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| Saturday, April 29, 2000, Chandigarh, India   |
Disqualification
of rebels sought Kamaljit’s
family also to hold bhog CM
promises help for Ambedkar centre CM
sahib ne haan kar ti hai GNDUTA
to boycott exams Pak
prisoners may be deported
Babbu’s
ultimatum |
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| Polythene ban observed more in
breach FEROZEPORE: Following instructions from the Army authorities a ban on use of polythene bags in the cantonment area here was imposed by the Cantonment Board in February. The idea behind imposing the ban was to maintain an ecological balance and cleanliness. Telephone Dept to pay
compensation Badal
lays stone of sewerage project Speedy
clearance of cases ordered Executive
Engineer gheraoed PRO’s
body meets Badal Bajaj
heads trust
Mystery
shrouds student’s death
Licences
of 8 arhtiyas suspended Cane
growers to get arrears
|
Disqualification of rebels sought CHANDIGARH, April 28 — The Punjab Chief Minister and President of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr Parkash Singh Badal has mounted a final assault against the 11 dissident MLAs including Mr Ravi Inder Singh, who have challenged Mr Badal’s leadership. Close confidants of Mr Badal today filed two separate petitions before the Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal seeking disqualification of the 11 dissident MLAs as members of the Punjab Legislature Assembly. Mr Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur and Mr Ajit Singh Kohar, both Ministers and MLA from Ghanaur and Lohian respectively have filed the petition against Mr Ravi Inder Singh. Three other Ministers — Mr Raghbir Singh, Mr Sikander Singh Maluka and Mr Jagdish Singh Garcha — have filed the petition against Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta and other nine MLAs, are Mr Inderjit Singh Zira, Mr Mahesinder Singh Grewal, Mr Surjit Singh Kohli, Mr Harmel Singh Tohra, Mr Hira Singh, Mr Jagtar Singh Rajla, Mr Bikramjit Singh Khalsa, Mr Gurdev Singh Sidhu and Mrs Daljit Kaur. After accepting the petitions, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal said that a notice would be issued to all respondents and they would be asked to file their replies and appear before him on May 10 for presenting their side of the story and defence. He said that he would strictly go by the evidence made available to him and give full opportunity to the respondents to explain their position. All respondents would be supplied the list of allegations levelled against them in the petitions. In the operative part of both petitions, appeal has been made “ for declaring that the respondent members of the Punjab Legislative Assembly have, as evidenced by their acts and conduct both inside and outside the Punjab Legislative Assembly, voluntarily given up the membership of the Shiromani Akali Dal,the party which had set them up for election and on whose ticket and symbol they had been elected.” “And for further declaring that the respondents have thereby incurred disqualification for being members of the Punjab Legislative Assembly because of defection under the provisions of Article 191(2) read with paragraph 2(1) (a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India”. Mr Atwal said that he would examine the evidence with regard to the conduct of the respondents both inside and outside the Assembly. It has been alleged in the petition that after the Lok Sabha election last year, Mr Ravi Inder Singh started indulging in anti-party activities. His sole aim was to become the focus of all anti SAD forces in Punjab to derail the SAD-BJP Government. He overtly and covertly started meeting and associating with the Congress party and the All-India Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra and speaking against the party’s policies,thereby gravely disrupting the party(SAD) discipline. The petition further says that Mr Ravi Inder Singh was issued a show cause notice on November 16, 1999 to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him. His reply thereto was considered by the Working Committee of the SAD at its meeting on December 15 last year in Chandigarh and was found wholly unconvincing and evasive and it was felt that the respondent had revolted against the party. The Working Committee had suspended him from the primary membership of the SAD for six years then. It further says that rather than realising his mistakes, the respondent openly aligned with the AISAD and addressed meetings from its stage and also some other political outfits opposed to the SAD. References of various meetings addressed by Mr Ravi Inder Singh, including one at Badal,which is the native place of Mr Badal, have been given in the petition. In the petition against Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta and nine other MLAs, it has been stated all the 10 respondents mentioned in the petition have been acting in concert with each other and drawing inspirations from Mr Tohra who was expelled from the primary membership of the SAD on May 14 last year by the Political Affairs Committee (PAC). It has been further
stated that all the 10 respondents have been consistently
attending and addressing meetings, rallies and political
conferences of the party headed by Mr Tohra. They have
been virulently speaking against the SAD-BJP Government
both inside and outside the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. |
Kamaljit’s family also to hold bhog JALANDHAR, April 28 (PTI) — The family of Kamaljit Singh, the youth who claims to have married SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur’s deceased daughter Harpreet Kaur, today announced plans to hold a bhog ceremony for their “daughter-in-law”. “We will announce the date for the bhog very shortly” Ms Manjit Kaur, elder sister of Kamaljit, said here. She said the bhog ceremony performed yesterday by Bibi Jagir Kaur was a “sham”. “How can Akal Purakh accept the prayers of those who are themselves responsible for taking the life of a young girl merely because she loved someone poor”, she said, adding her family had accepted Harpreet as their “daughter-in-law” and would perform the bhog. Ms Manjit Kaur said Bibi Jagir Kaur’s claim that Harpreet was born on July 2, 1982, was only to show that she was a minor and implicate her brother. She said the Bibi was a teacher in a government school when her daughter was born and must have availed of the maternity leave. “These records can
be checked but I am afraid that these may be tampered
with or destroyed”, she said |
CM promises help for
Ambedkar centre PATIALA, April 28 — The state government will render all possible help for the opening of an Ambedkar Education Centre in the city. Stating this while addressing a gathering at a function organised in Central Library Hall here by Ambedkar Welfare Association. Bhartiya Balmiki Dharam Samaj and Safai Mazdoor Union in remembrance of Baba Sahib Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal invited leaders of the Balmiki Community for a meeting to discuss their demands. Mr Badal said Dr Ambedkar was an institution, “he was assigned the difficult job of preparing a Constitution of the world’s largest democracy and he lived up to the expectations”, he said. He said time had come when instead of running after government jobs the youths, especially of the lower strata of society, should seek vocational education to become self-dependent. Earlier, a number of the
speakers representing Balmiki community urged the Chief
Minister to appoint a representative of the community in
administrative posts. They also demanded immediate
scrapping of the night-sweeping schemes started in the
various municipal corporations of state. |
CM sahib ne haan kar ti
hai PATIALA, April 28 — There was a rush among members of the Balmiki community here today at Central Library Hall to reach out to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal with typed letters urging him to redress their personal grievances. Participating in a function organised by the community’s leaders to remember Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Mr Badal was seated on the stage almost in the centre of a citadel of other leaders and burly securitymen. The ‘needy’ persons strived to outsmart each other in devising methods of sending their letter of demand to the Chief Minister. While some managed to convince the security person with the popular “I am phalana singh or kaur, and that my problem is the biggest of all”, others waited for an eye contact with some influential person sitting on the stage, to get them through. Mr Badal’s reaction was almost the same to each of the representation reaching him after passing through several hands. He gave it a cursory glance from top to bottom. He knit his eyebrows once and then the piece of paper was handed over to one of his personal staff with an “after nod” to the letter sender. The nod was enough to bring jubilation on the face of the sender “CM sahib ne haan kar ti hai” one such excited person murmured to his friend. Every sender seemed happy. They began day dreaming about the job they had demanded, about the promised piece of land, about scholarship, or about ending their harassment in one government office or the another. One wonders how “CM sahib” will find time for such trivial issues of the common man on the street when his bags are already full with the thorny issue of development of the state, stability of the Akali Dal, the government and ‘deeds’ of his ministers. A critic who had seen
such representations all his life claimed to have the
answer”. They will vanish somewhere in the way, and
if some application does reach the CM, the vicious circle
will begin again”. But a government official,
however, sought to inject some hope. He informed that in
the Badal Ministry records of all such demand letters are
maintained and the “CM sahib keeps asking for the
feed-back”. So will the Tom, Dick and Harry get
their share of justice? One waits for an answer. |
GNDUTA to boycott exams AMRITSAR, April 28 — The Guru Nanak Dev University Teachers Association (GNDUTA) has decided to boycott exam duties from May 1 in protest against the non-payment of arrears. This decision was taken
by the general body meeting of the association here
today. However, there was no mention about the boycott of
teaching work in the press note issued by the
association. |
Pak prisoners may be
deported AMRITSAR, April 28 — About 40 Pakistani prisoners who have been languishing in high security Central Jail here due to callous attitude of the Pakistan authorities urged the authorities to take up their deportation case with the government of Pakistan once again. Most of the Pakistani prisoners could not be released even after completion of their respective sentence as the Government of Pakistan has not shown any interest in the issue. However, during the quarterly checking of the jail, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Narinderjit Singh, assured them that their cases would be taken up with the Pakistan Government again to ensure their release at the earliest. Mr V.P. Handa, District
and Sessions Judge, district police chiefs of Amritsar
and Majitha also listened to the grievances of the
prisoners. |
Babbu’s ultimatum KAPURTHALA, April 28 (PTI) — The Punjab Youth Congress President, Mr Devinder Singh Babbu, today gave an ultimatum to the police to arrest the alleged murderers of Harpreet Kaur daughter of SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, within 24 hours, failing which the Youth Congress would be forced to launch an agitation throughout the state. More than 200 workers of the District Youth Congress today staged a dharna in front of the district courts in protest against the failure of police to arrest the killers of Harpreet Kaur. Addressing the workers,
Babbu threatened to organise protest dharnas at all the
district headquarters if the police failed to nab the
killers. |
Polythene ban observed more in
breach FEROZEPORE: Following instructions from the Army authorities a ban on use of polythene bags in the cantonment area here was imposed by the Cantonment Board in February. The idea behind imposing the ban was to maintain an ecological balance and cleanliness. A public notice banning the use of polythene bags was issued by the Cantonment Board, which resolved to strictly implement the ban. However, cantonment residents have been frequently violating the ban order stating that such a ban has been unnecessarily imposed. Mr Raj Kumar, a vegetable seller, says that before restraining users, the authorities must check the sale of polythene bags in the area. “How can we stop use of the polythene bags”, he questions and said, every buyer wanted to carry goods in polythene bags. A resident on the basis of anonymity says that people have become so used to that they even carry milk and oil in polythene bags. During festivals, certain people even use the polythene bags to carry cowdung. “The days are gone when people carried cloth bags from their houses to bring goods”, he adds. Sharply reacting to the ban, Mr Ashok Kumar, a fruit seller says that no customer wants to carry fruit in paper bags. Initially when he did not supply fruit in polythene bags they warned him to sell fruits in such bags to them, otherwise they would not buy from him. Certain residents say that the ban is meaningless as there is no such ban imposed in the municipal limits, where a sewerage system also exists. The drains are open in the cantonment area which are easy to clean. A sewerage system should first be provided if the Cantonment Board wants to impose ban on polythene bags. Mr Rakesh Kumar, a cantonment resident, says that the polythene bags are easy to carry. Besides, such bags are durable as compared to paper bags. A shopkeeper points out that since the ban was imposed, customers did not accept goods in polythene bags. A couple of shopkeepers doing retail business in polythene bags still frequently run their business as usual despite the ban. However, Mr Madan Lal, a retailer, says that in February Cantonment Board officials came to him and asked him to stop selling polythene bags. He says that his customers are not in the cantonment area alone. Several customers from the city area also come to him for buying polythene bags. Therefore, it was not possible for him to stop business. However, he admits that his business had fallen by 25 per cent after the ban. Welcoming the ban, Mr Anirudh Gupta of the D.C. Model Senior Secondary School, says that people must know that the polythene bags are non-degradable. He adds that chemical nature of such bags is harmful for human beings. Describing the ill-effects of the use of polythene bags, Mr Gupta states that harmful particles in polythene bags are added to food articles when carried in it. Besides, the polythene bag contains heavy metals like cadmium that are carcinogenic agents causing cancer. Colours that are used in manufacturing polythene bags are also harmful. Besides, used polythene bags when set afire spread very harmful gases. He, therefore, says that authorities concerned should not withdraw the decision to ban polythene bags within cantonment limits. Meanwhile, there is a
proposal with the Cantonment Board to intimate all the
schools in the cantonment limits not to allow students to
use polythene bags. Sources in the board reveal that a
rally of all school children was planned to bring
awareness on the ecological balance. |
Telephone Dept to pay compensation PHAGWARA, April 28 — In a judgement passed against the Telephone Department, the District Consumer dispute Redressal Forum, Kapurthala, has directed the department to restore the telephone connection of a complainant, Ms Bhupinder Kaur of the local Hargobind Nagar, without the ISD facility within 15 days from the receipt of a copy of the order and pay her a compensation of Rs 5,000 for causing her harassment, loss of business and mental agony. The judgement delivered by forum President M.L. Puri and member Surinder Mittal further directed the Department to pay Rs 1,000 to the complainant towards costs. Mr Mittal said here today both these payments would have to be made within one month of receiving a copy of the order. Forum held department guilty of unfair trade practice and inefficiency in service, said Mr Mittal. Giving details of the case, Mr Mittal said the complainant had got a telephone connection in 1994 with STD and other facilities. She also applied for the ISD facility since her relatives lived abroad. However, she was asked to deposit Rs 20,000 on the pretext that the ISD facility had been allowed. The department threatened her that in case the amount was not deposited by January 5, 1999, her telephone would be disconnected. The complainant pleaded against making the payment. However, the department withdrew all facilities added Mr Mittal. The GMT, Jalandhar, and the local SDO, Telephones, are among the respondents in the consumer court case. However, the court
rejected the complainant’s appeal for a compensation
of Rs 20,000 observing that it was on the higher side. |
Badal lays stone of sewerage
project KHANNA, April 28 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today launched an ambitious plan for giving a face lift to the cities and towns of the state and upgrading civic amenities for the common people with the speedy implementation of the multi-utility projects at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. Addressing an impressive
function after laying the foundation stone of Rs
8.55-crore project for an efficient sewerage system and
overall development of Asia’s largest grain market
here today, Mr Badal said work was under progress with
the installation of sewerage treatment plants at Ludhiana
and Jalandhar. He said about Rs 98 crore had been
provided during the current financial year for the
development of these areas. With a view to give a further
push to development activities in the urban areas, a
provision of grant to the tune of about Rs 50 crore has
been made during this financial year. |
Speedy clearance of cases
ordered PATIALA, April 28 — The Health Minister, Dr Baldev Raj Chawla, has ordered speedy clearance of cases of time-bound promotions and placement in higher scales of PCMS doctors and also made a commitment to delegate powers of pay fixation at appropriate levels. Claiming this in a press release issued here yesterday association’s office-bearers, said they recently met the Health Minister in connection with the delegation of powers to DDO regarding fixation of pay in higher scales of all those officers who do not have adverse service record. The association urged upon the government, that it would be unjust and unwise to deprive the officers’ placement in higher pay scales if their service record was found to be “satisfactory”, even if it was not adjudged as ‘good’, they said. The association also argued that the parameters of ‘average’, ‘satisfactory’, ‘above the average’ or ‘good’ performance varied in different blocks and hospitals according to collective achievements of these institutions which was significantly variable. The association
maintained that in the absence of clear guidelines and
fixed standards work assessment was not uniform under
different controlling officers, while one controlling
officer. |
Executive Engineer gheraoed GURDASPUR, April 28 — Several hundred workers owing allegiance to PWD (B&R) Field and Workshop Workers Union (paniar branch) staged a dharna today in front of the office of the Executive Engineer (public health) here. The dharna later turned into a gherao of the executive engineer for four hours. The police swung into action and took into custody 150 workers to maintain law and order and were kept in local police station for more than two hours. When the union leaders insisted on the police to take into custody the executive engineer also, the workers were released. Gurdial Singh Sohal and Gurcharan Singh Kahlon, president and general secretary, respectively, said, that the protest dharna and gherao had been undertaken against government’s failure to give them salaries for the month of march. These leaders said that
100 workers in the Public Health Department at Paniar had
not been paid salaries. |
PRO’s body meets Badal CHANDIGARH, April 28 —The Punjab Information and Public Relations Officer Welfare Association called on Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal last evening in connection with the dismissal of Mr Krishan Lal Rattu and suspension of Mr Naginder Singh, both officers of the department. Apprising the Chief Minister about the resentment prevailing and frustration among department’s officers, the Association demanded reinstatement of both. The Chief Minister has
assured the association that justice would be done in
these cases according to a press note of the association.
|
Bajaj heads trust PATIALA, April 28 — Mr Manmohan Singh Bajaj, President of the district unit of the Akali Dal and senior Akali leader, has been appointed Chairman of the Patiala Improvement Trust while Mr Nanak Chand, president of the Sangrur unit of the BJP, has been appointed Chairman of the Improvement Trust, Sangrur. A government
notification was received in this regards here today. |
Mystery shrouds student’s
death LUDHIANA, April 28 — Mystery shrouds the death of Kailash, a student of the College of Agriculture, Punjab Agricultural University, who died in a road accident on April 23 at the university campus. Though students and those on the faculty of the university have suspended their stir over the failure of the university authorities to track down the culprits, the authorities are keeping mum over the incident. The accident took place at 11.15 a.m. near the Farmers Service Centre. The security picket at Gate No. 1 is hardly 50 yards from the accident site, but no securityguard came to the rescue of the victim. The identity of the guard, who was there at the time of the accident is being kept closely guarded secret by the university. A fact-finding committee headed by the Registrar, Mr Alok Shekhar, has been constituted to look into the matter and asked to submit a detailed report within a week. However, there is a general feeling that the culprit is either a high university official or somebody with connections outside. The car was allegedly driven by a woman who was taking driving lessons when the car hit the victim’s scooter. According to Dr Ravinder Tah of Satluj Hospital, the patient was brought in a very critical condition. He said there was a large bruise on the upper part of the abdomen and the lower part of the chest as if he had been crushed. His liver was split into pieces and the spleen and the ribs were badly damaged. There was a large clot at the posterior of his chest. Officials in the university maintain that the accident occurred when the victim’s scooter skidded and he fell off. However, doctors maintain that the kind of injuries sustained by the deceased belie this claim. The police has recovered broken pieces of the car indicator from the accident site, but not much progress has been made in the case. Mr Abdul Rashid, ASI and investigating officer of the case, maintains that the police is looking into all possible angles and the accused will be brought to the book. The security in the
university, has been beefed up. No car belonging to a
person other than a university employee is allowed to
enter the campus without first signing in a register kept
at all entry points. |
Licences of 8 arhtiyas suspended ROPAR, April 28 — The licences of eight arhtiyas of various grain markets in the district have been suspended on account of underweight bags of wheat, filling of uncleaned wheat in the bags and no markings on the bags. Stating this here today, Mr Gurinder Singh Grewal, Deputy Commissioner, said show-cause notices has also been issued to 31 arhtiyas on account of different lapses during the current wheat procurement season. Mr Grewal, who personally visited the Ropar and Chamkaur Sahib grain markets last evening along with Mr Amarjit Singh Shahi, SDM, Ropar, and Mr Diljit Singh Bhatia, DFSC, Ropar, further said that he got the stitched wheat bags opened to examine the quality of the procured wheat and also checked the weight of the filled bags. Mr Grewal said he found most of the bags containing uncleaned wheat and some of the bags were also underweight by 150 gm to 250 gm. The Deputy Commissioner also directed officials of the procurement agencies and the market committees to pay special attention towards wheat procurement and to ensure the timely lifting of procured wheat besides prompt payment to the farmers. Mr Bhatia, the DFSC, said as many as 44580 tonnes of wheat had been procured at the 43 procurement centres in the district till the previous evening. He said the government procurement agencies had procured 43472 tonnes of wheat while the traders had purchased only 1108 tonnes. He said the authorities had suspended the licences of eight arhtiyas at Chamkaur Sahib, Ropar, Bela, Nurpur Bedi and Kurali. (BATALA) PTI: At least eight persons were injured two of them seriously in clash between two groups of arhtiyas over wheat puchase in the grain market here today. The injured were identified as Rajwant Singh, Pargat Singh, Dharm Inder Singh, Lakhwinder Singh, Harpreet Singh, Amrik Singh and Harjinder Singh. Rajwant Singh was
transferred to CMC, Ludhiana, and Pargat Singh was
transferred to Guru Nanak Hospital, Amritsar, while the
remaining were admitted to the Civil Hospital here. A
case has been registered in this connection. |
Cane growers to get arrears PHAGWARA, April 28 — In a tripartite meeting presided over by the SDM, Mr Pritam Singh, the issue regarding the payment of arrears to cane growers had been resolved. An official press note
said today that Mr Arun Bhagat, Chief Executive, sugar
wing of Oswal Agro Mills, said at the meeting that Rs
8.62 crore would be paid by April 30, the second
instalment of Rs 8 crore would be cleared by May 30, and
the third instalment of Rs 3 crore by June 10. |
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