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Border tension fails to derail trade at Attari
Preparations also on
for new visa regime
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Auction fails to break powerful mining cartels
Badshahpur gang-rape and suicide case
Re-totalling Scam
Eco Concerns
Badal seeks package for cycle industry
SGPC to put up stall at Kumbh Mela in Allahabad
Recruitment rally: Aspirants use every ploy to get
selected
Speedy trial: CJ designates 8 fast-track courts in state
Man awarded 7 years’ RI in rape case
Eviction notice issued to Bhattal, govt tells HC
Panches can’t be removed for disagreeing on resolution: HC
Truck hits school van,
2 dead
6 booked in murder case
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Border tension fails to derail trade at Attari
Amritsar, January 11 Jaspal Singh, a leading clearing agent, said the bilateral trade was very much on and it was going on smoothly. He said the border was witnessing an import of around 100 trucks comprising dry dates, gypsum, limestone and dry fruits. Similarly, over 250 trucks of various goods, including cotton, soyabean and tomato, were crossing over to Pakistan daily, he said. “Trade with Pakistan through Attari had continued even during the Kargil War. There should not be any problem currently as well, though panic-stricken investors have been calling us from various parts of the country,” he said. Official sources in the Integrated Check Post also said the trade was going on normally. In fact, the trade activity had gained momentum in the recent past with the number of trucks crossing the border witnessing an increase, the sources said. Leading trader Rajdeep Uppal also said the bilateral trade via the Attari-Wagah land route had never been stopped even though the ties between the two countries touched a low on various occasions in the past. Khanna Paper Mill managing director Suneet Kochhar said the incident had come as a setback to the peace process. He said the trade should not be allowed to suffer and that required arrangements should be made on the security front. “As several agencies across the world were against peaceful ties between India and Pakistan, both the countries should handle the present situation with maturity,” said Kochhar, who has been exporting newsprint to Pakistan for the last few months. Apart from trade activity, the rail and road traffic between the two countries also ran normally across the Punjab border. Attari railway station official SK Madaan said the trains were arriving and leaving for Pakistan as usual without any glitch. Similarly, the two buses plying between India and Pakistan through Punjab border — New Delhi-Lahore bus and Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus — continued their run like any other day.
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Preparations also on
for new visa regime
Amritsar, January 11 Pakistan Punjab’s Tourism Development Corporation managing director Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani said they had arranged special vehicles to ferry the elderly from the border to Lahore. “Similarly, to resolve the issue of police report, officials will be deployed at the border only so that the elderly don’t face any problem on this count.” He said a special counter is being set up at Wagah border for the senior citizens arriving from India from where they can buy a Rs 100 ticket for Lahore. For this, the Lahore office of the tourism body will run a special vehicle, which will ply from border as well as Lahore after every hour. He expressed hope that at least 3,000 people will benefit from the new visa regime every month and the number will go up in future. He said that earlier, the two countries were giving visas for three cities, but now they will be getting visa for five cities. He said they will also be facilitating currency exchange and proper information on lodging and boarding facilities available in Pakistan. The tourists can opt for this package individually as well as in the form of a group. He said the package will include travel and lodging facility, besides morning breakfast. The tourists will also be provided with guides while visiting historic places. Similarly, the preparations for implementing the new visa regime are on at the Indian side as well. The immigration authorities are setting up separate counters to facilitate senior citizens arriving from Pakistan.
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Auction fails to break powerful mining cartels
Chandigarh, January 11 Barring a few quarries that have gone to a Jalalabad-based contractor, who has partneship with two liquor contractors (from Yamunanagar and another from Nawanshahr), a majority of quarries have gone to the mining cartel formed by the brother of a former Akali MLA from Jalandhar, a Youth Akali leader from Muktsar, the son-in-law of a former PPCC president and the son of a former Akali Member of Parliament. This cartel, irrespective of the political affiliations of its members, has joined hands purely for economic gains and owes allegiance to a powerful Youth Akali leader and Cabinet Minister. Sources in the mining trade said that this cartel was now trying to woo the other group (headed by the Jalalabad-based contractor). The latter is being promised a percentage share in the mining operations across Punjab. With sand becoming the new “gold dust”, its mining from the state’s riverbeds has become big business. The electronic auction of the 22 quarries yesterday and today has helped the state collect a whopping Rs 234 crore. By auctioning 14 quarries in Hoshiarpur district today, Punjab has raked in Rs 133 crore, as against a reserve price of Rs 3.58 crore. However, the bids offered for at least six quarries at Harta, Dandiana Kalan, Deowala, Hargarh, Patti and Khalwana, have come under a cloud because of the huge difference between the highest bid and the second highest bid offered. Sources said this appears to be stage-managed to benefit a particular bidder. A highly inflated bid has been made in several cases to ward off other serious competitors. Sources said the person making the inflated bid (which is the highest) is likely to back off and have his security forfeited, thus ensuring that the other member of his cartel, having made the second highest bid, finally gets the mining contract. The cartel would, of course, lose the deposit, which is insignificant compared to the profit that it will make. Initially, Industries Minister Anil Joshi, who was supervising the auction, said he would cancel the auction of the six quarries as he smelt a rat. However, fearing legal complications arising out of not issuing the offer letter to the highest bidder for these six quarries, he said the offer letters would be issued and in case of failure to deposit 50 per cent of the bid amount, the security of these bidders would be cancelled. “We will not offer these to the second bidder and re-auction the quarries,” Joshi said. He said that the offer letters to successful bidders would be issued right away and they would be asked to deposit 50 per cent of the bid amount by Monday. “Once this is done, we will transfer the environmental clearance," he added. Lure of the new ‘gold dust’
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Badshahpur gang-rape and suicide case
Patiala, January 11 The police investigations took another turn after it was established that the officials did not ask for a board of doctors to conduct the post-mortem. “The girl had a pending FIR pertaining to rape against two persons. She was away from her home in Samana when she allegedly consumed poison,” a police official said. However, the Punjab State Chemical Laboratory has already constituted a two- member panel to complete the viscera report and hand it over to the police. “We were approached by the SHO for the post-mortem. We had referred the case to one of our doctors as a routine exercise,” claimed Dr Rajpal, senior medical officer, Samana. Experts say the viscera report, which is obtained from the chemical laboratory, is based on the vital organs, which are preserved and sealed after the post-mortem is conducted to ascertain the causes of death.“Usually if we get a request from the police, we recommend a board for the post-mortem examination in a high-profile case or there is an ample need to establish that the post-mortem requires more than one expert,” said Dr DS Bhullar, an expert in the field. Dr Rajpal said as it was presented as a routine poisoning case. A senior police officer probing the matter confirmed that it is a lapse on the part of the investigating officers, but refused to comment further. “It is also a part of our investigations and the report is to be submitted to the High Court. Therefore, we cannot comment on it,” he stated. On November 13, a girl was allegedly kidnapped and later raped by two persons, who have been arrested. An FIR was registered on November 27.
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Re-totalling Scam
Chandigarh, January 11 Denying any role in the irregularities committed while re-totaling answer-sheets of students, Dr Ahuja said Vice Chancellor Dr OP Upadhyaya had removed her from her post in February 2012 on “false and manipulated charges” to save himself as well as his team. She said that the Secretary, Research and Medical Education had stated that most of the allegations levelled against her were far-stretched and blown out of proportion. He had noted: “It appears all other points have been added not only to cast a doubt on the functioning of the doctor concerned but also to harm her future which in my opinion is not fair and just.” Dr Ahuja said the answer-sheets had been obtained from the secrecy branch, bypassing her. A specially set up committee had conducted the re-totalling on June 6 and 7, 2011 and submitted its report to the VC, who then allowed the declaration of result. The former Controller, Examinations, alleged that the result was declared without her signatures. She claimed that she had written to the VC, objecting to the manner in which the re-totalling had been done and had pointed out discrepancies. She said she had also approached the Governor on the matter. — TNS
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Eco Concerns
Chandigarh, January 11 Sources said the government had said no to proposals for a beverage unit near Dera Bassi and a chains manufacturing unit near Ludhiana. Both the units were worth Rs 400 crore, it is learnt. Earlier, there was a move to set up a beverage plant near Pathankot. Sources said that permission had been denied to the plants after certain points were raised by the Central Ground Water Board authorities at a meeting held here under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister. The sources said that the proposed unit in Ludhiana was likely to be approved later following the nod from the Irrigation Department to supply water to it from a canal. The CGWA has notified 27 more blocks in Punjab as critical. In all, there are 162 blocks notified as critical in the country. Of these 45 are in Punjab, the highest in the country. Gujarat has four critical blocks, Haryana 17 and Tamil Nadu 18. Paddy, that consumes a lot of water, has pushed the state to the brink of eco- disaster. Of the 138 of the total 141 blocks in the state, 110 are over-exploited and 45 critical. In the blocks notified as critical, no one can install an energy-operated tubewell or any other water-extracting mechanism without the permission of the committee notified by the CGWA under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner of the district concerned. The CGWA can proceed against violators under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Under the Act.
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Badal seeks package for cycle industry
Chandigarh, January 11 In a letter to the Prime Minister, Badal demanded a special package for the industry in the next Union Budget. A delegation of the All India Cycle Manufacturers Association, led by its chairman Pankaj Munjal, had recently called on the Chief Minister. The association urged the Chief Minister to raise the issue with the Union Government. They contended that at a time when petrol and diesel prices had gone through the roof, the government should promote bicycles as the short-distance mode of transportation. Apart from checking pollution, the move would generate employment, they had maintained. Badal said despite the fact that over 1.5 lakh people were employed with the bicycle industry, it had been losing sheen over the years due to lack of initiatives and promotion policies by the Union Government. He said the bicycle industry’s growth had fallen by 8 per cent in the current financial year alone. Wood-based industry gets new status In a landmark decision to promote agro-forestry as part of farm diversification programme, Badal today asked the state Industries Department to declare wood-based industry as agro-based industries in the state. The decision was taken by Badal at a meeting with progressive farmers, plywood manufacturers, arhtiyas and timber merchants The Chief Minister asked the Financial Commissioner (development) to take steps for declaring the wood industry as agro-based industry across the state. He also directed the Industries Department to issue a notification in this behalf at the earliest.
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SGPC to put up stall at Allahabad Kumbh Mela
Amritsar, January 11 According to a release issued here today, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said Guru Nanak Dev had also visited the Kumbh Mela at Haridwar and Gurdwara Gyan Godri there portrays the Sikh history of those times. He said the SGPC had taken this decision so that the people from other religions should also know about Sikhism. Hitting out at those objecting to the move, Makkar said it was not a crime to acquaint other religions about Sikh culture and traditions. He said it was surprising that those proclaiming themselves to be intellectuals were raising questions over the move, which "was not appropriate". On the other hand, All India Sikh Students Federation president Karnail Singh Peermohammed dubbed the SGPC bid to attend the Kumbh Mela as a step to take the community back on the path of superstitions against which Guru Nanak Dev had launched a crusade.
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Recruitment rally: Aspirants use every ploy to get selected
udhiana, January 11 Col Atul Bisht, Officiating Deputy Director General Recruiting Jalandhar Zone, said aspirants, who fail to clear the test, used every ploy, using pebbles to increase height to pleading the officers on emotional grounds, to influence the recruitment staff. "Youngsters had tried to use every trick in the book to get selected. But it is not possible in the Army. During the 1600-m race, the aspirants try to run from the corner most circle in order to gain lead from their competitor. When they failed they tried to influence the staff on emotional grounds. Instead of indulging in such antics, they should work on their physical fitness and prove their mettle," said Bisht. He said 10,000 youngsters, only 2,000 managed to clear the physical fitness test. "It is the candidate's performance that ensures his selection and no middle men can get anyone selected in the Army. The system is foolproof and independent agencies conduct physical fitness test and written test of the candidate. Even the papers are checked by an independent agency," said Bisht. Desperate steps
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Speedy trial: CJ designates 8 fast-track courts in state
Chandigarh, January 11 The Chief Justice has directed all district and sessions judges in both the states and in Chandigarh to conduct proceedings in such cases on a day-to-day basis. Available information suggests he has taken up the case with the respective state governments for sanctioning 21 posts of Superior Judicial Service in Haryana and 20 in Punjab. Instructions have also been issued to all district and sessions judges to monitor and ensure the proceedings are completed within 10 days of receiving the final report or challan. The district and sessions judges have also been directed to conduct meetings with judicial officers, public prosecutors, police officials and members of bar associations. On January 8, the Chief Justice had asserted in the open court: "I have given directions on administrative side to constitute fast track court for trial of rape cases in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.”
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Man awarded 7 years’ RI in rape case Sangrur: Additional Sessions Judge, Sangrur Virinder Aggarwal, today awarded seven years’ rigorous imprisonment to Jashanjit Singh of Balian village near Sangrur and fined him Rs 5, 000 for his role in a rape case. Jashanjit Singh and Gurwinder Singh took a girl student in their car. Gurwinder Singh raped the girl as Jashanjit stood guard. Gurwinder Singh is facing trial in a juvenile court. — TNS
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Eviction notice issued to Bhattal, govt tells HC
Chandigarh, January 11 The State Counsel told the High Court that she has been asked to vacate the government house, which she has been occupying since March 2012 in Sector 2, Chandigarh. The Punjab Government, on the previous date of hearing, had placed two of its former Chief Ministers in dock. The government today told the High Court that Bhattal was not the only one. Former Chief Ministers Surjit Singh Barnala too was an unauthorised occupant of a government house. The Bench also heard that MP Singh, officer on special duty to Punjab Chief Minister, too was illegally occupying a house along with IAS officers NK Jain and B K Srivastava. Also included in the category was Haryana Director (prosecution) HR Jain. The information came during the hearing on a petition filed by Surinder Pal Singh on unauthorised occupation of UT houses by high-profile politicians, ex-ministers/MLA and retired bureaucrats. The Punjab Government also told the High Court that house number 46 in Chandigarh’s Sector 2 was occupied in an unauthorised manner by Bhattal and she was to pay a penal rent of Rs 66,64,839 for the unauthorised use of the premises from March 22, 2012, to November 15, 2012. The house, the government said, stood allotted to the Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar. Punjab’s Under Secretary, General Administration, added that house number 11 in Sector 7 was illegally occupied by Barnala. Reduced to the stature of an MLA after Jakhar replaced her as the Leader of Opposition in Punjab, she was, in fact, asked to vacate the house allotted to her 20 years ago by the state government. She, on the other hand, is claiming that she is being victimised. Also on defaulters’ list
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Panches can’t be removed for disagreeing on resolution: HC
Chandigarh, January 11 Taking on record the assertion, Justice Ranjit Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has set aside the orders of removing three panches. One of the grounds for their removal was that they had not agreed with a resolution. The matter has now been remanded back to the director concerned for a fresh decision. The issue was brought to the High Court’s notice by Kaur Singh and two other panches. In their petition against the State of Punjab and other respondents, they had sought the quashing of orders dated January 31, 2011, and November 25, 2010, removing them from the posts of panches of Bhopal Khurd village gram panchayat. Two grounds were taken into consideration by the competent authority to remove them from the posts. It was alleged that the petitioners had not attended the meetings on nine occasions. Further allegation was that in the meetings, they did not agree with the sarpanch for development works. When this case came up for hearing before the High Court, Justice Ranjit Singh expressed prima-facie view that sarpanch or panch cannot be removed from the post for opposing a move, in exercise of his right as an elected representative. Justice Ranjit Singh also asked the director to respond to the query whether a panch or sarpanch can be removed from an elected post on account of non-cooperation or not attending the meeting. In an affidavit, the director confirmed that as “an elected representative of a village, a panch has the right to express his viewpoint independently in the meeting of the gram panchayat and even if he does not agree with the resolution, it should not be made a ground for removing him from the post of panch”. Disposing of the petition, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “It would be appropriate to remand this case to the director to reconsider if the order of removal is to be maintained only on the ground that the petitioners have not attended the meetings, excluding from consideration their conduct in opposing the sarpanch…”
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Truck hits school van,
2 dead
Phillaur, January 11 The van driver was negotiating a turn when the vehicle was hit by the truck.The truck driver fled after the accident. The deceased students have been identified as Simranjit Kaur (15) and her cousin Parambir Singh (14), both residents of Raipur Arian village. Of the seriously hurt students, Manpreet Kaur and Jaspreet Kaur were rushed to a Ludhiana hospital.A pall of gloom descended on Raipur Arian village as the bodies of the deceased children were handed over to the family members after post-mortem. The police has registered a case against the truck driver.
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Sangrur, January 11 Police sources say Gurdeep was allegedly murdered on the intervening night of January 9 and 10, and also cremated on the same night. Station House Officer of the Sandaur police station Harinder Singh said the actual cause of the death would be known only after the examination of the ashes of the deceased.— TNS
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Chandigarh, January 11
The Punjab Government has refused to grant permission to at least two industrial units in blocks notified as critical or declared as over-exploited by the Central Ground Water Authority
(CGWA).
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has sought Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s intervention for tiding over the crisis facing the state’s bicycle industry.
