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Identify unsafe govt school buildings: HC
Speedy VAT refunds for dealers with good record on cards
Cong MPs call on PM, seek Rs
200 bonus on wheat MSP
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Wheat procurement touches 43.26 lakh tonnes
Protesters in Sunam lathicharged, 10 injured
Cong to contest block samiti poll on party symbol
Online registration in schools soon
Controversy surrounding Dhingra’s memorial refuses to die down
Sukhbir for death penalty to rapists
Amritsar visit of Jaitley’s wife fuels speculation
Being threatened, offered bribe, claims Tarn Taran assault victim
Alleging frame-up of official, PSPCL staff takes on VB team
Revamp payment system, demand arhtiyas
BT cotton may revive traditional varieties: PAU experts
Newborn’s death sparks protests
Ensure free treatment to acid attack victims: HC
3 tonnes poppy husk seized in Bathinda
Servant drugs elderly couple, decamps with valuables
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Identify unsafe govt school buildings: HC
The directions came during the hearing of a PIL filed by advocate HC Arora. He was seeking directions to the Punjab Education Department to shift students from five government primary schools in Ludhiana district whose buildings had been declared "unsafe" by the PWD. As the case came up for resumed hearing, the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice RK Jain directed the Punjab Government to produce a status report containing a complete list of schools declared "unsafe" all over the state. Referring to five unsafe school buildings, the Punjab Government, in an affidavit filed by Ludhiana DEO (Elementary) Ranjit Singh, stated that unsafe buildings had either been repaired or unsafe rooms had been locked. He added orders were being issued separately for dismantling unsafe rooms and there was no need now to shift the students. Arora had earlier contended that the schools had been declared "unsafe" by the PWD as per a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Ludhiana district. Directions were also sought to the state government to carry out an inspection of all government primary schools in the state for identifying unsafe buildings. ‘Can't name schools after donors’ The Punjab and Haryana High Court today restrained the Punjab Government from implementing its recent policy on naming its government schools and other public institutions after donors or at their behest. The directions by Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice RK Jain came during the hearing of a PIL filed by Iqbal Singh through counsel HC Arora. He was seeking directions to the Punjab Government to fill around 500 vacant posts of senior secondary school principals. As the case came up for resumed hearing, the Bench took suo motu cognisance of newspaper reports on Punjab Government policy under which government schools or other public institutions shall be named as per choice of persons donating a prescribed amount. Taking a serious view of the policy, the Bench observed the policy violated Article 14 of the Constitution of India. The well-established salutary practice in the country was to name public institutions after persons sacrificing their lives for the freedom or undertaking great social service. The policy, on the other hand, aimed at naming public institutions as per choice of persons who could afford to give specified amounts irrespective of the source from which it was donated. The Bench restrained the Punjab Government from enforcing the policy and directed that public institutions shall not be named after any person even if he has already deposited the prescribed amount. No amounts shall be accepted for the purpose henceforth, the Bench added, while fixing April 30 as the next date of hearing. In the PIL, the petitioner has sought issuance of appropriate directions to the state government to find out ways to fill the vacant posts of principals of senior secondary schools by amending or relaxing the existing rules so that these schools get principals. The petitioner stated that principals of some institutes were given the charge of four to five senior secondary schools. As a result, the administration of the schools concerned was unsatisfactory.
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201 rape cases in
state in 3 months
Chandigarh, April 22 Between January and March this year, as many as 201 rape cases have been registered in various parts of the state. The three-month average is quite high as compared to the previous year’s count when a total of 680 rape cases were registered all over the state (in 12 months). On the spurt in rape cases, Hasmeet Singh, CPM youth wing office-bearer, said, “Instead of seeking capital punishment for rapists or asking girls and women not to dress provocatively, we should empower them (women) to take on the culprits fearlessly.” However, Rajwinder Singh, president of a youth club in Gurdaspur, thinks otherwise: “Nothing but capital punishment can instill fear among rapists.” Navkiran Natt, vice-president of Inqlaabi Naujawan Sabha, had a different view: “A change is possible only with a mass movement. We need to change the mindset of people. This has to begin from villages, in fact our own houses.” A district police chief said, “A majority of the registered rape cases are those of elopement. And a large number of those involved are minors. Police does not dither from registering a case, though the conviction rate is poor.” An officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector-General said, “The abysmally low rate of convictions in rape cases also stresses on the dark side of the law. At times, rape cases, though in a negligible number, are registered to settle scores. Complainants themselves reach at a compromise with the accused later... The law needs to be re-looked into.”
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Speedy VAT refunds for dealers with good record on cards
Chandigarh, April 22 Speaking to a delegation of industrialists from Ludhiana here today, Sukhbir said by June, the department would complete the exercise of categorisation of VAT dealers. He said A category dealers would be compliant dealers with good track record. They would be eligible for automatic fast-track refund of VAT. He said for B category, VAT would be refunded in the minimum possible time and for C category, certain checks would be incorporated before making refunds. PD Sharma, president, Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Punjab, said under the current global scenario, every country was trying to protect its industry. "The US has reduced its electricity costs by 50 per cent. It is not justified that when power is the prime mover of the industry, the Punjab Government is charging a number of unjustified taxes, including 13 per cent duty, on power tariff". Sukhbir assured the delegation to have a look into the matter. He said Punjab would have a comprehensive interactive portal that would eliminate physical filing of returns. He said if industrialists and traders declared their income voluntarily, he could contemplate waiving 80% of records and books being maintained by them. On the power scenario, Sukhbir said by the end of this year, thermal plants would start generating power and the state would be getting power at Rs 3 to 4 per unit against Rs 7 to 8 per unit spent on the purchase the power during the peak season. He said once the state became comfortable with the power scenario, it would pass on the benefit of cheaper power to the consumers. Women protection squad in Mohali MOHALI: Sukhbir Badal flagged off mobile women commando squads from the PCA stadium here today. Eighty teams of motorcycle and scooter-borne Women Armed Special Protection Squads (WASPS) were launched for six cities - Mohali, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala and Moga. The WASPS will be deputed all across the state in the next three months. Sukhbir said the WASPS scheme was earlier run on a trial basis in the Bathinda zone and proved to be a success. These all-women mobile police teams were stationed outside colleges and other educational institutions. They effectively dealt with the complaints received from girls. Sukhbir said the women in WASPS were “commando trained and fully armed and could deal with any eventuality”. The teams launched today had undergone a special training for three months. He said Punjab was the first state in the country to take such an initiative to build confidence among women. Of the 80 teams, with two personnel on each vehicle, 10 were for Mohali. They would be stationed at sensitive locations and the strength would be increased according to the requirements.
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Cong MPs call on PM, seek Rs
200 bonus on wheat MSP
New Delhi, April 22 A deputation of Congress MPs led by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Partap Singh Bajwa today called on the Prime Minister in Delhi and submitted a memorandum. Among other with him were Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari, Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Santosh Chaudhary, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Sukhdev Singh Libra and Vijay Inder Singla Bajwa said there would be a record production of 150 lakh tonnes of wheat. He said the Centre had announced Rs 1,350 as MSP, "which was inadequate and did not even cover the cost of production that comes around Rs 1,700 per quintal". He told the Prime Minister that the working group on agriculture production headed by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had recommended that the MSP should be 50 per cent more than the cost of cultivation.
Wheat procurement touches 43.26 lakh tonnes
Chandigarh, April 22 Out of the total procurement done so far, government procurement agencies procured 43.05 lakh tonne whereas private traders procured 21,728 tonnes of wheat. Among agencies, Pungrain procured 7.66 lakh tonne, Markfed lifted 9.66 lakh tonne and the Food Corporation of India bought 7.52 lakh tonne. Punjab is eyeing to procure 140 lakh tonne during the current season. — PTI
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Protesters in Sunam lathicharged, 10 injured
Sunam, April 22 When the protesters tried to move towards the Sitasar Sarovar forcibly, the police fired teargas and lathicharged to control the mob. After that, over 150 persons sat on a dharna near the Shiv Niketan Dharamshala. Sumer Garg, former president of the Sitasar Sarovar Temple Committee told The Tribune over the phone that at least 10 persons sustained injuries in the lathicharge. He said the 10 injured persons, included Mahavir, Ashok, Mahesh Pal, Chander Mohan, Karan Singla, Gopal Garg, Mukesh and Bhushan Kansal. Garg said that there was no need to lathicharge the peaceful protesters. Shopkeepers observe bandh On the call of Sitasar Sarovar Temple committee, Sunam, shopkeepers today observed a near total bandh in Sunam today. However, shops remained opened on the Sunam-Bhawanigarh road in the outer area of the city. They alleged that a few people had been creating hurdles in the repair of a damaged portion of the boundary wall of the historical Sitasar Sarovar Temple, here, and demanded justice from the local administration. Earlier, a large number of protesters took out a march in the city. They continued with their dharna for the third consecutive day in front of the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), here. On the other hand, a number of persons opposing the construction/repair of the boundary wall of the sarovar, also took out a march in the city today and submitted a memorandum to the office of Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Sunam. In view of the seriousness of the matter, heavy police force was deployed near the Sitasar Sarovar Temple and other parts of the city. Meanwhile, the district administration today met both the sides. The temple committee, led by its president Haridev Goyal, and the opposition, led by Rajinder Singh Kaifee, president of Gurdwara Patshahi Pehli, Sunam, met the Deputy Commissioner Kumar Rahul separately at Sangrur today. Kaifee accused the administration of favouring the Sarovar Mandir Committee. Rahul said the administration had heard the views of both the parties and would soon make the best possible decision in public interest.
Bone of contention
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Cong to contest block samiti poll on party symbol
Chandigarh, April 22 Bajwa said the Congress would go to polls with the determination of winning a majority. He claimed the Congress workers were in high spirits whereas the ruling SAD-BJP alliance was trying to hijack the election process. The Congress leader said the party would go to people in panchayat elections with a copy of promises made to people by the SAD-BJP alliance in its manifesto. He said the SAD had promised unemployment allowance and hike in Shagun Scheme, both of which were yet to be fulfilled. Bajwa alleged the SAD-BJP government would try to use illegal means to grab the control of village panchayats, “something which the Congress will not let happen”.
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Online registration in schools soon
Mohali, April 22 The PSEB has tied up with a private company, indiaresults.com, for the purpose. "The software is ready. For the online registration of students, the respective schools will be responsible. We will send user IDs and passwords to the schools soon so that the registration could start next month," Dr Dhaliwal said, adding around seven lakh students of 13,000 schools would be benefitted with it. The facility will help save time. "Earlier it used to take about a month for a student to get registered. Now it's just a click away. Secondly, our staff will get rid of the correction work," said Dr Balwinder Singh, secretary, PSEB. It will also be easier to track students who might migrate or shift to other boards/schools or vice-versa. Notably, about 16,000 students shifted from the CBSE board to the PSEB last year. The board has also decided to consolidate charges being levied separately under various heads into a lump sum fee. "With this, the students will be saved from the hassles of depositing small amounts several times during the year," said Dr Balwinder Singh. "It has been seen that at times results get delayed due to non-deposit of some fee. The new fee structure is expected to streamline the system", he added.
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Controversy surrounding Dhingra’s memorial refuses to die down
Amritsar, April 22 Talking to The Tribune, Sarab Bharat Naujawan Sabha leader Prithipal Singh Marimegha said the government had first swung into action by banning the further sale of the house, but it did a volte-face later saying a memorial could not be constructed there due to lack of open space. Prithipal said those keen on visiting such places could always walk a small distance. "There are a number of historic shrines in the city that have no parking space," he said, adding they were contemplating to approach the Union Government on the issue. Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal said the administration was planning expansion and renovation of a park named after the martyr for which the Improvement Trust had prepared a plan. "A resolution has also been passed for sanctioning the Rs 12-lakh project." On Dhingra's ancestral house, Aggarwal said the entire house had been demolished by the person who purchased it and therefore it had lost its heritage value. Besides, the area did not have a proper parking space and was not easily accessible. He also said the ban on further sale of the house was no longer in force. Meanwhile, when The Tribune team visited the house, situated in the Katra Sher Singh locality, it found that an iron gate had been installed at its entrance and it was lying locked. Besides, there were a number of ice cream carts inside the premises and some shopkeepers said the owner of the house had planned to set up an ice cream factory there. Earlier, a PIL was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court last year. The court had banned the further sale of Dhingra's ancestral house. Later, the state government had filed an affidavit in the court in October last year, stating that in view of the facts and circumstances of the case, it has taken a conscious decision "not to raise memorial in the honour of Madan Lal Dhingra at the site of his ancestral house". It also stated that the house was surrounded by double and triple storey buildings and it was not feasible to construct a memorial at the site.
Chawla to continue campaign
About the martyr An unforgotten hero of the freedom movement, Madan Lal Dhingra was perhaps the first Indian to have been executed in London during the freedom struggle. Sahib Ditta Mal was his father while one of his brothers was a barrister. He acquired his basic qualification from Amritsar and went to England to pursue higher education. There, he came in contact with freedom struggle stalwarts Shyamji Krishna Verma and Veer Savarkar. Having a strong desire to see his country liberated, he gunned down Sir William Curzon Wyllie on July 1, 1909. Dhingra was executed on August 17, 1909, at the age of 26. However, his father, known for his proximity to the British government, had refused to accept his body.
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Sukhbir for death penalty to rapists
Mohali, April 22 “I support death penalty to those convicted in rape cases, especially the recent incident of Delhi where a five-year-old child was raped,” he said. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president said, "there should be detailed deliberations by the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre with all the stake holders, including political parties", on demand of death penalty for rapists.
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Amritsar visit of Jaitley’s wife fuels speculation
Amritsar, April 22 Though the rumours have been doing the rounds for quite sometime now, these have grown stronger in the last few days in view of the controversy sparked by Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu's wife regarding his political career. However, Sangeeta Jaitley clarified that there was nothing political about her visit. She said: "It was my personal visit with my friends. I have been strongly feeling about the city that has the sacred shrine of Golden Temple". She also visited Jallianwalla Bagh and Attari border. Interestingly, she was accompanied by Sidhu's arch rival Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, who also felicitated her at the Indian Academy of Fine Arts. Chhina also honoured her when she visited the historic Khalsa College during her visit. Chhina said it was a private visit and there was no political issue. He, however, went on to say that it would be great for Amritsar if Jaitley contested the Lok Sabha elections from the city. On the other hand, Sidhu's wife and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu said they were open to the idea of Jaitley contesting the elections from Amritsar. "My husband will be happy to make way for him. In fact, he himself had approached Jaitley around six months ago, urging him to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar," she said, adding they would be glad to work for Jaitley and would put in sincere efforts to ensure his win.
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Being threatened, offered bribe, claims Tarn Taran assault victim
Jalandhar, April 22 The girl was thrashed in full public view outside a marriage hall in Tarn Taran by a few policemen. The victim has alleged that she was still receiving threats from certain persons, including top policemen, for reaching at a compromise with the accused. The girl even brought on record an audio clip wherein a person named Michael, who she claims was a resident of Jhabal village and a tout of a top police officer whose role had come under scanner in the case, called up her brother and pressurised him to convince the victim for a compromise. In case she did not fall in line, Michael threatened her of getting fake FIRs registered against her, the victim alleged. She even submitted the mobile call details, urging Ladhar to get them verified at his own end. The victim, her father Kashmir Singh and cousin Jagjit Singh met Ladhar along with Pradesh Mahila Congress vice-president Nimisha Mehta. Putting forth her complaint in black and white before the Divisional Commissioner, she said an Usma village resident, Shani, had allegedly offered her Rs 5 lakh and a government job in lieu of getting her complaint withdrawn. She alleged that the top police officer had even paid a visit to her house with the bribe offer. The girl alleged that when she visited the marriage palace, she was threatened by another villager, Bhag Singh, in the very presence of the Divisional Commissioner. Bhag Singh, she alleged, threatened to take her to task once her security was withdrawn. Ladhar, however, feigned ignorance about having been a witness to the threat episode. He said he had recorded various statements and would now take another week or 10 days to prepare the final report.
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Alleging frame-up of official, PSPCL staff takes on VB team
Gurdaspur, April 22 Acting on a complaint lodged by a power consumer, Gurman Singh, the VB team laid a trap to nab the SDO, Sukhdev Raj, at a tea shop today morning. The complainant had alleged that the SDO was demanding money to settle a power bill. The Vigilance team laid a trap but the complainant himself floundered at the last moment. When he tried to offer bribe to the SDO, the officer, probably sensing something was wrong, directed him to hand over the money to the tea shop owner, Paramjit Singh. Instead of handing over the money to the SDO, Gurnam Singh gave it to the tea shop owner. As such, the Vigilance team failed to make any recovery, which is a mandatory requirement in such cases. They later allegedly tried to involve the tea shop owner claiming he was hand in glove with the SDO. This was enough to infuriate the SDO and his colleagues. Alleging that the Vigilance team was trying to frame their colleague, scores of PSPCL employees got into a verbal duel with the Vigilance officials. PSPCL Executive Engineer AS Boparai refused to divulge any details, saying “he will talk later.” DGP (Vigilance) Suresh Arora said “things will be sorted out soon”. Later, the employees switched off power supply to the town. They also blocked the busy Amritsar-Pathankot highway for two hours.
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Revamp payment system, demand arhtiyas
Fazilka, April 22 Shriniwas Bihani, president, Arhtiya Association, Fazilka, raised the issue of payment of procured wheat to commission agents. He said the government had introduced a new system of direct payment by swap card. There were different steps involved in the process, which was causing delays, he said. Notably, payments for wheat procured by Punsup and the FCI have been released whereas no payment has been released by other four agencies operating in the Fazilka grain market. These are Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, Punjab Agro Industries, Pungrain and Markfed. "The procedure should be simplified," demanded Bihani. The other problem highlighted by the commission agents relates to the slow lifting of procured wheat. Sources said out of 12,45,820 quintals of wheat arrival at Fazilka's 27 purchase centres, 11,45,510 quintal had been procured by government agencies. However, only about 1,66,350 quintals (15 per cent) had been lifted. There is some shortage of gunny bags as well. Vikas Pratap said: "The new payment system is facing some teething problems. These will be addressed soon. Two special goods train for lifting the procured wheat have been loaded and 16 more such trains will follow for lifting 40,000 tonnes of the procured wheat and the old stocks".
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BT cotton may revive traditional varieties: PAU experts
Ludhiana, April 22 At an interaction with farmers on the PAU campus, experts informed the farmers that the PAU had been cultivating the traditional varieties of cotton on an experimental basis. Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, confirmed that the cultivation of traditional cotton could be revived. "It is natural for the number of American Bollworms to go down since we have been growing worm-resistant varieties,” experts said. The area under cotton cultivation had decreased sharply after the damaging effect of American Bollworm in southern Punjab.
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Newborn’s death sparks protests
Sangrur, April 22 The infant had gotten ill immediately after he was born at the Sangrur Civil Hospital the previous day. He was then referred to the private hospital where he died this morning, Singh said. Harinder Singh, Station House Officer of city police station said the father of the deceased boy in his statement said that the boy had died a natural death. —TNS
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4,145 colonies still unauthorised in state
Muktsar, April 22 Figures procured from PUDA’s website reveal that the maximum number of 790 unauthorised colonies is in the area falling under the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority, comprising Ludhiana, Payal, Raikot, Samrala, Khanna, Jagraon, Moga, Phillaur, SBS Nagar, Balachaur and Ferozepur. This is followed by 764 unauthorised colonies in the area under the Amritsar Development Authority (Amritsar, Ajnala, Baba Bakala, Batala, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Tarntaran, Patti and Khadoor Sahib). The next in the list is the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) under whose jurisdiction there are 763 unauthorised colonies. The towns under BDA’s jurisdiction are Abohar, Fazilka, Jalalabad, Muktsar, Gidderbaha, Bariwala, Malout, Bareta, Sardulgarh, Mansa, Bhikhi, Budhlada, Bathinda, Faridkot, Kotkapura, Jaito, Bhucho Mandi, Rama Mandi, Goniana Mandi, Talwandi Sabo, Bhagta Bhai Ka, Sangat Mandi, Rampura Phul, Doomwali, Maur Mandi and Guru Harsahai. The Patiala Development Authority has detected 641 illegal colonies in Patiala, Rajpura, Nabha, Samana, Patran, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Dhuri, Sunam, Moonak, Barnala and Amloh. The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has identified 618 illegal colonies in Rajpura, Derabassi, Amloh, Fatehgarh Sahib, Khamano, Kharar, Ropar, Anandpur Sahib, Mohali, Chamkaur Sahib, Nangal, Bassi Pathana and Noorpur Bedi. There are 569 unauthorised residential colonies under the jurisdiction of the Jalandhar Development Authority (Jalandhar, Nakodar, Shahkot, Kapurthala, Bholath, Sultanpur Lodhi, Phagwara, Hoshiarpur, Dasuya, Garhshankar and Mukerian). A coloniser said: “Though the government has passed the Bill, it has not taken any steps to give it a practical shape in the form of a policy. Immediate steps are required to be taken in this regard so that residents may heave a sigh of relief”. A senior official in the Revenue Department said they had not yet received any communication from PUDA regarding the policy to legalise unauthorised colonies.
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Ensure free treatment to acid attack victims: HC
Chandigarh, April 22 Reprimanding the government for its alleged non-serious attitude in the matter, the Bench verbally observed in the open court, “The victims are not beggars. If you don’t frame a policy for them, the court can frame such a policy.” The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice RK Jain specified that the policy could be on the pattern of the Haryana Government, which has identified reputed hospitals for providing free treatment to acid attack victims. The directions came during the hearing of three PILs filed by Poor Patients Relief Society, through its secretary HC Arora. The petitions have been filed on behalf of acid attack victims, Inderjit Kaur of Morinda, along with Amarjit Kaur and Paramjit Kaur of Bathinda. The Bench issued the directions after Arora pointed out that the government had been seeking adjournments and had so far not framed a policy on the issue. The Bench was also visibly moved by the disfigurement of a victim’s face and referred to her plight after she appeared before the Judges. Before parting with the case, the Bench ordered the impleading of Chandigarh Administration as a respondent in the PIL. The case will now come up for further hearing on May 8.
Cites Haryana’s example
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Fresh summons against Badal in defamation case
Chandigarh, April 22 Chowhan had claimed that in 1998, the government headed by Parkash Singh Badal had decided to produce a film, "The Khalsa", to mark the tercentenary of the Khalsa Panth in April 1999. The plaintiff, who was then looking after the Film Division Section of the Public Relations Department, alleged he was falsely implicated by the Vigilance Bureau under the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2000 on the grounds that he had favoured the film producer, Mangal Dhillon, received benefits from him and also caused losses to the state exchequer. The court of Ropar District and Sessions Judge had, however, cleared Chowhan’s name while charges were being framed. Aggrieved Chowhan then filed the defamation and damages suit against the State of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal and others. The next date of hearing in the case has been fixed on June 11.
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3 tonnes poppy husk seized in Bathinda
Bathinda, April 22 JK Jain, IGP (Counter-Intelligence), Bathinda zone, said the seized poppy husk was smuggled from Kishengarh in Ajmer district of Rajasthan. Jain said a nexus between smugglers and officials deployed at the inter-state check posts was being investigated as smuggling of such a huge quantity of contraband was not possible without the connivance of officials. He said one of the accused, Lakhbir Singh was earlier arrested six years ago for a similar offence. The other accused had been identified as Sukhmandir. The IGP said smuggling of poppy husk had registered a steep rise in the recent past due to demand from farm labourers engaged in harvesting of crops. More than 18 tonnes of poppy husk has been seized in the area during the past few months. Besides, 43.7 kg of heroin, 51.7 kg of opium, 3 kg of charas, 880 gm of smack and fake currency amounting to Rs 5.62 lakh had been seized during the past nine months, he added.
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Servant drugs elderly couple, decamps with valuables
Patiala, April 22 The couple was found unconscious by their maid on Sunday. They were rushed to a private hospital in Patiala where they are still to regain complete consciousness. Kulwant Singh, Station House Officer, Tripuri, said based on complaint lodged by the couple’s relatives, a Daily Dairy Report had been lodged. —TNS
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Singh and demanded that the Union Government should announce a bonus of Rs 200 per quintal over and above the already announced minimum support price (MSP) for wheat.
Amritsar, April 22
The Tarn Taran police assault victim today deposed before Divisional Commissioner SR
Ladhar, the inquiry officer in the case that is being re-probed following issuance of strictures by the Supreme Court against the state government over the “shoddy” investigation.
In a major seizure of drugs, the Counter-Intelligence (CI) wing today seized more than 3 tonnes of poppy husk from a truck coming from Rajasthan here today.
The contraband was packed in 117 gunny bags. The truck was intercepted on the Bathinda-Dabwali road this morning. Two smugglers, including a proclaimed offender, have been arrested. The police has also seized the truck and Rs 50,000 from the two smugglers.
Chandigarh, April 22
Former Punjab Social Welfare Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla, who has formed the Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Smarak Samiti, said she had been seeking the construction of a memorial at Dhingra's ancestral house for long. "I had taken up the matter when I was the minister. I have again written to the government in this regard." She said she would continue to campaign for the memorial.