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| Sunday,
September 2, 2001, Chandigarh, India
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BJP to field candidates with clean image Bathinda, September 1 Mr Brij Lal Rinwa, President, BJP, Punjab, talking to The Tribune here today, said that apart from abovesaid factors, some other factors would be taken into consideration for selecting candidates for the Assembly elections. Mr Rinwa pointed out that the position of prospective candidates among the voters would also be taken into consideration. He added that these steps were to send ‘favourable’ signals to the electorate and alliance partner also. He claimed the decks for the abolition of octroi in the state had been cleared and it would be abolished within a day or so. He said that after the abolition of octroi, the party would gain ‘popularity’ among the masses again. He disclosed that party would field its candidates for more than 23 Assembly segments and one candidate would be fielded in Assembly segment in each district of state. He said that party would claim one seat each in Bathinda, Mansa, Faridkot, Muktsar and Fatehgarh districts of Punjab. The BJP president said that talks for seat adjustment with Punjab Chief Minister and president, Shiromani Akali Dal, Parkash Singh Badal would be held after the octroi was abolished. Mr Rinwa said that party’s poll plank would be consolidation of peace and communal harmony and development works in the state in the past four and half years. Apart from it, the party would project all those things which it had done for the urban people like concession in house tax, hike in the limits of Sale Tax assessment and abolition of contractor system of octroi posts. He claimed that party hoped that people would vote for the SAD-BJP alliance as it had succeeded in reducing corruption level in the state on one hand and on the other it had managed to make its government people-oriented. When asked why the state’s BJP leadership had not been taking refinery issue with the central government when the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Badal was trying to save the same, Mr Rinwa said that refinery would come up in Punjab and the state unit of the BJP was very positive about it. |
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Rinwa to talk to
Chief Minister Bathinda, September 1 Addressing a press conference, Mr Rinwa said that SAD leadership should have taken the incident seriously. The incident would have adverse reflection on the Bathinda seat in the coming Assembly elections, he added. On August 28, Mr Krishan Kumar Garg and Mr Basant Bhatia, Municipal Councillors, were allegedly beaten up in the municipal council hall when they raised the matter of corruption in municipal affairs. He pointed out that he had been in touch with the Punjab Local Bodies Minister, Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, and shortly an inquiry into the corruption allegations in connection with the Municipal affairs, would be instituted and Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), Punjab, would conduct the same. Mr Rinwa said that a criminal case should have been registered against the guilty. He claimed that this was an isolated incident and would not harm the SAD-BJP alliance in the state. Earlier, Mr Rinwa examined the injuries of Mr Garg which he received when he was beaten up. Meanwhile, Mr Bhola Singh Gillpatti, president, Youth Akali Dal, Mr Hans Raj Mithu, patron, Beopar Mandal and Mr Ved Parkash, Chairman, Beopar Mandal have urged the district president SAD, Mr Sikander Singh and District President, BJP, Mr Gulzar Singh to work out a patch-up among the SAD and BJP Municipal Councillors. They claimed that with Mr Bhupinder Singh Bhullar, unprecedented development had been carried out in the town. They added that if any Municipal Councillor had any complaint in connection with any matter, he or she should take a legal act on it instead of indulging in the violence. They said that demand of resignation of Mr Bhullar made by former minister, Mr Surinder Kapoor, was politically motivated and condemnable. |
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System to monitor PRTC buses Patiala, September 1 The unique system, used abroad but is new to India, will once installed in vehicles allow the monitoring agency to place the vehicle on the map and see its movement. Besides this the vehicle can be checked for speed, the stoppages it makes and departure timings from various depots. According to sources, the Corporation is floating tenders
running into a few crores for installation of the system. The system will be integrated with the Geographical Information System (GIS) to make it more effective and increase its functions. It is also going in for software for both the systems and in the initial stage the Patiala depot of the Corporation is being computerised so that the new systems can be run from it. When questioned on the efficacy of the system, Corporation Managing Director Harkesh Singh Sidhu said the system was only being used by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) in the country. He said the PRTC had studied the system introduced at Bangalore but was upgrading it according to its own requirements. He said while the BMTC is using the GPS system only to check the kilometrage of private buses hired by it within a 30 kilometre area of the city the PRTC aimed at making its use multi-faceted and would be the pioneer to run such operations on an inter state basis. He said BMTC would post its experts with the PRTC for two months so that the scheme could take off without any hitch. Meanwhile, he also disclosed that with the introduction of computers the staff left without work, would be used for making advance bookings at various depots making the Corporation’s operation even more efficient. Corporation Additional Managing Director Shiv Dular Singh Dhillon has already surveyed the system during a recent visit abroad for training. He said the Corporation would also be going in for digital mapping of all its routes so that the GPS system could be used on them. The PRTC is also likely to target private entrepreneurs who have been allowed to run their buses on Corporation routes on per kilometre basis. While the scheme is good on paper if implemented properly, the ground realities are a little different. According to sources unequal competition is created as the private entrepreneurs managed to get more favourable times, stop at various bus halts for longer periods and sometimes even cover more than the sanctioned route to the detriment of PRTC buses running on same or corresponding routes. The Corporation is also planning to raise money for the scheme by charging flat fee from all private bus operators running vehicles on its run under the kilometre scheme. The installation of the system will bring in complete transparency in the running operations of the private entrepreneurs and improve relations between them and the PRTC employees who feel they are being given too much leverage. After introduction of the scheme among the private buses running on its route, the Corporation aims at covering its entire fleet under it. |
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No salary even after six months Bathinda, September 1 Mrs Ritu, who was appointed science teacher on a temporary basis by the state Education Department authorities about six months ago was transferred from Government School, Katarsinghwala, to the Government High School for Girls, Goniana Mandi. She, however, could not join the school as there was no vacancy for a science teacher. On the order of the district education authorities, she was asked to join the Government School for Boys. On April 5, she gave her joining report to the Principal, Mr H.S. Kataria, and was allowed to join the school. However, she did not get any salary even though the education authorities had given written instructions to the school authorities to pay her salary. When she was transferred to the Government School for Boys, the centre head teacher and the Block Primary Education Officer mentioned in her order that it should be considered for the Government School for Boys and not the Government High School for Girls as shown in her discharge slip. Mr Kataria said as per the original order issued by the DPI (Schools) Mrs Ritu was transferred to the Government School for Girls. As there was no vacancy there, she joined the Government School for Boys. He said as directed by the district education authorities, he allowed her to join the school. Later, when he came to know about the order of the DPI, he asked Mrs Ritu to get the order of the education authorities regarding her joining, amended so that she could be given salary. He said the authorities had not amended it despite the fact that he had written a number of letters to them. He said the moment he would get the amended order, he would make arrangements for the payment of salary. |
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Pak intruder killed Amritsar, September 1 Meanwhile, fake currency worth Rs 700 was seized from Mhuffrat Begh, who was travelling in the Samjhauta Express from Pakistan to India. A case has been registered against him. |
Congress to grow ideology cell Ludhiana, September 1 Mr Kumar, who was here in connection with the sixth death anniversary of late Beant Singh, told The Tribune that the main purpose of the department was to arrest the drift of the country’s intelligentsia from the Congress. He admitted an impression had been created that there was an ideological vacuum in the Congress. The department had already started organising seminars and brain-storming sessions on various issues. He said so far there were no attempts to mobilise the intellectual community towards the Congress. As a result this community of opinion-makers moved towards the ideological left or right. “Now we will provide them a rallying point in the Congress”, he remarked. The scene has already shifted to the India International Centre (IIC), one of the important centres of intellectual activity in the Capital, where debates and discussions are held. Last week a seminar was organised on “Academic freedom: Democratic traditions and intellectual integrity”. The seminar was chaired by Dileep Padgaonkar, Executive Editor of The Times of India. Another seminar will be organised on September 22 on clean and transparent governance and will be chaired by Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief, The Indian Express. Dr Manmohan Singh will deliver the key note address. A seminar will also be held in Sangrur next week on farmers’ suicide and starvation deaths. Mr Kumar claimed that the department had an apolitical agenda. |
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Pension certificates ‘bartered’ for votes Bathinda, September 1 The party alleged that those who were not the followers of the ruling party had to face problems as their forms were rejected. Mr Jagjit Singh, district secretary of the party, said first the applicants were harassed while depositing the forms and even if they were considered fit for giving the pension, they had to wait for the minister for getting the pension certificates. He said as per the rules, Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) had to inform the persons who would get the pension immediately when their cases were considered fit. But the pensions certificates were not being given to the beneficiaries until the minister held a function for their distribution. He added that the employees of the office of the CDPO had been given verbal instructions not to reveal anything to the applicants regarding the fate of their applications. |
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Panthic Morcha to stage dharna Sangrur, September 1 Mr Jeet Singh Alloarkh, district president of the SAD (A), said this decision had been taken at a meeting of the morcha held at Mastuana Sahib, about 5 km from here, on Thursday. Mr Alloarkh said the dharna would be addressed by Baba Sarbjot Singh Bedi, convener of the morcha,Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, president of the SAD (A), and Mr Gurcharan Singh
Tohra. |
Residents cry for development Amritsar, September 1 This was clear from the fact that the areas did not have metalled roads and the sewerage was non-existent. The residents claim to have never seen the streetlights in the area. Mr Kuldeep Singh Sandhu, president of the New Partap Nagar Development Association, said the last he had seen a metalled road in the area was about 15 years back. He alleged that initially the authorities asked the residents to deposit development charges and even after two years of depositing the same no development work had been undertaken. Mr Dalbir Singh, general secretary of the association, alleged that the area councillor was not cooperating with them. Even the MLA of the area had not bothered for the development of these areas. The residents claimed that whenever the councillor was approached he put the blame on the mayor for non-development. The condition of the areas worsened in monsoon season, when water clogged in the narrow lanes. Potholes also contributed to a growing fear of mishaps. Absence of streetlights aggravates the problem for the residents of the area, which plunges into darkness as the evening falls. They alleged that the crimes had increased due to absence of streetlights. Another resident said, “We normally try to keep our children indoors after the evening for fear of mishaps due to invisible potholes filled with water and mud”. The residents also claimed that they had to collectively contribute towards the laying of bricks to level the roads. The Mayor, Mr Brij Mohan Kapoor, when contacted said it was very difficult to keep an eye everywhere. He said a complaint should be lodged about the problem and it would be pursued by the corporation. Mr Joginder Singh Dhillon, the councillor of the area, said it took time to get the work done”. He added that tenders of different works in the area had already been floated and work was expected to start soon. He refuted the allegations of the residents and said the brickwork had been done by the corporation and not by the residents. Meanwhile, the residents of the area threatened to hold a dharna and rallies against the corporation. |
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Women police stations fail to click Amritsar, September 1 The women police stations were amid fanfare by a former DGP, who had described the idea as “a noble and unique one,”
aimed at mitigating the sufferings of the women on a priority basis. However, representatives of various women organisations, including Mrs Dang, patron of the Punjab Istri Sabha, have rejected the idea. She said even activists of women organisations were not aware of existence of these police stations. Regarding the achievements of the women police stations, police sources said their performance had not been up to the mark. The sources revealed that these police stations were lacking basic facilities, including telephone, conveyance etc. In emergency, women police officials had to wait for taking action as they were forced to wait for conveyance, which was provided by the complainant in some cases. Mrs Jaswant Kaur, Sub-Inspector at a women police station, when contacted, claimed that they (the women officials) not only attended to the complaints but also guided and advised the women. She said these police stations were helpful to the women who could not afford court’s expense. Mrs Laxmi Kanta Chawla, a BJP MLA, said the women police stations were working very efficient. “Women are best listeners of women’s problems,” she said. She suggested that some of the social activists should be associated with these women police stations. She, however, complained about the limited timings of these police stations. Mrs Ranjit Saffire, president of the Punjab Istri Sabha, said the women-managed police stations were a ray of hope for the women complainants. |
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PNFC workers booked
for blocking traffic Ropar, September 1 Earlier, on August 27, the agitated workers of the PNFC had detained the said official of the PSIDC in their colony. He was released only after he gave in writing to the workers that the PSIDC would pay the entire dues of the workers. After being released by the employees, Mr Manjit Singh, in a complaint to the police, alleged that whatever he had given in writing to the PNFC employees should not be considered as legally valid. He was forced to sign a written statement by the employees despite the fact he had no authority to give any assurance to them, he alleged. However, the PNFC workers have termed police action of registering cases against them as discriminatory. They said earlier also there had been traffic blockades in the area. However, no action was taken at that time, they said. The workers are also planning to gherao the Punjab Government ministers and functionaries to press for the fulfilment their demand of compensation. They asserted that the non-payment of dues had pushed them to the edge of starvation. Meanwhile, the highly placed sources said the Punjab Government was considering the proposals of paying six month’s salary to the ousted employees of the PNFC as immediate relief. The amount would later be deducted from the salary of the employees. |
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Ravi Kant murder case: police failure resented Dhuri, September 1 The dharna was addressed among others by Mr Achra Singh, former MLA and state president of the Punjab Kisan Sabha, Mr Bhupinder Singh, member SGPC and local SHSAD leader, Mr Vijay
Singla, senior vice-president Beopar Mandal, Dhuri and president Block Congress Committee,
Dhuri, Mr Major Singh Punnawal, state president Punjab Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Mr Sukhdev Dharma, a local leader of PCDD employees’ union and general secretary of Sangrur unit of the All India Trade Union Council, Mrs Gurpreet Kaur, secretary of the Dhuri unit of the Punjab Krantikari Nari Sabha. All speakers expressed sympathy with the bereaved family and criticised failure to nab the culprits. They alleged that the police was trying to hush up the case under pressure. Dharna was lifted at 3 p.m. Earlier the protesters held a rally at Triveni Chowk here today and marched raising slogans against the Punjab government and the Punjab Police. Mr Balbir Singh, DSP Dhuri talking to reporters at the site stated that allegations against the police by speakers were false and baseless. He said that under the instructions of DSP Sangrur, the case had already been entrusted for investigation to Mr Gurvinder Singh, SHO city, Sangrur under the supervision of Mr Surjit Singh Grewal DSP Sangrur. |
‘Sudden death on field preventable’ Patiala, September 1 The seminar was organised to generate awareness among doctors on new subjects and sports medicine. Dr Ashok Ahuja, Head of the Department of Sports Medicine of the National Institute of Sports (NIS), led the proceedings of the seminar. Dr O.P Goyal, Head of the Department of Medicine, presided over the seminar. Dr S. Mukherjee gave a presentation at the seminar. Dr Ashok Ahuja, doctor of the Indian boxing team at the Sydney Olympics who has accompanied Indian squads at many other international meets as well, cited the example of the death of Nigerian footballer Charles Esheku in Mumbai past month. He also talked about how footballer Sanjeev Dutta of the Indian Railways had died in a similar way during a Santosh Trophy match at Kanoor in Kerala in 1992. He stressed the need for screening players thoroughly because pathological changes in the heart due to inherent congenital anomalies could cause sudden death of a young sportsperson, even though he or she might me among the fittest of all players. Dr Ahuja said cardiac evaluation under dynamic conditions along with a mandatory presence of automated ventricular defilbrillators in sport fields was a basic requirement for preventing such mishaps. Drug abuse in the world of sport was also discussed at the seminar. A large number of teachers of Medical College attended the seminar. |
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Ultrasound centres to be registered Patiala, September 1 At a meeting called by him here today, Dr Amrit Lal Dhingra, Civil Surgeon, said the orders had been circulated and the PNDT Act of 1994 would be strictly enforced. He said ultrasound tests should be done only to check the health of the foetus during pregnancy and these should not be misused. He urged all ultrasound-centre owners not to conduct sex determination tests. Dr Janak Arora, Prof and Head of Child Surgery, and Dr A.K. Kapila, Prof and Head of the Department of Radiology of the local Medical College, were among others who were at the meeting. Members of a team of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) told the Civil Surgeon that, though they had ultrasound machines, none was being used for sex determination tests. They proposed that parents who brought their second girl child into the world should be honoured. |
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200 participate in ‘Women Convention’ Teera (Kharar), September 1 Speaking on the occasion, Ms Harjit Kaur, CDPO of Majri Block, introduced the theme and spoke about the importance of education of girl child. Prof Asha Sethi stressed upon the need of education of women for nation building. The Director JSS, SAS Nagar, Mr Dildar Khan, said that empowerment of women was possible only when the women themselves realised the relevance of education for their own development. He also highlighted various schemes launched by the government for empowerment of women. Mr Khan said that self-help groups could play a vital role in improving the quality of life of women. He, however, was of the opinion that benefits of the various government schemes had failed to reach a majority of Punjabi women. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Abhinash Kansal highlighted the consequences of deficiencies of iron and iodine in women. |
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Devotees throng Sodal mela Jalandhar, September 1 The district police has made elaborate security arrangements to avert any untoward incident during the mela, which will concluded on September 3. The entire area has been divided into four zones and police officers of the SP rank would be the in charge for security of each zone. As many as 11 closed circuit television cameras have been installed in and around Sodal mandir to keep vigil. The devotees, particularly, women ladies and children wearing colourful dresses, started coming to Sodal mandir to offer prayers early in the morning. Decorated gates were erected on all main roads leading towards the mandir and several social organisations organised langars and ‘chabeel’ for devotees, who have come from far-flung areas of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh at different points in the mela. |
Farmers observe “fields day” Bathinda, September 1 Dr Kuldeep Singh, Agricultural Officer, who was the chief guest, addressing the gathering said the farmers should not use the pesticides which were not recommended by the department to control the American bollworm. He said the farmers should not use mixed pesticides. If possible the use of pesticides should be minimised. He said farmers should try to use the natural ways of killing the American bollworm. He cited the example of Mr Manjeet Singh, a farmer of the region, who had not used the pesticides on the cotton crop to kill the American bollworm for the past about many years. He said there was not a single bollworm in his field while the fields of other farmers swarming with these. Dr Bikkar Singh Sidhu, Block Agriculture Officer, said light trap should be utilised by the farmers which had proved to be cheap and best. |
Girdawari ordered in 19 flood-hit villages Sangrur, September 1 There are 26 flood-prone villages in the Khanauri and Moonak areas of the district. Barring seven villages, Kabirpur, Wazidpur, Karrail, Rampur Gujran, Kudni, Ghamaur Ghat and Ganauta, the girdawari will be held in all remaining villages. The 19 villages, which were hit by flood in July and August, are Moonak, Surjan Bhaini, Bhunder Bhaini, Salemgarh, Hamirgarh, Busehra, Nanda, Fulad, Chandu, Shahpur Therri, Andana, Baupur, Banarsi, Khanauri Kalan, Makror Sahib, Banga, Nawan Gaon, Hotipur and Mandvi. In the July floods, standing crops in about 7,000 hectares in the villages were damaged or badly affected. In the August floods, nearly 3,500 hectares area was affected. Sources said as per rough estimates, standing crops on more than 18,000 acres had been damaged or badly affected by the floods in the 19 villages. |
Rs 2.58 cr sanctioned for Kharar villages Kharar, September 1 This announcement was made by Mr Amrik Singh Mohali, a senior SAD leader, while addressing media persons here yesterday. He was accompanied by Mr Prem Singh (president SAD, Kharar) Mr Harjit Singh Bhuller (Senior BJP leader) and others. He spoke about various development works and welfare schemes undertaken by the present SAD BJP Government in Punjab. Mr Amrik Singh said that the Punjab Government had declared Kharar and Majri blocks of Kharar subdivision as backward blocks and all type of advantages would be available here in future. He
announced that all three roads of the Kharar area, Jandpur Road,
Badala Road and Randhawa Road would be repaired before November 30
this year. |
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Checking of arms licences begins Bathinda, September 1 Mr R. Venkatratnam, Deputy Commissioner, in a press note issued here today said the checking of Arms licences would be done in the 14 police stations of the district. District officials would check arm licences in tandem with the Station House officers. |
NRI stabbed
to death Jalandhar, September 1 Kanwaljeet Singh, who had been settled in the USA for the past about 15 years, was murdered by a group of four unidentified persons, who barged into his house at around 5 a.m. The assailants, according to Mr Tarsem Singh, a relative of the deceased, stabbed his uncle mercilessly and fled under the cover of darkness. He died on the spot. The body of the victim had been sent for the post-mortem examination to the local Civil Hospital. |
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Warrants against DSP, ASI Mansa, September 1 They are alleged to have antedated “rapat” kin the daily diary register of Mansa police station city on the basis of which an FIR of May 28 under Sections 420 and 500 IPC, against Amarjeet Singh Sahni was registered antedated to save Tej Ram who was caught while accepting a bribe of Rs 1,000 by the DSP. At the time of the arrest of Tej Ram, the accused officials who were then posted at Mansa police station city did not tell about the registration of a case against Sahni. They tried to prevail upon the DSP to save Tej Ram but when their efforts failed, they registered an antedated criminal case by tampering with the police record. |
PCCTU rally against college Ferozepore, September 1 The Congress and the CPM, besides various federations and employees’ unions, supported the rally which was addressed by the PCCTU president, Mr K.S. Sodhi, vice-president, Prof G.S. Kahlon, area secretary (Panjab University), Prof S.S. Sanghera, area secretary (Punjabi University), Mr Amarinderpal Singh and area secretary (GNDU), Mr Parkash Singh. The lecturers demanded a probe into the suspension of local president Harbans Kaur and into threats to teachers by a person impersonating as SP (Vigilance) allegedly at the behest of the Principal. The PCCTU threatened that if no action was taken against the ‘erring’ Principal and her supporters, the union would intensify the agitation. The tussel between the teachers’ union and the college authorities has been going on for the past three months. A section of the teachers said Ms Harbans Kaur had been suspended on flimsy grounds and the allegations against were fabricated. The district administration had initiated an inquiry into the allegations levelled by the teachers union against the college authorities. Ms Harbans Kaur, had asserted that the charges framed against her were false. Meanwhile, the management has appointed a lawyer, Mr B.L. Gupta, to conduct the inquiry against Ms Harbans Kaur. It has also decided to temporarily transfer her headquarters from Ferozepore to Chandigarh.  |
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Knowledge tech seminar Patiala, September 1 The function was attended by more than 300 students besides dignitaries, including Dr Gurdarshan Singh, Dr Brij Pal Singh, Mr Harbans Singh Mann and Dr Bhagat Singh. The seminar was judged by the Director of Computer Centre, Punjabi University, Mr Kanwaljeet Singh, while Mrs Suman Devgan, wife of Bank Manager, Mr J.R.Devgan, was the guest of honour. Prizes were awarded to the winners of the seminar. Mrs Devgan stressed upon the need of communication skills which should be imparted to the students along with giving equal emphasis on teaching computers. She added that seminar provided a platform to the students to present their skills. |
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Barnala, September 1 |
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