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| Friday, November 17, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
Akali leaders getting away
with crime? Bibi going to Delhi
to face CBI sleuths “Education mafia” taking
over
Cancer patients being shown the door at hospital Engineers move to ‘cleanse’
dept
Ration card holders go without
sugar |
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Press boycotts CM’s function Steps to improve dental
services Effigies of
Azhar, Veerappan burnt Villages adopted for de-addiction
Lawyers oppose
abolition of post PSEB staff defer
agitation
Ex-judge’s widow,
daughter held in murder bid case 3 PUDA officials
injured Fake certificate racket busted
PCCTU panel
meets Badal Sangrur zone youth
fest on Nov 22
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Akali leaders getting away
with crime? FARIDKOT, Nov 16 — Is there any rule of law in this state which has experienced more than a decade long militancy and shares the border with Pakistan? The answer is in the negative if the crimes allegedly being committed by ruling politicians, members of the Vidhan Sabha and those occupying important positions in the government and non-government organisations, are taken into account. The crime allegedly committed by the Akali leaders is on the rise as they are rarely put behind the bars because of their clout in the SAD-BJP government. Mr Sheetal Singh, MLA, Dharamkot, who was allegedly involved in the murder of Rakesh Kumar, again allegedly murdered Rakesh’s father Harmesh Kumar Mukhija, a President’s award winner and senior leader of the Congress. Mr Sheetal Singh, close kin of Punjab Agriculture Minister, Gurdev Singh Badal, allegedly crushed to death Rakesh Kumar on October 14 and within a month, murdered his father Harmesh Kumar Mukhija on November 13. Though on both occasions, Sheetal Singh was booked in cases of murder along with his associates, he has not yet been arrested by the police. Mr Gurdev Badal has remained under stress and strain as his son Sube Singh was charged with the rape of a girl from Ludhiana last year. Now, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission has begun an inquiry into the death of Karam Singh, a 45-year-old labourer of Jaitu town, who was found dead in the Faridkot residence of Mr Badal under mysterious circumstances recently. Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar, Takht Damdama Sahib, was also booked in a case of dowry death along with his close relative Joginder Kaur by the Talwandi Sabo police on the direction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court about a year ago. The case under Section 304-B of the IPC was registered against him and Joginder Kaur when his daughter-in-law Sharanjit Kaur ended her life by jumping into sarovar of historical gurdwara Likhansar on June 18, 1997. Sources said that there was a move to cancel the FIR registered against Giani Kewal Singh and his relative about two months ago. Whether the FIR was cancelled or not could not be known from the police authorities. Mr Ashok Dheer, chairman, Punjab State Seed Corporation (Punseed), and confidant of Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, was booked under Section 306 of the IPC by the Lambi police station in the last week of October allegedly for forcing a farmer, Hardev Singh of Dhaula village of Muktsar district, to commit suicide by consuming poison. The chief of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the highest religious body of Sikhs, Bibi Jagir Kaur, has also been booked along with her family friends and gunman for killing her daughter Harpreet Kaur, alias Rosy. She has been facing the probe by CBI on the direction of Punjab and Haryana High Court. Though Bibi Jagir Kaur secured bail from the high court yesterday, she was never arrested by concerned authorities. Similarly, Giani Kewal Singh, Mr Ashok Dheer and Sheetal Singh were never arrested by the police. Apart from it, number of district and tehsil-level leaders of the SAD, including Mr Bhagwan Singh Khemuna chairman, Market Committee, Goniana, and Mr Guruditta Singh, a senior leader of Bathinda district, have also been booked in some cases. Khemuna was booked under Section 498-A for harassing his daughter-in-law for bringing inadequate dowry a few months ago. |
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Bibi going to Delhi
to face CBI sleuths JALANDHAR, Nov 16 — The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, according to sources close to her, consulted her lawyers and loyalists today. She has decided to present herself before the CBI at Delhi headquarters tomorrow. The Bibi was preparing to go to Delhi, Dr Gurbachan Singh Bachan, the SGPC Secretary, confirmed. Another confidant of the SGPC chief said the Bibi had been briefed about the mode of interrogation of the other six accused and their statements to the investigating agency. |
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“Education mafia” taking
over CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — Exactly three years ago, on November 17, 1997, the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, was handed a six-page note, typed in Punjabi, titled: “Punjab’s education edifice and language policy — call for reforms”. The person who had prepared the note and personally handed it over to the Chief Minister was Dr S.S. Johl, a former Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala. His theme paper is on the existing ad hoc management of education, poor infrastructure, from village school to university, and the way out. Nothing was heard thereafter. For the casual approach to education the entire blame cannot be put on the SAD-BJP government alone; a major part of it must be apportioned to the universities. Despite the best of intentions neither the desired push was given to education nor changes made. Extraneous pressures and political exigencies became excuses. Of particular concern now is the system of “entrance tests” for postgraduate courses and professional colleges. The introduction of the tests in the mid-eighties was welcomed by all, hoping these would end biased entries into universities and colleges. But these tests have become an evil. With the passage of time, a “mafia” has taken over. The entrance tests are now a business, where all that matters is — money not merit. A teacher at Guru Nanak Dev University, Dr Jairup Singh, who studied the “anatomy” of entrance tests, found that these had great “money-minting” potential. Even the government has legalised these by conveniently shirking its responsibility and asking the educational institutions to raise their own resources. Under the garb of these tests, the universities and boards are disowning the marks awarded in their own final examinations and also the merit lists of the competitive tests conducted by them. Questions are often asked about the role of private “academies” and “coaching centres”, specialising in these entrance tests, and doubts expressed over the fairness of these tests. While Punjabi University has scrapped admission tests for postgraduate courses, a debate continues at Panjab University, where the Syndicate, on April 30, discused the relevance of entrance tests. Following that the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union general secretary, Mr Charnjit Chawla, a Syndic, sent a note to the former Vice-Chancellor, Mr M. M. Puri, on request. Nothing was heard thereafter. A general demand is that if there has to be an entrance test for admission to engineering and medical colleges, let the all-India test conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), after 10+2, be the only one. From the CBSE’s all-India merit list all colleges can select students rather than through their own separate tests. “At the most some additional criteria can, perhaps, be introduced by the respective state institutions and universities”, suggests Dr Jairup Singh. His suggestion is endorsed by Mr Chawla in his note. He goes a step further: the money, running into several crores, raised from the entrance tests goes to the university’s foundation for higher education and research. But it is seldom spent in this way. Invariably it is used as a “discretionary” fund by the Vice-Chancellor. Mr Puri, he alleged, used the foundation funds for other purposes. The way entrance tests are conducted and the role played by private academies and coaching centres ( including the alleged leakage of question papers, charging a hefty fee, etc.) and their manipulative means have compromised the admission procedure of professional institutions. Since a student appears in several entrance tests, it is apparent that universities pocket huge sums of money and parents pay through the nose. Take a simple calculation: say 20,000 students take the admission test to an engineering or medical college. The average cost of the admission form and prospectus is Rs 400. Add to this a bank draft for the same
amount. The conducting university makes a neat Rs 1.6 crore. Deduct examination conduct charges, etc, and still a university pockets a cool Rs 1.25 crore. The calculation does not end there. A 10+2 student appearing in the CBSE all-India entrance test also applies at several other places. In each case he buys a different prospectus containing the admission form, spends money on the bank draft, postage, attestation of various forms and photographs, etc. The student travels to different destinations for the entrance tests, often accompanied by a member of the family. At times an overnight stay becomes compulsory. Calculate the money spent on appearing in different examinations at different centres, within and outside the state; yet one is not sure of admission. This despite a good performance (even being on the merit list) in the annual examination conducted by a university or a board. Which means that despite more than three hours a student spends in the examination hall on each of the nine subjects at the 10+2 level, his or her fate is ultimately decided by the performance in a two-hour entrance test, for which the stakes are high and so is the cost. In such a situation expecting students to attend classes is foolish. The very system of entrance tests has put a great strain on the students: physical and psychological. What worries teachers and parents is the fast-eroding “traditional” system of classroom culture and its taking over by “teaching shops” run by the “education mafia”. These shops usually function from April to November, promising admission. But there is a price tag attached. How long will society bear the huge financial burden on each entrance test? A former Director of Medical Research and Education, settled in Amritsar, told TNS on Wednesday about how such private shops manipulated admissions at a price. He was shocked at the deteriorating educational standards and the admission system. “It is total commerce”. He reeled out the names of academies that inserted two-page advertisements claiming credit for the “success” of their students. Money, sources confided, now played an important part even in admission to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. Education and entrance tests are now only for the
rich. The worst affected are students in rural colleges. Over 95 per cent of the students are unable to appear in entrance tests simply because they cannot afford the tuition fee and other expenses. “Bringing about uniformity in admission is more imaginary than real”, says Dr Jairup Singh. Remedies are there. Amendments can be made. Entrance tests can be scrapped. A better system can be evolved provided teachers, who are also parents, come forward to raise their voice on the burning issues to make education cost-effective, purposeful and meaningful, relating it to the real-life situation. The issues raised in the theme paper by Dr Johl precisely relate to similar problems, suggesting a way out. |
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Cancer patients being shown the door at hospital PATIALA The radio active Cobalt , which is the source of the machine used for chemotherapy treatment , gets depleted over a period ranging from five to six years . Replenishing it costs around Rs 35 to Rs 40 lakh, which is at present beyond the scope of the hospital, which is struggling to maintain basic facilities with even life-saving drugs not being available with it. Radio Therapy Department sources disclosed that the source had been depleted in September and proposals had been made by the hospital to get it replenished but they had not borne fruit . Cancer patients requiring chemotherapy treatment now have to get the same done from private hospitals at a much greater cost. Sources said Rajindra Hospital was the sole hospital in the government field which was providing Radio therapy treatment in the state. They said a cancer patient needed around ten to twenty sittings at the high security, high tech facility established in the basement of the hospital. While radio therapy treatment of a patient generally came out to around Rs 1,000 at the hospital, patients incurred a cost of around Rs 20,000 if they went through the same number of sittings in a private hospital. ‘’We are understanding the value of the facility only after if is no longer availables”, said Amarjit Singh, whose relative has been earlier undergoing treatment in the Radio Therapy Department in the Rajindra Hospital. He said around 35 to 40 cancer patients were visiting the department daily for treatment. Presently the department bears a deserted look. The staff while admitting radio therapy unit is not functioning any longer is against any photograph being taken of the closed unit. They said while the radio activity of the source had been decreasing since the last six months, rendering scientific radiotherapy difficult, things had come to a stop completely now. They disclosed that earlier they were make doing with allowing more exposure of the radio active cobalt beam to patients to compensate for the weakening strength of the radio active source. This sources said clearly indicated that the hospital clearly knew that the radio therapy unit would become redundant once the radio active source of the machine was depleted but could not do anything to make amends. The hospital authorities had reportedly moved the case for replenishing the source by requesting the government to allow it to use funds collected from Non Resident Indian seats since the last two years but the case was not cleared by the government . The hospital had collected more than Rs 1 core in NRI funds last year and the funds are expected to go up to Rs 3 crore by the end of this year. Authoritative sources in the hospital disclosed the government had declined to release money from NRI funds collected by the hospital and had asked it to make another application to get funds released for the radio active source from the extra funds collected after the hike in hospital charges last year. The sources said though the hospital has started the procedure again-getting funds from this source may also not be possible as the government had amalgamated these funds in the regular hospital budget. The authorities said the case was put for provision of the needed funds in last year ‘ s budget but was left out in the budget sanctioned by the government. |
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Engineers move to ‘cleanse’
dept CHANDIGARH, Nov 16 — At long last, engineers of the PWD (B and R) have decided to refurbish their image. There are senior engineers among them who have dared to take the initiative to “cleanse” the department. The move followed introspection at a meeting of the general body of the Senior Engineers Forum of the department. After a lot of brainstorming at the meeting senior engineers reached the conclusion that the “maximum damage has been caused to the department by ‘indisciplined’ members amongst them (engineers)”. As a result of the discussion the forum set up an “ethics committee” consisting of five engineers, to take cognisance of the activities of such members who bring “disrepute” to the section and the department. The members of the committee are Mr S.S. Swami, Mr M.S. Nagi, Mr M.M. Sharma, Mr P.S. Basra, and Mr K.S. Brar. The quorum of this committee will be three and it will hold at least one meeting a month. On the receipt of reference from any member or subordinate officer or official or on its own, the committee will look into the activities of “indisciplined” members and submit a report to the executive committee, which will, after affording due opportunity to the member concerned, record its findings and convey its concern over his conduct and urge him to change, his way of working. Though the forum was careful in the use of words in this connection, the objective behind this whole exercise is, according to certain senior engineers, to isolate the “incorrigible characters” in the department. Though the member of such persons is small, their activities tarnish the image of the entire department. When asked why a mild word like “indisciplined” had been used when the forum’s real objective appeared to be to wage war against corrupt elements in the department, the senior engineers said the word covered all sorts of misconduct. It is, perhaps, the first organisation in the state to take such a bold initiative. Not only the PWD (B and R) but also other departments like Health, Revenue, Transport, Excise and Taxation, Food and Supply and Education are facing an “image” problem because of a number of corrupt officials. There are certain officers in government departments who, with the patronage of politicians and bureaucrats, make the entire official machinery dance to their tune to make a fast buck. Senior engineers told TNS that “we have set the ball rolling for honest and upright officers in other departments to do what we are doing, to improve the image of their respective departments. It is the right time for IAS, IPS, PCS and PPS officers and organisations like the PSEB Engineers Association to take the initiative, on the forum’s lines, to make society and the state better”, they asserted. |
Ration card holders go without
sugar BATHINDA, Nov 16 — Thousands of ration card holders have not got levy for the past one and half months. They did not get levy sugar even during the festivals of Divali and Gurpurab. Official sources said levy sugar could not be distributed to the card holders as almost all the UP-based sugar mills had refused to deliver adequate quota of sugar to the Punjab Government in October despite payment made in advance. The Punjab Government, thereafter, asked Punsup to procure sugar from mills in Punjab. These mills however, did not deliver even a single bag of sugar to Punsup. A senior official of the Punsup, on the condition of anonymity, said the Punjab Government refused to lift sugar offered by the UP-based mills because of its poor quality. However, the Bathinda-based Punsup authorities managed to get only 906 bags of sugar from the UP mills despite the fact that Rs 20 lakh was given to one of the sugar mills located in the Bhagpath area. The quality of sugar delivered by this mill was up to the mark, official sources said. Sources added that against the distribution of more than 8500 metric tonnes of sugar, the Punsup and other agencies could deliver only few thousand metric tonnes of sugar. In November, Punsup and other agencies have not started the distribution so far. Sources added the UP-based mills refused to deliver the necessary quota of sugar to the Punjab Government as these mills could not get the clearance certificate from the Director, Sugar, Government of India, for the old stock of sugar. |
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Press boycotts CM’s function PHAGWARA, Nov 16 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and the top civil and police brass today took the media for a ride and the piqued media boycotted the function. The CM had come here to inaugurate the cane-crushing operations of Wahid Sandhar Sugars Ltd. Things reached a flashpoint when mediamen, cooling their heels for three hours at the function for meeting Mr Badal, were in for a rude shock he was taken straight to his car through a strong cordon made by securitymen after the function. Peeved over having been misled by some officials who had promised them a meeting with the CM, the pressmen decided to boycott the function. Some mediamen were heard saying that Mr Badal had avoided them to avoid inconvenient questions about Bibi Jagir Kaur, SGPC President. |
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Steps to improve dental
services AMRITSAR, Nov 16 — Dr Baldev Raj Chawla, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Punjab, said today the Punjab Government had decided to provide one dental clinic for a population of 30,000 in a phased manner in the state. About 354 new fully equipped dental clinics will be set up in the state by the end of Ninth Five Year Plan. Of these 40 will be set up during the current financial year. Dr Chawla was speaking at the concluding ceremony of a state-level function of the ninth Dental Health Fortnight. The fortnight was organised by the Health and Family Welfare Department at all dental clinics of the state from November 2 to 16 to create an awareness about oral health programmes amongst people and provide specialised oral health services free of cost to the people. Dr Chawla said of the 2300 dental surgeons of the state only 110 were working in the rural areas. They all belonged to the dental wing of the Health Department, he said, adding that no private dental surgeon was working in the rural areas. The state government had thus decided to augment dental services in the rural sector. He further said Punjab was the first state in India to launch a comprehensive oral healthcare programme called “intensive dental healthcare programe”. Under this programe more than 25 lakh schoolchildren in the age group of 6-12 years had been provided dental care services. During 1999-2000 more than 2 lakh children were examined. Half of them were found to be suffering from various dental diseases. Dr Chawla said during the campaign 60 dental camps were organised and 2 lakh persons provided dental services. More than 2500 senior citizens were provided dentures worth Rs. 1 crore free of cost. All districts had been provided with 17 mobile vans at a cost of Rs 1.35 crore, he added. |
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Effigies of
Azhar, Veerappan burnt AMRITSAR, Nov 16 — Activists of All-India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) held a demonstration and a protest march outside Hall Gate against former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin and sandalwood smuggler Veerappan and burnt their effigies. The processionists were carrying placards reading ‘hang traitors’. While addressing the protest march, the general secretary of the AIATF, Punjab, Mr Mohinder Singh Sidhu said Veerappan was a big challenge to the country and should be arrested without delay. “The Central Government should launch a commando operation in the forest where Veerappan is hiding,” said Mr Sidhu, adding, “If the Indian Government could launch an Army operation in the sensitive Kashmir to get the Muslim shrine vacated from terrorists, the same action can be taken on Veerappan to flush him out of the forest. Criticising Azharuddin, he said Azhar had hurt the sentiments of crores of Indians when his relations with notorious smuggler and gangster Dawood Ibrahim were established. He should be arrested and to be tried in the court of law. |
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Villages adopted for de-addiction BATHINDA, Nov 16 — The district Red Cross Society will adopt villages of this area for de-addiction. Mr Jaspal Singh, Deputy Commissioner, in a press note issued here yesterday said besides teams comprising SDMs, senior medical officers and drug inspectors had been constituted to carry out surprise checks of chemists shops. He added that in the first village, Mehma Serja, which had been adopted for de-addiction, the staff of the de-addiction centre based in this city would establish regular contacts with the affected persons. Apart from it, a de-addiction camp would also be held in the village. Meanwhile, the staff of the de-addiction centre has identified those families whose members are addicted to some drug or the
other. |
Lawyers oppose
abolition of post FEROZEPORE, Nov 16 — Lawyers in Ferozepore went on strike following reports that the state government was deliberating on the abolition of the post of the Divisional Commissioner. Although the proposal has yet not been finalized but the lawyers of the four divisions Ferozepore, Jalandhar, Faridkot and Patiala have decided to oppose any such move. The president of the District Bar Association, Mr Hari Chand Kamboj, said if the state government’s indifferent attitude towards Ferozepore continues, the lawyers would have no other alternative than to start an agitation. Earlier Moga and Muktsar districts had been carved out of Ferozepore which had affected the prospects of this town. With the abolition of the post of the Divisional Commissioner, the cases from Muktsar and Moga, which were part of the Ferozepore Division, would go to the Deputy Commissioners of the respective district. |
| PUDA to build
admn complex GURDASPUR, Nov 16 — The Punjab Urban Development Authority
(PUDA) is all set to undertake the construction of an administrative complex at Gurdaspur to house all offices of the judiciary, police and the administration. Land measuring 12.5 acres has been transferred to
PUDA. The premises will have the office of the Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department, and the residence of Executive Engineers, Canals. |
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PSEB staff defer
agitation FEROZEPORE, Nov 16 — PSEB employees who had earlier threatened to protest against the registration of a criminal case against their colleague have decided to defer the stir for a week. Disclosing this the convener of an 11-member action committee of the PSEB employees, Mr Ramesh Kumar, said the decision was taken after the police assured them to drop the case registered against Executive Engineer Manjit Singh Rajput at Cantonment police station. Earlier, an FIR was lodged against Manjit Singh Rajput on a complaint of a Cantonment Board member, Mr Joginder Singh Jindu, who accused the officer of using derogatory remarks. However, the PSEB employees charged Mr Jindu of slapping a case against Mr Rajput, as he had annoyed his political masters during a drive to check power theft in the city. |
Ex-judge’s widow,
daughter held in murder bid case BATHINDA, Nov 16 — Sant Kaur, widow of Kartar Singh, a retired judge, and her daughter Sukhwinder Kaur have been arrested by the district police for making an attempt to kill Rani Kaur, another widow of her husband, by hiring three contract killers for Rs 50,000. Police sources said that Sant Kaur and Sukhwinder Kaur hired Joginder Singh, Randhir Singh and Bagga Singh of Jhurad village of the Raikot area for Rs 50,000 for killing Rani Kaur. The three accused went to the house of Rani Kaur in Guru Teg Bhadur Nagar here yesterday and tried to strangulate her with a ‘duppatta’. However, Rani Kaur raised the alarm and some people living in that area informed the police. The police party reached the spot immediately and came to know about the involvement of Sant Kaur and Sukhwinder Kaur. Police sources added that Sant Kaur and Sukhwinder Kaur had hatched the conspiracy to grab the 12 acres of land of Rani Kaur after killing her. Rani Kaur became owner of 12 acres of land as she got one-third share of total 36 acres of land owned by her deceased husband. Dr Jatinder Kumar Jain, SSP, said that a case in this connection had been registered under Sections 307 and 120-B of
IPC. |
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3 PUDA officials
injured JALANDHAR, Nov 16 — Three employees of the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) were injured during the anti-encroachment drive in the green belt of the Urban Estate area here today. Nearly 200 structures were removed amid protests by residents. The trouble started when the officials led by the Additional Chief Administrator, Mr H.S. Nanda, went on to remove kutcha structures from the green belt falling between a gurdwara and a temple in Phase II. They were confronted by about 100 residents of Saibowal village who pelted stones on them in spite of the presence of the SHO who had difficulty in controlling the mob due to small number of police officials. Three employees Rajinder Singh, Jagdeep Singh and Gurdip Singh were injured during the attack. Mr Nanda said Rajinder Singh had suffered head injuries while the other two sustained injuries on their knees. Mr Nanda said inspite of the resistance, encroachments were removed. He said those who had attacked the officials have been identified and a complaint had been lodged. |
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Fake certificate
racket busted GURDASPUR, Nov 16 — The police has unearthed a racket in setting fake certificates of matric and middle classes. Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, said this in a press note today. Thirty blank matric certificates, with two duplicate stamps of Principal Government Senior Secondary School, Jagowal Bet, were also seized. Mr Varinder Kumar said Mr Nanak Chand, Principal, Government Senior Secondary School, Jagowal Bet, reported to SHO Police Station Purana Sharla that a certificate declaring Som Nath of Dhariwal pass in Class IX was received in his office for verification from the General Manager, Punjab Roadways, Batala. Som Nath is working as a driver in the Punjab Roadways, Batala, for the past 18 months. On consulting the school records it was found no such certificate had been issued by the school. Similarly, the school authority received Class VIII certificate of Yunus of Dhariwal for verification from the office of the District Employment Officer. The certificate was also found fake. And another certificate of middle pass of Sukhdev Raj Dhariwal was also found fake. The Dhaliwal police came to action and arrested Som Nath of Dhariwal from his house and registered a case under Sections 420, 467, 458, 471, 472, 120-B of the IPC. Davinder Kumar of Dhariwal has also been arrested for setting fake certificates. |
PCCTU panel
meets Badal PHAGWARA, Nov 16 — A deputation of agitating private college teachers today met the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh
Badal, here and presented a memorandum to him demanding implementation of the Pension and Gratuity Act, 1999. Led by PCCTU leaders Prof Jaswant Singh
Gandam, and Prof Gurnam Singh the teachers demanded the release of Rs 4.20 crore for the 26-day strike period and Rs 10.20 crore grant for January-February. |
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Sangrur zone youth
fest on Nov 22 SANGRUR, Nov 16 — A three-day Punjabi University Zonal Youth Festival of the Sangrur zone will be held from November 22 to 24 at Shanti Tara College, Ahamedgarh, near Malerkotla. Giving this information today, Prof Amarjit Singh Sidhu, Principal of the college, said nearly 1,000 students of 18 colleges, affiliated to Punjabi University would participate in 32 cultural items in the festival. Professor Sidhu said Mr Nusrat Ali Khan, Sports Minister, Punjab, would inaugurate the festival while Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University, will give away prizes on November 24. |
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