Muktsar, October 9
Raising a question mark over the functioning of the state procurement agencies, a major discrepancy in the wheat stock lying in the plinths of PUNSUP has come to light. If the allegations of a leader of the PUNSUP employees union are to be relied upon, some of the PUNSUP officials, who were hand-in-glove, had recently pilfered a huge quantity of stock from the stack.

Specifying names of two open plinths-Satwant Singh Jagat Pal Kaur open plinth and Giani open plinth--- the complainant accused a PUNSUP inspector Swaranjeet Singh of selling about thousands of quintals of wheat from there. Sources informed that the inspector in question, Swaranjeet Singh had once been dismissed but later, due to his ‘high connections’, he was reinstated.

“Earlier, both the plinths had always recorded a surplus stock but during a recent special loading, a shortage of about 800 quintals of wheat was found, which was enough to expose the scandal,” the complaint states. Meanwhile, it has been alleged that some of the tainted officials used to pilfer the good quality of stock in the market and to cover up the gap, replace it with the rotten grains purchased from market.

The letter further states that in a recent special loading, which was for the stock of 2008-09, the PUNSUP officials wrongfully loaded about 60,000 bags of 2009-10 in it to cover up a huge discrepancy in the stock of 2008-09. Giving details, the complainant accused that about 1,450 bags of old wheat were placed in the fresh stock of 2010-11, while the same number of bags from the stack were illegally sold in the market.

The complainant urged the PUNSUP district manager to examine the case. However, till today, the authorities concerned took no action as the investigation could expose the names of some senior officials also. When asked, the inspector in question, Swaranjeet Singh refuted the allegations.

“The whole process is being run smoothly. Despite this, if the officials feel it necessary, they can investigate the matter,” he added.

However, the quality controller of the FCI, Sudhir Saxena confirmed that during a previous inspection, he had found some of the stock lying in one of the above mentioned plinths of the PUNSUP in bad condition. “We had rejected purchasing that stock. Later, the PUNSUP authorities were allowed to upgrade the stock. Still, before purchasing, we will thoroughly check the quality of the food grains. Only then will it be sent to the Central pool,” asserted Saxena.

On his part, the district manager (DM) of the PUNSUP, Yash Pal feigned ignorance about the matter, saying he had recently taken charge. However, the DM informed that he had sought a detailed report of the whole stock, which would expose the reality.

Bathinda, October 9
The Nehianwala police today arrested three students for killing a cloth merchant of Goniana Mandi in Bathinda on Thursday. A case was registered against five students. Two of the accused are at large.

It is learnt that five students of the Government Polytechnic College, Bathinda, namely Prabhdeep, Jashandeep, Rajdeep, Ramandeep and Raju Bhullar were in an inebriated condition while on their way back to Bathinda after meeting a friend at Baja Khana village. They stopped their car in the market of Goniana Mandi to get some cigarettes. Meanwhile, Ramandeep started urinating against the shutter of a closed shop. A shopkeeper nearby objected to it. An altercation ensued. Soon, people gathered there and pacified the duo.

However, the shopkeeper dared Ramandeep, who was now getting back into his car, to do such uncivic acts in future. Irked, the latter took out a pistol, which he had stolen. Finding the shopkeeper unfazed, he opened fire at him. The bullet missed the target and hit a passerby, Hardarshan Singh. Finding him lying in a pool of blood, all the accused fled from the spot.

Hardarshan Singh (45) succumbed to the bullet injury at the Civil Hospital, Goniana. Later, the residents of Goniana Mandi blocked the road to stage a protest, which lasted till the wee hours on Saturday. The agitators lifted the dharna only when senior police officials reached the spot and pacified them by assuring rapid action in the matter.

Constituting a number of teams, the police launched an operation, which succeeded in identifying the accused as students of the Bathinda Government Polytechnical College, Bathinda.

The police conducted raids today and nabbed three of the five accused. However, the main accused, Ramandeep, and one Raju Bhullar, whose car was being used on the day, were still at large.

Confirming the facts, Nehianwala SHO Gurpreet Singh said a hunt was on to nab the remaining two accused. He informed that Ramandeep was already facing a case of attempt to murder.

Bathinda, October 9
One Jagjeevan Singh of Bir Behman village today accused the Bathinda (Sadar) police of inflicting injuries on him. On the other hand, cops refuted the allegations. The man has been booked under section 309 of the IPC for attempting to commit suicide.

It is learnt that Jagjeevan had a scuffle with one of his neighbours, Sukhdev Singh, on Friday evening. During the quarrel, Jagjeevan allegedly hit him in the head.

Injured, Sukhdev Singh lodged a complaint with the police, acting upon which, the police booked Jagjeevan under section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder).

However, Jagjeevan, who was admitted to the Civil Hospital, here today alleged, “The policemen came to arrest me in a false case lodged against me. Moreover, without even asking me anything they started raining lathi blows on me. They even shoved me against the wall due to which I got injured.”

Meanwhile, the police officials have refuted the allegations. “A police team visited him to investigate the matter. However, presuming that cops would arrest him, he started hitting his head against the wall and injured himself,” said police officials.

The officials further added, “It was a tactic to avoid police action. He has a criminal history and had faced various charges on earlier occasions also.”

Bathinda, October 9
The Punjabi University Guru Kashi College, Talwandi Sabo, is going to host a UGC-sponsored national conference on ‘Life and ideology of Shaheed Bhagat Singh’ on October 12-13 on the college campus.

Dr S. Irfan Habib, professor, Maulana Azad chair, National University of Education Planning and Administration, Sudhir Vidyarthi, professor, Panjab University, Dr Chaman Lal, professor, School of Indian Languages (JNU), social activist and scholar Dr Darshanpal, renowned novelist Gurdial Singh and secretary, Shaheed Bhagat Singh research committee, Ludhiana, Dr Jagmohan Singh, would be the noted speakers at the conference. — TNS

Faridkot, October 9
Cluster Level Social Science Exhibition-cum-National Integration Camp 2010-11 of KVS Chandigarh region was organised at Kendriya Vidyalaya (Faridkot cantonment) on Friday.

About 270 children hailing from 12 schools of Chandigarh region participated. School chairman SK Panigrahi and Anjana Panigrahi inaugurated the exhibition.

Venue principal Baljit Kaur welcomed all the participants.

The participating teams, who exhibited beautiful charts and models on China and Uttaranchal on the occasion, won applause from the dignitaries and visitors.

The programme consisted of Chinese dance, group dance, debates, quiz and skit.

The students enthralled all those present by their perfomance in various disciplines. Declaration of the result constituted a grand finale to the gala event.

Fazilka, October 9
The Graduate Welfare Association Fazilka (GWAF) has introduced online sale of famous Fazilka goods on its website WWW.lovefazilka.org/store. The website was launched today at the local Pratap Bagh by the president (GWAF) Umesh Chander Kukkar and senior members Sanjeev Nagpal. People can buy world-famous Fazilka jutti (handmade embroidered leather shoe) and other Fazilka merchandises online from today.

After launching the website general secretary, GWAF, Navdeep Asija, while interacting with the media said in the first phase four types of Jutti (two types of each for men and women), some books written by Fazilka-based authors, two types of cotton made T-shirts and Compact Disc (Fazilka Shahar Hamara Hai) would be available for online sale. The significant aspect of the online sale is that these commodities would be available at competitive prices as it would be sold on direct selling pattern. The merchandise could be shipped to the purchaser after depositing the money in advance. This ‘Tilla Jutti’ has been registered as a geographical indicator to the name of Fazilka under the Patent Act of India. Notably, the Fazilka ‘Tilla Jutti’ had been the choice of former president of India Giani Zail Singh, former chief ministers of Punjab Partap Singh Kairon and Beant Singh, and Badal family, artist Bhagwant Mann, among others.

Fazilka, October 9
“I am ready to submit my resignation as an MLA and am also ready to sit on fast-unto- death, if need be or if the members of Sanjha Morcha ask me to do so,” claimed Surjit Kumar Jyani, local BJP MLA, while joining the 54-day old dharna today to get district headquarter status for Fazilka.

Convener (Sanjha Morcha) Sushil Gumber asked Jyani to join the proposed massive dharna on October 10.

While responding to the request, Jyani pointed out that he would lead the agitation from the front and would sit on dharna at the Malout Chowk tomorrow.

Municipal Council president Anil Sethi, former PPCC general secretary Jaspinder Singh Jakhar, SAD Fazilka (Rural), president Charan Singh also participated in dharna. Jyani and others wore black gowns.

Gumber claimed that all arrangements for the proposed massive dharna have been completed and thousands of residents are expected to join it. The residents would also block traffic at Malout Chowk (the entrance point to Fazilka) from three directions— Malout, Ferozepur and Abohar.