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| Tuesday, November 28, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
Thanking voters with Rs 45 lakh 11-member gang of cheats busted One arrested for swindling money ‘30,000 to take part in Delhi rally from Punjab’ Focus on biotechnology for women
Pamphlet on Bibi on Nov 30 |
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Border villages
remain ignored Hospital sans basic medical
facilities Strike makes bricks costlier ‘Jalau
Khana’ in decay RSS campaign sparks row Tourism council for Punjab soon Railway employees stage dharna Villagers hold
demonstration ‘Maximise’ tariff
on farm imports Australian experts
meet Mittal
Punjab Police recovers three grenades Mukhija case: two more pistols found
Varsity runs
courses sans recognition
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Thanking voters
with Rs 45 lakh JAKHEPAL (Sunam) Nov 27 — Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, today said the Punjab Government would initiate an inquiry into the alleged irregularities by officials of government agencies during paddy procurement. Talking to mediapersons here today, he said he had read reports about alleged irregularities only in newspapers. He ordered the PSEB authorities to set up an office of the PSEB subdivision in this village. The instructions came at a “sangat darshan” programme in this village which falls under the Sunam Assembly constituency. Mr Badal along with Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Union Minister, Mr Gobind Singh Kanjhla, Punjab Minister, and Mr Parminder Singh Dhindsa, MLA from Sunam, visited the village to thank the voters for the victory to the SAD candidate in the Sunam Assembly byelection. Mr Badal formed a committee needed by the Deputy Commissioner to chalk out a plan for the disposal of the filthy village water. He gave a patient hearing to 11 panchayats, besides representatives of Dalits, Muslims and youth clubs of Jakhepal Vas, Hambal Vas, Dhaliwal Vas, Chau Vas, Ghasiwal, Daula Singhwala, Pattianwali Ratangarh, Dharamgarh, Satauj, Tolawal and Kanakwal villages. Mr Badal issued cheques totalling Rs 45 lakh to the village panchayats. He gave Rs 5 lakh to the Jakhepal Vas panchayat, Rs 5 lakh to Dhaliwal Vas, Rs 7 lakh to Chau Vas, Rs 8 lakh to Hambal Vas, Rs 3.25 lakh to Ghasiwal, Rs 5 lakh to Daula Singhwala, Rs 1.25 lakh to Pattianwali Rattangarh, Rs 2.50 lakh to Dharamgarh, Rs 1 lakh to Satauj, Rs 3 lakh to Tolawal and Rs 4 lakh to Kanakwal. These cheques were given to the panchayats for development works. Addressing the gathering, Mr Badal said his visit was “purely to thank” the voters of the Sunam Assembly constituency. He lashed out at his rivals. Without naming Mr G.S. Tohra, Mr Badal alleged that he had fielded a candidate to “defeat us and provide a victory to the Congress candidate”. Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Union Minister, thanked the people for the victory of his son in the byelection. Jathedar Gurbachan Singh Fatehgarh, president of the district unit of the SAD, and Giani Raghbir Singh Jakhepal, member of the SGPC, also spoke. Mr Badal sanctioned grants worth Rs 95 lakh to panchayats for development works during his three ‘sangat darshan’ programmes at Jakhepal, Sheron and Duggan villages, official sources said. |
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11-member gang of cheats busted JALANDHAR, Nov 27 — The district police claims to have solved a blind double-murder case and in the process has stumbled upon an 11-member gang of cheats involved in around 40 incidents in the last five years, who now have been arrested. Mr Gaurav Yadav, SSP, said here today two bodies of unidentified women were recovered from the Bist-Doab canal in Adampur on September 7 and according to the post-mortem examination report the death was suspected to be from poisoning or asphyxia due to drowning. They have been identified as Darshana (32) and her 11-year-old daughter Preeti. The arrested persons have been identified as Dilbagh Singh, Des Raj, Kishan, Amarjit Kaur, Sukhwinder Singh, Baljit Kaur, all residents of Bassi Jalal village in Tanda; Buta Singh, Amrik Singh, Baljit Singh, all residents of Dhulka village in Amritsar, Tarsem Singh, a resident of Bheely village in Kapurthala and Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Kutabi Nangal village in Gurdaspur. Mr Yadav further disclosed that the arrested persons, during interrogation, revealed that Darshana was allegedly living with Dilbagh Singh in a rented accommodation in Buttar village in Mehta. Dilbagh Singh was the kingpin of a five-member gang of cheats who specialised in duping money from people in the guise of doubling it. The gang was mainly operational in Kartarpur, Jandiala, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Bhogpur, Kapurthala, Pathankot, Goraya, Batala, Ajnala, Haryana, Saharanpur and was involved in as many as 40 such incidents, he said. Narrating the sequence of events that led to the murder of the two, Mr Yadav said Dilbagh Singh and Darshana and defrauded one Amrik Singh, a resident of Isharwal village, of a sum of Rs 50,000 on September 5, but both of them had a quarrel over the distribution of the money. Darshana threatened to approach the police which irked the accused, who put pesticide in a glass of lemon water and forced Darshana to drink it. Subsequently, her 11-year-old daughter Preeti and seven-year-old son Sonu were also administered the pesticide laced water while they were asleep. The three were admitted to a local hospital but Darshana and Preeti died there and their bodies were stuffed in sacks and thrown in the nearby Bist-Doab canal on the intervening night of September 6 and 7 by Dilbagh Singh, Amarjit Kaur, Sukhwinder Singh, Baljit Kaur, Buta Singh, Amrik Singh and Baljit Singh. The arrested persons were produced in the court. The supervision of the investigation has been entrusted to Mr Dilbagh Singh, SP. |
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One arrested for swindling money BATHINDA, Nov 27 — The district police has arrested Gurdeep Singh, a resident of Partap Nagar here, for his alleged involvement in cheating people and taking money from them by making false promises to secure jobs for them in oil companies and Guru Gobind Singh Oil Refinery near Rama Mandi. The accused had opened an agency under the name of Hindustan Domestic Oil and Gas Company, Bombay (New Delhi). He would take huge amounts of money from people, promising to secure jobs for them. The accused had also appointed sub-dealers for his agency. Dr Jatinder Kumar Jain, SSP, in a press note issued here today, said the accused would get two copies of application forms for a job in oil company filled from the people and then would put the stamp of the oil company on it. After that he would return one copy of the application form to the applicant. To retain the faith of the applicants, he issued acknowledgements of the receipts of application forms by the oil companies and after that a letter of intimation to the applicants that they would get a job in November or December. The accused used to send such letters through registered post and the letters were duly stamped. Those who had been cheated by the accused involved Mr Gurmeet Singh of Behman Diwana village. Gurmeet Singh gave Rs 1.5 lakh to the accused for securing a job in Guru Gobind Singh Oil Refinery at Rama Mandi. Mr Devinder Singh of Deon was cheated of Rs 30,000, Baljinder Singh of Chuge Kalan was cheated of Rs 30000, Gursahib Singh and Gurdas Singh (both brothers) of Chuge Kalan were cheated of Rs 25,000 each, Ajaib Singh of Behman Diwana was cheated of Rs 10,000, Balkar Singh of Behman Diwana of Rs 40,000, Satpal Singh of Rs 30,000, Lakhwinder Singh of Jai Singh Wala of Rs 22,000 and Rajvir Singh cheated of Rs 10,000. Dr Jain said a case under Sections 420, 406, 468 and 471 of the IPC had been registered against the accused. A case under Section 420 and 406 of the IPC had also been registered against the accused in 1996 when he cheated people in connection with the house loan cases. |
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‘30,000 to take part in Delhi rally from Punjab’ CHANDIGARH, Nov 27 — The Communist Party of India (Marxist, Punjab unit, today claimed that more than 30,000 people from the state, including farm workers, would take part in the proposed rally to be held in New Delhi to oppose the liberalisation policies of the NDA government in the agricultural sector and protest against the non-procurement of farm produce. In a statement Mr Balwant Singh, state secretary of the CPM, criticised the decision of the Centre to amend the banking laws to reduce government shares in the nationalised banks to 33 per cent. He said it was nothing but a “conspiracy” to privatise the nationalised banks and added that this decision would have a harmful effect on the development priorities of the country and big business houses would get an undue advantage. Mr Balwant Singh said the entire Left democratic and secular forces would fight this anti-people and antinational step of the BJP led government unitedly. Describing the decision of the NDA government to marginally by reduce the prices of kerosene and cooking gas an eyewash, Mr Balwant Singh said it would neither give relief to people not would it enhance the credibility of the BJP government, which was getting isolated due to the “anti-people” policies. |
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Focus on biotechnology for women CHANDIGARH, Nov 27 — To create awareness about biotechnology-based programmes for women and rural development, the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology started a two-day workshop here today. It was inaugurated by the minister concerned, Mr Chiranji Lal Garg. The council Executive Director, Mr N. S. Tiwana, explained the purpose of assembling scientists and administrators from different states and institutions. It was to identify specific biotechnologies that could be demonstrated in villages and adopted by women. The aim was to educate and enable women to set up small enterprises, understand vocations like apiculture, mushroom cultivation, vermicomposting, cultivation of medicinal plants, tissue culture, etc. A part of the programme at the workshop was to create awareness among women about genetic disorders and the need for counselling. The keynote address on “Genetic disorders — spectrum, causative factors and prevention” by Dr Suraksha Aggarwal was primarily to inform women about babies born with congenital and other deformities and possible cures. Dr Aggarwal came from the Department of Medical Genetics, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lucknow. She talked of the need to create awareness among women through counselling. Interestingly, another participant, Dr Jairup Singh, showed to Tribune News Service a comprehensive project report he had prepared in November, 1990, on the same theme. It was titled “Genetic counselling and development of audio-visual aids for awareness among women”. As coordinator, Centre for Genetic Disorders, at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, he explained that in India nearly 50 million people were born with one or the other genetic disorder. “A child with a genetic disorder is born almost every 40 seconds. There are not even 10 places for genetic counselling”, he added. But the centre at Amritsar was engaged in advanced research. In fact his project, submitted to the Department of Science and Technology, was rejected for unexplained reasons. After 10 years the same theme was now being propagated by Dr Aggarwal. Another fact that came to light during a discussion with some of the participants was the perpetual resource crunch. Even the promised money, earmarked in the Plan schemes, was seldom made available to the laboratories in Punjab, while there was no shortage of funds for such workshops. Incidentally, there was one village woman, Ms Sito Devi, pradhan Mehla Mandal of Dher village, near Anandpur, at the workshop. The delegates are to visit the village later to see the successful introduction of vermicomposting there. While Mr Tiwana cautioned against the misuse and abuse of biotechnology for diversification and related problems, Dr Amita Biswas, Adviser, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, in her introductory remarks talked about the concept of the project and the help the Centre could extend in improving the financial and managerial skills of women in terms of training and enterprise to provide “food, health, education and environment security”. The minister, Mr Garg, in his brief remarks urged the scientists to concentrate on tackling new diseases likely to emerge in the next 20 years or so. Looking back one found the same problems that existed at the time of Independence. Mr Garg identified unemployment, particularly among village women, as a major challenge. He laid stress on improving the health delivery system. The participants were told about the proposed biotechnology park to be established in the proposed Anandgarh township in Ropar district. “Transferring science and technology from lab to land” was how the Principal Secretary, Science, Technology and Environment, Mr Rajan Kashyap, summed up the objective of the workshop. Convenient and viable biotechnologies that were area specific and locally acceptable would be introduced. He said human reproduction and food production must match. He disagreed with those who talked of the present “surplus” in foodgrains. Biotechnology would help fight hunger and disease, he added. |
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Pamphlet on Bibi on Nov 30 AMRITSAR, Nov 27 — In a last-ditch effort to salvage and retain Bibi Jagir Kaur’s position as the President of the SGPC, a pamphlet is to be released on November 30, the day of the announcement and election for the post, enumerating her achievements and future plans. The pamphlet, in the form of a coloured booklet edited by Mr Daljit Singh Bedi and published by Dr Gurbachan Singh Bachan, SGPC Secretary, indicates that the Bibi hopes to get a third term as SGPC President. Page 44 of the booklet speaks of the support that the Bibi has received from the sangat, which, she hopes, will be extended to her future projects for social uplift. The Bibi says, “My whole existence has been dedicated to the khalsa Panth and I pray for its “aan and shaan”. She has asked for complete and whole-hearted support to retain the ‘gurmat sidhant’, ‘maan matiya’, ‘panthak rivayta’ and ‘goravmai virsey’. The booklet states that according to a famous saying, “History evolved from the third eye of the creator”. On the same lines, Bibi Jagir Kaur claims to have “evolved from the third eye of Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab”. Meanwhile, a meeting has been called on November 30 by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, MP, inviting SGPC members affiliated to his group to Bhai Gurudass Hall to discuss policy matters regarding the election. This was announced by Mr Onkar Singh Sharifpura, SGPC member and Sarb Hind Akali Dal district president.
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SGPC meeting on Nov 29 CHANDIGARH, Nov 27 — Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, Secretary of SAD, said today that a meeting of the members of the SGPC has been called on November 29 at Bhai Gurdas Hall, Amritsar. Mr Parkash Singh Badal will preside over the meeting which has been convened to discuss the election of the president and other office-bearers of the SGPC on November 30. |
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Border villages
remain ignored WAGAH, Nov 27 — Even after the Union Minister, Mr L.K. Advani’s visit to border areas, border villages failed to find any succour. The promises remain unkept. Farmers lament the non-payment of the compensations to those whose land lies beyond the barbed wire fencing on the Indian-Pakistan border. A sum of Rs 4,000 per acre per annum was earmarked for the purpose. However, only Rs 2,500 per acre reached the farmers last year. This year, no compensation have so far been disbursed, said Mr Ratan Singh Randhawa, district secretary of the Punjab Kisan Sabha, despite commitments by a number of political dignitaries to the border. Approximately 16,958 acres of agricultural land lies beyond the fencing. The losses to owners of the land worked out to be Rs 6,000. However, the government settled the compensation at Rs 2,000 less than the estimate. The total compensation pending against the government crosses over to Rs 10 crore, in view of the arrears of last year. Nearly 4,000 acres of land had turned barren when the government banned the cultivation of land across the Ravi during the peak days of the militancy in Punjab in 1984. Farmers were denied compensation on the plea that the aforesaid land had no ‘crop record’. “If they disallowed cultivation how can the land possess a crop record?” says Mr Arsal Singh, general secretary, Border Area Sangharsh Samiti. Employees working in public sectors, such as departments of health, agriculture, telegraph and education used to get Rs 700 or more as house rent according to their gradation as special incentive to work in border area. The facility was withdrawn in 1993 and had not been restored ever since, despite several promises by visiting politicians. As a result number of posts remain vacant here. Moreover, no money has been spent so far on the project of roads and bridges conceived by the state and the Central Government for the Border Out Post (BOPs). |
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Hospital sans
basic medical facilities PATIALA Mr Mann came to know on Friday that an unknown accident victim was admitted to the hospital and was in dire need of medical aid. He said on visiting the ward he was shocked to see that the needle through which glucose was administered to the patient was dangling out and no one was attending to him. He said the resident doctors in the ward said the needle could have come out when the patient moved his hand. Mr Mann procured the medicines required for the patient and handed these over to the doctors. He also volunteered to get the required CT scan done, but was told that the CT scan machine in the hospital was not functional and that the test would have to be done somewhere outside. Mr Mann said he was told by the attending doctors that the hospital did not have an ambulance to take the
patient to a private clinic. The staff in the ward refused to give him either the number of the Red Cross from where he could get an ambulance or the number of the Medical Superintendent of the hospital.
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Strike makes bricks costlier ROPAR, Nov 27 — The partial strike by brick-kiln owners in the state for the past few months has led to a hike in the rates of bricks, exposing consumers to exploitation. Since the strike, the rates of the bricks in the district have shoot up from Rs 1200-1400 per thousand to about Rs 1800-2100. The consumers have either postponed construction plans or are being forced to increase their budgets due to the ‘unwarranted’ escalation in the cost of bricks. Enquiries by this correspondent revealed that the hike in brick prices has been caused due to the artificial scarcity created in the market. Reliable sources said that before the kiln-owners went to strike, they had produced sufficient amount of bricks, enough to last for a few months. Almost all brick-kilns in the district had a stock of at least 15 lakh bricks each. The kiln-owners went on strike in protest against the recent imposition of a royalty of Rs 43 per thousand bricks, imposed by the Punjab Government. The strike is, however, limited just to the manufacturing operations and has not affected the sale of already produced bricks. The strike has rendered about 4 lakh kiln workers jobless in the state. Moreover, the imposition of royalty is hardly a justifiable reason for going on strike. As there is no government control over the prices of bricks, kiln-owners generally pass the increase in taxes to the customers. So, even if the royalty had been imposed, it would have increased the brick prices by just Rs 43/1000. However, now the strike has led to an increase of about Rs 500-800 per 1000 in the brick rates. A former kiln-owner, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the average cost of brick production is about Rs 800-900 per 1000 bricks. The workers who work on contract in kilns are paid Rs 143 per thousand for making raw bricks, Rs 30 per 1000 for placing them inside the kilns and Rs 30 per 1000 for taking them out of kilns. The cost of coal is about Rs 500 per 1000 bricks and the taxes range from Rs 100-200 per thousand bricks, he said. However, the kiln-owners, who were already selling the bricks at a profit of Rs 300-400 per 1000 bricks, are now reportedly earning a profit of about Rs 800-1000 per thousand owing to the strike. Each kiln owner has made a profit of at least Rs 20-25 lakh due to the hike in prices since the start of recent strike, he alleged. The brick-kilns in Himachal, especially those near the Punjab border, are also exploiting the situation. They have also hiked the rates of bricks despite of the fact that most of these kilns are under the Khadi Board of Himachal and are exempted from sales tax. The kiln-owners have, however, justified their strike. They alleged that they have been incurring huge losses due to labour problems in the recent past. Skilled labour for the kilns is available only in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The labour has to be paid in advance for the work. However, in many cases the labourers, with the help of NGOs leave the work incomplete, causing huge financial losses to the owners, they claim. Moreover, the infrastructure cost in kilns has also increased from about Rs 8-10 lakh to about Rs 20-25 lakh due to the recent regulations of the pollution board for enhancing the height of chimneys and installation of equipment for the low-emmission levels, they said. Various consumer bodies, like the local Citizens Welfare Society, have demanded that the government should intervene to check the rise in brick prices. They allege that the kiln-owners are resorting to monopolistic policies to increase the prices of bricks and exploit the customers. |
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‘Jalau
Khana’ in decay PATIALA Constructed in the 1870s by Maharaja Rajindra Singh who was fond of collecting objects of art, the building contained works of art from all over the world. The most famous of them was a crystal fountain which is at present kept in the Sheesh Mahal Museum. Nearly
three years ago, an estimate of expenditure to replace the wooden
supports of the building’s verandah and to restore its Roman pillars
and part of a corner which had collapsed was passed. The first estimate
was reportedly for around Rs 35 lakh. Subsequently another estimate was
prepared last year for around Rs 12 lakh. However, no money has been
released for the restoration project so far. Built in the style of a museum with a central hall and a big gallery, the Jalau Khana conforms to the standards of a modern art gallery. Its facade has Roman pillars on its two sides which are partly covered by wooden blinds. Inside the verandah, the roof is supported by wooden rafters. Though it gives the look of an European building, it also shows Indian influence in the form of wooden blinds on the pattern of buildings in Calcutta of the same period. Today
the building is in a state of decay. The wooden supports of the verandah
have been eaten by termites. The roof is in a precarious condition. The
Roman pillars are bereft of their grandeur with plaster peeled off at
several places. Part of the ‘jaali’ which adorns a balcony on the
first floor has collapsed and the first floor has been affected by
humidity and algae which have defaced its walls. Part of the building on
the western side has collapsed. The Jalau Khana did not receive any
attention after 1995-96 when it was partially repaired. It was then that
the building was taken over by the Patiala Kala Parishad on the
initiative of the then Divisional Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sinha. The
parishad restored the building to its original state. Earlier, artefacts
from the Jalau Khana were taken to Sheesh Mahal and it was used by the
Department of Education when Pepsu was formed. Later it became the
office of the District Education Officer when Pepsu was merged into
Punjab.
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RSS campaign sparks row FEROZEPORE, Nov 27 — The ongoing national awareness campaign, organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) activists, has sparked a fresh controversy as several organisations have criticised it as an attempt to “distort” the history. Various political leaders have charged the RSS of twisting the history to project itself as a nationalist and secular party. However, the RSS has stirred a controversy by claiming to have participated in the freedom struggle. Through leaflets being circulated in public, the RSS also claims that prominent national heroes like Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose had links with the organisation. Besides, the RSS
claims to have guarded the Golden Temple Complex from a possible Muslim attack at the time of partition. Their attempt to bracket veteran Akali leader, late Master Tara Singh, with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has also evoked criticism. While the CPI has claimed that the RSS had no role in freedom struggle, the Institute of Sikh Studies has accused the RSS of trying to “saffronise” the history. A member of CPI’s Punjab council, Mr Randhir Gill, said despite denials by the RSS, its alleged hidden agenda on rewriting the history was apparent. He pointed out that Bhagat Singh, being a socialist, could never have any association with a right-wing organisation. Like-wise, Subhash Chandra Bose had founded the All-India Forward Block, a constituent of the Left front in West Bengal. He said these heroes can not be bracketted with the RSS. |
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Tourism council for Punjab soon PHAGWARA, Nov 27 — The Punjab Tourism Minister, Chaudhary Swarna Ram, today told a rural gathering that a state-level tourism advisory council would soon come up to tackle tourism-related issues. It would be headed by the Chief Minister and would include officials of the Tourism Department and representatives of hotel associations. Two new food craft institutes were being set up at Bhatinda and Ludhiana for which the Centre had already given its approval, he said. A new tourism information centre will come up at Ludhiana at cost of Rs 1.24 crore. The plots for hotels will be provided in the PUDA’s new commercial complexes, he declared. An effective tourism policy, the first of its kind, would soon be cleared by the Cabinet to attract tourists. Hotel had been declared an industry, he said and the government would try to curb vulgarity, he said. Singers of ballads, hymns, Gurbani and patriotic songs would be recommended for national awards and traditional, rich cultural heritage would be promoted, said Swarna Ram. The minister inaugurated a Rs 18 lakh approach road between Khalwara and Akalgarh villages. Earlier, he inaugurated the Banga Sukhchainana link road. Our Nawanshahr correspondent adds: The minister, while presiding over a function at Swami Roop Chand Jain Model High School, Banga, revealed that a sum of Rs 300 crore had been received from the Centre for developing tourism in the state. Besides Harike Pattan, tourism complexes would also be developed at Ropar, Ludhiana and Amritsar. He said plans had been chalked out to provide water games facilities near rivers and polo grounds in kandi areas. Tourist complexes and fast food resorts would also be set up at the suitable places on the four-laned roads to be built in the state. A special reception centre and a canteen would be set up at the international airport at Amritsar for the convenience of the NRIs. The Sheesh Mahal and Quila Mubarak at Patiala were being spruced up and museum parks for senior citizens and children would be set up at all district headquarters in the state, he said. |
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Railway employees stage dharna BATHINDA, Nov 27 — Hundreds of activists of the Uttar Railway Majdoor Union today staged a dharna to press their demands. The dharna was staged on the call given by National Federation of Indian Railways. The employees alleged that the Central Government had abolished posts in the railway department on a large scale on one hand while on the other a number of vacancies existed in those wings which were connected with the railway security. They said the extra number of vehicles which were at the command of railway officials had put a financial burden on the department and they should be cut back by at least 25 per cent. Their main demands also included a time bound promotion policy, filling of the existing vacancies in group-D and the abolishing of contractual system. The activists pointed out that railway land was being encroached upon and said the authorities should get it vacated and use it. |
Villagers hold
demonstration BATHINDA, Nov 27 — The activists of the action committee of Alike village here today organised a rally in protest against the administration and the government for sending police personnel inside a religious place and for registering a case against the village panchayat. Most of the men and women of the village participated in the rally to express their resentment against the authorities concerned. The representatives of the different political parties and other organisations also addressed the rally. The activists of the action committee also formed the ‘Alike Jabbar Virodhi Committee. The ‘action’ committee also decided to stage the permanent dharna from December 7 in the village to express the anger against the government. |
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‘Maximise’ tariff
on farm imports LUDHIANA, Nov 27 — A joint meeting of the Punjab Agricultural University scientists, senior officers of the state government and other agencies involved in agricultural development and progressive farmers of the state urged the Government of India to impose maximum tariff on imported agricultural products to bring the farmers out of the present economic crisis. A high-level meeting was held here under the chairmanship of Dr
G.S. Kalkat, Vice-Chancellor, PAU. He disclosed that under the provisions of the World Trade Organisation
(WTO), the government can impose 100 per cent tariff on unprocessed goods like wheat, paddy, 150 per cent on processed food items like sugar, and 300 per cent on imported edible oils. Dr
K.S. Aulakh, Pro Vice-Chancellor, PAU, informed that a memorandum of understanding had been signed with the Government of Iraq for cooperation in many aspects relating to agriculture. |
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Australian experts
meet Mittal CHANDIGARH, Nov 27 — A team of experts from Australia, led by Mr Peter Golding and Mr Bob Golding, today met Punjab’s Minister of Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, and explained the methods of bulk handling, storage and transportation of foodgrains in that country. Mr Mittal told the team that Punjab was the food basket of India. At present the state was facing a foodgrain storage problem. About 4.12 per cent of the total production in India was lost at different post-harvest stages, which resulted in a financial loss of Rs 60,000 million. |
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Two school
kids missing JALANDHAR, Nov 27 — The city police is once again on its toes with two minor students of the St Joseph School for Boys missing since they left the school in afternoon today. Sister
Carolile, Principal, while confirming the incident, said Rajat Kumar (8) and Parminder Singh (8), both
students of class III, were found missing after they left the school in the afternoon. It is the fifth incident of the kind in the past six months in the city. |
Residents’ demand on Fateh Singh Nagar PHAGWARA, Nov 27 —Residents of Baba Fateh Singh Nagar on Sunday demanded the inclusion of their locality in the local municipal council. Mr Jatinder Singh Khalsa, a spokesman for the mohalla committee, said though the area fell within the octroi limit, it was placed under Kotrani village panchayat. |
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201
Class III PWD employees promoted PATIALA,
Nov 27 (TNS) — A total of 201 Class III employees of the Public
Works Department (PWD) were promoted at a function here on Monday. The
function was organised by the PWD employees coordination committee.
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Punjab Police recovers three grenades BATALA, Nov 27 (PTI) — Punjab Police today claimed to have recovered three hand grenades during nakabandhi near Sri Hargobindpur town yesterday. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Batala, Mr Sukhdev Singh Brar, told mediapersons that a police party nabbed Sarabjit Singh during a nakabandhi and recovered three hand grenades, a fuse, a countrymade revolver and four cartridges from him. Mr Brar said the accused Sarabjit Singh had confessed that he had killed a police constable Parkash Singh from Amritsar, after kidnapping him in 1994 and his body was burried under a bank of canal near Machhrala village and had taken his service stengun. Sarabjit Singh had earlier been arrested by the Dera Baba Nanak police and had handed over the stengun to the police in 1996. He had been recently released from the jail after spending two years in jail. A case under the Arms Act has been registered by the Sri Hargobindpur police. The police also arrested a opium smuggler Amrik Singh during a nakabandhi near Lalla Sohian village under Sri Hargobindpur and recovered 200 gm of opium from him. They has also arrested Jaswinder Singh, a patwari and his brother Rupinder Singh a teacher, who had allegedly shot dead one Manjinder Singh at Bham village under Sri Hargobindpur police station a few days ago. |
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Mukhija case: two more pistols found MOGA, Nov 27 — Two country-made pistols, allegedly used for the murder of senior Congress leader, Mr Harmesh Kumar Mukhija, in Dharamkot on November 13, were today found on an information given by Kuldeep Singh Deepa and Sahib Singh “Sahba”, the suspects involved in the crime. The Superintendent of Police (Detective), Mr Shiv Kumar, claimed that the fresh seizure of pistols was made on the information given by these suspects who were arrested yesterday. The fresh recovery of two pistols has taken the number of weapons seized so far to four. Earlier, two 0.12 bore guns were seized after interrogating Surjit Singh and Happy, who had surrendered before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Ferozepore. A Tata Sumo Jeep used in the crime has also been seized. |
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Head Constable killed in
road mishap TARN TARAN, Nov 27 — Head Constable Seetal Singh of Jallupur Khera village, who was posted at Bhikhiwind police station, died on the spot when his motor cycle was hit by a truck near Thathian Mahantan under Sarhali police station. The post-mortem was performed at the local Civil Hospital on Saturday. A case under Sections 279 and 304A of the IPC has been registered. |
Varsity runs
courses sans recognition BATHINDA, Nov 27 — More than 100 students who got admission in the three-year degree course for law at the local Regional Centre of Punjabi University in 1995-96 have come in for a rude shock. The Bar Council of India has refused to award recognition to the course. The local Regional Centre has yet to obtain recognition for the course it has been running in the morning shift for the 2000-2001 batch. Dr Jagroop Singh, Director, Regional Centre, when contacted said he was examining the fact why an application had not been moved to the Bar Council for recognition of the course before admitting students to the course. However, Dr B.S. Bhatia, Registrar, Punjabi University, Patiala, when contacted on the phone, said the Bar Council had allowed the university authorities to enrol students at the Bathinda Regional Centre till it sent a team for inspection of the infrastructure and facilities at the campus. He said the university had also asked the Ph.D “off campus programme” students at Talwandi Sabo to get themselves registered at Patiala and submit their thesis within two years. However, the Ph.D students argue that they have already registered themselves for the course with the University School of Management as per the university guidelines and fresh registration will only cause more problems. Dr Bhatia said the university had made it a point to get the necessary recognition before introducing a course in any college or regional centre. He said the university had already taken measures to get recognition from the National Council of Teachers Education for the B.Ed college being set up here. |
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