SAD will abolish octroi, says Badal
Jalandhar, December 29
As all business establishments remained closed in Jalandhar Cantonment today in protest against the failure of the Punjab Government to abolish octroi, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) chief, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, gave an assurance that the SAD-BJP combine would revoke octroi if voted to power in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

15 hurt in mishaps
Phagwara, December 29
Fifteen persons, including 10 women, were injured in two road mishaps here today. In the first accident, 10 persons sustained serious injuries when the Qualis (PB-08AG/6058) they were travelling in collided head-on with a truck near a roundabout on the National Highway around 8 am here.

Jalandhar, December 29
Fearing use of muscle power by the ruling Congress in Punjab, the state unit of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought deployment of Central paramilitary forces for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

Stating this here today, BJP’s Punjab unit president Avinash Khanna alleged that the Congress leadership was aware of the fact that the people of the state were fed up with the party.

He feared that the Congress could resort to poll malpractices like rigging and booth capturing during the forthcoming Assembly elections.

“They have already provided a sample of their intentions in the recently-held Patiala civic body poll. We have approached the Chief Election Commissioner so that he could view the video CD as proof of rigging and use of muscle power during the Patiala MC poll. We have also sought time from the CEC to explain the matter to him. Since, the Congress leadership is frustrated with the response of people, they could do anything and go to any extent to win the elections,” said Mr Khanna.

Welcoming Sushma Gautam, a Congress councillor from Jalandhar who joined the BJP today, Mr Khanna, accompanied by senior party leaders Vijay Sampla, S.D. Chugh and Pawan Sharma, said Ms Gautam would prove to be an asset for the party.

Ms Gautam left the Congress alleging that sincere and honest workers had been “ignored and sidelined” in the party by certain vested interest.

Ms Gautam alleged that there was “no place for right-thinking women in the Congress”.

“I had done a lot of work in Jalandhar Cantonment constituency but the party ticket was given to Gurkanwal Kaur, even as she had sought ticket from Ludhiana. There are a lot of hardworking women in the party. But where is the justice? If they want to rise in the party, they have to be relatives or acquaintances of big leaders,” rued Ms Gautam.

Jalandhar, December 29
As all business establishments remained closed in Jalandhar Cantonment today in protest against the failure of the Punjab Government to abolish octroi, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) chief, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, gave an assurance that the SAD-BJP combine would revoke octroi if voted to power in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Mr Badal also indicated that that the party may field Mr Jagbir Singh Brar from the Jalandhar Cantonment Assembly constituency while addressing the SAD-BJP organised ‘Congress bhajao-Punjab bachao’ rally at Jalandhar Cantonment.

He said the priority of the SAD-BJP alliance would be to lift octroi from the Jalandhar Cantonment area.

Irked over the ‘indifferent attitude’ of the Punjab Government, traders kept establishments closed for the whole day today. Earlier, from December 26-28, they had held a two-hour protest in the area. There are about 500 shops and other business establishments in the cantonment area, where, octroi is still in force. Jalandhar Cantonment is the only place in Punjab where octroi has not been abolished as the area fell under the jurisdiction of the Cantonment Board.

Mr Badal, was accompanied by former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, former Punjab minister Mr Manoranjan Kalia, Mr Shiv Dyal Chugh, the district BJP chief, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, SAD spokesman, former minister Mr Ajit Singh Kohar and Mr Paramjit Singh Raipur. He alleged that the Congress government had harmed the poor by discontinuing people-oriented welfare schemes, like the ‘Shagun Scheme’,” initiated by the SAD-BJP government. The Congress had also failed to check the increase in prices despite repeated promises. “The price of diesel has increased a number of times but not the price of produce of the farmer. The Captain Amarinder Singh government has sold lands of farmers to industrialists at throw-away prices. We will start all welfare schemes once again, as and when we come to power,” he promised.

Mr Badal also assured that the SAD-BJP would honour Manjit Kaur, who had won silver medal at the Asian Games and who is a resident of Jalandhar Cantonment by according her a residential plot and other facilities. Mr Jagbir Brar gave an amount of Rs 21,000 to Manjit Kaur. Mr Manpreet Singh Badal, MLA, assured that a new Astroturf would be laid at Sansarpur village while a new stadium would be set up in Khusropur village.

Phagwara, December 29
Fifteen persons, including 10 women, were injured in two road mishaps here today.

In the first accident, 10 persons sustained serious injuries when the Qualis (PB-08AG/6058) they were travelling in collided head-on with a truck near a roundabout on the National Highway around 8 am here.

The mishap reportedly took place due to poor visibility owing to dense fog.

The injured were taken to the local Civil Hospital. The injured were travelling from Jalandhar to Chandigarh.

In the second accident, five persons, including two women, were injured when the vehicle in which they were travelling, Tavera, rammed into Gol Chowk on the GT Road this morning.

They were going to Amritsar from Mani Majra, Chandigarh, to pay their obeisance at Golden Temple.

The injured were taken to a local Civil Hospital.

Pathankot, December 29
The police has arrested Sukhdev Singh and Ashwani Kumar, both employees of the Public Health Department in connection with the alleged murder of 18-year-old Amit Bhatti under Section 302 of the IPC.

Disclosing this here today, Mr B.S. Virk, SP, said that a case was registered at Sujanpur police station after Mr Jahur Bhatti, father of the deceased boy, complained to the police. Mr Virk said that Amit was said to be drowned under mysterious circumstances in a canal passing through Gandla Lahri village on the Pathankot-Sujanpur road on Wednesday.

He said four teams of the police cops accompanied by divers under the supervision of the Sujanpur SHO had been deputed to trace the body of the boy in the canal, but so far police had not met with any success. Mr Virk said the police had not reached any conclusion about the motive of the murder.

Meanwhile, the accused had told the police that they had not murdered the boy and claimed that the boy fell in the canal after the motor cycle on which they were going with Amit slipped at the bank of the canal, which was just an accident.

Hoshiarpur, December 29
Jian has become only the second village, after Kharaudi, in the district to have almost all civic amenities through the participation of NRIs under the Model Gram Scheme of the state government.

Amenities like potable water, sewerage, pavement of drains and streets, streetlights, etc. have been made available at a cost of Rs 60 lakh.

NRIs of the village have contributed 50 per cent of their share whereas the remaining amount has been provided by the state government under the scheme.

Media Adviser to Chief Minister B.I.S. Chahal inaugurated the scheme at a function held at the village, around 15 km from here, today.

Addressing a gathering, Mr Chahal lauded the role of NRIs, district administration and inhabitants of the village for working hard to complete the task of overall development of the village.

He appealed to the NRIs of other villages to come forward for the development of their respective areas.

Mr Chahal claimed that the state government had succeeded in providing all basic amenities to rural areas of state.

He highlighted various achievements of the government. He said during the current Congress rule in the state, the crop of farmers had been lifted and payments made well in time.