Sunday, August 23, 1998
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Sunday, August 23, 1998 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Government
seeks opinion on college teachers' promotions |
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 Focal points in all districts LUDHIANA, Aug 22 — The Punjab Government plans to set up nucleus industrial focal points in all districts to provide gainful employment to the youth.
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Populism
costs Punjab dear Wing
to generate employment Central
scheme for disabled from November 1
killed, 9 injured in attack Rs 1,600-cr fertiliser plant for
Sangrur Police
asked to reorient working PCMS
associations to join hands No
PCMS medical superintendents from now |
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| Row over sale of land CPI alleges law of jungle Director of firm held |
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Robberies at three places Another extension for Dogra Held for issuing fake licence  |
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Pensioners up in arms over demands LUDHIANA: Pensioners of the Punjab Government, numbering about 1.25 lakh, are a discontented lot. In the evening of their lives when they should have settled down to a peaceful life, they are talking in terms of staging marches and wearing black badges in protest against the "discriminatory, step-motherly and callous attitude" shown by the government towards them while implementing the recommendations of the Fourth Pay Commission. The Punjab State Pensioners Confederation, which met here the other day under the presidentship of Mr B.R. Kaushal, urged the government to issue revised instructions with regard to the implementation of the major recommendations of the Pay Commission, failing which pensioners would wear black badges in protest while accepting pension for August. According to Mr Ajit Singh Bagri, general secretary of the confederation, a joint action coordination manch with all state-level pensioners associations has been constituted which would meet at Chandigarh on August 25 to finalise a common action programme for pensionary benefits. A 20-point charter of demands has been prepared for presentation to the government. "There has been discrimination against us at every step of the way," laments Mr Kaushal. "It is obvious that the government is more concerned about the welfare of its serving employees who are a vocal and organised lot than us whom it regards as a spent force and a burden on the state exchequer..." He points out that the Fifth Central Pay Commission was set up in April, 1994. The volume of work assigned to Central Pay Commission was much heavier in magnitude and scope when compared to that assigned to the Punjab Pay Commission. The Central Pay Commission gave its report both in respect of in-service employees and pensioners in early 1997. The Punjab Pay Commission took almost three years in the submission of its report and that too in respect of in-service employees. In respect of pensioners, it submitted its report on February 20, 1998, a couple of months later than the in-service employees' report. The government was a model of efficiency in implementing the report in respect of in-service employees, apparently because the parliamentary elections were round the corner. But as regards pensioners, it partially implemented the recommendations after a period of seven months — that too half-heartedly vide its letters dated July 16 and July 21 which were full of "deficiencies, lapses, lacunae and discrepancies." Part III of the commission's report submitted to the government on February 20, 1998, has not been made a public document, nor made available to pensioners associations, nor put on sale in the market while the copies of report pertaining to serving employees were officially supplied free of cost to serving employees associations. Pensioners repeatedly requested supply of the commission's report, which is yet to be provided to them. The pensioners' representatives have not been granted any hearing neither by the government, the Chief Minister nor the Finance Minister, despite repeated requests. Similarly, dearness relief instalments, normally announced twice in a year effective from January 1 and July 1, are never released to pensioners simultaneously with in-service employees. Pensioners always get their dues late, after making a lot of hue and cry through representations. While the budgetary provision has increased in respect of in-service employees, it has gone down in respect of pensioners from Rs 149 crore to Rs 107 crore. An implementation committee headed by the Chief Secretary set up by the government carried out a number of improvements on the recommendations made by the pay commission. But the same committee axed several positive recommendations made by the commission in respect of pensioners. No committee for removal of anomalies and discrepancies in respect of pensioners has been set up by the government while a committee has been established and is fully functional with regard to the cases of serving employees. The main demands of the
pensioners included in the 20-point charter of demands to
be submitted to the government later this month include:
merger of 97 per cent dearness relief as of July, 1993
into basic pension and grant of subsequent instalments of
dearness relief thereupon; implementation of the Supreme
Court judgement in the Dr Asa Singh case in case of
retirees prior to March 31, 1995, travelling allowance to
widow pensioners; fixed monthly medical allowance of Rs
500; treating 97 per cent dearness relief as basic
pension for calculating D.C.R.; grant of increase in old
age pension on attaining 65 years and 75 years at the
rate of 5 per cent and 10 per cent of the basic pension
respectively; grant of travelling allowance to both
husband and wife pensioners as it used to be earlier. |
Populism costs Punjab dear CHANDIGARH, Aug 22 — Poor tax collection is leading Punjab towards a major fiscal crisis. While neighbouring states are showing signs of a major recovery in revenue receipts from 12 per cent to 17 per cent, Punjab, a much better off state is lagging behind with a poor 9.6 per cent. In terms of volume this means a huge loss which will inevitably hit all development projects. What is worse is that the recovery is yet to pick up. While Haryana collected Rs 1560 crore as sales tax in 1997-1998, Punjab collected only Rs 1254 crore during the same period. This means Haryana showed an almost 12 per cent increase over the previous year in its revenue. During June-July this year, Punjab's recovery was a dismal 2 per cent and Haryana's touched 10 per cent. Punjab's Commissioner Excise and Taxation, Mr Sudhir Mittal who toured Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh besides Delhi and Haryana found that the sales tax recovery by Himachal had increased by 17 per cent. Delhi recorded a 12 per cent rise over the previous year and Madhya Pradesh 11.5 per cent. The Minister for Finance, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Secretary, Rajan Kashyap and Financial Commissioner Taxation, Chaman Lal Bains are alarmed at the situation. "We have to do something urgently and in a big way. The tax collection cannot be allowed to stagnate like this", assures Capt Kanwaljit Singh. A talk with the minister and his several departmental heads reveals that the reason for the slackness are not difficult to understand. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal summoned a meeting of 12 ministers two days back. But populist politics which the Chief Minister has himself indulged in is now getting in the way. While the Akalis have given free water and power to the farm sector, its ally in government, the BJP, is unhappy as it has not been able to give similar sops to the trading community, its main votebank. Hence its leaders at the grassroots level are hampering the collection of sales tax, say the officers. The revenue receipts in the past three-four years have almost stagnated. It is estimated that the state revenue should have increased by at least 20 per cent over the past couple of years, if the increase in prices alone were reflected in the tax receipts. This does not include industrial output and expansion of business and trade in the state. The sales tax administration is in a shambles. The sales tax law has been rendered redundant. Evasion is rampant. The officials responsible for enforcement of laws are complacent, primarily because their morale is low. They feel that there are high stakes involved and the business lobby has organised itself in a manner which safeguards their interests at the cost of public revenue. Every major bazaar in the state has developed "a well-organised system" of blocking sales tax inspections. Whenever any inspecting party of the department raids a business premises, all neighbouring shopkeepers and business men collect as a mob and intimidate sales tax officials. "For this reason no raids or inspections are being carried out by the department anywhere in the state", say the officers. The department officers feel that the government does not give them enough support and that their authority is being systematically eroded. In the backdrop of this bleak scenario, Mr Bains, Financial Commissioner (Taxation), held a meeting of senior officers yesterday and conveyed the government's concern over the prevailing situation. He emphasised that the department should gear itself into action and bring evaders to the book. Following the instructions, officers of the Excise and Taxation Department, Patiala, carried out raids on the premises of two prominent business houses in the city, Cutes Camp and Liberty Shoe Palace, at Sheranwala Gate. The raiding party was not
allowed to complete the inspection by an unruly mob and
was illegally confined. |
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Focal points in all districts LUDHIANA, Aug 22 — The Punjab Government plans to set up nucleus industrial focal points in all districts to provide gainful employment to the youth. The focal points will provide all infrastructural facilities to the unemployed youth to set up their ventures and concessional loans will also be given to them. This was disclosed by Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister Punjab, while addressing the concluding function of the three-day sports tournament at Kot Gangu Rai village, about 25 km from here, yesterday. The Finance Minister said the complete mechanisation of agriculture in Punjab had rendered a large number of youth unemployed in the rural areas and the only way out was to utilise their energies in industrial ventures. He informed that the state government would also develop smaller focal points on the main points in the villages where the youth would be encouraged to start their own ventures. The state government had already identified the unemployed youth by organising camps in villages. Referring to the demand for the repair of damaged roads in the bet area, he assured that the work would be taken on a war-footing after the rainy season. He said the state government was planning to arrange loans amounting to Rs 500 crore from different financial institutions for the construction of roads and bridges in the state. The much-awaited bridge over the Sutlej near Machhiwara would be constructed shortly which would reduce the distance between Machhiwara and Nawanshahr by 70 km. Addressing the function, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, said there was an acute shortage of teachers in the bet area. He demanded that all
damaged roads in the bet area should be repaired on a
priority basis as the area was already lacking in
infrastructural facilities. |
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Government seeks opinion of experts AMRITSAR, Aug 22 — The one-member committee appointed by the Council of higher education of the state government has sought the opinion of educational experts, college principals and presidents of various teacher unions to promote college lecturers who are in selection grade as readers. The one-member committee in its communication has asked the experts if the step of the state government would improve the academic and administration atmosphere in educational institutes. The meeting of the State Council for Higher Education under the chairmanship of Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta on April 15 had set up a committee under the chairmanship of Dr S P Singh, Dean College Development Council, Guru Nanak Dev University to explore possibilities of elevating selection grade lecturers in the college as readers on the pattern of the universities. However, the move was reportedly opposed by some members of the council on the plea that all selection grade teachers of the universities were not being promoted as readers without following proper procedure. These members had suggested that for elevation of such lecturers, a Ph.D. degree be made mandatory. They had also pointed out that the readers of the universities used to take less to number of lecturers as compared to the college lecturers and hence if they would be made readers they would also demand the same pattern of the universities which would ultimately spoil the academic atmosphere in colleges. The committee, appointed by the council was asked to submit its report within a month. As per prevalent criterion, the lecturer of the university who had Ph.D. degree to his credit and having five years of service gets selection grade Rs 3000 after five years. However, a lecturer without Ph.D. would get the same benefit after eight years. However, for getting the above benefit, the lecturers have to appear before the screening committees of the universities. They also give full details of their research work and other academic achievements for their promotion as reader. On the other hand in colleges the lecturers would get the senior scale after five years of service. After 13 years of service he gets selection grade which is equivalent to the reader's of the university. Dr S P Singh while talking to The Tribune said that though various teacher unions of the colleges had been pressing hard to get the post of a reader for lecturers but it would not benefit them much. Giving details, he said that the Vice-Chancellors of various universities had already opined that if the university pattern for colleges was to be adopted that should not be taken in a piece male way. He claimed that most of the college lectures were not Ph.D. and hence would not come under the purview of the proposed scheme. He added that the scheme was introduced at the Regional Centre of the Guru Nanak Dev University at Jalandhar. However, at least 10 lecturers had to bear the loss of seniority under the scheme. Dr S P Singh has sent
communication to more than 200 educational experts
including principals, former principals, presidents of
various college teacher unions, to seek their opinion. |
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Punjabi World telecast from
November 1 NEW DELHI, Aug 22 — Punjabis around the world would now not have to wait for a visit to the Golden Temple, Amritsar to listen to the early morning Gurbani, Shabad kirtan.With the launching of the 24-hour exclusive Punjabi satellite television channel from November 1, the promoters were hoping to telecast the Gurbani and Shabad kirtan from the Golden Temple live around the world everyday. The telecast would be part of the nine-hour long religious programmes everyday.The Punjabi Television Pvt Ltd. group was hoping to telecast the Gurbani from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. everyday and for that were also in touch with the Akal Takht chief, Bhai Ranjit Singh. The 24-hour Punjabi World,
as the channel would be called, would free-to-air and
would be launched from November 1, the Punjab Statehood
Day. Punjabi World would carry the special logo of 300
years of Khalsa on all Sikhism related religious
programmes till April 13, 2000. |
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Wing to generate employment MUKTSAR, Aug 22 — Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal today announced that a separate wing for the generation of employment would be set up. Addressing a function at Phulu Khera village of this district, he said such branches would be opened in each district. Mr Badal said the employment generation wing would conduct a survey to identify unemployed youths and given them loans. He said a rural employment scheme had been started in Kal Jharani village of Bathinda district, adding that one village in each district would be brought under this scheme. He said the employment wing would train the youth in different vocations and help them start their business. The Chief Minister said a focal point would also be set up at Phulu Khera. He distributed cheques
worth Rs 61 lakh among 104 beneficiaries of Kal Jharani
village under the rural employment scheme. |
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Central scheme for disabled from
November FARIDKOT, Aug 22 — The Punjab Government will launch a centrally-sponsored scheme in November to uplift the poor who will be provided with facilities like grants, employment and health services. A 3 per cent quota will also be reserved for the disabled. A survey to identify the beneficiaries will be completed by the end of September, said Mrs Jagir Kaur, Minister for Social Security and Pension, while speaking at a district-level function held here today to distribute pensions and other benefits. She said Rs 23 crore would be spent on another centrally-aided integrated child development scheme to lower the mortality rate in children below the age of six in 142 blocks. Over 1 lakh pregnant women would also be covered under the scheme. The government would also spend Rs 10 lakh on marriages of orphaned girls during the current financial year, she said. Mr R.L. Kalsia, Director of child development department, said officers had been empowered to operate accounts at the block-level to expedite disbursement of pensions. He said 660 Indira Mahila societies had been set up at Faridkot and Muktsar districts to improve the working conditions of rural women. Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, Union State Industries Minister, who presided over the function, distributed pensions and grants amounting to Rs 21.9 lakh among the needy. Free bus passes were given
to 20 women aged over 60. |
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killed,
9 injured in attack GHAL KALAN (Moga), Aug 22 — Fear has gripped this village following the killing of Harbhajan Singh by a gang of armed robbers who attacked two families here late last night. Nine others were also injured in the attack. Unofficial sources said at least three persons were killed in the attack. Official sources said a gang of six to eight robbers attacked two families in the village with sharp-edged weapons and bricks. They later removed earrings of four women. The injured have been shifted to the Civil Hospital at Moga. Two of the injured, who were stated to be serious have been shifted to DMC Hospital, Ludhiana. Mr B.K. Garg, SSP, Moga said the robbers were armed with "khapas" and used bricks in the crime. He said the attackers did not take anything with them except for the earrings. He said a dog squad had been summoned from the Malout area to trace the accused. Mr Vijay Sathi, organising secretary of the PPCC, however, said at least three persons had been killed in the attack. A case has been
registered. |
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Police asked to reorient working PATIALA, Aug 22 — Mr Justice H.S. Brar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, who is also the executive chairman of the Punjab Legal Services Authority, today urged the police to reorient its functioning. Addressing a gathering before inaugurating the permanent Lok Adalat at the district courts here, Mr Justice Brar said 90 per cent of the litigation could be avoided if the police did its duty properly. He asked the police to register FIRs promptly and investigate cases fairly. Mr Justice Brar said legal aid would be provided in every magistrate's court from the next month. He said the ceiling of Rs 18,000 for applicants filing cases in the lok adalats was very less. He said he would take up the matter at a meeting of the National Legal Services Authority so that more persons could avail of this facility. Speaking on the occasion,
District Sessions Judge K.S. Garewal said the Lok Adalat
would be held at the district courts every Friday from 2
p.m. to 4 p.m. and if need be, daily. He said four
advocates had been appointed to give free legal aid. Mr
N.K. Singla, Chairman, Bar Council of the Punjab and
Haryana High Court, and Mr M.M. Syal, President, Bar
Council, Patiala, also spoke on the occasion. |
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PCMS associations to join hands PATIALA, Aug 22 — The PCMS Association and the Senior PCMS Association have decided to join hands for the redress of their grievances. The decision followed meetings between Dr B.S. Sahota, president, Dr D.C. Sharma, general secretary, and Dr Ajay Bagga, publicity secretary of the PCMS Association, and Dr Harcharan Singh, general secretary, Senior PCMS Association. In a press note issued here today, Dr D.C. Sharma, general secretary, PCMS Association, said the associations had agreed to form a joint action committee. He said a meeting of the executive committee of the PCMS Association had been called at the office of the Director, Health Services, on August 26 where the future course of action for the acceptance of the demands of the PCMS doctors would be decided. Dr Sharma said the doctors
were still to get arrears of the revised pay scales. |
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No PCMS medical
superintendents from now PATIALA, Aug 22 — Punjab Medical Education and Research Minister Maheshinder Singh Grewal has said that medical superintendents of all medical colleges and hospitals will be from the Medical Education Department and not from the PCMS cadre as is the case now. Talking to reporters before attending the inaugural function of the 13th annual conference of the North Zone Ophthal mological Society at Government Rajindra Medical College here yesterday, Mr Grewal said there was no rift between him and Health Minister Manoranjan Kalia on this issue. Mr Grewal said the government was in the process of improving emergency facilities in all three medical colleges in the state. He said as the cost of creating a modern infrastructure was Rs 15 crore per emergency wing, the project would be executed in a phased manner. He said the government was also examining the issue of higher wages for professors besides raising the retirement age of those teaching basic subjects to 65. Although the number of NRI seats in medical colleges was less this year, the government hoped to earn about Rs 6 crore from 40 seats reserved for the NRIs next year. Mr Grewal said Rs 5 crore
had been sanctioned this year for Baba Farid University
of Health Sciences at Faridkot. |
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Row over sale of municipal
land GURDASPUR, Aug 22 — The sale of a 5-kanal plot, worth about Rs 20 lakh, by the Dinanagar Municipal Committee, has become the centre of a controversy. Under the rules, a municipal committee is allowed to sell its land by open auction, giving preference to persons already in possession of the land. The municipal committee of Dinanagar, however, sold its land to seven persons for Rs 1 lakh and had it registered in the names of Puran Chand, Ramesh Kumar, Onkar Nath, Rakesh Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Rajesh Kumar, and Sardari Lal, on June 15. A complaint against this deal was lodged by some sitting and former members of the municipal committee to the Department of Local Bodies. The Deputy Director, Local Bodies, Amritsar, was asked to conduct an inquiry on July 23 and submit his report within two days. An inquiry was held, but the report has not been submitted so far. The complainants have
urged the Deputy Commissioner to order a probe into the
inordinate delay in the submission of the report. |
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Robbers strike at three places PATIALA, Aug 22 — Robbers struck at three houses in Tej Bagh colony day before yesterday and took away silver utensils and cash amounting to Rs one lakh. Disclosing this here today DSP , J.C. Jagdeo said another robbery at a tyre shop near the Polo grounds was foiled when a police patrol reached the spot. He said the robbers had entered the shop by removing a air conditioner and had taken out a computer monitor and other things when a police patrol came across them as they were standing in suspicious circumstances outside a tea shop. The DSP disclosed that
while some silver utensils had been robbed from the house
of one Sadhu Singh Virk. There had been theft of some
household items and cash from the houses of both Rajesh
Malik and a retired DDPO of Tej Bagh colony. |
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CPI alleges law of jungle BATHINDA, Aug 22 — Mr Joginder Dyal, state secretary of the CPI and Mr Hardev Arshi, leader (CPI) in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha today alleged that "the law of the jungle" prevailed in Punjab. In a press note here, they said the crime was on the rise. They alleged that village common lands and other government lands were being encroached upon by land-grabbers. They alleged a piece of government land at Bahapurana town in Moga district was encroached upon by a leader of the ruling party. They said when people protested against the encroachment, the police resorted to a lathi-charge. They said a state-level rally would be held at Ludhiana on August 28 to make the people aware about corruption and the "anti-people", policies of the government. Mr Joginder Dyal said a
rally would be held at Baghapurana on August 29 in
protest against the lathi-charge. |
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CHANDIGARH, Aug 22 (PTI) — The Director-General of Police, Punjab, Mr P.C. Dogra, was today given another six months extension in service by the Central Government in order to keep continuity in anti-terrorists measures in the state, police sources said, quoting an intimation from the Union Home Ministry. An IPS officer of 1964 batch, Mr Dogra superannuated in March this year but was given the first extension of six months by the Badal Government. Now the second extension to the police chief has been given by the Union Home Ministry, the sources said. Punjab police, which
restored peace in Punjab after a decade-long militancy in
the border state under the leadership of Mr K.P.S. Gill,
has kept up its pressure on terrorists under Mr Dogra's
leadership. |
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Rs 1,600-cr fertiliser plant
for Sangrur KASAULI, Aug 22 — The government will set up a Rs 1,600-crore fertiliser plant at Sangrur, Mr Surjeet Singh Barnala, Agriculture Minister, said here today. He said a pesticide unit for Punjab was also on the cards. He said the subsidy on phosphatic fertilisers had been increased from Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,000 per quintal. The subsidy on imported fertiliser had also been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500. Similarly, the subsidy on SSP fertilisers had also been enhanced from Rs 600 to Rs 900 per quintal. He said the government had given benefits worth Rs 1,400 crore as subsidy to farmers. Mr Barnala said the paddy
procured before September 15 had been exempted from levy.
The government had decided to purchase paddy from
September 15 following early sowing. |
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Director of firm held GURDASPUR, Aug 22 — The Batala police has arrested Anil Jain, director, Him Forests, while his associate Janak Raj Bansal, another director of the firm, is still at large. Mr Lok Nath, SSP, Batala district police said the firm was engaged in raising loans on high rates of interest since 1995. A case under Section 420 of the IPC had been registered against the two. Mr Lok Nath said that the
firm collected about Rs 7 crore from people as deposits
and then closed the local office. |
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1
held
for issuing fake licence GURDASPUR, Aug 22 — The police has arrested Kamaljit of Batala who collected money from people on the pretext of getting them jobs, and driving and arms 'licences'. Mr Gaurav Yadav, SSP, today said the accused was involved in issuing a fake driving licence for charging Rs 1500 from Surinder Kumar of Shahpurkandi in Pathankot subdivision. A case had been registered against him on May 7, 1997, under Section 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of the IPC. The accused was also involved in charging Rs 35000 from Bua Dass of Sandwal in Hoshiarpur district promising to get him a job in the police department. A case under Sections 418, 420/34 of the IPC has been pending against him since August 17, 1998. The district police chief
said the accused had received large amounts of money from
various persons on the pretext of getting them jobs in
the BSF and the Army. |
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