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Firm favoured, allege contractors
Today is Children’s Day
KLF activist Mintoo shifted to Jalandhar
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campus notes
Fest at Lpu
Robbery at Sugar Trader’s house
Provident Fund Department settles claims worth Rs 75 lakh
Roadways staff to protest in minister’s constituency
Realtor acquitted of rape, kidnapping charge
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Firm favoured, allege contractors
Jalandhar, November 13 The contractors are peeved as they have said that this time since the contract was being renewed, the Mandi Board had made certain tough changes in the pre-conditions which again the same company only would be able to fulfil, making them incompetent even for participation. In one of the conditions for tendering, it had been specified that “only those bidders would be eligible to fill the tender, who, for the last three years, have experience for successfully fulfilling three contracts of Market Committees, Central and state government departments and their general areas and have paid Rs 40 lakh for each work (proof be attached).” The points for qualification for tendering last year mentioned the cut-off amount of Rs 20 lakh. A second qualifying condition mentions, “Up to March 31 of the last financial year, during the last three years, the annual turnover must not be less than Rs 1.2 crore (proof be attached).” The same condition when tenders were called for last year was of Rs 60 lakh. The stationery dealers have said that while the security last year was Rs 5 lakh, it had been slashed to Rs 3.68 lakh this time by the officials with a rider that a Rs 10 lakh bank guarantee too would be taken. Congress leader Manjit Singh Saroya said mandi officials were ensuring that the same Sangrur-based company got the contract each year. He said the same company had formed various other firms to ensure that there were three participants in the bidding. He said through the RTI Act, he had managed to get the rates of various items quoted by JR Printers Sangrur for the years 2012-13 and 2010-11. He said he had found that the rates quoted by the company had been doubled in two years to give him an additional benefit. The comparison of both lists makes the statement amply clear. The data pack of computer paper (FS), which was quoted at Rs 187.79 in 2010, had been put at Rs 378 in 2012. The price of rim for A4 size paper, which had been kept at Rs 166.69, had been jacked up to Rs 290 in 2012. Even the price of a petty file cover, which had been quoted at Rs 4.22 in 2010, had been increased to Rs 16 and Rs 15 in 2012. He said all items, including ball pens, calculator, fax machine and photostat machine, had seen an increase of 100 to
200 per cent. He said he had learnt that this time the tender for the same company in the name of Mittal Traders was being cleared. He added that both JR and Mittal Traders were being run on the same premises. Secretary Punjab Mandi Board Deepinder Singh said he was not aware of the tendering part. “I am not dealing with it,” he added. Unfair deal?
Stationery contractors dealing with the Punjab Mandi Board have said that mandi officials were ensuring that a Sangrur-based company got the contract each year, adding that the company had formed various other firms to ensure that there were three participants in the bidding |
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2,854 children in hazardous jobs as per 2012 survey, but none rescued
Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, November 13 While the data released under the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) after some recent surveys puts the figures straight, the lack of will among the district taskforce and the Labour Department itself has ensured no single arrest of an offender in a case of child labour for the past over five years. While the last survey reports conducted under the NCLP in 2012 put the total number of child labourers pursuing hazardous occupations in the district at a whopping 2,854, the Labour Department hasn’t been able to identify any of the employers of these children. As per the data submitted in answer to an RTI query from January 1, 2012, to May 31, 2014, the District Labour Department has rescued a total of 109 children (the ongoing week for eradication of child labour shall also make a considerable addition to this list). However, in answer to the same RTI application, the total number of children rescued under the Factory Act, 1948, are said to be nil in the district. While challans under the Factory Act amount to children working in hazardous units, the owner of any child rescued while pursuing a hazardous occupation is liable to be booked and sentenced to a prison term or fine. Sources say it is due to the lack of will to punish offenders which is making the Labour Department totally omit child labour cases under this Section (this scenario also prevails in other districts of the state). Meanwhile, the 27 NCLP schools in the district have 1,350 students studying in them, but presently the state of the NCLP project is also in a shambles. While teachers haven’t been paid for months despite protests, the staff of these schools, being counted as volunteers, also complain that they receive step-motherly treatment from all sides. “We are state government staff who are regulated by a centrally sponsored scheme. We are paid below minimum wages and since our money comes from the Centre, our complaints fall on deaf years when it comes to state authorities,” staff say. Meanwhile, while the last changes under the NCLP were seen under the UPA government, sources say the present BJP government in the centre has yet to clear its agenda on the future course of the project. The only silver lining in the entire picture is the fact that as the per government statistics at least 60 per cent of child labourers who complete their education in the schools are eventually made a part of the mainstream. From 2004 to 2007, at least 15 students who passed put from the NCLP schools eventually bagged jobs. The department says more children shall soon join the list. Project director NCLP, Jalandhar, Inderjit Singh, said, “The imminent need is for the government to implement all its poverty alleviation schemes in a steadfast manner. The prime reason for children ending up in child labour and the subsequent lack of education among them is all due to poverty. The provision of all benefits as per various schemes and proper employment to adults will mean their children go to schools. This, in turn, will result in a generation of children who have had at least some education.” Uphill taskContradictory data, lack of FIRs and a dwindling National Child Labour Project programme makes determining better future for child labourers in the district an uphill task
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KLF activist Mintoo shifted to Jalandhar
Jalandhar, November 13 Mintoo has been kept at the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) rural wing where senior police officials are interrogating him. Police sources said Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (R&D) has also been keeping a tab on Mintoo’s interrogation. Since Mintoo is a dreaded terrorist and is believed to have vital information, he was shifted to Chandigarh on November 9 where senior Punjab police officials and central intelligence agencies reportedly interrogated him. After the Jalandhar police busted a pro-Khalistan terror module on August 4, 2013, in which they had arrested militants of the Khalistan Libertion Force, namely Harpreet Singh, alias Harmeet, alias Pintu, Karanjit Singh, alias Pamma, and Sarwan Singh Shabba from Jammu, they had then told the police in the interrogation that the Khalistan Libertion Force chief Mintoo had deployed them to activate sleepers cells in Punjab and might have funded them. They had then confessed that they had held a series of meetings in Punjab mainly at Gurdaspur and Dalli village, native village of Mintoo near Jalandhar and they were planning to strike in Anandpur Sahib on the Independence Day. However, senior rural police officials are tight-lipped about the interrogation of the Khalistan Liberation Force chief. |
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NGO distributes shoes
On the eve of Children’s Day, the NGO Dream Power Organisation held an event, Soles for Souls, in which 400 pairs of new shoes were distributed in slums of Chogitti, Jalandhar. Thereafter, shoes were given to poor children at Governmentt Primary School, Ladhewali. At the Event, Amritpal, a member of the organisation, said they hold these kinds of events every year in October and November. He said their organisation was working in Jalandhar for the uplift of the poor. The organisation is also devoted to environmental causes. 56 take part in Rangrez
Rangrez, an endeavour of 94.3 FM, was held in Delhi Public School, Jalandhar. Rangrez is a step towards the promotion of drawing among students. The purpose of the competition was to uphold the slogan of “Clean India, Healthy India”. As many as 56 students participated in the contest. Everyone took the pledge of keeping the surroundings clean and green. Prize distribution function
The annual prize distribution function of New St Soldier Senior Secondary Public School, Guru Teg Bhadur Nagar, Jalandhar, was held on Thursday. The manager of the school, FC Verma, welcomed chief guest Harinder Pal Singh. The annual report was read by Poonam, principal of the school. The chief guest stressed to keep the school and surroundings clean. The chief guest was honoured by the director of the school and the president of the institution. Seminar
A seminar under the UKIERI project Community Colleges for Skills Development in Punjab, jointly implemented by Hackney Community College, London, UK, and Mehr Chand Polytechnic College, Jalandhar, was held at the office of the Director Technical Education and Industrial Training Department, Punjab, under the chairmanship of Mohanbir Singh, Additional Director, in which principals of various polytechnic colleges in Punjab participated. Jagroop Singh, Principal, Mehr Chand Polytechnic College, Jalandhar, highlighted the areas of co-operation between the colleges. He also advocated a 20-point programme, which would be implemented in various polytechnic colleges . The video films related to IT and automotive labs at Hackney Community College were also shown to all participants. He said 20 teachers of Mehr Chand Polytechnic College would be trained under the programme and they would further train 100
teachers. — TNS |
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Rock show contest marks Day 3
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, November 13 The beginning of the model hunt for a direct entry to the final round of the Miss India-2015 in Mumbai was another attraction of the day. In addition, 50 more competitions, including Indian folk dances, Bollywood-style dancing, quiz, robo football mania, case development, added the required spirit to the fest. In the evening, a rock concert by a prestigious band of the north-east and the Chronicles (GATC) enthralled 30,000 students. Chancellor Ashok Mittal said, “We have invited Governor of South Carolina Nikki Halley and Governor of Punjab Shivraj V Patil as chief guests for the fourth and fifth day, respectively. Their presence will encourage the students.” Blood donation camps were also organised to make students aware of their social responsibilities. Tomorrow, competitions in 60 events, including abstract painting, paper cloth designing, orchestra, model hunt, street dances, debate, mobile movie, table tennis, will be held. Students of Lovely Professional University won the first prizes in the competitions—Rhythm: International Solo, Rainbow: Colour Mixing, Dancing Soul-Western, folk, Nritya Natraj: Semi Classical, Lord of the Word, Web Builder and Folkingham: International Group Dance. Panjab University, Chandigarh, won the first prize in Sportica —Sports Quiz. SRMSCET Bareilly won the first prize in the competition, Dark Horse. Similarly, NIFT, Kangra, won the first prize in the competition, The Quill Art Marathon.
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Robbery at Sugar Trader’s house
Jalandhar, November 13 Sources said the trader had not been revealing to the police about the cash looted from his house. He had only revealed about the car which was recovered by the police after it was found surrendered near Shankar Garden a few days after the robbery. The police have also not mentioned about the cash or any other valuables looted from his house in the FIR. A police official when asked why the police was not making information about the looted cash public, said the victim trader himself didn’t want to do so. Armed miscreants had looted cash, valuables and a car from the house of the sugar trader on November 2. To get vital leads in the case, the police had also acquired footages of CCTV cameras installed in several adjoining, but remained clueless. Suspecting the role of servants of the trader, the police had also rounded them up for interrogation, but in vain. — TNS
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Provident Fund Department settles claims worth Rs 75 lakh
Jalandhar, November 13 “In the current financial year, the department has cleared claims worth Rs 75 lakh. Most of the claims were settled within 30 days,” he said while adding that the department had received around Rs 7,409 crore this year. Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) officials also revealed that the department had sorted out 13,500 complaints this year. Senior PF officials also passed instructions to PF commissioners to extend the benefit of the PF to the beneficiaries. They asked the PF Commissioners to meet labour commissioners to get an update on the PF status of labourers. Notably, to bring transparency in the working of the EPFO, the department had launched a web-based portal earlier. The aim of the scheme was to bring transparency and accountability in the working of PF department. |
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Roadways staff to protest in minister’s constituency
Jalandhar, November 13 The meeting was held under the supervision of state vice-president Pardeep Kumar.Union members criticised officials of the Transport Department, Transport Minister and the state government for extending a step-motherly treatment to the union. “We have been trying to remove the irritants with the department. Even the state government had agreed to fulfill our demands but they are not ready to implement the same,” the union alleged. The union members claimed that they had urged the Transport Minister to accept their demands before November 19 following which effigies of senior officials would be burnt at all Inter-State Bus Terminals (ISBT) across the state. They said if government did not pay heed to their demands, they would hold a protest rally against the state government in the constituency of Transport Minister Ajit Singh Kohar.
— TNS |
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Realtor acquitted of rape, kidnapping charge
Jalandhar, November 13 The girl had alleged that she was kidnapped by Gurdeep on August 21, 2013 from a market. Later, the girl allegedly fled from the custody of the property dealer and reached home on September 13, 2013. On August 22, 2013,the property dealer and two others were booked under Sections 365, 366 and 376 of IPC. The complainant was a receptionist at the office of the property dealer. The case
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Launching a tirade against the Punjab government for not fulfilling their demands, the Punjab Roadways Joint Action Committee today held a meeting to discuss the course of action against the government.