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| Thursday, October 5, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
Badal rules out mid-term
poll EVMs tampered with:
Tohra
Deepa seeks CBI probe 500 bags of paddy bought in 14
days Mother, 2 daughters end
lives |
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PPCC to hold
dharnas, rallies
Bhullar for freeing
Sikh detainees Dasuya residents sore over
neglect Probe sought into blast
at Shivalaya Lawyer’s case: fresh probe ordered Joint patrolling
introduced 18 pilgrims hurt in accident Shoes as small as cumin seeds A bus stop where no bus stops
Woman held for
kidnapping son DC’s assistant held for fraud Cop arrested in looting case 2 burglaries reported
Refresher course in mathematics
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Badal rules out mid-term
poll CHANDIGARH, Oct 4 — The Shiromani Akali Dal President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today thanked the voters of Sunam for endorsing government policies, programmes and performance by ensuring the win of the party candidate, Mr Parminder Singh Dhindsa. Addressing a press conference, he had a dig at the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal President, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, parodying the nursery rhyme “Humpty
Dumpty....” He said that all Opposition parties and leaders could not ensure the win of Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, who even lost his security deposit. The obvious reference was to the campaign in Sunam by Mr Chandra Shekhar, Mr Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav in favour of Mr Chandumajra. The Chief Minister also took a swipe at Mr Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, comparing him to the sandpiper, which always thought it was holding up the sky . Sounding upbeat, Mr Badal thanked the leaders and workers of allied political parties which helped the SAD win the seat.”This is the second consecutive seat the SAD has wrested from the Congress, the first being Nawanshahr”, he added. The real fight of the Akali Dal was now against the Congress and the SHSAD. The Congress had always been “anti-people and anti-Punjab” having sold off the state’s interests in terms of territory and water. Moreover, even basic facilities like
education, drinking water and electricity had been denied to the people during Congress “misrule” in the country. Mr Badal reiterated that there was no question of the SAD opting for mid-term assembly elections, which were scheduled for February, 2002.”I have said so even on the floor of the Vidhan Sabha”, he emphasised. The poll campaign afforded an opportunity to expose the Congress and remind the people of how it had “betrayed” their faith and done great disservice to Punjab. Answering questions, he said it was not true that electronic voting machines were tampered with. The poll was fair and free with the Election Commission overseeing the arrangements. It had sent three observers as well. He denied the use of any government machinery to influence voters. “Such wild, baseless allegations are being made by those who have lost the game and also credibility among voters”, he added. Mr Badal ruled out any action against those who might have opposed the official candidate or taking of cognisance of Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s earlier complaint against Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, who remained lukewarm to the byelection giving many anxious moments to the party. To another question, the SAD chief said that it was for the Election Commission to decide whether ballot papers or electronic voting machines should be used. The Chief Minister said he had all respect for the Congress candidate, Mrs Parmeshwari Devi, widow of Mr Bhagwan Das Arora. Her husband had done good work in the constituency and people had acknowledged this. “In politics there is no personal enmity with anyone”. Later, Mr Badal left for New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and the Minister for Food to discuss paddy procurement problems in the state. Mr Badal was at pains to say that “technicalities” like the issue of “specifications” should not come in the way of paddy purchase. Farmers had contributed immensely to fill the country’s granary. Nothing should be done to “dishearten” them. “I will plead with the Prime Minister in this regard and even make an emotional appeal”, he added. |
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EVMs tampered with:
Tohra CHANDIGARH, Oct 4 — Alleging large-scale tampering with electronic voting machines (EVM’s) by the ruling combine in the Sunam byelection, the President of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, today said that the elections to the state assemblies should be held under President’s rule to eliminate the chances of misuse of official machinery to win the poll. Addressing a press conference here, Mr Tohra, who was accompanied by Mr Ravi Inder Singh and Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, said a repoll should be ordered in the Sunam constituency keeping in view that EVMs were tampered with. A deputation of Sanjha Morcha leaders would approach the Election Commission of India later this week to bring to its notice “corrupt practices” indulged in by the ruling combine in the constituency. Technical experts contacted by Mr Tohra had revealed that within 30 minutes the entire data fed into an EVM could be replaced with new data. The EVM could be easily tampered with and manipulated, he added. If the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, was sure of his popularity in the state, he should dissolve the state assembly and seek re-election under President’s rule, Mr Tohra said. He said seals and other material used to lock EVMs by polling officers were found tampered with. No European country was using EVMs. These were rejected after the detection of several faults in them by the European Commission, Mr Tohra added. He said the Election Commission of India should revert to the old system of ballot boxes. A central team appointed by the Election Commission of India should visit the Sunam constituency to find out how official machinery was “misused” by Mr Badal. He said there should be a complete ban on the entry of ministers, including the Chief Minister, in the constituency concerned during an election. Justifying this demand, Mr Tohra said that ministers and Chief Ministers were public servants who drew their salaries from the government treasury. Mr Chandumajra said several cases pertaining to the distribution of liquor and poppy husk by activists of the ruling combine were brought to the notice of the election observers, but they did not take any action. He said Mr Badal had won the Sunam election through “foul means”.
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500 bags of paddy bought in 14
days AMRITSAR: The farmers of this border district are virtually at the mercy of rice millers as the government procurement agencies have failed to make purchases. At Bhagtanwala grain market, the biggest mandi of the district, 500 bags have been procured by Punsup and District Food and Supplies Department. The Bhagtanwala grain market has arrivals of more than 50,000 quintals of paddy per day. On an average the farmer is bearing a daily loss of Rs 150 per quintal and combined losses total is approximately Rs 7.50 lakh per day. Since August 15, when paddy first started arriving at the Bhagtanwala market the farmers have borne losses of more than Rs 13.50 crore due to absence of official procurement. Sources reveal that for the past many years official procurement agencies have made insignificant purchases. Suba Singh, a resident of Chogawan said that farmers had to resort to distress sale of their produce as they could not store it for long period and have to repay loans taken from various agencies. Agitated farmers have resorted to blocking traffic in various parts of the district. Mr Barinder Dayal Singh Shery, a state member BKU, said the state and Centre had failed to come to the rescue of farmers notwithstanding tall claims made before the Sunam byelection. Now that the byelection is over the state government will again leave the farmers at the mercy of private millers. Incidents of assault on Punsup inspectors by some agitated farmers at Goindwal grain market are also a result of frustration at non-procurement. The farmers have resorted to traffic blockades and protests at Khadoor Sahib, Goindwal and Fatehabad to force procurement agencies to purchase their produce. Iqbal Singh, a progressive farmer from Bhilowal village said non-procurement of paddy by official agencies had added to their miseries. The hike in diesel and petroleum decrease in the price of their produce would virtually ruin the economy of the farmers. “We never demanded free power supply. What we desired was that there must be remunerative price for agricultural output in wake of rise in input prices,” said Jagdish Singh, a farmer from Verka. The farmers alleged that the government agencies had not entered in most of the grain markets of the district despite tall claims. The Sangatpura and Sohian focal points have not seen any procurement by these agencies. The farmers allege that last year they had got Rs 470 to Rs 490 per quintal rate for IR-8 variety of paddy. However, the prevailing rate in these days is not more than Rs 350. The farmers had a brawl with commission agents at Khajla mandi as they were offering much less rate than their expectations. Mr Surjit Singh, a mandi supervisor, Bhagtanwala grain market told this correspondent that the daily arrival of paddy was much higher than the previous year, while the total arrival in Bhagtanwala market was 6.17 quintal till September, the total arrival till September 30 was about nine lakh quintals. Interestingly, the government has not fixed a price for “Sharbati” paddy grown in a vast stretch of Majha region. In many mandis, the arrival of “Sharbati” is more than 25 per cent. The “Sharbati” is like a basmati but due to non fixation of the support, this variety is procured by millers only. SANGRUR: Slow purchase of paddy, non-lifting and non-payment for procured paddy by government agencies since purchases began on September 21 have made the life of farmers miserable. Due to the slow purchases about one lakh quintal of paddy has piled up at the local grain market and the pile is rising. Although procurement began on September 21 no payments have been made yet. According to sources the government agencies have not received money for making payments. Normally payments are made with in two days. Delays in lifting procured paddy has also become a major headache with little space left in the local grain market for fresh arrivals. Thousands of bags filled with paddy can be seen in every grain market and other procurement centres. In this district, the government agencies and the FCI have only procured 1,03,546 tonnes till September 29 after the starting of procurement operation on September 21. The FCI has procured 23,800 tonnes. Talking to TNS, Mr Pradeep Kumar Singla, General Secretary of Sangrur Arhtiyas Association, alleged that government agencies were making slow procurement on the pretext that most of the heaps of paddy had discoloured grains of upto 4 per cent. He claimed that though the paddy had discoloured the rice was of good quality. The government should relax the specifications, he said. Private millers were not purchasing paddy as they had not faith in the policies of the government. Besides the rate of rice in the open market was lower than the support price fixed by the government. So if they purchase paddy, it was at these low rates. In the Sangrur grain market, there is need for a big yard to accommodate the heavy arrival of the paddy. The market committee officials say they require a yard of 15 acre for this purpose. Talking to TNS, Mr Anirudh Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner, said slow procurement could be attributed mainly to storage problems. |
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Paddy: Badal seeks PM’s
intervention NEW DELHI, Oct 4 — Faced with farmers’ outcry against stringent paddy and rice specifications notified by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today sought the intervention of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to break the impasse over paddy procurement in Punjab. Farmers all over Punjab are agitated because of large-scale rejection of their paddy on the pretext of its “inferior” quality as per the new parameters. Mr Badal said that paddy was dependent on a variety of natural phenomena and a pragmatic view should be taken on the issue. According to an official spokesman, Mr Badal said some relaxation should be made for smooth paddy procurement to save the hard-working farmers of Punjab from avoidable hardships and economic setback. Mr Badal urged the Centre to immediately move out accumulated foodgrain stocks from Punjab to other areas for creating space in godowns. Godowns in Punjab had been choked with old foodgrains. The Punjab state procurement agencies were saddled with a burden of 101 metric tonnes of old wheat which had blocked precious funds. Mr Badal said the Ministry of Consumer Affairs should solve all pending problems of the rice milling industry. Punjab expected a record arrival of 125 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in the ongoing kharif procurement season as against 109 lakh metric tonnes last year. The Chief Minister urged Mr Vajpayee to reconsider the recent petroleum prices hike, particularly in case of kerosene, diesel and LPG. |
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Farmers block traffic, stage
rallies GURDASPUR, Oct 4 — Farmers owing allegiance to the Block Congress Committee (Rural), under the leadership of Mr Santokh Singh Randhawa and Mr Khushhal
Behi, senior Congress leaders sat on a dharna in front of the local grain market on the
G.T. Road and blocked traffic in protest against the distress sale of paddy and an inordinate delay in payments. The police diverted the traffic to link roads and bypass. Mr Randhawa exhorted the farmers to organise themselves under the banner of the Congress to court arrests to force the state and Central governments to lift paddy at the minimum support price. The paddy is being sold between Rs 300 and Rs 350 per quintal and the parmal variety at a rate varying from Rs 400 to Rs 450, against the minimum support price of Rs 540 per quintal. The District Bar Association also observed the strike in protest against the distress sale of paddy and hike in petrol prices. Meanwhile, more than 400 wagon-load of rice worth about Rs 10 crore has piled up with rice millers. Protests by farmers were also reported from Fatehgarh Churian, Qadian, Nussehra Majjha Singh, Farzulla Chack and Der Guwar. ABOHAR: Hundreds of farmers held a rally here on Tuesday in protest against the failure of the state government in making proper arrangements for the purchase of paddy in this subdivision. They later blocked traffic on the Abohar-Fazilka road for three hours. The rally was addressed, among others, by Mr Sajjan Kumar Jakhar, President, District Congress Committee, and a former Cabinet Minister, Mr Gurmail Singh. They also staged a dharna in front of the Market Committee complex. Mr Jakhar said more than 75,000 bags of paddy had been brought to the grain markets but the government agencies had purchased only 9,000 bags so far. SAMANA: About 1,000 farmers and arhtiyas blocked traffic at Samana, Patran, Samana-Kaithal, Samana-Patiala and Samana-Bhawanigarh chowk here in protest against the dilly-dallying attitude of government agencies regarding the procurement of paddy. Mr Manpreet Singh Chhatwal, SDM, however, said the procurement process was going on smoothly and the agencies were purchasing paddy. TARN
TARAN: On the assurance given by Mr Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Minister for Cooperation, Punjab, the farmers staging a dharna and bolcking the traffic at Naushehra Pannuan village lifted the dharna. Mr Brahmpura, along with the civil authorities and officers of the procurement agencies, went to the grain markets and instructed staff to expedite the procurement process. |
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Protesting farmers
block highway RAJPURA, Oct 4 — Thousands of agitating farmers, protesting against the non procurement of paddy by various government agencies, blocked the Patiala-Chandigarh highway for more than seven hours here today disrupting vehicular traffic . Other roads in the district were also blocked causing inconvenience to thousands of commuters and disrupted the movement of goods. Traffic was also blocked at Rohti bridge, Nabha, Liberty Chowk, Rajpura, and at various other places, including Patran, Ghagha, Banur, Dera Bassi and Samana subdivision of the district. The agitating farmers demanded the procurement of paddy at the earliest and threatened that if their demands were not met they would hold dharnas in front of Deputy Commissioners’ offices in the state on October 8 and stage a Mahadharna in Chandigarh on October 6. The agitation comes in the wake of yesterday’s incident at Patiala when hundreds of farmers had gheraoed Mr Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, Minister for PWD (B&R) near Gurudwara Dukhniwaran Sahib. The minister then had to enter the Gurdwara premises by leaving his car amidst the slogan shouting farmers. Farmers all over the state are agitating because of large scale rejection of their paddy on the pretext of its alleged inferior quality as the Union Government has fixed the percentage of damaged grains to 3 per cent. The farmers joined by commission agents, paledars and workers of the grain market blocked traffic at every exit and entry points of the district. The administration’s effort of divert the flow of traffic went haywire as the farmers blocked the roads from where the traffic was diverted. Meanwhile the Punjab State Food Grain Agencies Field Employees Coordination Committee organised its meeting at Patiala today and decided that the procurement would not be started till the agencies get the notification in writing by the Punjab Government. They also demanded that the single custody system should be rolled back and proper storage space should be allotted to the agencies. The call for the dharna was given by various unions including the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta), the Bharti Kisan Union, (Rajewal), the Kisan wing of the Akali Dal (Amritsar), the Aarthia Association and Paledar Association.
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FCI chief visits
grain market KHARAR, Oct 4 — Mr Bhure Lal, Chairman Food Corporation of India, today visited the local grain market and inspected the work of purchase of paddy here. He was accompanied by senior officials of the FCI and the Punjab Government. Talking to commission agents here he said they should be very much particular about the quality and quantity of paddy. He said he often got complaints about this whenever he visited other parts of the country especially south. He said these complaints lowered the prestige of Punjab. He said he had relations with Punjab and that is why he was saying this. He said weight and quality should always be accurate. He assured them that the FCI would purchase all paddy brought to the grain markets but according to various specifications fixed by the government. Mr Bhure Lal enquired about the payment of paddy purchased by the FCI and assured that the payment would be made immediately to the commission agents so that they could make payment to the farmers. He said keeping in view the shortage of space with the FCI, the millers should purchase more paddy and store it in their mills. Mr Bhure Lal had a round of the grain market and inspected the paddy purchased by the FCI. He was told that the moisture was no problem here in this grain market.
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Mother, 2 daughters end
lives ABOHAR, Oct 4 — Surjit Kaur Kanwal, an eminent Punjabi writer and teacher, and her two young educated daughters reportedly committed suicide by consuming a pesticide yesterday. Mrs Kanwal had contributed scores of articles to leading Punjabi dailies on family matters. She was married to Dr Jaspal Singh. Her husband had suffered losses in his business. His brother allegedly refused to give him his due share in ancestral property which included agriculture land. As he was under heavy debts, Dr Jaspal Singh reportedly left home 20 months back. His whereabouts are still not known as searches for him have proved futile. Sources said Mrs Kanwal had shifted to Abohar from Jalalabad West. Yesterday her landlord in the Anand Nagri locality found that the TV was switched on, but none of the members of the family had stepped down from the first-floor rented residence. They called Mrs Kanwal’s brothers and the police before opening the door. Mrs Kanwal (45) and her daughters Geet Pahul (22) and Preet Pahul (18) were found dead in the room. Sources said that the police recovered a suicide note reportedly written and signed by the victims. Mrs Kanwal reportedly held her in-laws responsible for the decision as she was facing serious economic and social crises. After recording the statement of Mr Gurjit Singh Tinna, the brother of the victim, the police registered a case under Sections 306 and 34, IPC, against Mrs Kanwal’s mother-in-law Satnam Kaur, brother-in-law Gurcharan Singh Channi, Mrs Manjit Kaur, wife of Gurcharan Singh and Goldy, son of Gurcharan Singh. The bodies were handed over to her brothers after a post-mortem at Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital. |
PPCC to hold dharnas, rallies CHANDIGARH, Oct 4 — The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee today decided to hold on October 10 dharnas and rallies in the state to protest against what it described as non-performance and non-governance by the NDA government at the Centre and the SAD-BJP government in Punjab. Mr Sant Ram Singla, vice-President of the PPCC, said the Congress had been compelled to take this step in view of the difficulties faced by the public. He lamented that despite a bumper crop of paddy in the state farmers were facing financial bankruptcy because of the “wrong” policies of the state government. The government agencies had failed to lift paddy from various mandis due to inadequate arrangements for storage.
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Bhullar for freeing
Sikh detainees FEROZEPORE, Oct 4 — President of the International Bhai Mardana Kirtan Society, Mr Harpal Singh Bhullar accused a section of Sikh religious leaders of collecting huge amounts of money abroad in the name of helping imprisoned Sikhs and those who deserted the Army during the Operation Blue- star in 1984. He said several Sikhs were still languishing in jails in different parts of the country even after 20 years. He said even lifers were released after completion of 9 to 10 years of imprisonment. He said the families of those imprisoned Sikhs were facing a financial crunch and their ordeal seemed never ending one. He criticised the Indian and the Pakistani governments for imposing restrictions on visits to holy Sikh shrines. Denouncing the call for banning pilgrimage to Nankana Sahib by an office-bearer of Delhi Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee Mr Manmohan Singh Sachdeva, he appealed to Bibi Jagir Kaur to go to Nankana Sahib in Pakistan in person alongwith Mr Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar of the Akal Takht to discuss the matter with Pakistani officials. |
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Dasuya residents sore over
neglect HOSHIARPUR: Residents of Dasuya subdivision in Hoshiarpur district are unhappy over the neglect of the area in the matter of development. The main area of the subdivision falls in the kandi belt which lays behind even in the matter of basic amenities like the availability of potable water, proper roads and health services. There are around 200 villages in the subdivision out of which about 130 are located in the kandi area. Though the state government had constructed a canal for irrigation purposes, most of the area is still dependent on rain. Mr Romesh Chander Dogra, MLA from the Dasuya segment, says that on account of the inefficient working of junior employees concerned, the objective of providing irrigation water to small farmers in the area has not yet been achieved. He says proper irrigation in the semi-hill area can only be possible through the sinking of deep tubewells. Owing to the illegal felling of trees, excessive soil erosion has become a regular feature as a result of which “khads” are becoming wider day by day. Dasuya, the headquarters of the subdivision, is an important town. Folklore links it to the pre-historic period. It is said that the area was a kingdom, known as Virat Nagar, during the age of the Mahabharata and the Pandavas spent the last year of exile here incognito. A beautiful temple dedicated to the Pandavas is being built in the town. It is also believed that Guru Hargobind Sahib visited this place. The historic gurdwara Garna Sahib is located just near the town. The town is located at the junction of two national highways, almost equidistant from Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Pathankot. It is an important railway station on the Delhi-Jammu line. The station lacks a number of facilities and a lot of improvement is needed. Mr Apar Singh Ghuman, president of the Dasuya Vikas Manch, says the subdivision has always got “step-motherly” treatment in the sphere of development. He says political leaders visit the area, make announcements regarding development and then forgot their promises. He points out that on August 25, 1997, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, publicly announced that a polytechnic, a sub-depot of Punjab Roadways, a tourist complex and a modern stadium would be set up. Three years have gone by but nothing has been done in the connection, he says. |
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Probe sought into blast
at Shivalaya AMRITSAR, Oct 4 — Even as reports of the arrest of Asgar Ali, prime suspect of the blast at
Shivalaya, pour in and the killed person is identified as ‘Chotkan’ (30) from Agra who was involved in making effigies, the Bajrang Dal has demanded a magisterial inquiry into the blast. Prof Surinder Jain, national organiser of the Bajrang Dal was here today to visit the blast site. He stated that ‘mischief’ by the Pakistan subversive agency ISI was behind the circumstances of the blast. He demanded compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the site and the victim. He said that a deputation of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and other parties would meet Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and raise the issue of proselytization, ISI activities etc. Elaborating on the issue of
proselytization, he said Christians were indulging in large-scale conversions of illiterate Hindus and Sikhs. He said that conversions by fraud and ‘divine miracles’ to entice gullible people should be brought under the purview of Section 420, IPC. |
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Lawyer’s case: fresh probe ordered KAPURTHALA, Oct 4 — Mr Iqbal Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, on Tuesday ordered fresh inquiry into a criminal case registered against Mr Ashok Sabharwal, a local advocate, under Sections 419, 420, 465, 467, 471-A, 471, 506 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. Deputations of the Bharatiya Janata Party led by its District President, Mr Surjit Singh, and lawyers led by the President district Bar Association, Mr Tejpaul Singh Walia, had met the SSP and pleaded for the withdrawal of the case against Mr Sabharwal. The lawyers also observed a strike on Tuesday to highlight their resentment. Mr Sabharwal has already been lodged in judicial lock-up in an alleged fraud case registered on the complaint of Surjit Kaur. She had alleged that Mr Sabharwal had taken Rs 14 lakh from her for hushing up the murder trial she was standing. The Kotwali police slapped another fraud case on the lawyer on the complaint of Yash Paul Sharma. Mr Sharma had alleged that Mr Sabharwal had taken possession of his house at Aman Nagar here by allegedly forging the title deed. The SSP said the case was registered against Mr Sabharwal on the report submitted by DSP Chaman Lal. According to the complaint lodged by Mr Yash Paul Sharma, he owned a kothi at Aman nagar in which he stayed till 1986. Thereafter he rented the kothi to two tenants. He alleged that the lawyer ousted his tenants by showing them forged title deeds. The lawyer and his brother started residing in the house. He alleged that when he came to know about the fraud he and his son met the lawyer who threatened them. Mr Sharma approached the police. He learnt from the police that the lawyer had been arrested in a fraud case.
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Joint patrolling
introduced JALANDHAR, Oct 4 — With a view to ensure public involvement in its ongoing crime prevention exercise in rural areas, the Jalandhar police has introduced joint patrolling by police officials and villagers. This is the first time that joint patrolling has been introduced anywhere in the state. Joint patrolling, has been introduced in the wake of a spate of robberies and dacoities by armed robbers, particularly three months ago. Joint patrolling is part of the Interactive System, launched by the police as part of a change in the perception that crime could be prevented only with the active involvement of the people. Mr Gaurav Yadav, SSP, said in addition to joint patrolling by villagers and police officials, the chowkidar system will also be strengthened by making them a part of the new system. “Our officers have already been holding meetings with residents of different villages to instill a sense of confidence in them,” he said. He said during meetings the public was tipped off on what to do in case
their houses were attacked by robbers. “We have advised people that ideally a member of each family should sleep at the top of the house, where he should keep empty tins with him so as in case of an attack neighbours could be alarmed with the help of tins,” said Mr Yadav. During meetings we tell them they can retaliate and even kill the invaders on the condition that they could prove substantially and beyond doubt later on that they had really been attacked by robbers. Mr Yadav said the Deputy Commissioner had already issued orders thus, enforcing the Punjab Village Patrol Act effectively. Nihang Karmjit Singh of Nagra village will be honoured for repulsing the attack on his house by a group of robbers on the night of September 15. |
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18 pilgrims hurt in accident BATHINDA, Oct 4 — As many as 18 pilgrims were injured in an accident near Kot Shameer village of this district when the truck in which they were travelling overturned this morning. The pilgrims were coming from Maisar Khana village after attending a Durga fair. The pilgrims belong to Kot Sufi village of Faridkot district. The injured have been admitted to the civil hospital here. Two of them — Bawa Ram and Jawahar Lal — who are stated to be in a serious condition have been admitted to government hospital, Faridkot. |
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Shoes as small as cumin seeds PATIALA, Oct 4 — Guru Dutt Murli, 43, a shoemaker works 16 hours a day, forgets his meals and his title time for his children. Murli’s penchant for doing something extraordinary has led him to make shoes, Punjabi jutti`s and slippers in various designs with a perfect finish. Amazingly these shoes are as small in size as a cumin seed (zira). Murli laboured for five months to create these artifact which have become the envy of many an art connoisseur. He has showcased his work in big glass box and to the naked eye they look like coloured specks of dust. But when put under a magnifying glass, one can see these leather products in an assortment of designs. This ingenious creation of Murli has brought instant fame to this poor artist an. “Five months of hard work have brought me out of anonymity”. Murli dreams of seeing his name in the Guinness Book of World Records. He has already forwarded a sample of his work to the publishers of the book in London. When Murli initially conceived the idea of creating leather shoes this size of cumin seeds, he felt he had little chance of succeeding. But patience and perseverance paid off and he succeeded against all odds. In January, Murli, owns a small shoe shop in the Twakli Mor area in the heart of the town, went to pay obeisance at the dargah of khwaja Muinuddin Chisti at Ajmer Sharif and he prayed there for success in his extraordinary endeavour. He crossed several hurdles and worked so hard that his eyesight became weak. He tasted success after months of steadfast and intense labour and finally saw his dream turning into reality. Murli’s transformation from a small time apprentice to an assured craftsman is complete. The latest on his agenda is to make the largest pair of shoes in the world. And given his will power, resilience and determination, he is sure to succeed.
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A bus stop where no bus stops SAHNEWAL, Oct 4 — Ever heard of a bus stop that remains in never-ending wait for buses and passengers? Visit Sahnewal, a small town about 15 km from Ludhiana. Unlike the usual bus stops, the bus stop at Sahnewal remains deserted and sans any activity. On both sides of the road, the buses stop about 100 metres before the specified point. After crossing the traffic lights of the main chowk, the incoming and the outgoing buses stop immediately near the police barricades creating great confusion. The speed of the vehicular traffic following these buses gets slowed down due to the sudden turn taken by the bus drivers. As a result of this, traffic jams are a common occurrence here. Many a time, due to the sudden turn taken by the buses, smaller vehicles like rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers get sandwitched between them. The G.T. Road gets choked with vehicles, commuters and passengers and the confusion created at the spot is nightmare for road users. The public can play a significant role to rectify this particular problem. If the passengers make it a point to stand and wait for the buses at the main bus stop only, the drivers of the buses would be forced to stop their buses at the proper place. Apart from this, an adequate police force must be deployed at the main chowk to check the buses from becoming a traffic hazard. The defaulters must be dealt with severely, otherwise the situation will go from bad to worse in the near future.
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Deepa seeks CBI probe CHANDIGARH, Oct 4 — Mr Rajinder Deepa, an election agent of Ms Parmeshari Devi, who was official candidate of the Congress party in Sunam byelection, has sought a CBI inquiry into the case registered against him by Sunam police. He said the case registered against him was based on a concocted story and he was not involved in any crime. He said the case had been registered against him because he had refused to withdraw the case against the SHO who was involved in his kidnaping.” Lot of pressure was put on me to withdraw the case but I refused to do so”, Mr Deepa said. He said
the EVMs were tempered at the behest of the ruling SAD-BJP combine to
ensure the victory of the SAD-BJP candidate in the Sunam byelection.
All shortcomings were reported to the election observers appointed by
the Election Commission of India but nothing positive come out, he
said. It was a clear murder of democracy, he asserted. User charges
prove one day’s wonder |
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Cotton arrivals pick up BATHINDA, Oct 4 (PTI) — More than 30,000 bales of cotton have so far arrived in mandis in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan this year. This was disclosed here today by Mr Fateh Chand Sharma, president of the Northern India Cotton Association. He said the arrival of cotton in the northern zone comprising Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan was picking up. He said nearly 35 lakh cotton bales, including six lakh bales of Bengal Desi, were expected this year in the northern zone as compared to 27.50 lakh bales during the season last year. He said nearly 11 lakh cotton bales were expected to arrive this year in Punjab as compared to 7 lakh bales last year. |
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Markfed to set up Korean rice mills MOGA, Oct 4 (UNI) — The Punjab Markfed will set up six rice mills equipped with modern Korean facilities at Goniana, Jaitu, Gidderbaha, Naushehra Pannuan, Patti and Batala.
This was announced by the Managing Director, Markfed, Mr D.S. Bains, here yesterday.
He said each rice mill would cost Rs 2.25 crore. With this Markfed would mill its own paddy. |
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Civic body chief’s
effigy burnt ABOHAR, Oct 4 — A protest march was held by members of the local Durgiana Market Association here today as part of their 15-day old agitation against the local Municipal Council.
The march started from Nai Abadi area and passed through various markets of the town. An effigy of the Municipal Council president was burnt by the protesters at the municipal complex.
Municipal officers, including the president, did not attend their office today. Mr Rajesh Gupta, chairman of the action committee, said the development work in the town had been hit as the state government had not released grants even for essential works.
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2 brothers die
of AIDS MOGA, Oct 4 — Two brothers of Bhekha village in this district have died of AIDS within a span of about one year.
According to reports, while one died about a year back, the other died yesterday.
This is stated to be the first incident of deaths due to AIDS in this region.
Jawan cremated JALANDHAR, Oct 4 — Sepoy Sukhdip Singh, who died in an accident while performing his duty in the Leh area, was cremated with full military honours at his native village Lidhra Khurd, near here, today.
Sukhdip Singh, who was a bachelor and the only son of his parents, had joined the Indian Army one and a half years ago.
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Woman held for
kidnapping son KAPURTHALA, Oct 4 — The police has registered a case under Sections 363 and 364 IPC, against Jasbir Kaur and her two accomplices, Jaswinder Singh of Lasera village and Beera Singh, a car driver, for kidnapping her son Gurpreet Singh, a Class VI student, from his school at Daudpur village of this district yesterday. The police intercepted the van in which they were travelling and the boy was recovered from their custody. Jasbir Kaur and her second husband, Jaswinder Singh, and Beera Singh have been arrested. In a press note, Mr Iqbal Singh, SSP, said Jaswinder Singh went to Government Primary School and told a teacher that Baldev Singh, father of Gurpreet, had met with an accident and that he had come to take Gurpreet. The headmaster of the school allowed the boy to go. When Gurpreet came out of the school, Jaswinder Singh forced him into a Maruti van and drove towards Nadala village. On an alarm raised by Gurpreet Parkash Ram, a sewadar of the school, reported the incident to the police which intercepted the van and rescued the boy. The press note said Jasbir Kaur was previously married to Baldev Singh. Their son lived with his father. Jasbir Kaur later married Jaswinder Singh and decided to kidnap her son as she wanted him to be with her. |
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DC’s assistant held for fraud FEROZEPORE, Oct 4 — The police has arrested Ramesh Kumar, an assistant at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here for embezzlement of a border area grant. The accused was booked on the recommendation of the district administration for having forget the signatures of the former deputy commissioner to pocket 10 lakh earmarked for compensating farmers of frontier villages in 1999. His arrest was delayed as Ramesh was hospitalised after attempting suicide. The accused had allegedly forged the signaturs of the then Deputy Commissioner, Mr Gurdev Singh Sidhu on three cheques of Rs 10 lakh. Sources hinted at more arrests after his interrogation by the Economic Offences wing, connivance by bank staff is not being ruled out.
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Cop arrested in looting case HOSHIARPUR, Oct 4 — The local police has arrested two persons, including a Head Constable, in connection with a looting incident. Mr R.P. Mittal, SSP, said in a press note here yesterday that some unidentified car-borne persons equipped with firearms looted Rs 8 lakh, a mobile phone and the RC of a car from Ms Jaswinder Kaur on the Garhshanker-Nawanshahr road on September 12. He said the mastermind behind the looting incidents Ranjit Singh, Head Constable, Nawanshahr police, had been arrested and Rs 1.5 lakh and a car had been recovered from him. Another person involved in the incident, Amrik Singh, alias Meeka, had also been arrested and Rs 50,000 and a sten gun used in the looting recovered from him. He said the other suspects had been identified as Rupinder Singh, alias Pindi of Ferozepore and Bhola and Jeeta, both residents of Jagatpur and efforts were on to arrest them. |
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2 burglaries reported PHAGWARA, Oct 4 — In two cases of burglaries at Khalwara Gate locality here, valuables worth thousands of rupees were burgled. Both cases came to light yesterday. In first case, Rs 70,000 cash, jewellery and other goods were burgled from the house of Mr Jaswinder Walia while the family members had gone to Kapurthala to attend a wedding ceremony. The police has registered a case under Section 380 of the IPC. In another incident, the house of Mr Brahm Saroop Thakur was ransacked while the family had gone to Delhi.
Refresher course in mathematics PATIALA,
Oct 4 — Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia inaugurated a 22-day ‘refresher course in mathematics’ in the Department of Mathematics in Punjabi University here yesterday. The refresher course is aimed at updating the knowledge and sharpening the skills of the college and university teachers. This is a UGC- sponsored course organised in coordination with Dr P.N. Chhichhra, Head, Mathematics Department. The Department received an overwhelming response and admitted 35 participants from various colleges and universities against the pre-planned 30 seats. Some 18 resource persons from Kurukshetra University, Panjab University, Guru Nanak Dev University, Thapar College, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, and Punjabi University, will deliver lectures during the seminar.
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