Saturday, November 6, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Saturday, November 6, 1999 |
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SAD panel
to meet today Gangsters in uniform free
undertrial |
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Punjab
exceeds paddy procurement target Punjab relief for Orissa Imports hit cotton prices Chandumajra remarks resented Village gets back panchayat land Role of money in PCS selections
alleged Badal asked to hold mid-term poll Murder accused held No breakthrough in convent robbery Badal urged to invite Pope to
Punjab Seminar today on gurdwara Act SHSAD, BSP men hold dharna ST hike: traders threaten
agitation Badal rewards school Artistes’ plea to foster
East-West ties Corruption won’t be
tolerated: DC Poacher held for killing
partridges Refresher course on physics
concludes |
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SAD panel to meet today CHANDIGARH, Nov 5 — The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Shiromani Akali Dal will meet here tomorrow. The venue is the official residence of the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, who is the SAD President. The meeting, scheduled for 11 a.m., is to discuss the poll of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee president and other office-bearers. The PAC, informed sources say, may finalise the names of the candidates and draw up a strategy for the SGPC general house meeting scheduled for November 10. The meeting of the PAC itself and that of the SGPC has come at a time when the party itself is in a religio-political whirlpool with speculation and apprehensions about internal strife coming to the fore too often. Moreover, the SGPC election is the first major event after the recently held Lok Sabha poll in which the SAD and its partner, the BJP, suffered a severe jolt; so did Mr G.S. Tohra and company. Though the SAD president commands a sway over a majority of the SGPC members, legislature and in other organisational wings, as is his wont, Mr Badal prepares the ground for every electoral challenge in a serious manner. The moot question, given the political developments attributed to some of the PAC members and ministers as appearing in the media for quite some time, is who will be named finally for the post of the SGPC presidentship, the present incumbent, Bibi Jagir Kaur, or some dark horse. Mr Badal cannot ignore the crucial support he received from the SGPC members, including the Executive, when he needed it most in ousting Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra from his position. Indications are that within the SAD strategies have been formed and revised almost on a day-to-day basis by a section of MLAs, etc eversince Mr Badal started the process of "introspection" and "consultations". Reports on signature campaign for a "change" of leadership at the top or convening of the legislature wing meeting etc have been scotched. Mr Badal has denied having received any written representation on convening meeting of legislature wing. He has already held informed discussions with the MLAs and also separately with the BJP MLAs, besides ensuring dissent was nipped in the bud. The statements being orchesterated from SAD and BJP leaders of expressing "full faith" in him as president and chief minister is a pointer to his damage control exercise. The PAC meeting,
therefore, will take stock of political happenings on the
surface and beneath. |
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Gangsters in uniform free undertrial JALANDHAR, Nov 5 (UNI) — The gangsters, who had snatched a self-loading rifle(SLR) along with ammunition from a Punjab Police constable who was also disrobed of his uniform last month, again struck and freed an undertrial with handcuffs from police custody in Nakodar town in broad daylight today. Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Yadav, while confirming the incident, said here that one of three car-borne criminals, who freed undertrial Gurmit Kumar from the custody of constable Rajinder Singh, was in police uniform and was armed with possibly the same SLR the gangsters had snatched from constable Karni Singh near Pasla in this district on October 19. Gurmit Kumar, an undertrial in a theft case was being taken to the judicial courts complex in the town, 25 km from here, by a lone policeman Rajinder Singh when one of them hit him with the butt of his rifle, while another accomplice brandished a revolver at him. Thrown off balance by the assault and brandishing of a small arm in his face Rajinder Singh’s grip on Gurmit Kumar weakened, enabling the gangsters to free himself and flee. The criminals pushed Gurmit Kumar into a blue Maruti car in which they had come and drove away in full public view, witnesses said. The SSP said that Gurmit Kumar, arrested under Section 379 and 411 of IPC, was lodged in central jail here and was taken to Nakodar court today for hearing in a case when the crime occurred. He said that Gurmit Kumar and Sarbjit Singh, one of the two gangsters who had snatched the SLR along with ten bullets, belong to the same village, Nattan under Nurmahal police station. Sarbjit Singh’s accomplice involved in the rifle-snatching incident has been identified as Baljit Singh, a resident of Faridkot district, the SSP added. The identity of their third accomplice, a turbaned youth who was at the steering wheel of the car, is yet to be ascertained. Sarbjit and Baljit are non-turbaned youth in their twenties. The two rifle-snatchers, accompanied by a third unidentified gangster, had struck at a petrol pump, also in Nakodar town, a day after snatching the rifle from constable Karni Singh of Nurmahal police station and crashed through a police ‘naka’ set up immediately after the robbery on October 20. Two days later, the criminals looted cash from a medicine shop at Jamsher village adjoining Jalandhar cantonment. Mr Yadav said that a company of police commandos has been deployed in Nakodar area and a special search operation launched. In another incident two scooter-borne youth snatched a bag containing Rs 65,800 from Nakodar municipal council’s clerk Puran Lal in Nakodar town in the forenoon today. The youth accosted the cycle-riding clerk on Guru Nanak College Road in the town, snatched the bag and drove away. He said the victim told the police that the youth did not brandish any weapon at him but pushed him and snatched the bag. The money was collection
from different octroi posts around the town and was being
taken possibly to the council office for accounting and
deposit later, police sources said. |
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Three suspended for graft CHANDIGARH, Nov 5 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today heard personally nine complainants about cases of corruption which were brought to his notice during his visit to Gurdaspur on November 2. The complainants were accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner, Gurdaspur. After hearing them and being apprised of the preliminary findings of the Deputy Commissioner, on each case, the Chief Minister ordered that Mr T.S. Virk, Excise and Taxation Officer; Mrs S. Rana, Executive Officer, Improvement Trust; and Balwinder Singh, ASI, Kalanaur police station, be placed under suspension and appropriate criminal proceedings initiated against them. As far as the complaint against DTO office, Gurdaspur, after hearing the party, it transpired that the transporter concerned had himself given the amount of Rs 40,000 to a third party for depositing the required amount of road Tax with the authorities concerned. The required amount of Rs 28,000 was deposited in the office of the DTO and the balance was lying with the third party, a private person. These facts were admitted by the complainant. Therefore, no action was proposed except transferring the steno of DTO office to the headquarters. In the case relating to an Executive Engineer of the Drainage department, the matter will be probed further to ascertain the veracity of the allegation. In two other cases, keeping in view the gravity of the charges, the accused have been given an opportunity to confess their misconduct in front of the village panchayat, return the amount alleged to have been taken as bribe, and promise good behaviour in future. Mr Badal also discussed methods to eliminate corruption with the Deputy Commissioners. He specifically asked them to weed out corruption from the Revenue department within a fortnight. The Chief Minister said the tendency, particularly in the urban areas, to evade stamp duty should be checked by the Deputy Commissioners by rationalisation of price denominators relevant for the registration of documents. He also suggested that
the Revenue and Transport departments should explore the
possibility of installing scanners in the offices for
issuance of driving licences and registration of
documents to rule out personation and other malpractices.
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Punjab exceeds paddy
procurement target ROPAR, Nov 5 — As Punjab has procured all-time record paddy of 1.06 crore tonnes against the target of one crore tonnes during current paddy season so far, Punjab Food and Supply Minister, Madan Mohan Mittal, will meet Union Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister, Shanta Kumar, in the next week at New Delhi to discuss ways and means for speedy movement of already stored wheat and rice form the godowns of the state to other parts of the country so that sufficient space could be made available to store fresh arrival of the rice. Talking to reporters at the canal rest house here today, Mr Mittal, said godowns in the state had no space to store the fresh arrivals because the stores had already been occupied by the previous season’s wheat and rice. He said if the movement of the stored commodities did not expedite immediately then the state could face storage problem. He added he would meet Mr Shanta Kumar, after the Divali festival to solve the storage problem. Mr Mittal said that he was extremely happy with the procurement work which still was on in the state. He said the state agencies, the FCI and the millers had purchased 1,06,65844 tonnes of paddy till today. He also said the state agencies had procured 58,20,610 tonnes while the FCI and the millers had procured 23,74,761 tonnes and 24,70,473 tonnes respectively. The minister added Sangrur district had topped in the paddy procurement by procuring 17 lakh tonnes while Ferozepore district with 12 lakh tonnes was on second place. He said Ludhiana and Patiala had procured 11 lakh tonnes each. Mr Mittal also clarified that the paddy procurement would continue till the arrival of last grain of paddy in the grain markets. He said rumours about the stoppage of paddy procurement were baseless so people should not take such rumours seriously as the rumours were spreading by the rivals of the SAD-BJP alliance. He also said the procurement of paddy had not been stopped in any part of the state. Mr Mittal also appealed
to Punjabis to contribute liberally for the victims of
cyclone in Orissa to the Chief Minister’s Relief
Fund. He said the government had made arrangement for the
despatch of donated commodities and other articles to
Orrisa. |
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Punjab relief for Orissa CHANDIGARH, Nov 5 — The Punjab Government has decided to rush aid to meet the emergency situation caused by the cyclone in Orissa. Apart from 20,000 bags of rice, five truck loads of 'chirwa', a considerable quantity of potatoes, gur, 15,000 sarees and 15,000 lungis are being sent to Orissa to provide succour to the cyclone-hit. The state will also arrange the supply of dry food, milk powder, 'khes', tarpaulines and candles. These articles will be sent in a convoy of about 250 trucks, to be flagged off from Delhi by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on November 12. The Prime Minister, Mr A.B. Vajpayee, is expected to be present. An appeal has been made to people in the districts by the Deputy the Commissioners to donate old cloths, which could be used by the cyclone-hit. For collection of old clothes separate counters will be opened by the deputy commissioners at key locations within their respective districts. In Chandigarh, such a counter will be opened at Kisan Bhavan in Sector 35. The Chief Minister has also appealed to various associations and bodies, representing government employees and employees of the boards and corporations to donate voluntarily one-day salary of the employees for the victims in Orissa. The Chief Minister appealed to the SGPC to run a community kitchen for the cyclone victims of Orissa. These decisions were
taken at a meeting of the Deputy Commissioners Mr Badal
addressed here today. |
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Imports hit cotton prices BATHINDA, Nov 5 — Cotton seems to have let down growers yet again. This time because of low prices for their crop grown at huge expense. For the past five years cotton production in Punjab fell continually because of various man-made and natural calamities with farmers were suffering heavy losses. This year, though the yield is up as compared to last year, the prices are down. Which is not surprising with textile mills importing cotton continuously since the past one year despite enough cotton being available in the country. So far about 9 lakh bales have been imported by the textile mills in India. Cotton trade sources said that the comparatively high price of domestic cotton and lower availability of quality cotton had encouraged textile mills to go in for imports this season. With imports continuing the prices of domestic cotton have remained static causing losses to growers. The prices of different varieties of cotton range between Rs 1600 to Rs 2000 this season as compared to Rs 1750 to Rs 2200 respectively last year. Last year the average yield per acre in Punjab was 60 kilogram while in the current season the average yield is expected to be around two quintal per acre. Mr Ashok Kapoor, Director, Export Penal, Northern India Cotton Association, said that international price of a candy of cotton was about Rs 16,000 while the same candy cost Rs 17000 in India which was why the textile industry preferred imports. He pointed out that against an annual consumption of 160 lakh bales in the country, production this year was estimated at 165 lakh bales. Apart from this, 40 lakh bales were available carry over from last year. Taking these figures into account there was no need to import cotton. Mr Kapoor pointed out
that due to low international prices government export
agencies had been failing to meet their export quota. |
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Chandumajra remarks resented CHANDIGARH, Nov 5 — A Congress leader, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, today reacted sharply to the allegation of SHSAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra's statement that the Congress was not playing the role of the Opposition in Punjab. In a statement the PPCC office secretary, Mr A.C. Kaushik, quoting Chaudhary Jagjit Singh said this was a "bundle of lies. Both factions of the Akali Dal were in the habit of blaming each other for being in league with the Congress while the fact was that both Akali Dals were "anti-people." Chaudhary Jagjit Singh
reminded Mr Chandumajra that as an MP he was silent on
Punjab or Punjabi's demands and now since he stood thrown
out he had found his lost voice. "The Congress MLAs
are playing an effective role as an Opposition party. We
do not need a certificate from Mr Chandumajra". |
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Village gets back panchayat land LUDHIANA, Nov 5 — The sangat darshan programme held under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Goel, proved to be a boon for the sarpanch and the gram panchayat of Kasabad village when the Deputy Commissioner on the complaint of the sarpanch directed the ADC (D), DDPO and SP (Headquarters) to get vacate 12 acres of panchayat land illegally occupied by the family of a former sarpanch another member of the previous panchayat. The officer concerned had gone through the record on the spot and in the evening went to the village with the required police force. The possession of the land was taken over from them and given to the person who had leased it during the last auction. The present sarpanch
stated that during the last elections when the new
panchayat was formed the former sarpanch, late Amrik
Singh and outgoing panchayat members instead of handing
over the possession to the panchayat land for the next
auction, commissioned forged documents in the names of
their relatives with the intention to grab the valuable
land in connivance with the lower staff concerned. The
Deputy Commissioner warned that strict action would be
taken against the government employees who were found
guilty. The Deputy Commissioner has deputed the ADC to
inquire into the whole case. |
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Role of money in PCS
selections alleged PATIALA, Nov 5 — All-India Shiromani Akali Dal (AISAD) president Gurcharan Singh Tohra today said there was no question of any compromise with the Badal Dal. Talking to reporters here after addressing the party’s dharna held here to demand rollback of diesel prices, Mr Tohra said talk for a compromise could only start if the Chief Minister sought forgiveness from the Akal Takht and recognised Bhai Ranjit Singh as its Jathedar. The former SGPC chief while saying that the ruling party legislators would teach their president a lesson soon, did not elaborate the issue. He also refused to comment if the Badal Dal leader Mr Ravinder Singh had his blessings to dethrone Mr Badal. Mr Tohra said the Bharatiya Janata Party had also lost out by allying with the Badal Dal. He said he had talked to Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and Home Minister L.K. Advani twice on the tussle between him and the Chief Minister before the elections but they had preferred not to intervene. Speaking at the rally, the AISAD leader said even as the state was facing financial crisis the Chief Minister was not taking any interest in reducing expenditure. He said IAS officers who were due for deputation to the Centre were not being sent. He said besides this more PCS officers were being recruited when there was no need for the same. He also alleged that largescale money had exchanged hands during the PCS recruitment process and claimed daughter of a Senior Superintendent of Police who fared very badly in her graduation had managed to come first in the PCS examination. Mr Tohra also said state money could also be saved by disbanding police districts which had outlived their purpose after the end of militancy. He said the state continued to be deprived of taxes which were not paid by the influential but nothing was being done about it. Speaking on the occasion, party general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra alleged that the government had failed miserably in checking corruption and that it had affected functioning of the entire state machinery. The dharna passed a
resolution demanding immediate rollback of diesel price
hike, withdrawal of Sale Tax hike on petrol, LPG and
other items, compensation for inflated power bills, end
to political victimisation through police and
implementation of social welfare schemes like free bus
travel and shagun schemes. |
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Badal asked to hold mid-term
poll ABOHAR, Nov 5 — Mr Jagjit Singh leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly today asked the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to list his popularity, recommend mid-term Assembly election in Punjab. Talking to reporters Mr
Jagjit Singh said it was strange for Mr Badal to win
confidence of party MLAs and district Jathedars because
defeat of the ruling party candidates in Lok Sabha
elections indicated that their legislators and Jathedars
had miserably lost the confidence of the people in their
respective areas. He advised Mr Badal to give up
vindictive attitude and accept the defeat gracefully.
Even as the state faced worst fiscal crisis the Chief
Minister was allegedly spending Rs 3 lakh on the use of
helicopter daily. Wasteful expenditure on security and
travel by ministers and officers be reduced considerably.
Mr Jagjit Singh justified the call for agitation by the
Beopar Mandal, as the SAD-BJP government had never
bothered to understand traders problems rather adopted
path of confrontation with them. The state government had
made common man’s life difficult by enhancing taxes
on commodities like kerosene, diesel and pulses. |
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Murder accused held LUDHIANA, Nov 5 — The police has succeeded in arresting the accused in the murder of Darshan Singh within two hours of his committing the crime. Mohinder Singh, a motor mechanic, hit Darshan Singh on the head with an iron rod, killing him instantly. Darshan Singh had gone to get his jeep from Mohinder Singh’s garage along with his cousin, Gurdev Singh. It is learnt that the victim asked Mohinder Singh to repair his jeep and gave Rs 1000 as advance. A minor altercation between the two led to Mohinder Singh beating Darshan Singh and killing him. Meanwhile, Gurdev Singh went to the police station at focal point and got a case registered. The police succeeded in arresting Mohinder Singh and recovered the scooter on which he had fled. In another case the police also arrested Raj Kumar, Mitu and Chander Kumar and recovered illicit liquor from them. A case under the Excise Act has been registered against him. The police has also
arrested Avtar Singh for allegedly stealing a scooter.
One 3 HP motor was recovered from him. |
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No breakthrough in convent
robbery PHILLAUR, Nov 5 — Although the Phillaur police has rounded up more than 40 persons in connection with the robbery at "Jai Rani Convent" of St Joseph’s Convent School in which Sister Valentine was injured there has been no break through in the case. Although the school opened today there was anxiety on the premises. The telephone connection of the school, which was disconnected by miscreants, had still not been restored. A ‘trainee’ nun, Reena, gave details of the incident to this correspondent and said the robbers forcibly opened their room door and asked them to remain silent. Sister M. Valentina, popularly known as mother who is in charge of the convent, told this correspondent that robbers hit her on her head, legs, shoulders and back. When she tried to raise the alarm, Dr Satish Arora, MD Arora Hospital told The Tribune that though "mother" was better, final observations could only be made after a CT scan. Principal Sister Elisabeth in charge of convents of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J and K and Orissa told The Tribune that Rs 75000/- out of the Rs 1.25 lakh looted had been collected from Phillaur, Phagwara, Tarn Taran. Jandiala Guru, Rawa, Bhikhi Wind and Raja Sansi convents for ailing Sister Helen of Orissa. DSP Upinderjit Singh
Ghuman told this correspondent that 17 of the 40
detainees were released today. |
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Badal urged to invite Pope to
Punjab CHANDIGARH, Nov 5 — The Christian Forum, Punjab, today welcomed Pope John Paul II on his visit to India and extended to him an invitation to visit the state. In a joint statement, the president of the Christian Forum, Mr Munawar Masih, and member of the Subordinate Services Selection Board and Principal Kanwal Bakshi, senior vice-president of the forum, have said that Christians number around 15 lakh in Punjab and led a life of total "economic and social suppression". Keeping in view the hospitality of Indians, the Pope should visit all religious places in Punjab. They requested the Chief Minister to extend official invitation to the Pope to visit Punjab. The statement also
protested against hooliganism and vandalism indulged by
certain elements against the Church and the Christians. |
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Seminar today on gurdwara Act CHANDIGARH, Nov 5 — The World Sikh Intellectual Council has constituted a reception committee with Dr Sukhdev Singh as its chairman for the seminar to be held at the Sector 38-B gurdwara on November 6 to discuss amendments in the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, suggested by Justice Harbans Singh (Chief Election Commissioner) in the draft 1999. Prof B.S. Balluana, chairman of the council, said Mr Harinder Singh Khalsa, a former Ambassador to Norway and Mr Jarnail Singh Wahid, member of the SSC, Punjab, would attend the seminar. Prominent Sikh scholars like Mr S.S. Nishan, advocate Gur Rattan Pal Singh and Prof P.S. Kapoor, a former Pro-Vice Chancellor of GND University, will present papers on the topic. Mr Ravi Inder Singh, a
former Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, will be the chief
guest. |
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SHSAD, BSP men hold dharna FATEHGARH SAHIB, Nov 5 — A dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office was organised jointly by the SHSAD, the BSP and the BKU yesterday on protest against the rise in diesel, cooking gas prices and other commodities. He said every section of society, including farmers, traders, industrialists and shopkeepers were annoyed with the policies of the government. He urged MLAs and SGPC members to work according to their conscience. Addressing the dharna, Prof Prem Singh Chandu Majra said the recent elections had shown that though Mr Badal had control over the SGPC, the SAD and was the head of the government, even then he lost the elections and the Sikhs had rejected him. He said now the government had started withdrawing all facilities provided earlier like free electricity, widow and old age pension and free bus travel. He alleged that the
state had become bankrupt due to wrong policies of the
government and Capt Kanwaljit Singh who do not know
anything about finance had been made the Finance
Minister. He urged the people to raise their voice
against the wrong policies of government. |
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ST hike: traders threaten
agitation PATIALA, Nov 5 — Traders in the district are gearing up for an agitation against the "anti-business" policies of the SAD-BJP government. In separate releases, the Patiala Beopar Mandal and the Patiala Spare Parts Dealers Association have threatened to launch an agitation against the sales tax hike and certain amendments made in the Punjab General Sales Tax Act. Mr Surjit Kumar Mehta, President, Patiala Beopar Mandal, said they would start an agitation against the new amendment in the Sales Tax Act in which the traders are liable for imprisonment varying from six months to two years in case of tax evasion. He feared that the law would be misused to harass traders. Mr M.L. Nohria,
President, Patiala Spare Parts Dealers Association, has
called upon the trading community to be prepared for a
jail bharo andolan on the issue of sale tax hike and
"objectionable" amendment. He said the traders
were being made scape goats for the pitiable financial
position of the state government. |
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Badal rewards school BATHINDA, Nov 5 — The full presence of teachers in the government school of Buladhewala village of the district has fetched it Rs 5 lakh from the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. Mr Badal, who was going to Rampura Phul from Bhisiana Air Force station by road yesterday made a stop at the school situated on the main road. He went to the school for inspection and was happy over the fact that the presence of teachers was 100 per cent and were taking classes under the tree in the absence of adequate rooms. Mr Badal immediately asked the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.R. Ladhar, to give Rs 5 lakh to the school authorities for constructing a building as a reward for the full presence of teachers and their devotion towards their work. After attending the function at Rampura Phul, he held a meeting with the head of the local military station and Air Force station Lt-Gen G.K. Duggal and Group Capt R.K. Kacker and urged them to motivate the educated wives of the Army and Air Force personnel to impart education to the students in rural areas. Mr Ladhar said Mr Badal
wanted to bridge the knowledge gap prevailing among the
rural and urban students by imparting better and quality
education to the former. |
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Artistes’ plea to foster East-West
ties PATIALA, Nov 5 — On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Norah Richards, an Irish woman settled in India and better known as mother of modern Punjabi theatre movement, on October 29 artistes of the National Theatre Arts Society (NTAS) made a plea for building a memorial to foster East-West cultural ties. Paying tributes to her and describing her a cultural bridge between the East and the West, the artistes made an appeal to the Punjab Government Department of Cultural Affairs and Languages, NZCC, Punjab Arts Council, Punjabi Akademi, Delhi, Sangeet Natak Akademi and other art organisations to celebrate October 29 as "universal brotherhood day". They also remembered the
late Kirpal Singh Narang, the then Vice-Chanceller of
Punjabi University for his initiative to celebrate the
day every year at Norah’s abode at Andretta
(Palampur) in Himachal Pradesh by organising a three-day
theatre programme of seminar, discussion and performance. |
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Corruption won’t be tolerated:
DC ROPAR, Nov 5 — Mr Gurinder Singh Grewal, Deputy Commissioner, has directed the district officers of various departments to maintain movement registers in their offices for making an entry in the register whenever an employee or officer leaves for an official work. Addressing the officers here yesterday, Mr Grewal ordered them to ensure the presence of the employees in the offices from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. He said with the adoption of punctuality, efficiency in work would also improve. Mr Grewal said
corruption at any level in the offices would not be
tolerated. He asked the officers to keep a watch on
employees to curb the corruption. He said district-level
officer would be held responsible if any case of
corruption came into light in any office. |
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Welfare Officer, 2 others
convicted FATEHGARH SAHIB, Nov 5 — Mr A.N. Jindal Additional district and sessions Judge today sentenced Jasdev Singh Tehsil Welfare Officer and son of a former Police Inspector Rattan Singh and two others under sections 307, 506, of the IPC and 27,54,59 of the Arms Act. All have been sentenced to seven years, three years and two years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs 2000 each respectively. In 1994 Jasdev Singh the
present accused along with his father Inspector Rattan
Singh now dead had fired with intention to kill his
neighbour. |
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Talwandi’s son released on parole LUDHIANA, Nov 5 — Mr Ranjit Singh Talwandi, Chairman of the PSIEC, has been released on parole for 15 days beginning today. It is reliably learnt that the order for his parole had been given by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Goyal for his "good conduct" in jail. Mr Talwandi was
sentenced to life in a murder case on July 10, 1999. |
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‘Give’
Divali
money to cyclone affected LUDHIANA, Nov 5 — Mr Surjit Singh Niddar, convener of the Akal Sena and member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, has appealed to the people not to celebrate Divali and instead donate the family Divali budget towards the cyclone-affected people of Orissa. In a statement issued
here today, he said it did not become of good citizens to
celebrate Divali when so many of our soldiers had died
fighting Pakistani intruders in Kargil. |
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Poacher held for killing
partridges PATIALA, Nov 5 — The civil lines police today registered a poaching case against two persons accused of killing 30 partridges in the forest near Samana town in this district. One of the accused Virender Pal Singh has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody till November 19. The other, Sanjay Inder Singh Chahal, has not been arrested so far. According to Mr Jagdeep
Singh, Divisional Wild Life Officer, the poachers were
caught last night near Bhakra canal bridge on
Patiala-Samana road at a joint barrier of the Wild Life
Department and district police. He said that poachers
were travelling in a gypsy and the game and a .12 bore
gun used for hunting had been recovered from them. |
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Refresher course on physics
concludes PATIALA, Nov 5 — A three-week refresher course on contemporary physics concluded here today in which about 40 persons from various universities and colleges participated. A university note said 15 persons from India and abroad gave lectures on various topics of contemporary physics such as lithography, particle accelerators, quantum computers, super conductors and metal oxide sensors. The department Chairman, Dr V.P. Nayyar, emphasised that the research in plasma physics, semiconductors, lithography and lasers had led to integrated circuits and microprocessors which had revolutionised the computer technology. He said a thumb-size computer chip could hold up to 5.5 million transistors processing about 200 million computer instructions per second. He said material physics had led to a wide variety of consumer products that had changed our lives and enriched the economy. The university
Vice-Chancellor Dr J.S. Ahluwalia, was the chief guest.
He stated that modern physics had revolutionised our
basic conception of thought. |
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Dr Jassi honoured CHANDIGARH, Nov 5 — The International Council of Ayurveda, Punjab chapter in collaboration with the American Association of Ayurvedic Medicine, USA, has honoured a former Director, Health and Family Welfare, Dr P.S. Jassi, with a fellowship award and a gold medal for his services on polio eradication in the state. According to council secretary-general, Dr Ashok Sharma, the function was held at Jargon today. Dr Jassi was also
honoured for his work of creating awareness about AIDS. |
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Baba Darshan Singh granted
bail LUDHIANA, Nov 5 — Baba Darshan Singh of Dhakki Sahib, Maksoodaran, was today granted an interim bail till November 30 in a case of land grabbing registered against him. The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr C.D Gupta, granted him bail in lieu of a personal bond and two surety bonds of Rs 50,000 each. When court announced its decision, supporters of Baba Darshan Singh embraced each other. Baba Darshan Singh, was
arrested by the police on May 8, in a land grabbing case
and under the Wildlife Act |
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ITI students go on strike NANGAL, Nov 5 — Students of the local Industrial Training Institute (ITI),today went on a strike in protest against fee hike and the closure of various local bus routes by the Nangal Roadways depot. They also organised a protest rally in this regard. Recently the annual fee was increased from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500. Now once again, it has increased by Rs 100. Student leaders alleged
that in spite of the hike in fee the basic facilities to
the students had been reduced. The students in Tailoring,
drafting and other courses board to procure their own raw
material. |
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Promise to martyr’s family
forgotten FARIDKOT, Nov. 5 — The Punjab Government’s tall claims regarding Kargil martyrs do not seem to have been borne out in the case of Gurbhej Singh resident of Dhudi village in this district who died in the Kargil sector on May 27 this year. At the bhog of the
martyr Punjab, Agriculture Minister Gurdev Singh Badal
had announced that Jagrup’s elder brother Gurbhej
Singh would be given a government job. He also made many
more gestures like upgradation of the village high school
to senior secondary school, construction of a link road
from Bhana to Dhudi and a suitable memorial to the
martyr. However no concrete step has been taken on any of
his promises. |
||
5 kg of RDX recovered FEROZEPORE, Nov 5 — The district police claimed to have recovered a large quantity of smuggled explosive, including five kg of RDX, from a border village in this district. Giving details here today, the local District Police Chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Pherurai said the recoveries were made from (Panjwar) militant, Charanjit Singh, alias Sukha, a resident of Dewanan (District Kurukshetra) who was brought here from Tihar jail. The recovery included 5 kg of RDX, 2 detonators, 298 foot wire used in explosive, 1 AK-56 assault rifle, one magazine and 10 rounds. The Mallanwala police had registered case under under Sections 25, 54, 59 of the Arms Act and Sections 4/5 of the Explosives Act against the accused. Charanjit Singh, and his
two accomplices entered in India from Pakistan during
August this year to hand over the arms consignment to
Bakhshish Singh and Dilbagh Singh. But, he and Bakhshish
Singh and Dilbagh Singh, were arrested by the Delhi
police. |
||
More factories under ESI
sought LUDHIANA, Nov 5 — The Indian National Council of Young Workers' has urged that more factories should be brought under the ESI Act and Provident Fund Act and stressed for the need of a team of factories inspectors and ESI inspectors under the Deputy Director of Factories (Punjab) to conduct a raid on factories. During a meeting of the
Vigilance Committee constituted by the Deputy Medical
Commissioner, Employees State Insurance Corporation, held
here yesterday, Mr Shiv Kumar Gupta, a representative of
the INTUC and Mr O.P. Mehta of AITUC besides others
suggested that the Central Government funds through the
ESI headquarters should be provided directly to the
Regional Directors of the ESI, so that it reaches
directly to the patients undergoing treatments at the ESI
Hospitals. |
||
Holiday in Ropar schools today ROPAR, Nov 5 — Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Food and Supply Minister, Punjab, today declared a holiday in all government schools including primary schools in the district for tomorrow (November 6). Mr Mittal made this declaration while addressing the concluding function of "District Science Exhibition" this evening at the Government Senior Secondary School for girls here. Mr Mittal said the
science exhibition had impressed him which showed that
the students and the staff members of various schools had
worked hard to make this exhibition a success. |
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