|
|
|
|
|
Pollution-hit Kanakwal to
boycott panchayat poll
Returning officers replaced in Faridkot
Brawl ends with two BSF jawans killing each other
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Benefits for freedom fighters, kin
Vigilance officials told to speed up probe in graft cases
Forum demands stay on execution of Bhullar
|
|
Pollution-hit Kanakwal to
boycott panchayat poll
Bathinda, June 21 Situated adjacent to the refinery, the village is worst hit by pollution from it. They have urged the government to relocate them to another place. Though the district administration had short-listed three sites, none of these were approved by the villagers. Nearly 100
acres of land is required for the purpose. The villagers have now decided not to field any candidate for the panchayat elections. They want the elections to the village panchayat to be held at a new place. Bhakar Singh, a representative of the villagers, said it had been two months since Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh visited the village and initiated the process of relocation. But, the government later installed pollution
monitoring devices at the village to allegedly avoid relocating them. Refinery officials have all along been claiming that the pollution was within the permissible limits. The villagers have been complaining of breathing problems, pungent smell, skin ailments and noise pollution. Their fear grew when some blast took place inside the refinery and damaged their houses. The villagers fear that a higher intensity blast
can cause a major problem to them. |
|
|
Returning officers replaced in Faridkot
Faridkot, June 21 Two days ago, two assistant returning officers (AROs) were replaced as they were caught in the floods in the hill state. Two others were changed owing to poor health. After five returning officers (ROs) and four AROs were changed in Faridkot, some Congress leaders alleged that the changes were made under the political pressure. As these officers on election duty were not pliable to dictates of the ruling party leaders, they were replaced, alleged the Congress leaders. However, the authorities concerned claimed that ROs were changed as one of these officers, who was assigned the RO duty, had already retired and he was given the duty mistakenly. Other officers are posted in Muktsar and have additional charge in Faridkot. The AROs were changed after two officials were caught in the floods in Uttarakhand and two others were on medical leave, said Neelima, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Faridkot. As the Faridkot district administration faced criticism for "deliberate" cancellation of nomination papers of the Congress, PPP and CPI candidates in the zila parishad and block samiti elections last month, the authorities are highly cautious this time. At a meeting with all the ROs and AROs today, the District Election Officer-cum- Deputy Commissioner, Faridkot, said only the returning officer would be responsible for the cancellation and scrutiny of every nomination paper for the elections in his/her area. |
|
|
Brawl ends with two BSF jawans killing each other
Abohar, June 21 According to the details available, the firing was heard by some BSF jawans at about 4 am, who, later, found Badal Singh Saini (25) and Jitender Singh Gurjar (23) dead near Siwani in the Gharsana segment. The police was informed at 4.45 am. Station House Officer (SHO) Bhanwer Lal visited the site and the bodies were sent to the Civil Hospital for a post-mortem examination. The post-mortem examination report and preliminary investigation indicated that Gurjar fired 12 rounds on Badal and the latter fired at Gurjar twice. According to the police, the BSF jawans were good friends. Both of them belonged to Bulandshehar district of Uttar Pradesh. Badal had got married last month while Jitender had returned recently after his sister’s marriage. BSF DIG Ranjeet Singh Rathore along with ADIG Lalit Kumar visited the Gharsana segment after the incident. Meanwhile, in another incident, a BSF jawan was reportedly prevented from “jumping” on the rail track at 10.15 am near Devnagar railway station today. Members of a police team, which escorted
him to the battalion headquarters, said he had been under treatment for fits and might have fallen during a stroll. |
|
|
Benefits for freedom fighters, kin
Ferozepur, June 21 Earlier, the government had recognised atleast 39 freedom movements and agitations as a part of the freedom struggle and the natives of Punjab who had participated in those movements were bestowed with the freedom fighter status which entails several benefits for their families and kins. The state government, in its latest communication to the deputy commissioners, has asked them to recommend any such case belonging to their area so that the freedom fighter concerned or his family could be provided with the benefits being offered. Confirming the same, Deputy Commissioner Manjit Singh Narang said any such person or family who have been associated with the freedom movement could apply in the DC office till June 28. The various facilities being provided to the freedom fighters and their families include state and central government pensions, reservation in government jobs besides reserved seats in medical and technical colleges. The state government has also reserved plots in urban estates and other colonies set up by agencies like the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA), Improvement Trust, and other such corporations. |
|
|
Vigilance officials told to speed up probe in graft cases
Chandigarh, June 21 A spokesman of the Punjab Government today said the CVOs have been told to identify tainted officers in their respective departments and ensure effective supervision. These CVOs had also been authorised to pass on the information on corrupt officials to Secretary, Vigilance, and take action against them when evidence was available, he said. The Punjab Government had also made changes in the law regarding compulsory retirement in order to remove corrupt officers from services. It was the duty of a CVO to forcibly retire corrupt officers at the age of 55 years. The CVOs have been told to scrutinise the property returns of government servants in their departments to detect corruption or unreasonable accumulation of property on their part. The Vigilance officers have been directed to assist the Department in complicated cases or regarding departmental rules and procedures.They have been told to check and review procedures adopted in the department with the assistance of the Vigilance Department to plug loop holes that facilitate corruption. He said to speed up the investigation in corruption cases, the CVOs were to act as a liaison officer between their own departments and the Vigilance Department, including the Vigilance Bureau. — TNS |
|
Forum demands stay on execution of Bhullar
Patiala, June 21 Dr DS Bhullar, Senior State Vice President of the forum, said there was no need to re-examine Bhullar once a medical board had declared that he was suffering from severe depression and was mentally unfit. Bhullar said the Delhi government’s decision to have Bhullar re-examined showed that it doubted the integrity and credibility of the medical board which recently examined him. Dr Gurmeet Singh, state president of the forum, said the fact that Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar had been admitted to the Institute of Human Behavior and Allied Sciences for more than two years proved that he was a chronic patient of depression with suicidal tendencies. |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
