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Delayed info
PIMS appeal against stamp duty evasion dismissed
Sukhbir’s elevation SAD’s internal matter: Kamal Sharma
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Gymkhana Club told to withdraw cancellation
Drug peddler, 7 fake travel agents held
Aided schools staff protest
District left with 3 SDMs instead of 5
Polio-affected person ends life
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Delayed info
Jalandhar, January 17 This is the second instance in the past few months, wherein the DEO (Sec) has had to face music over delay or denial in the provision of RTI information to an activist. While in November 2012, the DEO’s office was fined by the commission due to the provision of delayed information to an activist, this time a show-cause order has been issued by the commission. In its order, dated January 8, 2013, the commission has asked the DEO (Sec) to show cause as to why penalty shouldn’t be imposed for wilful delay/denial of information to the RTI applicant. In his RTI application, the complainant Kanwaljit Singh, lecturer in English, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Nakodar, had sought an inquiry report of inquiries conducted by Prem Kumar, Principal, Government Senior Secondary School, Phillaur. The DEO (Sec.) had authorised Prem Kumar, Principal, Government Senior Secondary School, Phillaur, to conduct an inquiry into two complaints made to the DEO’s (Sec) office - by Raj Kumar, Principal, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Nakodar and Kanwaljit Singh, against each other - on 15.2.2012 and 23.3.2012. In his RTI application (23.5.2012), Kanwaljit had sought copies of the inquiry report or the inquiry conducted by Kumar into the said complaints and the DEO’s statement on the issue. Copies of the statements of other witnesses involved in the matter and of the evidences attached with the said complaints had also been sought. While the DEO (Sec) office gave him the enquiry report on July 2, 2012, it asked him to get the statements and evidences from Kumar. Prem Kumar, in turn, provided to him in writing that the said documents had been sent to the DEO’s office on May 9, 2012. Following this, the appellant appealed to the DEO’s office again (on August 6, 2012) regarding the provision of the said information, but when no action was taken, he appealed to the State Information Commission on November 24, 2011. The commission, taking a serious note of the issue, summoned the DEO (Sec) on January 8, 2013. The order states: “The appellant - Kanwaljit Singh alleges that no information has been supplied to him by the respondent - PIO within the stipulated period. He also demands action should be taken against the respondent - PIO for
denial of supply of requisite information.” “Harinder Singh, Deputy DEO, who appeared on behalf of the respondent, could not explain the delay made by the respondent - PIO in supplying the requisite information to the information-seeker. Instead of explaining the delay, Harinder Singh, Deputy DEO kept on making some irrelevant arguments and tried to confuse the bench,” the order added. “In view of the above, PIO - Neelam Kumari, DEO (Sec), Jalandhar will show cause under Section 20 (1) of the RTI Act, as to why penalty be not imposed upon him for willful delay/denial of the information to the RTI applicant and why the compensation be not awarded to the information-seeker under the provisions of RTI Act, 2005,” the order issued by State Information Commissioner Chander Parkash, held. The commission finally holds that the DEO “may note that in case she does not file her submission and does not avail…. of the opportunity of personal hearing on the next date fixed, it will be presumed that she has nothing to say and the commission shall proceed to take further proceedings against her ex-parte.” The next date of hearing is on February 12,
2013. |
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PIMS appeal against stamp duty evasion dismissed
Jalandhar, January 17 While the hearing on the matter was scheduled for December 18, no one came to represent the case. Two opportunities for hearing were granted subsequently, but there was no representation by PIMS. Ladhar confirmed having dismissed the case after the third hearing yesterday. He said that it appeared to him that the party was not interested in contesting the case. The society still stands a chance to get the case reviewed by filing a fresh appeal. Sources said the land could now be put to auction to recover the arrears of land revenue under Section 48 of the Stamp Duty Act. They said the society was also liable to pay up 13 months interest which amounted to an additional amount of nearly Rs 2 crore. Earlier, Praneet Bhardwaj, Additional Deputy Commissioner, who had performed duties as Collector, had decided the case against the society on December 28, 2011. The matter had reportedly come to light after an audit party of the Government of Punjab had pointed to the alleged evasion of stamp duty during the registry of the nearly 50-acre land done on January 11, 2010, citing reason that the society had not been able to authenticate its status as a charitable one. The case had come for hearing before the ADC on April 1, 2011. The ADC, in his report, had written that he had granted as many as seven opportunities to the lawyer of the society (registered with headquarters at 1293, 15-B, Chandigarh) to prove its charitable status. “The last hearing was fixed for October 3, 2011. Even after the date, three more chances were given to the lawyer to validate the stance. Still, he could not prove that the society fell under the definition of a charitable institute. As per the audit note, the society could neither fulfill the criteria nor is capable of doing any charitable work. It failed to submit proof for the same during registry or in the court,” he had written in his order. “Going by the audit note, the evasion of an amount of Rs 17,78,42,540, registration fee of Rs 30,000 and 12 per cent interest amount of Rs 4,26,89,410, an amount of Rs 22,08,61,950 was due from the society,” the Collector had ordered. |
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Sukhbir’s elevation SAD’s internal matter: Kamal Sharma
Jalandhar, January 17 Sharma said this whie interacting with media on his visit to the city just two days after taking over the top portfolio of the party. “I believe that you all have been asking this based on the CM’s statement at Maghi Mela. He had just said this in a lighter vein and there is no point digging into it so deeply,” he remarked. Asked on his opinion about the imposition of new taxes for the urban population, he said he would support levying of "token taxes" like property tax or else the state would not be eligible for Central schemes. “All fast-developing states like Gujarat and those in South are levying property tax,” he made his point. He, however, said that he would propose the rationalisation of taxes with the SAD at the next coordination committee meeting. He said that such committees would even be formed at local levels to resolve local issues between leaders of the two parties. On the growing infighting within the party, he said he was confident that the differences would soon be resolved. Regarding a feeling among the BJP that its alliance partner SAD was consolidating its base even in cities so as to fight out in the future independently, he diplomatically replied, “The SAD is our tried and tested partner. We welcome its move to strengthen and expand itself.” Regarding the forming of the new state committee, he said it would be done in consultation after the national leadership which was currently busy with national president elections. “Once these elections will be over, we will sit down and form the state committee,” he added. Meanwhile, Sharma arrived in the city in the afternoon on his way back from Amritsar. He was given a grand reception at Maqsudan on the Jalandhar-Amritsar highway by party leaders, including Chief Parliamentary Secretary KD Bhandari, MLA
Manoranjan Kalia, Mayor Sunil Jyoti, previous Mayor Rakesh Rathour, acting BJP district
president Subhash Sud, party’s office-bearers and councillors. Public suffers
An open vehicle was arranged on which all leaders quickly hopped on. As the cavalcade kept on stopping intermittently, the entire old Grnd Trunk Road, flyovers and even the service lanes falling in between got badly choked. The motorists could
not even move left, right or backwards to find another way for almost an hour. Despite the Municipal Corporation’s decision on not allowing illegal hoardings, party leaders had put up several such hoardings for Sharma’s reception across the city. |
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Gymkhana Club told to withdraw cancellation
Jalandhar, January 17 Having remained posted as the ADC in Kapurthala and now a resident of New Jawahar Nagar, Nasib Singh Chaudhary had filed a case against the president of the club and its honorary secretary. He claimed that he was enrolled as a permanent life member by the then president and Commissioner Jalandhar Division RPS Powar, vide his order dated May 9, 1992, with membership number of 1772. He contended that being a Class-I officer, he was entitled to the state permanent membership as per the rules. He said he was aghast at the cancellation of his permanent membership after a lapse of 17 years on February 24, 2011. He said that on August 10, 2011, his counsel served a legal notice to the club authorities, demanding the revoking of the order but to no avail. The forum issued notices and a reply was filed denying that the complainant was a permanent member of the club. The club authorities said that the plaintiff was paying subscription charges which were applicable only to a tenure member. They further argued that the members are being issued only one type of card for membership and even if word "permanent" was mentioned on the identity card, it did not mean that the complainant had received permanent membership. “He was to remain member of the club till he was in service. The membership of the complainant has rightly been revoked as per resolution,” they replied. The forum observed that the copy with the complainant read that being Class-I Officer of the state government, he was allowed membership as per the rules. “There is no category of tenure membership in the constitution of the club. A government employee can also become permanent member of the club and there is no bar in the constitution of the club in this regard. The club officials have not produced the resolution or the other documentary evidence vide which the complainant was specifically granted the tenure membership of the club. So an adverse inference is liable to be drawn against the club. The complainant was issued membership card describing him as a permanent member of the club. A copy of this identity card is on record. So this fact corroborates the version of the complainant. The opposite parties have not placed on record any letter or other document which might have been sent to the complainant describing him as a tenure member of the club. So in the above circumstances, the inference is that the complainant was granted permanent membership by the club. So the termination of the permanent membership of the complainant by the club, vide letter describing him as a tenure member of the club, is not legal and valid.” The forum allowed Chaudhary to avail the club facilities as available to the permanent members subject to his paying outstanding charges of the club, if any. “However, the club shall not be entitled to charge any monthly fee or other charges from the complainant for the period during which his membership remained terminated or cancelled.” |
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Drug peddler, 7 fake travel agents held
Phagwara, January 17 Meanwhile, the police has booked seven fake travel agents under sections 406 and 420 of IPC on charges of duping people of Rs 9.87 lakhs on pretext of sending them abroad. SP HPS Khakh said the police has registered a case against Deepak Sharma of village Shashroli PS Yamuna Nagar (Haryana), Sham Batra and his wife Komal Batra of local Mehli Gate on charges of duping a villager Param Gurshish of village Gandhwan of Rs 4.37 lakh on pretext of sending him abroad. Neither the accused could send him abroad nor was the money returned. Khakh said the police has also booked four fake travel agents identified as Pannu, his mother Sukhwinder Kaur of nearby village Bhabhiana, Sukhwinder Singh, his wife Kulwinder Kaur of village Barrapind on charges of cheating a villager Gurnam Singh of village Bhabhiana of Rs 5.50 lakh on pretext of sending him to Italy. Despite repeated requests, the accused failed to send him abroad and they did not even return the amount taken. No arrest has been made so
far. |
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Aided schools staff protest
Jalandhar, January 17 The bills of teachers' arrears had been lying unreleased at the local treasury office for the past 45 days, they said. They said the treasury office had expressed its inability to act on the issue. They demanded that the government should ensure the release of their arrears at the earliest or they would
be forced to adopt the path of struggle and take to the streets after suspending work. The meeting in this regard was held at the local Sain Das School. Teachers also reiterated their demand for aided schools to be merged with government schools. Manish Agaarwal,
Kamal Sharma and Deepak Sanan, among others, were present on the occasion. |
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District left with 3 SDMs instead of 5
Jalandhar, January 17 The additional charge of Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Nakodar, vacated with the transfer of Sameer Kumar, is now vested with Jasbir Singh, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Phillaur. The additional charge with him as the GA to the DC has now shifted to a 2012-batch PCS officer Sanjeev Sharma. He has an additional charge as Public Grievances Officer. There are two new PCS officers appointed with the Punjab Urban Development Authority as Estate Officers Rakesh Kumar and Amarjit Bains (additional post created for regulatory purposes to check illegal colonies). Departmental employee Ganesh Kumar had been holding the additional charge
as the EO for the past many months. After being recently promoted as IAS officer, Gurpreet Sapra, who
was to take over as the Chief Administrator with the Jalandhar Development Authority, is not likely to join. The post has gone as an additional charge to Deputy CommissionerShruti Singh, as was with previous Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti. Similar to the previous arrangement, Shruti Singh has also got the additional charge of the Chairman of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust. |
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Eight nomination papers filed for NRI Sabha president’s post
Jalandhar, January 17 These included those of Jasbir Singh Shergill from the UK, Pritam Singh Narangpuri from the USA, Jagjit Singh Toor of the UK, Sarabjit Singh of Italy, Sukhwant Singh and Gurjeet Kaur, both from Germany. Sandhu checked the passports of each candidate and all 10 proposers accompanying the candidate to verify their ID. Unlike previous years, only the members themselves and not their nominees can act as proposers or voters this time. |
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Polio-affected person ends life
Phagwara, January 17 8 cattle burnt alive
Eight cattle were burnt alive in a fire which broke out in a dairy farm in village Narur last night. Several valuables were damaged in the fire, said the dairy owner Avtar Singh. The cause of the fire could not be known yet. Shop burgled
A cloth merchant shop was reportedly burgled in local Central Town here last night. Burglars entered Gupta Cloth House after breaking open locks and shutter of the shop and took away valuables worth about Rs 1 lakh from the shop.
— OC |
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