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Fate of project for widows uncertain
Government schools in border villages cry for attention
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CM: Riders imposed by Centre impeding relief
State’s CST collections held back
Bajwa lashes out at CM for calling Modi ‘sardar’
Badal not doing much for farmers: Bhattal
Wrong to drag Sonia in riots case: Capt
SAD-BJP leaders counter Sidhu on development
Tewari hits back at Modi
Weak rupee, poor supply raise cotton prices
State govt should give land for
NIFT: Minister
Patiala medical college to retain user charges
Excise dept staff irked over delay in promotions
Nihang’s ‘strained’ marriage with UK socialite upsets Jassian villagers
SGPC flays attack on Shopian Sikh families
Centre bent on reducing Punjabis to beggars: Badal
Raped, child critical at PGI
Farmers return from Gujarat summit impressed
Assault on pilgrims angers Akal Takht chief
HC sets aside downgrade of judge’s annual report
HC fines state govt for delay in filing appeal
Senior SAD leader, Ghanaur legislator trade charges
65-year-old dies in road accident
4 cops, pharmacist held for
allowing jail inmates visit home
Terrorist module chief nabbed
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Fate of project for widows uncertain
Ludhiana, September 11 The state government had recently signed an MoU with an NRI Raj Loomba from UK, who had desired to invest a total of Rs 1 crore in two phases towards the start of this pilot project from Ludhiana district. Under this project, about 2,000 widows from villages in Ludhiana will be trained in stitching clothes and will also be given a stipend. One of the officials attached with the project, wishing not to be quoted, said the funds provided by the Loomba Foundation can be spent only after the government gives a matching grant of Rs 50 lakh. With Rs 1 crore in the first phase, the peddled sewing machines will be purchased, the cost of which is three times that of ordinary sewing machines. Sources say the authorities have already identified villages and women who would be given training in the first phase. Besides, about 55 centres in various villages where the widows will get the training have been identified. In his last interaction with the media, Loomba, when asked whether the state government will be able to provide a matching grant in these times of financial crunch, said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had also desired the collaboration and he had no doubt that the grant will be released by the government. Finance Minister Parminder Dhindsa too had said that within a few days, grant will be released for the project but till date, no such grant has come to the authorities. The nodal officer for the project Kanwalpreet Brar said all homework had already been done and tenders for the machines were set to be floated. “Once the state government releases the grant, we will start with the project for the welfare of widows,” she said. The initiative The state government had recently signed an MoU with an NRI Raj Loomba from UK, who had desired to invest a total of Rs 1 crore in two phases in this pilot project initiated in Ludhiana district Under this project, about 2,000 widows from villages in Ludhiana will be trained in stitching of clothes and will also be given a stipend The funds provided by the Loomba Foundation can be spent only after the government gives a matching grant of Rs 50 lakh
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Government schools in border villages cry for attention
Ratoke (Khemkaran), September 11 These schools present a picture of neglect and have been struggling for adequate staff and infrastructure. When The Tribune team visited the Government Elementary School in this non-descript village near Khem Karan, it found the students studying in the open right next to a pool of dirty water formed after the rains. When inquired, it came to light that a part of the school building was unsafe while the remaining rooms neither had furniture nor any power connection. Therefore, the teachers have opted to take a class outside the classrooms in the school, which also lacks a boundary wall. "The only tree providing shade in the campus also fell down during the recent rains," rued the students. There are merely two teachers for around 200 students from Class I to V. Asked how they were managing the affairs, they replied they had divided the classes among themselves. One of the teachers took care of Class I-III while the other attended to the students of Class IV and V. The school had also remained shut for a few months in the past as there was no teacher at all. Next to it is the village's Government High School, which is in an equally bad shape. There are merely two teachers for around 250 students from Class VI-X against the sanctioned posts of 13. Incidentally, both of them are computer teachers even though there are no computers in the school! The school had a single teacher a month back before the second one joined it. There are only two rooms at the disposal of the school while the remaining rooms are being reconstructed. While one of the rooms serves as office-cum-kitchen, the other one houses the lone classroom where the students of all five classes are seated. The teachers here too didn't have any convincing answer when asked as to how they taught all the subjects to these students who were seen loitering outside when this correspondent reached the school. At Mehndipur village too, there are two teachers for 187 students of the Government Primary School, which is also grappling with inadequate furniture and fund crunch for midday meal. The school has discontinued midday meal as there was neither any supply of ration nor release of funds to continue the same. The village's Government Middle School also had a single teacher (who is art and craft teacher) for 14 years before he was joined by another last year and that too a physical training instructor (PTI). The staff crunch has also taken a toll on the school's strength as it has merely 35 students. The Government Secondary School (Boys) at Khemkaran is no better. There are only two lecturers out of nine sanctioned posts and four employees in the master cadre of the total 10 sanctioned posts. There is no teacher for Social Studies against three sanctioned posts. The post of English teacher is lying vacant ever since it was sanctioned. There are 10 posts in vocational courses with two each in electrical, mechanical, food preservation, banking and cooperative streams, but there is not even a single teacher for them. Similarly, all the posts of teachers are vacant at government middle schools in the Madar Mathra Bhagi, Bhain Massa Singh and Cheema Khurd villages. In Government Secondary School (Boys), Ghariala, 26 of the 33 posts of teachers are vacant while in Government Secondary School (Boys), Khalra, 31 of the 40 posts of teachers are vacant. In Government Secondary School (Girls), Khemkaran, 17 of the 23 posts are vacant while in that of Khalra, 14 of the 22 posts are vacant. Besides, most of the government schools didn't have proper drinking water and toilet facilities. When contacted, Tarn Taran District Education Officer (Secondary) Paramjit Singh said they were aware of the vacant posts and had already written to the higher officials. (With inputs from Gurbaxpuri in Tarn
Taran) Shocking affairs At Ratoke high school in Khemkaran, there are only two teachers (13 sanctioned posts) for around 250 students Incidentally, both the teachers are of computer subject even though there are no computers available in the school The school had a single teacher a month ago before the second joined it To top it all, the students of all five classes are seated in the same classroom
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CM: Riders imposed by Centre impeding relief
Muktsar, September 11 Interacting with mediapersons at Manianwala village in the Gidderbaha assembly constituency, Badal slammed the state Congress leadership for its “malicious” propaganda regarding the state’s finances. The Chief Minister said: “If they (Congress leaders) are truly concerned about the state’s economic condition, then they must seek a special package for the state from Central Government.” He assured the people that the state government was committed to their welfare and that there was no dearth of funds for the purpose. Reacting to the Chief Minister’s allegation against the Centre, Leader of the Opposition Sunil Jakhar and Gidderbaha MLA Amarinder Singh Raja Warring asked Badal to spell out the riders that the Centre had imposed on the state that he claimed impeded compensation to the flood victims. “The state government was given huge funds to handle such situations. Where has the money gone? The CM is just playing politics over floods.This situation has arisen only because of lack of political will and administrative skills,” alleged Jakhar. He said the situation had turned worse in Abohar area with canals turning dry. Raja Warring said there was no point in holding public meetings in flood-hit areas when the Chief Minister had no money for relief.
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State’s CST collections held back
Chandigarh, September 11 At a time when Punjab is facing a lower than targeted growth in its revenue collections, the release of this amount has become important. However, the state’s repeated pleas to the Centre for early release of the money have been ignored. Officials in the Finance Department told The Tribune that for quite some time the state government had been requesting the Government of India to release the money. Now, the Chief Minister had taken up the matter with the Centre and requested that the funds be released at the earliest. Punjab is not the only state whose CST collections have been held back by the Centre. In fact all states opposed to the GST rollout have been accusing the Centre of holding back the funds so as to armtwist them into agreeing to the Centre’s terms for having the GST regime in place. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, when contacted, said the Government of India was meting out a stepmotherly treatment to Punjab. “The total devolution of funds from the Centre to Punjab is among the lowest in the country. Punjab gets Rs 9,270 crore while states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh get a major chunk of funds from the central divisible pool of the states. “Punjab’s share in tax devolution since the Fifth Pay Commission (1970-75) has declined from 2.45 per cent of the divisible pool to 1.389 per cent in the 13th Finance Commission. We have now requested that we be given a share equivalent to the state’s Gross State Domestic Product contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product. If this is done, Punjab will have more resources at its disposal,” Sukhbir said.
All employess yet to be paid, admits govt
Chandigarh: The Punjab Government today admitted that not all of its employees had been given salaries yet. It said a sum of Rs 1,201 crore of a total salary bill of Rs 1,450 crore had been released till date. DP Reddy, Principal Secretary, Finance, said the government had cleared an additional salary bill of Rs 200 crore while the remaining bill of Rs 100 crore would be released tomorrow.
“There are 3.15 lakh state government employees and their salaries are cleared only after the Drawing and Disbursing Officers in each department submit the bill before the treasury. At times it can take a few days to clear these bills,” he said. Reddy said that salary bills were usually cleared by mid-month. “We have asked the treasury officers to ensure that bills are cleared promptly,” he added. Shrinking share Punjab's share in tax devolution since the Fifth Pay Commission (1970-75) has declined from 2.45 per cent of the divisible pool to 1.389 per cent in the 13th Finance Commission — Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy CM
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Bajwa lashes out at CM for calling Modi ‘sardar’
Baghapurana (Moga), September 11 He said Badal had got no right to represent the Sikh community as a whole. "It should be the prerogative of the Akal Takht Jathedar to award such a noble title," he said. Addressing a party gathering at Baghapurana in the district, Bajwa lashed out at Badal for "leaving Sikh farmers of Gujarat in the lurch" alleging that the SAD-BJP Government had compromised the interests of the farmers for vested political and business interests of the Badals. He said Badal met Modi in Ahmedabad last week, but didn't take up the issue of Sikh farmers. He said his media team had merely issued a statement citing an assurance by Modi not to displace the farmers. He said the assurance was self-contradictory since his government was not willing to withdraw its appeal filed in the Supreme Court against the decision of the Gujarat High Court given in favour of the farmers. Quoting BJP MP from Amritsar Navjot Sidhu that the SAD-BJP Government was building castles in the air, he said the financial position of the state was worsening with each passing day. He alleged the government had been running its affairs with the central funds or by selling government properties. He demanded a white paper on the economic position of the state. Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar also flayed the SAD-BJP Government for "causing an economic disaster" in the state.
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Badal not doing much for farmers: Bhattal
Chandigarh, September 11 She said "sardar" was a prestigious title and the same should not have been bestowed on someone like Modi, who was bent upon evicting Sikh farmers from Gujarat. She said Sikh farmers were scared of Modi because the Gujarat Government was using various measures such as freezing their revenue accounts to evict them from their farm land. Instead of showering praise on him, Badal should have asked Modi to withdraw appeal filed by his government against Sikh farmers in the Supreme Court. "Shallow assurance by Modi and its endorsement by Badal would not help the affected farmers who have been camping in Delhi for the past several days to contest their case in the Supreme Court," said Bhattal. "Every one was expecting that Badal, who is a staunch BJP supporter, will return from Gujarat after settling the issue, but nothing happened," she said. Bhattal said the Badal government should immediately implement the historic Land Bill and the Food Security Act passed recently.
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Wrong to drag Sonia in riots case: Capt
Chandigarh, September 11 Capt Amarinder, in a press note, alleged the complaint against Sonia, who had gone to the US for treatment, had been lodged to gain cheap publicity. He said it defied logic to complain against someone who was nowhere near the government at the time of the 1984 riots nor had she any authority to punish the guilty. — TNS
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SAD-BJP leaders counter Sidhu on development
Chandigarh, September 11 The statement was issued by Industries minister Anil Joshi, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Inderbir Singh Bolaria, BJP vice-president Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina and senior BJP leader Tarun Chugh. It may be mentioned that the BJP three-time Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu had yesterday described the projects as a lolly-pop. “We understand that work on projects worth Rs 500 crore will start in the next few months,” the SAD-BJP leaders said adding that “never before has so much been planned for Amritsar”. Industries Minister Joshi said the government had fulfilled its commitment to the development of Amritsar. Bolaria said development of the holy city would continue, be it cementing of streets, laying down of sewerage or big ticket projects. He said some projects had been completed while others, including beautification of entrance gates, would be taken up soon.
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Tewari hits back at Modi
Ludhiana, September 11 While taking a dig at the UPA Government at his Jaipur rally, Modi had said the Congress has introduced a new book of alphabets -A for Adarsh Scam, B for Bofors Scam, C for Coal Scam, D for Daamaad Scam. Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari today retorted that Modi’s political career started with ‘F’ (fake encounters) and ended at ‘G’ (genocide). Tewari said the Congress was committed to the principle of secularism while the BJP needed to learn the language of peace and tranquility. Defending the ‘consultative role’ of Sonia Gandhi, Tewari said Gandhi was the Congress president and the chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). “There is nothing wrong if the Prime Minister consults her since she represents a political party that has 205 seats in Parliament,” he said. Thereafter, Tewari attacked the BJP and said the BJP’s political decisions were made by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “The RSS has never contested any elections and does not believe in democracy and still the BJP runs to it for each and every decision,” he said.
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Weak rupee, poor supply raise cotton prices
Fazilka, September 11 Cotton farmer Gaurav Kumar of Karni Khera sold his 5 quintal of cotton at the rate of Rs 4,851 per quintal. Last year, the price of cotton for every quintal was Rs 4,201. There are several reasons for the prices to have gone up. Cotton expert Dina Nath Sachdeva said, “Cotton is exported in abundance and exporters get the amount in dollars. Since the dollar has gone up, cotton producers are fetching a better price.” Another reason for higher cotton prices is that the cotton crop in several parts of China, one of the largest producers of cotton in the world, has been extensively damaged due to heavy rains. Cotton factory owner Vijay Chhabra said, “The Union Government will not allow the prices to come down in the election year so as to appease the farmers.” Experts believe the arrival of cotton this year would be 20 per cent less since several farmers had switched over to Guar crop in the hope of fetching a better price. Moreover, the recent floods have damaged the standing crop on thousands of acres. “The overall scenario for cotton producers is going to be encouraging this year,” said traditional cotton grower Pritam Chand of Shahpura village. Cause & effect Costlier dollar has resulted in increasing cotton prices as most of it is exported Area under cotton cultivation has thus decreased as farmers switch over to Guar crop Recent floods damaged standing crop on thousands of acres, thereby hitting cotton supply
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State govt should give land for
NIFT: Minister
Ludhiana, September 11 He said the institute can also be set up through Public Private Partnership (PPP) if some private individual sends the textile minister a proposal to set up a vocational training centre to cater to the industry's needs. Talking about the need to explore the Latin American markets for the Indian textile industry, he said an amount had been sanctioned for setting up of a warehouse in Latin America. Rao called for the local textile and knitwear industry to build brand equity for the textiles in the world market and also diversify into the manufacturing sector. As for the demand for setting up of an exhibition centre in the city, Rao proposed an exhibition centre in the upcoming textile park. He promised allocation towards setting up of a training centre and a working women's hostel. "The Textile Ministry will approach the Reserve Bank of India and the Finance Ministry to accord priority sector status to the textile industry. Once the demand is met, the industry will be able to avail bank loans at 7 per cent compared to the 12-14 per cent it currently pays," he said.
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Patiala medical college to retain user charges
Patiala, September 11 Earlier, the hospital would deposit user charges, which included fee for medical tests and a fraction of medical students’ fee, in the government treasury. If it then needed funds, it would get the amount sanctioned from the government. But this process was long and tedious. So, in times of a financial crunch, the funds would often get delayed. Therefore, the hospital put forward a proposal to retain its user charges. The hospital today received a confirmation letter in this regard. It has been directed to open a Personal Ledger Account to manage these finances.
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Excise dept staff irked over delay in promotions
Fatehgarh Sahib, Sept 11 Addressing mediapersons, district president of the Ministerial Staff Union Jasvir Singh said the government was not serious about fulfilling their demands. He urged the government to pay the arrears in the wake of the Sixth Pay Commission. Jasvir Singh said the government should also provide 15 per cent house rent as was being provided to their counterparts in other cities and towns. He said besides this, the government should release the dearness allowance due for the period from January to July this year.
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Afghan onions may offer respite
Amritsar, September 11 High onion prices in the domestic market following scarce supply prompted traders to import the produce from Afghanistan as the export of the same is prohibited in Pakistan. Senior Customs officials said the consignment, which is to be delivered at Delhi, came from the Chaman border post on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The APTTA, which was signed in 2010, permits goods in transit from Afghanistan to India and gives Pakistan better access to Central Asia via Afghanistan. As per the terms of the agreement, consignments were loaded in Pakistani trucks at the Chaman border post and then delivered at the JCP. The Customs officials said the Pakistan and Afghanistan governments recently amended the APTTA to coordinate and resolve all issues relating to cross-border commerce and inland transit trade. As per the new rules, Afghanistani trucks would be allowed to enter Indian territory via Pakistan. Keeping in view high onion prices in the domestic market, importers are approaching Afghan onion traders to import the produce. Clearing agent Manav Taneja said middle quality onion was available around Rs 20 from Afghanistan. He said the import of onions from Afghanistan seemed feasible in the current scenario despite a long transit period of about four days. He said the move would bring relief in at least North India as the onion prices were hovering around Rs 55 per kg.
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Nihang’s ‘strained’ marriage with UK socialite upsets Jassian villagers
Ludhiana, September 11 Inderjot Singh, a realtor-turned-Sikh martial (nihang), and Alexandra Aitken, daughter of former British Treasury Minister, raised a furore when they got married in October 2010 in a secret ceremony in Amritsar. Inderjot has been missing from the village ever since reports of his marriage with Alexandra breaking up have spread. Sources said Inderjot had left for England. Sources said their relationship got strained when Alexandra, who converted to Sikhism, did not appear before a magistrate for registering the marriage. Alexandra, who changed her name to Uttrang Kaur Khalsa, did not even attend the funeral of Inderjot's father Bramh Singh Grewal, a former Municipal Corporation employee. Davinder Singh, Sarpanch of Jassian village and a distant relative of Inderjot, said the duo’s marriage made international news and several foreign reporters had visited their village. The couple has been staying in Anandpur Sahib, where Alexandra has been doing a lot of charitable work. She has built several schools, hospitals and meditation
centres.
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SGPC flays attack on Shopian Sikh families
Ludhiana, September 11 He said the SGPC had acquired 14 acres of land in California, US, to set up a gurdwara and a mission. An SGPC team would be sent to the US on September 25 to manage things there. “The SGPC shall set up a Sikh mission in California on 13 acres of donated land with formalities regarding its allotment having been completed,” informed Makkar Condemning the attack on Sikhs at the Shopian gurdwara in Kashmir, Makkar said: “The Muslim community residing in the state has tried to defile the sanctity of the gurdwara and harassed the five Sikh families residing there. “It is the duty of the government to protect the rights of minorities and maintain communal harmony.” Makkar said he would be writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah to look into the matter “lest it takes an ugly turn.” The SGPC chief said a relief of Rs 21 lakh would be given to farmers in Gujarat rendered landless after 50 years. “We shall not only provide relief to them in the form of cash and kind, but also fight their case in court,” he said. To prevent attacks on Sikhs owing to mistaken identity, the SGPC would set up a committee comprising Sikh scholars. The committee would prepare literature on Sikhs and Sikhism which would be distributed in Europe. Makkar said it had been decided that the SGPC employees would contribute 6 per cent of their enhanced DA installment to the Cancer Fund. “This is the fourth time that the employees will be doing so to assist cancer patients,” Makkar added. Executive decisions SGPC to build a gurdwara and a Sikh mission on 14 acres of land in California, US SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar announces a relief of Rs 21 lakh for Gujarat Sikh farmers facing eviction Says a committee comprising Sikh scholars will prepare literature on Sikhs and Sikhism The literature will be distributed in European countries Says the move is aimed at preventing attacks on Sikhs owing to mistaken identity SGPC employees to give 6 per cent of enhanced DA installment to Cancer Fund Sunny Deol starrer under scanner
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Centre bent on reducing Punjabis to beggars: Badal
Chandigarh, September 11 “The UPA Government is clearly working to inflict economic devastation on the sensitive border state of Punjab through its ruinous policies. It does not require a great economist to understand that Punjab, a land-locked state with an active and hostile international border, has a much better claim on the tax concessions than its neighbouring states. “But the Centre has put all economic fundamentals and fiscal prudence to the sword to reduce Punjabis to the status of beggars,” he said. Badal asked Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Partap Singh Bajwa to conserve his lung power to speak against the “injustice” done to the state by his own party. In a statement, the Chief Minister said: “Whenever we raise our voice against such brazen injustice, Congress leaders in Punjab start accusing us of a persecution complex. What do they expect Punjabis to feel under the persistent and cold-blooded persecution by the Centre?” Badal said he would take up the issue at the highest level again after his return from the water-logged areas in Muktsar district. The Chief Minister said he was not against concessions being given to other states but only against the denial of similar concessions to Punjab which “sits in the jaws of a hostile neighbour and in proximity to disturbed conditions along our internal borders with Jammu and Kashmir.” — TNS
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Raped, child critical at PGI
Chandigarh, September 11 As doctors tried to examine her, the innocent child could rarely comprehend what was happening to her while she kept crying in deep pain. “The child is too young to understand anything and co-operate with doctors. She remained restless throughout when the doctors took her for examination. They later decided to administer anaesthesia for examining the injuries. She is likely to remain in the operation theatre till late evening as the experts need to be very careful with her in view of her sensitivity,” said an official from the PGI’s Advanced Paediatrics Centre. Her father, a labourer, who continues to be in a state of shock, said the two persons who abducted the girl in the wee hours on Tuesday also stole his entire life’s savings. “They wanted money — They took it, but what wrong had my child done to them? She kept crying in pain for hours, left in a critical state on the roadside,” said Mohammad Raju, the child’s father. “We were sleeping at our house in our hutment (Jassian Road Ludhiana). When we woke up around 2 am, we could not find her. Her mother kept searching for her all around. The police later told us she had been found lying on the roadside,” he added. The girl was rushed to the PGIMER on Tuesday evening. According to police, several people have been rounded up.
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Farmers return from Gujarat summit impressed
Patiala, September 11 More than 150 farmers from Punjab, who attended the "Vibrant Gujarat Global Agricultural Summit" at Gandhinagar, are all praise for the Gujarat Chief Minister. The latter seems to have struck a cord with them, despite the recent controversy over the possible eviction of Sikh farmers in Gujarat. "There was a bus to take us to the hotel that was booked for us.The food was sumptuous. We were divided in a group of 50 and provided separate buses," said Bhupinder Singh, a farmer. Mangal Singh Sandhu, Director, Agriculture, told The Tribune that the arrangements at the summit in Gandhinagar were world-class. Cane commissioner Dr Ranjit Singh said the interaction between farmers and agriculture officials at the summit would go a long way in making the farming community more aware of new trends in agriculture, he added.
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Assault on pilgrims angers Akal Takht chief
Amritsar, September 11 A family from Uttarakhand, here to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple, was yesterday brutally assaulted by four persons near the Hall Gate area. Kulwant Singh, his wife Rupinder Kaur and father Arjun Singh were going to the Golden Temple at 6.25 am in their car. As they reached Sakandri Gate, their car hit a motorcycle leading to an altercation. The bike driver and his accomplices allegedly shattered the car windshield with a brick and also assaulted the car occupants. Rupinder Kaur was injured in the eye. In another incident a week ago, a tourist from Denmark was molested by an auto driver outside the railway station. The 25-year-old Dutch student of religious studies was in city for a research assignment. The accused was arrested but the victim left her research project midway to head back home. Calling such instances a slur on the face of holy city, the Akal Takht chief said: “Any disgraceful behaviour with the pilgrims is intolerable. I demand action against the accused who deserve no mercy whatsoever.”
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HC sets aside downgrade of judge’s annual report
Chandigarh, September 11 Judge Tejwinder Singh was claiming promotion to the post of Additional District and Sessions Judge from May 30, 2001, and as Civil Judge (Senior Division) from May, 1996 - the date from which persons junior to him were promoted. The Bench directed: “Consequent to the finalisation of annual confidential report for 1995-96, the claim of the petitioner for promotion shall also be considered in accordance with law”. At the same time, the Bench added: “We do not find any merit in the claim of the petitioner that he is entitled to be selected as Civil Judge (Senior Division)/ Chief Judicial Magistrate/ Judge Small Cause Court/ Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division) from May 1996”. In its detailed order, the Bench added: “Since the down-grading by the full court was without any material, but only on the basis of report of the previous year, we find that the issue raised in the present petition is concluded by the judgment of this court in AD Gour’s case. Therefore, we set aside the decision of the full court communicated on March 6, 1997, downgrading the petitioner from B-Plus Good to B-Satisfactory”. A Division Bench of the High Court in AD Gour’s case had held that the process of the downgrading of the remarks recorded by the inspecting judge on the basis of decision of the full court was illegal.
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HC fines state govt for delay in filing appeal
Chandigarh, September 11 Six months ago, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had made it clear to government bodies, their agencies, and instrumentalities, that red-tapism and the usual explanation of file moving from table to table for months, even years, would not be tolerated. But an application seeking directions to condone a delay of 107 days placed before the Division Bench headed by the Chief Justice shows nothing has really changed in the government's approach. The lassitude shown by the authorities concerned in a decade-old matter has cost the government Rs 10,000 and a slap on its wrist. Taking up the application filed by the State of Punjab and other appellants against Samana Con-cast in a matter related to grant of subsidy, Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih asserted: “We have perused the application. Really speaking, there is no satisfactory explanation as to why, once advice was received from the office of Advocate-General on January 4, it took more than two-and-a-half months to file the appeal. “ It is a typical case of government lethargy. We would, however, like to examine the matter and condone the delay, but subject to payment of Rs 10,000 to the respondent (Samana Con-cast) as costs that must be recovered from the officer responsible for delay in filing the appeal.” The firm had approached the High Court a decade ago. Deciding the case in November last year, the Single Judge had observed that the Punjab Government had issued an industrial policy, doling out incentives to industrial units undertaking expansion on or after April 1, 1996. For effective implementation of the scheme, the government had notified the Punjab Industrial Incentive Code. The firm prayed for the release of the investment incentive or capital subsidy along with 18 per cent interest in terms of the policy. Allowing the petition, the Single Judge had directed the competent authority to re-open the petitioner's case and pass a fresh order. Disposing of the appeal after condoning the delay, the Division Bench asserted the impugned order could be implemented by passing an appropriate order "detailing out as to how the respondent-firm is not entitled to the subsidy?." Earlier this year, then Chief Justice AK Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain had asserted: “It is the right time to inform all government bodies, their agencies and instrumentalities that unless they have a reasonable and acceptable explanation for delay, there is no need to accept the usual explanation that the file was kept pending for several months/years due to the red-tape.”
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Senior SAD leader, Ghanaur legislator trade charges
Patiala, September 11 Meanwhile, the Ghanaur MLA and her husband, a former minister, Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur said the allegations were false. Barring is considered close to the Cabinet minister Surjit Singh Rakhra while Mukhmailpur shares close ties with former minister Harmail Singh Tohra and Prem Singh Chandumajra. According to Barring, a woman Harkesh Kaur had accused him of using casteist remarks against her outside Mukhmailpur's house in the run-up to the Zila Parishad polls on May 2. "The FIR was kept pending for two months despite her complaint to the Rajpura police. Meanwhile, Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur approached me for me to shell out Rs 50 lakh if I want to settle the matter without a police FIR. When I refused to please him, the police registered an FIR against me under non-bailable sections of the SC/ST Act," he alleged. Barring further said he was perturbed with the SAD MLA's husband who was trying to extort money from him in connivance with the local police. "I am not going to take it lying down and would soon meet the party president Sukhbir Singh Badal to order a probe into the entire episode," he stated. Denying all the accusations, MLA Ghanaur Harpreet Kaur Mukhmailpur said Barring had approached her and her husband with Rs 25 lakh to get the Zila Parishad chairmanship. "When we refused and fielded a loyal SAD woman worker Harkesh Kaur, he abused her in front of us and even threatened her. We never tried to pressurise the police as far as registration of a case is concerned," she said. Former minister Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur said he would soon apprise the Chief Minister about Nirpal Barring's deeds. "Tickets in SAD are not sold and all his allegations are false," he claimed. The role of the police department is suspicious as it has failed to arrest Barring despite registration of a formal FIR against him. Meanwhile, the case against Barring is being seen as an indicator of new fissures in the local SAD cadre as he is considered a close aide of Cabinet minister Rakhra. SP Rajpura, Bhupinder Singh Khatra said he had probed the matter after an inquiry was marked to him and he had recommended registration of an FIR against Nirpal Singh as he had abused the woman in the verandah outside Mukhmailpur's house.
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65-year-old dies in road accident
Sangrur, September 11 The local police said the deceased had been identified as Sita Ram Mittal, resident of Aggarwal Street, Club road, Sangrur. He had been going to the shop of his son on Mehlan Road when a truck hit his scooter from the back, the police added. The police further said the truck driver, Raj Singh, resident of Longowal, fled from the spot. It had registered a case against the driver under Sections 279, 337 and 304-A of the IPC on the statement of the deceased's son Naseeb Mittal. The postmortem was conducted at the local Civil Hospital. After that, the body was handed over to the family of the deceased. — TNS
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4 cops, pharmacist held for
allowing jail inmates visit home
Sangrur, September 11 The undertrials would pay Rs 1,000 each to the four head constables and the jail pharmacist to arrange these home visits. The undertrials, one of whom is accused of murder, have been identified as Sukhwinder Singh, Attar Singh, both from Sangrur; and Sultan Singh of Ramgarh Sardara village in Ludhiana. The accused head constables are Sukhwinder Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Gobind Singh and Harbans Singh while the jail pharmacist is Harish Gupta. Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Sangrur, said the accused undertrials would be arrested after getting permission from the court. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act had been registered, he said. Sidhu said the undertrials had gone on over a dozen home visits in the past few months. Sidhu revealed the jail pharmacist would refer these undertrials to hospitals, situated outside the jail, such as Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, while the arrested head constables took them to their respective homes and brought them back to the jail in the evening. The head constables and the pharmacist were paid Rs 1,000 for every visit, he said. The SSP also said the accused undertrials had access to mobile phones inside the jail and would often threaten complainants and witnesses over the phone. They were also in touch with the head constables. The undertrials had spoken to one head constable for about 150 times and another for about 50 times in the past three months. "We will investigate as to how they had access to mobile phones inside the jail even though jammers had been installed on the premises," he said. Keeping in view the seriousness of the matter, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Rural), Sangrur, had been entrusted with the investigation of the case, he added. Modus operandi The jail pharmacist would refer undertrials to hospitals, situated outside the jail The four head constables would then take them to their homes and bring them back in the evening The undertrials would pay the head constables and the pharmacist Rs 1,000 each
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Terrorist module chief nabbed
Fatehgarh Sahib, September 11 Gurmeet Singh Chauhan, Senior Superintendent of Police, told the media here this evening that a police team arrested Satnam Singh, a resident of Nanded Sahib, with the help of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra Police. He said Satnam Singh was produced before a Judicial Magistrate who remanded him to police custody till September 18. He said five more persons had been arrested today on Satnam Singh’s confession. Chauhan identified the other accused as Harvinder Singh of Jagraon, Maninderjit Singh and Tarandeep Singh of Tanda Mari in Gurdaspur, Tejinder Singh of Sandoli in Kaithal, Haryana, and Bachitar Singh of Pandori Gola, Tarn Taran. He said the police had recovered an AK-47 and three small arms. The module was trying to revive terrorism in Punjab with the help of terrorists abroad who financed local modules for targeting certain leaders in the state. He said the police was coordinating with the Amritsar Commissionerate in this regard. The police had also busted an inter-district gang with the arrest of its 10 members involved in several murder and robbery cases.
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Claiming that the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre was indifferent to the problems of flood victims, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today reiterated that certain riders imposed by Central Government were coming in the way of the state government giving adequate compensation to the victims.
PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa today slammed Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for conferring the title of
"Sardar" on his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi at a time when hundreds of Sikh families in Gujarat were facing eviction.
He maintained that the state’s financial condition was sound. Badal directed the officials concerned to disburse pensions and money under the Shagun scheme to all beneficiaries of this area within a week. Badal said he had asked the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) chief to collect security fee in installments from farmers for power connections for their water pumps. 
Amritsar: Bollywood actor Sunny Deol's much- hyped film “Singh Saheb The Great” has come under the SGPC scanner, two months prior to its scheduled release, with Akal Takht chief Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh objecting to the film title. “The title is bestowed on the Jathedars of the five Takhts and the granthis of the Golden Temple. It’s a sacred term and should not be used for commercial purposes,” he said in a statement. He said the filmmakers should have consulted the SGPC before deciding on the title. — TNS