 |
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| Friday, March 24, 2000, Chandigarh, India   |
Bibi writes to Akal Takht chief
again Giani Kewal Singh challenges
edicts Patents Bill will help farmers: MP
CPI to observe protest week |
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PGPC has conceded demands: DSGMC
Plan to set up excise police
Dalit sarpanch alleges police
torture
Copying racket in school exams Call to scrap 3 exam centres
Excise may yield Rs 1200 crore
revenue No bidder for 45 per cent liquor
groups PSEB urged to withdraw circular
|
Bibi
writes to Akal Takht chief again AMRITSAR, March 23 — Following the directives of political Affairs Committee (PAC) of Shriomani Akali Dal, Bibi Jagir Kaur, President, Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, has again applied for permission to appear before Akal Takht. The letter in this regard was handed over to Giani Puran Singh, Jathedar Akal Takht by Mr Tota Singh a senior Akali leader at his residence here. After getting the letter, Giani Puran Singh left for Chatsingpura village were 35 sikhs were massacred by militants on March 19. The letter of Bibi Jagir Kaur reads, "I am dedicated to Akal Takht for larger interests of Sikh Panth, tenets and Sikh traditions". However, Giani Puran Singh has reportedly said that Bibi Jagir Kaur had not made a specific point that she had accepted the hukamnama (edict) issued from Guna (Madhya Pradesh) wherein she was excommunicated from the Sikh Panth. The rulling Shiromani Akali Dal had appealed to Bibi Jagir Kaur to present herself before Akal Takht. The PAC had also appealed to Giani Puran Singh to settle the issue. This is for the second time in the last fortnight that Bibi Jagir Kaur has applied to Akal Takht. Earlier Giani Puran Singh had sent a letter to Bibi Jagir Kaur for appearing before Akal Takht on March 12 to seek apology on the basis of her written request. Though, in her earlier
letter Bibi Jagir Kaur had made a pre condition for
appearing before the five designated high priests, but
she has not touched on any such issue in the present
letter. |
Giani
Kewal Singh challenges edicts AMRITSAR, March 23 — Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar, Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, in an open letter to Giani Puran Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takht, today challenged his hukamnamas ans various other directives, including excommunication of the SGPC chief, Sikh high priests and banning of the controversial Nanakshahi calender. The nine-page letter, which was issued to the Press by Giani Kewal Singh, who was also excommunicated from the Sikh Panth, suggested that Akal Takht Jathedar should do introspection as he had allegedly violated the established Sikh maryada by issuing ‘arbitrary, controversial and personal’ edicts and directives thereby putting the Sikh Panth into a crisis. He alleged that Giani Puran Singh added fuel to the fire which was generated by his predecessor. Giving details of his “arbitrary” directives and edicts, Giani Kewal Singh alleged that they had caused damage to the Panth. Without mentioning the name of Bhai Ranjit Singh, former Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Kewal Singh said he (Giani Puran Singh) was appointed the Jathedar of Akal Takht for obvious reasons. However, instead of taking “corrective measures” he had complicated the Panthic crisis. He alleged that Giani Puran Singh had pushed the Sikh Panth into deeper crisis due to “ulterior motives”. Giani Kewal Singh alleged that Giani Puran Singh had ignored the established maryada of consulting other Sikh high priests before taking Panthic decision under the influence of chiefs of certain ‘deras’. He alleged that the ban on the Nanakshai calendar was also imposed at the behest of some of his advisers. He alleged that Giani Puran Singh had been issuing hukamnamas without consulting other high priests. On the controversial hukamnama issued from Guna (Madhya Pradesh), Giani Kewal Singh said it was issued on the basis of a news item published in a section of the Press. The open letter claims that the Jathedar, Akal Takht, cannot issue hukamnama from a roadside. The letter alleged that Giani Puran Singh had not withdrawn the “hukamnamas or directives” which were issued by his predecessor in gross violation of maryada as he (Giani Puran Singh) knew that he would be issuing even “worse” directives. He alleged that Giani Puran Singh had denigrated maryada of Hukamnamas. Giani Kewal Singh asked as to why he (Giani Puran Singh) had not been accepting the demand of well meaning Sikhs to resolve the current Panthic crisis. He said all problems could be resoved by initiating a dialogue. He alleged a section of the Sikh Panth had been equating Giani Puran Singh with those “masands” and “so-called Jathedars” who had presented ‘siropa’ to the killer of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Giani Kewal Singh said it was possible that some persons could accept the controversial hukamnama issued by the Akal Takht Jathedar under political compulsions. However, such an act could not justify the edicts issued in gross violation of maryada. The open letter appealed
to Giani Puran Singh to resolve the Panthic crisis. |
Patents
Bill will help farmers: MP LUDHIANA, March 23 — The Bill for the protection of plant varieties and farmers rights, which will be introduced in Parliament in the current session, will aim to protect the interests of plant breeders and farmers. This was announced here today by Prof Sahib Singh Verma, Chairman, Joint Parliamentary Committee and former Chief Minister of Delhi, while addressing a press conference here today. He informed that earlier in the day, he had met farmers, scientists and officers of Punjab Agricultural University. Prof Verma said that at every step of the formulation of this Bill farmers’ interests would get top priority. He clarified that this Bill when passed would help the breeders and farmers to get their varieties registered. This would not only help them to get royalty for their produce, but also check the exploitation by international companies. He cautioned that if Indian farmers did not register their varieties, the other countries/companies would do so and get the benefit. Praising the contribution of Punjab Agricultural University in the past 40 years, Prof Verma said that with the implementation of this Bill, the university and its breeders would get royalty. This would help the institution tide over its financial crunch and work with new vigour. Prof Verma further said that if any foreign agency or company would use the varieties developed by Indian breeders, they would have to give us the royalty. He further clarified that the patent right on a variety would be applicable only for 15 years from the date of registration. He also clarified that the varieties developed in the past would also be registered. However, royalty on these varieties would be determined by a different clause. Prof Verma informed that the Joint Parliamentary Committee consists of 30 MPs from both houses. However, only six members — Mr Mehboob Zaidi, Mr Dalbir Singh, Mr Ranjit Kumar Panja, Mr Jagat Nath Malik and Dr Biplav Dass Gupta — attended the meeting, while the seventh member, Mr Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, came to Ludhiana but did not participate in the meeting. After the tour of the university here, the Joint Parliamentary Committee would visit other agricultural universities at Pant Nagar (UP), and in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Earlier, during the meeting, Mr Bhupinder Singh Mann, former MP and president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, said that before introducing this Bill, the government must thoroughly study the Essential Commodities Act, which prohibits the farmers to store a limited quantity of his produce. Meanwhile, Mr Ajmer Singh Lakhowal and Mr Manjit Singh Kadi, president and general secretary, respectively of the BKU (Punjab chapter), in a written statement, urged the government to get the Bill passed as early as possible so that the developed countries could not register the varieties developed in India. They said the USA had already registered the basmati rice and some other vegetable varieties developed in India. Earlier, Dr G.S. Kalkat,
Vice-chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, welcomed
the MPs. Mr Y.S. Ratra, Financial Commissioner
(Development), Mr Kuldeep Singh Sandhu, Director
(Horticulture), Punjab, Dr K.S. Aulakh, Pro
Vice-chancellor of the university, and all its deans and
directors participated in this meeting. |
Sikhs’
massacre condemned AMRITSAR, March 23 — The district unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Urban) here today condemned the barbaric killings of innocent Sikhs in Anantnag. At a meeting held at the residence of Mr Pardeep Singh Walia, it was decided to hold akhand path in memory of those who were killed. The akhand path is slated for March 26 near Ram Bagh Gate and will end with bhog ceremony on March 28. PATHANKOT: Shops and other business establishments remained closed for half day in protest against the massacre of 36 Sikhs massacred in Anantnag in Kashmir. Mr Brij Mohan Puri, former chairman of the Improvement Trust and member of the PCC, condemned the killings and demanded stern action against the culprits. PHAGWARA: All political parties including the ruling Akali Dal, the BJP and opposition Congress, business and trace organisations and NGOs on Thursday observed a complete bandh here in protest against the massacre. Protestors took out a procession in bazars and blocked traffic on the GT road and presented a memorandum to SDM Pritam Singh. They were led by Dr Des Raj Sharma, Chairman, All-Party Peace Committee, Muslims represented by Anjuman Dawtey Islamia Committee, also joined the protest. Punjab BJP President
Daya Singh Sodhi, addressing protestors outside the SDM
office, said the carnage by ISI-backed terrorists was a
challenge to the sovereignty of the country.
|
Tau speaks
his mind ABOHAR, March 23 — Former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal has said that killing of Sikhs at Chatti Singhpura village in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir state sent signals that neither bilateral talks between India and Pakistan nor a dialogue between US President, Bill Clinton and Pakistan’s ruler Pervez Musharraf on the problem would serve any purpose. Our national leaders had adopted the policy of pleasing the neighbour whereas Pakistan always preferred to approach the UNO. The government will have to take a decisive and crucial decision to fight terrorism abetted by Pakistan. The ‘‘Tau’’ who was at the residence of the inlaws of his son and Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala at the last leg of his social visit in Punjab said at Panjkosi village near here yesterday that we lost hundreds of lives of our brave jawans who hailed mainly from poor families and thousands of residents of the troubled state yet our policies indicated weakness in giving a suitable reply to Pakistan out to shatter our economy and social structure. The Tau condemned the massacre as well as attitude of the security forces towards the militants. Asked whether the NDA-led government was able to bring reforms in the administration as promised in the common minimum programme, Mr Devi Lal said, there was no rule of the law. The government was under pressure from the constituents of the alliance not to take up broader issues concerning the welfare of the country as a whole. The farmers were leading a miserable life. When I, as Union Agriculture Minister had proposed that debt relief should be given to the farmers, this Finance Minister, Mr Yashwant Sinha as Union Secretary had opposed saying that the banks would become bankrupt. I insisted and the loans were waived. Nothing happened to the banks. In fact bureaucrats had been conniving with the big industrialists and share market dons to loot the banks through scams. The amount involved in the scams was higher than the total amount of loans waived for the benefit of the farmers. Mr Devi Lal talking in feeble voice at the residence of the state president of the Indian National Lok Dal, Mr Aad Lal Jakhar at Panjkosi village said the farmers again had been put in trouble by the damage of crops continuously for the past three years due to natural calamities and attack by pests. The farmer was unable to repay the loan advanced by the cooperative banks through societies or directly. The Tau was told by large number of Dalit families during his tour that they had no money to arrange marriages of their daughters. The farmers told the elderly kisan leader that their cash credit limits had been increased but they still were not in a position to repay debts of commission agents. The former Deputy Prime Minister said even the scheme introduced by the Cooperative Department to settle old loans by recovering interest equal to the principal amount was not going to help the farmers reeling under serious financial crisis. He demanded that cooperative loans should he waived to save the farmer from committing suicides. He was pained over the withdrawal of subsidies on diesel and fertiliser and defended the demand that subsidies on all the agricultural inputs should be continued for the next decade. On corruption, Mr Devi
Lal said that Central Vigilance Commission would not
succeed in weeding out corruption only by releasing the
list of most corrupt officers on website. The commission
should be armed with judicial powers. People should be
exhorted to join the mass campaign against corruption.
The corrupt officers will have to be exposed and
humiliated at public darbars. There should be summary
trials for those nabbed while accepting bribe. But he had
little hopes fearing that intention of the leaders were
not good. The corrupt enjoyed political protection, no
single political party was to be blamed for this. |
CPI to observe protest
week CHANDIGARH, March 23 — Dr Joginder Dyal, secretary of the Punjab State Council of the CPI, and Mr Hardev Arshi, leader of the CPI group in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, today rejected the call given by the Punjab Finance Minister for building a concensus on the economic agenda of the state. Both leaders in a statement said today that the economic approach and the Budget presented by the SAD-BJP Government did not represent and reflect the sentiments and aspirations of a vast section of society in the state. The government had promised to provide jobs to the unemployed, uplift the economic condition of the dalits and protect the peasantry from economic ruin but there was nothing in the Budget to fulfil these promises. On the other hand, the CPI leaders said, the government had declared that it would not provide jobs to anyone and there would no recruitment in any department. Meanwhile the CPI has decided to observe a protest week to press the government to withdraw the unprecedented hike in the price of LPG and kerosene. The week will be
observed from March 25 to 31, according to CPI leaders.
|
‘Water wizard’
of Punjab no more CHANDIGARH, March 23 — Mr Paul Singh Dhillon the "Water wizard" of Punjab is no more. He was born in 1919 at Jhabal in the heart of Majha, did his graduation with physics and mathematics from Khalsa College, Amritsar, went to Lahore to do his masters in English literature but was persuaded by a friend to do engineering instead. In the beginning of 1945 he became a qualified civil engineer and retired as Chief Engineer, Irrigation, Punjab. As an engineer he led a clean life concentrating more on academic pursuits. In course of time he became an expert in water resources of Punjab. Two of his books "A Tale of Two Rivers" and "Water Resources Development and Management in North-West India" are important contributions in this field. "The Tale..." received landatory reviews in the national press. Though an engineer by profession, he took keen interest in Waris Shah, Shakespeare and Jean Jacques Rouseau. Sponsored by the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), he was invited by the Rouseau Foundation, France, to deliver a lecture on Rouseau. Only recently his
exhaustive study on "World Trade Organisation"
(WTO) in Punjabi was published and prominently reviewed
in the columns of this paper. Another book
"Mid-Summer Flight's Dream", an interesting
travelogue delineating. The account of his wanderings in
Asia and Europe was released a few weeks ago. He enjoyed
reciting Ghalib and Faiz and rendered some of their
ghazals in Punjabi as well. The literary and cultural
circles of Chandigarh will miss him. Paul Singh Dhillon
willed that his body to be cremated by the CPM in
whatever the manner the party deemed fit. |
PGPC has
conceded demands: DSGMC ATTARI, March 23 — The Pakistan Government is reported to have conceded the demand of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) to post trained Sikh ragis and granthis in historic Sikh shrines in Pakistan to restore ‘maryada’ there. The decision was taken at the meeting of a 12-member team of the DSGMC, which went to Pakistan last week on the invitation of the newly formed Pakistan Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PGPC) headed by former ISI chief Jawad Nasser to sort out issues which had stalled the visit of Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan shrines on important occasions since last year. Members of the team, talking to newsmen on their return today at Attari Railway Station, claimed that 95 pre cent of their demands had been conceded by the PGPC chief, including adding the word ‘Sikh’ to the PGPC. The team members, however, remained non-committal on whether PGPC head would be replaced with a Sikh personality, saying that the Pakistan authorities did not refer to it. They said that Sikh ragis and granthis from India would be given special visas to stay in Pakistan for three months, after which they would be replaced by fresh batches. The PGPC authorities have further assured the team on recasting the body by giving representation to Sikh organisations all over the world, including the SGPC. The DSGMC team was led by its president, Mr Pramjit Singh Sarna, who flew back to Delhi from Lahore. Mr Sarna said that Sikhs were concerned over disallowing of Sikh jathas to visit Sikh shrines in Pakistan. The team visited important Sikh shrines in Pakistan and claimed that these gurdwaras were in dilapidated condition and required immediate attention. They said that this had
been brought to the notice of the SGPC authorities. |
MP donates
2 crore for martyrs’ memorial HUSSAINIWALA, March 23 — As a mark of respect to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev eminent columnist Kuldip Nayar, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, today announced to donate the entire quota of Rs 2 crore from his discretionary funds for the beautifucation of the martyrs’ memorial here. Addressing a gathering at the martyrdom day function held today, he announced his decision following persistent demand of Ferozepore-based freedom fighters regarding this. The announcement came as a surprise to the ministers and a Lok Sabha member present at the function. Even the administration was surprised, with Deputy Commissioner Kulbir Singh Sidhu saying: “For us, this is a dream come true.” Although Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was slated to address the gathering as the chief guest Kuldip Nayar’s announcement made the latter a centre of attraction. To the disappointment of many, Mr Badal did not turn up. Punjab Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon, who represented the Chief Minister on the occasion, cited a technical snag in Mr Badal’s helicopter as reason for his absence. He said it was not possible for Mr Badal to reach here in time, drawing criticism from several quarters. He, however, announced that the Chief Minister had agreed to provide Rs 1 crore grant for raising of “India Gate” on the Indo-Pak border here. He hoped that the availability of funds shall make it possible for the administration to construct statues of the heroes at the entrance of Ferozepore city. Note to be left behind, Ferozepore Lok Sabha member Zora Singh Mann also announced a grant of Rs 10 lakh from his discretionary quota of funds for this purpose. Earlier, in his address Kuldip Nayar said he was penning a book on the life of Bhagat Singh. He assured the gathering to take up the demand for erecting a monument in the memory of Bhagat Singh in Parliament House. He equated the present day rulers with the British Government for framing draconian laws like TADA. He pointed out that Bhagat Singh had opposed a similar Bill passed by the British Government. Meanwhile, Punjab
Jamhoori Morcha president Jaswant Singh Patti criticised
the Chief Minister for not coming to the function. He
ridiculed the entire arrangement as a show of the ruling
party, where nobody from the Opposition was present. |
Bhagat
Singh remembered PATIALA, March 23 — A number of functions were organised in the city to observe the martyrdom of day Bhagat Singh here today. Students of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Hostel of Punjabi University organised a function to mark the day, at Arts Auditorium of the university here today. Students read poems, sang and presented choreography and a one-act play depicting aspects of the personality and ideology of Bhagat Singh. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, Vice- Chancellor, said Mahatma Gandhi had turned the Congress party’s demand for freedom into a mass national movement and Bhagat Singh had turned this mass movement into a revolutionary one. At this function, the VC gave away prizes to students for cultural, academic and hostel activities. Speaking on the performance of the hostel students, Dr Satish Verma, Warden, said that students living in the university hostels were a family and were devoting their energies into productive and creative activities. Dr Dalbir Singh Dhillon, Dean Students Welfare, lauded the efforts of the students in observing the day. Others who participated included Dr Gursharan Kaur Jaggi, Registrar, Dr S.S. Khaira, Provost, and Dr R.C. Gupta, Chief Warden. Later, the Vice-Chancellor inaugurated the common study room of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Hostel. The National Volunteers Group, DCW Railway Hospital and the District Red Cross Society here, jointly organised a blood donation camp to pay tributes to the martyrs. An exhibition on AIDS was also organised at the Staff Institute of the DCW, Patiala. In all, 72 persons donated blood at this camp. A brief cultural
programme was also organised in which patriotic songs
were presented by artistes of the DCW. The organisation
honoured volunteers for their service. |
Plan to set up excise
police BATHINDA, March 23 — The Punjab Excise and Taxation authorities have decided to set up excise police in the state to check the illicit distillation and smuggling of liquor. The authorities will float one battalion of the excise police comprising about 1000 policemen. These policemen will be drawn from the Punjab Armed Police (PAP). Punjab Police and Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB). Mr Sudhir Mittal, Commissioner, Excise and Taxation, while talking to TNS said one battalion of the excise police would be headed by an officer of the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police. He said excise police personnel would not be assigned any other duty except for checking the illicit distillation and smuggling of liquor in the state. The excise police will be under the direct supervision of the Excise and Taxation Minister, the Financial Commissioner (Taxation) and the Excise and Taxation Commissioner and would work exclusively for the department. He said to keep the excise police force efficient, every year its personnel would be changed. He said it would also avoid the development of nexus among the excise police personnel smugglers and bootleggers. Sources said the Excise and Taxation Department had been suffering loss to the tune of crores every year on account of smuggling of liquor from Haryana, Rajasthan and Chandigarh. Apart from it, the culture of illicit distillation of liquor particularly in the rural areas and in those areas which were located adjacent to the three rivers of the state had also been adversely affecting the business of liquor vend owners. Sources said the authorities had failed in checking the smuggling and illicit distillation of liquor for the past many years as it lacked adequate police strength. Some officials of the department alleged that in certain pockets of Punjab bordering Haryana, the Haryana Government had also allowed to open liquor vends on its land to its contractors. These vends had become main centres for the liquor which was being smuggled into Punjab. Mr Mittal said in the coming financial year, the state government had fixed the target of Rs 1140 crore to be collected through the auction of liquor vends in the state. He said last year the total revenue from the liquor vends was Rs 1193 crore. The auction of those
liquor vends which could not be auctioned on regular
dates would be done on March 28. |
Dalit sarpanch alleges
police torture BATHINDA, March 23 — Mr Joginder Singh, Dalit sarpanch of Khudian Gulab Singh village and vice president of the Dalit Sena, Muktsar and Ms Surinder Kala, secretary the Dalit Sena, Muktsar has alleged that they were maltreated by policemen of the Lambi police station at the instance of some political leaders. Mr Joginder Singh in a press note here alleged that he was booked in a false criminal case when he refused to follow the diktat of the Station House Officer (SHO) police station, Lambi, Mr Rajan Parminder. He alleged that Mr Parminder booked him in a false criminal case as he attended the political conference organised by the Akali dissidents at Badal village on March 4. Ms Surinder Kala alleged that she was beaten up and abused by Mr Rajan Palminder when she approached a politician of the area for securing the release of Mr Joginder Singh, who was booked allegedly in a false criminal case. She added that she had written to the Prime Minister of India for taking necessary action against the guilty police official. Mr Rajan Parminder, when contacted said that Mr Joginder Singh was booked into a criminal case on the complaint of the Block Development and Panchayat Officer as Mr Joginder Singh allegedly had cut some trees without getting permission from the department concerned. He alleged that Ms Surinder Kala and Mr Joginder Singh had made a false story to use it as pressure tactics to stop the police from proceeding further in the criminal case. He added that he had never seen the face of Ms Surinder Kala. He pointed out that when Joginder Singh alleged that he was tortured by the police then why he did not make a complaint in this regard when he was produced before the judicial magistrate. He added that accused
Joginder Singh was making false allegation against the
police to defame it. He said that Mr Joginder Singh was
arrested as per the law and he was bailed out by the
court later on. |
Copying racket in school
exams FAZILKA, March 23 — In a drive to check copying in examinations flying squad led by Mr Lachhman Singh Brar, District Education Officer, detected a few cases of impersonation and busted a copying racket in the district. According to details, Gurjeet Singh, student of plus I class of Government Senior Secondary School for boys of Guru Harsahai was caught while appearing in mathematics papers of matriculation held on March 18. He was impersonating for Sukhpal Singh son of Mr Balkar Singh and was appearing in examination under roll No. 786311. The roll number slip bearing the photograph of Gurjeet Singh was attested as that of Sukhpal Singh, by the Principal of the school. Gurjeet Singh had appeared in the matriculation examination in the same school in March 1999 under roll number 607892 and had cleared that class same year. This year he had simultaneously appeared in the examination of plus I class conducted in the school. The principal of the school last year and this year is the same. The DEO while briefing reporters said that Gurjeet Singh who was found impersonating had confessed that he had impersonated on the instructions of a person running a private model school in nearby Lopoke village. An FIR against the Lopoke school has been registered in Guru Harsahai police station, according to the D.E.O. The district Education Officer also disclosed that four cases of impersonation of class VIII had also been detected in the Government Senior Secondary School for boys, Guru Harsahai. All students were appearing in Centre No. 2 as private candidates. These impersonators have also allegedly confessed that they had been motivated by a person of private model school of Guddar Dhandi village. Mr Brar felt that a few persons involved in the copying racket were carrying on the malpractice by reportedly preparing forged documents and roll numbers. The drive has caused ripples among managements of the privately managed schools which indulged in impersonation and copying. Mr Brar added that during the checking of centre for private students of matriculation class two girl students were found absent in the examination. They are believed to be impersonating. The D.E.O. has called upon the teachers of district to help the administration in checking copying. HOSHIARPUR: Six cases of copying in annual examinations of matriculation and plus two have been detected by a flying squad comprising of Mr Sarwan Rai, Mr Rajbir Singh, Ms Mithlesh Kumari and Capt Baldev Singh in Government High School Rajpur Gahote, Government High School Moonak, Government Senior Secondary School Jhinger Kalan and Government Senior Secondary School Dasuya examination centres yesterday. All cases have been sent to the Punjab School Education Board for final action. According to Mr Rajbir
Singh, this flying squad had already detected 16 cases of
copying in the matric and plus two examination centres in
the Dasuya Subdivision. |
Call to
scrap 3 exam centres TARN TARAN, March 23 — Prof Surinder Singh ‘Bamb’, in charge of the flying squad to check copying in the matric and plus two exams being conducted by the PSEB, has detected cases of mass copying in various centres of the district, especially in the rural centres. After inspecting the exam centres at Bhikhiwind, Sursingh, Gaggobua, Panjwar, Chabal, Manochahal and other places, Mr Bamb told this correspondent yesterday that six cases of copying were detected at Bhikhiwind and Sursing (girls). At Gaggobua, Ms Satnam Kaur and Mr Devi Datt, both teachers, along with four teachers, were allegedly found helping in copying. At Panjwar and Chabal, too, cases of copying were detected. He said that he had recommended to the PSEB authorities to cancel the exam centres at Gaggobua, Panjwar and Chabal (g). He expressed dissatisfaction over the arrangements made by the district education authorities to check copying. Mr Bamb also detected
instances of copying at the exam centres for plus two at
Government Senior Secondary School, Poatti no II and III.
He recommended the transfer of the staff at the centre
and also the shifting of the exam centre. |
Excise may yield Rs 1200
crore revenue AMRITSAR, March 23 — The Punjab government’s Excise and Taxation Department hopes to collect Rs 1200 crore by the end of this month. State’s Minister for Excise and Taxation, Adesh Singh Kairon stated this here today. He said that more than 80 per cent of the income would be utilised on various development projects of the state government. Mr Kairon said that the Excise Policy of the government was yielding positive results and the auctions made in various districts so far, has broken the monopoly and cartels as per the government policy. A trend noticed today at Amritsar, where auctions were held for the border districts of Amritsar and Gurdaspur, was the re-emergence of smaller licencees. The auctions conducted were videotaped and everything went on smoothly. The Amritsar
district’s auction yesterday yielded Rs 56.65 crore
as against the similar amount of the last year. Similarly
for Gurdaspur district, the auction brought Rs 38.50
crore as against Rs 36.91 crore of the last year, thus
registering a hike of Rs 1.58 crore. |
No bidder
for 45 per cent liquor groups BATHINDA, March 23 — Even as the state Excise and Texation authorities delayed the auction of liquor shops of Bathinda, Mansa and Muktsar districts by more than eight hours today, more than 45 per cent liquor groups could not find any bidder. Official sources said that out of total 10 liquor groups of Bathinda district only five liquor groups could be auctioned. In Mansa district only one liquor group out of total five could be auctioned. All four liquor groups of Muktsar district were auctioned. Sources said the state excise and taxation authorities could not find bidders for nine liquor groups out of total 19 liquor groups of these three districts despite the fact that both ministers of Excise and Texation, Mr Adesh Partap Singh, and Mr Tikshan Sood, alongwith Financial Commissioner (Taxation), Mr C.L. Bains and Commissioner, Excise and Taxation, Mr Sudhir Mittal kept on holding negotiations with liquor contractors till this evening. Some of the liquor contractors, who came here for offering their bid, alleged that auction was an eye wash. In reality the liquor groups were sold in the local Circuit House through negotiations to the contractors. Mr Sudhir Mittal, denied
that liquor groups were given to contractors through
negotiations in the Circuit House. He added that audience
was given to each contractor individually to answer his
queries and to judge his financial health. |
PSEB
urged to withdraw circular KAPURTHALA, March 23 — Mr Swaran Singh Cheema, Organising Secretary, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, has urged the PSEB to withdraw its circular issued recently asking the owners of the cold storage to shift their connections from rural feeders to urban feeders till March 31. In the circular, the board had cautioned the owners that if they failed to connect their cold storage to urban feeders their units would not be supplied power for a period of 16 hours. Mr Cheema said most of the cold storages had been situated in the rural areas and an amount of Rs 3 lakh was required to switch on to urban feeder. He said if the storages
were not supplied power for 16 hours, it would result in
a loss of the potato crop worth crores of rupees. |
 |
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