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Bathinda police cancels rape complaint
Senior Pradesh Cong leaders likely to be phased out
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Not interfering in DSGMC elections, claims Delhi CM
Vigilance in spot over poor conviction rate
Strictures on Mansa MLA
No increase in bus fares despite diesel price hike
Plan to check misuse of village funds underway
Badal not allowed to meet Chautala
Govt orders criminal cases against millers delaying stock
Blind murder case of HC clerk cracked
60 new colleges seek affiliation from Punjabi University
Farmers spend sleepless nights to save crops from wild animals
Faridkot juvenile home needs reformation
Bathinda lad ready for Punjabi film debut
Cooks protest govt’s move to privatise scheme
Students suffer as Fazilka college increases seats without approval
Jal Chetna rally held in Abohar
Sanawar School Grant
Appointment of rights panel member under HC scanner
2 booked for ‘abducting, raping’ minor
One held for rape bid on minor
Man held with 1-kg opium
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Bathinda police cancels rape complaint
Bathinda, January 21 The others booked along with Gurvir under Sections 182, 420, 195, 211 and 120-B of the IPC were Rohtash, Ramesh and Sunil Kumar. Addressing mediapersons, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Bathinda Zone, Nirmal Dhillon, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ravcharan Brar and Superintendent of Police (SP), Detective, Amarjeet Singh said the girl had concocted the story to settle old scores with a family that was fighting a court case against her and her lover. The IG said 24-year-old Gurvir, a nurse by profession, had a relationship with Sunil Kumar, a pharmacist, who was earlier working at a private hospital in Bathinda. The two were arrested last year and a case registered against them at Khuian Sarvar in Fazilka for torturing Sunil’s wife Kavita and injecting her with poison. While Gurvir was out on bail, Sunil was still in prison at Ferozepur. The police officers said that while in jail, Sunil hatched a plan to cash in on the sympathy wave for rape victims and implicate his wife and her family members. He roped in Ramesh and Rohtash, who had spent some time with him in jail. They were told to help Gurvir to falsely implicate Kavita and her family. Accordingly, they staged a drama to mislead the police. The IG said during investigation, it was found that Kavita had undergone an eye surgery on January 13 and the allegations against her, her uncle Mir Chand, brother Vijay and one more person were false and motivated. Bizarre
Turn
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Senior Pradesh Cong leaders likely to be phased out
Chandigarh, January 21 Sources said there was a demand at the AICC meeting that leaders who had lost two or more elections should not be considered for the party ticket. The demand, that found favour with a major section of the party and is likely to be implemented, will impact senior Pradesh Congress leaders. Punjab Congress sources said if the party stuck to this stand, it would mean the end of the road for several senior leaders, particularly those from Jalandhar and Amritsar. Those likely to be affected in Jalandhar are the Chaudhary brothers and former ministers Jagjit Singh and Santokh Singh besides former minister Avtar Henry. Similarly, a number of leaders from the Majha region, including former ministers Gurchet Singh Bhullar and Sardul Singh, Jasbir Dimpa and Harminder Singh Gill, have lost two elections in a row. Gill lost the last election to SAD’s Adesh Partap Singh Kairon by a wafer thin margin. Also, former minister Jasjit Singh Randhawa and Ram Lubhaya have lost successive elections. The sources said if the party chose to phase out senior leaders, it would pave the way for middle-level leaders to be entrusted with more responsibility. They said Rahul Gandhi had during his last visit to Punjab met middle-rung and young leaders for this purpose. They said those who are in line for being given more responsibility include Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Kewal Dhillon, Ashwani Sekhri, Randeep Singh Nabha, Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu, Ajaib Singh Bhatti, Ajit Inder Singh Mofar and Balbir Singh Sidhu. The future of leaders who jumped ship to join the Congress on the eve of the elections is uncertain with Rahul declaring he did not want to reward such persons and that in future, the party ticket would be given to loyal and hardworking party members alone. Those who could be affected are former legislators Kushaldeep Dhillon and Jagbir Brar. The two had ditched the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) to join the Congress on the eve of the last assembly elections. Another recommendation at the “chintan shivir” was that Pradesh Congress presidents should have a fixed three-year term. What this would mean for Punjab is not yet known. Rahul has said that the party must groom a team of leaders in every state who could take on the mantle of chief ministership. The Congress high command is yet to decide whether incumbent Punjab Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh is to continue or not. Amarinder has led the party since November 2010.
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Sukhbir accuses Sarnas of trying to divide Sikhs
He said Sarnas (Paramjit Singh and his brother Harvinder Singh) could not befool the Sikhs anymore as the community members were wise enough to read between the lines. Addressing a gathering during campaigning for the DSGMC elections at Mayapuri in West Delhi, Sukhbir said Sarnas were hand in glove with the Congress and were trying to deteriorate the Sikh unity across the world on the basis of geographical boundaries. He said it was the Sikh unity that forced the “anti-Sikh” Congress government to constitute the DSGMC. He said more than 99 per cent of the Sikhs who fought for getting the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act formed were from Punjab. “The Congress party’s nefarious designs to tarnish the image of Delhi Sikh institutions in particular and Sikhs in general in connivance with Sarnas are known to all”, he said. Referring to the plight of the Sikh victims even after 28 years of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, he said they had neither been given justice nor the required support and compensation. Reiterating the SAD’s commitment to bring transparency in the working of the DSGMC, Sukhbir said on getting elected, the party would set up a judicial commission for Sikh shrines and start the
e-tendering system on priority. He claimed the people would witness a big change in the educational, social welfare and medical facilities being provided by the committee if the SAD was elected to the
DSGMC.
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Not interfering in DSGMC elections, claims Delhi CM
New Delhi, January 21 Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today rubbished the allegations made by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who had said the Delhi Government had constantly interfered in the working of DSGMC by not allowing elections for five years. Speaking to The Tribune, Dikshit said her government was completely out of the DSGMC politics, which was an exclusive affair of Delhi-based Sikhs. “I would like to question Sukhbir on what basis he levelled the allegations. The DSGMC is completely independent of the Delhi Government. “The process of conducting the elections is being taken care of by the Directorate of Gurdwara Elections, which is also an independent body,” she said. Land and Revenue Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, who is also in charge of the Directorate of Gurdwara Elections, said Punjab leaders were unaware of the Delhi political system. “We had sought an amendment to the Gurdwara Elections Act so that people should be able to elect their president directly and not through the DSGMC members. It was our initiative. We have been trying to make the process transparent,” said Lovely. The competition is tough between two major candidates, SAD (Delhi’s) Paramjit Singh Sarna and SAD (Badal’s) Manjit Singh GK. Sarna’s party is seen close to the Delhi Chief Minister. The DSGMC elections are being viewed as try run to the Delhi assembly elections slated for November this year. Insiders in the Delhi Government say the results might cast a significant impact on the assembly elections. “The Sikh demography in Delhi is different from that of Punjab. A majority of the Sikhs here are migrants from Pakistan. So, the elections cannot be won on the issues related to Sikhs in Punjab,” said a senior Delhi Government official.
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Vigilance in spot over poor conviction rate
Chandigarh, January 21 Delay in case settlement coupled with societal realities and scope for use of influence are accepted as the biggest hurdles in case follow-ups, resulting in acquittals. In some cases, the VB had faced delay in getting sanction for prosecution from the departments concerned which held the cases for a long time, sometimes even years. Suresh Arora, Director-General of Police (Vigilance), said: “The department has taken serious notice of the gap in the conviction rate. We have initiated a process of making investigations more professional. We have studied case specifics and found poor follow-up in a large number of instances. The system has nurtured an inbuilt ill of being influenced by the powerful”. Following a communication from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), the VB has recently constituted a committee comprising Special Secretary (Vigilance), Chief Director (Vigilance) or his nominee and a nominee of the department whose employee is under question for a quicker disposal of cases. The development is significant in context of a large number of cases, which are pending because many departments did not bother to reply. Arora said: “The cases that remain pending for more than four months will be taken up for trial based on department findings. From February onwards, cases that have not been replied for four months will be put up on the department website. The first meeting of the committee was held in the first week of December last year. The department had 30 pending cases. As many as 12 were given permission by the departments concerned and six more came within 10 days. The department had received 3,249 complaints in 2012. Out of these, 2,120 were transferred to the departments concerned and 754 to the office of the DGP. As many as 81 cases were registered after verification, which involved six gazetted officers, 32 non-gazetted officers and six private parties. The VB has also sent a request to the government to create a post of joint director for financial investigations with an expert from the Indian Revenue Service (income-tax cadre). In another measure, the VB has moved a proposal to conduct joint inspections along with the chief vigilance officers (CVOs) of the departments concerned for a finer perusal of cases.
the
hiccups
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Strictures on Mansa MLA
Chandigarh, January 21 Responding to a news report carried in these columns on interference by the SAD legislator in the functioning of the police, Congress Legislature Party Leader Sunil Jakhar said the High Court ruling indicated depreciation, rather than reformation, of the police and the administrative system. “It’s not just about one MLA. Winds of lawlessness are sweeping the state.This is not just tearing apart the social fibre, but also eroding the faith of the common man in the administrative setup,” he said. The government was inviting judicial intervention through its own acts. Elaborating, he said the Congress, as a matter of principle, was not in favour of unwarranted judicial intervention. But the law and order situation in the state was deteriorating at such a pace that time was not far when the courts would have to take suo motu cognisance of the state of affairs. The deterioration, he said, was manifesting itself in not just a note recommending the registration of a case, but also in the appointment of Station House Officers (SHOs) by SAD-BJP legislators or the “halqa in charge”. Jakhar said it was time that the government took note of not just the court verdict, but also the sentiments of the people and establish the rule of law, lest the state found itself under President’ rule.
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Service fraternity condemns gurdwara action
Chandigarh, January 21 The management of the gurdwara in Sector 7 Panchkula, did not allow the family of Lt General Ranjit Singh Dayal to hold a prayer meeting on its premises yesterday. The meeting was held at the departed soldier’s residence and langar organised at the officers’ institute at Chandimandir. Lt General Dayal was Chief of Staff, Western Command, when Operation Bluestar was launched. A decorated soldier who captured the strategic Haji Pir Pass in Jammu and Kashmir in 1965, for which he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, later served as GOC-in-C, Southern Command, and Governor of Puducherry. Describing the incident as unfortunate, Lt General Raj Kadyan, former Deputy Chief of Army Staff, said: “General Dayal was a highly respected soldier. To view a single action through the lens of religion is reducing not only his stature, but also that of the Army, which is the most secular organisation in the country.” Maj-Gen Satbir Singh of the Indian Ex-servicemen’s Movement said the action on the part of the gurdwara management was inappropriate as Lt General Dayal was only performing his duty to the nation. Brig Harwant Singh said: “General Dayal was only doing his duty and it was totally wrong on the part of the gurdwara management to act in the way they did. The gurdwara action seems to be sectarian and anti-national.” Daljit Cheema, SAD spokesperson, said he had not heard about the incident and General Dayal’s family alone could comment on the matter. Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, Sunil Jakhar, said General Dayal was a brave soldier and a gentleman who deserved respect of the nation, especially Punjabis.
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No increase in bus fares despite diesel price hike
Chandigarh, January 21 There would be no increase in the fares, neither by state government buses (Punjab Roadways and Punjab Road Transport Corporation) nor private operators, Mandeep Singh, Commissioner, Transport, said. The government had increased the prices of diesel by 45 paisa per litre last week. With this hike, diesel in Punjab now costs Rs 46.22 (Bathinda) - Rs 46.66 per litre (Amritsar). But the government has now introduced dual pricing, wherein the bulk consumers (industry, transporters, private bus operators and state transport undertakings) will have to buy diesel at Rs 56. 78 per litre. As a result, Punjab Roadways and PRTC, which were earlier making bulk purchases of diesel for their 4,300-strong fleet (3,200 of Punjab Roadways and 1,100 of PRTC), will have to pay an additional Rs 10-Rs 10.81 per litre for bulk diesel purchase. It is learnt that on an average, the state Transport Department buys 5,500 kilo litres of diesel in bulk every month. With the rate of bulk diesel going up, department officials said that they would now have to shell out an additional Rs 6 crore per month. “That is why we have now asked all buses to visit private fuel retail outlets for refuelling where diesel is cheaper. Punjab Roadways buys 30 lakh litres of diesel per month and the PRTC 18 lakh-20 lakh litres per month,” said Mandeep Singh. The 200 private bus operators in the state say that the hike in diesel prices will push them into the red. “This will erode our profitability. The bus fares were hiked by 13 paise per passenger per km in October, though we had sought an increase of 15 paise per passenger per km. But the government dealt us a severe blow by increasing the motor vehicle tax from Rs 2.25 per km to Rs 2.75 per km.
on bumpy
road
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Plan to check misuse of village funds underway Ferozepur, January 21 The plan will indicate the status of streets and drains, provision of water supply and sanitation besides the condition of village pond and other landmarks. Sources said the move was necessitated following reports on embezzlement of meant for rural pockets. There were reports that notwithstanding allocation of funds to sarpanches/ panchayats, at several places works were yet to be executed. The Deputy Commissioner (DC) said that the administration had prepared drawings of a few villages with condition of roads, drains and other amenities clearly indicated. The DC said that all streets, drains and inner lanes in villages were being numbered. In the drawings prepared by the Panchayati Raj Department, existing streets had been marked in green whereas those which had yet to come up had been marked in blue. Similarly, existing drains had been shown in yellow and those proposed in brown. The DC said that in future, before releasing grants for a particular village, it would be easier to assess the status of the existing amenities and funds would be released accordingly.
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Badal not allowed to meet Chautala
New Delhi, January 21 In a statement, the SAD claimed that Badal reached the Tihar Jail after his Special Principal Secretary, KJS Cheema, contacted the DIG, Prisions, G Sudhakar, who asked him to contact Jail Superintendent Shamsher Singh. “Cheema sent Superintendent of Police, Special Security, to meet Shamsher Singh. Subsequently the Chief Minister reached the jail. He was allowed to enter the main gate but was suddenly stopped at the wicket and was told that he could not meet Ajay Chautala”, the SAD alleged. The party expressed surprise that the Chief Minister was not even allowed to call on Chautala who was under treatment at GB Pant Hospital. The SAD termed the act as a “blunt denial of constitutional rights.” Chautala and his son were sent to jail last week after a CBI court found them and 55 others guilty in a recruitment scandal.
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Govt orders criminal cases against millers delaying stock
Moga, January 21 Satwant Singh Johal, Director, Food and Civil Supplies Department, said he had constituted a team comprising two additional directors and one joint director of the department to monitor the physical verification and audit work. “We have divided the state into three zones for this purpose,” he said. The department would also seek help from other departments to carry out this task, Johal said, adding the process would be completed by the end of this month. “We have issued directions to more than 300 defaulting rice millers across the state through their respective procurement agencies to hand over the custom milled rice by the end of this month. In case of failure, criminal cases will registered against them,” he added. Meanwhile, a senior official of the FCI said hundreds of rice millers in the state were yet to deliver custom milled rice worth more than Rs 1,000 crore with regard to paddy procured in 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12. There are reports that hundreds of defaulting mills have delivered pending rice from the current stock, which has left the state procurement agencies worried. Due to this reason, the government has ordered on-the-spot verification and audit of all rice mills.
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Sarabjit’s sister upset with govt
Bhopal, January 21 "If the government had shown its concern in time, my brother would have been standing with me," Dalbir said here last evening. Dalbir and her niece Poonam were here to attend an event organised to press demand Sarabjit’s release. Dalbir said she had also met former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao over her brother's imprisonment in Pakistan, but to no avail. Poonam said her family had appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to exert pressure on Pakistan to release her father. She said they had so far met 173 leaders but none of them could help them in securing Sarabjit’s release. Lodged in Kot Lakhpat jail of Pakistan, Sarabjit was convicted by the Pakistani authorities for his involvement in 1990 serial bomb blasts in Lahore and Faisalabad that killed 14 persons. However, Sarabjit has claimed all along that he has been a victim of mistaken identity and that he had strayed into Pakistan from his village located on the Attari border. — PTI
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Faridkot school gets ultra-modern library
Faridkot, January 21 Dr Mohinder Partap Sambhi, an NRI, whose late wife Dr Mohindar Brar Sambhi had studied in the school from 1933 to 1943, had donated Rs 46 lakh to set up the ultra-modern library. He has also promised to give Rs 2 lakh per annum for its maintenance and two scholarships to the school students every year. The school authorities have now rechristened the name of the school as Dr Mohindar Brar Sambhi Government Girls Senior Secondary School. Scott Slessor said a library was the heart of a school and the students of this school had got a well-designed and modern library, built in memory of one of its old students. Born in 1928, Mohindar Brar Sambhi aka Minno attended this school before going to college for her pre-medical degree. She graduated from Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, and married Dr Mohinder Partap of Ludhiana in 1953. After her postgraduation in medical science, she started working as a child psychiatrist in the US and Canada. She specialised in the care of differently abled children in the US. After her death in 2004, her husband Dr Mohinder Partap established a Chair of Indian Classical Music named after her at the University of California and a programme of India studies at the school of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University, Washington. In January 2006, Dr Mohinder Partap started Minno Sambhi Free Blood Service for Thalassemic Children in Chandigarh, said Sarin, adding Dr Mohinder Partap was now in talks with Baba Farid University of Health Sciences to set up a child psychiatry Chair in the university. Also present at the inauguration were Niti Sarin; Siddarth Wig, CEO, Elements, the architectural firm which designed the library; Ravi Bhagat, Faridkot Deputy Commissioner; SS Gill, Vice Chancellor, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences; and Gurdip Singh Dhudi, principal of the school. Over 500 students participated in a cultural
programme.
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Blind murder case of HC clerk cracked
Fatehgarh Sahib, January 21 The victim had bullet injuries on his head and neck. The police has arrested one of the accused
and recovered a Mahindra Scorpio and a revolver that was allegedly used in the crime. The second accused is still at large. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) HS Mann said Surinder Kumar of Chandigarh lodged an FIR on
January 12 with Bassi Pathana police that his brother-in-law Dharampal did not return home after he left in a Mahindra Scorpio with someone a day before. Dharampal worked as a munshi with one Advocate JS Thind who practiced at the High Court. Later, Dharam Pal’s body was found lying in the bush near Makaronpur village. A case was registered against unknown persons. The Senior Superintendent of Police said an inquiry was marked to SP (Detective) Gurpreet Singh and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Bassi Pathana. The police arrested Malwinder Singh alias Happy of Ghuman Colony in Patiala in this connection. During investigation, Malwinder told the police that he along with his brother Adarshdeep Singh had shot the victim dead in the heat of the moment. He further revealed they had asked Dharampal for the copy of a judgment in an old civil suit, the
decision on which was taken in 2010. Dharampal, he said, had asked them to come to Chandigarh to collect the copy. He further said they along with Dharampal started drinking in their vehicle. Then he asked for Rs 20,000 in lieu of providing them the copy and they paid him the money. But he still did not handed over the copy to them. The accused said Dharampal then asked for Rs 3,000 more on which they got infuriated and a heated argument followed. In the heat of the moment, the accused fired two shots at Dharampal as a result of which he died. They threw the body on the roadside and fled, the SSP said. The second accused would be arrested soon, the Senior Superintendent of Police added.
The Case
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60 new colleges seek affiliation from Punjabi University
Patiala, January 21 The ban was in place for the past three years and the NCTE has decided to lift it for one year for now. While more than half of these colleges have requested to start BEd courses, there are about five management colleges, one physical education college, one agriculture college and the remaining are degree
colleges. Dean Colleges, Punjabi University, Dr Jamshid Ali Khan said they would strictly go by
the varsity rules before giving affiliation. “We already have a large number of colleges and are not looking forward to expanding the base. Rather, we are looking forward for a qualitative expansion. Only those colleges which fulfill all requirements such as infrastructure, faculty, equipment, furniture and fixtures, will be given affiliation,” Khan said. Dr Khan said he would request the inspection
committees not to recommend any college with conditions. “The committees often propose that a particular college should be given affiliation if it can arrange infrastructure or make new appointments. In such cases, there is always confusion. “So, it should either be a yes or a no that a college should be given affiliation or not,” he added. Khan said from 2013-14, the university had added a new concept of ‘single-faculty college’ under which courses of one faculty could be started. For such colleges, the land requirement has been reduced to 1.6 acre from five acres but for a degree college the land requirement will remain five acres only.
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Farmers spend sleepless nights to save crops from wild animals
Patiala, January 21 Singh is pinning hope on some hunters from Patiala who he thinks may get them rid of these “uninvited guests”. The problem is not restricted to Ropar alone. Thousands of farmers in the forest belts of the state are looking forward to get rid of the problem soon. They are up in arms against the state government and the Wildlife Department which, they say, have failed in keeping their crops secure from the menace of wild animals. Blue bulls and wild boars are damaging their crops badly thus causing financial losses to them. “I have to work in fields the entire day and then get some sleep in the evening and rush back to the fields to ensure that the crops are secure from wild animals,” said Gursharan who came all the way to Patiala to seek the help of Balraj Singh Ghumman, a city-based hunter. “Wild boars roam freely at night. As per the law, we cannot trap or hit them. There is a lengthy procedure to get clearance from the Wildlife Department and then the local SDM to shoot them,” he added. Hundreds of farmers from Nabha had staged a dharna recently regarding the same. The state government had issued a notification allowing hunting of wild boars for self-consumption in December 2009. The farmers alleged that once their crop was destroyed by wild animals, it was next to impossible to get compensation from any government department. Many say that the authorities delay the procedure to get a hunting permit and instead create unnecessary hurdles. “We spend on bullets and travel from our own pocket and cannot even sell the kill. It can only be consumed. So why does not the government instruct the SDM and the forest officer concerned to sanction permits at the earliest,” claimed Ghumman. Dhirendra Singh, Chief Wildlife Warden, Punjab, said he had not received any complaint in this regard but would welcome suggestions to make the procedure for granting hunting permits simpler to help farmers.
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Faridkot juvenile home needs reformation
Faridkot, January 21 A closer look at the centre, set up by the Department of Social Security, reveals that the reformation and rehabilitation of all 21 juvenile offenders, some as young as nine and 11 years old, is lacking in spirit. That the Juvenile Justice Act (JJA) is not being implemented in its true spirit is visible at this observation home. To reform these young offenders, who are in conflict with law, there are no teachers, doctors or counsellors. As per the JJA, a progressive Act, there should a provision for certified educational or vocational programmes for these juveniles who can be encouraged to channelise their energy into productive work. In April 2011, when a member of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights visited this observation home on the directions of the Supreme Court, he found that its condition was not satisfactory. "Not only in Faridkot, the condition of all observation homes in Punjab is pitiable and it needs an upgrade," said Utsav Singh Bains, the visiting member. Observation homes are vital institutions created for the protection, development, reformation and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. However, the existing infrastructure is not adequate to extend ample opportunities to the juveniles for their reformation. Leave aside counselling, teaching and harnessing their skills, the state security department is not even releasing the kitchen expenses on time. Most of the time, the kitchen at the centre runs on credit and the bills are cleared at the closing of the financial year. Though this centre has the sanctioned post of a superintendent but for the last many years this post has been lying vacant and the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) has been given the additional charge of the centre. Most of the time, the inmates themselves cook their food. From the beginning, this observation home has been running in rented buildings. To construct a spacious observation home in Faridkot, over five year back,
one acre of land was purchased and a grant of Rs 1.67 crore was sanctioned. But the amount is yet to be released. "We are hopeful of improving the infrastructure at the centre in the coming days," said Ravi Bhagat, Deputy Commissioner,
Faridkot.
Fact file
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Bathinda lad ready for Punjabi film debut
Bathinda, January 21 The son of a local businessman, Inderjit Brar, Sukhman is among the seven young protagonists in the film that is based on the changing nature of parent-child relationship. Having studied at Silver Oaks School, Sukhman is now a first year student of BBA (Bachelor in Business Administration) at Gurgaon. He took a three-week sabbatical from college to complete the movie that was shot over a period of 37 days. Scheduled to release in the first week of February, the movie has been extensively shot in Ferozepur and Moga. The director of the movie is the doyen of Punjabi theatre and a celebrated writer, Pali Bhupinder Singh. "Since the director Pali Bhupinder as well as producers Naresh Kakkar and JR Kakkar belong to Moga, the movie has been extensively shot in schools and hospitals of this city," said Sukhman. Sukhman has been associated with theatre artist Tony Batish and has acted in his play "Diwan Todar Mal". To try his luck in Punjabi movies, he appeared for the audition of "Stupid 7" held in the industrial area at Mohali and was selected. While only one of the seven protagonists is 22-years-old, the remaining five are a year younger to him.
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Cooks protest govt’s move to privatise scheme
Bathinda, January 21 The state president of the Front, Rajinder Kaur Lopo, and the district president Sinder Kaur Sibia convened a meeting at Gurdwara Haji Rattan. Later, workers took out a protest march till the office of the Deputy Commissioner raising slogans against the state government. They said by handing over the mid-day meal scheme to contractors, the government would end up making things difficult for the poor people. "Contractors are bound to make profit out of the food provided to poor children, which should not happen," they said. The protesters alleged that a committee had been formed under the Punjab chief secretary to take decisions about mid-day meals, but Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka had arbitrarily introduced the contract system in the scheme. They added that in the financial year 2011-12, a total Rs 226.68 crore were collected under the scheme, which included contributions of the state and Central governments. However, only Rs 162.28 crore could be spent while the remaining amount remained unutilised. Notably, the scheme faced closure in many schools due to lack of funds. The leaders demanded that cooks be paid an arrear of Rs 3 crore which was pending with the government. They also demanded that the salary of cooks be increased as per the labour laws and that the decision to contract out the scheme be withdrawn soon.
mid-day meal
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Students suffer as Fazilka college increases seats without approval
Fazilka, January 21 On the basis of the forms, the university issues registration-cum-roll number card. It is learnt that the university rejected the forms on the ground that the college did not seek prior permission for increasing the number of seats. As many as 141 BA-I students, three BA II and BA III students each were allowed admission by
the college after it increased the number of seats in the BA course. The deputy director (Colleges) had, vide a letter dated September 10, 2012, increased the quota of seats in the college from 850
to 1,000. But the university authorities reportedly rejected the forms on the plea that apart from the Education Department, the college authorities should have taken prior permission from the university also. "We had deposited an admission fee of Rs 1,800 with the college six months ago, but have not been registered with the university yet," regretted students Sandeep Kumar and Shiv Kumar. The officiating principal of the college Tribhuvan Ram said, "We had informed the PU at the time of admission and applied for approval to increase the number of seats. A prior approval could not be taken as the last date of admission was nearing. Hopefully, the matter would be sorted out during the meeting of the syndicate of the PU." With their admission forms not being accepted, the students shall not be allowed to appear in the 'eligibility test' of the college, followed by the final examination scheduled to be held in April this year. "Why should the students suffer for a dispute between the college and university authorities?" asked Baghich Singh demanding that the registration-cum-roll number cards be immediately issued to the students.
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Jal Chetna rally held in Abohar
Abohar, January 21 The call for the rally had been given by the DAV Managing Committee to create awareness among the people over the decline in the groundwater level and contamination of canal water in the state. Principals of all the DAV institutions including Panjab University senator Dr Sanjeev Kumar Arora, Dr Venita Singh, Dr Neelam Arun Mittu and Kusum Khungar besides the teachers walked with the students. A marathon race was also organised by LRS DAV Senior Secondary Model School on the occasion.
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Sanawar School Grant
Chandigarh, January 21 A Division Bench of the High Court has minced no words to say it is for the legislature to debate whether Rs1 crore should have been given to the school in Himachal Pradesh in robust financial health while the State of Punjab is unable to even release grant-in-aid to aided schools, as claimed by petitioner-cum-former MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira. The Bench of Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain has also said that it was for the legislators to deliberate whether the grant is in public interest or was sanctioned only because the Deputy Chief Minister is the alumni of the school and was invited to its valedictory function. The Bench also made it clear that the petition was being dismissed not on merit, but due to its maintainability. In a judgment that says it all, the Bench spelled out the issues required to be debated by the legislature. “We make it clear that because of the reason that petition is rejected as not maintainable, we have not gone into the proprietary wisdom and justification of the expenditure involved. “It is for the legislators to debate on the Floor of the House as to whether the expenditure is justified and can be treated as in public interest or not; whether it serves any public interest to give donation of Rs1 crore to the school, which is not located in the State of Punjab, but in Himachal Pradesh.” The Bench has gone on to add it was for the legislature to also see “whether a sum of Rs 1 crore should be given to a school which otherwise enjoys robust financial health and when on the other hand, the State of Punjab is unable to even release grant-in-aid to its own aided schools because of which teachers are not able to get their salaries for several months as alleged by the petitioner. “And whether the amount was sanctioned only because the respondent is the alumni of the school and was invited to the valedictory function of the 165th foundation celebration of the said school” In its 21-page judgement, the Bench concluded: “All these issues need to be debated by the legislature and are to be left to its wisdom….”
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Appointment of rights panel member under HC scanner
Chandigarh, January 21 A petition in public interest was filed today seeking the quashing of an order issued on October 27, 2008, appointing him as the member. The petitioner contended that Rojam did not possess the requisite experience of seven years in the State of Punjab. In fact, his experience in the State was four years, five months and 21 days. After superannuation in March 2004, Roojam worked as the President
of District Consumer Disputed Redressal Forum, Bathinda, and President of District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Ropar. At the time of joining as Commission member, he was working as President of District Consumer Disputes Forum-II, Chandigarh. He joined as Member, Punjab State Human Rights Commission, on November 4, 2008, for the full term of five years.
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2 booked for ‘abducting, raping’ minor
Sangrur, January 21 She was later raped by the accused man on the pretext of solemnising marriage with her. On the complaint of the girl’s father, the police has registered a case under Sections 363, 366-A and 376 of the IPC against Manpreet Singh of Raisar village in Barnala district and Seera of Saharana village. Cheema Mandi SHO Karnail Singh said the girl had returned home yesterday. The matter came to the notice of the family after her return. No arrest has been made in the case so far, he said. — TNS
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One held for rape bid on minor
Patiala, January 21 The police said 19-year-old Mandeep Singh allegedly tried to rape the victim when she was alone at her house on Thursday last week at around 11 am. “The accused had also tried to molest the girl earlier. He also threatened her with dire consequences if she told anyone about the incident," Ghagga SHO Bindu Bala said. The accused has been booked under Section 452, 376, 511, 506, 354 of the IPC and 3(1), (11) of the SC, ST Act. The girl studies in Class VII in a government school, the police said.
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Man held with 1-kg opium
Bathinda, January 21 A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered against the accused at the Talwandi Sabo police station. Shop burgled Valuables worth nearly Rs 1.59 lakh was stolen from a shop in Kothe Amarpura
village here. In a complaint to the police, Rajesh Kumar of Parasram Nagar said the locks of his shop were found broken. The miscreants decamped with readymade clothes lying in the shop. A case under Sections 457 and 380 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against unidentified persons at the Thermal police station. Ear-rings snatched Two youths snatched gold ear-rings worth nearly Rs 15,000 from a woman
at the Rose Garden in Bathinda. Krishna Rani, a resident of Green Avenue, in her complaint to the police, stated that she had gone for a stroll at the Rose Garden where two persons, between 30 and 35 years of age, gagged her and snatched the ornaments. A case under Sections 356 and 34 of the IPC has been registered against two unidentified persons at the Thermal police station.
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girl who alleged that she was kidnapped from Chandigarh, raped and dumped near Bathinda was cancelled today with the police saying that the charge was concocted and the girl, identified as Gurvir Kaur, had now become an accused in the case.
New Delhi, January 21