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| Saturday, June 3, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
Harpreet Kaur’s death Countdown for rail overbridge begins Synthetic milk ‘dairies’ unearthed UGC grant for PU colleges NRI Sabha to set up 100 kendras
Plea to govt on temple lands |
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Encroachment on govt land alleged ‘Bring Patiala on the tourism map’ Informatics computer institute opened Direction
to Home Secretary Rauza Sharif
‘Urs’ concludes IMA to enrol medical students Bitta to take up case of punished cops
NSUI decries
fee hike
Pre-sale sampling of pesticides
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Harpreet Kaur’s death CHANDIGARH, June 2 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today reserved orders on the petition seeking directions for registering a case “against all those found responsible for causing Harpreet Kaur and her child’s death”. Continuing with the arguments before Mr Justice Amarbir Singh Gill of the High Court, the Punjab Advocate-General today stated that the enquiry was in progress and all directions issued by the Court were being complied with. Harpreet Kaur’s mother and SGPC chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, had been examined along with the other daughter, he added. Claiming to have examined “everyone who had been named by Harpreet Kaur’s husband Kamaljit Singh”, the AG stated that 36 doctors and mid-wives had also been examined. In all 118 statements had been recorded, the AG added. Blaming the petitioner for not cooperating, the AG also stated that the Court should ask Kamaljit Singh to join the enquiry. He also assured the Court that “no harm would come to the petitioner”. He stated that the petitioner had moved the High Court “without taking steps under the Criminal Procedure Code”. The Station House Officer or the Senior Superintendent of Police had not been approached. He added that the petitioner also had the option of filing a complaint case before the Magistrate. Counsel for the petitioner, on the last date of hearing, had stated that no one was above law and investigation must be held into the factors leading to Harpreet Kaur’s death. The State Government, counsel had added, had conceded in their reply that Harpreet Kaur was engaged to Mr Kamaljit Singh and was also pregnant. He had also added that the police was working to destroy the evidence. The petitioner, it may be recalled, had asked for handing over the probe to an independent agency like the CBI. Directions for fixing responsibility on persons involved in the “disappearance of evidence” had also sought. |
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Countdown for rail overbridge begins PATIALA, June 2 — The countdown towards the building of an overbridge at the level crossing number 22 here has begun with the district administration being able to convince shopkeepers in favour of this plan vis-a-vis a scheme to have an underbridge at the same site. The district administration held a meeting in this regard with the shop-keepers in which the local Subdivisional Magistrate and Improvement Trust Chairman also participated. The proposal was discussed in details with the administration members highlighting the fact that an underbridge at the site would lead to flooding. They said as the area was low lying a motor would have to be used whenever it rained. They said as the motor was a mechanical gadget any failure on its part would inconvenience public. The administration is also not very happy with a underbridge constructed at Rajpura and does not want to go for another similar venture. The Improvement Trust Chairman, Mr Manmohan Singh Bajaj, said traders wanted an underbridge at the site but were convinced after the meeting that this was not possible. He said the traders, while agreeing to an overbridge had put up some conditions, including providing a parking area below the overbridge as well as ensuring the present railway intersection was not closed to traffic by the railway authorities. Mr Bajaj said he had assured the traders that their demand would be forwarded to the railway authorities. A leader of the Railway Gate Number 22 Shopkeepers Association, Mr Amarjit Singh, said they had demanded that the railway intersection should not be closed to traffic after construction of the overbridge. They said any such move would affect their business. He said if the railway intersection was closed residents living near it would also have to take a long detour to cross the railway line by making use of the overbridge. The shopkeepers also want that the space below the overbridge should be used for parking only. Earlier, there had been a proposal to use this space for commercial purposes and earn revenue for building of the project. They also said the construction work of the overbridge should be done in a speedy manner, claiming there business would be seriously affected if the project dragged on. Though the shopkeepers agreed to the proposal, they also asked the administration to stop heavy traffic from coming towards the level crossing in the evening from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. They feel this should be tried on an experimental basis to see how vehicular traffic on the route was reduced by the move. They said once this was done the administration could take a final decision about building of the overbridge and even consider building one on the level crossing number 21 instead of the level crossing number 22. However, the administration does not seem to be in any mood to reconsider its decision to build the overbridge, the level crossing no. 22. Deputy Commissioner Jasbir Singh Bir said the decision to build an overbridge at the site was taken after much thought. He said technical advice was also in favour of the overbridge. He said the project would be on the priority of the administration along-with the project concerning building of the district complex to house all district offices at one place. He said it was estimated that the project would cost Rs 7 crore. He said work on the project would start immediately after the funds were released . Meanwhile, it is to be seen how the construction of the overbridge will affect the new market auctioned off few days back by the Improvement Trust near the level crossing. Traders felt the market would also be adversely affected if the overbridge ended in front of or in between it. The showroom-cum-offices in the market had been auctioned off at nearly double the reserve price. |
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Synthetic milk ‘dairies’ unearthed SANGRUR, June 2 — The local police has unearthed synthetic milk dairies in the town and seized a large quantity of material used in the preparation of synthetic milk from their premises and godowns. Giving the information here today, Mr Jatinder Singh Aulakh, SSP, said during investigations, the police has seized 50 quintals of milk, 60 litres of glucose and 1080 litres of sulphuric acid from the dairy of Rajesh Kumar situated in the Old Grain Market area here while 99 drums of glucose were seized by the police from the godown of Vijay Kumar and Satish Kumar. The drums were filled with 25060 litres of glucose. The police also recovered 13 drums of sulphuric acid from Sukhwinder Singh’s dairy situated near the Barnala level crossing here, he added. The SSP said the samples of the milk had been taken by the police and officials of the Health Department. A case under Sections 271, 272, 273 and 420 of the IPC had been registered against the accused. Mr Aulakh said on a tip off police recovered a large quantity of material, used for the preparation of synthetic milk from the shops of Surinder Kumar. The police was informed that the milk sellers of the town bought chemical material from the shops of Surinder Kumar. He said the material, which the police had seized on the spot included 10,990 litres of glucose, 480 litres of nitric acid, 840 litres of Sulphuric acid, 7 litres of hydrocholoric acid, 420 kg of
Vinegar salt, 2,500 kg of slurry salt, 60 kg of nilfonola salt, 50 kg of soda castic and 25 kg of maltodex trin. The SSP said this highly toxic milk was sold as pure milk to thousands of unsuspecting consumers. |
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UGC grant for PU colleges CHANDIGARH, June 2 — In an encouraging development, the University Grants Commission has sanctioned additional Rs 50 lakh for colleges of Panjab University. The grant list
includes approval for more than 110 projects covering more than 80 affiliated colleges. The main grounds are undergraduate and post-graduate development projects, research projects and construction of hostels and canteen among others. Dr Deepak Manmohan, Dean, College Development Council, said the grants had been conveyed through an official communication by the UGC. This more than Rs 50 lakh comes in addition to more than Rs 40 lakh reported a few days earlier for other activities in university colleges. Dr Deepak Manmohan said greater care in the amounts sanctioned this time had been laid on post-graduate and under-graduate development schemes. Few colleges named in the list for post-graduate development schemes covers the local Home Science College, Khalsa College for women, Ludhiana, the local Guru Gobind Singh College, GHG Harprakash College for Education, Sidhwan Khurd , Guru Nanak Girls College, Ludhiana, the local Government College for Education, Dev Samaj College for Women, Ferozepur, and the local Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, among others. The list of undergraduate development programmes far exceeds the reason to be cited while allocation of grants when compared to
others. The list figures Government College, Hoshiarpur, DAV College of Education, Abohar, DM College, Moga, GGDSD
College, Hariana, SD College Hoshiarpur, Government College for women, Ludhiana and SDS College for women, Lopon, among others. The stress in the present batch seems to be on undergraduate development programmes. There are more than 80 grants have been sanctioned under this head. About 18 grants feature in the list of post-graduate development programmes. A number of colleges have managed more than one grant but for different projects. A sum of Rs 3 lakh has been granted for the construction of a women’s hostel in GGS DAV Centenary College, Jalalabad, Rs 6500 for minor research projects at GCG, Sector 42 and SCD College, Ludhiana, Rs 75000 for GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sudhar and a one-time grant of Rs 7 lakh for Dev Samaj College of Education, Ferozepur for books and equipment. Of the other gainers is Lajpat Rai College, Jagraon, with a grant of more than Rs 10 lakh. The list clearly displays importance on development programmes at the undergraduate and the postgraduate levels. Dr Deepak Manmohan said that a number of sanctions are part of a scheme initiated earlier. Number of colleges which have justified expenditure of the earlier amounts have been sent information for the second instalments. A letter of Mr R.L. Jhamb, Under Secretary, UGC, has asked colleges to maintain proper accounts of the expenditure. The utilisation certificates have to be furnished to the UGC at the earliest. The letter says that “assets acquired wholly or substantially as a part of the UGC grant shall not be disposed off or encumbered or utilised for a purpose other than a purpose for what it was given.” Dr Ravindra Kumar, a Deputy Secretary, UGC, and incharge, has mentioned different heads under which the grant for development programmes has to be including books, journals, equipment, field work, extension activities and examination related projects. |
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NRI Sabha to set up 100 kendras TARN TARAN, June 2 — The NRI Sabha proposes to set up more than 100 NRI kendras in all important towns and villages of the state, besides constructing NRI bhavans in all district headquarters. This was stated by the Commissioner, Jalandhar division, Mr B.K. Srivastava, who is also the chairman of the Punjab NRI Sabha, while inaugurating the NRI office here today. He said a comprehensive NRI investment policy submitted by the sabha was under active consideration of the Punjab Government, which includes incentives, quicker release of industrial subsidy, priority allotment of industrial plots, single-window service and NRI investment companies, etc. He added that district units had been set up at all district headquarters to redress the grievances of the NRIs at their home towns. The state government had also amended the Land Tenancy and Urban Rent Act to give one-time exemption to NRIs from the legal restrictions on the eviction of tenants from land or building. Mr Narinderjit Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar, and chairman of the district unit of the NRI Sabha, said land had already been identified and formalities completed for the multipurpose NRI bhawan in Amritsar. The bhawan would come up within the next six or seven months. He said Rs 157 crore were being made available by the
Central government for the beautification and renovation of Sri Guru Ramdas International Airport in Amritsar where an NRI reception centre would also be set up to provide all information to the visiting
NRIs. On behalf of the district administration, Mr Srivastava announced a grant of Rs 51,000 for S.S.S. Public Senior Secondary School, Tarn Taran. Later, the Commissioner also inaugurated a Harijan dharamshala at Tharu village near here. He also presided over a meeting of revenue officers at Circuit House Amritsar. |
Plea to govt on temple lands SANGRUR, June 2 — The Punjab Mandir Vikas Committee (PMVC) has urged the Punjab government that the temple lands should not be transferred to nagar councils as these lands were being used by the temples and belonged to religious institutions. In a representation to the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, the PMVC’s general secretary, Mr R.P. Goyal, has also urged the Chief Minister to take effective steps to get encroachments on temple lands in the state removed. He has also demanded that the administration’s interference in the religious affairs of Hindus be stopped. The PMVC has also demanded the control of places of worship of the Hindus to the existing and already functioning managing committees of these places. The committee also expressed concern over the conditions of places of worship controlled by the government in the state. It felt that in the past 25 years condition of state controlled religious places had deteriorated due to apathy of the administrative set up. The committee has also mentioned that after the partition of the country, the places of worship of the Hindus at Sangrur, Patiala, Nabha and Kapurthala were till date under the control of state government. The committee has alleged that electricity and water bills of the temples were being paid by the managing committee while sanitation workers and other managerial staff were also deployed by the managing committees for maintenance as the state government had not been able to provide sufficient funds. The PMVC has also expressed concern over the meagre payment from Rs 5 to Rs 37 per month by the state government for ‘samagri’ etc to the temples. It alleged that a large chunk of temple lands had been encroached on by the Nagar Councils for giving on rent shops on teh-bazari, hurting the sentiments of the community.  |
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Encroachment on govt land alleged PHAGWARA, June 2 — Nearly 12 office-bearers of the local circle Akali Jatha including its president and secretary-general Gurmukh Singh and Jatinder Singh Plahi today raised a voice of protest against persons encroaching upon government land in connivance with authorities. In joint statement here these leaders alleged that civil hospital had become a haven for encroachers. Without permission the Red Cross and by hobnobbing with Health Department fake bodies were being floated by the land mafia to mislead people and malign the government. The Akali leaders alleged that an unauthorised PCO was already functioning from hospital premises. Moves were afoot for fresh encroachments and urged the Punjab Chief Minister to intervene to check this demanded the leaders. Senior leader Sohan Singh Baghi said that a memorandum would be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, the SDM and the health authorities. When contacted Dr Boota Ram SMO of local civil hospital denied encroachments. He admitted that a voluntary body had offered to open a medicine shop on no-profit no-loss basis and for providing round the clock service. The case was with the government for deciding the matter. |
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‘Bring Patiala on the tourism map’ PATIALA,
June 2 — The cause of bringing Patiala on the tourist map of India and creating a Master Plan for the development of the city has been taken up by the District Congress Committee (Urban) which has submitted a detailed memorandum in this regard to the Punjab Governor, Lt Gen JFR Jacob. Addressing a press conference here, DCC (Urban) President Ved Prakash Gupta said the district unit had met the state Governor yesterday evening in a delegation led by him and apprised him of the steps needed to bring Patiala on the tourism map as well as urgent need for rectifying various public grievances. Mr Gupta said the delegation impressed upon the Governor to ensure constitution of time bound high powered committee under his supervision to develop a project to bring Patiala on the national and international tourism map. He said in the meantime it should be ensured that no office or any portion of the Art Gallery, Museum and Medal Collection was shifted from the city. The Congress leader, who was accompanied by district leaders K.K. Sharma and Hardev Singh Balli, said a Master Plan for the development of the city on the pattern of Development Boards created in some other cities, could be established. He said as a short term measure Rs 25 crore should be provided for priority works, including construction of a flyover, providing of roads and bypasses, developing new sites, maintenance of Baradari and horticulture assets and strengthening of archives, medal gallery and restoration of Quila Mubarak. The DCC (Urban) has also made a fervent plea for declaring Patiala as an industrially backward zone so that there could be speedy industrial growth around the city. He said areas on both sides of Patiala-Sangrur and Rajpura had been declared industrially backward and that the facility should be extended to the city also. Mr Gupta said the delegation, which included Former Corporation President Sohan Lal Jalota , and former Vice-Presidents Prem Puri and Comrade Suresh, had also impressed upon the Governor that special funds should be provided to the local Corporation as it could not redress public grievances due to lack of funds. He said any immediate funds could be used for remodelling the “ganda nala” around the walled city and the Chhoti and Badi Nadis which served a flood channel for the city. He said in the absence of any elected member because of a writ pending in the High Court, the municipal affairs were being looked after by bureaucrats who had their own interests and administrative outlook. He said it had been impressed that a consultative committee comprising of known public men from different shades of society and political parties should be constituted. When asked why the DCC (Urban) had approached the state Governor, Mr Gupta said they did not have any faith in the state government. He said the corporation stated that it did not have any funds but apparently could not lobby for any also despite the fact that the Finance Minister kept visiting Patiala every other day. |
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Informatics computer institute opened PATIALA, June 2 — Dr Kehar Singh, Chairman, Punjab School Education Board, inaugurated the first informatics computer institute in the city today. With the opening of this centre Patiala city will now be part of informatics 245-centre network, spanning 27 countries across four continents. Informatics is a Singapore-based firm, which operates in India through a joint venture company called Edutech Informatics India Private Limited. The
Patiala Informatics Centre, promoted by Mr Amjeet Sachdeva and Mr D.P. Sachdeva, is located at Tagore Public School Gurudwara Moti Bagh Colony. This centre will order all the informatics courses which are also available in the over 100 informatics computer institutes in India. This includes the recently launched informatics E-commerce enhanced with CSAP course, which is one of the most comprehensive E-commerce courses available in India today. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Kaushik Chakarborty, Manager, Education Informatics said: “With the launch of the first centre in Patiala, students in the city will have access to our international expertise in the field of IT training and education. This will help them meet the demands of the burgeoning IT industry in the country. At present more than 40 leading universities across the USA, Great Britain and Australia have granted recognition to the IT education courses designed and run by Informatics. Besides, its diploma and advanced diploma courses in computer sciences are accredited by the University of Oxford, Delegacy of Local Examinations and the University of Cambridge, Local Examinations Syndicate, U.K. Informatics also offers bachelors degree in information technology and management (BITM) from Utkal University.
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Direction
to Home Secretary CHANDIGARH, June 2 —The Punjab and Haryana High
Court on Friday directed the Punjab Home Secretary to file an
affidavit before the Court on a petition for restraining Punjab Police
from seeking police remand of two murder accused extradited from the
United States of America. Claiming to have been extradited for cases pertaining to Delhi and Udaipur, counsel for the petitioners had earlier stated that the Punjab Police was seeking police remand of Ranjit Singh Gill and Sukhminder Singh Sandhu against the Extradition Act and treaty. Quoting the Act, counsel had stated on the petitioners’ behalf that the “accused, when extradited could only be tried for offences which form a part of the extradition order and on the charges on the basis of which he has been extradited”. Giving details, counsel had added that Ranjit Singh Gill was extradited on the charges of murdering a member of parliament and his wife, while Sukhminder Singh was extradited on the charge of murdering a police official in Udaipur. Going into the background, counsel had stated that the two had left the country in May 1987 “fearing false implication”. In the United States, he added, the “two were arrested and incarcerated for a long period of 13 years”. |
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Rauza Sharif
‘Urs’ concludes FATEHGARH SAHIB, June 2 — The three-day annual ‘Urs’ at Rauza Sharif, Fatehgarh Sahib, concluded here today. Mr Nusrat Ali Khan, Minister for Sports, paid homage at the “holy majar”. He also presented a “chadar” at the majar of Sheikh Ahmed Farooqui. Addressing
the concluding function, he said India was the only country in the world, where people from various walks of life and religion live peacefully. He added that Fatehgarh Sahib was the land of martyrs and important religious places of Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims are situated here. Addressing a press conference Mr B.S. Sudan, Deputy Commissioner, and Mr P.S. Umranangal, SSP, expressed satisfaction over the
arrangements and added that no untoward incident was reported. Sayed Mohammad Yahya Mujadid, Khalifa of Rauza Sharif said more than one lakh pilgrims from various parts of the country had come to pay their obeisance. He appreciated the
arrangements made by the district administration.
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IMA to enrol medical students PATIALA, June 2 — The Indian Medical Association, Punjab has constituted the in-service doctors wing of the IMA Punjab to invite membership from doctors in Punjab Civil Medical Services and thus making the IMA a strong and effective body representing all sections of medical profession. Dr Surinder Singla, a PCMS officer and honorary Secretary, Public Relations Punjab State, IMA has been nominated chairman of this wing with powers to nominate other office-bearers. Disclosing this, here yesterday, IMA Punjab President O.P. Singh Kande said a students’ wing of the IMA called the Indian Medicos Association had also been formed to invite membership from the medical students from third year MBBS to final year and to solve their problems. Dr Manmohan Singh, President IMA Patiala, Dr P. C. Arora, President, IMA Amritsar, Dr Ravinder Taa Secretary IMA Ludhiana and Dr S. S. Brar, Secretary IMA Faridkot had been nominated for constituting these wings in medical colleges at Patiala, Amritsar, DMC and CMC in Ludhiana and GGSMC Faridkot, respectively. Dr Kande said the purpose of the above two wings was to involve all doctors and prospective doctors in the activities of the IMA to assist the government in the implementation of various national programmes on family planning, population control, malaria eradication, AIDS control, maternal and child health care. |
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Bitta to take up case of punished cops PHAGWARA, June 2 — The All-India Anti-Terrorist Front chief and the former President of the All-India Youth Congress, Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta yesterday denounced ‘witch-hunting’ of the police officials who had combated boldly the menace of terrorism. Talking to reporters here, Mr Bitta regretted that detentions or demotions of police officials would demoralise the force and nobody would come forward to fight terrorism. He announced his visit to Bengal for meeting the five police officials, including one of SP rank, who had been sentenced for killing a terrorist couple in Calcutta in the past. The Front would take up their case in the High Court and challenge the punishment handed down to them. |
NSUI decries
fee hike AMRITSAR, June 2 — The National Students Union of India, in a press note here yesterday alleged that there was a conspiracy by the government and the private school owners in respect of fee hike. Mr Arun Sharma, district president of the association, said that the government had failed to keep a check on the activities of private schools and has made education beyond the reach of the poor by the unprecedented hike in fee. Condemning the short-sightedness of the government, Mr Sharma said that the increase would have long-term ramifications. |
Pre-sale sampling of pesticides CHANDIGARH, June 2---There will be a pre-sale sampling of all pesticides to be supplied by Markfed to farmers through cooperative agriculture societies. This was announced today by the Punjab Cooperation
Minister, Mr Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, while announcing a new pesticides purchase and sale policy . Addressing a press conference, Mr Brahmpura said that Markfed would supply agro -chemicals produced by selected reputed multinational campanies and from Markfed's own
products. He said that these agro chemicals would be made available to farmers at a cheaper rate than the prevailing market price. For a package of 5 litres, farmers would get a rebate up to Rs 75 in sale price for various brands of pesticides. The government has also slashed sales tax on pesticides to 2.2 per cent from 4.4 per
cent, he added. At least 20 lakh litres of agro -chemicals would be made available for paddy . Markfed has already got an indent for 10 lakh litres from various cooperative societies. To check the
quality, the required cooperation from PAU, Ludhiana, the Directorate of Agriculture, Punjab, has been sought. For providing agro- chemicals for cotton and other crops, Markfed and Registrar of Cooperative
Societies was negotiating with various companies, Mr Brahmpura said. He said that the decision to
purchase pesticides only from standard companies had been taken by a high-level committee comprising Mr K S.Janjua, Financial Commissioner (Cooperation), Mr Suresh Kumar, Registrar Cooperative
societies and Mr D.S.Bains, Managing Director, Markfed. Mr Suresh Kumar Said that the share of Markfed in pesticide market would touch 35 per cent with the adoption of a new policy while it was earlier only 10 per cent. About Rs 900 crore pesticides were sold in Punjab in the farm sector. Mr D.S.Bains said as part of pre-sale sampling, quality of pesticides would be tested. He said that it would be effort of Markfed not to allow private firms to sell substandard pesticides in Punjab. Issue would be taken up with the authorities concerned for arranging pre -sale sampling of pesticides batchwise. |
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