Wednesday, February 3, 1999
|
P U N J A B | |
Wednesday, February 3, 1999 |
| weather n
spotlight today's calendar |
 |
||
|
Mig-23 crashes, pilot safe RAIMAJRA (PATIALA), Feb 2 — A MIG-23 fighter aircraft spun wildly out of control following reported engine failure before crashing on the outskirts of this village in Samana subdivision, 50 km from here, today. Plea
against Sikh panel order put off |
 |
|
||||||
|
Cops warned
against being rude Sales
tax evasion by coal trader alleged Stability
govt's top priority: minister PAU
staff not paid salary Compensation
for bus passenger DM's
directive ignored PUDA
to auction 1,500 plots |
||||||||
 |
||||
Mig-23 crashes, pilot safe RAIMAJRA (PATIALA), Feb 2 — A MIG-23 fighter aircraft spun wildly out of control following reported engine failure before crashing on the outskirts of this village in Samana subdivision, 50 km from here, today. Flt-Lieut T.R. Sahu, who was flying aircraft, however, suffered only minor injuries after getting stuck in a eucalyptus tree after he ejected from the plane before the crash. The plane was on a routine training exercise and had crashed nearly 40 minutes after leaving the Halwara air force base at 11.40 a.m. Air Force officials who arrived at the accident site to take away the injured pilot, half an hour after the accident, said the pilot suffered minor injuries on his face and back. Mr Harbhajan Singh, whose house is situated 200 feet from the accident site, and in whose field the plane crashed, said "first I thought the pilot was performing some fancy exercise. Only when I saw it come perilously close to the ground while making a deafening noise that I realised it was going to crash near my house". He said immediately after the crash he helped the pilot in coming down from the eucalyptus tree in which his parachute had got entangled. Mr Harbhajan said "he brought the pilot to his home and gave him some milk to soothe his nerves as he was in a state of shock. I also set about the task of informing the civil administration after the pilot assured me there was no explosives in the plane". The Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Mr Kuldeep Singh, and the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Jagjit Singh Gill, who arrived at the accident site soon after the crash, said the entire area had been cordoned off. Mr Kuldeep stated that a Civil Hospital team from Samana had tended to the pilot and that fire engines had been pressed into service from Patiala to douse the wreckage. The SDM said some of the wreckage of the aircraft, including its seat, had been recovered from the nearby fields. He said the black box of the aircraft had also been recovered. Earlier people from nearby
villages flocked to the accident site. Another witness,
Mr Rattan Singh, said he and other villagers started
running towards their village when they saw the plane
hurtling towards them. It seemed that it would hit a
house outside the village on the main road, but it
crashed just short of it, he added. |
||
Plea against Sikh panel order
put off CHANDIGARH, Feb 2 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today adjourned to February 8 the application moved by Mr Dara Singh, a former member of the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission, seeking a stay on the order passed by the commission on January 29 restraining Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta from functioning as SGPC Secretary. Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice Iqbal Singh, before whom the petition came up for hearing, held: "Counsel for the applicant said the hearing of the case may be postponed for three days to know the fate of the application moved by Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta before the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission praying for reviewing its order dated January 29". The Bench, however, directed counsel for the applicant to hand over copies of the application moved by Mr Dara Singh to all respondents, including counsel for the Union of India. Earlier, the Bench took exception to the affidavit filed by Mr Dara Singh alleging that the Sikh judicial commission had neither allowed him to inspect the file nor was he given a copy of the order passed on January 29. The state counsel had earlier brought to the notice of the court that since Mr Dara Singh had not applied for the copy of the order, how could he be given a copy? As for inspection of the file, the state counsel told the court that Mr Dara Singh had put in his application before the commission at 4.30 pm when the court time was over. He was directed to inspect the file on February 1 — the next working day. Mr Dara Singh had earlier filed a writ petition in the High Court contesting the constitution of the new judicial commission. He pointed out that the state government had first issued a notification dissolving the commission. And when he questioned the power of the government to dissolve the commission, the government withdrew the notification. However, the government issued another notification setting up the new judicial commission. Mr Dara Singh's stand in his petition was that since the commission existed after withdrawal of the earlier notification, how could the government set up a new judicial commission? This petition will come up for hearing on February 23. S.G.P.C president
Gurcharan Singh Tohra had moved a separate application in
the High Court seeking a stay of the commission's order
dated January 29. This application had come up yesterday
before Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi. Since a copy of the order
was not placed before the court by Mr Tohra, the Judge
had adjourned hearing on this application to February 3. |
||
Only executive ‘can
appoint’ Takht chief LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — The executive of the SGPC alone has the power to hire and fire the Jathedar of Akal Takht. This was stated here today by Mr Mal Singh Ghuman, a former general secretary of the SGPC, who is a member of the executive. He said the appointment of Bhai Ranjit Singh was made by the executive at a meeting in a Ludhiana hospital where the SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, was admitted about a decade ago. The meeting was also
attended by Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta and a few other
members of the SGPC. It was possible that Bhai Ranjit
Singh, who was then in jail in connection with the murder
of the Nirankari chief, did not know the facts about the
procedure with regard to his appointment as the Akal
Takht Jathedar. |
||
3 Akali factions join hands JALANDHAR, Feb 2 — Three Akali factions have joined hands to resolve the current crisis in the Panth while expressing solidarity with Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh for issuing the edict. At a meeting here yesterday, the three factions — the Akali Dal Democratic, the Akali Dal Amritsar and the Akali Dal Panthic — approved a resolution to uphold the sanctity and dignity of Akal Takht. Leaders of the three
factions also resolved to elicit, the support of the Sant
Samaj and other Sikh institutions. The meeting was
attended by Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, Mr Kuldeep Singh
Wadala, Bhai Jasbir Singh and other leaders. |
||
Cops warned against being rude LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — The Punjab Government has made it mandatory for all district administration heads to be present in their offices for four days in a week to ensure prompt redress of public grievances. The deputy commissioners have been asked to make surprise checks to ensure the presence of the officers in their offices, announced Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, Punjab, while addressing the monthly meeting of district-level Public Grievances Committee here today. The Finance Minister said that in case more complaints were received against a particular department in the grievances committee, the district head concerned would be held responsible and stern action initiated against him. Reacting to a complaint regarding the mutation of plots, the minister directed the revenue officers to make all the mutations on site in the villages in the presence of the panchayat. The minister expressed serious concern over the large number of complaints regarding rude behaviour and connivance with anti-social elements of junior police officials. He asked the SSP to gear up the police machinery in the district and make responsive to the public complaints. He should also ensure proper respect to the public representatives in the police stations. Earlier, presiding over the meeting of District Planning and Development Board, Capt Kanwaljit Singh said that the State Government would curtail the unnecessary expenditure and ensure funds for the implementation of all development and welfare schemes launched in the urban and rural areas. He directed the officers to utilise the funds within the fixed period and warned that the more grants could be released on the submission of utilisation certificates regarding the previous ones. Referring to the grants to be released during the current financial year through the District Planning and Development Board in the district, the minister informed that Rs 29 crore would be spent on development projects and welfare schemes of all departments. An amount of Rs 17.46 crore had already been released. He said Rs 13.77 crore
would be spent to strengthen infrastructural facilities,
Rs 13 crore to implement welfare schemes of different
departments under beneficiary oriented programmes and
united funds amounting to Rs 1.79 crore would be utilised
to complete the ongoing projects in the district. |
||
Follow-up CHANDIGARH, Feb 2 — The Shiromani Akali Dal had promised in its 1997 election manifesto that "all privately managed unaided colleges in existence from 1978 till 1996-97 will be covered under the 95 per cent grant-in-aid scheme". While this promise remains unimplemented, the Sikh Educational Society, which runs six institutions, four in Chandigarh and two in Punjab, has announced its decision to pay UGC pay scales to its teaching staff as and when the Punjab Government issues a notification. However, despite an announcement to this effect by the state Finance Minister on January 27, no notification has been issued till date. The Principal Secretary, Education, Mr G.P.S. Sahi, said he, too, was awaiting the notification. The Sikh educational society's general house met at the local Guru Gobind Singh College yesterday with the SGPC President, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, in the chair. Mr Tohra, who refused to answer any political questions, hoped Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal would take the initiative and implement the UGC pay scales by issuing a notification. He regretted that there had been no "cadre review" of the teaching posts in Punjab since 1981. In the meantime, at least 11 new colleges had come up and a large number of teachers recruited. Mr Parkash Singh as Chief Minister in 1978 had promised a review every five years. The non-teaching staff in the six institutions, Mr Tohra said, were already getting the revised pay scales. The secretary of the society, Principal Bharpur Singh, pointed out that the private managements were under a heavy financial burden. Yet the general house had agreed and adopted a resolution to implement the UGC scales on which a notification was issued by the Centre on December 24, 1998. Since the Union Territory of Chandigarh follows the Punjab pattern, the teachers had been deprived the recommended grades in colleges. In fact, the university and college teachers had gone on a countrywide strike for 26 days in August-September last year after which the Union Human Resource Department relented and signed an agreement with the All-India Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation. In view of the "restiveness" among teachers a section of them feels the itch to resort to yet another strike. In fact while making an announcement on January 27, Capt Kanwaljit Singh had stated that the norms for the grant of advance increments in the revised scales of the corresponding unrevised scales of Rs 3,700-5700 would be settled only after the matter had been discussed by the state government implementation committee. This committee would look into the question of the grant of HRA, city compensatory allowance, travelling allowance, daily allowance etc. It would also go into the matter of advance increments for higher qualifications. It would give its final recommendations within one month. When Mr Sahi was contacted in this connection, he said he had started action once the detailed UGC pay scale notification of December 24 was received. He had suggested that a committee comprising the Chief Minister, the Finance Minister, the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary (Finance) and (Education) should meet and sort out the issues. The committee was to meet on January 29 but the meeting was postponed to February 8. Now the proposed meeting is scheduled for March 1. In view of the dithering and delay on the part of the Punjab Government in implementing the UGC pay scales and the election manifesto "promise" made by the SAD, a former President of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union, Mr Charanjit Chawla, said that "step-motherly" treatment being meted out to the teachers was causing lot of resentment among them. Interestingly, the Sikh Educational Society and DAV managements were giving full pay, along with allowances, to the teachers who were not covered under the 95 per cent grant scheme. Once the arrears from
January 1, 1996, come up, the money involved in respect
of the six institutions alone would be Rs 2 crore. |
||
Sales tax evasion by coal trader
alleged BATHINDA, Feb 2 — The evasion of sales tax, income tax and railway freight allegedly by a local coal trader has reportedly been detected by the enforcement wing of Sales tax department here. Mr S.K. Ralhan, director, enforcement wing, Sales Tax Department, Punjab told Tribune News Service that the trader had brought about 2700 tonnes of coal from Assam in 32 wagons on January 23 and 24 but had produced railway receipts (RRs) of only about 1900 tonnes so far. He said the wing was examining the documents furnished by the coal trader to ascertain whether sales tax was duly paid on the rest of the 800 tonnes of coal or not. Official sources said the department had realised about Rs 22 lakh in cash and surety bonds from the trader for releasing his consignment after it was seized in a raid conducted on the coal unloading centre. Taking these figures into account, the trader had evaded freight of about Rs 12 lakh. If a penalty was imposed on him for evading sales tax, it would run into crores. The Income Tax authorities, however, had not taken up the case yet. Mr Frank Richard, Chief Goods Supervisor, Railway, when contacted said he had knowledge that coal more than booked by the trader was being brought. He said that if the sales tax authorities disclosed the excess quantity of coal to the Railways, then action would be taken against the trader. The Railway authorities at Delhi, to whom a complaint was made in this regard on January 21 by another coal trader had not taken any action. The consignment reached Bathinda on January 23. Mr Ralhan said he would submit his report to the Excise and Taxation Commissioner. He said that he would take up the matter with the higher authorities. He said the enforcement
wing was facing a number of difficulties and the state
government had been urged to equip its staff with mobile
phones to enhance their efficiency. |
||
Stability govt's top priority:
minister LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — The Punjab Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, today warned that nobody would be allowed to disturb the hard-won peace in the state and undermine the traditional fraternal bonds among the Punjabis. In a talk with TNS here, Capt Kanwaljit Singh refuted what he termed as "baseless propaganda" carried out by certain Congress leaders that the ongoing Badal-Tohra feud posed a threat to peace in the state, and said this issue had nothing to do with peace in Punjab. The government was prepared to go to any length and make any sacrifice to ensure that peace was not disturbed. "Any individual or organisation trying to disturb peace and undermine mutual harmony will be dealt with sternly," he warned. Capt Kanwaljit Singh recalled that the Shiromani Akali Dal had made a solemn promise to the Punjabis to establish and safeguard their life and property if elected to power during its Moga conference held in 1996. "It is the earnest desire of all Punjabis that the old situation should not return and the state should have political stability. Our government is totally committed to this promise and at no cost we will allow it to be undermined," he declared. The minister, who is
considered to be a right hand man of Mr Parkash Singh
Badal, however, conceded that the present controversy in
the SAD was coming in the way of speedily fulfilling the
government's commitments and helping the Congress in
several ways. "I will, therefore, like to appeal to
all those who have Panthic interests at heart not to
indulge in any activity which might harm the government
and undermine its functioning". |
||
PAU staff not paid salary LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — The financial crisis of the Punjab Government has cast its shadow on Punjab Agricultural University here as well. The university failed to pay salaries to its staff for January, provoking an angry demonstration from them today. "This is the first time during the past nearly 30 years that we have not been paid our salaries at the end of the month", fumed an employees' leaders at a gathering of employees in front of the office of the Vice-Chancellor. The university has nearly 6,700 employees, including teaching, non-teaching and class IV staff. It is the Class IV employees who are hit the hardest by the delay in the payment of the salaries. The monthly wage bill of the university is nearly Rs 4.80 crore. Enquiries with the PAU authorities showed that the university has not received its monthly grant from the cash-strapped Punjab Government. The Vice-Chancellor, Dr G.S. Kalkat, told TNS that he was in touch with the authorities in Chandigarh to expedite the release of the grant. "I was told by the Principal Secretary, Finance, Mr Rajan Kashyap, on Friday that there was no problem and that we should send a person to Chandigarh to collect the cheque". A university official had been despatched to Chandigarh who informed the university this afternoon that the grant was in the process of being cleared. "We hope to have it any time now", said Dr Kalkat. In addition to the monthly grant for the payment of salaries, the university has a revolving fund consisting of income from the farms owned by the university which is used to finance research work. Therefore, the current financial crisis and delay in the payment of salaries will not affect the research work. There was a proposal to
divert money from the revolving fund for the payment of
salaries to the staff but the Vice-Chancellor put it on
hold. |
||
Compensation for bus passenger LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — The state-owned roadways has been directed by the Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to pay a compensation of Rs 2,000 to a passenger, Col Rajinder Singh Sohi (retd), for the inconvenience suffered by him during a journey from Chandigarh to Ludhiana recently. Colonel Sohi boarded a Punjab Roadways bus (PJ 1078) from Chandigarh at about 5.15 pm along with his daughter. They had a rather halting journey to SAS Nagar which is just 8 km from Chandigarh. A few kilometres short of Morinda, the bus stopped again. The stranded passengers had to face much inconvenience as the conductor refused to refund the fare. Somehow, the driver managed to make good the engine defect and resumed journey. The bus again developed a fault near Sanghol village. It was then around 7.30 pm. The plight of the passengers became miserable because no other bus would stop there and pick them up. Colonel Sohi finally made his own travel arrangements to reach Ludhiana. The commission, comprising Justice A.L. Bahri, President, and Mr Jasbir Singh and Mrs Devinder Kaur Bhambrah, members, observed that the bitter experience of Colonel Sohi was not for anyone. It was generally seen on the highways that public transport buses broke down en route and passengers were left at the mercy of God. The crowd of passengers which remained stranded consisted of senior citizens, women with small children and many other needy persons who had boarded the bus in the hope of reaching their destinations on time. The improper care and maintenance and the negligent attitude of the bus crew towards duty aggravated such situations. A cautious driver would always be alert to any unusual sound coming from his vehicle. Dissatisfied and agitated at the callous attitude of the roadways staff, Colonel Sohi filed a complaint with the District Forum, Fatehgarh Sahib, where an award of Rs 500 was granted as compensation, which he felt was insufficient for the sufferings caused to him. He filed an appeal with the commission for the enhancement of the compensation to Rs 10,000. The commission in its
judgement felt that the complainant had not been
adequately compensated for the inconvenience suffered
during night. Hence the compensation was being enhanced
to Rs 2,000 which included refund of the bus fare. |
||
DM's directive ignored BATHINDA, Feb 2 — The Kotwali police has ignored a directive of the District Magistrate, Mr S.R. Ladhar to register an FIR regarding the theft of a motor cycle of Mr Naresh Kumar, an employee of the District Red Cross Society. The vehicle was stolen on January 19. On January 28, Mr Naresh Kumar met the District Magistrate and narrated his story. Mr Ladhar wrote to the SSP, asking him to direct the police personnel concerned to register the FIR and trace the stolen motor cycle. However, Mr Naresh Kumar alleged that till today, no FIR had been registered. He alleged that when he went to the police station yesterday, he was informed that his application was with Mr Ram Pal, ASI, who had gone to Vardhman police post. Mr Naresh Kumar alleged that he was sent back on one pretext or the other. Mr Kaka Singh, DSP, when
contacted, said that an FIR would be registered soon and
added that he had instructed the police officials
concerned in this regard. |
||
PUDA to auction 1,500 plots JALANDHAR, Feb 2 — The Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) will be auctioning more than 1500 plots in Kapurthala, the first developed colony being set up here. Acquiring 205 acres of land, PUDA has paid compensation of Rs 15 lakh per acre. A sum of Rs 31.05 crore had already been disbursed among affected farmers. The Administrator, PUDA, Mr Raminder Singh, when contacted by TNS said that 350 families were affected by the land acquisition but none had approached the court as a realistic market price had been paid to them. PUDA has hired a Delhi-based consultancy firm for designing the outlay. A blue print had been submitted with three models of investment and groups. Low, medium and high income groups will be catered. PUDA has already built a boundarywall around the 205 acres to curtail encroachment, Mr Raminder Singh said. The township would have to provide 60 feet broad roads, parks, high school, hospital, commercial centre and preferably a stadium also. According to the
Administrator, the price of the plots is expected to be
fixed more than Rs 2000 per square yard. An eight acre
plot next to Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Government
College will be auctioned immediately as PUDA has won the
case in the Supreme Court against certain persons who had
illegally taken the possession of the land. This area
will be for the high income group, he added. |
||
5 arrested for forced
abortion TARN TARAN, Feb 2 — The Sarhali police has registered a case under Sections 313, 120, 148 and 149 of the IPC against a village nurse, the husband and three other members of the in-laws of Baljit Kaur (23), a resident of Dhotian for forcibly aborting her. Baljit Kaur who is undergoing treatment at the local civil hospital told the police in her statement that she was married to Rachhpal Singh of Dhotian in April last and tortured for dowry. When she become pregnant it was not liked by her husband and in-laws. On January 23 she was allegedly taken to the village nurse for abortion by her husband, mother-in-law Veer Kaur, another woman of her in-law, Deepo, at the instance of her father in-law Boota Singh. She was given an injection for unconsciousness but it had no effect on her. Even then she was allegedly aborted. The police has arrested
the culprits. |
||
MLA flays govt on stripping
case AMRITSAR, Feb 2 — The BJP MLA, Ms Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, criticised the Punjab Government and its state women commission for failing in its duty to take up the matter of the stripping of a Dalit woman in Abohar district, a few days ago. Ms Chawla, in a press note issued here today, said the Punjab Women Commission should come to the rescue of the victim by offering her relief. She flayed the Chairman of
the commission for her inability to help the victim. She
appealed to various social organisations and people to
condemn this shameful and barbaric act, and to stand
unitedly against these atrocities. She urged the
government to take immediate steps to arrest the
culprits. |
||
Tohra's plea on shrines in Pak AMRITSAR, Feb 2 — The SGPC President, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, has urged the Union Government to take up the issue of the repair and rebuilding of historical Sikh shrines in Pakistan with the Pakistan Government during the next round of Foreign Secretary level talks. In a communication to the
Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, which was
released to the Press here today, Mr Tohra stated that
nearly 150 historical gurdwaras were left in Pakistan in
the wake of partition. Some of these had already
collapsed. |
||
Ban orders in Amritsar AMRITSAR, Feb 2 — The
District Magistrate, Mr Narinder Jit Singh, today imposed
a ban on the carrying of firearms in the city till
February 28 under Section 144 in view of the meeting of
Sant Samaj called by the Jathedar of Akal Takht today. |
||
Train carrying 1,200 cows
detained MALERKOTLA, Feb 2 — A goods train carrying about 1,200 cows and calves were detained by residents of Ahmedgarh, 20 km from here, at Ahmedgarh Railway Station yesterday. According to information, workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Bajrang Dal, on receiving information that cows were being smuggled to Calcutta, from Kila Raipur, gathered at the railway station and forced the driver of the goods train to stop the train at Ahmedgarh. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anirudh Tiwari, and the SSP, Mr Arpit Shukla, Sangrur, went to the spot on knowing that the people were protesting that the cows were being taken to Calcutta for slaughter. But both of them pacified the protesters and assured them of the medical examination of the cows. It was after the assurance that the train was sent back to Kila Raipur Railway Station from where the cows were sent to Howrah. The trader of the cows had
the permission of the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana. He
added that the train was escorted by the railway police
to avoid any untoward incident. |
||
5000 to take part in Khalsa
march CHANDIGARH, Feb 2 — About 5000 devotees will take part in the second Khalsa march to be organised from Gurdwara Gursagar Sahib to Takht Shri Keshgarh Sahib on February 4. Sant Pritpal Singh of the Shiromani Sant Khalsa International Foundation, told Tribune News Service today that the first Khalsa march was recently organised from Gobind Ghat to Takht Shri Patna Sahib. Thousands of devotees welcomed the march with a display of fireworks on the way. Bhai Iqbal Singh of Takht Sri Patna Sahib honoured Sant Pritpal Singhji with a siropa. Later, this Khalsa march
was flagged off for Takht Shri Keshgarh Sahib by Mr Shyam
Rajak, Energy Minister, Bihar. Mr Ram Kirpal Yadav, an
MLA, was also present on the occasion along with many
civil and police officials. |
||
Sekhwan flays Cong ‘shadow
cabinet’ CHANDIGARH, Feb 2 — Mr Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Information and Public Relations Minister, Punjab, has condemned the newly constituted "shadow cabinet" of Capt Amarinder Singh (retd) Terming it as a "mock cabinet", Mr Sekhwan said it was unprecedented to impose a shadow cabinet on a properly elected cabinet. He reminded the Congress
President that his "so-called ministers" had
already been rejected by the people of the state. By
forming a cabinet with the "defeated"
candidates Capt Amarinder Singh had expressed his lust
for power, Mr Sekhwan said. |
||
Lovers commit suicide ROPAR, Feb 2 — Two married persons, Surinder Kumar (31) and Harjinder Kaur (28), both residents of Sirhind town, allegedly committed suicide here yesterday. They were not married to each other. According to Mr Malwinder Singh Malhi, SHO, of the local city police station the victims had taken a room on rent at the local Sahil Hotel yesterday where they consumed poison. After some time when they started vomiting, they asked the hotel receptionist for medical help. They were taken to the local Civil Hospital where they died. Mr Malhi said before dying Surinder Kumar stated that they loved each other and could not live separately. The police has registered
a case under Section 174 of the IPC. |
||
Badal for stadium in each block NAWANSHAHR, Feb 2 — The Punjab Government will build a sports stadium in each block of the state to give a boost to sports, the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, said while presiding over the prize distribution function organised at the Guru Har Rai Sahib yadgari sports mela at Sandhwa village, 28 km from here, yesterday. He said proper infrastructure would be provided to the sportspersons so that they could excel at the international level and bring laurels to Punjab. Mr Badal lauded the efforts of sports clubs and NRIs who had been organised rural sports melas. Mr Badal granted Rs 5 lakh to solve the problem of sullage in the village and Rs 50,000 for a dharamshala. Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the computer centre set up at Government High School, Sandhwa, for which the Overseas Committee, England, and an NRI, Mr Ajaib Singh, had contributed Rs 30 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively. Mr Badal promised to upgrade the school to the plus two level in the next session. Mr Mohan Lal, MLA, Banga,
urged the Chief Minister to solve the problem of
waterlogging on priority basis. |
||
FIR against contractor LUDHIANA, Feb 2 — The Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, Mr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, has lodged an FIR in Sarabha Nagar police station against Mr Manohar Singh, a contractor, for allegedly fraudulently claiming more payment from the corporation than the actual work done by him. The contractor was given the job of the repair of corporation houses. He submitted bills which were in excess to the extent of Rs 53,000 of the work actually done by him, according to an official press note. An FIR was registered
against an XEN, an SDO and a JE about two weeks ago in
connection with the case. |
||
Stipend to SC, BC students delayed AMRITSAR, Feb 2 — A large number of students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and backward classes are yet to receive their monthly stipends for the current financial year. The General Secretary of the Amritsar Vikas Manch, Mr Charanjit Singh Gumtala, in a press note issued here yesterday alleged that the government had failed to release the stipends, thus depriving them of the right to pursue their studies. He urged the government to
take immediate steps to release the stipends. |
||
SI returns bribe money GARHSHANKAR, Feb 2 — The Sewa Bharati came to the rescue of a person, Karamjit Singh who was forced to give a bribe of Rs 200 to a Home Guard Police Sub-Inspector at Garhshankar for getting back his lost imported telephone set in a bus. Sewa Bharati brought this
to the notice of Senior Police Officer, who ordered the
Sub-Inspector to give back the bribe amount to Karamjit
Singh. |
||
Row over IOC question paper PATIALA, Feb 2 — Six candidates appearing in the written test of the Indian Oil Corporation for recruitment as engineers, officers and graduate apprentice engineers at Chandigarh on Sunday have complained that they were given question paper in Hindi while the norms required the papers to be in English. Mr Suresh Aggarwal, father of a candidate, said in a statement that the affected candidates (roll no 26i0001 to 2610006) protested as they were not able to understand the questions in Hindi, but the examiners refused to help saying that there was a shortage of papers in English. Mr Aggarwal has demanded a
suitable compensation for the affected candidates. |
||
Punjab to encourage inter-caste
marriages CHANDIGARH, Feb 2 — Inter-caste marriages are being encouraged in Punjab to tackle the menace of untouchability and a sum of Rs 70 lakh has been earmarked for this purpose in the current year. Financial assistance will be given to panchayats, volunteer organisations and writers. Seminars, and debates will also be organised for the removal of untouchability. Mr Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Social Welfare Minister, said here today. Village panchayats doing
good work in this connection would be rewarded. Such
couples would be given Rs 25,000 each. |
||
 |
||
 |
| Nation
| Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu & Kashmir | Chandigarh | | Editorial | Business | Sport | | Mailbag | Spotlight | World | 50 years of Independence | Weather | | Search | Subscribe | Archive | Suggestion | Home | E-mail | |
