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| Saturday,
May 11, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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RAVI SIDHU CASE Chandigarh, May 10 Issuing the directions after hearing arguments for over one hour, the Bench, comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Ms Justice Bakhshish Kaur, added that the sealed envelope should necessarily contain information on the progress of investigation and the details of witnesses, besides the recorded statements. The Judges also allowed "oral request" made on behalf of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association for acting as an intervener in the matter. This, the Judges ruled, was justified after looking at the nature of issues involved in the scam. Earlier during the proceedings, Punjab's Advocate-General asserted that the state was prima facie of the opinion that in a scam of such a magnitude the people had the right to information till "the defence or the prosecution" was affected. Regarding the issue of corruption, he added that the back-door entrants did not enjoy the right to hold office and a list of such persons, along with their links with the VIPs, was being prepared. As far as the extension of age limit was concerned, the modalities could be worked out with the Court's indulgence, the AG claimed. All the cases pertaining to the scam will now come up for further hearing on Monday. The cases were today tagged together after permission for the same was obtained from the High Court Chief Justice. Taking up a public interest litigation filed by social organisation Common Cause Forum, the Bench, on the last date of hearing, had directed that the file pertaining to the case should be placed before the Chief Justice so that the petition, along with all other connected matters in the PPSC chairman Ravinderpal Singh Sidhu case, could be listed before one Bench for maintaining consistency in Court orders. In their petition, the forum had sought directions to the respondents for holding the investigation of the case relating to Sidhu in a "transparent manner". They had also demanded that the progress of the investigation must be made public from time to time to inspire confidence. Counsel for the petitioner had added that the forum had moved several applications to the investigating agency for the supply of two FIRs, besides other information relating to the investigation of the case, including the details of the persons arrested till date. He had added that no orders were, however, passed. |
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High Court kept in dark Observing that the Punjab and Haryana High Court was in the dark regarding the names of undeserving candidates who had made it to the judicial branch of the PCS, Mr Justice
G.S. Singhvi asserted that officers with even 1 per cent taint should not be allowed to remain in the saddle. The Judge added that "things must be brought to logical conclusion if there was a real taint", but names should not be tarnished on the basis of mere imagination. He also underlined the need for exercising "extreme caution" in the matter so that the image of the judiciary was not tarnished. |
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Badal out to ‘defend’ corruption Chandigarh, May 10 Mr Tohra said he had been saying for a long time that jobs, transfers and postings were being “sold” by the SAD-BJP government. Corrupt elements were patronised by giving them plum posts. But Mr Badal dismissed all this, saying it was just propaganda by his opponents. Only a small part of the corruption of the Badal government had been uncovered. A lot more was yet to be uncovered, said Mr Tohra, offering the cooperation of his party to further expose the "corruption and misdeeds" of the SAD-BJP government. It would have been better if Mr Badal had organised the rallies, which were to start from May 12, during SAD-BJP rule against the Union Government to get issues like that of Chandigarh, the river waters, etc settled. Cautioning the government against slowing down the process of exposing corruption, Mr Tohra said those who used to give bribes during SAD-BJP rule to stay as district police chiefs should be interrogated and arrested. But he did not name any police officer. Many IAS and IPS officers were also involved in corruption but there was no one to question them. When the names of various IAS and IPS officers started figuring in corruption cases, attempts would be made to derail the ongoing investigations, he said. What the Congress did in Punjab during the past 30-40 years was done by the SAD-BJP government in the past five years, Mr Tohra said. It was right to expose the corruption of the previous government but at the same time Capt Amarinder Singh should assure the people that his own Ministers and bureaucrats would not indulge in corruption. There were certain officers with doubtful credentials around Capt Amarinder Singh. "The Chief Minister would have to stay away from such officers", he added. If Mr Badal would be satisfied with an inquiry into the “misdoings” of his government by a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, there should be no hesitation on the part of government to request the court to spare a judge for this purpose. He said the Lok Pal could not play an effective role into inquiries in corruption cases against publicmen as it had a very limited role and powers. Opposing the sending of Mr K.P.S. Gill to Gujarat, Mr Tohra said the BJP would “use” Mr Gill against Muslims as he was earlier “used” by the Congress government against Sikhs. Mr Gill was a ruthless police officer. His posting would generate hatred among Muslims against Sikhs. |
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Panel finds PAU don guilty of molestation Ludhiana, May 10 The committee, headed by the Dean, College of Home Science, Dr
S.K. Mann, submitted its report to the Vice-Chancellor, Dr K.S. Aulakh, this week only, but due to the Vice-Chancellor’s visit abroad it could not be tabled. Dr Aulakh arrived on the campus today and is yet to go through the report. Talking to
TNS, Dr Aulakh said he had reached the city in the wee hours today and was not feeling well. He did not open the file today. He said he wanted to look into the matter carefully and did not want any problems to surface. While the high-powered inquiry committee has indicted a faculty member of the Department of Soils, Dr Harmit Singh
Thind, for molesting the student, it has not recommended any action against him. When contacted, Dr Mann declined to give details about the report, saying that it was against the code of conduct of the university to disclose the report to anybody unless it was seen by the Vice-Chancellor. However, reliable sources in the university have confirmed that the inquiry committee has upheld the findings of the fact-finding committee, constituted earlier, and has found the faculty member guilty. An FIR has already been lodged in the Sarabha Nagar police station against the suspect. The PAU molestation case was the first in a series of sexual harassment and molestation cases reported from different universities in the state, including the
much-publicised Saru Rana case in Punjabi University. The Tribune was the first newspaper to highlight the molestation case in
PAU. Dr Mann said her work was over now as she had handed over the report to the Vice-Chancellor and it was upto him to take appropriate action against the guilty. The submission of the report has brought respite to the victim who had alleged that the university authorities were dilly-dallying in the case. She had shared her feelings with TNS recently and had said that she was hurt as the authorities were not taking her case seriously and were trying to while away time waiting for her dissertation to be submitted as she had already passed her last semester. She feared that once she was out of the university after completing her degree the case would be manipulated and the services of the teacher would be reinstated. |
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HIGH COURT Chandigarh, May 10 Delivering the verdict, Mr Justice Singhal clarified: “The directions given now would come to an end as soon as her statement was recorded”. He further ruled: “After the statement is recorded, the Sessions Judge will be in a position to appreciate what was the petitioner’s intention and what was the reaction of the victim so as to find out whether it was an attempt to rape her or was it a mere indecent assault aimed at her”. Mr Justice Singhal also directed the Sessions Judge to keep the case file with himself after the case was committed for trial and not to assign the same to any other Additional Sessions Judge for trial. In his detailed order, the Judge observed: “After looking at the entire pros and cons of the case, I think the petitioner shall appear before Patiala’s Sessions Judge on or before May 15 who will call upon him to furnish bail”. The VC, it may be recalled, was apprehending arrest in the case registered on February 19 initially under Sections 341, 294, 354, 506 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. Sections 376 and 511 of the IPC were, subsequently, added to the first information report. In her complaint, post graduate student Saru Rana had alleged that “wrong things” were happening in the Department of Fine Arts. She had added that the VC, instead of taking action, had forced her to keep her mouth shut. Seeking directions to the state of Punjab and other respondents to release him on bail in the event of his arrest, counsel for the petitioner had contended that the VC was being implicated in the case. He had added that there was nothing in the complaint except the allegation that the VC was behind “all this” and was making wrong gestures at the complainant during university functions. The VC, it may be recalled, in another petition had sought the quashing of the FIR. In his 123-page petition, the VC had also sought directions to the state against passing any order on the basis of the allegations in the FIR, besides staying further investigations. Counsel for the petitioner had stated on the VC’s behalf that the FIR was liable to be quashed as the allegations were vague, aimed at implicating the fine arts faculty. He had added that the SSP had ordered prompt registration of the FIR as he was annoyed with certain things.
Mann’s petition A Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Mr Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta and Mr Justice N.K. Sud, on Friday reserved orders on a petition filed by member of Parliament Simranjit Singh Mann seeking directions to the Union of India, besides the states of Punjab and Haryana, to quash Prevention of Terrorism Act of 2002. Mann, in his petition, stated that a perusal of the Act showed that its draconian provisions infringed the basis rights of the citizens. It was against their right to life and liberty as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Giving details, he claimed that an accused, booked under the Act, could be arrested and convicted for life imprisonment, besides being fined Rs 10 lakh. For the purpose, a confession made before the police was also admissible in evidence as the Act gave absolute powers to the
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Fiscal reforms on anvil Chandigarh, May 10 In the past two months, besides the crusade against corruption, Capt Amarinder Singh has been working overtime to improve the fiscal situation and present a composite Budget next month. Indications are that the Officers Committee on Fiscal Strategy is framing its recommendations after each department makes its presentation. Reliable sources told TNS that despite the political stance on the continuation/discontinuation of the “free” supply of power to operate
tubewells, the power to undo the recommendations of the Punjab electricity regulatory authority vests only in the Council of Ministers. The Punjab State Electricity Board has done nothing wrong in submitting proposals to the commission. Media reports on the “withdrawal of free power,” the reaction of the former Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and the statement of Capt Amarinder Singh, rejecting the commission’s recommendations even before these have been formally conveyed to the PSEB have further compounded the issue. While the government, due to political exigencies, may find a “middle” path on this sensitive issue, the officers committee favours the withdrawal of the “free” power facility. Likewise, it favours the reimposition of land revenue that the Akalis had abolished. The committee also favours the levy of “user charges” on social and economic services. It is not averse to allowing the departments concerned to retain collections for “maintenance, upkeep and repair” of equipment and the administrative infrastructure. The presentation on the transport proposals, scheduled for May 6, was deferred. Informed sources say that the state is losing Rs 200 crore per month in transport. There is loud thinking that Pepsu Transport and Roadways should be sold. That would fetch around Rs 1,500 crore and accrue Rs 150 crore as tax revenue besides effecting a saving of Rs 200 crore. The Department of Excise and Taxation contributes 64 per cent of the total revenue receipts. While the share of sales tax is 43 per cent, excise pours in 21 per cent. If the proposals submitted by it were to be accepted, the step could contribute more than Rs 3,400 crore as sales tax in 2002-03. The officers’ committee, sources said, was of the view that in future all exemptions in sales tax should be approved by the Vidhan
Sabha. The rationalisation of the tax structure is also on the cards, which would enable the department to levy sales tax on dhabas with a turnover of Rs 5 lakh per year. The tax proposals include imposing entry tax, introducing tax on items where Punjab has deviated from ones levied at the national level, review of the exemptions allowed to industrial units and the Bathinda Oil Refinery, etc. A new “exim permit” policy is also proposed to check the evasion of sales tax. |
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Recruitments against quota suspect Chandigarh, May 10 Informed sources said that the scandal in such recruitments was not confined to the Panchayati Raj Department but was of wider dimensions. Already the Vigilance Bureau has registered a case with regard to recruitments in the Panchayati Raj Department. The sources said that in the PWD (B and R) a number of clerks, junior engineers and senior officers were recruited against the quota for the handicapped. It has now come to light that a number of candidates selected against the quota were not eligible to be recruited under this category. The sources said a preliminary inquiry had been made in this connection and the case had been referred to the minister concerned for his approval. The Minister would decide whether any criminal case should be registered or the inquiry should be handed over to the Vigilance Bureau. Similarly, there seems to be such a scandal in the Punjab Education Department, too. A number of handicapped persons were also recruited in this department under the quota. Mr Khushal Behal, Education Minister, said that the “department is looking into the matter”. He said he would be able to tell the whole story after verifying the facts. The sources said reports from various departments indicated that the handicapped category was used as a “backdoor” entry into government jobs. Certain persons had entered government departments on the basic of fake or manipulated certificates from the medical authorities. A senior officer said that all recruitments made against the quota for the handicapped in various departments should be screened and an exclusive medical board set up to examine all those recruited. |
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AG denies report, Speaker refers matter to panel Chandigarh, May 10 “We are a responsible organisation and cannot even think of such a statement against the honourable legislatures (members),” a press note said. Meanwhile, taking serious note of the remarks of the Accountant-General (Audit),
Punjab, casting “onwarranted aspersions” on members of the Public Accounts Committee of the state Assembly, Speaker Kewal Krishan has referred the matter to the Privilege Committee of the House for scrutiny. An Assembly release said today that the Speaker had asked the Privilege Committee to submit its report within a month. “The Speaker has noted with great concern the unwarranted and misleading statement of Mr Nand Lal, Accountant-General (Audit), Punjab,” which appeared in a local English daily today, it said. |
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Govt urged to reconsider bypass survey report Kharar, May 10 They have written that earlier also a survey was conducted during the last SAD-BJP Government’s rule, the report of which was later on not put to use. Similarly, a survey was conducted to construct a by-pass from Chandigarh to Kajauli along the existing water pipeline. This project was also cancelled for reasons best known to the Government the project was outside the municipal limits of Kharar. However, this time, as per the revised survey, report, the by-pass passes through the municipal limits of Kharar. They have alleged that as per the present survey, the by-pass had been routed through a horticultural orchard which had been declared as one of the best in Punjab by the Punjab Agricultural University and the first mango sapling was planted here by the late Dr M.S. Randhwa. A large number of Indian and foreign personalities have also visited the place. They have also alleged that the survey was conducted during the night and early in the morning by a Junior Engineer and no responsible officer had visited the proposed site so far. The demarcation pillars were also shifted at least 150 feet towards the eastern side. The farmers alleged that under the revised project, a 350-feet deep
tubewell, which had maximum water discharge in Kharar tehsil and a built-up shelter house donated for sadhus have also not been spared by the
demarcators. They have also written that on the other side of the National Highway, lands of 18 farmers would be affected. They have written that the cost of land here is around Rs 50 lakh per acre. They fear that the Government probably may not be able to afford such a huge compensation.
In view of the above facts, they have urged the minister to visit the site of the proposed bye-pass before taking any final decision. |
SAD ‘reaping whirlwind’ Chandigarh, May 10 He said the Badal government committed “atrocities” on activists and supporters of Opposition parties, including the SHSAD. Now the SAD was paying the price for implicating activists of Opposition parties in false criminal cases. The Badal government did not spare even Akalis who were aligned with the SHSAD and other Panthic parties. He said he was stopped by the police in Fatehgarh Sahib from coming to Chandigarh to present a memorandum against the Badal government. “I had approached the Human Rights Commission chairman, Justice V.K. Khanna, then”. But he did not act. He said the commission was a financial burden on the state. “It served no purpose. Its performance was nil. It will be in the interest of Punjab to dissolve it.” |
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Lab technicians “spreading infection” Bathinda, May 10 A woman technician of a government hospital at Fatehgarh Sahib contracted tuberculosis infection while working in the TB laboratory for not taking precautions. Another technician of government hospital at Sunam in Sangrur district was infected with tuberculosis and hepatitis from a laboratory. After that he sought transfer from that hospital. The technicians working in laboratories still do not bother about requisite precautions. Most of the laboratories in government hospitals of the state lack proper disposal of infecting specimens like that of blood and sputum. These specimen are discarded direct into the sink, sputum slides are kept in open, the syringes and needles after cutting in the destroyers are not discarded in the disinfectant solution and in nearly 60 per cent of the laboratories, no disinfectant is used for discarding specimens and cleaning the place. A survey of nearly 40 hospitals of the state by a Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) team under its project ‘An Appraisal of Lab Technicians Professional Calibre, Work and Working Conditions in Government-run Hospitals’ threw up these facts. The report, a copy of which The Tribune secured from Chandigarh, revealed that laboratories in most of the hospitals had become the major source of the spread of infectious diseases. The report also reveals that only one technician in the whole state had done B.Sc. in Medical Laboratory Technology while most of other technicians had done one-year diploma after matriculation. A technician posted at Lambi hospital had done only one-month training in microscopy from T.B. Hospital, Bathinda, one class IV employee was promoted technician at Bathinda hospital though he could not fill even his profile sheet and questionnaire and one person at Fatehgarh Sahib got the job of technician on the basis of experience only. He had not taken proper training in a medical laboratory. The report revealed that one-year diploma was not adequate as some of the technicians were not able to fill even profile sheets and questionnaire and could not even spell the name of reagents used for investigation in laboratories. In most of the laboratories where modern equipment had been installed for more authentic and dependable clinical and other investigations, the technicians were not aware of the procedure to handle the machines. For haemoglobin estimation, Sahli’s method was being followed still which was most unreliable. Mouth pipetting was being done in most of the laboratories for ESR’s Westergren method, as there was no alternative. The survey team also found that in most of the hospitals, the patients were sent straight to private laboratories for the investigations supposedly by the doctors. In some cases, some of the investigations were carried out in the hospital’s laboratories while for other investigations, the patients were asked to get these done from private laboratories which was the main reason behind mushrooming of private laboratories. The survey revealed that general problems and working conditions of the technicians were responsible for poor service in the laboratories apart from other important shortcomings. A comprehensive training programme for technicians should be designed and started for quality service to the patients. |
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3 PSEB cashiers suspended Gurdaspur, May 10 Mr S.K. Duggal, Superintending Engineer, while talking to newspersons here today, said the scam came to light after the cashiers were transferred from South subdivision, Batala, and customers made inquiries about the receipts of the bills paid by them. Mr Duggal said the department became suspicious about the doings of the cashiers and held a random survey from April 7 to April 18, 2002, regarding the bills paid by the customers. As many as Rs 43,500 were found to be pocketed by the cashiers from 31 customers. The consumers were issued fake receipts without entering those in the ledger. Mr Duggal said the amount misappropriated by the cashiers could run into lakhs as more accounts were still to be checked. Mr Arvinder Singh, Deputy Chief Accounts Officer, Border Zone, has been deputed to conduct an inquiry. |
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Suicide
case: fresh probe demanded Amritsar, May 10 Anil was found dead at a hotel on March 20. A suicide note mentioned Naresh
Mahajan, Ramesh Arora, Inderjit Singh Puri and SCL Malhotra, senior company employees, as the persons behind his taking the extreme step. A case under Section 306 of the IPC was registered. Following the recovery of the suicide note, two Ramesh Arora and Naresh Mahajan were arrested on March 21. They were released on April 2. The
SSP, Mr Narinder Pal Singh, said the FIR had been cancelled as no evidence of abetment to suicide had been found. |
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Sikh priests: prove bribe charges Amritsar, May 10 The priests issued a directive to Mr Charnjit Singh, Mr Mangal Singh Khalsa and Mr Bhupinder Singh Khalsa of Ludhiana who had allegedly published a folder, named “Paigam” that reads: “The Sikh clergy had been pronouncing orders in the favour of so-called sants by taking bribes despite concrete proofs provided by the Sikh
sangat”. The directive of Akal Takht asks the Sikh leaders to produce proofs of bribe and the ‘tainted decisions’ which were made in favour of so-called sants by May 21. Meanwhile, the priests had pronounced ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) on six persons, including complainants, for consuming liquor etc in a religious
‘dera’. With this the Takht has sorted out a two-year-old case of Baba Dhanwant Singh of the Dera Noor Vishav Ruhani Charitable Trust, Nawanshahr. They have been directed to undergo seva for a week. The order said both parties were found guilty of
consuming liquor etc and should complete their ‘tankhah’ at the five
Takhts. The Sikh religious leaders who were asked to undergo ‘tankhah’ included Baba Dhanwant Singh, Satnam Singh Deep, Bhai Hari Singh, Bhai Surinder Singh, Bhai Sewa Singh and Bhai Gurdeep Singh. |
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EO’s official residence being ‘misused’ Fatehgarh Sahib, May 10 The Executive Officer of the council is fully aware of the situation but no action has been taken so far, in spite of the complaint lodged by the night watchman of the council regarding immoral activities carried out at night. The previous EO instead of living in official residence, allegedly due to the pressure of some official of the department, somehow managed to get a house in officer’s colony at Fatehgarh Sahib. According to sources, a relative of Deputy Director, local Government, Patiala, along with his friends studying at the local Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College has been residing in this furnished official residence located on the first floor of the council office building for the past one year. They had been enjoying all facilities meant for the EO, like telephone and electricity. The employees of the council are so scared of their senior at Patiala that on the condition of anonymity they narrated various misdeeds of these students and helplessness on the part of council officials to take any action in spite of having full knowledge of the situation. The night watchman of the council, however, said he had been regularly bringing the activities of the students to the notice of the previous EO but no action had been taken. He alleged that “female” guests in the night had become a routine and girls could occasionally be seen coming out of cars. He said as a helpless spectator he had been watching all this. Meanwhile, Mr Varinder Rattan, General Secretary of the Citizen’s Welfare Council, has threatened to launch an agitation and staged a dharna in front of the council office, if the official residence was not immediately got vacated. He said it was shameful on the part of the council officials that they had been allowing such immoral and anti-social activities in the council premises. The president of the council, however, said he was not aware of the fact that any student was staying in the official residence of the EO. He said he would check up today and take appropriate action. The Executive Officer of the council, when contacted, said a guest of some higher official was staying there before he joined but expressed ignorance about their activities. |
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Ferozepore
to have agro-based industry Ferozepore, May 10 This was stated by Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, MLA and Political Secretary to the Chief Minister, while presiding over the 5th annual convocation of the Martyr Dr Anil Baghi School of Nursing here today. He said the industry could be either a sugar mill or a food-processing industry for which a proposal has been sent to the Chief Minister. Rana Sodhi said the Congress government believed in delivering goods and would not just restrict to lip-service and the laying of foundation stones. A proposal was being mooted to open a private medical college for which discussions were being held with private parties and the plan was in the final stage of execution, he added. While launching a scathing attack on the previous Akali regime, he said the Akali-BJP government in the past five years had virtually brought the state on the verge of bankruptcy with a debt of more than Rs 62,000 crore. The Congress government had sought a soft loan of Rs 3,000 crore. Earlier, Rana Sodhi conferred diploma on around 300 nursing graduates. He lauded efforts of the school authorities to impart quality medical education. Students performed a cultural programme. Dr V. Kapil presented the annual report. Later, while talking to media, Rana Sodhi said adequate compensation was being provided to residents of the border areas whose fields had been damaged due to laying of Army mines. The Ministry of Defence had released Rs 36 crore for this purpose. The Chief Minister had instructed the Chief Secretary to convene a meeting of district heads of the border areas to take their suggestions for a proposed development plan, he added. |
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Bangladeshi
national apprehended Pathankot, May 10 According to Lieut Col. S.P. Gadgil, Adjutant for Commanding Officer, the Bangladeshi has disclosed his name as Chand Miyam belonging to Gangni village Khulna district of Bangladesh. The accused has, however, refused to divulge any detail about the place from where he has come, his mode of transportation and purpose of coming to the area. A case has been registered under Section 3-34-20 of the Indian Passport Act and Section 14 of the Foreign Act. |
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Cong rally over Gujarat riots Bathinda, May 10 Addressing the rally, Congress leaders, including Mr K.K. Aggarwal, Mr K.K. Sharma, Mr Pawan Mani, Mr Inder Singh Sahni and Mr Suresh Grover, alleged that communal riots in Gujarat were a conspiracy by the state government. They demanded that a CBI probe into the riots, adding that the Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi should be punished for his alleged involvement in the riots. Owing to the failure of the state government to curb the riots, members of minority community had to stay put into camps. Later, the protesters submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner for forwarding it to the President. |
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Deepti
Naval issued summons Amritsar, May 10 |
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70 lakh for repairing
Phagwara roads Phagwara, May 10 This was stated by the local MLA, Mr Joginder Singh Mann, at a press conference held here today. He said, the road linking Gurdwara Sukhchainana Sahib would be widened and provided with lights. The foundation stone of a bridge to be built at a cost of Rs 10 lakh over drain would be laid. It would link the temple at Khati village and the Hargobindgarh gurdwara. The work on Rs 14 crore Mehli-Mehtan bypass was in progress, Mr Mann added. The construction work on a road overbridge at No. 77 level crossing of Satnampura on the Delhi-Amritsar railway line would start in first week on June, said Mr Mann after holding a meeting with Mr Daljit Singh Arora, Project Manager of the overbridge. While the Railways would contribute Rs 4 crore, the Punjab State Infrastructure Development Board would contribute over Rs 16 crore to the overbridge project to be completed in a year, added Mr Mann. |
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PWSSB defrauded
of 1.54 lakh Abohar, May 10 Well-informed sources said the Executive Engineer of the PWSSB, in his letter to Vinod Kumar and Charan Dass, clerks of the council on deputation with the board, had pointed out that the Assistant Controller of Local Funds had brought to his notice that an embezzlement of Rs 1.54 lakh had been detected. According to the letter, initially the alleged embezzlement was found to be of Rs 17,273. Later the amount was put at Rs 1,54, 783. It was alleged that two G-8 books (receipt books) had not been presented before the auditors on the pretext that the same were not traceable. The XEN said the clerks had been issued notices, a copy of which had been sent to the municipal council also, but they had not filed explanations. However, the amount detected earlier had been reportedly
deposited with the board. Vinod Kumar had claimed that the missing book, though issued in his name had been used by the other clerk. The XEN had directed the SDE of the board to demand an explanation from the “tainted” employees and submit it to the divisional office within two days. The council might be advised to take action against both employees under the municipal Act. |
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Rally by junior engineers Gurdaspur, May 10 Their demands included grant of pay scale of Rs 7225 for junior engineers, cadre parity with divisional superintendents, accounts superintendents and divisional head-draftsmen, time scale promotions and promotion after 23 years of service. |
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SHO, 3 others suspended Hoshiarpur, May 10 Mr Manjit Singh, SHO, Model Town, who has been shifted to the Police Lines by Ms Deo, was allegedly charging “monthlies” from anti-social elements through his driver Davinder Singh Walia and other staff, including Manohar Lal, Havildar, and Head Constable Surjit Singh Walia. Talking to TNS, Ms Deo said she had received information that the officials were hand in glove with bootleggers, particularly those who were engaged in bringing liquor from Chandigarh and selling it in Hoshiarpur and other areas. After being arrested, a bootlegger, Amarjit Singh, admitted in an affidavit to the police authorities that he used to pay “monthlies” to the SHO and other staff, particularly driver Davinder Walia, who used to come to him for collection for the SHO. Ms Deo said the officials had been suspended and an inquiry would be conducted by the headquarters. |
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Undertrial
escapes from police custody Ferozepore, May 10 According to the jail authorities, prisoner Raj Kumar of Fazilka complained of stomach ache a couple of days ago and was admitted to the hospital on Saturday. He went to bathroom and managed to give the police a slip. He was facing a trial in a case of rape and murder. |
Education board decisions put on hold SAS Nagar, May 10 At least two board meetings were held during the four months period. Sources in the Education Department said the government had taken a serious view about certain decisions taken during the period when the modal code of conduct was in action. Orders for staying the implementation of the decisions relating to the financial and policy matters have been conveyed to the senior functionaries of the board. Some of the decision taken during the board meeting held in January have a direct bearing to the irregularities being probed by the vigilance sleuths. The Education Minister, Mr Kushal Behl, told TNS that the records had been summoned to see the nature of decision taken during the period. Citing a specific case, the sources said an agenda item no. 18 to extend the contract of Mrs Sushmita Malik, wife of a retired Army General for another six months was granted approval in the board meeting held in January. The vigilance sleuths are investigating how the wife of the Army General was appointed as a consultant on contract at Rs 12,000 per month. An agenda item to engage private architects for Vidya Bhavan of state Education Department in Phase 6 here was approved in the January meeting. It was decided to issue agreement letters to the architects after shotlisting them. Interestingly, the Vigilance Bureau is investigating the bungling in the commissioning of architect for the board’s housing colony. Against a minimum tender fee of 1.5 per cent for architect design, the contract was given for 2.5 per cent. The sources said a controversial agenda item to strengthen the administrative and academic wing of two adarsh schools in Moga, the constituency of the former education minister, Mr Tota Singh, was taken up in the meeting, However, it was decided to extend the contract of the staff in the two schools. Another significant decision to provide online connectivity with different government department and education boards of other states was approved in the board meeting held in March. The cost of the project, estimated to be around 1.50 crore, was to be shared by the board and the Punjab government. A budget of
around Rs 40 lakh was approved in the finance committee meeting of the board held here today. The board was to invest another Rs 40 lakh in the project. A feasibility study done by the IBM, a multinational company, had been then forwarded to the state government for its principal approval. |
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Punjab
school board
exam results SAS Nagar, May 10 An official of the board said efforts were being made to declare the results of the science and commerce streams by May 25. A total 33, 285 candidates had appeared in the science and commerce stream. While the results of the matriculation examinations were expected to be declared by the last week of June, the results of the humanities and vocational streams would be declared by the first week of July. Around 1.78 lakh candidates had appeared in the humanities stream and those appearing in the vocational and additional subjects were 7, 765 and 1675, respectively. A
total of 3.90 lakh candidates had appeared in the matric examination. |
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