police station on Saturday arrested Raj Kumar, a migrant from UP, recovered Rs 80 from his possession and booked him under Sections 13, 3 and 67 of the Gambling Act. |
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Woman found dead Mandi Gobindgarh, June 22 On the statement of Mr Sat Dev Garg, son of the deceased, the police has registered a case under Section 302, IPC. |
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Ludhiana, June 22