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| Monday, January 3, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
Mansa ignored in Cabinet expansion Food processing policy by March ‘Probe charges against civic body chief’ SGPC plea to Jaitley on film RTA building unsafe |
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CM to take up demands with Prime Minister
No end to Doabaites’ quest for ‘Shangri-la’ ‘Swarn dwar’ may be delayed Two hostages reach Ludhiana Border areas ‘lack civic amenities’ NRI Sabha to build bhavans in Punjab Lions Club memo to Rly Minister PM handled crisis well: CM Minister’s directive on office attendance New Year at lepers’ colony Kabari Market to move out 800 examined at health camp
Punjab militants ‘used Nepal as safe passage’ Gang of cheats busted, 1 held
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Sikh Gurus and "green cause" FEROZEPORE, Jan 2 — To address larger issue of global environment in the new millennium, a section of Sikh clergy is considering to document instances, portraying the prominent historical figures as champions of the "green cause". A move is therefore afoot to prevail upon the missionaries to publish a series of documents, projecting the Sikh gurus as champions of environmentalism. The idea is to make the Sikhs aware about various environment related problems addressed by the Gurus and some other prominent figures. Disclosing this to the Tribune, the Takht Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar, Prof Manjit Singh, said that specific instances and stories, portraying the Gurus as environmentalists shall be documented to enable the Sikh community to find answer to contemporary issues. "The new millennium demands this sort of work instead of confining the community to the convention of organising langars and diwans", he said. The Guru Nanak Mission has already conveyed its willingness to publish environment-related articles through its journal, Prof Singh said, hoping some other organisations to come forward with more ideas. Quoting Gurbani, Prof Manjit Singh said that most Sikh Gurus had stressed on environment protection and this fact needed to be highlighted. Prof Singh, who earlier had initiated the practice of offering saplings as prasad at Gurdwara Kesgarh Sahib during the Khalsa tercentenary festivities cautioned the Sikhs against continued pollution of Punjab rivers, including Beas in holy Goindwal-where Guru Amar Dass had constructed a baoli (a well with steps leading to water level). It is widely known that the Guru had constructed the baoli sensing contamination of Beas river. Tracing the roots of environmentalism in the Sikh history, Prof Singh further pointed out that Guru Har Rai ran a herbal treatment centre in Kiratput Sahib that was now being retrieved with fresh plantation with the help of forest authorities. Likewise, Guru Arjan Dev had a well dug in Chheharta village in Amritsar to help out the villagers suffering on account of drought Baba Budha a respected figure in the Sikh history is known to have retired to a forest, where various species of the animals lived in harmony. "All this needs to be retrieved and is being done step by step", Prof Singh assured. It is interesting in a related development Punjab and Sind Bank has brought out a new year calendar carrying the paintings detailing these incidents. Adding that the ignorance of such valued historical facts was fuelling misconception among the Sikhs, Prof Singh said the community and its leaders certainly had a role in saving the environment in Punjab. Referring to the menace of poaching in the state, he said, the Sikhs should refrain from hunting as the new world order demanded protection of wild life. Generally the misinformed Sikhs feel free to indulge in poaching, as the Gurus had promoted the sport. Since it was a need of the hour during the war times, the practice should not be allowed to continue, Prof Singh emphasised adding, "the Gurus had never hunted for fun, but to make the community stand recklessly against the invaders". |
Mansa ignored in Cabinet expansion MANSA, Jan 2 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, inducted 15 ministers in the Cabinet on December 31, 1999 but none from the district, known for its least development and high rate of illiteracy. Out of four Assembly segments of the district, two Assembly segments — Joga and Mansa city — are represented by the SAD MLAs, Mr Baldev Singh Khiala and Mr Sukhwinder Singh Aulakh, respectively. Alleged infighting among Akalis reportedly worked against both the MLAs for making to the Cabinet. This district was a sub-division of Bathinda district till 1992. In 1980, when Mr Darbara Singh was the Chief Minister, no representation was given to the four Assembly segments of the district in the Cabinet. In 1985, when Mr Surjeet Singh Barnala became the Chief Minister, he gave a ministerial berth to Mr Baldev Singh Khiala and post of Deputy Speaker to another MLA, Mr Jaswinder Singh. In 1992, Mr Beant Singh, the then Chief Minister, did not induct any MLA from the district in the Cabinet. It was during his third expansion of the ministry, Mr Beant Singh made Mr Sher Singh Gagowal, a minister. After his assassination, Mr Harcharan Singh Brar became the Chief Minister. He made Mr Kirpal Singh Makha a minister. Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who succeeded Mr Brar retained Mr Gagowal in her Cabinet. In the SAD-BJP combine government, Mansa was not given any representation. Even Mr Khiala, who won the Assembly elections for the fourth time, was ignored. Mr Khiala seems to have been ‘punished’ for having joined hands with the former Speaker, Mr Ravi Inder Singh. A senior minister was ‘angry’ with Mr Aulakh for having exposed a scandal in Primary Agriculture Development Bank (PADB) in the State. Mr Mantar Singh Brar, an Independent MLA from Kotkapura, who joined the SAD on the eve of last Lok Sabha elections, was also not considered for a Cabinet positions. |
Food processing policy by March BATHINDA, Jan 2 — The central government will announce its food processing industrial policy by the end of March 2000 after comprehensive survey in this connection in the entire country. Stating this at a press conference here today, the Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industry, Mr Syed Shah Nawaz Hussain, at the residence of senior BJP leader, Mr Narinder Mittal, said blueprint of the policy was being prepared. He pointed out that in the food processing policy, being formulated for the first time in the country, emphasis would be put on the processing of fruits, vegetables and flowers. In the current year the central government was planning to process 10 per cent of the total production of food grains, vegetables, fruits and flowers in the country from the existing rate of 1.8 per cent. The Union Finance Minister had been urged to allocate handsome funds in the next Budget for the promotion of food processing industry, he added. The minister said that a central team would visit the Malwa region of Punjab shortly to explore possibilities of setting up food processing units in the area so that employment could be given in large numbers to the Punjabi youths. He added that a team of Punjab would visit in this connection Delhi shortly. Mr Hussain said that promotion of food processing industry in the country was the only solution to eradicate unemployment and solve the problem of marketing of the produce of farmers. Regarding the episode of recent hijacking of Indian plane by the terrorists, Mr Hussain alleged that it was an ‘‘act’’ of Pakistan which had earned the reputation of a terrorist country. He added that central government had not done anything wrong by releasing three terrorists’’ as per the demand of the hijackers. He admitted that action against the hijackers could have been taken at the Amritsar airport by the concerned security agencies. He added that central government was looking after the security aspects of the air ports in foreign where Indian air craft used to land and take off. |
‘Probe charges against civic body chief’ FATEHGARH SAHIB, Jan 2—Resentment prevails among members of the Municipal Council, Sirhind-Fatehgarh Sahib, against the removal of the president of the council by the government on the ground of financial irregularities. Talking to The Tribune, certain municipal councillors said they would give a representation to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Local Bodies Minister Balramji Dass Tandon against certain leaders of the BJP who had benefitted a lot by the council decisions and would also demand a probe into the allegations levelled against the council chief. They said certain leaders of the area had been complaining against the council chief and misguiding the Local Bodies Ministers. Earlier in November the council chief was removed by the government on the same allegations. When he moved the High Court, the government withdrew the removal orders. They said the Deputy Commissioner had already inquired into the charges and found the civic body chief to be innocent. When contacted, the president of the council said certain elements were not interested in the development of the district and were creating unnecessary hurdles by complaining against him. He said he was ready to face any inquiry. |
SGPC plea to Jaitley on film JALANDHAR, Jan 2 (PTI) — The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee has protested against certain scenes in Hindi movie "khoobsurat" as being objectionable on religious grounds and requested Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley to ensure the immediate deletion of these from the film. "The film mocks at the religion of the Sikh community. There is a strong resentment among Sikhs and the SGPC office has been flooded by letters, telegrams and telephone calls protesting against the movie," a letter written by SGPC secretary Gurbachan Singh Bachan to the minister said. The gurdwara management panel, the ‘mini-Parliament’ of the Sikhs, also urged the film censor board to take necessary action in the matter. The SGPC and a number of Sikh fora have lodged protests against a particular song sequence featuring actor Sanjay Dutt and actress Urmila Matondkar which allegedly ridicules the sentiments of the Sikhs. The committee urged the minister to ensure that the "objectionable scenes were deleted so as to assuage the outraged feelings of the Sikhs". The SGPC has been under pressure from the Gurcharan Singh Tohra led Sarb Hind Akali Dal and other Sikh bodies to take stern action against the film’s director, producer and actors. Several All-India Sikh Students Federation factions have protested against the film on similar grounds. |
RTA building unsafe FEROZEPORE: The office of the local Regional Transport Authority (RTA) is housed in an ‘‘unsafe’’ building. The matter was brought to the notice of the authorities concerned twice. But nothing has been done so far. In a communication to the then local Deputy Commissioner, on July 11, 1997, the then RTA Secretary stated the office was housed in a private building. It revealed that the building was hired in 1975 when the RTA office was opened at the divisional headquarters here. ‘‘The building is quite old and is unsafe. Its roof leaks which may crash any moment’’, added the Secretary. It was requested that government accommodation be provided to the RTA. The Secretary said in case no building was available, necessary certificate in this regard may be issued so as to enable the RTA office to hire some other private building. A copy of the letter was also forwarded to the State Transport Commissioner (STC), Punjab, with the request to allow permission to the shifting of the office from the present building. The STC was further requested to sanction the hiring of a building at the PWD-approved rates if the district administration failed to provide government accommodation. But, that communication did not yield any result. The present Secretary, RTA, Mr Sukhvinder Singh, sent a reminder to the Deputy Commissioner on April 9, 1999. A copy of the reminder was also forwarded to the STC, Punjab. Mr Sukhvinder Singh has suggested that office of the RTA may be shifted to the District Red Cross Society complex. The complex also houses the office of District Transport Officer. He added, ‘‘With this, the public will get all facilities at one place’’. |
CM to take up demands with Prime Minister LUDHIANA, Jan 2 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today said he would meet the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, on January 5 at New Delhi to discuss ways to get the long-pending demands of the state (sharing of river waters, transfer of Chandigarh and other Punjabi speaking areas) fulfilled at the earliest. He will also use the occasion to congratulate him on the handling of the hijack crisis. Mr Badal was talking to mediapersons at the Circuit House here today. He also said he would hold a meeting with the Minister for Food, Mr Shanta Kumar, and urge him for a quick disposal of paddy from the state’s godowns. When asked about the dissidence in the SAD after the Cabinet expansion, Mr Badal said that the expansion had been done in consultation with the state BJP leadership. Mr Badal said the portfolios to the recently inducted cabinet ministers would be allocated tomorrow. He said the appointments of chairmen of the various improvement trusts would also be made soon. |
SGPC plea to Jaitley on film JALANDHAR, Jan 2 (PTI) — The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee has protested against certain scenes in Hindi movie "khoobsurat" as being objectionable on religious grounds and requested Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley to ensure the immediate deletion of these from the film. "The film mocks at the religion of the Sikh community. There is a strong resentment among Sikhs and the SGPC office has been flooded by letters, telegrams and telephone calls protesting against the movie," a letter written by SGPC secretary Gurbachan Singh Bachan to the minister said. The gurdwara management panel, the ‘mini-Parliament’ of the Sikhs, also urged the film censor board to take necessary action in the matter. The SGPC and a number of Sikh fora have lodged protests against a particular song sequence featuring actor Sanjay Dutt and actress Urmila Matondkar which allegedly ridicules the sentiments of the Sikhs. The committee urged the minister to ensure that the "objectionable scenes were deleted so as to assuage the outraged feelings of the Sikhs". The SGPC has been under pressure from the Gurcharan Singh Tohra led Sarb Hind Akali Dal and other Sikh bodies to take stern action against the film’s director, producer and actors. Several All-India Sikh Students Federation factions have protested against the film on similar grounds. |
No end to Doabaites’ quest for ‘Shangri-la’ JALANDHAR, Jan 2 (PTI) — Three years after 170 Indian immigrants met their watery grave off the Ionian coast in Malta, business in their native Doaba region continues as usual with young hopefuls queing travel agencies for a ticket to ‘Shangri-la’. The case, which had hogged headlines on a cold winter night of ’96, is pending in courts, with the accused travel agents on bail. Meanwhile, illegal trafficking of men to western countries goes on in full swing though a number of operators are reported to have shifted their base from Delhi to Mumbai and Chennai. "Mumbai and Chennai are considered relatively cooler zones as the passengers leaving from these two nodal points are not scrutinised too harshly", a leading city-based travel agent said. Notwithstanding that cold blooded episode, the state’s youth still hovers around travel agents offices here inquiring about how to possibly enter the glittering west in search of greener pastures. The exact version of what happened is yet to be known. In 1998, a four-member delegation of the Malta tragedy sufferers association toured Europe in a bid to collect facts about the incident and press for the probe but little happened in the year that followed. "Since the matter pertained to victims from four countries and the ship carrying the human cargo had passed through Egypt, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Syria and Italy, the issue should have been raised in the United Nations," says Balwant Singh Khera who had led the delegation to Europe. The words of Euan Ferguson, a journalist who had reported the incident from Athens for the Observer seem to be ringing true for the victims: "Fortress Europe does not want to know what’s happening on its shores. It does not want to accept people are dying daily because of coordinated draconian immigration laws. The dead were acting illegally and they were black. And no one cared." |
‘Swarn dwar’ may be delayed WAGAH (Amritsar), Jan 2 —As the proposal of the ‘swarn jayanti dwar’ at the Wagah border is being implemented. It will give a much-needed facelift, infusing pride and patriotism. The inauguration of the dwar is slated for August 15, 2000, by Home Minister L.K. Advani. The inauguration may however not be on schedule. Started in October last year the project may be delayed by six months. The delay, sources reveal, was first caused by the Forest Department’s clearance regarding the cutting of a few trees and secondly by the delay in the availability of structure. Designs needed to furnish details regarding weight distributions, F.A.R. (floor area ratio’s), pillar strength etc. Mr H.S. Gill, DIG, Amritsar Sector BSF, assures to meet the deadline on account of the promise made by the CPWD project contractor to finish the first phase of the project by July, 2000. However, the contractor H.S. Grewal of Grewal Builders at the Wagah site lets out, "We are aware of the deadline, but the project is going to take a full year to complete if all goes well", he states. The only visible new structure is the quarter guard enclosure without a roof. The foundations for the viewers’ gallery are underway. The actual gateway or the dwar’s foundations have not even started. Mr P.S. Bajwa, Assistant Director, BSF, who is actively involved in the coordination of the project, was surprisingly not aware of the deadline. He anticipates the project to take a full year depending on several factors such as labour etc. His fears are not unfounded, considering the onset of the harvesting season in April. Consequently, the months of April and May result in a major labour shortage. Given the months of December and January, the labour output in these months falls due to cold and resultant sleet creating a hindrance to meet the deadline of August 15, 2000. Besides, according to the original plan which "was to" start in may, ’99, the completion period for the implementation was for a year. The "dwar" project, designed by noted architect Mohinder Jeet Singh, in the first phase entails the completion of the imposing 46-feet-high gateway or the "dwar", the gateway with turrets and staircases on either side, the Indian Tricolour in the Centre, an emblem below the flag commemorating 50 years of India’s independence, as also two visitors’ galleries facing each on opposite sides having a seating capacity for 1,000 persons. Carved out of the base of these galleries, on one side would be the toilets and cafeteria, while the base of the other gallery would house the museum. A few feet from the museum is the quarter guard block. However, the museum’s actual interior design, equipment and functioning would start only in the second phase, as also the steel structure seating gallery. This third gallery too would have a seating capacity of 500, bringing the total seating accommodation to 1,500. |
Two hostages reach Ludhiana LUDHIANA, Jan 2 — After an eight-day experience aboard the hijacked Indian Airlines plane (IC-814), Yamini, 24, and her brother Bikramjit Singh, 22, have returned to their loved ones. They told mediapersons at their residence that they had gone to Kathmandu as Yamini had to appear in an examination there on December 24. When the plane was hijacked they were shifted to the economy class save five passengers, including Rupin Katyal. Bikramjit Singh, a final year MBBS student at Government Medical College, Patiala said there were five hijackers. They addressed each other by nick names. The leader was called the chief. The others were called Burger, Doctor, Shanker and Bhola. They were not rough with the passengers, he said. When talks with Indian negotiators broke down on December 29 they told us to be prepared for death. Most of the passengers were panic-striken, a few passengers started praying. The hijackers were upset. It seemed that they would go ahead with the threat. However, the situation soon calmed down. |
Border areas ‘lack civic amenities’ GURDASPUR, Jan 2—Mr Raghunath Sahai Puri, General Secretary of the PPCC and Mr Chanderpal Singh, President DCC has accused the Badal government for deteriorating financial position of the state. The expansion of the Cabinet was a step in this direction, he said in a press note issued here today. They have accused the Punjab Government for neglecting the border areas. These leaders reminded the Chief Minister that in his election speeches in the border villages during last assembly election he had promised to develope border areas if the SAD-BJP government was came to power. But, in reality border roads are in bad shape and other civic amenities like education, healthcare are conspicuous by their absence. These leaders said industrialists of this district had started setting up industrial units in the neighbouring district of Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, due to vast differences of power tarrif in these states. They demanded an economic package for the border district of Gurdaspur particularly power tarrif on a par with that of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. |
NRI Sabha to build bhavans in Punjab KAPURTHALA, Jan 2 — The state unit of the Non-Resident Indians’ Sabha has decided to construct bhavans at all sub-divisions of the State. This decision was taken at a meeting of non-resident Indians held at the committee hall of the local Municipal Council on Saturday. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mr B.K. Srivastva, Commissioner, Jalandhar division. Addressing the meeting Mr Srivastva said the NRI Sabha had given Rs 1 lakh each to its district units for the purchase of computers. He said at present the State unit of the Sabha has Rs 1.13 crore, all contributed by non-resident Indians. He said the publishing wing of the Sabha had been set up to publish the writings of the non-resident Indian writers and poets. A three-day Sports Mela at the Guru Gobind Singh stadium would be held on February 11, he said. Mr Prem Singh, President of the State unit of the NRI Sabha, highlighted the achievements of the Sabha. Mr V.K. Singh, Deputy Commissioner, said the Punjab government would contribute in the development projects undertaken by non resident Indians. Mr S.S. Bains, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Wadhwa, president of the district unit of the Sabha, Mr Ashok Aggarwal, President, local Municipal Council, Mr Niranjan Singh, vice-president, NRI Sabha, Punjab, Mr G.S. Aulakh, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), besides large number of NRIs attended the meeting. |
Lions Club memo to Rly Minister FEROZEPORE, Jan 2 — In a representation sent to the Minister of Railways, the Lions Club Ferozepore Satluj. Mr Kulbhushan Garg has said that certain politicians and others were trying to see that the Mumbai-bound Punjab Mail train commenced from Fazilka instead of Ferozepore. Mr Garg. added in the representation, a copy of which was handed over to The Tribune here today, the railway station at Fazilka did not have needed facilities, including computerised reservation. The local passengers would face a lot of inconvenience if the train was started from F azilka. The club president also apprised the Minister that there was no direct train between Ferozepore and Hardwar. He, therefore, urged to start a train between that section. Presently, a coach for Hardwar was attached with a train and that coach was attached to another train at Ludhiana railway station, he added. |
PM handled crisis well: CM LUDHIANA, Jan 2 (PTI) — Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today appreciated Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s handling of the hijack episode in the "best possible way". Mr Badal told mediapersons here that those who were raising a finger at the government on the issue were actually in the habit of criticising the government for the sake of doing so. He said he would meet Mr Vajpayee on January 5 in New Delhi and discuss the problems of Punjab, including lifting of stocks of foodgrains lying in godowns. Asserting that the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP enjoyed "very cordial" relations, he said "there are no differences between the two over the inclusion of their representatives in the Cabinet in the recent expansion. Everything was done with the consent of the BJP high command". |
Minister’s directive on office attendance PATIALA, Jan 2 — Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, today directed the Punjab State Electricity Board to prepare a report within 10 days about the attendance of PSEB officials in its village offices. The minister gave this direction to Member Operation Kirpal Singh Gill at a function organised at Ajror village, near here, today to inaugurate a 24-hour power supply to the village. Speaking on the occasion, Capt Kanwaljit Singh said Ajror had become the 200th village in the district having 24-hour power supply. He informed that as many as 1850 villages in the state had this facility now. He said this 24-hour supply was being provided under a special scheme to provide city-like facilities in rural areas. Capt Kanwaljit Singh said 65 per cent of population of Punjab lives in rural areas but unfortunately government servants do not attend duty properly in villages. He said he had received a number of complaints about the non-working of PSEB complaint centres in villages due to absenteeism of employees. He warned that the government would not tolerate such laxity in service and would give stringent punishment for it. Mr Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, MLA, said the rural youth should avail of vocational courses schemes started by SAD-BJP government in the state. |
New Year at lepers’ colony PATIALA, Jan 2 — The National Theatre Arts Society celebrated the new year in a noval way by organising a cultural programme at Padamshri Dr Khushdeva Leprosy Colony here today. The society also provided financial aid and distributed some household items among the colony residents. Mr Pran Sabharwal, Director of the NTAS said all new year celebrations were of no use if some betterment of the downtrodden sections of the society was not involved in these. He said people all over the world were spending huge amounts on the new millennium celebrations but little was being done to help the neglected and needy ones like the lepers residing here. The cultural programme began with an invocation to Saraswati. The programme included classical music, folk songs, dance sequences and skits. Performance of a children’s group of the NTAS was particularly well-received. Lepers, most of them in rags, thoroughly enjoyed the cultural programme. Talking to The Tribune, some of them said such programmes and care provided wiff of fresh air in their dull existence. A few lepers also presented songs and dance programmes. |
Kabari Market to move out PATIALA, Jan 2 — First a ditch called Toba Baba Dhayana, then a flourishing kabari bazar and now a sore which is blocking traffic movement, besides much-needed parking space. The kabari bazar seems to be moving out of the town at last. A survey of the number of junk shops in the bazar has been done by the Municipal Corporation and the Improvement Trust will offer them space to move out to Transport Nagar. Corporation Commissioner K.S. Kang is also holding charge of the Improvement Trust and is ready to find a way out to encourage junk dealers to shift out. Junk dealers will not be told to buy plots in an open auction, as envisaged earlier and partly done in September, 1998. In September, 1998, the Improvement Trust held an auction for shops in Transport Nagar, despite protests by junk dealers, which had resulted in some dealers buying shops on auction. Corporation Commissioner K.S. Kang, in an exclusive interview with TNS, said 159 dealers had been identified in a survey done by him recently. He said as there were 160 sites available in Transport Nagar, there was no need to hold any auction, and some fixed price could be arrived at in consultation with the dealers and the Improvement Trust. The Commissioner said the dealers would be encouraged to shift out and the Improvement Trust was ready to offer them more facilities. He said as the dealers had blocked an entire section of the Bahera Road, their shifting out would make one-way traffic plans a success. He said besides this, the space made available after they shifted out could be used to make a parking site, as the market was near the traditional markets of the town. The junk dealers have welcomed the suggestion of finding a way to fix the price of the new shops and not go in for an auction. They had protested against an earlier auction held by the Government, under which they were asked to bid for shops. A majority of them boycotted the event. However, the issue of number of shops available to junk dealers at the new site still has to be worked out. The Kabari Market Association General Secretary, Mr Beant Singh Sehgal, said the association wanted that genuine shops be identified and given alternative space in Transport Nagar. Mr Sehgal said a genuine count could only take place when the number of shops were taken into consideration and not the number of shutters. "Many shops have been bifurcated and trifurcated, as in my case, but they should be counted as one shop while allotting alternative sites", he said. Small junk dealers, who constitute a majority of the market, are disillusioned with the Administration. Their contention is that efforts are being made to restrict the number of shops by the Administration. They said as they had constructed the shops by filling a huge ditch in the area, there should be some concession to them for the shops they occupied. "Only then will we be able to buy new shops", they added. Mr Kartar Singh said the Administration had conducted countless surveys of the area and decided to shift them to a new location many times, but it did not materialise, due to which the rate of land at the alternative site had increased. He said in 1978, all junk dealers had been told to deposit Rs 1,000 each as advance, following which they were to be transferred elsewhere at a nominal rate. Now the rate had increased to Rs 750 per square yard in the last offer, he added. He said some shops which also conducted junk business but were outside the main bazar and in other adjoining bazars, should be taken in the ambit of the scheme and shifted to Transport Nagar. Junk dealers said the Government had allotted alternative sites to junk dealers at Amritsar and in Delhi at nominal prices. They said they would shift out if given a good deal. |
800 examined at health camp PATIALA, Jan 2 — Nearly 800 persons were examined at a free medical check-up camp organised by Dr Ambedkar Social Welfare Society at Shri Ram Dev Ji Dharamshala Topkhana More here today. Needy persons were given medicines free of cost. The camp was presided over by Mr Shamsher Singh Boparai. Dr Jai Kishan, Professor and Head-cum-DMS TB and Chest Hospital, Dr Surinder Singh, Professor of surgery, Dr Hardev Singh and Dr Dharam Veer assistant professor eye, Dr Paramjit Kaur, Dr Balwinder Kaur, gynae specialist, Dr K.K. Locham, Professor child specialist of Rajindra Hospital, examined the patients. The President of the society, Mr Kabir Dass, appealed to society to work for the social, educational and economic upliftment of Dalits. A film on AIDS prevention was shown and an exhibition on AIDS and health care was also conducted at the occasion. |
Agency to assist farmers JALANDHAR, Jan 2 — With the help of the World Bank, the Union Agriculture Ministry has formed the Agro-Technology Management Agency (ATMA) for Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Orissa. According to Dr M.N. Reddy, Chief Adviser, Indian Agriculture Technology Project, the agency would provide agricultural facilities to farmers at the district level and focus on scientific research in this sector. Mr Reddy was here in connection with the inaugural function of this agency in the district here today. He said deputy commissioners would look after the work of the agency and farmers and representatives of agricultural organisations would be its members. |
Probe sought into road mishap TARN TARAN, Jan 2 — Mr Darshan Singh Billa, president, Mini Bus Operators Union, Punjab, in a statement issued here yesterday demanded a judicial probe into an accident involving a mini bus and ‘gharuka’ at the Industrial Complex, Goindwal Sahib, recently in which four persons were killed and 13 hurt. Mr Billa said though the Punjab and Haryana High Court had imposed ban on the plying of gharukas on the roads, but these were plying frequently in the area and the administration had failed to check these. He demanded that the plying of gharukas in the area should be stopped immediately. |
Society organises medical camp PATIALA, Jan 2 — Nearly 800 persons were examined at a medical check-up camp organised by Dr Ambedkar Social Welfare Society at Shri Ram Dev Ji Dharamshala, Topkhana Mode, here today. The patients were given medicines free of cost. The camp was inaugurated by Mr T.L. Manes, AGM of the OBC, and presided over by Mr Shamsher Singh Boparai. Dr Jai Kishan, Professor and Head-cum-DMS TB and Chest Hospital, Dr Surinder Singh, Professor of Surgery, Dr Hardev Singh, and Dr Dharam Veer, Assistant Professor, Eye, Dr Paramjit Kaur, Dr Balwinder Kaur, gynaecologist, Dr K.K. Locham, Professor and child specialist of Rajindra Hospital, examined the patients. |
Sekhon’s induction welcomed FEROZEPORE, Jan 2 — A meeting of the SAD (B) workers of this Assembly segment was held here yesterday. The Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, was thanked for inducting Mr J.S. Sekhon into the Cabinet. It was also decided to welcome him at Talwandi Bhai Chowk on his arrival here tomorrow. The meeting was attended by Mr Gurnam Singh, Mr Gurdial Singh Ferozeshah and Mr Ranjit Singh. |
Punjab militants ‘used Nepal as safe passage’ AMRITSAR, Jan 2 (UNI) — Despite the presence of officials of Indian intelligence agencies in Kathmandu, the tiny hill kingdom of Nepal has been the easiest escape as well as entry route for the Punjab militants. While narrating his experiences, Dal Khalsa vice-president Satnam Singh, who along with four of his colleagues had hijacked a New Delhi-Srinagar Indian Airlines flight to Lahore in 1981 said here that all Punjab militant organisations had used this route to get away as well as to enter India. "Grease the palms of Nepalese officials at Kathmandu Airport and you can enter Nepal with a forged passport and then get a genuine one in exchange’’, he said. After serving his jail sentence in Pakistan Satnam Singh came to India in July last year through the Nepal’s border unnoticed by Indian intelligence officials. On a fake Pakistani passport he alighted at Kathmandu Airport where his passport was confiscated by Nepalese officials and they agreed to issue him a fresh passport if he came the next day with a passport size photograph. However, the next day instead of going to the airport he boarded a bus for the Indo-Nepalese border and then entered India-unnoticed and presented himself in a judicial court in New Delhi from where he was released. Dal Khalsa spokesman Kanwar Pal Singh too made use of the Kathmandu route to get away from India in 1990. Kanwar Pal, who resides here, got a fake passport made from a Nepalese official after paying him $ 1,000. From Kathmandu, Kanwar Pal boarded a flight to Bangkok under the very nose of Indian intelligence officials who were at that time present at the airport . In 1996, Kanwar Pal was picked up from a Bangkok-Karachi flight when it made a brief halt at Kathmandu by Indian intelligence officials and later on his arrest was shown at Indira Gandhi International Airport at New Delhi. |
Gang of cheats busted, 1 held GURDASPUR, Jan 2—The police has busted a gang of cheats involved in extortion of money from innocent persons with the allurement to send them abroad and get them jobs with handsome salaries. According to Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, the police today arrested Gurwinder Singh, resident of Khoje Bet village in Hoshiarpur district. His accomplice Ramesh Chand, resident of Balachaur, is still at large. A case under sections 420/34, IPC, has been registered against the accused. The SSP said the accused extorted Rs 80,000 from Chanan Singh to send his son Rajinder Singh abroad. The accused extorted another instalment of Rs 30,000 from Chanan Singh. The accused also extorted Rs 1.5 lakh each from Jagjit Singh of Balachaur and Boor Singh of Naushehra Nalbandax on the same pretext. |
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