Wednesday, December 15, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Wednesday, December 15, 1999 |
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Anandpur
to have academy for JCO’s Global tender for highways |
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Build planned cities, PUDA told Punjab selected for insurance
project ‘Reduce Army role in civil
strife’ MLA threatens agitation YC stages dharna against price
rise Cong for special assembly session CM’s stress on wetland
management Lawyers' conference on human
rights Six die in bus-car collision Old rivalry leads to death of two Six poppy husk smugglers held Demand for Baba’s arrest 9 ‘satta’ agents
arrested Attacked for not allowing to
overtake |
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Anandpur to have academy for
JCO’s ANANDPUR SAHIB Dec 14 — The process to establish an Army training academy for junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and a cantonment near this historic place has been set into motion with the defence authorities coordinating with the Anandpur Sahib Urban Development Authority (ASUDA) on this. At least 724 acres near Tarapur village has been identified for the purpose. After an announcement to establish the academy was made by the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, during the tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa here, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had issued a notification in this regard. Several meetings between the Punjab Government officials and the defence authorities were held in this regard. Though ASUDA coordinated with the defence authorities to identify the land for the academy, the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) — which had undertaken the construction of the Dashmesh Academy of Martial Sports here — had been made as the nodal agency to complete the procedural formalities before handing over the possession of the land, presently with the state government. Of the total identified land, at least 399 acres had been cleared by the Ministry of Forests and Environment. To transfer the ownership of the remaining 225 acres, presently with the state Revenue Department, Punjab, PUDA had taken up the matter with the state government. Mr Sidhu, who along with other senior officials of PUDA, inspected the construction of the Dashmesh Academy of Martial Sports today — being undertaken by PUDA at Thapal village, 4 km from Keshgarh Sahib at cost of Rs 15. 50 crore — told mediapersons that it was scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2000. At least 80 per cent of
the construction has already been completed. The complex
of the main gymnasium being built as per the
international standards will be equipped with sports
equipment in coordination with the Sports Department of
Punjab. The gymnasium will be air conditioned. Two
phased-out Vijayanta tanks, donated by the Army, will
stand at the entrance of the gymnasium. |
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Global tender for highways PATIALA, Dec 14 — The Punjab Finance Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh, said that a global tender was being floated next week for four laning of three main axis of Chandigarh-Patiala, Chandigarh-Moga and Chandigarh-Phagwara. Talking to newsmen here, Capt Kanwaljit Singh said this was part of a development drive started by the government to redress the issues raised by people during the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections. He said the tender would be floated by the infrastructure development board. The Finance Minister said besides this more money was being provided for plan roads and link roads. He said a crash programme had been started to get these constructed at the earliest. He said the information technology sector would also be developed in a big way with the focus on creating the appropriate infrastructure at Mohali. He said a liberal policy to encourage information technology development at Mohali had been devised by giving major concessions. He said the plan behind the move was to make Punjab number one in this field. He announced that henceforth pensioners would get pension along with the salary bill of other employees. He said Rs 200 crore had been added per month to the salary bill to make this possible saying five lakh pensioners would get regular pension following this move. When asked about the
current political situation in the light of dissident
activities, he said there was no question of a split in
the Akali Dal. |
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Baba ‘thrashes’,
abducts two BAINS (Nurpur Bedi), Dec 14 — The beating up of two persons, Darshan Singh of Bhaowal village, near here, and Kamaljit Singh, a local medical practitioner, allegedly by a religious guru and head of the Dharam Kala Asthan in Dhamana village, about 10 km from here, has led to tension and deployment of the police in the area. A nine-member action committee of the village at a meeting this afternoon, under the leadership of Mr Bachan Singh Bains, a member of the state executive committee of the SAD (A), decided to launch an agitation, including closure of shops in the village from Tuesday, to protest against the failure of the police to take action against the Baba. The incident occurred at the village bus stand (about 20 km from Ropar on Ropar-Nurpur Bedi road) on Saturday evening when the Baba was reportedly returning from Hamirpur (HP), and his convoy got stuck in a traffic jam near the bus stand. This led to arguments and the alleged beating up of Darshan Singh of Bhaowal, who was coming from the opposite direction driving a tractor trailer. Mr Kamaljit Singh, a local medical practitioner, was also reportedly beaten up when he tried to intervene. Allegedly Darshan Singh and Kamaljit Singh were then taken away in two vehicles to the residence of the Baba in Dhamana village. Mr Lehmber Singh, SHO of Nurpur Bedi police station, said a case under Sections 342, 365, 506, 323, 148 and 149 of the IPC against Baba Piara Singh Bhanjara Wala, his gunmen and his driver, has been registered. Talking to TNS yesterday at his Dharam Kala Asthan in Dhamana village, Baba Piara Singh demanded an independent inquiry into the matter claiming he was innocent. He also alleged that the tractor-trailer was deliberately parked on the road to obstruct his passage. He alleged that Darshan Singh and Kamaljit Singh were brought to the Asthan only to be handed over to the police and they had not been beaten up. He also warned the government that if he was arrested on ‘false’ charges it would be difficult for him to control his followers, who were in a belligerent mood. He further alleged that the incident was a part of a larger ‘conspiracy’ hatched by certain villagers. Giving his version of the incident Mr Darshan Singh said on seeing the traffic congestion, he had alighted from his tractor to remove some bicycles parked on the road to clear passage. But while he was doing so the Baba and his gunmen began to abuse him and ‘then pounced’ upon him without any provocation and began beating him. Dr Kamaljit Singh, the other ‘victim’ said when he came to intervene he too was beaten up and was taken to the Asthan, where they were finally rescued by the SHO, Nurpur Bedi and villagers that same night. Talking to TNS on the phone, Mr Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, SSP, said the DSP Anandpur Sahib, Mr Sant Singh, under the supervision of SP (operation), Mr Gurmeet Singh, was enquiring into and suitable action would be taken against those found at fault. Mr Bhullar said the
security provided to the Baba had been withdrawn and two
gunmen of the security staff of the Baba, Harjinder Singh
and Lachhman Singh, had been placed under suspension. |
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‘Reduce Army role in civil
strife’ PATIALA, Dec 14 — The Chief of the Army Staff, General V.P. Malik, called for reduction in military deployment for internal duties. Presenting the second multi-faculty millennium series lecture on "Challenges to Indian Army in the New Millennium" at the Punjabi University Senate hall here, General Malik said excessive and continuous use of the Army in internal duties was neither doing any good to the force nor the nation. In a candid way, he said internal duties were reducing the soldierly element. He also said military pressure alone could not resolve domestic strife and that the situation could also be dealt with at a socio-economic and socio-political level. The Chief of the Army Staff said nearly two lakh military personnel were employed in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East. He said while nearly 2000 personnel had been killed during the low-intensity war in Jammu and Kashmir and 576 personnel had been killed during a three-year period in Nagaland. Speaking about the next millennium forces, he said a joint structure was needed for greater effectiveness. Saying the infantry could not have won the war in Kargil if the services had not acted in an integrated manner, he urged for a joint staff, joint decision making and joint training. He said this was necessary as separation among strategical, operational and tactical levels of a conflict had become blurred. On account of this blurring all decisions had to be taken faster to fox the enemy, he added. Speaking on the future battlefield requirements, the General said the Indian Army was definitely not in need of excessive manpower. He said excessive manpower had its limitations of time and space. He said need of the hour was for high technological systems, training, leadership and morale boosting. General Malik said it was unfortunate that India had been slow in the induction of force multipliers. He said there were constraints of finances, procedural development and traditional thinking. He said the challenge lay in creating an atmosphere in which change was encouraged so that force multipliers could also be used in low-intensity wars to check infiltration and detect mines. He said the Army itself had prepared an information technology vision for the year 2008. He said this would include an Army Internet, which would connect all the command headquarters, besides a computerised inventory control programme linking all ordnance depots. The last move itself would save Rs 1 crore a day besides increasing efficiency. He said besides this simulators needed to be created so that automated war games could be conducted on them. He said computer literacy was also being encouraged with each new cadet officer being given a personal computer. Speaking of the new world order likely to emerge in the new century, he said low-level threat scenarios would compel a nation to review its security perceptions. He said though presently a unipolar world had emerged other countries, including India could become regional powers. Delivering presidential address, the Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, said bullish activism of developed countries in global decision making needed to be tackled boldly. He said adequate response needed to be developed to protect sovereignity by the community of nations. He said India itself would have to play a more important role in South East Asia for which the Army itself would have to contribute it might. Senior army officers,
including Maj Gen PPS Bhandari of Armoured Division, were
also present. |
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Six die in bus-car collision PATIALA, Dec 14 — Six persons, including three of a family, were killed in a bus-car collision near Wajidpur village on Patiala Sangrur road here this afternoon. According to the police and Rajindra Hospital, the collision occurred between a Maruti car and a Rajasthan depot bus. There were seven persons in the car out of which six, including three children, died on the spot. A woman has been admitted in Amar Hospital here in a serious condition. Her husband, Harjinder Singh, and two children Jaspreet and Charandeep died in the accident. The other dead include Baldev Singh, his nephew Chamkaur Singh and the unidentified car driver. The Sadar police here
said a case under Sections 279 and 304, has been
registered against the bus driver who has absconded. |
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SSP denies being vindictive FEROZEPORE, Dec 14 — Controversial district police chief Gurcharan Singh Pherurai is the man the Opposition Congress loves to hate. Congress leaders had accused him of teaming up with the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and helping its candidate for the Ferozepore Lok Sabha seat, Mr Zora Singh Mann, with through "unfair means". More recently, the Congress leaders had staged a dharna near his residence on December 10, accusing Mr Pherurai of framing their supporters and relatives in "false and motivated" cases after the SAD suffered a humiliating electoral defeat in the state. However, in an interview with TNS, Mr Pherurai tried to look at things differently. Although he did not agree to join issue with the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President, Mr Amarinder Singh, whom is seeking his transfer from the district, Mr Pherurai said he being a "mulazam" did not harbour any political liking or disliking. He said he was not keen to drag Mr Amarinder Singh to court for defamation. He pointed out that he had occupied significant posts during the previous Congress regime too and to bracket him with the SAD was unfair on part of the Congress leaders. "I was previously posted as SSP, Tarn Taran, during the Congress regime", he said. Perhaps, his being posted as SHO at Lambi, the Assembly segment represented by the Chief Minister and the SAD chief, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, from 1968 to 71 had clouded his credibility among the Congress leaders. In fact, Mr Amarinder Singh had ridiculed the SSP for being a ‘gunman’ of Mr Badal at a press conference. He went to the extent of saying that asking Mr Badal to shift the SSP was of no use. Reacting to another
charge levelled by the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal
chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, that he had got one of
his daughters appointed to the PCS through unfair means,
Mr Pherurai said his daughter made it purely on merit and
throughout her career she had been topper. |
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MLA threatens agitation AMRITSAR, Dec 14 — Ms Laxmi Kanta Chawla (MLA) today threatened an agitation if the demands of terrorist-victim families were not met. Alleging a partisan and callous attitude of the state government in promising jobs and pensions for the kin of the affected family. She cited the cases of hundreds of such families who had lost their relatives as far back as 15 years and not been given pensions or the promised employment. Many of such families got pension after a gap of four to eight months and many had still not got any jobs due to delays in sending the requisite application forms, she added. Ms Chawla said employment should be given at local stations according to the capability and qualification of the applicant. She alleged that many of the graduates were being given PCS and PPS jobs whereas postgraduates were being offered jobs of peons and clerks. She demanded an
impartial probe into the alleged irregularities in giving
jobs and pension benefits. |
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YC stages dharna against
price rise ROPAR, Dec 14 — The district unit of the Punjab Youth Congress under the leadership of its state President, Mr Devinder Singh Babbu, held a dharna against the hike in prices of diesel and other essential commodities besides enhancement in the existing taxes and imposition of new taxes at the main gate of the mini secretariat here today. Earlier, workers of the Youth Congress took out a procession from the local Congress Bhavan to the mini secretariat. They also raised slogans against the Badal government. A memorandum against the rising prices and imposition of new taxes was also submitted to the district administration. Addressing the dharna, Mr Devinder Singh said the relay dharnas would end on January 15. After that, a state-level dharna would be held at Chandigarh. If the Badal government failed to roll back the taxes by then, the Youth Congress members would gherao the Chief Minister. It would also hold black flag demonstrations against him at different places in the state, he added. Among those who addressed the dharna were Mr Sukhvinder Singh ‘Whisky’, General Secretary of Punjab Youth Congress, Mr K.P. Singh, senior Congress leader, Mr Harminder Singh Saini, President of the District Congress Committee, Ropar, Mr Harpreet Singh Bunty, District President of the Youth Congress, and Mr Harinder Singh Hans, Organising Secretary of the PPCC. Later, talking to newsmen, Mr Babbu alleged that atrocities were being committed on workers of the Youth Congress by implicating them in false cases in the state. He also alleged that the SAD-BJP government had failed to fulfil its promises like abolition of inspectors’ rule and octroi. It had reintroduced tax barriers in the state rather than easing taxes. Mr Babbu also demanded
an inquiry into the appointment of Chairman of the Punjab
Pollution Control Board, alleging that a junior officer
had been posted in this top post. |
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Build planned cities, PUDA
told CHANDIGARH, Dec 14 — Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab, has directed the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) to undertake planned urbanisation in order to check the mushroom growth of unauthorised colonies all over the state without requisite physical and social infrastructure. Mr A.K. Dubey, Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Punjab, disclosed here today that the Punjab Government had formulated an ambitious plan to give an impetus and new direction to the entire process of housing and urban development. He said PUDA had given licences to 27 private promoters and developers. PUDA has in the past two years allotted 760 plots of different sizes and 2,720 houses of different categories in various urban estates of Punjab. Even in the area of super speciality hospitals, PUDA had taken the initiative to fulfil the much-desired high quality medical facilities. The total private investment in the next few years would be around Rs 500 crore in this sector. Mr Dubey added that PUDA had also streamlined the policy for allotment of developed land to cooperative group housing societies and private builders for raising flats. The land owners whose land was being acquired for purposes of urbanisation, as against an average compensation of Rs 2 lakh per acre earlier, being paid by the previous government, PUDA had paid a compensation of nearly Rs 15 lakh per acre of acquired land in Kapurthala for setting up an urban complex with the infrastructure of international standards. Mr Dubey also pointed out that PUDA had taken a policy decision to extend urbanisation beyond the four major towns. The urban development authority would be going into new mandi towns where the infrastructure and facilities were totally inadequate. Giving details about the Urban Land Ceiling Act, Mr Dubey said this Act was a source of harassment for land owners in the periphery of Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana. PUDA had been successful in getting this Act repealed, thus saving small and marginal farmers from harassment which they had been experiencing since the enactment of the legislation during the Emergency. Referring to future
plans of PUDA, Mr Dubey said the state government had
undertaken the task of preparing master plans for major
cities. "We have resorted to aerial photography of
some of the fastest growing urban areas including the
periphery of Punjab and Ludhiana in this regard", he
added. |
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Punjab selected for insurance
project CHANDIGARH, Dec 14 — Punjab is among the 10 states selected by the Centre for a pilot project on seed crop insurance. The certified, foundation and breeder seed crops selected for providing an insurance cover are: wheat, gram, cotton, paddy, soyabean and arhar. The seed crop insurance scheme will be operated by the General Insurance Corporation. Each state has a different set of seed crops. The Financial Commissioner, Development, Mr Y.S. Ratra, told TNS yesterday that the scheme, as such, was optional for the seed growers. The seed processing organisations like the Punjab Seeds Corporation (Punseed), National Seeds Corporation (NSC), Agricultural universities and private producers will collect the premium from willing seed growers and send the same to the General Insurance Corporation. For considering the average yield of seed crops data will be provided by the Punjab State Seed Certification Authority. It will pertain to the past three to five years. The authority will be required to conduct one or two additional inspections of the insured crop area. There is also a provision for a special inspection in case of a natural calamity and in case of any claim for low or less yield. Mr Ratra said in case of the calamity occurred within 45 days of sowing and plantation of the crop then 40 per cent of the loss will be covered under the insurance policy. If the loss was after 45 days then 80 per cent of the loss will be covered. The price of the produce will be kept at the level of procurement price paid by the State Seed Corporation to the growers during the last season. The pilot project envisages seed crop insurance cover even in case of failure of the seed samples due to lesser germination, apart from the natural calamities, including pest and disease attacks. The rider being that such a loss (low germination) should have occurred over a wider scale in the unit area. The indemnity to affected seed growers will be paid by the General Insurance Corporation through the seed producing organisation concerned. Mr Ratra said under the proposed pilot project, the Government of India will provide some financial assistance to the state agencies; Rs 1.5 lakh to the Punjab State Seed Certification Authority and Rs 30,000 to the seed producing organisation. The rate of premium to be paid by the seed growers will vary from 2 to 5 per cent of the insured amount for different crops. The seed crop insurance policy was discussed with the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, recently, and in the light of the discussion the following suggestions to amend the seed crop insurance policy were made: — that yield of raw seed supplied by the Seed Certification Authority should be taken into consideration instead of the tagged quantity; — that failure of even a single lot on account of lower germination should also be considered for insurance benefit under the scheme; and — that the contingent funds placed at the disposal of the Punjab State Seeds Corporation and the Punjab State Seed Certification Authority be enhanced from Rs 30,000 to 1 lakh and from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, respectively. Mr Ratra said alongside this insurance pilot project, the Chief Minister also discussed the salient points, problems and difficulties arising out of the proposed Rashtriya Krishi Bima Yojna — national crop insurance scheme and the suggestions Punjab wants incorporated in the scheme before it being adopted for implementation. Mr Ratra will write to the Secretary Agriculture and Cooperation in the Union Ministry of Agriculture about the views of the Punjab Government on the two insurance schemes. Mr Badal will also take up the matter with the Prime Minister. The West Bengal Chief
Minister, Mr Jyoti Basu, was the first Chief Minister to
write to the Prime Minister on the crop insurance scheme.
He has also urged other Chief Ministers, to take up the
issue with the Prime Minister. |
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Cong for special assembly
session PATIALA, Dec 14 — The Punjab Congress will demand immediate summoning of a special session of the Vidhan Sabha to move a censure motion against Minister of State for Irrigation Sikander Singh Maluka for illegally interfering and hampering the process of justice. Stating this here yesterday, Pradesh Congress General Secretary Birdevinder Singh said the session would also discuss the misconduct of the minister against senior district officials of Bathinda. He said in view of the alarming situation it would be only desirable to "sack" Mr Maluka from the Council of Ministers and arrest him. In a separate press
note, former minister Prem Gupta said leaders and
ministers were the custodians of the value system and
social propriety and they should always act in a humble
and civilised manner. |
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CM’s stress on wetland
management CHANDIGARH, Dec 14 — Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, has underlined the need for the conservation and management of the Harike, Kanjli and Ropar wetland to keep the ecological balance intact in the state. Announcing this here today, Mr Rajan Kashyap, Principal Secretary, Science, Technology and Environment, said keeping in view the significance of these three wetlands, the Punjab Government has renotified the steering committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, for conservation and management of these wetlands in an effective and result-oriented manner. An amount of Rs 84 lakh had been provided by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, out of which Rs 26.53 lakh had been made available to the Forests department for plantation and fencing activity. He said that Harike, Kanjli and Ropar wetlands had also been recognised as national wetland. Referring to the
important decisions taken by the state government at a
high-level meeting held on December 7 under the
chairmanship of Mr Badal, Mr Kashyap said afforestation
and fencing of the strategic areas would be done
immediately with the involvement of the Punjab
Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO) and certain other
organisations, including the district administration. For
effective control of water hyacinth, the Irrigation and
Power Research Institute (IPRI), Amritsar, had been asked
to extend biological control measures in the catchment
areas. |
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Lawyers' conference on human
rights CHANDIGARH, Dec 14 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court Advocates' Committee on Judicial Accountability will organise a lawyers' conference on human rights at the Department of English Auditorium of Panjab University on December 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. According to Mr H.S. Gill, president of the committee, Justice Kuldip Singh, a former Judge of the Supreme Court, will preside over the conference, while Mr Justice V.K. Khanna, a former Chief Justice and Chairperson of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission will inaugurate it. Mr G.S. Grewal, former Advocate-General of Punjab, will be the chief guest. Prominent among those
who will address the conference are Justice Jaspal Singh,
a former Judge of the Delhi High Court; Justice A.S.
Bains and Justice D.V. Sehgal, former Judges of the
Punjab and Haryana High Court, Prof Randhir Singh, former
Head of Political Science Department of Delhi University,
Mr Anupam Gupta, an advocate of the Punjab and Haryana
High Court, Mr Pawan Bansal, MP; and Prof V.K. Bansal,
Chairman of PU's Law Department. |
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Ex-minister seeks
Maluka’s resignation JALANDHAR, Dec 14 — Former Punjab Animal Husbandry Minister Harbans Singh Sidhu has urged Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to drop Punjab Irrigation Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka for his "indecent" behaviour with some officers during a meeting of the district planning board at Bathinda on December 9. Mr Sidhu said the "insult" of the Deputy Commissioner at the meeting by the minister had generated a wave of resentment among officers. He said nobody was above
law and Mr Maluka should resign immediately. |
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SGPC meeting postponed AMRITSAR, Dec 14 — The SGPC today postponed its meeting scheduled for December 15 till further date was announced. The meeting which was to
be held at Paonta Sahib, Sirmour district Himachal
Pradesh, has been postponed due to previous commitments
of Bibi Jagir Kaur, President, SGPC. |
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Six poppy husk smugglers
held JALANDHAR, Dec 14 — The local police has arrested six poppyhusk smugglers said to be members of an inter-state gang involved in narcotics trafficking, and recovered 20 bags of poppy husk from them. The smugglers were arrested during a special drive launched by the police after getting a tip-off. The gang had become active in the district during the past couple of months. Mr Gaurav Yadav, Senior Superintendent of Police, said nakas were put up at different places in the district yesterday leading to the arrest of the accused. During one such naka at Nangal Fateh Khan village near here Avtaar Singh of Pathralian village and Surinder Singh of Daroli village near Adampur were arrested and five bags of poppy husk seized from them. Similarly, Jagtar Singh of Bhogpur village and Joga Singh of Kalra village were also arrested at a naka near Adampur while they were travelling in a truck, along with 10 poppy husk bags. In yet another case, Binder Kumar of Alawalpur village was arrested after the police searched his house and recovered 140 bags of poppy husk concealed in an iron trunk. Satnam Singh of Khichipur village near Adampur township was caught by the police while he was carrying 35 kg of drugs in a bag. Mr Yadav said during
investigations it came to light that poppy husk was being
purchased by the accused from Bittu, of Kishangarh
village in Rajasthan. |
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4 killed in collision GARHSHANKAR, Dec 14 — Four members of a family were killed when their jeep collided with a train on the railway crossing at Bhajlan village near Garhshankar yesterday. Two persons were seriously injured. The jeep was coming from Nawanshahr and going to Lasarha village. Those killed have been identified as Jogi of Gujjar village, his wife, Binder, and their six-year-old daughter. Their two-year-old son and the driver, Raj Kumar, were injured seriously. People present there
said the train stops at number of unauthorised stations
and because of this there was no certainty of time
regarding the train’s passing at the crossing. |
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Old rivalry leads to death
of two TARN TARAN, Dec 14 — Two men of Pandori Gola village were shot yesterday by three persons of the same village. The deceased have been identified as Harnek Singh (18) and Bhagwant Singh (17). The murderers have been identified as Karm Singh and his two sons, Major Singh and Hardev Singh. An old rivalry is said to be the reason behind the incident. In 1991, Hardev Singh had killed Shindo, wife of Sunder Singh, and their son Sakattar Singh. However, the killers were acquitted that time. A case under Sections
302, 34, 25/27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been
registered. |
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Demand for Baba’s arrest ROPAR, Dec 14 — Damanding the arrest of Baba Piara Singh Bhaniarawala, a religious guru in Dhamana village, about 10 km from here, the residents of Bains village situated on Ropar-Nurpur Bedi road about 20 kilometres from here, today staged a dharna for several hours at the village bus stand and the shops remained closed there. Talking to Tribune News Service this evening, Mr G.S. Grewal, Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, said the nine-member action committee had suspended its agitation for the time being. Mr Gurpreet Singh
Bhullar, SSP, said the members of the action committee
today met him. The matter was discussed at length. He
claimed that the members of the action committee were
satisfied with his assurance, and agreed to postpone
their agitation. |
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Arhatiyas for cut in market fee PATIALA, Dec 14 — The Federation of Arhatiya Associations of Punjab has urged the state government to bring the market fee, rural development fund and infrastructure tax at par with Haryana. In a statement here yesterday, association president Bal Krishen Singla said if such a step was not taken immediately traders dealing in marketing produce would be compelled to wind up their business due to higher rates of these fees. Mr Singla said Punjab
was an agricultural area, but its produce could not be
marketed at competitive prices in other states due to
higher taxes. Moreover, in a recent meeting headed by the
state finance Minister it was decided that uniform one
tax rate would be applicable in the whole of the northern
region from January 1,2000. Only 15 days were left and
the rate variation should be equalled before that date,
he added. |
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RJD to contest byelection FATEHGARH SAHIB, Dec 14 — The state unit of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has decided to contest the byelection to the Nawanshahr Assembly constituency. According to Mr Amar Handa, general secretary of the state unit, the party at its meeting decided to oppose the SAD-BJP and Congress candidates. He alleged that the present government had failed on all fronts. In another resolution,
the party criticised the anti-people policies of the
government. The party also criticised the waiving of
loans of certain industrialists and demanded that the
loans up to Rs 10,000 of weaker sections should also be
waived. |
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9 ‘satta’ agents
arrested LUDHIANA, Dec 14 — As part of a drive launched against those involved in running ‘satta’ on the results of the weekly lottery schemes of the Punjab Government, the police has nabbed nine persons and recovered Rs 20,010 from them. Two teams led by Inspector (CIA Staff) Maninder Bedi, and SHO of Model Town, SI Jaswinder Singh, under the supervision of Mr Utpal Joshi, SP (Detective), raided offices of these agents in Haibowal and Model Town areas last evening. Those arrested are — Roshan Lal, Rajinder Kumar, Dharam Pal, Raj Kumar (all operating in Haibowal) and Balbir Krishan, Dalwinder Singh, Subhash Chander, Satwinder Singh and Raj Kumar, alias Raju who were operating in Model Town areas. These agents were luring customers by promising them 11 times the cost of the ticket purchased from these agents, on the last digit of the lottery purchased. The agents had recorded most of the proceedings and these records have also seized by the police during the raids. According to information available, those arrested were all agents and their kingpin in the business was still at large. The sources also
revealed that more than a 1000 ‘satta’ agents
were operating in the city and their business was running
into lakhs daily. |
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House looted JALANDHAR, Dec 14 — A gang, comprising eight armed persons, ransacked a house on the intervening night on December 12 and 13 at Challang village. According to police sources, the gang decamped with some cash, a video camera and some ornaments from the house of Sukhwinder Singh. The gangsters, in their mid-twenties, forced into Sukhwinder’s house, woke him up and ransacked the house in his presence. Later they fled after locking up Sukhwinder in a room. A case under sections
380, 342, 148 and 149 of the IPC has been registered. |
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Attacked for not allowing to
overtake LUDHIANA, Dec 14 — A scooterist was attacked by two persons in a jeep with a sharpedged weapon because he refused to allow them to overtake near the Bharat Nagar chowk area here today. Police sources said Devinder Singh and Jasbir Singh, associates of a senior Akali leader, Mr Amarjit Singh Bhatia, were the alleged attackers. They first hit the scooterist on his head cutting open his helmet. Later they hit him on his arm. Meanwhile, a huge crowd that had gathered on the spot, caught Devinder Singh while the other managed to flee. Confirming the incident,
the SSP, Mr Kuldip Singh, said a case had been
registered. |
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