 |
|
| Thursday, March 9, 2000, Chandigarh, India   |
Badal
announces plan for women No
wagons for exports to Pak Teachers
to hold rally today No
job, no pension for terrorist-hit families Election-eve
work tapers off
SGPC
budget on March 30 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
E-governance
in 2 years: Kanwaljit HC
show-cause notice to DPI (S) BSP’s
ultimatum to nab NRI’s killers Chawla
for hike in Home Guard wages US
police team in Ludhiana Judge
inspects jail Privatise
PSEB, say JEs
Ex-serviceman
held for spying Man
kills himself after wife’s death Man
lodged in jail instead of brother Dacoits
strike again, injure 3 of family Another
fake DTO arrested Missing
girl untraced Singer
alleges rape by promoter Bus
blast victims identified: SSP 4-member
gang of thieves busted
Slogans
against minister raised
|
Badal announces plan for women DHURI, March 8 — Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has announced the launching of an ambitious plan for making the women economically self-reliant by extending them infrastructural and financial support for setting up small self-employment ventures in their homes. Addressing a gathering of over 20,000 women at a state-level function to mark International Women's Day at Sherpur village, 15 km from here today, Mr Badal said only 2.65 lakh women in Punjab were presently working in commercial and government establishment out of total population of 95 lakh. A movement should be launched to channelise the potentials of women to supplement the income of family. Mr Badal said pensions, including widow pension, would be disbursed to the beneficiaries in the first week of every month. He said the delay in pension disbursal occurred in the past few months because some people had drawn this benefit by misquoting the age which had now been rectified. The Chief Minister said the Shiromani Akali Dal had made 33 per cent reservations for women in the SGPC and panchayats. Mr Badal said Rs 5000 was deposited on the birth of a girl child under Kanya Jagriti Jyoti Scheme by the government and Rs 100 was being given as stipend after the girl achieve the age of six years and Rs 200 up to the age of 21 years in educational institutions. A sum of Rs 1.50 crore had been sanctioned for this purpose. The Chief Minister announced a grant of Rs 50 lakh for the development of the Sherpur constituency which included Rs 10 lakh for setting up self-employment ventures for women community. He also assured the setting up of a plus two girls school in the village. Mr Gobind Singh Kanjla, Minister Social Security and Women Welfare, said the Punjab Government had launched 21 schemes for raising the social and economic status of women. The shagun scheme under which Rs 5100 were being given at the marriage of a girl of a Dalit family have benefited 76897 girls in the last three years. He said under the Mahila Jagriti Yojna, 2479 voluntary service groups were constituted for ensuring economic benefit to women. Those who spoke on the occasion included Mrs Satwant Kaur Sandhu, Mr Gobind Singh Longowal and Mr Ranjit Singh Balian (all ministers). Reports of celebration
of Women's Day have also been received from Samrala,
Ludhiana, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur. |
No wagons for exports to
Pak AMRITSAR, March 8 — “We are to inform you that you are not shipping the goods despite our telephonic talks many times. Although we have already sent you letter of credit, for the past one-and-a-half months we have not received any goods from you. You are requested to kindly arrange to ship the goods as soon as possible otherwise our above letter of credit may please be treated as cancelled.” Thus reads a letter of Mushtaq Brothers, proprietors of Mushtaq Brothers (Importers and Exporters), Aqbari Mandi, Lahore, to a Amritsar-based exporter. This is not the only letter by a Pakistani importer to an Indian exporter. Many such letters are being received every day by Indian exporters, threatening to cancel the order if the exporters fail to send the goods within the stipulated time. The trade between India and Pakistan has been adversely affected due to non-availability of wagons. Indian Railways is reportedly avoiding sending its wagons due to strained relations between the two countries these days. With the result, commodities worth over Rs 30 crore are rotting in godowns. Mr Yogesh Chander, Assistant Traffic Manager (ATM), Railways, confirmed that no wagon could be arranged for exporting commodities to Pakistan for the past about one-and-a-half months. He said Indian exporters had given a demand for as many as 303 wagons. The non-availability of railway wagons for export to Pakistan of different merchandise is creating havoc for the exporters. Mr Rajesh Setia, general secretary of the Amritsar Exporters Chamber of Commerce, has confirmed that the demand of over 300 wagons has not been met since February 4. The railway authorities were mum on the issue, he alleged and claimed that the exporters were facing huge financial loss due to non-shipment of their commodities, including tamarind, lakhdana, sat isabgol, crude drugs, etc. The Amritsar Exporters Chamber of Commerce urged Indian Railways to make public announcement about the Indo-Pakistan trade in the wake of the strained relations between the two countries. Meanwhile, Mr Om Parkash Arora (Lati), Chairman, Indo-Pak Exporters Association, has said that exporters were sending fresh ginger or green chillies through the ‘Samjhauta Express’ only. This train runs twice a week between India and Pakistan. Only eight wagons were attached with the Samjhauta Express for transportation of goods. This was insufficient to meet the demand. Exporters feel that Indian Railways has “deliberately” not announced its decision to send a minimum number of wagons to Pakistan. The Shiv Sena has already given an ultimatum to stop the Samjhauta Express and the Delhi-Lahore bus by the end of this month. The attack on the international bus by Indian fundamentalists has aggravated the situation. Another reason for the import and export being hit is that the transportation of dry dates and rock salt from Pakistan to India has come to a standstill. Earlier, the wagons which brought these items carried commodities from India. The Indian and Pakistan
importers and exporters have urged the governments of
both countries to open road traffic so that trade could
flourish. |
Teachers to hold rally today CHANDIGARH, March 8 —Education at school, college and university level in Punjab is a causality of the tight financial situation. Going by the Address of the Governor in the Vidhan Sabha on March 6, one learns that a sum of Rs 4.67 crore was provided in the current year’s Plan budget for the “improvement” of the existing facilities in the field of higher education. He also said that additionally a sum of Rs 211.78 crore was provided as committed expenses in the Non-Plan budget. So far so good. But enquiries reveal that much less than 20 per cent of the Plan budget has been actually spent till December last. Which means any amount that may be proposed in the next year Plan (2000-01) would be meaningless since there is no money even to meet the sanctioned sum. Had the financial situation been good why would non-government and unaided colleges’ not pay salaries to the employees, who have not been paid since August, 1999, under the 95 per cent grant-in-aid scheme? Out of a sum of Rs 97 crore for the current financial year, these colleges have received only Rs 26 crore.There are 162 non-government and unaided colleges affiliated to three universities in the state. It is but natural that now the Joint Action Committee of these very colleges has decided to hold a rally in Chandigarh tomorrow. The call has been lent a voice by the managements, principals and the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union and non-teaching staff. The irony of the situation is that on the one hand the government, as declared by the Governor in his March 6 address proposed to introduce “job-oriented courses” in the colleges to create avenues of self employment and at the same time introduce the subject of Information Technology in all government colleges from March 2000. On the other hand there is no money to pay salary to ones in the job. There are only 43 government colleges in Punjab. Interestingly, the staff of these colleges too has given support to the Joint Action Committee and will join in the rally tomorrow as well in the chain-fast beginning March 16. According to Prof Charanjit Chawla, the government has not released the grant of the third quarter, amounting to Rs 21.76 crore till December 31 last. The money is with the Treasury, which would not clear till the Finance Department gives the green signal. In the meantime the grant for the fourth quarter is also due. In this grim scenario the plight of 75 rural colleges is the worst. For those colleges holding back of the grant has sounded a death-knell. Some months back, Punjab received Rs 40 crore grant for payment of arrears for the period January 1, 1996, to March 31, 2000 which is to cover the difference in pay following revision of pay scales. The same has also not been released. This is also one of the major irritants to have forced the managements, principals and non-teaching staff and the union to hold a rally. The state, perhaps, would do well to remember the notification of the University Grants Commission under which the entire responsibility of additional expenditure of revised pay scales is to be taken care by the state concerned. What will Punjab do? At the same time with universities’ examinations around the corner, and teachers threatening to boycott the same, will the government act under pressure right away or do some rational thinking both for the present and the future? asks Mr Chawla. He wonders how come a scheme, giving of 95 per cent grant-in-aid to private colleges, which was conceived by Mr Parkash Singh Badal, in1977-78, is hanging fire now ? On the other hand, Punjab has also not revised the pay scales of 23 unaided colleges despite clear guidelines from the Human Resource Development Ministry. The same type of indifferent attitude the government had adopted towards the teachers of the state’s medical and dental colleges. Till the other day they had also boycotted all classes and were agitating. It was only two days ago that the government finally relented and issued the necessary notification. The teacher-doctors are back in classrooms and laboratories. Meanwhile, it remains to
seen how the state government tackles the problem of the
rally and chain fast of the non-government college
managements backed as it is by the government colleges to
seek justice. |
No job, no pension for
terrorist-hit families AMRITSAR, March 8 — “Sarkar sanu bhul gayi” (the government has forgotten us) is the loud wail of terrorist-affected families. On June 13, 1988, nine men were picked up from their fields, tied and shot dead on the kutcha road of Chack Bambia Da village. It was only when villagers raised an alarm that Veero, Krishna Vati and Raj Karni came to know that each of them had lost their husbands and other relatives. Raj Karni, the mother-in-law of Krishna Vati, had lost both her husband and son the same evening. She hurriedly made arrangements for her three other sons to shift to safer places outside the state. Meanwhile, her grandson has attained the age of 18 and is eligible for a job. But government departments use dilly-dallying tactics and refuse him a job, she laments. A similar incident took place on April 5, 1992. Shama Rani was just 25 years old with three minor sons when terrorists struck their house at Pangali village. She shudders as the recalls: “All women were locked inside the house which the terrorists set on fire. Nine of our male members were asked to kneel and shot at point-blank range in our courtyard. It was only God who gave us the strength to break the locks and escape. Shama Rani, Darshana Rani and Asha Rani, all of the same family, lost their respective husbands in the gruesome massacre. Many such cases were reported from Bhangwa Sidwa village in Lopoke, Ajnala, Pandorei Variach, Islamabad area of Amritsar, and other adjoining villages. Widows, mothers or the next of kin were given ex-gratia compensation which earlier started from Rs 20,000, then Rs 50,000 and was later revised to Rs 1 lakh. Besides that, such families were also promised that jobs would be given to the son, daughter, sister or brother of the deceased on attaining the age of 18 years. A monthly pension of Rs 2,500 too was promised. “Many of the promises remain just on paper” fears Shama. There are about 1,500 such families in Amritsar district alone. At least 175 files are pending with the authorities of persons who have not got the promised employment. A majority of them have not received pensions for the past three to five months. The son of Soma Rani of Bhangwa Sidwa village, became eligible for a job in 1997. However, he was refused on the grounds that he had applied after two months after attaining the age 18. Surjit Kaur, whose son Toti fell a victim to terrorists’ bullets, draws Rs 750 as pension. “It has been four months since I last got my pension,” she cries. Meanwhile, All-India Hindu Shiv Sena President Surinder Kumar Billa, who has been actively helping these families, urges the government to increase the terrorist victim pensions from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 per month. He says the pension is reduced when a job is granted by the government. For instance, if a job is worth Rs 2000 per month the government gives only Rs 500 balance payment as pension. In the present circumstances where a Class IV employee is drawing approximately Rs 4,000 per month, the pension is discontinued altogether. The widow is left with nothing when the son or daughter is given a job. He suggests that both
pension and employment should be granted simultaneously
and urges the government to extend medical and
educational help on concessional rates to such families. |
Election-eve work tapers off NAWANSHAHR, March 8 — Residents of this region are afraid that now that the ruling party has won the Nawanshahr seat development work begun on the eve of the prestigious byelection will stop. Their fears, have some basis as the pace of work on many projects has slowed and a sense of inertia crept in. Talking to The Tribune, Mr Harjit Singh, a Rahon based spare-parts dealer said that though the recarpeting process of a 7 km stretch of road between Rahon and Nawanshahr was still on, its pace had definitely slowed down. “I believe that they would have left it half done had they lost the election. But thank God that has not happened. Which makes me feel that they will complete the project sooner or later,” he said. Mr Balbir Singh, a taxi driver at Rahon said construction of the road at the earliest was very important as it had been in bad shape for more than a decade. The road, with pot-holes all over it, had been damaging our vehicles, he said. A number of persons at the main chowk in Rahon said the problems of the city were lack of proper disposal of sewage and a proper bus stand. In the name of a bus stand we have only a shed, that too, constructed by a gurudwara management committee. Mr Garib Dass, a tea stall owner near Rahon bus stand said though the SAD-BJP got the maximum number of votes from the Bet area along the Sutlej on its promise of constructing a bridge linking Nawanshahr with Khanna, work had not been started on it as yet. A round of Nawanshahr city, showed that most of roads were dotted with knee-deep potholes which apparently failed to invite the attention of hordes of ministers, who camped in the area during the polls. Aggrieved over the state of affairs, Mr Manjinder Singh, a paint shop owner near Baradari Garden said business was being affected by the accumulation of water on the road but nothing was done about it. “I don’t think that something will change. We did not have any power cuts during the elections, but now we have them in plenty. We got no power bills during that period but now we are getting these,” he said. Mr Jasbir Singh a motor garage owner, said the condition of roads in the area in general and of the Nawanshahr-Banga road in particular was bad but no effort to at least fill in the potholes was in sight. “You see the condition of the road which is the life-line of the city and for those travelling between Jalandhar and Chandigarh.” Loacl MLA Mr Kariha had promised that after winning the election the SAD-BJP government will make Nawanshahr a “model district”. Mr S.R. Kler, the
additional Deputy Commissioner, when contacted said there
was no laxity in ongoing development work. He said of the
target of 61 roads, 35 roads had already been recarpeted
and work was on in others. |
SGPC budget on March 30 AMRITSAR, March 8 — The SGPC budget for the year 2000-2001 will be presented at a general house meeting summoned here on March 30. SGPC secretary, Dr Gurbachan Singh Bachan said here today. The executive committee
of the SGPC meanwhile will have pre-budget meeting to
finalise the budget on March 16. |
E-governance in 2 years: Kanwaljit LUDHIANA, March 8 — Punjab will have paperless e-governance in the state within the next two years. This was announced here today by the Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh. He was talking to newsmen after inaugurating computerisation of the Deputy Commissioner’s office at the mini secretariat here. All seven subdivisions in the district have been linked through computers with the Deputy Commissioner’s office, eliminating paper work. The Finance Minister complimented the district administration for taking the lead in computerisation of its offices and said that the entire state would be computerised soon. A substantial provision had been made for promotion of information technology and computerisation in Punjab in the Budget for the next financial year to be presented by him in the Punjab Assembly on March 22. Computerisation would enable the government to cut down on administrative expenditure and control the ballooning bureaucracy. Capt Kanwaljit Singh claimed that the financial position of the state had improved considerably during the past few months. He asserted that the shortage of funds had not prevented payment of salaries to staff in any government department. He refuted the charge
that the government was selling public property on a
large scale to meet the budgetary deficit. The minister
said that the properties so far sold formed only a
‘negligible part’ of the total. |
HC show-cause notice to DPI
(S) CHANDIGARH, March 8 — On a contempt petition filed by Mr Rajinder Singh and 10 other Physical Training Instructors of National Fitness Corps against the denial of revised scales of pay, in violation of the orders of the High Court in this connection, Mr Justice, V.S. Aggarwal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued show-cause notice to Mr T.K. Goel, DPI (Schools), Punjab, for May 11. The petitioners were inducted as PTIs in the National Fitness Corps and later on during the service they acquired the graduation degree and obtained NDS training followed by a reorientation course. It was stated that the Government of India ordered on November 2, 1968, that all NDS Instructors, who were graduates and had received NDS training followed by the reorientation course, would be treated equivalent to the post-graduate diploma holders in Physical Education for the purposes of their appointment as teachers. By virtue of this letter the PTIs working in the grade of Rs 110-180 became entitled to pay scale of Rs 170-380. On a writ petition claiming the same pay-scales as graduate diploma holders in Physical Education, the High Court in a writ petition directed the petitioners to treat them at par with graduate diploma holders and directed the respondents to give same benefits, as mentioned in letter (dated June 21, 1991) by fixing their salary within 4 months. A contempt petition was filed when the decision was not complied with. But it was not pressed after an assurance given before the High Court by the government on October 5, 1999, to make the payment. It was stated that now
vide order dated September 22, 1999, the petitioners had
been granted a grade of Rs 220-500 w.e.f. July, 1, 1976
i.e. from the date of their absorption in the Punjab
Government whereas they were entitled to the grade from
the date of their acquiring the graduation qualification
which according to the petitioner amounted to wilful
disobedience of the High Court's order and the respondent
should be punished for contempt. |
BSP’s ultimatum to nab
NRI’s killers PHAGWARA, March 8 — The Bahujan Samaj Party today served a fortnight’s ultimatum on the local administration for arresting the dacoits who killed an NRI and looted five houses here on Monday night. Mr Ashok Sandhu, district BSP President , threatened to stage a demonstration against the police in case it failed to book the dacoits within this period. He alleged that the rule of the jungle prevailed in Phagwara and the murder of NRI Parminder Sharma had caused panic among the NRIs, most of whom hail from this region. He further alleged that the local police had failed to trace the killers of Vivek, who was shot dead in Chaddha market on March 25 last year. Even the persons who lifted four cars during the past two months were still at large. Meanwhile, the AICC
Secretary and MP from Phillaur, Ms Santosh Chaudhary
today visited the bereaved family and other victims in
the looting incident. She alleged that there was total
breakdown of law and order during the Badal regime. |
Chawla for hike in Home Guard
wages AMRITSAR, March 8 — Ms Laxmi Kanta Chawla BJP MLA, in a letter to Mr Parkash Singh Badal Chief Minister and Captain Kanwaljit Singh Finance Minister Punjab urged them to increase the daily wage of home guards and SPOs. At present they are drawing a meagre Rs 70 per day while putting in the same amount of work as Punjab police personnel. A 15 per cent hike in
the daily wages of home guards was proposed by the
government earlier. But it seems that the ground reality
is that the enhanced pay scale was never implemented.
Instead the pay is cut for taking a holiday or on one
pretext or other, she said. |
US police team in Ludhiana LUDHIANA, March 8 — A five-member foreign delegation of police officials led by Prof David Beri of the Crime Branch, USA, today participated in an inter-active session with officials of the local police and public. The function, which was organised at Sarabha Nagar police station this evening was sidely attended. DIG (Ludhiana range), P.S. Sandhu, SSP, Kuldip Singh, SP (City), G.S. Sandhu, and SP (Hqs) Utpal Joshi, were among those who attended the function. A large number of people
submitted their complaints which were referred to the
SHOs concerned by the SSP. |
Judge inspects jail LUDHIANA, March 8 — Mr Justice V.K. Bali of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today arrived in the city on a two-day inspection of the Ludhiana Central Jail and the district courts and bar room. While the jail was inspected today, the inspection of the district bar room and court premises will be conducted tomorrow. Earlier in the day, he
held a meeting with a delegation of the District Bar
Association led by its president, Mr Harish Rai Dhanda. |
Privatise PSEB, say JEs AMRITSAR, March 8 — The Council of Junior Engineers in a press note issued here yesterday favoured the privatisation of the PSEB. The Junior Engineers alleged that their jobs under the state-controlled PSEB had no fixed hours and no extra payment for overtime was given to them. Sometimes they had to be on 16 to 18 hours of duty. They also demanded an
inquiry into recruitments of Senior Engineers. |
Ex-serviceman held for spying LUDHIANA, March 8 — The police has arrested a former jawan, who is accused of being an ISI agent for the past two decades, during a naka at Sarabha Nagar last evening. According to the information the police has seized maps of the Jalandhar cantonment area, details of the manpower, ammunition, machinery and the time-table of various officials posted in the area and the names of certain Army officials posted here and their addresses from the possession of Kulwant Singh. Opium has also been seized from him and he has been charged under Sections 18,61,85 of the NDPS Act and 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Security Act, 1923. Kulwant Singh, alias Bahadur Singh, who had joined the armed corps in 1962, had been posted at Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, Ambala, Madhopur, Pathankot and Jaipur during his 17 years in service till he sought retirement in 1979. Sources in the police have alleged that Kulwant Singh, who had also fought during the 1965 and 1971 wars, had been spying for the ISI since then. Kulwant Singh told this correspondent that after retiring from the Army, he had started running a auto-rickshaw in Jalandhar during the day a tea-stall in the evening. Then he met three ISI agents — Akram, Mansoori and Aslam Mohammad. The three men promised him Rs 1000 per information supplied by him. “Later, they increased my remuneration to Rs 5000, depending on the importance of the news supplied”, he said. He, along with the other three agents, would give the information to Capt Khurram in Karachi and to Capt Ramesh Chopra, alias Beant Singh, in Dubai from a PCO in Rama Mandi in Jalandhar. He had also gone to Pakistan twice illegally as part one his training. He informed that his current assignment was to give information about the Sahnewal airport and the Halwara air base and that the ISI wanted to make Jalandhar and Ludhiana as the targets for spreading their base. He was also asked to send a list of ex-servicemen so that they too could be contacted by the ISI and for enrolling them as agents. Kulwant Singh had now
been working as a security guard at a fast food joint in
the main Sarabha Nagar market. He was a wife and is
issueless. |
Man kills himself after
wife’s death PATIALA, March 8 — A 20-year-old married woman Rani, died a suspected dowry death here this morning. Her husband Subash unable to bear the shock committed suicide immediately afterwards. While the parents of the woman alleged the murder of their daughter due to dowry, the police is also working on another theory the suspicion of Rani on her husband of having an extra-marital affair. Mr Krishan Lal, a resident of the city, in a complaint to the police alleged that he married off his daughter Rani to Subash in December last year. He alleged that her daughter was continuously subjected to beatings for dowry. The Patran police on the complaint of the father registered a case under Sections 304-B, 148, 149, IPC, against seven persons, all in-laws, three brothers-in-law and their wives. Rani, who showed symptoms of having consumed some poisonous substances was admitted to Rajindra Hospital last night but did not survive. The family members were yet to recover from the shock when Rani’s husband also committed suicide by consuming celphos tablets. According to Dr O.P. Aggarwal, Associate Professor, Rajindra Hospital, who conducted the post-mortem examination she died due to the intake of celphos tablets. The Patran police said they had not arrested any suspect so far. Enquiries revealed that dowry was not the only reason behind the two deaths. It was reported to the police that Rani had a quarrel with her in-laws over her husband’s suspected extra-marital affair. The suspicion was reported unwarranted by the in-laws. However, the situation took a grim turn when Rani died today morning. The post-mortem
examination on Subash’s body would be done tomorrow. |
Constable held for looting people PATIALA, March 8 — In a case of a protector turning looter, a constable of the civil lines police station was arrested today on a charge of looting people. Constable Jawahar Lal was remanded in three-day police custody here today. With his arrest, the police is hopeful of solving a number of snatching incidents. Mr Harpreet Singh Sidhu, SSP, confirming the arrest, said the acts of the constable had lowered the image of the police but with his arrest, the police had salvaged its image to some extent. The constable used to operate at night. He used to stop passer-by, show them his police identity card and then on the plea of searching them, he would rob them and flee. The city DSP, Mr G.S. Bedi, said one such passer-by was Mr Siddiqui, a senior teacher in Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology. In the last week of February, the constable, in civil dress, looted him near the State College of Education. The money looted in this case had been recovered and a case had been registered. Mr Bedi said it was
suspected that the constable was also involved in two
other incidents in which Rs 20,000 and Rs 10,000 each
were snatched. |
Man lodged in jail instead
of brother AMRITSAR, March 8 — The Punjab Human Rights Organistation has alleged that the Punjab police continues to violate human rights by registering false cases and harassing innocents. The deputy chairman of the organisation Mr Kirpal Singh Randhawa said this while presenting before newsmen a middle-aged woman, Harjit Kaur of Jandiala Guru who sought a CBI enquiry to establish the identity of her husband Baldev Singh, who had been “illegally” lodged in judicial custody at the central jail here under the name of Lakhminder Singh for the past eight months. She said that her husband was implicated wrongly in a case under Section 420, 468, 471 IPC whereas it was his younger brother who was wanted by the police. The woman produced documents like her husband photo identity card and said that even after producing an affidavit from her brother-in-law Lakhwinder Singh, her husband was not freed. The woman, Harjeet Kaur had meanwhile sent representations to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Prime Minister, Chief Minister Punjab, Union Law Minister and senior police officials to intervene in the matter. The SSP, Majitha police
district, Mr S.S. Brar, when contacted said that the SP
detective had been asked to verify the facts. |
Dacoits strike again, injure 3
of family JALANDHAR, March 8 — In a second incident of dacoity within two days in the area, eight to 10 armed miscreants attacked a house, injured three members of the family at Cheema Pind village falling under Kartarpur police station today. In a similar incident the dacoits, almost same in number, had struck the Green Park and adjoining localities in Phagwara yesterday and killed Parvinder Kumar, an NRI and left about 10 persons injured before fleeing the area with cash and jewellery worth lakhs of rupees. According to the police, the miscreants forced their entry in the house of Mr Jeet Singh Sarai, injured him, his wife and mother with iron rods and other blunt weapons. As they raised the alarm, the miscreants fled the house without taking any cash or jewellery with them. The injured were admitted to hospital. A case had been registered at Kartarpur police station. However, nobody had so for been arrested. Meanwhile, the sadar police station authorities have booked two persons in connection with the Sunil Kumar Vicky murder case. In a complaint Mr Krishan Lal, father of the victim, had alleged that his son was taken away by Billa and Harish Kumar of Basti Bawa Khel on March 6. Sunil was found in an unconscious state the next day in Kalia colony on the Amritsar byepass. Later, he died at the Civil Hospital here. Nobody has been
arrested, however, the police has registered a case under
Sections 302/364/34 of the IPC. |
Another fake DTO arrested BATHINDA, March 8 — The district police has arrested a fake district transport officer (DTO) involved in making fictitious driving licences, registration certificates and other documents relating to vehicles. About two months ago, the Gidderbaha police had also arrested a fake DTO involved in preparing illegal driving licences and registration certificates. Mr Jatinder Kumar Jain, district police chief, in a press note issued here today said that fake DTO, who had been identified as Suraj Bhan, was allegedly carrying out illegal activities for the past two years. He added that rubber stamps and other government papers were recovered from the possession of the accused. The accused had allegedly been making fictitious driving licences and registration certificates in the capacity of district transport officer, Faridkot, Bathinda and other districts of Punjab. He was also using fake rubber stamps of Dabwali town in Sirsa district of Haryana. More than 30 fake licences and registration certificates were recovered from the possession of the accused. Some of the original papers of the Punjab Government were also recovered from him. Mr Jain said that a case under Section 420, 465 and 468 of the IPC had been registered against the accused and further investigations were going on. In another case, the
police had recovered seven empty and five filled LPG
cylinders from the possession of a local resident, Vijay
Kumar, and a case under Section 7 of the Essential
Commodities Act and Section 420 of the IPC was registered
against him. |
Missing girl untraced KAPURTHALA, March 8 — Mrs Santosh Kaur, a resident of the local Model Town, is running from pillar to post in order to know the whereabouts of her daughter, Harpreet Kaur (14), who has been missing since March 4. According to a report lodged with the police, Mrs Santosh Kaur, said Harpreet, a student of Class VII of Christ King Convent School, went on her moped to the school to see the result but did not return. Her moped was found in front of a restaurant situated on the Kartarpur-Kanjla road. She alleged that her daughter was abducted by three youths of the locality, including a son of a Commission agent. Meanwhile, the police
has taken three persons into custody. |
Singer alleges rape by promoter BATHINDA, March 8 — A noted Punjabi singer and TV artist, has alleged that her promoter, Harpal Singh alias Kaka, had been raping her for the last two years. She said Harpal Singh had promised to marry her but he was already married. She further alleged that Harpal Singh had cheated her in her financial dealings too. She said Harpal Singh used to take huge amounts of money from the audio cassette companies for recording her songs but would give her meagre sum. Harpal Singh had illegally got her house transferred in his name and grabbed master spools of her cassettes, jewellery and other items, she alleged Harpal Singh has been
booked under sections 376, 506, 420 and 406 of the IPC. |
Bus blast victims
identified: SSP FATEHGARH SAHIB, March 8 — All nine victims of bus blast held near Sirhind recently have been identified and the district administration has made arrangements to send the bodies to their native places, Mr Paramraj Singh Umranangal, SSP, said here today. He said the police had
got some vital information and clues during interrogation
of a driver and a conductor of the ill-fated bus. He said
a police party led by Mr Khaira, DSP (D), had been sent
to Jammu for further information. |
4-member gang of thieves busted AMRITSAR, March 8 — The police claims to have smashed a four-member inter-state gang responsible for stealing National Saving Certificate and Kisan Vikas Patras and cashing them at various post offices in the country. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Majitha, Mr Sukhdev Singh Brar, said in a press release here today that National Saving Certificate and Kisan Vikas Patras valued at Rs 13.90 lakhs were seized from the 4 accused. They were arrested by a special team of police detectives led by D.S.P. detective, Mr Makhan Singh from a petrol pump in the Ajnala area on March 6 and a case under Sections 379, 420, 468, 471, 120-B IPC registered. Mr Brar said preliminary
interrogation of criminals revealed that they had stolen
the certificate from Jamshedpur Tata-Nagar in Bihar.
Further investigations are on. |
Slogans against minister raised LUDHIANA, March 8 — Members of the Government College Teachers Association (GCTA) resorted to slogan-shouting against the state government and the Punjab Higher Education Minister, Mr Mohanlal, when he came to preside over the annual prize distribution function at Government College for Boys. They were protesting against the non-acceptance of their demands by the government. However, the protesting faculty members of the college later relented and the function was carried on as scheduled. The minister gave away prizes to students excelling in the fields of sports, education and other cocurricular activities. He also gave a grant of Rs 50,000 to the college and also gave an assurance to the college authorities to sanction a grant of Rs 50,000 in small savings. Earlier, speaking to
mediapersons, Mr Mohanlal said that the UGC had
sanctioned 30 new vocational courses to be started in
various colleges affiliated to the Panjab University. He
said that the posts of principals in the 24 government
colleges of Punjab would be filled soon. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh Tribune | In Spotlight | 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 119 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
