B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Faridkot Minor’s Rape Case
Rape victim supporters face threats from accused
Faridkot, May 3
Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU) and some other voluntary organisations in Faridkot, who had struggled to ensure justice for the family of a minor rape and kidnapping victim last year, organised a protest rally here today following alleged threats that they were getting from the accused.

Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union holding a rally in Faridkot on Friday. A Tribune photograph

Sarabjit’s death: Pak flags burnt
Abohar, May 3
Venting their ire against the killing of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian prisoner, in Pakistan, activists of the All India Human Rights Association and the All India Anti-Corruption Bureau organised separate protests here today.

NREGA: Ferozepur has most pending complaints
Muktsar, May 3
As many as 100 complaints are lying pending under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Punjab, which have been lying pending for the last few years.

Sunil Singla to head BJP’s media cell in Punjab
Bathinda, May 3
A local BJP activist, Sunil Singla, has been appointed the head of the party's media cell in Punjab. The state BJP chief Kamal Sharma today said Sunil Singla would look after the media affairs of the party.

GHTP unit runs for over 100 days without tripping
Bathinda, May 3
The 250-MW Unit-4 of the Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP) at Lehra Mohabbat has been operating continuously since January 15 and has completed 108 days of its run.

Faridkot Minor’s Rape Case
Rape victim supporters face threats from accused
Balwant Garg/TNS

Faridkot, May 3
Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU) and some other voluntary organisations in Faridkot, who had struggled to ensure justice for the family of a minor rape and kidnapping victim last year, organised a protest rally here today following alleged threats that they were getting from the accused.

The persons who had fought for justice were now facing threats that they would be implicated in false cases of drug peddling, alleged BKU president Joginder Singh Ugrahan.

“We are concerned about the safety of all those who held agitations against the accused, who are politically influential, to help the rape victim and her family get justice,” said protesting BKU and PKMU leaders while addressing hundreds of farmers at the rally in front of the Mini-secretariat, Faridkot.

Even the lawyers fighting the victim's case were facing threats, alleged the protesters.

It was owing to the mounting public protest and anger that the police was forced to arrest the 20 persons who had been booked in the case. Now, those who had led a two-month-long agitation seeking arrest of the accused were facing threats, alleged the farmer leader.

"Some leaders in the ruling party had already hindered the arrest of the accused persons. One of the accused, who was granted bail, was now issuing threats," alleged Sukhdev Singh Kokari Kalan, the state secretary of the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan).

The protesters also submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Faridkot.

They alleged that though two months ago, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), New Delhi, had asked the Chief Secretary, Punjab, to ensure appropriate action against a DIG-rank officer for his alleged campaign against the rape victim, the state government had taken no action so far.

The CVC had received a complaint signed by over 500 members of an Action Committee in Faridkot town, accusing the DIG of shielding the accused.

Vide its letter No. 204365 dated February 28, 2013, the Commission asked the Chief Secretary to probe the allegations and take necessary action.

Sarabjit’s death: Pak flags burnt

Abohar, May 3
Venting their ire against the killing of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian prisoner, in Pakistan, activists of the All India Human Rights Association and the All India Anti-Corruption Bureau organised separate protests here today.

Led by a former district president of the BJP, Arun Narang, and Bhagirath Swami, they burnt Pakistani flag on busy crossings of the main road here. They urged the Central Government to snap all business ties with the 'cruel' neighbouring country.

Meanwhile, technical employees of the Powercom organised a rally to condemn the inhuman treatment that Pakistan meted out to Sarabjit in its Kot Lakhpat jail.

Demonstrations were also held to protest against the brutal killing of Sarabjit in Sriganganagar, Padampur, Suratgarh, Peelibanga and Hanumangarh. — OC

NREGA: Ferozepur has most pending complaints
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, May 3
As many as 100 complaints are lying pending under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Punjab, which have been lying pending for the last few years.

A majority of the complaints are related to the payment of wages, funds used in an improper method and corruption in purchasing stationary.

The official figures procured from the Department of Rural Development revealed that a maximum 23 complaints were lying pending in Ferozepur district. The next is Muktsar district with 16 complaints and on third place is Patiala district with 15 complaints pending.

Kapurthala district has 12 such complaints while Ludhiana has six. Tarn Taran, Bathinda and Jalandhar have five complaints each.

Hoshiarpur has three pending complaints whereas Fatehgarh Sahib and Mohali have two complaints each. Among the districts having one pending complaint each are Amritsar, Barnala, Moga, Faridkot, Nawanshahr and Sangrur.

Sunil Singla to head BJP’s media cell in Punjab

Bathinda, May 3
A local BJP activist, Sunil Singla, has been appointed the head of the party's media cell in Punjab. The state BJP chief Kamal Sharma today said Sunil Singla would look after the media affairs of the party.

He presented a scarf to Sunil to mark his appointment. An RSS leader, Ajay Jamwal, who looks after the organisational affairs in Punjab, has endorsed the appointment. — TNS

GHTP unit runs for over 100 days without tripping
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 3
The 250-MW Unit-4 of the Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP) at Lehra Mohabbat has been operating continuously since January 15 and has completed 108 days of its run.

SK Puri, chief engineer (O&M), said the unit had not tripped even once and it was the third time since its commissioning that the unit functioned for over 100 days on the trot.

The GHTP authorities have carried out the requisite maintenance of the Units 1, 2 and 3 while that of the Unit 4 will be carried out in May before the onset of the paddy season.

Puri said the GHTP units were all ready to generate 220.8 lakh units of power on daily basis during the paddy season.

The chief engineer congratulated the engineers, officials and workers of the plant on the achievement.