The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

This govt college saw 12 principals in 10 years
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, March 13
On the face of it, no one seems to be willing to head the Government College, Muktsar, despite the college having the distinction of producing many big names in politics and bureaucracy.

In a period of almost 10 years, 12 principals have been transferred in the institute, which is the lone government college in the district.

Apart from the early transfers, the college is also facing an acute shortage of staff. Of the total 52 sanctioned posts of teachers, the college is being run by 11 permanent teachers and a similar number of ad-hoc appointees. Shockingly, the Botany department does not even have a single lecturer and teachers belonging to other science departments are teaching the students of Botany.

Irate over the practice, the staff here says that the state government was running the college half-heartedly. "How can an institute, which sees a new head after a short interval, earn a name for itself? By the time one becomes familiar with the college and its issues, the person gets transferred. But the senior officials in the education department are hardly worried about this important issue," alleged the teachers.

"We demand a permanent principal for the smooth functioning of the college, who can at least complete his minimum tenure of three years," they added.

Narrating the reason behind the early transfers, the teachers said, "A majority of the principals who have served here belonged to far away towns and after a short period, they started approaching the higher-ups seeking transfer to their hometowns. All this affected the functioning of the institute."

A look at the incumbency chart of the principals revealed that a number of them were transferred even before completing a month here.

Chhinderpal Singh, who got the officiating charge of the principal just four days ago, said, "We must have a permanent principal so that work does not get affected. As far as I am concerned, I have not yet got the powers of drawing and disbursement."

He further said that earlier, Raj Kumar Miglani held this post for almost six months and before him, two officiating principals served here.

It is worth mentioning that after becoming the Education Minister, Sikander Singh Maluka, had termed the pleadings for transfer as an irritant plaguing the department. "As the teachers generally keep demanding transfers, I have decided to give them all the place of postings as per their choice by May, but with a rider that no further transfer would be allowed for the next three years," Maluka had said.

But here, things are in contrast, say the teachers, who informed that the college had nearly 1,850 students and offered courses like BA, B.Com, BSc and MA in Political Science and Economics.

Two kg heroin, Rs 9.9 lakh in fake currency seized
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, March 13
Alert troops belonging to the Border Security Force (BSF) today foiled yet another bid by Pakistan based smugglers to push narcotics and fake Indian currency notes (FICN) inside the Indian territory and recovered heroin worth Rs 10 crores besides FICN amounting to Rs 9.92 lakh.

Giving details, RPS Jaswal, DIG, BSF said on the intervening night of March 12-13, at around 11.45 pm, the BSF troops deployed along the border outpost (BOP) Muthianwali in Ferozepur sector observed the movement of three Pakistani smugglers.

"The Pakistani smugglers slowly moved inside the Indian territory and later, started throwing the contraband over the barbed wire fencing," said BSF officials.

Thereafter, the BSF challenged them to stop. However, the Pakistani smugglers started firing, said BSF officials, adding that when the BSF men fired back at the smugglers, they retreated towards the Pakistan side under the cover of standing wheat crops.

Later, during a thorough search of the area, the BSF troops recovered two packets of contraband suspected to be heroin besides three packets of FICN. All the notes were in the denomination of Rs 500 each.

The DIG said during the current year, the BSF has already seized 54.120 kg heroin worth Rs 270 crores besides arms and ammunition. Three Pakistani and four Indian nationals have also been apprehended by the BSF for smuggling this year, he said.

Gang of burglars busted, three held
Our Correspondent

Fazilka, March 13
Fazilka district police claimed to have busted a gang of burglars and snatchers and arrested three of the five members of the gang and recovered cash worth Rs 2 lakh, a country-made .12 bore pistol and two live cartridges. An Indigo car used for the crime has also been impounded.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Fazilka, Sukhdev Singh Kahlon, while talking to media persons, disclosed that the members of the gang were involved in a dacoity of Rs 6 lakh from an employee of a wine contractor on March 3 when he was on way to his residence in Radha Swami Colony. The accused had also assaulted the victim. Of the total cash, police has recovered Rs 2 lakhs. "Attempts are being made to recover the remaining amount," he said.

Acting on the basis of a tip-off, the police arrested Kuldeep Singh, a resident of village Changa Rai, Anup and Ghanshayam, resident of Nai Abadi, from near Badha canal on the outskirts of Fazilka town.

However, the kingpin of the gang, Shingara Singh alias Shingari, a resident of the Nai Abadi, managed to escape. The fifth member of the gang, identified as Rajinder Singh alias Kala, a resident of village Keri in Rajasthan, is still at large.

The gang has been active for about 15 years and has been involved in different crimes. In recent incidents, the members of the gang removed gold ornaments weighing about 7.5 grams from the house of a woman living in thickly populated the locality of Kanshi Ram Colony. The gang had also snatched Rs 70,000 from the woman who was alone at the time of crime on January 29 this year.

It is stated that Shingari had escaped from police custody some time ago and had struck in Fazilka town twice in the last three months.

Superintendents of Police Balbir Singh and Varinder Singh Brar, DSP (D) Veer Chand and Ram Parkash were also present at the press meet.

5 booked in rape cases
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, March 13
The Ferozepur police has booked three persons for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl who used to work with a finance company.

Police sources informed that the accused had asked the girl to come with them to Talwandi Bhai on the pretext of some official work and then took her to Ludhiana where they allegedly physically exploited her for a week.

The 22-year-old girl belonged to Rukna Mangla village under the Kulgarhi police station. The accused have been identified as Gopal Chand, Bugga and Bhupinder.

In the second incident related to physical exploitation of a teenaged girl, the police booked two persons identified as Parkash and his aunt Asha Rani, both from village Singhawala in Moga district on the charge of rape and sexual harassment levelled by the girl.

In her complaint, the girl belonging to Basti Thaterawali under Guruharsahai sub-division had stated that Parkash had taken her away to his aunt's house in Moga where he allegedly made physical relations with her without the consent and later dumped her.

Senior Superintendent of Police Varinder Pal Singh said that the police has registered a case on the basis of the statement of the girl and further investigations were on.

High security registration plates
Fleecing of customers rampant in Muktsar
Archit Watts/TNS

A worker installing a high security registration plate on a car at the DAC in Muktsar on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Muktsar, March 13
If you want to install high security registration plates (HSRP) on your vehicle, especially a four-wheeler, don't forget to carry the precise amount of Rs 20 in cash, otherwise you will be told to get the old registration plates of your vehicle removed by a mechanic on the road outside.

The illegal practice is going on inside the District Administrative Complex (DAC) here.

The practice came to light today when this correspondent accompanied a man who had come to the DAC to get these plates installed on his vehicle.

The employee, who was found charging the amount from the public, termed it as 'chaah-paani kharcha'. "My salary is nominal. I get Rs 4,500 per month. That is why I am collecting this amount from the people coming here to get the plates installed. But I am not the only one collecting the money, we all divide it," said the employee.

Sources in the DAC said the high security plates had been installed on nearly 3,000 vehicles in the district, since the practice began in May 2011.

It is also worth mentioning that when one deposits the fee to get these high security plates, the employees don’t even return the change.

Some vehicle owners alleged that the officials of the department were rarely following the practice of making phone calls to the vehicle owners, when the plates were ready.

District Transport Officer Charandeep Singh had assumed charge only today and was not in a position to comment on the practice.

Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh said, "If any employee of the district transport office or the private company is charging money from the public for this purpose, strict action will be taken against him. Even the senior officials of the private company will be informed in this regard, so that they may keep a check on such activities."

Board Exams
Two dozen cases of copying detected
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, March 13
The class XII Board exams in some private schools in Faridkot have been marred by rampant cheating. The flying squad of the school education department has detected over two dozen cases of cheating in five private schools in the district in the last three days.

The education department has decided to act tough against copying as taking a leaf out of the film "Munnabhai MBBS", the students were using earphones plugged to their mobile phones and Bluetooth devices to use unfair means in the examination.

Three days back, the invigilator in an examination hall at a private school in Faridkot, owned by a BJP leader, recovered some Bluetooth devices, being used for cheating.

The frisking of the suspected students resulted in the recovery of Bluetooth devices concealed under the turban, close to the ear. A helper sitting in another room in the school was dictating answers on these Bluetooth devices.

Suresh Arora, assistant district education officer (ADEO), Faridkot, said some students tried to use mobile phones to cheat in the exams. Though there are clear instructions not to carry mobiles in the exam halls, many phones were recovered from the students during their frisking, he said.

As some private schools in Faridkot are notorious for the use of unfair means in exams, the department is keeping a strict vigil on these schools this time, revealed sources in the education department.

During the inspection of one of these schools in Bhana village yesterday, a flying squad team detected 11 cases of copying. The exam centre was cancelled and the supervisory staff shifted out, said Suresh Arora.

"As some invigilators are under threat for checking the use of unfair means, so we have provided them with police security so that they can check the practice effectively," said Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat.