The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

PUDA scam: More heads expected to roll
Bathinda, November 22
More skeletons are expected to tumble out of the cupboard as the investigations by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau proceed further on the issue of sub-standard execution of development works by the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) and various other government agencies, particularly in the Bathinda and Mansa districts.

Fazilka colony: SC panel directs state to guard area’s biodiversity
Fazilka, November 22
The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), constituted by the Supreme Court of India, has asked the Chief Secretary, Punjab, to initiate necessary action for allegedly compromising on environmental norms for the proposed PUDA Colony on the bank of the extinct Badha Lake wetland area in Fazilka.

Amogh Div GOC visits Asafwala
Major-General NC Badhani during his visit to the computer centre at Asafwala War Memorial. Fazilka, November 22
Major General NC Badhani, GOC, Amogh Division, laid a wreath at Asafwala War Memorial, 7 kilometers from here and paid homage to about 225 martyrs of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, during his maiden visit there.

Major-General NC Badhani during his visit to the computer centre at Asafwala War Memorial. A Tribune photograph

Looted luxury car found lying abandoned
Abohar, November 22
The Mohindra Duster luxury car looted by three armed miscreants on Tuesday evening near Jeev Raksha Chowk on Seetogunno road has been found abandoned on the Muktsar bypass, superintendent of police Varinder Singh Brar said at a crowded press conference this afternoon.

Maths seminar, quiz held in Muktsar college
Muktsar, November 22
A daylong seminar was organised today by the Mathematics Society of the Government College, Muktsar, to pay tribute to the great mathematician, Srinivas Ramanujan, whose 125th birth anniversary is being celebrated this year as the National Year of Mathematics.

Rampura lawyers call off strike
Bathinda, November 22
Lawyers of the Rampura Phul Bar Association today called off their 51 days long strike in protest against the transfer of 34 villages of the Rampura Phul sub-division to the newly carved out Maur sub-division.

	Aklia villagers say no to protest Village panchayat asks protesting farmer unions to pitch tents elsewhere Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service Mansa, November 22 Residents of Aklia village who suffered two deaths in a clash with the police in July this year today asked a group of 17 farmer unions not to make their village the battleground of their struggle with the government. Led by the panchayat of the village, the residents even asked the farmer unions to stage protest somewhere else as they wanted a peaceful solution of their problem. The villagers said they were satisfied with the compensation awarded to the families of the two persons including a teenager, who died in a clash with the police. The villagers withdraw their support to the farmer unions in full public view today when they arrived to stage a protest, seeking higher compensation for the victims and withdrawal of cases. However, the villagers surprised them by asking the union leaders to stage protest at the district headquarters and not to disturb peace in the village. "We lost two lives. The police have taken action. We are sure the cases against some village residents for attacking the cops would be withdrawn. We don't want protests," said sarpanch Kaku Singh and Gurjant Singh, a member of the panchayat. The protest passed off peacefully amidst heavy police presence in the village. Mansa district is known for violent protests. The stance by the villagers against the protest was a welcome change from the tradition. Mansa SSP Narinder Bhargav said the state government has provided jobs to the next of kin of the deceased. "We have also arrested the gang that was responsible for the theft and robbery incidents in the village due to which the villagers had staged dharnas earlier. We will try our best to maintain peace," he said. Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal had on November 4 presented letters appointing the suitably qualified relatives of Pritam Singh (52) and Nittu Singh (16), who were killed in the clash with the police. Amrik Singh, a son of Pritam Singh and Shinder Kaur, mother of Nittu Singh, were appointed as peons with different departments. On July 24, cops and villagers had clashed as an agitated mob of the protested against alleged police inaction in theft incidents. Ram Singh Bhaini Bhaga, district president, Bharti Kissan Union-Ekta Ugrahan, said they had demanded a compensation of Rs 7 lakh each to the injured and Rs 10 lakh instead of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased.
	PUDA scam: More heads expected to roll SP Sharma Tribune News Service Bathinda, November 22 More skeletons are expected to tumble out of the cupboard as the investigations by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau proceed further on the issue of sub-standard execution of development works by the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) and various other government agencies, particularly in the Bathinda and Mansa districts. These agencies have from time to time been accused of having pilfered the funds that were liberally granted by the state government for development works in the two districts that are part of the Bathinda parliamentary constituency which is represented by Harsimrat Kaur Badal, daughter-in-law of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The registration of a case yesterday by the Vigilance Bureau against ten persons, including a chief engineer, superintending engineer, three SDOs, two junior engineers and three contractors of the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA), might just be the tip of an iceberg, said a senior officer. Senior officials of the Vigilance Bureau, including its director (prosecution), today rushed here from Chandigarh to personally supervise the legal aspects of the case. The Chief Minister had recently confirmed here that he had received the report pertaining to the sub-standard works executed in Bathinda and Mansa and action against the guilty officers and contractors would follow. The Vigilance Bureau that was entrusted with the enquiry had detected grave irregularities in the execution of electrical works by the BDA in Maur Mandi, Mansa and Budhlada. The state government had also released liberal funds for modernisation of the seven grain markets, including Maur Mandi, Bhucho Mandi, Rama Mandi, Rampura, Phul and Goniana, around here. The main thrust was on improving roads, street lighting, sewerage and drinking water in these areas. Several complaints of sub-standard work in laying the sewerage system, particularly in Mansa town, were received. The sewerage system in many other areas mostly remains clogged.
	Fazilka colony: SC panel directs state to guard area’s biodiversity Praful Chander Nagpal Fazilka, November 22 The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), constituted by the Supreme Court of India, has asked the Chief Secretary, Punjab, to initiate necessary action for allegedly compromising on environmental norms for the proposed PUDA Colony on the bank of the extinct Badha Lake wetland area in Fazilka. Reacting on the complaint of Navdeep Asija, general secretary, Graduate Welfare Association Fazilka (GWAF), on the issue of damage to environment and biodiversity in the wetland area near the Deputy Commissioner's residence, where PUDA proposes to sell 56 residential plots by carving out a colony, the CEC has sent a letter to the Chief Secretary asking him to intervene. Notably, the Central Empowered Committee is constituted by the Supreme Court to check pressure on the forests, the unsustainable removal and the real threat of massive destruction to wildlife. The Supreme Court intervened and played a pioneering role in its efforts to save India's forest and wildlife. The petitioner, Navdeep Asija, has alleged that the authorities had ignored the report of the District Forest Officer (DFO), Ferozepur, in which he stated that there are 355 trees on different khasra numbers of the land where PUDA wants to carve out the colony. The DFO has also admitted that with the felling of the trees, there could be an adverse affect on biodiversity in the area. It is pertinent to mention here that the green belt in Fazilka city is alarmingly less than one per cent. "No sincere efforts to enhance the area under green cover are being made but contrary to it, the authorities have been sacrificing the existing green cover to facilitate unplanned development," regretted Asija.
	Amogh Div GOC visits Asafwala Fazilka, November 22 Major General NC Badhani, GOC, Amogh Division, laid a wreath at Asafwala War Memorial, 7 kilometers from here and paid homage to about 225 martyrs of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, during his maiden visit there. Major General Badhani also visited the Amogh Computer Centre being run at the War Memorial, to enhance computer skills among the girls of this remote border area, who are otherwise deprived of this opportunity. The centre, a joint venture of the Army and Shaheedon Ki Samadhi Committee, Fazilka, has been running successfully and three batches of girls have already passed out from this centre. — OC
	Looted luxury car found lying abandoned Hunt on to nab the 3 culprits; sketches flashed across Punjab, Rajasthan Our Correspondent Abohar, November 22 The Mohindra Duster luxury car looted by three armed miscreants on Tuesday evening near Jeev Raksha Chowk on Seetogunno road has been found abandoned on the Muktsar bypass, superintendent of police Varinder Singh Brar said at a crowded press conference this afternoon. Notably, the Bishnoi Sabha had lambasted the police over the incident regretting that CCTV cameras were not working at the time of the crime and streetlights were yet to be installed despite recurrence of such incidents on the busy road. The SP claimed that nakas were set on all the roads in and around Abohar and a message was flashed about the looting of the luxury car recently purchased by Dinesh Kumar Bhadoo of village Shergarh on Tuesday evening. It visibly appears that the miscreants preferred to escape by abandoning the car on the Muktsar bypass near a hotel. The police have prepared computerised sketches of three suspects on the basis of the information provided by Dinesh Bhadoo and his two friends who had halted at a tea stall and were later forced to surrender the car at gunpoint. The sketches have been emailed to all police districts in Punjab as well as the neighbouring twin districts of Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. Poppy husk seized In another development, the Wahabwala police on Abohar-Hanumangarh road today intercepted an Ascent car as it was passing through a bridge on Tarmala sub-canal. Its search resulted in seizure of 60 kg of poppy husk. The car driver, Dharminder Singh, and his accomplice Talwinder Singh were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.