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| Wednesday, November 15, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
Jagir Kaur’s sack on CM’s
return?
Double political blow for Badal SC quashes BDOs’ appointment BSF caught off guard in kidnapping case 13 stolen vehicles seized from
gang Sangrur tops in paddy
procurement |
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Arhtiyas yet to get
payment for paddy Lone sniffer at Attari
ineffective Army, police at loggerheads over case
Machines drive labourers out of
fields Nov 14, just another
holiday Conservator
contests Sharma’s appointment PSEB JEs to hold rally in city Children’s Day celebrated Insecticides prove fatal
for cattle
Xen crushed under train
Youth festival opens at Ropar Teachers go on leave
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Jagir Kaur’s sack on CM’s
return? ROPAR, Nov 14 — After the rejection of the anticipatory bail of the SGPC chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, by the Sessions Judge, Patiala, indications were given by the Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, that she might be replaced after the return of Mr Parkash Singh Badal from a foreign trip. The Finance Minister, while talking to newsmen here today, said, “In my personal opinion, Bibi Jagir Kaur should have voluntarily stepped down right at the start of the controversy. The SGPC is the supreme religious body of the Sikhs that has been formed after many struggles. So, to maintain the dignity of the institution she should have stepped down much earlier.” He, however, added this was his personal opinion and the decision regarding the future of Bibi Jagir Kaur would only be taken at the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting of SAD that would be held after the return of the Chief Minister. To another query, the Finance Minister said that the Punjab Government had decided to set up a Social Security Fund worth Rs 200 crore, to end the problems faced by pensioners under various schemes of the state government. The payments to all pensioners in the state would be made from this fund in future. Capt Kanwaljit Singh was here to attend the concluding function of a camp held at Government College. About 180 participants of the NSS from Bihar, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Chandigarh and Punjab participated in this 10-day camp. While addressing the participants, Capt Kanwaljit Singh urged the youth to come forward and give able leadership to the country. He also stressed upon the need to inculcate discipline in various departments of the government to increase their efficiency. Participants from various states presented a cultural programme. The Finance Minister gave away the mementos to the organisers of the camp. The acting Principal of Government College, Mr Jit Singh, the camp coordinator, Mr Ashok Acharaya, Mr J.S. Brar, ADC (Development), and Mr Sarabjit Singh, SDM, were among those present.
SHSAD convention
today CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — The Sarab Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, which will hold its convention at Ludhiana tomorrow, has said the Badal government has thrown the “panthic agenda into the dustbin”. Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, President of the party, on the eve of the convention, said Mr Parkash Singh Badal was trying to keep himself in power by placing religion on the backburner. He had not raised any demand pertaining to Punjab. Referring to the affairs of the SGPC, Mr Tohra said the SGPC had been completely politicised. Funds had been allocated to members not with the objective of serving the “gurughar” but to win votes.
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Double political blow for Badal CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — The registration of a murder case against the SGPC President, Bibi Jagir Kaur, by the CBI, and a separate murder case against Sheetal Singh, MLA from Dharmkot for his alleged involvement in killing of a Congress leader have brought trouble for the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. In fact, it is a double political blow for Mr Badal. Not only has the sheen provided by victory in Sunam faded but the cases have provided enough political fodder to his political opponents. A strong statement made by the CBI in the Patiala court yesterday charging the Bibi Jagir Kaur with the murder of her daughter Harpreet Kaur has brought curtains on the political career of Bibi Jagir Kaur for the time being. In the given situation, Mr Badal, who was dithering on her removal, would now have to take a firm decision as the SGPC presidential election is scheduled for November 30. The most significant part of charges against Bibi Jagir Kaur is cremation of the body of Harpreet Kaur without getting the postmortem examination conducted and hurried immersion of the ashes. Bibi’s daughter died on the night of April 20 and she was consigned to flames early next morning. Mr Badal, who had attended the cremation of Harpreet Kaur, had to defend himself by saying that he had gone there as part of his social obligation. The arrest of Bibi Jagir Kaur is imminent as the CBI wanted her custodial interrogation. And this is supposed to be done by the CBI before January 5 which is said to be the last date for filing the challan in the court in this case. The CBI had registered the case in the first week of October and technically challan is presented in the court in a murder case within a period of 90 days after registration of the case. Only a few weeks ago, Mr Badal had made a statement at Saran village in Amritsar district that he would not remove Bibi Jagir Kaur from the SGPC chief's post. He had stated that lodging of an FIR against anybody was hardly any basis for initiating action. The moral question being asked is whether the person, who is facing a murder charge can continue as President of the SGPC? Senior leaders in the SAD feel that enough damage has been done to the party because of Bibi Jagir Kaur’s continuation as the SGPC president. She should have stepped down herself immediately after the registration of a case against her earlier in October. Though they are not ready to say anything on record but they also criticise” inaction “ on the part of Mr Badal as far as the removal of Bibi Jagir Kaur is concerned. The registration of a murder case against Bibi Jagir Kaur has given a big jolt to the party’s rank and file. They feel demoralised. A senior Akali leader of the party said as the next general election for the Punjab Vidhan Sabha is only one year away, the Opposition would try its best to keep the issue alive till then. Bibi Jagir Kaur was a personal choice of Mr Badal. If credit had gone to Mr Badal for electing a woman as the SGPC chief, now discredit would also go to him for retaining Bibi Jagir Kaur after the registration of a criminal case against her. Another jolt for the SAD and especially for Mr Badal has come from Dharmkot where party’s MLA, Sheetal Singh has been booked in a murder case of a Congress party leader. Sheetal Singh is a close relation of Mr Gurdev Singh, the Agriculture Minister, a Badal loyalist. Already the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Capt Amarinder Singh, has said that SAD leaders were eliminating their political opponents. Congress leaders say that they would put the SAD leadership on the mat on the issue of criminal charges faced by its MLAs. “Mr Parkash Singh Badal spared no opportunity to paint the Congress party black but now it was Mr Badal’s turn to face the music”, said a senior Congress leader. “We have enough political material against Mr Badal and his party’s certain MLAs and ministers to corner them”, he added. The Sarab Hind Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra is also preparing to take potshots at Mr Badal and his close confidants.  |
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SC quashes BDOs’ appointment NEW DELHI, Nov 14 (PTI) — The Supreme Court has quashed the appointment of Block Development Officers (BDOs) and Panchayat Officers (POs) made by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) in 1995 after finding inconsistency and obscurity in the selection process. A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice G.B. Pattanaik and Mr Justice U.C. Banerjee took objection to the way the commission considered only the interview results and not the written test results conducted in 1993. This judgement came on a petition filed by Mr Praveen Singh through advocate Rekha Palli who had challenged the results declared by the commission on July 9, 1995, in which his name did not figure. Stating that there was always room for suspicion for common appointments if the oral interview was taken up as the only criteria, Mr Justice Banerjee said, “The commission ought to have taken note of the written examination results as well.” The commission had appointed 44 BDOs and POs from a total of 4500 applicants. The commission had pruned the number of applicants to 130 for the interview after taking into consideration their performance in the written test. The Bench directed the commission to complete the process of selection within three months in terms of the existing rules so that both the written and viva voce test be taken into consideration for the purpose of effecting appointments. It made it clear that “the appointments if any, already made shall continue, but shall be subject to the further results which may be declared by the commission”. |
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BSF caught off guard in kidnapping case FAZILKA, Nov 14 — The recent kidnapping of two Indian civilians by the Pakistani Rangers from near the Indo-Pak border in Bhaini Dilawar village here reflects on the preparedness of the Border Security Force (BSF). The two men — Pritam Singh and Sulakhan Singh — were kidnapped by the Pakistani Rangers from within the Indian territory and released only after the BSF lodged its protest. This is despite the deployment of BSF “kisan guards” to ensure a check on the farmers working in the fields along the international border. This is the second such incident in one year, the earlier on being the kidnapping of Chinderpal Singh of Teja Rohela in 1999. He, too, was kidnapped from the Indian side of the border. Although the BSF brushes aside the two incidents as isolated cases and blames the two civilians for “not raising the alarm”, farmers of frontier villages find themselves unsafe working in fields under the shadow of a desperate enemy. In a related incident, BSF guards had earlier forced two farmers of the Mamdot area to catch fish from a riverine border, resulting in a similar kidnapping. They, too, were released after the BSF lodged a protest with its Pakistani counterpart. The two men of Bhaini Dilawar were abducted on November 10 while they were cutting wild grass near the zero line and freed only after the BSF’s intervention. Narrating the incident to TNS, Sulakhan Singh said at least seven farmers had gone near the international border to cut wild grass to prepare cover for their cattle sheds as usual and did not anticipate the intentions of the Rangers. He alleged that a few Rangers caught them by surprise as they barged into the Indian territory and took two of them to their side of the border on gun-point. However, the remaining farmers managed to escape. Later, the two men were beaten up and handcuffed by the Rangers, who wanted to implicate them in a case of intrusion. Sulakhan Singh lamented that the BSF “kisan guards” were absent at the time of the incident, although they were generally deployed in the area for their safety. On being contacted, BSF officials tried to brush aside the incident as an isolated case and said that the two farmers did not raise the alarm, while being kidnapped. “Our guards are deployed everywhere along the border”, a senior BSF officer of the Faridkot sector, under whose jurisdiction Fazilka border falls, claimed. Some BSF officers also claimed that the “kisan guards” were deployed only to ensure that the local farmers did not interact with the civilians on the other side to prevent smuggling. “Our soldiers are not their security guards”, a senior BSF officer said. |
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13 stolen vehicles seized from
gang BATHINDA, Nov 14 — As many as 10 members of a gang involved in lifting vehicles, preparing fake bills and fake registration certificates of stolen vehicles and then disposing them of in car bazars at different places have been arrested by the district police. Thirteen vehicles, two mobile phones and three pistols with cartridges were recovered from them. The gang members who were arrested from different locations in a well-planned manner by a police team led by DSP (R), Mr Jaspreet Sidhu, were also involved in the sale of four stolen tractors and 20 stolen generator sets in Rajasthan and Punjab. Dr Jatinder Kumar Jain, SSP, in a press conference here today said that the gang was divided into four sub-gangs. One sub-gang was looking after the business of lifting of vehicles from Mumbai, Hisar, Chandigarh and Ludhiana while the other one operating from Rajasthan prepared fake invoices of the stolen vehicles. The third sub-gang operating from the Sirsa and Allenabad area of Haryana used to prepare fake registration certificates for the stolen vehicles. The fourth sub-gang was given the task of disposing of the lifted vehicles through car bazars. Those arrested were Satnam Singh and Darshan Singh of Ludhiana district, Ramesh Kumar, Harpal Singh and Vijay Kumar of Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan, Des Raj and Vijay Kumar of Muktsar district, Karamjit Singh of Kotkapura town, Rajesh Kumar of Allenabad and Rajwant Singh of the Phulewala area. Roben Kumar and the president of a Car Bazar Union have also been identified as being involved in this organised crime. The district police had recovered 13 vehicles worth Rs 50 lakh and identified about 100 more stolen vehicles which would be recovered shortly from the other members of the gang. The gangsters were armed with cell phones to evade the detection of crime by the police. They also carried firearms for protection. One of the accused had unsuccessfully contested the municipal council election as an Independent candidate in Rajasthan while another was preparing for the state civil services competition. The team of policemen which arrested these accused included Mr Manjit Singh, SHO, Sangat, Mr Dinesh Kumar, in charge, Anti-Goonda Staff, Mr Bhupinder Singh, in charge, CIA Staff, Mr Bhupinder Singh, SHO, City Police Station, Mr Des Raj, SHO, Police Station, Sadar, and Mr Kirpal Singh, SHO, Civil Lines, Police chowki. Dr Jain said that all these police officials would be rewarded for their achievement. He added that the police would not involve those persons, who had purchased the stolen vehicles with bona fide intentions in any case. The police was also investigating the fact that whether the stolen vehicles were used by the accused in other crimes or not. He said that five cases had been registered against the accused under Section 411, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 472 of the IPC, Section 61 of the Excise Act and Section 25 of the Arms Act. |
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Sangrur tops in paddy
procurement SANGRUR, Nov 14 — Punjab is all set to surpass last year’s paddy procurement record this year. It has almost touched last year’s figures of paddy procurement. Besides, paddy procurement will continue till the entire paddy is lifted from the grain markets. Talking to TNS here yesterday, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Punjab, said more than 1.08 crore metric tonnes (MT) of paddy had been procured in the state by government agencies and traders so far this year. He said more than 1.08 crore MT of paddy had been procured last year in the state. Giving details of the current season’s paddy procurement, Mr Mittal said the state agencies comprising Punsup, Foodsup, Markfed, Warehouse Corporation and Punjab Agro had procured 57.70 lakh MT of paddy while the FCI and the traders had procured 27.42 lakh MT and 22.92 lakh MT, respectively. Mr Mittal said Sangrur district was on top in the state this year by procuring 17.49 lakh MT of paddy while Ludhiana district with 13 lakh MT was second. Patiala district had finished third by procuring 11.69 lakh MT of paddy so far, he added. The minister said licences of seven millers, including four from Sangrur, had been suspended for different reasons. He added that four inspectors of the Food and Civil Supplies Department had also been suspended. Meanwhile, Mr Mittal also held a meeting with the District Food and Supplies Controller, Sangrur, and district managers of government procurement agencies here yesterday. |
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Arhtiyas yet to get
payment for paddy MANSA, Nov 14 — Government procurement agencies have not made any payment to commission agents for the paddy procured by them for one month, according to a press note issued by Mr Narinder Pal Danewalia, president Punjab State Arhtiya Association. Commission agents have been facing financial constraints and so are the farmers who depend on commission agents for their money requirements. Mr Danewalia refuted the government claims that the procurement agencies had been regular in making payments for the procured paddy. He also
criticised the administration for cancelling the licences of commission agents . |
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Lone sniffer at Attari
ineffective ATTARI (Amritsar), Nov 14 — Accompanying the personnel of Customs and Immigration, a rare companion does the search duties at Attari railway station. The 38 inspectors, 13 superintendents, 45 constables under an Assistant Commissioner, Customs, and two women constables have the services of a ‘lone’ sniffer dog while frisking the baggage of passengers of the Samjhauta Express to detect explosives or fake currency. Ironically, the ‘sniffing’ ability in the only dog possessed by the Customs and Immigration officials is ‘absent’ in the doberman as it is too old. The animal is pressed into service just to make a show of security, reveal top-level Customs officials. Although the situation is known to the Home Ministry the lapse has not been rectified. The sniffer, having passed the age of sniffing, is ‘ineffective’ in its duties of detection. Senior officials of the GRP admitted that only a single dog is possessed by the search authorities for detection operations. The Central Investigating Department (CID) authorities on condition of anonymity too admitted that the doberman is retained only to instill fear amongst smugglers and anti-socials arriving from Pakistan or vice-versa. An intelligence official expressing concern over security matters said, “Keeping in view the size and importance of Attari as a sensitive railway station on the border with neighbouring country exporting an arms-narco network, at least five sniffer dogs in excellent condition should be deputed into service.” “In the past two years, I have not come across a single instance reported of detection by the sniffer here,” he added. The CID revealed that the lone dog is only used occasionally, when a large number of travellers are expected via the Samjhauta Express. An expert dog breeder and winner of several national awards, Mr Yogesh Tuteja, revealed that a sniffer’s best years are from age 2 to 7. After that, in police and security services, a dog is retired. Lethargy sets in a sniffer after seven years. Mr Tuteja’s sniffer dog was used by the police to solve a murder case a few years back at the request of senior police officials. Mr Nehru Ram, ASI in charge of the dog squad, was away to Phillaur and could not be contacted. |
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Army, police at loggerheads over case LUDHIANA, Nov 14 — In a case of acting in haste, the local police has registered a case of snatching against a doctor of the rank of a Major in the army, allegedly at the behest of a Superintendent of Police attached with the CM’s security. Interestingly, a police party led by an Assistant Sub-Inspector that was sent to Rajasthan to arrest the Major has been detained by the Army there. The local police had filed a case under section 382 of the IPC against Major (Dr) Vijay Kumar on November 12 on the basis of a complaint made by his estranged wife Praveen. She had alleged that her husband had forcibly taken away a Santro car and its documents. She alleged that she had strained relations with her husband for quite some time now. A faculty member of the Punjab Agricultural University, Parveen claimed in the FIR that she had got the car (PB-10AL- 0891) financed in her name from the State Bank Of India branch at PAU recently after taking the permission of the government and was regularly paying the monthly instalments. It may be noted that the complainant is a sister-in-law of the Superintendent of Police attached with the CM’s security who is also believed to hold some influence on the Badal family. It is alleged that the officer had illicit relations with his sister-in-law. This had become the bone of contention between the Major and his wife Praveen. After, the affair came to light, the Major reportedly decided to part ways with his wife. It is also learnt from informed sources that though the car was financed by the Major and his wife in the latter’s name, the instalments were being paid by the husband. When the two decided to part ways, the husband laid his claim to the car and took it away. It was then that Praveen reportedly approached her brother-in-law and asked him to help her get the car back. Subsequently, the SP approached a top official of the local police and asked him to get a case of snatching registered against the Major. The said police officer, allegedly in his attempt to please the SP ordered that a case be registered. While the case was registered by the police on November 12, a police party led by ASI Narinder Kumar was sent to Bikaner in Rajasthan (where the Major is currently posted) to arrest him. However, this turned out to be a major embarrassment for the local police as the Army there has reportedly detained the police party. In spite of repeated attempts to contact the said police officer, he was not available. Also, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Kuldeep Singh, could not be contacted as he was stated to be out of station. The Superintendent of Police, Mr. G.S. Sandhu, said that he was not aware of the case as it had not been referred to him. |
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Machines drive labourers out of fields JALANDHAR, Nov 14 (PTI) — The use of machinery for harvesting of wheat and paddy, influx of migrant workers and dependence of farmers on pesticides instead of manual deweeding operation have gradually driven Punjab’s rural labourers out of the fields. As their role in farming has been restricted drastically, sowing and harvesting of potato have become the mainstay of these labourers. Nowhere, perhaps, is the impoverishment more manifest than in the dramatic fall in the number of school-going children of labourers in the Doaba region. And the microscopic number of children who happen to go to school drop out at the primary level to assist their families augment income. “We have virtually been rendered jobless by farmers who prefer to use combines for paddy or wheat harvesting. Whatever work has been left has been grabbed by migrant labourers who work at half the rates we do,” said Lal Singh, a labourer of Udhowal village in Nakodar. Lal Singh, for one, was out of job for seven months last year, and cannot even think of sending his nine-year old son to school. “I put him to the work of sowing of potatoes as it fetched him Rs 20 every day,” says Lal Singh. The cost of living has increased so much during the past one decade that it is not possible for his family to get two square meals a day unless all four of the family work in the fields, he notes. Tarsem Peter, a resident of the same village and secretary of the Punjab Pendu Mazdoor Sabha, recalls that in the early ’90s about 12 children of landless labourer families in his village were going to school. Not one does so now, for obvious reasons. The situation is grim, says Tarsem and notes that a number of landless labourers, driven by poverty, have committed suicide. “But we do not give publicity to such incidents lest others do the same,” he says. Karam Singh of Jamsher village sees harvester combines, migrant workers and pesticides as the biggest enemies of his tribe. A combine harvests in about half an hour and at a cost of Rs 450-500 while a group of seven or eight labourers take a full day to do at a cost of about Rs 700-750,” he says. “We realise the utility of machinery, but it has severed our link with the land which we had been tending for decades,” said Karam Singh. Resham Singh of Mithapur village said before the introduction of combined harvester, labourers would get a full year’s supply of foodgrains from the farmers in lieu of harvesting crops and did their agricultural jobs during the rest of the year. Kalia Singh, a small farmer working with a bigger farmer at Bariana village in Hoshiarpur district, said the Punjabi farmer had been left in the lurch as almost all farm operations have been grabbed by migrant labourers. |
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Nov 14, just another
holiday PATIALA The purpose of observing this day was to highlight the problems of the children, besides making them aware of their rights . However this seems to be lost now with most schools in the city observing the day by holding fancy dress competitions and plays which have little message for the children community at large. The nursery class students interviewed by this reporter had no idea about the programme going on in the school. Pooja, a students of nursery said,” It is a function today.” Many others in her class likewise answered that they were having a dance function in the school. Gurpreet of the same class felt it was everybody’s birthday in the school as they all were wearing civil dress, a priviledge allowed only to those who have a birthday. In the same manner, moving forward to the next classes revealed the same answer. Inderpreet Singh of class I announced,” We are doing modelling today.” When asked whose birthday it was, they all replied they did not know. The students of LKG too had similar answers. However, the students of class IX, and X, who knew the importance of the day, too, commented that it was just another holiday for them. Ramandeep of class X said, “It helps as an escape from the monotonous schedule of studies and a diversion towards recreation is always good.” This is not confined to only one school. The Children’s Day celebrations, Gandhi Jayanti,
Christmas and Republic Day are just gazetted holidays in the calendars that have lost their meaning and effect in the long run. The happiness on the innocent faces is brought by fact that the day is a holiday. Mr Jagar Singh, a government servant, observes,” The indifference towards the celebrities of yesteryears is caused due to the difference in the ideology of the bygone days and today. Children’s Day was initiated to emphasise on the evils of child labour, bonded labour and illiteracy and other such problems that were very much
prevalent during the post independence days. Now that the scene has changed, the focus should also be shifted.” Mrs Anuradha, a house wife says,” The problems like child abuse, violence in the society, lesser free time of the parents are more vital issues that need to be solved at national level. The social workers and non-government organisations (NGO’s) should work hand in hand for the better future of our children.” “The impressionable minds of children are vulnerable to the invasion of cable which has proved to be both a boon and a bane for our conservative society. Some measures can be adopted on
occasions like Children’s Day to make them understand their benefits”, explains Mrs Puneet Kaur, a retired teacher. |
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Conservator
contests Sharma’s appointment CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — The appointment of Dr Vinod Sharma as Chief Wildlife Warden has been challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Mr R.K. Luna, Conservator of Forests, Punjab, and four other senior forest officers. It is alleged that the appointment of Dr Sharma has been made by circumventing the earlier order passed by this court by which his appointment as Director of Chhatbir Zoo was quashed. It was submitted by counsel for the petitioners that the state had conferred on Dr Sharma powers of Director with higher scale of pay although earlier he was working in the grade of Joint Director. This had been done by superseding the claim of the petitioner for promotion to the post of Director. It was pointed out that Dr Sharma’s appointment even to the post of Joint Director was being challenged in a writ petition by Mr S.P. Singh, a Forest Officer of Punjab, who was earlier holding the charge of Zoo Director. He was allegedly sidelined to favour Dr Sharma. The Division Bench comprising Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi and Mr Justice K.C. Kathuria fixed January 11, for arguments in the case. |
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PSEB JEs to hold rally in city PATIALA Disclosing this here today, Council of Junior Engineers’ president Sukhdev Singh and general secretary
P.K. Alipuria said the rally was being organised by the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (Northern Region) on the call of the national committee . Mr Sukhdev Singh and Mr Alipuria said the council also condemned the abolition of nearly 7,000 posts of various categories from the organsiation which included 144 posts of Junior Engineers. They said the power supply system and improvement works would be severely affected due to the large scale abolition of posts. |
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Children’s Day celebrated AMRITSAR: Nearly 300 schoolchildren in age group of three to 16 years participated in the on-the-spot painting competition at the Indian Academy of Fine Arts here. An impressive cultural programme by Khalsa College Senior School students followed the prize distribution ceremony. HOSHIARPUR:
Arora Charity, introduced a free mobile Health Care Unit on the occasion of Children’s Day celebrations here today to provide health services to the needy today. Four mentally disabled students of Asha Kiran School flagged of the mobile van of the unit in the presence of prominent citizens here. A doctor started the operation of the unit after the
flag-off ceremony. HARIKE (Ferozepore): Ferozepore, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Jalandhar, Moga and Muktsar today celebrated Children’s Day as a Environment Friendly Day at the Harike
headworks. The Commissioner of Ferozepore Division, Mr Jagpal Singh, presided over the function in which students from all the eight districts
participated. The army explained the students about the method to remove the weed from the wetland. |
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Insecticides prove fatal
for cattle FEROZEPORE, Nov 14 — At least six head of cattle have died due to insecticide poisoning at Peer Ke Khangarh and Dariye Ke villages, near here, in the past several days. Stating this to the TNS, the SDM, Mr D.P.S. Kharbanda, said the reason behind the deaths was excessive use of insecticides by farmers in the fields. This was detected during the investigation of a complaint regarding the mysterious deaths of the cattle lodged by an All-India Shiromani Akali Dal leader, Mr Karnail Singh Bhawra. The autopsy of the dead cattle revealed the presence of insecticide in their bodies. Mr Kharbanda sought to allay the fears of any congenial cattle disease having spread in the district. He, however, has sought a detailed report about these incidents from the Animal Husbandry officials. |
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Bathinda-Rewari train sought BATHINDA, Nov 14 — The Northern Railway Daily Passengers Union (NRDPU) has demanded a new train on the Bathinda-Rewari section and that the passenger cabins of the trains should be cleaned at long halts. In a press note issued here yesterday the general secretary of the union, Mr Vijay Kumar, demanded that the drinking water facility in the bogies should be improved and the ticket window should remain open for 24 hours. The union welcomed the decision to start a new train on the Fazilka-Rewari section. |
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Nirankari samagam from Nov 18 BATHINDA, Nov 14 — The 53rd annual Sant Nirankari Samagam will be held in New Delhi from the November 18 and the Indian Railways has announced a concession of 25 per cent for passengers travelling to the Capital to attend the function. This was stated by Mr S.P. Duggal, Head of the local unit of the Sant Nirankari Mission, in a press note issued here yesterday. |
Xen crushed under train BATHINDA, Nov 14 — Mr Bikkar Singh, Executive Engineer, Punjab State Electricity Board, was killed today when his scooter got stuck between the railway
tracks, and he was crushed by a passenger train. The post-mortem was done at the local Civil Hospital. The Government Railway Police has registered a case. |
Youth festival opens at Ropar ROPAR, Nov 14 — The three-day youth festival of the Ropar zone of Punjabi University started at the Baba Jorawar Singh Fateh Singh Khalsa College for Girls, Morinda, after inauguration by Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Punjab. Seventeen college of the zone are participating in the festival. Mr Mittal urged the youths not to get swayed by the Western culture as India is a country rich in culture and philosophy. Mr Daljit Singh, Director Youth Services of Punjabi University said the university had decided to identify the extincting art forms of the state. To preserve these forms, the university would organise programmes to train youths in these fields. |
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Teachers go on leave BARNALA, Nov 14 — In response to a call given by the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU), teachers of government-aided private colleges, including S.D. College, Barnala, Guru Gobind Singh College, Sanghera Arya Girls College, Barnala Akal Degree College, Mastuana Khalsa College, Sandhaur Desh Bhagat College, Bardwal Guru Tegh Bahadur College, Bhawanigarh Akal Degree College for Women, Sangrur and R.D. Jain Girls College, Malerkotla, observed a total “cease-work” in today followed by a mass casual leave. The teachers were protesting against the non-implementation of the grant of pension and gratuity benefits to them despite an order passed by the Punjab Assembly in 1998. Anti-government slogans were raised by the protesters. A memorandum containing a charter of demands was submitted to Mr Rahul Bhandari, SDM, Barnala, in his office today. |
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