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Land Grab by VIPs, others in Chandigarh’s periphery
Mid-day meal scheme starved of funds
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SAD delegates meet in amritsar
Akali delegates raise their hands to approve Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal’s re-election as party president in Amritsar on Tuesday. Photo: Vishal Kumar
SAD seeks more powers for states
As employees wait, Punjab says not blocking salaries
Farmers oppose change in direct payment norms, to move SC
For flood-hit, it’s endless wait
for home
Hike flood relief: Badal to Centre
Bajwa wife’s letter opens can of worms for Cong
Satguru back, probe into sect leader’s murder resumes
Sidhu set to return to Amritsar today
Good monsoon fills Bhakra, Pong Dams to the brim
Despite SC order, officers continue to use red beacons
Fiscal crunch no reason to deny payment to staff: HC
Court begins process to declare Jain’s son proclaimed offender
Head Constable held for graft
Drug racket unearthed, 2 held
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Land Grab by VIPs, others in Chandigarh’s periphery
Chandigarh, September 3 Averse to its setting up since the beginning, the government has ordered the pulling out of infrastructural facilities, including furniture, computers and other peripherals. Available information suggests the orders for withdrawing the staff are also in the process of being issued. The move comes at a time when the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders regarding constitution of the panel are under the Supreme Court scanner. The Punjab Government’s special leave petition against the orders is scheduled to come up for hearing before the apex court on September 20. The High Court here is to take up the case three days later. As of now, the probe by Justice Kuldip Singh panel into the acquisition of properties by VIPs and others in the Chandigarh’s periphery is in a state of suspended animation. The panel practically stopped functioning about two months ago in the absence of orders extending its tenure. The matter came up for resumed hearing on August 14 before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, but extension orders were not passed. The Bench has already requested Punjab Advocate-General “to make a prayer before the Supreme Court to take up the SLP, filed against the order making appointment of commission by this court”. Justice Kuldip Singh has already expressed his disinclination to continue with the inquiry on health grounds. The three-member tribunal, headed by Supreme Court's former Judge Justice Kuldip Singh, was directed to be constituted on May 29 last year to look into land grab cases not just in Nayagaon and other villages in Chandigarh’s periphery but the entire state. Issuing the directions to the government, the High Court had then set a four-month deadline for the completion of probe. At the same time, the High Court had given the tribunal the liberty to seek additional time after taking into consideration the enormity of the task. For months, the Punjab Government “deliberately” kept dragging its feet in the land grab probe by not providing infrastructure to the panel. After strictures and delay of nearly six months, the government provided the panel with necessary infrastructure by the fag end of last year. In March this year, the panel submitted its first interim report saying “thousands of acres have either been grabbed or are in process of being grabbed”. The panel submitted its second report in a sealed cover on July 15.
Unwanted existence?
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Mid-day meal scheme starved of funds
Chandigarh, September 3 Reliable sources said the government needed to release a sum of Rs 7 crore to tide over the problem. Schools have not received any grant for the months of July and August. Ram Pal Hazara, vice-president of the Government Teachers Union Jalandhar, said: “Schools are facing hurdles in procuring salt, fuel and pulses as several shopkeepers have refused fresh supplies." Head teacher Lakhbir Singh Kainth said that none of the 18 schools under his charge had got mid-day meals allowance for July and August. " We will be moving a resolution at the meeting of the school management committee for discontinuing the facility. We will ask children to bring their own food.” Teachers claim that they have been paying from their own pocket for pulses, vegetables, salt, oil and fuel. There are allegations of certain schools spending funds meant for children on other things. “The schools have no option but to spend from the funds meant for providing meals,” confessed a principal. Kamaljit Majithia, Principal, Government Senior Secondary School, Jethuwal, Amritsar, said: “We received funds for July in the last week of August. The delay caused several problems. “While submitting the details, we are required to quote the exact figure for the mid-day meals. Since we are not shopkeepers, at times we get it wrong and have to give a clarification.” While introducing the scheme, the government had said that it was “to motivate parents to bring their wards to school.”
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All is well with state’s economy: Sukhbir
Amritsar, September 3 “There is no dearth of funds. If the coffers are empty, how are we carrying out development works worth hundreds of crores and giving liberal funds during Sangat Darshan,” he asked. Accusing the media of “misrepresenting the situation,” he said loan availed by PUDA was a part of its business transaction. To support his argument, he gave the instance of GMADA which, he said, had availed a loan of Rs 1,500 crore to purchase land from farmers. Both PUDA and GMADA were independent bodies and such loans were part of their business, Sukhbir said, adding that "you will see a drastic change in both the economic and political environment of the state.” He flayed the Centre for slashing Punjab’s share in central taxes from 2.4 per cent to 1.3 per cent, besides reducing its borrowing power. “We should be appreciated for managing the state's affairs in such a scenario. Our revenue deficit and fiscal deficit are going down. We’ve never defaulted on interest payment and principal repayment,” he claimed. He said it was the Union Government that was heading for a financial emergency. "The Punjab Congress should tell its central leaders to save the government from a fiscal crisis rather than give sermons to the SAD-BJP Government," he said. Sukhbir said had he been made Chief Minister, he would not have succeeded as party president. He said he had learnt a lot under the guidance of his father, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, and also senior Akali leaders. “Sardar Badal is an institution in himself. He has got a vast experience in running the government as well as the party. I’m fortunate to have got the opportunity to work under him, otherwise I could never have had the experience that I have today.” He expressed his gratitude to party workers for their hard work. Attributing the party’s success to ‘clarity in command’, he claimed the SAD would rule Punjab for at least 25 years Congratulating his son on his re-election, the Chief Minister, in his brief address, said that Sukhbir had proved his mettle as was evident from SAD's successive electoral wins under his leadership in the past five years. He advised him to continue to seek the guidance of senior leaders to take the party forward.
Bajwa lying on flood relief: Deputy CM Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal flayed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Partap Singh Bajwa for opposing Sangat Darshan and "resorting to lies" to gain publicity. “He claims that we’ve got Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre for floods, but the reality is that we haven’t got a penny. He must understand that you can’t win the people’s confidence with lies.” Sukhbir evaded a reply on not taking up the Anandpur Sahib Resolution issue at the party session today. — TNS What others say
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SAD seeks more powers for states
Amritsar, September 3 A resolution passed by the SAD at its delegates’ session at Teja Singh Samundari Hall here today reads: “The party is firmly of the view that federal principles as laid down in the Constitution by the founding fathers have been consistently and systematically eroded by successive Congress governments at the Centre and this has led to a serious imbalances in growth and economy. The Centre has usurped and concentrated all powers in its hands, reducing states to beggars. But the state governments are in the best position to understand and address the problems of the people.Therefore, the polity of the country must be decentralised and federalised.” Demands Chandigarh The meeting also demanded undoing the injustice meted out to the state by denying it the capital city Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas left out of the state. “These must be transferred to Punjab without any delay.” It also demanded that the river waters issue be addressed as per the riparian law. Package for farmers In yet another resolution, the party expressed “grave concern” over the plight of farmers in the country and especially in Punjab. “The UPA Government has worked consistently against the interests of the farmers, hiking the prices of farm inputs such as diesel, fertilisers, pesticides and agricultural implements and machinery. The UPA regime has been particularly harsh and discriminatory towards Punjab, refusing to include the state in any package announced for the farmers in the country.” The SAD demanded that relief to farmers be raised to Rs 30,000 per acre. The meeting demanded a diversification package of Rs 10,000 crore for Punjab and major agricultural states. Justice for riot-hit In another resolution, the SAD attacked the UPA Government for its “brazen interference” in the religious affairs of the Sikhs and accused it of “consistently hatching conspiracies for weakening established Sikh institutions like the SGPC and the DSGMC." The party also expressed concern and anguish over the denial of justice to the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims. Lashes out at Centre The party condemned the “discriminatory policies” of the Centre towards Punjab as symbolised by the denial of industrial concessions given to neighbouring states, which had led to the flight of industry from the state.
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As employees wait, Punjab says not blocking salaries Chandigarh, September 3 The state government has claimed that “no instructions had been issued to any treasury officer of the state for withholding salaries of employees, and all salaries were being released as and when the bills were submitted by various departments.” Barring a small section, a majority of employees had not received their salaries till the time the offices closed down at 5 pm. Paramdeep Singh Bhabat, president of the Punjab Civil Secretariat Staff Association, told The Tribune that salaries of employees had not been transferred in their accounts. The state government has maintained that they have released salaries to the tune of Rs 500 crore so far. The monthly salary bill of Punjab is to the tune of Rs 1,200 crore, and along with the pension, the state has to shell out Rs 1,681 crore each month. Official sources said while the state government had released Rs 500 crore for pensioners on August 30, the salaries of the three lakh employees were kept on hold. While the travelling allowance bills of the ministers had been cleared, the bills of Punjab Government employees have been kept pending. Notwithstanding the claims made by the state government about the state’s economy being robust, the figures available with The Tribune present a gloomy picture. The state’s revenue receipts (April-June) were Rs 7,446.86 crore, while the revenue expenditure during this period was Rs 8,021.27 crore. This shows that the state’s revenue deficit during the first quarter was Rs 574. 41 crore.
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Farmers oppose change in direct payment norms, to move SC
Patiala, September 3 Farmers want to be paid directly without having to give prior notice, stating that the uneducated ones would face undue harassment once this procedure is implemented. They complained that the government by passing this decision had not followed the directions of the High Court in letter and spirit. Sources confirmed the Punjab Cabinet had approved the amendment in the prescribed rules which stated that farmers needed to give prior notice so as to avail the benefit. Satnam Singh Behru, president, Consortium of Indian Farmers Association, said, “Majority of the farmers is uneducated and they would find it difficult to furnish the paper work. We are left with no option but to file a Public Interest Litigation on this issue.” Farmer unions had been pressing the state government for the past several years to do away with the prevalent system of commission agents (arhtiyas) and pay them directly. “There is no mention in the recent High Court orders passed on April, 2013 that farmers need to inform 45 days in advance about their crop. The government does not want to offend the strong arhtiya community,” Behru said. The Punjab Government was initially opposed to the Centre’s decision to pay farmers directly for the crops, claiming that the Food Corporation of India was not equipped to check corruption. It, therefore, had delayed implementing the decision. “However the government had to adhere to the recent orders passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. From now onwards the farmers will be entitled to direct payment,” said a senior government official.
The new system For availing direct payment facility, the concerned farmer needs to apply at the local market committee 45 days before the start of the procurement season. Farmers will have to submit a form and give identification details and a bank account number so that the payment can be directly transferred to his bank account in a time bound manner. The farmers can also get a cheque for the same amount from the procurement agency. There is no mention in the recent HC orders that farmers need to inform 45 days in advance about their crop. The government does not want to offend the arhtiya community — Satnam Behru, president, farmer assn
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For flood-hit, it’s endless wait
for home
Muktsar, September 3 A large number of people have been alleging irregularities in the distribution of relief material. They have claimed that over the last 15 days, they received ration and cattle feed only once. Congress MLA from Gidderbaha Amrinder Singh ‘Raja’ Warring alleged that families having links with the parties distributing relief material were getting it easily as compared to others. The district administration, however, rebuts these claims. The data given by it till yesterday stated that 7,872 families had received 788 quintals of wheat flour, 59 quintals of sugar, 7.9 quintals of turmeric and other spices and 7,872 packets of salt. Protesting against the slow process of compensation, the activists of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union today went on an indefinite strike outside the District Administrative Complex. They have been demanding some amount as immediate compensation to meet their daily requirements.
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Hike flood relief: Badal to Centre
New Delhi, September 3 Badal has demanded at least Rs 20,000 per acre compensation in case of complete loss of crops to bail out the farmers in this hour of crisis. The Chief Minister met Shinde at his office here and made a similar request in case of damage to houses as well as milch animals. At present, the maximum amount of relief in case of complete damage to a house was Rs 70,000. He impressed upon Shinde to increase the amount to Rs 1.25 lakh, with corresponding enhancement in case of partial damage. Badal also sought enhancement of compensation for farmers whose land fell between the barbed-wire fence and the international boundary with Pakistan. Since 2003, no compensation had been paid to them by the Home Ministry. The Chief Minister also wanted that the work on shifting the fence closer to the border should be expedited. In Ferozepur district, the fence was almost 3.5 km from the border. He also handed over a cheque of Rs 5.07 crore to Shinde towards the Prime Minister's relief fund for the Uttarakhand victims.
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Bajwa wife’s letter opens can of worms for Cong
Gurdaspur, September 3 The one-page letter, asking Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to look into the demands of her constituents, has stirrred up a storm only because the MLA is the wife of PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa. "The PPCC president has constantly been criticising the CM's Sangat Darshan programmes.That is why the letter has become
controversial," said a Congress leader. Halqa (area) in charge of the SAD and former Cabinet Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan is among several leaders using the letter as a lever to derive maximum political mileage. Senior Congress leaders of the region are tightlipped over the issue that undoubtedly has put the Bajwa family is a spot. A beleaguered Charanjit Kaur said she had dictated the contents of the letter to her husband's personal assistant on the phone. " I did not congratulate the CM on holding Sangat Darshan in the area," she explained, adding that she had only "welcomed the CM to her constituency." Officials claim the letter is being treated as demi-official as it had been written on the legislator's official letter pad and carried her signatures. Deputy Commissioner Dr Abhinav Trikha said the letter was handed over to the CM in Qadian on Saturday. "The draft of the CM's reply is ready and will be handed over to the legislator soon," he said. Congress leaders covertly claim that it will be difficult for the PPCC president to deny the letter which is now in public domain.
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Satguru back, probe into sect leader’s murder resumes
Ludhiana, September 3 Thakur Dalip Singh, a rival of Satguru Uday Singh and leader of his rival camp, is one of the accused in the case. The police maintains that the investigation was launched following orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. On April 11, 2011, two motorcycle-borne youths allegedly shot dead Tari near Sahnewal. Thakur Dalip Singh is facing allegations of hatching a conspiracy to kill Tari. The allegations were levelled by the latter’s son Gurmukh Singh. Insiders are linking the renewed investigation with the recent attack on the sect chief in the UK. Navtej Singh, president, International Namdhari Sangat, said: "Thakur Dalip Singh has been questioned thrice in the murder case and twice the police had submitted a report in the court that it had not found any evidence of his involvement.” He claimed that the police had not even once questioned Gurmukh Singh asking him on what grounds he had levelled such allegations. “When Tari was killed, his son and wife were abroad. How Gurmukh arrived at a conclusion that Thakur Dalip Singh orchestrated his father’s murder? It appears that Tari’s killing and the subsequent allegations were politically motivated to entangle Dalip Singh in a false case,” he alleged. Meanwhile, the August 11 attack on Satguru Uday Singh continues to be a mystery. The assailant, Harjit Singh Toor (26), who was charged with attempt to murder, has been sent to custody till December 3 by the Leicester Crown Court.
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Sidhu set to return to Amritsar today
Amritsar, September 3 The local BJP unit is geared up to accord its MP a rousing welcome. Sidhu will land at Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport around 1 pm. Subsequently, his cavalcade will head towards the Circuit House where he will address party workers. He will be greeted by party cadre at several points en route to the Circuit House. Earlier, his wife and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu had stated that during his visit, the MP would meet people and explain to them about the issues that kept him away from the constituency. He would also hold a meeting with the local BJP unit. She had also maintained that he would visit the constituency once in every 10 days. Sidhu had distanced himself from his constituency, alleging that his pet projects were being scuttled and that he was being “sidelined” in the BJP. He had been focusing more on his cricket commentating assignments and career as TV celebrity over the last one year. He first made an entry into reality show Bigg Boss and then got busy with IPL Season 6 followed by Champions Trophy. He is being seen in a TV comedy show these days.
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Good monsoon fills Bhakra, Pong Dams to the brim
With the two reservoirs filled with water, the BBMB will be able to supply enough water for irrigation during the lean season that begins on September 21 and ends on May 20. The inflow at Bhakhra Dam today was recorded as 33,393 cusecs while the outflow was 29,500 cusecs. Similarly, the inflow at Pong Dam was 19,928 cusecs against the outflow of 11,003 cusecs. VK Sharma, BBMB Director, Water Regulations, said since the Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) has not forecasted heavy rainfall in the coming weeks, water would not be released from the flood gates any time soon. In case, the water level in the dams reaches the maximum level before the filling season ends, the IMD authorities would be consulted and water in small quantities could be released, he said. It is after two years that water level in the two reservoirs is likely to cross its optimum level during the filling season. Last year, it was recorded at 1657.64 feet and 1370.38 feet at Bhakhra Dam and Pong Dam respectively. On September 19, 2011, the water level in Bhakra Dam touched 1,680.93 feet while the level of water in Pong Dam had reached 1,390.47 feet.
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Despite SC order, officers continue to use red beacons
Patiala, September 3 Despite strict directions by the security branch against the misuse of red and blue beacons, the Patiala police has failed to check this growing menace. Even though a Superintendent of Police (SP), Traffic, an Inspector and four Sub-Inspectors are attached with the Traffic wing, it seems unable to check this menace. It has in the recent past unsuccessfully carried out sustained drives to penalise the violators. A local politician, who recently quit Congress to join the SAD, is often seen travelling at high speed with an escort vehicle on the busy Patiala roads. Majority of these recklessly driven vehicles carry fake or expired permission stickers to use these beacons atop. A traffic policeman seeking anonymity said "it was difficult to challan these vehicles as they belonged to senior officers." SP (Traffic) BS Dhillon could not be contacted while Dinkar Gupta, Punjab Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Security, told The Tribune that directions in this regard had already been issued and action would be taken against officials for any laxity.
Road menace * Majority of these recklessly driven vehicles carry fake or expired permission stickers to use these beacons atop * The traffic police find it difficult to challan these vehicles as they belong to senior officers
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12 police officers transferred
Chandigarh, September 3
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Fiscal crunch no reason to deny payment to staff: HC
Chandigarh, September 3 The reverberation comes at a time when the salaries of three lakh employees in Punjab have been delayed due to cash crunch. The reference to a judgment talking about the “trite law” came during the hearing of a petition filed by Raksha Rani Khosla against the State of Punjab and others respondents. Wife of a mathematics instructor, she was seeking “legitimate service benefits such as gratuity, leave encashment and pension” after her husband’s death. The allusion by Justice Mahesh Grover to the judgment talking about the “trite law” has not been made in reference to the present financial crisis, but at the same time its relevance is not a matter of conjunctures and surmises. Taking up Raksha Rani’s petition, Justice Mahesh Grover referred to a Division Bench judgment dated October 1, 2012. Answering the appeals filed by a number of private institutions receiving government aid, the Division Bench had held that the employees were entitled to gratuity, leave encashment and other benefits. The Bench had asserted: “It is also trite law that financial crunch of the state government cannot be a ground to deny the payments as held in Sadhu Singh and 129 others versus the State of Punjab and others….” The judgment has been reproduced in details by Justice Grover in Raksha Rani’s case. Justice Grover added her husband was working with an aided institution receiving grants from the government. He was initially contributing towards general provident fund, but opted for the pension scheme after it was introduced. In response to the plea for release of service benefits, the respondents told the court that “the state government has not so far allowed the benefits of gratuity and other benefits to the employees of the privately managed government-aided technical schools/polytechnics; and the matter regarding grant of pension benefits to the retired/deceased employees is still under consideration of the government”. Disposing of the petition, Justice Grover asserted: “I am of the opinion that the petitioner is entitled to gratuity and leave encashment on account of the service rendered by her husband with the respondent institution. Similarly, it is no longer in dispute that the employees of government-aided schools or institutions are also entitled to the pension benefits”.
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Court begins process to declare Jain’s son proclaimed offender
Moga, September 3 * Moga MLA Joginder Pal Jain’s elder son Puneet Jain is an accused in a case of raising an illegal colony
* The police returned his arrest warrants to the court asserting he could not be found at his Moga address
* Puneet is believed to be in Canada and working as an accounts manager in Vancouver, British Columbia
The police has executed the proclamation orders issued by a judicial court against his elder son Puneet Jain and pasted the notices (posters) outside the MLA’s local residence, on the premises of the district court complex and at many other public places in the city. Puneet may be declared a proclaimed offender in case he fails to appear in a Moga court before September 30, the next date of hearing. A case was registered against all the five members of the Jain family, including the MLA, his wife, two sons and daughter, on August 26, 2007, under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act for allegedly raising an unauthorised residential colony. District Bar Association general secretary Sukhwinder Singh Ramuwalia said Puneet had the legal right to surrender in the court on or before September 30. Earlier, the police had returned unexecuted arrest warrants of Puneet to the court asserting the accused could not be found at his local address. Before initiating the PO proceedings, the court observed that “Puneet Jain has absconded himself to avoid service of the warrants”. Puneet is believed to be residing in Canada and working as an accounts manager at a firm in Vancouver, British Columbia. The court had allowed him to go abroad for six months on February 21 last year, but he failed to return. The case took a political turn a few years ago as Jain accused former minister and senior Akali leader Jathedar Tota Singh of implicating his family in the case. Jain then was a Congress legislator. However, political equations have changed after he joined the ruling SAD.
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Head Constable held for graft
Sangrur, September 3 Inspector Gurcharan Singh said Satgur Singh had filed a complaint with the Sangrur police stating that a travel agent Durlabh Singh had duped him of Rs 1.60 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad. Tejinder had been directed to investigate the matter, he said. The Inspector said Tejinder, however, demanded Rs 15,000 from Satgur Singh for initiating action on his complaint. Thereafter, Satgur Singh approached the VB which laid a trap for Tejinder. The HC was nabbed taking Rs 5,000 from Satgur at Mahavir Chowk. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered. — TNS
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Drug racket unearthed, 2 held
Nabha, September 3 The whole nexus came to light when Davinder Attri, Station House Officer (SHO), Kotwali, Nabha, raided the house of Amarjit Singh, late Monday evening and seized 50,000 tablets, 380 capsules, 75.5 kg narcotic powder, 3 luxury cars (Skoda, Endeavour and Outlander) and Rs 2,42,000 in cash. Amarjit Singh is yet to be nabbed. Hardial Singh Mann, Senior Superintendent of Poilce (SSP), Patiala, said they had arrested Bikramjit Singh, son of main accused Amarjit Singh, and Gurmit Kaur. The accused were running such centres in Karnal, Neeh Singh Wala and Patiala. “In Patiala, the accused had been selling 6,000 portions (poorhis) of narcotic powder at Rs 15 per portion for the past six years,” Mann said. The police has sealed the centre and has decided to attach Hotel Blue Heaven allegedly constructed by the accused with the money earned from the drug trade. “No one dared speak against the centre owner since he had links with the local policemen and politicians,” said residents. “Amarjit Singh smuggled drugs on a chemist license owned by someone else. We are investigating the matter,” Mann added.
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Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal refuted reports regarding the poor state of Punjab’s economy in his address to the delegates prior to his re-election as party president here today.
It’s proving to be an endless wait for the flood-affected people living in relief camps to return home. A large number of people staying at the Indoor Stadium here have no idea when they would see their flood-affected houses. “The administration has hardly provided any assistance. We ourselves had to make way to enter this waterlogged stadium,” claimed the displaced residents of Model Town area.
Principal Secretary, School Education, Anjali Bhawra, said: “We have sent the bills to the Finance Department." 
It is coronation, not election
Sukhbir’s dynamism will help alliance
State facing leadership crisis
Triumph of dynastic rule
Ropar, September 3