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| Friday,
August 10, 2001, Chandigarh, India
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Laws or whims — what runs
PAU? Ludhiana, August 9 To the surprise of many the PAU abolished the post during the last meeting of Board of Management. The issue pertaining to the abolition was not on the agenda of the meeting and it was taken up suddenly. According to the proceedings of the meeting as per the PAU records the discussion on the matter was started by the Finance Commissioner, Development (FCD), Mr C.L. Bains and the board unanimously agreed to abolish the post. The recordings also said that the FCD maintained that the post of the Pro-VC was not as per the provisions of the PAU Act and it could create legal complications for the PAU. Moreover, the FCD also held that the existence of such a post would pose extra financial burden on the university and it was in favour of the PAU to abolish the post as it was already facing a financial crunch. Speculations were rife on the campus that senior officials of the university had met officers of the Punjab Government before the meeting of the Board of Management to impress upon them to abolish the post of the Pro-VC. Hence the FCD raised the matter suddenly in the meeting. With the latest development the biggest question that stared PAU in its face was that if the post was not existing as per the provisions of the PAU Act, as maintained by the FCD, then why was it created in the first place? At the time of the ‘creation’ of the post in 1999 the authorities were learnt to be saying that it was created with due approval of the Board of Management. Secondly how could the Board of Management, supposed to be the highest body to take substantial decisions of the PAU, go back on its own decision to create a post and then abolish it? These were the questions that disturbed the faculty of the PAU also. The faculty had been silently protesting at the time of creation of the post in November, 1999 when Dr K.S. Aulakh, the present Vice-Chancellor was elevated to the post. A certain group of teachers had opposed the move. They had alleged that the post was created specially to accommodate Dr Aulakh whose closeness to the former Vice-Chancellor, Dr G.S. Kalkat, was well known. They also alleged that Dr Kalkat had got this post created to felicitate the progress of his relative Dr Aulakh, who subsequently was elevated to the post of the VC. The university statutes did not include such a post. No one other than
Dr Aulakh had been appointed Pro-Vice Chancellor ever since the university came into being in 1962. The opposing group had also said that there was no need of a Pro-VC for the functioning of the PAU as there was no such post since the inception of the PAU. They had said that it was unstatutory and not in accordance with the university rules. They had said that as the university was functioning properly for the past 38 years without a Pro-VC and it was not possible that a need of such a post had suddenly arisen. Moreover, all 30 agricultural universities in the country had no such post. The VC had at that time said that since he kept busy in interacting with the government about the agricultural policies so a Pro-VC was required to devote time to education, research and extension of education by the PAU. But at that time the authorities had paid no heed to the simmering controversy. Subsequently a petition was filed in HC demanding cancellation of the post as the statutes of the constitution of PAU had no provision for the existence of any such post. The High Court had dismissed the petition two months ago terming that it had become infructuous as the Pro-VC had already submitted his resignation. |
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Life term for murdering
tenant Ludhiana, August 9 Delivering the verdict, Mr S S Arora, Sessions Judge, Ludhiana, held that prosecution had successfully proved the guilt of accused beyond any doubt. After the pronouncement of judgement, the accused was immediately taken into custody, as earlier she was on bail. Originally, the staff of police station Division No 6 had registered a case of murder against two unidentified Nepali youths, on the statement of Raj Chopra. She had alleged that on the fateful night, when she was watching television and Mohinder Pal was sleeping in his room, two Nepali youths had come there to meet him. When they entered into Mohinder Pal’s room, she said she had started preparing tea. She further said, ‘‘After sometime when I heard a noise, I entered in the room of Mohinder Pal. Those Nepali youths had stabbed a knife into the stomach of my tenant and fled away’’. Later, she took the injured to CMC and Hospital where he was declared brought dead by doctors. According to prosecution, during investigation, Inspector Santokh Singh suspected the averment made by the complainant. When statement of wife of deceased, Seema, was recorded the case took a new turn. Seema had alleged that on January 24,1997, landlady Raj Chopra had quarreled with them and the dispute had arisen to such an extent that her husband Mohinder Pal had sent her to a relative’s house at Upkar Nagar. She also stated that their relations with landlady were not cordial, as she often used to quarrel with an intent to get her premises vacated. The police then interrogated Mrs Raj Chopra and she confessed that she killed the tenant. On disclosure statement of Raj Chopra, the police seized one knife and a hammer wrapped in a piece of paper from the roof of latrine and also seized blood-stained clothes of the accused. Thereafter, she was arrested on January 29,1997 and a case under Section 302 of the IPC was registered against her. |
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TRIBUNE IMPACT Ludhiana, August 9 Mr Balkar Singh, SSP, Jagraon, said the case had been registered on secret information as nobody in the village or any relative of the deceased girl or boy as ready to complain or come on record about the incident. He said a police team headed by DSP Mullanpur Dakha P S Goraya visited the village and conducted a preliminary inquiry into the entire episode. The case had been registered under sections 302, 207, 120-B, 147 and 148. The SSP said though it was going to be very difficult to prove something in the case as the girl was cremated without post-mortem and there was no other evidence, he had ordered the Dehlon police to complete the investigation within a week. He said the police was “almost convinced” that the girl had died an unnatural death. The relatives of the girl and the boy were tight-lipped about the incident and the sequence of events. Not only was the real cause of her death concealed by the families but she was cremated secretly. |
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Labour Dept fails to start schools for child
labourers Ludhiana, August 9 The investigations made by Ludhiana Tribune revealed that due to inter-departmental rivalries in the department, Mr H.R. Badru, Assistant Labour Commissioner, who was initially given charge of the project, has been shifted to Rajpura. The insiders in the department revealed that Mr Badru did not allow some officials and NGOs interested in usurping the project money, so he has been transferred. Interestingly, he was not even able to open an account with the consent of the Deputy Commissioner to deposit the draft. The project was meant for thousands of child labourers to make them literate and skilled in professions of their choice. Forty schools were planned to be opened in the district for about 2,000 child labourers. Interestingly, about two months ago the buildings for about 30 schools were identified. However, no progress has been made after that identification process. The officials said identification process is still going on without opening of a single school. These schools had to be run by the Child Labour Rehabilitation Committee that was set up under the Chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner. The Central Government had sanctioned Rs 9 crore to open 120 special schools to rehabilitate the child labourers in three districts in Punjab, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Ludhiana. The Rs 300 crore project had been launched in 100 districts of the country. According to the department sources, the schools in Jalandhar district have already started functioning, however, the project has been delayed in Ludhiana and Amritsar districts. The department had identified EWS colony on the Chandigarh road, Rishi Nagar, Prem Nagar, New Vishavakarma colony in Focal Point Area, Bihari Colony, Harkishan colony, Shiv colony, Dr Ambedkar Colony in Industrial Area (A), XYZ block, Haibowal Khurd, Model Town Extension, Kila Mohalla colony, Oswal colony, Sherpur, G.T. road, Khanna, Samrala and Bihari colony and Machhiwara about two months ago. The residents of these areas told that the department officials have not bothered to open the schools that they have promised. The sources alleged that a particular NGO having support of higher officials in the department and district administration is interested in grabbing the project and that is why it has been delayed so far. Since there is a provision of Rs 100 per month as a stipend and free books, writing material, eatables and other things worth Rs 125 per month for the students and Rs 1,000 as building rent. The insiders said that the NGO and some officials are interested in saving the rent money by opening these schools in community buildings and government schools, where they would not have to pay any rent. |
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More powers sought for consumer
forums Ludhiana, August 9 Some of the amendments favoured by people are time bar for disposal of cases, revised jurisdiction of consumer forum, more benches for appeal in the states and more powers to the national and state commission judges, as the magistrates hold under the Criminal Procedure Code. However, a majority of people do not favour the proposed amendment regarding the imposition of fee for filing a complaint in a consumer forum. Mr Anil Anand, a bank manager, favours amendment in the Consumer Protection Act, as the law was made 15 years ago. He thinks that there is need to modify it according to present problems of consumers. He opines that empowering the district consumer forums to handle cases involving compensation up to Rs 20 lakh instead of the old limit of Rs 5 lakh would enable the forums to handle more cases. Similarly, enabling the state commissions to handle cases involving compensation up to Rs 1 crore would reduce the workload of the national commission, he says. Mr Anand also favours the amendment regarding setting a time bar of 90 days for the disposal of a case. However, he is against the idea of imposing fee for filing any complaint in consumer forums. He thinks that this would discourage the consumers to take their problems to the forums. Mr S.D. Nagpal, a consumer activist, favours all amendments except imposition of fee on the consumer for filing his complaint in the district consumer forum. He supports the proposed amendment regarding the deposition of 50 per cent of the compensation sought by the consumer before he appeals against the judgement of district forum in the state commission. He thinks that this would reduce the unnecessary workload of the state commissions as only those appellants would approach them who are very sure that the result would be in their favour. He also favours other amendments like disposal of cases within a fixed time, and increase in the limit of compensation for forums and commissions. Mr Bhupinder Singh, a cinema-owner, favours all proposed amendments except imposition of fee on the consumers for filing their complaints, and submission of 50 per cent of the compensation before appealing in the state commission. He opines that this is a very discouraging clause and will discourage the respondents unable to deposit this money. Such people will be deprived of the chance to get justice, he adds. Mr Ramesh Mehra, a businessman, also favoured amendments in the CPA to increase the jurisdiction of this government agency. He thinks that the consumer is often exploited due to lack of judicial powers of consumer forums and this amendment bill would speed up the work of the forum. But he disagrees with the idea of imposing fee on the complainant and depositing 50 per of the compensation to appeal in the state commission. Mr Prabjot Singh a software engineer, has appreciated the clause of time-bar disposal of cases in which every case would be solved within 90 days of filing of a complaint. He thinks that this would encourage more consumers to fight for their rights as they would feel sure about the disposal of their case. |
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New district police chief lists
priorities Ludhiana, August 9 Q: What has been your assessment about the crime scenario in Ludhiana, which has been in the news for being the crime capital of the state? A: It is too early to comment on the issue as I have spent less than a week in the office. However, I would like to state that the crime scene in the city is similar to any other highly populated city in the country. No kind of governance can erase the criminals from our society and the crime rate of any city depends upon its size. I would also like to point out that the figures of crime in Ludhiana were less than a place like Patiala and thus it cannot be called the crime-capital of the state. Q: But Ludhiana had earned the notorious title not because of the frequency of crime but because of the intensity of the incidents as well as the sheer fearlessness of the police that prevailed in the city. Further, the amount of political interference that one witnesses in the city ensures that the police was most of the times being used as a tool to achieve one’s personal ends. What is your opinion on these issues? Q: You may be right. But my opinion is that viewing the crime scene vis-a-vis the size of the city, I would still term it as normal enough. Further, there might be some sporadic incidents that flared up public’s anger against the police. We are working on not to allow anyone block roads, stage dharnas wherever they desire and cause harassment to the common man. Q: You have been in the news for not entertaining political leaders and have even registered cases against the relatives of some bigwigs. What would be your strategy to tackle political interference in working of the police? A: I follow the law. If someone is guilty he will be prosecuted, no matter what the man is. I have been following the directions of the Supreme Court, which directs the police to register an FIR and then investigate. In Ludhiana too, we will follow the same directions. Cases will be registered immediately but the accused would be arrested only if the police was convinced of his crime. Q: The Ludhiana police has been in the news for custodial deaths, third degree torture, police high-handedness and rude behaviour. What would be your strategy to counter any of such incidents? A: My directions are clear. The law provides all the measures to deal with the criminals and anti-social elements. There is no need of arm-twisting methods. I have given orders to the force to use the ‘kanuni-danda’ instead of the ‘police-danda’. Police in present times also have to be polite. The shreeman ji scheme launched in Patiala was an instant success. The police of other states have also adopted it. Interestingly, I have decided to launch it in phases in Ludhiana. The beginning was to be made from the Traffic Police, but to my surprise everyone has started it in its own. Q: There has been some talk of your inaccessibility. What are your comments on it? A: I don’t know the basis of any such talk and no one has complained about it to me. I have been accessible to anyone who needs me. I meet all the persons approaching me. If the rush is huge, I even go out of my office and meet the people in the corridor. I assure the public that notwithstanding rich or poor, it is my duty to help him as per the law. Q: We have heard that you have given directions to the police not to talk to the press. Is this aimed at minimising crime reports in the newspapers? A: I think there has been some confusion. I have only directed the SHOs to not hold press conferences or isuue press releases on their own. But if some mediaperson contacts them or the munshis for information, they have to provide it. I would request the media not to quote the police official concerned as it sometimes causes legal problems to the police. Q: What are your major plans about combating the crime in the city? A: I am studying the city and have number of schemes for which I need the co-operation of the people. For secrecy sake, I would not like to discuss them but the people will feel the change soon. |
Infighting in NCP
intensifies Ludhiana, August 9 Retaliating to the move, Mr Gill has questioned the constitutional validity of the decision, saying the state president had no power to remove any office-bearer appointed by the party high command. According to Mr Bharat Bhushan, newly appointed general secretary, the NCP state president discussed the organisational matters, particularly the Ludhiana affairs, at a meeting attended by a large number of party functionaries. At the meeting a formal decision to replace Mr Gill was taken and Mr Chadha was appointed the new district president in his place and was asked to assume office with immediate effect. Mr Chadha, in consultation with the state body, has nominated the following new office-bearers of the district unit: Mr N.K. Kapur (vice-president), Mr Bharat Bhushan and mr Jaswant Singh (general secretaries), Mr Rajesh Kumar Kalra and Mr Mohan Lal Verma (secretaries), Mr Gopal Krishan (treasurer), Mr Ravinder Singh Bittu (joint secretary), Mr Atul Nanchahal (press secretary), Mr Ramesh Kumar Malhotra and Ms Gursharan Kaur (members of the executive). The nominations of Mr Sadhu Singh Bawa as president of the Backward Classes Cell, Mr Raj Kumar as president of the Labour Cell and Mr Maninder Singh as vice-president of the Kisan Cell in the district were also approved. Speaking to the party workers, Mr Swarn Singh said that the youth wing of the party, both at the state and district levels, would be recast as indicated by Mr Sunny Thomas, national general secretary of the youth wing of the NCP, during his recent visit to Hoshiarpur. The party secretary-general, Mr P.A. Sangma, and Mr Tariq Anwar, he added, would visit Mansa, Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana by the end of this month to take stock of the political situation and take steps to strengthen the party. Mr Rashpal Singh Gill, however, refused to accept the decision taken by the state president, saying no show-cause notice had ever been issued to him and according to the party constitution, no office-bearer could be sacked without such notice. |
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AT THE CROSSROADS THE equilibrium at the heart of things is all that matters in the universe. Likewise, it has always been the endeavour of human beings to lead a well-balanced life. The change that has come in the way of life, mostly under the influence of the western culture, has created grooves in our minds. In case the thought-process remains stuck in these grooves for a long time, fantasising becomes the second nature. The liberation of the mind from sexual fantasies is like the emergence of a silver lining in a dark cloud. Once an ascetic and his two disciples had to cross a stream so as to reach a place of pilgrimage. As they were about to wade through water, a young girl sought their help for going to the other side. Finding no other way, the ascetic asked her to climb on his back. Thus the girl was transported to the opposite bank. The ascetic and his disciples resumed their journey through the forest and reached the destination after three hours. When they were taking rest, one of the disciples could not help asking,
"Gurudev, we have taken the pledge never to touch the female body, but you carried the girl on your back.” The ascetic exclaimed, “Oh dear, I unloaded the girl long ago, but you are still carrying her load on your mind.” Renunciation of sex is not possible as Osho has told in
Ecstasy: The language of existence. He is vehement in his assertion, “Passion you renounce, anger remains. Anger is more subtle than sex. Anger you renounce, greed remains. Greed is more subtle than anger. And greed you renounce, then ego remains. Ego is very very subtle now..... You go on changing your prison, but you never become a free man.” The neurologists say that there are two parts of the brain, the left and the right. The right side brain is feminine; and the left-side is masculine. So nature has contrived in such a way that reason and intellect exist side by side with imagination and reverie. Spiritual alienation may lead to the doom of mankind. The need of the hour is to resume normal communication between men and women. Man fantasises about women and craves for the fulfilment of his thwarted desires. He wants to re-enact the drama of his life and make tremendous changes in the various scenes. The same may be true in the case of the “second sex,” as Simone De Beawoir has put it. It has been said, “Man can think of himself without woman, but woman cannot think of herself without man.” In the recent years, television has played a dominant role in taking the lid off the human mind. On the small screen so much is shown in such a short time that nothing is left to the imagination. Indeed, television does thinking for you. Mulkraj has expressed his view very succinctly,” We have no time to think and read because we are busy watching bosomy heroines on the small screen.” |
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Council’s charter of demands to
MLA Ludhiana, August 9 The demands, listed issue-wise, related to healthcare facilities, general
sanitation, bad condition of roads and streetlights, shifting of unauthorised dairies, absence of education facilities and the problem of encroachments. Ruing the lack of any civil dispensary in the area, the charter of demands called for supply of potable water as samples taken so far in the area had failed to pass the test. It called for free check-up camps in the area from time to time. The charter further stated that sewerage system in these wards was faulty and adequate steps to put it right should be immediately taken. General sanitation in the area was suffering due to lack of safai workers in the area. The current scheme under which sanitation of wards had been entrusted to the councillors concerned was also full of loopholes. The system should be replaced with an effective sanitation system. The charter of demands called for special attention to wards 12 to 15 in which there was a considerable population of Scheduled Tribes and which lacked in sanitation to a great extent. It called for granting basic facilities to poor people. The demands charter further stated that most of the roads and lanes of a number of mohallas from ward 11 to 19 were kutcha and should be metalled. Mr Hira Singh Gabria announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh for a dharamshala in Ravidass Pura. |
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Janmashtami — one day they long
for Ludhiana, August 9 Every year, Janmashtami is celebrated with religious fervour in the ashram with leprosy patients or the Kusht Rogis. They come from the states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Mumbai, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chennai for the three-day Janmashtami festivals. The ashram, which is more than 100 years old, has over 200 leprosy patients. Their livelihood is dependant on the donations they get from philanthropists. These people themselves go out daily and get something from industrialists, shopkeepers and the residents. Ram Sajan, a worker at the ashram, while talking to Ludhiana Tribune, said, “Our community waits for this day. The preparations are at present going on for the three-day celebrations that begin on Saturday. Throughout the year, healthy people do not mix with us, yet on this day they come to us and seek our blessings”, he says. Ram Sajan has been living in the ashram for over past 12 years. He contracted the disease when he was only 8-year-old. “We thank God that healthy persons from society seek our blessings. My wife is also a leprosy patient but my son who is studying in class XI feels sad for us. I tell him that we must have done something wrong in the past for which we have been punished”. The president of the ashram, Ram Samujh Pandey, says that more than 15,000 devotees from different walks of life will come to the ashram to celebrate Lord Krishna’s birthday. “Over Rs 2.5 lakh will be spent on the celebrations and the money has been collected with the efforts of all these leprosy patients. People come and give donations. All the ration material like rice, sugar, flour, ghee etc has been given by the daani sajjans”, said the president. Asha Rani, another inmate, has been living in the ashram for more than 30 years. She has two sons who are happily married and well settled in Delhi and Mussourie, respectively. She said, “they are hale and hearty, who join us whenever they get time. I always pray to the God that nobody should suffer from this disease. We really feel disgusted when people avoid us. Some of them even do not talk to us. But on this day, they come to the ashram and eat the food prepared by us. They feel that they will lead a happy life by getting our blessings”. “I am begging. I cannot change my fate but I am happy in my own small community, why should I interfere in my sons’ lives? Women here are busy helping tailors in preparing the new dresses for Radha-Krishan. The menfolk are busy making arrangements for the boarding and lodging of the guests”, added Asha Rani. Fauj Bahadur, an octogenarian leprosy patient, said, “I feel good when the normal persons come and celebrate the festival with us. Our disease is not communicable, but people have misconceptions and avoid us. Sometimes we feel tortured by their behaviour. They come on this day and share our happiness but they do not get infected”. |
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Preparations for Janmashtami Ludhiana, August 9 Mr Bhandari said in a press release here today that special attraction of the celebrations this time would be the jhankis depicting the Krishan-Sudama friendship, Vaman avtaar and Narsingh avtaar etc . These jhankis have been prepared by artists from Bengal. All the jhankis would be power-operated and automatic and would be on public display on August 11 and 12, he added.
DORAHA A meeting was held at the Shiv Mandir yesterday regarding the preparations to be made on the occasion of Janmashtami under the chairmanship of Mr Sudarshan Kumar Pappu, vice-president of the Mandir Committee. It was decided that a shobha yatra would be taken out on August 11 and a Krishan leela would be arranged. The mandir, roads and streets would be decorated on August 12. The meeting was attended by Mr Raj Kumar Tiwari, Mr Rajinder Pal Ghloti, and Mr Vijay Kumar Goyal, president, cashier and member of the Shiv Mandir Committee, respectively; Mr Ramesh Sharma and Mr Vinod Gupta, president and general secretary of Durga Sewa Dal, respectively; Mr Om Prakash Bhanot, Mr Bobby Tiwari and Mr Nirdosh Kumar. |
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Vote for candidates, not parties:
morcha Ludhiana, August 9 In a press statement here on Tuesday, the morcha’s acting general secretary, Mr G.S. Middha, said that since a large number of undeserving candidates had been winning assembly seats just because they happened to have party ticket, it was not proper to go in for a party blindly and vote an undeserving candidate who did not serve the people after getting elected. On the other hand, a candidate having a good character, would always work for the welfare of the people, irrespective of his party affiliations. He said the symbol of any party was not a guarantee itself about the sincerity of the candidate to the public cause. Such a voting pattern would discourage bad elements from entering politics, while sincere social workers, who are now relegated to the background, would be encouraged to enter politics, he said. It was a matter of great shame for society that educated but unemployed youths were being employed by lesser educated political people to canvass for them in the elections, he added. |
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Crackdown on eve-teasers Ludhiana, August 9 Under the drive, the police have booked three youths for harassing the girl students of Islamia Public School, GGN Khalsa College and Guru Nanak Girls College here today. The police has also impounded two cars in this connection. |
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Animal Welfare Day organised Ludhiana, August 9 Dr Bhatti detailed the farmers regarding care and management of animals while Dr Kansal talked about the importance of various tests and the facilities available at the veterinary clinic of the PAU. The farmers were advised to get the vaccination of various diseases like FMD, H.S. and B.Q. Further, the menace of repeat breeding and infertility was increasing day by day. The measures like right time of artificial insemination, proper management of animals along with balanced nutrition can certainly reduce the incidence of this disease. The early diagnosis of pregnancy was also stressed alognwith regular deworming and mineral mixture supplementation. The importance of various tests were stressed for rational treatment of animals. |
Kidnapped man untraced Jagraon, August 9 The complainant stated that her husband used to go to Jagraon to deposit cash. When he did not return on August 3, she went to Dera Baba Badbhag Singh, along with her daughter and son-in-law. On returning from there on August 5, her son informed her that his father had not returned as yet. The next day, she sent him to the contractors, who informed him of having seen his father going in a Maruti car on the Dholan-Jagraon road. The complainant added that two co-workers of her husband contacted and told her that he had been kidnapped and taken in a truck towards Ropar. They wanted her son to accompany them to lodge a report regarding this as the contractors had asked them to do the same. Later, the contractors came to the house of the complainant, and accused her of making false allegations. She apprehended that her husband had been kidnapped by the contractors with the help of other employees with the intention to kill him as he used to stop them from mixing water in liquor. |
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Man rapes daughter-in-law Ludhiana, August 9 According to a case registered at the Division No. 6 police station, the accused, Harish Kumar, first raped his youngest daughter-in-law, a resident of Kundan Puri, in early July and then threatened her not to tell about it to anyone. The victim was raped at the house of the elder son of the accused. The police said the woman kept quiet for several days but when she managed to go to her house in Moga, she revealed the tormenting experience to her parents, who informed the girl’s husband and other relatives. At the statement of the girl and the relatives, the police has registered a case under Sections 376, 342, 506 and 120-B of the IPC. |
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