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| Sunday, July 16, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
Dissidents to start “quit Amarinder” movement
Kantor may head state BJP youth wing SGPC rules out dress code
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Cong worker’s murder: prime suspect gives in
SHSAD
youth wing takes Badal to task on autonomy BJP office-bearers discuss agenda
Woman dies, 4 hurt in roof collapse Raja Sansi airport
to have more amenities Monsoon maroons them
annually Employees oppose
‘rationalisation’ Resentment among employees Murder convict’s plea dismissed Hospital staff end
stir, resume duty Plea of freedom fighters body Expenditure
commission to be set up
Forum tells PSEB to drop sundry charges
Accused at large even after 2 yrs
Admission to MBBS cancelled
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Dissidents to start “quit Amarinder” movement PATIALA, July 15 — A symbolic ‘’quit Amarinder’’ movement is being started by dissidents in the Punjab Congress on the occasion of the Quit India anniversary on August 9 with a procession of dissidents scheduled to march to the statue of Praja Mandal leader Sewa Singh Thikriwala in the city and hold a conference later in the Central Library auditorium to ‘’restart the process of strengthening the Congress Party in the state’’. The march to the statue of Thikriwala is significant due to the fact that the Praja Mandal leader had fought against the forefathers of Pradesh Congress President Capt Amarinder Singh and had been brutally subdued . Striking an aggressive posture , the dissidents will start from the residence of former Minister Brahm Mohindra which is right opposite the New Moti Bagh residence of Capt Amarinder Singh. In an attempt to broadbase the attack against the PPCC chief the dissidents will march to the statue of former minister Beant Singh in Chhoti Baradari after garlanding the statue of Thikriwala to express solidarity with the family of the former Chief Minister as well as his ideals. Following that the procession will garland the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on The Mall Road before taking part in the conference to be held on the occasion. It is significant that a fresh anti-Amarinder drive is being started on the eve of the organisational elections in the state. More so the dissidents have been able to garner the support of party MP and senior leader Jagmeet Brar who attended a meeting to formulate the entire programme. Among others who attended the meetings were Pradesh General Secretary Ramesh Singla, former ministers Raj Khurana and Prem Gupta , former PUNSUP Chairman Brij Lal Goel , former Improvement Trust Chairman Nirmal Bhattian and Jagmeet Brar loyalist Harinderpal Singh Mann . Talking to TNS today Mr Ramesh Singla while confirming the programme chalked out by the leaders refused to say it was specifically directed against the PPCC chief. He, however, said it was aimed at strengthening the party in the state to take on the challenge of the Shiromani Akali Dal in the coming Assembly elections and that it would be attended by senior state as well as central leaders . Mr Singla also made a veiled attack on Capt Amarinder, saying the PPCC did not have any communication channel with party workers who had got demoralised . Mr Singla also took the occasion to announce that he had submitted his resignation from the post of party General Secretary to Capt Amarinder and General Secretary incharge of Punjab Moti Lal
Vora. He said he had resigned from his party post as the party had failed miserably in coming to the help of people who had been hit by steep increases in fertiliser and diesel prices. He said there was general lawlessness, with the farmers and Dalits in the state being in a poor state but the Congress had not chalked out any programme for their
amoleoration. |
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PPCC for more powers to states CHANDIGARH, July 15 — The Executive of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) at a meeting held here today rejected the Anandpur Sahib resolution, but supported the delegation of more powers especially financial powers to States. The Executive urged the
Akalis, particularly Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Punjab Chief Minister, to clarify his stand on the autonomy issue. Speaking to mediapersons at Punjab Congress Bhavan, Capt Amarinder Singh said his party was for strong Centre and opposed its weakening by granting autonomy to States. He said the Anandpur Sahib resolution drafted in 1973 and Jammu and Kashmir’s demand for autonomy had become irrelevant in the wake of the emergence of new global economic order. Seeking 50 per cent share from the Central divisible pool of taxes, Capt Amarinder Singh said his party wanted the Union Government should delegate more powers to States in areas like education, health and agriculture. Opposing the Shiromani Akali Dal’s demand that the Centre should retain only
Defence, External Affairs, Currency and Communications with it and leave the remaining subjects to the States, Capt Amarinder Singh said that such a demand could lead to the disintegration of the country. Capt Amarinder Singh said the setting up of the Constitutional Review Commission by the Union Government was an exercise to saffronise the Constitution. There was Parliament, a proper forum to debate on various provisions of the Constitution and make suitable amendments. There was no need of the commission, he added. The party adopted a resolution against the demand for autonomy by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. The resolution said such a demand was fraught with dangerous consequences. Inspired by this demand, the States like Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Assam have also come out in support of it. Having a dig on the
Akalis, the resolution said the “party strongly feels to cover up their all round failures, Akalis have again raised the autonomy issue to divert the attention of the people and to cover up their misrule”. By another resolution the executive demanded rolling back of the recently hiked power tariff. The hike would hit the industry, trade and domestic consumers, the resolution added. The former Chief Ministers, Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar, and Mrs Santosh Choudhary and Mrs Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder were absent at the press conference. Capt Amarinder Singh also announced a block-wise training programme for recently recruited 62,750 active party members. Earlier, two-minute silence was observed to pay tributes to late Mr Rajesh Pilot, Mr Bhagwan Dass
Arora, Mr Kapil Saluja, Mr Dilbagh Singh Dalke and Begum Akbar Jehan, wife of late Sheikh
Abudullah. |
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Kantor may head state BJP youth wing FEROZEPORE, July 15 — With Mr Brij Lal Rinwa’s election as the Punjab BJP chief from the district, possibility of Mr Jagdeep Rai Kantor being chosen as the state chief of the party’s youth wing has increased. Mr
Kantor, who was the state vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha — a youth wing of the BJP, in the previous term has been associated with the party since 1969 and is considered clear to the local RSS leaders. As both Mr Rinwa and Mr Kantor hail from this border district, his prospects for cornering the top post are high this time. Since the previous Yuva Morcha President, Mr Tarun Chugh, also hailed from Amritsar, the native district of the previous Punjab BJP chief, Mr Daya Singh Sodhi, the party insiders feel that the tradition should be maintained to ensure effective co-ordination between the BJP and its youth wing. Sources in the working committee of the Bharatiya Yuva Morcha confirmed that Mr Kantor was in the race among three main contenders for the post. The other two names doing the rounds are Mr Mohit Gupta of Bathinda, who is also a member of the All-India Working Committee of the Yuva Morcha and Mr Kamal Chaitley, the Ludhiana district president of the BJP Youth Wing. However, Mr Kantor’s stakes are high for his being associated with the RSS and his clean image. Mr Kantor has also served the Yuva Morcha as Punjab Vice-President for two successive terms. His “bold” writings in the RSS mouthpiece — “Panchjanya” also goes to his credit. |
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SGPC rules out dress code AMRITSAR, July 15 — The SGPC president, Bibi Jagir Kaur, has said a high-level delegation will meet the Prime Minister soon to discuss the issue of sending Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan. Talking to newspersons here today, Bibi Jagir Kaur said after the Pakistan Government installed its own management headed by a former ISI chief to administer Sikh shrines, the SGPC had decided not to send jathas from India. She said the SGPC had taken up the issue with the union government and now a meeting with the Prime Minister was expected to be held within the next few days. Bibi Jagir Kaur also expressed concern over the Pakistan Government issuing visas to Sikh organisation, bypassing the SGPC, to visit gurdwaras. Earlier, it was the responsibility of the SGPC alone to sponsor jathas for Pakistan. The SGPC chief while disfavouring the dress code dictate issued by the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee, said the views of the Delhi committee were its own. She ruled out a ban on entry of jeans or skirt-clad girls in gurdwaras run by the SGPC. She said “Sikhism is a secular religion. Such restrictions are not called for,” adding that she would prefer to educating devotees about wearing a proper dress when paying obeisance at religious places. The SGPC would advise girls to wear traditional Indian dresses in gurdwaras, she said. Answering questions about the outcome of the three-member sub-committee headed by the senior vice-president of the SGPC, Mr Balbir Singh Pannu, to look into complaints against Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar, Sri Damdama Sahib, and Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar, Sri Keshgarh Sahib, she said the committee members had failed to meet. She had now decided to form another committee to inquire into the complaints, she said. Commenting on the ban on a song by pop singer Daler Mehndi, she said the SGPC had taken a serious note of the visuals depicting Sikhs in a ridiculous manner. She warned various TV channels and singers to desist from such visuals. |
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Cong worker’s murder: prime suspect gives in FEROZEPORE, July 15 — The prime suspect in the murder of a Congress activist inside the city police station complex on the night of July 11 surrendered before the police yesterday evening. Disclosing this to mediapersons, the SP (Headquarters), Mr N.P.S. Sidhu, said Rajesh Mehta who stabbed Congress activist Kapil Saluja with the help of his brother and a friend finally gave in to the police pressure. He said Rajesh’s brother, Ashwani Mehta, a BJP leader, and Satpal Bajaj, the third suspect, would be arrested shortly. While Mr Sidhu denied that the arrest was delayed due to pressure from the Akali Dal MP, Mr Zora Singh Mann, the latter admitted that the suspect had approached him for help after the incident. Reacting to the allegation of shielding the suspect, he said the Congress was giving misleading statements. He however, admitted that the suspect had approached him for help and said: “My supporters hold right to approach me any time they want to. What’s wrong in it”. The district police chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh, also denied partisan role of the police in the case. Although, the activist was murdered inside the police station complex in the presence of SHO Amritpal Singh, Mr Gurcharan Singh ruled out disciplinary action against him. He denied that this was being done to favour a senior Akali Dal leader from Zira, who happened to be a relative of the SHO. Instead, Mr Gurcharan Singh appreciated the SHO for chasing away the suspects by firing two rounds in the air. |
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PPCC for arrest of Ferozepore SHO CHANDIGARH, July 15 — The Punjab Pradesh Congress party has demanded the arrest of the SHO in whose presence a Congress party activist was killed in a police station in Ferozepore. The President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Capt Amarinder Singh, said here today that the SHO who had failed to protect the life of a citizen in a police station deserved to be arrested and tried. Meanwhile, the party has decided to hold rallies and marches in Bagapurana on July 18 and in Malout on July 19 and in
Begowal, headquarters of the SGPC President, Bibi Jagir Kaur, on July 27 to protest against police excesses on Congress activists at the behest of Akali leaders. |
SHSAD youth wing
takes Badal to task on autonomy LUDHIANA, July 15 — The Sarb Hind Shiromani Youth Akali Dal yesterday criticised Mr Punjab Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister for not stressing on the Autonomy demand for the state even though it was on top of the agenda of the Anandpur Sahib resolutions passed by the Akalis. Mr Karnail Singh Panjauli, President of the Dal addressing a press conference here yesterday criticised Mr Badal for changing stance on the Autonomy demand of the state by announcing his support for a Federal set-up of government. Mr Panjauli said by changing stance, Mr Badal had insulted sacrifices of Akalis in the Dharam Youdh morcha. He also urged on the SAD MLA’s to bring a resolution in the state Assembly for passing the Autonomy Bill like Mr Farooq Abdullah did in Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Panjauli also announced that the Dal would shortly organise a seminar on Autonomy and also invite Mr Farooq Abdullah and Mr Praful Kumar Mahanta along with other like minded leaders to participate in the deliberations. |
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BJP office-bearers discuss agenda DHANAULA (Sangrur), July 15 — A meeting of the office-bearers of the Punjab unit of the BJP under the presidentship of Mr Brij Lal Rinwa, state BJP chief, and the supervision of Mr Narinder Modi, national General Secretary of the BJP and in charge of Punjab BJP affairs, here this evening discussed the agenda to be presented in the 100-member executive committee’s meeting of the state BJP unit at Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Natha Singh here tomorrow. The meeting was attended by 14 office-bearers of the total 15,
besides Dr Baldev Raj Chawla, Health Minister, Punjab. However, the proceedings of the meeting regarding the discussion on the agenda, could not be known as it was a closed-door meeting. Thakur Jagdish Rai, president of the Sangrur district unit of the BJP, said before the meeting that discussion would be held on issues regarding the implementation of the BJP’s central policies in Punjab, strengthening of the party in the state and review of its work after the election of Mr Rinwa as the state BJP chief. Mr Nanak Chand Kalra, a former president of the Sangrur district unit of the BJP and now chairman of the Sangrur Improvement Trust, said the meeting was organised in Dhanaula to strengthen the base of the party in the rural areas. In tomorrow’s meeting, 51 members of the state BJP executive committee, including office-bearers, 24 district presidents, 24 general secretaries, besides 13 special invitees will participate. |
Woman dies, 4 hurt in roof collapse BATHINDA, July 15 — A woman, Parminder Kaur, died and her husband, Hardev Singh, and three others, including two children, were injured when the roof of her house located on the Dhobiana road collapsed and the municipal council’s shops located near the Bathinda-Barnala bypass road and railway overbridge got partially damaged due to heavy rain which lashed the town last night. Most of the residential areas, including the trans-railway colonies, Chandsar Basti, Nai Basti areas, Power House Road, Housing Board colony, Dhobiana road and Veer Colony, have been inundated. The residents of these areas have to shift their belongings to safer areas and in some pockets they have to take shelter on their rooftops. Apart from this, almost all interior roads of the city have developed deep potholes. The rain water which accumulated in the city could not be drained out as the pumping sets installed at various points in the city did not work properly. The district administration has ordered the replacement of the pumping set installed near the housing board colony. The authorities concerned started draining out water only when the municipal officials and deputy commissioner, Mr Jaspal Singh and municipal council president, Mr Bhupinder Singh Bhullar, started making rounds of the city. The residents alleged that their complaints made to the sewerage board officials that water had been accumulating in their localities and that the pumping sets were not working had fallen on deaf ears. The Punjab Science and Technology Minister, Mr Chiranji Lal Garg, also visited the spot where the areas had come under knee-deep water. However, the residents alleged that the Punjab Government had failed to ractify the drainage system of this town despite the fact that crores had spent on it. They pointed out that the claims of Mr Garg that not a single glass of water would be allowed to accumulate had turned out to be false. Apart from the residential areas, the governments offices, including those of the SSP, DC, Public Relations officials, Red Cross. Income Tax, Ambedkar Bhawan, district courts, excise and taxation, consumer forum and PWD had also been surrounded by knee-deep water. Mr B.D. Singla, Municipal Engineer, said that all inundated areas would be cleared of water tonight. He added that The Mall road had been cleared while the power house road was being cleared. He said that at present all the pumping sets had been functioning. Mr Jaspal Singh, Deputy Commissioner, said that the district administration had made arrangements to deal with any situation. He added that the Punjab Government would give Rs 50,000 as relief to the next of kin of the deceased woman. The clinics situated on The Mall road and power house road received less patients today as the area was under flood water while the attendance in schools and government offices was also thin.  Raja Sansi airport
to have more amenities RAJA SANSI (Amritsar), July 15 — The Punjab Government has taken the initiative to acquire 23 acres more to facilitate provision of more amenities to the international and domestic passengers for the international airport here. The central government has also accorded approval for upgrading the Sri Guru Ram Das International airport and first installment of Rs 79.26 crore of the total outlay of Rs 150 crore is being released to the Airport Authorities of India to take up various projects. According to details made available here, although, the Union Government is yet to accord its formal approval to the project through a Cabinet sub-committee but its modernisation and upgradation have already been undertaken. This has been done at the initiative of Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal who personally is monitoring the progress. A new fully airconditioned visitors shed for the convenience of the passengers and relatives has come up opposite the main terminal building at the cost of Rs 25 lakhs. Besides, the shed would have reception counter, snack bar with modern furniture, and toilet facilities for more than 400 people. The entire airport complex including waiting hall, immigration and customs block is being airconditioned at the cost of Rs 1.25 crore and is likely to be completed by the end of this year. The Airport Authority officers, talking to The Tribune added that bus service from the terminal building right up to the aircraft for ferrying the passengers to the waiting plane and to avoid frequent security checking would be started. The officer added that is proposed to extend the present runway of 10500 feet and also to strengthen the present one for big-bodied aircraft including jumbos and airbus. The present parking area for the aircraft is also being extended to accommodate three wide-bodied aircraft simultaneously. The Punjab State Electricity Board is also providing additional power cables near the airport to meet increased powerload and requirements. According to a senior official to the airport, a total of 14 international flights are already in operation at the airport these days. Uzbekistan Airlines is operating two flights a week, on Sunday and Thursday to Amritsar-Tashkent-Birmingham-London. Similarly, Turkmenistan International Airlines are operating four flights a week on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday between Amritsar-Ashgabad-London-Birmingham. Both these Airlines are providing onward connections to passengers going to the USA. The Indian Airlines is operating three flights a week on the Amritsar-Sharjah Sector on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The Indian Airlines is also operating flights to Amritsar-Chandigarh and Delhi on every Monday and Friday. The Air India is operating flights every Tuesday and Saturday for Amritsar-Delhi-Amritsar route with onward connections to Europe, the UK, the USA and other East Asian countries. |
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Monsoon maroons them annually BAUPUR JADID (Kapurthala): The onset of the monsoon brings music to the ears and relief for people, but in stark contrast spell fear for about 1200 residents of 10-odd villages of this secluded island in the middle of the Beas, who have no option but to leave their homes for three to four months every rainy season. As soon as July approaches, fear haunts island residents, the reason being a speedy rise in the level of the Beas waters, which eventually engulf the island for over three months, leaving no scope for them to either live or to do farming on their land. Interestingly, this island has no link with the mainland, thanks to the apathy of successive governments in the state which never deemed it fit to construct a bridge, linking the island with the mainland even in four decades. Rains apart, what is worrying poor farmers, who had dreamt of making it big after purchasing land at a nominal cost when the island came into being with the Harike barrage, is the depletion of island each passing day due to soil erosion. Narrating his tale of woe, Mr Kashmir Singh, a resident of Baupur said : “All we can do before the onset of the monsoon is to find a safe place to shift once the water starts submerging our land. Though a number of villagers go to their relatives or near and dear ones, most people make the Dhussi bundh facing one side of the island as their home for two to three months. You will see them living on the bundh in small tents.” Similarly, Mr Pritam Singh, another resident, said the biggest problem was of crops and livestock. “Not only are our standing crops damaged but we cannot sow for three to four months, which doubles our losses, since on the one hand we remain short of foodgrains and there is no fodder for our cattle. And this does not end here as we also lose a number of heads of cattle during the floods.” Villagers said what worried them the most was the depletion of area of the 600-acre island. “Every year we lose anything between 20 and 40 acres of land owing the fury of river waters. Last year, the river waters damaged 10 to 15 houses on the bank and residents had to shift to the centre of the island,” said one of them pointing towards the eroded banks of the island. Despite that no compensation was paid to flood victims by the government,. Reliving the memories of the 1998 floods, Mr Kashmir Singh said it was the worst time he had ever seen in his life. “All of us had been rendered homeless as all our kutcha houses were washed away by the flood waters. Since then none has dared to build a kutcha house.” Incidentally, of the 300, only 10 to 12 houses are pucca and belong to comparatively affluent people. The island has no shop and the lone connection with the outer world is a sole battery-operated antenna telephone, installed in the house of the Namberdaar of the Baupur Jadid village. The villagers had been living in darkness till last year, when power supply was given to several small villagers not linked with any road network. Mr Bohar Singh and a number of villagers, who gathered in Bhaini Kadar Baksh village after getting wind of the visit by the Tribune team to the island, said though the rain god was not under the control of the government, but the least it could do to benefit them was to construct a bridge across the Beas so as to enable them to move to the mainland during the monsoon. Employees oppose
‘rationalisation’ AMRITSAR, July 15 — Under the cover of rationalisation the state government is violating the medical manual in respect of doctors/para medical and other staff in ESI (Employees social insurance) hospitals and dispensaries in the state stated Mr Parduman Singh, Senior CPI leader while addressing a press conference here yesterday. Consequently in the first instance, 95 posts of specialists and medical officers all over the state were abolished, six of which belong to Amritsar ESI. This has resulted in the closure of the Department of Surgery as both specialists in surgery and anaesthesia are being transferred without anyone taking their place as also the closure of the department of paediatrics with the removal of its only specialist. Strength of the orthopaedics department and the ESI dispensary has been reduced by 50 per cent and 25 per cent respectively. The emergency wing too is short of staff as out of the six remaining doctors of the total of 12, one is a gynaecologist and the remaining are not enough for handling emergencies. The meeting was also addressed by Mr Amarjit Singh, general secretary, Punjab State Committee of AITUC and Mr Des Raj President of Textile Mazdoor Ekta Union. They questioned the logic behind rationalisation scheme in view of the fact that 87.5 per cent of expenditure on medicare were met by the ESI Corporation; and only last year the ESI Corporation had raised the expenditure on medical care from Rs 400 to Rs 600 per insured person. Moreover it is the employees and workers who finance this scheme. Workers pay from their meagre resources. Whereas the central government does not pay anything and the state government pays just 12½ per cent expenditure on medical care only the added. The meeting viewed with concern the existing scenario of the ESI hospital where most of the doctors report for duty for only two hours. Many of whom do not take a round of indoor patients for days together. Condition of the building too is dismal as also the food served and the pathetic conditions of the bathrooms. Workers and organisations have appealed to the Union Government and the ESI Corporation to intervene and post doctors as per medical manual norms and remove other shortcomings. Criticising the rationalisation scheme they urged the state government to withdraw the said scheme. In view of at least 3 lakh workers insured with the ESI being affected due to the un-availability of medical help in the absence of specialised staff. A deputation led by Mr Parduman Singh had met the Director-General ESI, Mr R.L. Mehta in the capital who had assured them of necessary steps in this regard. Meanwhile the office-bearers of AITUC and the Textile Mazdoor Union has threatened to start an agitation if their demands were not met. |
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Resentment among employees SANGRUR, July 15 — Resentment prevails among members of the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union against the delay in the release of anomaly committee report and non-implementation of already accepted demands of the employees by the Punjab Government. The demands include change in the designations of the clerical staff and revision in the pay scales, and promotions for clerks up to top-level posts in respective departments. Mr Raj Kumar Arora, chief spokesman of the union, said here yesterday the Punjab Chief Secretary had failed in fulfilling already accepted demands of the ministerial staff so far. He had also not convened a meeting of a three-member committees comprising the Chief Secretary, the Finance Secretary and the Personnel Secretary of the state to hold a meeting with the union for settling the demands he added. He also urged the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to direct the Chief Secretary to convene a meeting of three-member committee with the union immediately and implement the already accepted demands. Mr Arora also demanded that the political
interference in the transfers of the employees should be stopped to provide a clean administration to the state and save the employees from harassment. |
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Murder convict’s plea dismissed CHANDIGARH, July 15 — Upholding the trial court’s orders convicting and sentencing a Hoshiarpur district resident to life imprisonment for murdering his wife, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed his appeal. Appellant Sohan Singh was earlier booked by the Punjab Police under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code after he killed his wife Balbir Kaur with a spade for “not obeying his command”. According to the prosecution, Balbir Kaur was cutting crops when 40-year-old Sohan Singh, armed with a spade inflicted blows on her, killing her on the spot. After hearing the arguments, the Bench, comprising Mr Justice H.S. Bedi and Mr Justice A.S. Garg, observed: “Counsel has argued that since only two blows were given on the person of the deceased, it does not reflect that he intended to cause her death”. The Bench also observed: “Such argument is absolutely not applicable in the case when the appellant had a motive and great annoyance with his wife as he obviously could not digest the rumour about her having illicit ties and he repeatedly gave blows with a kassi, a sharp weapon. As such the offence can not be diluted to any lighter offence”. The Bench concluded: “We are, therefore, of the opinion that the order of conviction and sentence passed by the trial court is well based. Hence, the appeal fails and is dismissed”. |
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Hospital staff end
stir, resume duty PHILLAUR, July 15 — All 45 members of staff including doctors, nurses, and class III and class IV employees of Phillaur Civil Hospital resumed duty today after assurance of justice given by Phillaur DSP Sajjan Singh Cheema whom a deputation of doctors met yesterday. The whole staff of the hospital had been on strike since Thursday in protest against the registration of a case by the Phillaur police against a medical officer R.P. Verma for taking bribe to write a medico-legal report (MLR). The doctors on strike gave a memorandum to the DSP and demanded reinvestigation of the bribery case as well as the cause of injuries which led the complainants to register a case. Meanwhile, SMO Virinderpaul Singh denied that his name figured in the FIR, but the police when contacted told this correspondent that the SMO’s name was very much in the FIR. |
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Plea of freedom fighters body CHANDIGARH, July 15 — A meeting of the office-bearers and other senior members of the Punjab Pradesh Freedom Fighters Association was held here today. Addressing the meeting, the patron of the Association, Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, urged the Punjab Government to restore the quota for the wards of freedom fighters in the medical colleges in the State within a week or face agitation. She said it was highly condemnable that the Government had denied reserved seats to the grandsons and daughters of the freedom fighters, but on the other side seats had been reserved for the Akali activists who participated in the Punjabi Suba Morcha and other agitations. She said while freedom fighters sacrificed their lives for the country, Akalis launched agitations to be in power. Three resolutions were passed. Mrs Bhattal said apart from seeking the restoration of quota for the grandsons and daughters of the freedom fighters, the resolution criticised the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal for not enhancing pension for freedom fighters from Rs 1500 to Rs 2000. Mrs Bhattal said in the first week of the August, the Association would announce its programme against communal forces by talking with the units of the Association in the neighbouring States. In a signed statement Mrs Bhattal urged the Congress party to launch an agitation for pressing the State Government to withdraw cases registered against certain journalists at Khanna on June 16. She said earlier cases against certain journalists were registered at Nabha and Samrala. |
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Expenditure
commission to be set up PATIALA, July 15 — The Punjab Government will be setting up a Public Expenditure Commission to monitor public funds and the proposal for setting up the commission has been sent for the approval of the Cabinet. This was disclosed by Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance and Planning Minister, while addressing a press conference at the circuit hall here today. Reacting to the state BJP president Mr Brij Lal Rinwa`s allegation that corruption in the state was on the rise, Capt Kanwaljit Singh retorted that all efforts were being made to check the menace of corruption, for the removal of this evil, it was necessary that politicians and bureaucrats should be made accountable. Capt Kanwaljit Singh said a meeting of the Empowerment Committee of the Chief Ministers to discuss the uniformity in central sales tax will be held at New Delhi on July 21.
Forum tells PSEB to drop sundry charges GURDASPUR, July 15 — Mr Amardeep Singh Shergil and Ms Manisha Verma, president and member respectively of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum here has directed SDO, the Punjab State Electricity Board, Dorangla in the district not to recover Rs 14014/- as part of the bill issued to Sain Dass of Nangal Brahmana
village on April 16, 2000 against the consumption of electricity from February 24, 2000 to March 25, 2000. The amount was added as sundry charges in the bill. Mr Shergil briefing reporters here yesterday said that Mr Sain Dass, the consumer reported to the forum that sundry charges of the said amount being recovered from him by the SDO was causing harassment to the complainant. The SDO, PSEB, Dorangla took objections and said that the complaint was not maintainable and the dispute was liable to be referred to the dispute settlement committee of the PSEB. Moreover the complainant was issued a bill in question for the charges of energy used by the complainant by direct wiring which was detected by the SDO PSEB, Dorangla. The meter of the complainant was found burnt as well and no information was given to the department regarding the burning of the meter. The SDO said that the complainant had been charged Rs 9980/- as theft of energy, Rs 3334/- as average of the bill from September, 98 to March, 99 and Rs 800/- against the burning of the meter. |
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Roll of IMA’s
Punjab unit lauded PATIALA, July 15 — Lauding the Punjab chapter of the Indian Medical Association for their drive against the unethical advertisements placed by medical centres and nursing homes, Dr D.S. Bhullar, Joint Secretary of the Indian Academy of Forensic (North), said in a press note here on Thursday that the dignity of the medical profession needed to be restored. Maintaining that profit sharing between doctors and drug manufacturers, traders or chemists, a common practice these days, was leading to the entry of spurious drugs and sub-standard medical equipment in the market, Dr D.S. Bhullar said that both the IMA and the public should take strict action against this. Dr D.S. Bhullar also alleged the private practioners of employing unqualified and unregistered persons as assistants for low salaries. Water scarcity
in Janta Nagar BATHINDA, July 15 — Residents of Janta Nagar are facing problems due to the inadequate drinking water. Scarcity of drinking water has irked the residents of this area. In a press note issued here yesterday, Mr Makhan Singh, vice-president, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Club, Bathinda said that the Janta Nagar had been declared slum by the government but the authorities concerned were not serious about the drinking water problem. He added that underground water of the area had been declared unsafe for health but the residents were being compelled to drink the underground water as the supply of the water works water was not proper.
Waste management
plant for Jalandhar CHANDIGARH, July 15 — The Punjab Government has chalked out a programme to set up a non-chemical solid waste management plant at Jalandhar, first of its kind in northern India. The plant would become operational by the end of this year. It will cost Rs 6 crore. Mr Balramji Das Tandon, Local Government Minister, Punjab, said today that the proposal for setting up of such plants at Ludhiana and Amritsar was also in pipeline. Dadar Express
cancelled PHILLAUR, July 15 — The Northern Railway has cancelled Mumbai-bound 1058-down Amritsar-Dadar Express for today. Disclosing this railway sources said the train had to be cancelled as its corresponding train 1057-up could not reach Amritsar yesterday due to heavy rain in Maharashtra. MOGA: The Northern Railway proposes to set up a flag railway station near the focal point in Moga about 5 km from the railway station. The business community has already urged the Union Railways to introduce a fast passenger train from Ferozepore to New Delhi via Moga in view of large number of
passengers travelling to New Delhi daily. |
Accused at large even after 2 yrs FEROZEPORE, July 15 — The accused in a case of cheating that rocked the Arif Ke Basti Daulatpura Cooperative Society in the district way back in 1998 are still eluding the police. Although the police had booked three persons for fradulently drawing loans from the Arif Ke branch of the Cooperative Bank in 1998, only one person has been arrested so far on account of alleged political pressure. The case was registered at the Mallanwala Police Station on September 12, 1998, following a complaint of the branch manager, Mr Arvel Singh Gill, who had accused five persons, including four employees of the co-operative society and a nambardar, of cheating. In his complaint submitted to the SSP, Mr Gill had charged these persons with pocketing loans sanctioned to some other persons through impersonation during 1982-84. He had alleged that the then Secretary of the society, Nirmal Singh, had wrongfully drawn loans in connivance with Ravel Singh, a urea salesman, and other officials. Later, they took the help of Nambardar, Jagir Singh, for attestation of certain documents and photographs. Mr Gill had put the amount of loans drawn on separate occasions at over Rs 1.8 lakh, which is yet to be recovered from the accused. Sources in the department said that the police was not only delaying the arrests, but had also kept the scope of its investigation limited to only three persons. While a few others, including an inspector, who has now been promoted had reportedly aided the accused in committing the offence, the police had not questioned them due to political pressure. The only accused arrested so far is Nirmal Singh, who was later bailed out. The SP (Headquarters), Mr N.P.S. Sidhu, said that the police was now thinking of declaring Navel Singh, the main accused, as a proclaimed offender. Denying political pressure from any ruling party leader as the reason for delaying the arrests, he said that Ravel Singh had absconded. Brushing aside the charge that some other officials too were involved in the offence, he said that Ravel Singh and Nirmal Singh were the main accused and ruled out the scope of expending the ambit of investigation that further. He further claimed that the offence being a white-collar crime, involved deep investigation was time-consuming and clarified that no political pressure was being exerted on the police from any side. |
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Role in treating
rape victim denied FARIDKOT, July 15 — Dr Manjeet Kaur, Assistant Professor, G.G.S. Medical College and Hospital yesterday said that she was not involved, in any way, in the treatment and surgery of a minor rape victim. In a press note issued here, she said that operation of the victim, who allegedly was raped by her step-father, was performed by two other doctors. She claimed that she was on summer vacation from June 3, 2000 to July 7, 2000 and this fact could be verified from the record of medical college. The operation of the rape victim was performed on June 16. |
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2 killed, 4 hurt
in mishaps JALANDHAR, July 15 — Two persons were killed and four injured in separate incidents since last night. Jaswinder Kaur, a resident of Basti Bawa Khel was killed, while her husband Jagjit Singh and his friends Balbir Singh and Ranjit Singh were injured when the car in which they were travelling collided with a truck near Lidhran village on the outskirts today. A case has been registered. The truck driver is missing . In another incident, Shetty Pal, a migrant worker at a local factory was killed after being hit by a train near crossing no 61. Nasib Chand, a lineman with the Punjab State Electricity Board, was electrocuted at Lal Kurti Bazaar while trying to rectify a fault in a transformer. |
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One booked for
cheating PHAGWARA, July 15 — The police here has registered a case under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 of the IPC against Krishan Kumar describing himself of as an adviser in the Union Home Ministry and collecting Rs 10 lakh from at least six persons interested in going abroad. It is learnt yesterday that the person has been absconding from his local Model Town residence. The person even flaunted his HM 1-card to trap victims. He forged documents and defrauded people promising to send them abroad. He even arranged fake certificates, it was learnt. |
Admission to MBBS cancelled CHANDIGARH, July 15 — Cancelling the admission of a student to MBBS course, Punjab and Haryana High Court, has held that the student, in the presence of her father, can not be considered a dependent of a terrorist- affected family. Pronouncing the orders on a petition filed by Ranjit Singh, Mr Justice R.L. Anand has directed the State of Punjab, Principal of Patiala’s Government Medical College-cum-chairman of the admission committee and another respondent to admit the student to MBBS or BDS course as per merit in the 1984 riot affected persons’ category. Holding Shelly Sharma’s admission “illegal, arbitrary, violative of article 14 of the Constitution of India and against the scheme enshrined in the 1999 PMET prospectus”, Mr Justice Anand also ruled that the “authorities, on compassionate grounds, may consider accommodating the respondent against any vacant seat in that session in any other category”. He added: “The observation has been made keeping in view the fact that the respondent is studying for the last one year and her family has suffered a lot due to terrorist activity”. In his detailed order, he observed: “The respondent was not eligible in that category. She might hail from a terrorist-affected family but in the presence of her father she can not be considered a dependent of terrorist-affected family. The certificates produced by her are not in accordance with the proforma. Moreover, she submitted the certificates after the expiry of the cut-off date”. The petitioner, had earlier contended that the benefit of the category could not be extended to the respondent as, even though her grandfather was killed by terrorists, her father, bread earner of the family, was serving with the PSEB. |
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