Sunday, August 30, 1998
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Sunday, August 30, 1998 |
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Prove
charges, says Jathedar CPI for national govt LUDHIANA, Aug 29 — Mr Shamim Faizi, member of the central secretariat of the CPI, announcing the political resolution of the party at a press conference here today said there had been a shift towards the right at the Centre. Health
panel to be reconstituted Total
bandh in Baghapurana over |
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 Akali conference hits commuters BATALA (GURDASPUR), Aug 29 — Normal life was paralysed in this industrial town as the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal organised its political conference on the occasion of the annual "Babey-da-Viah" fair here today, which was addressed, among others, by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Permanent
Lok Adalat inaugurated Post-harvest
centre at PAU planned |
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Internal condition of Pak
worsening: BJP Shoot-out
case: 2 get judicial remand Call
to boycott commission Newspaper
copies burnt |
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Prove charges, says Jathedar PATIALA, Aug 29 — The Jathedar, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Prof Manjit Singh, today said he was ready to face any punishment if proved he had held a secret meeting with Nirankari leader Gobind Singh in the office of the Editor of Ajit. Addressing a press conference here, he asked the Editor, Mr Barjinder Singh, to clarify the matter. Prof Manjit Singh said he had been urged by his friends and well-wishers to give a clarification though he was reluctant to do so as senior leaders of the Panth were trying for a rapprochement among the warring jathedars. Answering allegations on misappropriation of funds of the World Sikh Council, he said: "If I have spent even a penny out of these funds on myself or my family members, I am ready for any punishment. So far as funds of the World Sikh Council are concerned, I have already clarified the matter to Justice Kuldip Singh and he has not made any complaint about this or sought accounts from me." Prof Manjit Singh said he was not accountable for the actions of Mr Jaswant Singh Mann and denied he was involved directly or indirectly, in instigating Mr Mann and Giani Bachhittar Singh to file a suit against Bhai Ranjit Singh. Speaking on the 37 acres of land brought by Gurmat Sagar Trust, he said the land had been levelled by the trust at a cost of Rs 45 lakh and not the government as alleged by the Akal Takht chief. He said the trust was a registered body and its accounts were regularly audited. However, a part of the land had been used to build a drain by the government. Prof Manjit Singh said he had never stated that only decisions taken by the five jathedars were valid. He said this had been wrongly attributed to him. "I had only said that the jathedars of Takht Hazoor Sahib and Takht Patna Sahib had not participated in the meetings of Akal Takht. Since the past 50 years, the jathedars of three Takhts in Punjab along with the Head Granthi of Harmander Sahib and the Akal Takht Head Granthi had been deciding important issues facing the Panth. If two more jathedars were left out, the panthic decisions would lose their validity." Prof Manjit Singh said he wanted to tell the Sikh "Sangat" that he had signed the "hukamnama" on the "langar" issue reluctantly. But when the matter of ex-communicating Sikh leaders on the issue arose, there were sharp exchanges at the meeting of high priests. "I only said that those appearing at the Takht must be given enough opportunity to explain their position, in keeping with the lofty traditions of Akal Takht. At that time despite the abusive language used for me, I had protested against ex-communicating anyone from the Panth", he explained. The jathedar said after this incident he decided not to attend meetings at Akal Takht to save himself from further humiliation. He said he had not raised the issue in the press but was forced to issue a clarification as direct and indirect allegations levelled by Bhai Ranjit Singh against him continued. AMRITSAR: In yet another letter, Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar, Sri Kesgarh Sahib, has urged Bhai Ranjit Singh, Akal Takht chief, that he was ready for a rapprochement with the latter to maintain the dignity of the Takhts and in the larger interest of the Panth. The letter pointed out instances which were a result of a "communication gap". Bhai Ranjit Singh, when contacted, confirmed that he had received the letter. However, he refused to divulge the details. He said he had not yet gone through the contents of the letter. Meanwhile, the Shiromani Youth Akali Dal (Kahlon) was suggested the resignation of all three warring jathedars in the larger interest of the Panth in case they fail to resolve their differences. In a press note here
today, Mr Parmjit Singh Bhalowali sought a review of all
"hukamnamas" issued during the tenures of Bhai
Ranjit Singh and Prof Manjit Singh. |
Akali conference hits commuters BATALA (GURDASPUR), Aug 29 — Normal life was paralysed in this industrial town as the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) organised its political conference on the occasion of the annual "Babey-da-Viah" (marriage anniversary of Guru Nanak) fair here today, which was addressed, among others, by the Chief Minister and SAD supremo, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. The conference was organised after a long spell of nearly 15 years, the first time after Operation Bluestar. The general bus stand was closed for the day, causing a great inconvenience to thousand of commuters and other passengers, including women, children and the elderly. Traffic was diverted through the bypass outside the subdivisional town. Hundreds of the buses pass through this bus stand. Security in the town was
beefed up, but there was no proper security at the venue
of the conference. |
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CPI for national government LUDHIANA, Aug 29 — Mr Shamim Faizi, member of the central secretariat of the CPI, announcing the political resolution of the party at a press conference here today said there had been a shift towards the right at the Centre. This had led to the use of religion for political ends. He described the BJP is a mouthpiece of the RSS which was fascist in outlook. The BJP should be ousted from power and a national government with secular credentials should take its place. He said both CPI and CPM should unite on political issues so that the Left force could keep "religious and undemocratic forces at bay." He said the all-India conference of the CPI would be held at Chennai from September 14 to September 17. Later, Mr Joginder Dayal, secretary, state council, flayed the government for increasing the power tariff and octroi rates. He said the BJP had promised transparency in governance, employment opportunities for the youth and improvement in law and order. None of these poll promises had been kept. Police excesses on women had increased and farmers' economic condition had worsened. Speaking on the party's stand on the People's Commission set up by Justice Kuldip Singh, he said the commission would only bring back terrorism in Punjab. This commission should be banned. Instead a commission headed by a judge of the Supreme Court should look into all cases of human rights violation. On the second day of the
conference, various leaders addressed 273 delegates from
all over the state. Later, the delegates were divided
into two groups for discussion on political and
organisational matters. |
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Health panel to be reconstituted CHANDIGARH, Aug 29 — With a view to making the health system in the state effective, the Punjab Minister of State for Health, Mr Inderjit Singh Zira, today announced that the Punjab State Health Advisory Committee would be reconstituted. This committee has been lying dormant since 1994. Mr Zira, who spent about two hours with the Director and senior members of the staff of the Regional Institute of Public Health, regretted that in spite of spending over 80 per cent of the health budget on the salaries of the staff, the poor sections of society did not get timely, primary and referral health care. He also regretted that essential drugs were not available all the time at the different levels of the health system. Preventive and child health area got scant attention, especially in reproductive and child health area with poor families still unable to limit their families. Mr Zira announced that he would take up with the Chief Minister the question of setting up a health systems research at Fatehgarh Sahib. Other participants in the
meeting were Mr Gobind Thukral, chief of the Bureau of
The Tribune and Dr Roma Uppal, a former Professor of
Pharmacology at the PGI. |
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PATHANKOT: Tall claims of the local Municipal Council regarding supply of clean drinking water to the people of the town proved hollow when all the 15 samples of water collected from different tubewells by the district Health Department failed the laboratory test. These water samples were collected at the instance of Dr Satnam Singh Bassi, District Health Officer, Gurdaspur, following complaints regarding supply of contaminated water to the people made to the Punjab Government. People had been complaining against the supply of contaminated water for over one year. * * * The Municipal Council has failed to provide basic amenities to the people. Despite a good earning from octroi, water supply, house tax, licensing and the building department, the council headed by a BJP president is paying no attention to the problems faced by the people. Almost all localities have poor sanitation and cleaning facilities. The most affected areas are Mission Road, Model Town, Kali Mata Mandir Road, Indira Colony and Garden Colony. Municipal parks are in bad shape. Months have passed since these were cleaned. The congress grass has covered most of the parks. * * * The local public relations office does not have the facilities of a telephone, fax, typewriter and vehicle. The office is housed in two rooms in a residential building on the outskirts of the town. But in the absence of a vehicle and a telephone employees of the office are handicapped in conducting important functions and distributing press notes. The Pathankot Press Reporters Association president, Mr S.K. Sharda, has requested the Secretary and Director of the Public Relations Department to provide these basic facilities soon. * * * The Lions Club (Greater) has adopted the Gurdaspur road for launching a drive to plant saplings. The president of the club, Mr V Sagar Verma, said that the club had started planting saplings. The club had planned to plant more than 5,000 saplings during the current financial year. The Indian Medical Association here has constituted an action committee for the redress of grievances of patients and to deal with complaints made against certain medical practitioners with regard to carelessness in their treatment. Dr A N Soni will head the committee, while Dr K D Singh, Dr Prem Singh and Dr J L Kukreja are the members. Dr Rajpal Kanwar and Dr
Vinay Sharma, president and General Secretary of the IMA,
in a statement have urged the patients to contact the
panel members before moving to the consumers forum. |
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Permanent Lok Adalat inaugurated LUDHIANA, Aug 29 — Keeping the principle of "justice delayed is justice denied" in the fore, permanent Lok Adalats would be set up at all district headquarters to provide quick and cheap justice in cases relating to matrimonial disputes, land acquisition compensation cases, bank loan matters, landlord-tenant disputes, commercial disputes and petty criminal cases. This was announced by Mr Justice H.S. Brar, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court and executive chairman, Punjab Legal Services Authority, while addressing a function after inaugurating a Permanent Lok Adalat here today. Mr Justice Brar regretted that there was little awareness among the people regarding the Lok Adalats and stressed upon the need to involve village panchayats, schoolteachers and other public forums to create awareness among the people regarding this process. Mr Justice Brar said with the coming into force of the Legal services Authority Act committees had been set up in Punjab to help needy persons belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes, women, children, handicapped and others in custody to get free legal aid. He called upon civil officers, advocates, litigants and judicial officers to strive to lessen the burden of the courts by strengthening lok adalats. The Lok Adalat will be
presided over by Mr R.K. Tiagi, Additional District and
Sessions Judge, and held every Thursday. |
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Total bandh in Baghapurana over
price rise MOGA, Aug 29 — Baghapurana, the biggest town of this district, today observed a complete bandh to protest against the unprecedented rise in prices of essential commodities and grabbing of government land allegedly by certain local influential persons at the instance of Akali leaders. Shopkeepers put up their shutters to protest against the failure of the government to check rise in prices. A rally, jointly organised by the Congress, CPI, CPM and other opposition parties. The leaders criticised the BJP-SAD government and said it had no right to rule if it could not solve the problems of the poor. The legal adviser of the Baghapurana Sangharsh Committee said a large number of poor shopkeepers had been ejected from their permanent places and the same premises had been allotted to "favourites" of Akali leaders. He added that if this thing continued, the samiti would launch an agitation against the government. He further alleged that certain influential persons here had also occupied government land. TNS adds: The senior vice-president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), Mr Jagmeet Brar, while addressing the rally, alleged that the land grab mafia had made a list of government properties and was grabbing them one by one with the help of state government and in this way making crores of rupees. He alleged that government
officials did not take any action while the government
land was being grabbed. Instead the poor people who were
being uprooted were given lathi blows by the police when
they protested against this illegal action. |
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Order to start B.Sc. classes CHANDIGARH, Aug 29 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has directed the authorities concerned to start B.Sc. degree classes at Government Nehru Memorial College, Mansa, from the current academic session. Mr Joginder Singh, Principal of the college, said a deputation of people of the area had met Mr Badal in this connection as no other college in that area had such a degree course. He said that a part of the new complex, being constructed at a cost of Rs 2.91 crore, was almost ready. He said that following orders from Mr Badal he had urged the PWD authorities to construct the science block at the earliest. He said that M.A.
(Political Science) course had also been revived from
this year. |
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Post-harvest centre at PAU
planned CHANDIGARH, Aug 29 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today held a meeting with a team of experts from Davic California University (USA) and decided to set up a Post-Harvest Management Technology Centre at PAU in collaboration with the US university. The Punjab Agriculture Marketing Board and the Punjab Agro-Export Corporation would also contribute in the setting up this centre. Mr Badal said that Rs 4.5
crore would be spent on this project to reduce fruits and
vegetable losses and to improve their shelf life and
marketability. The centre would provide training to
farmers with regard to management techniques. |
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Call to boycott commission CHANDIGARH, Aug 29 — Mr Sant Ram Singla, General Secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, in a statement issued here today urged the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to break his silence about the functioning of the "so-called" peoples' commission. He said that the working
of this commission was fraught with danger and he called
upon the democratic forces and people of Punjab to
boycott the commission with their full might. He has
appealed to the members of the commission to refrain from
taking part in its activities as this body had no legal
status. |
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Shoot-out case: 2 get judicial
remand CHANDIGARH, Aug 29 — The Judicial Magistrate, Mr Tejwinder Singh, today extended the judicial remand of Manoj Godara and Harvinder Singh until September 10. Both of them were arrested by the local police in connection with the Sector 10 shoot-out incident in which Mr Manjit Singh was killed. After their police remand,
both of them were sent to judicial lock-up. |
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Internal condition of Pak
worsening: BJP JALANDHAR, Aug 29 — The vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Member of Parliament, Mr K.L. Sharma, today alleged that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's recent decision to create a new Islamic order in Pakistan and establish a legal system based on the holy Koran indicated that the internal condition in the country was worsening. Briefing mediapersons here Mr Sharma said Pakistan's policy of actively supporting terrorism will not help the country to solve its internal problems. He said the offer of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to Pakistan to solve bilateral issues peacefully should be given a positive response by our neighbour. He said SAD (Badal) had so far only raised the issue of Udham Singh Nagar with the BJP and promised that the BJP government at the Centre would redress the long-pending problems of Punjab step by step. He reiterated that the BJP
government was stable and much more united and cohesive
than to all prior coalition governments. |
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Newspaper copies burnt GURDASPUR, Aug 29 — More than 500 persons, including women, paraded the main roads of the town today raising slogans against Ajit and its Editor, Mr Barjinder Singh. The processionists burnt copies of the newspaper in the city. Earlier, the processionists gathered in Gurdwara Singh Sabha here where they held a rally and passed resolutions demanding directions to the Editor against the use of "unparliamentary" language against Bhai Ranjit Singh, chief of Akal Takht. They also demanded the resignation of Mr Barjinder Singh from the Rajya Sabha, the membership of which, they said, he owed to the Akali Dal. They also demanded his removal from the presidentship of the Anandpur Sahib Trust, and stoppage of government advertisements to the daily. The processionists
appealed to the people not to subscribe the newspaper.
They said that the process of burning copies of the daily
would continue till Mr Barjinder Singh apologises for his
utterances. |
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Diljang Singh remembered CHANDIGARH, Aug 29 — Glowing tributes were paid to Diljang Singh Jauhar, a prominent intellectual and former Secretary of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, at a largely attended joint meeting of English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi writers here this evening. In a condolence resolution, Mr Manjit Singh Khaira described late Diljang Singh as a "guiding star of Chandigarh's cultural activities". Mr Bhagwant Singh, a Punjabi writer, who hosted the meeting, seconded the resolution which was unanimously passed and a two-minutes' silence was observed. Mr Tejbans Singh, a leading photographer of the city and a son of Diljang Singh, promised to continue the "golden tradition" of his late father. Two books — "Bimte Ahsas" in Hindi by Pushpa Mankota and "Badtameez" in Punjabi by Shiv Nath — were formally released. Prominent among those who
attended the meeting were Mr Santokh Singh Dhir, Mr N.S.
Rattan, Dr K.S. Thind, Justice Surinder Singh, Mr
Virender Mehndiratta, Dr Jagmohan Chopra, Mr Bhag Singh,
Mr Siri Ram Arsh and Mr Taseer. |
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Militant nabbed BATALA, Aug 29 (PTI) — A close associate of Babbar Khalsa International’s deputy chief Dharam Singh Kastiwal was arrested and a pistol and four stolen vehicles were seized from him, the police said here today. Senior Superintendent of Police Lok Nath Angra identified the arrested militant as Satnam Singh alias Satta. He used to provide shelter to militants of the Babbar Khalsa including Dharam Singh Kastiwal. Satta had gone underground
and went to Mumbai where he worked as a driver. He
returned to Punjab a few years ago and joined a gang of
vehicle lifters. |
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PCO owners demand hike in
commission PATIALA, Aug 29 — The Punjab STD/PCO Holders Association yesterday urged the government to sympathetically consider their genuine demands, including an increase in the commission charges, imposition of service charges on local calls and revision of service charges on STD and ISD calls. A general body meeting of the association held here said these demands had been made keeping in view the SDCA scheme launched by the government on August 15. Under the scheme the
subscribers would be paying for a local call for a
telephone number dialled anywhere within a radius of 60
km. The PCO owners felt that with the introduction of the
SDCA scheme they would suffer heavy losses in revenue and
they would be forced to close down their booths if they
were not given some other benefits by the government. |
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'Kala
kachha' gang fictitious: Mann FEROZEPORE, Aug 29 — The SAD (Amritsar) president, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, has claimed that no "kala kachha" gang was operating in the state. Talking to newspersons here yesterday, he alleged that the police was spreading "false" propaganda about the seizure of arms, ammunition and explosive material from the so-called anti-social elements. He said weapons recovered during militancy were now being shown as seized from them against whom "false" cases were being registered. He said the government had
failed to make proper arrangements for the procurement of
paddy at purchase centres, adding that the BJP, the SAD
(Badal) and the Congress were misguiding the people on
the issue of the "peoples commission. |
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Steps to boost tree plantation
campaign CHANDIGARH, Aug 29 — Mr Mohan Lal, Forest Minister, Punjab, has announced the institution of three prizes to give a boost to the tree plantation campaign in the state. These prizes will go to gram panchayats as also to schools and colleges for raising the maximum number of successful and healthy plants. With the vanamahotsava month now in progress, the Minister said the government was keen to help the farmers financially. It had decided to give 50 per cent share in the income from trees growing on the strips along their fields in return for the protection of trees. The minister has appealed to the people to grow as many trees as possible to develop a green, pollution free Punjab. He appealed to people to plant trees for raising 'Pavitar Van', 'Smritivan' and 'Shaheedi Van'. Mr A.K. Dubey, Financial
Commissioner (Forest Department), pointed out that the
forestry development programme currently under way, was
expected to get a shot in the arm from a DECF Japan
project that would be incorporated in the existing
afforestation plan during the next seven years. It would
involve a capital investment of Rs 400 crore. |
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