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Rs 12,500 snatched from two women
Pakistani smugglers plan new strategy to hoodwink intel agencies
Poll officials booked for burning Akali candidate’s posters
Waive power dues, restore free domestic power, say farmers
Ban candidates from visiting deras: Society
‘Know Your Army’ mela organised at Khasa
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Dept leaves tourists helpless
Amritsar, January 23 James, a tourist from Austria, said as soon as he came to the Golden Temple, he went straight to the kiosk but found the gate locked. He tried to know its status, but a policeman standing nearby just pointed at the lock. He said he wanted the details of other site-seeing places in and around Amritsar. Ashmit Biswas, a tourist from West Bengal, along with his family arrived to pay obeisance at Harmandar Sahib. He said he approached the tourist help centre to get details of onward journey, but found it locked. There were other tourists too who were left disappointed. Interestingly, the tourist help centre outside the Golden Temple was visited by tourists in large numbers. When contacted, District Tourism Officer Balraj Singh said the Tourist Help Centre had to be vacated all of a sudden after they were conveyed that the area had come under the ongoing beautification of the Golden Temple. It has been shifted to a new location. He said the Centre has been shifted close to Joda Ghar. He accepted that the board signaling its new location could not be installed at the old centre as they were told some heavy machines were to be placed over there. Who bothers?
official speak Tourist Help Centre had to be vacated all of a sudden after we were conveyed that the area had come under the ongoing beautification of the Golden Temple — balraj Singh, District Tourism Officer
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Here he comes, riding on ‘vehicle of change’
Amritsar, January 23 He ventures out of his house located at Maqboolpura at 8 am daily to persuade voters. He does it in his style. He pedals his specially decorated rickshaw with two supporters sitting behind and approaches residents seeking their vote. He is followed by his two security guards-HC Balwinder Kumar and HC Sitara Singh on foot. On his list, sanitation, inflation and education find the priority. “I have never attended school and couldn’t educate my children owing to ‘paper policies’ of the government. They (government) talk about BPL (below poverty line) quota seats in schools, but I am a live example. Nothing of the sort is prevailing in any school of the holy city. Commercialisation of education has caused great harm. Likewise, each and every policy of the government is being misused. The rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer. I intend to transform the
system,” he said. This is not his first time. Earlier, he contested in 1992 Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate and got more than 1,500 votes. “This by all means, was an achievement for me because so many people agreed with me.”
He initiated to form a party and named it All India Garib Janata Dal in 1997. “Various media agencies, including BBC, came here to cover our locality that is known for drug addicts. The locality earned a name, “Vidhwawan da Mohalla” (locality of widows). However, scant efforts were made to bring about a change,” he said. Mohinder has been collecting funds for last five years. Besides, pulling a rickshaw he runs a tea stall. His two sons Kashmir Singh and Balwinder Singh also contribute some money for their father’s campaign from their meager income. Some of his ardent supporters also funded him to fight elections, he said. His security guards refrain from putting any financial burden on him. “I even carry my lunch box from home,
unlike our counterparts associated with other candidates. Their boarding and lodging expense is entirely borne by
the candidates. But, we feel lucky to be associated with such a humble man who is fighting for a
real cause,” said HC Balwinder Kumar. Mohinder Singh was born at Barkian Korian near Lahore. Soon after his birth, his family migrated to Amritsar following the partition.
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Rs 12,500 snatched from two women
Amritsar, January 23 In her complaint with the C-Division police, Baljinder said she fell down after the youths struck her with their motorcycle. The youths then snatched her purse comprising the cash, chain and mobile phone and sped away. In another incident, two youths snatched a purse belonging to Kuljit Kaur of Hukam Chand Colony, Chheharta. The purse contained Rs 2,500 cash, a mobile phone and three ATM cards. A case under Section 379-B of the IPC has been registered at Cantonment police station in this connection.
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Baradari of Maharaja Sher Singh in Lahore in a shambles
Amritsar, January 23 The Baradari is now a dumping ground; his samadhi as a dargah. Toilets have been constructed adjoining the walls of the heritage structure. Kochhar in a press statement issued here today said about three months ago a Lahore waste management company turned this heritage building into a dumping ground. The issue was taken up before the Pakistan government. The government was urged to preserve the structure and shift the dumping ground elsewhere. However, no step has been taken by them in this direction, he said. Kochhar urged the Indian government to take up the issue with their Pakistani counterparts. He said the Pakistan government is planning to construct a hostel for the doctors and nurses of Kot Khawaja Sayyad District Headquarter Hospital there. y Maharaja Sher Singh was murdered and cremated at the Baradari in September 1843. His wife Dharam Kaur constructed a samadhi at this Baradari, which adorns beautiful wall paintings of ten Sikh masters y Adjoining to this building are the samadhis of Tikk Partap Singh, Rani Partap Kaur and Rani Dharam Kaur. A major portion of Maharaja Sher Singh samadhi was also destroyed during the Babri Mosque demolition y Local historian Surinder Kochhar claims three months ago a Lahore waste management company turned this heritage building into a dumping ground
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Pakistani smugglers plan new strategy to hoodwink intel agencies
Amritsar, January 23 These startling facts have come to light during the interrogation of two Pakistan smugglers, identified as Rashid Ahmad and Shaukat Ali, who were caught by State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) on January 17. In 2010, the cell had arrested Kala Masih in September and Ashfaq Malangi in July. In 2009, it had nabbed four Pakistani smugglers. It is pertinent to mention here that Rashid Ahmad is learnt to have close links with Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence and was earlier caught with RDX, arms and heroin consignments in 1999. He was released in 2006. Before their arrest, the two arrested Pakistani nationals have been residing in a border village and worked as electricians for about a week. Presence of more Pakistan nationals in the border areas could not be ruled out, sources said. “Pakistani smugglers don’t want to take any risk of handing over the consignments to new hands. Fear among border youths following the arrest of major Indian smugglers hasn’t helped the matters for illegal Pak traders,” said highly-placed sources in the counter intelligence wing of Punjab Police.
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Campaign trail Tarun Chugh
Amritsar, January 23 Hailing from a business family, Chugh (40) has an uphill task of winning the confidence of electorates of the constituency which has rural, urban and slum pockets. He faces a tough challenge from Congress old-timer OP Soni, who is contesting from the constituency for the first time. He is putting his energy in mass contact programmes under which he carries out door-to-door canvassing and organises public meetings at mohallas and other areas. His day starts at 6 am and he is ready to hit the campaign trail by 7.45 am. He claims he covers five
to six localities on a daily basis. He does not bother about his meals, Tarun says. "I can reach my place near Hathi gate within 20 minutes wherever I may be in the constituency," he adds. He expects little support from sitting MLA from the constituency Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Social Welfare Minister, after she said adieu to politics. He says unemployment, drug addiction and lack of basic amenities are major issues here. He claims areas in the walled city require revamp of sewerage system, roads and water supply. To tackle unemployment, Tarun says he plans to introduce vocational courses in colleges or other institutes so that the youths can be absorbed in the industry.
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BSP supporters join BJP
Amritsar, January 23 Speaking on the occasion, Navjot Singh Sidhu, BJP MP, said Joshi has set a benchmark for development in the area. “Since independence no one ever paid any attention toward the slum areas such as Mustafabad. People used to live in hell-like conditions. But in the last five years they have been provided with the basic amenities like roads, safe drinking water, proper sewerage disposal system, street lights and other facilities,” said Sidhu. Joshi said if the inhabitants of the area vote him to power, he would continue his efforts toward development of the
area and many other slums that fall under this constituency.
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Poll officials booked for burning Akali candidate’s posters
Tarn Taran, January 23 The accused have been identified as ASI Nishan Singh and Rachhpal Singh SDO, Powercom. These officials were on surveillance duty in Chabal. The officials signaled a tempo (PB-46 H, 9936) to stop for search. The team found as many as 2,000 posters of the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Harmeet Singh Sandhu appealing the voters to vote in favour of the SAD. The driver of the tempo presented documents including the bills of the posters. The officials allegedly burnt them. Harmeet Singh Sandhu reached the spot along with his supporters in large number and staged a dharna on the roadside. Sandhu also brought the matter to the notice of Satwant Singh Johal who asked police to book the officials.
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Waive power dues, restore free domestic power, say farmers
Amritsar, January 23 Addressing the protesters, Committee’s Punjab Chief Satnam Singh Pannu alleged the Central as well as the state government are“selling farmers’ interests to the big corporate houses.” They are doing so by encouraging FDI and Seed Act . The government is taking away the farmers’ land, he said. The agitators demanded that the state government should fulfil its word on waiving off power dues to the tune of Rs 357 crore and restoring 200 units of free domestic power to labourers. The farmers lifted their road blockade on Jalandhar-Amritsar highway in Beas after receiving an assurance from the Chief Engineer, Sandeep Singh Sandhu, in this regard. They also demanded for 75,000 tube-well connections and cancellation of penalty imposed and cases registered against the farmers.
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Committee members of Team Anna to visit holy city today
Amritsar, January 23 “The team would apprise the public regarding their goal of eradicating corruption and social evils. It is a non-political moment and the Team Anna, who stress on enactment of a strong Lokpal Bill, does not favour any political party or any individual candidate who are in the fray for the upcoming Assembly elections,” the communiqué of Team Anna conveyed. Meanwhile, floral tributes were paid to the statue of Neta Subash Chander Bose located on the Bhandari Bridge. Veteran freedom fighter Hardyal Singh, who joined the Azad Hind Fauj with Neta Subash Chander Bose, was also honoured on the occasion. “It is a pity that no government has reportedly kept any records of the freedom fighters who fought along with Neta Subash Chander Bose. There were five such freedom fighters who hailed from rural belt falling in the precincts of Amritsar. But the administration has no records of them,” said Hardyal Singh.
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Ban candidates from visiting deras: Society
Amritsar, January 23 Sumit Singh of the Society said this activity must be prohibited on the line of other measurers successfully taken by the Commission in the past. In a communiqué to the ECI seeking ban on the practice, he said it was unconstitutional to visit the religious premises whether dera or ashram to seek blessings with an eye on their vote bank. He said it was violation of democratic rules. He added that India being a democratic and secular country empower its citizens to vote any candidate without the notions of religion, colour, caste and creed. He said candidates’ visit to religious places must be banned during the model code of conduct in force. The communiqué gains significance in the light of the fact that a section of media had reported that many leaders of Punjab and their close relatives were visiting Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda to seek favour of its head Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, who has a large following in the Malwa region of the state.
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‘Know Your Army’ mela organised at Khasa
Amritsar, January 23 A large number of civilians, including women and students from various schools and colleges, along with senior civil officials witnessed the mega event. The Army displayed tanks, artillery equipment, engineering equipment, surveillance equipment, and combat drills. “The mela aims at strengthening Army’s relations with the civilians. The event is also organised to highlight the role and performance of the Army in Punjab. The young generation was elated to see the BMP tanks,” said Major General Chakravarty. Meanwhile, a medical camp was also organised on this occasion. Free medicines were offered to the needy. Students from Army Public School, The Millennium School, Cambridge International School, DAV International School, Alpine Public School, Shri Guru Harkrishan Senior Secondary School, Khalsa College, Global Management Institute and Kendriya Vidayalaya Amritsar witnessed the mela. Ex-servicemen and war widows were also updated on various defence policies and their entitlements. The Recruitment Board, Amritsar, put up a stall to make the youth aware about the eligibility criterion for defence services.
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