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Bird census begins at Harike sanctuary
CM launches model school project
Race for top PPCC post hots up
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Chandigarh, January 31 The Union Home Ministry has given its go ahead for re-christening historic town of Muktsar as “Sri Muktsar Sahib”. In a letter to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Makan said: “Keeping in view sentiments of the Sikh community and the historically associated with the city of Muktsar, the ministry has taken a decision to rename the town as Sri Muktsar Sahib.” A delegation of Congress leaders, including Partap Singh Bajwa, Manish Tewari, Jagmeet Brar, Santosh Chaudhary, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Parminder Singh and Manoj Arora, had met Ajay Makan early this month to demand that the name of Muktsar town be changed in accordance with Sikh rituals and conventions.
Elections in July: Bhattal
Education volunteers hold rally
Fazilka’s pride: 5 Padma awardees
Awards for science students
Melbourne varsities find no takers
NABARD sanctions Rs 199 cr projects
MC raids mutton shops
Cops seek aid for Hepatitis-C treatment Plea seeks release
of Pak juvenile
SC panel seeks report on Dalit girl’s death
SSP orders probe into fraud allegations
Deer killed
Statement of rape victim recorded
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Bird census begins at Harike sanctuary
Harike (Ferozepur), January 31 The sanctuary is located on the confluence of the Sutlej and Beas and falls in three districts- Ferozepur, Tarn Taran and Kapurthala. It attracts thousands of birds from various parts of the country during extreme winter conditions. Narbir Kahlon, one of the organisers of the census, said the first-of-its-kind exercise ever since the Harike was declared one of the Ramsar sites and declared wildlife sanctuary was being carried out to take stock of migratory and resident birds present at this time at Harike. He added that apart from it, the main purpose of the exercise also included to establish a procedure for conduct of such an exercise in the future to study trends/changes in migration pattern if any, to access threats being faced by this extremely fragile ecosystem and to put Harike on the birding and eco-tourism map. He pointed out that before this exercise, about 366 species had been spotted in the bird sanctuary. Ferozepur district wildlife officer Harbans Singh Dhillon said motor boats and 14 pedal boats had been pressed into service to carry out the census, which would come to an end tomorrow evening. He said six teams would carry out the exercise. Besides, some bird watchers would go to nook and corner of the wetland on foot so that every bird, which had descended on the sanctuary, could be counted. The other objective of the census would be to identify avian, both local and migratory ones, their species, feeding, nesting roosting and migratory patterns.
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CM launches model school project
Bhagsar (Muktsar), January 31 Addressing a sangat darshan programme here, the Chief Minister lamented that the poor rural youth were not getting quality education on a par with those studying in public schools in urban areas. He said it was the endeavour of his government to provide best educational opportunities to youths residing in rural areas. He reiterated his commitment to upgrade the existing infrastructure at all government schools and said the government had already recruited nearly 27,000 teachers for the purpose. He said poor and bright students would be provided free education at the upcoming model schools and said the school being set up at Bhagsar village would be completed within six months and would have facilities to impart education in all streams. The Chief Minister said he was personally against laying foundation stones of development projects till the requisite funds, approvals and tenders were not invited. He, however, said he had to lay these foundation stones only to make people believe about the existence of projects. He also addressed large gatherings at Sammenwali, Nandgarh, Mandi Lakhewali, Ballamgarh, Chak Madrassa and Madrassa villages. On the occasion, he also disbursed grants worth Rs 13.25 crore for the execution of various development projects and welfare schemes in eight villages.
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Race for top PPCC post hots up
Chandigarh, January 31 In fact she chose to meet none other than the Rajmata of the Royal Patiala House “to inquire about her health” - a gesture which apart from its human courtesy has also the overtones of the political see saw between the two leaders. Political observers see Bhattal’s visit a clear cocking of a political snook at here adversary, demonstrating that regardless of his daily sniping at her she enjoys a special rapport with his family. However, the Amarinder camp chose to view this visit as an attempt on her part “to mend fences” with the scion of the royal family amidst reports that the Congress High Command was contemplating the appointment of a new PPCC president. “Bhattal is trying to patch up with Amarinder as she is now sure that he would be chosen as the president of the PPCC. Her going to meet the Rajmata s the first step,” pointed out a close aide of Amarinder. Bhattal, however, is clearly not impressed with this contention. “I went to meet the Rajmata as I have an old sentimental relation with her. She considers me her niece and we share a completely non-political relationship. I had gone to meet her to inquire about her health which I do quite often,” she said. When it came to Amarinder Bhattal not only stuck to her combative posture but also upped her ante by stating that Amarinder should live up to his self proclaimed chivalry towards women and step out of the race for chief ministership. She further ridiculed Amarinder for raising the issue of PPCC presidentship saying he was counting chicken before eggs were hatched. “The election process is has just started. The schedule is out and the first set of elections would take place from February 15. This whole thing would go on till July. So where is the question of nominations for presidentship?” she quipped.
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Muktsar is now Sri Muktsar Sahib
Chandigarh, January 31 Now, once the Home Ministry has given its consent to the new name, it would be entered in the revenue record and also in all future official communications. Once the Centre clears the proposal, the state will make an endorsement to complete the formality. Earlier, the leaders had taken up the case of Fatehgarh Sahib, another historic town on similar lines. Even at that time, the Home Ministry had consented the proposal. The last time name of a historic Sikh town was changed was at the time of tercentenary celebrations of Guru Granth sahib. The name of Nanded was changed to Sri Nanded Sahib. Subsequently, the Railway Ministry also changed the name of Nanded railway station as Sri Nanded Sahib railway station.
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Elections in July: Bhattal
Sangrur, January 31 Bhattal was talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a rural sports function at her native place Lehra. It was organised in the memory of her parents Hira Singh Bhattal and Harnam Kaur Bhattal. Bhattal warned the SAD-BJP alliance that she would launch “jail bharo andolan” in July if it didn’t desist from “anti-people policies” and “victimisation” of Congress workers. Bhattal also accused the state government of betraying the common masses by not fulfilling promises it had made during the elections.
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Education volunteers hold rally
Bathinda, January 31 They lifted the blockade when Tehsildar Avtar Singh assured them that the Muktsar DC had talked to the CM, who was in Muktsar today, regarding their demands. He said the CM had invited them to Chandigarh on February 2 to hold talks to resolve the matter. The Tehsildar also received a memorandum from the protesters to forward the same to the state government. The protesters have been demanding regularisation of their services; enhancement in salaries as per the DA; maternity leave with pay; increase in casual leaves as per the civil service rules; cover sikhiya karmis under the Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyan; preference in posts of teacher being advertised by the government; deduction of employees provident fund (EPF) from salaries; withdrawal of already relieved sikhiya karmis and the implementation of annual increment. State president of the union Ajmer Singh Aulakh alleged that they had been facing injustice at the hands of the state government. He said if the government failed to fulfill their demands at the February 2 meeting, they would chalk out an action plan to compel the government to accept their demands
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Fazilka’s pride: 5 Padma awardees
Fazilka, January 31 Belonging to a small village of Chack Bedi in Sahiwal town of Mintgomery district (now in Pakistan) Kanwar Surinder Singh Bedi was a tehsildar then. At the time of Partition, his family migrated to India and settled in Lalowali village of Fazilka subdivision. Bedi then qualified for Indian Civil Services and was posted as DC of Amritsar in 1965. He showed rare administrative skills and helped the Army during the 1965 war. He was conferred with Padma Shri in 1966 for providing outstanding administration and health services towards the Army. Later, he was promoted as commissioner and was posted in Jalandhar division in 1971. Again following his meritorious services during the 1971 war, Bedi was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1972. Veteran Punjabi singer Pushpa Hans, who hails from the area, was given Padma Shri in 2007 for her outstanding performance in the fields of art and culture. A heartthrob of millions in the 40s and the 50s, Hans acted and sang in movies. Her acting added dimensions to movies like V Shanta Ram’s “Apna Desh” (1949), Sohrab Modi’s “Sheesh Mahal” (1950). The melodious compositions like “Channa kithan guzari raat wey”, “Gallan dilan diyaan dila vich reh gayiyaan” and “Tarean to puchh Chann wey” are still hold the public in awe. She has also been awarded Punjabi Bhushan Award by Punjabi Academy, Delhi, and Kalpana Chawla Excellence Awards - 2007. World famous neurologist and former principal of Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, Dr Jagjit Singh Chopra is also a resident of Fazilka. He is a member of American Academy of Neurology and editor of World Neurology - an International journal of World Federation of Neurology. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2008 for his contribution in the medical field. It was the proud moment for Sikhs when Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa became the first Sikh kirtania to get Padma Shri in 2009. Bhai Nirmal Singh is the Hazoori Raagi of Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar. Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa is doing kirtan for the past 25 years and is one of the finest raagis having knowledge of all 31 raags in the Gurbani of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. From 1979 he has been serving as a Hazoori Raagi, Sach Khand Harmandir Sahib. He has also performed kirtan at the five Takhts, historical gurdwaras in India and abroad.
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Awards for science students
Moga, January 31 The state government has also planned to hold a state-level competition in April, whereas such district-level competitions would be held in February across the state. The scheme was aimed at promoting talented students left behind due to financial constraints. An amount of Rs 5,000 each would be given to the students to compete at district-level.
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Melbourne varsities find no takers
Ludhiana, January 31 A programme was organised for the students aspiring to go abroad. But this did not prove to be of much help as not many turned up. Sachin Jain, director VIEC Education Consultancy, that represents over 250 universities and colleges across the world said there has been a 50 per cent decline in students opting for Melbourne university. Instead, they are opting for universities in Sydney and elsewhere, he said. He further added that Australia was still safe, the students need to be little aware about their surroundings. But the student applying for studies abroad have their own apprehensions. Divyansh Sharma (21) said any university would solve the purpose. “My parents have instructed me not to apply for a university in Melbourne,” he said.
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NABARD sanctions Rs 199 cr projects Chandigarh, January 31 An official release said the major irrigation project envisages lining of 1872 km length of water course in the Abohar canal system for the purpose of improving irrigation by reducing seepage losses. The EDUSAT programme, providing quality education in middle, secondary, senior secondary schools and higher education institutions, would be extended in 1,501 government education institutions in the rural areas of 20 districts. With this the cumulative sanction to the state under RIDF would now be RS 4012. 35 crore. NABARD would be sponsoring the rural artisans from Haryana during the Surajkund Crafts Mela, to be held from February 1. As many as 10 stalls in this mela would be sponsored by the bank for these artisans to showcase their artifacts. The bank has also sanctioned Rs 159 crore for five irrigation and one dranage project in Sirsa, Rohtak, Ambala and Bhiwani. This money would be used for construction of kharif channels, irrigation works for better water management and increasing intensity
of irrigation.
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MC raids mutton shops Patiala, January 31 Banga said he had received complaints that unhygienic meat was being sold at some of the shopping malls in the town, following which he conducted the raids along with his staff. It was found that the mutton being sold at these shops had no stamp of the slaughter house of the corporation. He said obviously the meat was being procured from the open market, where the animals were slaughtered without a valid licence or authority. He said during the raids it was found that a huge stock of old and stale vegetables were stocked in these shopping malls for sale. The raids were conducted in the shopping malls opposite Kali Devi temple on The Mall and in the Chhoti Baradari. It is worth mentioning that The Tribune had sometime back highlighted that sick goats and chicken were being slaughtered in unauthorised slaughter houses in Patiala, as there is no proper check on the quality of animals being slaughtered.
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Cops seek aid for Hepatitis-C treatment
Chandigarh, January 31 After the preliminary hearing, Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Jasbir Singh issued notice to the state home secretary and the police chief, DIG Patiala range, the district police chief Patiala, the director general health service and the PGI director for February 11, 2010, when the case would come up for further hearing. —
TNS
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Plea seeks release of Pak juvenile
Taking up a PIL on the basis of a news-report carried in these columns for directions to the Union and the state government to release Pakistani youth Sunil Khan from Faridkot juvenile jail, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Jasbir Singh issued notices for February 15 to the Ministries of Home and External Affairs, Punjab Chief Secretary and the jail superintendent. The petition has been filed by Mohali-based advocate Kulwinder Singh through Baltej Singh Sidhu. The Pakistani youth had accidentally strayed into the
India territory. The petitioner has also prayed for directions to the respondents to take appropriate steps to ensure the release of Indian and Pakistani citizens presently lodged in each other’s jails. There are approximately 570 Indians in Pakistani jails, while there are 847 Pakistani civilians in the Indian jails. Among the Indians in Pakistani jails, nearly 130 continue to be detained despite having completed the sentence awarded to them.
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SC panel seeks report on Dalit girl’s death
Moga, January 31 Pandhi said the recent incident appeared to be a case of murder and the police should register a criminal case and also impose the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, against the employers of the girl. He said the investigation of this case should be handed over to a police officer not less than the rank of a DSP as per rule 7(1)[10] of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995. The panel members further said: “We will take up the matter in the commission’s office at Chandigarh on Monday and issue appropriate directions to the district magistrate in this regard to provide justice to the aggrieved family.” Veerpal Kaur , working as a domestic help in the house of an influential Jat Sikh family at Moga, died under mysterious circumstances yesterday.
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SSP orders probe into fraud allegations
Moga, January 31 Bhupinder Singh, son of Surjit Singh of Melak Kangan village, has given a written complaint to the Moga SSP alleging that one Ranjodh Singh and his father Balwinder Singh of Chuhar Chak village had taken Rs 5.5 lakh and original passport from him for sending him to England in 2007. “So far, they have neither returned the passport nor sent me to England,” he alleged. Bhupinder alleged that now Ranjodh was marrying to a woman of Chugga Khurd village on February 6 and after that he has planned to go to Canada on a fake passport made by changing his father’s name. SSP Ashok Bath has marked the probe to the SHO of the Kot-ise-Khan police station
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Deer killed
Abohar, January 31
He blamed the district forest and wildlife officers for allowing a free hand to the hunters and said the killing had hurt the sentiments of the Bishnoi community. Demanding action against the officials, he said he would meet the CM in this regard. The killing has sent shock waves among the villages of Seetogunno sub-tehsil, which has over 25,000 population of Bishnoi community. Concerned over the nefarious activities by hunters in the region, the Bishnoi sabha on Friday had urged the wildlife and forest department to take measures to check the killing and warned that the community would stage protests, if the authorities fail to act. —
OC
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Statement of rape victim recorded
Jalandhar, January 31 DIG (Jalandhar Range) Ishwar Singh had handed over the probe to a three-member panel, headed by SSP Pramod Ban, on January 28 after the family of the victim had raised questions about the fairness of the probe by the police. Hoshiarpur SP (Detective) Susheel Kumar and ASP Garshankar Inderbir Singh visited the residence of the victim today. They recorded the statement of the victim and her parents. —
TNS
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Bathinda, January 31
