J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

Industrial Workers Decide To Draw Centre’s Attention
‘Jail-bharo andolan’ from March 5
Jalandhar, February 24
To draw the attention of the Central government towards their five major demands, industrial workers cutting across party lines are going to start a “jail-bharo andolan” from March 5.

• LBP protests against social evils

• Demonstrations
  Pensioners plan stir

• Dharna over Takhatpura murder

Hoshiarpur MP hails, BJP flays rail budget
Hoshiarpur, February 24
MP Santosh Chaudhary has thanked Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for a DMU, which will run between Hoshiarpur and Amritsar. She said the railway track between Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar was also being strengthened. A beautiful park was being constructed in four acres of railway land adjoining the railway station here for the benefit of passengers and people of the city.

Beheading of Sikhs condemned
Amritsar, February 24
Congress activists, showing their resentment against atrocities on minorities on the other side of the border recently staged a protest march at the Attari joint check post today. Led by former Mayor Sunil Datti, activists burned the effigy of Taliban and raised slogans against the Pakistani government.

Dispute leads to woman’s suicide
Phillaur, February 24
A married woman, Umraj, reportedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan, with the help of her duppatta at her in-laws’ house in Mohalla Babe Da Boharr in Phillaur yesterday.

Kabaddi World Cup from March 31
Nawanshahr, February 23
With a view to promote the traditional game of kabaddi, the Punjab Government is going to organise Kabaddi World Cup in the state from March 31 to April 10. This was disclosed by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at the concluding ceremony of the 20th Harbans Singh Purewal Memorial Rural Sports Mela at Hakimpur village here on Monday.

Industrial Workers Decide To Draw Centre’s Attention
‘Jail-bharo andolan’ from March 5
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 24
To draw the attention of the Central government towards their five major demands, industrial workers cutting across party lines are going to start a “jail-bharo andolan” from March 5.

Lakhs of workers of both the organised and unorganised sectors will take part in the campaign. Worker unions, ranging from parties like the BJP, the Congress, the Left and even Naxalite groups, will be part of the agitation.

This was stated by Dr M.K. Pandhe, president of the Centre for Industrial and Trade Unions (CITU) and Politburo member of the CPM, here today. He was here in connection with preparation of the 13th all-India conference of CITU going to be held in Chandigarh from March 17 to 21.

While briefing mediapersons, he said this campaign would address the five major demands of workers, which include inflation, unemployment, implementation of labour laws, special funds for the unorganised sector and disinvestment.

He said the government was not at all serious about containing inflation as it was not keen on monitoring the formal trading of essential commodities.

He strengthened this point while citing the example of Punjab, saying private traders procured more foodgrains as compared to government agencies. “How can anybody expect a decrease in the prices of essential commodities in the current scenario where private players are highly dominating,” he added. “Special funds can be generated by imposing taxes on industries. It has been a year since a bill dealing with such an issue has been passed. However, the government has failed even on this front also,” he alleged.

LBP protests against social evils

Jalandhar: The Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) today held a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in protest against rising unemployment, non-rehabilitation of unemployed skilled youth, skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and costly education. Party chief Balwant Singh Ramoowalia said the motive behind the dharna was to bring an end to the widespread social evils that were gravely affecting all section of the society. “We have listed about 28 demands here, ranging from de-addiction of Punjabi society, pro-people agriculture policies, free medical facilities for the poor, putting an end to illegal trafficking of youth, usurpation of NRI properties, etc. —TNS

Demonstrations
Pensioners plan stir

Nawanshahr: Resentment prevails among the pensioners of the Punjab State Cooperative Agricultural Development Bank for non-payment of their pension for the past two months allegedly on the pretext that the department does not have money in the pension fund. With a view to chalking out a plan to launch a stir against the alleged conspiracy of senior officials of the department to deprive them of the retirement benefits, which they have been getting since 1990, under the Cooperative Societies Act (1961), the pensioners held a meeting here today. Chaudhary Sarwan Ram Bharapur, president of the Pensioners Association, and other speakers said there was no truth in the plea being given by the officials that there was no money in the pension fund. — OC

Dharna over Takhatpura murder

Jalandhar: Members of various Left organisations held a day-long demonstration outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner to protest against the murder of Bharati Kisan Union leader Sadhu Singh Takhatpura on February 16. Leaders of the Pendu Mazdoor Union, Punjab, Khet Mazdoor Union, Bharati Kisan Union and Kirti Kisan and others, demanded the arrest of Bir Singh Lopoke and policeman Rashpal Singh, among others, who allegedly killed Takhatpura.

Nirmal Singh Jahangir, leader of the Lok Morcha, Punjab, charged the Akali-BJP government with the murder of the kisan leader and of shielding the culprits. — TNS

Hoshiarpur MP hails, BJP flays rail budget
Our Correspondents

Hoshiarpur, February 24
MP Santosh Chaudhary has thanked Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for a DMU, which will run between Hoshiarpur and Amritsar. She said the railway track between Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar was also being strengthened. A beautiful park was being constructed in four acres of railway land adjoining the railway station here for the benefit of passengers and people of the city.

Phagwara: Former Punjab BJP President Madan Mohan Mittal today flayed the railway budget for 2010-11 describing it as “another instance of sheer discrimination and gross injustice meted out to Punjab by the Congress-led UPA Government”. Mittal said the budget showed complete insensitivity towards the economic needs of the border state.

Beheading of Sikhs condemned
Tribune Reporters

Amritsar, February 24
Congress activists, showing their resentment against atrocities on minorities on the other side of the border recently staged a protest march at the Attari joint check post today. Led by former Mayor Sunil Datti, activists burned the effigy of Taliban and raised slogans against the Pakistani government.

Meanwhile, a protest rally commenced from the Khandwala area before reaching Attari. Datti said they had also sent a communication to the Central government to intervene and ensure safety of Sikhs and Hindus living in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, agitating against the beheading of two Sikhs, the Anti-Terrorist Front, Punjab, yesterday burnt the effigy of Taliban and raised slogans against the Pakistani government, Inter-Service Intelligence and terrorist organisations operating from Pakistan.

Phagwara: Bahujan Samaj Party, Punjab, general secretary M.P. Singh Goraya, while condemning the beheading of two Sikhs by Taliban in Pakistan, has urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Badal and SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar to come forward for the protection of Sikhs. Meanwhile, hundreds of activists of Sikh youth wings held demonstrations and burnt effigies of Taliban near Goal Chowk here this morning.

Jalandhar: RSS Sarkaryavah Suresh Joshi condemned the beheading of two Sikh youths by the Taliban in Pakistan. In a press-note issued here today, Joshi said the youths had been murdered as they refused to convert to Islam, he added.

Dispute leads to woman’s suicide
Our Correspondent

Phillaur, February 24
A married woman, Umraj, reportedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan, with the help of her duppatta at her in-laws’ house in Mohalla Babe Da Boharr in Phillaur yesterday.

Mental tension caused by a domestic dispute is said to be the cause behind the crime, the police said. Umraj was rushed to the Civil Hospital where doctors declared her brought dead.

Naresh, a cousin of the deceased, alleged that her in-laws were not happy with her marriage with Lakhwinder Singh as both had tied the knot in a court against the wishes of the family members in 2008. He alleged that his cousin was being tortured mentally and physically since the marriage.

The police has registered a case and taken her husband into custody for questioning. The body of Umraj has been handed over to her family members after conducting a post-mortem examination at the Phillaur Civil Hospital.

Kabaddi World Cup from March 31
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, February 23
With a view to promote the traditional game of kabaddi, the Punjab Government is going to organise Kabaddi World Cup in the state from March 31 to April 10. This was disclosed by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at the concluding ceremony of the 20th Harbans Singh Purewal Memorial Rural Sports Mela at Hakimpur village here on Monday.

The matches would be held in different districts and the final match would be played in Ludhiana. The winning team would get cash prize of Rs one crore and the teams bagging the second and third positions would get cash prizes of Rs 51 lakh and 25 lakh, respectively.

Sukhbir said it was for the first time that a “sports policy” had been prepared in the state for extending facilities to the players in particular and to channelise youth energy towards constructive purposes in general so that the youth could be saved from the menace of drugs.

The sports policy would be implemented within a couple of weeks. On the pattern of National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala, two Punjab institutes of sports would be set up at Mohali and Jalandhar in the state. As many as 1,100 villages would be given grants amounting to Rs one lakh each for promoting sports at the village level, he said. Reciprocating the demand of providing infrastructural facilities at the Sports Academy set up at Hakimpur, put forth by Banga MLA Chaudhary Mohan Lal, the Deputy Chief Minister asked the Deputy Commissioner to prepare a blueprint of the project under NRI Matching Grant Scheme.