J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

Phagwara bride dupes NRI
Once in Canada, she told her in-laws that she married just for Canadian immigration
Nawanshahr, March 21
Though cases of fraudulent marriages by NRI grooms are highlighted in the media, a case of an allegedly fraudulent marriage solemnised by a Phagwara girl with a Canada-based NRI has come to light.

50 govt schools sans principals
Jalandhar, March 21
Contrary to claims made by the government, about the standards of education on its website, the Education Department is in a deplorable condition.

Advocates to observe protest day today
Amritsar, March 21
On the call given by the Bar Council of India, the advocates under the Bar Council of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh have resolved to observe a protest day tomorrow against the proposed National Commission of Higher Education and Research Bill and Foreign Education Provider Bill.

No forced entry to set up police station, says Principal Secy
Jalandhar, March 21
There was neither any forced entry nor illegal occupation in the hostel block of the Punjab Tanning Institute, near Guru Ravidass Chowk, on Nakodar Road to set up newly constituted Bhargo Camp police station.

2 killed in road mishaps
Phagwara, March 21
Two persons were killed in two mishaps here yesterday. In the first accident, Vijay Kumar (13) of Palahai village was killed while his friend Rohit of the same village sustained injuries when the cycle on which they were returning home was hit by a Scorpio near the Mehtan-Mehli bypass last night.

2 bodies found in field
Sultanpur Lodhi, March 21
The bodies of a woman and a girlchild were recovered from a field at Mewa Singh Wala village falling under Sultanpur Lodhi police station here yesterday. The police suspects foul play behind their death.

Commemorative postage stamp released
Pathankot, March 21
On the completion of 300 years of the 16th Battalion of the Punjab Regiment (2nd Patiala), a commemorative postage stamp and first day cover was released by Ranju Prasad, Post Master General, Punjab Circle, in a function held at the Tibri Military Station near Gurdaspur, 45 km from here, on Friday.

NC budget passed
Nakodar, March 21
The Nakodar Nagar Council has passed a Rs 6.15-crore budget for the year 2010-2011 and earmarked Rs 2.92 crore for the development of Nakodar which has a population of about 35,000 people.

Phagwara bride dupes NRI
Once in Canada, she told her in-laws that she married just for Canadian immigration
Parmod Bharti

Nawanshahr, March 21
Though cases of fraudulent marriages by NRI grooms are highlighted in the media, a case of an allegedly fraudulent marriage solemnised by a Phagwara girl with a Canada-based NRI has come to light.

A case against the bride, Opinder Kaur, her parents Onkar Singh Saini and Jaswinder Kaur Saini and sister Jatinder Kaur Gahunia, residents of Phagwara, presently residing in Canada, has been registered under sections 406, 420 and 120-B of the IPC at the NRI police station here.

The case has been registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the Canada-based NRI, Sampuran Singh, who originally hails from Alachaur village in the district.

Sampuran Singh stated that in October 2003, he visited India for solemnising the marriage of his son Saranjit Singh Benet and gave an advertisement in a Punjabi newspaper.

In response to the advertisement, Onkar Singh Saini of Phagwara contacted him for the matrimonial alliance of his daughter with his son.

On November 30, 2003, the marriage was solemnised and he gave jewellery worth Rs 8 lakh to the bride. No money or gifts were taken by him from the bride’s family, he said.

After the marriage, the couple went to Goa for honeymoon but Opinder refused to establish intimate relations with her husband on the pretext that she was suffering from some vaginal disease.

When her parents were asked as to why they hid the fact, they said the disease was just a temporary one and she was getting treatment for the same.

“Anyhow later I had to spend a lot on her studies, other expenses during her stay in India as well as on getting her immigration papers cleared from the Canadian Embassy,” said Sampuran Singh in his complaint, adding that at last when on December 14, 2006, Opinder reached Canada, she said that she had just agreed to marry Saranjit for getting Canadian immigration and now she had no relation with him.

The parents of Opinder not only refused to talk on the topic but also refused to return the jewellery, he added.

SSP Rakesh Aggarwal asked DSP Sat Pal Singh Bhangu to conduct an inquiry into the complaint and as per the report submitted by him, the SSP asked the SHO of NRI police station to register a case and investigate it.

50 govt schools sans principals
Riva/Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 21
Contrary to claims made by the government, about the standards of education on its website, the Education Department is in a deplorable condition.

There are 126 government senior secondary schools in Jalandhar and as many as 50 are functioning without principals.

The government’s sincerity towards improving higher education and establishing model schools in the near future can be gauged from the fact that even after decade-long agitations by various teacher unions and memorandums to the Chief Ministers and education ministers, 50 schools are yet to get monitoring heads.

Just a year back, only six out of the 126 schools had regular principals.

As many as 10 vocation teachers were promoted as principals in December 2009. Around 60 were appointed early this year, bringing the total number to 76.

The cascading effect of this neglect can be seen in the result percentage of these schools, which generally varies from 10 to 50.

Speaking to The Tribune, Karnail Singh, leader of the Government Teachers Union, said, “How can one expect good results when there is just nobody to monitor the situation? One of the teachers is appointed as working principal and handed over the responsibility of managing the school, in addition to discharging his responsibility as a teacher. They are not given any extra monetary benefits but are expected to deliver goods at both the fronts.”

Moreover, such teachers cannot run the show as they are always worried of maintaining a good rapport with colleagues. “Once a regular principal is appointed, the working one will be forced back in the staff room where other teachers don’t fully accept them,” added Rampal, leader of the front.

“We will keep the struggle on till all the vacancies are filled with regular principals, keeping the seniority list in mind,” the leaders concluded.

Advocates to observe protest day today
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 21
On the call given by the Bar Council of India, the advocates under the Bar Council of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh have resolved to observe a protest day tomorrow against the proposed National Commission of Higher Education and Research Bill and Foreign Education Provider Bill.

While demanding to exclude the legal education from the purview of the national commission bill, the advocates will wear red ribbons on their left arm during their work.

Brij Mohan Vinayak, member, Bar Council of India, they would submit a memorandum to the President and Prime Minister through the Deputy Commissioner.

He said the bill would directly affect the provision of the Advocates Act-1961 that entrusted the Bar Council of India to lay down norms of legal education to be followed by the universities. He said it would take away the powers and duties vested with the council since 1926.

He said the bar council would oppose the bill in its present form, adding that the country and the state bar council would make efforts to meet the HRD Minister, Law Minister and all MPs to make them aware of the implications of the bill on legal fraternity.

No forced entry to set up police station, says Principal Secy
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 21
There was neither any forced entry nor illegal occupation in the hostel block of the Punjab Tanning Institute, near Guru Ravidass Chowk, on Nakodar Road to set up newly constituted Bhargo Camp police station.

Technical Education and Industrial Training Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar stated this while talking to The Tribune yesterday.

He said the matter was being looked into by the Home Secretary who informed him that the building had two parts. While one part belonged to the tanning institute, the other belonged to the Improvement Trust.

Proper no-objection certificate (NOC) had been obtained from the Local Bodies Department to set up the police station in that part of the building, which belonged to the Improvement Trust, he added.

2 killed in road mishaps

Phagwara, March 21
Two persons were killed in two mishaps here yesterday. In the first accident, Vijay Kumar (13) of Palahai village was killed while his friend Rohit of the same village sustained injuries when the cycle on which they were returning home was hit by a Scorpio near the Mehtan-Mehli bypass last night.

The injured was admitted to the Civil Hospital. The police has registered a case, arrested the Scorpio driver and impounded the vehicle.

In the second mishap, an unidentified youth was crushed to death by a speeding vehicle on the national highway near Chiherru between Phagwara and Jalandhar last night. The deceased was crossing the road. The body of the youth was sent to the Civil Hospital and kept in the hospital mortuary for identification after post-mortem examination, the police said. — OC

2 bodies found in field

Sultanpur Lodhi, March 21
The bodies of a woman and a girlchild were recovered from a field at Mewa Singh Wala village falling under Sultanpur Lodhi police station here yesterday. The police suspects foul play behind their death.

The villagers informed the police about the bodies lying in farmer Gurdev Singh’s field when the latter noticed them during his visit to the field.

The body of the woman (nearly 26) was in a semi-nude condition and it reportedly bore several injury marks.

Sultanpur Lodhi SHO Gurmeet Singh and other police personnel reached the spot. A dog squad was pressed into service to get any possible clue. Fingerprints were taken from the spot. — TNS

Commemorative postage stamp released
Our Correspondent

Pathankot, March 21
On the completion of 300 years of the 16th Battalion of the Punjab Regiment (2nd Patiala), a commemorative postage stamp and first day cover was released by Ranju Prasad, Post Master General, Punjab Circle, in a function held at the Tibri Military Station near Gurdaspur, 45 km from here, on Friday.

Lt-Gen KJS Oberoi AVSM, SM. Colonel of the Regiment, Punjab Regiment, received the commemorative stamp and first day cover from the Post Master General, Punjab Circle.

The design of the stamp symbolises the unique class of the composition of the Punjab Regiment and the Battalion, picturising both Sikh and Dogra soldiers. The Gallery, which is the regimental insignia, symbolises the overseas services rendered by the Battalion and Regiment in the Pre-Independence era.

Punjab is the only Infantry Regiment in the world with a warship as its Insignia.

While addressing on the occasion, Lt-Gen KJS Oberoi said 16th Punjab (2nd Patiala) is the oldest Battalion of the Indian Army and was raised as a part of the Royal Patiala State Forces in March, 1710, by Maharaj Ala Singh Ji, who was the founder of Patiala State.

He exhorted all ranks of the Battalion to continue to strive harder and live up to the glorious traditions of the Battalion and the Regiment.

Major General Varendra Kumar, General Officer Commanding, Panther Division, Serving Army Officers, besides a number of other civil officials and army personnel, were present on the occasion.

The stamp is in the denomination of five rupees.

NC budget passed
Ashok Kaura

Nakodar, March 21
The Nakodar Nagar Council has passed a Rs 6.15-crore budget for the year 2010-2011 and earmarked Rs 2.92 crore for the development of Nakodar which has a population of about 35,000 people.

However, nothing could be initiated to set up the fire brigade service, mortuary van and water treatment plant which the town desperately needs as it has been depending on the fire brigade service of Jalandhar and Phagwara whenever there is an emergency.

When contacted, Nakodar Nagar Council president Gurbachan Singh Dhiman said here on Wednesday that he had requested Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to provide Rs 10 crore to set up a water treatment plant at Nakodar and to regulate the drainage.

However, Dhiman claimed that the Chief Minister had provided Rs 2 crore to the Nagar Council for the development of the town, but much more was required.

During a visit of the town, several illegal encroachments were noticed in the town and it was found that many shopkeepers had extended their shops up to the middle of the road on Hospital Road.