Friday, August 28, 1998
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Friday, August 28, 1998 |
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Panel may
fan terrorism: CPI NDPSA
detention quashed Terrorist
victims ‘can approach commission’ Seminar
on Sikhism Justice
Kuldip Singh's effigy burnt Post-harvest
centre set up File
affidavit on steps taken, PTU told BSM
condemns price hike, plans mass contact CBI
probe sought into doctor's death Dean's
claim on panel "wrong" |
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Akal Takht directive to
'kirtanis' AMRITSAR, Aug 27 — Even as Prof Manjit Singh and Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedars of Sri Kesgarh Sahib and Damdama Sahib, respectively, continue to boycott the meetings at Akal Takht, the Sikh clergy today imposed a ban on the recitation of 'kachi bani' (distorted hymns) by 'kirtanis' (religious singers). The ban was also imposed on reciting ''bani" on the tunes of popular film songs. Prof Manjit Singh and Giani Kewal Singh had stated that they would not attend the meetings of high priests convened by Akal Takht chief Bhai Ranjit Singh unless and until he "mend his ways and language". On the other hand, Bhai Ranjit Singh had stated that he would not allow the Jathedars of Kesgarh Sahib and Damdama Sahib to attend the meetings till Prof Manjit Singh submitted the accounts of the World Sikh Council. In the absence of Prof Manjit Singh and Giani Kewal Singh, the meeting was attended by Giani Mohan Singh, Giani Gurbachan Singh and Giani Charn Singh — all granthis of the Golden Temple — and Giani Bhagwan Singh, Granthi, Akal Takht. The Akal Takht directive on "kachi bani" was announced during the hearing of the International Kirtan Council case Chairman of the council, Bhai Harbans Singh Jagadhriwale, and other members pledged before the Takht that in future they would sing the "shabads" (hymns) as per the Sikh tradition. Bhai Ranjit Singh said that the directive was for all 'kirtanis' (religious singers). The Sikh clergy directed the Kirtani Jatha to offer Rs 21,000 each at Akal Takht, the Golden Temple and 'langar' (community kitchen). Denying that he had ever been rude to his colleagues, Bhai Ranjit Singh pointed out that Giani Mohan Singh and Giani Bhagwan Singh (the other high priests) had never complained about it. On the beating of certain leaders from Jammu last year, he said they raised "provocative" slogans on the ground floor of Akal Takht and thereafter rushed to the top-floor with a view to "assault" the five high priests. "I would not allow anybody to violate the sanctity and maryada of Akal Takht. For this purpose, I will not hesitate to behead anybody and offer my own head,". Meanwhile, Bhai Kanwer Singh Dhami, Chairman, Human rights wing of the Akali Dal (Amritsar), has appealed to all Sikh religious and political organisations not to remain silent spectators to the ongoing war of attrition among the jathedars. He has demanded the convening of "sarbat khalsa" at Akal Takht to adopt "gurmata" for resolving sensitive matters. Talking to TNS, he said he had met Bhai Ranjit Singh at the latter's residence last evening. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. He would soon meet other jathedars to know their views. Mr Tohra should take the initiative to resolve this matter at the earliest, he said. LUDHIANA: A demand for "Sarbat Khalsa" to resolve differences between the Akal Takht chief and jathedars of two Takhts was made by Mr Jagdev Singh Jassowal, former president of Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, and Mr Tejinder Singh Sandhu, president of the Ludhiana (Rural) unit of the All-India Sikh Students Federation affiliated to the SAD, here on Thursday. Mr Jassowal said the SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, must own moral responsibility for the present situation in the Sikh clergy and resign. He said all "hukamnamas" issued by the Akal Takht chief without consulting the jathedars of other four Takhts should be declared null and void. Mr Tejinder Singh Sandhu,
said "Sarbat Khalsa" alone could resolve the
present crisis. |
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Kharif crops unaffected LUDHIANA, Aug 27 — Rainfall in south-western parts of Punjab has been deficient during this month. But this has not affected the kharif crops — paddy, sugarcane and cotton — in the state. According to Dr S.S. Hundal, Head Department of Agricultural Meteorology, PAU, Ludhiana, monsoon remained active only in the north-eastern and central parts of Punjab during the month of August. This year monsoon entered many parts of Punjab in the last week of June, as was expected. There was widespread rainfall in Punjab during the months of June and July. The rainfall was above normal during the month of June and July but during August, the monsoon remained confined to the north-eastern parts. During June, Amritsar received 18 mm rainfall, Chandigarh 245 mm, Ludhiana 91 mm and Patiala 141 mm against the normal of Amritsar 32 mm, Chandigarh 73mm, Ludhiana 54 mm and Patiala 35 mm. During the month of June the transplantation of paddy was helped by the rains. The total rainfall this season has been almost normal, except for south-western parts where the rainfall has been slightly below normal. During the past three months, the effect of weather on the kharif crops of paddy, sugarcane and cotton has been generally favourable. During the months of May and June thrips appeared on sugarcane/rice but the timely onset of monsoon kept these under check. At present, the leaf folder/stem borer in the rice crop is causing some damage. Similarly bacterial leaf blight has been noticed in low form in certain pockets of the state. Over all, the rice crop did not suffer much damage due to insects, pests and diseases. Under the humid weather conditions, the population of cotton jassid/thrips/spotted bollworm is likely to build up. At a few places heliothis has caused damage to desi cotton RG-8, LD-327 and PK-54. The area under paddy this year has increased and under cotton decreased as compared to last year. This year the production of kharif crops is likely to remain good, provided the weather conditions remain favourable in the coming days. The prevailing wind
pattern in the lower and upper troposphere suggests that
the conditions are favourable for the monsoon to remain
active in many parts of Punjab. As a result, cloudy
weather is likely to persist and there are chances of
light to moderate rainfall in the state during the next
couple of days. |
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Traffic — II LUDHIANA: There has been an increase of 150 per cent in vehicle population over the past eight years in Ludhiana. This increase has not led to any increase in the number of traffic police personnel. The strength of the traffic police continues to remain where it was fixed 25 years ago. Ludhiana has only 6.6 policemen after every 10,000 vehicles. Comparable figures for cities like Calcutta, Mumbai and Chennai are 45.08, 36.88 and 35, respectively. Similarly, road areas as a percentage of the developed area is also grossly inadequate. It is only 10 per cent compared to the figures of 43, 35, and 23 per cent for the cities of Washington, New York and London, respectively. Mr Gupta emphasises that the traffic police needs to be involved in the process of laying roads in the city. "It is always better to fit the roads to traffic by proper planning and design then to fit the traffic on roads by enforcement," he says. In order to increase the effectiveness of the traffic police, the power of imposing spot fines should be given to officers above the rank of Sub-Inspector, says the police chief. It is provided under Section 200 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Uttar Pradesh and the union territories like Chandigarh and Delhi have already delegated these powers. Only a notification under the Punjab Motor Vehicles Act is required to make it applicable to Punjab. By this, the general public would also get relief as they would not have to go to courts for repeated hearings. The courts are already overburdened and are, therefore, incapable of giving immediate justice. There are, for instance, 22,000 traffic challans, pending in various courts of Ludhiana. There have been instances where persons have gone in for new driving licences instead of claiming those which had been sent to courts along with challans. There are no funds available with the traffic police to educate the public. Similarly, there are no funds for purchasing traffic equipment. It is understandable that the government is cash-strapped but a part of the money collected as challan money can be ploughed back and given to the traffic police for undertaking public education campaigns and updating its equipment. In UP, one-fourth of the challan money collected by the traffic police is sent to a corpus for purchasing equipment and ensuring the welfare of personnel. There is no provision to this effect in the Motor Vehicles Act, and only a notification under the Punjab Motor Vehicles Act is required to make it applicable to the state. The traffic police needs chasing vehicles so that violators are not able to run away after breaking the law. All these vehicles should be fitted with high-frequency wireless sets and located at important intersections. For this, the traffic police immediately requires four Gypsies and 12 motor cycles. Ludhiana is a city of high
rise commercial complexes and hotels, most of which have
been constructed without any provision for parking. This
has resulted in crowding of even wide roads like The Mall
and the Ferozepore road. It will, therefore, be in the
fitness of things if in future permission of traffic
police is sought before issuing no-objection certificates
for the construction of such buildings. (Concluded) |
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Panel may fan terrorism: CPI JALANDHAR, Aug 27 — The Punjab CPI secretary-general, Mr Joginder Dayal, today said the floating of People's Commission was an opportunistic move by Justice Kuldip Singh and feared that the hardliners and terrorists would be encouraged with the constitution of this commission. Briefing mediapersons, Mr Dayal said if Mr Kuldip Singh did not have faith in the judicial system of the country, he should have quit while in service. "Now after retirement he has lost faith in the judiciary in which he worked," he said. Mr Dayal said the People's Commission would generate mistrust between the two main communities in the state. He said the CPI, CPM and BSP would launch an agitation against the state government for the hike in bus fares and the power tariff. Party men would go on foot at all district headquarters on September 7. Mr Dayal alleged that the
Punjab farmers were reeling under a debt of Rs 5700
crore, largely in form of loans. The unemployment problem
had not been resolved. There were seven lakh jobless in
Punjab, 26.5 per cent of them educated. |
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NDPSA detention quashed CHANDIGARH, Aug 27 — Mr Justice R.L. Anand of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today quashed the detention of Satnam Singh, a resident of Amritsar, under the N.D.P.S. Act, on the ground that the petitioner's detention order was passed after a lapse of more than six months from the date the incident had taken place. The judge held: "I hold that there was unreasonable delay on the part of the Superintendent of the Central Jail, Patiala, in transmitting the representation as an intermediary. This caused undue delay in the disposal of the detainee's representation by the government. This unexplained delay resulted in rendering the continued detention of the petitioner illegal and constitutionally impermissible." Agreeing with the
contention of the petitioner's counsel, the judge quashed
the detention of Satnam Singh and directed the
respondents to release him forthwith, if not wanted in
any other case. |
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Terrorist victims ‘can approach
commission’ CHANDIGARH, Aug 27 — Mr R N Kumar, Convener of the Committee for Coordination on Disappearances in Punjab, today clarified that the People’s Commission would also take up cases of human rights violations by militants. Talking to mediapersons here today, Mr Kumar said that "the documentation projects undertaken by the committee keep focus on the victims of state power. However, it is open to all those who allege victimisation at the hands of the militants - including widows of policemen to approach the People’s Commission which would treat them equally with other complaints". Mr Kumar said that the work of the commission, which he thought had evoked a big response, was not just investigation into violation of human rights by state agencies but by the individuals too. But then it for the individuals to come forward. "In our opinion, it is futile to make indignant condemnation of the militant violence that plagued Punjab without enquiry into the issue of how the state agencies managed to drive India’s sword arm into its own bowels" he said. Mr Kumar said that the next sitting of the commission would be in Ludhiana from October 23 to 25. Mr Kumar asserted that the
aims, objects and rules of business and the constitution
of the People’s Commission were all above board. |
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Seminar on Sikhism CHANDIGARH, Aug 27 — A religious function and a seminar on Sikhism will be organised at Paonta Sahib from September 4 to 6, according to Mr Jasmer Singh Bala, one of the members of the organising committee. He said here today that Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, and Ms Sushma Swaraj, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, would be chief guest at the function and seminar, respectively while, Mr G.S. Tohra, president of the SGPC would inaugurate the function. Paonta Sahib has a special place in Sikh religion. He said that on September
4, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Punjab Chief Minister, would
also speak at the seminar. The seminar proceedings, which
would continue for three days, would be attended among
others by Dr J.S. Grewal, former Vice-Chancellor of GND
University, Dr Gurbhagat Singh, Dr J.S. Puar,
Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Dr H.K. Manmohan
Singh and Dr Sukhdev Singh, both former Vice-Chancellors
and Dr Jaswant Singh Neki. |
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Justice Kuldip Singh's effigy
burnt LUDHIANA, Aug 27 — Activists of the Punjab Youth Congress today burnt an effigy of the former Judge of the Supreme Court, Mr Kuldip Singh, for his "dubious" role in the formation of People's Commission. Activists of the party,
including Mr Narinder Makkar, Mr Sunil Puri, Mr Nirmal
Billa, Mr Amarjeet Raith, Mr Keemti Rawal, Mrs Surinder
Kaur, Mrs Bhajan Kaur and Mrs Shashi Sood, took part in a
rally at which the functioning of the commission was
criticised. |
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Post-harvest centre set up LUDHIANA, Aug 27 — A centre for post-harvest technology for fruits and vegetables has been set up at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) here by the Punjab Government with the assistance of the University of California and PAU. The institute will provide services like post-harvest reference room, training courses for farmers and traders and laboratory services for quality evaluation. Apart from this, the institute will also be engaged in applied research in post-harvest technologies and assessment of losses during post-harvest handling. The institute has been planned in collaboration with USAID and agricultural commercialisation enterprises project. The funds for this institute will be provided by the Punjab Mandi Board. This information was given by Dr Kirpal Singh Aulakh, Director of Research, PAU, Ludhiana, while inaugurating the first short course organised by the centre. In his inaugural address, Dr Aulakh said that about 30 to 40 per cent fruits and vegetables get perished during post-harvest handling due to lack of proper knowledge and facilities like cold chain and proper storage and package practices. This quantity is more than the total fruits and vegetables consumed in the UK, he added. The main theme of the
course was costs and benefits of post-harvest
technologies for fruits and vegetables. The course was
attended by 25 representatives of food processing
industries, growers and exporters. |
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File affidavit on steps taken,
PTU told CHANDIGARH, Aug 27 — Directing the Punjab Technical University to file an affidavit about the measures it took in compiling the revised result, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today adjourned the CET result case to August 31. The Chief Justice, Mr Arun B. Saharya, and Mr Justice Swatantar Kumar, who issued this order, also directed the university to include in the affidavit the proposed preamble to the revised result, to be published in newspapers, apart from a notice to be carried in newspapers for inviting applications from those students who had any doubt about the correctness of their result. The Bench ordered that the proposed affidavit, to be filed on Monday, should also state the date or dates on which Lok Adalat would be held to satisfy those students who had any doubt about the correctness of their result, apart from stating the dates on which fresh counselling would be held. The Bench directed that
the All-India Council for Technical Education be
impleaded as a party. |
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BSM condemns price hike, plans
mass contact PATIALA, Aug 27 — The Bahujan Samaj Morcha today condemned the steep price rise of essential commodities and urged the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre to take immediate steps to curb the price increase. Addressing a press conference here, BSM president Satnam Singh Kainth said the Congress had always followed "wrong'' policies, which had resulted in the country facing problems on different fronts. However, now the BJP was also equally responsible as it was not doing anything to resolve the issue despite heading the government of the day. Already, MPs had risen above party lines and expressed their concern over the price rise and demanded that immediate steps be taken to contain the increasing prices of essential commodities. Mr Kainth said the BSM would begin a mass contact programme to strengthen its party base in the northern region particularly in Punjab. Thirty conferences would be organised in Punjab which would include district-level conferences from October 3 onwards. The state-level conference would be organised on December 6. Likewise, to secure a fair deal for the employees, especially those belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, it planned to organise a special rally on September 6. He also announced
appointment of Paramjit Singh Kainth as convener of the
morcha for Patiala district. |
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CBI probe sought into doctor's
death PATIALA, Aug 27 — The PCMS Association has demanded a CBI inquiry into the death of Dr Banwari Lal, Medical Officer posted at the Civil Hospital, Zira, and immediate transfer of the Civil Surgeon, Moga, and two senior medical officers who were allegedly trying to tamper with evidence to conceal facts. Mr M.S. Randhawa, Dr D.S. Gill and Dr Manjit Singh, patron, president and general secretary respectively of the association, in a joint statement said here yesterday that the association had been informed by its district unit that certain officials were pressurising some doctors and family members of the deceased to give tutored statements. The association maintained that there was strong resentment among the PCMS doctors on the issue. In a telegraphic
communication to the Chief Minister, the Health Minister
and the Secretary, Health, the association demanded a CBI
inquiry into the case. |
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Dean's claim on panel
"wrong" PATIALA, Aug 27 — The Punjab Government College Teachers Union president, Dr P.S. Bhatti, yesterday said it was wrong for the Guru Nanak Dev University Dean (Colleges), Dr S.P. Singh, to claim that only a one-member committee had been constituted to review the issue of college teachers' promotions and said presidents of the government and non-government teachers unions were also the committee's members. In a statement here, Dr Bhatti said the Council for Higher Education at its meeting on April 16 under the chairmanship of Minister for Higher Education Manjit Singh Calcutta had set up the three-member committee. Dr Bhatti said more than two months had passed after the confirmation of the proceedings, but no committee meeting had been convened. He said nowhere had it been suggested by the members of the council that views of the public should be sought. Dr Bhatti said the committee chairman had aired his opinion without taking the other committee members into his confidence. Instead of giving a report based on facts, the chairman was suggesting that the new promotion scheme would not benefit the teachers. Dr Bhatti said the college
teachers were requesting the government to grant the
designation of reader to all selection grade lecturers as
there were no other promotional avenues for them. |
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Teachers to get revised scales CHANDIGARH, Aug 27 — Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, Punjab, told a deputation of government aided school teachers here today that the Government had agreed in principle to give them revised pay scales and allowances on the same pattern as was being given government employees. He gave this assurance to a deputation of the Punjab Government Aided School Teachers (and other Employees) Union, led by its president, Mr Teja Singh. The minister also assured the deputation that the government had accepted in principle their demand for grant of fixed medical allowance of Rs 250 per month. Orders to this effect would be issued after examining the proposal sent by the Education Department. The Finance Minister also accepted in principle the demand of the union for payment of house rent allowance as per revised gradation of cities. Both Capt. Kanwaljit Singh
and Mr Tota Singh, Education Minister, who was also
present on the occasion, advised the union leaders to
settle their grievances by mutual talks with the
government instead of rushing to courts. |
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Wakf board to set up technology
college MALERKOTLA, Aug 27 — The Punjab Wakf Board has decided to set up a Wakf College of Information Technology in Chandigarh at an estimated cost of Rs 15 lakh. The college will provide education in information technology to students belonging to the weaker sections of society. This was stated here by Mr M.R. Farooqi, executive officer of the board, on Monday. He said development and welfare schemes of the board included a maternity hospital here at an estimated cost of Rs 1.95 crore, construction of shopping centres at Rajpura, Khanna, Phillaur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Sangrur, Ferozepore, Malerkotla and Batala in Punjab, at Yamunanagar, Ambala and Karnal in Haryana and at Bilaspur, Ogli, Amb and Solan in Himachal Pradesh. He further said the Board
had made a revenue collection of Rs 10.72 crore during
1997-98. This was higher by Rs 3.58 crore than the
previous year. |
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166 panches, sarpanch to be
elected KAPURTHALA, Aug 27 — Mr G.S. Aulakh, District Electoral Officer-cum-Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), has said that the election to the posts of 166 panches and one sarpanch of 120 panchayats which fell vacant after the June 21 poll be held on September 20. The State Election Commission has directed the district administration to make arrangements for the holding of fresh elections. Mr Aulakh said a
notification in this regard would be issued on September
7, filing of nominations would be till September 10,
scrutiny on September 11, withdrawal and the allotment of
symbols on September 12 and the poll would be held on
September 20. The results would be announced on the same
day. |
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Gang of scooter thieves busted SANGRUR, Aug 27 — The police yesterday claimed to have busted a gang of scooter thieves. According to Mr Arpit Shukla, district police chief, the leader of the gang, Shangara Singh, son of Ram Dass, a resident of Mahji village under Bhawanigarh police station, was arrested along with his accomplice, Gurcharan Singh. The gang used to operate in Sangrur district and the adjoining areas. Shangara Singh used to prepare fake registration certificates of stolen scooters. A number of fake rubber stamps of the District Transport Officer and registration papers had been seized from Shangara Singh, added Mr Shukla. Eight stolen scooters were
also recovered. The other members of the gang Rama,
Jawala and Dharamvir, all residents of Indira Basti,
Sunam, about 15 km from here, were absconding, Mr Shukla
said. |
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Loans for kids of safai
karamcharis JALANDHAR, Aug 27 — The Safai Karamchari Corporation constituted by the Centre will issue loans up to Rs 5 lakh for the children of these employees to make them self-dependent. Corporation member Sardeep Singh Gagh said here yesterday that the rate of interest on this loan would be 4 per cent and it could be returned in easy instalments. The corporation would provide 85 per cent of the loan amount, 10 per cent by a bank and 5 per cent by the employee himself. The corporation was
working on a target that by 2000 the children of the
safai karamcharis would be given easy loans through camps
organised at blocks and mohallas. Moreover, in future all
drivers of machinery engaged in garbage removal and all
office attendants of the corporation would be recruited
from these safai karamcharis. |
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Killer of taxi drivers nabbed KAPURTHALA, Aug 27 (UNI) An alleged killer of several taxi drivers since 1989 has been arrested by the police. Stating this here yesterday, SSP Iqbal Singh said that Surjit Singh, a resident of Mand village in Jalandhar district, confessed to having killed at least six taxi drivers from 1989 to 1996, Surjit who later fled to Cyprus on a fake passport, was deported last year. Arrested by the Bholath
police on a tip-off on Tuesday, Surjit, along with
accomplices Surinder Singh and Amarjit Singh used to hire
vehicles, kill their drivers and then sell them, he
added. |
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Imposter held FATEHGARH SAHIB, Aug 27 — A man was handed over to the police by the Deputy Commissioner when he approached officer to favour a particular sarpanch in an election petition impersonating as steno to Chief Minister's OSD here today. He showed his identity card but failed to reveal the name of the OSD. On interrogation by the
police he revealed his identity as Mewa Singh, resident
of Chadiala village, near Dera Bassi. A bag containing a
large number of applications of various candidates,
employees and other people for transfers, loans and
recruitment were recovered from his custody. |
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Call for bandh PATIALA, Aug 27 — The Patiala Beopar Mandal headed by Mr Nirmal Das Malhotra has given a call for bandh here tomorrow to protest against the victimisation of shopkeepers at the hands of excise officials. A case had been registered against some shopkeepers for manhandling a driver of the excise party conducting a raid on some premises in Dharampura Bazar on August 22 besides snatching the purse of a lady officer and using abusive language. In a statement here, Mr Malhotra claimed a false case had been registered against some shopkeepers. No excise staff had been manhandled nor was the raiding team stopped from doing its duty, adding that a fight between traders only had occurred on the occasion. Meanwhile, another wing of
the Beopar Mandal headed by Mr Surjit Kumar Mehta at an
emergency meeting held today, urged all shopkeepers to
open their shops tomorrow. |
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Rally against bank management PATIALA, Aug 27 — The All-India State Bank of Patiala Employees Federation held a rally here today in which they demanded the immediate recall of the Managing Director of the bank alleging that he was running the bank according to his whims. Thousands of employees of the bank from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh participated in the day-long rally held outside the head office of the bank on The Mall here. Leaders of various
federations of the bank employees condemned the
anti-employees and anti-bank policies of the present
management of the State Bank of Patiala. |
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Gurdas Mann bereaved CHANDIGARH, Aug 27 —
Mr G.S. Mann, father of noted folk singer |
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Choes flooded HOSHIARPUR, Aug 27 — Due to heavy rainfall in the lower Shivalik hills yesterday, Nasrala Dhobi, Arniala, Mohangrowal Gangian, Gambowal and Mehalanwali choes in the district, have been flooded. There was a heavy discharge of flood water in these choes. The Deputy Commissoner along with the Executive Engineer, drainage division, and other officials of the department inspected some of the sites where flood water had been discharged. The Executive Engineer
told mediapersons that no loss of life and property had
been reported from any where. |
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