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| Saturday, May 20, 2000, Chandigarh, India   |
Hooch claims 13 lives
Deferring of states’ Bills breather for Akalis ‘Killed’ terrorist appears in court Liquor cartels at war Treaty terms favour Ranjit Gill
SAD, BJP to contest poll ‘jointly’
Kannappan lays stone
of energy institute
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Challan issue taken to CM Cabinet to decide octroi issue Is the Patiala newspaper industry on its deathbed? MC adjourned over newspersons’ entry Notice issued to Home Secretary 20 pc of power
goes to farm sector: Sohal Parole period to
be extended Rural sanitation
programme
New attendance
system on cards
Examinees queue up for duplicate roll numbers Job-oriented courses stressed 
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Hooch claims 13 lives JALANDHAR, May 19 (UNI) — Home-made killer brew claimed 13 lives in three village of Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts since May 5. But the crime was uncovered by the police only today following a tip-off by respectables of Rahimpur village. Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Yadav confirming deaths, including 11 in Kulara village said a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, has been registered by the Nakodar police. The SSP said assistant sub-inspector Dalbir Singh, in charge of the Khiva police post, under whose jurisdiction the maximum 11 deaths occurred in Kulara, has been suspended. The police officer said two of the four suspects have been arrested. He identified them as Nirmal Singh alias Nikku and Balwinder Singh Billa, both residents of Kulara village. Bakshi and Chhinda, brothers of Nukku, also wanted in the case, were, however, absconding, he added. The SSP said bakers’ yeast and tablets of diazepam have been recovered from the house of three brothers, indicating they were engaged in the business of brewing illict liquor and supplying it. Mr Yadav said recovery of the tablets indicated that these were being mixed with the brew to increase its potency. This attempt to make the bew stronger and its over-fermentation in hot weather these days could have made the brew poisonous, he added. However, the SSP said viscera of two victims was being sent for chemical analysis to ascertain the cause of death. The police officer disclosed nine bodies in Kulara village had been cremated without any resident alerting the police. He said but for a tip-off from adjoining village of Rahimpur, where one death occurred on May 13, the crime might have gone unnoticed. He said, prima facie, there did not appear to be any cover-up on the part of villagers, who might have taken the deaths as natural or on account of excessive drinking. An excise raid in the village also failed to uncover if something was amiss in Kulara, police sources said. The first to die of drinking the killer brew was Mandeep alias Mangi (35) on May 5. The SSP said the next two deaths occurred after a gap of week on May 13 when Jarnail Singh (45) and an unidentified resident of Rahimpur died. While 12 persons died in two Jalandhar villages, death of Kapoor Singh of Kahlwan was the lone case reported from Kapurthala Sadar police station area, according to the SSP. Nine of those killed in Kulara and cremated without the post mortem.
News analysis CHANDIGARH, May 19 — The Ruling Akali Dal has heaved a sigh of relief as the Bill to set up a separate state of Uttaranchal was not introduced in the Lok Sabha. The Akalis of all hues and in fact, most politicians of Punjabi origin are opposed to the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar district in the proposed hill state. The Bill that seeks to create three States of Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh and Uttaranchal would be introduced during the monsoon session. The Akalis hope the Bill might be introduced on the last day of that session. Deferring the Bill to the next session has come as a breather to the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. The Chief Minister was upset on this score during the past one week. But in the Lok Sabha, the show was stolen by Congress MPs and Mr Simranjit Singh Mann. While the two Akali MPs, including Mr Tarlochan Singh Tur played their role, the Congress members led by Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar and others stole the show. It was a concerted effort by all major parties, including the Left, the Samajwadi Party and the RJD, which saw to it that the Bill was stalled. The lone Akali representative in the Union Cabinet, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, had abstained from the Cabinet meeting which finally approved the Bill. But the rival Akali Dal leader, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, decried this move and demanded that Mr Dhindsa should have gone to the meeting and recorded his dissent. “Abstention means assent,’’ he said. Mr Tohra has also challenged the Chief Minister and the Akali Dal President to show courage and oppose the Bill in Parliament at all stages and if the ruling BJP persisted in the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar, the Akalis should walk away from the coalition. “If we cannot protect the Sikhs and other farmers in the Terai region, we have no business to be there with the BJP’’, he said. However, Mr Badal made some belated moves. All these months, he did not try to seek the meeting of the committee set up under the chairmanship of Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes. The other two members are Mr Badal and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister , Mr R.P.Gupta. Now this committee has to tour the area and know the opinion of the people. While it is anyone’s guess when this committee would meet and visit the area, majority of the panchayats and other elected bodies have opposed the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in the proposed hill State. While several reasons are cited against the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in the proposed state the main reason of the opposition is the landlords, mostly from Punjab have made huge investments and even lost many lives in bringing the vast marshy and jungle lands under the plough. Since the landholdings are small in the hill areas, they would be big losers. Hence the agitation. But those who have been demanding the creation of the hill state, assert two things. One that large chunks of land really do not belong to the settlers and they had usurped the land. Second, the new state would not be viable. They want both Hardwar and Udham Singh Nagar to be included. Luckily for them the Uttar Pradesh Assembly had passed the Bill keeping the two districts in the state. There is a strong opposition in Hardwar areas also. If the BJP succeeds in keeping the two districts, it has good chances of capturing the hill state. It is already strong in the Garhwal and Kumaon region. Political circles here assert that the ruling Akali Dal has been told about it and it could make some appropriate noises, but finally agree with some concessions on the landholdings size. For Mr Badal it would be a major political defeat. This too is admitted. |
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‘Killed’ terrorist appears in court MANSA, May 19 — The case of Ajaib Singh, a listed terrorist, who was claimed to have been killed in an encounter by the local police, in 1993 took a new turn here today when Mr Ram Nath, a resident of Boha town, alleged that the district police had in fact killed his brother Amar Singh in place of Ajaib Singh. In an affidavit given to TNS, Mr Ram Nath alleged that Amar Singh was killed by the police in a false encounter on May 25, 1993. The police got a post-mortem examination of the body done under the name of Ajaib Singh, a resident of Mander village of the district. The allegedly false claim of the police regarding killing Ajaib Singh was exposed when Ajaib Singh appeared in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the first week of this month and sought protection for his life and limb from the police. On the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Ajaib Singh surrendered himself in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Mr S.K. Garg, at Bathinda. The CJM sent him to judicial custody. Sources said in 1993, the police officials also got Rs 40,000 by way of an award declared on the head of Ajaib Singh after showing in the records that he had been killed in an encounter. Mr Ram Nath has also alleged that his brother Amar Singh was picked up by the Bareta police on May 24, 1993, in the night. He added that he along with the panchayat members of the village went to the then SSP, Mr Gurdev Singh Sahota, and other senior police officials but none of them took any action in the matter. He alleged that a Station House Officer (SHO) and two senior police officials posted in the district in 1993 were responsible for this inhuman act and urged the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to order a CBI probe into the incident. Ajaib Singh allegedly escaped the police net when he came to know about the false claims of the police regarding his killing in an encounter and went to Orissa. In Orissa, he was persuaded to surrender before the court by a person who had gone there for assisting in relief operations following the super cyclone that had hit the state. Mr Yurinder Singh, SSP, when contacted on phone, said that action would be taken according to law depending on whatever facts would come to the notice of the police in connection with this case. |
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Liquor cartels at war CHANDIGARH, May 19 — Trade war has broken out among liquor cartels in Ludhiana city, a major contributor to the excise revenue. Ludhiana alone fetched Rs 133 crore out of total realisation of Rs 1231 crore for this financial year. In fact, the echo of the clash of interests between the warring cartels, each backed by political big wigs, can now be heard in the corridors of power in Chandigarh, according to informed sources. Pushed to the wall, the anti-Garcha liquor lobby has now knocked at the doors of Mr Adesh Partap Singh, who had encouraged and persuaded them in the Ludhiana liquor auction. The Excise and Taxation Minister has now sought an appointment with the Chief Minister on Monday to sort out the matter, it is learnt. Members of the anti-Garcha cartel told TNS over the phone from Ludhiana today that the minister wanted to ensure transparency and break the monopoly of old guard (Garcha cartel). His intention was to broadbase the auction with the participation of smaller groups of traders. For this purpose, Mr Adesh Partap Singh had camped in Ludhiana during auction of vends. The Garcha group is considered close to a minister and a powerful politician of Punjab. Confirming the meeting with the Mr Badal, members of the anti-Garcha cartel told TNS on the phone from Ludhiana they would pour their heart out at the meeting. “We are in trouble for the past one and half month and are suffering a huge loss due to various reasons. All sorts of forces have joined to make us run from Ludhiana and for getting the vends reauctioned,” they said requesting anonymity for obvious reasons. Quizzed about their grievances, they said that Ludhiana city is divided in 11 groups of vends. While nine groups of vends were taken by them and two groups were taken by the Garcha cartel. As Garcha group has monopoly over the Ludhiana region, it has over 200 liquor shops at all vantage points in the city. When it lost major part of city during auction, it was supposed to close those liquor shops and offer the keys to knew parties as per prevailing tradition in liquor trade all over the state though there are no such rules. When new parties approached for taking over the shops, the Garcha group jacked up the charges and demanded Rs 50 to Rs 80 lakh from each group for handing over the keys. Such a high rate made things difficult for new parties as each group was supposed to open 20 to 24 liquor shops and unable to pay such a high price. The intention behind demanding such a high price was to cause financial harm to new parties. In absence of availability of shops to set up vends, many members of anti-Garcha groups were
unable to open liquor shops on April 1. Even one group has yet not got fine shops on the Ferozepore road side in Ludhiana. Due to delay in setting up shops, each member of the group suffered a loss while each one of them is supposed to pay a licence fee varying between Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore per month. The affected group approached the Excise Department for help to set up shops at vantage points. The department approached the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana. Mr Tikshan Sood, State Minister for Excise and Taxation Department, confirmed that the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, was approached for giving some shops at vantage points but there was no adequate response from it. However, Senior officials of the Excise department supervising the liquor trade in the Ludhiana region say that the State Government should direct either Municipal Corporation or the PWD authorities to make shops available at important locations to liquor contractors. They say that when terrorism was at its peak in Punjab and panchayats in villages were not renting out premises for opening liquor vends, the State Government had directed the PWD department to make Government land available for this purpose. These difficulties have led to a price war. Certain contractors have deliberately lowered the prices of liquor brands to harm their
competitors in the business. The anti-Garcha group alleged brisk sale of illicit liquor and the police failure in preventing it. This is causing losses to new liquor parties. The Excise Department had committed to set up a separate excise police force and police stations to stop the sale of illicit liquor, but nothing has been done in this connection so far. The authorities concerned assured
at least 100 men police headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police for Ludhiana City alone, but this promise has also not been kept. They say that they would ask the Chief Minister to set up separate police stations for registering cases pertaining to sale of illicit liquor. |
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Treaty terms favour Ranjit Gill LUDHIANA, May 19 — Noted hardcore terrorist Ranjit Singh Gill, alias Kukki, who was deported to India by the USA on May 7, is likely to be brought to Ludhiana on May 25 to be presented before the Court of Judicial Magistrate (Class-I) Mr Rajiv Malhotra, in connection with a case of bank robbery and another of murder. It is learnt that after his deportation, the Ludhiana police had procured production warrants against Gill on May 15 and a police party had been sent to New Delhi to bring Ranjit Singh to Ludhiana on May 16. The police party, inform sources, came back on the night of May 17 because Ranjit Singh is presently lodged in Tihar jail and is under judicial remand till May 23 in a case involving the murder of an MP, Lalit Maken, and his wife Geetanjali Maken on July 31, 1985. Highly-placed police sources inform that a police party will again be sent to New Delhi on May 23 to bring Ranjit Singh back to Ludhiana for his trial in the two above-mentioned cases. Sources inform that 37-year-old Gill, who was a member of the All-India Sikh Students Federation, which owed allegiance to the Babbar Khalsa International, was involved in a large member of cases of murder and the sensational Rs 19,75017 bank robbery case at Ayali Khurd village. He is later believed to have slipped away to the USA in 1985 on a forged passport. However, sometime in 1987, Gill is believed to have been arrested by the Interpol and since then he was kept in a New York jail for almost 13 years. According to the information gathered by TNS here today, it is learnt that Gill who was one of the bright students of Punjab Agricultural University, got involved with the AISSF in 1985, along with Sukhminder Singh Sukhi. Incidentally, Sukhminder Singh Sukhi is also learnt to have been deported to India but his whereabouts are not known and the Ludhiana police is on the look put for him also. Meanwhile, police sources inform that Gill is believed to have been accused for the first time in a case involving firing at the car of the then Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr A.B. Panday, on July 9, 1985. Mr Panday had escaped unhurt. Gill is also one of the accused in the sensational murder cases of Constable Harjit Singh and Rattan Singh in May, 1985, when he along with Daljit Singh Bittu, President of the AISSF, and Purshottam Singh had, it is learnt, first strangulated the two and then buried their bodies near Kasabad village on the banks of the Sutlej. Sources also inform that Constable Harjit Singh, was an associate of the accused and was helping them in procuring a regular supply of arms and ammunition. However, after a minor altercation with the accused, he was killed by them. The case was brought to light only on July 12, 1985, with the arrest of one of the accused, Purshottam Singh. It is learnt that Sukhminder Singh Sukhi is also one of the accused, along with Daljit Singh Bittu and Gurcharan Singh Gamma, in the murder of Ashok Bedi, who was the son of the then Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters), Mr Rajkrishan Bedi, in 1986. Meanwhile, Dr Khem Singh Gill, father of Ranjit Singh Gill and a former Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, when contacted by TNS expressed happiness that his son was back on the Indian soil. He, however, maintained that his son was innocent. “I have full faith in judiciary and am sure that justice will prevail.” Interestingly, sources point out that Gill cannot be tried in the cases registered against him in Ludhiana because as per the extradition treaty terms, he cannot be tried in cases other than the ones on the basis of which he was deported. Dr Gill informed that since his son’s deportation, he had met him twice. He also said that he had met Ranjit Singh a couple of times in the New York jail and his son had been informing him of his welfare from the jail through letters and telephones. “My son has spent the prime of his life in jail for a cause that he believed in. I have full faith that he will soon come back home after the cases pending against him are dealt with,” he said. |
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Challan issue taken to CM CHANDIGARH, May 19 — Senior BJP leaders have taken the issue of challan by the Jalandhar police of the state BJP chief, Mr Daya Singh Sodhi, to the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. Informed sources said that the senior BJP leaders have told Mr Badal that the police authorities concerned should have conveyed to Mr Sodhi that he was not entitled for using red light over his car and should remove it. They feel the challan was not needed. Last week traffic police authorities in Jalandhar had challaned the cars of several VIPs, including Mr Sodhi, Prof Manjit
Singh, Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, former Union Minister, Mr R.L. Bhatia, CPI Chief, Dr Joginder Dayal, and some police officers. Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, local Bodies Minister, who is a senior leader of the BJP, confirmed that the party had taken up the issue with the Punjab Chief Minister. Mr Tandon said that he had urged the Chief Minister to amend the rules for allowing the presidents of all recognised political parties in the state to have red lights atop their vehicles. The SGPC president and its office-bearers have been allowed by the Punjab Government to have red lights atop their vehicles. Others who have been authorised for such lights include Judges of the Supreme Court, Punjab and Haryana High Court, District and Sessions Judges in Punjab, members of
Parliament, members of legislative Assembly, Additional District Magistrates, SDMs, EMs. Police officers not below the rank of DSP, Officers of Excise and Taxation Department not below the rank of Excise and Taxation Officer, District Food and Supply Officer can also have red lights on their vehicles while on the enforcement duty. |
SAD, BJP to contest poll ‘jointly’ PHAGWARA, May 19 — The Punjab unit of the BJP will contest the forthcoming nagar panchayat polls in alliance with SAD, according to Mr Daya Singh Sodhi, party’s state President. He told newsmen here last evening that the decision to contest on party symbol or as independents would be taken at an appropriate time. As many as 35 nagar panchayats will go to polls on June 17. Mr Sodhi claimed complete understating with SAD and also denied any rift within the BJP. |
Kannappan lays stone
of energy institute KAPURTHALA, May 19 — The Union Minister of State for Non-conventional Energy Sources, Mr M. Kannappan, today laid the foundation stone of the country’s first Rs 38-crore Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Renewable Energy near Wadala Kalan village on the Kapurthala-Jalandhar road. Addressing a public function on the occasion, Mr Kannappan said the national institute would help in promoting research and development of all forms of renewable energy sources. The institution has been named in the memory of former External Affairs Minister Sardar Swaran Singh and will be set up on 75 acres within three years. Mr Kannappan said India had great potential in producing power from non-conventional sources. He disclosed that the country was producing one lakh MW power and would need another one lakh MW power during the next 12 years which would be met with the help of non-conventional sources. In the field of bio-gas, India came next to China, he said, adding that 30 lakh bio-gas plants and over three crore improved chullahs had been installed in the rural areas. Presiding over the function, the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, disclosed that the Thein dam would start producing 600 MW during the next three months when the lake would be filled with monsoon water. Mr Badal said two new bridges on the Sutlej would come up during the next one-and-a-half years which would reduce the distance between Jalandhar, Ferozepore and Nawanshahr. He said the Union Energy and Petroleum Minister would visit Rama Mandi in Bathinda district for laying the foundation stone of a Rs 16000-crore oil refinery on June 2. Mr Badal advocated a more effective
federal system in India in order to have more powers with the states and said he was contacting various regional parties in the country to achieve this goal. The MDMK General Secretary, Mr Vaiko, lauded the role of the Sikh community in the freedom struggle and in the development of the country. Mr Badal presented mementos to Mr Vaiko and Mr Kannappan. Among those who addressed the function were Punjab Science and Technology Minister Charanji Lal Garg, Union Energy Secretary N.N. Mookerji, State Principal Secretary Rajan Kashyap and Congress MP Balbir Singh. Prominent Akali and Congress leaders also attended the function. |
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Cabinet to decide octroi issue CHANDIGARH, May 19 — The Punjab Local Bodies Minister, Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, said here today that he would refer the octroi issue to the State cabinet for deciding whether octroi should be collected through private contractors or by octroi staff of municipal committees. He said that the agenda in this connection was being prepared by the authorities concerned and would be put up in the next meeting of the cabinet. Traders as well as political parties have opposed the existing system of collection of octroi through private contractors. In fact, even a number of BJP leaders have also opposed this system. Traders have alleged that private contractors
harass, humiliate them and resort to physical frisking for even small goods. As this had an adverse affect in last Lok Sabha election, the issue was also debated at political level in the ruling SAD-BJP combine. Mr Tandon said that he would like that committees should be authorised to decide what system these wanted to adopt in octroi collection and there should be no interference from the state government in this connection. With the adopting of the contractor system , the income of the committees from octroi had gone up to Rs 425 crore from less than Rs 150 crore per year during the last financial year. In fact some committees have become self sustaining due to contract system. There remain a chance of pilferage of octroi when it is collected through the municipal staff. |
| Is the Patiala newspaper industry on its deathbed? From Jangveer Singh Tribune News Service PATIALA, May 19 — The arrow seems to be no longer in the quiver of local newspapers. Tir Kaman is no longer being printed at its press. The Senapati and Swaran are seldom seen. Others, including the largest selling Chardhikala, are also feeling the pinch . The city newspapers , which are among the largest registered newspapers in Punjab with currently 85 papers being registered with the Sub Divisional Magistrate , are on the way down due to the change in the advertisement policy of the government which has effectively stopped giving them advertisements . Patiala has a rich tradition of newspapers right from Ranjit, which is being published since more than 50 years, to new papers which had mushroomed largely due to the largesse given by the government by way of advertisements. With the government having stopped advertisements since more than one year and no hope of revival of the earlier policy in sight, newspapers are crumbling like two pins in the city . Only established papers like Chardhikala, Ranjit and some others in which the editors are the spirit behind the papers and take keen interest in gathering news are coming out regularly. Others include those who are selling a few copies to those who are just maintaining a file of their paper for advertisement purpose by getting a few copies printed at some other press. Newspaper editors, while admitting that the change in the advertisement policy has spelt doom for them are, however, not ready to admit that their production has also suffered. Tir Kaman editor Sohan Singh said while he was earlier getting an advertisement of Rs 20,000 from the government. Now he was getting only a few thousands. He said as it was uneconomical to bring out the paper himself, he had started getting it printed elsewhere and had sold his machines. He said he was trying to maintain the earlier circulation . Other newspapers in the city are also doing this with very few having their own printing presses. This has started a “tanka system” under which news printed in one paper is cut and reprinted in other papers. This has given cause for hilarity on many occasions with a news being printed in one paper but claiming it had been told to another . The situation is likely to become even worse and the newspaper industry in Patiala is on its deathbed. Sources said the DAVP had put objections on many newspapers this year which would be nearly impossible to fulfil. They said declaration of circulation figures which are regularly conjured to become eligible for higher circulation rates had also been made difficult this year with it becoming mandatory to give an affidavit regarding circulation duly attested from a Notary Public. Chardhikala owner Jagjit Singh Dardi, while criticising the government for changing its policy regarding advertisements, said it would now be the survival of the fittest. Now only those newspapers who sell will remain while those which had been opened with the sole motive of collecting advertisements from the government are destined for closure, he said. The residents of the city also feel that only newspapers which are serious propositions and are sold in the market should be given advertisements if any. The arrival of a host of Hindi dailies who are now also covering city events in detail have also made a dent in the market of the local papers. “The city papers are not published regularly and even distributed many times in the mohalla of the person whose name has been published in good or bad light”, said Shyam Lal, a shopkeeper. He said he would like to read a local paper but must be assured of regular supply and serious news . Some of the Patiala papers include weeklies Sajre Phul, Charhda Suraj, Navi Saver, Inteqam, Roop, Pyas, Intezar and Pavitar Boudh and dailies Dharaledar, Poh Phatti, Gianwan and Punjab
Bani. |
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MC adjourned over newspersons’ entry AMRITSAR, May 19 — Pandemonium prevailed at the Municipal Corporation meeting over the entry of the newspersons. The meeting was adjourned without any agenda being undertaken or passed. Members of the Opposition stalled proceedings and raised slogans against the mayor. Meanwhile, a dozen members of the Congress, CPI and the Akali Dal joined hands against the issue of disallowing the newspersons after the meeting was cancelled for the day. Quoting from the Municipal Corporation Act 1976 para 62 Section 4 Mr Dharam Veer Sareen, Leader of the Opposition (Congress) said “Subject to sub-Section 5 every meeting shall be open to public unless majority of the members present at the meeting decides that any enquiry or a deliberation pending before the corporation shall be held in private”. Differences between two local BJP leaders, Ms Laxmi Kanta Chawla and Mr Subhash Sharma, Mayor, surfaced at the meeting, over the presence of newspersons who were there to cover the proceedings. Many of the sitting Councillors had invited the press to cover the minutes of the Municipal Corporation meeting. While, Ms Kanta defended the entry of the newspersons. Mr Sharma refused to let the newspersons cover for no qualitative reason except that it had not happened before and so should not be in the present case. While many of the Councillors supported Mr Chawla others preferred to remain neutral. “The local electronic media has been always covering the proceedings and various inaugural ceremonies by the Mayor”, according to Mr Dharamveer Sareen, a Congress leader, Mr Lakha Singh, senior Deputy Mayor, recalled that before the corporation came into existence and when it was called the “municipal committee” separate enclosures for the public and mediapersons were established and any one could witness the proceedings of the House. Ms Chawla too joined the Opposition members after the House meeting was abruptly cancelled to voice her concern over the manner in which four newspersons were turned out of the municipal corporation’s meeting hall. |
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Notice issued to Home Secretary CHANDIGARH, May 19 — Expressing suspicion regarding attempts by the police to help the accused, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to the Punjab Home Secretary to show cause why orders should not be passed for initiating proceedings against officials who had failed to appear before the trial court in a drugs case. Pronouncing the orders, Mr. Justice J.L. Gupta and Mr. Justice M.S. Gill also issued notice to the investigating officer in the case, ASI Bharat Singh, DSP Harbhagwan Singh and Ludhiana Additional Public Prosecutor M.S. Goel to “show cause as to why directions for initiation of proceedings be not issued against them”. The orders were passed on an appeal by the state of Punjab against the acquittal of Ranjit Singh and six other residents of Ludhiana district by an Additional Sessions Judge in a case under the NDPS Act. The state, in the grounds of appeal, had claimed that the prosecution had not examined the Investigating Officer or the DSP in whose presence poppy was recovered. Today, the Bench observed: “We have repeatedly come across cases where the prosecution has been found wanting. Why did the Investigating Officer not appear? Why did the DSP not appear? There is nothing on the record which may justify the absence of the two witnesses. We are left with a suspicion that there may be a deliberate attempt to help the accused”. The Bench questioned: “Police commit lapses intentionally or are they ignorant about the provisions of the ADPS Act, 1985, despite the fact that it has been in force for the last about 15 years? What can be the remedies and the measures?” In their detailed order, the Judges observed: “The respondents were prosecuted for offence punishable under Section 15 of the NDPS Act. It was alleged that they were found in possession of 80 bags of poppy heads, which were being carried in a truck. The trial court has noticed that ‘the prosecution in the present case has failed to examine ASI Bharat Singh, who was the IO in the case, and DSP. “It has been found that the prosecution has failed to comply with the provisions of Section 50 of the Act”. Poll petition The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday fixed May 26 for framing of issues on a petition challenging the election of cine-star Mr. Vinod Khanna from the Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency. Claiming Mr. Khanna to be guilty of indulging in corrupt practices, Indian National Congress candidate, Ms Sukhbans Kaur, in her petition before Ms Justice A.S. Garg of the High Court, had earlier sought directions for declaring his elections as void. She had stated that funds could not be released from the MP’s local area development scheme after the dissolution of Parliament on April 26, 1999, but the returned candidate obtained and procured the assistance of a gazetted officer in getting the funds released on the same date. It was also alleged that assistance of the Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner, “in the form of administrative approval in back date” for certain works was also obtained by Mr. Khanna. |
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20 pc of power
goes to farm sector: Sohal PATIALA, May 19 — Punjab State Electricity Board Chairman
G.S. Sohal has said that only 20 per cent of the total electricity consumed by the state was diverted to the farm sector which meant that the Punjab Government’s decision to supply free electricity to the agriculture sector was a farsighted one. Mr Sohal was speaking at a function organised by the Punjab Vikas
Manch, which honoured Mr Sohal for his services for the betterment of the board employees and the positive policies which he had initiated. Mr Sohal said barring Himachal Pradesh, the PSEB was supplying electricity at the lowest rates as compared to other states. He exhorted the people not to use electric gadgets incessantly as every year the demand for electricity was increasing by 8 per cent to 10 per cent. He said at present there were more than 50 lakh consumers of electricity in the state and that if each consumer saved just one unit of power per day it was enough to fill the requirements of the central pool. |
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Parole period to
be extended CHANDIGARH, May 19 — The Punjab Government has forwarded the draft ordinance to the Governor for the promulgation for extending the parole period for all types of life convicts to six months by amending the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners (temporary release) Act, 1962. The six months parole is to be provided once in a five years. Besides this as per existing provisions in the Act, six weeks’ parole is to be granted twice in an year to life convicts. It is subject to their conduct behind the bars. The state Council of Ministers has cleared the proposal last week. Though, the authorities have denied that this provision was being made to benefit certain VIP prisoners, but it has been perceived in official as well unofficial circles that this step is aimed to provide a relief to Mr Ranjit Singh Talwandi, son of Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi. Mr Jagdev Singh Tawandi is supporting the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal in his fight against the former SGPC Chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra and other Akali leaders. If approved by the Governor, the ordinance is expected to become operative next week. |
Rural sanitation
programme CHANDIGARH, May 19 — The Punjab Government has decided to launch a rural sanitation
programme. It is proposed to cover about 1.25 lakh scheduled caste families in the state by constructing as many number of low-cost flush latrines. This was stated by the Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, after a meeting with the Principal Secretary, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes; Financial Commissioner, Rural Development and Panchayats and Secretary Planning , says a press note. According to a decision taken at the meeting, the low-cost sanitary units will be constructed under the supervision of village beneficiaries selection committees under the chairmanship of respective
sarpanches. Other members will be Scheduled Caste members , who may not be the members of the gram
panchayat. At least one woman member should be there from among Scheduled Castes. The maximum cost of one unit has been fixed Rs 3,500 out of which unskilled labour to the tune of Rs 500 will be provided by the beneficiaries. Remaining amount of Rs 3,000 will be provided by the State Government. The Department of Rural Development and Panchayats will constitute the village selection committees at the block level. |
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Sales tax on
lottery tickets CHANDIGARH, May 19 — The Punjab Government has issued a notification under the Punjab General Sales Tax Act, 1948 vide which sales tax shall be levied at first stage on all types of lottery tickets at the rate of 20 per cent. Earlier the tax was leviable at the rate of 12 per cent only on single digit lottery tickets, where a prize is provided on any single digit occurring in the number of the lottery tickets. The new notification is effective from May 20, according to a press note. |
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Fertiliser prices
slashed in Punjab CHANDIGARH, May 19 — The Punjab Cooperation Minister, Mr Ranjit Singh Brahmpura today announced the slashing of price of fertilisers in the state. He said that 4.4 per cent sales tax on fertilisers had been waived. Farmers will now get urea for Rs 220 per bag and the benefit to farmers would be Rs 8 per bag. However, the Union Government has fixed maximum rate of Rs 230 per bag. The DAP fertiliser would be available for Rs 436 per bag against the earlier price of Rs 455, he added. |
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Appointment letter
sent to R.C. Sinha CHANDIGARH , May 19 — The Punjab Government has sent formal offer letter to Mr R.C. Sinha for appointment as Managing Director of the Infrastructure Development Board. Informed sources told TNS today that Mr Sinha, a retired IAS officer, had done commendable job in Maharahstra in infrastructure building, including flyovers, roads and bridges. When first approached he appeared reluctant since he had another attractive offer from Hyderabad. It is learnt that his family played a key role in persuading him to accept assignment in Chandigarh. |
ADC presides over sangat darbar PATIALA, May 19 — ADC (Development) Gagandeep Singh yesterday directed the District Welfare Officer to look into the causes as to why more than 20 applications pertained to old-age pensions were not processed on time. Mr Gagandeep Singh was presiding over a sangat darbar held on the premises of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here. Also present on the occasion were the SDM, Mr Manjit Singh Narang, Superintendent of Police, Mr J.S. Gill, the District Grievance Officer, Mr T.P.S. Phulka, and other senior officers of various department. More than 60 people placed their grievances before the Additional Deputy Commissioner. Most of the grievances were readily disposed of by referring them to the respective departments with which the grievances were concerned. Several grievances were related to the Police Department and one such complaint was made by the woman sarpanch of Choran in which she alleged that some anti-social elements were creating terror during the night. Another such complaint was made by Mrs Jagjit Kaur of Nabha tehsil in which she alleged that her son, Gurjit Singh, had been kept in illegal custody in the high-security Nabha jail since April 18. The Senior Superintendent of Police was immediately asked to verify Mrs Jagjit Kaur’s allegation. |
New attendance
system on cards CHANDIGARH, May 19 — The Punjab Government had decided to introduce a computerised attendance system in Punjab Civil
Secretariat. According to informed sources, computers will be installed in all sections for marking the attendance through a punch system. The process has been started and electric fittings has been made in rooms of employees. Informed sources said that senior officers would also be supposed to use this system. The initiative has been taken by the Administrative reforms department on the direction of the Chief Minister, it is learnt. |
Examinees queue up for duplicate roll numbers CHANDIGARH, May 19 — Call it what you will — failure of the Punjab Board of Technical Education or mess in the Postal Department — hundreds of students, who are to appear in the joint entrance test on May 21 for admission to various polytechnic colleges in the state, had not received their roll numbers till last evening. The test is conducted by the board every year for three-year diploma courses in various disciplines. No wonder a large number of students from different districts of Punjab descended on the board office this morning for getting duplicate roll numbers issued to
appear in the examination. Those hailing from such far-flung districts as Ferozepore, Amritsar and Gurdaspur were pouring in till mid day today. Standing in groups and visibly angry these students said they had paid Rs 220 each for prospectus. While students belonging to general category were charged Rs 440 by way of admission fee, the fee charged from Scheduled Castes candidates was Rs 220. “Now the board is charging Rs 50 additional from each student for issuing duplicate roll number. What is our fault? they ask. Mr Pawandeep Singh hailing from Kartarpur and Mr Amninder Raju from Hoshiarpur said some of the students were accompanied by their parents. They had to spend money on their
travelling, apart from facing a lot of inconvenience in this scorching heat without any fault of theirs. Now the board has burdened them with additional fee of Rs 50 per student for duplicate roll numbers. Mr
A.S. Bains, Secretary of the Board, however, pulverised the charge of the students. He said they had despatched roll numbers to all students well in time. If they did not receive the roll numbers, it was not the fault of the board. The blame could be attributed to the Postal Department. He, however, admitted that the roll numbers to some 30,000 students were sent by ordinary mail. Asked why the roll numbers were not sent by registered post, Mr Bains said the staff posted in post office was not enough to cope up with registered letters work. In its anxiety to ensure that all students received their roll numbers before the date of examination, said Mr Bains, the board had issued an advertisement in newspapers informing the students that those who had not received their roll numbers could collect the duplicate from the board office. Mr Bains maintained that the board did not cause any inconvenience to students. Enough staff had been deployed at the reception to issue duplicate roll numbers within one hour of their submitting their applications. For the facility of students, Mr Bains added, the board had decided to keep its office open on Saturday and Sunday so that all students could get duplicate roll numbers. Mr Bains claimed that they had decided to post board staff at all examination centres in the State to issue provisional roll number if any student failed to get the original or duplicate roll number. |
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Job-oriented courses stressed PATIALA, May 19 — Colleges in the state should introduce more job-oriented courses so that the students do not face any problems in deciding their future careers after graduation. This was stated by the Higher Education Minister, Master Mohan Lal, while addressing a gathering of Principals of government and semi-government colleges, at Government Mohindera College here today. Master Mohan Lal said after a student completed his studies, he found himself at the crossroads because of lack of government jobs. He urged the Principals to motivate the students to take up technical education courses so that they might be in a position to be self-employed after college education. He also urged the teachers to interact with the student community so that a sense of confidence was instilled in the students while taking up courses relating to self-employment. Prof M.M. Singh, Principal of Government Mohindera College, also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, at a function organised by Bharti Vikas Parishad at Raj Kamal Palace, the minister distributed free books, copies and school uniforms among needy students. He praised the efforts of the parishad. He added that for the uplift of society, the rich should come forward to help the poor in an effort to create a healthy society where the gap between the haves and the have-nots was minimised. On the occasion, 1,000 golaks were given to each and every member of the parishad. The minister urged that every member donate Rs 1 daily to the golak. Besides this, 25 sewing machines were also distributed among widows who had no other income. The district BJP President, Mr Pitambar Dutt, also spoke on the occasion. Master Mohan Lal gave Rs 35,000 for the social welfare activities of the parishad from his discretionary fund. |
B.Com Part I
results today AMRITSAR, May 19 — The result of B.Com Part I examination of Guru Nanak Dev University held in April, 2000, will be declared tomorrow. Stating this Dr
R.S. Bawa, Registrar of the university, said the copies of the result gazette would be supplied to the registered book-sellers on the same day after 5.00 p.m. |
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