Bathinda, December 18
Reacting to the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court that Sikhs are not a minority community in Punjab, the SAD (A) president Simranjit Singh Mann today demanded the dismissal of the advocate-general of Punjab, H. S. Mattewal, alleging that he never raised points strong enough in support of his arguments.

He termed the action of the court as anti-Sikh as the decision was based on a state-level analysis, but said that it should be looked at from the national persepective. He charged that advocate-general H.S. Mattewal had not presented the case properly as he himself belongs to a sect that is different from Sikhism.

Criticising the CM, he said Badal celebrated his birthday in Bathinda on a large scale which had depressed the poor. The CM claims that he is with the poor, but his actions do not match his words, he alleged.

Replying to a question on SAD (B) working president Sukhbir Badal’s reported plan to contest the parliamentary elections from Bathinda, he said, “I will not let him run alone in the field. If he contests from this constituency, he will have to face me.”

Mann did not even spare Jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh. On the jathedar’s stand that he would not allow a change in the name of the proposed oil refinery in Bathinda district, Mann said that the jathedar was saying so just for publicity. He also accused Nandgarh of making only empty statements.

On the question of his repeated arrests, he said every ruling party tries to suppress “people who speak the truth” as they can be prove harmful for corrupt leaders. He added that he has been facing several cases but no witness has ever appeared in the court against him.

Mann was here to to attend a hearing in a sedition case filed against him in 2005. Regarding this case, he alleged that Bibi Jagir Kaur and the then CM Amrinder Singh had been instrumental in implicating him in the case.

Appearing to be in high spirits, Mann accused all political parties of uniting against him as they regarded him as a threat to their existence like at the time of Operation Blue Star.

He further alleged that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had a soft corner for the RSS and the BJP and because of this he has been giving his nod to all issues put up by them. He mentioned the BJP’s stand on power tariff and accused the saffron party of harbouring anti-Sikh schemes.

While talking to the media, he stuck to his previous stand on issues like the portrait of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and the use of the term ‘martyr’ for Bhagat Singh.

Launching a tirade against the state government, he said the government wanted to roll back all schemes that were launched to impress the voters as they had actually failed like the Atta-Dal scheme.

Expressing concern over the state of affairs in the police department, the former IPS officer said the department has not given uniforms to its staff for the last eight years. He quoted some examples when he went to the jail and found policemen wearing uniforms the colour of which did not match. He said the department does not provide overcoats because of which even in this winter chill, the staff wear colourful jackets which is not seen in any other force. 

Bathinda, December 18
For training the Indian youth to compete in the professional market globally, a Canada- based company, the `International Creative Learning Initiatives’, is working on a model which would focus on upgrading their professional skills and terminology.

For this purpose, two of the company’s directors, Martin Itzkow and Jaswant Singh Brar are visiting India these days.

Speaking to TNS here today, Winnipeg-based Martin Itzkow, who is on his fourth visit to India and has also served as director, immigrations, for Manitoba province of Canada for a decade, said, ``Many professional Indian youth, especially from the engineering field, graduating from the Indian universities and colleges, may not be fully prepared to secure the best positions when working in India and abroad. We would chalk out a comprehensive model which would prepare them to compete internationally.’’

 ``We are looking for partners for this programme all across the country and would run it in partnership with the industry and with selected Indian educational institutions. We have already found a partner in Bathinda and hope that our programme starts by 2008. Our main area of interest is to ensure that all programmes would be accessible to all the students,’’ Itzkow informed.

 ``Presently, there are more than 50,000 unemployed engineers in the country and every year an equal number is added to it. There is a need for over 2.5 lakh engineers in North America alone. Here, under our programme, we would be training the engineers as per the market requirements at the international level and India is the best place to do so. As per the March 2006 issue of ‘Foreign Affairs’ magazine, there would be 55 million teenagers in India, which would be the youngest workforce in the world,’’ added Brar.

 Martin, who is called `Gora Uncle’ by kids in Arjun nagar, the locality where he is staying, feels sad over the state of pollution in Bathinda. ``I am planning to gather all the kids in my locality, where I am staying at present, and clean the entire area. That’s what we used to do back home. It’s the people of the city themselves who have to take up the issue of pollution. There is pollution in the air and even the canal is filled with garbage.”  

Bathinda, December 18
Taking a serious note of the use of adulterated khoya during the festival season, the health department has initiated measures to check the samples of jaggery and powdered sugar. A team lead by Civil Surgeon (CS), Bathinda, today intercepted a truck carrying jaggery and refined sugar ment for supply to outlets in the city and neighbouring towns.

Giving details, CS Maninderjit Singh said, "We received an order from the Health Minister, Punjab, Laxmikanta Chawla, to check the adulerated jaggery."

The team, led by the food inspector, seized the truck that was carrying 116 bags of jaggery each weighing 40 kg. Besides, 40 bags of refined sugar weighing 50 kg each were also seized. The samples have been sent for tests to the laboratory.

Showing the receipts of the jaggery being transported, the civil surgeon said the bags had come from Uttar Pradesh and were meant for supply in the city. Some of the bags were to be supplied in Kotkapura, he added.

The driver of the truck disclosed that some bags had been unloaded at Tapa and Bhikhi mandis.When contacted, Laxmi Kanta Chawla, health minister, Punjab, said over telephone from Chandigarh, "No one will be allowed to sale adulterated goods at any cost. Anybody found guilty of adulteration during the checking, will have to face legal action." 

Bathinda, December 18
The stalemate continues over the Behman Jassa Singh case in which Gurjant Singh, a cop who was declared a proclaimed offender, set himself, his wife and three daughters on fire on the night of September 29.

The authorities today arranged a meeting attended by members of the Agni Kand Insaf Dewao Action Committee which was also attended by the ADC (Gen) Upjeet Singh Brar, SP (H) D.S. Mann and Deputy District Attorney (Police) Shinder Pal Singh Brar, at the Circuit House here.

The officials assured members of the action committee that compensation would be given to the surviving daughters of Gurjant Singh. They said that initiative has been taken to provide jobs to them. They further apprised the committee that a magisterial inquiry has been initiated in the case and the investigation has been marked to the IG Patiala.

But members of the action committee were adamant and demanded a CBI inquiry into the case. They also levelled allegations against senior police officials and their conduct.

Unsatisfied with the meeting, the convener of the committee, Jagjit Singh Joga, stated that the committee would ‘gherao’ the police headquarters in Talwandi Sabo as per the schedule, on December 19. 

Moga, December 18
The CBI team camping in connection with the infamous sex scam here would be joined by senior officials of the department tomorrow.

According to sources, DIG B.L. Soni and SSP M.K. Aggarwal, both from Delhi, would join the probe.

The team has been summoning various people to record their statements. The persons, who were called upon to record their statements, came from all walks of life, including, businessmen, traders and legal experts. A majority of them were politicians.

Keeping in view the alleged involvement of senior and middle rung officials of the Punjab Police, the Punjab and Haryana High Court handed over the inquiry to the CBI.

A majority of the persons whose names figured in the rape and kidnapping cases alleged that they had been falsely implicated. Some of them alleged that money was extorted from them.

The sex scandal has its genesis in a rape case registered on April 18. Interestingly, the complainant in the rape case, Manpreet, along with Manjit, lodged another case with the Baghapurana police against six persons, including Ranjit, alleging that the accused attempted to kidnap her out of vengeance as she had named him in the rape case.

However, following an inquiry, it was found that the case was false.

After many efforts, the police managed to arrest Manjit Kaur and Manpreet Kaur. To the embarrassment of the police, its own officials were found to be hand-in-glove in the case. Hence, inspector Amarjit Singh was arrested in the racket and sub-inspector Raman Kumar was dismissed from service. 

Barnala, December 18
Chandu Mittal, the father of Sahil Mittal, is keeping a low profile. Sahil had paved the way for the landmark judgment pronounced by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday against the Punjab government’s notification that Sikhs were a minority in Punjab.

The High Court had given its ruling on a petition filed by Sahil Mittal.

Sahil’s father is busy receiving phone calls but is taking every step to keep the whereabouts of his son secret.

When asked where Sahil was at present, Chandu Mittal replied that he was outside the state preparing for his PMT entrance test to get admission in a medical college.

Chandu Mittal, who runs a car repair workshop near Nanksar gurudwara, Barnala, said that ever since his son Sahil Mittal had filed a petition in the High Court, challenging 50 per cent reservation for Sikh students in the SGPC-run medical institutes, his family was receiving messages for withdrawal of petition.

The messages were from SGPC members and politicians. But the family had resolved not to bow to pressure, come what may.

Elaborating the contents of the petition, Chandu Mital said that three points were raised in the petition: illegality of the reservation, enhancing of fee and bungling in adjustments of the NRI quota seats. 

Bathinda, December 18
Customers of some private banks in Bathinda are a harried lot. The aggressive banking in a highly competitive environment has no doubt helped them expand their business but it is also causing problems for the clients.

For example, the main branch of the HDFC bank in the city has about 20,000 account holders and is handling all the services like customer care, ATM, home loans, agricultural loans, car loans, insurance and investments. The bank staff, with a strength of 40, is unable to cope with the pressure of work, resulting in the deterioration of the quality of services.

A regular customer of the bank, Surjit Singh, rues that he has been dealing with bank almost daily but is so much fed up that he intend to switch over to some other bank.

There are many other customers who feel the same way and say that they hardly have any time to squabble with the staff.

A local resident, speaking on the condition of anonymity lamented, that even after receiving the ATM card, he has not receieved his PIN number, despite several requests.

The ATM services of the bank remained in total disarray during the past two months. It was usual for the ATM machines not to accept cards and in some cases when it did, the buttons on the panel did not work forcing a customer to withdraw money from the ATM of another bank .

Ashutosh Bajaj, Deputy Manager, HDFC, Bathinda, however, maintained that no complaint has been received and assured that the bank authorities are always ready to assist the customers and solve their banking problems.

The bank officials, when asked about the non-acceptance of ATM PIN numbers, admitted that there was some snag in the system at their Mumbai office but maintained that the snag has been rectified and the problem is now over. 

Mansa, December 18
The people of Mansa have been waiting for rose garden from 2002 but instead of roses, garbage can be seen any time on its site. According to information for the construction of the rose garden, Rs 47.4 lakh grant was received and work did start on May 9, 2002.

According to the municipal council’s (MC) records, the rose garden was completed in September 2005. Records also showed that the grant for the rose garden had been divided on different heads like labour, boundary wall, electricity connection, oil tractor, tube-well pipe, sale of plants, installation of benches etc.

According to the government maps, the rose garden was constructed in the place of a pond.

Akali leader Amrit Pal Singh Nangal had complained of delay in constructing the rose garden at the open darbar in October 2007. The administration took no step, however.

The records at the MC, Mansa show that there was an expenditure of Rs 38.90 lakh out of a grant of Rs 47.41 lakh. When deputy commissioner Surjit Singh Dhillon was contacted, he said an inquiry had been marked.

President of MC Nirotam Singh Chahal, who showed ignorance about the whole issue, said that work on rose garden had begun during the tenure of ex-municipal council president Pawan Kumar and deputy commissioner Alok Shekhar.

At present, there is no rose garden here and at the proposed site, a road has been constructed to ease the flow of traffic and garbage can be seen frequently at this place. 

Bathinda, December 18
This lyricist from Bathinda is only 30 but his achievements far belie his age. Manpreet Tiwana, who wrote hit Punjabi songs like ‘Daulataan vi mil gayiaa’ by Balkar Sidhu and many more, basically hails from Mahal Kalan village in district Barnala, but has been living in Bathinda since 1990.

His interest in literature began when he was a student of class VII. “I was only 12 years old when I read my first literary book, ‘Udaasi de geet’ by Sant Ram Udaasi.”

His big break in the field of Punjabi pop came in 1993 with Balkar Sidhu’s song ‘Laung Taveetriaan’. “That was the biggest break of my life. It was my first song, whose video was aired and the best part was that Tanushree Dutta acted in that video,’’ Tiwana said.

Tiwana, who is still doing M.Ed from Punjabi University, Patiala through correspondence is all praises for lyricist Amardeep Gill whom he first met in 1996, when he was a student of BA at Government Rajindra College, Bathinda.

“It was all because of him that I came in contact with many leading singers and writers. He gave me many important tips about writing commercial songs and other technical aspects for writing songs. His suggestions are still helping me and I am sure will help me for years to come,” he added.

He is also quick to add that singers Balkar Sidhu and Hans Raj Hans also helped him in his career.

Tiwana has 50 odd songs to his credit till now. “Its by sheer luck that all my songs became title songs of all the cassettes of which they were a part of. Hans Raj Hans, Balkar Sidhu, Rani Randeep, Hakam Sufi, Nirmal Sidhu, Masha Ali, Jassi Sohal, Jelly and many others have sung my songs.”

When asked about his only dream in this field of song writing, he said, “I really wish that big singers like Surinder Shinda, Mohammad Sadiq, Kuldeep Manak sing my songs.”

An ardent fan of lyricist Babu Singh Mann and singer Amar Singh Chamkila, Tiwana says, “I write what appeals to my heart and what is not vulgar.”

The reality about him, which many of us don’t know is that he is one of the very few Punjabi lyricists who get paid for their work. 

Abohar, December 18
Hundreds of farmers today sent a warning note to the state government against acquisition of agricultural land for the proposed thermal plant in private sector.

Farmers assembled under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan in the Nehru Park and held a rally.

State BKU president Joginder Singh Ugrahan, vice-president Surjit Dhaban, secretary Hardeep Tallewal, district secretary Gurmail Singh Burjan, block president Sukhminder Singh, Khet Mazdoor Union activist Nanak Singh, TSU divisional secretary Balwinder Singh, senior trade unionists Jarnail Singh, Bhagwant Singh Jalalabad, Sukhdev Singh Malout and others addressed the rally for three hours.

They said that the state government lacked wisdom in increasing the number of thermal plants for which coal had to be transported from the mines in Jharkhand, quite far from here.

The UK and China had reportedly decided to shut down all the thermal plants even when latest technology was available there to check pollution.

The Punjab government had time and again been informed that the coal ash and smoke emanated by thermal plants was equally responsible for spreading cancer and respiratory diseases in the Malwa region.

They reminded the Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal of his commitment on not acquiring fertile land for any project.

The farmers in Kundal, Bhangala and Chanankhera villages, which had been reportedly identified for acquiring 2500 acre land for the plant, were getting two crops in a year regularly, the speakers claimed.

The rally warned against going ahead with the project and cautioned it could lead to unprecedented protests.

The farmers shouted slogans while marching in a procession to the office of the sub- divisional magistrate in the afternoon and submitted a memorandum there demanding quick redressal of their grievances. 

Moga, December 18
The ETT teachers will hold protests across the state against the education policy of the Punjab government on December 26. Jaswinder Singh Sidhu, state president, ETT union, said that the decision was taken at a meeting held here today.

Sidhu said that on the day, effigies of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would be burnt at all district headquarters of Punjab against the proposal of handing over schools to the private establishments.

Describing the step as anti-people, he said that it was aimed at benefiting some rich houses. 

Bathinda, December 18
In a case of alleged old rivalry, Satnam Singh, Birbal Singh, Tej Singh, Tota Singh and Pal Singh reportedly killed Charanjit Singh of Bangi Deepa village on Tuesday night.

Police sources said a case had been registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the wife of the deceased.

Investigating officer Mohinder Singh said that in the complaint, the deceased’s wife stated that her husband was passing through a street when all of a sudden, the accused assaulted him with lathis and sharp-edged weapons.

The cause of the action is believed to be an old enmity between the families as 20 year ago, the brother of the deceased was also killed by the above stated accused.

Raman police has registered a case under sections 302, 148, 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

However, no arrests have been made so far. The police handed over the body to the family members after the postmortem. 

Abohar, December 18
Giving further boost to its diversification plans, the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO) is all set to launch mobile services in the rural areas by the next month.

Mohkam Singh, the state manager of the IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Ltd (IKSL), while addressing a conference here today, said Airtel, a mobile service company, had reached an agreement with the IFFCO to provide service for the new venture.

The IKSL will market mobile phone sets at reasonable price to the farmers through cooperative societies. A 40-member team of unemployed youths is all set to assist the rural 
cooperatives.

N.S. Mawi, manager cooperative coordination, had imparted training to the team in the Abohar area. Similar meetings would be arranged before the end of this month, the state manager informed.

He further said the new project would strengthen the cooperatives besides updating the farmers about agricultural inputs, market trends and information on modern farming.

In the next phase, the IKSL plans to install its independent towers all over Punjab. The officials were overwhelmed with tremendous response that the plan had received.

Many cooperative societies had come forward with advance deposits against cell phone connections, Mohkam Singh said.

IFFCO area manager Amarjit Singh and field officer N.K. Bhatia gave important tips to the participating secretaries of the cooperative societies and field workers during the two-day programme, which concluded this evening.