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Actor Atlee Brar held for Rs 3.7 cr land fraud
Vigilance to probe scam in Mandi board
A year on, no action against staff indicted for bungling funds
Khaira dares Badal for probe by HC judge
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Kin double as PAs to Punjab MLAs
Eight months on, solar fencing project yet to take off
Like Congress, SAD too without executive body
Vacant posts in Barnala SAD unit affect party functioning
Farmers may have lost Rs 300 cr in distress sale
Notices to 137 commission agents
BKU wants autonomy for panel fixing grain prices
Arrears not paid, teachers to gherao
treasury today
Gurdaspur jail will be first to have cell phone jammers
No movement on Amritsar’s personal rapid transport plan
British Sikh tycoon sued by father, hearing today
Traders threaten statewide stir
2 NRI moneylenders shot dead in Manila
Sharma elected IMA vice-president
Livestock championship inaugurated midway
Consumer Forum awards Rs 8 lakh relief for youth’s death
Murdered nursing student’s cell phone found PIL against terminating services of 787 secys dismissed
Three booked for molesting Class X girl in Tarn Taran
Vehicle thieves’ gang busted
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Actor Atlee Brar held for Rs 3.7 cr land fraud
Muktsar, November 18 He is in judicial remand. A pistol and 30 live cartridges have been seized from his possession, the police said. A day after his arrest, the district police on November 15 suspended Sub-Inspector Darbar Singh, investigating officer in the case, who is in charge of the economic offences wing. Atlee is said to be an influential person with a relative in a senior position in the police department. He has worked with actors like Jeetendra and the late Dev Anand. The victim, Harjeet Singh of Danewala village, told The Tribune that he paid Atlee Rs 2 lakh on April 11, 2012, to finalise a deal for 32 acres of land. “Atlee promised to get the land deed registered in my name on October 12, 2012. By that time, I had already paid him Rs 1.35 crore through bank and cash. But he postponed the same till February 20, 2013. By then, I had paid him the entire amount (Rs 3.70 crore). The money was given to him in the presence of witnesses. “On the decided date, Atlee did not appear before the tehsildar and stopped answering my phone calls. In the meantime, agent Krishan Kumar kept promising me that if the land was not transferred in my name, the entire amount would be refunded, which did not happen,” Harjeet Singh said. Thereafter, Harjeet Singh approached the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Muktsar, who marked an inquiry to Deputy Superintendent of police (DSP) Darshan Singh. In his report, Darshan Singh indicted Atlee and a case was registered against him under Section 420 of the IPC on September 23, 2013, with the Malout police station. Talking to the Tribune, Darshan Singh said: “I made several attempts to speak to the accused over the phone, but he did not respond. Thereafter, he was summoned thrice, but failed to appear. “Meantime, the matter was probed, the statements of certain witnesses recorded and a case of fraud recommended to be registered against him.” Acting on the DSP’s probe report, the EOW staff then registered a case against Atlee who was arrested from his house on November 14. Atlee’s wife and father alleged that SI Darbar Singh, who headed the team that arrrested him, had misbehaved with them. Their names were later included in the FIR. When contacted, SSP Surjit Singh said, the SI had been suspended after serious allegations levelled against him by Atlee’s wife and father. The police has now formed a special investigating team (SIT) comprising officers of three districts to look into the matter. The case
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Vigilance to probe scam in Mandi board
Patiala, November 18 Sources said some Mandi Board officials and a senior officer had embezzled funds on the pretext of carrying out certain works in the mandis. The officials had illegally recruited 24 employees on a permanent basis, without permission to do so. The Mandi Board is responsible for providing facilities in the grain markets. It also builds roads leading to the mandis for easy transportation of wheat, paddy and vegetables to the mandis. The electricity wing of the department takes care of repairs, fitting and replacement of faulty meters at the mandis. A letter reportedly written by Punjab Mandi Board Chairman Ajmer Singh Lakhowal to the state Vigilance Bureau, says Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Liakat Rai was for posted as Executive Engineer (XEN) at the Kisan Bhawan, Chandigarh, in 2011. He was allegedly involved in financial irregularities and a departmental probe was initiated against him. But Liakat Rai refused to cooperate. Liakat Rai allegedly embezzled funds meant for repair of lights and other maintenance works at the mandis, Lakhowal has alleged. The letter dated October 7, 2013, also mentions that two more probes ordered by the department had uncovered financial losses to the government pegged at Rs 369 lakh, and Rs 402 lakh. “We have now asked the Vigilance Bureau to initiate a probe and register a case if need be,” said the Secretary, Mandi Board, Dipinder Singh. When contacted, the Director, Vigilance, Suresh Arora told The Tribune that a probe had been initiated and a case would be registered soon. Despite repeated efforts, Liakat Rai could not be contacted. Giving two hoots
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A year on, no action against staff indicted for bungling funds
Muktsar, November 18 On September 24, 2012, Amrik Singh had lodged a complaint with the Muktsar Deputy Commissioner, alleging that a huge sum had been misappropriated during the purchase of stationery items under a MGNREGA scheme. Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh then marked an inquiry to the Additional DC (G) NS Bath. Meanwhile, a private firm from Panchkula in Haryana also lodged a complaint against the superintendent of the Zila Parishad office in this regard. The five-page report, procured under the RTI Act, reveals that the total amount paid was more than the stock received. Stationery for an additional Rs 12.9 lakh (including VAT) was purchased. The officer concerned had not given approval for the same. "The payment was made on the basis of the total amount of Rs 20.46 lakh, as shown in the bills. The items were not purchased as per the actual demand by the BDPOs. Items worth Rs 12.9 lakh shown as 'received' in records, did not reach the block offices," the inquiry report had said. Superintendent Balvir Kaur had admitted to have been in the wrong before the inquiry officer. When contacted, Muktsar Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh, said: " After the inquiry report, the extra payment (Rs 13 lakh) made to the supplier was re-collected." But he failed to give a satisfactory reply on the delay in taking action against the erring officials. Rs 12.9 lakh pocketed
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BHOLA’S DRUG RING
Chandigarh, November 18 In a release to the media, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) spokesman Sukhpal Singh Khaira said, “Badal’s statement attributing the drug menace in Punjab to cross-border smuggling is nothing but a ploy to mislead the masses. He is trying to divert the attention of the people from his government’s failure.” Khaira alleged the recent seizures made by the police running into hundreds of crores had brought to the fore the “lethal nexus” that was out to ruin the youth of Punjab. “Such seizures of drugs clearly indicate that the roots of the menace lie within the state, and not across the border,” he said. Drugs worth over Rs 1,000 crore have been seized following the arrest of dismissed Punjab Police Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagdish Singh Bhola and his accomplices, including Maninder Singh, alias Bittu Aulakh, and Jagjit Singh Chahal.
Fatehjung’s posers to CM
In a separate statement, PPCC general secretary Fatehjung Bajwa asked Badal to refer the matter to the CBI to “unravel the truth”. He also appealed to Punjab Governor Shivraj V Patil to intervene for handing over the investigation to the central agency. Fatehjung also sought to know from the Chief Minister whether any SAD leader was involved in the synthetic drug racket, and if any of them owned drug manufacturing facilities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said initial reports had indicated links across the border. He said Badal had himself said that drugs were being supplied from across the border. “If that is true, it is a matter of investigation whether Maninder Singh Aulakh and Jagjit Singh Chahal have any connection with drug manufacturing units in the two neighboring countries,” he said. He said the PPCC would also meet the Union Home Minister for a CBI probe into the alleged cross-border links of the Akali Dal leaders and drug smugglers.
Ropar unit submits memo
The members of the District Congress Committee (Ropar), led by unit chief Sukhwinder Singh Saini, today submitted a memorandum to Punjab Governor Shivraj V Patil through Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Kumar
Agrawal.
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Kin double as PAs to Punjab MLAs Bathinda, November 18 In Pathankot’s Bhoa constituency, MLA Seema Rani has appointed her husband Vinod Kumar as her PA. Vinod Kumar says not only is there a lack of dedicated people but in many cases, people so appointed have become a cause of embarrassment for MLAs. “I am not employed anywhere else and don’t feel embarrassing to work for my wife as her PA,” he said. Congress MLA from Mahal Kalan Harchand Kaur has also appointed her husband Sant Singh as her PA. “My PAs kept changing in the past and I had to repeatedly get their names changed in the Vidhan Sabha secretariat records. To avoid this, my husband has been enlisted as my PA, but the salary is passed on to the functional PA,” she said. Information gathered by The Tribune under the RTI Act suggests over 10 Punjab MLA have appointed either their kin or close relatives as their PAs. The job of a PA to an MLA is considered crucial as it involves handling most of the official and personal file work. While in some cases spouses or relatives are appointed to the post for confidentiality. Congress MLA from Bhadaur and folk singer Mohammad Sadiq has appointed his Haryana-based son-in-law Suraj Bharadwaj to the post. When Sadiq is abroad, Bharadwaj handles the work of the MLA. “I developed good rapport with the people of the constituency during the last elections and therefore got appointed as his PA. Being a businessman, I don’t need salary,” he said. From Hoshiarpur’s Dasuya constituency, BJP MLA Sukhjit Kaur Sahi has appointed her doctor son, Dr Harsimrat Singh Sahi, as her PA. “Many MLAs have done so, officially or unofficially. What is so big about it?” she said. Congress senior leader and MLA Lal Singh has appointed his nephew Sandeep Singh to the post. Faridkot Congress MLA Joginder Singh has also appointed his son, Sharanjit, as his PA. “PAs are paid very little and no one else is ready to work on such low wages. It is also a way to educate my son about politics,” he said. Ludhiana (North) MLA Rakesh Pandey has appointed his graduate son, Bheeshm, as his PA as he is proficient in the use of computer. Punjab Vidhan Sabha secretary Ved Prakash said one did not require any specific qualification to be a PA. “MLAs can appoint anyone as their PA and the Vidhan Sabha secretariat has no role to play in it. The salary of PAs is likely to be revised from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per month,” he said.
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Eight months on, solar fencing project yet to take off
Hoshiarpur, November 18 The project is a brainchild of senior BJP leader and member of Rajya Sabha from Hoshiarpur Avinash Rai Khanna, for which he had given Rs 25 lakh from his discretionary funds to the state Forest Minister Surjit Kumar Jiani almost 10 months ago. Coming to the rescue of farmers of the Kandi belt, who have abandoned their fields following wild animals wrecking havoc to their crops, Khanna had conceived the idea of solar fencing around the forest area. The erection of solar fences would not only protect the crop, but would also minimise the rapidly increasing man-animal encounters, Khanna had suggested. Going by his suggestion, the Punjab Government chose to introduce the project in Barapur village of Garhshankar subdivision. The then Forest Minister Surjit Kumar Jiani made the announcement at a function in Haibowal village near Garhshankar on March 24, bringing a ray of hope for scores of farmers of the area. Under the project, nearly 10-km-long forest stretch sharing its boundary with agricultural land was to be covered in the first phase on trial basis. Department sources said due to the vested interests of certain high-profile and influential persons, who have their sprawling farmhouses in the Kandi belt, the project was delayed. They said certain bureaucrats and officials of the district administration had rejected the proposed site at Barapur village and selected another one near Talwara. Later, this site was also rejected. Now two more alternate sites have been identified near Hoshiarpur, a senior wildlife official said. Talking to The Tribune, Khanna said, “The project was delayed due to certain technical reasons. The district administration has now constituted a member committee to identify the area to launch the project.”
A delayed affair
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Like Congress, SAD too without executive body
Jalandhar, November 18 At present, the party leadership is busy in the Delhi assembly elections. They may not be able to the office-bearers at least for a month. With no committees at the state and district level, the party leaders are reportedly finding it difficult to allocate duties. Eyeing a better portfolio in the new organisational set-up, leaders are moving to Delhi to canvass for party candidates and get noticed. Besides office-bearers, the party is yet to pick up candidates for the posts of district presidents, district committee office-bearers, chairmen of improvement trusts and members of the district planning committees. While some Akali leaders, including party spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema, already camping in Delhi, other leaders are likely to move to the Capital in a day or two. Cheema said: “We have called all elected representatives of the party for a meeting for allocation of duties on November 21.” He said the state body would be constituted after the Delhi elections. A local MLA said: “I will move to Delhi with my team on November 20. After all, enthusiasm shown at such occasions gets noticed and rewarded by the party leadership”. In contrast, the SAD’s alliance partner BJP has already appointed state and district-level office-bearers. Over to Delhi
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Vacant posts in Barnala SAD unit affect party functioning
Barnala, November 18 Sources said ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the vacant posts of both halqa in charge and district president might adversely affect the functioning of the party. “In light of this, the vacant posts should be filled immediately to strengthen the party ahead of the Lok Sabha poll,” they said. SAD secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said these posts would be filled soon and Finance Minister Parminder Dhindsa was looking after party’s affairs of both the constituencies till then. He also said Sant Balbir Singh Ghunas’s resignation from the post of Sangrur district president had not been accepted.
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Farmers may have lost Rs 300 cr in distress sale
Chandigarh, November 18 The Centre announced the decision to relax conditions for paddy on November 1. By then, the peak procurement season was over and farmers whose crop was damaged and discoloured had seld their produce to private traders at Rs 200- Rs 300 per quintal less than the minimum support price of Rs 1310 per quintal. The marketing season for paddy begins in the second week of October and most procurement is over by the end of the third week. As a result, just 4,500 tonnes of paddy has been procured from Punjab after the relaxation in the specifications for damaged/discoloured and weevil-infested grains. Balbir Singh Rajewal, president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), said he had raised the issue at the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture meeting in Delhi today. “Our estimate is that the farmers lost Rs 300 crore on account of distress sale. The government should compensate these farmers,” he said. Till date, 119 lakh tonnes of paddy has been procured by state government agencies and the Food Corporation of India. Private traders have procured much higher quantities of paddy this year, about 6 lakh tonnes. This is mainly because of large-scale rejection of paddy by government agencies. This left the farmers with no option but to sell their produce to the traders at low prices. Sources said the state government took up the matter of damaged grains rather late with the Centre. The first letter was shot off to the Ministry of Agriculture on October 21, following which a team of the ministry visited the state and recommended that the procurement specifications be relaxed to allow damaged and discoloured grains up to 12 per cent. Weevil-hit grains (up to 5 per cent) were also allowed to be procured. Help comes too late
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Notices to 137 commission agents
Faridkot, November 18 The notices were sent after an inquiry by the Deputy General Manager (DGM), Ludhiana Circle. The erring commission agents were found to have violated rules by not participating in the auction process, said Kulbir Singh Matta, Faridkot district officer. The licences of commission agents found guilty would be terminated, said sources. The Kotkapura grain market received 36,972 tonnes of basmati this season. “The charge that commission agents offered lower prices to the farmers in the absence of an open auction are baseless,” claimed Mohan Singh, president, Commission Agents Union, Kotkapura.
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BKU wants autonomy for panel fixing grain prices
Chandigarh, November 18 The BKU has described the terms of reference of the commission as “anti- farmer”. Balbir Singh
Rajewal, BKU leader, said that terms such as the effect on the cost of living, international prices, market trends and demand and supply made it clear that the CACP was not free to determine the minimum support price
(MSP). In a memorandum to the committee headed by Basudev Acharya, MP, Rajewal has suggested that the CACP should work out the actual cost of production for foodgrain and oilseeds and fix the MSP while ensuring a 50% profit to the farmers. As the cost of production varies from state to state, Rajewal told the committee that the CACP should also spell out state-wise incentives. The CACP should have its own farms in every state to work the actual cost of production of each crop. The actual rent or lease money of the land should be counted on the basis of the prevailing market rate and not the Punjab Security of Land Tenures Act, 1953, which had become redundant since long. Rajewal has pointed out that the share of agriculture in the national GDP is declining even when 60 of the rural population is dependent on it for survival. Ravinder Singh Cheema, Vice-Chairman, Punjab Mandi Board, had also made a presentation to the committee pointing out several drawbacks in the policy on determining
MSP.
Some suggestions
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Arrears not paid, teachers to gherao treasury today
Chandigarh, November 18 The second installment of the 30 per cent arrears allotted in the Fifth Pay Commission by the state government was yet to be released, president of the Government-Aided School Teachers and Other Employees Union (Punjab) Gurcharan Singh Chahal said. All employees had already received their second installment of arrears, he said. “We submitted bills to the treasury way back in August, but still these have not been released.”
— PTI
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Gurdaspur jail will be first to have cell phone jammers
Chandigarh, November 18 For the purpose, the state government is spending Rs 2.57 crore. Other central jails in the state too would be provided with jammers, but in a phased manner. The development is significant as so far prisons bars had not been strong enough to bar technology, mobile phones and social networking sites. Only recently, a testimony to the widespread use of technology was provided when Punjab's Kapurthala jail inmates used social media site Facebook to spread terror and maintain supremacy over other gangsters. Available information suggests a group of prisoners led by a murder convict thrashed another prisoner and uploaded the video on Facebook from inside the jail. Reports indicate some prisoners admitted access to mobile phones and even drugs. As the issue came up for resumed hearing, the state government filed an affidavit before the Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih. The affidavit filed through Deputy Secretary to Department of Home Affairs and Justice stated that the government had decided to install jammers “in the first instance in this year in Central Jail, Gurdaspur, at a tentative cost of Rs 2.57 crore”. The affidavit added jammers would be installed in other jails as well but in a phased manner; and priority was being accorded to Central Jails. Taking on record the assertion, the Bench observed: “We would naturally suppose that taking into consideration the time period, the reference to the year is the calendar year. We would also like to know as to in what phased manner would the jammers be installed in different jails, giving the proposed time schedule”. The case will now come up on December 2 for further hearing. Fortifying bars
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No movement on Amritsar’s personal rapid transport plan
Amritsar, November 18 The Deputy Chief Minister had laid the foundation stone of the PRTS amid much fanfare in December 2011, but nothing has moved on ground till date. The project initially appeared to be on track, but got delayed after the heritage lovers expressed apprehensions that the PRTS project will eclipse the view of the holy city’s significant landmarks like the Jallianwalla Bagh and the Golden Temple. Subsequently, the government changed the route plan from the railway station to the Golden Temple. The Tribune had highlighted the heritage lovers’ concerns in these columns in July last year. The Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) invited fresh bids earlier this year through an advertisement dated February 22 while the last date for receiving the bids was April 26, which was later extended till May 21. When contacted, PIDB managing director Anurag Agarwal said the process was on, but he could not reveal the details. While the PRTS is moving ahead at a snail’s pace, the detailed project report of the BRTS has already been forwarded to the Centre and the work on it is expected to start soon. Incidentally, the holy city hasn’t got any public transport system till date. The ‘City Bus Service’ has also been caught in red-tapism for the last around six years, though it has been launched in Jalandhar and Ludhiana. In the absence of public transport, people continue to commute in auto-rickshaws, which not only add to the pollution in the city but also put to risk the commuters’ lives by violating traffic norms. The ULTra (Urban Light Transport) PRT (the mode chosen for Amritsar) is basically a four to six-seater driverless, battery-powered, laser-guided vehicle with a central control system known as magnetic pod that uses rubber wheels running on an elevated guide way. It is like a personal taxi, which is demand-responsive to a commuter. Salient features
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British Sikh tycoon sued by father, hearing today
London, November 18 Bal Mohinder Singh is suing his eldest son, Jasminder Singh, head of Britain's successful Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotels group, for abandoning the Sikh tradition of sharing family wealth by excluding him from the business. The case will come up in the High Court in London from tomorrow. The 86-year-old was born in Punjab and then moved to east Africa before coming to Britain in 1973. He ran a post office in north London, where his son, now 62, would help out. The pair moved into the hotel business and their firm gradually bought about a dozen hotels, including the Vanderbilt and the Savoy Court in central London, with the May Fair, in Mayfair, as the flagship. The hotel group is now worth an estimated 415 million pounds. According to the 'Daily Telegraph', Singh had put Jasminder in charge because he had better English language skills and an accountancy qualification. But he claims that in 2010, his son forced him to retire and has failed to share the family wealth with him. "As the head of the family, I have to be respected and the fact that I was forced to retire by Jasminder was very, very painful for me,” he told the newspaper. “My health has failed andmy wife is unwell too. It will be very difficult and stressful to have to give evidence against Jasminder,” he said. The father and son still share a seven-bedroom home in Berkshire but the senior Singh claims he spends most of his time in his room. He is accusing his son of failing to abide by the “Mitakshara” system, from the Sikh and Hindu traditions, which implies a sharing of family wealth. Jasminder Singh has declined to comment on the case but in earlier submissions has contested his father's claims. — PTI Family feud
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Traders threaten statewide stir
Chandigarh, November 18 “The Punjab Government has come up with the new taxation structure or systems like advance tax, e-trip, etc, without realising their adverse impact on the business,” said Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal general secretary Mohinder Aggarwal. The traders questioned the launching of multilayer taxation systems in Punjab, when the Goods and Service Tax (GST) had been proposed for all the states. In its new traders’ policy, the state government has announced the launch of a single state taxation (for white goods, FMCG and aerated drinks), Voluntary Disclosure Scheme, besides proposing heavy penalty for any "mistakes" committed. “The state government is confusing the business community of Punjab by introducing systems like advance tax, e-trip, single stage taxation structure, lump sum tax. The intention of the state government is to mobilise money only from the business community without touching farmers which is its major vote bank,” Aggarwal said. “When Value Added Tax (VAT) model is already being followed, then what is the need to resort to single stage taxation which is an older version of tax law. Moreover, when GST comes in, these systems will become irrelevant. Are we moving ahead or backwards in terms of the taxation system?” he asked. Aggarwal said the announcement for an agitation will be made next month after holding a meeting of traders from across the state in Amritsar. Traders are up in arms against the advance tax system and e-trip system, which they claim have become a stumbling block in the smooth operations of their business. "The state government has replaced the entry tax with the advance tax system, which is set to hit the business hard as industry will be forced to shell out large amounts of money in advance even before making sales of certain commodities,” he said.
— PTI
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2 NRI moneylenders shot dead in Manila
Raikot, November 18 The victims have been identified as Bhinder Singh (55) and Angrej Singh Billu. Villagers have urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and state Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to impress upon
the Indian High Commissioner in the Philippines to expedite the process
of sending the bodies to India. Bhinder is survived by his wife Manjit Kaur, three daughters and mother Surjit Kaur. His brother Hakam Singh and sister Rajbir Kaur will leave for Manila for seeking a fair probe into the murder.
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Sharma elected IMA vice-president
Hoshiarpur, November 18 Dr Naresh Sud, president of the IMA Hoshiarpur, said Dr Sharma had been involved in the associationaffairs for 20 years and had also held posts of president of the local branch.
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Livestock championship inaugurated midway
Muktsar, November 18 By the time the chief guests arrived, 24 of the total 31 competitions had concluded. Surprisingly, the organisers had invited the guests to come in the afternoon and inaugurate the championship. Ranjeet Singh, a resident of Sukhna Ablu village, whose horse stood second in the Marwari category, said, “Politicians often come late, but it is surprising that the championship was inaugurated when the events for the day were about to get over.” Sahib Singh, another livestock owner, said, “Only the officials of state government can understand their way of functioning.” Meanwhile, officials of the district Animal Husbandry Department said it the practice was being followed for years. “The guests were invited in the afternoon so that people could listen to their views,” said a member of the organising committee. He said the championship had got a massive response, with more than 600 animals registered on the first day. Dr Narinder Puri, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Muktsar, said, “The prize money has been increased from that of the last year. The department will distribute prizes worth Rs 5.5 lakh this year. Last year it was
Rs 5 lakh.” He further said, “For the upcoming national livestock championship to be held in January, the prize amount has been increased to Rs 2 crore from Rs 1.75 crore.” Abneet Kaur, chairperson, zila parishad, Malout MLA Harpreet Singh, SGPC member Navtej Kauni and Muktsar SDM VPS Bajwa were the chief guests on the occasion. Vet assn lodges protest
Wearing black gowns, members of the Punjab State Veterinary Officers’ Association lodged their protest in the championship. Dr Ajmer Singh, district president of the association, said, “The state government is trying to change the placement rules. Even the department is facing an acute shortage of staff. Four of the five posts of joint director, 24 of 25 posts of deputy director, 50 of 93 sanctioned posts of senior veterinary officers and assistant directors
are lying vacant.” “We will boycott the National Livestock Championship if our demands were not fulfilled,” he added.
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Bathinda to have vet hospital
Chandigarh, November 18 The institute, which
will also house a livestock farm complex, will come up on a sprawling 25 hectares of land in
the Rampura Phul area of the district. A decision to this effect was taken by Chief
Minister Parkash Singh Badal at a meeting with senior officials of the Animal Husbandry, Dairying
and Fisheries Department, an official spokesperson stated. The college will be affiliated with Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University
(GADVASU), which will undertake the project. Badal also asked the Vice Chancellor of GADVASU to prepare a
comprehensive plan for initiating new short-term diploma courses for the proposed college, besides the regular degree courses.
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Consumer Forum awards Rs 8 lakh relief for youth’s death Hoshiarpur, November 14 Rattan Lal and his wife Sunita of Gokal Nagar Hoshiarpur had complained that their son Gagandeep was admitted to the emergency ward of the local Civil Hospital on December 10, 2010, with jaundice-like symptoms. After tests showed that he had low platelet count, he was shifted to the ward for dengue patients where he was administered one unit of blood. The next evening, he was asked to be shifted elsewhere. On repeated requests, Gagandeep was referred to PGI, Chandigarh, at about 10.15 pm but was not provided ambulance for transportation. Gagandeep was taken to the DMC, Ludhiana, in a private ambulance on December 11 where he tested positive for malaria. The complainants alleged that Gagandeep expired on December 19, 2010, owing to wrong diagnosis and treatment by doctors at the Hoshiarpur Civil Hospital. Seeking compensation, they pleaded: “Gagandeep, who held a diploma in IT, earned well and was supporting the entire family, which is now shattered.” The forum observed: “It is unfortunate that not even preliminary tests were conducted on the patient... He was referred to a higher institution stating his condition was stable when it was serious. Doctors at the Civil Hospital not only failed to tackle the disease but their casual and careless approach contributed to the spread of the disease, leading to the patient’s death.”
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Murdered nursing student’s cell phone found Barnala, November 18 Barnala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Upinderjit Singh Ghuman said on the information provided by Chamkaur Singh, arrested along with Sukhdeep Singh on November 16, the police had traced the car and motorcycle used in the crime. He said the motorcycle was used to dump the girl’s body in front of her house on the intervening night of November 12 and 13. The police had recovered the girl’s books, mobile phone and bus pass from Paramveer Singh, the SSP said. She had gone missing under strange circumstances on November 12. The SSP had earlier said that Chamkaur Singh had confessed to have killed the girl after she began to pressurise her into marrying him.
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PIL against terminating services of 787 secys dismissed
Chandigarh, November 18 The State Government had referred the case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after allegations were levelled that the entire selection process was vitiated. The High Court today dismissed a "public interest litigation", wherein the decision of the Punjab Government, dated March 2, 2009, to withdraw the termination orders of 787 panchayat secretaries was taken. The Bench held that the case in hand was a service matter and that it did not fall in the domain of a PIL. On behalf of the panchayat secretaries, it was argued that the CBI in its charge-sheet had not named any of the selected candidates and that there was nothing incriminating against them. Termination orders were ordered by the Punjab Government in 2002; and the case was registered in June 2003 for alleged irregularities in the selection on the statement of the then Director, Rural Development and
Panchayats.
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Three booked for molesting Class X girl in Tarn Taran
Tarn Taran, November 18 A case has been registered under sections 354, 341 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code against the accused. The accused have been identified as Shera Singh, Nirvair Singh and Jarmanjit Singh. In her complaint, the victim, a student of Class X, alleged that accused molested her while she was on her way to school along with other girls. She alleged the accused also threatened her of dire consequences in case she revealed the matter to anybody. The police said none of the accused had been arrested so far.
Protest over inaction
Abohar: Several residents of Indira Nagari on Monday protested against the police for failing to take action against three youths, who had reportedly attacked a few girls and damaged property. The police claimed the accused were nabbed on Sunday night. The protesters alleged the accused attacked the women after they complained to the police that the three men harassed them.
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Vehicle thieves’ gang busted
Batala, November 18 Batala SSP SS Mand said the police had been receiving complaints of vehicle thefts for three months. Headed by Inspector Gurbinder Singh, the police team nabbed Surjit Singh alias Baba, the kingpin of the gang, who gave clues about the whereabouts of the other gang members. Five of the six accused belong to Bhaini Mian Khan town. A case under relevant Sections has been registered at the Civil Lines police station against the six accused. The SSP said investigations were on to see if more persons were involved in the racket.
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Muktsar, November 18
The Punjab Congress has dared Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to set up an independent commission to probe into the alleged politician-police-drug mafia nexus operating in the state.
While the state government has embarked on the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) project in Amritsar at a brisk pace, it seems to have put its ambitious Personal Rapid Transport System
(PRTS) project for the city on the backburner.
It has been almost a year since an inquiry report indicted all officers and workers of the Zila Parishad, Muktsar, for misappropriating MGNREGA funds totalling Rs 12.9 lakh, but no action has been initiated against any of them so far.
The delay in relaxing specifications to procure paddy has cost the state farmers dear. Because of the delay, farmers were forced to resort to distress sale, thus incurring losses.
While the state government has embarked on the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) project in Amritsar at a brisk pace, it seems to have put its ambitious Personal Rapid Transport System (PRTS) project for the city on the backburner.