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Powell sees plenty of room for growth
Govt decides to stand by Maluka
Cong steps up pressure, holds protest outside Education Minister’s house
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Effect
of Books Purchase Scam
Confined illegally, 3 Cong leaders freed by HC officer
Khemkaran MLA blames BSF for drug smuggling
Toll rates slashed
Review approval to new tubewells, demands expert
Mullanpur renamed New Chandigarh
State teachers feted in Delhi
Punjab Jail Dept fails to act against 2 ‘tainted’ officials
Expired
medicines
Shuttle service at Takht Keshgarh Sahib
12 medical students down with typhoid
Loot of gambling money: Four cops booked, HC told
Defamation case: Warrants against Punjabi film actors
Punjab justifies Bhullar’s posting as Mohali SSP
Octogenarian’s plea
for appointment as lambardar quashed
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Powell sees plenty of room for growth
Mohali, May 29 Powell described herself as ‘a Punjabi-American’ while speaking at the inauguration of the American Business Corner (ABC) at MIA Bhawan. She said the ABC would act as a clearing house to connect 450 member firms with US companies interested in doing business here. The business between the companies of both the countries would surely increase in days ahead, Powell said. “I am very enthusiastic about our ever-increasing business ties. Trade brings people together, creates jobs and provides countless new opportunities for people in both our countries. There is plenty of room for growth and we need to see where both countries can best help each other,” the US Ambassador said. India had been among the fastest growing sources of inward investment into the US, totalling about $9.8 billion (as in 2011), and supporting thousands of US jobs, Powell said. Earlier, Anurag Aggarwal, president, MIA, said the ABC was the first such centre in the northern region. “The ABC is a novel concept which will prove to be of benefit to the people and business of both the countries," he said. Karan Avtar Singh, Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, was the guest of honour. Among others present were Mohali Deputy Commissioner TPS Sidhu and Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Senior Superintendent of Police. At a meeting with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the visiting Ambassador appreciated the efforts of the state government towards establishing the Indian School of Business besides the world-class infrastructure in Mohali. The Chief Minister impressed upon the Ambassador for investment in the upcoming Medicity and Educity projects at New Chandigarh (Mullanpur). Dwelling on the state's agrarian economy, Badal sought Powell’s support in pursuing the diversification programme through lucrative investment in the agro and food processing industry. Aaron Martz, Second Secretary, US Embassy, was also present on the occasion.
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Govt decides to stand by Maluka
Chandigarh, May 29 Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal yesterday rejected the demand for the minister’s dismissal, claiming he had already done whatever he could in He was obviously referring to the appointment of Justice AN Jindal, a retired judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to investigate the purchase of library books under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and selection of science kits under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) by the Education Department. The part purchase of library books and the selection of science kits was done on the directions of a committee authorised by the minister, in violation of established norms. In an informal interaction at the Secretariat after a Cabinet meeting here, the Chief Minister said when the matter was brought to his notice, he had three options - order a departmental inquiry, get the case investigated by the state Vigilance Bureau or nominate a High Court judge to look into the matter. He said since it was felt that a Vigilance inquiry would not be acceptable to the Opposition, he decided on the third option. On allegations that Justice (retd) Jindal had been selected for the probe owing to his close ties with the Badal family, the Chief Minster claimed that this was not true. He said he had asked the Advocate General to send him the name of any judge to look into the case. Though the Education Minister’s case was not taken up at the Cabinet meeting, there have been informal discussions on the same within the party and the government. The government can ill-afford to sack Maluka, say sources. If this is done, the government’s credibility will take a hit. Already it has had to show the door to two ministers, Bibi Jagir Kaur and Jathedar Tota Singh. The third minister, Gulzar Singh Ranike, managed to return to the ministry after he was given a “clean chit” by the state Vigilance in a case pertaining to misappropriation of border area funds. Also, Maluka is a Badal loyalist from the Bathinda region. The party would not like to sideline such a leader. Lastly, there is a feeling in the government that Maluka has done nothing illegal and that it is the local purchase committees which are to be blamed and not the minister. The Chief Minister tried to allay apprehensions that the minister could influence the inquiry if he remained in office. He said no evidence was required as all documents pertaining to in the case were already available. The minister could not be sacked on the basis of media reports, the Chief Minister maintained.
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Cong steps up pressure, holds protest outside Education Minister’s house
Chandigarh, May 29 Holding the minister responsible for a series of scams in his department, he threatened that the Congress workers would hold a relay fast if he did not resign within a week. Kang demanded a CBI inquiry into the books scam and the science kits scam. Elaborate security arrangements had been made at Kansal as well as the Congress Bhavan in Sector 15 in the anticipation that Congress workers would march from the party office to the minister's residence. Kang said financial irregularities apart, it was shameful that books with objectionable content had been supplied to primary classes. Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Singh Khaira, addressing a press conference here today, said the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president, Partap Singh Bajwa, would meet the Human Resources and Development Minister, MM Pallam Raju, and seek a CBI inquiry into the “embezzlement” of central funds allotted to the state under the Sarv Sikhya Abhiyaan (SSA) and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyaan (RMSA). Khaira, addressing a press conference reiterated that the judicial inquiry ordered by the Chief Minister was a mere eyewash aimed at "procuring a clean chit" for the Education Minister. "The CM is defending his blue-eyed minister while his government has suspended three officers when it was Maluka who bypassed all norms and appointed a committee under the DPI to make purchases,” he said. Khaira demanded that a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana Court be asked to probe the matter.
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Effect
of Books Purchase Scam
Chandigarh, May 29 Both Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia at a meeting of the price fixation committee yesterday requested that they be recused from the same in future. Dhindsa and Majithia are wary of signing on the recommendations made by deputy commissioners. They say they have no way of verifying the same. Participating in the meeting to approve land prices fixed by respective deputy commissioners for various sewerage treatment plants (STPs), the ministers said they neither had any knowledge of the circles rates of the concerned areas nor the market rates. The price fixation committee had yesterday approved acquisition rates in Payal, Jagraon and Nurmahal for STPs and a few other plots for various public causes. Questioned on the issue, Majithia said since a public cause was involved and they did not want to delay the process, he and Dhindsa had given their assent to the rates fixed by the deputy commissioners. They had, however, requested that henceforth deputy commissioners should take a call on price fixation and send the same to the minister concerned for final approval. The issue will have to be taken up by the Cabinet if the procedure for price fixation is to be changed. At present, a sub-committee comprising several ministers, including Dhindsa, Majithia and Chunni Lal Bhagat, accords approval to recommendations made by deputy commissioners. Sources said the ministers had become wary following the controversy over the decisions of Education Department purchase committees.
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Confined illegally, 3 Cong leaders freed by HC officer
Malout, May 29 They are Malout market committee former vice-chairman Balkar Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Daljeet Singh. The Congress leadership has termed it as a case of “vendetta”. Former Malout MLA Nathu Ram said, “Three of our senior leaders were detained by the police on Monday. But, the arrests were not shown anywhere in the records.” He said it was only after their family members moved the High Court on Tuesday that a warrant officer was appointed. “He reached here around 12:30 am and rescued the trio at 2 am.” Nathu Ram said, “The Akalis were pressurising them to support their candidates in the recent zila parishad and panchayat samiti poll, something they had refused to do. Working at the behest of the ruling party leaders, the police confined them illegally and later registered a fake case of murder.” The police, however, said a case of killing a man, Jarnail Singh of Kolianwali village, was registered in 2011 against four persons, including the trio, and they were taken to the police station for investigation. “Karaj Singh, a relative of the deceased, had lodged a complaint alleging Jarnail had died after the quartet had administered poison to him in his meal. They were all friends and planning to open a rice mill on Jarnail’s land. For the purpose, they had even accepted Rs 11 lakh cash from him,” said Ramehswar Singh, Station House Officer, Malout (City) police station. He said the viscera report of the deceased, which had come about five months ago, had confirmed that Jarnail died due to poisoning. “Earlier, we were investigating the matter under Section 174 of the CrPC. But yesterday, after completing the investigation, we registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC against the four,” he said. Asked why their names were not registered in the daily diary report, he said “the police forgot to do so as it got busy in another case of theft of a Panchkula lawyer’s vehicle”. “By the time we were to do so, the warrant officer came and freed them,” he claimed.
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Ray of hope for Jassi’s husband
Ludhiana, May 29 Jassi Sidhu, a Canadian girl of Indian origin, was killed and her husband Sukhwinder Mithu left for dead near Narike village in Malerkotla by killers allegedly hired by Jassi's Canada-based mother and maternal uncle on June 8, 2000. Jassi's mother Malkit Kaur Sidhu and uncle Surjit Singh Badesha were arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) last year but later released on bail. Jody Wright, who worked as a receptionist in a beauty salon at Coquitlam in British Columbia where Jassi worked as an aesthetician, yesterday testified against Sidhu and Badesha. The two are facing extradition trial at the British Columbia Supreme Court for orchestrating Jassi's murder. Sukhwinder learnt about Wright's testimony in the Canadian court today. "What Malkit Kaur did was inhuman. I wonder how a mother could be so cruel as to kill her daughter. Falling in love is no crime,"
he said. Wright told the court that Jassi and Sukhwinder Singh got married secretly in March 1999. Jassi's family, who did not approve of the match, got to know about the marriage after they chanced upon her marriage certificate. "Whatever Wright has stated is true. When Jassi returned to India, we thought we would start our life afresh. We were so happy with each other. But our happiness was short-lived," said
Sukhwinder.
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Khemkaran MLA blames BSF for drug smuggling
Chandigarh, May 29 Addressing mediapersons here today, Valtoha, who also released a letter written to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on the issue, said the BSF itself admitted that 70 per cent of the drugs passing through Punjab border came through the barbed wire fence on the Khalra-Khemkaran route in his constituency. Valtoha said despite that, there was no increased surveillance in the belt nor were high-tech instruments, including night vision gadgets and fog lights, being used to prevent the menace. He said even CCTV cameras had not been placed along the barbed wire. The Akali leader said it was ironical that the total drug recovery by the BSF in Punjab was only around a quintal in a year. “All statements issued to the Press by the BSF in case of drug recoveries claim that Pakistani smugglers ran back to their country after crossing the fence when an alert was sounded. How do Pakistani smugglers always manage to run back to their country and why are they not stopped from crossing the fence in the first place is something that needs an explanation,” he asked. On the allegations that a few border legislators were involved in drug smuggling, he said couriers who supplied the drug seizures further could belong to one party or another but that did not mean that any MLA was supporting the menace. He said SAD president Sukhbir Badal had given clear directions to the Punjab Police to stop smuggling and that an anti-smuggling drive had also been launched in the state. He, however, said it was necessary to put a stop to the advent of drugs from Pakistan. The Akali leader requested the Prime Minister to make central government agencies manning the border accountable for their actions. He also urged for installation of sophisticated instruments along the barbed wire fence to keep an eye not only on smugglers but also on rogue elements among the security personnel posted there.
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Toll rates slashed
Chandigarh, May 29 The Chief Minister approved a cut on the toll prices after a meeting with the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) here. According to the revised toll policy, the minimum road toll charges have been reduced to Rs 15 from Rs 31 earlier. Likewise, the toll rate for structures (flyover or overbridge) will now be linked with the cost of the structure instead of its length. This will reduce the toll rates. The pass validity will be of 24 hours (from the time of issuance of toll slip) and frequent users will be given a discount of 25 per cent. The monthly pass would come into effect from the date of issuance. The development board approved projects worth Rs 3,448 crore, including 11 major road BOT projects of a total 567 km length to be constructed at a cost of Rs 3,200
crore.
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Review approval to new tubewells, demands expert
Chandigarh, May 29 The decision, Dhillon said, “should be reviewed in the state’s interests”. He said more than 100 blocks had been declared as “dark zones” as water had depleted alarmingly there. Of these, 45 blocks were such where permission was required to install a borewell. “As such, it will lead to a disaster in case power connections are released for more tubewells,” he said. In fact, the state government should determine, after doing a scientific study, the exact number of tubewells required in the state. At present, there are about 13 lakh tubewells in Punjab. Of these, more than 11 lakh are operated with motors having power connection. However, the total area under agriculture in the state is 41 lakh hectares, including the kandi belt where tubewells in a sizeable area could not be installed due to technical reasons. Besides, there is a substantial area in the Malwa region’s Bathinda belt where sub-soil water is not fit for agriculture and tubewells are not required. Of the total area under agriculture, about 27% is serviced by canal water. If the area irrigated with canal water and a part of the kandi belt is removed from the total area under agriculture, a tubewell will be available to irrigate each chunk of land measuring 2.5 hectares (or 6.25 acres). Therefore, the demand for an independent tubewell to irrigate 6.25 acres of land appears unjustified. “The existing number of tubewells seems to very high in relation to the land to be irrigated through this mechanism,” said
Dhillon.
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Mullanpur renamed New Chandigarh
Chandigarh, May 29 Badal also gave nod to the formation of a high-level committee under the chairmanship of Adviser, Health and Medical Education, Dr KK Talwar, to chalk out a plan for the development of Medicity in Mullanpur. The committee would comprise Secretaries, Health and Housing and Development, and representatives of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority and the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal sought a similar committee of education experts for evolving a time-bound action plan to develop
Educity.
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State teachers feted in Delhi
New Delhi, May 29 Besides Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, state Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka, who is in a midst of a storm with a series of scams in his department, attended the function. Sukhbir underlined the need for re-orienting the education system to increase employability among the educated youth. The five teachers who were be honoured were: Gurpreet Singh (physics), Jaswinder Kumar (chemistry), Vandana Sharma (mathematics), Shakti Kumar (English) and Joginder Kaur (social studies).
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Exercise to restore glitter to Golden Temple underway
Amritsar, May 29 The cleaning operation has become an annual feature at the holy shrine ever since the gold plates were replaced way back in 1999 after a period of 170 years. Sources said some time after the replacement, the gold plates had gained a reddish tinge, following which a fresh coat of polish was done and the process of cleaning it up was made an annual exercise. Experts had then termed it as a result of the rising pollution in the holy city. In the previous years, the work to clean up the gold plates was being done by the UK-based Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha, but this time the job has been entrusted to Baba Kashmir Singh Bhuriwale. A few months back too, a blackish tinge on the gold plates was noticed at the shrine. SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar attributed the discolouring of gold plates to the increasing pollution. “We will try and ascertain the exact reasons behind it with the help of experts,” he said. As far as the pollution level around the shrine is concerned, a study conducted by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) from January to December 2011 had corroborated the rising level, as the RSPM level had come out to be a maximum of 227 and a minimum of 124, though it should not be more than 100 microgram/cubic metre around heritage sites. PPCB executive engineer Jaswant Singh said the IIT (Delhi) had recently submitted its report regarding the pollution around the Golden Temple to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The IIT was roped in by the PPCB to undertake a study and suggest ways and means to restore the sheen of the shrine.
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Punjab Jail Dept fails to act against 2 ‘tainted’ officials
Patiala, May 29 These officers have been allowed to continue at their place of posting for the past many months despite recommendation of action against them by the ADGP (Prisons) and the Principal Secretary (Home). In the first case, ADGP (Jails) RP Meena had written to the government to act strictly against Hoshiarpur Jail Superintendent Balbir Singh Bisla after drugs were found from the Hoshiarpur Jail during an inspection. Bisla had claimed that the contraband was seized from inmates. Two more probes were conducted against the officer, which, too, held him guilty. "However, for over three months, the file pertaining to his case was kept pending despite the ADGP writing to the Home Department and the Jail Minister to take action against Bisla," claimed a jail official. Almost a fortnight ago, Principal Secretary, Home, DS Bains met Phillaur and explained him the case asking him to initiate action against Bisla, but nothing happened. In another case of laxity on part of the Jail Department, despite the Vigilance Bureau registering a case against Barnala Deputy Jail Superintendent Ajit Singh Dhillon, no action has been taken against him. Dhillon, posted at the Barnala sub-jail, was accused of corruption for allowing "premature and late release" of eight inmates by a three-member team, headed by AIG (jails). Phillaur said Bisla and Dhillon had not been shifted due to administrative reasons. He said he would soon initiate action against them. "The Principal Secretary had briefed me about the cases, but I am waiting for a report on the authenticity of drugs recovered from Hoshiarpur jail and Vigilance Bureau findings in Dhillon's case", he said, refuting allegations that the two officers were close to him or his family.
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Expired
medicines
Patiala, May 29 The committee members, Managing Director, Punjab Health System Corporation, Hussan Lal, and Director, Research and Medical Education, Dr Tejveer Singh, visited the hospital and checked the medicine stock, storage facilities and indent books. Though they did not find any expired medicines, they noticed that the batch number and the expiry date of medicines were not recorded in the indent books. Also, entries in the indent book were not done by the sister in charge. It was rather maintained by a pharmacist, the store in charge, who is not entitled to do so. Sister in charge of Ward no. 1 told the team that the store in charge had done the entry and distributed the medicines to junior residents on her own since she was on leave. Speaking to The Tribune, Hussan Lal said they had inspected the entire stock, but could not find any expired medicines. "Keeping in view the seriousness of the matter, we have asked the officials to produce all records pertaining to the purchase and use of medicines for verification," he said. A source alleged following media reports, the medical superintendent removed expired medicines from the hospital. "The batch number and expiry date have not been recorded in the indent book, It is easy to replace such medicines with fresh ones since there is no written record. It is an irregularity in itself," said a senior doctor. Meanwhile, former Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder called for suo motto notice of the issue by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
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Shuttle service at Takht Keshgarh Sahib
Anandpur Sahib, May 29 Gurdwara manager Sukhwinder Singh Grewal said since private vehicles were not allowed till the main entry gate of the gurdwara, many old age devotees were facing a problem. The issue was brought to the notice of SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar who sought to introduce this service. Now one such car had been brought from Darbar Sahib in Amritsar on a trial basis and on its successful run, two more cars costing Rs 3 lakh each would be introduced, he added.
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12 medical students down with typhoid
Ludhiana, May 29 Medical Superintendent Dr Sandeep Puri said: “Only four students were tested positive for typhoid this month. The remaining are suffering from normal fever." Officials said the authorities had collected water and food samples from the hostel mess. "We found nothing wrong. The students who are suffering are from different batches. The hospital has also examined all the students and employees. None was tested positive," they said.
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Loot of gambling money: Four cops booked, HC told
Chandigarh, May 29 As the petition filed by Justice Ajit Singh Bains came up for hearing, the State informed the Bench that the policemen have been booked for extortion and criminal intimidation. An affidavit to this effect was filed by Amritsar Additional Deputy-Commissioner. Justice Bains, also the Chairman of Punjab Human Rights Organisation, had claimed he was highlighting a scam, “being hushed up due to the involvement of high-profile people, including nephew and sister’s son of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and higher police officers, including RP Mittal”. In the petition filed through counsel RS Bains, Justice Bains had also sought directions to Inspector General of Police (Crime) SS Chauhan to complete the inquiry entrusted to him by the Principal Secretary (Home). Elaborating, Justice Bains had asserted that the inquiry was regarding “gambling money looted by senior Punjab Police officers, including RP Mittal, the then Commissioner of Police, Amritsar; and FIR number 179 dated October 9, 2011, stood registered under the provisions of the Gambling Act at Amritsar (Sadar) police station.
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Defamation case: Warrants against Punjabi film actors
Sangrur, May 29 The warrants were issued by Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Moonak, Harsimranjit Singh, on a complaint filed by Arpinder Singh Sidhu in September last year, alleging that in the film, defamatory dialogues had been used against the lawyer community. Others named in the case are actor Amita Pathak, co-producer Sunil, production head Kailash Jadhav, executive producer John Cherain, associate director Amit Prashar, editor Manish More, writer Dheeraj Rattan and director Navaniat Singh. Harinder Lally, counsel for the complainant, said on April 9, the court had issued bailable warrants for May 28 against all the 12 persons against whom the defamation suit had been filed. He stated before the court that all the accused were avoiding the service of bailable warrants, so non-bailable warrants of arrest be issued to secure their presence. The court observed in order to speed up their summoning and procure their presence, let the accused be summoned through non-bailable warrant of arrest for July 7.
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Punjab justifies Bhullar’s posting as Mohali SSP
Chandigarh, May 29 It has brought out an ordinance saying that the maximum tenure of three years could be extended up to five years in the larger public interest. The information on the ordinance was furnished to the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the hearing of a contempt petition filed in public interest on frequent police transfers by advocate HC Arora. Arora was seeking action against Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh and Principal Secretary DS Bains for violating an undertaking given by the Punjab Government before a Division Bench on September 21, 2012. The undertaking was on minimum assured stay of one year for DSPs, SPs, and SSPs. One of the issues before the court was that Bhullar has been allowed to stay beyond the maximum permissible period of three years. As the case came up for resumed hearing, the state counsel produced a copy of the ordinance dated May 28 signed by the Governor of Punjab. Referring to Section 15 (i) of the Punjab Police Act, 2007, it said the expression "extendable to maximum period of three years", stood substituted by the expression "extendable up to three years or up to a maximum period of five years, if it is in public interest, by giving valid reasons and justifications in the orders". The counsel also assured the court that in future the Division Bench judgment on minimum assured stay would be implemented in letter and spirit. Disposing of the petition, the Bench observed: "This court is not inclined to proceed further in this COCP "at this stage".
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Octogenarian’s plea
for appointment as lambardar quashed
Chandigarh, May 29 Justice Rameshwar Singh Malik asserted: "The short but important issue that falls for consideration of this court is whether a man of 80 years should be considered for appointment to the post of lambardar." Justice Malik said age was one of the relevant factors for appointment as lambardar; and the district collector did not commit error of law while appointing another candidate to the post. In his petition against the Punjab Government and other respondents, Harbhajan Singh had contended that on February 25, 2010, the district collector appointed another candidate Jaswinder Singh as lambardar. The order was reversed on July 25, 2011, by Jalandhar Division Commissioner; and Harbhajan Singh was appointed as lambardar. But, on October 4, 2012, the Punjab Financial Commissioner ordered the setting aside of the July 2011 order passed by the commissioner. In the process, he restored the initial order of February 2010, appointing Jaswinder Singh to the post. Feeling aggrieved, the petitioner approached the High Court for quashing of the impugned order. After hearing arguments, Justice Malik asserted: "It is undisputed on record that at the time of submitting his application, the petitioner was 80 years of age, who would be now more than 83…. A bare perusal of the order passed by the district collector would show that he came to the right conclusion by preferring Jaswinder Singh over and above the petitioner.”
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Mohali, May 29
The importance of being Maluka
How do Pakistani smugglers always manage to run back and why are they not stopped from crossing the fence in the first place is something that needs a
reply
Road to
relief
The Principal Secretary had briefed me about the cases, but I am waiting for a report on the authenticity of drugs recovered from Hoshiarpur jail and the Vigilance Bureau findings in Dhillon's case... We will soon take an action against
them