 |
|
| Tuesday, June 13, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
2700-cr Punjab plan okayed SSP threatened us, say Christian leaders Godown owners up in arms CBI’s plea to HC in Harpreet case Plugging DD loopholes Quila crumbles as material to restore it lies in stores |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CPM stages
dharna
Audio tapes vulgar: advocate Power politics vs power tariff
Rajesh Pilot’s death mourned Docs justify stay of transfers Rural schools sans facilities Drive to register labourers Welfare Department taken to task
100 protesters rounded up Last of blast
victims dies Hijackers’ remand extended Scooterist
robbed of Rs 9.30 lakh Child hurt during film shooting dies
Grace marks for
matric students
Wheat procurement
till March 31
|
|
2700-cr Punjab plan okayed NEW DELHI, June 12 - The Planning Commission today agreed to retain Punjab’s annual plan to the budgeted size of Rs 2,700 crore while asking the state to strive to achieve core plan size pegged at Rs 2,420 crore by the commission on identifiable resources. Punjab’s annual plan for 2000-2001 was approved at a meeting of the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Mr K C Pant and the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal here today. The Planning Commission suggested a series of measures, including rational irrigation charges, power tarrif and fares of road transport on whose account the state was losing revenue. The policy of free supply of power to farmers was not in larger interest of both farmers and the state, he said. Mr Pant said Punjab should opt for a realistic plan and stress on effective implementation. He pointed out that the state’s plan expenditure in the first three years of the 9th plan was less than the agreed outlay and the committed expenditure was increasing rapidly in comparison to growth of revenue receipts. Stating that large sums of borrowed plan funds were being drawn off to sustain public sector enterprises (PSE), he said growth rate of economy had come down to 4.1 per cent in the first two years of current plan as against 5.4 per cent in the 80s. Mr Pant suggested that Punjab consider levy rational irrigation changes and adopt better water harvesting conservation techniques to address the problem of depleting water table. The Planning Commission Deputy Chairman also asked Punjab to consider the rationalisation of power tarrif in the wake of Punjab State Electricity Board’s growing losses. The net
commercial losses was Rs 1034 crore in 1999-2000. Mr Pant also suggested the streamlining of overhead expenses and rationalisation of fare structures of Punjab Road Transport Undertakings. Mr Pant asked Punjab to take a lead in introducing agenda-21 process across the state and provide clear air, water and civic amenities to the people living in rural and urban areas, an official release said today. Briefing the commission on the state’s performance during the last year, the Punjab Chief Minister said the state had witnessed a turnaround with the growth rate touching 6.28 per cent as against 2.68 per cent the previous
year.
SSP threatened us, say Christian leaders JALANDHAR, June 12 (PTI) — The police today remained clueless about the murder of a Christian missionary last Saturday and senior officers, who visited the scene of the crime, ruled out communal angle in the killing even as senior Christian leaders accused the police of pre-judging the issue and even claimed they were threatened by the district police chief. Inspector-General G.S. Aujla and Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Yadav today visited the Kaniawali village house of deceased Ashish Masih whose partially burnt body with sharp-edged stab wounds was found on Saturday night by the police after an alert sounded by neighbours. Senior Christian leaders of the region led by Revsam George, senior pastor of the Indian Pentecostal church at Lamma Pind here, said the murder was a handiwork of the anti-Christian forces and claimed that Christian leaders had received threats over phone in recent past and had even apprised senior police officers about it. Both Mr Aujla and Mr Yadav outrightly dismissed the communal angle saying it was a case of murder and no communal overtones should be read into it. SSP Yadav urged the Christian leaders present at the scene not to foment any communal feelings considering the sensitivity of the issue. However, Punjab Christian Movement spokesman Freddie Joseph joined issue with the SSP saying he was pre-judging the issue. “The police has not even started the investigation but the SSP is already ruling out communal angles,”, he said. Joseph later claimed that the SSP warned him against making “any statements of this nature to the media.” “I will watch tomorrow’s newspapers carefully and if I find any statement aimed at fomenting communal trouble, I will take action against you,” Joseph quoted the SSP as saying however, a witness present at the spot said the police officer merely said he would “take action against anyone trying to deliberately foment communal trouble.” Rev George corroborated Joseph’s claim that he was threatened by the SSP. He also said Ashish was a leading member of “Campus Crusade” movement of Christian missionaries engaged in youth related welfare activities like drug de-addiction, prohibition etc. He said the deceased had been very active when certain saffron organisations had objected to a Christian religious function. “Only some months earlier, I received threatening phone calls and informed Superintendant of Police Pawan Uppal about it. He put my phone surveillance. Later, Mr Uppal once sent the police to the Lamma Pind Pentecostal church saying there was a possibility of an attack on some priest of Church,” Rev George said, adding it showed that the police was all along aware of threats to life of Christian missionaries. Mr Uppal, said the police was sent to a number of churches at that time as a precautionary measure after incidents in some other parts of the region. |
|
Godown owners up in arms CHANDIGARH, June 12 — Members of the Private Godown Owners Association, who are mostly retired defence officers, are up in arms against the “discriminatory attitude of the management of Food Corporation of India in denying them the revised rent for the past more than 10 years while paying three to five times more to the Warehousing Corporation of India”. The private godown owners maintain that the FCI is offering them the same rates as were prevalent in the late 70s when these godowns were built under a World Bank-NABARD scheme of creating private storage space with specific requirements. Of the 331 private godowns with the FCI, 104 are in Punjab alone while Haryana has 28. “It has been a very disappointing experience for all of us,” says Maj-Gen G.S. Nagra (retd), President of the Private Godown Owners Association, maintaining that those who built these godowns in accordance with the specific requirements of the FCI would have been sitting much happier by investing their lifetime savings elsewhere. “For example, I not only used my entire land but also put the entire savings of my long distinguished Army career in the project hoping that I would have stable and good income from the project. Little did I realise that the FCI, the beneficiary, would turn the tables on us and would make us run from pillar to post to get our rightful due. Tell me what is the logic in paying 40 paise and 50 paise per square feet of covered area for godowns we built in rural and urban areas while the Warehousing Corporation of India, a public sector undertaking, is paid more than Rs 2 per square feet”, says General Nagra, who along with other members of the association had a “long and useful” meeting with the Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs here on June 4. “It is indeed both intriguing and embarrassing that the Food Corporation of India virtually refused to implement orders of Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, the then Union Food Minister, on revising the rents for private godowns used for storage of food-grains. “As if all this was not enough, the Food Ministry had stated on the floor of Parliament on December 19,1995, that the FCI was paying since July, 1994, 85 paise and Re 1 per square foot per month as rent to private godown owners in rural and urban areas while in reality it was paying between 40 paise and 60 paise per square ft. “In 1989, the FCI had arbitrarily reduced our monthly rent from 70 paise and 60 paise per square ft to 50 paise and 40 paise per square ft in urban and rural areas and continues to pay us the same. In fact from 1976 to 1986, the same reduced rent was paid to us. But between 1986 and 1989, it was revised upwards before the FCI again reverted to the old rates,” says General Nagra. Not only that the FCI is paying the same rates for open plinths in urban and rural areas while the godowns built under the scheme are of international standards with provision for roads, proper entry and exit doors. The rent offered to the Central Warehousing Corporation, however, has been progressively revised upwards. For example, at the time when ARDC Godowns were built and their rent was settled at 50 paise and 40 paise per square ft for urban and rural areas, respectively, the FCI was paying only 20 paise per bag per month to the Warehousing Corporation. The rent paid for the Central warehousing godowns has been raised by 10 times as the FCI is currently paying Rs 2.10 per bag per month since April 1,1998. This rent is expected to be further increased as was suggested in the FCI circular of December 23,1999. The private godown owners want that the rent offered to them should be progressively revised from what they were offered in late 70s. The FCI was dragging its feet even to implement the decision of the committee constituted by the Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs in May, 1998, which made its recommendations in July, 1998. The association maintains that while the FCI was able to churn out funds to pay increased rent to the Central Warehousing Corporation, revised pay scales and other benefits to its employees, why could it not pay to the private godown owners who were mostly retired defence officers. General Nagra says the FCI was bent on playing dirty games by offering ridiculously low and unreasonable rent of 80 paise per square ft per month by inviting individual owners to sign lease agreements at this rate in January this year but none has signed. Even in May, a similar exercise was undertaken. “There are already a large number of court cases against the FCI. Ten new writ petitions were filed in May by the aggrieved godown owners demanding implementation of orders of Union Food Minister. After completion of the Phase IV of the ARDC godowns in 1978, the FCI has made several attempts to attract new parties to construct godowns. But seeing the plight of the private godown owners, the initiatives have been drawing a flak. |
|
CBI’s plea to HC in Harpreet case CHANDIGARH, June 12 — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in an application before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, today sought directions for handing over of the documents in Harpreet Kaur’s alleged murder case to the Superintendent of Police with their special cell — SIU-Xv. The prayer, counsel for CBI stated, was being made “in view of the fact that SIU-Xv was a special investigation unit designated for the purpose of investigating special crimes”. Mr Justice Amarbir Singh Gill of the High Court had earlier asked the Punjab IGP to hand over “all the material collected so far by the inquiry team” to CBI’s SP. The Judge had observed: “The Superintendent of Police, CBI, Chandigarh, is hereby directed to proceed with the investigation and in case the same is found to be the result of commission of an offence, the guilty should be brought to the book”. In his detailed judgement, Mr Justice Gill had also directed the handing over of the sealed parcel containing the video tape and true copies of the affidavits “filed by the respective parties” to the premier investigating agency . It may be recalled that petitioner Kamaljit Singh had sought directions for handing over the probe to an independent agency like the CBI and registering a case “against all those found responsible for causing Harpreet Kaur and her child’s death”. Directions for fixing responsibility on persons involved in the “disappearance of evidence” had also been sought. |
|
Plugging DD loopholes CHANDIGARH, June 12 — It was a day of serious deliberations over the various measures required to improve the functioning of Jalandhar Doordarshan Kendra and All India Radio. With the Study Group I of the Parliamentary Sanding Committee on Communication inviting suggestions from representatives of the public on how the impact of cable network can be countered, some good can be expected in the near future. As a chance was given to about 25 representatives of the public to conduct a critical appraisal of the official media and offer suggestions to plug the loopholes, a lot of valuable suggestions came forth, the most frequent among them being the necessity to enhance the range of the Jalandhar Doordarshan centre. The fault pointed out was that although the transmission of Pakistan Television is quite clear, that of Jalandhar DD is not. It was suggested that an additional transmitter be provided, if required, in order to improve the quality of transmission of Jalandhar DD programmes. Among the MPs who heard the grievances of people were Mr Nikhil K. Chaudhary, convener of the committee, Prof Dukha Bhagat, Mr Bhartrihari Mahtab, Mr Bal Kavi Bairagi and Mr A.K. Moorthy. Although a team of 12 parliamentarians was supposed to conduct today’s assembly, only five could reach the spot. The rest had to reportedly hold back due to some urgent development. The impact of private channels on clientele of DD and AIR was also discussed with most art lovers calling for a comprehensive ban on such channels. Mr M.L. Koser, an art lover, talked in favour of prime time transmission of classical music and dance programmes. Citing the example of TVS
Sa Re Ga Ma on Zee, which is relayed at a prime time, Mr Koser said programmes of classical base should be relayed at a time when everyone could comfortably view them, instead of them being relayed after 11 p.m (in case of TV) and before 7 a.m. (in case of radio). Yet another suggestion was a fair coverage of business related news on the official media. An HMT official called for the need to produce a regular programme so as to focus on the latest industrial researches. Many farmers present on the occasion said they wanted the slot of agriculture-related programmes to be increased. Talking of the vast availability of local talent, the representatives also stressed the need for providing a DD kendra at Chandigarh so that the local talent could be tapped. Meanwhile, there was also a demand that along with routine channels, a parallel primary channel should also be provided at Chandigarh. After the sessions with public representatives the MPs discussed the status of Jalandhar AIR and DD with the officials concerned. |
|
Quila crumbles as material to restore
it PATIALA, June 12 — Quila Mubarak, a 250-year-old residential fort and pride of the Phulkian dynasty, is crumbling even as mortar and other material needed for its restoration is lying unsued in various stores in the complex itself. Furthermore, even as the magnificent facade of the front gate itself is threatened, besides the “dhuni” of the dynasty which has been burning since more than 200 years and other structures in the inner complex, the Culture and Archives Department is undertaking a cosmetic exercise to beautify the front courtyard and entrance area in anticipation of a VIP visitor, who is likely to preside over a function proposed to be held before the throne room and other painted chambers are thrown open to the public. The extent to which the Quila is threatened by the coming monsoon and the damage which is going unattended can be seen upon entering the Quila Androon complex. A massive crack, more than 20-feet-long, has appeared in the upper right corner at the back of the main gate edifice. The crack, if allowed to develop further, will threaten a major portion of the main gate itself. This crack, however, seems to have escaped the attention of those working in the courtyard below where walls are being smoothened and beautified. Climbing two floors one sees other cracks. The most noticeable is the one which is threatening what is left of the beautiful facade of the Florence Mahal. This palace, which was built by Maharaja Rajinder Singh for the daughter of his stable incharge, is unique because of its beautiful Gothic arches and European architecture. It was the only building with running water and fire places, besides large stain glass windows. The floor in one of the rooms has collapsed partly and is threatening the room below. Besides this the roof is leaking. Strangely the leak is occurring not in the old roof but parts which have been constructed afresh . A visit to the roof reveals even more starting details. A ‘chabutra’ in one corner on top of the ramparts is virtually disintegrating with two of its pillars coming apart. In front of it part of the roof has also collapsed. Besides this cracks are visible in other “chathris” which beautify the roof of the Quila and lend it its grandeur. Even more distressing is the case of the “dhuni” situated on the top floor. Its chimney is literally coming away threatening the fire below which has been burning for more than two hundred years and is kept going as there is a superstition that Patiala will be destroyed in case it is snuffed out. The room which houses the “dhuni” and an adjoining room which serves as a gurdwara are also leaking. The “chadars” placed atop the Granth Sahib were
completely drenched when there was heavy rain in the town a week back. The roof is in a poor condition and needs to be replaced. The department has placed bitumen sheets on top of the roof to stop leaking but the sheets have also cracked and are no longer serving their purpose. Even as the Quila is in such a state, a large stock of bitumen sheets, mortar, wood, iron pipes and other material lies unused in various stocks in the quila complex itself. Sources said this material has being lying unused since a long time. Authorities here say there is a shortage of funds as well as labour due to which various vulnerable points could not be attended to adding minor restoration work had been done wherever needed. Sources said the Quila Androon complex could be completed attended to if its roofs were replaced wherever needed. This they said was due to the fact that the water level in the area had gone down considerably reducing moisture and ensuring longevity of the walls. However, they said lack of moisture had resulted in the wood used as rafters in the roof becoming brittle and being targeted by termite. They said the Archaeological Survey of India had recently restored some roofs in the adjoining Ranwas structure from what little funds were provided to it by the Punjab government. They said such an organisation could be involved in getting the roofs and other points in the Quila Androon also attended to. |
CPM stages
dharna SANGRUR, June 12 — The district unit of the CPM under the leadership of its district secretary, Mr Chand Singh Chopra, today took out a protest march in the town against the “economic and communal policies” of the government. The protest march, which started from near the local railway station, culminated at the district administrative complex where a dharna was organised by the party. Among those who participated in the rally included Mr Chand Singh Chopra, Mr Lehmbar Singh Tagar, General Secretary of the Punjab Kisan Sabha, Mr Vijay Mishra, Joint Secretary of the CITU, Punjab, Mr Sukhwinder Singh Sekhon, President of the Punjab Janwadi Naujawan Sabha, Mr Swarnjit Singh, Secretary of the Punjab unit of the SFI, and Bibi Gurdev Kaur Bhattal, Joint Secretary of the Janwadi Istri Sabha, Punjab. |
Audio tapes vulgar: advocate CHANDIGARH, June 12— In a report before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, senior advocate Manjit Singh Khaira, directed to hear audio tapes allegedly containing objectionable language against a High Court Judge, today stated that “the conversation was vulgar to say the least”. Mr Khaira added that the audio cassette also contained “the dialogue substantially as stated in the affidavit” earlier filed by a Gurdaspur resident alleging the use of foul language for the Judge after MLA from Batala, Mr Jagdish Sahni, and his companions had reached his office. The senior advocate added that the tapes were played at the residence of advocate Gurinder Singh Gill “in his presence as well as in the presence of counsel for the petitioner”. Claiming to have recorded the “entire conversation”, petitioner Surinder Mohan had earlier alleged that Mr Sahni’s companion, during the conversation, had said that they had found a relative of the Judge and had brought him with them from Delhi. Taking up the affidavit, a Division Bench of the High Court headed by Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi directed Mr Khaira and two other advocates of the High Court to listen to the cassette and report to the Court. Meanwhile, the petitioner had added in the affidavit that Mr Sahni, accompanied by his PA and gunmen had directed a co-petitioner to withdraw a writ petition after reached their office early in the evening. Handing over the cassettes to the Court, the petitioner had stated that the action was not only contempt of court but also amounted to interfering with the administration of justice. Plea admitted The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday admitted a petition filed by the President of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association, Mr Gopal Krishan Chatrath, for quashing an amendment “requiring law colleges and departments to run only day sessions”. Mr Chatrath, in his petition taken up by Mr Justice V.K. Bali and Mr Justice K.S. Grewal, also sought the quashing of a letter regarding the Bar Council of India’s desire to discontinue evening sessions in all the law teaching institutes. Seeking stay on the operation of the letter, Mr Chatrath stated that the admission process had already started and would result in irreparable loss to the cause of legal education. |
|
Power politics vs power tariff CHANDIGARH, June 12 — The issue to raise or not to raise power tariff stands politicised in Punjab. Even as the final outcome of the negotiations between the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) and industry is awaited, the coalition partner, the BJP, has demanded the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to convene a meeting of the committee on additional resource mobilisation before any decisions having political cascading effect is taken. The Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, who had chaired a meeting on power tariff hike here Chandigarh on June 8 when left with no alternative suggested across the table talks between the PSEB and the Industry to resolve the issue. In the meantime the PSEB Engineers’ Association has added a new line to the ongoing issue of tariff revision. It has asserted that under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948, the PSEB, as an autonomous body, could effect revision of power rates without any interference of the government. The tariffs have also to be such that ensure a minimum 3 per cent rate of return as per the Act. The moot question is supply of “free” power to the agriculture sector which has not only caused cash loss to the Board but also effectively blocked monetary assistance worth several hundred crore to Punjab which was to accrue from the international financial institutions for various development and infrastructure projects. The PSEB engineers have fired a salvo at the government through the Governor, Lt-Gen. J.F.R. Jacob (retd). He was today submitted a memorandum. His intervention has been sought to direct the government not to undermine the autonomy of the Board and desist from “political interference” in its day-to-day working . The association president, Mr M.S. Bajwa, and General Secretary, Mr Anil Miglani, say with the existing tariff the Board will suffer a loss of Rs 1,328 crore in 2000-01, whereas , to achieve the statutory 3 per cent rate of return the tariff must be hiked by at least 35 per cent, including a levy of Rs 65 per BHP for tubewells. The power tariff issue has created a divide, howsoever artificial it may seem, between the urban and rural constituents represented by the BJP and SAD, respectively. In fact, this becomes evident even from the manner the proposed 30 per cent hike was rolled back to just 17 per cent in 1998 due to pressure exerted by the Industry. Exactly the same is happening now with the latter opposing proposed 17 per cent hike, which is annual average increase that has been effected in the past. The state had promised to compensate the Board for its “free” power supply decision taken in February, 1997. Because of that one politically incorrect but populist decision the government owes a whopping Rs 934 crore to the PSEB which the association wants to be paid. Given the functioning of the Board and all the flak it gets for the power theft, leakages and losses during transmission and other factors,including pending payments of bills etc, the Board is incurring losses. Because of the government decisions and political interference, the PSEB had to resort to market borrowings to meet operational expenses. The present debt has increased to a staggering Rs 3,750 crore with an annual interest burden of Rs 550 crore in addition to debt repayments. “The PSEB is in a vicious debt-trap, which will further force it to go in for market borrowing, thereby, tightening the financial noose around its own neck”, says the association. The reasons for enhanced operational costs have been attributed to an increase in freight charges of coal and rail; jacked up central sector power rates and quantum energy purchased; and in increase in wage bill. On the other hand the PSEB cannot have a free-way to raise tariff. The Board, the engineers say, always brooked political interference in matters of postings and transfers. It was gagged and bound to even effect recovery of dues. The PSEB, it seems from the Association memorandum to the Governor, has apportioned major blame for all the ills that beset it to the government.
Rajesh Pilot’s death mourned JALANDHAR, June 12 — Congressmen today mourned the death of party senior leader Rajesh Pilot by observing a two-minute silence in the party office here. The condolence meeting was presided over by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Choudhary Jagjit Singh and attended among others by Punjab Youth Congress President Davinder Babboo and PPCC Organising Secretary Manjinder Singh Chaudhary. HOSHIARPUR: Mr Charanjit Singh Channi, MP, and Mr Om Parkash Saini, General Secretary of the District Congress Committee, mourned the death of senior Congress leader Rajesh Pilot in a road accident. In a press note issued here on Monday Mr Channi said that he was associated with Pilot. SANGRUR: A condolence meeting of the Congress workers to express grief over the untimely death of Rajesh Pilot, a senior Congress leader, was held at the residence of Mr Surinder Pal Singh Sibia, Secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, here on Monday. ABOHAR: Mr Sajjan Kumar Jakhar, General Secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee expressed grief over the death of senior Congress leader Rajesh Pilot and said Pilot was a champion of value based and corruption free politics. YAMUNANAGAR: A condolence meeting was organised on Monday in INTUC hall to pay homage to senior Congress leader Rajesh Pilot who died in a road accident in Jaipur. Dr J.P. Sharma, MLA, R.K. Tyagi, President, district Congress Committee and many other senior Congress leaders were present. |
|
Docs justify stay of transfers CHANDIGARH, June 12 — The PCMS Association today justified the stay and review of mass transfers of doctors. A press note issued by the association said the transfers were not unjust and irrational, but also rebelled against the policy framed by the government. Dr M.S. Randhawa, President of the association, said during the two-day review exercise, the Health Minister and the Health Secretary had to answer a volley of questions and irregularities pointed out by the association. They admitted their failure in following the proper procedure laid down for general transfers. The association claimed that the Health Department admitted during discussions that this time, before general transfers, it had not circulated the required performa among the doctors. The result was that the Health Secretariat was handicapped regarding its knowledge of each doctor’s seniority, qualifications, rural service, stay at one station, compassionate grounds of being handicapped, widowed, seriously ill and couple cases. Therefore, the irregularities which had crept in the mass transfers were inadvertent and unintentional. |
|
Rural schools sans facilities GARHSHANKAR, June 12 — In spite of the claims made by the Punjab Government regarding eradication of illiteracy from the state, most schools in the rural areas of Punjab are lacking basic facilities like drinking water, electricity, furniture, playgrounds and toilets for the students. Also, the teacher-student ratio is very low. It has been found that two government primary schools in Garhshankar subdivision don’t have any teachers. As many as 11 schools have only one teacher. Ironically, the literacy rate in the district is said to be very high. However, 104 posts of JBT teacher, 34 posts of head teacher and nine posts of centre-head teacher have been lying vacant for the past many months in government primary schools. For the four education blocks in the subdivision, containing 274 primary schools in all, there are a total of 679 sanctioned posts of JBT teacher, 185 posts of head teacher and 32 posts of centre-head teacher. Two schools, at Pandori Beet and Gujjran, are without any teachers. Eleven schools, where there is just one teacher, are at Kalewal Beet, Harma, Barapur, Malkowal, Kanewal, Gaddiwal, Achalpur, Harijan Basti, Pipliwal, Dibian and Kokowal. In these schools, the teacher has just enough time to take the roll call the five classes. Owing to the state government’s decision to cancel the deputation of the teachers, the District Education Officer is said to have instructed Block Education Officers to make temporary arrangements for the schools lacking teachers. |
|
Drive to register labourers JALANDHAR, June 12 — In its effort to quell the recent spurt in crime, particularly night-time robberies in rural and outer city areas, the police has initiated a special drive under which all migrant labourers would be registered. Besides their antecedents would be verified from their parent states. What has led the police authorities to resort to this step is the rising incidence of crime like robberies and murders by armed gangs, which has sent shock waves among residents of villages and localities on the outskirts of the city. Police figures reveal that nearly 40 incidents of robberies and murders have occurred in the district during the current year. These armed gangs use blunt weapons like iron rods and hand pump handles and prefer to strike during the wee hours. There are nearly 2.5 lakh migrants in the district. The police authorities believe well-organised gangs of Bawarais and other migrants, hailing from Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, who may have mingled with the local migrant population, are responsible for the strikes. As a part of the drive, early morning raids between 4 and 7a.m. have become a routine in rural areas and localities surrounding the city. Such raids have already been conducted in about 20 localities, including Deol Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Dasmesh Nagar, Basti Shiekh, Buta Pind, Cheema Nagar, Bombay Colony, Bank Colony, Ekta Vihar, Bhargo Camp and Mithapur, Subhana, Khurla Kingra villages. Each raiding party comprising 50-60 police officials is headed by a DSP. Mr Gaurav Yadav, SSP, said at least 100 migrants were being registered during these raids every day. A separate register has been maintained for this purpose. In addition to this, at least 1400 migrant labourers’ identities have been dispatched to different police stations in other states for getting their antecedents verified. |
|
Welfare Department taken to task PATIALA, In an unusual objection, the issue of poor quality material used for construction of the school buildings was raised by Rajpura Subdivisional Magistrate Vivek Pratap Singh in a meeting presided over by Deputy Commissioner Jasbir Singh Bir today. Mr Singh submitted that the school building was developing structural faults shortly after being built. Mr Bir also instructed the committee to pick up samples to be sent to the laboratory for verification of the material used and warned that anybody found guilty would not be spared. Following this the Deputy Commissioner constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the SDM to look into the construction of the buildings. The other members of the committee will be Executive Engineer, Panchayati Raj, District Welfare Officer and the contractors involved in building the structures. The Deputy Commissioner said that work was in progress for building a bridge over the river Tangri on the Lalru-Handsera road. The bridge would be built at a cost of Rs 5 crore, Mr Bir added. Mr Bir also instructed officials to submit a report
by June 15 regarding the encroachments being made on the Land falling under nagar councils and nagar Panchayats. He said that special groups of officials would be constituted which will look into any encroachment being made on Government land. Mr Bir also instructed the officials concerned to make sure that the sign boards regulating traffic should be properly painted and displayed so as to smoothly regulate the flow of traffic. The meeting was attended by Mr Gagandeep Singh, ADC (Development), Mr Surjit Singh, Deputy Director, local bodies, all SDM`s of the district, Mr Kamleshwar Singh, DDPO and other senior officers of the district administration. |
|
Election
notification CHANDIGARH, June 12 — The Punjab Government today issued a notification announcing elections to 44 municipal councils and nagar panchayats. These are scheduled for June 17, says a press note. |
100 protesters rounded up PHAGWARA, June 12 — After tension and a day-long see-saw between the administration and leaders of the 21-member Mandir Nirman Committee, the police had to eventually round up more than 100 activists, including women, of the BJP, the Hindu Shiv Sena, the Congress and other bodies this afternoon when they refused to halt reconstruction of the demolished structure at the back of the Lord Shiva temple on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road. Mahant Braham Dass Giri queered the pitch further by starting a fast unto death, declaring that he would not take even water till the temple was reconstructed. Several rounds of talks held between the SDM, Mr Pritam Singh, the DSP, Mr Satinder Singh, and the Mandir Nirman Committee chief, Mr Satbir Singh Sahbhi failed and the activists started reconstruction under the nose of the authorities. The back wall of the Shiva idol was constructed in the presence of senior officers. However, when the protesters started reconstructing the structure at the back of the idol the police force marched forward, leading to a stand-off between protesters and the administration. When the protesters did not budge the police took them into custody and stopped the reconstruction of the rearside. Though patient handling of the situation saved any use of force the subsequent inept handling of those arrested spread panic in the town and led to downing of shutters. The protesters were taken on foot in a procession through crowded bazaars. The protesters then sat on dharna on the gaushala road and took their own time in proceeding towards the police station. On the plea of the SP, Mr Jaskirat Singh Chahal, the protesters held parleys inside the police station but in the absence of the SDM. The protesters refused to tolerate the presence of the SDM who left the police station. However, even the SP and DSP failed to persuade the protesters who wanted either to be formally arrested or allowed to reconstruct the pulled down structure of the temple. Those detained include Congress leader Satbir Singh Sahbhi, convener of the temple construction committee which was floated today, BJP leader and councillor Ram Saroop Arora, BJP block president Chander Mohan Chawla and Punjab Shiv Sena general secretary Pawan Prabhakar. Meanwhile, the police had to use force to disperse a crowd which was trying to block the traffic on the Banga road while on the way to the police station. However, DSP, Satinder Singh denied this said that about half dozen persons were injured with lathi blows. Meanwhile, SDM Pritam Singh, while giving the official
version called the construction activity illegal. All illegal constructions were being removed in keeping with orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, he said. He said the PWD had last night demolished the illegal construction around the Shiva temple. The SDM admitted a total of 36 chunks of land in the town were encroached upon. Out of 509 kanals, 267 kanals were encroached upon in the town, disclosed SDM. Out of 5800 kanal provincial land in Block 5200 kanals had been encroached upon said the SDM. “We are committed to removing these encroachments” added the SDM, who had called an all-party meeting this evening. Meanwhile, the protesters have demanded the transfer of the SDM.
Last of blast
victims dies PATIALA, June 12 — The last survivor, Ram Birish, of the Mandi Gobindgarh blast case succumbed to his injuries in the Government Rajindra Hospital here last evening. As many as 11 critically burnt labourers were brought to the hospital here from Mandi Gobindgarh on, June 4 after a blast in the furnace of an alloy factory there. While one of the victims had succumbed to his injuries shortly after being brought to the hospital, the others died afterwards. Most of the labourers belonged to Bhattiwala village on the border with Nepal in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh. They had come to Punjab only 10 to 15 days before their death. A higher pay scale had lured them to the state and they did not know they were at any risk working in a factory which brought iron scrap, including military scrap, from West Asian countries. |
|
Hijackers’ remand extended PATIALA, June 12 — The judicial remand of the IC-814 Indian Airlines plane hijackers was today extended to June 26 by the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Ms Sabeena. The IC-814 plane had been hijacked from Kathmandu on December 24 and diverted to Kandahar by the hijackers. Today, Dalip Kumar, Bhopal Manbhubal and Yusuf Nepali were brought before the Judge. Yusuf Nepali was arrested from Bombay during the hijacking drama itself and charged with providing arms and ammunition to the hijackers. Dalip Kumar had been arrested later from the North-east and was instrumental in procuring arms for the hijackers. |
|
Scooterist
robbed of Rs 9.30 lakh JALANDHAR, June 12 — A scooter-borne youth robbed an employee of a finance company of Rs 9.30 lakh in Panga Mobai village near Noormahal today. The incident occurred when Rajinder Singh, the employee of a Mullanpur village based finance company was going on a scooter after withdrawing Rs 9.80 lakh from the company and handing over Rs 50,000 to two persons. As he parked his scooter outside a toilet a scooterist descended on the scene and escaped after taking away a packet containing the amount which was hanging on the handle of the scooter. |
|
Child hurt during film shooting dies AMRITSAR, June 12 — A school-going boy Gurdev alias Gopi (12), who was seriously injured in police with lathi charge during the shooting of film ‘Gaddar’ on Saturday succumbed to injuries at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital here today. The cause of death is attributed to power failure in the government-run hospital. The child could not be operated upon for about three hours due to power failure. Mrs Laxmi Kanta Chawla, MLA, has demanded an inquiry into the unruly scenes during the film shooting. For want of proper arrangements agitated onlookers started pelting stones on trains which resulted in injuries to a number of persons. The people were demanding their money back which they had reportedly paid for getting passes to see the shooting. Mrs Chawla has demanded registration of cases against those responsible for the unruly scenes at the railway station. |
Grace marks for
matric students SAS NAGAR, June 12 — Following a report of poor performance of students in the matric class examination conducted by the Punjab School Education Board in March this year, the board authorities have reportedly decided to give grace marks to the students. A decision in this regard was taken recently by the board authorities. Sources in the board said the total grace marks in English, maths, science, and social studies came to around 37. In English and maths, students who had secured 16 marks or above would be given 10 additional marks each. In science, students with a minimum of 11 marks would be given five grace marks each. In social studies, students with a minimum of 21 marks would be given additional five marks each. The total adds to 5 per cent grace marks. Though the officials claim that giving grace marks was a common practice, the sources said poor percentage was due to the new pattern of setting five different sets of paper adopted by the board to check copying. |
Wheat procurement
till March 31 CHANDIGARH, June 12 — Wheat procurement will continue till March 31. Farmers bringing wheat to mandis can sell it at the minimum support price, disclosed Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Food and Supplies Minister, Punjab, here today. All procurement agencies had been asked to direct their staff to remain in mandis up to March 31.
|
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 120 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
