|
|
|
|
|
Use of service
revolver in loot incident
Adulterated milk recovered in Mansa,
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Abohar-Fazilka rail link discussed with rail minister
Court gives accused relief in accident case
‘Punjab govt failed to use Central grants’
Pharmacists to go on hunger strike
Super-speciality hospital sought in Punjab
Politicians take to FB to connect with voters
Ex-servicemen form panels
|
|
Use
of service revolver in loot incident
Faridkot, November 25 Though the senior police authorities in Faridkot prefer to maintain an enigmatic silence over the use of a police service revolver by the miscreants but police sources revealed that the son of a sub-inspector has been rounded up for his alleged involvement in the incident. Evading a direct reply over the issue, Faridkot SSP Sat Pal Sidhu said the police was investigating the matter. Disclosing any information about the case at this stage can derail the investigation, said the SSP. In the last one week, there have been three incidents of loot in Faridkot and the police are under acute pressure to nab the culprits. A week back, three miscreants looted Rs 10 lakh from a former police inspector in Faridkot. The incident happened at a time when the retired cop was returning home after withdrawing the money from a bank. The accused possessed fire-arms. The next day, a commission agent was robbed of Rs 2.65 lakh at his shop in the grain market and in another incident, the robbers looted Rs 3.93 lakh from an employee of a shopping mall here. Two armed motorcyclist targeted Gurdeep Singh, an employee of the shopping mall, at the door of a nationalized bank when the later went there to deposit the cash. Before Gurdeep Singh could enter the bank, the miscreants snatched the bag containing the money and fled. Though the security guards of the bank fired two rounds at the robbers but they escaped unhurt. Rather, the robbers opened fire with their pistol at the security guard who had a narrow escape. Besides taking two youths in custody, the police have now released the sketches of the suspected robbers involved in the incident. |
|
|
Adulterated milk recovered in Mansa, two held
Mansa, November 25 The accused have been identified as Bhupinder Singh and Nirmal Singh. Mansa SSP SS Parmar said that 1200 litres of adulterated milk, 4.5 quintals of adulterated glucose powder, 1.71 quintals of skimmed milk powder, 220 litres of adulterated refined oil, 50 kg of starch--- to increase the consistency of milk, 6 kg poster colour, 6 kg of caustic soda, two packets of screen powder -to increase sugar content and a milk canter, had been seized. DSP Hardial Singh said that five samples of milk have been taken from the village and the arrested accused admitted to their involvement in the preparation of adulterated milk and sending it to the milk factories. They accused had been sending adulterated milk to Bathinda, Fatiabad, Mansa and Sirsa in Haryana. He added that the milk and the milk products are adulterated to make fast bucks. The adulterated milk appears to be of superior quality but actually it affects the human health severely. A case under sections 420, 120-B, 270, 272 and 273 of the IPC and section 7 of the Essential Commodity Act has been registered against the accused. They would be produced before the magistrate tomorrow. Health department official, Jagjiwan, said the result of the samples would be sent to the laboratory for testing after which the entire material seized would be destroyed. Ajitpal, a resident of Jhande Kalan village, said that today's seizure of the adulterated material by the police and health department officials is a mere tip of the iceberg. He along with the other villagers demanded stringent action against the accused. |
|
|
Abohar-Fazilka rail link discussed with rail minister
Abohar, November 25 Kataria informed over the phone after the meeting that he submitted a memorandum spread listing the problems that the commuters on the Bathinda-Abohar-Sriganganagar section had been facing. The minister was informed that the cost of the Abohar-Fazilka rail link had shot up to more than 200 crores due to the delay in executing the project. The link that was to become operational by March 2007, was still awaiting inspection by the Lucknow-based railway safety wing. The link delays the strategically vital project of linking Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir with Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Asserting that the tri-weekly 12455/12456 Sarai Rohilla-Sriganganagar AC superfast train can become more profitable, the memorandum said that it should have a stoppage at Malout on the Abohar-Bathinda section and Shakur Basti in Delhi since the Sarai Rohilla station does not have proper amenities. It needs to be run daily as the railways was going to suspend the 13007/13008 Udyan Abha Express by next month for seven weeks. Kataria said that 20 Members of Parliament had signed a memorandum demanding that the AC-II coach should be provided in the Udyan Abha train but the railways had ignored it for the last one year. He urged the minister to increase the number of AC chair cars in the Sriganganagar-Haridwar and Sriganganagar-New Delhi Intercity express trains as there had always been a long waiting list. Regretting that the 12485/12486 Nanded Sahib-Sriganganagar train is parked
for five days at Sriganganagar and hundreds of devotees keep waiting for reservation to visit the holy place, he demanded that the train should be run on a tri-weekly basis and must have a halt at Malout. "I have requested the Railway Minister to fix a date for inaugurating the Abohar-Fazilka train here at the earliest, Kataria said. |
|
|
Court gives accused relief in accident case
Bathinda, November 25 The lower court had awarded two-year sentence to the mini-bus driver Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of village Dhingar in Phool tehsil, in an accident case. A case was registered against him in 2004 and he was convicted for causing injuries in the accident. Sukhwinder's family members, including his wife and three children, all below the age of six years, appeared before the court today appealing for leniency. Delivering the judgment, the district and sessions judge observed that though conviction is being maintained, Sukhwinder has already faced the pain of trial. The court also reduced his sentence from two years to six months. Similarly, in another case, the same court ordered the release of a convict in an accident case on probation for one year. In 2004, Mahinder Singh, an employee at the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) had caused injury in a road accident. Keeping the interests of his grown-up children, including his two daughters and a son, the court released him on probation for a year. The court would observe his conduct during this period. He has also been directed to pay Rs 2,000 as compensation to the victim Gurjit Singh from Pucca Kalan area. Disposing of the third case, the court reduced the sentence of Jagtar Singh from village Naurang in Killianwali (Sirsa) from three years to one year. Under section 304-A of the IPC, he was awarded three years of imprisonment for causing injury due to rashly-driven motorcycle. Hailing from a poor family, 30-year-old Jagtar's sentence was reduced considering his economic condition and young age. In the fourth case, the court released Harpal Singh from village Jhandu Ke on probation and fined him Rs 3,000. He was booked under section 411 IPC for stealing a motorcycle. A fine of Rs 1500 imposed on him would go to the state, while another Rs 1500 would be given to the victim as compensation. |
|
|
‘Punjab govt failed to use Central grants’
Moga, November 25 Expressing displeasure over the poor implementation of the rural employment scheme, the former MLA and working committee member of the Punjab Congress Vijay Sathi said that the poor landless people in the rural areas were struggling hard to make their both ends meet due to the lacklustre attitude of the state government even as the union government has given ample opportunities to ensure 100 days of job in the
ongoing rural employment scheme. Adding that the SAD-BJP government has failed to utilise the central grants, Sathi said hundreds of crores had lapsed due to the narrow mindedness of the state government. Alleging that the people living in the cities and towns of the state lacked basic civic amenities even as the union government has sanctioned grants worth more than Rs 600 crore in the last five years under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission, he said the state government has drawn only Rs 60 crore for urban development. He said that the people of Punjab were now fed up with the SAD-BJP government and were looking for a change. |
|
Pharmacists to go on hunger strike
Fazilka, November 25 A batch of 11 pharmacists from each district shall sit on the hunger strike. This was disclosed by Shashi Kant, President, Punjab State Pharmacists Association, Ferozepur and Fazilka districts, here today. There after all the 2,200 pharmacists of state health department shall proceed on the mass casual leave on December 7 and stage a protest rally at Bathinda. The Sangharsh Committee of the Punjab State Pharmacists Association, State Convener Ravinder Luthra and Kant alleged that the long pending demands of the pharmacists were not being
fulfilled despite recommendations by the senior officers of department to the government. They said that the chief minister had during meetings with delegation of the pharmacists held on September 5, 2011 and November 5, 2011 agreed upon for the higher grade pay to pharmacist and change of their designation to Pharmacy Officer. They alleged that the government had backtracked from its promise. The delegation of pharmacists had also met the three- member ministerial sub-committee to look into their demands. The pharmacists are demanding grade pay of
Rs 4200, Rs 4800 and Rs 5400 respectively, for their different cadres including chief pharmacists grade II and grade I. They are also demanding change in their designation to pharmacy, senior pharmacy and chief pharmacy
officer according to seniority of service. Besides they demand increase in number of posts of pharmacists in Primary and Community Health Centres, Civil Hospitals, Central Jails, Offices of Civil Surgeons and implementation of Pharmacy Act and Drug and Cosmetic Act. |
|
Super-speciality hospital sought in Punjab
Ferozepur, November 25 “There is one PGI in Chandigarh and another in Rohtak in Haryana but Punjab has no such medical institution which could cater to the healthcare needs of the poor and needy,” said Pinki, adding that the two cancer hospitals opened by the state government in Bathinda and Mohali have been set up in collaboration with private partners and cannot provide subsidised treatment. Pinki said the Central Government has plans to open six more PGIs all over the country, out of which one should be set up in the Ferozepur area. For this, a delegation would soon meet the PM Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
— OC |
|
Politicians take to FB to connect with voters
Ferozepur, November 25 The phenomenon is not only restricted to the urban areas but is also visible in constituencies like Guruharsahai which has a predominantly rural electorate base. Almost all the prominent leaders, cutting across the party lines in the constituency, have launched their Facebook (FB) profiles with an attempt to draw the voter's attention. From floating their ideas to announcing their programmes, listing their achievements, besides issuing day to day statements and rebuttals, the Facebook has indeed caught the fancy of the leaders and the electorate equally. The sitting MLA from Guruharsahai, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, has 4953 friends on his FB account where many of his supporters have posted their photographs and comments. Catching up with the trend, SAD leader Vardev Singh Mann, who is seeking the party ticket from this constituency, has also started using FB as a tool to reach out to the voters with daily updates of his visits to various villages. Even the youth leaders like Anumeet Singh Sodhi and Montu Vohra are also active user these days. In Ferozepur, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Revenue) Sukhpal Singh Nannu, with 1478 friends on FB, is keeping everyone posted with his daily activities. Nannu has even created an Orkut profile and spares no effort to derive the maximum mileage by using this media. Not to be left behind, even some sections of the voters have also lauched an FB account in name of “Election Update Ferozepur” where the discussions are held about the performance of the parties and their leaders. Ranjan Sharma, a local businessman, who is an active FB user, said, "FB is an easy way for the politicians to reach out to the people on the internet. Besides, it is also helps peole gauge and compare the performance and popularity of the leaders." Another internet user Sunil Kumar opined, "The degree of acceptability of a leader can also be gauged up to some extent by the comments posted on his FB wall or FB page." However, as the D-Day comes closer, whether these Net savvy leaders would be able to maintain their FB profiles or not has to be ascertained but one thing is clear that in the coming assembly elections, the use of the social media will be far more widespread than any other elections held until now. The trend of using the social networking sites was earlier started in the state by leaders like Manpreet Badal and Jassi Khangura who have been using it in an effective manner. Manpreet, who took to internet even during his stint as the finance minister in SAD-BJP government, interacted with his followers via his blog and later, he was among the first to befriend people on FB. However, now almost every known face in Punjab politics is there on the FB with some of them having official profiles while for others, their followers have created their profiles. "In the realm of politics, the social networking media has become an important tool to stay connected with the people," says Rana Sodhi, who intends to use the platform more actively during the days for better interactive relationships with the people from his constituency. |
|
|
Ex-servicemen form panels
Bathinda, November 25 Balvir Singh Sidhu (Ex-Servicemen Welfare Organisation) has been made chairman of the action committee. Roshan Singh (Defence Ex-Servicemen Brotherhood), Jaswant Singh Kumbrra (Rashtriya Sainik Dal), Hakam Singh (Silent Snake Soldier Society) and Buta Singh (Army Ex-Servicemen Welfare Committee) have been made members of the committee. Balwant Singh Bhullar from Muktsar has been made advisor. |
|
|
Abohar, November 25 |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
