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May 13, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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Govt preparing to ‘throw out’
PPSC-selected persons Chandigarh, May 12 The circular quotes the court orders to the Government of Punjab, with the instructions to avoid further complications regarding non-confirmation of the selected persons. The circular mentions the date of appointment of Sidhu as September 9, 1996. All have been asked to comply with the court orders in letter and in spirit. Several bureaucrats, who confirmed receiving the circular today, interpreted this to mean that the government was preparing to “throw out” all 3,446 persons selected by the PPSC. The complete list has reportedly been gone over categorywise at the highest level. Even legal opinion has been sought. Meanwhile, judicial activism came to the fore as the names of judges figured in the investigations even as selective leaks filtered to the Press and top men of the Intelligence Wing and the Vigilance Bureau got engaged in a war over credit sharing. A single Judge “gagged” the Press. The Tribune was the first to speak out on the issue. Later, the High Court Bar Association took the unprecedented step of seeking the intervention of the Chief Justice to refurbish the image of the judiciary. The subsequent overruling of the orders of the single Judge by the Division Bench and the summoning of all records by it on Monday has put the state’s political executive and bureaucracy in a
spin. There are reports of advocates agitating in the districts over the corruption issue. The state is anxiously waiting for “news” of Rashtrapati Bhavan making a reference to the Supreme Court. It will then start the process of finding a successor to Ravi Sidhu. Several names are already being mentioned of those bureaucrats, who will retire shortly and could not make it to the post of Chief Secretary. One such person is of Mr S.S. Boparai. The government, it is learnt, is also sending feelers to the present PPSC members to quit voluntarily to enable the state to reconstitute the commission, whose conduct had become “dangerously corrupt” as a bureaucrat remarked. Even as a feeling of “nervousness” is discernible in the administration, there is yet another equally important issue before it to decide, namely, the future of the Commission of Inquiry Chairperson, Justice A.S. Garg, who is getting embroiled in controversies. Meanwhile, a top bureaucrat told TNS before leaving for New Delhi this morning that all crucial issues would be clinched in a day or two. The Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, has been camping there for the past one week. Today he held a crucial meeting with the Chief Secretary, Mr Y.S. Ratra, the Advocate-General, Mr Harbhagwan Singh, and the Director-General of Police, Mr M.S. Bhullar. The neglect of other important aspects of governance, social and economic, removal of grievances, and development, have begun to gnaw at the powers that be. A section of the administration is of the view that the anti-corruption net spread far and wide may be difficult to sustain over a longer period of time and may, in fact, recoil. All eyes are now focused on the High Court. |
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PPSC rejects unite for
justice Bathinda, May 12 The candidates who, though deserving, were not considered for various posts by the PPSC in the past five years, have said that those who were selected by paying huge sums were as guilty as those who took bribe and they should be booked under criminal cases. Seeing a ray of hope with the arrest of PPSC Chairman Ravinder Pal Sidhu, and in order to get their due, the rejected candidates are organising themselves. Such candidates held a meeting in the city last evening with the aim of bringing on one platform the PPSC rejects. Mr Manjeet Sharma, coordinator of the association formed said they were of the view that if the person who accepted bribe was guilty, so was the person who gave it. He said that they would launch a stir to pressurise the government to take action against those who were selected by the PPSC by using unfair means. Many of these candidates had appeared for interviews for posts of DSP, PCS, lecturer and other posts during the past five years. But they were allegedly not selected as large-scale bunglings were prevalent in the PPSC. They said they were aware that everything was not fair in the PPSC, but did not know that the situation was so bad. Mr Prem Bhatia, a PPSC reject, said that he was shocked by the revelations made during the investigation of the Ravi Sidhu affair. He added that if the state government had started a campaign against corruption it should not stop midway, otherwise people would lose faith in the PPSC. Mr Ravinder Kumar another rejected candidate, said they were in touch with residents of other districts who had also been rejected by the PPSC to launch a massive campaign for justice. He said that it was strange that some of candidates not found fit for becoming PCS officers by the PPSC had made it to top positions in the Civil Services Examination taken by UPSC. The participants at the last evening’s meeting were determined to launch a mass movement with the help of people who had to suffer due to the misdeeds of Ravi Sidhu and his touts. |
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Bar, Bench acrimony deepens
Chandigarh, May 12 Talking to the media soon after a meeting of the Punjab and Haryana Bar Council, the presidents of Patiala, Ludhiana and Panipat district Bar associations demanded that the Chief Justice should first look into the allegations, and after the verification of facts, either withdraw the work from the Judges or recommend their transfer. Agreeing that the statements of witnesses, and others allegedly involved in the scam, were not enough to justify action against the Judges, they claimed that the withdrawal of work or their transfer from the Punjab and Haryana High Court would, at the same time, ensure that neither the process of investigation, nor the witnesses, were influenced by their presence. “The Judges must voluntarily resign,” asserted president of the Patiala District Bar Association Balbir Singh Billing. “Or else, work should be taken away from them. When there are allegations against a Judge, he should not be allowed to continue on a position from where he can influence, or hamper, the administration of justice”. Describing the court as a “temple of justice”, president of the Panipat District Bar Association Satinder Singh added, “No one should be allowed to sell justice. Otherwise, the public at large will lose faith in the entire system because of alleged judicial corruption. If it is found that the Judges are indeed involved in the matter, they should be tried as common men because law is the same for every one”. Claiming that the “virus of corruption, resulting in the collapse of one institution after another in the country, had even managed to creep into the judicial system”, president of the Ludhiana District Bar Association Harish Rai Dhanda insisted, “The Judges do not enjoy immunity. After verification of facts they should be proceeded against in accordance with law”. He added: “The Bar association members were also planning to hold seminars and discussions in this matter for generating public opinion against corruption”. The three presidents also claimed that a committee of different Bar associations of the two states was also being set up to coordinate with the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association on this issue, or any other issue that may crop up in the near future. The intention, they further claimed, was to take a joint decision after involving all advocates of both states.  |
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Replace Garg with serving judge: SAD Barnala, May 12 Mr Badal further said the SAD would fight against these cases and excesses committed against the SAD workers allegedly by the police and the Congress government, at the legal as well as political levels. Mr Badal was addressing a meeting of the SAD at the new grain market complex here. This was the first district-level workers’ meeting which had been organised as part of a decision taken by the political affairs committee (PAC) of the SAD recently. Mr Badal said he had asked the SAD leaders to send detailed reports of the cases against the SAD activists so that the same could be submitted before the Punjab State Human Rights Commission. He also said that the SAD would constitute a penel of lawyers to contest these cases. He also demanded the appointment of a serving judge of the high court in place of Justice Garg (retd) to head the inquiry commission, constituted pertaining to probe the alleged wrong doings of the SAD-BJP government. Prominent among others who addressed gathering included Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, MP; Mr Chiranji Lal Garg, ex-Punjab Minister; Mr Baldev Singh Mann, general secretary of the SAD; Mr Parkash Chand Garg, a member of the SAI working committee; Mr Manpreet Singh Badal, Mr Malkiat Singh Keetu, Mr Balbir Singh Ghunas, Mr Gobind Singh Longowal, Mr Parminder Singh Dhindsa, and Mr Gaganjit Singh Barnal, all SAD MLAs; and Mr Rajinder Singh Kanjhla, a senior SAD leader. |
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Withdraw work from ‘tainted’ judges Mansa, May 12 The bar requested Mr Justice Jain for the creation of new sessions divisions here simultaneously with the inauguration of new judicial complex. The bar also requested for the provision of proper approach to the judicial complex. Mr Justice Jain said now appeals of the civil suits of the value of more than Rs 5 lakh could be filed in the court of the Additional District Judge, here. Hitherto, such appeals had to be filed in the court of District Judge, Bathinda. |
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Probe into PNFC closure ordered Ropar, May 12 The newly elected MLA from the Nangal Assembly constituency, Mr
K.P.S. Rana, told The Tribune that he had requested the Chief Minister to look into the reasons for the closure of the plant. The leaders of the PNFC workers’ union had been alleging that mass-scale corruption led to the accumulation of company losses, which ultimately led to its closure. The Chief Minister, during the election campaign here had also promised the workers that an inquiry would be conducted into the closure of the
PNFC. So, now when the case was referred to him, he ordered his Principal Secretary to get an inquiry conducted. The Chief Minister has also asked his Principal Secretary to look into the reasons for the losses of Punjab Alkalis and Chemicals Ltd. (PACL), another major industrial unit of the Nangal area, Mr Rana added. The PNFC and the PACL units were established in 1985. These were the only units in the state in which almost the entire labour was employed locally. The PNFC plant used to produce ammonium chloride fertiliser and soda ash as byproducts. The bad days of the company started when the PV Narasimha Rao government withdrew subsidy on the ammonium chloride fertiliser. This rendered it unviable in the market vis-a-vis urea, on which subsidy was still continuing. After lingering on for more than a decade and accumulating losses, the company was forced to stop production in September, 1999. The pay of the workers was also stopped
simultaneously and even now when the company has been locked out, they have not been paid any dues. Union leaders of the company admit that the withdrawal of subsidy on ammonium chloride fertiliser was one of the reasons for the losses of the company. They, however, allege that the company never went into profit, even when the subsidy on its products was continuing. The top management of the company, along with local politicians, developed a nexus of corruption that led to the closure of the plant, they alleged. Meanwhile, due to the non-payment of dues and lack of employment opportunities, the condition of the retrenched employees of the company had become pathetic. Sources here said that at least five employees of PNFC had died of heart problems since the closure of the plant. The condition of the PACL plant had been precarious for the past three years. The plant which produced soda ash and chlorine as main products has been accumulating losses to the tune of Rs 1-2 crore per month for the past three years. The management of the company blames the recession in the market for the losses. In addition to recession, the union also blames corruption at higher levels for the company losses. The workers’ unions have been regularly holding protests against the alleged corrupt practices in the company. They got the salt procurement contract allegedly taken by the kin of a union minister cancelled and levelled serious allegations against the top management. Ever since the new government took over, there have been big changes in the management of the company. The Director Finance of the company, Mr Satbinder Singh, who sailed the company through difficult times, has resigned along with the
AGM, Finance. The General Manager Works at the Nangal plant, Mr Tandon, has been shifted to the Head Office at Chandigarh. |
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Jalandhar haven for criminals Jalandhar, May 12 Rahul Sharma, a four-year-old, and his nine-year-old brother
Navin, residents of Kot Kishan Chand locality, are allegedly abducted by a woman from Devi Talaab Hospital (May 7). The police is still clueless about the culprit. Eight-year-old Mohammed Taufique is reported missing from the Pucca Bagh locality (April
23). Sikandar of Bhargav camp locality is stabbed to death. A four-year-old daughter of a migrant Nepali labourer is raped while she is sleeping beside her mother. The police has failed to nab the culprit so far. A 40-year-old insurance employee is shot at and seriously injured by two unidentified motorcycle-borne youth in Gumtala village near Bilga (May 10). These are only some of the sensational crime incidents which show that Jalandhar is slowly becoming a safe haven for criminals. This has created panic among city residents. Such crimes are happening in Jalandhar almost daily and the police has been unable to contain the crime. The occurrence of serious crimes has registered a big jump during the past about month and a half. Most of these crimes have been committed in broad daylight and in most cases, criminals have gone scot-free. Even as police officials repeatedly claim that the situation is not abnormal, increasing crime incidents have belied their assertion. On the other hand, residents are aghast and fear that crime is likely to increase due to the inability of police officials to take stern action against criminals, usually for their “links” with some police officials, politicians and bureaucrats. The recent arrest of the Lambran SHO has exposed this “nexus“ to some extent. Another trend is the non-registration of FIRs, even in reportedly genuine cases, by police officials, till they are pressurised by some VVIPs. There has reportedly also been registration of false cases by police officials against innocent persons under pressure. An example of it is the protest rally by residents of
Lambran, to press for action against officials of the Lambran police station for framing a number of residents after being pressurised by an official. A perusal of crime reports has revealed that in most cases, the police has been unable to arrest the culprits, even as it has resorted to “damage control” excercise by issuing computerised sketches of the culprits. The most sensational cases are of the rape of a minor and the abduction of four-year-old Rahul Sharma and his nine-year-old brother Navin from Devi Talaab Hospital. The ‘sevadar’ of a gurdwara in Satnam Nagar, Devendra Kaur, was stabbed and injured by some persons of her locality on March 26. Another youth, Sohan Lal, had been stabbed. The police allegedly did nothing to arrest the accused. In yet another incident, about 12 armed youths had barged into a house in Sofi village and injured Lakhwinder, Channo and Sonu. In another incident, a mason was murdered on March 29. His widow had been running from pillar to post to get a case registered. Alleging that police officials were shielding the culprits, Santosh said she had submitted her complaint to the SSP, but to no avail. |
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Pak invites Sikh jatha Ferozepore, May 12 Earlier, despite the clean chit given by the Pakistan Government, the Union Home Ministry had not permitted the jatha of Sikh pilgrims to visit Pakistan Sikh shrines on the occasion of Baisakhi, following growing tension between the two countries. In a dramatic way, only an Akali leader, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, MP, managed to cross the border on diplomatic visa to visit the Sikh shrines and celebrate Baisakhi. Revealing this in a press note here, today, Mr Harpal Singh Bhullar, president, International Bhai Mardana Yadgari Kirtan Darbar Society (IBMYKDS), said 1,000 pilgrims had been invited to attend the martyrdom day function at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Lahore and other gurdwaras in Pakistan. In a letter written to the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, he has demanded permission to allow Sikh pilgrims to visit Pakistan. |
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Pardhan Kaur
cremated Faridkot, May 12 Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Mr Tej Parkash Singh, Minister for Transport, Punjab, Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar, Mr Sukhinder Singh Dhaliwal, president of the state unit of the UCPI, and several former ministers and MLAs were among those attended the funeral. However, no Central leader was present. Paying rich tributes, Mr Badal said the nation had suffered a great loss with the death of Ms Pardhan Kaur who had devoted her life for building the country stronger and strengthening secularism. Mr Tej Parkash Singh said she had played a key role in encouraging Giani Zail Singh to take active part in the Parja Mandal movement and work for the prosperity of the country. The Punjab Transport Minister who represented the government placed the Tricolour on her body. Mr Joginder Singh, the son of the deceased, lit the pyre. Giving state honour, a contingent of the police force reversed arms and sounded the last post. Two minutes’ silence was also observed. |
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Steps to help the disabled Bathinda, May 12 Mr Guru, while addressing a function at the office of a local NGO, Helping Hand Educational Society, said that the proposal would be sent to the authorities concerned that to motivate the persons to marry disabled persons, some monetary help should also be given to them. While stressing the need to give equal opportunities to disabled persons, he said that they should not be looked upon with pity. He added that if given the chance, disabled persons should be given opportunities in the field in which they could excel. Mr Guru assured that legal action would be taken against those institutions, which did not implement the three per cent reservation for disabled as per the Disabled Persons Act, 1995. He asserted that notices were issued to two institutions of Gurdaspur district some days back as they had not reserved seats for the disabled, while they had advertised some jobs in the institutions. He said that all efforts would be made to protect the rights of the disabled and for creating job opportunities for them. He added that a massive campaign would be launched in Punjab to educate people about how to deal with the disabled. He said that people would also be educated about measures which should be used to prevent some disabilities. He said that different departments should cooperate to educate people to give their children polio drops so that they could be saved from polio related disability. Dr Ujagar Singh, patron of the NGO, said that the government should make special arrangements to facilitate disabled persons. He said that special parking and toilets should be provided for the disabled at public places. During the function, callipers, hearing aids and artificial limbs were also distributed among the disabled by the NGO. |
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Doctors urged to serve
humanity Pathankot, May 12 He said this while addressing a function at the Pangoli chowk after laying the foundation stone of Associations’ Surgeons complex here today. He said with the completion of this project, the residents of Pathankot, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir would be benefitted with ultra modern medical facilities. Dr Kewal Krishan, Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, asked the doctors to organise medical camps for the benefit of the poor and the downtrodden. He said in these camps, medicines should be distributed free of cost. Dr Ashok Sharma, president of the association, said the project would cost Rs 50 lakh and it would come up on a piece of land measuring 12,947 sq ft. Mr Raghunath Sahai Puri and Dr Kewal Krishan announced a grant of Rs 51,000 each. |
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Suspended sarpanch to face action Bathinda, May 12 Official sources said that as Harbans Singh was found guilty of misusing panchayat funds to the extent of lakhs of rupees, the DC has asked for the registration of a criminal case. Mr Anurag Verma, Deputy Commissioner in an order, a copy of which was procured by The Tribune yesterday has said that Harbans Singh had misappropriated not only in panchayat funds but also tampered with panchayat record. Harbans Singh was suspended by the Additional Director of Panchayat’s on April 17 after being found guilty after an inquiry. He was found to have committed irregularities in panchayat funds after an inquiry was conducted by the Divisional Deputy Director of the Rural Development and Panchayat (RDP) Department. After suspension of the sarpanch the Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) was instructed that the property and other record of the Kotshamir panchayat be handed over to another panchayat member legally authorised to discharge such duties. The Deputy Commissioner has taken the decision, to ask the SSP for the registration of case against sarpanch after the report of inquiry by Divisional Deputy Director, Panchayats, Ferozepore and XEN Panchayati Raj, Bathinda was submitted to him. Earlier the Divisional Deputy Director of the RDP Department in his report submitted to the Director of Panchayats on April 13, stated that the sarpanch had committed irregularities in funds while discharging his duties. It was also found that no record was kept of the expenditure on different works undertaken by the panchayat. The sarpanch had not kept any record of the income from the auction of “hadda rori”, sale of panchayat land and funds to the extent of Rs 40 lakh for the development of the village were misused. He had also spent the income from a petrol station of the panchayat at the village, without keeping any record of the same. The Additional Director of Panchayats, Mr Joginder Singh in his order had stated that the findings of the inquiry showed that the sarpanch had violated the Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, Section 2D (4) and he had been suspended under the same section. He was debarred from taking part in the meetings of the panchayat. A news item appeared in The Tribune on April 24 on the suspension of the sarpanch. |
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Farmers cry for canal
water Tarn Taran, May 12 According to information, there has been no canal water for the past over eight months as the work is in progress. A large number of area under cultivation has been affected due to this. This correspondent visited Naushehra Pannuan, Usman, Dhotian, Jallewal, Bhattal, Lohar, Jamarai, Variahan, Bhail, Chola Sahib, Chamba, Gharka and Rooriwala villages where the farmers depend on canal water for irrigation. Mr Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu, convener of the Kisan Sangharsh Committee, said tubewells were getting power for only three to four hours and they were facing a lot of difficulty. The fodder crop would also be affected, he said. A large number of villagers said the cane crop was getting dried due the non-availability of canal water and poor power supply. Mr Pannu said this way the farmers would not be able to pay loan instalments. |
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Rs 200 cr to settle levy rice dues Chandigarh, May 12 This was stated here today by the Punjab Finance, Planning and Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Mr Lal Singh. He said that the payment would be made by the treasuries concerned from May 14 onwards. |
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Misuse of security cover to invite
action Patiala, May 12 These officers are being asked to supervise strictly the duties for which the securitymen provided to various VIPs are being used and also report any misuse of security personnel so that prompt action could be taken to withdraw them. “It had become the habit of some VIPs to secure police personnel for security and get work other than the assigned duty”, said Inspector-General, Security, Rajinder Singh to The Tribune yesterday. “Using gun men as status symbols has to be stopped”, he said adding reports had been received that security personnel had been misused for personal work in the past and efforts would be made to stop this practice. A survey is also being done of the number of people given security during the period of militancy but had continued to keep the security on one pretext or the other. He said security to such persons would also be withdrawn and threat perceptions being reviewed. Mr Rajinder Singh said in two months, as against 11,000 security personnel deputed for security duties before the new government came to power, the number had been reduced to 5,000 men. He said security personnel had been withdrawn at all levels adding while there were 1,300 uncategorised persons being given security earlier, the figure had been down to 150 only now. He said similarly while 86 persons had been provided X Y and Z category security cover, the number had been reduced to 58 now. Security cover of police officers and bureaucrats has also been reduced. This has happened across the board leading to the restoration of 3,400 personnel back to their respective districts. The IG said it was planned to repatriate some more personnel following which the security cover in the state would be reduced by more than 30 per cent. The reduction in the security cover the Chief Minister has also been drastic with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh moving around with a much smaller cavalcade than that of his predecessor Parkash Singh Badal. The Chief Minister is not protected by the National Security Guards
(NSG) commandos with the NSG contingent remaining with Mr Badal. |
2 SAD workers held for murder of Aman Sood Khanna, May 12 The two alleged accused were identified as Ranbir Singh Raikhy and his nephew Tanveer Singh. Mr Davinder Singh Garcha, SSP, said that investigation revealed the accused’s involvement in the murder of Aman Sood. He said the third accused involved in the murder was yet to be identified. He said that interrogation of the accused was on. Aman Sood (6), a student of Radha Vatika Senior Secondary School, was kidnapped on August 1, 2000 from near his residence. His body was found from the fields of nearby Kalal Majra village of Fatehgarh Sahib district on August 1, 2000. Residents of Khanna were shocked over the incident then. Dharnas and rallies were held against police inaction at that time. Mr R.L. Bhagat, the then SSP, was transferred after one month of the incident. |
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Heroin worth Rs 2 cr
seized Amritsar, May 12 The police also seized fake currency notes from two persons. Giving details of the seizure to the media here today, Mr Narinderpal Singh district police chief, claimed that on specific information, Mr Manjit Singh, SHO, Sarai Amanat Khan police station, laid a naka to nab the suspects at the Rakh Bhusee ‘T’ point near Adda Raja Tal. The police had information that Jasbir Singh and his mother Mahinder Kaur were going on a scooter (without number) to Amritsar to sell the heroin. His mother is still at large. A case under Sections 21/61/85 of the NDPS Act has been registered. However, residents of Douke met senior police officials and told them that it was practically impossible to smuggle contrabands from cross the border after the Army build-up. Meanwhile, in another major seizure, the police has caught Hardeep Singh of Chheharata and Jatinder Singh of Krishna Nagar, redhandedly and seized fake currency worth Rs 68,000 from them. The police also seized one computer, a printer and a scanner. |
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Book three in forgery case: DC Chandigarh, May 12 Lamberdar Karnail Singh of Malikpur village brought their act to the notice of Registering Officer, who enquired into the matter and discovered three cases of fraud. Mr Verma stated that the accused had a forged copy of “jamabandi” and on that basis got mortgage deed registered for getting credit from the Oriental Bank of Commerce,
Panchhta. The description of land in the forged “jamabandi” does not exist in the records. In one case, even village lamberdar was impersonated and a fake lamberdar was needed to identity the person at the time of registration. Similarly, in one case an impersonator was set up for the execution of a mortgage deed. Mr Verma apprehended that there might be similar cases in the neighbouring districts. He said he would write writing to the Commissioner, Jalandhar division, in this regard to all if these were done in connivance with bank officials. Another person named, Om Parkash, working in Ghuman Tractors, Phagwara, has also figured in the list of suspects during enquiry. In all, the accused were able to forge cases for an amount of Rs 13 lakh and Rs 7.5 lakh was already withdrawn before the matter was brought to the notice of the authorities. |
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5 Kale Kachhewale arrested Ropar, May 12 All five arrested belong to the Bavaria community of Uttar Pradesh, members of which are known for their criminal activities. The modus operandi of the accused was that they initially used to survey the area in the garb of hawkers and then strike in the early hours of the day. Two pistols were seized from their possession. The SSP said the arrested gangsters had admitted to having committed thefts in the Kharar, Kurali and Chamkaur Sahib areas of the district. A case under Sections 399 and 402 of the IPC has been registered, he said. |
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Missing boy found Sangrur, May 12 The police said it had arrested Sonu Kumar, Diwan Singh, both residents of Sunam, and Joginder Singh, a resident of Ludhiana, from the local railway station where they had been waiting for a train. Ravi was in their possession at that time, the police added. The police has registered a case against the accused under Section 363 of the IPC. |
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Man, son killed in road mishap Maur Mandi (Bathinda), May 12 According to police sources, Darshan Singh (30) and his son, Jabarjung Singh (4) residents of Sandoha village were going towards their home on a cycle on the Maur Mandi-Talwandi Sabo road when a Canter hit their bicycle. Darshan Singh received fatal injuries in head and died on-the-spot. Jabarjung received injuries in head and on arms. He was admitted to the local Civil Hospital and was referred to Ludhiana after a first-aid at the local hospital. He died on the way to Ludhiana. The driver of the Canter absconded from the seen leaving the vehicle. The bodies of both the deceased had been handed over to the family members after a post-mortem examination today. The police has registered a case under Sections 304A, 279, 338 and 427 of the IPC. |
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4 loan defaulters arrested Barnala, May 12 According to sources, two out of the four arrested, all farmers, hail from Barnala and Kotduna village. A bank official has informed this reporter here that the Barnala subdivision area has about 574 loan defaulters, out of which about 80 cases have paid their loan instalments. |
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College staff not paid for 1 yr Batala, May 12 Principal Ram Singh Padda said here today that Guru Nanak Dev Academy and Kandh Sahib Gurdwara both being revenue earners were taken over by the SGPC. Guru Nanak College was left out deliberately being not very “lucrative proposition.” Principal Padda added there was 25 covered posts and 34 uncovered ones which is the main liability of the College Managing Committee and the issue in dispute. Principal Padda added the Executive Committee of the SGPC by its meeting of April 1, 2000. Guru Nanak College, Batala, was taken over formally by Bibi Jagir Kaur the President of the SGPC. Later on with the change of guard in the SGPC Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi discontinued this. In 2001, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, then Chief Minister of Punjab donated Rs 10 lakh from his discretionary fund to the college. In April 2002, the SGPC under Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar refused to administer Guru Nanak College, and cancelled college’s affiliation to the SGPC. At present there are nearly 600 students on its rolls in Science and Arts faculties said Principal Padda and with the college’s in financial conditions in the doldrums (with loss of Rs 50 lakh), future of the college appears to be bleak and the Principal is worried about it. |
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Board
officials’ assets may be probed SAS Nagar, May 12 Sources in the vigilance department said the investigations would
focus on the officials whose name have figured in the alleged
irregularities in the Board. Complaints of certain officials of the
Board amassing wealth disproportionate to their known sources of
income had also been received in the office of the Chief Minister.
The investigations could also involve staff of the education Board,
who were part of the recruitment committee which cleared the names of
candidates for Class III and Class IV posts. The Vigilance Bureau is
likely to probe into the quality of paper purchased by the Board for
publication and printing of books.
In the alleged irregularities in the recruitment process, the
investigations of the vigilance sleuths have reportedly narrowed down
to the procedure adopted in the selections. The officials are looking
for the merit list, which could throw light on the marks scored by
each candidate. The Board, going for a re-examination to allegedly
accommodate certain candidates from, Moga had raised many eyebrows.
Sources in the Board said that as a face saving measure efforts had
been made to hurriedly prepare the merit list.
Though officials of the Vigilance Bureau refused to divulge details
about the outcome of the investigations, the sources said that the
focus was on the documents related to the test, written test and the
interview. Already the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and other
employees of the Board had been questioned by the Vigilance
Department. Sources said the role of the staff in the office of the
Vice-Chairman was being probed. |
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Teacher in soup for teasing girls Bathinda, May 12 Sources said the teacher had been teasing and indulged in vulgar gesticulations. Mrs Bhupinder Kaur went to the school to make on the spot inquiry and found it to be true. On the basis of the inquiry, she recommended the suspension of the teacher. |
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New school schedule Fatehgarh Sahib, May 12 Due to the heat wave in the
region, Now the schools will function from 7.30 AM to 12 noon. |
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Clarify stand
on octroi, say traders Faridkot, May 12 He said Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, had promised in the party’s manifesto during the last Assembly elections that the decision of the previous government on octroi would be followed. He said if the Chief Minister was sincere, he should file a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the high court order. He claimed that it was the business community which brought the present Congress regime to power. He said the Chief Minister should constitute a high-level committee comprising traders and headed by a senior Cabinet minister to sort out the problems of the traders. Criticising the previous SAD-BJP government for its anti-traders policies, he said no development work had been undertaken during its regime. |
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