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| Sunday, August 27, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
Free power to
stay: Capt Kanwaljit Farmers anxious over paddy prices Four officials suspended Sodomised boy hangs himself Justice Mishra favours changes in Police Act
Randhawa group
sweeps poll |
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MC removes
encroachments Minister pays surprise visit to Central Jail Atwal to attend
peace summit
Lawyer beaten up in chamber 3 decomposed
bodies found
DTO issues notice to
Punjabi University Change in exams
schedule sought 6 students suspended for ragging
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Free power to
stay: Capt Kanwaljit FATEHGARH SAHIB, Aug 26 — Joining issue with Capt Amarinder Singh, President, PPCC the Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh while talking to The Tribune here today said all the issues raised by the PPCC chief at Nabha rally yesterday were misleading. He said the Congress chief was misguiding both his party leaders and the public on the issue of mid-term elections to avert a revolt against his leadership. If he talks about elections aspirants for the party ticket will quell dissidence, he said adding that the SAD had got a mandate for five years and there was absolutely no chance of a mid-term poll. Refuting allegations that the government had given to the World Bank the Finance Commission and agreed to withdraw free power for irrigation, he said there was no truth in the allegation. The facility will not be withdrawn at any cost. As no body had demanded withdrawal there was no need to give this in writing. The Congress itself was divided in three factions and posed no challenge to the SAD (B), he said. Not a single party programme could be held jointly because of this. Talking about the Rs 36000 crore Punjab loan, he said the figure was concocted. Rather the SAD had managed to get waived Rs 8500 crore loan incurred because of the wrong policies of the Congress. He said despite the financial & tax mess created by the previous Government the financial position and tax recovery had started improving. Later Capt Kanwaljit Singh addressed a sangat darshan programme and heard the grievances of the people. He also inaugurated the lawyers chamber at Amloh town and attended a religious function organised by the Municipal Council, Amloh, in the honour of newly elected Municipal Council President. |
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Farmers anxious over paddy prices GURDASPUR, Aug 26 — Farmers, Commission agents and rice millers are a worried lot in view of the arrival of paddy in the mandis of the district. Paddy growers are apprehensive that they might not get the minimum support price for the crop. At present 473 tonnes of paddy has arrived in the district and has been sold in the open market at prices varying from Rs 380 to Rs 470 per quintal against a support price of Rs 580. The farmers fear that the traders will exploit them and will purchase their paddy at throwaway prices because the government procurement agencies including the FCI, Markfed, Punsup, Warehousing Corporation and Punjab Agro, will not enter the market before October 1. As much as 6 lakh tonnes of paddy is expected to arrive in the grain market of the district. It has been decided that the procurement agencies will purchase 3 lakh tonnes and the remaining will be bought by traders. The FCI, which is the main procurement agency, has only 20 per cent storage capacity for paddy and no storage capacity for rice. Officials under the District Food and Supplies Controller said that there was a possibility that the paddy would be stored in the open in various grain markets. The capacity of the commission agents and rice millers is not enough to purchase all the paddy that is arriving in the mandis. Sources say that the economic condition of the FCI is not sound enough to enable it to procure levy rice and to make instant payments against rice purchased by it. The FCI purchased rice from the District Food and Civil Supplies Department about two months ago and the payment of Rs 40 lakh in this regard is still pending. Rice millers in the district say that they have a stock of more than 300 wagons worth over Rs 6 crore, of paddy lying with them at present. The market price of rice at present is about Rs 775 per quintal against a levy price of Rs 925 per quintal. They said that they would not be able to purchase the new arrivals of paddy at the minimum support price unless the government stood as security to purchase their levy price at minimum support price of Rs 925 per quintal. Meanwhile, the office of the District Food and Civil Supplies Controller has made all arrangements to procure paddy. As many as 1600 bails of gunny bags and 10,000 crates and 350 polythene sheets have been stocked to procure paddy. As many as 115 procurement centres have been set up in the district to procure paddy. The FCI will purchase 1.2 lakh tonnes. Punsup and Markfed 48,000 tonnes each, the Warehousing Corporation 26000 tonnes, the District Food and Civil Supplies Department 30,000 tonnes and Punjab Agro 10,000
tonnes. |
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Four officials suspended CHANDIGARH, Aug 26 — The Punjab Government has suspended Sub-Divisional Engineer, Joginder Singh and three Junior Engineers — Nirmal Singh, Gursharan Singh and Gurinder Singh of the Irrigation Department. The suspension order has been issued by the Principal Secretary of the Irrigation Department, Mr Rajesh Chabra. A senior official of the department said these officers had been suspended following an inquiry conducted by Mr Suresh Arora, DIG Jalandhar range in connection with certain drainage works in Nawanshahr sub-division. He said an FIR had been registered against Joginder Singh, Gursharan Singh and Nirmal Singh and others on the basis of the report. The allegations against these officials had also been examined by the department before issuing the suspension orders, he said. Two Junior Engineers — Mr Balraj Singh and Mr A. Punj had given an affidavit alleging that a number of senior officers were involved in a scandal in the Nawanshahr sub-division of the drainage wing of the department. On the basis of the affidavit, the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, had appointed Mr Arora as the inquiry
officer. |
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Sodomised boy hangs himself BATHINDA, Aug 26 — Jasbir Singh, a 13-year-old youth of Chuge Kalan village of this district committed suicide following his sodomisation by two persons of the same village, Laljit Singh and Basant Singh. Official sources said that Jasbir Singh, a Dalit labourer, hanged himself by tying his purna to a tubewell pipe on the farm where he was employed, yesterday afternoon. Sources said that on August 22, Laljit Singh, a neighbour of Jasbir, came to the house of deceased and told Jasbir’s mother that as his wife was out she should send Jasbir over to his house to sleep. During the night Laljit Singh and Basant Singh sodomised Jasbir Singh. The following morning they fled the village. The parents of the deceased, when they came to know of the incident, approached the police at Balluana Chowki but urged the officer concerned to thrash the accused rather than register a case of sodomy. Police sources said that Mr Kuldeep Singh,
in-charge police chowki, Balluana conducted raids on the residential premises of the accused and at other places but failed to find them. After the death of Jasbir, his mother, Malkiat Kaur, made a written complaint in which she categorically accused Laljit and Basant of sodomising her son and causing his death. A case in this connection had been registered in the police station, Sadar under Sections 377, 306 and 34 of IPC. |
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Justice Mishra favours changes in Police Act JALANDHAR, Aug 26 — Stressing the need for making the police people-friendly by revamping the colonial police culture and the age old Police Act, Justice Rangnath Mishra, chairman of the newly set-up Human Rights Department of the All-India Congress Committee today said his organisation will strive to restore the long lost right to smile to Punjabis. Justice Mishra, who was addressing a state-level convention organised by the Punjab unit of the department at Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall here today, said it was sad to observe that though India had attained Independence in 1947 and had its own Constitution in 1950, no effort had been made to either change the Police Act 1861 or the police culture, with the result that there was a wide gap between police officials and the common man. “This is turn has affected delivery of justice. In fact, the Police Act should have been changed at the time of making of the Constitution. But even at this stage we should go in for a change and at the same time should educate people about their rights and duties. We have to develop a culture of Human Rights conforming to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through education and teaching, which in itself will bring about a change”. Recalling the turmoil in Punjab and its adverse effects on the state, Justice Mishra said there had been large scale human rights violations, both on the part of the militants and the security forces, which had adversely affected the economy of the state. Capt Amarinder Singh, the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee criticised the state police for human rights violations in implicating Congress workers in “false” cases. Citing the case of former Minister, Mr Dilbagh Singh Daleke, Capt Amarinder Singh alleged that the police, instead of taking any action against those who “usurped” the veteran Congress leaders’ land, had sided with the other party. In addition to this, Congress workers and leaders were facing wrath of police officials in Ferozepur, Moga and Tarn Taran districts. He said delays in trials were themselves a major human rights violation. Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, vice-president of the PPCC said the law and order situation was deteriorating in the state. He predicted that the Congress would come to power and “remove” injustices. Meanwhile manifesting the ongoing factionalism in the party, Mr Balbir Singh, MP, instead of deliberating on the rights issue urged Justice Mishra to ensure the newly floated rights body headed by his rival, former MP Umrao Singh did not play any role as a parallel force. |
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Effigy of Justice Mishra burnt JALANDHAR Aug 26 — Workers of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) staged a protest and burnt an effigy of Justice Ranganath Mishra, Chairman of the Human Rights Department of the All-India Congress Committee at Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall today, where he had come to participate in state level convention organised by the state unit of the human rights body. The Akali workers also shouted slogans, “Ranganath Mishra Vaapas Jaao.” Mr Balbir Singh Sandhu, President of the urban unit and Mr Sooba Singh Litran, president of the rural unit of the SAD (A) said a person who had exonerated those responsible for the massacre of Sikhs in the 1984 riots had no moral right to talk about human rights or head a body which claimed to be espousing the cause of human rights. They alleged that the Congress which had tormented Sikhs and other minorities and had itself indulged in gross violation of human rights had no right to organise seminars on the sensitive issue. Agitated SAD (A) workers also criticised the SAD-BJP government for not doing anything to secure the release of those implicated in “false” case by the Congress regime who had been behind bars for years together. |
Randhawa group
sweeps poll AMRITSAR, Aug 26 — The Randhawa group swept the elections of the non-teaching employees while the ruling Swinder Singh group failed to get even a single office-bearer elected. Mr Sukhwinder Singh Randhawa defeated Mr Swinder Singh for the post of president. For vice-presidentship, Jagir Singh of the Randhawa group defeated his nearest rivals, Puran Chand and Gulzari Lal. The other office-bearers elected included Mr Ramesh Sharma, joint secretary, Mr Sham Mohan, treasurer (both Randhawa group). The executive members elected included Mr Iqbal Singh Bhullar, Mr Santokh Singh, Mr Joginder Singh, Mr Partap Singh Sandhu, Mr Balwinder Singh, Mr Kashmir Singh Randhawa, Mr Chanchal Singh and Mr Suresh Kumar (all from the Randhawa group), Mr Kuljit Singh and Mr Amarjit Singh Sidhu (Swinder Singh group). |
MC removes encroachments PATIALA, Aug 26 — The Municipal Corporation, in a major anti- encroachment exercise, cleaned up the entire pavement from Leela Bhavan to Sahni Bakery across the railway crossing Number 22 in the town. A team of corporation employees supported by police personnel swept away encroachments on the pavement along the road yesterday evening. The drive started from the Gopal Sweets shop at Leela Bhavan. Meanwhile, India Bakery proprietor, Jatinder Singh, disclosed that goods worth Rs 20,000 had been lifted from his shop. He said the raid had been undertaken without serving any notice to the shopkeepers. Other shopkeepers also raised similar complaints. Sources said some goods were also lifted from near the Sahni Bakery across
Corporation Commissioner K. S. Kang when contacted said the corporation had taken action in the matter following a complaint by the District Police, Chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu, that the encroachments were causing a hinderance to the traffic on the road. He said, henceforth, traffic police would ensure there were no encroachments in front of shops and that they would make use of provisions in the traffic rules to take action against offenders. He said a case had been registered against one shopkeeper yesterday also. The Commissioner said there was also a move to put up railings as well as construct a pedestrian path on the open space in front of the Sahani Bakery across the railway crossing. He said attempts were also being made to provide more parking space near the Leela Bhavan as parking of vehicles near the Leela Bhavan obstructed the flow of traffic. Citizens, however, feel the problem could only be solved if some government land near the Leela Bhavan is earmarked for parking and if possible multi-storey parking facilities are created in the area. Some people also feel that the road from Leela Bhavan to the railway crossing Number 22 should be closed to heavy vehicles to avoid congestion on the road. |
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Minister pays surprise visit to Central Jail GURDASPUR, Aug 26 — Mr Ajit Singh Kohar, Minister for Jails, accompanied by officials of his department made a surprise visit to the Central Jail, here today and snubbed the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent, Jail, for various irregularities. Mr Kohar constituted three teams of his officials and instructed them to check medical store, langar and factory. The medical store was short of stock and dals and chapaties provided in the langar were found sub-standard. Stock of dals and flour was also found short of the required capacity. Factory material was also found insufficient. The checking continued from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. In medical ward 15 patients were shown admitted against nine prisioners admitted on ground. The jail has 25 acres of land attached with it. Four acres of land was found cultivated where instead of four bags of fertilisers, 27 bags of fertilisers were shown to be utilised for cultivation of the said four acres. The jail authorities had spent Rs 1.5 lakh for laying barbed wire on the boundary of the jail. The barbed wire used for fencing was found to be old but had been painted to make it show that it was new. The teams also seized the records of the jail. The samples of dal and flour were also seized. The jail has a total capacity of 350 inmates but in reality 615 prisoners are staying in the Central Jail here these days. The minister listened to the complaints of the prisoners. They said jail officials extorted bribe from them when they were released or when they go on parole. |
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Atwal to attend
peace summit CHANDIGARH, Aug 26 — The Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, will attend the Millennium World Peace Summit of religious and spiritual leaders to be held at New York from August 28 to 31. Mr Atwal is a representative of the Asia region for Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and also a member of its executive committee. Mr Atwal will deliver a lecture on the “Role of religious and spiritual leaders in world peace”. |
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PRTC strike call
withdrawn AMRITSAR, Aug 26 — The proposed strike of the employees of the state-owned Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) scheduled for August 29 was called off today following an agreement reached between the management and the Joint Action Committee of different employee unions here this evening. |
Lawyer beaten up in chamber AMRITSAR, Aug 26 — Mr Vinod Marwaha, an advocate, was brutally attacked by a group of people while he was in his chamber at the district courts complex today. He sustained serious injury. A groups of 10-12 persons entered his chamber and one of them hit Mr Marwaha with a pistol butt. When he resisted the others hit him. One of the assailants reportedly pulled out his belt and hit the advocate. The attackers also ransacked the office. Mr Ashok Kumar (advocate) named of the assailants as one Shaminder. Mr Marwaha had reportedly spoken against some senior advocates some days earlier and eversince he had apprehended retaliation. He had also voiced this concern to some of his colleagues. An FIR has been lodged at Civil Lines police station under Sections 452, 323, 324. The Amritsar Bar Association strongly condemned the attack and resolved that a complete strike would be observed on August 28. The Association also condemned the law and order situation in the city and said a number of time they had requested the SSP to provide proper security inside the court complex. Interestingly, the court complex has also housed the office of the SSP, Amritsar and police station civil lines.  |
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3 decomposed
bodies found PHILLAUR, Aug 26 — Three bodies of men were found in the fields near Khairra village in this subdivision this morning. Shanker a resident of the village, noticed the decomposed bodies of two clean-shaven men and a Sikh. The bodies bore marks inflicted by sharp-edged weapons on their heads and faces, the police said. Shanker who had gone to address a call of nature in the field, rushed to Harjinder Singh Khairra, Chairman of the local Market Committee, who along with village sarpanch Jeeta Ram informed the police. A case has been registered and bodies sent to the local civil hospital for the post-mortem examination. The police suspects that they were murdered elsewhere and their bodies were thrown into the bushes. |
DTO issues notice to
Punjabi University PATIALA, Aug 26 — The free bus service provided to students of Punjabi University has been threatened with the District Transport Authority issuing a notice to the institution asking it to submit road tax or face grounding of its fleet of buses. Punjabi University has a fleet of six buses which are widely used by students and employees as the varsity is situated seven to eight kilometers from the city. The buses cover various routes to the city and nearby areas for the convenience of students and employees. The DTO has issued a notice to the university asking it to pay road tax and special road tax from 1997. It has also enforced a penalty on the varsity buses as well as a book van of the institution. The office had, however, not tried to recover road tax from the university till now. Though the bus service is still continuing, the mobile book van facility of the university has been affected. University sources said the book van, which was used by the Publication Department, had been grounded since April due to the tax recovery threat. They said a tax of nearly Rs 1 lakh had been imposed on the van. The fleet of the buses is, however, functional despite the tax recovery threat. They said a tax and penalty amount of lakhs of rupees had also been imposed on the six buses. The university authorities are, however, in no mood to oblige the DTO and caught up the amount demanded. An official spokesman disclosed that the varsity had problems with the DTO every two to three years whenever there was any change in the tax rules. He said the varsity had represented the office to exempt them from tax as the buses were not used for commercial purposes. The spokesman said the university was running the buses to provide service to students who came from far-off places. He said similarly the book van of the university was used to spread awareness of the books printed by the department. He said the university would appeal against this decision and the matter was expected to be sorted out soon. A DTO source said notices had been sent to the university on the directions of the State Transport Commissioner according to which buses were to pay a road tax of Rs 10,000 and vehicles carrying freight were to deposit Rs 1,500 as road tax every year. He said the tax was due from 1997 onwards. The university has been running the bus service for students and employees since a number of years. They have never been charged any tax. Nor are other government institutions paying tax for vehicles used by them for similar purposes. |
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Change in exams
schedule sought AMRITSAR, Aug 26 — A large number of medical graduates and their parents have demanded a change in the date of either the All-India PG (MD/MS) entrance test to be conducted by the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences the (AIIMS) or the Combined Entrance Test for Medical Services (CMS) by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as both examinations have been scheduled on January 7, 2001. The candidates, who want to appear in both the tests, fear they would be deprived of appearing in one of these tests if the date is not altered. They have appealed to the UPSC to change the date of the CMS entrance test in the larger interest of candidates. Meanwhile, Guru Nanak Dev University will hold a second entrance test for filling some vacant seats in MA (Punjabi) part-I course at the University Regional Centre in Jalandhar on August 30, 2000, informed the Dean, Academic Affairs of the university. |
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6 students
suspended for ragging AMRITSAR, Aug 26 — Dr O.P. Mahajan, Principal, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College has constituted a five-member committee of senior doctors to probe charges of ragging and other ‘un-lawful’ activities by some senior students of the college. Earlier, the college had placed six senior students of the college under suspension for ragging junior MBBS students. They are Sabodh Jain (roll number 97140), Savchetan Bajwa (99130), Gurtej Singh Bains (97145), Vinod Dahyia (99148) Gurtej Arora (99093), and Onkar Singh (99116). The principal has asked the inquiry committee to submit its report by August 28. The inquiry committee constitutes of Dr Bhola Singh Sidhu, Prof and Head Surgery, Dr R.K. Kumra, Prof and Head Medicines, Dr Manmohan Singh, Dr Prabodh Kakar and Dr Narotam
Bhalla. |
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