Thursday, May 20, 1999
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Thursday, May 20, 1999 |
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Make Ranjit Singh
Jathedar: Tohra PATIALA, May 19 — Former SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra today said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his group would be wiped out in case they did not submit to the Akal Takht and restore Bhai Ranjit Singh as its Jathedar. Badal not to appear before Akal Takht AMRITSAR, May 19 — Even as Mr Parkash Singh Badal has decided not to appear before Akal Takht tomorrow, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra has announced that he will avoid any confrontation with him (Mr Badal) if he would consider Bhai Ranjit Singh as Jathedar of Akal Takht. |
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Stop scramble party tickets, says Arvind Khanna CHANDIGARH, May 19 — Mr Arvind Khanna, Treasurer of the PPCC, today expressed his surprise at the statements being made by fellow colleagues in regard to their personal interests of who all should get a ticket for forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. 15 Cong men seek
Ferozepore ticket Give
detailed report on wheat scam probe Dr
Kehar Singh is school board chief SC
order on child labour "being ignored" UGC
agrees to Sept 5, 98 pact 15
IAS, PCS officers transferred VIII
standard result poor Plea
to lift wheat stocks Dairy
owners 'not to move out' New
hostel for wards of jawans |
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Make Ranjit Singh Jathedar:
Tohra PATIALA, May 19 — Former SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra today said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his group would be wiped out in case they did not submit to the Akal Takht and restore Bhai Ranjit Singh as its Jathedar. Addressing his loyalists and workers at a meeting held at the residence of former minister Surjit Singh Kohli last night, Mr Tohra said if, however, the Chief Minister restored Bhai Ranjit Singh to his former dignity he and his group would forgo the agitational path being adopted by them. Mr Tohra while appealing to Akali Dal party workers to side with the truth, said the Chief Minister would meet his nemesis at the hands of the people in the coming Lok Sabha elections in case he did not submit to the Akal Takht by May 20. The former SGPC chief said he had only given suggestions to the Chief Minister that latter should appoint an acting president to share the load of party work. He said even though he had expressed regrets for making the statement after the Chief Minister and his supporters reacted adversely to it, vilification campaign was started against him. Mr Prem Singh
Chandumajra said the Chief Minister was not worried about
Punjab but only about his son Sukhbir Singh Badal. |
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Badal not to appear before
Akal Takht AMRITSAR, May 19 — Even as Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, has decided not to appear before Akal Takht tomorrow, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, a former SGPC chief, has announced that he will avoid any confrontation with him (Mr Badal) if he would consider Bhai Ranjit Singh as Jathedar of Akal Takht. He said Mr Badal and his supporters who had turned their back on Akal Takht still had time to "surrender" before it. On the other hand, Mr Badal, in all probability, won't oblige the Tohra camp by appearing before Akal Takht. Mr Badal had already announced that Bhai Ranjit Singh had no right to summon him at Akal Takht as he was no more the Jathedar. Mr Badal had said Giani Puran Singh had replaced Bhai Ranjit Singh who had all rights to summon any Sikh now. The sacked jathedar had served an ultimatum on Mr Badal to appear before Akal Takht by May 20, otherwise a programme would be announced from Akal Takht to finish him politically and religiously. Sources close to Bhai
Ranjit Singh said he would give a call to the Sikh sangat
not to believe Mr Badal and his coterie. A virtual
campaign would be launched against the SAD which could
embarrass him in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. |
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Sonia supporter on fast CHANDIGARH, May 19 — A former Chief Minister, Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, senior leaders, including Mr Jagmeet Brar, Mr Birdevinder Singh, a former PPCC chief, Mr Mohinder Singh Gill and several others today met Mrs Sonia Gandhi to request her to withdraw her resignation. Mrs Gandhi resigned yesterday as President of the All-India Congress Committee. Congress leaders told TNS over telephone that the deputation led by Mrs Bhattal requested Mrs Sonia Gandhi that the country required her services and the entire Congress Party was backing her. Several former MLAs, ministers and MPs were part of the deputation, it is learnt. Mr Satya Dev Garg, industrialist and senior vice-president of the District Congress Committee, Fatehgarh Sahib in a statement said leaders like Mr Sharad Pawar were a frustrated lot and they were playing into the hands of fundamentalist forces. Mr Garg said Mrs Gandhi belonged to the Nehru family which had made sacrifices for the country. She was an able leader who made the Congress to win election in many states recently. Mrs Gurkanwal Kaur, President Punjab Mahila Congress, has also requested Mrs Gandhi to review her decision and said Mrs Gandhi was the only person capable of leading the party at this critical juncture. Mr Harnek Singh Mangewal, a former Congress minister, seeking strict action against the rebel Congress leaders, said all their followers and loyalists should also be weeded out from the party. Mr Mangewal said Mr Sharad Pawar and others had stabbed the party in the back. Mr Amarjit Singh Walia, organising secretary of the Congress, expressing similar sentiments said Mrs Gandhi should not bother about the statements and issues raised by Mr Pawar and his associates. Mr Devinder Singh Babbu,
President, Punjab Youth Congress, today started an
indefinite fast before the PPCC office here to press Mrs
Gandhi to withdraw her resignation. |
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Stop scramble party tickets,
says Arvind Khanna CHANDIGARH, May 19 — Mr Arvind Khanna, Treasurer of the PPCC, today expressed his surprise at the statements being made by fellow colleagues in regard to their personal interests of who all should get a ticket for forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. In a statement he said instead of showing support to the Congress high command "we are scrambling over tickets. I am a social worker. For the past few years I have served the people of Sangrur through social service and continue to do so at present and till God gives me the strength I will carry on doing so." He said the Umeed Khanna Foundation would be covering 500 villages through its medical scheme. The statement said: "No one knows who the candidates of the Congress Party will be from Punjab in the forthcoming elections. It is up to the PPCC and the Congress high command to decide". On his own candidature,
he said " I am a social worker first and a
politician later. I want to see an improvement in the
life of the people of our country and I will appeal to my
fellow senior colleagues that whoever may be a candidate
of the Congress party we must stand by him or her for a
united Congress." |
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15 Cong men seek Ferozepore
ticket FEROZEPORE, May 19 — The Ferozepore District Congress Committee received 15 applications from Congressmen seeking ticket for the Ferozepore seat during the coming parliamentary poll, according to available information here today. The applicants include Mr Harcharan Singh Brar, former Punjab Chief Minister, his wife, Mrs Gurbinder Kaur Brar, his daughter, Ms Kanwaljit Kaur, and his son, Mr Kanwarjit Singh Brar. Some of the other applicants are Mr Gurnaib Singh Brar, executive member, PPCC, and his wife Mrs G. Kaur Brar, Ms Malti Thapar, Mr Varinder Kataria, ex MP. Party sources said these
applications would be forwarded to the PPCC President,
Capt Amarinder Singh tomorrow. |
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Give detailed report on wheat
scam probe CHANDIGARH, May 19 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Punjab Vigilance Bureau to file a comprehensive affidavit enumerating details of the investigation into what has come to be known as fertiliser scam from the date of the registration of the FIR. Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill, who issued these directions, earlier expressed their displeasure over the casualness in which the officer concerned had filed the affidavit. The Bench ordered Mr B.K. Uppal,, S.P., Vigilance Bureau, Patiala, to file the affidavit on Monday. In his affidavit filed before the court today, Mr Uppal stated that the investigation was being done on a priority basis. However, the nature of the case was such that the registration numbers of some vehicles were still to be verified. They were also to record the statement of certain persons through whom the fertiliser was shown to have been sold. The alleged fertiliser scam was highlighted by the president of the kisan wing of the SAD (M), Mr Satnam Singh Behru. He had alleged that subsidy to the tune of Rs 50 lakh was embezzled on the basis of bogus supply and sale of fertiliser. In this case, the manufacturing company, dealers, sub-dealers and officials of the department concerned who were deputed at the factory premises are named as suspects. The affidavit further
stated that registration numbers of some of the vehicles
through which supply of fertiliser was shown turned out
to be the numbers of scooters and mopeds. |
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Dr Kehar Singh is school
board chief CHANDIGARH, May 19 — Dr Kehar Singh, an eminent scholar, has been appointed Chairman of the Punjab School Education Board by the state government. A notification was issued today in this regard. Dr Kehar Singh told TNS that he would assume the charge tomorrow. He has come in place of Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, who was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, last week. Born in Tuttanwala village in Ferozepore district on May 15, 1941, Dr Kehar Singh joined the Punjabi University as junior lecturer in 1968. He remained a Professor and Head of the Political Science Department of Punjabi University. He started his career as a lecturer in Ramgarhia College, Phagwara, before coming to Punjabi University. He remained president of
the Punjabi University Teachers' Association (PUTA) five
times apart from being its secretary, vice-president a
number of times. |
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SC order on child labour
"being ignored" AMRITSAR, May 19 — The Labour Department of the state had been dithering on filing FIRs against the brickkiln owners, who had engaged child labour even though the Supreme Court of India has imposed a ban on such practice. The Labour and Conciliation Officers of Labour Department had failed to check the brickkilns, dhabas, tea stalls and chunna and kali, maker to book the owners who had allegedly been violating the Labour Laws. Thakur Hari Singh chairman, Punjab anti-Corruption Forum, in a letter to the Chief Minister has said that labourers had been facing a lot of inconvenience due to non-implementation of the rules framed from time to time for them are indifferent attitude of all concerned. The electricity wiring in the factories was not proper and hence the workers faced a danger to lives. He further alleged that the owners of various mills and factories did not provide proper atmosphere to the workers despite several requests. Mr Hari Singh urged the
Chief Minister to direct the Labour Department to set up
a permanent flying squad at the state-level to enforce
labour laws properly. |
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UGC agrees to Sept 5, 98
pact JALANDHAR, May 19 — The UGC represented by the acting Chairman, Secretary, two additional secretaries and a joint secretary held official-level talks with the AIFUCTO secretariat led by Dr K.K. Thakedath, Prof Mrinmoy Bhattacharya, Dr V.K. Tewari and Prof Vijay Kumar, on Monday in New Delhi. Dr V.K. Tewari, national secretary of the All-India-Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations (AIFUCTO) said here yesterday that the UGC had agreed to implement the September 5, 1998 agreement in full on the four issues — incentives to lecturers for professional development, third promotion to meritorious teachers who do not have Ph.D, M.Phil degrees, creation of free posts of readers and professors in colleges and supertime scale for professors in universities. He claimed that revised and improved modalities on these four schemes had been sent to the HRD Ministry. The UGC also agreed to issue fresh notification on lecturer's scale for demonstrators, placement of readers in Rs 3000-Rs 5000 scale at the proper level in the new scale, increments to Ph.D holders, retrospective introduction of readership in colleges in the states like Punjab and Haryana where it was not given as per January 1, 1986 scheme and inclusion of librarians and DPEs in the faculty improvement programme for doing Ph.D and M.Phil. He said that the UGC
officials clarified that the DPEs and librarians had been
granted parity with lecturers including fixation at the
minimum of Rs 14,940 of all those who had completed five
years in Rs 3700-Rs 5700 scale on or after January 1,
1996. |
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15 IAS, PCS officers
transferred CHANDIGARH, May 19 — The Punjab Government today ordered the posting and transfer for 15 IAS and PCS officers. Mr Bidhi Chand is the new Director, Rural Development and Panchayats. Mr S.K. Sharma has been posted as Joint Secretary , Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Diary Development; Mr Yash Vir Mahajan is the new Joint Managing Director, PSIEC, and Mr Depinder Singh becomes Additional Chief Administrator, PUDA, S.A.S. Nagar. He was Joint Secretary in the Chief Minister's office. Mr A.S. Bains has been posted as Secretary, Punjab State Board for Technical Education and Industrial Training. Mr Deepak Raj Garg goes as District Transport Officer, Sangrur; Mr Harjinder Singh is Joint Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana; Mr Zora Singh goes as Subdivisional Magistrate Nabha, while, Ms Amrit Kaur Gill is new SDM, Dhuri. Mr Sanjay Popli becomes Administrative Officer in the office of Director Public Instruction (Primary) and Mr A.P.S. Sandhu is the new D.T.O., Amritsar. Mr Gurwaryam Singh is Administrative Officer in the office of the DPI (Colleges). Mr Baldev Singh becomes Subdivisional Magistrate, Samrala, and Mr Gurdip Singh from the office of the Chief Minister (where he was Officer on Special Duty) goes as Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Sangrur. Mr Bhupinder Singh is SDM Bagha Purana. Some gaps have been left unfilled, moreover, no posting orders have been issued in respect of Ms Seema Jain, Mr T.P.S. Phoolka, Mr Dilraj Singh, Mr Shiv Dular Singh Dhillon and Mr Hussan Lal against whom new appointments have been made. The gaps yet to be filled are OSD to the Chief Minister, SDM, Patti; ADC, Gurdaspur, Assistant Commissioner, Grievances, Patiala; Assistant Commissioner (General), Mansa; Joint Secretary Cooperation; and Additional Chief Administrator PUDA, Ludhiana. The orders were issued
today, according to a press note. |
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VIII standard result poor TARN TARAN, May 19 — Poor result of middle standard examination of different government schools of the area has upset parents of students and has also exposed the attention the district Education authorities paid to its duties. According to information gathered from different sources result of government senior secondary school Kot Dharm Chand Kalan and that of government high school Pandori Sidhwan remained zero per cent. Fiftythree students failed while the remaining 30 got the compartment in mathematics out of total 83 students of Kot Dharm Chand Kalan. Thirtytwo students failed and the rest seven got compartment out of 39 students of Pandori Sidhwan government high school, only one student could pass out of total 15 students of Chamba Kalan government high school only six students were declared pass of total 29 students of government middle school Koharka. Only 11 students could pass out of total No 82 of government senior secondary school Naushehra Panniuan. Fortytwo failed and 20
got compartment in mathematics. Similarly government
schools of Goindwal Sahib, Jathuwal, Ekal Gadda,
Bhikhiwind, Chohla Sahib, have not been able to show good
performance in results of middle standard examination
conducted by the Punjab School Education Board. Mr
Mohinder Singh Prince, ex president of the Parents
Teacher Association of the local government senior
secondary school has demanded high-level probe into the
poor performance of the government schools. Mr Prince
said that the district Education authorities had never
visited the schools and it was the reason for poor
performance of students. |
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Plea to lift wheat stocks MOGA May 19 — Parking of trucks loaded with wheat belonging to government procurement agencies in front of rice mills on the Ludhiana- Ferozepore, Moga-Amritsar and Moga-Zeera roads for the past month has caused inconvenience to the public and transporters. A number of accidents have also occurred due to traffic congestion. Several truck operators alleged that the police would collect money from them and if they failed to give it to them, they would be challaned. Meanwhile, huge stocks
of wheat stacked in purchasing centres in Moga,
Ferozepore, Muktsar and Faridkot districts have not been
lifted. The traders and farmers have urged the
authorities to lift the wheat stocks to prevent losses. |
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Dairy owners 'not to move out' JALANDHAR, May 19 (PTI) — Dairy owners in the city today ruled out moving their business outside Municipal Corporation limits until the government developed alternative site and made all arrangements for supply of power, water and sewerage. "After several meetings with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Health Minister Manoranjan Kalia, Local Bodies Minister Balramji Das Tandon and Municipal Corporation officials, we now feel none of them is ready to give us an assurance that our interests would be protected," Mr Charan Singh, president of the Pashu Dairy Union, told reporters here. He said the Municipal Corporation had issued notices under Sections 323 and 343 (I) of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, asking them to move out their business outside city limits by July 31."Such notices must stop immediately", he demanded. "The Punjab Government has announced that dairy complexes were being developed at Jamsher Singh and Salempur villages in Jalandhar, but we are being asked to purchase land at the rate of Rs 2000 per square yard which is exorbitant by any standards," the dairy owners said. They said how could the
government expect them to construct dairies in villages
where there were no roads, no water supply and no
electricity. |
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New hostel for wards of jawans JALANDHAR, May19 (PTI) — A new boys hostel for wards of those valiant troops of the Dogra Regiment who died fighting will be inaugurated here by Lt-General Surjit Singh, GOC-in-C of Central Command on next Sunday. The hostel, named after late General Kulwant Singh, first Colonel of the Dogra Regiment, will provide all basic education facilities with entire expenses being borne by the authorities. The regiment looks after 266 widows of jawans who died in action. One of the finest and
largest infantry regiments of the Indian Army, it draws
its troops largely from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and
Jammu and Kashmir. |
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ST on rubber goods, auto
parts unchanged CHANDIGARH, May 19 — The Punjab Government today announced that there would be no change in respect of the incidence of sales tax on rubber goods, automobile parts, including tractor and combine parts, and ball bearings. A government press note
said that as stated in the last Budget speech of the
Finance Minister, the stage of ST would continue to be
the first stage of the sales. |
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Banks flout RBI directive on
soiled notes MOGA May 19 —
Soiled currency notes worth lakhs of rupees are in
circulation in this district. Bank account holders
yesterday here complained that certain nationalised banks
refused to accept these notes. They said that although
the Government of India as well as the Reserve Bank of
India had directed the nationalised banks that all soiled
currency notes should be accepted and there should be no
inconvenience to customers. But the banks are not
accepting these notes. They have urged the Reserve Bank
of India to look into the matter and direct the banks to
accept these currency notes. |
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School for deaf and dumb opened BATHINDA, May 19 — Academic session of Mahant Gurbanta" Dass Deaf and Dumb school started in the working women hostel building here yesterday. Mr S.R. Ladhar, Deputy Commissioner, who inaugurated the academic session said that so far, 15 students had been admitted to the school. He added that classes for deaf and dumb students in the working women's hostel building would be held for few months. Mr Ladhar said that building for deaf and dumb school was under construction and its first phase would be completed by the end of July. He added that then the deaf and dumb school would be run from its own building. He said that deaf and dumb school was being run by the district Red Cross Society and it would have the capacity to impart education to 450 deaf and dumb children free of cost with the facility of free accommodation and clothes. He said that the
district Red Cross Society also planned to start special
courses in the school to produce teachers for deaf and
dumb students. |
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LPG "selling on black
market" MOGA, May 19 — There is resentment among consumers of cooking gas here over the supply of underweight cylinders supplied to them by certain gas agencies. They told reporters here yesterday that these cylinders were underweight up to two to four kg each. They further added that although they had taken up the matter with the local administration, no action had been taken in the matter. There are also
complaints that cooking gas here is hardly available on
cards but were readily available in the black market for
Rs 300 per cylinder against the control price of Rs 180.
They have demanded action against the black marketeers of
LPG. |
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Changed phone no service
introduced JALANDHAR, May 19 — The Telecommunication has introduced automatic changed number announcement service in the district. According to Mr Rajesh
Wadhwa, General Manager, Telecom, this is a computerised
interactive voice response system based service and
provides new changed number corresponding to the caller,
without the need for operator's assistance. To obtain the
information in Hindi, the caller will dial 1951 and for
English he will dial 1952. |
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Scholarship for medical students PATIALA, May 19 — The State Medical Education and Research Department has decided to award scholarships to 10 per cent students in MBBS, BDS, MD-MS, pharmacy, laboratory technicians radiography and staff nurses course etc from next academic session. Stating this in a press release, Dr S.S. Sidhu, Principal Government Medical College said the Government would shortly notify the scholarship scheme in which 50 per cent expenses of medical education of the selected students would be borne by the Government. Dr Sidhu said two
students would be selected on merit, N two others on the
basis of their means' and two others from merit cum
'means' basis from each course. |
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Police failure PATIALA, May 19 — The Punjab Government College Teachers Association has decried police for not arresting two persons who attacked a lecturer of Government College of Physical Education here 10 days ago when he was on examination duty. Dr P.S. Bhatti president PGCTA said in a statement that even after ten days of the incident the police was unable to nab persons. The association said the
incident had spread panic among the supervisory staff.
The association also appealed to Vice-Chancellor Punjabi
University, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, to pursue the
matter and ensure security of the employees on
examination duty. |
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